Luctor and Don't Emergo
 Are there perfumes that you just can't stop trying to love? There are several such scents in my life. Some of them I try because they are Classics, great masterpieces that I feel I simply must like or else I am not a true fragrance lover and have no taste. Others are creations of brands and perfumers whom I adore and whose fragrances I ordinarily enjoy. And then there are some that sound so very "me" that I just can't accept the fact that I don't love them. ...I am about to reveal my darkest secrets. Please share the scents you feel you must but are unable to like! Confession is good for the soul...1. Mitsouko. I did try vintage. I did try perfume. I did try vintage perfume. I tried everything. The dark splendor that Mitsouko reveals to others is lost on me. On me it smells oily and bitter and, frankly, uninteresting. 2. Shalimar. Again, I tried it in every possible vintage and concentration. On a good day, it smells overwhelmingly sweet and smoky. On a bad day, its aroma is reminiscent of that of a nail polish remover. I think I might as well come out completely and reveal that there isn't a single Guerlain left out there that I truly love. And most of them I don't even like. Oh woe is me! 3. Chanel No 5. (All the usual disclaimers of having tried perfume, vintage , etc. apply) My mind understands the importance of the famed fragrance, it admires the classic beauty of the composition, but my heart is unable to warm up to Chanel No 5. It is a cold, unchanging, unyielding scent on me and it leaves me...cold. 4. Nuit de Noel. I keep sampling Nuit Noel simply to understand it. It is strangely elusive to me. I have worn it hundreds of times, and I feel that, if I smelled it on a passer by I would not be able to recognize it. I can't grasp it. It smells strong and forceful and yet...it is surprisingly characterless. 5. Editions de Parfums is without a doubt one of my most favorite fragrance lines. And it bothers me that there are a couple of perfumes there that I can't appreciate. One of them is En Passant. I have read about what it smells like on others. About the ethereal, true-to-life lilac and the spring in the air. En Passant breaks my heart every time I attempt to wear it, because on me it is overwhelmingly aquatic and smells scarily similar to Cool Water. 6. The other Malle I can't love or even understand is L'Eau d'Hiver. What is a point of a scent that is understated to the point of being undetectable? And yet, how can a fragrance so subtle be so strangely intrusive, enveloping me like a ghostly cloak that is annoyingly there and yet...is not? 7. Chergui. If you know a little bit about my perfume tastes you know that the list of Chergui's notes spells my name. And yet when I wear it, I am unmoved. We don't click. There is no sparkle, no chemistry. On others it is a wonder of wonders, on me it is a syrupy-sweet and smoky something with no depth and no development. 8. Fumerie Turque. Ditto. 9. Mille et Une Roses. I keep trying it, attempting to understand why it is so widely loved. So it's roses. And more roses. Gentle and pretty and inoffensive and nothing special. What, what am I missing here?! 10. Last but by no means least...the one scent that I struggled to like for the longest time, the one that I sampled literally thousands of times. You all will be my witnesses now as I say that I will never ever try POTL again. I am moving on. I accepted the fact that it will never smell good on me and that I will never solve the mystery of its undying popularity. To quote Camus, "the tragedy is over. The failure is complete. I turn my head and go away. I took my share in this fight for the impossible." |
posted by Marina |
6:48 PM
72 Comments:
Agree with you on En Passant...its aquatic note is not the finest. Infact it smells like a straight-out-of-the lab Calone(R) molecule.
Disagree with you on Shalimar. I have only tried the EDT, but its incredible drydown of vanilla and incense is one of the finest things I have smelled. The lemony and sour top notes provide such a stark contrast to the basenotes. That smoky-vanilla accord is what makes Shalimar such a revered classic to me.
Faizan,
I wish I got the incredible scent that you get from Shalimar :-(
Forgot about Chergui and Fumerie Turque. Both start off promising on my skin...Chergui with its perfectly balanced dry-sweet-hay accord, and FT with its sweet turkish tobacco laced accord. After 15 minutes, the trademark Lutens oriental-heavy base of benzoin, sugar, lollipops and vanilla overtakes both the compositions and I am left with another uber heavy lutens. With these two, a light application works best...2 sprays, and they are bearable.
