Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my American readers! 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 scents, aromas and flavors. Or you can just tell us what perfume you are wearing!
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
89 Comments
Patricia: Afternoon, folks. I love rose/incense fragrances but can anyone recommend a jasmine/incense fragrance for winter? I am looking for something like Calligraphy Rose but in jasmine. Does such a thing exist? November 25, 2022 at 9:04am
AndreaR: Perhaps Etat Libre d’Orange’s Jasmin et Cigarette? November 25, 2022 at 10:32am
Patricia: Thank you. A brilliant perfume but I’m after a heavier jasmine and more incense, less smoke. I do need to add this to my list, though, as I only have a sample. November 25, 2022 at 11:24am
AndreaR: La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens just came to mind. November 25, 2022 at 11:30am
Sebastian: But La Myrrhe contains neither jasmine nor incense, or does it? It doesn’t smell of jasmine or incense to me, anyway.
Le Vestiaire – Splendid Wood comes to my mind. But I haven’t tested it yet myself.
I do like Médie (Trudon). But it features very lemony jasmine and is low on the incense, so probably not what you’re looking for, in no way like Calligraphy Rose.
Perhaps you might like Salome (Papillon). Animalic jasmine (flowers nicely integrated with hyraceum), very warm, great for winter. It get’s a bit smoky, too, but not frankincense. Oh, well, I guess you already said no to that when Jasmine & Cigarettes was mentioned. But this is not that kind of smoke, more like the smoke sticks that pass for incense in the esoteric shop. But so, so beautiful. November 25, 2022 at 1:42pm
Patricia: Many thanks for these suggestions – I will investigate! November 26, 2022 at 4:31am
pfsh: What sort of incense are you thinking of?
I enjoy Cedre Sambac by Hermes. The jasmine is beautifully blended with woods. It says cedar in the name, but the woods smells more like heated sandalwood chips to me, very creamy.
The effect of both reminds me of East Asian temples where both are offerings on the altar.
It is not a heavy scent, but very beautiful. November 25, 2022 at 11:41am
Patricia: Oh, I shall try to get a sample, thank you. 🙂 November 26, 2022 at 4:32am
la_ninon: I love this fragrance, too. November 28, 2022 at 12:48am
Amy Maloney: Hi Patricia,
I would recommend trying La Via del Profumo’s Tawaf. It is Jasmine & Opoponax. They have some beautiful incense and attars. They are also having a holiday sale now. (not affiliated)
Also Amouage has a couple of Jasmine-centric creations. Opus III is a heavily spiced incense-y jasmine. Amouage Beloved is a nice jasmine incense, too. November 25, 2022 at 11:42pm
Patricia: Thank you – I will definitely check these out. 🙂 November 26, 2022 at 4:32am
Karina: Gosh! I would suggest layering. Whenever I want to incense up ir give a bit more bite and depth to a fragrance I reach for Bois D’Encens or Kyoto and spray them under whatever else. So if you have a Jasmine you love already, you could try that. I find those two incredibly versatile and they merge surprisingly well with other scents. November 26, 2022 at 5:00am
Patricia: Thank you. Actually, I tried a bit of layering last night – A La Nuit over Opoponax by Honoré Payan, and it wasn’t bad! November 27, 2022 at 8:56am
Karina: Cool – glad the trick worked 🙂 November 27, 2022 at 11:14am
Danica Radovanov: Amouage Portrayal is a sexy creamy jasmine with tobacco and vanilla, a touch smoky and sweet suggestive of incense. November 26, 2022 at 7:56pm
Patricia: Thank you – I will see if I can get a sample. 🙂 November 27, 2022 at 8:57am
Lynley: Perhaps Lutens Fils de Joie? I haven’t tried it myself but I’m sure I read a review of it describing it as a spicy jasmine November 27, 2022 at 7:20pm
Shivani Khandekar: Trayee by Neela Vermiere. Its jasmine, incense, sandalwood and cardamom. Absolutely incredible! December 8, 2022 at 2:48pm
Linda: What a beautiful post, congratulations!
