What perfumes smell light and gauzy to you? I bought a bunch of hyacinths the other day, and while the scent of these flowers is usually heavy and rich, the white variety had a delicate, sheer fragrance. It also made me realize how much I enjoy bright florals at this time of year, perfumes like L’Artisan Mimosa Pour Moi, Hermès Muguet Porcelaine or Prada Infusion d’Iris.
Please jot down any interesting scent observations in this thread. You can write about your favorite fragrances or interesting scents you’ve encountered.
You can also use the Scent Diary to sharpen your sense of smell. As I wrote in How to Improve Your Sense of Smell, the best way to do so is to smell and to pay attention to what you’re smelling. It doesn’t matter what you smell. The most important thing is to notice scents around you. It’s even better if you write it down. Feel free to ask any questions here too.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
63 Comments
Sara: Good morning! I enjoy radiant and sheer scents for this time of year, as well as somewhat sharp, crisp fragrances. Nothing seems to fit the bill for me like lily of the valley, when even in spite of the bitter cold wintry air, the promise of spring lies dormant in the ground. I am enjoying Comme des Garcons Lily very much, a very green and yet creamy lily of the valley. I can almost feel the ground thawing out when I wear this. Infusion d’Iris has a similar effect for me. Another favorite for late winter and early spring is 24 Faubourg EDT. I like it best when the daffodils and hyacinths start blooming in the neighborhood. Narciso Rodrigues L’eau For Her, a cool, sharp floral, brings together the feeling of a crisp spring day when there are still ice-cycles dripping. February 19, 2021 at 10:27am
Victoria: Such lovely choices and it feels spring-like just to read them. February 20, 2021 at 8:55am
Elaine: Sara, I owe you a big thanks: I purchased a very vintage (early 70’s) NIB (sealed) bottle of Dior’s Diorissimo recently. The lucious base notes are still intact, but the top notes are toast (and half of the heart notes too, I suspect). I’ve been doing lots of research, looking for a very pure lily of the valley frag with no major, heavy base notes that I could use to top off the Diorissimo, to kind of make it “whole” (just experimenting, really…not sure if it’ll work). I’d never heard of CdG’s Lily, but checked it out on the review sites and it seems like it’s exactly what I need. I have an FB coming from luckyscent right now. Thank you so much. February 21, 2021 at 3:33pm
Sara: I’m glad my LOTV tip might be of help to you, Elaine! I hope the experiment has good results. I have not tried vintage Diorissimo yet. I have only tried the contemporary EDT version; I adore the opening, but find that the base takes over quickly and the whole picture doesn’t quite fit my vision of LOTV. Although CdG’s Lily is very simple by comparison, I just find that it gives me a better balance between cold, green, bright, and dark that I want in a LOTV fragrance. (This is my favorite note in perfumery and I’m still looking for “the one”, but CdG comes very close.) I would like to revisit Lush’s Death and Decay fragrance, which I thought was a pretty good LOTV when it first came out; too bad they don’t sell the 30 ml anymore. A recent new discovery of mine is not officially a LOTV fragrance: Grandiflora’s Magnolia Michel. I purchased a sample from LuckyScent, and I find it has a pretty strong LOTV facet. It’s also quite reminiscent of the Diorissimo structure. February 21, 2021 at 7:20pm
Elaine: Sara! I’m reporting back: I finally picked up my Commes des Garcons Lily at the post office today and OMG! It is PERFECT. It’s the best lily of the valley frag I’ve ever smelled. Just so spot-on. Lily of the Valley grew wild in the woods on our property in Western Mass where I grew up, so I well remember the scent of the real thing. It’s amazing to me that CdG is able to combine other scents to make such a perfect, pure, totally realistic lily of the valley fragrance. I sprayed quite a lot of it on today & got nothing indolic – – none of that mothball note that can sometimes happen with LotV & lilac. I also got Molinard Muget today. It’s pretty & has a nice drydown, but not even close to as realistic as the CdG Lily is. I’ll experiment with Lily & the ancient Diorissimo this weekend. Thanks again, my dear. It feels so fulfilling to have finally found this. March 3, 2021 at 11:06pm
