#fragrance decants

[myfragrancesample]

JEAN LOWE IMMORTAL- Maison Alhambra Fragrance for Men

Introducing JEAN LOWE IMMORTAL- Maison Alhambra Fragrance for Men, the epitome of timeless elegance. Immerse yourself in the irresistible blend of rich spices and exotic woods, creating a scent that exudes confidence and sophistication. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, this fragrance captivates with bergamot, leather, and vetiver notes, leaving a lasting impression wherever you go. Experience the allure of Alhambra Jean Lowe Immortal sample for Men and embrace your inner gentleman. Unleash your immortality with every spritz. Visit the website or call (443) 567-5663 for more information.

[columboscreens]

[vitruvianmanbara]

Hi! I just heard ELDO has discontinued Tom of Finland, I'm so crushed because I really wanted to try it. I actually found a site that still has it but I was wondering could you share what you think it smells like? Do you think it's worth blind buying a bottle since it's no longer in production? Appreciate your advice!

It's so sad, isn't it! 😓 If it's any consolation, they haven't completely discontinued it, just rebranded the fragrance to Clean Suede...taking this ask as an opportunity to share the original ELDO ad, RIP Tom...

In general I'd advise against blind buying anything, it's easy enough to get small sample sizes or decants so you can try before you buy. I recommend getting a sample size with an atomizer if you can, it'll give the top notes a little bit of a longer lifespan. You can get those off ELDO's site directly or from other sites like scentsplit or luckyscent

In terms of what it smells like...important to know right off the bat that it's not a raunchy, androerotic, exaggerated scent profile that you might expect. It's probably a good thing they changed the branding tbh, if you look up reviews you'll see a lot of people mad that it's too tame to live up to its namesake lol. It's a lovely scent though, playfully masculine, and there is an understated eroticism to it - more sensual than overly sexual imo.

I'll put a screenshot of the notes I have on this perfume under the cut, hopefully you'll find it helpful.

[parasolids]

i bought two tiny 1ml perfume samples. i got concrete by comme des garcons, which ive seen described as "like an art classroom" and like walking in a business district or under a mossy overpass, and then tam dao from diptyque, which is described as indian sandalwood, which isnt a scent i really like irl but we'll see how it goes

i've been wearing deathandfloral's art school dropout recently - the site describes it as wet clay, car exhaust, paint water, pencil shavings. it felt fitting, i don't draw anymore and i work in a car factory. when i tried it on at first i didn't like it bc it just felt waxy and sweet. but now after wearing it a few times i really like it - it starts off sweet and chemical and i definitely get the car exhaust note, which then turns more woody and mineral, which i guess is the clay/paint and pencil shavings. inexplicably it does smell strongly like lime after a while

i think i want a good death/graveyard/etc scent but a lot of the death related perfumes i see are WAIT LUSH BROUGHT BACK KERBSIDE VIOLET POST CANCELLED

[decantall]

Carolina Herrera tarafından 2002 yılında piyasaya sürülüp daha sonra üretimi durdurulan Carolina Herrera Chic bayan parfümü,kırmızı renkli şişesi ile oldukça tutkulu ve kadınsı bir parfüm. Carolina Herrera Chic, bulgar gülü ve kırmızı frezyanın çiçeksi üst notalarına sahiptir. Orta notaları mandalina çiçeği ve portakaldan oluşur. Tabanı vanilya ve beyaz misk notalarından yapılmıştır. Bu koku orta derecede silajlıdır ve çok kalıcıdır. Aşırı feminen bir koku olsa da saf, modern ve sade bir parfüm olarak sınıflandırabiliriz. Özellikle bulgar gülü ve kırmızı frezya notaları ile öne çıkan parfümün kokusu Alberto Morillas ve Jacques Cavalier imzası taşımaktadır. Şişesinin tasarımını ise Fabien Baro yapmıştır. Üst Notalar: Kırmızı frezya, sümbülteber, bulgar gülü Orta Notalar: Frezya, vadideki zambak, mandalina çiçeği, portakal çiçeği Alt Notalar: Beyaz misk, sandal ağacı, vanilya Buy online ➡️ Link in Bio #carolinaherrera #chic #edp #perfume #nicheperfumes #indieperfume #perfumelovers #perfumecollector #fragrance #fragrancelover #parfum #perfumephoto #nichefragrances #perfumereviews #fragrancereviews #perfumeaddict #sotd #dekant #parfüm #decant #decantall https://www.instagram.com/p/CpUrqn6oQMA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chronotopes]

guerlain herba fresca was not lying she smells like fresh herbs (and is SHOCKINGLY long lasting)

[curareblog]

Microperfumes pt. 2

{Microperfumes // A Variety // See Below}

Well, I swore to myself that I would make this a three-part series. You know what they say about best laid plans? Yeah, me neither. I think the remaining organizational scheme was going to be something like, “YouTube made me try these” and then “Wild Cards.” But because I’m fickle and impatient, I’m lumping them all together. I trust that you, dear audience, will be capable of discerning what’s been popular on YouTube, and what’s more or less random.

