...Haven't had that experience with Misia. Will wear it today and report.

...Wore 1932 yesterday. Didn't project much or last! Then last night I wore African Orchid from Olympic Orchids. Ellen Covey there uses mostly natural ingredients. It's a heavily animalic floral with indoles galore. Lasted all night and in spite of bathing can still smell it today more than I smelled 1932 beyond the first moments. Yes, it's a little stanky but I'm spraying it on again just to enjoy actually smelling something brilliant.

...Hubby sent me this link, which to me is joyous news. Is this a rescue of real perfumery in the making? What is The International Perfume Foundation? See below. I love them! Can they save us?THE INTERNATIONAL PERFUME FOUNDATION launches The Natural Perfumery Certification Programhttp://news360.com/article/357990544Created in 1995, The International Perfume Foundation was founded in Brussels by Creezy Courtoy, French former fashion model, expert in perfume, historian and anthropologist. We are committed to increasing the positive awareness of issues related to the business of perfume, the proper use of perfume by consumers, and promotion of the importance of perfume and it's heritage to everyone. "Turning our backs on nature poses great risks and we are here to preserve our vital heritage by sharing our knowledge, experience and research "http://www.perfumefoundation.org

...Oriane, I wasn't recommending 31 Rue Cambon, which I didn't like enough to buy at the store. I was responding to your request for a comparison.I pay no attention to the chypre label since it can mean nothing except the perfume contains oakmoss or a simulation. The genuine chypre accord per Lucca Turin and other purists is: Bergamot-Oakmoss-Cistus Labdanum. Very few fragrances have that, the best example being Chypre de Coty. It is an absolutely luxurious and narcotic accord. Instead, most contain Oakmoss or the IFRA-provoked substitute for it: Patchouli-Vetiver. Even my beloved Mitsuoko isn't a true chypre. It has Ambergris instead of Labdanum. 31 Rue has Bergamot and Cistus, and only Patchouli instead of Oakmoss. For me, it's not a successful enough perfume to warrant a purchase.The only solution, as always, is that we each follow our own noses. By reading reviews I've discovered others whose noses react similarly to mine and I pay attention to their opinions and recommendations. Even then, once in a while I find I dislike something they liked or vice versa. It's the same as trying to think like someone else. Impossible. Yes, there are hopefully points of agreement but as I point out to my husband, I'd be glad to think like him, but his head insists on being attached to his shoulders instead of mine. Each to his own.I love your detailed analyses. How did you learn to analyze perfumes? Have you studied?

...Well, I wore 31 Rue Cambon all day and it was detectable about an hour on me. Though I do like it better than Coromandel, neither really work for me. Glad I didn't buy them.

...How different all our reactions to scent are. Thanks for sharing. I must admit I didn't follow 31 Rue's drydown. For the first hour or so I could smell it, but not Coromandel unless I put my nose to my skin. Weird. Today I'll put 31 on alone and pay attention. Also, I sampled Bois de Isles at the counter with the others and it didn't even register. Cuir der Russie is lovely, but I have other leathers just as good or better, so didn't buy. No. 22 I can't live without! (Another subject: Today I am so excited I had to stop myself from buying Aventus for Her online, but wait until it gets into the stores and sample it first!)

...I like 31 Rue Cambon more than Coromandel, in which I also detect odd notes. At least I can't identify them. Just put Cor on right hand and 31 on left. No comparison! 31 is a heady beauty that flies up my nose. Coromandel sort of stops at the entrance and skulks about being mysterious--hiding synthetics, no doubt. 31 Rue smells natural, whether it is or not.

...Thanks, Tar! I ordered some from Aedes, which means waiting, waiting. :)

...Also if I can find them:Penhaligon’s GardeniaChanel GardeniaAnnick Gourtal Gardenia PassionAnnick Goutal Un Matin d’OrageDana Classic GardeniaIsabey PanouageJovan Island GardeniaYves Rocher Pur de Desir de GardeniaElizabeth Taylor GardeniaVersace Crystal NoirMiss Dior Cherie L’EauMichael Kors Very HollywoodVan Clef & Arpels …Gardenia Petale Michele Bergman Black GardeniaMarc Jacobs Marc JacobRoberto Cavali Edpby Killian voulez vous coucher avec moiAmouage ceil womanL de Luin EdP

