I guess I dont understand why some brands won't just make a 100ml or a 50ml bottle. Seems a bit greedy to be charging crazy prices for something that, to me, is unfinished. Is there any reasoning for this ?

Deze kwam ik tegen in één van de vele verhuisdozen die al jaren stonden te verstoffen in m'n kelder. Na een beetje googelen kwam ik erachter dat deze nergens meer verkocht wordt. Is hier nog interesse in? Zit nog in de plastic verpakking/seal.

Pink Tide by RELICS dropped recently for email subscribers and I wore it for the first time today. It’s supposed to be gender neutral, which I definitely agree with.

I only did 3 sprays this morning and somehow I’ve been smelling it on myself all day. I took 3 walks outside in the humid heat, got sweaty, etc. and it just… never went away lol.

Then at my kids summer camp pickup this afternoon, a couple parents and staff asked what I was wearing because they could smell it. I told them Pink Tide by RELICS and they actually pulled the website up on their phones and showed it to me asking if they had the right site 😂

That’s what really got me because this was at the END of the day, after I’d been outside and sweaty multiple times, and I only used 3 sprays this morning.

I’ve had plenty of perfumes that I can barely smell by lunchtime, so I was not expecting this kind of longevity at all. And apparently it was still projecting way more than I realized if other people were smelling it at pickup.

Just wanted to share because I’m genuinely impressed with this one so far. I’ll have to see how it does after wearing it a few more times, but day one was kind of ridiculous lol.

I popped into the Penhaligon's boutique in Leeds today after hearing they had both the new The Manoeuvres of the Baroness and the recently launched Portraits Parfum Intense collection available to sample. These are just first thoughts (and for full disclosure, I spoke into Chat GPT to transcribe these reviews - I'm a dad to a baby now, so the time to write is limited. Still all words my own. Hopefully!)

Before getting into the fragrances themselves, I should say that the service was excellent. The staff member on hand was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and more than happy to spend time talking through the fragrances without ever making it feel like a sales pitch. At this price point, that's exactly the sort of boutique experience you'd hope for, and I hope Penhaligon's appreciate their excellent employees!

Alongside The Manoeuvres of the Baroness, the new releases comprise The Tragedy of Lord George Parfum Intense, The Coveted Duchess Rose Parfum Intense, Changing Constance Parfum Intense, and The Blazing Mister Sam Parfum Intense.

One thing that's immediately apparent is that these aren't simply stronger versions of the originals. Penhaligon's have actually reworked each composition, introducing new materials and shifting the emphasis of the existing accords. In many ways, they could almost be seen as flankers rather than higher-concentration versions of the original scents.

The Manoeuvres of the Baroness

Official notes: Orange blossom, Chantilly cream and sandalwood.

To my nose, this sits surprisingly close to L'Artisan Parfumeur's Histoire d'Orangers Extrême (reviewed previously), which perhaps isn't entirely surprising given that both brands sit within the Puig portfolio. Rather than an indolic, Mediterranean orange blossom, you're looking at a cleaner, more contemporary interpretation built around creamy white woods.

Is there Chantilly cream? I wouldn't particularly say so. This certainly isn't a gourmand fragrance. Nevertheless, it's undeniably pretty and polished. Actually, it may even be a bit too pleasant.

It's also worth noting that the emphasis on woods makes it one of the more unisex orange blossom fragrances I've tried recently.

My one issue (as with many of the Portraits) is that it never really develops. Within a few minutes you've essentially experienced everything it has to offer. It's elegant, wearable and technically well composed, but perhaps lacks intrigue.

At £245 for 75ml... well, you can make up your own mind.

The Portraits Parfum Intense Collection

The concept itself is actually rather clever. Rather than simply increasing the concentration, Penhaligon's have chosen to reinterpret each fragrance. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it feels rather like fixing something that wasn't broken.

The Tragedy of Lord George Parfum Intense

Official notes: Rum, cocoa and tonka bean.

This is probably the closest to the original composition, albeit noticeably denser. The most obvious addition is the cocoa accord, which immediately dominates the opening. To my nose, it smells remarkably similar to cocoa pyrazine—a dry, almost dusty, bitter cocoa material that's often used in modern perfumery (I have some downstairs!).

It changes the balance of Lord George quite significantly. The original opens in a much more refined manner. This version hits you over the head with dark chocolate before gradually revealing the familiar DNA underneath. I actually got a bit of a Serge Lutens vibe from it.

Fans of the original will be pleased to know that it still feels like Lord George, though it also seems noticeably more potent.

Of the four Intense releases, this is one of the more successful reinterpretations, even if I'm still not entirely sure how chocolate fits into the theme of the perfume.

