By Ann
First off, hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day weekend!
Now, I have a confession: I used to be a tuberose hater (that and leather, lavender, cumin, and so it goes). But thankfully, tastes can change, or at least become more tolerant.
In the past year or two, thanks in part to Carnal Flower,
Diptyque’s Do Son and others, I’ve been coming around to the note.
Eager, even, to explore its many scents.
So when Madonna’s Truth or Dare was launched, I actually wanted to try it, especially after hearing it was less fierce than Fracas. I scooted into Macy’s, in what was probably the first time in about 5 years, wound my way through the very crowded perfume counters, grabbed the white beaded bottle (BTW, what is up with that? I have an antique lamp kinda like that, hobnail, or some such thing) and bravely spritzed.
I didn’t keel over, but sprayed on it was too much and gave me a bit of Fracas’ “rancid butter note” as the Posse’s Tom noted in his review. (My apologies now to the great Madame F. and her devotees — please don’t pull my perfumista card.)
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Posse and other perfumies, if you don’t like a scent, just try, try again.
Not too long after, I got my mitts on a sample, sprayed some juice into a vial and dabbed lightly. And — voila! Much softer, very little of that off-putting note and I even detected a bit of the gourmand notes in the drydown. Most importantly, it made me realize that, sometimes, it’s all in the application.
Of course, there’s the flip side: Some scents just sit there like a bump on a log when they’re dabbed on; they have to be sprayed to really bloom and show their true colors. Not to mention that the body products work better for some people than the bottled juice (looking at you Carnal Flower, though I do love you in both).
Is there a fragrance out there that you don’t really like, but becomes more wearable when you apply it differently?
The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Very Irresistible by Givenchy. I was given a sample size of the body lotion and thought it was lovely. When I tested the scent itself, I thought it was just awful. I did buy a full size of the lotion, which works for me. But you couldn’t pay me to wear the scent.
Great to hear this, Teri. That worked out perfectly. Money saved on the juice and you still got something you love from it, plus the added bonus of soft skin.
I have a bottle of TF Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, which while not quite me is about the most wearable tuberose I have found.
Oh, and while I am here, is anyone interested in a Vancouver sniffapalooza? It’s going to be at the Perfume Shoppe the morning of Saturday June, 23. Nazrin will have something posted on her site, or you can contact me at a123amos at inbox dot com…
Yum, I remember loving that TF — now I need to go find my bottle of it and re-acquaint myself with it. Thanks for sharing the Vancouver Sniffa info. Sounds like great fun! A lot of us (me included) right about now are wishing we lived close enough to go.
There are very few scents that I won’t spray with abandon. I have that dreaded scent eating skin. I try a normal amount first but usually I gradually increase. My husband is horrified by the amount I spray sometimes and he’s equally baffled that after 8-10 spritzes of certain things I barely leave a trail. Obviously, something like Angel does not fall into this category but most scents require at least 5 sprays on me. I have a few that I dab on but those are the older scents that came in that type of bottle. Sometimes dabbing works, more often than not I have to dab very heavily too.
Poodle, I guess that can be a curse and a blessing (at least the awful stuff doesn’t stick around on you). Do scented body products help at all?
Lol. Oddly some of the scrubbers are the ones that hang on forever. I use scented body stuff but can’t say I notice it helps much. Must be hormones or something.
I have tried Fracas. And tried. And tried. And….Maybe someday. Tuberose is tough for me. One fragrance I actually own and was leery of is Dolce Vita. I finally decided to just spray ONE time (I was using maybe 3-4 spritzes), and after that I loved it.
Hi, Pam, as you can see, you’re not alone. And lucky you, to be able to wear DV. One dab of it was one dab too much for me (darn that cumin again!).
I’m a tuber-phobe too. But I’m making an effort to try try try more tuberose scents until I find one that changes my mind. Not a Fracas fan. Sorry.
The Different Company’s Bergamote is a scent that I think is fantastic sprayed but only “meh” dabbed. I had ordered a sample and didn’t think much of it but then smelled it on a friend and couldn’t unglue myself from their neck. He spritzed me with his bottle and it was a whole other animal.
Hi, Joanna. Thanks for sharing your story. Loved “couldn’t unglue myself …”! That must’ve been some pretty awesome stuff. You’ve got my sampling finger itching to go now and try that one …
I actually think most Serge Lutens scents are better dabbed than sprayed. In general, though, I’m a devoted sprayer! If I have a mini of something I usually transfer it to a spray decant.