...Yesterday I made the trip with my daughter and smelled all the Chanel Exclusives. Oriane, my SA said four of the EdTs are to be replaced by slightly tweaked ("elevated" I think was the word she used) parfums. She wouldn't call them reformulations. Can't remember exactly which ones, though I've emailed to ask. It may have been 31 Rue Cambon, 1932, also possibly Bel Respiro and Bois de Iles. She said Eau de Cologne will be discontinued entirely. I sniffed all 16 Exclusivs expect 28 La Pausa, but I came away with FB's of 1932 and No. 22. 1932 is a powdery oriental on the less ambery side. I like it better than 31 Rue Cambon, which is a lot greener, if still made luxurious by cistus and bergamot. I find both Cabotine and Cabochard more compelling. For me, 1932 is a stunner--not as loud as Jardins de Bagatelle EdT but with a similarly impressive floral composition. I don't think they're changing Boy, which she said is the top seller of the Exclusivs. It's just out and it smells great, but its particular citrus/herbal combo doesn't personally appeal to me. I wore No. 22 years ago and was glad to rediscover it. Usually can't resist a well-done Neroli, Orange blossom, Tuberose combo, especially if enhanced by Jasmine. Jersey and Beige were new discoveries. I like them both and brought home decants to see if I'll grow to love them. I have Coromandel around here somewhere, I think, but in the end it was 1932 and No. 22 I couldn't risk losing to a reformulation. May have more to say tomorrow when I retest.

...Thought I'd sneak in this short sniff fest while I'm pondering my challenging Guerlain one. In search of the loveliest gardenias, I've so far collected these. Are they the potential best? Any additions? AmouageHonour Woman BvlgariJasmin Noir (Eau de Parfum) CreedFleurs de Gardenia (2006) Estēe LauderPrivate Collection Tuberose Gardenia GuerlainCruel Gardénia IFFSecret Smelling 2016 - Dominique Ropion IsabeyGardénia / Le Gardénia Jar ParfumsJardenia Marc JacobsMarc Jacobs Roja ParfumsGardenia (2016) (Parfum) Serge LutensUne voix noire Tom FordVelvet Gardenia TuvachéJungle Gardenia

...Honestly, I haven't noticed a longevity problem with Misia. On me it reeks. I plan a visit to a Chanel counter next week. Will report.

...Not here. "Les Exclusifs de Chanel - Misia""Les Exclusifs de Chanel - 1932 (Eau de Toilette)"Oriane:... The reviews of some of the others, e.g. Misia and 1932, however, are abysmal.

...Thanks, Oriane. I have Misia and it's stunning. Will check the rest out before September.

...Hi, Oriane. Black Amethyst arrived and I agree with your comparison to Coco Mademoiselle EdP, which has a difficult sharper note, as you say. Take that out and Coco would surpass Black Amethyst in beauty, though. At least, that's the report of my nose from putting Coco on the back of one hand and B.A. on the other and periodically sniffing. Thanks for the other info, but I don't use scented lotions and such. Looks like you're off and running here. Hope you enjoy parfumo.

...My goodness! I just clicked on your link and must say I adore your photos, Pontneuf. Loved the tree with green/orange leaves at the center. You have quite an eye. Thanks for sharing them.PontNeuf:@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.

...Hi Oriane and welcome. I like your reviews. Just bought the last 1 oz Black Amethyst perfume on Amazon. Can't wait to smell it.

