My Perfume Wardrobe. Core Collection.

/ cookie queen

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Greetings Perfumistas

“I need to know what comprises your perfume wardrobe as I endeavor to bring mine back to a reasonable amount of bottles.”  Brigitte APJ Family Member

The above was in answer to a comment I made on Portia´s recent Saturday Question: Perfume Buying Rules.  I have a fairly small collection both for a perfumista and a blogger.  And I have spent some time gathering my thoughts as to why that is so.  After all, I am an absolute perfume junkie.

My Perfume Wardrobe.  Core Collection.

Might be good to start with some of the stuff I don’t like.  Roja Dove, By Killian, Francis Kurkdjian, Xerjoff, Pierre Guillaume, Tom Ford, Bond No. 9, at least half of the Harrod´s Salon de Parfums, and anything that is top loaded – you get the picture.  So that gets rid of that lot in one fell swoop.

I don’t like what niche has become.  The over-inflated egos of non-perfumers who decide to make perfume anyway.   And so much rubbish.  So that gets rid of another lot.

I was also never really interested in vintage, or should I say looking for and buying it.  So that was ruled out too.  I think now I would change my rule there to “if vintage comes my way, then I embrace every drop.”  I have a vintage Shalimar Parfum (nearly gone – weep)  and Chanel N°5 Parfum, both from Portia.  I will wear every last drop and adore them.  I have Hermès Doblis and Caron En Avion Extrait, both gifts from Vero.  Both exquisitely beautiful.  And a bottle of pretty old Samsara EdP, a gift from our own APJ Sandra.  Five bottles.

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As everyone knows I got into Vero Profumo in such a big way, I stopped bothering with much else in the niche/independent/artisanal departments.  It is a part of my character to become totally addicted to something and go for it big time, and to remain faithful.  Although I would call myself adventurous to a degree, in some things I crave the comfort of familiarity, and that is very true of my perfume choices.  (And EastEnders characters – hahahahaha.)  Vero Profumo runs in my blood and always will.   With the exception of the Onda EdP, I own and wear every single Vero Profumo in all of their individual glory.   I  also have two small vials of Naja EdP, which never saw the light of day.

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Some of my Vero´s, the rest are in my cupboard.  

I have seven decants, and a box with maybe 10 samples in.  I wear them all.  Minimal.

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Initio – Psychedelic Love.  Lutens – Sa Majeste la Rose.  Chanel N°18 EdT.  Guerlain – Vega.  Malle – Dans tes Bras, Superstitious, and Lys Mediterranee.  

Which pretty much leaves Chanel, Hermès, Fredric Malle, and Serge Lutens.  Which is the core of my collection.  I do have a few other odds and ends, obviously, but yeah.  So the end result is a small number of bottles.   If I don’t  love it, I don’t buy it.  I am not saying that there isn´t a ton of good stuff out there that I have missed or not bothered to try, it´s just that I don´t care.  I am content with what I have collected over the years.

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I have three more bell jars, but these are my favourites and most worn.  

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The small Dries is an old bottle.  I have/had Carnal Flower and Eau De Magnolia, but B.londeswunder stole them. 

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All the Exclusifs are the EdTs, except N°18 and of course Boy.

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Cuir d’Ange and Cèdre Sambac.  I have travel sizes of a couple of others too. 

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So Brigitte!  Thanks for the inspiration for today’s post.  The only advice I would offer is if you don’t love it, get rid of it.  Someone else might.

There are things I still would like.  Some old Dior’s.  Chanel N°22.  Maybe the new Chanel 1957.  A goal this year is to explore the work of Mathilde Laurent.

Do you wear all of your collection?  Have you ended up with stuff you don’t wear?  Are you overwhelmed for choice?  Do you actually wear stuff you don’t love?  Answers on a postcard ……. or in the comments.

Bussis from your stuck up

CQ 

 

 

 

102 thoughts on “My Perfume Wardrobe. Core Collection.”

