In Your Opinion: 314 posts

My weekend mornings start with a cup of tea and a couple of French magazines. I call it my language practice, but there are other reasons I prefer French Marie-Claire and Elle to their US equivalents–more articles on diverse topics, in-depth interviews, and better fashion coverage. They feature much more on perfume, besides the usual sponsored ads and token mentions of the advertisers’ products. Thanks to French Marie-Claire, I’ve rediscovered Shiseido Zen and fell in love with a delightful orange blossom cologne Bien-être L’Eau Parfumée des Familles.

With the holiday season approaching, the glossy pages are splashed with tempting perfume gift ideas, and today I wanted to share with you a few of them. I love the idea of a scented present that includes several fragrances to try, but in some cases I also wanted to highlight a few interesting products that are presented exclusively for the holidays. While I’ve collected some of the ideas from my dog-eared issues of French Marie-Claire, Vogue and Elle, I featured the sets that can be easily found in the US as well as Europe.

Continue reading →

Where do you shop for perfume?

Today’s question comes from Jan, who wrote to me that “it would be wonderful to know where people all over are buying their full bottles, once they find favorites.” She was also curious if there are any real bargain to be had on Ebay, because her experience was mixed so far.

Once I find a favorite perfume, I prefer to buy it from a small boutique where I’ve received good customer service. In the US, I’ve always shopped at Aedes or Luckyscent, while here in Belgium, Senteurs d’Ailleurs or Haute Parfumerie Place Vendôme are the places I favor. Sephora is another favorite for its convenience. If I’m looking for a bargain, I turn to Ebay. I read the feedback and do a google search for a seller’s name to make sure that they are reputable. Most of my purchases have turned out to be successful, but even so, buying from online discounters carries some risk of getting merchandise from old stock.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Our bi-weekly “Recommend Me a Perfume” returns today. Let’s play!

Please post your requests 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. Then check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer.

To make this long thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.

Next week I will be away for a few days, with limited internet access. Suzanna and I will see you here on Thursday.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, fall still life.

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

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

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

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

The first round of perfume recommendations was a lot of fun! Many of you asked for “Recommend Me a Perfume” to become a regular feature, and I’m happy to add it. So, every other week on Saturday I will run a thread for perfume recommendations.  You can also use this space to ask questions: where to find a particular perfume, how to make decants, etc.

How it works: please post your requests as comments here. 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. Then check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer.

The perfume counter can be confusing and intimidating even to the most experienced perfume lovers, so having your advice is very helpful!

Photography by Bois de Jasmin