Katie’s Perfume Collection: Part 3


I have a ritual I call “shopping in my wardrobe”. I tend to get stuck in a “capsule collection” rut, wearing the same favored frocks and new-wave Pat Benatar ankle booties day in and day out, always topped by the same fitted corduroy blazer with a cashmere scarf knotted around my neck. Every little while, triggered by an upcoming trip or a desire to avoid whatever work I’m supposed to be doing, I’ll put on my cave spelunking gear and go for a more thorough exploration of my closet. These expeditions are always fruitful, turning up a handful of items that combine to make a great “new” outfit. Turns out, this epic 5-part perfume collection series is the fragrance version of “shopping in my wardrobe”. I've rediscovered perfumes I hadn’t thought about in years, and it seems like the fit is still pretty good. Aveda Love is one notable golden oldie. The bottle in the video is probably my third one, but Love got left behind the velvet rope about eight years ago when niche VIPs (very important perfumes, natch) started crowding out my old faithfuls. Smelling Love’s herbal grassiness was a shock: “Really? I used to wear something this...fresh? Interesting....” But the running-to-each-other-in-slow-motion reconnection in this video is Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose. My recent rose onslaught, including Frédéric Malle Une Rose, Amouage Homage Attar, and Montale White Aoud, had Tea Rose shyly stepping back into the recesses of my fume cupboard. But one sniff asserted Tea Rose’s rightful position among those higher-maintenance roses. Tea Rose is fresh, clear, green, simple. It just smells so...pretty. With immediate effect, I'm reaching for it regularly. Oooh...that's a bingo! Another “shopping in my wardrobe” success. 1. Aveda Love 2. Amouage Homage Attar 3. Amouage Asrar Attar 4. Arabian Oud Hajar Al Aswad (Black Stone) 5. Satellite Padparadscha 6. Donna Karan Black Cashmere 7. Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose 8. Parfumerie Generale Intrigant Patchouli 9. Memoire Liquide 10. Guerlain Shalimar edp 11. Montale White Aoud 12. Comme des Garçons Avignon 13. L'Artisan Parfumeur Vanilia Fumies -- what are some of your fragrance collection rediscoveries? Click on the perfume names for more information. Smell along with Katie: Perfume Collection Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, and Part 5.

20 comments:

  1. Katie, You crack me up! This is the first "blooper reel" of yours I have seen. I liked your stories about your high school friend. I also wore white lipstick in high school but I am sure it was a decade earlier than you and your friend. I am still puzzled about why a woman would want to wear a leathery fragrance. I like the smell of leather, don't get me wrong, but I associate it more with a leather jacket or a manly man.

    When you blend two (or more?) fragrances, do you spray one on and then the other? Or do you actually mix them together and then put it on?

    Must say, learning alot....

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  2. Hi SoS! Yes, I should clarify, by "perfume blending", I only mean that I wear both on my skin, not that I mix the bottle together. That would be blasphemy! (Though some would consider wearing more than one scent blasphemy...)

    I do tend towards more masculine scents, though anything leathery in my collection is pretty much just an amplified skin smell (skin + salt + smoke)and flowers, rather than full-on, leather jacket manly.

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  3. What gives you the idea to try two fragrances together? Do they have a common note and the rest differs? Or do you just have an idea that they would be compatible? Ever have any that you thought would be great and turned out to be a bad idea?

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  4. I *love* these! Seeing other people's perfume collections is like perfume porn for me.

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  5. another great smile in a humdrum Saturday. thanks for another great video. It is always interesting to see what someone is drawn to. I also love the idea of blending scents and seeing where they lead. I guess the reincarnation of a want to be perfumer in me. I just found a bottle of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Jardin du Nil. I am waiting..some of the descriptions were an interesting floral with sweaty socks vibe..and for some reason that intrigued me. what does that say? anyone have any experience with this line?

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  6. Haha, Angi! I'm going to start putting "porn" in my YouTube search tags...

    onesmalldog, I'm in the dark on the Maitre Parfumeur line. The closest thing I can think of with your floral/sweaty socks is LesNez Manoumalia, with its sweaty tiare. Ooh! I'm going to put on my sample right now!

