22 September 2012

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.




15 September 2012

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.