Sara: I am so happy for you, Elaine! It’s really something when a perfume ends up being so evocative. I don’t find Lily indolic either, and though I generally love indolic white florals, I don’t mind that in Lily, the LOTV is pure and innocent. What I love most about it is the contrast between the bright green facets and the cool creamy aspect. I’ve been hunting down a good LOTV forever, and the CdG one is the best I’ve found. Now I can focus my search on the most realistic gardenia! March 4, 2021 at 11:41am
Maya: I started my morning by chopping onion and red bell peppers and sautéing them with cumin, salt, and some thyme. I added the black beans I soaked overnight and lots of chopped cilantro and the whole thing will cook for about 3.5 hours until it becomes a gooey, unctuous concoction. In the meantime the whole apartment smells of it. So nice and warming on a snowy day here in NY. I’m a cumin fanatic when it comes to food, but I can’t take it in perfume. Happy weekend everyone. February 19, 2021 at 10:37am
SS: Mmmm, I love almost any type of beans prepared this way. When I was growing up (white non-Hispanic) in San Antonio (eating beans flavored with salt pork and garnished with onions and pickles), I remember the distinctive fragrance I noted around many Mexican Americans. Only much later did I realize it was cumin from cooking and food. I love the note in Kenzo’s Jungle L’Éléphant as well as the cilantro note in Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensée. February 19, 2021 at 10:52am
Maya: So interesting. I’ve never noticed the cilantro in Vanille Insensee, but I do love it in Cacharel’s Noa. February 20, 2021 at 3:20pm
Victoria: I don’t mind cumin in fragrances, as long as it’s well-blended. It’s certainly animalic and intense. February 20, 2021 at 8:56am
Carla: The first perfume I think of as radiant and sheer is the green of Eau de Cartier, the old version of it in case it has been updated since the 90s or whenever it was first launched. (Christine Nagel) February 19, 2021 at 11:03am
Victoria: What a great perfume it is! February 20, 2021 at 8:56am
Johaboha: The first signs of spring this week made me buy a bottle of un jardin sur la lagune. I smelled it just when it came out and now I’m craving a gentle breeze from a garden by the sea. It’s certainly radiant and sheer! February 19, 2021 at 11:59am
Victoria: Congrats on your new purchase! Enjoy it. February 20, 2021 at 8:57am
Annie Oney: The sample of Bukhara just arrived (thanks to your last review) and I find it much cleaner and sheer than I expected from a Silk Road perfume. I expected a heavier more sultry scent. This is only day two of trying it, and it has already changed 180 degrees, and developed (to this old nose) more depth today. I am delighted to give this a whirl. However, it is very different from my favorite, Chanel #19 That was a wonderful review by the way! February 19, 2021 at 12:11pm
Victoria: Thank you, Annie! Yes, it isn’t a stereotypical oriental perfume. It actually captures the aura of Bukhara the city quite well. February 20, 2021 at 9:00am
Annie: I’m so glad to know that it is reminiscent of the city. That adds more ‘colors’ to the scent. I’m enjoying it more and more. Thanks again. It is a lovely light scent and lasts for hours, as you promised. February 20, 2021 at 5:23pm
Nora Sz.: Dear Victoria and perfume lovers,
My sample of Sweet dreams 2003 arrived today. I instantly thought of it when I saw this article. Such a delicate orange blossom on a bed of musk and castoreum. If feels sheer yet warm. I crave sheer scents towards the end of winter. I often reach for Diorissimo , Narciso Rodriguez EDT and the other members of my orange blossom legion (Escale a Portofino, Cologne Bigarade or Neroli portofino).
I hope we all have a happy Spring. February 19, 2021 at 1:02pm
Tami: I recently got a decant of Cologne Bigarade, based on the notes of orange and rose. It gave me such joy and I fell in love. I may have to get a full bottle of it! February 19, 2021 at 1:26pm
Victoria: I love your description! February 20, 2021 at 9:00am
Tami: I recently got a sample of Aerin’s Mediterranean Honeysuckle in Bloom. With notes of tuberose, jasmine, and miel de Provence, I was expecting it to be a heady powerhouse; instead, it’s rather airy and polite. Lovely, but not the dramatic white blossoms I was expecting. More of an afternoon perfume versus a dramatic evening one. One of the most surprising experiences I’ve had with a fragrance lately. Not to say I didn’t like it! February 19, 2021 at 1:21pm
Victoria: That also sound so nice. I haven’t tried it yet. February 20, 2021 at 9:17am
Tami: I ended up liking it so much, I bought the travel spray!
