JUBILATION 25 from Amouage

Top Notes:    Tarragon, Rose, Lemon, Ylang-Ylang
Heart Notes: Davana, Labdanum Ciste, Rose, Frankincense
Base Notes:  Amber, Musk, Patchouli, Myrrh, Vetiver.


A perfume created by amouage for the elegant, enigmatic and sophisticated woman.  This was a perfume I picked up upon suggestion from the staff at a perfumerie.

I personally find it quite strong and haven't been using it much.  But yea, the bottle is still kind of full and have to empty it at sometime! 

BLACK ORCHID from Tom Ford

Top Notes:   Black Truffle, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Black Currant, Mandarin, Jasmine, Black Gardenia
Heart Notes:  Lotus wood, Black Orchid
Base Notes:  Dark Chocolate, Patchouli, Incense, Vetiver, Vanilla Tears, Balsam, Sandalwood 

An exclusive perfume I would say.  It might not be everyone's choice.  The complex blend of different fragrances might not be appealing to some noses.

On the top note, as soon as you wear, the Black truffle combination dominates and gets to smell sweet.  It could even cause a bit of headache for some.  But as it dries down, Patchouli plays its game with other fragrances in the base.

Perfume which is ideal for Evening Wear which is strong and lasts long. Fragrance is targeted to be seductive and hence most suitable for Woman and not for girls :)
This perfume finds its place on the top 5 in my list!  Anytime I would go back to.

Perfume Notes - Quick Guide

At the dawn of 2012, let me take this opportunity to thank my blog readers for taking time to stop by my blog.
You readers are also welcome to share your experiences with fragrances that are posted here. :)

On this new day, let me start off with an informative post.  All through the posts in this blog, one would be reading about 3 different notes.  This post goes on to talk about these notes in brief.

Any perfume has 3 notes - Top / Head, Heart / Middle, Base notes.

Top Notes:  These are the scents that one smells immediately upon applying the perfume.  They form an initial impression of the perfume.  These scents evaporate quickly.

Heart Notes:  These are scents that are revealed once the top notes have evaporated.  Middle notes scents mask the unpleasant top notes with its pleasant scents.

Base Notes:  These are the base scents of the perfume that will leave a lasting impression of the perfume you wear.  These scents along with middle notes determine the perfume nature. 

These notes together determine the family of fragrance the perfume belongs to.  More on Fragrance family / classification in another post.

LADY VENGEANCE - Juliette has a Gun from Secret Admirer Inc.

Italian Rose, Vanilla, Patchouli

Fragrance Family : Floral

A Perfume that I chanced upon during one of my Perfume shopping session at Douglas Perfumerie in Europe. The perfume is from Secret Admirer Inc, and is a brain child of Romano Ricci, the great grandson of Nina Ricci.

Trust me, this fragrance is another beauty to possess :) Wonder why they named the fragrance - "Vengeance" while it has nothing related to it in the perfume.

This perfume holds a dominating Rose fragrance and less vanilla. A feminine fragrance, that is perfect for evening wear but also finds its way for day wear too. It stays on you for the whole day.

This particular perfume will also find its way to my closet quite often :)

The Company describes this perfume as:

A perfume with a rich and sophisticated trail. The expression of undeniable femininity, confident and divinely sensual. The fragrance for a lady for whom the art of seduction bares no secret. He can smell... he can dream...but the decision lies in her hands!

EXTREME from Tom Ford

Top Notes:    Thai Basil, Coriander, Cardamom, 
                   Cinnamon Bark, Persian Lemon, 
                   Citrus
Heart Notes: Black Plum, Cedar Wood, 
                   Parma Violet, Saffron, Thyme, 
                   Brogiotto Black Fig
Base Notes:  Rum, Haitian Vetiver, Caramel, 
                   Vanilla, Patchouli, Vieux, 
                   Black Truffle, Amber, Fig, Balsam, 
                   Supple Leather Accord, 
                   Incense 
Fragrance:  Woody Spicy

Introduced by Tom  Ford in 2007, this stands equivalent to the Black Orchid for Women. Another complex concoction of different fragrances for men!

Fragrance dominates in woody nature but gives a spicy tone.  
One of those classic woody perfumes defining masculinity.  Ideal for evening wear.

If you want to gift a perfume to your man, this would be a good choice!

SENSUOUS from Estee Lauder

Top Notes:     Jasmine, Carribean Magnolia, Lily
Heart Notes:  Amber, Woodsy Notes
Base Notes:   Sandalwood, Mandarin Orange, Pepper, White Honey
Fragrance:   Woody Amber


From the House of Estee Lauder, this perfume finds its way to the top 5 on my list.  This fragrance was created by EL to evoke the warmest and most feminine side of a woman.

Yes, it is one of the warm and very feminine perfume and a hit with both men and women.  It does last for long.  A perfume which is sensual as the name suggests.  I am already done with 2 bottles and wouldn't mind going for another ;)

I would say, woman should check this out.  If a man decides to gift a perfume to his girl or woman, then this would be a right choice.

TIPS FOR BUYING PERFUMES

Buying Perfumes is never easy especially if you like them!  There are people who pick up perfumes as gifts in airports and just pick up for the heck of it.   For those with love for perfumes, it is way beyond just picking it from the shelf.

So I decided to write at least some basic tips that one can use even if one has to buy them as gift in the limited time at airports.

• Never buy a perfume without smelling them, unless you have used the one you buy, before.

• All perfumes (unless it is fake or some cheap ones) have tester bottles kept along with new ones, to spray, smell & test.

• With a wide array of choice of perfumes, it is better to test the perfumes on "Test Strips" before narrowing down to top two options!  (Sometimes attendants themselves will spray it for you on the strips).

• Ask the store attendant for Test Strips or you will usually find them near the perfume shelf itself - Just plain white strips. (See picture) 

• Before or after spraying the test, do write it on the strip the name of the perfume, which will be handy when you return to it after testing 3-4 perfumes.  Else you might end up in confusion & have to start the exercise all over again. :)

• Once sprayed, wait for a while, allowing the top notes to evaporate and then feeling the middle & bottom notes.  Bottom / Base notes are the ones which finally give you the idea how that perfume is going to be smelling on you after sometime!

• While testing multiple perfumes, it is always better to inhale coffee beans and then choose the next option of perfumes.  Do ask the attendant for some coffee beans!  All stores will have it.

• If you are familiar with fragrances like spicy, fruity, woody etc. and have preference do ask the attendants to showcase perfumes accordingly.

• If and when unsure of the choice to make, do carry those test strips with you, leave it in your pocket and after returning home you are probably able to decide depending on the lasting impression it leaves :)

• When you have narrowed down to top two choices from the options galore, test the perfumes in your wrist or hand, to get a real time effect on how it smells in your body!

For me personally, buying a perfume is a Ritual.  I need my own sweet time & sometimes even prefer to do it alone or with someone who considers it as much a ritual as I do :)