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.
If you received recommendations from this thread, please let us know what you sampled.
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
57 Comments
Amalia: Hi! I’m looking for a very similar perfume with the discontinued, Black Bvlgary in the round bottle like tire, for my son. he is in his last bottle.. and sprays tiny amounts so he doesn’t run out. Second favorite, again discontinued, Marc Jacob Men. September 29, 2025 at 11:22am
Nina Z: I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest Le Labo Patchouli 24 because it is actually a very smoky vanilla scent developed by Annick Menardo and Black is also a smoky vanilla developed by Annick Menardo. They’re not exactly the same but I don’t think you can find a dupe for Black. September 29, 2025 at 3:06pm
Amalia: Thank you so much for your kind help! October 13, 2025 at 10:01am
Lynley: As Nina said, I don’t think there’s a dupe for Black, but Commes des Garçons Black might fit the bill? No burnt rubber unfortunately but it does have a nice slighty sweet smokyness to it. September 30, 2025 at 3:35am
Amalia: Will check it out! Thank you for your time! October 13, 2025 at 10:03am
HemlockSillage: Black is unique. It was my signature before I knew what a signature scent was. I’d recommend trying Miller Harris’ L’Air de Rien. If CdG’s Tar is still out there, that would be an unusual quirkier twist on Black. Best wishes on your search September 30, 2025 at 10:55am
Rachel: Hi! I am looking for an everyday skin scent fragrance. I just want to smell good. Not complicated. I want a mother bear sent not too flowery, not too musky, not too anything. Something I can put on that makes me feel put together. FYI the only perfumes I have ever finished are Eau d’Hadrien, Lime Basil and Mandarin and Costes. I like some depth. Thank you all for your insight! September 30, 2025 at 10:54pm
Aurora: Hi Rachel: Have you tried Jour d’Hermes? It has grapefruit for the freshness you seem to like but is also a complex floral, try its flanker too, Absolu, to determine which one you prefer October 1, 2025 at 5:25am
Rachel: Thank you Aurora! I will give it a try . Thanks! October 1, 2025 at 7:09pm
Alessandra: Hello, Rachel! I think Chanel eau de cologne, C’est Mutine by Anthologie, Ultrae by Aether (molecular) and Love-o-matic or Sonic Flower by Room 1015 could be up your street. Plus, the last three are also quite unusual and original. Enjoy! October 3, 2025 at 5:37am
Amalia: It is unique! My son, keeps his last bottle as a treasure and will not finish it, because he wants to has it as a point of reference and comparison. Thank you for your time and help. I will check it out, if it is available in my country. October 13, 2025 at 10:10am
Amalia: Thank you very much for the recommendation. For some reason, your message went to spam and I just saw it now by chance. October 21, 2025 at 3:26pm
Hana: I loved Bvlgari Black, so comforting! Recently, I was testing Crème de Cuir from BDK Parfums and found it very similar. I actually feel like I’ve finally found a replacement for Black. October 1, 2025 at 3:49am
Amalia: Thank you for your time and help. I will check it out, if it is available in my country. October 13, 2025 at 10:13am
Cybele: Try Babycat YSL October 1, 2025 at 3:06pm
Amalia: Thank you very much for the recommendation. For some reason, your message went to spam and I just saw it now by chance. October 21, 2025 at 3:29pm
Cybele: No worries. Here is another recommendation: Apparently Estrella de la Mañana by Une Nuit Nomade is close to Bvlgari Black, but I have not tried it yet. October 21, 2025 at 4:28pm
Sara: I’m looking for a dark fruity scent for fall. I would put Osmanthe Kodoshan from Maison Crivelli in this category but I can’t find it at retailers in my country. It’s a black tea and Osmanthus fragrance but definitely on the moody side, like the fruits are in sepia. I would also put Hermes Barenia Intense, Gris Charnel, and Jubilation XXV in this category of “dark fruity”. Looking forward to community recommendations! September 29, 2025 at 11:51am
Neva: Hi Sara, I’m not sure if I understood you right, but at least I know all the perfumes that you mentioned. I’d suggest you try De Los Santos from Byredo. It has a nice plum note but it is dry because of the orris root. Another one that may be right is Mark Buxton’s I Want. It’s a fruity floral but not too citrusy, rather elegant and a bit powdery. It’s a kind of chypre. I wear both of them at this time of the year when Summer turns to Fall. September 30, 2025 at 4:16pm
Alessandra: What an interesting request. Maybe a dark fig? Sainte + Figue by Francesca dell’Oro could be up your street (fig is mixed with patchouli, olibanum, ambroxan etc). For a more oriental version, that fantastic mix of spieces and oriental fruits (dates and candied plums, first and moremost) that is Parfum d’Empire’s Aziyadé. There is also a dark plum in the intoxicating Casablanca Lily by Byredo… it gives depth and narcotic exotism to the white flowers in the composition. Enjoy! October 4, 2025 at 8:07am
Natalia: How about The Moon? Very fruity, very dark. October 5, 2025 at 7:24am
Heather W: I’m nearing the end of my supply of the exquisite original Givenchy Indecence and it has gotten so hideously expensive in recent years that I can’t get any more. If anyone knows of something very similar comma I’d love to hear about it.
