First Date Perfume

What perfume would you wear on a first date and why?

Do I wear something subtle or do I put on a statement fragrance? I haven’t been on a first date since I met my husband, but I still remember how torn I was when making a decision about our date. In the end, I rejected Robert Piguet Fracas as too dramatic and L’Artisan Parfumeur Mimosa Pour Moi as too much of a wallflower. I wore Serge Lutens À La Nuit, and this lush jasmine scent is still my husband’s favorite.

If I would pick a first date perfume today, I would pick something that makes me feel good–Serge Lutens Bois de Violette, Chanel Coromandel, Olfactive Studio Lumière Blanche. For this reason, I wouldn’t wear a new, not yet thoroughly tested perfume on a first date. Tried and true would be my preferred choice.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

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122 Comments

  • Elizabeth: On my first date with my boyfriend, I wore L’eau d’Hiver. He wore Van Cleef & Arpel pour Homme. He has a very good nose! He loves the Knize Ten I got him for his birthday. On me he still loves L’eau d’hiver, and also Mitsouko, Lutens’ Fille en Aiguilles, and the new decant of Amber Fetiche I just got because of your excellent recommendation. 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 8:46am Reply

    • Victoria: I’m so happy that Ambre Fetiche turned out to be a winner! A perfume for dancing waltz at a Winter Palace.

      Your boyfriend has wonderful taste! He’s a keeper. 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 12:56pm Reply

      • Nikki: Hmm, dancing waltz at a winter palace? Maybe this is a perfume I need! October 29, 2012 at 5:35pm Reply

        • Victoria: If you love dark, rich ambers, you would enjoy Ambre Fetiche, Nikki! October 29, 2012 at 6:23pm Reply

  • Cybele: Hi Victoria, that would be a very emotional choice inspired by the excitement of meeting this other person. But I would only wear something that belongs to me, that is killer-good and I’d apply lightly to give only a hint. At the moment this could be Love By Kilian, Envy, or Homage. I also love Coromandel and Bois de Violette, have never tried Lumiere Noir, it’s that good? October 27, 2012 at 8:57am Reply

    • Victoria: Lumiere Blanche is a warm cocoon of musk, woods and cardamom. I fell hard for it, and I’ve been wearing it a lot. If you like soft woods and cardamom, it’s a perfect daytime perfume. October 27, 2012 at 12:58pm Reply

  • Lucas: Good question Victoria. I’ve never been to a date myself yet (and I’m quite ashamed of it)

    I would go with Prada Amber Pour Homme or Infusion d’Homme but I think L’Artisan Iris Pallida or Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme would also make good impression. October 27, 2012 at 9:09am Reply

    • Victoria: If you keep on wearing such delicious smelling perfumes, you will have no lack of dates. 🙂 I love your choices. October 27, 2012 at 12:58pm Reply

      • Lucas: Thank you :* October 27, 2012 at 1:05pm Reply

  • Portia: What a great question. I am ashamed to admit that I never wear fragrance for interviews or first “official” dates. I don’t want any previous associations to be brought to mind by my frag like ex, boss, janitor. all they get first go round is me,
    Portia x October 27, 2012 at 9:31am Reply

    • Norman: Me too, Portia. Maybe I have such a strong awareness of perfumes that I feel I might be giving something about me away with my choice of smell. So I never wear cologne or anything on an important first meeting. October 27, 2012 at 12:18pm Reply

    • Victoria: Nothing to be ashamed of! I’m totally with you on interviews and important meetings. It’s best to be as understated as possible. Well, interview is one of the occasions I will go further and say no perfume is the best option. October 27, 2012 at 1:00pm Reply

  • Shirin Alzebari: Baiser Volé from the house of Cartier, as it is very pulling for the men, so you can get the next date faster! October 27, 2012 at 9:31am Reply

    • Victoria: 🙂 That’s a clever approach! October 27, 2012 at 1:00pm Reply

  • Leah: How fun! I also have not been on a date since my first date with husband many years ago. I wore Angel (statement and comfort). Coincidentally, he wore A*Men, so evidently we were a match made in heaven (pun intended)! Today, I would probably wear Bois des Iles or FdB, but probably because I know he’s worthy. Oh and no Femme until we were married, too much emotion and vulnerability. Coromandel is also a great choice, we tend to wear that on the same days so we can smell the same even though we are apart. October 27, 2012 at 9:57am Reply

    • Victoria: Wow, what a great coincidence! Yes, you two were definitely meant to be.