I’m using L’interdit, a fragrance that really brings out the tuberose on my skin.
Would you like to know which perfume is the most surprising and which would you recommend?
thanks for listening November 25, 2022 at 9:31am
Aurora: Hi Linda: Cacharel Eden is very unique and polarising. November 25, 2022 at 2:44pm
Alityke: Eden is completely unique! I love owning a bottle but I’ve had the same bottle since it was launched & rarely have the urge to wear it.
I haven’t sampled Synthetic Jungle yet but I’m curious to hear what others think of the comparison November 26, 2022 at 4:15am
Patricia: Cabotine, Eden and Tocadilly are all very surprising scents. I hated Cabotine but used it as a room fragrance and for that, it was beautiful! I wear Eden and Tocadilly. The latter is discontinued but available on Ebay. November 26, 2022 at 4:35am
Irina: Hello everybody! Does anyone know where I can buy a reasonably priced bottle of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette? November 25, 2022 at 9:42am
Irina: I am in USA. Or maybe does anyone want to exchange this perfume for another one? November 25, 2022 at 9:57am
Patricia: Ebay may be your only hope in the US – you can put out a search. I live in France and waited several years for a 50ml export bottle to turn up and bought it straight away. There is a bottle here, but probably too expensive? https://www.ebay.com/itm/304606229927 November 25, 2022 at 11:45am
Irina: Thank you, Patricia, I saw that one, too expensive for me to purchase) November 25, 2022 at 4:23pm
Patricia: Yes, it’s a grim price. 🙁 Register a search, though, and you might just be lucky. I’ve picked up Fumerie Turque, Bois de Violette and Tubèreuse Criminelle that way. November 26, 2022 at 4:36am
Kimberly: Irina, scroll down a little and you will find a link that I posed for you. I hit reply on your link but it posted elsewhere.link but it posted elsewhere. November 25, 2022 at 10:09pm
Irina: Kimberly, thank you very much for your response, but there is no comment by Kimberly on this page, except the one I am replying to. Please post the link again. November 25, 2022 at 11:53pm
Kimberly: Irina, here is the link https://sergelutens.com/products/bois-de-violette-eau-de-parfum-without-spray?_pos=1&_psq=bois+des&_ss=e&_v=1.0 November 26, 2022 at 8:41am
carole: Kimberly, when I clicked the link that fragrance and several others are listed in the Last chance section, along with many lipsticks. I wonder if they’re changing the packaging, or if it’s all being discontinued. I bought some lipsticks from this line in the summer and they’re really nice. i bought them from a discount site and got really lucky with the price. I like them a lot. November 26, 2022 at 9:45am
Kimberly: I apologize. They must be sold out. November 26, 2022 at 10:12am
carole: No need to apologize 🙂 You did us all a favour-I’ve been eyeing Fleur de citronnier since last March. I can find it at a discounter and I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t shared this information. November 26, 2022 at 10:54am
Reed: My 23 year old daughter is looking for a new fragrance featuring ambroxan, but that isn’t super heavy and incensy, and she doesn’t like patchouli in anything. Ideas? November 25, 2022 at 10:32am
Merylam: All the Juliet has a gun offerings are ambroxan heavy, yet they are also lighter and approachable. So I think this line could be a good starting place. I especially like Pear inc. which as the name suggests is heavy on the pear but with a ambroxan base November 25, 2022 at 12:47pm
Trudy: I second Juliet Has A Gun. Maybe try Not a Perfume. You can get small travel sizes at Sephora to try it out . November 25, 2022 at 5:58pm
Nina Z: Interesting specific desire! Escentric Molecules No. 2 is a actually an ambroxan fragrance. November 25, 2022 at 9:19pm
Karina: Aerin Amber Musk fits the bill perfectly. A nice bit sophistication and still not to “complicated”. I enjoyed it until my sample ran out 🙂 November 26, 2022 at 5:03am
Margie Walsh: In the mid to late 1980s I wore Antonia’s Flowers and Floret, both by a small company called Antonia’s Flowers East Hampton. I loved both of them. The company only lasted about 10 years. If anyone is familiar with these two fragrances, can you recommend something similar. I’ve tried so many floral fragrances, none of which I love. Thank you! November 25, 2022 at 11:16am
Johanna: Hello Margie. I don’t have a suggestion but I was glad to see your question. I would love a bottle of Antonia’s Flowers. Such a shame they discounted/closed down. I shall be looking forward to the recommendations. November 25, 2022 at 11:38am
Judy: I also have been looking for Antonia’s Flowers FLORET. There was a bottle on eBay a while back, extremely overpriced.
