Hellooooooo Perfume Posse! Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies with a short list of some of my most excellent Friday Night Fragrances. You may know that around here Friday Night is Date Night! It doesn’t always happen but if we are both available then Date Night it is. Sometimes we even pre-arrange that Date Night will be spent at home with Thai Takeaway and snuggling on the couch with the TV. Doesn’t sound exciting? Well the only time I get to watch TV is at dinner time on Monday night because it is the only time I’m home for it. Thai Takeaway is from a tiny little restaurant that you wouldn’t look at twice if you walked past, it is so devoid of anything beautiful or enticing. Very clean but the furniture is utilitarian and decor so bland as to be comic. Every night though it is FULL. Crammed with people of all nationalities and walks of life because it is so cheap and the best Thai food you can get outside of the street stalls in Thailand.
Anyway, onto my
Friday Night Fragrances
Woo Hoo! The weekend begins. Work is over and you’re out for a drink, date, function, dinner or clubland. Maybe you’re going to do all of these. What I am going to give you if 5 excellent choices in approximate ascending cost order. Also taking into account that the Northern Hemisphere is moving into its cooler months.
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Womanity by Thierry Mugler 2010: Womanity has all of a sudden become a must have in my wardrobe. Every time I put it on I get compliments and sometimes total randoms ask what I’m wearing. The salty, figgy goodness doesn’t feel like a big perfume but it is so unusual that people’s attention is captured as you sail past. Another great Friday Night Fragrance thing about Womanity is its tenacity, if you spritz after work you will still smell gorgeous next morning and have left your fragrant imprint on someones sheets too.
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Modern Muse by Estee Lauder 2013: This is the first stand alone release by Estee Lauder since Beyond Paradise in 2003. Harry Fremont, the perfumer who brought us Polo Sport, CK One and Sensi for Armani has created this one. It has all the hallmarks of an enormous success for me. It is sheer but has hefty sillage and scent bubble, sweet but not cloyingly so, pretty, wearable by men and women and reminds me a little of L’Artisan’s Velour de Roses and SJP Lovely (without being exactly like either). It’s a musky, jasmine, honeysuckle fragrance that will lure your intended partners. Promise. MMMMMM
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Petit Fracas by Robert Piguet 2012: Sometimes a fragrance takes you by surprise. Petit Fracas was one I was all ready to abhor. Turns out I was completely wrong. All the fun of tuberose with milk chocolate and sweets thrown in. What’s not to like? Petit Fracas is a winner for the girls night out in clubland. A fierce and frolicking blend that gives great projection and lasts for hours. Do not wear Petit fracas to dinner though if you want to taste your food.
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Ombre Mecure by Terry de Gunzberg 2013: Ombre Mecure is WEIRD!! It has a freaky plastic smell that is part candy, part powder and all fabulous. You have to wait for one minute after you spray before it stops smelling like a brand new Barbie but after that this is a great, long lasting powdery, patchouli and vanilla fragrance that will definitely turn heads as people bask in your sexy sillage. As a Friday Night Fragrance Ombre Mecure gets on the list because I want to wear it often for all sorts of events, sometimes even sitting at home I spritz, the bottle is gorgeous too.
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Black Rosette by Strange Invisible Perfumes 2010: Never could you have told me that an all natural perfume made of rose, leather, spearmint and black tea accords could smell so mysterious, spicy, alluring and otherworldly. This is the perfume of an individual, unashamed of wanting the best and delighting in smelling incredible. The only downside here is longevity, respritz every 3 hours. If I was a signature perfume kinda person this would be in my top 10 list, right near the top. Black Rosette smells like money to me. If you are out hunting and want to stand out from the crown Black Rosette could be the one….
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Ubar by Amouage 1995: Ubar has had a fragrant facelift, a reformulation that is excellent and has brought Ubar bang up to date. I love the original and have a bottle but the modern Ubar is a tad lighter, less deep and less ferocious. It has now become a PERFECT Friday Night Fragrance. If you want a fragrance that nods heartily back to the days of scent as a tool of glamour, a wall of magic that will befuddle your intended. Ubar is the one for you. Go forth and conquer, you are UBAR.