And without further ado, let the chaos commence!

Dolce & Gabbana / Dolce Floral Drops / 7.5/10

Say it with me, “Pissy Floral.” And we know yours truly loves a pissy floral. For those in the audience not yet apprised of my ~trademark~ saying: tart, fresh, shampoo-y/hairspray-y scents that say “I’m fresh, I’m clean, don’t tread on me” = pissy florals. An easy wear. 

And no, I don’t feel like any of the notes are discernable enough to be worth flogging the Fragrantica page to death.

Yves Saint Laurent / Black Opium / 6/10

Somehow, this is the scent of being on the precipice of greatness. Alas, the vanilla, coffee, and pear fight and ultimately morph into a strangely tart, sweet, coffee. It’s kind of like that phenomenon people describe as being both scared and aroused. Not saying I can relate, but the twisted juxtaposition seems applicable here.

Bvlgari / Mon Jasmin Noir / 4/10

I can hardly smell anything. Maybe like my grandmother inhabited a room 1 week ago and then left the windows open while some laundry was drying outside. I don’t know her.

Versace / Crystal Noir EDT / 6.5/10

As with Black Opium, there’s something perversely appealing about Crystal Noir. In fact, Crystal Noir bears a passing resemblance to Zara’s Rich, Warm, Addictive - which can best be described as “mentholated coconut.” Maybe as if somebody made menthols out of coconut water? I’m confused, she’s confused, we’re all confused. I don’t hate it, but can’t imagine an occasion to wear it.

Gucci / Flora / 5/10

Mom, pick me up - I’m scared.

It’s been a while since I’ve smelled something so brashly and outspokenly traditionally feminine by today’s modern scenting standards. And yet, I’m face to face with the towering, pink confection demon of my nightmares. Somebody’s gotta do it to ‘em, but for once it’s not me.

Chanel / Chance Eau Tendre / 6.5/10

Pissy. Floral. Even more tart and green than the last one. Also something a little indolic in there. A sourpuss face only a mother could love.

Tom Ford / Black Orchid / 4/10

Sometimes I think the Tom Ford brief is simply “Make this smell strong and distinctive.” And boy, Black Orchid delivers. Yet, it happens to contain this weird, sweet-musky-animalic component that’s usually marketed as “honey” and makes my stomach turn. Few fragrances have successfully captured the true scent of honey, and this is one that fails to meet the mark for me.

Rihanna / Reb’l Fleur / 3/10

Derivative purple cough syrup. Avoid at all costs.

Tom Ford / Eau de Soleil Blanc / 6/10

Take Neroli Portofino and buoy out the strident neroli with some prissier notes. Summer scent writ large.

Jo Malone / Orange Blossom / 6/10

I love orange blossom. The note is truly handsome, round, and just the right mixture of fresh, delicate, and sweet. Frankly, this orange blossom reads as an indolic orange blossom honeysuckle mix. It’s not awful, but the indolence would have me nervous about others’ perceptions of me.

Lolita Lempicka / Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum / 4/10

Weird, plasticky licorice note. Just no.

Christian Dior / Poison Girl / 6/10

Ephemeral creamsicle-lite scent. I’m not sure what’s going on here but it’s not odious.

Thierry Mugler / Alien / 6/10

They say (they being the masses) that one is either an Alien or Angel fan. Hard to say where I skew on that divide. I hate patchouli 99.9% of the time, but am trying to grow an appreciation for

[dxstopiaa]

Immortal Infatuation..

Summary: The God of Contracts was supposed to be reserved and stone-hearted, so why did you make him feel this way? Even after all these centuries? ❤︎︎

Characters: Fem!Goddess! Reader x Prime! Morax, Guizhong and the Adepti as side characters (≧◡≦) ♡

Warnings: Quite a long fic, also indulgent! Fluff and Romance, lots of angst at the end though, be wary! ❤︎︎

Notes: This totally isn’t fuelled by the new leaked cutscenes, haha.. i can’t help it, Morax just looks too good here! ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎

You were merely an acquaintance to the Geo Archon, nothing more, right? Those momentarily soft gazes and his polite mannerisms weren’t exclusive to you, right? Well, that’s what you thought.

As a more obscure goddess in the land of Liyue, you didn’t expect nor convince yourself that the most beloved God would take an interest in you, it was rather unrealistic, even for a divine being.

So why did your beloved friend Guizhong insist on you meeting him? Or for the Adepti to respect you so much? It all seemed perplexing to you, something the most eccentric of architecture you could create, or the theatrical arts with a twisted interpretation, wouldn’t compare to.

