Do you own a perfume that you consider to be a secret gem?
A generally under-appreciated scent that you cherish and love dearly?
Something you even consider a shameful secret?
Do you have a fragrant obsession you normally don’t talk about?
My Answer:
In my perfume closet is a small, black vial containing a lovely, retro, soft and subdued, spicy, white floral that I have been wearing a lot over the past summer. It is an elegant perfume, very easy to wear, not extremely inventive, not made with the best of ingredients, to be had for very little money. I bet that bottle feels a bit uncomfortable among its colleagues, the distinguished Chanels, vintage Guerlains and hard-to-find niche creations surrounding it, but it is also quite smug in the knowledge that I have been wearing it more lately than many of its more esteemed closet companions.
I’m not ashamed of wearing it, but I find myself not exactly advertising it either. My hidden treasure, my secret scent is Dita Von Teese Eau de Parfum.
Come on now, spill the beans, what is yours?
Olfactoria's Travels 
I don’t have such a treasure yet. But who knows what will be in my collection in few years.
The phase when you slowly build your collection is so great. Enjoy!
Yes it is, and soon one new member will join it 🙂 Can’t wait!
Is it the new Atelier Cologne?
Of course 🙂 Rose Anonyme will be a new member of my fragrance family
Mine is a gem in the sense that it comforts me
and I receive compliments when I wear it but I do not like naming it – ELdO Putain de Palaces. The look of shock I get is almost reason enough for me to invent a bout of amnesia so that I don’t have to answer the question “what is that lovely scent”.
Hahahaha, you even apologized for saying the name last week! 😀
I understand your qualms… I guess it is fine with the non-French speaking set though. 😉
As always I will have to mention Miss Dior Cherie which I love to pieces, especially spritzed into unscented body lotion and applied in that manner – heaven 😀 It makes me happy like few other fragrances do.
If I had Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Grass that would be another one – I used to love it. That would certainly be a guilty pleasure these days. Not sure what it smells like today.
Did you try the new Miss Dior Le Parfum? I always think of you, when I see those pretty bottles. 🙂
No, not yet but is high on my list when next visiting a department store 🙂
The bottles are certainly the epitomy of pretty – Miss Cior Cherie satisfies my need for pretty-pretty 😉
Oops, typo, I need reading glasses but can’t quite face it yet 😉
🙂
I agree, I hope to love Le Parfum, just to eventually have the bottle. 😉
I don’t know if it is a secret but, something I discovered by accident at a discount store is Miyako by Annayake. It smells amazingly like Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan but cost about 1/8 the price. If someone thought I was wearing the more expensive SL then I might not correct them 🙂
That sounds very good, if I come across it, I’ll be sure to give it a sniff.
This is a wonderful incense fragrance that I’ve loved for quite a while. It’s little sweeter and more transparent that some of the heavy hitters, so more wearable for me. I recently acquired a full bottle for a very low price, too. I don’t think it was originally that inexpensive, so I think it is being dumped on the market or something. Time to stock up! The whole Annayake line is very interesting as well.
Thank you for the info! Very interesting!
Personally I love The body Shop’s Japanese Musk Perfume oil. It is quite inexpensive, around the 20 dollar mark but the smell is amazing, and as usual you have to get it on ebay because it is discontinued as of a year ago in Australia. It smells classy but it really is not.
Hmmm, that sound very nice as well. Must do some research. 🙂
Nature by Yves Rocher is my secret gem. I still like to wear it from time to time, it smells nice on me and I adore the bottle.
Yves Rocher brings back many memories for me…
The latest (2007) edition of Shiseido’s Zen. I find it fresh and fruity and uplifting and it makes me smile because it just smells so nice.
I wish they had kept the beautiful white-shimmery bottles it came in in the nineties, they were so beautiful.
I agree, I hate the cube bottles and they are hard to handle too.
Very unwieldy, but they ought to come in handy when you need a murder weapon… 😉
I’ll keep that in mind, LOL!
