Saturday Question: What Is Your Favourite Fragrance House?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

I have had an idea. Well, actually I’m copying an idea from Olfactoria’s Travels. Once a week there used to be a Question. Everyone would chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it would be a generally fun events each week. Taking sides never meant taking offence and everyone kept it respectful and light.

I’d like to carry on that tradition, maybe you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

If we get over 150 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card. Every comment will get a place in the draw, so if you comment purposefully on your own or another comment you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw the winner on Friday and the winner will be announced in next Saturdays question.

Last Weeks Winner: hajusuuri

Send me an eMail to portia _ turbo at yahoo dawt com dawt au

Saturday Question:

What Is Your Favourite Fragrance House?

Definition of Fragrance House today is pretty simple. Any brand, independent, designer, niche, artisanal that makes fragrance for personal scenting. You might like to talk about your favourite multinational designer house or your round the corner independent perfumer. No judgement on your choice, everything is grist for our APJ Saturday Question Mill.

Also, we are asking the question for today. Right now. this is not an enduring answer that we will hold you to in future. Don’t think too heavily about it but do please have some reasons why.

My answer:
OK, so the houses I have the most full bottles from are Guerlain and CHANEL, followed closely by Serge Lutens, DIOR, Patou, Amouage and Rochas. The thing is though, the question is What Is My Favourite Fragrance House and I think the answer this week, subject to change on a whim, is DSH Perfumes.

DSH PerfumesDawn Spencer Hurwitz makes such an enormous range of scents from the sharpest green to the densest orientals. Her deft hand in creating luminous scents with ingredients that many independent perfumers make dull quagmires of dreck with is astonishing. Across the most enormous range of styles and hefts my personal experience of DSH Perfumes has been excellent.

Somehow DSH Perfumes fit my personal smell and add to it beautifully. Though not ALL the range is perfect the ratio of hit to miss is astounding. She is fearless and unafraid of risk, does not make to a room full of test dummies but creates beauty for beauties sake.

So my question to you is

What Is Your Favourite Fragrance House?

170 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Is Your Favourite Fragrance House?”

  1. Without a doubt my favourite fragrance house is Gucci. I own 5 of their perfumes and love them all – Flora, Guilty, Bamboo, Premiere and one of tbeir originals which i think is simply called Gucci. When i wear them they make me feel happy and confident.

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  2. That would have to be Guerlain: Chamade, Jicky,Shalimar. Parure, Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit. For me those scents have femininity, staying power and luxe without screeching. When I go green (which is from Spring to mid autumn) it has to be Balmain (Vent Vert) or Hermes (Caleche.) Again, elegant without being aloof and they help me pull those shoulders back and face the world!

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    • Hey there Bernadette!
      Yeah, I have been really pondering this question and every time I do it comes up a different answer. Guerlain is often in the top 3.
      Oh well, we aren’t asking forever, everything can change on a whim.
      Portia xx

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  3. Hi Portia! I love many perfume houses. Choosing one is quite hard. Maybe En Voyage Perfumes I love Shelley Waddington’s work. Or Hilde Soliani. Enjoy your weekend! Esperanza

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    • Hi there Esperanza,
      Two excellent houses. Hilda Soliani makes some wonderful, oddball fragrances. She is fun and I have a couple of her bottles here too.
      I’m yet to really experience the En Voyage house properly.
      Portia xx

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  4. Guerlain has been my favorite the longest (although to be honest I don’t think much of most of their newer offerings) If it was limited to non-vintages I’d be a copycat and go with DSH hands down. I feel like my DSH perfumes are bespoke, they’re so perfect for me. No other modern perfumes that I’ve experienced come near Dawns.

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    • Laura,
      You have hit the nail on the head with your DSH appraisal. They really do feel bespoke.
      Portia xx

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  5. Like everyone else I find this hard….I too love Guerlain frags bit if I had to choose I say Juliette has a Gun… I haven’t found one I don’t like yet…

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    • Aha! That’s a wonderful choice. I have three bottles here of JHaG, Midnight Oud, Anyway and Gentlewoman. Love them all.
      Portia xx

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  6. This is a bit of a sticky one. Hmmm. . . I think I will have to pick Sonoma Scent Studio. A diverse range with some absolutely gorgeous scents, my favourite being Jour Ensoleille. There seems to be something in the base that works very well with my skin chemistry. Sillage and longevity are amazing. The only drawback is that Laurie can no longer send her products outside the US, so I am minding what I have left like babies

