Ten things you probably don’t know about me:
- Desserts left in the fridge after bedtime are prey and should not be suffered to live until morning
- I almost never talk politics. The discourse has become either so superficial, angry or uncivil that it is usually not worth having. As soon as any political discussion starts to have angry words, I’m out. Reasoned, civil discourse where there is disagreement is a beautiful thing, and there is nothing that is more wonderful than having a great discussion with differing points of view and nobody shouts and we all learn something.
- I love pajamas, and I collect them. Every winter sees a new favorite few pairs that I stock up on. Robes run a close second, especially the ultra-luxurious ones that are either soft and cuddly beyond belief or velvet/satin perfection.
- Back in my misspent youth, I was one of “those girls” in high school, at least the last year of high school — bit of a snob, twit and slut. Probably more than a bit.
- I firmly believe that KU will win the Orange Bowl. My husband went to Virginia Tech, and while I didn’t go to KU, I’ve been a huge fan of their basketball program forever, so tonight will be intensely competitive in this house. Who knew I needed to be a fan of their football team? I promise not to revise this once I know the outcome (which is after I’m writing this but probably before it goes live tonight)
- I have read “Pride and Prejudice” once, but I have watched both the long Colin Firth miniseries and the shorter movie countless times — embarrassing numbers of countless times. I’ve been known to turn it on in my office, and the story provides background to my day.
- “The Poseidon Adventure” is one movie I cannot pass by when I am cruising by the channels – must.watch! Well, pretty much all disaster movies and all dancing movies fit this description.
- Hermes scarves, which I used to laugh at, are now my new obsession this last year. Who knew how cute an oversized cashmere/silk blue scarf with a design from India cunningly crafted into it could be. They are works of art that you hang around your neck.
- My husband really is the love of my life and my soulmate. Not just a little, but a lot. He fits me perfectly. I’ve known him for coming up on 20 years, and I still would not change one thing about him. Even his quirks that are irritating sometimes provide me endless enjoyment. He’s the only person I know that would read me a couple of chapters from Good Omens as a bedtime story when I ask.
- I’m a 100% parfum/extrait slut.
Which brings me to the point of our post for today. We get questions from time to time from readers, and you can always send those to ask at perfumeposse dot com. We love to get them, even when we scratch our heads or sigh over having to tell you that it’s just NOT possible to get Donna Karan Chaos anywhere but eBay. From time to time we get one that seems to fit a more general category that may be of interest to many people. This one is it, and this may be a new feature if we get enough questions!
Question: Would you consider the parfum/extrait to be the essential or preferred strength for snifffing? Or is it relatively the same for most perfumes with a shorter list of those whose extrait versions are superior or at least more interesting?
I think the answer to this is going to vary on the individual, but there are some general things you can probably believe. First, my bias is as a parfum/extrait slut. I usually prefer them because I believe most are a truer reflection of what the parfumer wanted them to smell like are the truest sniff of their vision. My belief is that this is probably more true of older parfums/extraits than the newer releases, many of which do not have a parfum/extrait associated with it.
Beyond that, this is what I know/believe/have experienced about parfum/extrait:
- Each individual’s skin chemistry and tastes will affect which you prefer.
- Caron extraits are far superior to any of the edts, except Coup de Fouet, which will appeal to some tastes more than Poivre, the extrait, which has something a little richer in the base that may not work for everyone.
- Guerlain and Chanel pure parfums are always the preferred sniff. They may not wind up being the one you like to wear, but trying them in that concentration lets you know exactly what they were intended to smell like.
- Hermes and Dior have great parfums. Parfum des Merveilles is almost a completely different scent than Eau de Merveilles. 24 Faubourg is just a marvel in the parfum. Why does JCE not seem to do parfums? The Dior EDTs of Diorrissimo, Miss Dior are great on their own, but in the parfum they make the air quiver.
- Estee Lauder tends to do pretty well with their parfums, at least the older ones, though they are not as olfactorily different as the lines mentioned above. While I like the parfum of their newest tuberose gardenia, it is really just a stronger version, not significantly different.
- Chanel EDPs are pretty darn great, but their EDTs generally suck. Well, maybe in comparison only. They just have a sharpish cast to them that gets modulated in the EDP and disappear in the parfum.
- If you love a scent, it may be worth it to at least try the parfum, especially in the main lines where you can go spritz them at Bergdorf Goodman or Neiman Marcus. I remember when March and I went into Bergdorf’s Guerlain boutique for the first time, and there were allllll those Guerlain pure parfums cluttering up the place, and you could spray and spray and spray. Yowsah, that was a slice.
- If you love a scent, but think it is missing something, it may be worth it to try the parfum.
