..."From me to me" - and why not? I like that sentiment Pipette!I'm not giving/receiving as much fragrance as last Christmas. The family are insisting they have quite enough for the moment and I'm going to Europe next year, when I'll no doubt buy up the whole continent. So, in the interests of restraint, I bought myself a bottle of Montale "Jasmine Full" (on behalf of the Triffid sons) as it finally appeared at Fragrancenet and there was a decent special offer on. My sister is giving me a bottle of Tauer's "Zeta" (a good buy from a local perfume collector's clean out sale).I've already added these new acquisitions to my Parfumo collection, despite not being able to use them yet.

...Hello Henri, I'm not sure exactly what kind of blotting paper is used for scent strips but they are easy to buy in bulk online from perfumers' suppliers. I found these examples (below) doing a Google search. They cost about (US)$5 for 100 strips. There may also be a supplier in France or Belgium, which is close to you.https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/p-6651-scent-strips-pack-of-100.aspxhttps://ancientwaysbotanicals.com/product/misc/professional-perfumer-scent-strips/

...Mr Triffid is 50+ and, apart from ouds and vetiver-based scents (both possibly an acquired taste) he also wears: "Heritage" by Guerlain (current EDT, not too expensive nor too dated, I get a beautiful sandalwood rendition in the base - more than the patchouli listed in the Parfumo notes)"Rive Gauche pour Homme" by YSL (older version in the black and silver can, haven't tried the newer La Collection version)"Gucci pour Homme II" (my son also wears this, versatile)"Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme (2012)"The above are all readily available (getting hard to find the YSL) and very affordable at online discounters.I'm not familiar with the Gucci you mention. "Light Blue" is a safe and popular aquatic but it's very, very common now - everyone wears it which may or may not bother you or your boyfriend.

..."Knot" is a new Bottega Veneta release that comes in their usual classy, heavyweight style of flacon that would present really well as a gift. To my nose, it is mostly an orange blossom fragrance that is fresh, rather than soapy, and has decent longevity. The citrus gives a crispness to the opening that almost lends an aquatic feel. This is not as off-putting as it sounds - this style might work well for your girl if she likes Daisy and some of the others on your list. I think it's a cut above Jimmy Choo and the like.Another to consider might be "Jour d'Hermes Absolu" or the original one. The former doesn't garner enthusiastic reviews on Parfumo but I think it's quite lovely, compatible with your girl's taste, very long lasting and comes in a gorgeous flacon also.

..."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 well outside of my blind buy sweet spot for sure. What I find most tempting is the niche perfume that is very heavily discounted at an online emporium. My current temptation is some less-than-half-price Creeds at my favourite online discounter. This is a tricky one. Great bargains (relatively speaking) scents unsniffed, still a bit pricey for a BB.

...Thanks for the follow up Esoada. I was becoming quite interested in your story of potential romance. Now the question is: do you keep wearing that first date perfume that he likes, or do you start mixing it up a bit? Now that you've met and he likes you, it's probably not such a fraught issue.

...We have Tree of Life stores here in Australia but I'm always looking at the textiles and jewellery, I've never tried the perfume oils. I always thought Andy Tauer's 'No.01 - Le Maroc pour Elle" smelled exactly like a Tree of Life store, but that's nt helpful as an answer to your question. How does it smell? Can you detect notes that would compare to the smell of one-note perfume oils that are usually sold in these shops?

...Do these remind you of musk lollies though Omni?

...Here in Australia (and New Zealand too, Omni?) musk is used to flavor sweets such as fondant (musk sticks) and Life Savers. I was astounded to learn that this is a pretty restricted market and musk flavoured Life Savers are unknown outside of Oz and NZ.Therefore, I associate the word musk with the smell of pink candy - sweet, powdery, a little soapy even. Not sure I'd recognise a true animal musk smell in a perfume, though I own a few that are considered 'skanky' e.g. Paco Rabanne La Nuit (is musk responsible for that dirty vibe, the 'powdered outhouse' type of note?)

