Today we have the fifth and last part of the Top Five MQ series.
We talked about books, music, movies and material things and today comes the pièce de resistance – perfume!
This will be the hardest list for everyone, I guess, but I ask you to please think hard and wrestle with your feelings to really narrow it down to five perfumes you simply cannot be without. It will never be enough, I know, I know, but for the sake of the game, let’s try!
What are your Top Five Favorite Perfumes?
My Answer:
First of all, aside from trying to exclude as many as possible to remain with only five perfumes for this list, I struggle with not only including Hermès, because I’m sure you can’t hear it any more. 🙂
So, here we go, my top five:
1. Hermès Rose Ikebana – works every time. My go to on a daily basis, beloved and complimented on by many people around me, always available, I just can’t be without it ever again. I’m on my third bottle.
2. Chanel 28 La Pausa – cool iris, elegance and style. I could say a lot, but one word shall suffice: Chanel
3. Armani Privée La Femme Bleue – I struggled a lot to bring this into the Top Five, because I cannot ever replace it and that definitely is a problem. I don’t use this as often as I would, if I could just go out and get another. And to be very honest, I wanted to include something that was not Hermès (like Vetiver Tonka, Eau de Narcisse Bleu or one of the Jardins) or Chanel (like Bois des Iles or Eau de Cologne). And I do love it dearly. (See how sneakily I got those others in? 😉 )
4. Hermès L’Ambre des Merveilles – comfy and cosy, warm and tender, an everyday embrace of a perfume that is comfort in a bottle. I NEED it.
5. Hermès Calèche vintage extrait – my gorgeously packaged vintage extrait of Calèche was an amazingly generous gift from Neil, of The Black Narcissus. I adore it, I feel completely undeserving of it and I’m struggling for the longest time now to write about it and do it justice. For now, I’ll let the inimitable Neil tell you about it:
A taut, almost mouthpuckering – but somehow serene – lemon, fuses exquisitely with cypress (or Russian pine, according to some sources, increasing the crackwhipping troika motif if you let your imagination run away with you the way I do), over a white matinal soap of roses, jasmine and aldehydes. Neroli, bergamot, and vetiver buffet a rhythmic, almost athletic scent that is delectable and free, yet emotive, well-dressed, and extraordinarily elegant.
– Neil Chapman, The Black Narcissus
Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? I think it would have been much worse for me selecting only five when I was at the height of Perfumania, but nowadays it feels better to eliminate than to add on.
Today is my birthday, so please share a glass of virtual champagne with me as well as your top five perfumes! Cheers!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Happy Birthday!
My top 5? Today, the five perfumes I can never be without are:
1. Indult, Tihota – best vanilla for all ocassions
2. Guerlain Cuir Beluga – my go to perfume for the fall and winter months
3. Chanel, 31 Rue Cambon – classic and beautiful
4. Parfum MDCI, La Belle Helene – rings in spring every year
5. Ungaro, Diva – vintage – my staple for 25 years
Thank you!
Five beautiful perfumes, thanks for sharing, Sandra.
Happy birthday! My top five would be Heeley Iris de Nuit, Guerlain Shalimar, Chanel Beige extrait, Chanel Jersey extrait and Dana Tabu vintage.
Great list, rickyrebarco! The Chanel extraits are beautifully done.
And to think that when I sent you that perfume I had made a mistake.
I am so happy you love it: my instincts told me you NEEDED Caleche, and that it had to be that particular bottle, and that velvet box. It is heartbreakingly beautiful in my view.
Happy birthday you aqueous, elegant creature.
And, also, I think the Hermes love (fetish?) is kind of fascinating to be honest.
Is it? My husband thinks it is kind of horrible. 😉
Which do you prefer: Hermes perfumes or Land Rover engines? Need I say more……
Ha! No, no need to say more! 😉
Your instinct was absolutely right, dear Neil! Thanks again. xx
Happy birthday, I hope you have some treats planned!