  1. WOW! A seriously slender collection Val,
    Especially for someone who loves perfume so much.
    So happy you’re enjoying your vintages, the good stuff.
    I have a Dries too. SO YUMMY! It’s weird to me that you like that but not Pierre Guillaume’s work.
    Portia xx

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    • Portia Honey, I have to like the perfumer too …… and if I don’t then ……. I honestly don’t want much more. Of course there are a few things that would be nice, but not enough to care about. Although, on saying that, I am about to purchase the travel set of Iris Silver Mist, and share it with a good perfumista friend. Have wanted it for years. I will not wear perfume I don’t love. Why would I? Love you though. xxxxx

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      • I am happy to send you my travel spray of ISM, it is about 8/10 full and in good condition. I am still house bound so it will be a while before I can make it to the post office. And you have to mail me your address ofcourse…

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        • Really???? Drop me a mail. val (at) armadillos (dot) at Maybe I have something to swop. And no, I do not mind my email being public, it is my business address too. You can order cookies at the same time if you want. Hahahahahahaha. Thank you. Wow! 🙂

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  3. My collection is definitely too large! I need to get past sentimental attachments to certain bottles and pass them on. And perfumes that are just OK – wearing once a year out of obligation seems a little crazy. There are definitely perfumes on my shelf that haven’t been worn in a year – which seems like a reasonable time frame to decide that it doesn’t suit me enough to reach for it. I have definitely been better about keeping samples around – those get passed on after one or two trials – but bottles and decants….

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    • Once a year out of obligation? Get rid of it. 😉 In my earlier blogging years, I tried writing about a couple of perfumes that I had been given felt obligated, but did not like. Never again. If I do not love it, I do not wear it. Testing anything new does not quite count of course, and then I only use my wrist, like most of us I guess. I have perfumes I wear rarely, but still love. And I wear Hiram Green´s Hyde a lot, and Arbolè and Amouage Opus III and Dior´s Mitzah. I do have more, but they did not make the core count!!! Hugs. xxxxxx

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  4. I had to stop myself whooping in the office at the sight of your awesome Chanel Les Exculsifs line-up.
    I love your well-curated collection. I try and give away stuff I stop wearing (as you know) so am fairly happy, but my decants are all hidden in boxes. I totally failed at seriously cutting down samples and decants when I moved. I seem to find them harder to part with than FBs for some reason. You have inspired me to hunt out my favourite decants/travel sprays and make sure I wear them.
    BTW I’m so with you on what Asali nicely termed “nouveau niche”.

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    • I give some stuff away too. And a lot of my collection once resided in your home huh? 🙂 I just don’t have many decants. I have a really good friend here, who offers me any number of decants from new bottles, as she works for a magazine …… but I say no to most – because like I keep saying, if I don’t like it then why would I want it? “Nouveau Niche”. Exactly. Mwah. xxxxxx

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  5. Great topic, Val! …and I totally get your point. You can’t have/like it all, so why bother?
    I guess you’re lucky not to be a fan of vintage perfume because that makes a third of my collection (not that I still love it like before). I’m the nostalgic type and always try to evoke memories, events, people with the perfume I used to wear back then. And I used to be a huge perfume freak. The market was smaller and it was easier to follow up.
    My problem is the curiosity. When I repeatedly read good reviews of a perfume, I go and order the complete line and of course I find something interesting among it. Do I need to have a FB immediately? No, but it took me some time to learn that. I’m acting less impulsive in the past few years.
    I’d love to get rid of some bottles and samples but the stupid customs restrictions prevent me from being able to send it per post. And I really don’t want to waste it on people who don’t care about it. Wouldn’t it be great to have a yearly perfume swap event somewhere in Europe?
    Your collection is just the right size IMO, the SL bell jars are amazing 🙂

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    • Ha! Neva. My secret is never believe a review. Hahahahahahaha, good or not. If I wanna evoke any memories then patchouli oil does that the best for me. 😉 Impulsive buys can be dangerous, but I think the more experienced we are, the better w are at knowing what we are gonna love, or do love? I am all for a yearly swap event in Europe, that would be so cool. You organize it and I will bring the cookies. Yes, they are old Lutens and very beautiful. I also wear the La Fille de Berlin a lot, it is the only export bottle I have. I have De Profundis, but a newer version. I need to get rid of it. I will bring it to the swop. I just do not wear it. I want an original bottle of the stuff. Lots of love. xxxxx

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    • I agree with you Neva with love of vintage and nostalgia, as well as curiosity after reading reviews. I’ve haven’t gotten over the joy of exploring.

