Our “Recommend Me a Perfume” thread is open this week. You can use this space to find perfume recommendations, to share your discoveries and favorite scents, and to ask any questions about fragrances and anything scent-related. Or you can just tell us what perfume you are wearing! I’m enjoying Penhaligon’s Racquets today, a fragrance that smells like lemon wrapped in suede.
How does it work: 1. Please post your requests or questions as comments here. You can also use this space to ask any fragrance related questions. To receive recommendations that are better tailored to your tastes, you can include details on what you like and don’t like, your signature perfumes, and your budget. And please let us know what you end up sampling. 2. Then please check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer. Your responses are really valuable for navigating the big and sometimes confusing world of perfume, so let’s help each other!
To make this thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
102 Comments
Delphine: First-time commenter on this lovely site! I saw the photo here and had to ask what peony perfumes all of you recommend. I like florals but I can’t find a good peony perfume. June 28, 2021 at 8:46am
Annie: Hi Delphine,
I recently got samples of Acqua di Parma perfumes and there was Peonia Nobile amongst them. It was very pretty. June 28, 2021 at 9:09am
Cornelia Blimber: Quel Amour! (Goutal) has a lovely peony note. June 28, 2021 at 9:16am
Annie: I didn’t realize that it had peony. I was even wearing it last weekend. June 28, 2021 at 9:55am
Charlotte: Hi Delphine, Noa by Cacharel is a nice, tender peony-coffee blend, but my favourite fragrance with peony is definitely Dzonghka by L’Artisan Parfumeur! It’s a beautiful smoky, spicy iris-leather with a touch of peony, very mysterious. June 30, 2021 at 10:28am
Amy: It’s a very heady scent, but Casamorati’s Cruz del Sur is lovely as is Vittoria Appuana. I live in a place where summers are quite humid and I find such fragrances transport me to a tropical place and bloom wonderfully on the skin. June 28, 2021 at 9:30am
Pike: I love Bois d’Encens by Armani but feel tempted to layer it with something (maybe some of those girlish florals that otherwise feel so weird on me). Any recommendations for something similar to Bois d’Encens but with more complexity? I’m aware it’s a very open-ended question but I’d be grateful for any ideas. June 28, 2021 at 9:34am
Annie: I like Incense Rose by Tauer. People on Fragrantica recommended that I try Boucheron and Loulou but they are hard to find here. June 28, 2021 at 9:59am
Pike: I usually have a hard time dealing with powdery and civet scents so out of the three Incense Rose definitely sounds the most appealing. I have also consistently heard great stuff about Tauer so I am intrigued! Thank you, I’ll see if I can source some 🙂 June 28, 2021 at 11:12am
Annie: I also tried Marni and Infusion d’Iris, on another recommendation. They have incense and flowers and I like both but maybe not complex enough for what you want. June 28, 2021 at 11:41am
Pike: Only one way to find out 🙂 Thanks again! June 28, 2021 at 11:54am
Karina: Maybe layer with some other stuff you have around, depending on the direction you want? Could imagine layering it with Chanel No22 (sacrilege? Maybe…), something vanillic on a cold day or perhaps something bright. I haven’t tried layering it, but can well imagine it would layer really well with any scent that had you thinking „I wish the incense were more prominent here“. If Mixing isn’t your thing, I enjoy Baume Du Doge which has Orange and cinnamon and a bit more of a development. Bois d Encens is very linear. June 29, 2021 at 4:09pm
Victoria: Bois d’Encens and No 22 make for a fantastic layering duo. The only thing is that No 22 should be used with a light hand. June 30, 2021 at 5:04am
Karina: I was so tempted by the idea yesterday that I tried it today and find that it really does layer beautifully. I‘m not for heavy handedness with perfumes anyway and one am doubly economic when layering 🙂 June 30, 2021 at 7:01am
Pike: I’m very new to fragrance so I still don’t know what is and isn’t my thing. Or, in other words, I’ll try everything once 🙂
Thank you for the ideas, I’ll probably try both! June 30, 2021 at 8:05am
Johaboha: I recently came across a sample of Dylan blue turquoise for her in a magazine. To my surprise I really liked the opening, it was a very fresh, sweet and almost drinkable uplifting mandarine/citrus. The bottle and general marketing doesn’t appeal to me at all though and I was wondering if you could recommend something similar. I’m familiar with Light Blue but find it too fresh, not juicy enough. June 28, 2021 at 1:02pm