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        • I had a sample but didn’t get to buy a bottle before it was archived, but I have Rose Volupte – it’s fresh rose with dew drops on the leaves, bottled. Unbelievably good and I’m not even a big floral person. Lieu de Reves – cherry pie heliotrope with violet, just breathtaking. I had the good fortune to test a new floral she’s working on this past week and I couldn’t begin to say how many of what flowers are in it. Wearing it was like being in a beautiful garden all day while eating an apricot. It’s hard to be too down even with non-stop scary political things happening when you are wearing something so calming and pretty.

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          • WOW! The new one sounds fabulous Laura.
            Yes, perfume can cover most bad days and political stinks for a while.
            Portia xx

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    • Yeah, how bummed out are we about the current postal drama! GRRRR!
      SSS are lovely. I thought some of the independents, SSS included, were starting to do light oil versions of their frags, still spritzable? Maybe I am mistaken?
      Portia xx

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    • I totally agree. I have many of the Sonoma Scent Studio’s fragrances, and Jour Ensoleille is my favorite also. I wore it today and can still smell it 10 hours later!

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  8. Great question!
    Thought about this many times.
    Still have to stick with YSL.
    Rive Gauche, Opium, Kouros, Paris, Y.
    (Then Givenchy, Rochas, Chanel, Gucci)

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  9. Like you, Portia, my first thought was Chanel. But then I realized I wear L’Artisan Parfumeur more often than Chanel. I’m on my second bottle of Nuit de Tubereuse–it’s my summer staple. Passage d’Enfer, Havana Vanille, Bois Farine all get lots of wear. Seville a l’Aube not as much. I’m enjoying a sample of the new Violaceum too. So, yes, today the answer is L’Artisan Parfumeur.

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    • OH SuzyQ! I Completely forgot L’Artisan! What an as. Yes, they are definitely top 5 for me right now, sometimes they hit #1, especially when I’m slathering on L’Eau d’Ambre, Premier Figuier or Seville a l’aude. There are quite a few of the collection here and I am very close to buying one of the new black range but I can’t remember the name.
      Portia xx

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  10. Had to look in my perfume drawer to answer this one…more Guerlain full bottles than any other house. But the range is so large that on percentage, Neela Vermeire may also win.

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    • JackieB,
      You know I felt like a complete shit that I said DSH and not Neela but I have a question coming up in a couple of weeks where she IS the answer. Stay tuned.
      Portia xx

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  11. Portia, I have to agree with you. I have a huge box full of samples from the DSH line, and i probably own …guessing…12 bottles. I like almost everything she does and love far too much of it. I find some lines just work with my skin chemistry and DSH definitely does.

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    • Hey Cynthia,
      Yes, I also love that DSH is so prolific. It’s one house that I can lose myself in for ages because the selection is so vast.
      Which one do you reach for most? For me it’s been Giverny In Bloom since I got it.
      Portia xx

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  12. Nice question! My favourite house would have to be Diptyque with my favourites being Tam Dao, Philosykos and Oud Palao.

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    • Hey Stephen,
      Yah! I like them too. Tam Dao was once described to me as the scent of lying in your coffin and I’ve loved it even more ever since. It now smells to me of peaceful, eternal rest.
      Portia xx

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  13. My addiction for perfumes started when Giorgio Armani launched his first perfume. Since that time I’ve been collection almost all from his line. Nowadays this collection have been reduced ( a lot) but still my love for the Eau de Parfumee will never ever last, also for the Giorgio Arman e.d.t. and pure perfume ( 1982). Lately I’ve been experiencing a huge amount of independent and niche houses, like Zoologist Perfumes, PK perfumes, January Scent Project, Maison Incens and many many more. Must say all are fabulous. Some creators of them , like Shelley, are already mention above.

