...I had a big bottle of Guerlain Vetiver (vintage), which I loved and so gave it to a friend in a rare gesture of perfumic magnanimity. :roll: Unfortunately, he proceeded to give it away--not because he loved it, but because he did not! Lesson learned: make no assumptions when it comes to perfume!More recently, I have tried a slew of the new vetivers, including many of the ones some people have mentioned above, but I have one question for you all:Is Hermessence Vetiver Tonka the only sweet vetiver around? I think that I might like it, if I were to wear it a few more times, but at the moment it strikes me as slightly odd simply for its sweetness. Maybe it's a case like salted licorice: an acquired taste? 8)

...I'm in the midst of an austerity campaign, trying to test all of my samples and decants before I buy anything. My next purchase (at 12:01am on 1/1/13 :twisted: ) will surely be from the house of Histoires de Parfums, since nearly everything they make is on my wishlist! 8)

...Sophi:Iris Nobile by Acqua di Parma :PWill you be buying the edt or the edp? My understanding is that they are different. I have the edp... 8)

...Njdeb:I would like to buy Guerlain Tonka Imperiale and Boise Torride, but my budget indicates that it will probably be Fresh's Cannabis Santal and Sake (still very good!)I agree: good budget-friendly choices! :lol:

...I think that a good example relevant to this discussion is the oft cited "datum" or "factoid" that Estée Lauder Beautiful is the #1 fragrance in the United States. My best guess is that this has come about (assuming that it is true...) because lots of American women do not know very much about perfume, and when they ask at a counter, they are told that Beautiful is the #1 perfume, and also that women often wear it to their wedding. That's part of their ad campaign, actually, and I suspect that many women who are not sophisticated about perfume may seek such advice when they are planning their wedding.What do you think about this theory? 8)

...My system is:CHAOS! :roll:

...CyberToy1:I think It as to be Extreme by Tom Ford, yeah, without any doubt.Why am I not surprised by your answer, Cyberboytoy1? 8)

...DieNase:Do you think Kardamom in perfume is a gourmand note? Would pepper be gourmand. I don't think that everything that is edible is a gourmand. Well, at least spices aren't in my opinion. Spicy would be an own category, wouldn't it?I do think that cardamom is gourmand when it's sweetened--ever had cardamom butter cake? It's delicious! But that's a good point about pepper. Does Gourmand = edible? Or does Gourmand = makes me want to take a bite out of the arm wearing it? :wink:

...ShinyAbraxas:"Ambre Gris" - I could cuddle myself to death...Please don't: everyone wants to smell you!!! :lol:

...Histoires de Parfums Tubéreuse 2

...Frédéric Malle Bigarade Concentrée

...Does anyone know why the Michael Storer website no longer works? Is he still in business?

...FM Musc Ravageur. I think that I may have to throw some flowers into the mix... 8)

...DieNase:I would like to ask you what you consider the classiest fragrance in your collection.Classy meaning- more special occasion than everyday use- you feel like you have to dress up in order to be up to it- smells luxurious, expensive, sophisticated- smooth, subtlePlease decide for just one scent!I consider more than one of my scents as classy, however the classiest one is definitely"Cuir de Russie" by Chanel.I don't really like the word 'classy', in general, but using your definition, I'd say that the answer to your question isHermès "24 Faubourg" 8)

...Guusje:On other fora there was / is much debate on the wine coolers.My personal opinion is that the fumes "turn" much quicker due to the swift temperature changes by taking them out and putting them back in.A perfumer from Ormonde Jayne told me that without direct sunlight a warm room is not bad when the temperatures do not swing but gradually change during the seasons. ( I asked if a room temp. about 28 degrees Celsius / 82 F. was to hot as that is what my room is in a heatwave: she said: no problem) :)This is very interesting. So the "shock" of a swift change in temperature is worse than the higher ambient temperature? Fascinating.I have a wine cooler, btw, but it's filled with wine, and I'm not sure how it would work for perfume. The shelves have long narrow slots obviously intended for the shape of wine bottles. :wink: I have thought about buying a large fridge but the same problem would arise there: inappropriately sized spaces. Plus knowing what you said about radical changes in temperature.... 8) I think that I'll stick with my current method (= leave it to fate), though I am tempted to stow all of my solid perfumes into the produce drawer of my fridge and not touch them over the summer at all.

...It's actually hard believe that it's been only three weeks since this wonderful site was launched!Thank you Apicius & Don! :lol:

...Guusje:OCD? Color + size coordinate? Did Somebody call my name? LOL :lol: I did keep my samples upright in a shoebox lit filled with that green flower piece stuff (oasis), but at one point the shoe lits became to much.(I had 3, over 400 samples)So then I bought plastic boxes with compartments that I can make bigger and smaller: (and did a big give-away of unloved samples)Bottom shelf: (and yes: to the right is the collection of my son 5yo hihi)I have 5 of those plastic containers: 2 with samples to keep, 1 with "maybe's" and 2 with samples that can go :) The basket is full with samples that just came in and need to be tested.All need and tidy 8)Beautiful! You should work as a perfume management consultant! 8)

...MNQ:I've seen the lovely blue glass bottles and read some very positive reviews on his scents - just haven't seen or read about them anywhere in the UK - will have a snoop about on luckyscent - any recommendations??? :DMNQ and anyone else looking to sample: The Tauer Perfumes website has a great sample service, with very generous-sized samples at an excellent price. I believe that shipping is included in the cost, and the presentation is really nice. The vials comme in an attractive sliding aluminum box along with colored cards giving descriptions and notes for each perfume.

...I agree, Aromi, this site has already solved some of the more glaring problems at the other ones. I wish that we could figure out a way to let more people know! I am frankly baffled by the spam message substition essentially precluding the possibility of letting fragranticans know about this wonderful site. It is especially puzzling given that the excellent review set up here is probably not going to appeal so much to the shout-out one-liner "I love Britney!"-type reviewers. 8)

...Apicius:I can manage my ~200 perfumes, but I do have problems with my samples. I put them into those little bags that you get when you order them at First-In-Fragrance, and I stuffed little file cards into them as well, so I do have an alphabetical order by brand.I, too, find that it's hard to keep track of the samples. In fact, this year I'm on an austerity campaign motivated in part by my sense that I need to go ahead and test all of the samples already in my possession--before they evaporate! Some vials are great and seem as though they are so airtight that they could preserve the contents forever. Others, however, are obviously not, and the worst for me are the decant atomizers which are often leaky, in my experience. :cry: