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Portia
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Hello Fellow Fumies,
At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.
Over 100 responses I will draw a Secret Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
Last Weeks Winner: Marcella
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please
Saturday Question: What Was You First Niche Full Bottle?
What was the bottle that tipped you into perfumistahood? Do you still have it? How did you come to get it? Where did you find out about it?
My Answer:
Eau d’Epices (I still have that original bottle). Even now when I spritz, or even smell the nozzle, it brings back the sheer excitement of getting something so unbelievably gorgeous. A scent that was hand crafted, niche, a thing that so few people would ever have and a scent that could take me on a fragrant journey in my mind.
It came with a hand written card, signed by the master himself. I could not have felt more special or more part of the community of fragheads, perfumistas, fumies or whatever label you’d like to attach. It was wonderful.
My really first niche bottle was from Guerlain – tonka imperiale, a partial bought from a fb group, a real gem. But my first brand new bottle was a Commes des Garcons 2 (the silver bottle), i was hunting a bottle for like 3 months. I remember sniffing it for the first time in a small beautiful perfume shop in Civitanova Marche (a city in Italy), and i was blowned away by that addictive inky/flowery and sweet labdanum smell. When i arrived home, of course i’ve pulled the trigger and bought a full bottle online for a really good price.
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CdG was a house I slept on for a long time. I recently had a SA run me through their line at a Mecca store and I was super impressed. Floriental, Black, Wonderwood the entire Incense line…all could be future purchases 😬
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CdG is a great house indeed 👍🏻 I own 5 frags from their line 😜
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Two amazing first scents Alen,
You were extremely precocious. How beautiful is Tonka Imperiale?
Portia xx
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Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri, I still have a little left in my original bottle. It was released in 1998 and was inspired by the Turkish delight rahat loukhoum; a feminine rose, almond, honey powder bomb., but I discovered it when I discovered Luckyscent online. The bottle now has changed I’ve noticed.
I immediately ordered a sample and then a full bottle. Addictive, warm and comforting. I also was very excited to have discovered Luckyscent website and have access to all the wonderful and new to me perfumes. I would read perfume reviews for hours and days!
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Do you still love it Kathleen? I’ve always been curious about that one and the SL one with Loukoum. Really craving gourmand and sweet scents with the cold weather moving in.
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Yes, I still do and will always love Loukhoum. It’s more powdery than gourmand to my nose. I’ve not sniffed SL Rahat Loukhoum but I’ll bet it’s delicious!
Congrats on your win Marcella!
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Thank you Kathleen!
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Hey Kathleen,
I had a bottle of Loukhoum too. I loved that dark purple comet like flacon, so different and cool.
Portia xx
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The dark purple bottle was Loukhoum Parfum du Soir released in 2008.
i have that bottle as well as Loukhoum Eau Poudree from 2008. Both scrumptious! The original if=s from 1998 is in similar shaped bottle as dr Soir but pink in color vs dark purple.
I love that you loved the perfume as well Portia, no one does Loukhoum better than Keiko Mecheri!
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Wood Sage and Sea Salt, which led me straight down the rabbit hole. Then I’m not entirely sure, Bois de Iles or Cuir de Lancome (blind buy that one!) swiftly followed by Passage d’Enfer.
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Those are some iconic scents. Good job!
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Hi Mariann,
Was Wood Sage and Sea Salt a Jo Malone? I think I remember it.
Then three more amazing choices, WOW!
Portia xx
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Yep, Jo Malone. Her best in my opinion.
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Yes it is and while Jo Malone is not my favorite brand , I still love that one. Passage d’Enfer is the only one I would buy a back up bottle of though, however it is fleeting on me.
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Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise. My foray into serious perfume started with an obsession with vanilla. I had a vanilla sampler from the Perfumed Court and this was included. I liked that it wasn’t vanilla cupcake like the vanilla scents I had smelled in the department stores – it had a smoky woody base that made it seem so much more sophisticated. I bought my bottle at the discounters, and i still have about 50% – but it’s one of the most used in my collection, I wore it a lot when I first got it.
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Annick Goutal seems to have been the gate-way drug for quite a few of us.
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YAY for Annick Goutal MMKinPA,
I found her early on and still think the house has some of the best niche around, even after being passed from pillar to post and changed beyond recognition. I own a fair few bottles, yum.
Portia xx
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I think it was Samsara or Shalimar, I cant remember.Thus started my Guerlain love X
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Does your love of Shalimar go waay back? Mine started in the early seventies and remains one of my best-loved perfumes. I have not tried any current formulations or flankers tho.
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Yes it does. I’ve got the reformulations . Shalimar Souffle is a favourite X
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Is that your favorite? Is it anything like the vintage original Shalimar?