I’m so with you on this (as well…) : I loved that bottle and the juice in it !
I feel like “Fifi Chachnil” is my hidden treasure, it’s such a Perfect Perfume – the bottle is just gorgeous & the scent is so very sexy. Its not available for purchase in my country, and I think in sure it’s not commonly known…so therefore it’s my hidden treasure!
It is not easily available here either, so it would certainly fall under the heading hidden treasures. I’ve heard many good things about it.
Noa from Cacharel – soft, gentle and just so darn easy to wear.
And let’s not forget the lovely bottle!
My shameful pleasure is Revlon Jean Nate’
After Bath Splash!
It is a comfort scent for me, as my mother wore
it every night…
That’s lovely to have a fragrant reminder of your mother, it’s surely not a shameful pleasure. 🙂
I love Calice Becker’s sadly unappreciated lily-amber, “Donna Karan Gold”- the bottle is wonderful also. I have 2 backup bottles, as it was discontinued a while back and is now disappearing even from ebay! I also like Yves Rocher’s Comme Une Evidence, which I read is the most popular women’s perfume in France, but practically unheard of here. I received a bottle as a free gift when I bought a box of shower gels, and love it. And speaking of Dita’s celebuscent, Katie Puckrik loved it, too! I’ve never seen it here, though….
I’m thinking about Gold often, but it would be an unsniffed purchase of course…
I must give Comme un Evidence a whirl sometime.
Dear B, you must get Gold, is beautiful and so cheap! If you want I can send you a sample of the eau de parfum, no obligations involved. It’s a wonderful lily, I think you will love it.
Ana, you’re too kind. I think I will just go for a small bottle, there is a perfume store near my house that has a bottle for a song that I’ve been eyeing for ages. All of today’s endorsement makes me go there and get it tomorrow. 🙂
Thanks so much for the offer!
Yes, Birgit get the small bottle! Gold was my most successful blind buy so far, I’m delighted with it!Make sure it’s the EDP , it is better than the EDT.Let us all know your opinion about it, but I would say it’s perfect for you. A realistic meaty lily foiled in shimmering amber.Enjoy!
I will! 🙂
I’ve almost bought Gold (unsniffed) seeveral times (online)..lol. Maybe I should just bite the bullet. Gres Cabaret is another that I am tempted to buy unsniffed online
Maybe it is time (before it is too late and prices go skyhigh).
I just bought (blindly) a small bottle of Gold and I love it! Not at all what I expected. It thought, from the description and bottle, that it would be a heavier and deeper scent. It does have that almost meaty lily, and also a sweet banana-like note. It is really a beautiful light scent.
It sounds so very tempting…
I think Gold is only unappreciated by mainstream folks (hence its discontinuation) — I know many perfume people who love it! (I also have 2 backup bottles!)
Comme un Evidence is nice, I ended up with a mini and it’s a nice surprise.
Okay, that’s it! I need some Gold in my life before it is too late.
Definitely “Go for the Gold!” Although it is discontinued, I see it a lot on the discount sites and even at the stores here. Apparently I should stock up!
Mine is Jacomo silences from your recommendation <3, very green and Chanel No 19 like but at a fraction of the price, the other one is JPG Le Fleur Male which is so similar to Xerjoff Oesel it is unbelievable also to be had at a very good price on evilbay. My only gripe for bot is that neither of them spray very well but I can live with that.
I love, love, love Fleur du Male! Silences, too.
Great guilty (or not so guilty) pleasures, Andrea!
Ooh what a fun Monday Question! Too bad I don’t have an answer considering Cuir de Lancome really isn’t a hidden gem anymore, I’m pleased to say.
I will have to check out the Dita Von Teese ‘fume asap. I did very much like the look of the small bottle with the tassel and it’s a steal.
That Cuir de Lancome is out of hiding is entirely your fault. 🙂
I’m sorry I can’t play, I don’t have shameful fragrant secret… Mea Culpa.