It resembled a moth around lanterns, a thought which wouldn’t leave your mind and almost felt essential that it should be enlightened to you. This feeling only returned stronger when you were conversing with Guizhong on Mt. Aocang, accompanied with teapots brewing with exquisite teas and offerings left on the stone table.

‘Please, Dear Friend! Just take up my request, he would be so delighted to meet you!’ She pleaded, propping her hands onto yours. ‘Morax is especially fond of the arts, which you specialise in.’ You only sighed anxiously, wiping off the non-existent dust on your lilac hanfu. Now she understood your hesitation.

She silently stood from her seat, making her way over to you as she began to comb through your hair therapeutically. Her dainty fingers arranged your hair into a neat plaited updo, securing an aurate, floral hairpiece within it. Guizhong smiled fondly, turning you around by your shoulders to face her.

‘Do not fret, i will take care of that, for now let me help you get ready.’ She comforted, producing a small pouch from her pocket, pulling various jewellery and make-up items from it. From your soft, painted lips to your violet, complimentary eyeshadow, she took care of it.

‘There we are…Perfect!’ With a final additive of fragrance, Guizhong admired her work. She thought you always looked gorgeous, especially when you were in regal attire. You greatly appreciated her compliments, reflecting them back at her.

‘Apologies, am i interrupting?’ A husky, deep voice remarked. Although you have only heard from your companions regarding him, the gentle undertone in his voice came as a surprise.

‘Ah, Morax! Look who i’ve brought with me!’ Guizhong introduced, turning to face you towards him by your shoulders. You wondered how obvious the flush across your face was. When he had came closer, you bowed slightly as a wordless acknowledgment.

At first glance, you couldn’t help but notice his golden, intricate eyes, or his arms which were decorated in the same manner. Maybe how defined his features were through that thin shirt of his…

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Morax, please accept this gift.’ You quietly offered, retrieving the decanter of osmanthus wine you had brought with you after learning how fond he was of the drink. His eyes seemed to flick from you to the bottle, repeatedly before graciously taking it from your hands.

‘Thank you dear, why don’t you come with us?’ Morax suggested, who would of known he was such a gentleman? All throughout the indulgent conversations you two had, partially fuelled by Guizhong’s futile attempts at matchmaking, it was as if you could trace the path the archon’s irises took upon you.

Despite the awkwardness you three displayed, you considered this meeting a success! Aside from the obvious chatting about duties as a diety, you found Morax had a more…refined personality. His love for nature and tradition held above all, you could only feel flattered as he expressed his admiration for your speciality.

Gatherings such as this occurred more frequently as eons flew past, from small talk to teases, this trio of yours grew inseparable. The aged stone table brought all sorts of memories back to you.

‘Checkmate, again!’ You giggled, watching Rex Lapis’ eyes widen for the sixth time that duel, he breathlessly chuckled back, resting his chin in his palm, defeated. Seems he left the King open to attack carelessly.

‘As expected, nobody could beat the goddess herself in her own game.’ He responded, watching you reposition the pieces upon the chess board once more, grinning at his statement.

‘Who knows? Perhaps in a few centuries you will surpass me in my skill, even if i might not be around to witness such.’ You casually mentioned, not noticing how Morax’s heart dropped in in his chest. A life without you? Never, even erosion couldn’t take you away from him, it wouldn’t dare.

He reached across the table to intertwine his fingers with yours, ‘Please darling, do not say such things, i’d break a contract if it meant keeping you here with me.’

So why, why did you leave him alone, again? Why did he have to witness your limp figure in a field of bloodshed and decaying flora? Why wasn’t he there to hear your last words? The burning question in the abyss of his heart, Why did he leave his feelings for you so late?

You could of roamed the bustling streets of Liyue Harbour, watch the lanterns illuminate the sky like constellations that could manipulate your destiny to be less tragic. Zhongli wouldn’t have to traverse alone, rather with you, once more.

He couldn’t help the blur of his vision as the checkerboard infront turned against him. Casting his gaze downwards, this was your last request and he couldn’t even fulfil it? The younger male duelling him panicked seeing how forlorn Zhongli appeared.

‘Wait, Xiangsheng! What happened? Did i do something wrong?’ Childe frantically insisted, attempting to sympathise with the retired archon. A simple dismissal from him, shaking his head.

‘Childe, Have you ever lost someone you’ve loved so dearly?’ Zhongli confessed with a shaky voice, shimmering tears freely flowing from his tired eyes for the first time in eons. He hoped that wherever your soul resides, you wouldn’t forget his affection for you, as Morax and Zhongli.