Elisa, I’ve got to agree with you on the SL. My Fleurs de Citronnier does all right sprayed though, and Bas de Soie as well, but those are not the heavyweights in the line, of course. I do a lot of transferring, too — having some little spray bottles around really comes in handy. And since the tops usually screw off, you can dab out of them if needed.
I completely agree, Elisa. I dab every SL that I love. When MKK came to the US, and had a spray attachment, I was scared. I love that big cat, and FdO, but dabbed, so as not to asphyxiate bystanders.
On the other hand. . .I’m a chronic under-applyer, and tend to dab most things, to tell the truth. I nearly KILLED myself with Amaranthine last week, boldly spraying about 5 times, in 80-90F and high humidity. Wowsa. I had a bold moment, and later ruefully reconsidered. Today I’m wafting Archives 69, with about 3 sprays on a day out of the office, which seems to be about right for me. Hope you find a happy balance, whatever you spritz.
Wow — I stand in awe of you — don’t think I’ve ever done five sprays of anything; two (one on a wrist and one on abdomen) is about my limit. Sheesh, I must be a big chicken … 🙂
That’s normally me! Really. I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone on weekends and times when it’s just me. Normally, I spray once, to one wrist, and dab that to the other and to the neck and go. I decant and dab most things.
I just keep reading about people applying multiple sprays of things, even sillage monsters, and last week wondered what that would be like. Like chemical warfare, an eye-watering, asthma inducing attack that had me running from myself and avoiding all perfume for about 3 days. Lesson learned. Mostly. Today, the 3 sprays of Archives 69 was a mini rebellion. Archives dies down to such a tight aura-like fragrance that it was not as wild as it sounds.
I’ve never been a fan of Fracas, though I’m not sure if it’s the tuberose that makes it unwearable – it simply doesn’t smell good on my skin, dabbed or sprayed.
I can’t say that my dabbed only list comprises scents that I don’t like – far from it, I love them – just that they work better in small doses. Dabbed only: Ambre Narguile, Aoud Gourmet, Onda (tiny dabs).
Lisa, you’re right — some things are not going to work on some people’s skins no matter if dabbed, sprayed or doused. I could see where those you mentioned are better in smallish doses. Do you have full bottles of the Onda or the Rubj? I thought at one time that you really liked them both …
I have a partial bottle of the Onda, which is stunning, but difficult to wear. It’s one of the very few scents that I feel some anxiety about taking out for a stroll in public. I have only a sample of the Rubj, which I adore, and is on my, “Gee, what would I buy if I had a bunch ‘o money and no restraint?” list. Which is only slightly different than my usual state of, “Gee what shall I buy since I have no excess of money AND no restraint?” 🙂
All right, Lisa, my Rubj is your Rubj! 😉
Mmmm…those are all beautiful scents, “Dabbed only: Ambre Narguile, Aoud Gourmet, Onda (tiny dabs).”
What a great question! SIP Musc Botanique tricked me: I had a sample that I dabbed on and adored. When it was used up I pined for a bottle, so I saved up and eventually bought one. But the perfume in the bottle was dreadful on me! I’m now experimenting with dabbing a tad rather than spraying a lot, to see if it’ll smell as good as the sample did. Nothing conclusive yet…
As for tuberose, I loved it in my 20s, but since then–blecch. 😉 Maybe I’ll give dabbing a try…
Oh no, poor Sam! I hate it when perfumes get all tricky like that, especially after you’d saved just for it. Fingers (and toes) crossed that it works fine dabbed out of the bottle. If not, there’s always the next Swapmania! Hope you can find another tuberose to like, if not love …
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Same thing happened to me with Etat Libre D’orange Rien. I had one 1ml dab vial, tested it twice in different days (poured one half of it each time) and I liked it. It was perfect, nothing bothered me. I ordered a bottle which arrived last week and after I sprayed it, I could not believe this was the same scent. It starts with aldehydes and this disturbing, sort of dirty note/smell, which fades, but never disappears. Now I wonder if the sample came from a different lot, as I doubt that the application way will change anything. I have to try though.
Sorry to hear this, dear. Do try the dabbing again, like you said. Very frustrating for you, though, and also a bit worrisome on the whole, as it’s scary to think that batches could be so different. I can see perhaps a tiny variation but when it’s nearly unrecognizable — uh oh! Or do you think maybe it was a complete manufacturer error — wrong juice in your bottle? Woudn’t hurt to contact the place you bought it.
So sorry to hear you had a similar experience! I’ve wondered the same thing about the batches of Musc Botanique (and since it’s an all-natural perfume, somehow I imagine the batches would vary a bit). Such a disappointment, isn’t it! I guess we may both be participating in the next Swapmania (thanks for the idea, Ann–good one!)…
Hi Ann! I’ve not forgotten you but things have been crazy here.