      (Speaking of perfume and dating, I knew someone who liked to say that loyalty to a single perfume was a quality by which he judged a woman. He himself wore several different colognes. Hmmm… 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 1:03pm Reply

      • Annie: Sounds like a controle issue, frankly. October 27, 2012 at 2:19pm Reply

  • maja: Winter dates are the best 🙂 I’d go with Coromandel. Lightly. It’s glamorous and warm enough. 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 9:59am Reply

    • Victoria: Oh, yes–a dinner someplace dark and cozy, lots of candles, a walk in the snow holding hands… There are so many reasons to love winter. October 27, 2012 at 1:05pm Reply

  • Judith Marianne Taufan: My husband proposed after 10 months of dating & I wore Mugler’s ‘Angel’ throughout. It was hook, line , & sinker !!! October 27, 2012 at 10:10am Reply

    • Victoria: When you wear Angel well, it’s the most alluring scent. I have two friends who wear it almost exclusively, and on one of them it’s just amazing. It doesn’t wear the same way on me. October 28, 2012 at 12:32pm Reply

  • Lynne Marie: It’s been a long time since “first date” for me, but these days I would choose Un Bois Vanille ( my husband loves this!) if it were winter. In summer it would be Infusion d’Iris. Both scents can be subtle, if applied lightly and both feel very “me”, which I think is the most important thing to project on a first date. October 27, 2012 at 10:35am Reply

    • Victoria: I agree with you, I would wear the one that’s most me. Anything that makes me feel comfortable and beautiful. 🙂 October 28, 2012 at 12:32pm Reply

  • Nikki: I wore the original Scherrer in extrait form to contrast the humid tropical climate where we met!
    Now I would wear FM’s Une Fleur de Cassie, it fits my coloring, my age and my background. October 27, 2012 at 10:54am Reply

    • Victoria: I can just imagine Scherrer on a balmy evening. Its green notes feel so refreshing, while its mossy drydown is sultry. October 28, 2012 at 12:33pm Reply

  • Ninamar: What a nice challenge! Now I would definitely wear Secrète Datura, by Maitre Parfumeur & Gantier; when I met my future husband I was very young and was wearing a very good, but more suitable for a young lady, perfume called Byzantine (by Alberto Morillas if I’m not wrong). Sécrète Datura is soft, sweet and delicate, but with character, floral and ambery, light and warm at the same time, comforting and uplifting. I wouldn’t want to be scary at my first date, nor would I want to make an open statement the like “I want to seduce you”, I would wear a more subtle and versatile perfume (in case he didn’t like me I could always lie and say with dignity that I thought we were just friends! And I couldn’t do that wearing Femme de Rochas…). Also, Secrète Datura is wearable any time of the year, which is such a useful quality in a perfume. October 27, 2012 at 10:57am Reply

    • Nikki: Secrete Datura sounds fascinating, Ninamar. I will try that! October 27, 2012 at 11:43am Reply

    • Victoria: This makes me want to revisit Secrete Datura. It’s been years since I’ve smelled it. October 28, 2012 at 12:34pm Reply

  • Jessica: The year I met my husband, I was wearing Lolita Lempicka for daytime and Jean-Paul Gaultier (Classique) for evening. We met at work, so he’s probably already noticed the LL by the time we went out on a “real date.” And I remember that I felt a little nervous that night, and I panicked at the last minute and didn’t apply any fragrance at all! October 27, 2012 at 11:33am Reply

    • Victoria: Both Lolita Lempicka and Classique are such great fragrances–they make a statement, yet they are elegant. October 29, 2012 at 12:13pm Reply

  • AnneD: I wore Creeds’ Fleur de te Rose Bulgari (forgive my spelling). Since we were still dating others for awhile, he told me he could smell my perfume even on a date with someone else! He said he even had to look around for me. That spelled winner for me! We have a very happy marriage and he loves to buy me rose fragrances. I still wear the Creed from time to time. October 27, 2012 at 11:49am Reply

    • Victoria: That’s such a nice story, Anne! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it with me. October 29, 2012 at 12:14pm Reply