5 lovelies selected from my collection:
Roja Dove Unspoken – took many years for me to really love this, but now its a winter staple
Flower by Kenzo – modern and abstract, I like to contrast it with a serious tailored jacket
Frederick Malle Iris Poudre – simple, elegant, a touch austere
Patricia de Nicolai Musc Intense – the best musc ever, wonderful in the summer
Atelier Cologne Mistral Patchouli – somehow manages to remind me of both beaches and libraries, two of my favourite things
Easier than I thought, although some heart searching was needed (yes, i hugely admire some of my others, eg Chanel, but in the end they are not really ‘me’).
I will try Mistral Patchouli now, your description is extremely enticing.
Love your top five, Alice!
I look forward to your review! (BTW I meant deserted windy beaches, not balmy tropical ones)
I thought so! 🙂
Yes, Happy Birthday from me too Birgit. Love your fragrance choices. Mine are as follows:
1. Mona di Orio Cuir – love the animalic rawness of this one. The only one from her line that I like and can wear, but I do really love it.
2. Vero Profumo Onda Voiles d’Extrait. Sublime. All of her range remind me of the fresh, dewy greenness of home and instantly transport me there mentally (if only it were physically!).
3. I will have to go with Indult Tihota too. The best vanilla I know.
4. Profumi del Forte Roma Imperiale, sunshine in a bottle.
5. Elie Saab Le Parfum – in all its manifestations. Gorgeous OB.
Sneaky 6 and 7. Baiser Vole Extrait and Profumum Roma Fiori d’Ambra. One of the best ambers out there, IMO.
I could have replace some of the above with vintage Bois des Iles, Metallica, Carnal Flower but, you know …
Such beautiful perfume choices, Jane.
Thanks for your good wishes. 🙂
Oh my- definitely the biggest challenge so far- But first of all- Happy Birthday to a fellow May child (mine is a week from now)- may your day be filled with lovely things!
Here I go…
Guerlain- Shalimar. My very first perfume love.
Ormonde Jayne- Ormonde Woman. :makes me feel like a fairy deep down in the mossy forest.
Vero Profumo- Mito Voile d’Extrait- Transports me to another green, magical world- again I’m a fairy (yeah,right).
Mona di Orio- Vanille – My favourite vanilla in the world (so far). Big compliment getter,
En Voyage Perfums- Zelda. Love it’s vintage/modern feel, how it smells different every time I wear it, how it makes me feel special, a little bit wild, but elegant.
I like all your choices too, ladywinther! Thanks for the bd wishes, fellow May child. 🙂
A very happy Birthday, dear Birgit!!!
Now, I impose the following restrictions for my decision: I have to wear them a lot ( at least during the last seven month, when I started writing down my SotD), they have to be “me” and they have to be season-less (e.g. I adore Après L’Ondée, Infusion d’Iris, Chamade or 31 Rue Cambon – but only in spring, I love Mitzah and Shalimar – flankers – but only during winter, Orange Sanguine is my favorite for summer etc.)
So, here come my CURRENT top 5:
1. One that always works absentmindedly: Osmanthe Yunnan – that OY landed on the list is a big surprise for me, because I never thought of it as a favorite. But it’s the one I wore most, even during the long winter months…And it’s the one my husband associates (the most) with me.
2. Profumo (Acqua di Parma): pre-reforumlation!! The old version comes very close to my idea of the Holy Grail. I bought my bottel at an antiques store and damn, I have only about 2 ml left…and the reformulation doesn’t even come close.
3. Vétiver Tonka: perfect for feeling comfortable.
4. Fils de Dieu: satisfies my craving of sweetess (it’s rather sweetish actually).
5. And finally, because there always has to be an exception from the rule, I pick
Mohur: It”s not really “me”, I don’t wear it often – but the scent goes right in my heart, I simply love it!
Hmmm, and I always considered myself a Guerlain-Girl…
Those are very good criteria! I love Osmanthe Yunnan too.
Happy Birthday Birgit, I wish you 1000 and + smiles and to keep your beloved ones close to you.