- If you hate a scent, the parfum will likely do nothing to change your mind. The Carons are the exception to this. Have heard too many stories of people hating the edt and loving the parfum. Though many Caron edts are perfectly great and work for lots of people.
- Some of the parfums are not that spendy if you get them through a discount site.
- Some parfums are worth smelling, whether or not you are a fan of the line or hate them. Guerlain Mitsouko and Jicky, Chanel No. 5.
- Parfum strength doesn’t always equate to better
- If you love the edt/edp version, don’t feel compelled to get the parfum or try it if you are perfectly content with what you have. Spending more does not, alone, improve love.
- Parfum/extraits used to be overpriced, except in today’s costy niche world when a $125 quarter-ounce bottle of Mitsouko parfum looks like a bargain next to a $300 bottle of the latest.greatest.thing.that.isnt.as.great.as.the.price.tag.
- If you have parfum/extrait, don’t horde it – wear it, woman, you can’t take it with you! It’s like spending a fortune for nice china. Yeah, it may break, but it will break your heart when you look down from the Pearly Gates and see your kids fighting over it. Or in this case, someone picking up your treasured ounce of Acacosia extrait for $28.77 on eBay.
- YMMV. That can’t be said often enough. Chemistry and tastes and tolerances for parfum smell play a huge role in whether parfum is your best choice.
Okay, that’s my two cents. Which parfums/extraits do you find to be worth pursuing, and which do you think are not worth it?
I’ve had the good fortune to try many Guerlains in parfum form. Mitsouko was amazing but too much civet for me, I’m a civet amplifier so I have to watch out or I turn into a zoo inhabitant! Two I found really beautiful in parfum were Samsara and Champs Elysee especially, such a gorgeous floral. Nahema was so strong in parfum that it took over an entire train car, I had to go scrub! It just kept getting bigger and bigger and….I love Hermes EaudM and the parfum is lovely, but like Nahema, it also gets too big for me. But Tabac Blond in extrait is just heaven. Great idea to post on EdT/EdP/parfum, it’s a fascinating subject.
Samsara is beautiful in parfum, absolutely.
Patty, Happy New Year wishes. I agree with you about parfum, it is almost always more desirable. My favorite parfum is Bois des Iles. I just returned from Las Vegas and went to 3 seperate Chanel boutiques and not one had BDI in parfum. I had to console myself with a purchase of Vol de Nuit parfum. I tried it at the Guerlain counter and it was truly heaven even 4 hours after application. My bottle is on the way in the mail, I wanted to save money after the $300 price tag and have it shipped so I could avoid sales tax. I’m now saving for a bottle of Mitsouko parfum, which is next on my bottle list . My other favorite parfums are Nuit de Noel, Shalimar, Chanel No. 5 and Joy.
If I make it into the Chanel boutique here, I’m going to ask them if they have it. I know the Rue Cambon boutique in paris has it, so it’s either limited to that or just the very large Chanel boutiques maybe? I’ll check.
it really is gorgous, though I am happy with the edt of that, but in different ways.
I never have any desserts in my fridge…oh, wait, that’s because I’ve eaten them before I put them in there. Never mind. Wouldn’t want to risk them being contaminated by the broccoli anyway. Right?
I’ve read Good Omens several times, but I have to read it myself, alas, no one reads it to me.
I’ll watch any of the Lord of the Rings movies over and over, but I’m especially fond of the opening scenes of Fellowship of the Ring. I could go live with the Hobbits. I’d fit in well with any culture which has a second breakfast before elevenses. I’ll also watch Lair of the White Worm any chance I get.
I agree the problem with discussing politics – or any subject where two or more people don’t hold identical views – is that few people seem to have learned how to have a conversation without becoming emotional or abusive. Although, I don’t find politics interesting anyway, no matter how polite everyone is. Now if you want to have a bottle of wine and spill the beans about the time you slept with a senator’s wife, that I’d find interesting. Sigh. I’m a disappointment to myself, I really am.
As to parfums, I think most fragrances are worth trying in the parfum, I can’t think of one where the parfum is worse, although some have very little sillage or lasting power. I have a vintage L’Heure Bleue parfum which is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever smelled. The present parfum is not quite as good but still good, and I would never waste money on anything less than the parfum again. And vintage Cartier le Must is gorgeous. The Chanels in parfum, especially 22, 19, and Cuir de Russie, are so beautiful as to be almost beyond my comprehension.
I fell in love with the mystique of ‘real’ perfume (i.e. parfum) long ago – the jewel-like little bottles, the intensity of the scent, the glass dabbers… The latest greatest things that cost $300 and come in giant economy-sized containers like hairspray radiate more hype than mystique.