Aurora: Hello: Maybe Prada Infusion de Mandarine might be be worth sniffing. I own it and it’s always a reliable pleasure for a sweet citrus hit. June 29, 2021 at 11:41am
Johaboha: Oh I really liked this one when I tried it once but somehow forgot about it.. thank you for bringing it back into my mind! July 3, 2021 at 4:37am
Camilla: Hello, I wondered if anyone might have suggestions for someone who loves jasmine, but at the greener, fresher end of things, and also citrusy, neroli and lavender notes? Diorissimo is my main fragrance but it doesn’t seem quite as wonderful as it used to. I’ve recently tried Bo Bo by Carner and loved it, although it disappears in a flash; Belle de Saison by Houbigant (not keen, perhaps too powdery for me); Perris’s Mandarin scent which I found very pleasant but a little anonymous and Perris’s Jasmin de Pays which was too strong for me. I was saving up for a bottle of Love and Tears by Kilian (I had a sample and adored it, despite it being very heady) and was sad to find it is discontinued. I should add I’m easily put off by the bottles and prefer simple, clear glass rather than colourful, ornate containers if that doesn’t sound too prima Donna-ish! June 28, 2021 at 1:32pm
Victoria: Jasmine is one of my favorite notes, and I’m always looking for another beautiful jasmine. Tom Ford Jasmine Blush is lovely, but it’s expensive. Serge Lutens A La Nuit has been reformulated and it’s now less heady and fruitier. Actually, my favorite jasmine is a candle, Diptyque’s Jasmin. If they had a similar perfume, it would be great. June 28, 2021 at 2:10pm
Camilla: Thank you very much for these suggestions, I will have great pleasure exploring them. Did you ever try a parfum by Agnes B the clothes designer? It was called Le B and was, to my nose, pretty much the perfect jasmine, pure without being overwhelming, but it too has been discontinued sadly. June 28, 2021 at 3:55pm
Nina Z: This is a hard one! I’m in the same position as you with regards to Love and Tears. I didn’t buy it soon enough and now it’s too late. It is very special. And I’m kind of searching for something like it now. It was interesting to see what Victoria said, though perhaps not encouraging…. So I’m going to say something a little weird, which is that the closest experience I’ve had to Love and Tears is Frederic Malle’s Lys Mediterranee, which is a greener, fresher lily (not jasmine) with some orange blossom and angelica. It’s so beautiful and “transparent” in the same way as Love and Tears so it might satisfy your craving.
Another idea is something I’ve been meaning to try myself because so many of my friends love it: California Reverie by Van Cleef and Arpels, which includes jasmine and neroli and is described as “airy.” Victoria has a very good review of it: https://boisdejasmin.com/2015/09/van-cleef-arpels-california-reverie-fragrance-review.html June 28, 2021 at 2:56pm
Camilla: Nina thank you so much, these suggestions sound delicious, and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one regretting Love and Tears’ demise. June 28, 2021 at 3:58pm
Bastet: Patou Joy EDT and Van Cleef & Arpel California Reverie both have lovely jasmine notes. June 28, 2021 at 3:25pm
Camilla: A second vote for California Reverie, it must be good stuff, and Joy is only a very distant memory so I will add it to my list, thank you. June 28, 2021 at 4:01pm
Emily: Bruno Acompora’s Jasmine oil is pretty stem-my & green. My personal favorite is Rogue Perfumery’s rapturous Jasmin Antique, but it’s got a bit of spice. June 28, 2021 at 3:50pm
Camilla: Bruno Acampora is new to me, thank you for the introduction. June 28, 2021 at 4:03pm
OnWingsofSaffron: I can recommend the following two jasmines:
1) Grandiflora “Madagascan Jasmine” and 2) Sana Jardin “Savage Jasmine”. Both are soliflores and both are substantial. I especially like the first one which represents the flower Stephanotis Floribunda. June 28, 2021 at 4:02pm
Nina Z: I’ve been hearing such good things about the Savage Jasmine. It’s definitely on my to-try list. June 28, 2021 at 4:12pm
Cynthia: I second that both of these are gorgeous. June 28, 2021 at 9:51pm
Camilla: These both sound very appealing, thank you, especially the Grandiflora, it has many ardent fans it seems. June 29, 2021 at 5:48am
Marie: I was about to suggest Love and Tears before reading your whole comment.
