Me: Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct as Catherine Trammell. My daughter and I think she would wear original POISON. We think VS Basic Instinct would be too tame, although it is aptly named.

Any opinions on this? Agree or disagree?

O.K. Last night while getting ready to go somewhere...........knocked my SHALIMAR parfum flacon off the counter and it smashed in pieces! The bathroom still reeks in a good way.

Got stopped by a cop inside my community for not coming to a complete stop and counting 1-2-3. Backed into a car parked on the road after forgetting something at home. Cost me insurance wise.

You know how frustrated you can get when you try to describe a perfume? The aroma can be "citrusy" but what does that word mean to someone who doesn't know citrus? Well, it's like an orange you might, say or lemon. They're from somewhere that citrus is not grown or used.

Or, you're just trying to communicate about a perfume you love, and can't find the words. It's a well-known fact that we have a very difficult time finding words to describe scent. I'm aware that it's the disconnect between how the left and right brain process episodic events (right) and semantics (left). I had stumbled across websites or blogs that delved into this subject in the past, but I'm having an awful time locating them again. Can anyone help?

Okay, I've realized that sweet, feminine statement perfumes hate me. I'm craving something dark and subtle and just to smell, but feel like I'm drowning in a mire of fresh, bright perfumes that announce things to people like "I'm French!" or "I'm rich and you're not!" Can anyone recommend a darkly comfortable fragrance meant to envelope yourself in? (I love the bitter warmth of coffee and cocoa and don't mind wearing a scent meant for men)

I read this a couple of days ago (wish I could remember where) and have been giving it some thought.

Nahema gets a lot of love and repect here yet fruity/florals generally don't.

Nahema has the florals (rose and hyacinth), the fruits (peach and passion flower/fruit) and woods.

How does Nahema manage to be transcendant within this genre?

Today I received some samples from the new Daniel Vaudd perfume line.

As many posters on here know, I don't lavish praise willy nilly, but I have never been so excited about a range of perfumes since the days when I introduced Victoire Gobin-Daude, Ormonde Jayne and Andy Tauer.

Daniel specialises in the Chypre category, and he does it so well. I got samples of the 2 women's edps, alas, not the men's.

The one on my left hand is called Amplexus and within 5 minutes of applying it, I was in the 1920s. This is really a classical 1920s Chypre, it even reminded me slightly of, dare I say it? Coty Chypre, there I said it. The notes in this one are Bergamot, Clove, Orange Flower Absolute, Geranium, Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute, Resins, Oakmoss Absolute and Sandalwood. I can't stop sniffing my hand.

The one on my right hand is called Actus Reus, still a Chypre but less typical. This one is smoother and quite sensual. Again, my nose keeps being drawn to it. This one lists notes of Hyssop, Ylang Ylang, Aldehydes, Rose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Leather, Honey, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Red Musk.

On top of all that, the perfumes contain 80% certified organic ingredients.

Here is a link to his website.....
http://danielvaudd.com

There is a movie on the site where Daniel talks about his perfumes, you will fall in love with him instantly.

I am not affiliated with Daniel Vaudd but this line certainly deserves praise.

Good morning to all from Australia for once. It's been ages since I opened this thread.

Today it's Agent Provocateur for me - have a great day.

In a sale on the Swap board our dear Cindy had passed on to me an 'odd' bottle of Mystere de Rochas EDT. I don't know from whence it originated but it was stale and possibly diluted. I contacted Cindy immediately and she refunded my money via Paypal. I immediately send her back the MdR. Cindy regretted that this old time Mystere wearer had been so disappointed. She had obtained it from a source she didn't really know, she said.

Cindy has integrity in sales and swapping. Before she received her MdR back I received from her (by overnight Fedex, it appeared) a new in box bottle of a fragrance I'd never heard of called "Twilight Woods ." I sniffed the bottle and did a half spray. I wasn't thrilled. OMG, what is this mall store juice? What made Cindy send me 'THIS'? I wondered.



I sprayed it after showering. The fragrance seemed sweet, with fruit/berry top notes, some teensy coconut, too. But not quite 'fruit salad.' OMG, I hated it... but I LIKED IT too. I googled and found a review on the perfume blog "Now Smell This.". The reviewer had mentioned the 'sustainable woods' (right...) and claimed the fragrance has oud among the base notes. OK, if my nose tries, really, really hard, I do smell the ghost of oud. In this oud is no bandaid combined with petrol resin. But it's still oud. And it added a 'grace note' to Twilight Woods.

Flowers? Yes, there are some soft subtle floral notes but not the usual over the top anonymous white bouquet. Twilight Woods seems a bit like the 1980s Poison by Dior and a bit like Femme by Rochas, but not quite either. An online reviewer had described Twilight Woods as being similar to her beloved Chantecaille's Frangipane. To my nose, that is most close.

For 4 days I sprayed sparingly -looking not to like, intending to swap or sell it- but each time I tried it I liked the fragrance better. Now I'm wearing it regularly as a comfort fragrance. And not laughing at 'mall frags' anymore. Twilight Woods beats the heck out of the last batch of expensive high end dept store introductions sis and I tried in November before Christmas. Even my persnickety DH enjoys Twilight Woods in the middle and drydown. *jawdrop*

The last time I'd even walked in a Bath and Body Works store was in 2004 at Lakeside Mall in NOLA! I didn't like their fragrances back then. I thought the frags smelled 'nice' but cheap and teenager-y. But now it appears they have made a serious effort to upgrade their offerings.

Twilight Woods is a tad fruity (the wild berry top notes, which later dry down and coalesce into the whole of the frag). But it is complex, creamy, and comforting. It is a soft woodsy fragrance. I am using this fragrance frequently and enjoying it very much. But for Cindy I would never have known about it. I intend to buy another bottle when this one is nearing empty.

Twilight Woods is exquisitely packaged. The bottle and the box are well designed and beautiful!

Thanks again, Cindy. At first I couldn't imagine why you'd send me a 'mall rat' fragrance related to books I'd never read. Do you like Twilight Woods?

I was trying to order a couple of perfumes from the The Alchemist but dont know how to order. Can someone pl give me a clue, i would so appreciate that.
thanks for reading this
cindy

Anyone know if samples are available? I'd also like to try Duality (Anne Klein II) and a few other Long Lost Perfumes. Anyone have any comments or recommendations?