  • Anne Sheffield: Oh wore kenzo Flower on my first date with my husband. Which was 10 years ago. But right now, today, i would go with a little bit of Ambre des Merveilles by Hermes. It is warm, soft, not overpoweringly sexy, but definitely tempting…. ;-). October 27, 2012 at 11:53am Reply

    • Victoria: Ambre des Merveilles is sexy! I didn’t think that I would like it as much as I did. October 29, 2012 at 12:15pm Reply

  • Emma: I don’t wear subtle fragrances on first dates, it’s not me. I believe you have to be honest and yourself on a first date, I would hate to feel like those women on dating sites who have profile pictures of themselves 20 years and 40 pounds ago. However the way I wear perfume is subtle!!
    If I went out on a first date tonight, I’d be wearing Serge Lutens Une Voix Noire, Amouage Gold or Caron With Pleasure (vintage). October 27, 2012 at 12:30pm Reply

    • Victoria: You’re a perfectly scented date in my book. 🙂 October 29, 2012 at 12:15pm Reply

  • Apollonia: Fun! I remember that I wore Norell on the night I met my husband and then our first official date, but since then I’ve gone through several different phases of “signature” scents; Calandre, Je Reviens, Skin Musk Oil, Angel, and just this morning he asked what I was wearing and I answered, “Hypnotic Poison!” He laughed at the name but said he liked it, and I had applied it last night before retiring! Another phase in the making? Nah, I’m too fickle and there are too many beauties out there to be worn and loved…. October 27, 2012 at 12:31pm Reply

    • Victoria: Your signature perfumes sound great and quite diverse. And Hypnotic Poison is a beauty! But like you, I would have a hard time wearing just one perfume. October 29, 2012 at 12:19pm Reply

  • mirian: I went on a first date with my boyfriend before I was really into pefume, but I did wear Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche since it was a super balmy august night. We still do date nights where we go all out so I can pick out a different perfume 😉 October 27, 2012 at 12:51pm Reply

    • Victoria: The other day I smelled something on a friend and I asked her what it was. It turned out to be Chance Eau Fraiche. It smelled very good on her. October 29, 2012 at 12:21pm Reply

  • allgirlmafia: Glamourous by Ralph Lauren because it makes me feel like a sweet rose gold diva or Violet Blonde by Tom Ford because it reminds me of Marilyn Monroe in nude lipstick. Both are elegant/sexy which is fine with me. By nature I am reserved, so if a man gets a first date with me there is no reason to be coy. We both know why we’re here. October 27, 2012 at 1:06pm Reply

    • Cristine: I almost dropped my iPad! 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 1:20pm Reply

    • Victoria: Marilyn Monroe in nude lipstick–that’s the best description of Violet Blonde! 🙂 October 29, 2012 at 12:21pm Reply

  • Merrilee: Really depends on mood and location of the date but I have a few favorites!! Love Serge Lutens Rose de nuit, Montale Black Aoud, Le Labo Rise 31, Nasomatto Nuda, Le Labo Poivree 23 and Ormondw Jayne Ta’if. There are about 5 other Lutens that I would swap in there too! October 27, 2012 at 1:09pm Reply

    • Victoria: What a fun list! I love that you have in it some of the most unapologetically sultry roses as well as jasmine. October 29, 2012 at 2:38pm Reply

  • George: I absolutely agree: don’t worry re whether its the right scent, whether its too loud or quiet etc.: wear something that makes you feel good as you say. Or as I would say (and with the assumption that you want to hit off with your prospective date) nothing will turn another person on than the knowledge the person they are with knows how to pleasure his or herself, so wear a perfume that gives you pleasure. I would wear on fabric though, so it can be easily removed. 😉 Coromandel would probably be my first choice, too. October 27, 2012 at 1:21pm Reply

    • Victoria: My belief is that the most seductive potion is the one that makes you feel comfortable, elegant and simply good in your skin. October 29, 2012 at 2:40pm Reply

  • Elena: What a fun question. I will first admit to what I wore when my husband and I first started dating: RL Romance. I fell for the marketing, though now in retrospect it’s hard to imagine why something so squeaky clean was marketed as sexy/romantic. In my defense, I was 19 and clueless in terms of scent (and quite a few other things).