As an alternative, what about Drama Nuui by Parfumerie Generale? It’s a long time since I tried it but I remember it as a green, fresh, mysterious jasmine scent. June 29, 2021 at 4:01pm
Megan: I discovered Nuit de Jasmin by Kabeah last year. It’s jasmine made sparkling by mandarin and currant notes. I really like it for summer. July 1, 2021 at 7:30pm
Amisha Harijan: Suggest my new favorite scent.
My all time favorite is Max Mara (the original) unfortunately, it was discontinued years ago. Cashmere Mist is staple in my fragrance wardrobe. I’ve been enjoying wearing Clean Reserve’s Solar Bloom, and Replica Springtime in a Park. I would like try Hedonist.
What would you recommend based on these fragrances? July 5, 2021 at 8:37am
Sebastian: Dusita’s Cavatina, that came out this year, might appeal to you. I have just recently tested it: it opens green (lily of the valley), with fresh notes (bergamotte, petitgrain) disappearing quickly. I have a fleeting association of ripe banana (perhaps the cubeb). Then you get the loveliest jasmine grandiflorum supported by tuberose and made creamier with ylang-ylang. Nicely indolic. The base is softly musky-vanillic. The jasmine strongly dominates the composition. Nothing much going on here in terms of development, so you might say it’s a bit one-dimensional. Still it is an elegant, attractive, subliminally erotic perfume. I enjoyed wearing it, although it tends toward the stereotypically feminine. July 3, 2021 at 5:39pm
Klaas: I second Grandiflora Madagascan Jasmin! It is a gorgeous Jasmin soliflore. It has a green touch to it as well, so might be perfect for you. Minimal bottle design as well, and reasonably priced considering the fantastic quality! July 4, 2021 at 8:37am
Ashley: Jasmine, tuberose, neroli have to be some of my favorite notes in perfume. I will also endorse California Reverie and Grandiflora Jasmine, and while the one I’m recommending is Brazilian gardenias, I think you might still be interested and it’s called Chantecaille’s Le Wild. I’m just obsessed with it. July 26, 2021 at 9:37am
Ewan: I make fragrance with essentail oils in a carrier oil for pleasure, for trying to understand fragrances and combinations.
On Sunday I put together:
Frankincense, Ylang Ylang extra, Rose absolute, Linden, Tuberosa, Bergamot, Basil linalool and Pear Isolate in a Sweet Almond oil carrier.