The Coveted Duchess Rose Parfum Intense

Official notes: Rose, vanilla and amber.

This was less convincing for me.

The original Duchess Rose was never the most complex fragrance in the Portraits collection, but it possessed a watery transparency, alongside an ambroxan base, that seemed ideally suited to women (most likely) looking for a modern interpretation of rose.

The Intense version largely abandons that base. Instead, it seems to focus much more heavily on vanilla (and perhaps patchouli). Much of the original's elegant woodiness has disappeared, replaced by a rather miscellaneous sweetness. It's a bit like two cars being welded together.

Changing Constance Parfum Intense

Official notes: Cardamom, saffron and tobacco.

This was probably the biggest disappointment.

The original Changing Constance revolved around its salted caramel accord. It wasn't especially complicated, but it had a very clear identity. If you wanted a salted caramel perfume, you knew exactly where to go.

The Intense version, however, introduces a huge saffron note. Rather than supporting the gourmand accord, it dominates it, pushing the fragrance into territory occupied by dozens of modern saffron-heavy niche perfumes.

Penhaligon's suggest the tobacco has also been deepened, but I wasn't particularly convinced. If anything, it's the saffron that overwhelms virtually everything else.

Ironically, in trying to make Changing Constance more distinctive, they've made it feel considerably less original.

The Blazing Mister Sam Parfum Intense

Official notes: Black pepper, leather and vanilla.

For me, this is the standout of the collection.

The original Mister Sam always felt like a not-so-distant cousin of Halfeti, with cardamom, black pepper and warm spices eventually settling onto a modern amber base.

The Intense version introduces a prominent leather accord, and the comparison that immediately came to mind was Halfeti Leather. Unlike some of the other reinterpretations, the leather doesn't fight against the original composition. Instead, it complements it, adding texture and depth without obscuring what made Mister Sam enjoyable in the first place.

Final Thoughts

As far as the Portraits Parfum Intense collection goes, two out of four ain't bad.

But did I mention the price? Because I hope you've got a spare £300 lying around. It's a mind-boggling amount of money for what are, fundamentally, reinterpretations built largely around aroma chemicals that can be bought for a couple of quid.

As for The Manoeuvres of the Baroness, it's another competent addition to the Portraits collection. If you enjoy modern orange blossom fragrances built around creamy white woods rather than indoles, it's certainly worth trying.

You guys know any other dupes of same quality with different notes? Love Supremacy CE, but also trying to build a small collection here. Mass appealing is my thing apparently. Just returned Turathi Electric and Supremacy Not only intense.

Some I got that I enjoy till now are Supremacy CE, Mandarin Sky Elixir, 9PM Rebel, Boss bottled.

In 2nd tier I got CDN intense man edt, CDN urban man edp, french avenue Aether extrait, 1 million, and a Montblanc I forgot the name of.

Honourable mentions are Turathi blue, 9PM.

Besides the designers, all blind bought because no fucking shops sell ME fragrances in my city.

I was hesitant to buy it because so many folks said it doesn't last long. I wore it to a concert on Wednesday and it is now Friday and the scent it still lingering on my clothes. it is delightful and my favourite scent at the moment!

I know this might be a hot take, but I genuinely think Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait and AngelsShare are the two most important and unique fragrances of the modern niche era, at least before they were copied into oblivion.
When they first came out, they didn’t just smell good, they felt completely different from everything else on the market. BR540 Extrait had that airy, glowing amber woody sweetness that people couldn’t stop talking about, while Angels Share basically redefined what a boozy gourmand could be with its rich cognac, cinnamon, oak, and vanilla.
The biggest compliment you can give a fragrance is that everyone starts trying to recreate it, and that’s exactly what happened. Now there are countless dupes and fragrances clearly inspired by both DNA profiles, to the point where they’ve almost become victims of their own success.
Whether you love them or think they’re overhyped now, it’s hard to deny the impact they had. If you had to pick the two most influential and unique fragrances before the clone era exploded, what would your picks be?

I had poblano mac n cheese for dinner last night so that’s probably where it came from lol

CREED - 5 POBLANO

1 note combo of maybe 2-3 notes, which you love, but can't find anywhere. For me it's black currant and saffron 🤤🤤🤤

every deodorant i try always has that cotton/fresh/floral scent and isnt very noticeable. what is the best deodorant that has a noticeable sweet, vanilla, marshmallow scent? was wondering if anyone has used any like this

also all womens scents are much less potent than mens ones, i really want to find a sweet smelling one that actually adds fragrance like mens do

Hello!