You are an entirely honest Perfumista apparently. 😉
Sigh, nothing shameful in my collection 😦 Shame on me !
Indeed! 😉
Shameful? I don’t know and the little gem I love is Faberge’s Princess Grace of Monaco. Adore the bottle and I am very grateful to have found it recently. I use it very carefully as I never know if I can get a replacement. Luckily, it’s a perfume so the sillage and it lasts long!
Hmm, that sounds lovely. As a great Grace Kelly fan, I’ll be on the lookout for this one.
SJP’s Lovely, I think it’s so gorgeous, and one if the few respectable celebriscents. JPG’s Fragile: sort of a loud tuberose, very bright and happy for me. I detect a green tea note, which I adore. Calvin Klein’s Truth: bamboo notes, sorta skin musky loveliness. I’ve actually gone through 3 bottles, which is a miracle for me! Lastly, Dior’s Pure Poison: a whiteflower powerhouse! The only other perfume in which I’ve gone through a few bottles.I also have a few of Florascent’s creations, little known green scents. They’re made in the “old-world” tradition, apparently. Several are amazing, Pipapo in particular.
Thanks for unveiling all your hidden gems, Nina!
I love the Dita Von Teeze too. That pointy “Death Becomes Her” flacon is great for public resprays also.
Portia x
True, it’s a very catchy bottle. 🙂
I love Lann- Ael by Lostmarc’h dearly. Even if it’s quite one- sided and not considered a gem in the world of perfumes. It’s my feel-good scent and I can’t wait for the really cold weather to come so I can wear my “vanilla-sugar-bomb” (says boyfriend) again.
It’s so cuddly! Lann-Ael is great! It’s my cereal perfume. 😉
Pacifica’s Tibetan Mountain Temple. Here’s their description from the web site: “Vetiver and Indonesian Patchouli are the base of this tranquil, incense-like blend, while Ginger sits lightly in the middle and Orange provides expansive lift for these distinctive essential oils.” There must be some vanilla in there, too, because it’s a bit sweet as well. Very warming, comforting and uplifting.
Hmm, that description sure sounds nice. Thanks for sharing your secret scent.
Forgot to say that this is inexpensive. And are there really three Ninas commenting today on your blog?
I’m glad I read this. I was going to swap mine away unsniffed but decided at the last minute to hold on to it.
Count me in as another fan of TMT – that’s some goood stuff right there. I also really love Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange. Juiciest thing I own!
Hmmmm, my collection is tiny, so I can’t really say I have any hidden gems as of yet. But my fragrance obsession is~~~~skank. I’m really drawn to carnal, animalic scents, lol!
Did you try the Mona di Orio Signature line (in the grey boxes, sadly discontinued, but set to be re-released)? You’ll be in skank-heaven! 🙂
No I have not tried any Mona di Orio fragrances, sadly. I have been considering getting the discovery set. I will keep an eye out for the signature line re-release. Thanks for the recommendation Birgit.
You’re very welcome!
Nothing shameful, but I love Ombre Rose, in any vintage!
Nothing shameful indeed!
What a delightful question. I’ve been busy writing down tips for new scents. My favorite back of the closet scent is Khiel’s “Musk”. I thought musk was too over the top and sold only in CVS, but this one is so subtle and light. I like to use it to help me get sleepyl
I was obsessed with Kiehl’s Musk years ago, time to smell it again some time.
Thank you for reminding me!
I’VE never been ashamed of loving Burberry Brit Gold (I buy just about every bottle I can find), or Rochas Absolu, or Belle en Rykiel, or even SJP’s weird and wonderful Covet (and they sit proudly amongst the Lutens’, Malle’s and Chanels’ in my collection) …..but sometimes other more “affluent” perfumistas will look down their noses at the “proletarian” gems stacked regally on my dresser.
It’s all about what YOU love after all, and true love knows no class. 😉
I tried Dita von Teese recently and loved it! It reminded me of the original Juicy Couture, which I also think is great for the cost.
