(no subject)

[parthenia]

Back from the bookshop: 'Perfumes: The Guide' mysteriously slipped into my bag in between the Handbook on Expertise and the introduction to Vygotsky. Ahem. Lots and lots of pithy reviews of perfumes, revealing most of my own choices to be cheap, tawdry nastiness. Apart from Vetiver (Guerlain), which has many stars and yet I don't really like.

*sigh* *coughs at the Vetivert*

Still, the reviews of Calvin Klein are worth everything:

.......

CK In2U Her (Calvin Klein) 1 star. Fruity amber.

OMG PU. Insanely strong fruit meets insanely strong woody amber. KTHXBYE.

CK In2U His (Calvin Klein) 1 star. 7up amber/

IM IN UR BOTTLE BORIN UR GF

Essential (Lacoste) 1 star. Citrus woody.

Superfluous.

There are also many very enthusiastic and detailed reviews of the ones they liked. Would make an excellent Christmas present although obv. not for me.

ETA: Would any of the Brit f-list care for Vetiver by Guerlain? Designer scent, scarcely worn. 4 stars, 'One of the best vetivers around'. Masculine. Tendency to choke the wearer. *runs to wash the bloody stuff off*

Comments

[ravurian]

OMG FIX UR CODE!

Also, does it say anything about Fahrenheit?

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

2 stars (out of 5), woody leather. They're sad. It basically says that the makers keep reformulating Fahrenheit to the point where it's unrecognisable - used to be great, not so great any more.

Fahrenheit 32 gets 4 stars and a brilliant if rather vague description: '....striking a wonderful equilibrium between tropical warmth and minty coolness. It has the muted, cozy feeling of a gloomy day somewher really hot, with that strange, cheerfully doom-laden TV documentary look you get by using a gradient filter that makes the sky look darker than it should.'

Seriously, it has everything

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

See, though, there is a huge amount of personal taste in there. I've just had to go and wash off 'Vetiver' because it makes me feel sick and headachey; and then swap it for Jo Malone Grapefruit (2 stars) which is fresh and nice. To me, at least...

[ravurian]

Hmm. The other one I wear is Declaration by Cartier...

Personal taste is all we ever really have, and with perfumes and aftershaves and so on, the scent changes depending on one's skin type and so on. There's not a lot of objectivity about that.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Declaration gets 4 stars and the comment that 'it is to fragrance what a cold Sancerre is to wine: brisk, abstract, refreshing, a touch flinty and altogether euphoric.'

What's actually really helpful is that you begin to get a sense of where your scent preferences lie, and that means you can try other stuff in the same family with a bit more confidence than just randomly trying everything. It's nicely written and not at all label-snobbish.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

Am fascinated. Mental note for next time I shuffle through the bookshop.

(When I can be bothered I wear DKNY Women - I am cheap!)

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

4 stars,and a very detailed write-up invoking Gin Fizz. It's a really enjoyable wee reference book.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

I wear a four star boozy number? Excellent! :D

[fungus-files.livejournal.com]

omg - I wear that too, when I can be bothered! :D

It must the scent for those who most often can't be bothered...

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

I blame Lucius Malfoy - he has a habit of slipping nefarious texts into the cauldrons of innocent young things in bookstores. ;)

[lookfar.livejournal.com]

Dang, I wish I was a Brit! I love dat stuff. It just goes to show you, there's no accounting for taste.

[lookfar.livejournal.com]

Hi! I friended you and hope you'll friend me back. I'm always looking for freethinking slashy moms, since we seem to be a minority. My recent posts are flocked, because I started to get nervous about RL and online getting too close, but I hope you'll friend me back.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Friend away - about 95% of what I post is open.

Not quite sure how freethinking I am...

[lookfar.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I make jewelry too, but i've never posted a picture of it.

[fungus-files.livejournal.com]

Do you read Chandler Burr's perfume column in the NYTimes (online)? It's addictive and great fun. My buddy Fergus recced it to me (when he was going through a perfume book phase...). I don't tend to wear a lot of perfume, but I love the idea of it (!) so have become an avid reader.