I’d LOVE TO FIND IT. November 26, 2022 at 1:41am
Aurora: You could try the newish line Marie-Jeanne, their colognes are very ethereal which I always associate with Antonia’s Flowers. I tried Brume d’été and Léon, they are both soft and natural-smelling. But if you are located in the US I’m not sure whether it was launched there yet.
Annick Goutal had Eau du Ciel which might have been a good option too but after bringing it back two years ago it seems to have been discontinued it again, it’s not on the Goutal site anymore.
Good luck in your search, I hope you will get more answers. November 27, 2022 at 4:05am
Margie Walsh: Thank you Aurora for the recommendations. Marie-Jeanne is new to me and looks very interesting! Happy Holidays. November 27, 2022 at 12:47pm
Alityke: Have you tried any of the Tocca’s? The ones I’ve tried always pushed the “sort of Antonia’s Flowers” button.
There is another possibility. 4160 Tuesdays Eat Flowers. The smell of a London Florists. I’ve only had a sniff but my memory says huge multi flowered bouquet done in Sarah McCartney style November 27, 2022 at 7:17am
Margie Walsh: Hi Alityke. 4160 Tuesday is new to more also. I’ve asked them via email if I can get Eat Flowers as part of their discovery set. I’ll report back if it’s a good match! Thank you! November 27, 2022 at 12:53pm
Alityke: The team are always helpful. Real artisanal perfumery & very responsive to customers. I’m not affiliated November 27, 2022 at 2:45pm
pfsh: Hello! I’ve recently been oh the hunt for fragrances that feature pandan (screwpine/Pandanus) notes. It is a scent that I grew up with in Southeast Asia.
From Fragrantica I have found and smelled the following:
– Malay Perfumery Fleur de Rampai (enjoying, it is pandan, honey and jasmine on me)
– Strangers Perfumery Chokedee (not my fave. Though the pandan is present in the opening, the sweet rice note turns to bugspray on me and is too persistent)
– Agar Aura Malayaku (more oud and woods, no detectable pandan)
Would love recommendations especially from Southeast Asian or South Asian houses!
Also thank you all for the vanilla recommendations on the last round, I have kept notes on them and will sniff them out 🙂 November 25, 2022 at 11:36am
pfsh: Alternatively, if someone knows a reputable source for kewra attar (made from Pandanus flowers), I would love a link! November 25, 2022 at 11:44am
Ina: Etat Libre d’Orange Fils de Dieu.
There’s no pandan listed in the notes, but it has rice and coconut which I commonly associate with pandan desserts. November 26, 2022 at 1:23am
pfsh: oooh thank you!! I will seek it out. November 26, 2022 at 11:49pm
la_ninon: I grew up with this, too, and sampled Auphorie’s offerings hoping for something evocative of pandan, but was disappointed. *Listening* for others’ recs. November 28, 2022 at 12:50am
pfsh: I had the same experience with Auphorie as well. I think Eau de Nyonya had some pandan, but not enough to satisfy me, ha. Did you also grow up in SE Asia?
