Back in November 2015, almost six years ago now, I shared my small perfume collection with you. I love, love, love perfume and with very little trouble, I could easily become a hoarder of all perfumes. lol If I awake in the morning and find I’m in an okay-whatever mood, with just a few sprays of a favorite scent, my day will suddenly feel sooo much better! Perfume has that effect on me, it’s definitely a mood changer! Do you find this, as well–or does perfume have little to no effect on your mood?
Pssst: If you don’t like perfume and/or have allergies that prohibit you from wearing or being around someone who does wear a fragrance from time to time, you’ll want to skip this post and come back tomorrow for Tablescape Thursday. I totally get it if perfume is not your thing, in which case I’ll see you tomorrow for Tablescape Thursday, dear Friend.
Many years ago I was shopping in a Tuesday Morning and I spotted this shelf. It was love at first sight and I knew it HAD to come home with me though I had no idea how or where I would use it in my home. For several years it stayed stored away in the small closet in the upstairs living room/bonus room, the room I shared with you earlier this week.
By the way, a gentleman came out yesterday to measure and give an estimate for possibly installing custom shelving in the bonus room. I don’t have the quote yet, but I should be getting that in a few days. I’ll let you know what it is and what I decide. Your comments on that post have really given me so much to think about, so THANK YOU for that!
Back to today’s topic, once the fragrance bug got hold of me and I started collecting perfume, I needed a way to store and display it, especially since the bottles are so beautiful! I remembered my shelf and installed it here in the vanity area of the master bath.
As you can see, my fragrance collection has definitely grown over the years. This room is kinda the perfect spot for storing my perfumes because the shower/bathtub area is in a separate room, so this room doesn’t see any drastic changes in humidity or temperature throughout the year.
Also, there are no windows in this room. None! That’s actually one of the features of this room that I’ve often thought about changing in a future bath renovation, but that’s another story for another day. The lack of natural light and humidity makes this a pretty, perfect spot for storing my perfume. Plus, I just love seeing it here whenever I’m in this room washing my face, brushing my teeth or just passing through to one of the master closets to retrieve shoes or clothes.
Over the years, I have given away a few of the fragrances I purchased back in 2015, giving those to friends and family to enjoy or share with their friends. That’s the nice thing about perfume, if you don’t like it, chances are you know someone who will. I still have most of the fragrances shown below in this photo from 2015, there are three that I have given away.
I’m forcing myself to limit my perfume collection to just what fits here on these three shelves. I feel like that’s about as much as I can regularly use in a semi-timely manner. If I buy a new fragrance and find space is getting tight, I know it’s time to cull something out that I never or rarely wear. Just as our tastes in the foods we like can sometimes change throughout our life, our tastes in fragrance can change, as well. Or, sometimes we just crave a change.
Today I thought I’d share a few of the scents I currently have in my collection and I’d love to hear your favorites, too! Some of my fragrances were bought as blind buys after hearing a rave review on YouTube. I’ve mostly limited blind buys to those scents that are not too, too expensive, so I didn’t mind taking the risk of not liking it.
I do occasionally try less-heard-of/niche fragrances. For example, a few months back I ordered a large sample set from Zoologist after hearing so much about their fragrances from a perfume reviewer I follow on YouTube. I really like some of their fragrances, in fact, I’m thinking of ordering a full-size bottle of their Hummingbird or Nightingale scent. I liked Camel and Squid, too–but not sure I like those scents enough to purchase a full bottle. So yes, I do try less-familiar fragrances from time to time, but the scents I’m sharing today are those that are a bit more mainstream.
Note: If these perfumes are still available for purchase and I can find them online, I’ll try to link to them in this post.
Starting on the top shelf, you’ll see Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood, a blind buy after hearing it reviewed on YouTube. I love the bottle and the perfume did not disappoint. (Can only find it here now: Naughty Alice.)
The perfume in the green bottle is Malachite by Banana Republic. (Currently available here: Malachite.) It was another blind buy that I do very much like!
Hermes Twilly was a gift from my son for my birthday one year. Ironically, I hinted that I would like it when he was asking for gift ideas and sadly, it’s not a favorite of mine. I had heard so many good things about it so thought I would love it. I can’t part with it for sentimental reasons. I keep hoping one day that it will become a fave. It’s available at Hermes online.