Thank you, dear Florence! x
Happy Birthday!! And you’ve got the beautiful weather to celebrate it 🙂
My criteria are the same as Anka’s above, which is why my beloved & carefully hoarded Guerlain Attrape Coeur doesn’t make it onto the list:
1/ Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’Ete – if I could only have 1 perfume this would be it, it’s just the perfect blend of tropical and sophisticated (beaches & libraries, like Mistral Patchouli for Alice)
2/ Chanel Sycomore – a shared perfume, I love this on myself as much as on DH
3/ Chanel No 18 (or Cristalle edt, it’s a tough call)
4/ L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore – it shares an apple note with Chanel No 18, & for me is an edible, sugared version of the bone-dry, drinkable No 18
5/ Goutal Songes edt – judging from my FBs, floriental are my favourite kind of perfume, but only this one makes it into the top 5
Thank you, Figuier!
Lovely picks for your top five. Songes and Sycomore – so different and both so beautiful!
Thanks – your top five is pretty awesome also. Especially nice to see La Pausa on there – if I had any I’m sure I’d be wearing it enough to put it in the top 5, it’s such an easy, elegant scent, and my very favourite iris.
Thank you! 🙂 There are unsubstantiated rumours of it being discontinued. I really hope that is not the case…
Happy Birthday Birgit. It is 5am right now and my brain is not yet up to the task at hand. But it seems like everyone else is doing a fantastic job!
At 5am you are excused. 🙂
Thanks for the bd wishes.
Dear Birgit, a very happy birthday to you, wishing you a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and pampering. As always lists are not my strength. I even tried to do three lists; one for Guerlains, one for moderns and one for vintage, and STILL it wasn’t possible. 😀 Vol de Nuit would be on there though.
Ha, no list from you, I am not surprised. 🙂
Thank you for your kind wishes! xx
All Mitos 😉
Cuir de Russie EdP
Opus III ( recently discovered and I can’t get enough right now)
Parfum de Thérèse
Bois de Iles Extrai
My list today. Tomorrow …. ?
Beautiful list, Val! I notice Zelda is not on it (today).
t*
Happy Birthday Birgit, I hope you have a completely wonderful day full of sunshine and laughter.
I find a top 4 remarkably easy to come up with these days (oh isn’t it a relief when your perfume tastes begin to settle!)
1) Amouage, Epic
2) Serge Lutens, Chergui
3) Neela Vermeire, Mohur
4) Andy Tauer, L’Air du Desert Marocain
Number 5 is a bit trickier, so with the proviso that this will change on any given day I will choose my SOTD Tom Ford’s Sahara Noir as it goes so well with the London sun today.
It is lovely when the selection becomes smaller and the choices easier over time.
Thanks for your bd wishes! 🙂
Alexandra, your list is the closest to my taste – I like and wear all 5 of your favorite perfumes!
My list of perfumes I do not want to be without, in no particular order:
Cuir Ottoman
Nirmal
Jean Louis Scherrer No.2
Portrait of a Lady
Chypre Palatin
and a sneaky inclusion for Heeley’s St. Clements on the husband.
Very interesting list, Sabine. Great perfumes!
In no special order
Nabucco Amytis – Mona di Orio Oud – Roja Dove Danger – Chanel Bel Respiro – Frederic Malle Bigarade
Happy Birthday, B. – I hope I can congratulate in person soon 🙂
I love all of those too!
I hope we will meet again very soon!
Let me know your schedule! Xxx
Birgit, here’s wishing you the loveliest of birthdays!!
It might change tomorrow, but for now my list is:
Chanel No 22
Amouage Epic Woman
Caron Tabac Blond extrait
Amouage Opus I
MDCI Chypre Palatin
All those perfumes are so very Suzanne. They fit you perfectly.
Thank you for your wishes.
A wonderful birthday B,may you have many more happy and healthy ones!My list today is, in no particular order MDCI Chypre Palatin,Onda VdE,Rubj EDP,Ormonde Woman and Trayee.
Thank you, Ana!
Great list!
Happy Birthday, Birgit!
I’m limiting my choices to non-vintage perfumes, because otherwise decisions would be impossible.
In no particular order:
1. Hermes L’Ambre des Merveilles
2. Chanel Cristalle (edt, edp, and Eau Vert)
3. Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio
4. Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose (or Une Rose)
5. Serge Lutens Daim Blond
What a lovely top five, Farouche! Thanks for sharing.
Happy birthday, dear Birgit! Wishing a lovely spring day and celebration for you – in Vienna, there should be no shortage of delicious cake!