More hidden gems (shame-free, I swear!):
Moschino Couture (perfectly balanced woody fruity floral)
Belle en Rykiel (awesome, almondy patchouli gourmand)
Monsieur Balmain (lemon chypre)
Femme Fekkae Sensuelle (beautiful fresh orange blossom, no longer available sadly)
Roberto Cavalli Oro (like Roucel’s version of Theorema)
DSquared HeWood (What can I say?! this might by my favorite vetiver scent…..)
I have lots of these clearly…..
You do! I know who to ask now, if I ever need tips for hidden gems. Meanwhile I’ll make a note of this list. 🙂
The original Lolita Lempica. When the weather is right, sometimes nothing else will do (and I am such a sucker for those bottles),
I forgot about HM’s Magical Moon. So pretty!
I haven’t heard if this one yet, must take a closer look! Thanks.
That’s the apple bottle, right? It’s very cute indeed, and the perfume is excellent!
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb. Geared towards men but very wearable for women too! It’s a lovely warm spicy, woody, creamy scent. Too bad the bottle is so hideous….
Too bad the bottle is in the image of a weapon. (Maybe the NRA will come out with a celebrity scent in the shape of a gun? Cranky aside over.)
Spicebomb, the juice is really nice especially in the cold season. 🙂
And they could call it “Trigger Happy” 😉 I decanted the juice in a nice vintage perfume bottle and threw the original one away. Why anyone would release a perfume bottle in the shape of a hand grenade is completely beyond me. I say make perfume not war!
Haha, Clinique would not like that! 😉
Great idea to decant into a beautiful bottle.
Please share your decanting method. DId you spray it into another bottle? I have considered using a glass cutter to decant some vintage sprays. Do you have experience using this method? Thanks for your help!
Gun phobic person laughing at the NRA releasing a frag called trigger happy!
Then I got to the glass cutter question. I know you asked Brigit, not me, but since my mom used to use glass cutters to make stained glass windows (and one amazingly beautiful lamp, Comfort Tiffany eat your heart out!) I do feel a moral obligation to tell you that every time glass is cut there are shards left in it’s wake. Big ones, small ones, microscopic ones that seem to escape both broom and vacuum, and do not walk barefoot or lean hand nor elbow on any surface within four feet until it has been wiped down repeatedly with a damp cloth/paper towel. Maybe you could find something good on tv to watch while you spritz away.
Well, I love Joop le Bain on any cold night and I’m not ashamed to tell. It’s cheap as chips but lovely and cosy.
Isn’t that the best? I feel so free spraying with abandon, when I know something is widely available and cheap and makes me feel good to boot.
J.Lo Glow ;-).
I’ve heard many good things about Glow.
I liked it a lot..it has a note that is very similar to the lily of the valley. Although it is not listed. I guess that’s why I like it. But just the orignial one…not the following flankers.
It’s difficult for me to come up with a secret gem since most of my wardrobe consists of fragrances I heard or read about somewhere. The closest thing to a hidden treasure I have is probably Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel (1976). It was my second full bottle purchase ever. I had not heard of it until my best friend told me what it was when he wore it one day and I asked about it. It’s a very inexpensive fragrance but it isn’t an easy fragrance for a man to wear. It’s very floral for a masculine. Here is the fragrantica page for anyone interested in reading about it.
http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Geoffrey-Beene/Grey-Flannel-4608.html
Thank you for the link, James!
I hear Grey Flannel is very old-school elegance and I like that a lot.
You’re welcome, Birgit 🙂 I went for the basenotes page first, but the site seems to be down again. Over and over again I am attracted to older fragrances/classics. They feel the most comfortable to me. I’m boring, I guess. Your impression of it is accurate, in my opinion. It has several female admirers I know from the online fragrance community, and I like that about it.
I have many favorite hidden gems like this. I agree that Dita Von Teese’s perfume falls into this category. I only have a small sample but I may purchase a bottle since it is so affordable and nice.