The burgundy floral/beribboned bottle in the back is Lovestruck by Vera Wang, another blind buy based on rave reviews. I couldn’t resist the beautiful bottle and it turned out to be a keeper! It’s available here: Lovestruck.
Back in the day when I was looking for beautiful perfumes to display on my shelf, if a perfume had really great reviews and wasn’t overly expensive, I would take a chance and buy it without having ever tried it. For the most part, that has worked out well. Lovestruck is a beautiful scent so it has stayed in my collection.
The bottle to the right of Lovestruck is Feve Delicieuse, a gift from one of the Christian Dior boutiques in Atlanta. I like it, but not as much as many of my other perfumes, so it doesn’t get worn a lot. I may eventually give it to my daughter-in-law to try. My small bottle of Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana is there just in front and it’s a gorgeous fragrance that I can recommend. It’s quite potent, only takes a tiny spritz and I do wear it quite often. You’ll find it available here: Honeysuckle & Davana.
The bottle you see toward the back that’s over half empty is a discontinued fragrance by Jessica McClintock’s called, Jess. I had two of her fragrances that I wore for many years and Jess was definitely a favorite. Even though it’s very old now, I’ve kept it for the pretty bottle.
To the right of Jess, the bottle with the bright pink bow is Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture. It was a super popular scent many years ago. I tend to forget that I have it since it’s toward the back of the shelf. I just smelled it again today and really like it so I’m pulling it toward the front so it will get worn more often. Viva a Juicy is available here: Viva la Juicy and here: Viva la Juicy.
The two scents below by Carthusia were bought from their boutique when I visited the Isle of Capri back in 2015. I haven’t worn them as much as I should but I do very much like them! You can see more of their scents here: Carthusia Parfum.
Moving down to the second shelf…
The blue bottle with the fairy perched atop a little branch is by Van Cleef and Arpels. The name of the perfume is Ferrie. I love their jewelry so blind bought their perfume. Unfortunately, I don’t care for the perfume but I’ve kept it because I love the adorable bottle.
Amazing Grace has been a fave of mine for years. It’s light, clean, and airy–perfect for spring and summer. You’ll find it available here: Amazing Grace.
Just behind Amazing Grace you’ll see My Burberry, a perfume by, you guessed it, Burberry. I love My Burberry, consider it one of the best perfume buys I’ve made. It’s definitely a great one in my collection! My Burberry is available here: My Burberry.
Tiffany and Co. produced their own fragrance and I purchased it since I love their jewelry. The perfume is okay but I don’t like it as much as some of my others. It’s down a good bit since I decanted some out into a travel atomizer.
I’ve heard they have produced a new perfume, I need to stop by Tiffany in Atlanta and give it a try–maybe I will like it better. I mainly purchased this bottle because I was invited to an event in Tiffany and didn’t want to leave without purchasing something. Not a great reason to buy perfume. It did smell good that day in the store, I need to give it another chance.
I am pretty obsessed with Coco by Chanel. I tried Coco Mademoiselle first and though it’s nice, I much prefer Coco. Coco, I love! Anytime I’m feeling stressed and feel like I need a big hug or something comforting, I spray on Coco and it calms me. I don’t know how it does that, but it does! It a rich scent, maybe better suited for fall and winter, although I wear it year-round. I wear all my scents year-round if the mood strikes. Coco is available here: Coco.
Next to Coco you’ll see Honey by Marc Jacobs. It’s another fave and also a very comforting, happy scent–perfect for spring and summer! You’ll find it here: Honey by Marc Jacobs.
Back behind Coco and Honey you’ll see a white bottle. That’s Love in White by Creed and it’s the most expensive fragrance that I own. I have a story with that scent. I had read an article all about what a beautiful, special scent Love in White is and how so many of our First Ladies have worn it through the years. Here’s how Creed describes it:
The scent is inspired by Olivier Creed’s travels on the high seas, “an element of nature that connects all humanity.” and according to Creed, the bottle evokes “the shoulders of a feminine figure as she rests upon white sands caressed by the ocean’s gentle current. A silver ribbon at the neck conveys sunshine dancing on the Aegean sea”.