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  7. Katie...you made me google again...LesNez Manoumalia
    sounds really interesting. and lucky that Luckyscent has it....wooohooooo

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  8. The unicorn spell by LesNez sounds interesting too. my new thing with violets makes my mind wander about the smell of unicorns

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  9. onesmalldog, wanted to make sure you saw my review of it:
    http://www.katiepuckriksmells.com/2009/08/lesnez-manoumalia.html

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  10. thanks for the link. You sure do know how to tempt a guy...:) you perfume vixen

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  11. I am so enjoying this! The immediacy of it -- the learning of the correct pronunciation of the French names -- the feeling of being there in the room. Eagerly awaiting more! -- Pat aka Olfacta

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  12. Aw thanks, Pat! Though I'd take my French pronunciation with a pinch *de sel*. And my Italian, too, because Dan just wrote to me that he thinks "Montale" is pronounced "MonTAHlee". Does anyone out there know for sure? I suppose I could just call Montale in Paris, but I don't feel like it.

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  13. I went to check out the Montale line the other day and chatted with the nice lady selling them. We both referred to the line as Montale, no high second syllable or drawn out 'E' sound at the end, French style, dontcha know.

    A few other people came in and were all quite impressed by all the smart things the perfume lady and I had to say.

    The perfume lady herself was more into jewels and also flacons than fragrance. She had quite a long, lean neck, from which she let me smell the scent she was wearing (one fo those Dior Couture ones, the Amber, frilly and pretend-shy).

    I left the shop on a high note, "Polish Style" (that's when you leave without wishing anyone farewell), taking a friend's call and running out to the street through the courtyard.

    Dear Katie, your perfume collection is wicked. Thanks for sharing>>>

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  14. Is Montale Italian? I always thought it was a French house, and have consequently pronounced it as MonTAL', swallowing the final "e".

    Vanilia is surprisingly nice and grown-up. I avoided it for the longest time for its name - shame on me. I just was so afraid it'd turn out to be cotton candy central, especially since I read it's a study in synthetic vanillin, the cotton candy culprit. Ooh, that alliterates nicely.

    And Padparadschaaaaaa... Need to sample it. Like, immediately. I have wanted to ever since knowing of it (The name! The name! If I ever do spend half my wages on a precious stone, it'll be a padparadscha), but you make it sound delicious to boot.

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  15. Yeah, Montale is from Paris, but Dan suggested it was an Italian name, and as such was giving it an Italian flourish. If only in his head. And then put the flourish idea into my head. But I'll go with what I've been hearing and what you all are saying: plain ol' Mon-tall.

    kleinzaches, was that Ambre Nuit you sniffed on the long neck? I like that "frilly and pretend shy" description.

    "Polish Style" exit? I'd always heard of leaving without announcements/goodbyes as "French or European Style".

    Arachne, I made a discovery recently that ELO Jasmin et Cigarettes is the jasmine version of Vanilia.

    Padparadschaaaaaa is a lovely forest-y sappy number. Haven't checked out its namesake jewel...do you think Elizabeth Taylor has one?

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  16. Yes, indeed, the long neck was wearing Ambre Nuit and felt it was quite fetching.

    Sheesh, I've never heard of abrupt departure being labelled as French or Euro Style... in Germany it's referred to as "Polish Departure" -- let's not get in to any sticky pc debates about why the Germans find it apt or cute to reference the Polish in that way :) French Kissing for president!

    I'm with you on the blood-brotherliness of Jasmin & Cigs and Vanilia.

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  17. kleinaches, I'm getting keyed up to try Ambre Nuit again. Found it a bit bludgeoning and syrupy when I tried it before, but just read Octavian's review:
    http://1000fragrances.blogspot.com/2009/10/cologne-ambre-nuit-dior-2009-new.html
    and now I want to try to smell it through his nose, so to speak.

    S'funny, my perception of the "French exit" is that it implies a chic, low-key way of leaving a do, rather than a gauche ducking out. But maybe that's my internal profiling system at work.

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  18. When you will do a update for your collection and what do you think about Amouage Reflection Woman?

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    1. I want to do an update, but I'm away from my collection right now: it's in LA and I'm in London.

      I've not tried Reflection Woman yet...

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  19. Yeah!! Incense + Vanilla combo!! That is totally my bag. My favorite is Diptyque Eau Duelle + Heeley Cardinal. I like wearing just Eau Duelle by itself too. I didn't think I liked vanilla scents- too gagging sweet- before I discovered Eau Duelle.
    I LOVE your videos. I love hearing your thoughts and your collection is ah-mazing. Keep em coming please!

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