I know, I find my intellectual interest in things that reallly do matter to be a disappointment as well, but it just can’t be helped.:)
PlayByScent, the opening sequence of “Fellowship of the Ring” is a work of art – I have never been so thoroughly entranced and hooked in by the beginning of a film. It results in a nearly unbearable feeling of suspense to find out what comes next, even if you have read the book and know the story, as of course I had. I am still pouting that there is not a new LOTR film EVERY year. 🙁
Great list! My movie that I can’t stop watching if it’s on is also a Jane Austen – Sense And Sensibility. I adore Emma Thompson (and the entire cast), and I ALWAYS cry at the end when she finally realizes that Robert Ferris (Hugh Grant)loves her. I am also obsessed with all three Lord of the Rings movies, but I refuse to watch them with commercials. They take me to a different world and hold me there enthralled.
I am confirmed Caron slut – I would be a Parfum slut too if I could afford it. Caron fragrances in the extrait form are pure, high art.
I miss some that USED to be available in Parfum – Anais Anais was a completely different animal in the long-gone parfum, just unbelievably good. I owned a bottle before it was gone and I still long for it. And the reissued Jean Patou Ma Collection used to have parfum versions – they were the first to go when the line was discontinued again. My Holy Grail would be Patou Vacances in the parfum strength. I can barely even think about it.:((
I adore S&s as well! The scene you describe makes me cry every.single.time.
Currently a new Andrew Davies version of this on the Beeb – http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/senseandsensibility/
Not quite Colin Firth in wet shirt just yet (though CF never did it for me…)
sorryfor the lack of replies today, but it was a killer day and I’m leaving for a few days tomorrow.
Thanks, everyone!
I was ignitally so excited to find the parfum extraits of Magie Noir and Black Cashmere, thinking they would give tons of sillage, not so. Magie Noir parfum smells a totally difference fragrance from the toilette,none of the sharp bite I find so attractive. The Black Cashmere smells the same as the edp but last longer. I was so hoping that I would get the same great sillage and strength I get from Tabac Blond, Habanita, Bandit, Bakir and Bal A Versailles pure parfums. :((
Never done the black Cashmere in extrat, but did find the Chaos. it’s beautiful, just a stronger version of Chaos, not a different scent.
What a fun post. Ironically enough, just last night I was considering tossing all pjs except for two pairs; one warm, one cool. I’ve morphed into a technical running gear slut and I need the pj room (Run hard. Look cute. Now thats a motto I can get behind.). I’ve decided there is no such thing as too many decants/samples or too many running shirts/capris/skirts.
Use the parfum, use the china, and don’t forget to drink that ‘special” bottle of wine of you’ve been saving. My in laws are generally hoarders and recently had to *toss* a few bottle of pricey white wines they had refused to open for too long! #-o
now, running gear IS cute! And is as comfy as peejays, too.
I’m with you on Pride and Prejudice, pajamas and parfum! I’ve caught myself gazing at my shelf of bottles lately and thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if they were all extraits?” Well, yes. But one should always have a goal. 🙂
You’ve got it perfectly right when you say that the parfum concentration gives a better view of what the perfumer intended the fragrance to smell like. Sometimes it’s just much better than the EDT or EDP versions, and sometimes it’s light years better. My most recent discovery was L’Heure Bleue. Now, my HG is Vol de Nuit, and the extrait is my most treasured, but I’d always been “ho, hum” about LHB. Until I spritzed from an extrait tester that was, amazingly enough, on display at Bloomingdales. Oh. My. God. I felt as if I’d never really smelled this fragrance before. And ever since a dear friend gave me some for my birthday, it’s been right up there with VdN.
Must include a link for a great version of P&P. The sad part is that it was produced on videofilm, but if you can get past that, it’s well worth watching:
http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-1980-Janet-Davies/dp/B000244FDW
thanks so much for that link! That does look like a good version, and I added it to my wishlist!
My mother has a beautiful set of white china purchased as a celebration of my birth while we lived in Germany. She also ordered a white tablecloth and napkins embroidered in a convent, which she received two years later. She never used them. When she finally took out the tablecloth thirty years later, she found the blue markings for the embroidery…it needed to be washed out, but never was, and the blue is now permanent. She had never even opened the box after the divorce from my father. These are part of my inheritance, thankfully not stolen when all of jewelry was taken years ago. When I have them in my possession (which is hopefully many years from now), I plan to use them religiously. Beauty is best loved when appreciated and used often.
Patty, I really thank you for that article last year. I found it in the archives and have only tasted the Caron extraits. Caron perfumes are marvelous. I have not been taken with Guerlain perfumes–the very few I’ve tried–but Guerlain is more difficult aesthetic for me to appreciate. Dior perfumes are the next ones with which I plan to douse myself. Yum-yum.