[feytouched]

hi ieva!! do you have any tips on how to find a signature scent? :O

hi! i have Many Thoughts on signature fragrances, predictably.

a) i think having one 'signature fragrance' is overrated. searching for it before you have a well-developed nose and a good grip on your preferences will make you overspend and end up with a lot of full bottles of stuff you don't like as much as you initially thought you did.

b) the only way to know what you like is to try a lot of stuff and to do so mindfully. you have to learn how to identify what you're smelling and why you like it or not.

trying a lot of stuff gets expensive fast so i suggest buying sample packs directly from brands or from decant websites.

don't limit yourself to designer/mass-market brands or your perspective on perfumery will be very limited. try niche and indie perfumes and give scent oils a shot. these were what taught me most about scent; there's some really unique stuff going on with indie brands you can't really experience elsewhere.

read books about perfumery to help you understand what you're smelling. mandy aftel's fragrant and essence & alchemy, luca turin's guides, they're a good starting point.

you can also learn a lot from other perfume enthusiasts on fragrantica, on r/Indiemakeupandmore (for indie brand reviews) or on forums like bpal's review forum (and blogs like this one). whenever you try a perfume, look up others' reviews of it.

keep a record of which perfumes you enjoyed and which you didn't, and what notes they have in common. i do this with a spreadsheet, you can used a notebook or whatever you like.

c) don't write off the classic scents. they're classics for a reason. i'd feel safer calling shalimar or chanel no. 5 (gag. if i didn't hate it.) my signature scent than whatever the tiktok perfumistas are gushing about this year. if people haven't gotten bored of it in over a century, there's less of a chance you will too.

d) don't limit yourself to just one signature scent. i think it's foolish to expect a single perfume to be adequate for every occasion.

personally i have two 'signature scents' that are very similar to each other, so they create a cohesive vibe: guerlain's après l'ondée and l'heure bleue. a.l.o. is for daytime/spring/summer, l.h.b. is for eveningwear/fancier occasions/cold weather.

e) once you find the scent that makes you go 'that's it!', don't feel like that's all you're allowed to wear forever.

i wear my 'signatures scents' on special occasions, to create olfactive memories associated with them. on a day to day basis i'm much more likely to be wearing something else from my sample collection.

hope this helps! if you have any more questions about fragrance send them my way. good luck on your quest <3

[fruitchouli]

or any other fun ones like bodycology etc 🗿will pay in cooter (perfume samples decanted from my own collection, curated by moi to fit ur tastes). anyways i’m having so much fun exploring the wonderful trashy world of mass market fragrance 😃 i really don’t think u can find this kind of off the wall fun novelty in any other realm of the fragrance industry.. but i completely understand how the abundance of cheap sweetness is off putting and unbearable to some.. but i truly think vanilla body sprays are the superior layering vanillas, in fact whenever i go to layer something with a perfume, i look to my body sprays because they never overtake the perfume. i’ve always said body fantasies cotton candy should be layered with everything. anyways i got a bunch of the current victoria secret and vs pink body sprays and bath and body works fine fragrance mists, aka BBW FFM, aka Big Beautiful Women Facial Feminization Murgery, to explore what is going on right now and i found some i love!!!! and some i don’t and need to sell😇 but i had the shower thought that these often obnoxious and cloyingly synthetic fragrances that often last all of 15 minutes are in a way a modern great granddaughter of the classic EDC but rather than providing momentary relief from heat and the stench of urself and those around u, body sprays provide momentary sweet thoughtless euphoria that tap into the 8 year old girl in all of us. i never even thought to explore body sprays before because i’ve never seen really anyone in my sphere of the fragrance community give them much thought, but in a world of the most boring and bland designer perfume releases, i believe body mists are an important and fun, light , lighthearted and completely unpretentious part of the perfume pie that lots of fragrance nerds could stand to learn from! some of them feel devoid of fun and carnal pleasure. anyways hi how r u ⛄️ do u wanna know what body sprays i got in the black friday sales and which ones slay and suck

[stellaluna33]

Some of you may remember my obsessive posts about violets, my frustrations with finding a violet fragrance that actually smells like violets, and feeling heartbroken that I had gotten scammed in a prior attempt to replace my current favorite, which was a very obscure souvenir fragrance from France. Well... soon after I made that post, the lovely @parfoisendecembre contacted me and, being a French speaker, very kindly asked if there was anything she could do to help me find my beloved perfume again. And guys... It's here. 🥺😭 It arrived yesterday, and it's exactly as beautiful as I remembered! Here it is next to my old one (It's decanted into a vintage bottle. I'll be doing the same thing with the new one when I run out, haha)

As you can see, the packaging is nothing fancy! The paper label was obviously printed on an inkjet printer, haha! The company's website (colineparfums.com) where I purchased it is very basic and simple. They're obviously a very small company with no marketing budget, and I haven't tried any of their other scents, but OH, this one is... Divine. How do I even describe it? Pure Violet, rich and elegant, with nothing distracting over it. Freshly sweet, but never cloying. Just enough of the "powdery" component to keep it grounded with a rich, bittersweet earthiness, but never too much (which can be a problem with some violet fragrances). It's perfectly balanced (in my personal opinion). I can see why this scent was so popular at the Turn of the Century, as it's really an aromatic expression of Art Nouveau... I wanted to listen to Debussy and Eric Satie while wearing it... something spare and elegant and delicate. The only drawback is that it fades significantly after a few hours, but it's so gorgeous I don't care! As far as comparisons to violet candies go, it's more elegant than C. Howard's and more like Flavigny pastilles, which is fitting, as that's how my obsession began...