I can list five perfumes, but I can’t rank them – I am not sufficiently organized/mature:
Carnal Flower
Antonia
La Chasse aux Papillons
SL Un Lys
Diptyque Olene
As they say in the fine print, subject to change without notice!
Many thanks for your kind wishes.
Fabulous list!
Happy Birthday!! Happy to drink some glasses of Champagne to celebrate your birthday.
Cheers, Walter! 🙂
I liked your list a lot!
Chanel cuir de russie
Hedonist
Others I love but these would be hard to go without.
I would put mor eif I had them, but this is not a wish list I think…
It is always good to be able to expand… 🙂
Happy birthday, dear!
Oh, this “top 5” thing is a bit difficult. Let’s see…
I would say Kiki, Lyric, Cinabre, The Party in Manhattan and Mohur extrait as those are the ones I love madly (I even have back ups of the first three)
I also find myself wearing Mito (time to upgrade to a full bottle) and Antonia a lot, especially in warmer weather.
Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Caro
It is a bit difficult! 😉
But that was the last one…
Very beautiful picks, Caro!
all the best! at this instant:
Chanel 31 Rue Cambon
Frederic Malle Carnal Flower
L’Artisan Parfumeur La Traversée du Bosphore
Vero Profumo Mito
Eau d’Italie Jardin du Poete
Gorgeous!!!
Happy birthday, Birgit! You, Hermes girl, you!
May your bright and warm aura light up the scented blogosphere for myriads of days to come! Be healthy, love and be loved!
I will restrain myself from making a list, because I can’t. I simply can’t. It’s just too hard for me to choose, and I always end up in a terrible insomnia-inducing hesitation. I can start with Rue Cambon, go through Vol de Nuit, Iris de Nuit, Eau Noire, Paprika Brasil, Felanilla, Hedonist, Infusion d’Iris, Eclat de Jasmin, Oud – MFK, Opus IV, Myrrhe et Delires, Meteorites, etc…. You know I am with you about Hermes – Eau des Merveilles, Terre d’Hermes, Ambre Narguile, Vetyver Tonka, Jour d’Hermes, L’Ambre des Merveilles, Concentree Pamplemousse Rose, Kely Caleche (edt)…See, I can’t even chose top 10! I’m pathetic…
Thank you very much for your kind wishes, dear Lyubov!
Don’t fret about the list. Sometimes more is more. 😉
Happy birthday! And, indeed, this is the trickiest question of them all. If I had to save 5 of my bottles in a hurry e.g. before been exiled, I’d probably choose 31 rue Cambon, OJ Woman, Vetiver pour elle, lys en Méditerranée, muscs koublai khan..
On an aside, I’ve been trying out some Heeleys in the last weeks, and really like Iris de Nuit, nice to see it being frequently mentioned above, it could be my nex buy!
Iris de Nuit is very nice, I like it a lot too!
Great choices, Bee!
Happy birthday, dear Birgit! Hope you have/had a wonderful and sunny day!
My top five, as of today, are:
Rivage des Syrtes – MDCI
Jour d’Hermes
Mito – Vero Profumo
Carnal Flower – Frederic Malle
Orange Sanguine – Atelier Cologne
Cheers
Safran
Thank you, dear Safran!
Very lovely picks! I must have some Orange Sanguine again eventually, it is such a happy scent.
Love your list, B. I’m very intrigued by Caleche now. I hope you find the words.
My Top 5 today are:
Osmanthe Yunnan – finally got a full bottle on ebay for a good price this very day.
Ormonde Woman
Vol de Nuit (pre-reform)
Traveree du Bosphore – a new love but couldn’t resist putting it in.
Cuir de Lancome (just over OJ Champaca but only just)
Hope you get to enjoy your favourites things on your birthday!
Congratulations on your OY find! Love ebay! 🙂
Beautiful list (as I knew it would be!).
Tara, your list is the second closest to what I like – four of your “must have” are favorites of mine as well. Only Alexandra’s list above came closer – all five hits.
Dear Birgit, happy happy birthday, have a good relaxing day and enjoy smelling gorgeous 🙂
I can name my top 3 list but 5 is difficult. I’ll try nonetheless (in no particular order)
– Miller Harris L’Air de Rien. There is nothing better when I want to feel strong and independent.