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    • Our first vote for Armani Carla, I like their price range and a couple of the new Tuxedo line. One of my close friends wears the gold Armani She, it smells great on her.
      Portia xx

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      • True Portia, although the prices of the vintage bottles are ( sooooo) expensive all across the web. The Armani She is gorgeous, just like the bodylotion. xxx

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        • Really? They are getting expensive?
          Sorry to hear that but all the good ones are. It’s becoming impossible to grab favourites for a song anymore. BUM!
          Portia xx

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    • Hi Carla, another Armani by Giorgio Armani fan here! It’s my favourite perfume of all times. I’ve had bottles of Armani’s Code, Sensi, Diamonds but I’ve never finished them (my daughter did). They were okay but nothing worth rebuying. And, I didn’t have the chance to try the exclusive line, so there may be some good perfumes…

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  15. It’s Neela Vermeire for me. I also love Papillon and Naomi Goodsir and am coming to really appreciate Chanel, but almost every NV makes me happy beyond belief and who doesn’t want happy perfume?

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    • Amy, Neela will be thrilled to read it. I’m going to write her and let her know right now.
      Portia xx

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  17. That’s a tough one. I can’t imagine being without my Chanels and Amouages, but I think it would come down to either Olympic Orchids or Parfum d’Empire. I have more PdE full bottles that I wear frequently, but I can NOT imagine not having Tropic of Capricorn in my life and I’m terribly fond of Osafume and the Devs. Sorry, I can’t narrow it down more than that.

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    • Oh yes MikasMinion, two very strong contenders. I love both those houses and have multiples of each.
      The good indie frags are winning hands down today. I’m glad.
      Portia xx

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  18. Oh my. I’ll have to go with “what is my favorite house this week”, as I can’t narrow it down for the long haul, and I’ve just gotten samples from some houses that are new(ish) to me. If I had to pick RIGHT NOW, it would probably be Hermes of the Ellena era. I love the whole Jardin series and his last for Hermes, Muguet Porcelaine.

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    • Yes, Hermès are excellent. JCE really created a style within his tenure there that is so spare and elegant. The Jardins, the Hermessence and the colognes he created, all so peculiar to the Hermès aesthetic.
      Christine Nagal is also doing good things, I think she will be an excellent nose for the company too.
      Portia xx

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    • Muguet Porcelaine is spectacularly pretty. I was deeply grateful that the last JCE scent for Hermes makes my heart happy.

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    • Hey there Shiva-woman,
      Serge is a superstar, no doubt. which is your favourite? My most worn from the line is Five O’Clock Gingembre.
      Portia xx

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      • Isn’t Five O’Clock au Gingembre fabulous? I can wear it even when I have a headache and it is perfect in winter for the office, a few sprays only.

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        • I definitely think that this is a fragrance that can be worn any place and any time. Not a heavy hitter, but there is just something about it.

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  20. I’m going to go with Margot Elena. Light and dark, rich or airy, even the ones that aren’t very “me” I still like. A lot of very different offerings, so even the safe scents feel unique. I’ve tried around 30 of them so far and only really disliked one.

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  21. Wow. This is difficult. Everyone has named such amazing Houses. Right this very minute I would have to say Bogue Profumo. Antonio’s scents are simply stunning and Maai is probably my favorite. Can’t wait to try his newest creation, MEM.

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    • Woo Hoo! I’m so happy someone has said Bogue. Anthony will be thrilled.
      Good call Tami,
      Yes, I’m awaiting a sample of MEM any minute.
      Portia xx

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  22. Hi Portia,
    I’m really happy that you are bringing back the Olfactoria style question!
    My answer: I can never make up my mind who or what I like the best so I suppose every house I’ve tried is my favorite…😀

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    • Hey Azar!
      How fabulous to see you here.
      I hope all is going gangbusters over at CFB, I bet you’re the star of the herd there as you were here.
      Yeah, I completely get your response. All of them are special.
      Portia xx

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    • Aha! 4160 Tuesdays is a lovely brand Robert.
      Caron too. I loved their stuff, not so much nowadays (what were they thinking with those new bottles and range?) but they still do some nice stuff.
      Portia xx

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  24. Hello Portia,

    Once it would have been for me Caron. (Parfum Sacre, Bellodgia, Nuit de Noel, Yatagan, Le Troisieme Homme, and many more beauties.)

    Or perhaps Annick Goutal. (Heure Exquise, Grand Amour, Ce Soir ou Jamais, Sables, Myrrhe Ardente, Encens Flamboyant, Mon Parfum Cheri par Camille, Eau and Nuits d’Hadrien and so many, many more!)

