Okay, I indulged in too much planting/painting/drinking this holiday weekend and find myself with no perfume review for today.
So it’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, but they never stop being fun. You have been transferred to a hut in the Congo for two years – a very small one, with room for only 10 perfumes. Which perfumes will you take?
I’ll post my picks in comments too.
Winners of the Two new Guerlains and two new Hermes scents are: Annie and dea. Just click on the link to contact us on the left and send me your address, remind me what samples you’ve won, and I’ll get them sent out to you.
I love Lazy Poll Posts but I always end up staring at the screen for a half hour wondering if I’ve made the right decisions. These little polls always end up feeling surprisingly realistic hahaha
My 10 are:
Rose 31
Guerlain Vetiver
Black Aoud
Ambre Sultan
Un Jardin Sur le Nil
Straight to Heaven
Terre d’Hermes
Prada Amber Pour Homme
Bulgari Aqua
CdG 2MAN
(though I’d be terribly sad to leave out Sel de Vetiver, CdG Luxe
atch, Declaration, and 1740 Marquis de Sade) 
Anthony Reply:
May 25th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
oh, and I’d also be really sad about leaving Patch 24 behind. Not that anyone REALLY needed to know that
carmencanada Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Oh dear, forgot that one too…
It’s been a while since I’ve tried to compile a list like this, so here goes….I’m sure there will be few surprises.
Carnal Flower
No 5 parfum
Chanel Cuir de Russie parfum
L’heure Bleu parfum
Bal a Versailles parfum
Beyond Love Killian
Tubereuse Criminelle
Muscs Kublai Khan
Mitsouko parfum
Iris Silver Mist
Tomorrow morning I will no doubt wonder how I could have forgot another ten.
that’s forgotten….I’m tired
I think Bryan isn’t far from being my perfume twin… Here’s my own list (I’m not factoring in African heat, here). It’s in no particular order (that’s asking too much):
Carnal Flower
Bois de Violette
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Féminité du Bois
Guet-Apens/Attrape-Coeur
Bandit (vintage parfum)
Mitsouko (vintage parfum)
N°19
Une Fleur de Cassie
Une Rose
Oh no… I’m not leaving my vintage Shocking behind. She’s so tiny… Or my vintage N°5 extrait…
Ten, you say?? TEN! Ach, I’m having anxiety. Serious panic.
Angoisse aside, here’s a stab at it….
Bois des Iles
Black Cashmere
FdB
Mitsouko-vintage versions, esp PdT
#5-esp EP and vintage EDC
Arpege
Musc Ravageur
Arabian Aoud Prestige (or other rose/saffran/aoud blend)
Eau Noire
YSL Y
What a strange list that turned out to be!
I love these posts too – I always end up placing an order for samples afterwards because of so many new ones to try or retry.
Chanel parfum: No. 5, Bois des Iles, Cuir de Russie
Guerlain parfum: Mitsouko, Shalimar, L’Heure Bleu
Guerlain: Angelique Noire
Serge Lutens: Iris Silver Mist (tied with 28 La Pausa)
Comme Des Garcon: 88 8 (tied with 31 Rue Cambon)
Ormonde Jayne: Tolu (tied with Coromandel)
Clearly, I definitely have Chanel tastes!! But really, 6/10 Chanels might be a bit much and I would want a bit of variety in that hut in the Congo!!
and I can see I definitely need to try the Killians again – they are on a few lists
(I am picturing some of my bottles looking dejected, like they were the last one picked in kick ball…)
My packing list:
Bois des Iles
Bois de Violette
Mitsouko
L’air de Rien
FM Iris Poudre
Luctor et Emergo
Mona di Orio Lux
Timbuktu
Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier George Sand
Tabac Blond
This is a good challenge- it’s early in my perfume journey, so I doubt I’ll have 10. But here goes:
Patchouli 24
Jicky
Pour un Homme
Mouchoir de Monsieur
Black Aoud
Intrigant Patchouli
Shalimar
Vol de Nuit
Iris 39
Kouros
Hey, I found 10! Woohoo! Now I feel like putting all of them on!