I found these in a gift shop when I was a kid (I use the tin to store hairpins now!) and how could I resist the Belle Époque packaging? The taste was strange but addictive, and... I've been obsessed ever since. I kept stopping during the day to sniff my own wrists yesterday, and I'm so, SO happy!

(Ordering from the company's website was fairly straightforward. The products themselves are very inexpensive, but I- alas!- had to pay more in shipping than I did for the actual perfume itself! That said, I was very impressed by how quickly it arrived.)

[myfragrancesample]

GRAVITÉ- Particle Fragrance for Men

Experience the enigmatic allure of the Gravite Particle Sample. This captivating essence embodies mystery and sophistication, a fusion of celestial intrigue and earthly resonance. Delve into a cosmic blend, where ethereal particles converge, creating a scent that defies gravity. Envelop yourself in its enigmatic aura, a harmonious interplay of cosmic elements. Unveil the essence of celestial energy captured within a fragrance. Explore the mystique of the universe, encapsulated within this alluring Gravite Particle Sample. Don't wait any longer to find your perfect perfume - call us at 4435675663 or order your sample today from My Fragrance Samples website.

[kassandras-one-braincell]

Eivor x Femme!Reader - Animalistic Urges

Kinktober 08: Primal Play [explicit]

Contains: strap-on usage, butch/femme implicit

Word count: 745

Ao3 link here.

Men, minors and ageless/default blogs DNI. You will be blocked immediately upon interaction.

Docile little things made for a wolf’s ideal prey: oblivious to the cunning, voracious eyes following them, and once fang meets flesh, delectable.

The Wolf-Kissed was something of a wolf herself. She caught scent of something new, something fresh about you, and her eyes hardly left you since. You returned from the settlement’s trade post yester-eve with an ornate decanter in hand, and when dawn broke, you dabbed a droplet of its contents onto your neck. Rose water. A delicate, feminine fragrance. Eivor found it maddening.

Where your lover was a wolf, you were nought but a lamb. Unbeknownst to you, Eivor had silently tracked your day’s errands, awaiting the perfect moment for an ambush to arise. Cobalt eyes stalked after the sway of your hips, entranced by the liquidity they invoked in the fabric adorning them. She needed only a brief moment in your solitary company – a minute to whisper every detail of what the floral notes dusting your throat made her feel, and to ask if you’d slip away to satiate her hunger, for the gods knew her patience would not last ‘til twilight.

The opportunity arose. All it took was some poetic filth for you to be lured away from the pen of Ravensthorpe, deep into the heart of the forest, where the wolf could feast uninterrupted.

Nature willed it so; lupine teeth grazed the throat of the ovine caged below. The mellow rose laced into the scent of you was divine, and she breathed it in deeply as she sucked on the supple skin of your neck. Eivor’s blood roared with the need to flood her tongue with your taste, and devour you she did. You writhed underneath her, thighs trembling around her ears until you dripped down her chin and then some. The cries bleeding from your kiss-bruised lips were of ecstasy, not agony. She saw no reason to cut them short.

Now, atop a blanket of dirt and autumn leaves, a song of grunts, mewls and snarls echoed through the forest as she knelt and rutted into you like a beast. Your hips melted into her hands, eager to chase the length of the leather sheathed inside you with every deep thrust. Soil stained the underside of your nails as you tore the earth below apart, clawing wildly whenever she bottomed out.

She laid a pile of clothes beneath your head – although possessed by this primal fantasy, she would never risk a splinter slicing her sweet lamb’s face. Tragically, it muffled your raw, guttural moans, but Eivor needed only steepen the angle of her hips and endure the slight burn that followed to have your back arching, drooly lips lifting off the linens to sob freely. Sometimes, you would slur some strangled, garbled variant of her name, too enthralled with bliss to form words. Her heart swelled at the sounds. Prey shouldn’t have to think, after all.

The silky, slick warmth of your cunt pulsed around her cock. Eivor swore she could feel it through the leather. She ground into the fantom feeling, ignoring the searing in her thighs as she pushed down on your hips, burying herself deep enough into your viscera to always be pressed against that sweet spot inside of you.

You almost choked on your own spit, and fuck, was that a pretty sound. Eivor watched, eyes frenzied, as wetness seeped onto the length of her toy. Leaning into you, she maintained a slow, rough tempo, needing to rip more of those noises from your throat.