    My husband’s reactions to my perfume are limited to “That’s nice,” and “Hm, perfume-y,” so I will imagine a first date with Daniel Craig. I would wear just a bit of SL Fleurs d’Oranger, perhaps, or Tabac Blond. Bulgari Black for a third date! October 27, 2012 at 1:22pm Reply

    • Anat13: “so I will imagine a first date with Daniel Craig”

      ROFL! My husband and I are totally cracking up! 😀 October 27, 2012 at 7:59pm Reply

    • Moi: Hey, are you married to my husband :o)?

      I find it’s always appropriate to imagine Daniel Craig, and I applaud your choice of bombshell power hitters. Go bold or go home, right?

      I think I’d go with something obvious but, on my skin at least, pretty much no-fail–whether that’s to seduce or just because it makes me feel good simply to wear it: Chanel No. 5 EDT. October 28, 2012 at 3:47pm Reply

      • Elena: 5 drops of Chanel no. 5, right? Marilyn knew what she was talking about. October 29, 2012 at 8:00pm Reply

    • Victoria: I was first reading your comment as I was waiting at the airport, and I couldn’t help laughing out loud. Thank you for adding a dose of levity to my long (almost painfully so) wait. 🙂 October 29, 2012 at 2:41pm Reply

  • Hana: I wore BLV Notte on my first date with my partner. It was subtle and comforting and a bit sensual, just what I needed. Since then, I have been wearing Bvlgari Black a lot. It’s one of my favorite fragrances and my partner loves it on me. Today, Black would be my choice for a first date. It’s memorable, sweet and gentle. October 27, 2012 at 1:24pm Reply

    • Victoria: I know that for many Black seems smoky and harsh, but I find it comforting and sexy. My husband also loves it on me. October 29, 2012 at 2:43pm Reply

  • Noele Neidig: I’ll narrow it down to three: Hermessence Vanille Galante, Clair de Musc and Fleurs de Citronnier. They’re all classy, soft and understated yet also alluring and very feminine. I wouldn’t want to force a scent on the poor guy, so nothing with too much sillage. All of these scents seem to work well in any type of weather/season too. October 27, 2012 at 1:29pm Reply

    • Noele Neidig: Actually, I think anything in the Hermessence line would be lovely for a first date. Like I said, they’re soft, classy and understated. Probably like nothing he’s smelled before and wouldn’t be reminded of past girlfriends or worse, his mom. A musk, i.e. Clair de Musc, might conjure up those memories. 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 2:29pm Reply

      • Gretchen: Oh, that had me laughing..reminding your date of his mom! Guess I will need to watch my choices. My current partner has next to zero sense of smell, so I can wear anything I want. But I’d have to dial down my choices substantially for a future first date. I tend to gravitate towards the classics or Big Fumes, and the comments here make me think perhaps I should approach a first date much like an interview, and stay low-key. Bois de Violette it would have to be. October 27, 2012 at 4:37pm Reply

    • Victoria: These perfumes are what I think of as second skin scents. Very easy to wear and very comforting. October 29, 2012 at 2:43pm Reply

  • iodine: Premier Figuier played a big role in the beginning of the love story with my partner…. and it still does! October 27, 2012 at 2:05pm Reply

    • Victoria: 🙂 There is nothing like a perfume that brings up great memories. October 29, 2012 at 2:44pm Reply

  • ShelleySmells: Nice post Victoria:)

    I wore Allure by Chanel on my first date with DH…..when we have our date nights now it tends to be Carnel Flower,Beyond Love and Narcotic Venus…all of which he and I both love! October 27, 2012 at 2:15pm Reply

    • Victoria: I’ve always loved that name of that perfume–Allure.
      Carnal Flower is my husband’s second favorite. October 29, 2012 at 2:46pm Reply

  • maggiecat: It’s funny – I can’t remember what I wore on my first date with my husband. Now, however, for similarly-fraught “firsts,” I would go with something light and vanilla-y – sort of universally pleasing and non-offensive. Tocca’s Colette comes to mind – I wore that to an all-male Board meeting today and it seeemd to work just fine. October 27, 2012 at 2:54pm Reply

    • Victoria: I’m so glad that someone else likes Colette. I’ve been wearing it on and off, and it’s such a nice daytime scent. Elegant, streamlined, polished. October 29, 2012 at 2:47pm Reply