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    • Hi Laura! Cool to see you here, welcome to the monkey house. Thanks for dropping by. That is totally what I aim for, only buy what I want to wear. And think twice even then. Because like we most of us, I sure do not ever need to buy anything ever again. But that would be miserable! Love, Val CQ xxxx

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  7. That is a phenomenal collection of Chanel Exclusifs – they really should have their own table! I hear you on vintage Shalimar. I don’t know the parfum, but the edp from the 90s is intoxicating enough. I used it twice as ‘armour’ when facing a certain person you know as SB, though those aren’t the correct initials, and I do believe it helped, haha. Vintage generally doesn’t really call my name, though I have a bottle of Blue Grass from the mid 70s that is in mind-bendingly good nick, and very evocative of my crush on an English teacher who wore it.

    Interestingly, I could not bear to have so many bottles from the same stable. Two or three absolute tops that are the same shape and design, then I get bored and need to move onto another brand. You may have given me an idea for a post now – I had no idea I was so ‘same bottle-sensitive’. It may be a condition, in fact.

    Then overall I have a ridiculously uncurated collection by comparison, and would be scared to count up how few of the bottles I own I would buy now. I also have a ludicrously large collection of decants and samples, many of which have probably evaporated or turned by now, but I am afraid to check. Yep, definitely a SABLE situation as my SIL would say – Stash Above and Beyond Life Expectancy.

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    • Hi V! I neer see the bottle together though. They are alway in their boxes, and in my dark wardrobe, which you once had a 3.5 second peep into. Hahahaha. I was just chatting to Crikey about keeping all of my stuff in boxes. Bottle sensitive – yep, I can see that as being part of your make up. I wanna know why? Oh gosh I would be terrified if I had loads of decants. They do evaporate, you are right. My grandmother used to wear Blue Grass, I had forgotten all about it. My stash is of course beyond life expectancy, all of ours are. Big or small. Lots of liebe. xxxxx

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  8. Great post CQ thank you. While recovering from a complete lack of interest in perfume (after 4- 5 years of new love hungry perfumistahood) it is fun and interesting to think about my collection your questions help. I don’t wear all of my collection for two reasons: 1. beginner’s mistakes (blind buys and well meant gifts, too good to not buy offers, FOMO, late night buys) not too many and not too expensive fortunately, and 2. a sensitivity I developed towards certain aromachemicals (I think that is what they are, something abrasive and intrusive). I have given quite a few bottles away (Ormonde Jayne, early love but sadly I often can’t wear them because 2, Nicolai same), if there would be second hand perfume charity shops I would be glad to donate more bottles.
    I am considering selling but admit I find the whole prospect rather daunting…where do you dear perfumistas sell your no longer loved bottles? Is it worth the trouble?
    What I have learned over the last years is that I mostly love and wear perfumes composed by a female nose or are part of a house that was.is founded by a woman (Annick Goutal, Chanel, Mona di Orio, April Aromatics and now Vero?). I also begin to get much more of a grasp of what notes and kind of perfumes I really love. And I really love well made mostly natural/high percentage natural perfumes (Hiram Green, April Aromatics, Vero) and attars (Sultan Pasha). I suppose Vintage fits there somewhere.
    I am all for an European freebie post/meetup, and am sorry it is so hard to send perfumes to and fro the UK (and possibly likely getting harder).