I’m at a bit of a loss with perfumes but I have started picking up samples. Eau de Yuzu by Nicolaii was fresh and appealing but it didn’t last too long. June 28, 2021 at 3:44pm
Aurora: Hi Ewan: Very creative to do this 😀 June 29, 2021 at 11:48am
Ewan: Hi Aurora, it’s interesting to be able to imagine what oil goes with another and then try it out; quiet and contemplative. June 29, 2021 at 1:26pm
Aurora: Oh yes, a wonderful pastime. Also, while making your own blends I’m sure your nose learns to remember a variety of scents, very useful. I do mix my own facial toner, geranium, lavender and palmarosa in rosewater and could recognize them anywhere. June 29, 2021 at 3:24pm
Elisabetta: I’m loving Wild Fig by Claudia Scattolini. I find it so comforting. The fig accord is not overly sweet, but rather green with hints of tarragon. The jasmine and acacia support and blend together marvellously. I smell marine notes, just a little touch, as if to depict the sea in the distance, beyond a garden at dusk. The drydown is ambery and comforting. Check it out, I bought it on the creator’s website. June 29, 2021 at 5:09am
Aurora: Hi Elisabetta: Thank you, this is new to me, you make it sound delightful. June 29, 2021 at 11:51am
Cricket: Follow up to my May query, I have found one I love…Tiziana Terzani Orza. It’s sweeter and simpler than I expected I would want, but smells perfect for right now to me. Unfortunately, at $500, it’s not in the budget tight now. So any suggestions or something similar to this to try? June 29, 2021 at 10:12am
Aurora: Hello Cricket: That’s crazy expensive, I’m not familiar with this perfume, hope others might be but maybe check the Fragrances of the world website, choose ‘match my fragrance’ listing and if you enter Orza it will give you alternatives for it. My experience is the choices given are not always great matches but it can help. June 29, 2021 at 5:31pm
Cricket: That is a very fun tool, thank you for recommending it! I see what you mean though, as it seems to think Orza is mainly lemon for some unknown reason. June 30, 2021 at 9:45am
Aurora: Yes fun but a bit misleading sometimes😀
Have you tried the Hermes Jardin series for summer? My favorites sur le Nil has green mango for a tropical effect on a woody base of incense so you have to like that, it is extraordinarily radiant in the heat, après la Mousson is a spicy melon aquatic, also very good for the heat, Méditerranée is fig, sur le Toit apple and pear. Little 30ml bottles are available. June 30, 2021 at 11:30am
Anu: I am really enjoying the fragrant blooms of the mock orange (Philadelphus) shrub that is blooming in my yard right now. I would love recommendations for perfumes that come close to their beautiful fragrance. I have tried both Orange Blossom perfumes from Serge Lutens and Jo Malone, but somehow they don’t capture the mock orange blooms for me. They seem more shrill and screechy. Any suggestions… June 29, 2021 at 12:03pm
Nina Z: Neroli Intense from Nicolai Parfumeur Createur has a orange blossom, neroli, and petitgrain, so it’s more the whole bitter orange tree, but also a noticeable pittisporum note–another bush that smells somewhat like orange blossom–that gives it a distinctive quality that I love. I don’t actually know what mock orange smells like, though. But this is my favorite orange blossom these days and it comes in small bottles! June 29, 2021 at 1:22pm
Anu: Neroli Intense sounds interesting. I will check it out. Thank you! June 29, 2021 at 6:15pm
Aurora: Hello Anu, Fragrantica has mock orange in its list of notes, if you click on the perfumes heading on the main page you will see ‘search by notes’ in the dropdown menu, then enter mock orange it will give you a list of perfumes with that note. June 29, 2021 at 3:48pm
Anu: That’s a great idea. Thanks. Will report back. June 29, 2021 at 6:19pm
Andrea in Michigan: Hi Victoria,
This is a bit of a tangent, but I figured why not say something.
Forager Chef blog has a recent post on a simple traditional confection made from pine pollen and honey. (To avoid catching the spam filter I won’t post the link, but it’s easily found.) Considering the intersection of perfumery, natural ingredients, and artisanal confectionery, I thought it might be of interest to you, especially because the key to this recipe is to feature something aromatic. Not only that, but the blogger was curious about the Persian origin of this sweet – someone was able to inform him about the Chinese version, but not the Persian – and you immediately came to mind as someone who may be both curious and capable of finding out.
Whether or not you end up delving into it, I figured I would tip you off to the article in case it tickles your fancy.
First time commenting. I really appreciate your blog – perfume, language, and food! Thanks! July 5, 2021 at 6:31am
Klaas: Hey Anu, Neroli Intense is very, very beautiful, and a great wear for all seasons. A little goes a long way.
Like Nina, I do not know what mock orange smells like, but Azemour Les Orangers is another fabulous orange fragrance…..it’s by Parfum d’Empire. A smile in a bottle! July 4, 2021 at 8:46am
Anu: Thank you! I do have Azemour and it’s beautiful. I enjoy it particularly in hot and humid weather. July 6, 2021 at 1:39pm
Lari: It’s time of year for me to wear Cristalle EDT and always time for Christalle EDP. I’ve been checking Chanel’s site and the EDT is back ordered for quite awhile now. Finally broke down and called Chanel and EDP is discontinued. EDT is back ordered for the foreseeable future.