Turns out, it is a limited edition flanker to Mediterranean Honeysuckle—which has some citrus notes in combination with the florals.
The In Bloom flanker is light and more delicately floral. It reminds me of heading out the door on a warm spring day and smelling blossoms coming from… somewhere, you can’t tell quite where… and enjoying that special moment. It’s the type of scent I would wear to a daytime event, or lunch with friends. It’s a nice in-between perfume for me… a bit more vocal than my beloved citrusy eaux, but not as attention-commanding as the tuberose notes that dominate my other favorites. February 21, 2021 at 4:17pm
Sara: Ah, that one feeling! Smelling blossoms from somewhere nearby. I feel like a dog in a cartoon following the “sillage” of a juicy steak when that happens. The fact that you describe the In Bloom flanker in this way makes me really want to go out and try it. February 22, 2021 at 8:45am
Tami: If that description appeals to you, do try to find it! I don’t know where you are, but I got my sample (and bottle) from Nordstrom in the US.
Most of the Aerin perfumes are like that to me—true to the flowers in their name, but still perfume-like. And, relatively demure. February 22, 2021 at 10:23am
Kat Hi Five: Malle L’eau D’Hiver is both radiant and sheer. It is JCE’s “abstract minimal” heliotrope and my signature. I am currently obsessed with another stunning radiant – Tom Ford Lavender Extreme. It is lavender with just a touch of violet. It is not sheer but is has a soft, comforting dry down. February 19, 2021 at 3:03pm
Victoria: Lavender Extreme is really nice done, and you’re right, it’s so radiant. February 20, 2021 at 9:18am
Elaine: Kat, I so very much like JCE’s L’eau de Hiver for FM as well. It’s hard to describe but so distinctive and addictive. Contemplating an FB. My sister wears Paradiso by Roberto Cavelli that smells like a less-refined dupe of L’eau de Hiver, which is also nice. February 20, 2021 at 5:32pm
Peter: Greetings Kat Hi Five. I’ve never been a fan of lavender, but a SA convinced me to try Lavender Extreme. It’s lovely! I’m hoping that TF will offer it in the more affordable travel spray.
The other lavender fragrance that turned my head is Chanel Boy. It’s another comforting scent. February 20, 2021 at 7:39pm
Tourmaline: Cher Pierre,
Hmmm, so far that’s three compliments for Lavender Extreme…
As you know, I’ve never been a lavender fan either, but with a touch of my beloved violet, and with cinnamon and rose included in the middle notes (according to Fragrantica), it might be one that I’d like, too!
I’d better add it to my long “Perfumes To Try” list. February 21, 2021 at 12:14pm
Natalie: I like your choices Victoria. I used to wear Infusion d’Iris a lot. I had a sample of Muguet Porcelaine and enjoyed it very much, but a I don’t see they offer the travel bottle anymore and I wouldn’t wear it nearly enough to justify the price of a full size bottle at $272. I have been wearing Frédéric Malle Eau de Magnolia lately and the sheer radiant lemon and floral mossy notes have been like a tonic against winter. February 19, 2021 at 3:12pm
Victoria: Yes, that’s true, the large bottle is not something I’d want. The travel size they had was ideal. February 20, 2021 at 9:18am
Karina: Hello Natalie, just FYI Herms rotates the small bottles they do around. So at one point it is very likely that Muguet will become available again. That was my experience with them when with Santal Massoia. Although I had to buy 4 (different) bottles at least, so that my still be a barrier. February 21, 2021 at 5:09am
Natalie: Thanks for the info. I’ll keep my eye out for it. February 21, 2021 at 10:03am
Christine: For a radiant, shimmering and also sultry homage to spring, I look mo further than Jasmin Sambac & Marigold Jo Malone. It is so beautiful and I get stopped when I wear it. February 19, 2021 at 3:52pm
Victoria: I need to try it again. Thank you for the reminder, Christine. February 20, 2021 at 9:18am
Tourmaline: Hi Victoria and Perfume Lovers,
(I’ve really missed contributing for the last couple of weeks. I’ve had commitments as well as major computer problems, but I hope to catch up with previous posts.)