I completely agree.
My complete and utter failure is definitely "Joy", on me it smells like cat p...s. Actually, there is nothing by Patou that works for me ever, no matter how hard I try.
I do love Shalimar and it completely loves me back, I think it's a family thing...my mother wore it for decades!
I am in complete agreement with you about #5, cold was a very good despcription and not much ever works for me from Chanel with the exception of Coco, which does smell pretty good on me.
Youth Dew- I always want to love it alot but I end up smelling like my grandmother.
Arpege is just so awful on me and so is Yardley English Lavender which is sad for me because my mom was one of "The Yardley Lavender Girls" right after the war.
I love Nuit de Noel, it really works for me.
L'Huere Bleu does not.
Neither does L'air du Temps, Chantilly or White Shoulders.
What a fun exercise Marina! Thank you!
I agree with you on L'Eau d'Hiver. Many love this as a comfort scent. On me, it's generic and blah. En Passant just sits on my skin.
I try to love POTL more than I do because I paid so much for my bottle! Even though I wasn't wow'ed, I bought it during Pottle mania thinking I would grow into it. Still trying.
Oh, this is hilarious, Marina!
Ditto on Chanel #5, actually on every Chanel I've tried...
I love Caron, but some of them I could really do without, like Nocturnes, what a sad, sad, terrible smell, smells like a funeral parlor in hell!(how do you like my poetry?:)
Oh my... Some of these are my favorite (the big Guerlains, the Serges and sweet, cuddly Luctor). But I'm with you on #5. I.Just.Can't.See.It. No matter what. I'm pretty meh on most Chanels (shame on me), but this one baffles me, especially when people call it sexy. Where's the sex?
My other failures are L'Huere Bleu (it's lethal, if you ask me), anything ever made by Patou (it goes from vile to viler when I try), and most roses, Mille et Une Roses included. The only good rose in my world is Le Maroc.
Oh, and anything by Lancome. They should stick with lip gloss.
Like all here, I share some scents on this list: Shalimar and N°5 -- but I don't know if it's because they're pretty much the most hugely popular classics here in France and smell too "common" to me. In fact, Shalimar is the default setting to N°5 here...
En Passant for the same reason as Faizan: the calone. Ick. Joy, like Beth: me, I get migraine-inducing gasoline. And Arpège: hairspray. White Linen: ditto.
I'm still working my way up gingerly to rose-dominated scents (intense Trésor loathing traumatized me) and iris scents (Iris Poudre remains an alien creature who sits on my skin sulking).
Lastly, I really wish I could love Opium -- I admire everything about it. But I was a teenager in the 70s and it just brings back memories of being stuck in a tiny shop where I had a McJob with particularly inelegant manager who pickled herself in it.
Well, I'm with you on No. 5, Shalimar and Fumerie Turque (too thick for my tastes in the drydown - suffocating a little). I wish I could love them.
I'll add my own:
Baghari
Gris Clair...
Daim Blond
Ambre Russe
Eau de Soir
Soir de Lune
Gucci pour Homme
Eau de Navigateur (sorry M!)
Yatagan (still trying)
I feel I should appreciate Mitsouko, as I love Jicky, Vol de Nuit and L'Heure Bleue, but the bug spray top notes never seem to completely pass or something. It certainly improves with time, but just never clicks for me. With Shalimar I have a negative memory attached and just can’t go there. Chergui I do come close to love with, though wish I could tone down the sweet.
I unfortunately have to agree with No 5 and here's also my chance to confess that I am not really a Channel girl. There. I said it. I'm never really moved by them...But I also have to comment on Lancome! Surely you don't mean that, my dear non-Blonde?! Not Magie Noire? Not Climat? Not Sikkim or Magie? Really? Really, really?