Chokedee might be worth a sniff for you! November 28, 2022 at 2:11pm
la_ninon: I did not, but I’m Dutch Indonesian and have spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia 🙂 Yes, that’s the Auphorie scent that didn’t work for me. Fils de Dieu was also shallow/synthetic to my nose…I’ve never been able to get my hands on Annam. November 30, 2022 at 3:39pm
pfsh: Ahh I see! I grew up in Malaysia and Singapore 🙂
For rice notes specifically I had luck with 852 Concrete by Floriography (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1166310516/852-special-no60-852-concrete-perfume). They do a delightful and affordable discovery set as well. I also enjoy their Osmanthus tea scent. They both lean a little bit synthetic but still very enjoyable. November 30, 2022 at 3:47pm
Sebastian: Now that sounds interesting! I’ve never heard of Floriography, of course. I am somewhat put off by the mentioned combination of concrete and smoke, but with rice, well, that might give me street food 🙂 The most delightful rice note that I have so far smelled is that of Vientiane (Providence Perfumes), although it is gone quite soon. November 30, 2022 at 4:32pm
la_ninon: Ooh, thank you for this! November 30, 2022 at 5:10pm
Sebastian: They also have a “cornfields” perfume that sounds nice on paper. Do you happen to know that, too? November 30, 2022 at 5:52pm
pfsh: I haven’t sampled Cornfields yet, but it does sound interesting! Please report back if you do end up sniffing it.
Apart from Osmanthus Tea and Concrete, I’ve smelled After the Rain which I liked okay and will probably gift to someone who enjoys petrichor more than I do. December 1, 2022 at 10:02am
AnnieA: The closest thing that comes to mind is Poopoo Pidoo by Egofacto with a rice note. November 30, 2022 at 8:33am
Trudy: Has anyone tried Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk Eau de Parfum? Ive read nice things about it and it seems as though there is more to it than just vanilla but also floral, cocoa, amyris. It sounds warm and delicious. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this fragrance and what your thoughts are. November 25, 2022 at 6:03pm
Trudy: Wondering if anyone has tried Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk eau de Parfum. I’ve read nice things about it and it seems that it’s more than vanilla but also floral, cocoa, amyris. It sounds soft and delicious. Any comments about this one? November 25, 2022 at 6:16pm
Trudy: sorry for the repeat I didnt think i hit submit on the first one! Ugh. November 25, 2022 at 6:17pm
Kimberly: 25% off with code cyber. https://sergelutens.com/products/bois-de-violette-eau-de-parfum-without-spray?_pos=1&_psq=bois+de&_ss=e&_v=1.0 November 25, 2022 at 10:06pm
Alityke: I’m on the search for a lime blossom scent, also known as linden or tilleul in french. It’s the scent of the trees lining boulevards in Paris & Berlin. Closer to my heart though, it is the scent of the best picnic spots in the British countryside in early summer.
I own Idle by Romilly Wilde, incredibly beautiful but has the longevity of a mayfly. I love Unter den Linden but April Aromatics are no longer stocked in the UK & importing it will add excise duty to an already expensive fragrance.
D’Orsay Tilleul has been d/ced & when it comes up on eBay UK is so expensive my eyes water!
Jo Malone does French Lime Blossom but I prefer the Idle I own.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a longer lasting linden fragrance November 26, 2022 at 4:40am
Karina: Reposting from a comment I did here a few years back – still would recommend the same.
Astier de Villate Grand Chalet – Linden (with Mimosa) Very spring like. The mimosa is quite prominent, so you have to like that too. As I love both notes this is a strong recommend from me.
Frau Tonis Parfum Linde Berlin – a straight up Linden (Berlin is famous for its linden trees and the scent of linde on the streets in summer). You can also get via Harry Lehman (select the Linde scent or go by the same nr on Frau Tonis) for half the price and double the quantity without the packaging. Not my favourite, find it a bit to cloying and prefer…
…Acca Kappa Tilleul which is a lovely linden scent and just fresh enough
Jacques Fath Lilas Exquis for a linden with a green and lilac twist (works surprisingly well with lilac). I’ve found myself turning my sample of this one more of than I would have thought.