This Recommend me a perfume made me smile as it reminded me it’s time to move on and explore. Also, I love jasmine so many thanks for the new ideas. June 30, 2021 at 10:15pm
Remi: I LOVE the smell of Frederic Malle Portrait of A Lady.
As a college student, I am looking for something slightly less costly with a similar scent.
Does anyone have any recommendations?
Thank you for your help! June 30, 2021 at 10:25pm
Sebastian: Some alternatives to POAL that come to my mind are:
Note di Profumum – Meraviglia
Rasasi – Junoon Velvet
Tiziana Terenzi – Porpora
No idea of their current price, though. Except Meraviglia, which unfortunately is not any cheaper than POAL. I love it and actually prefer it to POAL. It has some similarities, but isn’t a dupe. It’s more lively in the beginning, creamier at the end, less spicy and a bit greener.
The general recipe of POAL (dark rose with spices, patch and incense, some fruit on top, amber below) has been copied very often. Perhaps you could just enter POAL’s notes in Fragrantica’s note search and see what comes up.
In my experience, it’ll be hard to find a really close dupe in terms of actual smell. My recommendation would be to look for a different dark rose that you like, and forget POAL, or save up for it. July 1, 2021 at 9:36am
Maya: For a cheaper alternative try Molton Brown Rose absolute. It is in the same vein, though it lacks the depth and longevity. July 1, 2021 at 4:55pm
Karina: I would suggest to look for something less costly with a completely different scent. You may get close to POAL, but I don’t think it will ever quite satisfy as POAL is such a modern classic. Or perhaps get the POAL oil instead.
Nevertheless when Diptyque‘s Eau Capitale was release it was compared to POAL often and is a rose – patchouli scent. Might be worth a try.
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear. Don’t know how into your scents you are, so forgive me if I’m telling you things you already know, but some interesting houses to explore that come with a lower price tag are Chanel (5, 19, Coco), Etat Libre de Orange, Gallivant, Parfums Nicolai, Guerlain classics.
Good luck with your search! July 3, 2021 at 5:28pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Hello Remi, I quite agree with the advice given: try to forget Portrait of a Lady, and open yourself to new, exciting olfactory experiences. Therefore, I’d like to suggest the range of Francesca Bianchi: https://www.francescabianchiperfumes.com
Two words: One, letting go of signature scents is an everyday experience due to the constant reformulations which take place all the time. All of a sudden, your beloved perfume smells ever so slightly different, and mark my words, hardly ever better than before. I would even venture to say that the current PoaL isn’t the very exact same stuff it was when it was launched (but I don’t know that at all).
Second, the Bianchi perfumes might ring a chord with you. They are bold, powerful, very strong; they definitely have a story to tell; not everyone will like the scent; and there are olfactory elements that sometimes verge on the overpowering—linking it to the truffles accord in PoaL. I have two Bianchi scents and am quite enamoured. July 4, 2021 at 2:19am
OnWingsofSaffron: PS: If you’d like to read some spot on, really well written reviews of some of the Bianchi perfumes, you could always refer to Claire’s excellent perfume blog “Take One Thing Off”: http://takeonethingoff.com.
And a book I can dearly recommend is Neil Chapman’s “Perfume: In Search of Your Signature Scent” (Hardy Grant)—essential reading for every perfume lover! July 4, 2021 at 2:30am
Aelis: Hello everyone,
I have two questions about Guerlain Terracotta. I am very much intrigued by this perfume.
Some reviews mention a salty/corn-ish touch. I was wondering if somebody who owns it can tell me how prominent is this note (if at all), according to their experience?
I noticed something unpleasant and salty-ish developing on my skin when I first tried Narciso Ambree (which some say is similar to Terracotta), and it was so bad I had to wash it off. After one year, when my sample has matured a little bit I guess, that note was gone and the scent became a bit deeper and much more pleasant.
And, how prominent is vanilla in Terracotta? I absolutely love vanilla.
