National Fragrance Day: 20 Favorite Bottle Designs in My Perfume Collection

2017-03-21 fivezero5 Comments

It’s National Fragrance Day! To celebrate, I’ve compiled a list of favorite perfume bottles in my collection. I’ve previously done a list of perfumes I want just for the bottles, so I thought this would be a fun one to do, as well.

I’m not wearing any of these scents today, though. Test driving ’90s classic Tommy Girl (which comes in a perfectly serviceable bottle, but it’s certainly not one of my favorites).

ANNICK GOUTAL Heure Exquise EDP — Image: annickgoutal.com

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ANNICK GOUTAL — Heure Exquise & Les Nuits d’Hadrien

Many of Annick Goutal’s fragrances come in this signature bottle and tagged with a ribbon and a card. The style is old-fashioned and very beautiful. The glass bottle’s ribbing is reminiscent of gathered tulle.

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BADGLEY MISCHKA — Badgley Mischka (2006)

My Top 10 Blind (Unsniffed) Perfume Buys

2016-01-07 fivezero15 Comments

A few people commented on Tuesday’s post about my penchant for buying fragrances unsniffed, so I thought I’d do a roundup of the successes and failures of this habit of mine. Now, while I do tend to buy unsniffed, I do not tend to buy unresearched, so my hit-to-miss ratio is actually pretty good.

Also, I tend not to buy unsniffed if I can sample the fragrance in person, or, failing that, obtain a sample online (Lucky Scent and The Perfumed Court were my go-tos when I was doing more sample-buying). Some perfume houses also do their own samples, and I’ve gotten some that way (Ava Luxe—or at least she used to, Czech & Speake, Grossmith, Les Parfums des Rosine).

Without further ado, here are my 10 favorite fragrances that I have ever bought unsniffed:

Badgley Mischka — Badgley Mischka. This is an intense, jammy fruit blend—really gourmand and rich. It almost reaches the point where the fruit starts to seem overripe and on the verge of fermenting. I’ve smelled some similar fragrances and hated them, but this one just works for me. It’s not for everyone, but I love it on a cold winter day. The bottle is very luxe in heavy, faceted glass. I found it a few winters back at Winners.Read More »

Top 20 Cheap Thrills in Perfume

2015-06-122016-10-21 fivezero10 Comments

I am going to say right off the bat that I am in no way a perfumista. My nose isn’t quite so refined, and I still have trouble identifying many elements of fragrances. I simply enjoy trying out all kinds of different fragrances, and I love finding a cheap thrill that I can add to my collection. (I have that obsessive collector’s bug in me!)

With nail polish, I can appreciate most, if not all, colors. Similarly, I like many different types of fragrances, so my lists may seem a bit haphazard. However, I definitely gravitate to rose, violet, and lemon notes, as well as warm skin scents.

And so, with those disclaimers out of the way, I present my Top 20 Cheap Thrills in Perfume. I have divided the 20 into two separate lists: In Production and Discontinued (as far as I know!).

Prices given are in USD and are approximates that I found from popular online discounters like FragranceNet, FragranceX, Perfumania, and StrawberryNet. And, don’t forget TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and Winners in Canada! My personal favorite, as someone who requires shipping to Canada, is FragranceX, and I have made many purchases there.

For items that are currently unavailable online, I note the price that I paid, instead.

The lists are in alphabetical order, not order of preference.

If you’ve tried any of these, I would love to know what you think! Fragrance is impossibly subjective, and I think it’s always fun to see what others love and hate. No offense will be taken, and I always welcome recommendations!