...Continuing the Guerlain Sniff Fest ...Most of my life, I haven’t been a big wanter of things, just travel and books. In my later years that has changed to some extent. Among other things, I’ve concluded that since we have noses that can appreciate scent, delighting our noses while we have them is a good thing. Guerlain is prepared to help with this to the maximum. Make an appointment, gather approximately €40,000, get on a plane if you don’t live in Europe, fly to Paris, go to a Guerlain boutique, and designers in the house that created Shalimar and L’Heure Blueu will personally consult with you. The result will be a total of 1790 ml of a “perfume, created to reflect your desires and aspirations throughout your life” and it will belong to “only one person”—you! I learned this by asking Guerlain as background for this sniff fest.So tempted, I found myself thinking along now familiar lines: Gee, that’s not much more than a car—this year’s Audi Q5, for instance. It’s just a car! I buy cars. True, I tend to keep them 20 years, but I do buy them. No, I can’t drive a scent, but theoretically I certainly can wear it for twenty years … great incentive to stay alive, really.Such has been the allure of Guerlain for 187 years since its founder, Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened shop. There are 203 mentions of Guerlain in Luca Turin’s classic, Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. Roja Dove in his The Essence of Perfume calls Guerlain, “the greatest perfumery house in the world.” Initially, I was smitten, too but the Guerlain landscape has changed for me since I began collecting decants for this sniff fest a good two years ago. I bought Aqua Allegoria Flora Rosa blind last year and when, sad to say, it underwhelmed me, I tried to ignore that as a fluke. Gradually, I became unsure of this grand house as, over and over, I saw the same question asked: did the best of Guerlain depart with the ultimately ill-starred Jean-Paul Guerlain, fourth generation master perfumer from this famous family?Then one day I found myself at Neiman's Guerlain counter, sniffing then buying like mad, not having actually smelled the decants I'd been collecting. On the spot, I became a Guerlain addict and gathered more willy-nilly from online discounters. Fingers crossed that at least some of the newer perfumes maintain the tradition.[Come this fall, Jean-Paul will reportedly resurrect his perfume genius for a startup called My Exclusive Collection. Be still my beating heart!]Meanwhile in this topic I’ll sniff through time, from the earliest Guerlain I could get my hands on to the latest. In the process, I’ll try to answer the question of whether Guerlain is still Guerlain. I'll try to discover who its noses were and are. My mind is open, my nose unbiased (in fact, it’s proven incapable of reporting anything but the bald if unavoidably subjective truth of its own sniffings), so let’s begin.At first I found little about the Founder, Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, born in the small town of Abbeville on April 3, 1798. To have risen from a rural life into the height of the new middle class and achieved the patronage of royalty was no small achievement, yet there was virtually nothing about him in the sources I consulted: Guerlain, by Colette Fellous, and The Essence of Perfume by Roja Dove, former Guerlain “ambassador.” Both books are too physically huge to hold in my hands for reading, yet neither contain more than a single sentence about the forces that shaped Pierre-Francois. I also have Guerlain, by Elisabeth Barille, biographer, novelist and fashion writer. According to her, Pierre’s father was “a humble pewtersmith..and a distributor of English toiletries.” By the time Pierre-François reached Paris, he had somehow become, “a former chemical engineer.” No info on how that occurred. I was tempted to buy Jean-Paul's book and struggle through the French to see if it shed light, but it seems to be about his personal perfume journey.A digression: the Wikipedia page for Abbeville, was no help. There, Pierre-François is a mere footnote. Pride of place is held by the 19 year old Chevalier de la Barre who died in 1766. Turns out Abbeville is famous for having tortured, cut off the hand, pulled out the tongue, and roasted this young nobleman (along with Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary found in the boy’s room) for the sin of not having removed his cap before a passing line of capuchin monks. Good grief. All done with approval of Paris authorities. He is the cause of France’s July 1 Chevalier de la Barre Day, which marks opposition to religious persecution. Poor Pierre-Francois, born there 32 years later and destined to create one of France’s great cultural hallmarks, will forever be usurped in his home town by le Barre’s martyrdom. Enormous good and mind-boggling evil arising from the same small place? Such is human nature. (Must visit le Barre’s statue outside Sacre Couer.)What forces shaped Pierre-Francois? The first was surely geographical. Abbevile sits on the Somme River, 12 miles from the English Channel. London, a mere day’s ride from the opposite shore, was the center of perfumery, such as it was, at the time—also of soaps, lotions, candles and such. Many a ship or ferry must have set sail for France from England (and vice versa), and perhaps some arrived in Abbeville via the Somme, carrying such products. We know English perfumes were exported because the wreck of the Mary Celeste, found abandoned and adrift in 1872 and later sunk in 1880, was found in 2001 with what is probably the first oriental aboard, "Bouquet Opoponax", made by London perfumers Piesse and Lubin. Known for its good champagne, Abbeville was also a carriage stop on the post road to Paris from Calais, where most English boats landed.The Plot thickens. More to come …

...Remaining samples:"Little Stars"This opens with a strong blast of oud, soon joined by clove and the simulated smell of heady night-blooming orchids on a base of rich woods. The website tells us to picture a steamy jungle at night and that's what the scent becomes. As it dries, it's both strong and beautiful."White Cattleya"An unusual floral that features a lovely citrus top. With only Heliotrope, the White cattleya orchid, Vanilla and a light touch of Jasmine to balance things, it remains distinctly citrus --Citroni and the unusual orchid note strongest. With no woods, indoles or incense to draw me in I find it a quite pleasant summery fragrance rather than the stunners that her other cattleya are, especially Golden Cattleya."Tropic of Capricorn"A musky animalic core evokes the "dark fecundity of nature" intended by the designer. I wouldn't call this mixture of mango, florals, osthmanthus, sandalwood, etc. pretty, but it is powerful. An earlier (I believe) version of the scent that came in the package is equally interesting but for me easier to wear because of being more floral and less musky, if still potent."Bat"Well, this does put me immediately in a cave, if a fragrant one. Mineral notes and wet earth along with the resins, fig, banana and other fruits create a truly captivating if unusual scent. I might want to smell like this now and then, but the decant will do. Issued under the Zoologist brand apparently also by Ellen Covey, it's another example of inspired perfumery.I think that's all I have from Olympic Orchids. In sum, the fragrancexs are unusual, animalic, earthy and powerful. Some are breathtaking like her peerless Blackbird which hubby smelled and took immediate possession of. Also stunning is her Golden Cattleya and, for me, African Orchid--indole addict that I am. Ellen Covey is not your ordinary perfumer. Her work reminds me of the mythic feminine archetype, held in awe because of its seemingly magic ability to heal with herbs and give birth. A potent inspiration for a talented perfumer living among the fertile resources of Washington state's rainforest. It's been a pleasure to experience these scents.

...Glad you enjoyed it, DorothyGrace. As for debt, I recommend Micawber's approach (aka David Copperfield), "something will turn up." His optimism aligns perfectly with modern "new age" (actually old, old age) thinking that "thoughts create things." It also aligns with my experience. I studied the various renditions of Shalimar and can recommend the EdT and the extrait. To my nose, the latter is the one that's completely glorious.