Darn, it's a good thing there's so many perfumes out there! Shalimar, Chergui and L'Eau d'Hiver are in my top 10.
My biggest failure is with the entire Caron line. There's got to be something they use that really disagrees with my skin. Every single one I've tried (and I've tried maybe...15?) smells, literally, like poo within about 30 seconds of touching me. This includes the parfums. The drydown is a little more successful with only a smidge of poo for the most part, but there's just too many beauties out there to go through that!
Totally with you on the Fumerie Turque though. Pure smoldering house-fire....
OY !
Ditto on En Passant- toast seashells, give me whale vomit, but don't fakey-fake the sea.
Chergui sounds so like me, as does Fumerie Turque- I wound up giving to the deserving !
The first's choice of sandalwood galled me-
The second, just lay there, like a dead dog.
#5- I admire it, but it's NOT sexy.
Prim, unforgiving, a cooold bitch.
But very good-looking.
Black Aoud- scrub ! [Mando owns it now !]
Beth,
Practically everything else Chanel works for/on me. And practically everything by Patou. We must find a Patou for you to like! have you tried Vacances? Of course, it is basically impossible to find...:-( Or how about Colony, Adieu Sagesse?
Iris,
Pottle mania is responsible for many a heartbreak :-)
I see how L'Eau d'Hiver WOULD be a comfort scent, in the same way as very gentle scents, like mimosas, are comforting for me...but it gives me no comfort for sure :-)
Veronica,
I like your poetry! :-) Actually I should have said in the post that I nowadays struggle to love many Carons as well, including Nocturnes.
I'm with you all the way on Shalimar and Chanel no 5. "shakes head" but not too sadly as there's many beautiful scents to compensate! I have a sample of Chergui on the way so we'll see on that one. Here's a confession - I have yet to own a full bottle of anything by SL! Though if Rose de Nuit were export I wouldn't have been able to say that. I am scared by the heliotrope (I think?)in L'Eau d'Hiver and don't yet know En Passant or the Lucter. I remember HATING Giorgio Beverly Hills - that monster in yellow and white stripes - can anyone give me a reason to try again? I'm hoping its not a classic and has died a death. Oh and I'm wearing Mitsouko today! I love it, always have but its not an easy love as it really can be quite strange. Have a lovely weekend all!
Gaia,
"Sweet, cuddly Luctor"!!! Right. Sweet and cuddly. Not on me it isn't :-)
The one Lancome that I love love love is Climat. For Climat, I forgive them everything else :-) I am anxiously awaiting the new Cuir.
I forgot! Parfum de Therese. I wanted to love it so much but it smells like rotting melons on me. So sad.
Denyse,
Those who pickle themselves with Opium (or anything) spoil it for all of us :-)
I can't believe Joy doesn't work for you!!
Lee,
Your list is breaking my heart! :-) Daim Blond? Yatagan? Navigateur? Aieee! :-)
Anonymous,
I do like Jicky too. Hey, there IS one Guerlain left that I like then :-) The one classic Guerlain, I should add.
I've always been a bit of a heartbreaker ;-)
Divina,
The thing is, I am a Chanel girl. just can't love The Main Perfume :-)
Oh, yes, Magie Noire! Gorgeous!
Gail,
As I confessed above, I struggle with Carons too. There are a couple of exceptions as I love Parfum Sacre, Farnesiana and Poivre.
Chaya,
Oy right back at you! :-)
I'll take whale vomit and toasted seashells over fake "sea" any day too. :-)
Nicola,
I envy you the Mitsouko! I wish I could wear it.
Heliotrope has ruined many a scent for me...
Nicola,
Now, Parfum de Therese I love! As literally everything created by Roudnitska.
Lee,
I have absolutely no doubt about that. None whatsoever. :-)
I'm in complete agreement with those who list Joy, Le Parfum de Therese, Opium, and Chanel #5 on their list of failures/disappointments. And I wish someone would please outlaw Tresor and Opium, make them banned substances.