“Please,” you wailed deliriously in broken tongue. She grunted, resisting the urge to kiss the skin of your back. You needed her just like this, relentlessly pounding into the spot that rendered you a wanton, shaking mess. Her stamina waned, but she refused to fold, not with you grabbing tight fistfuls of the earth with every thrust, coarsely moaning, “Please, please, pleaseplease—”

Suddenly and violently, your frame seized up with a ragged cry of her name. Eivor stilled her hips, finally able to hunch over you and kiss your trembling, salt-licked flesh as you shook underneath her. She buried her nose into your neck, breathing in what hadn’t faded of the floral fragrance that brought about her lustful mania to begin with. It was softer, now more comforting than alluring, bringing a lazy smile to her lips. Still delicate, still feminine. But undoubtedly, one day, it would have her tailing you like a feral mutt all over again.

[vitruvianmanbara]

just curious, any ELDO frags you'd buy a full bottle of?

yes! you or someone like you and marquis de sade attaquer le soleil 🌿☀️ I keep telling myself I'm gonna conserve the samples to test in warmer weather, and then I can't help reaching for them 😩

[cleolinda]

Samsara (Guerlain, 1989 EdP & 2023 EdT)

A sandalwood overdose embellished by ylang-ylang and jasmine. Samsara is the first woody women's fragrance in perfumery. It is constructed over a beautifully crafted sandalwood, used for the first time in these quantities in perfumery. (Guerlain.com)

From Eau de Tati, the back story:

Jean-Paul Guerlain created Samsara in 1985 for Decia de Powell, the woman he loved and who wore the fragrance for four years before it was launched. Jean-Paul took the opportunity to create the perfume for her, as she could not find a perfume that appealed to her. She liked jasmine and sandalwood, in particular, and these were the raw materials on which Samsara was based.

It seems that Gérard Anthony co-created the fragrance, but Guerlain has always loved a good legend. Whether the Sanskrit word "saṃsāra" ("the concept of rebirth and 'cyclicality of all life, matter, existence'") suits the fragrance as a name is a lengthy discussion I'll leave to others.

On the face of it, Samsara is another Guerlain journey into orientalism (stop that!); it's a classic example of loud 1980s fragrance (outdated); it's a benchmark in the Western perfume industry's use of sandalwood (notable). I wanted to write up this one purely because I already had it on hand: when I say "1989," I mean, my mom gave me an eau de parfum sample in 1989. I would have been about ten years old, and I loved collecting little sample vials that gave me too many headaches to actually use—just to keep in my little treasure boxes full of costume jewelry and tumbled rocks and skeleton keys. Apparently I was a magpie, or maybe a dragon. There's only about five molecules left, but as it turns out, that is more than enough.

I also ordered a fresh decant of the current formulation from the Perfumed Court—all they had was the eau de toilette, not the EdP, so this is not a one-to-one comparison. Instead, we have, on one hand, the most aged a Samsara can get, saved since its debut year, and on the other, the lightest, freshest iteration possible. It's lovely, that new EdT. But it's not what I expected at all. A couple of years ago I managed to uncork the 1989 Samsara, and all I got was this incredible note of mingled sandalwood and jasmine—just the richest, smoothest, deepest thing you've ever smelled. But the new one, from my notes: "BUBBLEGUM??"

Powdery fresh floral, rose? Like a living flower that happens to be powdery, not a cosmetic. Very very fresh and outdoorsy, like a garden. The vague idea of sandalwood underneath. Something a bit sweeter coming out, maybe vanilla jasmine. Very light, very easy to wear. Airy, breezy. Sheer.

And then, ten minutes in, bubblegum came out. Motherfucking bubblegum. I had to look up what the old-fashioned Bazooka Joe-type flavor is, because it's not that—there's no tiny twang of clove or wintergreen hiding behind the fruits and vanilla. This is straight-up Juicy Fruit gum. Which involves banana, pineapple, and maybe peach, for a flavor "resembling jackfruit." Now, apparently jackfruit contains "banana oil," aka isoamyl acetate, so I went and googled it on a hunch: yes, it’s in ylang ylang too. Combine that with Samsara's actual peach note (although it smells fresher than the lactone in Mitsouko) and vanilla—

Basenotes.com: Green notes, peach, ylang ylang, bergamot, lemon, iris and orris, violet, jasmine, rose, narcissus, sandalwood, tonka, amber, musk, and vanilla.

—and you've got a powdery-nectar sandalwood bubblegum. It's so good. Two birthdays ago, I got myself a wide-ranging set of essential oils, just so I could see what things smell like individually; the night after I tried Samsara, I started messing around with them, and it's 10,000% the ylang that's bringing the strange fruity note. I rarely if ever see anyone mention the ylang-ylang in Samsara—they always talk about how strong the jasmine is, but I SWEAR TO YOU that this is what it does on me. In fact, twenty minutes in, Bubble Ylang was mostly what I was smelling.