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  9. I aspire to emulate you 😍😍😍
    Honestly in our house the lines are so blurred between who technical owns what that most of what lives with me is what the Marzipans don’t like or haven’t stolen from me yet.
    When they all eventually live on their own and take everything I will endeavour to curate such a collection of yours…the game plan being no more than ten full bottles of absolute loves…this was pretty much how I operated for 45 years until I fell down the “blogs rabbit hole” and wanted to try everything that everyone wrote about.
    Great post, Val. Thanks for the intimate peek. I really enjoyed it. And your collection is extraordinary.💙💚💛💜

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    • And when I say lives with me I mean what is mine exclusively because while the girls are at university they still store some of their seasonal stuff in my basement and their bedroom! Which means I can steal from time to time 🤸🤸🤸

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    • Yaaaaaas. 10 full bottles – that is a wicked goal, impossible, but wicked. Hahahahaha. Yeah, the Rabbit Hole can be a bottomless pit. B.londeswunder is not too bad at stealing I must be fair. She digs in when she is here though. She has my extremely old bottle of Carnal Flower and I think she has just about drained it. Of well. And my Eau de Magnolia I will get back, I want it. 🙂

      Thanks Brigitte for the inspiration, really got me thinking. I dunno if it is extraordinary, but to me it is deeply personal and Ihave a connection with every one. Vero´s creations are my pride and joy, I smell her and feel her in each bottle. I have a brown medicine bottle of her Kiki Extrait, that she filled for me out of the bottle in her atelier. Sigh. Big hugs, Val xxxxx

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  10. What a gorgeous collection of gorgeousness.

    I admit, I have some I could easily live without: mostly passing fancies I bought too soon when a decant would have served me better, and a few things I thought I should like more than I actually did. Some I don’t wear often but am still glad to have, while others are in need of a new home. I may have to venture in to the scary world of selling them on eBay unless I can swap those away. But mostly, I love what I have from my wide-ranging collection that jumps wildly from the core classics to the outer reaches of the experimental, with a handful of cherished vintage treats, whether they are full bottles or decants.

    p.s. No pictures of your Hermes?

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    • Dearest Miss Observant. I have corrected that mistake – I think I got so excited about having the post logged in before deadline, I forgot. Hahahahaha. Oh yes, there are some I have that I seldom wear, but have to have because they have their rightful space in my cupboard, like my Rose de Nuit. Oh gosh, I think I need to wear that right now. You have wicked wide raging tastes. I might have too, if I only took my head out of my ****. Bussis. xxxxx

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  11. I admire your steely determination Val. No means NO😃 I’m flighty and impetuous, so my own collection is comprised of all sorts. A total mish-mash that would probably send you screaming. But, like Neva said, lots of my stuff is all about nostalgia. It’s a bit of a time machine for me really. And in my younger years I never had any more than five to ten bottles at any one time. But perfume blogs were my undoing. Life was simpler. But it could be worse, if it were shoes it would take up much more space.

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  13. Ahhh, the comments! You all never fail to disappoint me. Fabulous community here. I am all for the Euro swap. Though I’d not make it, in essence, a wonderful idea.

    Val, you inspire me. I REALLY need to begin culling in more earnest. You are right – we know what we love and will wear. Having said that, I fall back in love with obscure ones, like Florabotanica, from time to time. But the fluff needs to be loved, and I am not their mother.

    I am all for loving just a few houses. TRNP, Guerlain, Lutens, Chanel, Hermes and Tauer would see me through.

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  14. Hey Kate!!
    “But the fluff needs to be loved, and I am not their mother.” FFS – I want this on a t-shirt.

    I think it is ok to have a few obscure ones, something “for a change” – but there still has to be a degree of love? I have a bottle of Ubar. I wear it once every two years. Love it, and then put it away for another two. Like I said – perfumistary is a science. Biggest hug! Val xxxxxxx

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  15. I love all my perfumes, except I kind of have one of each house – i keep thinking I’ll save up for the next bottle and then I spend on something else instead. No self control. So I have, love, and wear Mito VdeE, Puredistance Antonia, Carnal Flower, Un Lys (and yay that Val loves it too!), and vintage Diorissimo. And some tiny vintage No.19 and a decant of Rozy extrait- those are doled out slowly and carefully.