Did this help? Do you have any more suggestions? What do you wear for Friday Night Fragrance?
If you liked Friday Night Fragrance 2013 then you may also get a kick out of whatever madness is also going on over at Australian Perfume Junkies. Do please come on over and say hello.
Portia xx
I’m so glad you gave Modern Muse a good review. I smelled it and immediately realized it would be one of my office scents. I feel Estee Lauder isn’t given enough respect for their consistently good fragrances.
Hey there Gloria Vasquez,
Thanks for dropping by. Estee Lauder is a really good fragrance company. Just think they are behind Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Donna Karan and some others I forget off the top of my head, so the really know their stuff. Modern Muse will definitely find its way into some cabinets and onto some vanities in the next few months. You will smell lovely all day if you rock Modern Muse.
Portia xx
My favorite date night frags are Vero Kern Onda and Amouage Dia. Of course now that it’s getting colder, I will be adding MFK Absolue Pour le Soir to the lineup. 🙂
I really like Dia Tara, I use the body lotion, it seems more intimate while still projecting like crazy all night.
Portia xx
The only time I get Thai food around here is if I make it myself – so I do, a lot. But not on Fridays. Friday night is Pizza night. In fact, El O just called and said, as he says Every Friday Night “it’s Friday night. Are we doing Pizza?” – I suspect the phone call is part of the ritual. I just came home from a Chicago trip GOT THE MALLOMARS! Wooooot! – and had to clean the house – how can one. freakin. day…..ONE DAY? How could it stink so damn bad – anyhoo, the house is now washed and ironed and I will go wash and iron myself. SOTE: Daim Blonde.
xoxoxoA
Musette,
Jin prepared and served Peking Duck last night for Date Night Dinner. I tell you what, I am SPOILED!!! Spoiled rotten! And can we talk about FAT!! Oh My Lawd! I am so happily hefty right now.
You are such a good girl, I clean on Wednesday and don’t lift a cleaning finger until the next one, except in the kitchen because I am the only one allowed to touch the dishwasher because no one else fills it up right and then I come open it to melted Tupperware, unclean spots and general mayhem.
Daim Blond, you smell so lovely I could eat you up Musette.
Portia xx
Portia,
So glad to hear your review of Estee Lauder Muse. I got a quick whiff and couldn’t decide if it was worth exploring or not. I will definitely look it up now that I’ve seen your review. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Kandice,
I even grabbed a sample yesterday at the Department Store. The more I smell it the more I’m liking Modern Muse.
Portia xx
I wish my budget would allow me to make Amouage Lyric my regular Friday night fragrance, although as often as I go out, 5ml could last for ages. Between you and Poodle, I think I’m also lemming Womanity. (Is that correct usage? I’m under the impression it can be both verb and noun.)
Oh yes Laurels,
Verb/Noun/Adjective it is a multi-dimemsional term that covers all want or wanters.
Almost everything Amouage is YUMMY!! He He He He Womanity rules, I’ve even got some of my VERY heterosexual dude-ish lady killer friends wearing it.
Portia xx
What a fantastic mix! I love it. I’ve spritzed Modern Muse a few times and really like it. I think it will do well for Lauder; already they are shuffling Sensuous out of the picture by putting it about that MM is their first major release since 2003. Sensuous was released in 2008 – with a fair bit of fuss, as I remember it. Gwyneth Paltrow in a man’s shirt gaping almost to the waist.
My big night out fragrances are two biggies – YSL Yvresse and VC&A’s First. Love them!
Interesting! I had forgotten Sensuous was a newcomer. Thanks for the reminder. If you get to an Estee Lauder counter ask if they can give you a sniff of the two accords used, there’s a mandin/jasmine/aldehydes and a musk/amber/patchouli that together make Modern Muse. It’s a really fun thing.