I would be immensely grateful for your help (any kind of first-hand experience with this perfume, really) 🙂 July 1, 2021 at 1:54pm
Victoria: Vanilla is prominent, but it doesn’t dominate the other notes. The salty note is mild, and I don’t think that it overtakes the composition. So, it’s quite a balanced perfume all in all. July 2, 2021 at 4:30am
Aelis: Thank you, dear Victoria! By the way, your page has been an important reference point for me ever since I stumbled upon it when I became more interested in fragrance. It is lovely and very informative.
Best regards,
A. July 2, 2021 at 5:14am
Victoria: Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear this. 🙂 July 2, 2021 at 5:16am
Klaas: Hello all, I was wondering if anyone has some suggestions for a light incense fragrance for summer? I have tried quite a few incense fragrances but haven’t found what I’m looking for. I would love it to be light, dry (or mineral / brittle) and minimalistic. And not sweet….. Think Terre d’ Hermès, but then with incense…..
I have tried Avignon, Cardinal (Heeley) and Andy Tauer Incense Extreme. I found Avignon quite good but not mineral enough, Cardinal too sweet and the Tauer better suited for winter.
Oh gosh, I sound like such a snob!
Thank you for your suggestions! July 4, 2021 at 8:30am
Klaas: I forgot, I recently tried Bois d’ Encens by Armani and found it disappears on my skin. I could hardly smell it at all….. July 4, 2021 at 8:50am
Karina: Tough one, because you’ve tried and dismissed the ‚big ones‘. How about Kyoto? Very similar profile to Bois d Encens, but may work better for you. Also for a floral incense Passage d‘Enfer or the new extreme version may be interesting options. I also recently tested and enjoyed Oriza L Legrand‘s Relique d‘Amour, which is a similar concept to Passge, but the flowers are more potent.
Persolaise has a top 10 incense video you may want to check out: https://youtu.be/_OWkFg71Zec July 4, 2021 at 10:19am
Klaas: Thank you for the link Karina, Persolaise is great, though I find he goes off topic a little too much sometimes. Though I would say this is also his charme 😉 July 5, 2021 at 4:44am
Aurora: Hi Klaas: I’ll add Goutal Encens Flamboyant and Un Jardin sir le Nil. July 4, 2021 at 10:38am
Klaas: Un Jardin sur le Nil……I never thought of it as an incense fragrance, but I’ll sniff it out again with the incense in mind…..sometimes that’s all it takes. Thank you so much! July 5, 2021 at 4:45am
Victoria: Incense is both the subject of today’s article and the latest video I made (not the same one as in the article). I do mention L’Eau Froide, which I like, but now I think that you might like to try Serge Noire as well. It’s warmer, but not so warm as to be difficult to wear during warm weather. July 5, 2021 at 6:11am
Klaas: Thank you, Victoria. One Lutens on each wrist, life could be much worse 😉
Will check out that video, too! July 5, 2021 at 9:00am
Sebastian: Hi Klaas, you might like Grimoire by Anatole Lebreton. It has very noticeable incense, although I wouldn’t classify it as an incense scent (but then I wouldn’t so classify some of the other suggestions). It is green-spicy-incensy, dry and brittle like the pages of the eponymous kind of old book though not mineral, and though my memory of it is somewhat hazy, I recall having first tried it in the summer and having liked it. July 4, 2021 at 12:09pm
Sebastian: Here’s another suggestion for a light, fresh, non-sweet summer incense: Copal Azur (Aedes de Venustas). It’s not dry, though, but maritime.
Seems I can’t think of anything that fulfills ALL your requirements. July 4, 2021 at 7:32pm
Klaas: Hahaha, my requirements were rather specific, I know. It’s just that I have something quite specific in mind so I just thought I’d throw it out there in the Bois de Jasmin Oracle Cave. I’ve gotten great suggestions from all of you, so mission accomplished! I’ll go and try L’Eau Froide (it’s on sale in my department store I saw on their website!!), and Gromoire if I can find it. The brand looks very interesting! July 5, 2021 at 4:39am
OnWingsofSaffron: Hoi Klaas! A controversial suggestion coming from me, but it fits your bill quite well – “light, dry, mineral, brittle, minimalistic” incense: Serge Lutens “L’Eau Froide” with its citrus accord, lemon, and frankincense. By the way, Victoria rated it with four stars (https://boisdejasmin.com/2012/03/serge-lutens-leau-froide-fragrance-review.html).