The two scents which were my biggest flops were Dzongka and Knize Ten. I LOVED the desription of Dzongka but it's really bad bug spray on me. And Knize Ten asphixiates me with its rubber/gasoline note. I actually get ill smelling it.
Suzanne,
Knize 10 sometimes has the same effect on me. As does Cuir Mauresque.
Well, I'm there with you on Shalimar (the only classic Guerlain I CAN'T do), Chanel no. 5 (what is it with me and main perfumes?) and the evil POTL (though I am still tempted to try the cream that everyone raves about--I'm pretty sure I won't like it though; it's the ch-rry).
I would add, for myself:
Eau d'Hadrien (and Hadrien Nuit): I seem to be one of 2 people in the world who can't wear this universally beloved fume. I wore it happily when I was younger, but now it smells like Lemon Pledge on me (this has been verified by a surprised and upset AG SA, so it's not a matter of taste).
And while we're on the subject of citrus--FM Bigarade Concentree on me smells like Orange Pledge would, if there were such a thing.
Montale's Jasmin Full is loved by all my scent-sisters, but it is truly revolting to/on me (this may be my nose, rather than my skin).
Idole--does nothing for me; does not smell like Chaos (which I still love) on me; smells like very little, actually (I have to drench myself in order to get the smell).
Oh, well, I will comfort myself with the fact that Mitsouko is beautiful, mysterious, and everchanging on me, that FT is absolutely amazing, and that Nuit de Noel, which did nothing for me first, suddenly blossomed beautifully one day. This happened for me with another on your list, too. I always liked
Chergui, but thought of it as a bit too sweet. Recently, however, I put it on and fell in love. The sillage kept haunting me all day--and I have been wearing it frequently since then. So, you never know. Maybe my next love will be POTL (but I doubt it:). I wish it could be Shalimar.
Boy, this could be a list by me... you are not alone, darling! I am right there with you on everything except Chergui (which I kind of get, though sometimes it annoys me) and Mille et Une Rose (pretty, but what's the harm in that?) In any case, I love you!
Musc Ravageur - Lord, how I've tried. Maybe it would be like beer, caviar, cilantro, cigarettes (back in the day. . .), Wagner, - a taste that simply had to be acquired after one had learned to appreciate its challenge and uniqueness. But no matter how many different ways I've tried to wear MR and in how many different contexts, it marches remorselessly from its teeth-grittingly dissonant opening to its cloyingly sweet Satan's Candy Emporium drydown. (In its way, it's the evil twin of the the incomparable scent that often greets you in the local Bed, Bath and Beyond: the cheapest and loudest potpourri you can imagine overlaid with garlic frying at a cooking demo.) Sexy? Not unless your dream ravageur is T.J. Cinnabon.
Oh, this was SUCH fun to read! What I love about you, fragrance addict, is you try and try and TRY, gritting your teeth, saying THIS TIME it WILL WORK!
I love most of the ones on your list (except Shalimar -- ugh, and I think it must be the universal Guerlain), but I have no doubt I could produce a similar list of frustrating failures that would have you wondering about my sanity... ultimately I think it's about a) skin chemistry and b) whatever mysterious, individual smell-emotion connections in your brain that produce pleasure at a fragrance, or ... nothing. The category that gets me most is: ask people to name "comfort scents." Then sit back, read the list, and think -- you gotta be kidding. ;-)
I so hear you! I've never, no matter how many times I've tried, been able to 'understand nor appreciate' Chanel #5! In fact hardly any Chanel knows what to do on my skin, they just smell heinous on me. And to that list please add:
Arpege, Cabotine by Grès, Kai, Narcisse Noir, L'air du Temps, Soir de Lune, Mitsouko, Jicky, Iris Poudre & Une Fleur de Cassie by Frederic Malle... there are others of course...
Oddly enough I love Shalimar, Chergui and Fumerie Turque - but Lutens usually work very well with my chemistry; although lately Cedre has smelled a little off to me.