I think Guerlains can be more difficult. It’s the powdery aspect to them that sometimes I can wear and sometimes not. Mitsouko parfum almost always works because I don’t find it powdery at all.
good for you to use the china. Beautiful thing should be used and taken out. Risking the ruin of a treasure is a small price to pay for the enjoyment.
Viva Pride and Prejudice! Viva Jane Austen! I have read every one of her novels, have loved all of them, and sorely wish that she had had the opportunity to write more. Her observations about life, the status of women and marriage are still right on point in today’s world.
Oh, and I love a good jammy, too, and am blessed to have celebrated 22 years with that wonderfully crazy husband of mine.
😡
Hugs!
She was way ahead of her time, that is for sure, and I think she is timeless.
P — so with you on the USE THE PARFUM (and the china) front. What are you waiting for, people?!?! Carpe the freaking diem already! My mother had one decent set of china she loved that I think we used, I dunno, five times before she died. I’m using my stuff while I’m alive, thanks. I wish she’d done so.
I never appreciated Caron until you sent me all those samps in extrait. The Earth Moved.
PS Where are all the OTHER fab disaster movies? Where’s Earthquake? The Towering Inferno? (although maybe that’s too creepily 9/11)
“Earthquake” is great- so cheesy. The building used as Charlton Heston’s headquarters is at Sunset and Vine and is being turned into Condos.
“Towering Inferno” is fun too. There were some cheeseball ones as well: “The Swarm” (killer bees kill of several careers), “When Time Ran Out” and most all of the “Airport” movies after the first one. Mindbending, side-splitting fun.
More: http://www.findthefun.com/movies/lists/mg025.htm
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes – My all time ‘so bad it’s good’ film
Armageddon. No matter how cheesy I think that is, can’t miss it ever!
I don’t know if there are 10 things that anybody doesn’t know about me- I blab too much.
I’m happy for you that you found your soul-mate (and a little jealous, too :((). The best thing parents can give a child is a happy home, and so few parents manage to..
I don’t discuss politics unless asked to, and even then I refuse to be drawn into an impolite exchange. I have my own beliefs that range from moderately conservative to very liberal, but I tend to keep them between me and the voting booth.
Cheese will not last long in my household. I just killed off a piece of Shropshire a couple of days ago and I think I might need to brave the coming floods and drive to Culver City to get more. I’d let you have the cake, but over the Brie there will be no quarter given..
I tried to be a slut in my youth. I couldn’t pull it off. I also tried to do the tough/biker look. Didn’t work either. I was born, reared and raised for cashmere v-necks and I cannot forbear but to accept my fate. Besides, cashmere’s so soft.. :d
As to perfumes- Patou’s Joy is I think one that absolutely must be sniffed in the perfume. The EDT and the EDP are nice, but they don’t have that old fashioned head rush of flowers to it that the perfume does. I can see men getting quite swept off their feet by it.
yeah, agree. I cut a wide swath of views that go from one end of the political spectrum to another, and people usually assume if you feel this way on X subject, you’ll agree with them on the others, and that gets messy. 🙂
My sluttiness did not wear well either, and I luckily outgrew it to the point where my husband says I’m a prude. 🙂
I think you just stepped out of my league – I’m not advanced enough a student yet to have sniffed & compared what I love in edt/edp & parfum, although I did test dab the Caron Tuberose parfum recently & it was lovely enough that I’d like to go back & try again. I’ll take note of your Guerlain comment since I’ve not yet found any of them wearable; the parfums might bear experimenting with next time I’m at a counter.
Really enjoyed your 10 facts list, it’s just great. I love me some silk pj’s, one of my favorite things. And great for travel, makes all kindsa borrowed beds & lumpy couches feel better. And Good Omens is one of my favorite books. I love it that it’s something you share as a bedtime story with your honey 😀
Good Omens should be required reading to make sure people have a sense of humor. I like Gaiman and Pratchettt so much better together than I do on their won. They should share a brain. 🙂
It’s already been said, but Shalimar, Shalimar, Shalimar. The parfum completely changed my perception of this classic. To me, it is just unbelievably beautiful.
It was good to see another Princess Bride fan up there! Both my daughter and I can quote the entire movie, I’m pretty sure. We’ve had the DVD for years but still watch it on TV every time some station is playing it :d
Princess Bride is fantastic. it’s one that my husband quotes all the time, as well as Monty Python Holy Grail bits.
I am one of those for whom revelation of the power and beauty of parfum came with the comparison (though there is none) between Tabac Blond edt and parfum. With Caron, I’ve never looked back and believe, as a general rule, that the position is the same with Guerlain. Love the exceptions though! One scent I know is a different beast in edt and edp is Cristalle and it is one of my goals to hunt down a splash bottle of the old edt. I am interested in the fact that parfum seems to stay closer to the body and stay truer. Is it the quality of ingredients used? I don’t know but Joy is said to be immaculate in parfum. Hm, btw have been trying to ignore the existence of CdR in parfum but Diorling too? Oh dear. Fingers crossed for the KU Patty!