At first, I thought there would be only a handful of perfumes from my collection that I find sheer (with Miracle and Clair de Jour coming to mind first), but as I went through my perfume list, I found many others.
1. Zoie (Skinn Cosmetics c. 2018)
2. Green Tea (Elizabeth Arden 1999)
3. Skinscents Natural Spring (H2O+ 2000)
4. Diorissimo (Christian Dior 1956)
5. Lily of the Valley (Yardley 1980/1994)
6. Magnolia (Yves Rocher 1983)
7. Tea Rose (Perfumer’s Workshop 1972)
8. Orange Blossom (Yardley 2001)
9. Pleasures (Estée Lauder 1995)
10. Le Jardin (Max Factor / Dana/H & BF 1983)
11. Splendor (Elizabeth Arden 1998)
12. Beyond Paradise (Estée Lauder 2003)
13. Miracle (Lancôme 2000)
14. Clair de Jour (Lanvin 1983)
15. Lumière (Rochas 1984/2000)
16. Y (Yves Saint Laurent 1964)
17. Eden (Cacharel 1994)
18. Après L’Ondée (Guerlain 1906)
I used to have one by Avon called “Ice Sheer Refreshing” (2010), but I used it all – probably during an Aussie summer!
I should add that Michael Edwards originally classified Y as a Floral Aldehyde (crisp, with green notes), but later reclassified it as a Chypre (fresh, with green notes).
Now to the opposite of sheer fragrances – the scent of TRUFFLES…
Yesterday, on Radio National here in Oz, I listened to a repeat of “The Screen Show” and found it very interesting. During the first half hour, the host discussed “The Truffle Hunters”, a documentary that has been shortlisted for an Oscar. He described it as “charming” and interviewed the two co-producers. In case you would like to listen to the segment, it is here.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-screen-show/the-truffle-hunters,-assassins/13159316
The film trailer is available on YouTube.
With kind regards,
Tourmaline February 19, 2021 at 8:56pm
Tami: Hi, Tourmaline! I forget if we’ve discussed this, but oh how I love Tea Rose. It was my very first perfume and I would love to wear it again. I suppose I need to track down a bottle 🙂 February 19, 2021 at 9:48pm
Tourmaline: Hi there, Tami,
It is a beautiful fragrance that is sometimes likened to a watercolour painting of a rose. I would agree; it has that sheer quality.
What a lovely fragrance to have had as your very first perfume! You must have fond memories of wearing it. Being such a classic, it could be worn at any age.
I see it at pharmacies here in Brisbane, so you might be able to find it available with a tester. It was always excellent value for money, being of high quality but inexpensive. It is still very affordable; I just hope the current version is good.
I will be interested to hear whether you buy a bottle, and whether it is new or vintage, and what you think of it now! February 20, 2021 at 6:10am
Tami: Good to know it is still “out and about”! I will indeed do more searching now. It truly is a lovely perfume that doesn’t feel tethered to a particular time or place.
I bought Jo Malone’s Red Roses some time ago, hoping it would be a slightly updated version… in a sense it is, but there’s a note in it that keeps it from being a “daily scent” for me… whereas Tea Rose is so light and friendly, I could (and did!) wear it every day. February 21, 2021 at 4:24pm
Victoria: What a nice list, as always! Thank you so much, Tourmaline. February 20, 2021 at 9:19am
Tourmaline: You’re welcome, Victoria.
Yay, I’m writing a comment using a mobile phone for the first time ever!