    But now that they are all mostly wraiths or else discontinued, here is another vote for L’Artisan. Lately I’ve been craving and wearing a rotation of Dzing, Traversee du Bosphore, L’ambre Extreme, Al Oudh, Dzonghka and Havana Vanille.

    But then, in that rotation has also been Rakat Loukhoum, Fille en Aiguilles, Arabie, Bois et Fruits, Ambre Sultan, Santal Majascule and Daim Blond. So hmmm… in view of that, and because I have more Lutens FBs than any other house (apart from Goutal) I’d like to change my vote and select Uncle Serge as my number one favourite.

    Cheers,

    Kes

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    • Ditto re Uncle Serge. Dzonghka brings me lots of compliments. I can’t smell it on myself, though. 😦 Smiled re cravings and rotations.

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    • Hey Kes,
      You make cogent points for all those houses. Sadly though most are wraiths of themselves.
      Serge Lutens is amazing, no doubt. It’s him I think of when I talk about the great niche crossover to mass-tige.
      Portia xx

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  25. My favorite fragrance is Opium, but not that house particularly. I would have to say Serge Lutens and Tauer if based upon from which house I have bought the most. Five O’Clock Gingembre and Fille en Aiguilles, and Ambre Sultan are used the most from SL. From Tauer, LDDM. Of the big three (Guerlain, Chanel, and Dior), I would pick Dior.

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    • I also love Serge Lutens. Fille en Aiguilles is my favourite. Haven’t tried Five O’Clock Gingembre yet.

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      • Lisilou, Grab a Five O’Clock au Gingembre if you see it. They’ve just discontinued the export bottle and it’s going to be Bell Jar only.
        Portia xx

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    • EllenM,
      We snap on the Serge most used, these three are in my top 5 spritzed too. So beautiful and they smell good to the very end.
      Portia xx

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  26. I could say Guerlain, because I always have a bottle or two from the AA-range, and generally I love the French traditional style of perfume. But I think I will say Dior, the Escales de Dior line and not least La ligne privée(?) with Abre Nuit, Grand Bal and the one with tonka bean have so many good candidates for full bottle purchase. I would have had several had I been travelling more abroad.

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    • Hey Ingeborg,
      Yes, DIOR have made some sensational mainstream and privet fragrances. I love the house too and covet a Miss Dior Emu Skin Bag, one day.
      Portia xx

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  27. I would probably love DSH more if her website were more navigable. As it is, I only rarely end up trying her scents, through sample swaps.

    I think my favorite house is Sonoma Scent Studio! Those scents are always complex enough to be interesting, but still accessible and wearable. It’s hard to pick a favorite–I’ve liked just about everything of hers that I’ve tried–but I think I’d pick Tabac Aurea as my favorite.

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    • Hey Koyel,
      Have you been back to DSH site lately. It’s been user friendlier a bit. Still quite a large offering though so you’ll need to spend some time looking, but isn’t that some of the fun?
      I have a bottle of Tabac area too. SOO GOOOD!
      Portia xx

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  28. This week, I pick Aftelier as my favorite house. Starting from last week and anticipating my plan for the coming week, I wore / will wear Bergamoss, Vanilla Smoke and Cuir de Gardenia.

    And thank you so much for the gift certificate!

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    • Woo Hoo! Winner! Winner! You’re welcome. let’s hope I can give another one away this week.
      Cuir de Gardenia is heaven and I love Mandy’s work too. Such deep and mysterious scents. Her Cepes et Tuberose and Maroc are among my faves.
      Portia xx

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  29. Serge Lutens. I own several full bottles. There’s a fragrance for every mood and season and they layer well with each other. Having said that I recently tried a bunch of Tom Ford scents and went to heaven.

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  30. Tricky… skipping past the obvious row of bottles from Guerlain and Chanel and Serge Lutens, but right now I think I’d have to pick 4160 Tuesdays.

    I *love* Sarah’s playfulness, and inventiveness. There’s so much joy in her work. And also the affordability, which is so much more appealing than “aspirational” pricing. And that she makes things available in such a wide range of sizes, to cater to the fickle among us.

    I don’t love everything she makes–though there are some I adore, and some that are just easy and pretty and happy things to wear–but I always want to try them.

    (Also, my chap smells delicious in The Lion Cupboard.)

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    • Yay! Our 2nd enthusiastic 4160 Tuesdays vote. Wonderful.
      I’ve not spent enough time with the range and need to correct that
      Portia xx

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  31. Depends upon how I define ‘favourite’? If it is most cherished and first out of the house in a fire, then Guerlain.

