perfume - to buy or be given

My husband has offered to buy me Angel which I admire on others but doesn't smell the same on me BUT, even if it worked I'd refuse as I think it's too much for him to spend on me! However, my daughter brought me back Fragonard from a trip to France. It smelt fabulous on me, lasted all day and people regularly commented how lovely the scent was and asked about it. I was excited when M&S announced they would be stocking it but sadly none of their range smelled right and I'd foolishly not kept the original bottle.

I love Angel and often get asked what I am wearing. I also like Black Opium. I wouldn't buy perfume for family or friends unless I knew they liked it

Aromatics Elixir by Clinic; I started wearing it at 16 and still do 42 years on. Flirt with Channel No. 5 on occassion and like Madame by Gaultier.

This is just a raising awareness post.

There are people (I am one and two of my close friends are others) who find perfumes in their work environments oppressive. The oppressiveness is, in the worst cases, to their breathing (think asthmatics) and in the less bad but still troublesome cases, to their sinuses and propensity to headaches. It's a bit like the nuisance of smoke from cigarettes.

Just saying, so that if anyone gets a complaint, they'll know it's probably not someone just being annoying for the sake of it. To some of us perfumes stink and cause actual problems.

Blimey Juggernaut I knew it was expensive, but £625

The teensy little tester bottle I had must've been worth about £50 !

It is interesting how expensive perfume can be. I have read article explains why this is and how the rare ingredients go into the product creating the lasting perfume.

However, a year ago I was in Spain and bought some 'copy' perfume just to spray around. The 100ml rule meant I'd left my good perfumes at home. I chose Flores, copy Kenzo Flowers and Dore, copy J'Adore. They were very good copies and it was hard to tell the difference. I thought they would go 'off' , but no they still smell the same and I wear them as an every day perfume! All for 2Euros a bottle.
I did look for some on another visit, but they'd all gone!

I love perfume and never but the same scent twice as there is too many to chose from.One of the little ones in my class about 10 years ago chose a perfume from Avon for me as a Christmas gift ( she liked the bottle) and every time i wore it people would ask what it was as it was such a gorgeous scent. It was called Prowl !

The only one I ever wore was Elysium by Clarins, sadly discontinued years ago. I've never found another That I like, they're all too sweet, sharp, heavy etc. I might have a sniff at a few men's colognes to see if I could wear one of those. Used to love Aramis but it is very distinctive.

Gillybob
My DiL loves Creed White Flowers, but at £625 a bottle ( admittedly a big bottle, 250ml) I don't think we'll be buying it for her anytime soon!

When I was working I wore Paris [YSL] but then found 'Y' [YSL]. Sadly that seems to have been discontinued so now I go for Elle [YSL] or Coco Madamoiselle [Chanel] which is quite light. YSL though seems to be my 'go to' perfume

Hermès 24 Fauborg is beautiful, and DH gets me a 100ml bottle of the Eau de Parfum as an extra every Christmas, I'm getting close to the bottom of the current bottle now!
I also love Balmain's Jolie Madame, it was DM's favourite scent, and wearing it makes me feel close to her. It's still available in the US, so I bought three 50 ml bottles when we in New York last month. They're stashed away at the back of a wardrobe; kept sealed and in the boxes they'll stay fresh for ages!
Having said all that, there are days when only Chanel No. 5 will do

I love perfume but could'nt afford to just buy it for myself, other than if say I had some birthday or Christmas money (which to be fair is very rare these days anyway).

My DDiL does always buy me a nice perfume for Christmas. My favourites are J'adore (which is too expensive), Issey and all the Marc Jacobs Daisy range.

There is a perfume called Creed that is absolutely gorgeous and I did have a tiny sample that I made last for ages. If I was rich, I would treat myself to a bottle of that.

I wear Touch of Pink by Lacoste - nice and fresh and light so it doesn't give me a headache! Although after I've put it on now I can't smell it anymore (I've been wearing it for many years) so i was considering having a change but I am finding it hard to find another one I like as much.

I've recently rediscovered Blue Grass which is ridiculously cheap. Other favourites are Prada's Ambre, Yves Saint Laurent's Rive Gauche, Givenchy's Amarige and Dior's J'Adore. I only buy perfume on line as it is much cheaper than anywhere else, even Duty Free.

It has to be the first French perfume I was ever bought..........Blue Grass (containing lots of Jasmine)!

I also loved In Love by Hartnell and have tried unsuccessfully to track some down. Obviously much loved and much missed! Now wear Sensous by Estee Lauder.

Original Miss Dior

I've worn Anais Anais for years - not very adventurous but after this thread may try a Jo Malone one.

I havent had an expensive scent for years. Just cant afford them. My favourite was always Anaïs Anaïs by Cacharel. Now I wear Body Shop White musk. Family know of my love and i often get it for Christmas.

Pomelo by Jo loves - gorgeous.

Pomelo by Jo loves - gorgeous.

Have used Clinique Aromatics for many years, to the extent that for my 5 GC, it is synonymous with Granny. However, many years ago, a male colleague, who had been paying me attention, presented me with a gift of Carven Ma Griffe. I really liked it, but it eventually seemed to disappear from the market. Two years ago, DD2 spotted that it was available again, and bought it for my Christmas. Now I am working between 2 favourites, though always use the Clinique when GC are coming.

The first gift my husband gave me, when we had just met, was Vent Vert by Balmain. He just happened to have it by him, having bought it in duty free, in case he met anyone he wanted to give it to. 51 years later he is still great at presents.

Most of my perfumes were introduced years ago. I love Blue Grass; Je Revien; Dynamisant; Flowers (Kenzo). But I would just love a perfume house to bring back Hartnell's In Love - still my favourite.

Many years ago, I was reading a feature on perfumes in a magazine while I was having my hair done. The article focused on what men thought of women's perfumes. The perfume that most made men want to hug the woman wearing it was L'ancome Tresor, and being short of hugs at the time, I dashed out to buy some. It hasn't netted me all that many hugs but I love it.