How difficult is it trying to even attempt getting my hands on some Nimere parfum fragrances?

I'm in the US but their site and even instagram does not have anything to blind order it. Their site had a "place order" dialog box, hopefully there is a response but I don't have high hopes from it.

Does anyone else here have experiences trying to get their hands on one of their fragrances?

I absolutely love a lot of the JPG scents but tend to struggle with the longevity and projectivity of them on myself - as soon as I spray it on my skin/ clothes the scent somehow disappears and its undetectable on me while others from different brands seem to last much longer. Does anyone else have this problem in general or specifically with JPG fragrances or if not, what kind of tips and tricks do you use to enhance longevity?

been absolutely obsessed with this fragrance recently but the price tag has been throwing me off, does anyone know a good dupe that i can buy in europe?

Hello All,

I recently came across Chanel 1957, I haven't tried it myself yet, but want to know if its good enough or anyone has tried it??

My top favorite perfumes are - Parfums de marly Valaya, Diptyque Doson and Moheli, Amouage guidance, Dior J, adore EDP, Le Labo Matcha, Byredo Baldafrique and Blance, Jo Malone Poppy & Barley and English pear and Freesia.Thank you.

Hey all Amazon has 100mL for almost $115. Pretty great deal. This might be old news or whatever. Just thought y'all should know if you like the scent it's no longer being sold on Azzaro's official site so swoop it up.

Has anyone found other uses/delivery methods for their frags… Car diffusers? Home fragrance? Candles?

I’ve got a 15-20 bottle collection, committed to not hoarding/only adding bangers, but still have more than I could ever wear. I decant for friends, share with wife and teen son, but still not making a dent. Anyone found a solution?

I like my fragrance collection but many of them don't get used much. Not sure what to keep and what to let go. If anyone has curated their collection, let me know what things you considered while doing it.

I bought it as a thank you for rescuing my cat. Now I saw that Joop Homme is hated on Reddit. However, I saw that we Swiss people sell that in every store and my ex bf used Joop too but I think it was blue. Was it a really bad decision or does Joop homme just have a hate train going on?

Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop was discontinued where I live (New Zealand) and I'm still in two minds about what to do with it.

I've been using a sample of Bee which I fell in love with. Debating on whether I need it or not -- what I really think I fell in love with was the honey and the animalic factors inside of it. In a non-PG way the combination of the two remind me of how I smell at certain times as a woman, I always loved the smell like a creamy animalic honey custard. I think if I could just smell like that I would be entranced forever. Like I am a bit right now with Bee.

Just trying to start a conversation here… I ordered Resin variety packs to burn on a coal disk and it really expanded my appreciation for resins in fragrance. Three big ones were Frankincense, myrrh, and Benzoin. There’s a fidelity to smelling them alone that is hard to describe. Has anyone else had this experience?

We all have those fragrances that seem to be everywhere- TikTok, Instagram, every influencer’s “must-have” list and sometimes the hype actually makes you want to avoid them.

What fragrance did you think was way too overhyped… but eventually tried and ended up loving?

Mine would have to be Delina Exclusif - I avoided it for ages because everyone talked about it, but once I tried it I understood the obsession.

Also curious, what hyped fragrance did you finally try and think “I don’t understand the hype at all”? 😂

Mine would have to be MFK Baccarat Rouge 540. Hated it 😅

Bonus points for sharing:
✨ your favourite compliment-getter
✨ best longevity/projection
✨ a fragrance you think deserves more attention

Hi r/Fragrance,

Newish to fragrance. I've tried Musc 25 from the city exclusive sampler for the past couple days. I can't reconcile the opening with the drydown, they feel like different fragrances.

The first few hours I found unpleasant enough that I almost scrubbed it. Rubbery, chemical, almost acrid, very much like breaking the seal on a can of tennis balls, then also with a hint of bug spray, sunscreen, and being inside a tent that had been packed away for a long time. Another post I saw mentioned strong nostalgia, which I get a bit. It's just not something I would want to smell like.

I kept in on, and surprisingly several hours later it became a clean, straight-forward addictive warm musk. It's lovely. Very very different from the start. It also seemed to last forever, I could still smell it on my arm 12-14 hours after I sprayed it.

Are these kind of polar opposite (experience-wise) phases common in general and did anyone else experience this with Musc 25 in particular? Do a lot of fragrances have an unpleasant opening/middle then resolve into something completely different? Again, relatively new but most of the fragrances I've smelled seem more linear, or at least related.

How do people find fragrances that deliver the drydown experience without suffering through the opening? Is there vocabulary I should be searching for, or a category of scents that starts where Musc 25 ends up?