Brave, delightful post. I will not feel so bad about the ones I want to love and can't, any more.
Right there with you on Mistuoko, Shalimar, and POTL. I have to add Iris Silver Mist, and, because you were so brave to admit yours...my Malle is Musc Ravageur. Just. Does. Not. Work.
I hate to admit this, but I partially agree on Chergui. I love it, but it's a one-spritz love. Any more becomes suffocating fast.
L et E is horrifying on me; I wish I got from what others get. I get a burst of promising cherry goodness and then straight up Play-Doh that lasts longer than "Knots Landing" did in primetime. Oy. I have had no interest in trying it again, I sampled it twice and we hated each other.
I love Chanel No 5 in the abstract, but not in the flesh (as it were)
(dons flame suit)Green Irish Tweed went nowhere on me. I know others sing its praises and i will take their word for it. On my skin it actually smelled flashy and rather cheap. (runs away)
I did write on my skin mind you!
Curious if you like Shalimar Light? I love it, but not the original, and find that just shameful! You know I can't wear Mitsouko either.
Ditto on Shalimar, in all concentrations. WE hate each other with a passion, even though I adore the bottle, the idea and the care behind it.
Ambre Narguile, which has vaulted to somewhat iconic status in a few short years. Love each other from afar.... way across the room.
Mitsouko -- I can smell this inthe bottle and be in love with it, and about two days a year, I can wear it an be as happy as a lark. All the rest... bleah.
Chanel 5 -- parfum works for me every now and then. See Mitsouko above.
Chanel Cuir de Russie -- not hate, and I used to really like/love it, but something about that mix of the Chanel base with leather just doesn't work for me anymore. I still admire it, but it's not one I'd put on to save my soul.
Robin, I love Shalimar Light (my original Mathilde Laurent bottle.) I feel like such a philistine.
Chergui is lovely on me- in small doses.
I think my nose hasn't matured enough for me to appreciate white flowers, especially indolic jasmine. Le Maroc actually gave me a headache- and I so wanted it to work for me after reading Marina's Casablanca-themed review (my favorite movie! sigh.)
LOL, love the picture! :-D
My twin nemeses (is that a word? ) that I "should" love, that I can't love, are Chanel No. 5 and Shalimar - I just don't "get it" on those. All that exclusive Grasse jasmine goes to waste in the Chanel, IMHO, since the aldehydes overwhelm it so much. It has always smelled very artificial to me.
Shalimar is just TOO MUCH - too heavy, too sweet, too cloying. I am a very slow convert to anything Guerlain, but I am getting there. My only real Guerlain love is Nahema - which others either love or hate as well, as I understand. Why do I love such an overpoweringly sweet perfume as that and still hate Shalimar? I have no idea!
The idea of someone being unable to wear EITHER Patous or Carons, or both, is a mystery to me. They are not nearly as similar to each other as the Guerlains. Can't like either Bellodgia or Muguet de Bonheur? They are on different planets smellwise, so that does not make sense to me. I worship both houses utterly, as most people who know me are reminded regularly. ;-)
En Passant is pure divinity to me and I don't get any aquatic notes at all! Certainly not anything oceanic. Just transparence and "breeziness." And the sublime lilac, of course.
I wanted to like Clinique Happy - I love that fresh orange smell. ON me, it is "Orange Pledge" as well! Then I smelled it on a darker skinned person - wonderful! It's all about the chemistry. On me, furniture polish. On her, fabulous. Life is not fair.
Agree on No 5 - too much aldehydes for me! You're right it's cold and just sort of sits there. It's like Perfume, capital P, it smells like nothing but Perfume.
I really didn't like Chergui but it wasn't a heartbreak. Not POTL either, I just wanted to try it out of curiousity and then it was sort of sweet and play-doh-ish like everybody said.