  • Austenfan: Robin asked this same question in April. As part of a lazy weekend poll. I will quote myself:
    ” I would wear either Fracas or Rien. It seems pointless to deny one has a personality. I would wear them lightly though, which is quite a challenge esp. with Rien.” October 27, 2012 at 3:45pm Reply

    • Annikky: Perfectly put, I would gladly date you:) October 28, 2012 at 5:00am Reply

    • Victoria: Rien is a beauty, but I agree, trying not to overapply is a challenge. October 29, 2012 at 2:49pm Reply

  • sara: Hi!
    As I live in Spain I wore a subtle and fresh scent in my first date with my husband (the Spanish men usually adore fresh green scents on women), in the following dates I asked him to help me to choose a perfume. The first perfume he chose was Eau de Lancaster.
    Nowadays, fourteen years later, things are a bit different I wear Sisley’s vintage Eau de Campagne, YSL vintage Opium (EdP) and Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, three very different perfumes. He really loves all of them. Anyway, when we have a love date, just the two of us, I simply wear pure jasmine Moroccan oil. October 27, 2012 at 4:29pm Reply

    • Victoria: Your husband has a great taste! Eau de Lancaster is such a good citrus perfume. I haven’t smelled it in a while, and I wonder if it’s still made. October 29, 2012 at 2:50pm Reply

      • sara: As Spanish market is a bit different from the rest of European markets Eau de Lancaster is always available and widely sold. There is another perfume that apparently is only produced for Spain (every six/eight months) mainly because of huge sales and customers’ loyalty, it’s YSL Rive Gauche. Obviously I don’t know if it is true or it is merely a marketing trick for Spanish customers to stock up and buy as many bottles as possible. October 30, 2012 at 4:11am Reply

        • Victoria: I find it fascinating how every country in Europe has distinctive perfume preferences. Not surprising, of course, but it makes it so much fun to explore the availability at the local perfumeries. I will look for Eau de Lancaster. Perhaps, it’s available here too, but I just didn’t pay attention. October 30, 2012 at 6:53am Reply

  • Emily: I’m pretty sure I wore Narciso Rodriguez for Her on my first date with my now-husband. I was going through a big NR for Her phase at the time (and I still like it just fine, but my perfume wardrobe has expanded dramatically since then).

    On a hypothetical first date, I would probably wear ELdO Tilda Swinton Like This. It’s versatile, comfortable, neither wussy nor obnoxious, and just unusual enough. October 27, 2012 at 5:01pm Reply

    • Victoria: I can imagine how good it must have smelled on you. NR has one of the best sillages! October 29, 2012 at 2:51pm Reply

  • Barbara: I wore Givenchy III on my first date with my husband. These days I wear either Nahema or Samsara on our date nights. Those two are his favorites, must be that Guerlinade! 🙂 October 27, 2012 at 5:30pm Reply

    • Victoria: Another husband with a great taste. 🙂 Congrats, Barbara! October 29, 2012 at 2:52pm Reply

  • Christina: I wore Portrait of Lady (very lightly!) on the first date with my partner. It helps me feel beautiful, interesting and a little exotic – perfect! October 27, 2012 at 5:42pm Reply

    • Victoria: Mmm, I wish that Portrait for a Lady came out for my wedding, because it would have been perfect for the setting and the time of the year. October 29, 2012 at 2:52pm Reply

  • HB: Love to think about this. 🙂 I was wearing M de Molinard EDP – pre-reformulation time and limited ed. – at the time I met my husband. But we met while out dancing so my fragrance probably included a bit of talcum and leather from the environment and what I wore. In the intervening years I have gone through a lot of blackberry-heavy fragrance in partial response to my husband’s tastes for fruity tinged fragrances.

    I’ve started to branch out, however! For first client meetings I tend toward a chypre – on me Nikki de St Phalle is good, as is Chanel Cristalle – or my most recent addictions of 10 Corso Como and Tam Dao. In general, I find sandalwood to be such a beguiling note that is soft but not a pushover, somewhat androgynous and yet sensual. It fits many situations very well… October 27, 2012 at 5:45pm Reply

    • Victoria: This was such a fun thread, and I loved reading all of the responses. Made me want to schedule a date night once I return home and try one of the suggestions out on my husband. 🙂