...I can't believe I'm saying this, but has anyone tried Kim Kardashian's "Pure Honey" ? Some of the reviews sound good. (If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time ever that I've inquired about a celebrity scent, and it's a celebrity that I DO NOT admire to boot! So, someone please alert the media.)Dulcemio, "Pure Honey" was available here in Australia through a budget retailer, Chemist Warehouse, for $39.95 seemingly when it was unavailable almost everywhere else. I ended up buying it for Franfan to test and also tried it myself - our reactions to it were not the same as we both have very different taste in perfume (Franfan likes sweet fruity gourmands - see his review for comments).I thought it wasn't bad at all: a bodacious white floral with a honeyed rose note, strong but not nearly as sweet as one might expect and I wouldn't even rate it on the skank-o-meter. No piquant honey skank at all for me. I think many fans were expecting a very sweet liquid honey aroma and were disappointed that PH was not like the Marc jacobs honey fragrance. Has anyone mentioned Paco Rabanne's "La Nuit" yet?

...You may have to search on eBay if you are after the original version. Depending on how long ago it was discontinued, you might also try online discounters - but make sure you are getting the version you want.

...Not specifically answering your question Sleuth but here in Oz there is political pressure to ban animal testing on cosmetics, and the importation of such products. The articles state that this has already happened in the EU, Norway, India and a number of other countries. which is something I wasn't aware of.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-17/greens-call-for-australia-to-follow-eu-ban-on-animal-testing/5326200http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/animal-testing-labor-tries-to-take-cruelty-out-of-cosmetics-20140816-103idl.html(note: the second article has photos of guinea pigs with shaved patches that some may find upsetting)

...Not specifically answering your question Sleuth but here in Oz there is political pressure to ban animal testing on cosmetics, and the importation of such products. The articles state that this has already happened in the EU, Norway, India and a number of other countries. which is something I wasn't aware of.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-17/greens-call-for-australia-to-follow-eu-ban-on-animal-testing/5326200http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/animal-testing-labor-tries-to-take-cruelty-out-of-cosmetics-20140816-103idl.html(note: the second article has photos of guines pigs with shaved patches that some may find upsetting)

...Sorry Omni! I'm not familiar with the Musc Nomade so I haven't responded. I'm glad you were able to self-serve and have found something that works.As far as soft roses go,"Rose Essentielle" by Bvlgari is rosy with a clean musk but there's also a berry note (one reason I didn't repurchase) which might render it too fruity also.

...There are certain trolls, whose accounts have been deleted from perfume communities for bad behaviour and whose comments are now blocked by bloggers, who still pop up in FB groups trying to provoke conflict. Usually such people never want to discuss perfumes, but rather, they always return to the subject of disparaging the behaviour of perfume enthusiasts. The posts are always negative and intelligent debate impossible.

...My Gardenia arrived today. I'm going to shower before a full testing but I couldn't help myself and spritzed a bit on the back of one hand. My impression this last hour or so is that it has a very sweet, powdered candy vibe (probably the "Pez" reference in Kafka's review). Initially, there was also a slight sebum-like oiliness (not unpleasant) but it has passed. I have no idea where the rotting wood references come from. This is not repellent at all but nor is it a particularly floral scent, definitely not green, gardenia or any heady, waxy tropical flowers. For me, it has that "inedible gourmand" vibe I got from PHI- Rose de Kandahar, without actually smelling like that one. Like Une Rose Vermeille, with its effervescent fruity candy top notes, I suspect this one's not for me but will be testing further. I can see some loving this so don't be dissuaded!EDIT: After an hour or so, the fizzy candy accord has softened a bit and is joined by lightly spiced woods and a suggestion of vanilla. No flowers though. This might give it more appeal, though this gourmand/oriental style isn't for me.

..."Baby Doll" is the one! My sister and I both had Tearie Dearie dolls and, just like real babies, the enthusiasm for feeding and watching it all come out the other end certainly wanes.

...No but you are on the right track.

...They called her Tearie DearieAnd at Christmas time she came,She drank, she cried, she wet her pants,She lived up to her name;She didn't wear a fragrance,She was really not the type,This one, though, describes her kindBut minus all the hype.

...Saw that review yesterday. I don't always seem to have the same experience as Kafka, though I do frequently concur with the reviews. I'm still waiting for my sample to arrive and I shall make up my own mind. I was expecting something along the lines of Carillon pour une Ange, in itself a very polarising Tauer that I happen to love but many find nauseating and repellent (Mr Triffid is not a fan of Carillon - 'metallic' is his curt summation).I hope it is better than this review suggests; it really sounds awful! Are you ordering a sample Pipette and do you think you will be able to assess it independently without undue influenced from the above blog post?