PBullFriend

I bought this for some trifling amount ($10 US, maybe) on eBay a long time ago. It's a lovely long-lasting espresso with a hint of sweetness (makes me think more of sugar cubes dissolved in espresso than cream) that projects well and lasts for hours.

After quitting cigarettes in 2005, I decided to reward myself with perfume. I tried all sorts of things, and could often find used bottles on eBay for very little. There were perfume blogs but not sites like this one. US eBay hadn't thrown off the hand-decanting sample sellers yet, so I took a lot more gambles than I do now. (When the sample sellers were thrown off, some of them formed their own websites, like The Perfumed Court, but many of them weren't up for that extra work, so sample supplies decreased drastically. There are a few hand-decanting sample sellers on eBay now, but I think they're flying under the radar.)

I bought this one based on nothing other than "I like coffee." When I realized how much I liked it, I bought a backup bottle. I'm finishing the first bottle now, and still finding it to be better than the Comptoir sud Pacifique coffee scents. It's on a par with L'Or de Torrente, but sometimes I am not in a mood for the roses in L'Or . It's also in a league with Comme des Garcons Wood Coffee, which has also been out of production for many years.

It reminds me that perfume *could* be a lot cheaper than it is now and still be good. But popularity makes it more expensive, and I'm also pleased that more people are enjoying scent. I'm just refusing to go to $200 a bottle, and hoarding this, and my old Cinnabar, and a few other gems we won't see again.

I am not privy to the marketing decisions at the Thymes, which is headquartered about five miles from my home, but I wish I were. They could be a solid alternative to Bath & Body Works, making less-sugary and more-adult scents in a similar price range. But, somehow, they aren't. Nearly 10 years ago, they launched a line called Lulah, which had the simplest and least-interesting logo and packaging possible. Despite this, the scents were nice! This tamarind-ginger body spray is simple and gorgeous, and should have earned the happy following that keeps Origins Ginger Essence (similar with the ginger and citrus) going strong 22 years after its release in a full line of scent and body care. Instead, Lulah has been gone for years, its website now nonexistent.

Ferragamo has done quite well with its series of Incanto flankers. While Ferragamo Incanto itself is a serious peach-plum-pimento business for adult women, its flankers (Incanto Charm, Incanto Shine, Incanto Bloom...) are completely unrelated to it and are cheery, fruity concoctions aimed at teens. If they'd been around when I was 13-16, I would have worn them.

Vilhelm Parfumerie has apparently decided to update that series with a slightly more "adult" fruit (blackberry, which has been used to good effect by Trish McEvoy and others) and a bit more chemical fizz. No idea why one would call that "Room Service," which to me suggests a come-hither scent rather than a perky young adult one. If you like the Incanto flankers but want them a bit more grown-up, this might be for you. (It isn't for me -- an unidentified aromachemical in here gave me a headache after a few minutes.)

This is a pretty and well-balanced ginger-citrus, but ginger-citrus scents are in a crowded field. I find it a bit masculine -- could be the black pepper. There's also a note I can't place that reminds me of old-fashioned (and lovely) Palmolive soap. It fades significantly after an hour.

As a woman, I don't find this to be worth it when the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ginger Piccante is so much cheaper (USD $60 or so for 125 ml on eBay vs. $180 for 100 ml at Luckyscent) and I find it more elegant and lively. I guess this may be more of interest for men who find other ginger-citrus scents too feminine or for those who only want to buy niche scents.

Lively, well-balanced scent that's over 40 yrs old -- one of the best mass market scents the US has produced, IMO. Interesting that, according to another site, the nose behind it is the ultra-talented Frenchman, Bernard Chant, who also brought the world Halston, Azuree, Cabochard, and Cinnabar.

Just bought another used bottle of the Lauren spray oil from eBay. A summer night's treat: Cool shower followed by Lauren spray oil under a soft cotton nightgown and freshly changed crisp sheets is just perfect. A cooling nap in a bed of vivid, well-arranged flowers.