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.
