...Sweetgrass:I am not that familiar with the functions on Basenotes (other than I find their directory hard to use and sorely lacking) but one thing really irks me: reviews have to approved by an admin before they are published. Is this is a general thing or something they do to control new members for spam accounts? Does anybody on here know? Because that hampers news users' participation, and seeing as I already participate in two perfume communities, I can't be arsed to jump through hoops like that.EDIT, never mind — apparently you have to pay for your reviews to go through instantly. I knew there was a reason why that site seemed a bit off to me.I don't think about Basenotes as restrictive or that they discourage new users' participation. True, there have been a few instances of overreaching mods, but the real problem with how things are run is on the technical side, which I believe also irks Aromi so much (and I agree). For one thing, I would prefer if they had more control over the obvious shills infesting the forum, for one company in particular which shall remain unnamed here so as not to generate another google hit.I can totally see your frustration, Sweetgrass. But there are lots of good people there who are truly enthusiastic about perfume and it is a lively community. They just need someone who is really competent and has a clear vision to go over their technical base, that's all. And I really hope this thread will not evolve into some sort of BN bashing. Let's stay on the constructive side!

..."Dunhill Edition" - original version.

...I'm trying to think what major house doesn't have an "oud" yet. As of now, all that comes to mind is Chanel and Hermès.What is your prediction, are we to expect an oud fragrance from these two eventually?

...In the meantime, Grant mentions in a post today he's looking at alternatives to run the BN forums, because of security issues with vBulletin...Another reformulation in the works?? :roll:

..."Eau du Sud" by Annick Goutal has that effect on me. And coffee.

...Somehow this one totally slipped under my radar. Based on the list of notes and reviews, it all sounded very promising to the point that I was considering blind buying a FB. Then, some reviewers commented that it is too much like Ambre Précieux - which I really like, but do I need a flanker, that is the question... If anyone tried Ambre Doré, what are your thoughts?

...I chuckled a few times when I was reading some of the comments on BN, as it reminded me of the perpetual Mac vs Windows vs Linux debate (which I get to hear a lot). "Why Windows is, and always will be, better than Mac", and so on. There is clearly a place under the sun for all of these sites, and people will naturally gravitate to the place they like best. Parfumo's got great contributors whose reviews are a pleasure to read, even more so because of the elegant, clean and tasteful design of the site.The Basenotes forum, on the other hand, is the best platform for young people to socialize and learn about perfume. Great archives, too.Now, what I really want to find is those long and poetic German reviews :wink:

...The first snow of the season here -- made me reach for the soft and comforting leather of "Grand Cuir" by Parfums Rétro.

...Xerjoff "Fiero"

...Designer - Hermès (pre-Ellena)Niche - tough to pick one really... based on the number of scents I have, that would be Amouage

..."Bal à Versailles" tops them all in my book 8)

...From what I own, I think Amouage "Dia Man" would be at the top of my list.

..."Equipage" - my go-to frag when I'm in a rush.

...The EdT version with the golden cap was the one supposedly targeted at men. I remember vaguely that the box was kind of purplish, but I may be mistaken. In any case, the juice was indeed drier than the EdP and kind of uncouth. It was also different from my sample of the "true vintage" EdT.

...ROBERTOB:Eau des Îles by Maitre Parfumeur et GantierEau des Îles was my SotD as well! :DI noticed that for some reason I reach for this scent more often in the fallShadows of falling leavesOctober moon and rusty skies, ever changing feelingsThe seeds of autumn in my mind

...Pipette:I love to read articles in Perfume Shrine. This is a blog full of good and detailed information.Most wholeheartedly agree. Always fun to read and really informative.May I add that at the end of the second article there is a link to yet another fabulous article (this is like a matryoshka doll now), which, among other things, demystifies the "7 Rules on How to Wear Perfume the French Way" :!:

..."Sane and intelligent human beings are like all other human beings, and carefully and cautiously and diligently conceal their private real opinions from the world and give out fictitious ones in their stead for general consumption." -- Mark Twain I always thought Sylvia Platt was one of the few who chose not to give out fictitious opinions for general consumption.

...This topic has been coming up on BN quite regularly over the years as well. Someone new posts the same question, dozens of others chime in, by the end sparks are flying and many people get offended. You kind of learn to ignore this type of threads after a while. I see at least two good reasons to do so: (i) not to get disappointed in humans too much and (ii) not to feed the trolls.

...I don't think packaging was ever as a factor in my decision to buy or not to buy a perfume. But I really appreciate the beauty and quality of the bottle if it also happens to contain a scent that I like. Now, there is one other, very utilitarian reason why bottles matter to me: they serve as "avatars" for the scents I have. I can pick a fragrance on a whim if I have to chose from original bottles sitting on a shelf. Not so from decants in almost identical vials, I would have to read their labels and engage the logical faculty of the brain. Unfortunately, there are too many beautiful scents and there is no way I can have everything in their original bottles.

...Acqua di Parma Profumo