When my laptop began having problems a week ago, l realised it was about time I made friends with the mobile l’d bought last October. Now I’m a little less of a dinosaur! February 20, 2021 at 9:40am
Victoria: It does take getting used to the smaller screen, but it’s definitely convenient. February 20, 2021 at 9:48am
Tourmaline: Indeed. I just have to watch out for those duplicates… Sorry about that; feel free to remove the offender! February 20, 2021 at 9:56am
Tourmaline: P. S. My laptop’s fine; it just decided to install updates without consulting me first, and has taken nearly two hours so far. It’s 93% done, so nearly finished. February 20, 2021 at 9:52am
Karina: Green tea brings back so many memories! February 21, 2021 at 5:10am
Tourmaline: Hi Karina,
I trust they’re good memories!
I first smelled Green Tea when a Chinese colleague began wearing it soon after it was released. But I didn’t know what it was back then; I only recognized it as the fragrance she’d worn when I tried it for myself about 15 years later.
I adore Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, which was also released in 1999 (probably earlier than Green Tea…). Notes the fragrances share include lemon, mint and green tea. I wear them both in very hot weather – Herba Fresca when I’m going out, and the inexpensive Green Tea at home. It’s a great alternative to various colognes when I want to spritz the back of my neck every couple of hours. February 21, 2021 at 11:43am
Aurora: There has been the scent of crêpes earlier this week and I’m wearing Guerlain Rosa Magnifica, rose and hyacinth go so well together. February 20, 2021 at 12:18pm
rickyrebarco: I love bright, light florals. Some of my favorites are Fior Fiori by L’Eau d’Italie, a lovely bright, clear jasmine centered fragrance, Byredo’s Blanche, Heeley’s Iris de Nuit, a bright iris and violet, very evocative of spring, and Teo Cabanel’s Early Roses.
A favorite American perfume brand for spring is Norell EDP, a bright, sheer and lovely white floral. It has a ‘comfort’ factor as well. IMHO you can never go wrong with Norell. February 20, 2021 at 1:07pm
kat: I normally don’t long for spring to arrive (allergies) but this year is different. I’ve started using BV’s Knot Eau Florale early in January because it made think of spring – I add a bit to my unscented body lotion to make it linger. Then I made a mistake when shopping and instead of grabbing a bottle of lavender scented shower gel by Nivea I ended up with one that is scented with hibiscus and white sage. Those are notes I’m not familiar with but once I started using it I realized how close its scent is to Knot Florale (although I have no idea why) – the layering is exquisite and I’m over the moon with the effect. February 20, 2021 at 1:27pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Now strangely enough, Hèrmes’ Muguet Porcelaine is not a scent I enjoy at all. For me it‘s a rather penetrating melon combo. Like Hèrmes’ Vanille Galante, I find it a bit weird, and just barely, ever so slightly nauseating.
Isn‘t it strange how certain scents trigger a reaction in you, so totally different to the reaction of other people? February 20, 2021 at 3:57pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Sorry, the grave accent in Hermès jumped the line! February 20, 2021 at 4:09pm
Tourmaline: Hi OnWingsofSaffron,
Indeed it is.
I find it interesting that you perceive Muguet Porcelaine as a “melon combo” that is “ever so slightly nauseating”. While I’ve never smelled that fragrance (or Vanille Galante), I have smelled melon that has gone off – both rockmelon (cantaloupe) and watermelon. To my nose, the aroma is full-on nauseating, in a way that other rotting fruit I’ve smelled is not. February 21, 2021 at 12:50pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Oh, I certainly do not imply any revolting stench, goodness, far from it! I just do not think that MP smells of Lily of the Valley. To be honest, this nose does not detect anything floral at all! To me it is distinctly something else: cucumber peels and galia melon, both greenish and watery. February 21, 2021 at 3:41pm
Tourmaline: Hi again, OnWings,
Perhaps I was unclear. I was aware that you weren’t perceiving anything like a stench. As I said, “I find it interesting that you perceive Muguet Porcelaine as a ‘melon combo’ that is ‘ever so slightly nauseating’.”
I just found it interesting that the one fruit I found to be nauseating when it went off was melon (at least, so far), and you had mentioned that you perceived MP to be “a rather penetrating melon combo” and “just barely, ever so slightly nauseating”. I hope I haven’t just confused you further.