Safer is Encens Flamboyant by Annick Goutal, a light and rather piney fragrance. Luca Turin likens it to “a smoke on a cold day in the woods”. Missing, though, that mineral aspect, I’d say, but rather bracing. July 5, 2021 at 1:18am
Sebastian: Luca Turin’s words about EF taht you cite remind me very much of what Persolaise said about L’Eau Froide in the video that Karina referenced: “candles that have been blown out in a freezer”, “smoke running through liquid nitrogen”. Fascinating images of those related scents, although neither of them is for me.
For some reason I am also reminded of molecular cuisine, that has created a similar paradox with “hot ice cream”. Hot ice cream melts as it gets cold. E. g. see here: http://www.molecularrecipes.com/ice-cream-class/modernist-frozen-treats/ July 5, 2021 at 3:35am
OnWingsofSaffron: Grüß Dich, Sebastian! Thanks for that fascinating link! However, L’Eau Froide is not quite that deconstructed marvel as hot ice cream! What it is, is a rather modern and minimalist take (look at the bottle) on citrus, incense and something like, is it perhaps shiso leaf? It certainly is not that ambery, cumin-y, in-the-middle-of-a-Moroccan-souk thing of Serge Lutens. July 5, 2021 at 4:12am
Klaas: Oh my, that dollop of icecream served over……BACON! What an interesting fragrance that would make 😉
Candles that have been blown out in a freezer….Now I really must try it!
Thank you for all your great suggstions Sebastian, always a pleasure! July 5, 2021 at 4:36am
Klaas: Hahaha, my requirements were rather specific, I know. It’s just that I have something quite specific in mind so I just thought I’d throw it out there in the Bois de Jasmin Oracle Cave. I’ve gotten great suggestions from all of you, so mission accomplished! I’ll go and try L’Eau Froide (it’s on sale in my department store I saw on their website!!), and Gromoire if I can find it. The brand looks very interesting! July 5, 2021 at 4:41am
limegreen: Not that you need the reinforcement but I got introduced to L’eau Froide because I first tested L’eau Froide in the heat of summer in Naples and with the occasional breeze, the fragrance just wafted around me. It was such a departure from any incense fragrance (so light) with its citrus touches, and definitely not an overwhelming incense. Enjoy! July 5, 2021 at 10:12am
Klaas: I’m going to try it tomorrow, I’m very curious now…..
Thank you Limegreen! July 5, 2021 at 5:44pm
limegreen: You are welcome, Klaas, and inquiring minds want to know how your testing of L’eau Froide had gone! Funny how so many of us thought of it once you made your request! July 7, 2021 at 6:41pm
Klaas: Hey Limegreen, I’ve reported back down the thread…..it wasn’t the succes we hoped for, it turned chemical citrus on my skin. With no incense to be found anywhere! Once more proof of the fact that one should always test on skin!
My search continues….. 😉 July 8, 2021 at 6:46am
Klaas: OnWings, L’ Eau Froide sounds like just the ticket…..thank you so much!
Viele Grüsse! July 5, 2021 at 4:42am
Kleestof: Hi there, I wonder if you have tried Comme des Garçons Zagorsk–it is perhaps a bit sweet, but very light and cool. Less churchy than Avignon, but at first smell I did still recognize that different sort of incense that I associate with Eastern Orthodox. Another idea I had is Amouage Memoir Man, which has a green/herbal opening but rather dry and papery incense dry down. I haven’t tried it in hot weather but it seems like it should work well! July 5, 2021 at 12:03pm
Klaas: Kleestof, Zagorsk is on my list but it is always out of stock here. I guess it’s less popular than Avignon or Kyoto….
