...I have the first from 2005. I enjoy wearing it in the warmer weather. The patchouli seems stronger in this one as do most of the notes in it comparing it to the newer Miss Diors, which seem to last a much shorter time for me than Christine Nagel's version.

...Anne Klein II for awhile then Passion

...You're right about Walgreens. CVS, too. Both have enclosed cases stocked full with perfumes that range to just under the hundred dollar price point. Guess there's no need to shop the mall anymore for some people if they don't go online. Even drugstores have sales, too.

...I would agree with others that live in variable climates that it's a good idea to keep them. I keep mine also, unless, I've purchased a full bottle. It's good to re-visit a sample in the different seasons. I've found that I might not have enjoyed a perfume in the summer, but winter-time it worked wonders. And vice-versa. Plus, it's fun for when friends want to sample, etc. It's also good to use them as a point of reference sometimes if you catalogue them.

...I'd say I look at the notes of a perfume first. They have to agree with me. If they don't, I'm outta there. There's no point in going any further. If I like the the majority, then I'll start reading the reviews. I need to know what most folks say are the dominant notes of a perfume, altho I do realize on me, it may be very different. As long as I am happy with the majority of the notes, there's a good chance I should like it. I happen to love benzoin, tonka bean, patch and vanilla. If I see those notes, my head will turn. But I need to look at what else is in there, too. What balances it out? Can I live with what else is in there? And of course, the ultimate is in the test. But that's not always possible. So back to reading reviews. To be honest, a lot of times, I'll base a buy on a conglomeration of reviews. And many of them were against a perfume. But what others didn't like, happened to be something that I was expressly looking for. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to figure out what you want in a perfume.

...Let us know. Here in the East it's been very cold. I don't keep my house very warm, either. In the summertime, I rarely put my A/C on. Now that has me thinking. Of course, we look to different scents in the different seasons. Weather always makes us appreciate perfumes in different lights. So how much of a factor is the temperature of the bottle(the fumes inside) in our appreciation of the scent also? Because room temperature actually varies, too. At least in my home, I know it does.

...They've been doing that for some time, apparently, with quite a few departments. I just never checked the perfumes. I never knew about Sears, tho. And sometimes, if a customer returns it, then the product goes into the store's inventory, instead. I've seen Fendi and some other perfumes that I didn't expect in my Walmart on the shelves. Not saying the prices were great, but there was a package sitting there. The manager told me if a customer orders a product online, then returns it to the store, there it goes on the shelf, and they're stuck with it. It's rare, but it happens. My WM also has Red Door now, along with some other perfumes in the $30 to $50 price range with testers, too.

...I've had no problem re-using them. I let them soak in the hottest possible water with lots of soap but I also heavily spritz them with anti-bacterial sanitizer. That seems to kill off anything that's left in the mechanism. I let them sit in a bowl until the water cools down. Then I refill it again with the soap, sanitizer and water. I fill the little vials with the mixture of hot water, soap and sanitizer and start spraying them until they are empty. But, I'll fill them repeatedly (and depending on the scent that was originally in them) this can take up to 20 times of spraying them till they're empty to get rid of the original scent. I'm big on re-cycling and see no need to toss them. I've managed to re-use all of mine and never had to throw one away yet. This way, I've managed to save on the cost of buying new ones, I have ones to spare for share and I'm saving the environment. Do a few at a time to save energy, too.

...I agree using descriptives such as 'masculine' or 'feminine' is useful. It points the way a fragrance is going. But when a consultant refuses to realize that a woman would wear a masculine frag, then gently pointing out the wonderful attributes of the fragrance and why it's enjoyed by both genders can only help the SA in their future sales. In some areas of the country, this is an unheard of phenomena. Sad, but true.

...So sad, Cryptic. Pity people are like this. Karma is a bitch. Every neighborhood has a mixed bag just as our world. I always feel if I can lay my head down on my pillow at night without guilt, then I've had a good day. People don't think about their neighbors any more. Unless they want to gossip, it seems. And that I walk away from. I truly hope your colleague heals well.

...No, they're not at all. The prices for sample vials are ridiculous. I just was surprised to see the names I saw for sale at Wal Mart, seeing how so many use the term "drugstore" or "discount" retailers as a place where their perfumes would never be displayed, purchased, etc. There used to be an allure to high-end perfumes for a reason. Most of us know all the jokes about shopping at WM. It seemed to burst the allusion, that's all. And I say this tongue-in-cheek. It made me laugh.

...I love using natural oils on my face at night. I've experimented with quite a few-jojoba, coconut,grapeseed, and almond. I've found almond to be the most beneficial when used in moderation as a light serum. Coconut works best as a hair conditioner, jojoba for removing makeup and grapeseed as a moisturizer for my body.Vitamin C crystals when mixed with yogurt make an excellent night mask, also. You can also make your own home-made serum.

