Hi there Perfume Junkies,

Sometimes a cheap and cheerful fragrance grabs my attention. I know it’s not got the finest ingredients and am quite aware that its scent is probably more suited to product scenting than fine fragrance but the sheer joy I get from spritzing and wearing completely overshadows all else. The genuine snob in me sometimes grinds its teeth but to be honest I don’t give two hoots, this is the one I’m reaching for today.

Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, orange, vetiver, ginger, violet, incense

Sweet and spicy citrus pith and woods(?) open up Tibetan Mountain Temple, TOTALLY ginger-ific, and a fun Gingerbread Man accord. I’m surprised that clove isn’t one of the featured notes and that vanilla or sugar isn’t mentioned either.  I haven’t been to Tibet but have been to McLeodgang in the Himalayas of India where the Dali Lama lives a couple of times. I can smell nothing of my time there in this fragrance so please don’t go buying it for reminiscence sake. It’s like an American dream, totally Disney-ised, of what a Tibetan Mountain Temple might smell like. A lot of its lifespan smells like a heavily cinnamoned pumpkin pie.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Tibetan Mountain Temple becomes a sweet resinous incense that evolves through the wear and a delicious creaminess comes in through the heart that collides perfectly with the clean patchouli. This is a warming fragrance that smells a LOT more expensive than it is.

On Now Smell This the word sophisticated is used referring to Tibetan Mountain Temple and I agree. I bet in blind sniff that no one would guess that this is an uber cheapy, though they may guess it as a very expensive ambient scent.

Photo Stolen Flickr

My longevity is really good, for fully fragrant I get about 1-2 hours and a very soft warm wash that is clearly discernible to me in the morning. It’s not in your face loud but you are fragrant with better sillage than projection. Once you sit for a while though it does fill the space slowly and you may be sitting next to someone for 15 or more minutes before they really notice your scent. Up close and personal though it is a wonderful additive to my own scent and quite delicious.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Female Daily
Scentiments has $30/29ml in Australia
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/2ml

Do you have a cheap and cheerful fragrance that you spritz regularly? One that almost none of the perfumistas ever talk about? Share, I love to find new budget loves.

Portia xx