What's your favourite perfume?

My favourite is Soir de Lune by Sisley. It's floral, and lasts really well. Dropping hints already to my dearest about Christmas presents!

Just bought myself some Jimmy Choo - normally I'd run a mile from so-called "celebrity" perfumes and I am very traditional (Jo Malone and Caleche, by Hermes) but this caught my eye and seems to suit me.

I find the problem with 'new' perfumes, celebrity or otherwise, is that the smell just doesn't have any lasting power.
The testers are always stronger than the actual product, and I know that is true as my SiL has been in the perfume business for a long time.

That is interesting! Skimming through the thread the common theme is nostalgia - happy memories both prompted by perfumes and of the perfumes themselves. Perfume/smell plays such a large part in our lives, I have read of people who have lost their sense of smell and as well as being a potential hazard (burning, food which is off, etc), that must also be very sad. Think of that lovely smell of tiny baby head/hair up against your face - if you could bottle that you'd make a fortune!

Having just read the whole thread many seem to think that " your " perfume does not smell as it used to.
This is very true but has nothing to do with the fact that we are now much older than when we first started wearing them. You know when we were full of raging hormones which would interact beautifully with the scent.

It seems that sometime during the 1990"s some laws regarding perfume creation were changed and several ingredients were declared VERBOTEN.
Hence the change and lasting power.

But now for a question. What do you bathe yourself in/with before you spray on your perfume?
A friend of mine, who loves any old scent, washes with Imperial Leather, and then puts on her perfume..
Believe me the clash is sensational and not in a good way.

I am having a perfume crisis at the moment as it is very important to me that any perfume I use should be cruelty free, but the more I delve into this the more I discover it's a minefield. I was using Stella on the basis that I like it and I was sure that Stella McCartney would not allow any animal ingredients or testing but then I discovered that she allows her perfume to be made by by L'Oreal which is most definitely not cruelty free . And even Liz Earle has sold her company to Avon which again is not cruelty free. So who can you trust? Looks like I will have to start infusing rose petals in jam jars like I did as a child

nightowl
Perhaps you could try English makes?
Obviously not Yardley etc , 'cause you don't want to smell old fashioned.
But there is e.g. Ormonde Jayne, Miller Harris, both fairly new, and of course
the famous Penhaligon.
Both O.J. and M.H have scents to die for.

As long as it's not animals dying.

Good idea johanna I will give them a try. A good excuse for a shopping trip

PETA website has loads of information on companies that do and don't use animal products or test on animals.
www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/default.aspx

Thanks anno, I thought I had it sussed but there have been so many changes recently with companies which had well established anti-testing policies (like Avon) doing about turns in order to move into China. That's why I started to investigate it again. I' sure PETA will be on top of all developments so I'll check out the website.

Jo Malone cologne - fresh and clean scent, but I always have a free skoosh of Gucci Rush if i am in an airport.

None. I hate it when I get into a lift with a French woman who is wearing very strong perfume - it makes me sneeze.

None for me. I once went to a very expensive hotel and was drinking a very expensive white wine (Chablis?) when I realised my perfume was getting in the way of the bouquet. Got to get your priorities right.

Last week I went to the Molinard perfume museum in Grasse. It was fascinating. Our guide explained the creation of perfume and gave us some wonderful tips. Most important, keep your perfume in your drawers! The ones where you keep your undies I mean. This is so that the perfume bottle is never exposed to light - it is light which makes it change and deteriorate very quickly. A perfume creator, known as a nose,studies his craft for at least six years after he has got his diploma. He/she can detect around 2000 different scents. Sadly I learned that the flowers and other ingredients used for high quality French perfume are no longer produced in Provence, but are flown in from all over the world. Provence's former flower fields have been sold off as building land.
I fell in love with Molinard's Habanita perfume which is only available in a couple of Parisien parfumeries. It is spicy, fruity and floral, makes you feel quite naughty!

I have worn obsession for nearly 30 years since my children were born, someone told me to wear the same perfume and children would always remember it. As I posted elsewhere, wear it every day, never save everything for best as today is the best! New nanny struggling with long distance

Welcome Storynanny , if u are new . Enjoy .

enjoying looking at this thread, I love Paris as it is not too heavy on me and always use it if not feeling that good!!

Also like Elle by Yves St Laurent also.

We went to perfumerie in Paris yonks ago on my 40th was very intersesting.

I also like Chanel No. 5 always have. not too heavy again not on me.

Opium sometimes but only for evenings!!

cannot wear Anais anais my late Mum liked it and too painful still after all these years!!

storynanny, hope your'e not so far away from your GC's that you aren't able to see them now and again? I think that's a wonderful thing to think of - the fact that wearing the same perfume all the time will stay in a grandchild's memory. I do actually remember my grandmother's scent....Yardley's English Lavender.

Marelli, probably will only be once a year, how on earth do you bond properly? I suppose I'm finding it particularly hard as its my first. Watching my girlfriends locally with their little grandchildren is going to make me cry I think.
Will devote all my spare nanny time to my step toddler grandchild round the cornerxxxxx

Should have added that baby is the other side of the world!

Adore Samsara. Change occasionally but always go back.