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Post by Val the Cookie Queen
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Pitti Fragranze 12
Hello Fabulous APJ readers.
I am going to Florence on Thursday to attend the Pitti Fragranze 12. This is the international perfume fair event that brings the best, and perhaps not the best, in artistic perfumery to the beautiful city of Florence. New fragrances will be launched, older ones revisited. To say I am excited would be an understatement. I have and Australian Perfume Junkies Press Pass. Honoured.
Photo Donated Val
I look forward to the opportunity of trying new fragrances and mingling with perfume folk. I have also attended bike shows, both in the US and in Europe. Which has nothing to do with perfume. Or does it? My husband is a bike freak and I a perfumista. But does that mean that every bike or every perfume at these shows is good? It does not. One has to search for what is best for you and THAT is the thrill of attending. We go well informed but eyes open for something to blow our minds. The older I get the less mind I have left to blow. 🙂
Val the Cookie Queen’s X Special batch of Lavender Pitti Shortbread
FULL MONTY WORTHY?
Idiosyncratic Perfume Behaviour
Photo Stolen IMDb (any problems tell us)
I try many fragrances but wear only a small selection. Trying means spraying wrists, elbow crooks, you know how it goes. Walking round with your nose surgically attached to your wrist kind of thing. Wearing means going The Fully Monty and being comfortable with it. And the truth of the matter is I am scared to death to do that with most frags. I was talking to Portia the other day and he was surprised when I told him that I only wear seven or eight perfumes. The rest are just wafting from my wrist, waiting to see if they make the grade. I know, I know perfume is subjective. I am way to scared to grab a scent and spritz with wild abandon. I own very few full bottles comparatively speaking. Like most of us I have a fair number of decants. This fear of going the whole nine yards does nothing at all to curb my perfume obsession, but I am überpicky. Mention woody notes and I´m gone ……..
FMW this year included:
All .vero.profumo. fragrances in all forms
Chanel. Cuir de Russie and Bois de Iles – Edt and Extrait, Coromandel, 31 Rue Cambon
Malle. Eau de Magnolia
Serge Lutens. Boxeuses, Rose de Nuit, Cuir Mauresque
En Voyage. Zelda
Amouage. Opus III, Beloved, Ubar
I have a list of at least 25 to check out in Florence. I reckon, law of averages, there might be a FMW bottle amongst them?
So dear readers, do you go the whole caboodle with everything, the whole shebang, no fear involved regardless? I would be very interested
to know.
I will report back.
Ciao
CQ
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Hi Val,
Oh What FUN! Lucky Cookie! I can’t wait for your Pitti Report and the great photos you shoot!
The question? Even though I will dab anything once I usually don’t wildly spray without a careful initial sniff. I’m really afraid I might cover myself with the dreaded screechy tea, overdoses of orris (yuck – powdery), heliotrope (so cloying) and that horrible lemon that smells like dishwasher soap. I have found these terrors in the highest end, most loved and lauded fragrances and in the tackiest of celebs. I have also found my loves in the same places so I know I have to be brave.
Azar xx
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I love your answer Azar! I have reached the point when I know from a wrist test, a hefty one, whether or not I want a proper wearing. It gets less and less for me. Which is good. I understand from Oxana of Bloom Perfumery that in Russia it is generally the rule that 6 or 7 different perfumes is about right. I can only agree. I speak for myself! A Florentinian hug to you from a hotel bed. xxx
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“The older I get, the less mind I have to blow” – hahaha! I have a history of getting stuck in in perfume stores, testing things on skin with reckless abandon as much as space permits, often regretting it afterwards. This days I am a little more circumspect and do a lot of ‘nozzle cruising’ instead, which works quite well. It also means you don’t end up with a heap of anonymous or illegible fragrance blotters in a muddle at the bottom of your handbag.
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Hahaha! I nozzle cruised today, snorted indeed, and gave myself fragrant snot burn. xxx
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‘These days’, even…
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Dear Cookie Queen,
I find myself very leery of going FM as well and thought it was a matter of me being a nervous newbie. I’m reassured to hear that a veteran perfumista such as yourself takes a similar approach.
I envy your upcoming trip to Florence. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a day trip there this summer in the midst of much other to’ing and fro’ing. (How DOES one write that?) Regardless, should you find yourself with a small amount of free time, I would highly recommend poking your nose into a charming old world Casa di Profumeria called AquaFlor. I believe they only sell their line out of their shop on the Borgo Santa Croce, 6. (Oh, and their website, where the descriptions in English are somewhat shaky.) I thoroughly enjoyed my hour there and excruciatingly slow in using up my two fragrances.
Travel safe and enjoy. We eagerly await your report.
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Cynthia! Wow. Thanks for the tip. I know nothing about AquaFlor and will look tomorrow. And it’s true, less is more. I love what I wear full on, and everything else stays on the wrist!! I will check back in. Love from Firenze!! xxx
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After one cautious initial wrist trial, I go FM for one trial because I feel that the immersion is part of understanding the perfume. I try out new scents on evenings and weekends, and figure that the worst-case scenario is an early shower. But that seldom happens, because the wrist trial eliminated any that I really couldn’t stand.
Must say that I admire your restraint about full bottles. I’m scared to count how many I have.
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If it passes one wrist trial FJ, I go onto two! Interestingly enough I try all my new scents at night. I only by a perfume if it haunts me or if I start to crave it. Not counting the odd decant or two. Sat in the hotel room going through 43 Italian channels. Their amazing style does not apply to their TV. Good to see you! Ciao Bella. xxx
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I’m a cautious tester at first – a tiny spritz or dab on the back of my hand, to be sniffed throughout the dry down. Do I like it? A lot? A little? Does it morph into something weird? Good weird or bad weird? Then I test more thoroughly – a few spritzes when I’m home, or just running an errand or two. If I still like it, I’ll try the full monty for a couple of days. Does it bore? Annoy? What feedback do I get? Do I smile when I catch a whiff of it late in the day (do I even catch a whiff late in the day?) I don’t buy many FBs these days – I’ve gotten a lot pickier about what makes the cut!