    If it is ones that bring me intense feelings, then January Scent Project. Such complex, beautiful creatures, they are! Each one is a female writ large. Smolderose is Carmen. Selperniku is Constance Hall in all her mothering glory. Eiderantler is Morgaine from Mists of Avalon.

    If we are talking about inventiveness and clever puns, Zoologist. An eccelectic mix of perfumers under one roof.

    As for sheer elegance, class and everyday beauty, I’m seconding Hermes of the JCE era. He makes me happy in a very simple way.

    I am yet to try DSH. I have had a strong feeling her works will be head-over-heels in love at first sight.

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    • Hey Kate,
      Yeah, we perfumistas really love so much, it’s hard to quantify.
      I bet you will fall deeply for the DSH Scents. They are a revelation.
      Portia xx

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    • Zoologist offers a great Discovery Set too which Makes the perfumes accessible. So far, I’ve tried Civet (like a lot) and Hummingbird (meh). I better get cracking on the rest of the line!

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  32. The house most represented in my collection is Annick Goutal, and want to add Songes to the list Kes wrote, my most worn is probably Chanel (5, 19 and Cristalle), most heartfelt is Mona di Orio, most loved April Aromatics, and biggest soft spot is Parfums Nicolai.
    I would love to discover American Indie houses but they are hard to find in the Netherlands. Thank you for the question Portia!

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    • Hey there Hamamelis,
      Lovely to see you.
      Annick Goutal has a long list of fabulous fragrances. I also love her musician to model, to actress to perfumer story and that her daughter is still so active in the company.
      American Indie is hard to get hold of but definitely worth the drama. Which house would you try first?
      Portia xx

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  33. Hmmmm, it’s really hard to choose! But I think Serge Lutens is my favourite because 9 his perfumes out of 10 I have in my collection are ones of my most wearable 😍 Number 2 is Tom Ford even though I only have a couple of his perfumes but if I could I would have bought almost everything 😄 And number 3 is Guerlain because it’s the only classic I understand ☺️

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    • Hiya Anastasia,
      Yeah, lots of love for Serge today. I can see why. I too have quite a collection of his work around her and love it madly.
      Which one of his is your favourite?
      Portia xx

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        • So interesting that you call Borneo a gourmand. In my memory of it on me it wears really dry. I’m going to have to raid my decants, get it out and try it again.
          Portia xx

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  35. I am a big Tauer fan so he’s my number one, but I also own and wear a lot of L’Artisan, Guerlain, Lutens and Amouage.

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    • Hey TaraC,
      Which of the Tauer range gets most spritzes? Personally it’s Eau d’spices around here. I love its zingy spiced citrus. YUM!
      Portia xx

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  36. I love Gucci, they have some great fragrances that are light and fresh several of my favorite fragrances come from them! And Escada. I am a collector of their summer limited edition fragrances!

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    • hey Nelle,
      I recently had a couple of those Escada summer frag decants. They were super fun. Isn’t it a shame they changed the bottles? I loved the old heart ones.
      Portia xx

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    • Yeah Gina,
      Good call on breaking them up.
      Though even that presents its own share of problems. Is it Caron, Guerlain, DIOR or CHANEL? Gas. Too hard.
      Portia xx

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  38. I adore Masque Milano right now. Romanza, L’Atessa and Tango have all blown me away. They’re inspiring, intelligent, passionate and invite me into a whole new world of exploration. Not only do they have something to say, but they also allow me to expand into a whole new way of understanding and expressing myself.

    Also, so late to the party but I’m now exploring Vero Profumo and I think a similar symbiosis is happening with her line. Being in love is grand.

    xo

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    • Hi Holly!
      Though I’ve tried the Masque Milano none of them thrilled me. I think there is something in their base that disagrees with me. not violently but just created an edge. I did say at the time that I liked them and needed to spend more time with them. so many noses I admire love them, it’s definitely me.
      Portia xx

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    • Yes, a whole new world. I tried a sample of Romanza recently, it was beautiful and interesting, very deep. I need to sniff that one again.

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      • It wasn’t love at first sniff for me, but it was definitely intriguing and inspired me to explore further.

