too much yet too little to say about perfume
Apr. 22nd, 2025 03:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shirkersi've wanted to write this post even before i got a couple of these oops. i tried to take all notes from the official websites instead of fragrantica because you know... all of these have quite good longevity and are 50ml unless stated otherwise. in chronological order of acquisition:
first perfume i ever owned and was gifted by my sister <3 i still really love it and reach for it a lot in the summer. distinctly remember waiting for some drinks and the worker saying someone smelled delicious like .. it really does make me want to eat it. it reminds me of popping boba in terms of the fruity and round quality of it even though on paper i wouldn't be crazy about those things. this is one i've always had trouble describing and that i feel the notes don't help me at all. idk i think my nose is just not developed enough
first perfume i bought for myself. i think they discontinued the 50ml size and changed the packaging. green, light, almost aquatic and powdery, i wore this one a lot that summer in sussex. a good everyday scent because it's not sharp or strong enough to be offensive. i wear it most during the spring and summer because in the colder months i usually lean towards something with more heartiness and warmth. this one smells airy and very specifically conjures up the image of the transparency of white cloth billowing in the spring breeze. maybe also because it has less sillage and longevity than most of my other perfumes. it's part of zara's jo malone collab that famously included a lot of dupes, this one being a dupe of byredo's Gypsy Water, but i've never smelled that one so can't confirm
okay so i'm cheating but ever since falling in love with frederic malle's Carnal Flower when i was like 18 i'd been on the hunt for a good tuberose. bought this in the dublin airport duty free after heavy encouragement lol. i don't reach for this very often but feels like a very straightforward but softened tuberose. sometimes i like spraying it on my covers and i really do love it in the hair. this is very very different from Carnal Flower (which is spicy and more mature to me) and is more palatable, even more palatable than waterlily tea dress. my friends who are not into niche..r perfumes like this one
my heart and soul. fell in love with this one in a department store in dublin after seeking it out because i'd seen on twitter that it was E.'s signature scent. and wowww i was stunned right away. D. also really liked it (and still really does) so i felt justified to purchase it in duty free... yes the same duty free. it's taken me a while to get the matcha notes of this actually because it's not a photorealistic matcha at all. it really is a creamy fig, a bit woody, and the citrus is delectable. YUM. not a skin scent on me because it has incredible sillage and longevity. reminds me of a nice thick sweater which is funny because i actually find it too cloying in the winter? usually fragrances get heavier in the summer but now that the weather is getting warmer i am so obsessed with it again. just obsessed with it
a gift from my sister <3 for my 21st. also one of her favorite houses. this one is sooo lovely the smell of incense is kind of hit or miss for me but the lily lifts and sweetens it. very smoky, but not in a dry tobacco scent. almost comforting. i hadn't noticed how sweet it is until my friend commented on it. i don't really have anything like it despite the next perfume i'll mention also being smoky. i love it during the winter and on nights out
bought in kyoto when i'd went with G. deliberately to get a matcha and smell Osmanthus. i really disliked Osmanthus and thought it was medicinal, but Noir ... smoky and cool and mysterious like its name. makes me think of cosmopolitan cities and high rises, specifically new york or tokyo, and wearing trench coats with my shoes clicking on pavement that's still damp from light rain. and somehow, this cosmopolitan city actually smells good post-shower. a dry, clear smoke. the rain just helps me illustrate an atmosphere of mystery but you're dry don't worry. really liked this in the winter and it's out of my rotation now but i've been thinking about it a lot so might try it out in the winter. i was originally a bit bummed that i didn't buy this in tokyo (and that i didn't get Baie instead, because it feels more kyoto and reminds me of O.) but the return on my purchase has been enough to make me happy
not to worry. i did buy a perfume in tokyo. had never been into an aesop before visiting this location in shibuya late at night and G., R., and i were not match for the level of customer service. maybe sacrilege but aesop = sophiscated lush. we all left with multiple purchases oops. this one is so creamy but with a slight freshness that doesn't make it cloying. i actually didn't know it had marine influences until i unboxed it. to me it's not the ocean but rather the foam of the waves crashing onto the cliffside. smells sweeter on me while on G. its spicy and greener, especially in its opening. also get lots of compliments on this one
okay. i kind of regret this one and i just bought it like two months ago. smelled it at the flagship store and thought it'd be better as a lotion. then got the discovery set and started wearing this the most often because it seemed the most approachable and i don't really have a sweet scent like this. then, started really liking it. i think it's a great scent for spring but i don't know if i'm just getting tired of it or if the warmer weather is making it too sweet for me. reminds me of the sweetness of designer scents but made less in-your-face by the tea note. very floral and i feel like someone who's used to designer scents would quite like it. idk i don't have many thoughts about this one because i haven't been that into it lately
i'll come back and make this post prettier #soon #maybe
MIU MIU. notes: lily of the valley, dog rose, akigalawood