I bought it in Neiman Marcus on a day when I had a terrible cold and could smell nothing–another blind buy. When my cold finally went away and I could smell, I didn’t really like it. I thought something was wrong with it and on my next visit to NM, I stopped by their fragrance counter to make sure that was really how it was supposed to smell.
Yup, it really did smell that way, there was nothing wrong with my bottle. Maybe my sniffer is just broken, I don’t know why it’s not a fave for me. It has such a great history so I wish I liked it more. Creed makes several other fragrances that I like much more, like their Spring Flower fragrance, it’s wonderful! You can read about it here: Spring Flower. You’ll find Love in White here: Love in White.
Update: I just gave Love in White another try and I’m actually liking it now. Go figure! Before it smelled kind of bitter to me, it actually smells good right now. I still think I like Spring Flower better, though.
Further back you’ll see Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna, a beautiful fragrance…very light and summery. Light Blue is available here: Light Blue. It’s also available here: Light Blue.
That’s iconic Chanel No. 5 just behind Coco, it needs no description. To the right of Chanel No. 5 is Carat by Cartier. It’s okay, but not a real favorite. I really liked it when I smelled it in the store, but for some reason, it has not been a fave. I do wear it occasionally, though.
Moving down to the bottom shelf…
That’s Lolita Lempicka in the purple and gold bottle on the left. I love the adorable bottle and tried it after a reader shared her love for it. I not sure the perfume works on me, probably need to wear it more often and give it more of a chance.
Behind Lolita Lempicka, you’ll see the start of a line of heart-shaped bottles. I purchased several versions of Princess by Vera Wang mostly because they were inexpensive and I loved the heart-shaped bottles. The scents are beautiful, too! Some were purchased in Marshalls, some online and one was a gift. It just goes to show, a fragrance doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful and something you enjoy wearing. Sometimes it’s the expensive scents that can be a big miss!
The bottle to the right of Lolita Lempicka is a backup bottle of one of my faves, Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. If you love a feminine scent and you’re not super adventurous when it comes to perfume, I think you’ll enjoy Flowerbomb. It’s a unique, never copied or duplicated scent that has lasted the test of time. It’s still a favorite with sooo many people though it’s been around for many years now. I love it and will always have it in my collection. FlowerBomb is available here: FlowerBomb.
The perfume at the very back left corner with the fancy floral top is Lola by Marc Jacobs. It’s another one that I purchased after hearing many rave reviews and do love it. I think it may have been discontinued so it’s harder to find these days. I still found it available here: Lola by Marc Jacobs.
The diamond-shaped purplish bottle to the right of Flowerbomb is La Nuit by Tresor. I purchased it in the gift shop of the ship when I took the Property Brother’s cruise back in 2015. I bought it mainly for the bottle but the perfume is beautiful! You’ll find it available here: La Nuit.
Do you see the five heart-shaped bottles down the middle of the bottom shelf? Those are the Vera Wang fragrances I purchased in Marshalls that were all blind buys but turned out to be really nice.
You can see two of them a bit closer in this photo. The one with the silver crown is Princess Flower while the one with the gold crown is just called Princess, I think. One unique feature of all the Princess perfumes is when you remove the top, the bottom part of the crown is an actual ring that you can wear. I’ve never worn one, but they are really cute! I’m sure these were meant for teens, but I don’t care. I love how they look and they do smell lovely! You’ll find all the Princess Perfumes here: Princess Perfume by Vera Wang.
Pretty Petals in the background is a fragrance that was shared with me by a lovely BNOTP reader. I found it in Marshalls and liked it so much, I went back and bought a second bottle as a backup, which is the bottle below. It’s the perfect fragrance for spring and summer! Pretty Petals is available here: Pretty Petals.
Behind the black glitter heart bottle of Princess Night by Vera Wang, you’ll see a pink bottle and a yellow bottle, both wearing little scarves. Those are both by Lilly Pulitzer. The pink bottle is Wink and the yellow bottle is Squeeze and I love both fragrances. There was a third fragrance in a teal/aqua-colored bottle named Beachy. I found someone with a bunch of the samples and decanted them into a large atomizer. It smells wonderful, as well!
Since all of these have been discontinued, the only place you can find them is places like eBay. I’m not sure why Lilly discontinued selling perfume, wish they would start back up! (Find them here now: Lilly Pulitzer Perfume.)
