Friday 8 October 2010

My Perfume Collection

I thought I'd give you a little walk through my collection. It's probably more interesting for the sake of curiosity rather than for my excellent fragrance reviews! I'm the first to admit that, although I have a very sensitive nose, picking out and describing scents is not my forte.


The fragrances that I have, in no particular order are: D&G Feminine, Matthew Williamson Sheer, Amouage Ciel, Calvin Klein Obsession, Chanel no. 5 and a tiny bottle of Kenzo Flowers. The Chanel is sadly a fake or at least I'm pretty sure it is, though it reminds me that I would really like to get a genuine bottle. Kenzo Flowers was my signature scent for years but I find it too strong these days. These perfumes are a mix of everyday and occasional wear for me.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

This is my absolute favourite perfume. I tested this a lot before I bought it but kept going back. It’s one of my more expensive perfumes but I think it suits me very well.

The fragrance is supposed to be 'like a Cashmere Sweater' and on that point, I couldn't possibly comment! It’s described as a sheer floral with elements of Moroccan Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Amber and Musk. It is a delicate fragrance, I find it hard to describe in my own words but I love the blend. It feels very feminine and sexy in a quiet sort of way. I’m quite interested in the new version as well.


D&G Feminine

This is an everyday perfume for me. It’s a nice light, fresh floral smell and like quite a few others that I wear, it has a powderiness to it after the initial spray. It disappears quite quickly and I will often have to top it up later in the day. I bought this from Cheap Smells and I believe it is a discontinued perfume. It’s not my favourite but I do like it for those days when I just want a quick spritz before I go out.


Mattthew Williamson Sheer

I will admit that bought this after Lollipop26 mentioned that she liked the perfume and I spotted it at a bargain price on Cheap Smells. I have a feeling that it’s another discontinued line. It was quite a punt buying something that I’d never tested, it worked out ok though. I don’t wear it very often but it’s nice if I’m in the mood for something completely different. It’s a spicy (almost peppery), citrus fragrance, it’s quite masculine in feel. It doesn’t have particularly great staying power but as it was inexpensive I don’t mind a few extra spritzes.

Calvin Klein Obsession

I have had this a very long time, probably in the region of 10 years but as you can see it’s hardly dented. Fortunately the scent hasn’t changed at all from age. It’s described as a spicy oriental, the predominant smell is amber with notes of vanilla and mandarin. I find it quite a heavy fragrance which accounts for why I don’t wear it often. I do sometimes wear it in the day but I find it too much of a statement for everyday wear. It’s has a powdery edge after an hour of so which I really like. It also lasts like no other. If I spray this in the morning, it’ll still be there at bedtime.

Amouage Ciel
My Mum gave me this perfume. My parents lived in the Middle East on and off for years and she bought this when she lived in Muscat. You can buy Amouage perfumes in the UK but they are rather expensive. I have the purse spray and the bottle is amazing in it’s design.

I had previously thought this was quite a strong, pungent fragrance but on spraying it now, I realize I have misjudged it. This is where my lack of ‘nose’ lets me down as I can’t pick out any specific notes. It goes on quite acidic but has quite a light floral scent when the initial hit dies back. The base notes of musk, amber and incense give it an exotic edge but it’s only the merest hint and this is actually quite a light fragrance. It actually reminds me of an Yves Rocher perfume I had with years ago, I think it was called Nature (oh dear, probably showing my age there!). I'm pleased I have given this another try as it's wrongly been stuck at the back of my cupboard.

I haven't bought any new perfumes for a while. I do seem to be a bit fussy and quite a lot of popular fragrances just don't suit me. I would really like to try one of the Annick Goutal perfumes next, though which one I'm not sure of yet. What are you like with perfumes, do you like to have a variety or are you a dedicated signature scent type of person?

8 comments:

  1. They all sound like lovely perfumes - Love the look of the Amouage Ciel amazing packaging!

    I have to say I have a love of perfume and always feel like I need more.
    Since I have been supposed to be moving house I packed away most of my perfumes and only have around 8 perfumes and feel like I don't have enough choice!
    Once I move I will have to crack all my perfumes out (hopefully not literally though as I wrapped them in ALOT of bubble wrap) and write a post like this.

    Fee x

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  2. Very nice collection! the only one I've tried and disliked was Calvin Kleins Obsession - bit too strong and spicy for my tastes :)

    http://mytopbeautybuys.blogspot.com/

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  3. I love these kind of posts, it's a great insight into a person - I think so anyway!
    You've inspired me to write a post like this too but I have far too many for just one post. I love perfume but I go off it very quickly with the exception of around 5 staples I will always have in my collection.
    Did you find pregnancy hormones and post-babies that your skin changed and certain scents no longer suit you?
    Some of my old favourites either made me feel sick during pregnancy and put me right off or now react really badly on my skin now and smell like cat pee! xxx

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  4. @Makeup Savvy: The Ciel packaging is amazing. I think all of the proper perfume bottles are lovely for the Amouage fragrances. I hadn’t realized you hadn’t moved yet, what a pain. I hope it all goes through soon, it’s awful living with everything in boxes x

    @All Made Up: I can easily see why this wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste. I know I would really go off it if I wore it everyday.

    @WelshBeautyBlog: I’m glad you liked it. I definitely enjoy these sorts of posts, it appeals to my curious side! I’d love to read a post about the perfumes you always return to. Yes, pregnancy really changed my tastes. It doesn’t help that you can’t really wear it when they’re first born too if you’re trying to breastfeed. I pregnancy was the reason I went off Flowers.

    Jane x

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  5. Ohh I would like to try the Donna K one.

    D&G feminine used to be my fave perfume, I found it overpoweringly strong though, but loved it.
    Actually now you mention it, I don't think it's available anywhere anymore.. Shame that!

    Nice collection x

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  6. Hi Sweetcheeks! The Donna Karan perfume is lovely, it sometimes tricky to find it in the shops but I suspect with the new, lighter version released it should be in all the usual places.

    It's interesting that you found Feminine strong. I always think of it as quite a light smell but that may just be the way it reacts on my skin. As I say, it disappears really quickly on me. I'm pretty sure it was discontinued, it seems to happen quite a lot which I suppose is how places like Cheap Smells keep going (though I realise that not all their stock is discontinued).

    Jane x

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  7. Well after Reading this post, I passed a perfume/chemist shop on my way to the Supermarket, so I thought I'd pop in and see if the had the Donna Karan one to test.. They didn't, but they had loads of the D&G Feminine, and I asked to smell it, to see if I'd still love it, which I did, so bought it on impulse .. So glad I did - it's such a fab smell xx

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  8. Oh fab! I'm glad you're enjoying it again. The Donna Karan perfume is hard to find, hopefully you will spot it as all the perfume sets go out for Christmas xx

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