Jared Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Oh, and also, I’m with Bryan! Great choices! My Bal a Versailles should arrive tomorrow- excitement!
bryan Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I am going to order a few of your picks, Jared. Intrigant patchouli is just something I haven’t remembered to try yet. I’m inspired by your list.
Kouros and Iris 39 Rock!
Jared Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Yes, they do rock! Intrigant Patchouli is always a pleaser- it has this nag champa incense note that I’ve never smelled anywhere else. It takes patchouli to a great place!
Tiny beads of sweat are forming on my forehead as I contemplate this.
No 5 (can I take every variation that I have?)
Carnal Flower
vintage Mitsouko parfum
No 22
Ferre by Ferre classic parfum
Odori Iris
L’Artisan Orchidee Blanche
Une Rose
Iris Poudre
TF Amber Absolute
I wonder if my list would look different in December?
I’m going to postmy 10 before I read everybody else…
1. Guerlain Sous Le Vent
2. Piguet Baghari
3. SMN Melograno…because these will always be my top three
4. Chanel Cuir de Russie
5. Aftelier Pink Lotus
6. Sinfonia Fleur di Santal
7. Hilde Soliani Vecchi Rosetti
8. Guerlain Chant d’ Aromes
9. L’Artisan Intrecchio #1
10. SMN Aqcua di Colonia
…am I limited on quantity , like a litre of each or what ?
Septimanie Pavillon des Fleurs
Tocca Stella
Clive Christian X
Monty Taylor’s Ambra di Venezia
Chanel Beige
JPG Fleur du Male
FM Musc Ravageur
FM Le Parfum de Therese
Andy Tauer L’Air du desert marocain
And I refuse to leave behind my tacky-fuschia-boxed Gucci Rush
hmmmmm….I thought I knew myself.
Apparently not – this list has changed a couple of times since I first saw the post. Well, here’s the ‘current’ list:
Mitsouko EdP (vintage, if I could have it, pleeeze?)
Bandit (the older version – don’t know vintage)
Shocking. Gotta have
Liz Zorn’s Violets and Rainwater
Femme, of course
Fresh Lemon Sugar (weird but true)
L’eau d’Hiver
Vacances
Guerlain Eau Imperiale
Diorling and Fleur de Cassie are fighting each other for that last seat on the bus….who will win?
xo
This would be slightly easier if it were a hut in Siberia, because then I’d be able to take more of my deep mysterious rose scents, all of which I’m in love with, but all of them would be too much for the Congo. (I’m taking a few anyway.)
Vintage Emeraude pdt
PdN Le Temps d’une Fete
Diorissimo
Caron Parfum Sacre
OJ Ta’if
JHaG Citizen Queen (see, there’s three of them right there)
No. 5 Eau Premiere
31 Rue Cambon
AG Petite Cherie
Hermes Jardin sur le Nil
The beloved ones left behind: Lyric Woman, Tocade, Shalimar Light, Bal a Versailles, Dolce Vita, vintage Magie Noire…
Are you sure I can’t take a few more? Mini bottles?? Pleeeeease???
Liesl Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I left Tocade behind too! And I left it behind for stuff I don’t even have! I think I might regret that…
Why is it that picking three would be easier than picking ten? The ones I couldn’t live without:
Vintage Emeraude, Le Temps d’une Fete, and… oh, lessee… Parfum Sacre, although almost any of those Deep Roses would do. As long as this is theoretical, I’ll take PS in extrait.
I need to go check the weather — isn’t the Congo hot? Also, where am I going to keep all my chocolate in my hut? Will the ants get it? Are there trees over my hut? I could really use the shade. Also, has Verizon FIOS arrived yet, or am I going to NetFlix? What about my wireless?
