Mon Numéro 10

I had a $25 gift card from Barney's, my father had sent me a $100 bill in the mail, and I was downtown, so I went to Barney's. I decided to get a bottle of L'Artisan's Mon Numéro 10, of which I have a ton of samples.  So, it ended up costing me $94.

Ashley was there, at last.  There had been some L'Artisan event a while back, which I couldn't make, since I worked too late.  Anyway, they were giving out gifts at this even, and they had some leftovers.  So it turns out, she saved me one, since I was a good customer:  a 15 ml bottle of Fleur de Narcisse.  I had never smelled this, but it is actually really nice.  The Perfume Guide gives it only 3 stars, but I think I would rate it higher, and regret it is out of circulation.  I could have sworn one of the online retailers sold it still, but I was unable to find it anywhere.

Musc Tonkin

I bought this blind! I haven't really tried it yet.

Penhaligon's Amaranthine

Min New York was having a sale, so I ordered a bottle of Penhaligon's Elixir.  Unfortunately, I got an email a day later, saying they coudn't ship it.  I called the store, and was told that it was out of stock, and that they were no longer going to be carrying Penhaligon's.  As I could substitute something else for the Elixir, I asked for Amaranthine, which I do really like, and it was available.  My bottle just arrived today.  Although I do really like Amaranthine, it may be a bit too feminine for me to pull off, so I may give it to someone for Christmas.  I have almost a month to decide.

I must say, I am not nuts about Penhaligon's packaging, with those bows n all. 

Premier Figuier Extrême

I got the limited edition ten year anniversary of Premier Figuier, in the extreme, eau de parfum version.  Per L'Artisan's web site, Olivia Giacobetti is the perfumer.

Amouage Tribute

After a two-month wait, my bottle has finally come! It was on backorder forever.  I was just getting ready to plunk down another $300, as the 30 ml bottle was in stock.  But then, I got home and there was a note on my door that a package had been delivered.

I'm kind of afraid to open it, since there is talk of reformulation.  I was able to find my teensy sample from a few years back, so I should be able to compare the two.    Hope it's as good as I remember.  Fortunately, I didn't break the $300 threshold in buying this, as I got a 20% discount! If I had gone beyond $300, there pretty much would be no turning back.

Hurray!!

Obama won!!

Recently

Sara Dornacker bought this for me....

Byredo

Black Saffron

Other things I got myself....

Etat Libre d'Orange

Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes

Comme des Garçons

Kyoto

L'Artisan Parfumeur

Séville à l'Aube

Serge Lutens

Un Bois Vanille

Yet Another Bag Event

Today I had lunch with Sara Dornacker from work.  We went to The Cheesecake Factory, where another co-worker, Laura Marshall, works.   Sara is, I guess a regular there.  Anyway, I am still stuffed.

Afterwards, we went to Barneys.  They were having their fall bag event.  So, yes, I bought some stuff.

First, I got Comme des Garçons Ouarzazate, from their Incense Series.  I'm meaning to get all five, eventually.  It's not as show-offy as others in the series, but I like it.  It probably would have been better in the summer, and it has been getting colder and colder, lately.

Next, I got Serge Lutens Louve.  I had a sample of this, and tried it recently.  I don't think a lot of people like this one.   The Perfume Guide only gives it two stars.  I do think it is very nice, especially now that it is getting colder.  I may have more words on this later, after I have worn it more.

Barneys in New York has begun carrying all the non-export line in what they call "cloche" bottles.  (The Serge Lutens web site calls them "flacons de table.") Prices are roughly twice what they are in Paris.  I guess that is to be expected.  I ordered five samples from Surrender to Chance (my first order since they broke away from The Perfumed Court):  La Myrrhe, De Profundis, Boxeuses, Iris Silver Mist, and Fourreau Noir. I figured I wasn't about to blind buy a $300 bottle of perfume, and these were the ones I was most interested in.  Surrender to Chance also sells empty bell jars for, like, $9.  So I got one for Bornéo 1834, which I have in the export line spray bottle.  Muscs Koublaï Khän and Borneo 1834 seem kind of perfect if they were in bell jars.  I figure I can decant my bottle of Borneo into the bell jar.  I had bought a 15 ml decant of MKK in a bell jar a few years back from the Perfumed Court, but I never decanted my 50 ml export version into it (they do smell the same).  The MKK bottle's label was kind of smudged when I got it.  The Borneo bottle is in perfect shape, though... so I think I will go through with it.  If I like other non-export scents, and they are not exporting them soon, I may plunk down eventually for a cloche bottle.  Why not?  The cloche bottles are 75 ml.