Heeley L’Amandiere – another one that sneaks linden in with something else, this time with an almond tree. The linde is prominent enough for me to justify recommending it as a linden scent. To me a good spring / summer scent. Although I have heard it recommended by many as all year scent because of the almond note.
If I were pressed to pick a favourite of those *today* it would be Grand Chalet. And then Tilleul from Acca.
end old post
Some then D’Orsay has re-branded itself and reintroduced Tilleul under a different name: Vouloir être ailleurs. I haven’t done a side by side on those but it has good ratings. So worth a try. November 26, 2022 at 5:11am
Merylam: I second Heeley L’amandiere. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous spring-y scent, that on me is quite linden forward. It reminds me in atmosphere of FM En passant, not in actual scent though, but in vibe. November 26, 2022 at 9:05am
carole: I love L’amandiere. I also love April Aromatics Unter de Linden, which is a fantastic linden scent. If you can find Savon de Marseilles in linden it’s beautiful, too 🙂 I love lindens-I had a huge linden tree here, and it would come alive with the sound of bees buzzing in the summer. It blew down in a hurricane and I still miss it. November 26, 2022 at 9:51am
Diana: I am so enjoying these lovely posts! Thank you everyone. Incense, Linden flower, Jasmine, Pandan… I will check out Malay Perfumery. So nice. Yesterday I wore my sample of Ormonde Jayne’s Woman and loved my first spray – so bright, fresh, clear, and fragrant I don’t know how to describe it! And the warm, woodsy, floral cozy dry down did have an incense quality ; I think jasmine too is a note to this composition. Beautiful. Guess I’ll get a full bottle. Thanks again everyone, Happy hunting November 26, 2022 at 9:14am
Alityke: Thank you all for the wonderful recommendations for lindens. I have made notes & I shall search UK perfumeries online as I’m uncertain which have UK stockists November 26, 2022 at 12:33pm
Emilie: Hello ! Any recommandations for a peachy body lotion that would blend well with my Mitsouko EDT ? Thanks ! November 27, 2022 at 12:21pm
Alityke: I’m afraid I can’t think of anything peachy other than BBW, Body Shop, M&S or Avon type stuff which may or may not be what you’re after.
Guerlain do an unscented lotion which is specifically made to prolong performance of fragrances.
Sorry for not being able to be more helpful November 27, 2022 at 2:52pm
pfsh: It’s not a body cream, but I really enjoyed Tony Moly’s Peach Hand Cream (it comes in a cute container too!) November 28, 2022 at 2:12pm
My1stGradeTeacher: update: Ordered samples of Ellipse Fath and Après l’Ondée. Hopefully one of them will be my 1st grade teacher’s signature scent from 76-77. So far I’ve only detected a faint resemblance of it to the drydown of Private Collection. I’ll let you know if there’s a match. Cross fingers:) November 29, 2022 at 1:10am
My1stGradeTeacher: Lost my senses of smell & taste due to covid-19 so I’ll have to wait till I can sniff the L’ondee and Fath. 3 years since the start of the pandemic i “finally” contracted covid-19! I thought I would evade covid but alas. At first thought I had a head cold but after few days, noticed couldn’t smell/taste. Took at-home test, and surprise! Only thing I can taste is sweet stuff lol, but not the same. Hopefully my senses will come back in a few weeks?!?:-/ December 5, 2022 at 4:10pm
My1stGradeTeacher: Smell and taste are already showing signs of revival! So happy about that. Can even detect enough of the Fath and L’Ondée to know that they aren’t my 1st grade teacher’s. Ah well, just grateful bc heard some ppl don’t recover their senses for 6 mos. if at all 😢 December 9, 2022 at 1:10am
la_ninon: Seeking recs for classical or otherwise well structured perfumes for winter! Dark green floral chypres are my favorite, but I need warmer options this time of year. I wear and enjoy Bois des Iles parfum, Cuir de Russie and Coromandel edt, Jolie Madame, Cuir Cannage, Bois d’Armenie, and Night Flower and would love suggestions for other glowing/cozy fragrances with ‘good bones’ and not too much sweetness. Thank you in advance! November 30, 2022 at 5:20pm
la_ninon: Adding that I struggle with amber and labdanum along with foodie notes, unfortunately! November 30, 2022 at 5:26pm
Aurora: Hi again: I have checked Fragrantica for Architects Club and it lists amber, so thinking of an alternative maybe one I tried some years back, the aromatic Sylvaine Delacourte Virgile. December 1, 2022 at 1:12am
Aurora: Hi Ninon: How do you feel about the spice cinnamon? It’s cosy to me. There is Diptyque l’Eau and I think, from the men’s aisle Burberry London for men or even Equipage.