Musette Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Hon, we won’t be seeing you in the Congo. Now…..if this list were shifted to, say, Norway?
xoxo
when she said ‘hut’ I was thinking ‘lodge’ – like the Norfolk Lodge in Nairobi. Yum. I can’t even imagine ‘hut’ as I think there could be, y’know, spiiiiiiiiders!
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
And this from the woman who was whinging for weeks about winter and ended up having to unpack the kids snow pants and throw them on the lawn?
My favourite 10 are, but how impossible as some are pretty heavy!:
apres l’ondee guerlain
shalimar guerlain
angel thierry mugler
dulcis in fundum Profumum
Tabac Blond Caron
Royal Bain Caron
Habanita Molinard
Fumerie Turque Serge Lutens
le dix Balenciaga
Rome Laura Biagiotti
Ooh, tricky. There’s been a while spent whittling this down to;
Feminite de bois
Turtle vetiver no 1 (my new love)
PdN Vanille tonka
Temps d’une Fete
and L’eau d’ete
Songes
Black Cashmere
L’air du desert marocain
Bulgari Black (to remind me of urban life)
Chanel Egoiste
And an enormous collection of samples waiting for me on my return…
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I’ve got to check out that Arabian Aoud Prestige. How do you think it stacks up against Aoud Roses Petals, Aoud Queen Roses, and Homage Attar?
Yay, lists!
Chanel No. 22
Tabac Blond
Theorema
Bal a Versailles
Hypnotic Poison
Bal a Versailles
Fracas
Parfum Sacre
Le’a (Saffron James)
Golly, y’know, the first five or six are so easy, then it comes to #10, and I’m sitting here pondering! Does DH get to come with me? If so, I’ll go with his favorite.
Un Jardin Apres la Mousson.
This hut in the Congo…it is air-conditioned, right? Because otherwise I am going to have a lot of people passing out all around from the sheer weight of the fumes emanating from me. But I like orientals and chypres and dark, sweet, heavy things.
L’Artisan Eau du Navigateur
Coty Chypre
CSP Vanille Orange (my one concession to freshness)
Dior Poison (vintage Eau de Cologne, the best ever)
Chanel Coco (vintage, not what passes for Coco these days)
Caron Coup de Fouet
MPG Ambre Precieux (people are fainting)
Tom Ford Black Orchid (more people faint)
Fendi Theorema (faint faint faint)
Mugler A*Men Pure Coffee (and now they are dead)
bella Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:28 am
In no particular order, my top ten are:
Carnal Flower
Fracas
Eau d’ Hadrian
CdeG –Odeur 53
Creed Virgin island Water
Fresh Lemon Sugar
Eau de Givenchy
EL Private Collection Tuberose & Gardenia
Mitsouko
L’Heure Bleu
Aparatchick Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Ha! My hut’s going to have to be air-conditioned or there’s gonna be a whole lot of faintin’ goin’ on:
Andy Tauer, L’air du desert marocain
PdE, Ambre Russe
Ava Luxe, No. 23
Ava Luxe, Bois de Figue
Kenzo, Jungle l’elephant
Chanel, Coromandel
Rochas, Femme
PdN, Fig Tea
PdN, Sacrebleu
Hermes, Un Jardin sur le Nil
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
No fainting here — I love your Ambre Precieux choice.
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Dang! This was supposed to slot in under the list by Pyramus. Between this and my own unintelligible post below, I am not having a good day.
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Oy! It actually did go right where it was supposed to. Not much sleep last night, SO not a good day. Stepping away from the computer now before someone loses an eye.
I’ve never commented before but thought this was too fun to resist!
In my interpretation I go out of the hut sometimes and want to smell pleasant and beachy and flowery and clean. Or mysterious. Or rather, I would like to bring some sentimental favourites and some things I just discovered so I would have something to be excited about in the mornings.
CBIHP Beach 1966
CdG Kyoto
Tubereuse Criminelle
Kai
SJP Lovely
Hermes Eau des merveilles
Hermes Elixir des merveilles
Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan
Prada infusion D’iris
SL Fleurs d’oranger
SL A la nuit
I just realised I have Bal in there twice! So one more, then, and I choose Tocade. DH likes that one, too.
