...Thank you, Don and Apicius - this sounds like quite a reasonable solution. I really appreciate that you thought about the best way to address everyone's concerns.Also, as a lawyer familiar with the US Constitution, I can tell you that "freedom of speech" is not an issue that applies to you. It is an issue addressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution, which places various restrictions on US government ability to restrict citizens' freedom of speech. It does not apply to the actions of private individuals unless they are acting on behalf of the US government in some way. It bothers me to hear people misusing that phrase, which has a very specific legal meaning. :roll:

...Oooh, this is good to know! Now all I have to do is figure out what messed up my household wi-fi... :(

...I'm a little hesitant because the people at my post office sometimes ask me what's in there and I've had a couple of packages refused. It's technically a big deal to lie to them, and not worth it to me.

...Gold - I wish I could send you some samples, but I think it may be hard to send them to Germany from the US. Have you gotten samples from anyone in the US?

...I love peachy scents! Here are some of my favorite peaches:Fresh Sake (peach + rice wine)(still in production)Naomi Campbell Cat Deluxe (slightly spicy peach)Paloma Picasso Tentations (peach stewed with cloves)Jean Couturier Un Jardin a Paris (light summer peach)(just got a bargain bottle on US eBay)I'll probably think of some more, but hope this helps.

...OK, now that someone's mentioned B. Spears Hidden Fantasy, I guess I know what I need to go spray! :) (Talk about highbrow/lowbrow - I have an equal amount of Britney Spears and Serge Lutens in my collection - one each!)

...I have been reading this topic and very much enjoying all the things the rest of you wrote.I have been waiting for the weather to warm up so I could air out my house. Now, even though it's only 40F (4C), I turned off the heat and opened one window anyway. Time for fresh air, even if it's cold!

...Oooh, Silverfire. I don't think I've smelled any of those. Especially Memoir Man sounds intriguing. Yeah, it would depend on a lot of factors. I guess I'd stay away from some of the more odd things in my wardrobe and go toward a lot of simple, fresh scents if I hadn't met the person before. What comes to mind for me is Masaki Matsushima Mat;Orange or Yves Rocher Orange et Amande, for instance. To me, these scents say that you are vivacious and clean but are unlikely to be associated with anything negative the person might have smelled before. (I think almost all floral scents have associations - good and bad - for some people.)

...Oh, dear - I'm so sorry - forgot that this thread was here. My many thanks to these super-sweet and helpful swappers/givers!!!!!!!! It's such a pleasure trading with you all :!: :!: :!: :!:

...I'm never sure whether I like Boucheron Trouble. To me, it's mostly Murphy's Oil Soap! It amuses me even more that it comes in such an elegant bottle from a jewelry company! :)

...I buy from eBay often and have had hardly any negative experiences. My collection would be half what it is if not for eBay. Like others, I mostly buy used bottles. I look at the seller's other listings, too. If I see that they happen to be selling a dozen different bottles of the same Chanel, or something equally popular, I steer away. Yep, the less common ones are more safe. Also, I've never heard of anyone bothering to counterfeit minis. I am also more trusting of people who say something personal, like, "I bought this at Dillard's and my husband doesn't like it." (Naturally, those people also won't be selling multiple bottles of the same thing.)

...Thank you so much, Apicius, Don, and your many moderators and helpers. It is such a pleasure being here, and I am so grateful you launched the English-language site. There is so much beautiful, thoughtful writing here, and I suspect that's because you gave it such a healthy place to flourish! Much appreciated. :!:

...The only "plus" to this is I guess it will help me buy less perfume. (I do buy used bottles on eBay pretty often and will continue to do so with these brands. If I buy a half-bottle of Lancome from eBay, the company is not getting any money.)

...Hey, folks:If you're as disgusted as I am by animal testing of cosmetics and home products, this information may be useful to you.Sadly, L'Oreal, which does test on animals, just bought Urban Decay, which has always been against animal testing & uses mostly vegan ingredients. But L'Oreal owns a lot of other companies you might not expect it to, also, like The Body Shop. (Also Lancome, Kiehl's, YSL, Ralph Lauren, Viktor & Rolf, Armani, Lauren, & Cacharel.):shock: Procter & Gamble, which also insists on testing on animals, also has bought up quite a few brands you might not know about. (Includes Dolce & Gabbana, Old Spice, Bruno Banani, Escada, Hugo Boss, and Gucci!):shock: Here are the complete lists of both:List of L'Oreal brands: http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/brands-l-oreal.aspx Procter & Gamble brands: http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/index.shtml

...Great question! To reduce postage, I tend to order a lot of samples at once, so this is a question dear to my heart! I don't like to test more than two scents at a time, and I find it quite confusing to spray them on at the same time if I'm not specifically trying to compare. So, spray on left wrist, wait an hour or so, then spray a different one on right wrist. If either is a very fast fade, I might do the same again a few hours later. Whether I would plow through the whole bunch on successive days depends on how well I think the samples will suit the weather. If something is soft & citrusy and it's blustery & nasty here, the sample is going to wait, possibly for months, until the right weather comes along.Hope you feel better soon!

...Excellent! Thanks for choosing these fine folks, Apicius, and thanks to the new mods for agreeing to do it!

...Wow. A lot of beauty here. Lola82: I agree with you - the different YSL Opium bottles are gorgeous!!!

...Great to see you, Trax! Hey, if being a Chanel/Guerlain gal is the standard, I don't meet it either! You know that I really like Britney Spears' Hidden Fantasy, so put me in the "lowbrow club." :lol: Bisous!PBF

...Sorry to hear it, Lola82. I'm glad you have other places (like here) that you can go to talk about perfume.

...Not really sure those are conflicting emotions, CG. I respect his talent greatly. I'm just not buying any more of his stuff because he has used it unwisely and I don't want to support that (unless he apologizes, probably).