I also got a 1/4 ml sample of Amouage Homage.  I haven't tried it yet (nor have I tried the Lutens decants). I was looking for something else today, and I found my sample, or what's left of it, of Amouage Tribute.  I'll hang on to it until my bottle comes (it's currently on backorder), considering all this talk about reformulation.

Sara was acting very conspiratorial with Andy at Barneys, and she ended up buying Nuit de Cellophone, which I thought an odd choice.

26 September 2012 EDIT:

Sara smelled very good in Nuit de Cellophane.  It actually was a good choice for her.  Beautiful.  I guess I pretty much ignored it previously because it was a floral.  I still don't think it would work on me.

While I had been at Barneys, I tried Bois de Violette.  I'd like to try it more.  I have Féminité du Bois already, but it really does smell different from the Shiseido version (of which I have a 1 ml sample somewhere).  I think Bois de Violette smells more like the Shiseido version.... although, I would have to compare them.  Anyway, more research!

I tried my sample of Homage, and, to be honest, was kind of disappointed.  I gave my sample, for what it is, to Sara, because she liked it. I hope I am not disappointed with Tribute whenever it arrives. I'm saving the remainders of my Tribute sample so I can compare it with the bottle when I get it.

In the past few weeks this month I bought a full 100 ml bottle of Safran Troublant.  I already have a 15 ml version from the Les Épices de la Passion coffret... but it is headed towards dry.  Beauty Habit was having a sale, so I thought, why not?

I went to Mertz Apothecary in Lincoln Square last Saturday.  I was going to go downtown, but I figured it would be a mob on the weekend.  Anyway, it turns out that there was some German festival going on in Lincoln Square, so that was a bigger mob.  I ended up getting Mousse de Chêne by Outremer (L'Aromarine).  It was a cheapy.  I also ended up getting that Santa Maria Novella iris toothpaste.

I also ordered Ineke Gilded Lily, using my coupon from having bought the sample set several years ago.  They honored it!!! What sweeties! Anyway, I'm liking it more and more.  As usual, the bottle and packaging are beautiful.  I was noticing they have these limited scents through Anthropologie, and there is one called Angel's Trumpet.  I wonder if it is at all similar to Evenings Edged in Gold, which also contains the angels' trumpet note.

Last but certainly not least, I ordered a 12 ml bottle of Amouage Tribute, which now gets my most expensive ever bought, although I did not pay the full $350 price for it.  I shopped for the first time at MinNY.  I'll let you know how my experience goes.  Because of the price, I am sure I'll be extra touchy.   I've heard nothing but good things about them, though. The last time I wore Tribute was from a tiny sample while I was doing census work.... and I can't really find my sample anywhere.  So I've been thinking all summer I was going to get this, and today buckled down and ordered.  There have been posts on Basenotes to the effect that Tribute has been reformulated.  Don't know if this is true or not... we shall see! I'm thinking it's the same kind of talk as Creed batch differences. I'm hoping it will smell like I had smelled it.

Yet Newer Things

I just got:

Kenzo Jungle pour Homme, just because I like Jungle L'Éléphant. I have had the pour Homme in my Amazon.com shopping bag for the past two years, waiting for the price to drop and I sort of never pulled the trigger.... well anyway I found it elsewhere at a lower price so I got it.  What's it like? I dunno.... I think it is for cooler weather than now.

Clinique Aromatics Elixir, just because.  Do I like it? I dunno.  I think once again it might work better in cooler weather. We're in the end days of the heat, I think.  I've been meaning to get either a bottle of this or of Aramis 900 at some point.  Anyway, the bottle is kind of small.  I remember being in some department store or Sephora and trying it and Tamio saying, Why would anyone want to smell like that? and thinking, I need this.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune mainly because I wanted something more substantial than Osmanthe Yunnan in the heat and I like grapefruit and I heard it was good.  Yeah yeah I know I know.  I've had a poor record with Guerlain.  And then there are the stories that it smells of cat pee.  Well, maybe more  human pee. Not really, but in the back of my mind are the stories that Jackhammer's back room is furnished with a big bathtub for water sports, so now that whole goddamned image is stuck in my head.  I'll give it another try tomorrow. The perfume, not water sports.