The Amouage sounds very intriguing, but it is out of my price range. I would love a bottle of Epic Man but mamma mia, it’s expensive! July 5, 2021 at 5:49pm
Klaas: I forgot, I recently tried Bois d’ Encens by Armani and found it disappears on my skin. I could hardly smell it at all….. July 4, 2021 at 8:50am
Aurora: *sur sorry for the typo. July 4, 2021 at 12:48pm
Perry: Hello! I think this topic has probably been covered before, but I’m looking for suggestions for scents that have the powdery (iris-?) note of Santa Maria Novella’s melograno soap without the abrasive qualities. Basically, I bought a large bar of the soap and didn’t like the scent close up, but I tucked it in my linen closet and now it makes my day just to open the closet for a fresh towel! Even a more affordable soap recommendation that smells similar would be fantastic! Thank you! July 5, 2021 at 7:35pm
Aurora: Hi Perry: I’ve never smelled Melograno, one of my favourite powdery iris is Hermes Hiris, also Prada Infusion d’iris absolue but it’s discontinued. L’Erbolario Iris soaps l find very good and affordable. July 6, 2021 at 12:35pm
Klaas: Hello all, I am reporting back on my Eau Froide testing today. Again proof that one should ALWAYS test fragrances on skin…..
Candles snuffed out in a freezer? If only….all I got on skin was a freezer cleaned with Ajax!! No incense at all, like none, just a rather chemical smelling citrusy stain on my forearm. Isn’t that amazing?
Anyway, I will try the Annick Goutal and keep an eye open for Serge Noire and Zagorsk. The search continues……
Thank you all again for the suggestions, always a pleasure! July 6, 2021 at 9:39am
Aurora: Hello Klaas: Many thanks for reporting back, interesting experience. To me Encens Flamboyant is a church in Provence, hope you’ll have a more positive testing of that one 😀 July 6, 2021 at 12:42pm
limegreen: Such a shame, Klaas! Funny how LF fit on paper to fulfill your quest but skin chemistry didn’t work. It actually sounds dreadful on you! I think “light” and “incense” tend to not go together! (You need Jo Malone to come out with an incense cologne!)
Someone suggested Kyoto which is very nice –dry, minimalist — but on me it was all pencil shavings, so skin chemistry does matter! It may work for you.
I hesitate to recommend a discontinued fragrance but I do like Tom Ford Vert d’Encens as an incense, plus pine forest. 🙂 If you ever come across it in your quest…
Good luck! July 8, 2021 at 10:47am
Klaas: Vert d’Encens sounds amazing, too bad it’s been discontinued! Even though the Tom Ford price tags are a touch to hefty for me anyway, so maybe it’s a good thing 😉
Encens Flamboyant sounds like another interesting incense – pine duo, so I will look out for that one.
Thanks again! July 8, 2021 at 4:10pm
Cornelia Blimber: Hallo Klaas! Dzonka is not an incense perfume, but according to Luca Turin it smells ”like incense burning under a starlit sky”.
”Airy, quiet and salubrious”…sounds good!
Veel plezier met de zoektocht. July 6, 2021 at 9:51am
Klaas: Hey Cornelia, thank you for chipping in! I have yet to try Dzonka. If I could smell like icense burning under a starlit sky that would be just awesome….
Lieve groet! July 6, 2021 at 5:45pm
Lenina: Hello, I am a fan of pine scent and use room perfume with pine scent. The room smells great and it also makes you sleep more relaxed. I can only recommend this fragrance… Kind regards July 7, 2021 at 7:50am
Amy: First time commenting on your beautiful blog. I’m wondering if anyone remembers the long-gone “Savannah Gardens” fragrance that Crabree and Evelyn discontinued years ago, and, if so, could recommend a fragrance that is similar.
As to what I’m wearing – I was going through my perfume samples and came across a spray of Demeter’s “Grass” and sprayed it on to give myself a burst of happiness – I had forgotten it in the back of my drawer.
Thank you! July 13, 2021 at 4:15pm
Aurora: Hi Amy: I’ve seen it compared to Gap Heaven and DSH Aphrodisia on Fragrantica. July 17, 2021 at 1:45am