      I miss M de Molinard! It’s no longer the same. October 29, 2012 at 3:05pm Reply

      • HB: I was thinking along those same lines – definitely date time! Now that it’s cooler weather, I find it a little easier to take chances or be a little bolder with what fragrance I am wearing. October 30, 2012 at 1:35am Reply

        • Victoria: Richer scents under all of the layers we wear now are perfect. I wore Fracas the other day, and it didn’t feel dramatic at all. Just comforting and warm. October 30, 2012 at 6:51am Reply

  • Jenson: Hi Victoria, it’s so fun listening to everyone’s thoughts on this. I almost agree that it might be good to not project a strong fragrance onto someone else on a first date. That said, I would choose to wear Francis Kurkdjian’s Lumiere Noir Homme, two spritzes on my upper chest just below the V of my shirt. The modern sparkling rose adds some romanticism but the almost chocolate-y aspect is pure yum. I don’t feel that the scent has a strong projection, but if the date goes well, and we get closer… I’m sure the warmth of this skin scent can be erm… appreciated. October 27, 2012 at 7:43pm Reply

    • Victoria: That’s the best part–a perfume that causes others to lean in… Lumiere Noire would be a great choice for that. October 29, 2012 at 3:03pm Reply

  • Eric: Chanel 31 rue Cambon. I’ve never heard a single bad word about it. Used to give it a lot of flack, saying it was like a gold Rococo frame with no picture inside, but I just kept wanting to wear it. Might need a 200ml bottle to replace my 75ml soon. October 27, 2012 at 10:10pm Reply

    • Victoria: It’s one of the most elegant perfumes, no doubt about that. October 29, 2012 at 3:02pm Reply

  • E: At the time I met my now-husband, I wore Tea Rose exclusively; it reminded me of a favorite mentor figure in my life. But in a hypothetical first date situation, now that I’ve branched out, I think I’d have to say it depended on how I felt about the date! I’ve narrowed it down to:
    1. For a first date where I want to highlight my intellectual side and have a stimulating conversation, 31 Rue Cambon.
    2. For a first date where I want to be intriguing and funny and warm, Dzing!
    3. For a first date where I want to wake up in the person’s bed the next morning and wrap myself in one of their shirts, Chanel Coco. October 27, 2012 at 10:20pm Reply

    • E: 4. Oh yeah, and if I want to say “Don’t mess with me,” without saying it out loud, Rossy de Palma. October 27, 2012 at 10:33pm Reply

    • Victoria: Brava! 🙂 I especially love your #3. October 29, 2012 at 3:02pm Reply

  • Undina: I’d wear whatever perfume I feel like wearing at the moment, dependent on my clothes, place and my mood. Perfume is an essential part of me so I wouldn’t want to start from compromising preemptively. October 28, 2012 at 1:51am Reply

    • Victoria: I love how you approach it, Undina. For me too, my mood determines what I pick more than anything else. October 29, 2012 at 3:01pm Reply

  • annemariec: It is a sign of how little romance I have in my life now that I have had quite a lot of trouble imagining what fragrance I would wear on a first date. My first date with my now-ex husband was to the Melbourne zoo, and I was not in a perfume-wearing stage then.

    However, I think I might go with my favourite layering combo, which is Chanel No 5 cream with vintage the No 5 parfum a friend have me. It had been given to his mother DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR! by her brother. Family legend had it that he bought it in Aden on his way home. She hardly wore it, and kept it in its box.

    If my date asked about it (unlikely for an Australian man) think what a great conversation starter that would be.

    Anway, whatever, at least our date would not be at the damned zoo. I would make perfectly sure of that! 🙂 October 28, 2012 at 4:03am Reply

    • Victoria: Wow, Anne-Marie, what a lucky find! Is it still in good condition? October 29, 2012 at 2:59pm Reply

      • annemariec: Yes. The top notes are indistinct, but there is still some glitter left in there. Mainly it is about musk and sandalwood, I think. SSS’s Nostalgie sometimes reminds me of vintage No 5; might be something to do with the beautiful sandalwood used in both. October 30, 2012 at 3:31am Reply

        • Victoria: I agree on Nostalgie. Must be all of those aldehydes layered with floral notes. October 30, 2012 at 6:51am Reply

  • Charlie: Hi Victoria…what a nice thread. Like Undina I’d wear what ever I felt like dependant on weather, mood, clothing, location etc. Althrough I’d tend towards something well tried that makes Me feel especially good and wear it unapologetically…which most of the British year would be Coromandel and not lightly….I’d have no more qualms about camphoring out a first date than I do my tube carriage on an autumn morning. For an evening date L’Agent is always a contender…chocolatly leather and patchouli but it also has to me a fresh edge that makes it work year round. October 28, 2012 at 4:42am Reply

    • Victoria: “I’d have no more qualms about camphoring out a first date than I do my tube carriage on an autumn morning.”