I’m with you on the Fracas – I actually wrote a haiku about it at NST over the weekend. Horrid stuff but I know it is Loved. I have trouble with gardenia as well as too many become just :Crazy2: because of the tuberose. In fact, I have yet to find my BWF – probably because it needs to be a Little White Floral!
I find dabbing gives me a hint of whether it is safe to spray- thank floyd the sample I just had of one of the Kilians,( the super tubey- Straight to Heaven maybe?) was a dab or I might have had an urgent SOS (Scrub Off Situation).
Not to worry, dear M, you have plenty enough on your plate already. I’ll have to go over to NST and check out the haiku you wrote. That BK tuberose was pretty potent for me as well, so I had to pass on it, too. There are some true-ish gardenias out there; I need to dig through my sample pile and find which ones they were …
I sporadically keep trying Fracas but still cannot stand how tuberose dominant it is. I do have trouble with any scent that has tuberose as one of the dominant notes. In a lot of gardenia perfumes that I’ve tried, tuberose is dominant. Dabber perfume samples do me no good when trying something new. The perfume just sits with no projection and no development.
I’m with you on the F; just doesn’t seem to work any which way for me. You’re so right about the gardenias — way too much tuberose in many of them.
For me, the dabbed samples at least help me know if the scent is something I’ll like, and if so, then I can proceed with a spray sample of it.
I have a 1.5 ml dabber of En Passant. I really do like it and I’m ordering a spray decant to get a better opinion on it. Along with Chanel not 5 in EDT form. I did find out that no 19 in EDP form is just out of stock for US residents and they are working on getting more in. If I placed an order of it today, I would have to wait for at least 2 weeks before it ships. I’m happy that it is not being discontinued in the US.
I’m not a huge Chanel fan, so can’t speak to that, but glad for all you guys that do that it’s not geing discontinued. I really like En Passant and think it’s lovely when sprayed, so I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Great question, Ann! Amouage Homage Attar – after LT’s description, I was so thrilled when I finally got a sample and thought it would be wonderful to really anoint myself with it, but that was awful! I later found that just a few dabs of the tiny sample vial dabber are all it takes to reach heaven.
Also, I can’t understand why FM Portrait of a Lady even comes in a spray bottle – it’s so powerful! I keep meaning to decant into a sample vial or rollerball so that I can dab it on. Same with AG Mon Cherie par Camille.
Yessssss on the POL! They need to just put that baby in a 10 ml non-spray bottle and leave it at that. And I can’t imagine the AG sprayed — it’s plenty potent just dabbed. Have not tried the attar; think I’m way too scared to even apply even the tiniest drop!
If I don’t really like something, I just don’t wear it. May be I am not too patient, but also there are so many other scents to try.
Last year I realized that I like tuberose a lot, with Tubereuse by MdO ( a perfect summer scent) and Tubereuse 3 Animal by HdP being my favorite for the moment.
Hope you have a great week!
Thanks, Milena. I haven’t tried those two scents, so will sample them soon …
Love MdO’s Tubereuse. It’s so sheer and green. It doesn’t have the thick buttery, waxy tuberose that many dread. I haven’t sprung for a FB, but it is on my considering list, as it works very well in my hot, humid climate. When my decant runs out, my wallet may be lighter. Glad to hear you like this one, too. I’ll have to try the HdP–I’ve put off sampling any of those, but you’ve made me curious.
Mmmm, sheer and green sounds like just the ticket!
As much as I can love a sweat note, I find it works better dabbed than sprayed – at least on me. That’s what I think happened with the vaunted, much-lamented Drama Nuui – I fell in love with the little, dabby sample but the spray just….. :Weary:
xoxo :Devil:
Hey, doll! Cumin is a big no-no for me. If I even see cumin listed, I break out in a sweat (pardon the pun). Not even dabbing will help!
GM, Ann! Tuberose is my nemesis, but your experience gives me hope! 🙂
I could never stomach Angel; it took almost 10yrs for me to come around. Dabbing was the key. I swapped for a beautiful blue star mini, which for me will be a lifetime supply, and apply just a dab or two – delicious.
Hi, sweetie! Keep testing — hopefully, you will find a tuberose you can love someday. With lots of experimenting, I have come around to a few scents in former nemeses leather, lavender, etc.
I hear you on the Angel; dabbed is the ONLY way to go with that one. And that blue star is just lovely, isn’t it?