...The Obsessions by Calvin Klein. I don't think people really understand them. There is such a love/hate thing about them. But either of them are so heavy and can really be worn by either gender. I agree with you too, Scarletting, about being pegged by marketing and salespeople. Lately, I cringe going into department stores to look at perfumes. At least in my area of the world. If you don't want to wear something "sexy" or "pink" or "overly girly", there must be something wrong with you. I walked over to the mens section one time, only to be asked repeated what type of fragrance did "he" like, even tho it was obvious I was sniffing for myself. :roll: The only place I'm really comfortable fragrance shopping is Sephora, where the ladies do "get" it. Then again, we've had conversations galore about wearing mens fragrances, because some of them do, and it's a genderless shopping feeling there.I'd like to think that our world has evolved since I argued in kindergarten about playing with the matchbox cars instead of playing in the pink kitchen with my teacher and was punished for being obstinate back then. I guess it hasn't. What a shame. At least I know I'm doing my part when I attempt to educate in a friendly way.

...I agree with you, it wasn't pleasant. Here's a general article about civet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civet.I do know that when I wear some of my vintages my cat is all over me. It's interesting to see her reactions to some of my perfumes.

...I happened to be perusing Wal-Mart online out of curiosity to see what perfumes they had on site. Lo and behold, I see Madonna's two offerings at half-price. Ok, I decide to go from "High" to "Low" to see what else they might have. Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Bond No. 9, Creed, Guerlain, Library Opus I, Boadicea The Victorious, Tom Ford, Christian Dior, 1000, well, the list is exhaustive. They even had sample vials for sale. So much for exclusivity. Now folks can shop at Wal-Mart for prestige fragrances. Imagine that."Your perfume smells so beautiful. What is it?""It's Jicky by Guerlain.""It smells so expensive! Where did you get it? I'm sure I can't afford it...""Oh...I got it at Wal-Mart".....Lol....so in effect, is even Jicky demoted to a "drugstore" perfume now? (albeit a very expensive one?) Not so exclusive anymore...http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=jicky&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0 :lol:

...Good article, Dulcemio. It puts it quite simply how a celebrity scent is put together and marketed. Thank you.I know here in America we have the opportunity to find these scents at incredibly ridiculous low prices (especially when they're on sale or on clearance) at our discount stores. For myself, when I see a gift pack of one of these scents marked down to a few bucks, I've tested the scent and I enjoy it, I'll certainly buy it. Or, the fragrances that stores like Wal-Mart put out for holidays get marked down to 75% off, well, do the math. I've found some great deals on fragrances that I really do enjoy. Some have really surprised me. Their quality is very good for the price. The longevity is very excellent, and they just are very appealing. I've received compliments on these. Some of them are good for layering. For the prices, they were decent buys.So with that in mind, and going through my celebrity fragrances, these are the ones that I've managed to find that I found to be decent, I wear and enjoy. "Covet""Wonderstruck""Halle""Halle Pure Orchid""Surprise""Unbreakable Bond/Unbreakable""Unbreakable Love""With Love""Nicole""Fancy Nights""Fancy""Fancy Love""Boyfriend""Diamonds and Emeralds""Diamonds and Rubies""Diamonds and Sapphires""White Diamonds""Sparkling White Diamonds""Passion"I've tried others, but not liked them. And as you've requested, save trashing the bad for another thread.

...For me, it depends on each perfume, the concentration, the temperature outside...these are all factors that are variables for the amounts of sprays or dabs.If I were to use my Shalimar, a dab behind my ears and one on the back of my neck is sufficient. It is so very strong.With some of today's current formulations, it seems I have to spray my inner wrist, my inner elbow, and spritz my hair to get any type of effect. That could be with any brand of today's fumes, regardless of the maker. There are always exceptions, specifically like Habinita or Dior Addict, where a little goes a long way. And more often than not, with vintages, especially the heavier orientals, they are stronger and do not need much. They seem to grow deeper and develop a more intense aroma, which I like. Anne Klein II would be an example of that.

...I have been organizing a spare bedroom into an exercise room. Enjoying the snow and wishing for more. Moving around a lot of furniture.

...F/B's:"Roberto Cavalli" "White Musk""Hot Couture Collection No.1""Step Into Sexy""Unbreakable Love""Wonderstruck""Miss Dior Cherie""Into The Wild""Little Black Dress""Unbreakable"

...Here's a link from Nature's Garden for Red Velvet Cake Fragrance Oil. They say you can use 5% in perfumes. Does that help? http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/candlemaking-soap-supplies/item/aaa-1/-Red-Velvet-Cake-Fragrance-Oil.html