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  16. Amazing article and great approach. I wish I had taken this approach though it might still have been impossible because I have mostly found new loves through blind buys of discontinued perfumes or pre-reformulated versions. My new philosophy is to mostly aim for those I really love and get rid of the rest (with certain exceptions) though it is going to be a multi-year downsizing project.

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    • Hahahahaha!! The best comment Fazal! Mostly aim for those you really love ….. and give yourself years to downsize. I love it. Mwah! xxxxxxxxxx (Discontinued, and pre-reformulated, I would never have the patience.)

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  17. My collection is nothing like yours! While your shows discipline mine indicates impulsiveness. Nevertheless, this has lead me to discover some real treasures. And, yeah, some real duds too.
    Here’s my new and improved approach. If a sample is an absolute love, purchase a smallish decant. If the decant is finished within six weeks it probably means I could risk a FB purchase. But, not so fast. There is an inverse relationship between the amount of a given perfume I have and it’s perceived desirability. So, next step is a large decant. Sounds safe to buy? Not yet. Once I ‘know’ the fragrance, I often dump it. Familiarity breeds contempt and all that. So, this means one more decant. I wouldn’t know what to do after that because I never got this far.
    Since this is all so complicated and convoluted, I will probably revert to my helter skelter ways.

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    • You seem to be doing fine though Marcella. The new and improved approach sounds quite complicated to me, but hey, if it works then go for it. If I have a sample that I love, I mean really love, like I did with Hiram Green´s Hyde, (rare, I seldom get any, would never buy one, and wait for them to come to me), then I just buy it. As I wrote in a previous post that only led to 3 purchases last year. However I must say here I am going to Vienna on Friday, and hoping that I can try Chanel´s 1957, if they have it …… who knows what might happen huh? I will drown myself in it (if) on the Friday, and then have the Saturday to …….. Hmmmmmm. Bussi, Val. xxxxxx

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  18. Got a few of those Val. I think you’re right when you say “if you don’t love it get rid of it”, but easier said than done. I’m much more attached to my vintages than you are, and it is really hard to decide to get rid of those, or even to open some of them.

    I do have to get started on this, though.

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    • Hey there Greg! I don’t say for a second you need to get rid of them! But you know, regarding opening them – when my mother passed away, I had to clean out a lot of the house. As I sorted out her larder, I found an unopened Paul Newman`s salad dressing, and a bag of mini marshmallows, both of which I had given her from a visit to the States some three years beforehand. Because you could not buy them in the UK, she had saved them, I guess for the right moment. Well bollocks to that. It never came. What is the point of hanging onto stuff? I now feed my cat off her what was her best china, never used. The only thing worth stashing a a little bit of weed. One never knows. Nice to see you. Big hugs and one day we will meet, and open your stuff together. Bussis. xxxxx

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      • 😂 I was like that, but with cigarettes. This is a long time ago, I haven’t smoked in over 20 years. But I always had a few in a box, my emergency supply. I was renowned for it. I would regularly raid and replenish.

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  19. You know I forgot to say that I feel like a movie star having been quoted-LOL! and so proud and happy to be part of this family! But also wanted to say that this post really made me take a hard look at my collection and what I am wearing….I need to really start spraying my ultimate loves rather than just my likes/sorta loves….last night I dug my bottle of La Collections Nocturnes out of the basement and gave a spray and realized how glorious this scent was and that I needed to wear it more often. So I am wearing it again today…in honor of you, Val, for inspiring me to do so! xxoo

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  20. You have a beautiful and enviable collection of perfumes Val! It is more extensive than I guessed based on only purchasing loves. I love all of your loves! My collection is vast and is based on loves, but also admittedly some impulsiveness. I am settling down now after the initial excitement of having to sample everything I read about. I’ve learned the notes that suit me best, and am able to leave anything with notes I don’t love (woody, leather, isoE, oud). This rules out a lot of niche. My passion is vintages and the houses of Chanel, Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy.
    I cannot wait to sniff 1957!