At the same time, the fresh EdT was really, really powdery—you see iris there in not one but two levels of the note pyramid, and orris is just iris root. The classic Guerlains use the ionones of iris and violet a lot; they're in the house accord, the Guerlinade, which I may also try to get a sample of. But the powder is so much stronger in Samsara than I expected. I was promised a sandalwood overdose, and I'm sitting here with Juicy Fruit floating over a bed of irises—like the row of cool dark purple ones we had lining our driveway when I was a kid—at the half-hour mark. According to my notes, I didn't really get ~sandalwood until an hour-twenty, and even that was still blurring into the ylang-ylang. (Apparently these two notes are really compatible; it's the only thing same combination I liked in Chanel No. 5.) That said, it's lovely and sweet and easygoing if you APPLY SPARINGLY. Of the three Guerlains I've tried, this one was by far the easiest to wear.

Which is wild, because supposedly, Samsara is A Sandalwood Bomb, a true big-hair fume of the '80s that will choke you out of a room. And yet, I didn't even get the sandalwood clearly until more than an hour in. There's two reasons for this, I discovered:

One is that I microdose perfume. I always point this out because I want you to understand that if you apply more fragrance than I do, you are not going to get the tame results I do. If you spray Tyrannosaurus Rex all over yourself, there is nothing god or mortal can do for you. I used two swipes of the Samsara sample wand on my left wrist—and it did project a good bit, but it was comfortable. If I'd done the same on my right wrist to balance it out, I would have considered myself good to go for a perfume-appropriate occasion. Maybe if you didn't deploy FIVE SPRAYS you wouldn’t be choking on it, idk idk.

The other reason is that the current formulation of Samsara uses Australian sandalwood—whereas the original used a much richer Indian variety. I was surprised to discover that Samsara has always been formulated as a meeting of natural and synthetic sandalwoods, though. But the current version has a newer synthetic: Javanol. And the thing about Javanol is that some people can't smell it. And I may be one of them. Because there is no reason "an overdose of sandalwood" should smell this modest to me, in the same perfume that is shouting white floral, unless I physically cannot perceive its loudest component. But I'm smelling some sandalwood; that must be the natural oil.

For more on Javanol, I turn to a fragrance I haven't actually tried yet: Escentric Molecules' Molecule 04. Javanol is, in fact, that molecule. The product website explains, it's a synthetic that

retains the radiance and endurance of natural sandalwood, but is sheer and transparent like no sandalwood in nature. “What I love about Javanol is its almost psychedelic freshness,” says [creator] Geza Schoen. “It smells as if liquid metallic grapefruit peel were poured over a bed of velvety cream-coloured roses.” Javanol is like Iso E Super, the molecule in Escentric Molecules 01, in some ways. Like Iso E Super, it comes and goes. The person wearing it loses the ability to smell it after a short while, only to re-connect with it later.

Well, "it comes and goes" may be why I'm not smelling as much sandalwood in Samsara as advertised, I guess—maybe I’m not totally anosmic to Javanol? The company that makes it, Givaudan, says that the aromachemical has

a rich, natural, creamy sandalwood note like beta santanol combined with  some rosy nuances. It can also be used at very low dosage (below 0.1%)  to bring richness and creaminess to all types of accords. With its exceptional low threshold, Javanol™ is approximately 8 times more effective in wash tests than the most powerful sandalwood product. [...] In the quest for the perfect Indian Sandalwood, Javanol™ is probably the most versatile note with its power, radiance, woodiness and rosiness, blending perfectly with flowers.

Javanol blends so perfectly with ylang and jasmine, in fact, that I can hardly distinguish it through most of Samsara's lifespan on my skin (I appreciate a good olfactory chimera, so that's fine). I can also see why you'd reformulate Samsara, already famous for its Godzilla-sized projection, with the biggest, loudest synthetic sandalwood on the market. But the thing is, the Beast of Givaudan wasn't created until 1996. Javanol may be what Guerlain has paired with Australian sandalwood nowadays, but my original sample was made with [probably a mix of synthetics including] Givaudan's Sandalore and the good stuff—20% (!) Mysore sandalwood.