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I’ll jump in and say not. It’s much more lemon bon bon. But I love it too. Matty and I are Souffle gals.
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I agree with Cassie we are indeed both Souffle gals.. Try to get a sample to see what you think.
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Lemon bon bon sounds delicious! 😋
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That’s why Matty and I love it 😻
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Clever women 😉
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Woo Hoo! You are a Guerlain baby all the way Matty.
Two of my favourites right there.
Portia xx
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The Perfumed Court was my entry point, actually because of my husband who was looking for an amber scent for me. I bought a sample of Tom Ford Amber and soon after we went to Paris. I bought Annick Goutal Amber Fetiche at her beautiful shop and am now on my second bottle.
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I also like Ambre Fetiche and look forward to wearing it this winter season.
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OMG! Perfumed Court! Did you ever go through Posh Peasant? I loved them too.
Amber Fetiche is so good, one of our earliest contributors Dionne sent me some and I fell madly in love too. Still have my bottle I bought soon after.
Portia xx
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My first samples were all about amber, in retrospect not the easiest start but it got me hooked on Alahine and Surrender to Chance!
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Woo Hoo! Alahine is a big win for an early buy, such a beautiful fragrance Mariann.
Portia x
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Living in a perfume wasteland as I do I was a latecomer to niche. It was my forays into perfume blogs that opened my eyes to the plethora of what was out there. And internet shopping was the undoing of me😉 I think my first fb that wasn’t mainstream was Annick Goutal Songes. I’d been playing around with samples from lots of houses but to the best of my recollection my first big dive into a real commitment was this one. And I still adore it.
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And congratulations Marcella on your PPP win. Your cup runneth over with goodies.
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Thanks Cassie! I still have to kick my butt I gear and mail you off Brigitte’s specialty package and add some goodies from me.
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You have important things to be doing. I’ll hold👍🏼
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Yeah. Important 🤪
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Perfume blogs and the decanters. Bloody enablers, they are!
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Sometimes I think I should never have learned how to use a computer. I’d have more money today, certainly 😏🥴 But then I wouldn’t smell so varied.
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SONGES! Cassieflower, I think this might have been my first Annick Goutal bottle. What a beautiful scent.
Portia xx
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Back when it was niche…Hermes Voyage in the fat R2D2 bottle and Kelly Caleche EDP, both of which I bought at the Wall Street Hermes boutique.
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Hi there Hajusuuri,
Hermès will always have niche adjacent status for me. They are such gorgeous fragrances and always a little left off centre with beautiful ingredients.
Portia xx
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I’m pretty sure that my first niche was child perfume oil by Susan B Owens, back when I was discovering that big white florals existed and that I was obsessed with them. I think I found out about it by reading trash celebrity magazines 🙂
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Hey Erica,
Child was a world phenomenon in its day. Do they still make it?
YAY for trash celebrity magazines. There’s my youth right there.
Portia xx
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Winner, winner, chicken dinner 🎉. Thanks Portia!
I suspect Annick Goutal was my first purchase sometime in the early 80’s. I think I bought Eau de Cherie, Charlotte and Ciel in one fell swoop. Antonia’s Flowers was another one around the same time. More an independent perfumer rather than niche?
In the early 2000’s I fell for Musc Ravageur and Carnal Flower. The rest, as they say, is history 😉
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Congrats on your win… Enjoy x
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Thanks Matty! I think you scored as well not too long ago?
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I certainly did xx
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M, congrats!
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Lol. Thanks Annie. I like the M. Makes me sound like a Bond character!
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Petite Cherie was (and still is) one of my favorites. I liked (and wore from travel sprays) both Antonia’s Flowers and Floret but my heart was stolen by the third perfume in the line (see my comment below).
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I bought Petite Cherie as a young mother specifically because I wanted something gentle that would not overpower the new baby smell 😂
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Aww Petite Cherie is so aptly titled. I have a bottle in one of my hidey holes. I’m thinking I’ll hold onto it for my Smally.
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Oh yes! Do!!
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Annick Goutal is getting some love here today.
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This was – i think- my first niche bottle too. But its not “me” any more
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Congratulations, Marcella!
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Thank you Diana. I hope your name turns up on the next spin!
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Aww, thank you!
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That is some serious cool shopping Marcella,
Remember when we thought $150 was OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive fort perfume? If only we’d known., eh?
Congrats on the win. When you send your address remind me if I owe you anything we’ve mentioned.
