...Triffid:Hermes is one house I want to investigate further. So far, I've not found one I dislike. There is actually a decent array of testers in one of my local department stores but usually by the time I've arrived at them, I've no available skin left. I have 24, Faubourg; Caleche and Jour d'Hermes are on the wish list; Voyage is on the "like - sample again" list and Terre d"Hermes was a winner but not preferred to Montale's Red Vetiver (which is similar but lasts a lot longer). I loved Kelly Caleche when I first tried it a few years ago but it has been bumped off the short list by stronger leather and rose fragrances sampled since.The Jardin and Merveilles series are the next to be sampled more attentively.looking over the list, I realise I've not tried any of Christine Nagel's compositions although there's certainly quite a portfolio there.I know I love Doblis. I haven't ever smelt it but I know I love it. I wear Apres La Mousson at the sound of the first Basmati rice grain falling from the jar. I love Kelly Caleche for the smell of the finest gardening gloves, the ones that Marie Antoinette wore, not the ones that we, my dear Triffid, wear in our endeavours. Rumour has it that Yardley's Citrus and Wood is a knock off for Terre D'Hermes. God bless the Union Jack. Jour d'Hermes didn't score with me but 24 Faubourg is magistral, or whatever the buzz word is of the moment.

...Sherapop:I just hope that the next step isn't capitulation to the forces that be at LVMH. Hermès need to retain an independent identity in order to continue on with integrity. LVMH has already ruined so many formerly beautiful perfumes... :roll:Hear Hear! I ran a poll with FB friends to find out what they liked and if they thought about what synthetic ingredients were in their perfumes. They know nothing! LOL, really. It's all marketing and mirrors.

...Sleuth:Which Nagel perfumes do you like or dislike? Personally I divide Hermès into "pre-Ellena" (the older ones above) and "Ellena". Eau des Merveilles is a bit of an exception, being modern but not by JC Ellena.I bought JCE's book, a year in the life of, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband is devoted to Terre D'Hermes. I love Kelly Caleche, Sur de Nil and APLM. Narcisso Rodriguez For Her is much loved by friends and I think it's a Christine Nagel co-creation. Where will they take us before Mr Ellena fades into the west?

...Triffid:Anosmia - so true, Dulcemio. I usually ask for a second opinion if I think a fragrance has disappeared and my husband does the same with me. Sometimes fragrances just settle quietly into a skin scent - fair enough - but some don't seem to have any fixatives at all and just evaporate away after a short time.Re anosmia: there was an article written on this and there's a link to it buried somewhere in a fragrance review. Apparently, fragrances with a high percentage of violet ionones can cause temporary anosmia by paralysing nasal receptors (or something like that). These are those fragrances that seem to come and go and come back again when you wear them (Bottega Veneta is one example) and often there will be dissention amongst reviewers about the longevity (doesn't last, lasts for ages etc). The clue is that others can usually smell the fragrance on you quite easily (at least until their noses are temporarily paralysed too).When I was a child you could buy penny bunches of violets. I would draw a long steady inhale thinking that violet was the world's most beautiful scent. I didn't know that ionone blocked the scent receptors and that would be the end of it. The flowers sat in a little glass of water as if cursed by a gypsy, withering quickly.

...Dalmajen:There are certain perfumes I wore years ago, and I can still smell them, in my memory. The fragrance will only come to my mind, when I am reminded of the perfume, or I have written about it. For example,I saw a picture of KL, a fragrance I wore a lot in the 80's, and straight away I could recall how it smelled. The same with Opium, and Estee Lauder Youth Dew...which I can recognize in an instant. Not all fragrances have the recall..but somehow, these ones are inbedded in my memory! :)Snap. I saw the Bijan bottle on the homepage and suddenly Black and then Nude came to me in memory. I always remember my Mother in law in a cloud of Je Reviens, the good stuff, I hasten to add.