These are the two perfumes I tend to wear the most out because they tend to be crowd-pleasers. Every single time I wear Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, someone will stop me to ask what I’m wearing. I don’t care if I’m in HomeDepot, Old Navy, or Michaels–wherever I am, total strangers will compliment my fragrance and ask what I’m wearing–and it’s always Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. So anytime I’m going out to a party or someplace where I’m likely to be around other people, it’s usually the perfume of choice since it always a big hit. If you buy it, get ready for the compliments! You’ll find it available here: Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. It’s also available here: Chanel Chance Eau Tendre.
The bottle to the left is the current bottle of FlowerBomb that I using, you just saw my backup bottle a few photos up in this post. Love Flowerbomb! It’s available here: FlowerBomb.
If you’re a perfume lover like me, I hope you found this post a lot of fun! Please leave me a comment with your favorite fragrance! I love learning about new fragrances from you. I think that’s how I learned about Amazing Grace several years ago–a recommendation from a lovely BNOTP reader!
See you tomorrow for Tablescape Thursday!
Your perfume collection is quite impressive, Susan! I think I only have five fragrances in my collection. I happen to love the Twilly fragrance, but perfumes are such an individual thing. Two of my all time favorites are Boucheron and Carolina Herrera. There have been some other favorites – So Pretty by Cartier and at one time Chanel made a floral that I just loved – but sadly, they have been discontinued. I do have a collection of old perfume bottles from an earlier era when the bottles were made from crystal, amethyst and other wonderful materials, and had beautiful decorations. Thanks for sharing!
I love Aromatics Elixer by Clinique, Flower Bomb & Tory Burch. I’ve been wanting a new fragrance, but in California we haven’t had access to “testers” for sampling during the pandemic. Your list gives me a head start to find a new favorite.
I loved your review of perfumes. I adore Cartier Must. That is my favorite but I only wear it in the Fall and Winter as it is quite heavy.
My favorite spring/Summer fragrance is Jo Malone’s Mimosa snd Cardamom.
I also like Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir for the fall.
Right now I only have two – of course Chanel No 5 and Valentino Born in Roma Yellow Dream. For the longest time I did not buy perfume but I thought what the heck and bought the Chanel. The Valentino is a sample that I plan to buy next. Thanks for all the good tips.
Poppy & Barley and Mimosa & Cardamom by Jo Malone are my current favorites. You have quite a collection!
I love the blue one with silver fairy and pink “bow” shaped one!! I collect perfume bottles. I have very unique ones mostly old!
Coco is my all time favourite. It always makes me want a glass of champagne and I usually go with the flow. I agree about the Mademoiselle though, it’s pleasant but doesn’t rock my world. Sisley Eau de Soir is one that I wear and one either loves it or hates it. The Jessica McClintock fragrances are quite underrated. I am still wearing the original scent with the white cap. I have to hunt for it but it’s worth it.
Susan, I adore your shelf! Wish I could find one like this for my master bath. I am on the hunt for something similar. As regards your perfume collection, your are certainly a collector! I have a few favorites in my collection but I love my Chanel No 5 ! I recently purchased from Guerlain the Lily of the Valley limited edition bottle. It was expensive but I said what the heck! I love it but you only need a light touch as it is potent!
Thanks for sharing!
Lovely collection and beautifully displayed.
Sometimes I keep my scents for years and still wear them. Growing up, my go to was a Polo, Avon and 4711 just because fragrances were a pricey luxury.
Now that I can afford, I enjoy over-spraying myself. I agree, it’s just part of the daily routine. My favs: Cashmere, Bulgari, Opium, Jo Malone-wood sage, Chance, Chanel No. 5, Eternity, Dolce & Gabani-Lt. Blue and Oscar de la Renta. Pairing with the coordinating body lotions is so enjoyable.
Recently I culled and gave bags of 1/4 full bottles to a teenager who is friend of the family. It was so fun to hear how she and her sister enjoyed sampling and sharing. Do you think they go bad after a certain number of years?
I also love Amazing Grace and Jessica McClintock!
A fun article. I like to use my scents. I started to collect perfume bottles a few years ago. I must have over 50 or so. My children and friends give my some antique one s. The are hard to get in perfect and can be very expensive.. Love love love.