Mysore Sandalwood Oil is a trademarked perfume oil extracted from the Santalum album variety of sandalwood tree (also known as a "royal tree") in the Mysore district of Karnataka, India. The tree species is said to be one of the best varieties in the world. (Wikipedia, the most concise explainer)

It's also the most expensive. But while I'm sure reformulations are a cost-cutting measure, sandalwood sustainability has also become a huge issue; I'm happy with synthetics if it helps the cause. The Australian sandalwood used in the current Samsara seems to be a popular and less-threatened natural option; it's also in two other fragrances I'm trying at the moment, Le Labo's Santal 33 and Tom Ford's Santal Blush. But it's like the difference between tulle and velvet. You can still use it beautifully, but there is a smoothness and a weight that's missing. People say that Mysore sandalwood is "creamy," even sweet, and it is, but not in a dairy or dessert way; it's legitimately this kind of olfactory texture that's so good. By contrast, the scent of Australian sandalwood feels a little harsh in the top of my nose, full of wood grain and pencil shavings, but also lighter. And yet it blends just as well with the notes of the new Samsara, just in different ways.

As for the old—Mysore and Sandalore® were what greeted me when I uncapped my vintage, 34-year-old sample:

oh my god. ohhhhh my gooooood.

That big sweet fruity ylang-ylang immediately bounced right out—how had I only smelled jasmine in the vial before? I'll stop here and tell you a little bit about ylang-ylang, which is not the note I was expecting to go on about, but here we are:

When you hear about "white florals," they're generally talking about jasmine, gardenia, tuberose (you'll remember this one from HYPNOTIC POISON), lily, lily of the valley—and ylang ylang, even though the latter is a showy yellow flower. I truly don't know how to describe the White Floral if you're not familiar with it, especially since I've never perceived any funky "animalic" indole notes. It's just good to me, very rich, very perfumy, and apparently it does, in an aromatherapy context, have a slightly sedative effect; this may be why people talk about "narcotic" white florals. Ylang-ylang takes the woozy richness of jasmine and, uniquely, adds that fruity, slightly spicy, banana-esque note; I'd love to look for the differences between white florals as I try out more fragrances. With Samsara(s), the jasmine doesn't seem distinct to me, serving instead to support the ylang-ylang, and maybe this is why I only smelled jasmine in the vial: it's my skin chemistry, once again, that's playing favorites.

You know what else my skin apparently loves? Expensive vintage sandalwood. The original Samsara skipped straight to the 1:20 mark and—speaking of narcotics—hit me like a tranquilizer dart. I just curled up on my bed and held my wrist to my nose for about an hour. I was like a cat on the 'nip. My God. I had some hand-me-down incense sticks from the '70s when I was a teenager, and I have been chasing that sandalwood high for three decades. This is it. The blanket of iris, the bergamot blast other reviewers talk about (I only got it the third time I wore the EdT), the supporting cast of notes—barely there. Just the gold.

For about two hours, it was amazing. Then, gradually, Samsara grew more and more overpowering, like a rogue science project slowly ballooning out of control. I ended up wiping it off with a little jojoba oil—not washing it off (DON'T WASTE IT!!), but reducing the amount I had on. There's only about two drops, thick as maple syrup, left in that vial, and that's fine.

Meanwhile, every time I wear the current eau de toilette, it disappears after about three hours.

I wish I'd been able to get a current EdP sample to compare the two formulations directly. But you know what? I still enjoy the iris-forward, sandalwood-backward Samsara. It's easy to wear and it doesn't overstay its welcome, which is a good thing for someone with fragrance sensitivities (me). As much as I love the smooth golden Mysore aspect, I'd rather have the option to reapply than be trapped with the Sandalwood That Ate 1989.

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[decantall]

Carolina Herrera tarafından 2002 yılında piyasaya sürülüp daha sonra üretimi durdurulan Carolina Herrera Chic bayan parfümü,kırmızı renkli şişesi ile oldukça tutkulu ve kadınsı bir parfüm. Carolina Herrera Chic, bulgar gülü ve kırmızı frezyanın çiçeksi üst notalarına sahiptir. Orta notaları mandalina çiçeği ve portakaldan oluşur. Tabanı vanilya ve beyaz misk notalarından yapılmıştır. Bu koku orta derecede silajlıdır ve çok kalıcıdır. Aşırı feminen bir koku olsa da saf, modern ve sade bir parfüm olarak sınıflandırabiliriz. Özellikle bulgar gülü ve kırmızı frezya notaları ile öne çıkan parfümün kokusu Alberto Morillas ve Jacques Cavalier imzası taşımaktadır. Şişesinin tasarımını ise Fabien Baro yapmıştır. Üst Notalar: Kırmızı frezya, sümbülteber, bulgar gülü Orta Notalar: Frezya, vadideki zambak, mandalina çiçeği, portakal çiçeği Alt Notalar: Beyaz misk, sandal ağacı, vanilya Buy online ➡️ Link in Bio #carolinaherrera #chic #edp #perfume #nicheperfumes #indieperfume #perfumelovers #perfumecollector #fragrance #fragrancelover #parfum #perfumephoto #nichefragrances #perfumereviews #fragrancereviews #perfumeaddict #sotd #dekant #parfüm #decant #decantall https://www.instagram.com/p/CpUq-cVIin-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=