      This made me laugh out loud! 🙂 October 29, 2012 at 2:57pm Reply

  • Eva S: The last time I went on a date (too long ago!) I wore MDCI Promesse de L’Aube and it seemed to work well, flowery and elegant but also a bit gourmand with a pleasant vanilla.
    If I wanted to be on the safe side, something by Guerlain probably. October 28, 2012 at 6:01am Reply

    • Victoria: I can imagine how Promesse de l’Aube would be perfect as a first date perfume. It definitely hits high marks on all points–elegance, immediate appeal, etc. October 29, 2012 at 2:57pm Reply

  • Ann-Sofie: Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois – it has that sensous quality slowly growing on you. And after a couple of hours that (in)famous cumin note is unleashed….I would also consider Fracas and Coco – ultimate feminines. Unfortunately and typically me, I overdosed on Coco last winter, but this is the perfume that always get me compliments from men. Many have mentioned Coromandel, and so do I – it is very varm and cosy and would perhaps make a man a bit curious (or suspicious concerning my drug habits, lol). Agent Provocateur (the original rose chypre) would probably be excellent company during a first date.

    Rumour has it that Bois de Violette is even better than Feminite du Bois. Is this true? October 28, 2012 at 6:42am Reply

    • Bela: ‘Better’ is a difficult notion when relating to perfume. What is ‘good’ to you may be ‘bad’ to me.

      Bois de Violette (like Bois et Fruits, Bois et Musc, Bois Oriental) is meant to be one facet of Féminité du Bois. So, if you enjoy that particular side of it, you may like it better than the whole. October 28, 2012 at 9:36am Reply

    • Victoria: If you enjoy the softness of floral notes, especially violet, you will find Bois de Violette beautiful. I love FdB, but BdV is even more enticing. The way the cedarwood is blended with violet and dried fruit notes is just so elegant. October 29, 2012 at 2:55pm Reply

      • Ann-Sofie: Oh, BdV seems to be uber georgeous! Must sample it. Maybe I can have both – birthday soon…. October 30, 2012 at 10:22am Reply

  • Bela: I wore Coco. It was the perfume I was wearing at the time so that was that. LOL! October 28, 2012 at 9:31am Reply

    • Victoria: Can’t go wrong with Coco! 😉 October 29, 2012 at 2:54pm Reply

  • Leonie: I would wear Jil Sander n 4 in winter (one spritz on the stomach 🙂 and La Chasse Aux Papillions in summer… October 30, 2012 at 5:49am Reply

    • Victoria: Jill Sander 4 is one of those wonderful underrated perfumes. Glad to see another fan. October 30, 2012 at 6:53am Reply

      • Sheri: Since this is a somewhat old thread, I’m not sure you’ll see this anytime soon … but I have recently been researching good replacements for Jil Sander 4, and I wonder if you might have some suggestions for me. I’ve worn JS4 for at least 20 years (daily, so obviously not a perfumista … yet!), and as you know JS4 is now very difficult to find. So far, I’ve identified Coco, Bois des Iles, Chanel No. 19 to try, and have a sample of AG Songes that I like but that seems weak. I don’t go heavy on fragrance, preferring to keep it close to the body, and now that I’m nearing age 60 I might want to go with something a tiny bit lighter, or fresher, or clearer … not sure what the right word might be. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! June 9, 2013 at 1:33pm Reply

        • Victoria: Sheri, I don’t know JS4 enough to suggest a good fit, but I would love to help you find a new perfume. Why don’t you post in our monthly Recommend Me a perfume thread? We have one coming up in two weeks. June 9, 2013 at 11:35pm Reply

  • Daisy: What a great (and fun) question! I think it would depend on who the other person was and what was the plan for the evening. The last fragrance I wore on a date was Le Parfum de Thérèse . . . November 2, 2012 at 6:41pm Reply