I have a collection of old perfume bottles dating back to the seventies. I also have glass bottles made by Orient and Flume. They sell to individuals and are Museum pieces. They are located in Chico ca. I would love to display them in a shadow box as my cat has broken one of them. Love your collection!!
What a fun post, Susan! You’re going to think I’m a weirdo, but several years back my husband gave me Michael Kor’s Signature. He rarely hits gifts on the head, so I was so surprised at how much I loved this perfume.
Recently I’d run out of the Michael Kors and he bought me a perfume gift for Mother’s Day. As I opened the gift I was hoping it was more Micheal Kors.
But no, it was Princess by Vera Wang (great bottle, btw) and I honestly felt like — here’s the weirdo part — I couldn’t love Princess because I needed to stay devoted to Michael Kors. I know. Crazy. But your post has shown me the way! Great post!
(Side note: I found a wonderful appliance repair guy with sky high reviews — I loved him — if you ever need someone just let me know.
I love that story, Wendy! I used to think I needed a signature scent but I love so many different ones, I can’t be true to just one. lol Yes! I would love to know the name of your appliance repair guy. Do you mind emailing it to me at [email protected]
That would be great! I’m still trying to find someone I trust to install my two screened doors. Maybe he’ll know someone. 🙂
I’m glad you mentioned the screen doors. I’ve been curious as to why we have not seen them installed. Now we know.
Love your collection of fragrances!
Thanks, Angie! I spent one day calling so many places including a company that builds screened porches. None of the places I called will install the doors unless you purchased the doors through them. So I’m probably going to have to use a handyman or someone like that. Have to find someone I really trust.
I always have to try a fragrance for a whole day to see how it smells on me. Sometimes the most raved about ones will smell like bug spray on me. My husband would buy me different kinds (some too expensive) but he thought they smelled the same on everyone. He was amazed at the difference on me. Now he will only buy the ones I like best!
You have a lovely collection. I have two fragrances I like. One is an old classic, L’air du Temps, and I like it for summer. My other favorite is Tuscany per Donna. It is from the Estee Lauder line but unlike Beautiful and some of their other fragrances, it has never been highly marketed. I always get compliments when I wear it. I do like perfume but am allergic to some ingredient in many of them and get a headache within minutes of putting them on. So whenever I try one I always tell the sales person I have to wait 15 minutes or so before making a decision. I think they believe I’m just saying that to get a free spritz of their perfumes!!lol.
Susan, I love the IDEA of your perfume collection and part of me would love to try accumulating all those pretty bottles, but for the past thirty years, I’ve been a one-signature-perfume girl. I do have a bottle of Shalimar by Givency, which was my mother’s signature perfume. She passed away 19 years ago and I brought her remaining bottle with me when I cleaned out her bathroom. I rarely wear it because it’s a bit heavy for me and it makes me miss my mom. My perfume is Amarige by Givency. I am not exaggerating when I say that almost every time I wear it when I go out of the house, someone asks me what I’m wearing and has me spell it for them so they can purchase it. When I used some of the Shalimar one day, my youngest grandson said, “Nana, you don’t smell like Nana.” So maybe I do need to branch out so I can smell like someone other than Nana and my mother!!
Cynthia I just ordered a sample of Givency Amarige on eBay, I can’t wait to try it after reading your review of it!
I tried Shalimar in the past and it is beautiful but a bit too heavy for me, as well. I totally understand why it would be so hard to wear it, I know I couldn’t do it if it reminded me of my Mom.
I don’t actually own a Guerlain perfume but LOVE their gorgeous bee bottles, so I’ve always wanted to try them. I think I’ll treat myself to one of their perfumes this summer. Thanks for telling me about Amarige, looking forward to trying it when my sample arrives!
Love, love, love Amarige! I’ve worn for years!!!
I’d love to hear if you get as many compliments on the Amarige as I do. Although it’s funny, I’ve run into a few people over the years who have said they were also wearing it and I thought it smelled different on them. I’ve read somewhere that the aroma of perfumes changes based on the body chemistry of the wearer.
I’ve heard that, too. It will be interesting to see how it smells on me.
My grandmother always wore Shalimar – I loved it on her, and got a bottle myself but it doesn’t smell the same on me, and it tends to make me sneeze, so I just keep the partial bottle as a memento. It does make me smile to see it.
