find a signature scent

A new order from BPAL came last week, which included the Philosopher.

Last week I tried:

Philosopher in Meditation:Smoldering woodfire embers, Galen’s Kyphi, and Abramelin incense. (LOVE this- it smells like a room full of old books and incense. Not an everyday perfume, but good for… well, meditation and ritual.)

Oberon: Orchid, white musk, and bergamot wafting over juniper berries, with a gentle touch of soft, earthy patchouli. (I thought I was liking this one, but it became so sweet-smelling later that it actually started to make me feel sick…)

R’lyeh: The sunken city of the Great God Cthulhu. A hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves. (Also thought I was liking this, but it turned sweet too. Needed just a little more aqua.)

Zombi: Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth. (I loved this one. It smells kind of like the traditional Tea Rose perfume, but with the smell of dirt to cut that flowery stuff. Still a little too flowery, but I liked it.)

Isolde’s Potion (Heaven and earth product): Ravensara, Meade, Vanilla Absolute, White Musk, Patchouli, Lotus Supreme, Amber Essence, Black Musk and Cocoa Absolute. (this one would have been nice if the vanilla and cocoa were stronger, but patchouli just takes over everything.)

No signature scents in this batch, but two favorites at least.

... perfumes i like but i would really like one to be my signature scent cos otherwise i feel a bit… i dunno, annonymous tbh lol

Last week I tried:

Thirteen (13) March 2009, Version 5.5 – Bittersweet dark cocoa is surrounded here by 13 complex aspects, including exotic musks, caraway, allspice, aloes wood, lucky hand, Irish moss, and bamboo. Beneath it all is a glowing core of glistening cherry.

Blood Amber – Slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin.

Leanan Sidhe – ...a crush of Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew.

Fae – ...white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss.

Oneiroi – “Soporific, dark, and unfathomable.”

13 was unbelievable. Unfortunately it’s a limited edition… every time Friday the 13th rolls around they develop and new version of 13 and release it for a few days, and then it’s GONE. I could live in this one. There a slight hint of cherry that eventually fades into a warm cocoa scent throughout the day. I’m sad it isn’t in the general catalog. I got this one at a discount from someone else because it wasn’t quite full.

The rest of the scents were from my “didn’t like upon first sniff” pile. Blood Amber surprised me, it wasn’t nearly as harsh on your skin. Fae was way too feminine for me, but not as bad as I expected. The other two I didn’t like at all… too flowery. I’ll probably swap Leanan and Oneiroi.

No signature scents in this batch (but I’m weeping for 13).

Going into a regular perfume store is too overwhelming, and something about most of the scents at a regular department store- the big designer labels- tend to give me a headache when I put them on. I did discover Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab though, so I’ve slowly been going through their catalog. I’ve found that I love a lot of their more unusual, unconventional blends.

For a signature scent, I’ve decided that it has to be from their general catalog, and NOT a limited edition. I’d rather not pay awful amounts for something on ebay just because it was only available for a few days.

Last week I tried these:

Hecate: Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk.

Anubis: ...a blend of holy myrrh, storax, balsam, and embalming herbs.

Zorya: Spices of the Orient mingle with crystalline musk, midnight flowers and cereus, jasmine, primrose and vesper iris.

Baobhan Sith: Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger.

Bastet: Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

thinking it will help me keep track (I’m pretty confused!)
http://www.basenotes.net/wardrobe/22419

I’d really like to add notes when the feature is available – I think this will help me figure out what I like, and be able to communicate it, instead of just vaguely saying maybe to everything I try.

I think I found itttt.
Juicy Couture smells amazinggg.

I tried on Chanel No. 5 for the first time in about a year to find that I’ve grown into it. The “clean” aspect of it that used to turn me off now expresses me quite well.

Now I want to get into the habit of wearing it daily.

I’m allergic to most perfumes and thought it would be difficult to find something I loved, but it was surprisingly easy. I used to use Clinique’s Happy, but I outgrew that and a friend suggested Betsey Johnson and that was it! I’ve been using it for about a year now and still love it.

Here are some notes for me to get started on this when I’m back in New York City:

1. Bring Mark!

2. Start at Aedes de Venustas and bring home plenty of samples

3. Compare prices online—at luckyscent, for example.

And it will probably be expensive. And addictive. Once ya start…. there is no stopping! Nonetheless, I have decided to take it on. I think a good perfume is like a good pair of shoes!

I’ve bought Juicy Couture (last year) and Guerlain L’Instant (last week). I like them both, Guerlain more-so, but I do not consider either to be my “signature scent.” I like flowerbomb too, but I’m already tired of it – it’s too trendy. Prada Iris is tempting – I have to try it again.

I would like to look into more inaccessible lines, like Ormonde Jayne and Parfums de Nicolai and L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Since I’m just starting out in the world of fragrance, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, unsure of exactly what I want. www.nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com and www.basenotes.net have been very helpful. NST introduced me to samples!