Portia xx
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Thanks Portia. I’ll bet in another decade a bloody decant of some houses will ring in at $150 😳
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Tiempe Passate by Antonia’s Flowers was, in my estimations, my first niche perfume. If anyone is curious (or just wants to see a couple of cute cat pictures), here is a link to my post a title and content of which are a direct response to Portia’s question. I still have that first bottle with some perfume left. I should wear it tomorrow!
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Hi Undina,
That link isn’t working. Can you try again please?
So cool that you still have your first too. We are perfume savers.
Portia xx
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I second Portia’s request: really want to see those cute cats!
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3rd for cat pics 🐱🐯🦁
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There can’t be too many of those, right?
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Never. And I’ve got four of the real deal prowling around here!
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Wow, you’ve got a nice cat family there, Marcella!
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It was probably PG L’Eau Rare Matale from the Perfume Shoppe in Vancouver. It broke my heart when I trundled back for a second bottle and the new version was both wan and vastly more expensive.
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Oh wow! I love Pierre Guillaume’s perfumes. I only discovered him in the last couple of years.
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Hi AnnieA,
I wonder if it was an IFRA reformulation or if your bottle had oxygenated over time?
Sad when it’s not as you remember.
Portia xx
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Patchouli Nobile by Nobile 1942. I still love it and wear it year-round. It’s warming in winter, not warming in summer. I was surprised and got a good laugh recently when I read on Nobile 1942’s homepage that Patchouli Nobile was *really masculine*. They did say a woman could carry it off, 😉
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Hey there Maya,
HA! They don’t really understand that we wear everything yet, do they?
I’ve not tried this one but my patchouli game is already pretty strong, there are about 5 major players in the collection already.
Portia xx
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SL Ambre Sultan. I still have 1/3 bottle left. I love it still but don’t get that mamy chances to wear it, and I’m a little afraid a new version would disappoint.
At the time it seemed very exotic and unlike anything I’d smelled before. Little did I know that there were 1001 ambers out there…
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The new version isn’t as potent 😢
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Hey Gigi,
Ambre Sultan is special though. There’s something rich and hearty about it. Dense and intricate. I don’t wear mine much anymore either, didn’t even get a spritz last winter. Need to start seasonally adjusting my trays.
Portia xx
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It depends what you consider niche but if Tom Ford Private Blends count, Oud Wood was my first partial, Neroli Portofino was my first FB. I still love this line and have tried/own almost all of them at this point.
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Hi JD,
My first Tom Ford full bottle was Neroli Portofino too. That aqua bottle had me at hello.
Portia xx
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The first niche house was Annick Goutal- i bought a bottle of Petite Cherie in Munich at Beck am Rathauseck. Then i wore Eau de Camille, then i wore Quel Amour, but did not love it as much. I was content with that for many years, then came the rabbit hole, as i searched for a new signature scent. I didn’t find one, but now own more than 50 bottles. I think the first of them must have been Fils de Dieu, which i still like a lot and then i bought Dzing! From that point i was lost and now spend too much time to think about perfumes…
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What a perfect slide down the perfumed rabbit hole Tanja.
It;’s like your addiction crept up on you.
NEVER too much time.
Portia xx
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That one is surprisingly easy: my first niche perfume was Parfum Sacre by Caron. I fell in love with it immediately in 2013 and got a FB quickly. And then two more 🙂
If we’re talking non-vintage niche, my first bottle might have been Lutens La Fille de Berlin.
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Oh Parfumerie Sacre …. how I miss thee
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Hope you can find a bottle at a decent price, Saffy! It’s a real gem.
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I adore Caron Parfum Sacre, I have a FB as well and treasure it!
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Kathleen, I’m glad you like it, too! I’ve noticed that we have quite a few common faves
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We really do share perfume loves Diana! I wore Parfum Sacre today gorgeous and warm velvety rose and vanilla.
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Your choice of SOTD is impeccable! Parfum Sacre surely deserves more recognition.
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Hey Diana,
Parfum Sacre is amazing. Good shopping.
La Fille de Berlin is also A1 grade good shit.
Two very glam first purchases.
Portia xx
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Thanks, Portia! These roses are simply irresistible 🙂
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I adore Parfum Sacre and Im wondering whether I need a back up bottle. Not sure what the latest status is.
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You need a back up bottle, Mariann! I don’t know what’s going on with Caron Parfums today, I think, they’ve got a new owner again (which is rarely good news). Last time I saw a new batch of Parfum Sacre, it was a rather simple rectangular bottle. I have no idea if the juice had changed but I think it had. I’ve got one of the first batches in a big roundish bottle, a leathery one and a batch from the early 2000s (with transparent dots), they’re all great. Wish I could have the Intense version, I hear it’s gorgeous.
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I also have the older round bottle. I’m not sure of how the current version compares. I’m worried about the direction Caron will go with new ownership. I think back up bottle a good idea.