The older I get the less I am able to wear heavy scents – they give me a headache. My all time favorite scent was the original fragrance Talbot’s used to sell – sadly their new scent isn’t the same. My go to is the old Liz by Liz Claiborne & I have to order it online these days because no one sells it anymore. I have a knack for picking fragrances that soon are discontinued LOL.
I LOVED the old fragrance by Talbots as well! So disappointed in their new scent.
I love Halston–an old fragrance, but I love it. Last time I purchased it in Walgreens 🙂
My all-time favorite perfumes are the original Opium, by YSL; Interlude by Frances Denney (no longer made and very pricey on the secondary market); Youth Dew, by Estee Lauder; and Emeraude by Coty. There are a few others that are okay, but much of the time my very sensitive nose and body chemistry reject newcomers.
I’ve become quite allergic to fragrances over the years, but still enjoyed seeing and reading about your lovely display. The shelf is charming, especially against your wall color.
Coco here too. I wore Gem by Van Clef/Arpels.. a gift from my husband when we were dating. Everyone loved it but the last bottle I found was around $400. I remember when I started wearing it that $75 was enough. Last one my husband bought was close to $300. I told him no more. Coco has a bit more spice but we love it too.
Thanks for sharing. Perfume is like music, it makes you remember the person that gave it to you. First it was 4711 and their soap that I can no longer find, Worth, L’ air du temp, Chanel #5, but today I love Oscar de la Renta. I can’t remember the one I have you cannot buy in the US.
I have asthma and some perfumes ‘do it to me’ but if you have one you really like, put it on your ankle.
We should tell the stories behind some of our perfume gifts. LOL
This is a fun and interesting post to read everyone’s favorites and the people that it reminds them of. My hands down all time favorite is Coco Mademoiselle. Like Coco Chance is with you, Susan, when I wear Mademoiselle, people always ask me what I’m wearing! I think I will check out Chance to see if I like it. I love smelling Chanel No. 5 but I do not wear it. Like Shalimar reminds Cynthia of her Mom, Chanel No. 5 reminds me of my parents. My Dad bought it for Mom when he was stationed in Germany during World War II. When I think of Chanel No. 5, I think of both of my parents, both gone now. When I smell it, it reminds me of my Mom and how much I miss both of them. My other favorites are Ralph Lauren’s Euphoria and Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist (which is bit heavy). I also have Ralph Lauren’s Romance but I don’t tend to wear it that much. Thank you for the fun post – gives me other fragrances to consider for a change now and then!
My very favorite fragrance is Amarige by Givenchy! Love, love, love!!! And always compliments!!!
Hi Susan, LOVE this post! Thank you for sharing your personal collection with us
What about Portrait of a Lady? Did you get it? If you did, how do you feel about it?
I did and I love it! I wouldn’t mind having a full bottle of it!
One more thought about perfume! I have worn Calvin Klein Eternity over 30 years. When I had my first daughter, one of my friends picked her up and said she doesn’t smell like a baby, she smells like you 🙂
What a fun post and what a nice collection! My first ‘grown up’ gift from a boyfriend was a small bottle of White Shoulders perfume. My mom had all kinds of Avon cologne samples, and for another few years I was devoted to their Unforgettable and Hawaiian White Ginger. The past few years, my main cologne is Hypnotic Poison by Dior. It’s a bit heavy, so I reserve it for special occasions and do the ‘mist the air and walk through it’ to apply it. My husband is very snarky when he can smell someone’s cologne from across the room – he’ll say ‘did they have to marinate in it?’. Since I have worked from home for years, my daily scent comes from Bath & Body creams and sprays: Plumeria, Sweet Pea, Japanese Cherry Blossom, and especially the discontinued Secret Wonderland. I bought a box full of the Secret Wonderland lotions so I probably have a few years supply (and thankfully it hasn’t gone bad yet!)
Love your perfume collection! I always loved Shalimar, Chanel No. 5 – but they did not “last” on me, and my dear hubby did not seem to catch the scent. I wore Interlude for years because he liked that, but it is hard to get now. I also like Amazing Grace for the summer months, as well as Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. Winter is Red Door…but searching for a new scent. You gave me LOTS of ideas !