– Hermes Eau des Merveilles. I feel like sparkling with this. It’s a shiny me in a subtle way.
– Ormonde Jayne Tolu. The only oriental fragrance I own and wear. And so good when I need comfort.
– Chanel Beige. It is my “white swan perfume” (boisdejasmin once did a superb post about white and black swan perfumes). It has a kind aura and is just beautiful.
– Maybe too early to say so, but I say it’s Olfactive Studio Ombre Indigo. I bought the bottle this month and have worn it all the time since then. A perfect shadowy veil of scent.
Other contenders: Frederic Malle Une Rose, Parfums Delrae Panache, Bottega Veneta Le Parfum.
Many thanks for the good wishes, Marie!
I know what you mean about Eau de Merveilles, sparkly me is so well put!
Love your list!
Off the top of my head, because I would go in circles otherwise, my top five would be:
Bulgari Au Vert for hot days
Cartier Baiser Vole for romantic days
Malle En Passant for spring
777 Kohl de Bahrain for yummy smoothness in the winter
Lutens Chergui for autumn walks in the crisp leaves.
Very diverse top five, Nancy, you’d be all set on every front.
Happy birthday, Birgit. I am so happy to see that you have Calèche on your list. It’s been my top
choice for many years, and I still wear it frequently. Here are my five:
1. Calèche
2. Shalimar
3. Coco
4. Mona’s Vanille
5. Vol de Nuit
I had to leave out so many, especially the other Hermes fragrances and Patou’s 1000.
Such great classics, Anita!
We Caléche girls must stick together! 😉
Dear Birgit, I have to make a change in the list. Today is my birthday (May 21) and the gift from my husband is Carnal Flower. I am stunned with its beauty…
I am so lucky!
Best, AnitaATM
You ARE! Happy Birthday, dear Anita! What a lovely gift, what a lovely husband! He did well and so did you! 🙂
Happy Birthday, B! Ooh, I would never attempt such a question but as it is your special day, and I have a glass of rose wine on the go, I’ll give it a go. As Tara says, this is strictly just ‘at the moment’ / today…;)
1) Ormonde Jayne Ta’if
2) En Voyage Perfumes Zelda
3) Chanel Bois des Iles
4) SL Un Lys
5) Kenzo Flower by Kenzo Oriental
Gosh, that was hard – Diptyque Volutes edt, Le Labo Labdanum 18 and a few others were champing at the bit to be shortlisted…
You know what is interesting – only one of these five can be called fuzzy and soft (the last one), all the others are quite assertive perfumes. You’ve come a ways!
Really? I’ve never seen Un Lys as assertive, but rather a soft scent – maybe we need a olfactory version of Burns’s “Would some power the giftie gie us / To see ourselves as others see us.” (Which, by the way, I should find appalling. I never want to see myself as others see me! We need our illusions sometimes!)
I’m so with you! I would be afraid to see myself like others do!
Although it’s past midnight: HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY, dear Olfactoria! 🙂 xo
I am toasting your special day with an Aperol-Prosecco 🙂
OK, here are my present 5 faves:
1. Eau de Pamplemousse rose
2. Ambre Narguilé,
3. Kelly Caléche,
4. Jour d’Hermès Absolu,
5. Mandarine Ambrée,
all of them Hermès/Hermessence.
Keep up the interesting posts (and I know for sure it’s lots of work). 🙂 xoxo
Hello dear happyface!
You are my trusty fellow Hermès lover, long live Jean-Claude Ellena! 🙂
😀 You make me smile big time, dear Olfactoria 🙂
I used to hardly ever buy new fragrances and used ANGEL from when it was launched until Kelly Caleche was put on the market (no joke). From there on it seems I got hooked… 🙂 Yes, cheers to Jean-Claude Ellena… and you! 🙂
That is quite a turnaround from Angel to JCE. It is unfortunately too easy getting hooked on Hermès, isn’t it? 😉
It sure is 🙂
The happiest of birthdays to you!