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    • I’ve heard so many good things about Romanza that I keep trying to make myself like it. Nope, it’s just not for me. It’s also the only Masque Milano I’ve tried, but maybe I should keep an open mind about their other scents 🙂

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      • The first time I tried Romanza was the same day I had mulch dumped into the garden. I kept getting whiffs of discrete rot, but I had no idea if it was from me or the landscape!
        It was both, but I like that weird tension between attraction and repulsion on occasion. Romanza’s narcissus note is definitely earthy and verging on rank.I find L’Atessa to be a very sophisticated iris, and Tango is a boozy floral amber similar to APLS. These are definitely not my usual thing, but they’re like meeting someone new who is exciting and presents me with whole new worlds to explore and pushes my boundaries. I’m not a fan of perfumes that are contrived or slated to be “interesting”, but these really do attract me in a visceral way.

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      • Interesting Koyel,
        You’re the first i’ve heard say that. LOVE the flip side.
        Yes, keep trying them and report please.
        Portia xx

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  39. Mmmmmm I own a LOT of Hermes, and always get excited about a new one (though I miss JCE). SL and Sonoma Scent Studio are definitely up there too, though!!

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    • I love to wander into Hermès Nemo and see their fragrance wall. It’s colourful yet elegantly demure somehow. I also get very excited about their new releases, even now.
      Portia xx

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      • It helps that every time I have ever been inside a Hermes store, the sales people are always super helpful and friendly! It makes zero sense, because I never look well dressed enough to look like I will buy anything (I was a grad student until recently). I also LOVE their packaging 🙂 especially for the travel sprays and soaps!

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        • Yeah! I love that about Hermès too. We have a brand new SA at our Hermès in Sydney and we had a great time chatting about their fragrances. He even offered to see if he could find a particular scarf I’ve been looking for since I saw it in Rome, should have bought it then.
          Portia xx

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    • Hermès is really going to rise up in my list of favorites soon because the Hermessences are just perfect for summer!

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  40. This is relatively easy answer for me. For me, it is Dior due to brilliant creations like original versions of Eau Sauvage, Eau Sauvage Extreme, Dior Homme, Poison, Dioressence, Diorella, and Fahrenheit etc.

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  41. L’Artisan, no hesitation. Out of my 111 ever expanding full bottle collection, 32 are from them. It’s definitely love…

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    • WOW BobH,
      That is a VERY large percentage. Excellent house, so much innovation. Which one gets the most wear?
      Portia xx

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      • Definitely Nuit de Tubereuse. Followed by Timbuktu, though my favourites are Dzing! and Safran Troublant. And Traversee du Bosphore. And Noir Exquis. And Dzongkha. And Tea For Two. And Deliria. Sod it, I pretty much love ’em all!

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    • SHL was a close runner-up for me, too. O Hira and Taklamakan are a-mazing and the others are all gorgeous and wearable. The prices are fairly reasonable as well, except for O Hira.

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    • Hey Lady Jane grey,
      Lovely to see you.
      I’ve spent very little time with this house since they were rude to Val somewhere. I was glad to have one less house to scope. BUT if you love them I should probably take notice.
      Portia xx

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    • Agree on SHL! I have a decant of Rose de Petra winging its way to me as we speak! I have partial bottles of Khol de Bahrein and Taklamakan.

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  44. frederic malle for ever..he he he..i love it and dream of owning one of those those cool 10mls of everything they make boxes one day : )

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  45. Not an easy to answer. My top favorite is JoAnne Bassett, and the other favorites are: Dusita, April Aromatics, DSH, Olympic Orchids, Slumberhouse, Sultan Pasha, Sonoma Scent Studio and Euphorium Brooklyn. I am recently introduced to Teone Reinthal & hope this will be my new favorite house. I have not included the Eastern perfume houses.

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  46. Yes to Hermes! I love transparency and radiance in fragrance, and Hermes has it. Jour d’Hermes and Eau des Merveilles are perfect for me, along with many of the Hermessences. Even if I don’t love a particular Hermes fragrance, it will usually at the very least be an interesting sniff. Vetiver Tonka and Elixir des Merveilles are like that.

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    • Hey Tiffanie,
      I’m really enjoying the Hermès love today. I love them too.
      Excellent frag house.
      Portia xx

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  47. So difficult to choose one. Guerlain and Hermes are right up there but this week I am sooooo in love with Chanel – so much to appreciate about their frags every time I wear them – they cover a range if moods and just feel so beautifully composed and gorgeous.