first perfume i ever owned and was gifted by my sister <3 i still really love it and reach for it a lot in the summer. distinctly remember waiting for some drinks and the worker saying someone smelled delicious like .. it really does make me want to eat it. it reminds me of popping boba in terms of the fruity and round quality of it even though on paper i wouldn't be crazy about those things. this is one i've always had trouble describing and that i feel the notes don't help me at all. idk i think my nose is just not developed enough
ZARA WATERLILY TEA DRESS. notes: bergamot, neroli, sage, mint, basil, ambroxan, musk
first perfume i bought for myself. i think they discontinued the 50ml size and changed the packaging. green, light, almost aquatic and powdery, i wore this one a lot that summer in sussex. a good everyday scent because it's not sharp or strong enough to be offensive. i wear it most during the spring and summer because in the colder months i usually lean towards something with more heartiness and warmth. this one smells airy and very specifically conjures up the image of the transparency of white cloth billowing in the spring breeze. maybe also because it has less sillage and longevity than most of my other perfumes. it's part of zara's jo malone collab that famously included a lot of dupes, this one being a dupe of byredo's Gypsy Water, but i've never smelled that one so can't confirm
DIPTYQUE DO SON (HAIR MIST). notes: tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine, amberwood
okay so i'm cheating but ever since falling in love with frederic malle's Carnal Flower when i was like 18 i'd been on the hunt for a good tuberose. bought this in the dublin airport duty free after heavy encouragement lol. i don't reach for this very often but feels like a very straightforward but softened tuberose. sometimes i like spraying it on my covers and i really do love it in the hair. this is very very different from Carnal Flower (which is spicy and more mature to me) and is more palatable, even more palatable than waterlily tea dress. my friends who are not into niche..r perfumes like this one
LE LABO THÉ MATCHA 26. notes: matcha tea accord, fig, vetiver, cedarwood, orange
my heart and soul. fell in love with this one in a department store in dublin after seeking it out because i'd seen on twitter that it was E.'s signature scent. and wowww i was stunned right away. D. also really liked it (and still really does) so i felt justified to purchase it in duty free... yes the same duty free. it's taken me a while to get the matcha notes of this actually because it's not a photorealistic matcha at all. it really is a creamy fig, a bit woody, and the citrus is delectable. YUM. not a skin scent on me because it has incredible sillage and longevity. reminds me of a nice thick sweater which is funny because i actually find it too cloying in the winter? usually fragrances get heavier in the summer but now that the weather is getting warmer i am so obsessed with it again. just obsessed with it
L'ARTISAN PARFUMEUR PASSAGE D'ENFER (100ml). notes: lily, incense, white musk
a gift from my sister <3 for my 21st. also one of her favorite houses. this one is sooo lovely the smell of incense is kind of hit or miss for me but the lily lifts and sweetens it. very smoky, but not in a dry tobacco scent. almost comforting. i hadn't noticed how sweet it is until my friend commented on it. i don't really have anything like it despite the next perfume i'll mention also being smoky. i love it during the winter and on nights out
LE LABO THÉ NOIR 29. notes: bergamot, fig, bag leaves, cedarwood, vetiver, musk, tobacco, hay
bought in kyoto when i'd went with G. deliberately to get a matcha and smell Osmanthus. i really disliked Osmanthus and thought it was medicinal, but Noir ... smoky and cool and mysterious like its name. makes me think of cosmopolitan cities and high rises, specifically new york or tokyo, and wearing trench coats with my shoes clicking on pavement that's still damp from light rain. and somehow, this cosmopolitan city actually smells good post-shower. a dry, clear smoke. the rain just helps me illustrate an atmosphere of mystery but you're dry don't worry. really liked this in the winter and it's out of my rotation now but i've been thinking about it a lot so might try it out in the winter. i was originally a bit bummed that i didn't buy this in tokyo (and that i didn't get Baie instead, because it feels more kyoto and reminds me of O.) but the return on my purchase has been enough to make me happy
AESOP KARST. notes: juniper, pink pepper, bergamot, rosemar, sage, cumin, vetiver, sandalwood, cedar
not to worry. i did buy a perfume in tokyo. had never been into an aesop before visiting this location in shibuya late at night and G., R., and i were not match for the level of customer service. maybe sacrilege but aesop = sophiscated lush. we all left with multiple purchases oops. this one is so creamy but with a slight freshness that doesn't make it cloying. i actually didn't know it had marine influences until i unboxed it. to me it's not the ocean but rather the foam of the waves crashing onto the cliffside. smells sweeter on me while on G. its spicy and greener, especially in its opening. also get lots of compliments on this one
ELOREA HEAVEN. notes: boseong green tea, bergamot, pink pepper, rose, jasmine, freesia, patchouli, amber, vanilla, musk
okay. i kind of regret this one and i just bought it like two months ago. smelled it at the flagship store and thought it'd be better as a lotion. then got the discovery set and started wearing this the most often because it seemed the most approachable and i don't really have a sweet scent like this. then, started really liking it. i think it's a great scent for spring but i don't know if i'm just getting tired of it or if the warmer weather is making it too sweet for me. reminds me of the sweetness of designer scents but made less in-your-face by the tea note. very floral and i feel like someone who's used to designer scents would quite like it. idk i don't have many thoughts about this one because i haven't been that into it lately
i'll come back and make this post prettier #soon #maybe