I’m almost hyperventilating at the thought of whittling it down to 5 choices but here I go in no particular order:
1. Guerlain Samsara Parfum
2. SL – Santal de Mysore
3. Vintage Opium anything
4. Vintage Bal a Versailles Parfum
5. Vintage L’Heure Bleue extrait
(and clamoring to be heard in the background, vintage Bois des Iles and Cuir de Russie).
Breathe deeply!!! 😉
You’ll definitely smell fantastic even with only these five!
A happy, happy birthday to you from me. I am a new reader of Olfactoria’s Travels. I recently regained my full sense of smell after losing parts of it as a side effect of medication, so my interest in fragrance is at a high point. I have enjoyed so very much your thoughts and the comments from your readers. There is a lovely community here. And now I want to smell everyone’s favorites. What a long and lovely to-do list that would be.
Oh, how great that you’ve got your sense of smell back! Happy sniffing!
Hello Tiffanie,
so glad you got your sense of smell back! I can imagine how you must enjoy diving into the perfume world now. Have fun!
Thank you very much for your kind birthday wishes and thank you for reading, I’m very glad you feel welcome here. And you are right of course, my readers are awesome!!!!
Happy Birthday, Birgit! My top 5 for now…
FM Portrait of a Lady
Parfums Delrae Bois de Paradis
SSS Nostalgie
Chanel Coromandel
Serge Lutens Santal Majascule
Thank you, Bhama!
Thanks for sharing your top five!
Happy Birthday! (It’s still the 19th here for one more minute.)
I feel like there are too many things I’ve never smelled to really pick a top five, but since I missed several of these (Top 5 Music kept crashing my browser; I could only think of three favorite movies; I think the fourth one I just missed completely) I’ll list my top 5 at this moment.
1. Vintage Opium
2. Roberto Cavalli Oro
3. Badgley Mischka (so gorgeous)
4. Gianfranco Ferre Ferre (my version of the spine-stiffening Chanel No. 19)
5. Amouage Lyric Woman
I see that my first three are all discontinued, actually. Well, if I can’t find anything I like better, it’ll just make it easier to save up for the Lyric Woman. Maybe Bombay Bling, too.
Thank you Laurels! 🙂
Ah, it is hard to have discontinued ones in the top five, but as you say, much more out there to smell…
Sorry, I’m late but, Happy Birthday Birgit!!
Top Five:
1) Amouage Interlude Man (my first and still favorite Amouage)
2) Dior Cuir Cannage (new but quickly making it to the top!)
3) Amouage Memoir Woman (I tried not to pick two Amouages….)
4) Roja Dove Unspoken (although Fetish is also a favorite)
5) Mona Di Orio Oiro (thanks to you I sprung for this blind and I’m so glad I did!)
Thank you, dubaiscents!
Oh the new Dior! It must be great if you are taking in into your top five already.
So happy to see Oiro in there too!
Happy birthday Birgit!
Homage Amouage
Envy
Love (Kilian)
Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia
Cristalle EDT
Thank you!
Lovely list!
Happy Birthday Birgit! 🙂
Only 5 huh, that’s a big call. Ok, current top 5 would probably be:
1. Amouage Lyric Woman. Wouldn’t want to be without it.
2. Vero Profumo Mito Voile d’extrait. Next fb. Divine.
3. Profumi del Forte Roma Imperiale. Indeed it is sunshine in a bottle.
4. Organza Indecence. Probably my favourite spicy perfume
5. Seville a l’aube. There are plenty I could put here, but this always reminds me of how much I love it when I wear it
Thank you, Lynley!
Fabulous Five! 🙂
Hard to say as that keeps changing depending on the weather and my mood. But here are a couple that will always have a place on my shelf –
Guerlain SONGE D’UN BOIS D’ÉTÉ
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather
and a few more to complete the list…
Baiser Volé’ Extrait de Parfum – accidently found this. I was in house of fraser looking at sunglasses and every now and then I would get this fantastic waft of smell. Finally I looked and there it was. I think this could be Lana Del Rey’s signature fragrance – class in a bottle.
Guerlain Vetiver – managed to get an old after shave spray, weak but fab
L’Artisan Al Oudh- was not love at first site, but got in a sale and like it.