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Buena sera Maggie Cat. Amen to all of that! Picky is good. Fragrant Florentine Hugs. xxxxx
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Yay for perfume field trips! I hope you have a great time! I can’t wait for your report on the event.
I do one cautious spritz and sniff and if all seems okay I fire away. If I don’t test something at my usual level I’ll never know if it will work for me or not. Sometimes quantity matters and a delicate smear of scent ain’t gonna do. If I like something a lot I usually go FM and get a bottle. My skin eats perfume so small decants seems silly.
Hugs.
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Hi Poodle! I agree totally. Quanitiy matters a lot. I just overspray my arm somewhere. Haha. It has to be awesome to get to my neck.
Ciao. Hugs. Xxxxxxx
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Val, I love the phrase Full Monty Worthy! I think for me, every bottle I own is FMW, some more so than others. Cause otherwise, I’d never use them up if I only sprayed my wrists!
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Hey Mr J! Great to see you, inbetween studies. And that is exactly my point. If I own the bottle it is FMW but it takes me quite some time to get there. I hope you are well and loving the U S and A.
Big Florentine Hug. xxxxx
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Oh you lucky lady! Pitti, Florence and good company = great weekend. Have a blast. You know my motto – if I love it it is FMW. xo
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Love being the key. See you very soon. xxxxxxxxxx
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Lucky Cookie! Have wonderful time in Florence.
Order of play:
Nozzle cruise.
Wrist spray or dab.
Both wrists.
If I have not run to scrub by then, perhaps neck, but I am an undersprayer generally near my face.
I hate it when you hug someone and come away reeking of THEIR perfume!
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Hi Jackie b – there is nothing Il dislike more than hugging someone and leaving with their fragrance up my nose, in my hair …. I guess that really qualifies as idiosyncratic. What adds to it is when I know that someone is approaching and the hug routine is necessary, and I try to do the “no skin on skin” type of hug. Oh dear …… I need help!! xxx
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Oooh what excellent celebration cookies. And such a worth delegate and ambassador for the frag fest. I shall await bated your report!
I am quite adventuresome with the testing, but there are some things even on cursory sniff I simply will not suffer to spray upon my good self. If my interest is piqued however, I ramp up pretty quickly from nozzle to card to spare skin to Full Monty. Even if a perfume shows promise it can languish at Full Monty status for months on end or forever (through repeated visits to vendor for sampling, or purchase of a decant). Languishers are those I like, admire, appreciate, contemplate… but the Full Bottles are for *love*
Show those Florentines how to make a cookie!
Bless,
Sister xOx
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Most things I sniff I will not spray. Or at least I have to build up my courage, I have been know to suddenly run to my perfume stash, grab a small sample vial, and spritz, finally. It seems that there are windows of opportunity for certain frags and I need to be in the right place at the right time to act upon it. I do move onto FM mode with some, but seldom. And yes, the cookies really went down a treat, I was chuffed to bits. xxxx
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Have a wonderful time in Florence! Italy is such a beautiful place – and as fall begins to set in, my frantic nostalgia for the Mediterranean and its climate spikes. I love your FMW coinage. I enjoyed that movie, especially that one guy saying in a wondering voice “No-one said anything to me about the full monty.” Now when I hear the full monty I always hear his voice!
Anyway, I have only 2 FBs because I have expensive taste. Lots of decants is the way I get by. Also, it takes a lot for me to commit to a FB – I like to live with decants for a few months (years) first. I spray a wrist in stores if I like the strip or nozzle – never both because that way I can try on two! And I drop the strips in my bag and have a great (if eclectic) smelling bag!
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Hello Empliau! It takes me a lot to fork out for a full bottle too. The only thing I do different is if I really go an a spree, like I did in London with other perfumista friends then I spray at least 10 different spot. ;y daughter came up with the idea of labeling each spot on the skin, which I really will bother to do next time!! I would love to smell your handbag!! xxxx
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Delicious looking cookies! Also, have fun at Pitti!
I usually start with one wrist, and wait a few minutes. If it seems okay (or I have strong recommendations from someone I know has similar tastes in perfume) I may try both wrists, but usually just one for the first try. Most perfumes take at least two or three single wrist days, and if they pass they graduate to both wrists and/or neck. Sometimes they go in a drawer for different weather, another special occasion, or to give away.
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One wrist – all the way!! Yes, graduating to two wrists is already quite the commitment!
Nice to se you! xxxxx
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After reading everything I still don’t know what ‘full monty’ means!
Spraying or dabbing one wrist then pressing both together then both to sides of neck *is* a full wearing for me, or spraying chest once then pressing both wrists there and bottle or wrists to under ear.
Some light scents I might mist in the air then walk through, or flip my hair into the spray… but am I missing something?
Also IKWYM about sniffing a small spot all day but being scared to commit fully and go all-out with a new fragrance. I need to get comfy before I can trust that a scent will be with me all day and support me rather than annoy me. Like people I guess ;D
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Hi Mim!! The full monty is a British slang phrase meaning, hum, like “the whole one yards”, “the whole shebang” etc …… So I kind of meant wearing the perfume everywhere, the whole neck, elbow, wrist combo and wherever else! The Full Monty phrase became more in vogue after the film “The Full Monty” about a group of unemployed men from the north of England learning to becomes striptease artists. Brilliant. Hahahah – yep, just like people! Bussi. Val xxx
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