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Oh i remember an elder friend wore this in the early nineties. At that time i thought it was a bit too oriental, now i would love it
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alas, I dont remember it but I think it was most likely an L’Artisan creation. I did not really get into niche for quite a time after getting into this hobby. I think i got into this hobby in 2001 but did not buy my first niche perfume before 2010 or 2011.
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Hey Fazal,
L’Artisan! I thought it would be a much more widely noted first. They’ve been around forever and had some beautiful frags, many of them first of their kind.
The early days for most perfumistas are department store shopping, it’s all we knew.
Portia xx
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I believe it was Andy Tauer’s L’Air du Désert Marocain. I still have my bottle from the first batch he ever made.
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Wow Tara ! You did good!
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O M G! That is so freaking cool TaraC. You were well ahead of the game.
portia xx
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Is Hermes considered Niche? If so the original Amazon’s in the brown bottle I bought for myself from a voucher for my 40 th birthday. Otherwise it would be Carnal Flower
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Hey Sally Anne,
I reckon Hermès is niche adjacent, counting it for todays exercise but bloody hell Carnal Flower is a WAY cooler forest buy, what a landmark beauty. You have good taste love.
Portia xx
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Btw Portia I seem to have lost the SOTD thread!!!!
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Maybe refresh your browser, it still seems to be available in the right hand side recent posts list.
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I consider Tauer indie. His Lonestar Memories was my first bit purchase. My first expensive perfume was 25 years ago. A Guerlain: Jardin de Bagatelle EDP. And, I bought three Santa Maria Novellas in Florence when I was there about 20 years ago. Those are the ones that I remember most.
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Jardin de Bagatelle, My sister bought me a bottle many moons ago. I’ve got the reformulated version , I still love it
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Do you still have and/or wear them?
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Oh, yes!They still are my loves.
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Aha! Loyal to your old loves ❤️
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Hey Gina,
Good call, I would too nowadays. Back when this all began there wasn’t an Indie/Niche distinction, it was all niche.
Jardin de Bagatelle! What a pretty fragrance, wears beautifully all year.
LOVE the Santa Maria Novella shop/convent in Florence. So over the top.
Portia xx
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I didn’t know that it was all niche. I think back then I just called it perfume but would explain to people when they asked what I’m wearing and where to buy it that it isn’t in stores because it’s an indie perfumer; so, you have to buy from the person or on etsy or some such.
That store was amazing! Did you buy anything there, Portia? I came home with three bottles but my glorious fave and probably my top fave perfume of all perfumes is Melograno.
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Oh yes Gina,
I bought the Triple Distilled Jasmine. I’m waiting for it to oxidise so it smells like the tester. Still, it’s pretty gorgeous.
Portia xx
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Demeter Fig and Demeter Olive Leaf in 1998-1999! I couldn’t choose so I bought both…at a little shop (now gone) on Elizabeth Street in NYC.
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That is really cool Jessica,
LOVE those Demeter frags. They make amazing stuff and it’s very reasonably priced. Did it REALLY smell like Olive Leaves? Sounds fab.
Portia xx
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I bought three in the one hit after doing a Libertine course: L’Artisan Seville a l’Aube, Lubin Idole EDT and Mecheri Genie des Bois. The first two were keepers, but I ended up not liking the Keiko.
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WOW Greg,
That’s a seriously cool initial line up.
Portia xx
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I think my first niche scent was Teint de Neige by Villoresi and half a year later Tauer Une Rose Chyprée. The Villoresi was not a hit in the end, but the Tauer is still a big love even if I don’t use it much.
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WOW! You went for one of the most challenging perfumes of all time straight up front Ingeborg.
If you still have it I will buy it off you. It’s an earlier model yeah? MY FAVOURITE!
I’m wearing Eau d’Epices today, my first niche buy, in honour of this post. So good.
Portia xx
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Congrats, Marcella! My first full bottle of niche perfume was actually two, bought at the same time: Lili Bermuda’ Coral and Lily. Still love both of them, and they bring happy memories of a family trip to Bermuda, when we visited the perfumery.
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That is the most glamorous first buy ever OH. WOW! In Bermuda! How was it? It’s been on the To See list for me a long time.
Portia xx
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It’s really beautiful! It has an old fashioned feel, but it has all the modern amenities except rental cars. We went everywhere on the excellent bus system. The landscape and seascapes are gorgeous and the people are lovely. It ranks among our favorite family trips, and we hope to go again some day!
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Thanks OH! I’ve always been curious about the Lily Bermuda perfumes. I guess a trip is in order.
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We loved Bermuda; the island and the people are just wonderful.
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