My list- Do I need to actually own the perfumes I am going to take?..
1. SL Tubereuse Criminelle
2. Caron Poivre
3. Montale Black Aoud
4. White Aoud
5. Caron Aimez Moi
6. SL Un Lys
7. Aoud Rose Petals (Is it obvious that I am right now in the mood for the Montale Aouds)
8. Andy Tauer Reverie Au Jardin
9. JAR Diamond Water/Bolt of Lightning (I don’t think I’ll ever own this- but this is hypothetical right?..
10. Tom Ford Moss Breches/Caron Alpona
Lavanya Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
ooh-I have to add Tom Ford Champaca Absolute (maybe instead of one of the Aouds?..no..instead of Moss Breches..no..)
Lavanya Reply:
May 30th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I *have* to add Attrape Couer (soo gorgeous) and maaybe Iris Poudre..
Ok, i am going to ignore the heat, bugs and whether people like me, so my top ten — even though my Jewish guilt is already creeping on for the loved ones I leave behind — are:
1. Andy Tauer Orris
2. Tabac Blond Extrait
3. White Aoud
4. Delrae Amoureuse
5. PG Querelle (absolutely no-one will hang with me after this one in the heat)
6. SIP L’Invisible
7. Bella Bellissima Perfect Night
8. Vintage Chamade EDT
9. SL 5′OClock Gingembre
10. Le Galion Jasmin Parfum
Looking at me with recrimination are Le Labo Poivre and Vetiver, Delrae Bois de Paradis, Dior Jules, IPdF Agrumi di Sicilia and Gobin-Daude Nuit au Desert…
The Congo, huh? Assuming I’m being banished to the area around the equator where it’s hot and muggy, I’m taking only summer scents! And that makes it easier because I haven’t found 10 that I can tolerate in the humid weather we get here in southern Ohio. So my (rather short) list is:
1. Jil Sander Sun
2. Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (just to remember what a walk along the beach in late winter smells like)
3. Ormonde Jayne Champaca
4. Creed Virgin Island Water
5. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hardrien
6. Dior Homme (I swear I sleep better when I wear this to bed)
7. California (my cheap thrill for this year – reminds me of something that I haven’t quite put my finger on just yet)
10? 10! The only thing that makes this ok is the “two year” part- otherwise would be very distressing…
1. Chene
2. Mitsouko
3. Shalimar
4. Jasmine de Nuit
5. Tabac Blond
6. Osmanthe Yunnan
7. Rochas Femme
8. Diorling (vintage)
9. CdG Stephen Jones
10. Chanel No. 5
And I will hug and kiss my other darlings as soon as I am home….
The first eight of the ten are no-brainers and I don’t believe will never change for me:
Apres l’Ondee (vintage extrait)
Bandit (vintage extrait)
Jolie Madame (vintage extrait)
Bois de Violette
Iris Silver Mist
Tubereuse Criminelle
Carnal Flower
Homage Attar
The final two would depend upon whether or not I choose vintage or newer scents, and I just can’t answer that question without blowing a gasket in my brain so I’m putting all four down — two old, two newer:
Miss Dior (vintage extrait)
Tabac Blond (vintage extrait)
or
Turtle Vetiver No. 1
Sacrebleu
carter Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Make that, *and I don’t believe that this will ever change for me*. (Insert sighing emoticon here.)
How small would that hut have to be that it could fit only 10 perfumes? What about my shower gels? Is this a prison sentence and I’m being escorted by an armed guard? Would have to be. But, I assure you, as soon as I arrive, I’m befriending local carpenters/construction experts and figuring out a way to add on to this hut. Then I’m having an extra 70 or so essential fumes sent my way. Will this hut fit DH? Maybe we could set up a hammock outside so that more ‘fumes could fit inside. And, of course, I’d need for it to be cool and dark to protect them. OK, but what would the first ten be? Such a cruel perfumed Sophie’s choice! Will type just the first ten that come to mind. No point in pondering or I’d be here for a week.