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  21. Hi there Kathleen! I rule out most niche anyway, regardless of notes. But not all – there are some hidden gems. Woody is in general quite terrifying. Four stunning houses, how can you go wrong? Oh yaaaaas, me too. So excited to try it, even if I don’t want it, or love it, Chanel is always good. I could wait and get a decant from a friend, but the excitement of maybe having to buy it? Perfume addict through and through. :). Stay tuned. Love, Val xxxx

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    • Had the smaller bottle of 1957 were available, I would have ordered it already (my impulsiveness). I love and have most of the Exclusives (Jersey, Bel Respiro, and Sycomore not for me) in the 2.5 oz bottles. Chanel.com only had the 6.8oz bottle available initially and I don’t need that much perfume of anything, and for that price! However, I just noticed the 2.5oz bottle is now available. Darn and Dilemma! I’d love to sniff it first; however, I don’t have a Chanel boutique nearby. The majority of notes sound like a love for me:
      “sensual accord of white musk, delicately fashioned with floral notes of Bergamot, Iris and Neroli, woody notes of Cedar, powdery accents and a hint of Honey. A luminous fragrance, a statement to the timeless style of CHANEL”
      Except, I fear the Cedar…….
      Let us know if you get to sniff 1957!

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      • I don’t think you need to fear the cedar. And for all that I have said, yes, I would order it blind too. Those 3 Exclusifs you mentioned …. not for me either. I will let you know, I so hope so. Candy Perfume Boy says it is gorgeous, and he knows me. 😊

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        • I appreciate your responses and you have provided me the nudge I needed to order the smaller bottle. If I had the opportunity to sample first I would. I admire your perfume preferences and have similar loves. Thank you Val for the discussion and positive thoughts!

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          • Kathleen. I have been drowned in 1957 for about 4 hours. Checking in to you from a concert in Vienna ….. it is absolutely gorgeous. Lovely. I bought Venise and the SA gave me a mini 1957 and a spray sample. Jackpot day. Be excited. You are gonna love it. ❤️

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  22. Val, your collection is precious both literally and figuratively. I agree, there’s not enough time to wear even the perfumes we love, let alone something that’s simply nice. I let go – resell or give away – those I don’t care for anymore and buy something I truly love instead 🙂

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  23. Yep Diana! I totally agree – wearing what we love is the way to go. None of us are gonna get through our stashes so ……. and perfume is so much more that just perfume to us, don’t you think? Its ingrained into our souls. Bussis. xxxx

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  24. There’s a plush austerity here I love and am unlikely ever to master! There are so many things I love one day and am less excited by or get tired of another. But then love again later. Just now beginning to see the things that were truly mistakes and that it is time to pass on.

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    • Hi Amy. It takes time to see what we need to,pass on if anything at all. I think you can deeply love a perfume that you rarely wear. As a blogger, some stuff does do come my way, but most things I pay for, and that makes me very picky, and keeps my collection relatively small. xxxx

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  25. OMG Val – You are like my scent twin!! Love your collection! (Although I did enjoy my decant of By Kilian Sweet Redemption quite a bit. And I am not opposed to (perhaps not owning) sniffing Roja Dove – I remember adoring Puredistance M which was by him). I also have always had (and still have), by any standards, a very very small collection of full bottles. Coincidentally, the past week, I was trying to figure out why. I think, at some level, I am uncomfortable owning full bottles of things that I don’t totally love. And there have been perfumes, that I have enjoyed as samples & decants, but not as much when I bought the full bottles.

    The only difference between you and me is that I periodically seek vintage perfumes – haha. (After not buying a single perfume for the last 6 years, except Chanel Coromandel before it got reformulated, I just bought 4 bottles of (reasonably priced) vintage perfume these past two weeks, two of which were bottles of vintage Shalimar..lol). And I need to smell your Hermes Doblis if we ever meet.

    One of my perfume goals this year is to explore more of Vero’s work (and also smell more of the vintage classics that I haven’t yet). I have been luxuriating in the gorgeous Naja samples you sent me.

