Journal Entry: Into The Hobby of Fragrances (Part 3)

This is part 3 of my (28F) series of journal entries into this amazing hobby. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here! It's been a few months since I've written my part 2, but I was waiting for my trip to New York and my birthday to pass. I anticipated I was going to add new perfumes to my collection (which happened). It's now time to take a look at my ever-growing collection and reflect on things that have changed since then.

I won't be reviewing again those that were in my first entry. If they're still here, they still have a cozy place in my heart and nothing has really changed. Some are still travel sizes and will be upgraded to a full bottle once I finish the travel sizes. Here are the perfumes I have kept since then:

• J'adore by Dior Eau de Parfum
• J'adore by Dior Parfum d'Eau
• Eden Juicy Apple | 01 by Kayali (10ml travel size)
• Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper | 25 by Kayali (10ml travel size)
• Vanilla | 28 by Kayali
• Under The Lemon Trees by Maison Margiela Replica (10ml travel size)
• Angel Nova by Mugler
• Fall Cashmere by Skylar
• Peach Fields by Skylar (10ml travel size)
• Sol Cheirosa '62 by Sol de Janeiro

Here are my new additions with a few thoughts about them. You can read my complete in-depth reviews on various websites where I'm active (Parfumo, Reddit):

Mod Vanilla by Ariana Grande: I tested this perfume in a Shopper's Drug Market and thought it would fit the bill perfectly for a nice, soft, airy vanilla great for summer. It smelled sweet, soft and just like Cloud, without the dissonant note that made me drop Cloud from my collection. My boyfriend got it for me during my birthday and although I'm quite grateful for it, unfortunately something has changed between the time I tested it out and now. It's still quite lovely, but i'm not sure it fits the bill for what I want in a warm weather vanilla perfume. I'm still on the fence on whether I'll be keeping it or not.

Thé Yulong from the Armani Privé line by Giorgio Armani: Ever since I've had Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea and Yves Rocher's Green Tea in my collection, i've been on the lookout for a nice perfume with better longevity and better interpretation of green tea notes. During my researches, people often mentioned this one and I finally got the chance to try it out when visiting New York. Fell in love immediately and brought it back. It fits the bill perfectly and is a love for me. It is expensive yes, but the juice is so well-blended and the bottle is simple yet luxurious that I really don't mind it. One of the few perfumes where I did not respect my rule of buying incremental sizes.

Fenty by Fenty: Ah Fenty, my surprising and unexpected discovery. Smelled it at a Sephora in Montreal and knew I had to get it right away. It's a weird, sometimes confusing, blend of notes (reminiscent of the inside of a Lush store), but something in there works well for my skin chemistry. Rollercoaster of notes, it's sometimes floral, sometimes sweet, sometimes earthy and other times fruity. It's definitely not a blind buy for anyone and it's polarizing for a reason: not everybody can pull it off or will enjoy the unique blend. I haven't smelled anything that is remotely in the same category as this perfume since the start of my journey.

Elixir | 11 by Kayali: Probably my first real foray into Middle Eastern perfumes. It's a deep, sensuous, often heavy and dark patchouli with rose perfume. There's a certain fruitiness to it that adds dimension, but above all, the patchouli and rose reign supreme. It's a perfume for luxurious occasions and certainly nothing less, which is why I'll be keeping the 10ml travel size. I'm not sure my small corner of the world is accustomed to those type of opulent heavy scents.

Lady Million by Paco Rabanne: Ah Lady Million, infamous perfume with its distinct bottle. I don't know why so many people love to hate on designer perfumes that have endured the test of time. They have remained of the shelves for a reason. To me, Lady Million smells at first like juicy, tart fruits (raspberries and citrus) before becoming this deep opulent, luxurious white florals and sweet honey scent. It's a really nice fragrance and, ironically, when I first smelled it at the beginning of my journey, I didn't really like it. This perfume is the prime example of your tastes evolving over time. Now it has a permanent place in my collection and I love wearing it during the colder months.

Honeysuckle Dream by Skylar: It's an affordable and lovely dupe to J'adore. There's not much more to say. I don't think it has the same prestige or the same sillage and longevity as the designer one, but it's an affordable white flower perfume for people looking for something nice and familiar. I won't be keeping it since I already have two j'adore perfumes, but if I had discovered this one before the j'adore, I might have chosen it over the designer fragrance.

Orange Blossom by The 7 Virtues: Pleasantly surprised by this perfume because it strangely reminded me of my boyfriend first time I rolled it on my skin. I really don't know why: he doesn't wash himself with anything remotely like orange blossoms, but I still associate this scent with him which is why I'm keeping it. There's a green powdery (a bit astringent) note in there that I enjoy a little bit less which is why I'm hesitating on getting the full size, but the bottle is stunning and would fit the aesthetic of my collection. It's a nice soapy scent that's inoffensive for almost any situation.

I think I've reached a point where my passion for perfume is slowing down a bit (my wallet is grateful for that). I've consumed quite a lot of scents ever since I started on this amazing journey and even though I'm sure I will be getting back to it later, I'm a little bit worn out. Now I think I have a better idea of how I want my collection to look like and what I enjoy in a perfume. I have a few discovery sets that are still waiting for me (Skylar, Commodity, Maison Margiela, etc.), but I don't feel like getting into them yet. Next step is probably refining my collection before going back into it.

Next travel sizes that are turning into full bottles are Replica - Under The Lemon Trees and Eden Juicy Apple | 01 so I'm working on emptying these travel sizes. I'll also be looking at getting a full bottle of Angel Nova Eau de Parfum as I have the EdT and I want a raspberry perfume added to my collection. Lust for Sun is also a big contender for becoming a full bottle as I have already emptied the travel size I had and I loved this summery scent. Armani Privé - Pivoine Suzhou might also become a full bottle as I smelled it when I was visiting New York, although it's not a priority right now.

As for refining my collection, I have to empty a few things. I don't think I'll be keeping Mod Vanilla because even if it's a light and airy perfume, it veers more towards the cotton candy and marshmallow vibe while I want something truly vanilla. Honeysuckle Dream is also a travel size I plan on removing from my collection as I find the scent way too close to J'adore (even though it is a nice inexpensive dupe for j'adore).

Next step into adding perfumes to my collection? Since we're going right into summer, I'll be taking a closer look at a few fruity scents like Daisy Ever So Fresh , Versace pour Femme Dylan Purple , Versace pour Femme Dylan Blue or Versace pour Femme Dylan Turquoise Eau de Toilette .

That should keep me occupied until my passion comes right back. Thanks for reading my article!

*** Cover from Jess Bailey