Or a dry vanilla? Maybe Arquist Architecs Club or a dry cocoa? Anima Dulcis, Victoria’s favorite gourmand. I enjoy ELDO Fils de dieu too at this time of year, it’s a lighter Shalimar. December 1, 2022 at 12:32am
la_ninon: Hi Aurora!
Thank you so much for these ideas! I’m afraid I struggle with spices and gourmands in general, unless they’re quite abstract. I do like dusty cacao (as in Borneo 1834), so I will be sure to check out the two scents from Arquiste 🙂 December 1, 2022 at 12:41am
la_ninon: Oh I see, Architects Club is a vanilla. Hmmm…I think cacao is a better bet–I also like Santal Majuscule. December 1, 2022 at 12:52am
Aurora: Yes, sorry, I’ve just realized too. December 1, 2022 at 1:13am
Alityke: You may already be familiar with this as it is a classic now. Lutens Ambre Sultan. Gloriously deep medicinal amber. Whilst Fragrantica says spices are in there, the only “spice” notes are coriander & vanilla, the others are actually aromatic herbs, bay, oregano, patch & angelica. I only find sweetness in it to be from the multitude of different resins
It is one of my favourite perfumes of all time. Utterly unique. December 1, 2022 at 4:42am
la_ninon: Thank you, this is a classic I haven’t tried because I’m amber averse. I really should sample it for the education/as a reference point. December 3, 2022 at 1:09pm
pfsh: I too struggle with amber and gourmands, but have recently fallen for Les Indemodables Vanille Havane (thanks Sebastian!) It’s the only vanilla fragrance I love.
Though, the vanilla is very dry and to my nose, not the star. I pick up more tobacco leaf, cacao and some dried fruits. It’s a little smoky and rum-like as well. It is well blended and remains interesting for the full wearing. December 5, 2022 at 11:05am
la_ninon: Interesting, thank you! I’m curious about this line. Have you tried any of their other scents? December 6, 2022 at 8:15pm
pfsh: I have not, though I recently purchased their discovery set! Will report back if I find anything interesting. I like that they make and use their own high-quality ingredients.
I wore Vanille Havane again today — the vanilla is more noticeable to me today, but again, it is a very dry, boozy and woody (it get woodier in the drydown). Really lovely and somehow not gourmand despite vanilla and cacao. December 6, 2022 at 9:56pm
Ingrid: Hello! I am looking for something that smells like the papery sweetness of the Russian olive tree. I have been told that I’d have good luck with anything osmanthus-focused, but if I could find a photorealistic Russian olive tree scent, that would be ideal! December 3, 2022 at 11:58am
Andrea: Tuberose devotee, here! I don’t have the depth of knowledge around fragrance that many of you do but I know what I like––white florals all the way. Tuberose and Jasmine. Recommendations, please? A few I have loved are ‘Floret’ (by Antonia’s Flowers––sadly gone, along with Barney’s) and Eclair de Tubereuse, by Il Profumo. Thanks in advance! x. January 4, 2023 at 10:25am