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    • Good purchase. The new Coromandel EdP is not a patch (no pun intended) on the EdT. I love being a scent twin. ☺️ I also don’t care to have bottles of things I don’t love, because I won’t wear them. Small is the way to go ….. so nice to see you here!! You can most certainly smell the Doblis, you can cover yourself in it. It’s very beautiful. Huge hugs. Bussis. Val. Xxxxx ❤️

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  26. Wheeeee! Thank you for the feedback on 1957! I ordered a bottle which should arrive tomorrow, and I am beyond excited! Especially knowing you are enjoying it. I absolutely adore Venise as well; my fave of the three Eaus.
    Jackpot day for you for sure! Enjoy your samples and your very fragrant concert! xx

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      • Still enjoying the anticipation of waiting! I was hoping for Sat delivery (I thought it was 2 day shipping but I was mistaken). Tracking shows expected delivery on Tuesday. If I had waited one more day to order, I could have taken advantage of the Valentine special of free overnight delivery from Chanel!). Alas, I will enjoy the wait, I am so looking forward to experiencing 1957. Are you enjoying the samples as much as the initial sprays?

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          • Val, you are correct and I definitely agree with you. 1957 is exquisite! The initial aldehydic opening makes me so happy! And then I get orange blossom, iris, and musk. Elegant and so very Chanel! Entirely beautiful. My only regret is not purchasing the bigger bottle. I debated, but because it was a blind buy, I was conservative and ordered the 2.5oz. Now that I know I love it, and it deserves to be spritzed lavishly, I regret not getting the 6.8oz, I could justify that now.
            Thank you for your review and now mutual love of this fragrance!

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  27. I look forward to your 1957 APJ post! The first person I was in contact with today at an appointment, while wearing 1957 for the first time, commented how wonderful I smelled and wanted to know all about my perfume and notes. I don’t always get comments or feedback on my fragrances!

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    • Women’s Day is coming up here, March or April. 20% off all the perfumes including the Exclusifs. I will buy it then. I want the gallon, but smart would be the smaller one. Let’s see. No doubt this will get compliments, I am loving it more and more. Worn it for 6 days now and still want more.

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      • I’m loving 1957 the more I wear it, especially how the notes make themselves present and evolve.
        No doubt wait for the 20% discount. Where do you live that you have access to a Chanel Exclusifs sale? We don’t have a Chanel boutique in Denver. I am going to Dallas in April and always stop in the Chanel Boutique there to sniff fragrances when visiting.

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        • So. There is the Chanel Boutique in Vienna, obviously they do not have a sale on the fragrances. Perish the thought. Hahahaha. BUT – about five years ago, six maybe, one of the chain perfumeries, somehow landed the Exclusifs, to be sold in one their branches. It is the only other place in Austria where you can buy them. Now, this store is part of lots of others that take part twice a year in a Women’s Day event. All of these stores, from cosmetics to clothing to sport, offer 20 per cent on that day, off of everything. And luckily that includes the one that has the Exclusifs. It really makes a huge difference to the price of a bottle. Needless to say, the Chanel Boutique were pretty pissed of at the time that there was somewhere else, not a 10 minute walk away that would now have the Exclusifs. Suck it up Chanel. (Portia and I bought Coromandel on the day we first me there, when it was still really new. 🙂 ) xxx

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          • Yay for Women’s Day! 20% off is a super discount for Les Exclusifs. I don’t know of anywhere in the US that sells Les Exclusifs other than Chanel.com or Chanel boutiques. I believe Neiman Marcus in Dallas did several years ago when the EDT were still available, but they don’t any longer. I don’t see Chanel boutiques ever giving discounts. For 20%, I could justify the 6.8oz!
            I’m off to go spritz myself with 1957 again 🙂

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              • I get lemony citrus and aldehydes initially, and then in the heart a different citrus, more orange blossom or neroli with iris and spicy floral.
                It is a dynamic fragrance. The musks are every light, soft, and airy, yet the perfume has sillage and longevity my skin. I’m not the best at describing notes in a fragrance, yet after dry down, 1957’s sum is greater than it’s parts. It is most excellently crafted by Olivier Polge.

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