It bugs me that I can't appreciate Creed Cuir de Russie. It's made for Errol Flynn, damnit! And it's leather! But to me it's just sort of thin and sharp and very faint, more like cardboard than leather, cardboard with the added alcohol smell from a marker, and perhaps some citrus and birch sap?
It sort of goes for Chanel Cuir de Russie too. I tried to tell myself I loved it, and yes, the smooth yet strong leather note is rather nice, but in the end... it's just too smooth. Like a luxury lotion for Real Ladies, and I'm not a lady. Lotion-type florals and then that buttery soft, suede-like leather note. I wasn't too keen on Daim Blond or TF Tuscan Leather either, so I guess I just don't go for sweet, soft leather.
I happen to love Chergui, but it took a little time (and cooler weather) to sell me initially. As for scents that don't work for me, here they are:
1.) Blenheim Bouquet, which others like on me but which I find medicinal in a sage/thyme sort of way; 2.) Antidote by Viktor & Rolf, which seems kind of fabulous in theory but makes me sneeze; 3.) AG Duel, which I cannot figure out for the life of me; 5.) Creed Millésime Impérial; and 6.) Guerlain Vétiver, which in its reformulation places too much emphasis on the top notes to the detriment of the root, and which thus I can only bear after upwards of one hour after drydown.
Aldehydes are my nadir. Anything but the gentlest white sparkle and I literally recoil.
I was gifted No. 5 in the parfum and after consulting with Chaya decided the perfumista thing to do was not to sell it (my first impulse) but to hang on to it and keep trying -- but I still have to grit my teeth through the opening. Then all I can smell is the (beautiful) sandalwood. Where are those flowers?
Musc Ravageur -- pure barbershop on me. Where is my cinnamon?
L'eau d'Hiver -- umm...huh? I have to try it again, but the first couple times I couldn't smell anything at all!
My heartbreaks are the Andy Tauer scents -- Maroc should be MINE. But...but...
Looks around furtively...whispers...I think my romance w/ POTL has ended. Not sure what happened. But it seems to be over. And, rose sl*t that I am, I've never been able to find the magic in Mille et Une Roses. Shalimar just has too much lemon - a note I do *not* want blended w/ incense - but I've gone through a few brief phases of imagining I love it...something to do w/ wanting to identify w/ the woman in the ad. Yes, I'm pathetically susceptible to good advertising. I recently thought I'd permanently ceased to find the appeal of FT, but it turned out to be a favorite comfort scent during my hideous August. I even fell back in love w/ Rahat. Very strange. Could CSPs be next?
Colombina, every time i try Pour Un Homme I wish I smelled like royalty and end up smelling like the cheapest of the cheap.
Annick Goutal Duel: I love every single note in it, so why do i only get burnt plastic, burnt rubber, burnt tires, burnt.....
Guerlain Heritage and Habit Rouge: in the last ten years I tried them both dozens of times hoping for some magic to happen, but I can barely tell them apart when they are on my wrists, and forget what they smell like the moment I exit the store.
Le Dandy/(Le Drunky): I want to be able to wear it without feeling the need to check into the Betty Ford clinic, it's pure alcohol on me.
And finally, the entire line I cannot wear: every time i ask the lady behind the counter " can i try a couple of the...", she finishes the sentence for me "...the Lutens, yes". She has the -this is the right one- smile on her face every time, until I give her the -is this all there is- look and leave. I bring home the samples she kindly gives me and try them to death, nothing good ever happens but i don't want to give up; isn't it unfair when you love everything about a line, except the perfumes?
Judith,
No-no. You can't like POTL. :-) When I start to think, "everone loves POTL", I always remind myself that, well, Judith does not, and feel comforted :-)
Erin,
Right back at you! Maybe I should try Chergui again...No! No, I won't. Enough is enough :-)
Morgan Creek,
Oh gosh, how I loved Musc Ravageur! And then -poof- the love was gone and now all I get is "Satan's Candy Emporium" :-(
March,
OK, here are my comfort scents, what are yours? -
Messe de Minuit
Eau Noire
White Aoud
:-)
Goddess_Dream,
Oh your list is heartbreaking :-) Two of my most favorite Malles are there :-)
Linda,
Which ones are they?
