Random Sampling and Giveaways

March and I have discussed, and we think that doing a giveaway of samples each week will be fun for us and anyone who is reading. Since we both accumulate so many samples, it’s a way of passing along the fun.  March will have one of her daughters draw when she is doing it, and I’ll have my dog Buddy put his paw on the winner on the weeks I do it. And if he won’t cooperate, I’ll press one of my sons or my husband into service. Mine for next week will probably be a mix of a couple of Malles, like the 5 ml Lipstick Rose and Iris Poudre and a couple of other surprises that I’ll figure out this weekend. Tune in Monday!

 bunny.jpgMandarina Duck — This one starts off citrusy and tart, and I’m thinking I like it for a minute or four, and then it starts doing that ozonic shuffle so you have no idea what it is anymore, and since I don’t understand what it is and what it should be, I’m just going to put this picture of the bunny with a pancake on its head over there. It makes as much sense as Mandarina Duck does.  What a hot, manufactured mess.

Have you ever put on a shirt you wore earlier in the week just for something to wear for bed, and you smell some amazing scent all over it and you’re just not sure what it is, and it may be a combination of something. I think it’s partially En Passant, but something else is in there too, but this shirt should be framed in the Smell Hall of Fame, it is just glorious. 

Floris Malmaison — March just covered this one a couple of weeks ago, then assisted me on finding my own bottle with lotion on eBay, and good Lord, this is yummy!  I might be able to live without Coup de Fouet a little bit.  Oh, no, I didn’t mean it, honest (covers Coup’s little ears),  but it sure is a beauty of a carnation.

Going on with my Malle samples — Angeliques Sous le Pluie, angelicas in the rain. I dig the pink pepper and cedar, and the angelica or the corriander is just strange to me and I usually don’t like either of them very well, but this is one of the few that I like okay. Not a favorite in the Malle scent stable, but if you like those notes, it’s very nicely made, and the cedar is fairly subtle, I think you would like it. 

Molinard Iles D’Or  — says it was inspired by the golden era of the ’30s.  WTH does that mean?  Um, Great Depression doesn’t strike me as incredibly golden, just mostly brown.  Notes of citron vert, mirabelle, freesia, jasmin, amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, musk and nougat.  From the notes, I pretty much expected to hate it, it’s definitely a gourmandy mess, designed to bring out the smell of nougat with some tropical  stuff. I don’t think I’d wear it much cavity.jpgbecause I don’t care for vanilla or gourmands much, but it really isn’t horrible.  Gourmand fans should find something to like here.   After some time on my skin, this has turned into a scrubber, too sweet for too long, I have cavities and an upset tummy from too much candy.

Molinard Nirmala — mango, passion fruit, grapefruit, mandarine, jasmine, tonka bean, sandalwood, vanilla and cedarwood.  Pretty fruity and sweet, and there is something in there that’s not smelling so good., it’s gone body odorish. What is that?  Gak!  Do all the Molinards run sweet? I remember the Violette being pretty sweet, but that worked with the violet.  

 Any other Molinards I should try that aren’t as sweet?  I like them to some degree, but the sweetness in  at least the ones I’ve tried seems over the top, like CSP is over the top on sweet and vanilla.

  • Faith says:

    I’d love to try this

  • Katie says:

    I’ve only tried Nirmala as an edp, and yikes! Is it an Angel type clone to me. In fact, when I first smelled Flowerbomb I immedietly though, oh well, this has been done already in Nirmala, which I think is why I actually preferred the Flowerbomb Extreme instead.

    Malmaison is just dreamy, so glad to hear it has yet one more fan.

  • Patty says:

    I’ll do another quick post just to give my thoughts on En Passant, and then maybe March will add to it.

    I’ll throw up the last picture Buddy would let me take of him I tried to do another one of him laying at my feet and under my chair, but he got so freaked out as I tried to get him positioned for the camera, he curled up in a ball under the chair completely and tucked his head on, the rat!

  • cheezwiz says:

    Can either of you ladies post a brief description of how En Passant smells to you? I understand it’s a lilac fragrance and I’m a Lilac FREAK!

    P.S. Patty I love the idea that you’re having your dog act as assistant in selecting winners -please post a photo of him!;)

  • March says:

    Earthpitty. I need to file that away for future use.

    En Passant hangs around forever on my clothes, in a good way.

    PS I am glad you liked the Floris. I’ve been nibbling and I just smell like a mess right now.

  • Patty says:

    Thanks, Robin. Habanita I smelled briefly, and it was a shocker, not sweet at all, but I still didn’t like it, too, um earth pitty.

  • Patty says:

    No, did NOT like the Duck. Only briefly, then it just was a mess.

    Aqua Net top note? Well, I used to like the smell of Aqua Net, so at least it will be a retro thing.

    I finally figured out it was just En Passant, nothing else. It seems more fleeting when you put it on, but get a whiff of it unexpectedly is just a pleasant surprise.

  • Robin says:

    I was very disappointed in the Mandarina Duck myself.

    Do try Molinard Habanita, which has a lot in common with Piguet Bandit.

  • March says:

    That bunny — what a perfect image for The Duck. I’m still trying to decide whether you liked it (I guess you’re still trying to decide too…)

    I’ve only tried a couple of Molinards and they were darn sweet, but I have that sweet-eatin’ skin that kills off the sugar. Now Robin at NST has me totally jonesing for their Tendre Friandise, which I guess is marron candy with an Aqua-net top note. Your best guy didn’t send you a tube of that, did he?

    That’s funny, I just whiffed a sleeve of my En Passant shirt. Same deal. What a stunner.