...PontNeuf for the great descriptions. I DEFINATELY want to get my hands on a bottle of Kerbside Violet now. I need to find someone traveling to the states...

...It´s been a long time since I last bought one of their soaps but recently I came across some comments on their perfumes which caught my interest.Yesterday I visited their store and took a sniff or two....or three :-)Well, I liked "Kerbside Violet" and "All good things" enough to bring a 10ml spray of each home.The violet is mixed with a big amount of iris, nice and earthy. Romantic but also somewhat gothic (I like all things gothic), like a steampunk flower juice :-) To be frank : it´s a killer violet. One of the sort that even experienced niche houses could not produce so far...as to my knowledge at least.And "All good things" is close to unwearable but somewhat wearable nonetheless. It reminded me a lot of very expensive oud scents that sell for big bucks but are of no better quality than this one......It´s a contrast of sickly sweet rose and wood combined with bitter almond extract and burnt sugar and the perfume constantly switches between the two. Sweet. Bitter. Sweet. Bitter. It´s like an olfactory rollercoaster. Very interesting stuff and yes, pretty weird . If you have ever poked out your nose while being at a gas station ? I have and there is something in there that reminds me of such moments :-) I know I am a weirdo :-)They also had a citrussy scent called "Sun" which I will keep on my radar for the summer days.And yes, I fully agree : one spray is enough.

..."Fracas"

...Trying to get my hands on a vintage sample of Azuree, It's proving to be a tricky one to find. Now that I have read your glowing recommendation, PontNeuf I will redouble my efforts to sniff it...

..."Azuree" is Widor´s toccata from his 5th symphony. Majestic and playful and with so much dignity.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0tmUCHA6fo

...PontNeuf, How does Black Cashmere compare to the old formulation?I once owned the old bottle of BC (which looked like a black stone) but never tested the new...

...If any scent could be a signature for me it surely will be "Azuree" by Estee Lauder.Due to its recent reformulation and new presentation in a different bottle I suddenly realized how much I love this perfume. I had to get 2 back-up bottles additionally to my almost full current one....otherwise I would have had nightmares on being without one day.

...PontNeuf, How does Black Cashmere compare to the old formulation...

...Estee Lauder now sell some of their classics in new bottles *shivers*...which makes me think of reformulations.Well, my beloved "Azuree" was not the same in the new bottle. I have immediately stocked up another bottle of the (now) vintage version. Cinnabar is affected, Alliage, Estee and Spellbound.I am sad. :(

...@Briarthorn:Well, the most striking photo/s I have gathered so far are either sad postmortems or other serious portraits. They tend to burn themselves into my memory....if you like here you can see some of my collected things :https://www.flickr.com/photos/129444235@N05/sets/As for the very old books: I do not read those from beginning to end but perouse through them occasionally. I like having them for their age' s sake and the topic they cover. Two are my favourites. The first describes moral advice for a young king, the other one is about medicine.....toothaches are to be healed with the fat of green frogs and laudanum :-) Quite interesting....well, it was the 17th century.

...Fracas by Robert Piguet :https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=s6bSrGbak1gMaria Callas sings “O mio babbino caro“

...I recently discovered "Bel Ami" by chance....a random sniff at the Hermès counter, not expecting anything but woah ! what a scent. It literally blew me away. Very masculine indeed but simply irresistible to my nose. Had to have it right away. The vetiver version is wonderful, too.Also Hermès favourites of mine : Un jardin sur le Nil. Will never get tired of this one. I usually wear heavy oriental bombs but whenever I need something "airy" and "fresh" I usually choose this one.Or "Voyage d´Hermès". Spicy and unobtrusive.I am still undecided whether "Calèche" is something for me. To me it is nostalgic, soapy and very ladylike. Something that smells like the women in "Mad Men"....... I think I might enjoy this one."Rouge d´Hermès" is nice, too but for sandalwood I simply prefer Chanel´s "Bois des Iles" and Guerlain´s "Samsara" over RdH. Two more than decent alternatives simply win over this one.For some time I wore the famed "Ambre Narguilé". I got tired of it some day and gave away my little travel-size bottle. Too foody, too much of all good things actually. At least for the time being...I might change my mind again....but I guess I´d try my luck rather with "Lann Ael" (hope the spelling is not too far off).

...Digindirt, I love plants. Probably explains my botany degree. Do you collect a specific type like tropical, or succulents? Do you have a hothouse?PontNeuf, I love old books and photographs. What is the most striking photo you have collected, the one that grabs you the most? Have you read all the books...

...PontNeuf and Sleuth,Thanks for reviving the topic. Both of those suggestions sound good...

...Dulcemio:Standing next to a gal in the elevator for about 30 seconds this morning, she wearing something with a synthetic citrus-musk-sharp floral-overly fresh with a cleaning product vibe, and me, in my warm, sweet, earthy, patchouli elixir. The combo was sickening, just sickening.But this wonderful patchouli scent certainly made the mixture halfway bearable :-)

..."Shams Oud" by MEMO

...Say, I would not buy an Amouage or Kilian blind but Scentstory´s "24 Gold" might be a candidate to take the risk "Indeed, Pontneuf, I think that, pricewise, most of us have a "sweet spot" where a blind buy is worth the risk. Amouage or Kilian price points would definitely be...

..."Deep Roses" by Montale...or "Aoud Queen Rose" by the same brand.

..."John Varvatos Oud""The odd-fellows bouquet" by Atkinson´s

..."Maharadjah" by NicolaiThe lavender-cinnamon mixture still strikes me in the best of ways :-)