Others in my collection are the wonderfully weird Sarah Jessica Parker Covet, LUSH Lust, and Bath and Body Works PS I Love You. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoy Dita von Teese as well, it’s really nice!
Toujours Moi by Dana. I spent a lot on a tiny vintage bottle before realising you can get large, plain bottles of modern juice in thin cardboard boxes very cheaply on eBay! It is a bit like a cuddlier version of Habanita – nougatty, ambery goodness. But I kind of wish it was more expensive!! (I also agree that SJP’s lovely is a fantastic scent).
Sounds really good!
So many great comments. I will just second your Dita von Teese. It is now in very regular rotation in my collection. Hopefully it will soon be released in the US, as I would like another bottle.
I bought mine after you wrote about it, so thank you very much, Natalie!
Yippee! I’m flattered, and glad you like it. 🙂
I wouldn’t call it shameful, necessarily, but my bottle of Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls that cost me a whole whopping $12 at Winners does seem a little out of place beside my Chanels. It’s a very lush, loud, peach-y leather-y thing that pretty much demands to be worn with big hair and cleavage; sometimes it just hits the spot.
There are days when olfactory big hair and cleavage is needed. 🙂
None of these are hidden treasures exactly, but I do love:
– Burt’s Bees Milk & Shea Butter body wash and lotion
– Claus Porto vetyver shower gel and tobacco-scented soap
I also quite like Yves Rocher Gardenia edt.
Hi Axum,
Yves Rocher Gardenia was amazingly lovely, too bad it’s discontinued, very short-lived, but a beauty!
I’ll try the Burt’s Bees shower gel, it sounds yummy.
This is the confession.
I have a bottle of Tom Kitten by Crabtree and Evelyn in my closet 🙂
Did any perfumista hear about such thing?
Tom Kitten? Sounds delightful! Isn’t he a Beatrix Potter character? 😀
Yes, of course. It smells of clean babies (it is for kids) and something else. It is a simple glass bottle with a beautiful picture of Tom Kitte on. This light cologne was my daughter’s favorite when she was 6… A while ago…. I smell it often. It reminds me the beautiful time in my life.
Lovely! 🙂
My Very Very guilty pleasure (yes, with a capital V) is Viva la juicy from juicy couture. Love the way it smells on my skin! Rich gourmandy floral bouquet. Yum. (to be fair, I have the limited pure parfum version so i guess i can be given some slack ;)) I need sillage so nothing subtle for me.
Normally I would wear Womanity or Candy by Prada.
Hi Etomidac,
I’ll cut you some slack for the perfume version. 😉
You make it sound very covetable indeed.
What a wonderful question! I don’t really have any hidden treasures in my collection 😦 I’m a what-you-smell-is-kind-of-what-you-get kind of girl. I do love Prada Candy though, and I always cringe a little bit when I say the name.
It is a bit of a misleading name for such a nice perfume.
My hidden gem would have to be Waterford’s Lismore, a very pretty, watery floral. I bought it online, untested, and hated it when it arrived. However, after wearing it a few times, things fell into place, and now we are good friends.
I will have to try the Dita at the next opportunity!
I’ve never heard of this (so it surely qualifies as hidden 😉 ), but you make it sound very lovely.
I have a ton of these, I have so much shame, but I show it to everybody so it’s OK. I talk about White Diamonds all the time, I love that stuff, but I’m also very fond of Poison and philosophy’s Amazing Grace. Antonio Banderas’ Diavolo (by Puig) is also good, I think. I’m sure there’s other shameful stuff in there!
If you love it, wear it! No shame necessary. 🙂
Hmm, I don’t know which one of mine might be a bit shameful honestly, if I like it I tend to consider it not shameful. 🙂 Ha, did I wiggle out of that reply or what? 😉
Possibly Eau de Cartier and the two Lolita Lempickas I have – Si Lolita and L.
Excellent wiggling, Ines! 🙂
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