The last time I posted something in this thread was a few years ago and beautiful perfumistas found me the carnation perfume I had been dreaming of, so many thanks. September 29, 2025 at 11:55am
Heather W: “Very similar, I’d…” I have to use voice to text and I didn’t see that it had spelled out my comma this time. September 29, 2025 at 11:57am
Deanna Wisbey: I’m sorry I can’t give any ideas for the perfume you are looking for now, but Very curious to know what the beautiful carnation perfume was that you were recommended before ! September 30, 2025 at 3:10am
Aurora: Hi Heather, try Fragonard Grain de Soleil, it is less bold than OI but definitely has the cinnamon and amber and I find it very pleasant in winter and it won’t break the bank. October 1, 2025 at 5:45am
Linda: My recommendation happens to be right there in your photo. Mitsouko has been my autumn perfume for many decades (I’m old). I’m excited to reading the thread for more wonderful ideas though! Thank you, Victoria! September 29, 2025 at 3:03pm
Kaisa: Another lover of Mitsouko here. If you’re looking for a different chypre you could try Chypre-Siam from Rogue Perfumery. I have it and it’s one of my favourites.
If you like vintage style, I recommend Pnoi and Angeliki by Angelos Créations Olfactives.
Have you tried Vol de Nuit? September 30, 2025 at 11:37am
Beth: Yes, I have tried Vol de Nuit, and while I like it, I find it too heavy. September 30, 2025 at 3:45pm
Beth: So glad to know that there is another Mitsouko lover out there! It’s still one of the greatest perfumes of all time, and I am wearing it today as fall weather begins. September 29, 2025 at 3:17pm
Cricket: Wondering if any one remembers Yves Saint Laurent: Parfum Y. My Great Aunt gave me a bottle in the 70’s It was not the same as the current YSL Y. Any recommendations ? September 30, 2025 at 11:18pm
Carys: Yes, I really liked it. When it was discontinued, I moved on to Sisley’s Soir de Lune. It’s not a dupe by any means as it’s softer, less sharp, but it’s still, emphatically, a chypre. October 1, 2025 at 4:37am
Cybele: It is different but you might enjoy
Odalisque by Nicolai Parfumeur 🙂 October 1, 2025 at 3:13pm
Karen A: Any recommendations for something similar to (now discontinued) Serge Lutens’ Fille en aiguilles? Love the pine, foresty feel. Thanks! October 1, 2025 at 4:40pm
Cassie: Sorry I have never smelled Fille en aiguilles, but I very much enjoy Ormonde Man by Ormonde Jayne. It smells very piney on me, although it’s black hemlock instead of straight pine. Its sister scent Ormonde Woman also has the black hemlock note, but more floral. October 1, 2025 at 5:53pm
Karen A: Thank you! I’ll track down a sample to try! October 2, 2025 at 4:57pm
Alessandra: Good news for you: Fille en aiguilles has not been discontinued! It just changed bottles (and prices). First it went into the gratte ciel collection, now it’s in the flacon de table collection… more expensive than in the good old days, but less expensive than in gratte ciel disguise 🙂 October 3, 2025 at 5:40am
Karen A: Really??? Wow! I couldn’t find it on the US site (where I am). But I’ll look again! Thanks! October 3, 2025 at 9:09am
Alessandra: Unfortunately, the situation on their websites changes frequently, and US and European websites are not the same, and both are different from Paris shops availabilities (on the website, many fragrances that are still in production are absent, as they are sold exclusively in Paris—- however, the ones destined to such treatment change a lot, these days). I am not necessarily sure you will find it on the US website, but it’s still in production and you might encounter it somewhere 😉 N.B.: parisian stores do not sell abroad October 4, 2025 at 2:20am
Karen A: This is so helpful, thank you!! October 5, 2025 at 3:07pm
Sara: I think Arso by Profumum Roma is closely related! Sweet, incensey, piney. Not exactly the same but similar pine forest fire feeling with sweet undertones. October 12, 2025 at 6:45pm