I love Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and I also love Bon Bon and their Spicebomb, while it’s really a fragrance for men, I love it for wearing in the Fall and Winter
I loved seeing and hearing all about your perfumes Susan! I too, love perfume. It really can lift ones spirits when you put it one. It makes one feel pretty too. lol Plus I like to smell nice. My late husband used to get me nicer, more expensive perfumes at Christmas time. He and my our son would go “smelling”, afraid that when they got home they would smell like perfumes and I would figure it out. But I could never smell any. lol So while I have a few expensive ones, I also have some cheap ones that I love too. Sand and Sable is a favorite, it smells “beachy” to me. I also love Woman, that just smell fresh and clean, I always get compliments on Woman. One time when I was working at our local deli, a customer that would banter with me, gave me Poison (he always told me I was poison) at Christmas time. I was young and dumb at the prices and didn’t realize how much it cost back in the 80’s ($50) until a coworker told me how much it cost. I know he meant it as a joke because of our banter and no, it wasn’t a “I’m interested” gift, he was a married man and we just liked to tease each other when he came in and banter back and forth. Anyway, I am loving perfume bottles as they are so unique looking and have my few sitting on a tray in my bedroom. I love them! I am really loving yours!!! Hugs, Brenda
You have such a lovely collection. It takes the nerve of a riverboat gambler to buy scents without testing them first. I love Hermes 24 Faubourg and it smells wonderful on my friend. But instead of smelling like orange blossoms on me, it smells more like eau de dumpster with my chemistry I can’t tell you how many fragrances I have tried until I found the perfect orange blossom scent, Eau de Sens by Diptyque. I know because I have some of the most expensive room sprays and best smelling trash bag liners in my home. I really have to try on scents before buying. But you are right, it is such a nice way to lift your spirits with just a spritz of perfume. Thank you for sharing your collection.
I know exactly what you mean. My mother-in-law used to wear White Shoulders and it smelled great on her. It made me smell like a hospital room. lol
All that time you spent on this perfume post was worth it! I am going to try the Philosophy Amazing Grace. It is summer and I have several events to attend. I think this will be perfect. I don’t want to be too fragrant in the heat! You are so right about tastes changing as we change in life. I did once receive a lovely gift from my in-laws of a famous perfume (won’t name it because I think others would like it a lot). I found the fragrance to be very heavy and oppressive. I decanted it into an atomizer and would use the old trick of spraying it into the air and walking through it. That helped a lot! It was still not my favorite, but I was not going to waste it and I did use it. I now wish I had some of the things that I gave away in the past, even if I didn’t use the fragrance, the bottles were so pretty! Oh, well. Now the cost of these things is astronomical. I have only 3 in my current collection! I often just wear the every day, drugstore oldie “WindSong” although, my husband doesn’t like it at all. Oh, well!
The original lemony Shalimar Light is my summer favorite, but it’s hard to find now. The newer versions aren’t quite the same. Carven’s l’Absolu is nice for any time of year (great body milk for after shower). Jill Sanders’ No.4, and Guerlain’s Jicky are heavier for fall and winter. I have a small bottle of orange scent that I mix with almost anything — it adds a nice tang.
Have you tried Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait? It is absolutely delightful! other favorites are Tresor and Hypnotic Poison by Dior.
Hi Susan,
I am scrolling through your archives, so this is September, 2021. I love Quelue. Fleur…not cheap, but wonderful. I think Diana wore it at her wedding. And I also love Boucheron. Every time my husband came from Europe he brought some. I also tried Love in White in the lotion. I liked it but not my fave. I like to buy small sizes and Troy them out. My mother always wore Crepe de Chine. And always exotic Opium for me.
Oh, I want to try allll of those! Love in White is def not my fave either. Thanks for sharing these perfumes, Holly! I would love to try them!
Hi, fellow perfume lover here as well. I love your display! Where did you find the shelf for your display, it’s Exactly what I have been looking for. I have a lot of the same perfumes. I recently found a very unique perfume oil on Etsy by Olivine called Sapphire Moon that is now my favorite scent. She has many different scents but it’s my favorite by far. I just ordered Hummingbird because I love trying new scents. Thank you for your page
Thanks! It’s overflowing now. I found that shelf unit in Tuesday Morning many years ago, probably 15 years ago now. I’ll have to check out Sapphire Moon–love the name! My favorites right now are Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet and a number of Penhaligon’s fragrances.