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    • Yeah Lillibet,
      Actually I’m surprised it’s on the top for so few. I thought we were going to get a CHABEL, Guerlain avalanche but surprisingly not.
      Which is your Go-To CHANEL?
      Portia xx

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  48. My aim is to try as many different perfumes and different houses as I can. For that reason and for the simple reason that I can’t have even have one favorite perfume, I can’t pick a favorite house.

    I have seen this qustion before, I thought about but the answer is still the same. Can’t pick just one. It is the first time I actually answer this question, I usually avoid it, as I can’t pick the one.

    Wish you all the best!

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    • Hiya MichelleU,
      Great answer. always good to understand where you sit in the world. Thanks for joining in.
      Portia xx

      Like

  49. I’m going to have to go with Hermes, and Dior a close second. Third place is free for all–there are so many great houses to choose from. My least favorite house is probably Guerlain though.

    Like

    • Hey Missionista,
      WOW! Interesting! Love your top two but why is Guerlain such a shit fight for you?
      Portia xx

      Like

  50. I’m so challened by this question. It surprised me. I’ve just never asked myself before.
    So here goes:
    Favorite modern niche: Bond No. 9 and Amouage
    Favorite big three: Dior
    Favorite vintage house: Van Cleef and Arpels
    I just thought more in terms of my favorite perfumers and perfumes before, the house seemed less important. Why, I wonder?

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    • Hey Alanna,
      Very interesting and varied selection.
      Can I ask what the big three are please?
      Portia xx

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      • Ha, I actually saw the big three listed here and thought I was late to the party… Someone above said Dior Chanel and Guerlain. The big three, no doubt!

        Like

      • That really is totally right. I’d never thought about those as being the Big Three, but of course they are!

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  51. Hi Portia, this is not an easy question, you know? Spontanously I’d say Amouage, because of the versatility, the vintage feeling and the longevity. I own only Epic Woman with Bracken Woman on the way, but it’s the price that’s preventing me from buying at least 5 other Amouages. Close second is Frederic Malle’s line.
    Apart from that, I fell in love with the American indie brand Charenton Macerations with only 3 scents so far but truly amazing – vintage class with a modern twist.

    Like

    • Hey there Neva,
      Amouage is a wonderful choice as favourite. I love them too, also how diverse their portfolio is nowadays.
      You know I haven’t spent any time with the Charente Macerations frags. Must do so.
      Portia xx

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  52. I could never chose, I love most of the above mentioned houses… *deep sigh*
    Just wondering why Grossmith, Histoires de Parfums and LM Perfumes are not mentioned (yet) 😉
    Favourite Grossmith’s: Hasu no Hana, Shem el Nessim
    Favourite HdP’s: Revolte, Ambre 114, Noir Patchouli, Tubereuse 1 Capricieuze
    Favourite LM: Patchouli Bohème
    Cheers!

    Like

    • Hey Fanny,
      Yeah, big surprise about Histoires de Parfums but the other two not so much. Even though all three houses do lovely work they aren’t spotlit so much nowadays.
      I have a few HdPs and a couple of LM but they are not consistently my bag.
      Portia xx

      Like

  53. I’m late to the ball, but I have to say my favorite house is Vero’s, even though I only have one bottle (Mito VdeE) and some samples and decants. The way I feel about my Mito, though – if I could have only one, that would be it, and I could see myself wearing it all my life.

    Don’t tell my husband, as his favorite is Carnal Flower. I wear it when I want him to take notice ;).

    Like

    • Hey Empliau,
      You’re not late, we are chatting all week.
      Yes, Vero is a superstar..
      HA HA HA! What we do to be noticed in any long term partnership!
      Portia xx

      Like

      • Well you know, he and I have been together for over 30 years. In all those years (and several fragrances have come and gone, not many by Portia standards, but still a good few), he has never noticed a single perfume I was wearing except Carnal Flower. Not only that, but he notices it every time I wear it. Probably I should have chosen FM – but I wear CF for him, I wear Mito for me.

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        • WOW! That’s a really good track record with CF. 30 years is amazing. Congratulations.
          Portia xx

          Like

  54. Hello all, I must say that my favourite house is Dior. Because Dior is responsible for my precious … Tendre Poison.

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