  • Jane: I still think a light or no perfume for a first date is better as a women should keep a man guessing and be a little mysterious at first. Perfume is after all a way of seducing a man via his sense of smell, I am not always sure on a first date if I really want to seduce the man in question so I try to avoid anything too heavy.

    annemariec: you are one lucky women! November 7, 2012 at 8:01am Reply

  • Sharon: I would touch vintage Mitsouko on my pulse points about 6 p.m. (or whatever time was 5-6 hours before I expected/hoped to be kissed). The middle notes would be alluring during dinner and by midnight the base notes would be enhanced by body heat (smile). December 9, 2012 at 10:02pm Reply

  • Jo: I think I would stick with my JM Vanilla & Anise, it’s my old reliable and feels like a second skin. And it’s different without being too surprising. January 20, 2013 at 7:14am Reply

  • gentiana: I wore for some years Truth by Calvin Klein as daytime/ office perfume. I was out of the Armani Mania (the one with the black cap… wonderful stuff… it is gone forever) and took some Truth on a dinner where someone introduced me a young man… He told that my perfume is agressively seducing !
    What the hell would he think about Mania ? Or Extravagance d’Amarige (the other Heavy-hitter I used those years, only for party time….
    Well, I never will know… It wasn’t the only point we dind’t agree… 🙂 February 26, 2013 at 7:44am Reply

  • gentiana: Victoria, dear! You show up every day with such interesting topics! And all your friends’ comments… So fun and interesting and instructive… ! You… you guys kind of ruin my work ! :)… Instead of going ahead with my tasks, I am stuck on your blog !
    Love it! February 26, 2013 at 7:48am Reply

    • Victoria: 🙂 We don’t mean to! Thank you for your nice words, Gentiana. Hope that we see more of you! February 26, 2013 at 8:13am Reply

      • gentiana: Well… I dind’t mean it… I love your blog and It always lifts me up (such as the perfumes themselves – I don’t need other relief after a hard day…)
        I am soooo happy to read your answer! And I am happy that, finally, after more than one year of reading… and being to shy to write… I managed to say a few words… Wheeew !!! One million excuses for the spelling and grammar… Wish you a wonderful day and thank you for the wonderful blog!

        To return to the topic: One first date perfume that I would use now would be Cristalle from Chanel in the summer or Un Bois Vanille in cooler weather. February 27, 2013 at 7:27am Reply

        • Victoria: Thank you! 🙂 I appreciate your nice words, and most importantly, meeting another perfume (and another Cristalle) lover. Is there a fragrance more uplifting and yet perfectly elegant? Very few, if so. February 27, 2013 at 8:32am Reply

          • gentiana: Yes, Cristalle was somehow in the shadow of her big, bold or more teasing sisters… And keeps being under many peoples’ radars… But I feel that this perfume has dozens of different facets and moods! Greenish, sometimes sharp… other time the fruity note comes further and looks playful… sometimes it is full of quiet dignity… it is the most versatile perfume I know and, hopefully I will never run out of it. And it is really perfect when you have to show up like a cool lady and be prepared for any alternative (like being playful, or seducing, or keeping distance… or running away with 100 km/ hour… and all this with natural dignity… 🙂 ) February 27, 2013 at 12:37pm Reply

  • Alicia: After much thought for my first date, a casual lunch, I wore Apres l”ondée. The next day he invited me to the movies and dinner, and I wore Nahema. Never a word about either perfume. The next week, for dinner, I decided to be bolder, and wore Coco. Not a word. In succesive dates I wore Chanel #5, Arpege, Narcisse Noir, Coromandel, Opium. The man was increasingly affectionate, but remained mute on the matter of fragrances. I noticed that he wore none. Finally I asked him which perfumes he liked, He told me that fragrances were an unknown world to him: he was completely anosmic. April 8, 2013 at 1:21am Reply

  • El: On the last first date I wore Hermes’ Epice Marine – makes me feel comfortably in my element, while remaining subtle enough (lacking the potential to knock out my date LOL). Must have been a good choice – on day two I dazzled him with Iris Ukiyoe 😉 March 1, 2014 at 3:08pm Reply

    • Victoria: Sounds like a great choice! Plus, the sillage is moderate, so it’s a perfect “lean in closer” perfume. 🙂 March 2, 2014 at 12:21pm Reply

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