I’ve never tried Galia melon. February 22, 2021 at 9:53am
OnWingsofSaffron: To make things more complicated: Just now, I spayed some MP onto my wrist and asked my husband what it smelled of. He said: eh, violets? I tentatively asked: perhaps Lily of the Valley? Yes, yes that’s it—massively!!
But for the life of me, I cannot smell them. And mind you, I had many of the delightful LotV (variety “Rosea”) in my flower pots on the balcony. I am very aware of the beguiling scent of LotV.
Curiouser and curiouser! February 21, 2021 at 3:55pm
Tourmaline: That is indeed curious. It reminds me of Aqua Allegoria Flora Rosa, which I cannot smell at all…
Not only have I never smelled MP, but I’ve never even smelled real LotV flowers – or violets, for that matter. I live in Brisbane, which has a warm climate in which LotV and Viola odorata do not grow. Moreover, I’ve never been overseas, and that is not likely to change in the near future. I do plan to visit the southern state of Victoria at some stage, though. It is much cooler, and Viola odorata does grow there. Not sure about LotV.
My violet deprivation might help explain my obsession with violet fragrances and the occasional box of Beech’s Violet Creams. At last count, I had eleven violet scents, and they don’t include favourites such as Insolence or Lipstick Rose.
As for LotV, I’ll stick with my beloved Diorissimo! I also like Yardley’s Lily of the Valley for spritzing freely and often on warm days. (I have two spare vintage 125ml bottles.) February 22, 2021 at 10:15am
Karina: For radiant and sheer I went with Un Jardin sur la Lagune today on one of the first sunny, warm days heralding spring.
Also in my radiant and sheer line up are Annick Goutal Chevrefueille, EPFM En Passant, Heeley Amandiere and Astier de Villate Grand Chalet. February 21, 2021 at 10:33am
Tourmaline: Hello again, Karina,
Here in Australia, we have six more days of summer! It has been milder than usual most of the time, but I’m looking forward to some slightly cooler weather.
I should have added both Herba Fresca (which I mentioned above) and AG’s Chevrefeuille to my list. The latter is great during summer in Oz, whereas the sweeter Avon Honeysuckle (of which I have a good vintage supply) is better during spring or early autumn, when it is less likely to be cloying.
I’m looking forward to trying En Passant as I enjoy the scent of lilac. February 21, 2021 at 1:26pm
Silvermoon: En Passant is beautiful. And I like wearing it in early spring, although it can be nice in summer too.
I use my mobile for many things, but have not tried posting here on it. Too fiddly. February 21, 2021 at 1:50pm
Karina: I have never tried Herba Fresca, but it consistently gets so many mentions that one day I’m sure I will.
Yes do try En Passant if you can, it is a delightful fragrance!
I’m not aware of many other honeysuckle fragrances. Didn’t realise Avon had one, but as it’s discontinued I will not very likely be able to sample it.
All the best to Australia! February 21, 2021 at 2:28pm
Silvermoon: Victoria, I currently have a white hyacinth blooming and also noted the very much more delicate scent. It’s the first time I bought a white one, since I usually get the pink or blue ones (with a much stronger perfume).
Towards the end of winter/very early spring, I enjoy fresh or greener earthy roses and Cristalle. Then, comes the turn of Penhaligon’s Ostara, mimosa/acacia scents, and other very light florals. Finally, all the white and tropical florals, many already mentioned. February 21, 2021 at 1:46pm
Hilde: How odd that still a few weeks ago I was tended to wear warm vanilla fragrances as Rochas Tocade and Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée and smoky and incense fragrances as l’Artisan Parfumeur Mirabillis and Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb.
One week ago it frose like never before here in Belgium and last weekend temperature has risen until 15 degrees. And this change in weather also changes my choice of perfumes.
As every year when spring is in the air I am always temtped to wear Dior Diorissimo, but I do not give in because I keep it for the moment when the lilly of the valley opens its eyes.
A beautiful fragrance for this moment of the year for me is Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage. And some weeks ago I have bought my first Jo Malone fragrance: English Pear & Freesia. I wear it today and I enjoy it. February 22, 2021 at 6:33am