MMMMMMM First!! Great choice. The original Jean Claude Ellena I think.
Portia xx
I’ve only tried Ubar and it didn’t end well. Just bug spray with some flowers thrown over it. Right now, I can’t stop wearing no 22 probably because I’m more likely to spend an evening at a bookstore or reading a good book.
He He he! 22 is a perfect scent for out or reading, so sexy eldarwen22.
Portia xx
So many! I’m glad it’s cold, because then my ultra favorite Friday night perfumes can come out. I’m a big fan of Myrrh et Delires, Oriental Brulant, and Bois D’Armenie. Rossy De Palma is also high in the list along with Vanille 44, Profumum Ambra Aurea, Damarose, Epic and Bruno Acampora Musc. Sexay!
I wear Oriental Brulant quite a bit mid season and lately have been using EPIC body lotion,. so freaking good. Worth every cent.
Portia xx
Friday night…gateway to the weekend. YAY
My new fave is Chanel Cuir de Russie.
Barbie doll head, hm, might be worth a little sample, although FIF has changed their international shipping rates and are now not really an option for me.
JackieB are you a member of Aussie Fragrance Network on Facebook? Sometimes a few of us grab stuff en masse to defray expensive shipping costs.
Portia x
I love that you chose Ubar! That’s a favorite of mine, too (though I have only the reformulation). I really like Rush as well, and am sorry to hear that the current version is thinner… 🙁
I think the reformulation is much more wearable in every day situations, though modern UBAR still has a very glamorous feel.
Yes, the new Rush is way less outrageous.
Portia xx
Womanity was my gateway Mugler..lol. It was the only one I liked before I developed a taste for Angel. I think I have a thing for salty notes in perfumes because the caviar note is what makes it for me, though I’m a fan of fig too. I haven’t tried Petit Fracas, but it sounds fun. And I’m intrigued by the Ombre Mercure. I tried Modern Muse at the mall just this past weekend. I think my skin might amp salicylates a bit because I got whiff of wintergreen from the tuberose up top that kind of surprised me, since no other reviews I’ve read mentioned it. I liked MM more than I expected to, but I need to try it again because I was testing other stuff at the same time, and it wears lightly enough that it got a bit lost against whatever else I was smelling.
Hi there Jennifer Counts,
I don’t know if you’re amping but there is a LOT of interesting under the radar stuff going on in the Modern Muse. EL has offered something pretty enough for the perfume wearer and interesting enough that a perfumista could also fall for its very reasonably priced charms.
Salt definitely gets saltier on my skin, loads of jasmines get a salty factor on me as well as the usual suspects.
Portia xx
Great post Portia! I love Womanity but was frustrated by Petit Fracas. On me it seemed overly fruity??? But I loved the creamy undertones and wanted them to be more prominent. That Ombre Mercure has me so intrigued, thanks for all the new fumes to put on my want list 🙂
You’re welcome MaryP,
Wow! I don’t get fruity at all from Petit Fracas. Though now you’ve mentioned it I am going to have to find a time to wear it and really take notice. Interesting that Womanity doesn’t go all fig on you then?
Portia xx
Rather than being ‘fruity’, the figginess in Womanity feels warm and sensual to me….. it’s such a good question this thing I perceive as fruitiness Portia. I have noticed that with some white florals the sense of fruitiness will come through for me even if it is not noted. I think there are some fruits in the notes of Petit Fracas though, and they just come through strongly on my skin. I would rather have the creaminess come through because I LOVED that part of it. Maybe I have weird chemistry or a weird nose… I really disliked Fracas as there was a strange vegetal note that smelled like pulling garlic, ha! 🙂
WOW!! We all have totally different frag experiences, it makes it SO interesting for me. Thanks, as always, for sharing MaryP.