1. Chanel Cuir de Russie
2. Yosh Contessa, Ginger Ciao, Winter Rose and Untitled #1 (small bottles, so they would only count as one)
3. Mitsouko
4. Diorling
5. OJ Champaca
6. Patou Forever parfum
7. CB Violet Empire
8. SL Chergui
9. Nombre Noir
10.SL Santal de Mysore…and until the addition is built, DH and I will sleep outside so that I can fit in SL FdO, ISM, Rousse, EeL and Cuir Mauresque and OJ Woman and Orris Noir, Washington Tremlett Iris, Jalaine Vetiver, Vol de Nuit, Jour de Fete, Kiehls Vanilla…ummm…I guess I should stop now before I find myself filling the hammock w/ extra scents and sleeping on the ground.
I’m ignoring the Congo, because I want to treat this as a top ten…and yet, I’m not ignoring it entirely, because the scents for heat angle is a good one. Hmmm.
1. Feminite du Bois
2. Bois des Iles
3. PG Bois Blond (my trois bois [boix?])
4. Black Cashmere
5. Eau Imperiale (Guerlain)
Interesting. This is the first time #5 was the spot where I stopped to think. Anyway, carrying on…
6. Arpege. Or Odalisque. Or 31 Rue Cambon. (I know, they’re not the same–but they have a similar thing going in terms of when they work for me.)
7. Liz Zorn Journeyman, or that crazy polder scent (Mastenbroek Eau de Polder).
8. Jolie Madame
9. Chergui, or L’Ombre Fauve
10. L’Heure Bleu
I’m not going to mention the things I didn’t say. Suffice to say that if I write this list again, in the wee small hours of the evening, or in different weather, or while staring at part of my collection, I might start screaming “Hey, where’s the Temps d’une Fete you’ve been wearing out?” or “Is Eau Imperiale really the only easy scent you want?”
Back to my own planting/partying recovery…
And this from the woman who was whinging for weeks about winter and ended up having to unpack the kids snow pants and throw them on the lawn?
I will gladly lead the Norwegian/Siberian expedition, as I would give up every bottle of perfume I own (which admittedly is less than 10!) before I’d stay two days in a jungle hut, let alone two years. I can barely tolerate summers here; I don’t think I’d do well in Africa.
There will be plenty of room for chocolate, wall-to-wall FIOS, wireless access everywhere, and regular visits from M7 European-ad dude.
Those of you packin’ Musc-ies are welcome to remain in the Congo. (Oh, I kid, I kid! You can come to Norway if you stay on the other side of the fjord while using)
Those of you packin’ Apres L’Ondee will be staying in the hut right next to me, and are well advised to keep a wary eye on your treasure…I am actually taking the day off on Monday to stay home and enjoy the last of my sample, and I cannot be held responsible for mysterious disappearances of any one else’s in the future.
My list:
Poivre
Bellodgia
Coup de Fouet
Tabac Blonde
(Not that I like Caron, or anything)
CdG Carnation
Bois de Paradis
Joy
Lauren (the original one, for the nostalgia factor)
L’Artisan Verte Violtette
AG Rose Absolue
If I am allowed to bring a bottle I do not actually possess, I will trade the L’Artisan for Apres!
I live in Houston–a city with Congo-like weather 8 months of the year. Hot weather scents are *very* important here! Lemme see….In a sultry landscape I’d bring:
CdG Ouarzazate
Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan
Bobbi Brown Beach
Norma Kamali Beach
L’Artisan Premier Figuier layered with L’Artisan Sautes d’Humeur a Rein (smells like crushed fig leaves scattered in a haunted house)
No. 19
Matthew Williamson’s (original) Incense
L’Artisan Fleur de Carotte
Ava Luxe Moroccan Mint Tea