Well, all three came in the mail yesterday and I briefly tried them, so they are all clashing.  I was wearing L'Artisan's Al Oudh today to boot. I have one more on order, and it hasn't come yet.  Again, now is not the time of year to maybe be wearing it so I will hold off judgment when it arrives. Annick Goutal Mon Parfum Chéri, par Camille. It is on its way by pony express or something.  EDIT:  This was finally delivered today (15 August 1012).  Very nice!!

Some Things New

I got a bottle of Osmanthe Yunnan because it has been so hot... then it cooled down.  Osmanthe Yunnan just bloomed on me in the extreme heat.  When it cools down it is not as noticeable.

I also ordered a bottle of Voyage d'Hermès.  It hasn't arrived yet though.

I guess I have gone all Hermès lately.

Shoes

I've gone kind of shoe mad lately.  Here are the most recent.  I had better stop.

Newer Things

On Saturday I went to Barneys. I got Comme des Garçons Eau de Parfum.... the new one. 100 ml. I also got Frédéric Malle's Café Society room spray. Last Thursday night, I was reading Basenotes, and in one thread, someone had bought a bunch of L'Artisan fragrances on Fragrancenet, for very cheap! I checked it out, and ended up ordering Méchant Loup and Thé Pour un Été, both 100 ml, each for less than $50! Anyway, the bottles arrived today. Both are the old bottle design, so that may be good, an older vintage. Very quickly after I ordered, a lot of the L'Artisans were out of stock, or the price had doubled or tripled!

Home again

Just got home this afternoon. Snow, pretty much for the first time this season, so everyone in a panic. I had a few hitches on the way home.... ANA said my ZED tickets were only good for 3 months, so I had to buy a ticket to Tokyo. I need to look into this. I thought they were good for a year. I got business class on the way home. So that will cost me about $150 or so, as well.

I got home around 6 pm, and my bottle of Epic Man was awaiting me. Four Seasons was having a 20% off sale, so I actually paid less for this Epic Man, which is 100 ml, than I did for my 50 ml of A Taste of Heaven. I don't feel so guilty.

L'Artisan is having a sale, so I ordered bottles of Poivre Piquant, Piment Brûlant, Passage d'Enfer, Mûre et Musc Parfum, and Tea For Two. They were all 50% off. I haven't gotten them yet, and they may not even have mailed them. They all seem to be discontinued. The first three in the 50 ml size. And maybe the MeMP, which maybe was only a limited edition anyway. [EDIT They were out of the Mûre et Musc Parfum, so I didn't get it.] The shocker is that they may be discontinuing Tea For Two. I thought it was pretty popular. Why would they discontinue it?

I thought I would give the Mûre et Musc a try. If I don't like it I can give it to someone as a present. I have the edt, which I like. Passage d'Enfer is a funny one. I always feel like I can't smell it for the life of me. I figured I would pop for half off... again, I can give it away because no one else seems to have this problem. Piment Brûlant and Poivre Piquant I only have in 15 ml size at the moment, and they are going to run out at some point. Currently, I have a lot left of these (although my Safran Troublant is running low). Tea For Two, of course, I already own. Either I will have this as a backup or give it to Tamio for his birthday this year, since he is clearly to cheap to buy one for himself!

My father also sent me $100 by USPS! That finally showed up. So maybe tomorrow I will go shopping for more!!

Nagoya

I flew to to Tokyo on the first. Amazingly, I was able to sit in first class!! And, even more amazingly, perhaps, I was able to fly ANA to Nagoya. It is the New Year holiday here, after all. So I arrived tonight. It is now the third, at 2:15 am. Naturally, I am up. Naoki is asleep.

I brought some samples with me. Lucky Scent had a package all ready, and I had a few I wanted to try.

Frapin 1697 edp. I haven't tried this yet.
Mary Greenwell Plum. I smelled it a bit, seemed a tad girly,
Parfum d'Empire Azemour. Tried it a bit. Reminded me somewhat of Yuzu Fou. They don't really smell alike, other than citrusy, but the feeling is similar.
Isabey L'ambre de Carthage. Haven't tried it. Not so nuts about ambers, as you well know, so not so keen to try.
Comme des Garcons Eau de Parfum. I am kind of very excited about this. It's the one with industrial glue and scotch tape, in the cool bottle.
Idole de Lubin edp. I'm very excited to try this, as I'm a big fan of the edt.

I'll let you know as I try them all. I may be here close to 2 weeks.