Joy in Parfum is immaculate, if you’re a fan of joy to begin with. Even if you’re not, it’s a thing to be admired, beautifullly made.
Thanks to your blog (and the Frip, and then TPC), I never had to go through the frustration of spending money on a Caron edt and finding out they really weren’t very good. When you did your Caron series of posts (back in 2006?), that is when I tried my first Caron scents, and following your advice I went straight to the extrait versions. And fell in deep, deep love with Tabac Blond and Nuit de Noel. My other love is Parfum Sacre, but since she can’t be purchased in extrait, I have the edp and really, it is very, very good.
With the exception of the Caron and Guerlain lines, however, I find that I usually prefer edp’s to parfums because I enjoy the sillage they afford me. Unfortunately, I have the dreaded “scent-eating” skin, so the edp’s usually work better for me in the sillage department.
I would love to see your Hermes scarf collection. Drool. Can you photograph a couple of them and work them into one of your posts?
Oh, I will! Now i have to figure out how to get pictures from my cameras to my computers.
hi patty,
your post is wonderful 🙂 i really enjoyed reading it!
(un?)fortunately perfume is my obsession & i mostly prefer the extrait with very few exceptions.
my heart belongs to guerlain, but i love caron almost as much.
let me start with caron:
their extraits are so much better than their EdTs/EdPs.
i´ve several of the urns scents & especially tabac blond extrait is perfection, the EdT is really harsh (there´s an EdP now as well, but i haven´t sniffed it, yet).
though i have nuit de noel in EdT, i only wear the extrait, the EdT is rather pale in comparison.
now on to guerlain:
if possible (= available) i prefer their extraits as well. more complex, more depth & smooooth. they´re perfection (especially in vintage). i´m wearing mitsouko, vol de nuit, chamade, chants d´aromes, l´heure bleue, après l´ondée, all in extrait. but i like some of their EdPs very much as well, especially jicky & chamade.
i´m seriously thinking about purchasing jicky in EdP not in extrait because it´s a bit more edge-y in the EdP version.
with chanel, i´d always go for the extrait, especially no.5 is unwearable in EdT on my skin *yikes*
i´m just discovering dior frags, but so far, the extrait is way to go as well: miss dior vintage extrait is one of the most complex scents i´ve ever smelled.
oh well, i could go on like this for years LOL i´ve to stop myself… [-x
a kindred parfum nut! *make secret handshake* 🙂 Agree with you on all of those, of course!
Adding some stuff. I agree with Elle that both (very different) versions of Cuir de Russie are worth having (although the parfum is still my preciousssss).
I have become a pajama-freak late in life.
I try not to discuss politics with those whose opinions are very different from my own; like you, I find those arguments invariably unpleasant and pointless. But I will have a discussion if the other participants have ideas similar enough to my own so that I can keep an open mind, because I learn stuff this way.
Do you know I still have not smelled CdR in parfum? I know, it’s horrible of me! I won a litte 1/4 ounce on eBay a while ago that I couldn’t get the top off of, and after that polkadotpatty fiasco, and I can’t remember who I got it from, I’m suspicious of it, so it’s still sitting with a stuck sstopper.
I loved your “10 Things” list. I must confess that when it comes to “Pride and Prejudice” I’m the same as you. I thought I was the only one, so glad I’m not alone. Anyway, I love extraits, but it is really hard for me get down here (Brazil), and if by chance I should find it, the price is insane. The real lesson here is: if you’re going to live in South America, don’t get obsessed over anything luxurious – it’s a serious frustration.
The perfumes that have made a huge difference for me in extrait have been Nuit de Noel, I have no words for how beautiful it is, and Diorissimo. Diorissimo because my husband smells a metallic note in the EDT, which he says is subdued in the parfum. It’s the only way I can wear one of my fave perfumes.
Agree with you on the Diorissimo. I don’t find the parfum absolutely essential to my happiness and well-being, but it is missing any sharp turns in it!
I am a total parfum slut; I firmly believe almost everything is better in extrait. And I should say that I never even liked Mitsouko until I tried the parfum, whereupon it became my HG (or one of them, at least):). Two exceptions: I think I like Jicky PdT (i.e., EdP) even better than the parfum; it seems more civet-y to me. And a lovely swapper sent me some vintage Tabac Blond EdC, which I found myself spraying all the time; I used up the decant, and ended up buying a BIG bottle. I still love the parfum best (and I have never tried this in vintage), but the vintage EdC is somewhat easier to wear (and, certainly, to spray) on a daily basis (but I do NOT think the current EdT is comparable).