Does this look like a complete random list for a male in his 40s? 🙂
I
also make my own fragrances by the way, the one I have made and love contains coffee, rose, cocoa, myrrh, tobacco and sandalwood. Unfortunately it stains clothes so can only wear with dark clothes.
I haven’t tried Neela Vermeire collection yet but I am sure to like at least one of them.
I have saved that for my trip to Paris sometime later this year.
It sounds like a pretty great list, Mahesh!
Paris this year? Lucky you! I’m sure you will love it.
🙂 Paris is one of the best cities I have visited and I love going there every 2 years.
I went to Selfridges today to try the new Dior Cuir Cannage, didn’t like it but happened to see and try their new Oud Elixir Precieux. This is from Indonesia and oud in pure form, so I was told. It comes in a fantastic 3ml bottle for a good amount over 200 pounds. I dabbed it a few hours ago and I am still walking in the fantastic oud cloud that reminds me of my favourite candle from Astier de Villatte called Oulan Bator.
Loads of medicinal, smokey, animalic, tobacco tones…..I will have to find an excuse to buy that now.
Interesting! I heard that the Elixirs are so very expensive… but you love what you love! We only live once. 🙂
Strangely, this one wasn’t hard for me (as long as I do not have to give up the rest of them and wear only these – since The Five are too special for me to wear them daily ; -) ):
Lancôme Climat
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if
Amouage Ubar
Chanel No 19 EdT
Frederic Malle Portraid of a Lady
Those are true Undina perfumes for me. Lovely!
Happy birthday!
Approaching this in a rational way was impossible for me so I let my heart do it for me:
Shalimar, Guerlain
Hiris, Hermes
Dia, Amouage
Puredistance I
Bois des Iles, Chanel
Your heart did great! Fantastic list!
Happy Birthday, and Many Happy Returns:-)
(I can’t choose 5 of anything, or even 10, or any fixed number – but I’m impressed that so many people can.)
cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh
Thank you for the kind wishes, Anna!
Cheerio right back!
Happy Birthday one day late!
I would say Ambre Sultan, Shalimar, Ayurvédique, Coco Chanel, Mona di Orio Vanilla… tough to stop. Still waiting on Tihota to add a new potential favorite though!
Thank you, LeSputnik!
You are an orientals fan apparently! 🙂
Great list.
A bit too late but still a happy birthday to you!
For me it is almost impossible to make even a top 10 list..let alone a top 5, so I just picked the fives for this moment..tomorrow it will probably be a different list 😉
1. Amytis – Nabucco
2. Quand vient la pluie – Guerlain
3. Bombay Bling – Neela Vermeire
4. Violette Fumee – Mona di Orio
5. Very Private – Ramon Monegal
Love La Femme Bleue too..and I am really curious about the new one Ombre et Lumiere! Only that supid price tag!
Thank you, isabeau!
Oh that is a beautiful list, but then I know that we share many tastes.
I am much later than I intended adding my list here. Okay, let me think… In no particular order:
Dior Eau Sauvage
Guerlain Vetiver
Guerlain Habit Rouge
By Kilian A Taste Of Heaven
Chanel Pour Monsieur
-Jim
Classically beautiful as ever.
Thank you always for your compliments, dear Birgit. 🙂
hello beautiful lady,i hope you had a most wonderful birthday.your writtings are most enjoyable as well as uplifting.and what beautiful children you have.most fondly your biggest fan in arizona,sara(carrie)
Many thanks for the lovely wishes, Carrie, they made me happy!
Belated birthday wishes, sorry I’m so late but this required a lot of careful thought!
1: Guerlain L’Heure Bleue – The highest expression of perfume as art
2: Guerlain Shalimar – This is just sublime there are no words just to dab or spray and feel it again
3: Roja Dove Diaghilev – Magnificent achievement showing that chypres are not dead there just expensive
4: Roja Dove Aoud / Amber Aoud – I never got the whole opulence of our until I go these, now I see
5: Caron Tabac Blonde – The scent of my wife, best friend and soulmate.
Thank you very much, Joe! I’m glad you decide to share your list.
And what a list it is! Such great classics, and thanks to Roja Dove this genre is not dead yet.
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