P,
Does.Not.Work. for me anymore either :-(
Tom,
"lasts longer than "Knots Landing" did in primetime", hahahaha! That's POTL for you. The immortal one. The only scent that is even more immortal is Mecheri Loukhoum.
R,
I like the Light one, but don't love. I can, however, wear it easily and with pleasure. Something I can't say about the Regular one.
Patty,
You know, Chanel's Cuir de Russie...I admire it with all my heart, and I can wear it well, but I can't say I love it. Don't know why...
Denise,
I am so gad you liked that review, it's one of my favorites :-)
Donna,
Must you tease me with that "Just transparence and "breeziness." And the sublime lilac, of course"? :-) Cool Water is all I get.
Solander,
It just sits there on my skin too :-(
Agree with you on both Cuir de Russies.
Vetivresse,
Blenheim Bouquet have been sitting in my to-try box forever. I am going to try to unearth it now.
Sweetlife,
Maroc can't be yours, because it's MINE :-)
(You know, what my DH says whenever I wear it? "What's burning?" :-))
L,
Ah, you finally saw the light with POTL. You saw it for what it really is, which is - Evil :-)
Edwardian,
"isn't it unfair when you love everything about a line, except the perfumes?"- describes what I feel about Guerlain and Caron.
Chaos, KenzoAmour, FdB, Courtesan, Barbara Bui, Lolita Lempicka "L", Matthew Williamson Incense (wee decant.)
I am guessing some of these are not your idea of comfort. :-) I do note a theme of woods, musk, incense and/or a gourmand feel rather than florals...
March,
Actually I totally see all of them as comfort scents!
Marina, I'm anxious to hear your reaction to Blenheim Bouquet! Today I tried SL Miel de Bois, which is a dead ringer for some honey I bought recently in a pharmacy in Chiasso, CH. All day I get little bursts of forest honey in my nose, but a girlfriend made a yucky face when she smelled it. :(
I'm definitely a big fan of Chanel-- love #5 and lots of others work well on me. But #19 and Cristalle are unwearable. They smell like manure after about 15 minutes. Not poo, (different smell), but clean barn manure. Good on a farm, BAD on my skin. I'm hit or miss with the Carons. I want to love them but can handle maybe half of them.
Couldn't agree more about the FM Editions. I love most, but whatever L'eau D'Hiver is it's ruined for me by the caramel. En Passant smells like nothing but YEAST, which is a horrible disappointment when I'm trying to capture the scent of my Grandma's new England garden full of lilacs.
Other total failures on me: Azuree Soleil, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Iris Nobile, 24 Faubourg, JM White Mint and Jasmine, creed Fleurs de Bulgarie, Angel...
Agree with you on Mitsouko. And it is a relief to know I'm not alone for whom it smells oily! I'm actually "studying" Mitsouko right now, that is, trying to fell in love. It's so light on me, almost undetectable. I have a parfum and EDT. Only when I practically drench myself in EDT I smell something. Sometimes I wanna believe I do smell peach (for a moment). Mitsouko on me smells like a warm skin, pleasant, but not outstanding, and too close to skin. May be I just need bolder scents, lighter ones disappear on me... Strange: Mitsouko is a chypre, and they are really MY thing. Chanel 19, Cristalle, Bandit, Nicki de Saint Phalle -just LOVE them all, and they smell best on me, but Mitsouko... alas.. I'll keep trying, though! And I love its bottle so much, it's so yellow and cute! I bought Mitsouko largely because of it.
Chanel 5, too, is just a comfort scent. I don't like the opening, and only after trying a parfum I detected flowers in it. They are really beautiful, but only last for 5 minutes or so. The base is nice and comforting, so may be I'll buy an EDT - only for it's base...
I do love Shalimar, though, all its notes!
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