We probably never would have spoken in highschool. I was a nerd/”intellectual”/incipient hippie.
OH, we might have! I was one of those high school kids that trod both sides pretty easily since I was a really good student as well, and underneath all that whatever was a very shy girl. It was really my last year in high school that I was unbearable, up to then I had friends from all the different groups.
Mitsouko in parfum is really the only one worth wearing. Hate to say that because the EDP is pretty good, it’s just tooooo much on me!
Am a confirmed extrait sl*t when it comes to Caron and Guerlain. Can’t where their edts at all. However, as much as I adore the older Diors, Diorling is the only one I *have* to have in parfum form. I have both the parfum and edt of Miss Dior, but I actually think I prefer the edt. I could never see Chanel No 5’s magic till I tried the parfum, but I love both the edt and parfum versions of Cuir de Russie and Bois des Iles – they’re definitely different, but equally enjoyable to my nose. No 22 I prefer in parfum and I’m dying to have them release the new ones in parfum form. No 31 especially cries out to be a parfum. Oh, I also prefer parfum versions because I’m a complete sillagephobe and they stay closer to the skin. Love sillage on other people – just not myself.
Am w/ you on the politics. I’m *very* opinionated about politics, but try (key word here)to keep my views to myself most of the time, especially since a couple of the people I love most in this world have diametrically opposed views to mine. I just accept that they’re hardwired to see things in a different way from me and that’s fine and I genuinely respect where they’re coming from. I keep my mouth shut and focus on all the things we have in common – sort of my mantra in life.
Where?!! No, wear. Sigh. Let me just reuse that word. *Where* the ef is my coffee? Should always have it before typing anything in the morning. I’m not even going to bother looking to see what other typos I made.
A great mantra. I have lots of friends that are on the other side of the political divide on some issues and not others. I’m kind of a mixed bag. Those I can’t talk politics with, I just don’t. Others who can talk about them without getting angry, I’m happy to talk to them forever and discuss our differences.
AGreed about Diorling, but I far prefer the parfums of the others, but dont’ find them as necessary, I think.
Out of your very interesting list, my mind latched on to Hermes scarves. I’ve collected scarves for years, and my favorite way to find them is at little old lady estate auctions, where I can sometimes buy them by the box. An Hermes is my scarf HG, of course, and I always hope that I’ll stumble across the estate of the widow who loved to travel, and one time in Paris….*sigh*. You should post pics sometime :d
One of my goals this year is to do more parfum purchasing (thanks so much, TPC.) And I am flirting w/a few available at discounters. Niki de Saint Phalle is a scent that I swapped for and that I love – I think the parfum would be swoony. Bal a Versailles is a classic, but the reviews are so mixed of the extrait. One thing’s for sure, though – this year I get myself some Coco in parfum. I’ve had a taste and I want more! Kind of like that dessert after bedtime, which I can totally relate to.:)
The parfum of Niki is great. If you’re willing to take a chance on iffy CS if you have problems, which I’ve only had one, and they fixed it speedily, but other people report bad CS, try 1stperfume.com They have some great parfums available for great prices. And so far everything I’ve gotten from them has been perfect. Now, they list tons of things they don’t actually have in stock, so you have to put it in your cart first.
Hey, I will do an Hermes scarf post. I need to pay some attention to how to do my digital camera first, but most definitely!
Patty-
I just LOVE your confessions !
I USED to love nightgowns- but nowadays, fleecy [ not too heavy] pj’s are nice for snuggling guinea pigs…
Nearly everythiong I need to know, I learned from the movies DUNE [original, uncut] and ‘the Princess Bride’- and I quote them.
Add Pulp Fiction- any Tarantino film, really- to that list !
I will watch Miss Congeniality over and over again- I love the dialogue, and Bullock makes me laugh.
Denholm Elliott in “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” makes me sob convulsively, when the boy goes to bed, and everyone sings ‘All Through the Night’.
Olives and cheese are illegal.
Licorice, too.
I try not to go to the politics place- I’m w/you on that.
Or religion- except for noting similarities and origins, in a pedantically historical fashion…BLEAHHH !
My DH is my best friend.
I keep my friends forever.
I’m an extrait girl, and I agree about Caron, Guerlain, Chanel.
Oddly enough, I get more wear out of Serena’s [Ava-Luxe] EDP’s- more sillage.
Princess Bride is the perfect movie, isn’t it? Have you read Good OMens? It strikes me that that’s a book you would love, if you haven’t already read it. I wish they’ make it into a movie one day, or an HBO miniseries.
Patty-thanks for the revelations. I agree on the tragic vulnerability of desserts, but now that my son is off at college, I kind of miss the competition for that last piece of pie or cake.