Portia xx
It is very interesting all the different experiences….. I don’t think I get the saltiness of Womanity that others seem to get either, though I admit I have a totally untrained nose and might not even know it if it slapped me in the face. All I know is that I really love it 🙂
Ha Ha Ha!My nose is untrained too and I make some very interesting calls before my mates come and sort my notes out. Sometimes I am so far from the reality that it’s laughable.
Portia x
Thanks Portia! You’ve saved me from being too hard on myself for thinking I’m an olfactory nincompoop, ha!
Well, at my house Friday night is collapse-on-the couch night, and I’m not even thinking about fragrance (maybe getting whiffs from the dregs of whatever I put on that morning). However, if I were single and dating (my husband is anosmic and doesn’t care what fragrance I’m wearing), my choices would be Paco Rabanne’s La Nuit, Rochas Femme, Fracas, and Mariella Burani. All are sex-aay!
I have Fracas and Femme and have been lemming the La Nuit lately but never heard of Mariella Burani, I will look it up.
Thank you.
Portia xx
Hi, Portia – I wish that Womanity smelled as good on me as it obviously does on you! I quite like the salty fig note but it’s only a split second before it’s buried under an avalanche of sugar. If you haven’t already tried it, a fun classic going out dancing scent is Gucci Rush. It’s got this hairspray note, but it’s mainly an exuberant, sultry blast. I’d be interested to know what you think.
Hey there Rosarita,
GUCCi Rush is fun but the latest bottle I have of it is a good deal thinner than the previous. Still it’s very wearable and lively.
Portia x
Howdy, Rosarita! It’s too funny that you mention Gucci Rush, and even funnier (sadder?) that I have never ever sniffed it. Please don’t pull my perfumista card 🙂
Great post, dear Portia! I’ve only tried two on your list (the Ubar, yum! and the Womanity, not so yum on my fig-hating skin), but the others have got me jonesing to try them. Especially that Ombre Mercure, but where in the world do you find it to try it? None of the usual suspects has it 🙁
Hi there Ann,
We have a crew in Sydney who sell it but one of my mates is the Fragrance Writer for a supplement in Sydney’s most read paper, she was gifted the whole range and this one made her hair stand on end, particularly the Barbie head opening, so her hell was my gain because Ombre Mecure is wonderful on my skin, and others seem to like it too.
First In Fragrance has samples, 50ml and 100ml.
http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/terry-de-gunzburg-ombre-mercure.html
I was lucky enough to score 100ml. Do you have my email? send me your address and I’ll decant you a sample.
Portia xx
Love Thai food, the one nearby closed yrs ago, and I need to seek out a replacement! Cracked into my Vogue magazine over the weekend–it had numerous scent strips, but the only 2 I tried were Tory Burch and Modern Muse. Much preferred MM between the 2, will have to spritz sometime. Really need to sample more in the SIP line–love their aesthetic.
Caroline,
Sydney has a Thai restaurant on ever corner and a couple in each block , it’s hilarious. That this nothing venue is full all the time is the ultimate testimony to its delicious food.
Strange Invisible perfumes are really interesting. I wish i was richer so I could have bought a few bottles while I was in the states.
Portia xx
An oldie but a goodie, Bulgari Black. It’s perfect for colder weather, too… intriguing, yet calming with that vanilla. And talk about cheap thrills. You can get it for about $30 US!
Hey Elena,
Yes Bulgari Black is a wonderful night out winner. I bet you rock it beautifully. Don’t you love a bargain?
Portia xx
Thanks for the post Portia! Particularly now that the cooler months are beginning here in the Northeast, I’ve been noticing that ambers work very well as night-out scents. But that may just be because I love ambers, and will take any excuse to wear them! Anyway, they seem to not offend people if you’re dancing close (I’m on my college’s ballroom team so it is important to not swamp the partner in scent) but they tend to have the sillage and longevity to take you far. 🙂
I love an amber too and have a little collectionm including Ambre Ceruleen, L’Eau d’Ambre, Ambre Naguille, Ambre Sultan and Ambre Russe. Any I don’t have that you love Connie?
Portia xx