Karen A: Oooh this sounds really nice! Thank you for the suggestion! October 14, 2025 at 6:49pm
Cassie: I’m looking for a tea forward scent for autumn, not too sweet. I usually wear L’Ombre des Merveilles by Hermes in the autumn, but this year it doesn’t smell as appealing to me, I don’t know why! October 1, 2025 at 5:49pm
Alessandra: Dear Polly by Vilhelm Parfumerie is a great ceylon-tea-centred perfume for autumn. Alternatively, Smoky Soul by Olfactive Studio 🙂 October 3, 2025 at 5:42am
Alessandra: Whilst walking down the street on my way back home yesterday, I caught a charming whiff of licorice oozing out of a girl… you do notice that, since almost nobody seems to wear anything with that prominent note. Yes, some – me – do wear Méchant Loup but licorice in it, albeit evident, is not the distinctively predominant note. This perfume was also less woody than that. Licorice dominated the whiff – a SLIGHTLY woody one -, seemingly counterbalanced by some sandalwood/light caramel note. I got reminded of the fact that I’ve been looking for a proper licorice scent for a while (especially since Caron discontinued it lovely eau)…. And anything similar to this whiff would be really nice to explore. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks in advance! October 4, 2025 at 7:55am
Natalia: Alessandra, have you tried Brin de Reglisse? Lavender and licorice, so nice. October 5, 2025 at 7:36am
Alessandra: I love it, but does it still exist? I am not sure! Thanks for reminding me, though! October 10, 2025 at 9:41am
Claudia: It could have been Lolita Lempicka? It has a very prominent licorice note (both licorice and anise are listed). October 6, 2025 at 10:37am
Alessandra: I still have to try it, but I will verify! It seemed more niche in character, though, this one… though my judgment has little value, since I am not sure I have ever smelled this Lempicka October 10, 2025 at 9:43am
Neva: Etro Etra is a nice licorice perfume. October 6, 2025 at 3:55pm
Alessandra: Super! I’ll look out for it October 10, 2025 at 9:42am
Silvia: Uhhh, Etra – such a nice scent! Thank you for reminding me 🙂 October 29, 2025 at 10:57am
Natalia: I was never into floral aldehydic scents but something shifted this year for me and I’m currently enjoying Aldehyde 44 so much. Feels like an entry to this world. Where would you recommend I venture further from here? I tried Chanel No. 5 extrait but was disappointed in its current performance. I remember smelling the 20s reconstruction at Osmothèque and I was blown away by how modern, light, and sparkly it was. October 5, 2025 at 7:29am
Neva: YSL Rive Gauche and Paco Rabanne’s Calandre are aldehydic, the newer versions as well. October 6, 2025 at 3:57pm
Mela: I realize that this request is not popular at the moment, however, I am looking for a white floral that perhaps has some really good Rose thrown in. My taste has been so far from this that I have nothing that even resembles it. But for some reason, I’ve been hankering for a really beautiful floral that is not completely overwhelming.
What do you all think? October 6, 2025 at 3:52pm
Victoria: A gentle white floral with rose to try: Chanel 1957 for a soft halo, and for rose at the heart, Louis Vuitton Rose des Vents or Parfums de Rosine Rosa Prasana. If you want luminous and airy, Hermès Jour d’Hermès Absolu has a bright floral glow without overwhelm. October 7, 2025 at 11:00am
Mela: Thank you, Victoria.
I have never tried the Chanel or the Louis Vuitton. And for some reason, I thought that parfums de Rosine had gone out of business.
Your recommendation was spot on for Hermès Jour d’Hermès Absolu. I absolutely love this, but it is quite fleeting. It is one of my favorites. October 7, 2025 at 11:48am
mithun gowda: Love these recommendation threads—always discover something new here. Excited to see what everyone is wearing this month! November 19, 2025 at 11:09pm