I do love politics, and only keep my trap shut because few people here like to engage as much as I do. When I do find a kindred spirit, though, furs flies, and no offense is taken. In some quarters, the pitch of the engagement is not an indication of anger, but of passion. I will spare you, though. Hmm, got to go check on Iowa…
You and your husband are truly blessed to have each other.
I am moving farther into parfum/extrait terrain. Given my very hungry skin, the longevity appeals greatly. First it was Opium parfum, as a gift many years ago-I was very surprised by its sleekness, though I still enjoy the EdP. But it was really the Carons that seduced me (and I can’t wear any but the extraits). Then the Guerlain parfums-Shalimar, Samsara and big
thanks to Chaya for my new found love for Mitsouko in vintage extract. Also recently discovered Cinnabar parfum, and it’s heaven-no sharp top notes, all smooth spice. Yum.
In a few cases, the EdP or even EdT is plenty enough, and even better on me. Some parfums don’t kick much sillage, and BdI is the only Chanel I wear, and find the parfum a bit dull on me, while the EdT just jumps alive on me. And the idea of the strength and sillage of a Sushi Imperiale in parfum just frightens me!
I believe it was the Opium parfum that changed my mind entirely on Opium In that iteration, it’s amazing. Not too much, but still carrying all of that rich, dark depth. Gorgeous stuff.
You know, I used to be much more verbal on politics, and my family certainly grew up with tons of shouting and yelling. My favorite moment was when my older brother declared that Roosevelt was a Pinko, and my aunts just went nuts on him while he just sat back and kept throwing out chum, and they kept taking it while he just snickered.
My family has always had very diverse political views and been able to argue them without making it personal, but I meet too many people that take it personally, and that’s when I quit even talking about it.
The only parfum I’ve ever bought was Mitsouko – a whole 7.5ml! Because it was so expensive I didn’t dare to use much, so probably missed most of the beauty of it. Generally I stick to the EDPs in most perfumes.
However, I’ve just moved jobs and was given a £50 voucher for Les Senteurs in London. Part of me really, really wants the parfum of Caron Nuit de Noel, which would usually be too expensive to contemplate but which is acceptable with the voucher. There are fears, though: what if I don’t like it as much as I thought I did? What if it goes off? I don’t know what to do. I could just buy the AG Songes EDP, which I have also been craving. It’s tough. I now have enough perfume not to fear running out of anything and am considering making the leap to parfum… What to do?
I would totally do the Nuit de Noel with the voucher. 🙂
My DH gave me No 5 in parfum this Christmas and I was very happy about it until I had worn it a couple of times. Sure, the scent itself is far superior to No 5 in EDT or EDP but the longevity is just awful. I swear I can’t smell it after 90 minutes or so. The juice is perfectly fine and fresh but there’s just something missing. Too bad really as I had high hopes for this one. I think I must find me some No5 talcum powder or body milk to layer it with to make it last:-w
That’s a shame! I know it happens, though, and not sure why. I don’t think that parfum is always longer lasting, and because it seems to stick closer to the skin, it may blend more.
Hi Patty! Happy New Year!
I love your list. I am exactly the same way about PJ’s – they are a Christmas tradition for me. Right now I’m wearing a very comfy set I purchased at Costco. I also have a freakish inablility to turn off “The Poseidon Adventure” when it’s on – this is from my childhood love of Irwin Allen disaster flicks. The same syndrome happens to me whenever “Gone With the Wind” comes on TV. I can’t NOT watch it even though I’ve seen it a million times.
I have never even come close to sniffing an extrait. Most retail places that sell the biggies don’t even carry parfum concentrations. The two brands I would be curious to sample would be Chanel & Guerlain. Not sure if an extrait of No 19 exists, but it would be interesting to sniff – its one of the few Chanels I like and can wear. I would love to sample an extrait of Mitsouko – perhaps it would give me a better idea of what everyone is always rhapsodizing about. Right now I just don’t get the allure, or smell any of the wonderful components everyone talks about.
Happy New Year!
Add GWTW to my list of movies that I adore and can’t pass by while chanel surfing!
Patty, I thorougly enjoyed your list of “things you may not know about me.”
I’m with you about political discussions. My DH K works with an otherwise nice fellow who will not shut the bleep up about politics. Unfortunately, the guy’s political views are diammetrically opposed to K’s and it’s like listening to a jackhammer for eight hours. K would rather not discuss politics at all. There are other things in life…
…like perfume! I’m a complete extrait slut. I always prefer it when a fragrance exists in that concentration. No sharpness, just deep, smooth beauty. With Guerlain and Caron, just forget the lower concentrations, except for the Jicky EDT, which is a different scent and just as worthy as the extrait. Thank you, TPC, for making extrait sampling possible; I’m nowhere near a Bergdorfs. ^:)^
All the Merveilles are different, each a merveille of its own.