...Scarletting:I made the mistake of trying out my bottle of Habanita EDP today. Between the warm weather and being a little trigger happy with a new fragrance I almost made myself sick with it. It's tricky... most perfumes fade very quickly on me. The ones that don't last so long they're almost nauseating.I owned a vintage Habanita until about 2006 when I used the remainder as a room spray before open homes at our houses. I,too, was overwhelmed by it.

...Tessa:Lately a great number of high end perfumes suffer from this "disappearance act". Reformulation? No one knows.Tauer, as mentionned, has a good longevity. Heeley perfumes, all of them, are great in this respect and I had a surprise with Dali by Dali and Origan by Coty, the vintage eau de toilette. You mention Dali which is wonderful I am led to believe. I haven't had the pleasure. I am lusting after an Explorer pack by Tauer (my birthday I hope)

...Omni what's LIDGE? As for me, well, my husband and sons are off on a trip to England today (soccer watching) and will pass through Paris and London. I...

...I am consumed by the thought of Heure Exquise and always looking for LIDGE at online dis counters.

...I took Cristalle and No 19 away with me, figuring that No 19 would take over from Cristalle in the evening. It did work out that way but I do wish that Cristalle lasted longer.

...Dolby, I was completely floored at the ALM scent survival. But there it was, beating out the Goutal. Tomorrow I go to a graduation, a flight and car journey so I will pit a couple of others up against one another. Triffid is right, one needs to put them through their paces to gain a favoured position. A sleep and then here goes.

...Omni I am really baffled by your experience with these two perfumes because when you look at the notes, I would have thought that the Goutal with its...

...Kelly Caleche today, the EDP, lasting about six hours now and just a skin scent but I'm lapping it up. Thunder clouds have built, it's 98% humidity and I'm glad I didn't wear Mitsouko, which I planned to do after reading Miss Frolova's blog this morning

...Yesterday was a hot day here in the Southern Hemisphere. I wore "Un Jardin après la Mousson" for a walk through the park with Luca the poodle. Later, having forgotten that I had used it, I sprayed myself with Annick Goutal's "Passion (Eau de Parfum)" for a trip to the shops. In the evening I sat down to watch Downton Abbey and it was Apres La Mousson that came to me, quite strongly in fact. Passion was all spent.

...I think Parfumo is wonderful, seems truly unisex and welcoming to new members, and like others, I wish it featured higher in the google searches, but as Apicus stated it is growing. Just yesterday Pipette took the time to point me in the direction of a draw. Thanks Pip.

...Omni:I wear Gres Cabaret and Sa Majeste layered. Strange but trueThat sounds like a good combination to me...

...I rounded up a few minis (and one FB blind buy) from my local online discounter. These arrived in three days and have been quite a success. At Omni's recommendation, I bought Jesus del Pozo's "Quasar" as it was very cheap for a 100ml bottle and, based on reviews, seemed like a safe option for a...

...Basenotes is high on the search results and most budding enthusiasts will lurk, then join, then join in. The female forum is a tight clique of very nice submissive women who defer to the men. The men are often bawdy and get away with it without moderation. When a newbie questioned this she was told it started as a male forum, continued strongly as a male forum and 'what was her problem?' It happens, I guess.

...Sylvia stuck her head in a gas oven to commit suicide. One wonders how many 'opinion's she had. Her poem 'Daddy'? is full of repressed opinions.I wish she had lived. As a contributor to Parfumo at the very least

...My dog's name is Luca. (Standard Poodle) Originally he was named for the character in the movie, "French Kiss" played by Kevin Klein. In recent years he has morphed into Luca, the ultimate perfume reviewer. I value his opinion as much as the Emperor's. Just between us, I always thought that an unfortunate title, given the Emperor's New Clothes but Tania Sanchez herself recently tweeted 'There is only one Emperor'What is your dog/cat's name? How do they rate your perfume choices? Do they like civet? Catnip? Indoles?