Isnt’ that the worst? I actually have a great ability to listen to people who disagree with me, that comes from years and years of managing people and having them disagree with me a lot, but people that just won’t shut UP about the disagreement already drive me nuts. It’s like having a Baptist preacher (hey, I grew up Baptist and still have great respect for their tradition, but!) yammering at you from the pulpit all day at work.
Sometimes politics seems to be like a religion, and it just shouldn’t be. It’s a view on how to fix problems in the world or even defining what is a problem, nothing else. how so much emotion went into it is a mystery to me.
HEY! I’ve missed you guys so much, the holidays have been so hectic. I’ve also been waiting on a bell jar I bought off ebay almost a month ago, so I have felt a little sad lately when I even think of perfume…
Where Guerlain scents are concerned, extraits are a must! All Guerlain edt’s scare me, not even the same. The same goes for Carons. Interesting what Mark David says about Chanels, I have several in edt and extrait, and they smell pretty much the same on my skin, the only difference is the extraits have more staying power. I love No 5 but it will not last longer than 3 or 4 hours regardless of the concentration I use :((
Missed you too, Rita!
Skin chemistry, I swear. Those Chanel parfums and edps last on me for ages. I can’t get rid of them! Which is fine when I’m feeling all Coco’y for a day, but not when I run out of Coco mental steam about 1 p.m. 🙂
totally agree with you on Chanel – Extrait is best, especially in No 5 and Cuir Russie – forget about the edt in those 2. Somehow, extrait in No 5 has an animalistic undernote that isn’t there in the EDP and I LOVE IT (my holy grail). 😡
But the edt in Bois de Iles, Gardenia, and No 22 is pretty good, thank goodness since there is no choice now unless you go to Paris. But the extrait is better, if you can get it. Grump, grump. :((
Guerlain – forget the edt for me, it goes totally sour. The edp – marvellous with the ones I have tried. The extrait – not sure yet. There is some note in all of them so far that dominates on my skin and not sure if I like it yet – it makes it hard to tell them apart. So I get the peach note in Mitsouko in edp, but not in extrait. But my first whiff of extrait of Mitsouko and Jicky – WOW! Won’t even bother now with edt in Guerlains!
with you on Pride and Prejudice – love the series and the movie – have read the book an embarassing number of times. :”>
Jane Austen would have been someone I would have loved to have know. I wonder what she would think of women today, don’t you?
With you on the pyjamas thing, even if I spell it differently. I’m currently in a lovely blue stripy winsiette number. With an extra t-shirt underneath. Illness makes me feel the need to cook myself.
Less with you on the extraits thing, though I couldn’t live without my Mitsy and Jicky parfums. Guerlain does the strong thing best of all I think. But I’m talking as a green-around-the-gills extrait sniffer, tbh.
Oooh-do you wear fleecy and/or plaid bathrobes?-my pop did and I just adore a man in a cozy wrap over his P.J.s!
striped pyjays? Awesome, bet you are a sight with your snuffly nose. 🙂
I really do think extraits/parfums do suit some people more than others. If they don’t, there are rare ones that work, but most will be a miss.
You know Ive never tried Mitsouko extrait. I need to remedy this. But truth be told – the only extraits I have are Chanel No. 5 and Shalimar. And I love them both.
The range of Chanel No. 5 – edt, edp, and parfum are like 3 entirely different scents to me. I prefer the parfum but wear the edp more often – it actually lasts longer and has better sillage for me. Oh well.
Ive been lemming extraits of Narcisse Noir and Vol de Nuit for eons now – as well as a handful of other Carons – Poivre, Tuberose, Tabac Blond, etc.
I think I’d also love Samsara in parfum. I just have that feeling…
For me – Jicky in any form is not my cup of tea. Its like I can’t even smell anything other than Civet. I might as well just wear pure civet. Its not a fun experience for me – skank can be fun once-in-a-while but this is ridiculous.
I can’t even wear Mitsouko in anything but the parfum. She is difficult at best!
I did forget to say that, parfum tends to have a ton less sillage and blowback generally, so it can seem like it doesn’t last as long. I’ve actually not found that all parfums last longer than the EDP/EDT anyway. I think, generally, they stay truer to the scent longer on your skin, but that’s as far as I’d go on hang time.
Caron extraits… well, I think everyone knows what a huge fan I am. There really is nothing else like them, and my biggest fear is one day they’ll just go poof and be gone from the world. Probably not. Caron has really kept up most of their old line in all versions, except Violette Precieuse, which they did bring back reformulated, but it’s just not the same as the old, more demanding version.