A vanilla and powder lover’s dream, soft suede leather perfumes approximate the delicately-gloved rich lady who does not want to smell dirty and animalistic. Guerlain did it the best: Cuir Beluga is all about heliotrope and vanilla, with tiny wisps of amber and something slightly earthy rising from time to time. Yes, it smells a bit like pastry but there is not much...

Recently, I have been obsessed with all things from the past, from my all-time favorite Poirot mysteries to the most excellent series about Mr. Selfridge. Accordingly, my perfume and scent desires have changed to suit this mood.Thanks to Bois de Jasmin, I started exploring violet as a flavoring agent. The scent of violets was very popular in the past, and was used in perfume and confection. I tried...

Lately, I have noticed that I have become more and more obsessed with Guerlain. I am always looking for their latest perfume and makeup items and my skincare routine is exclusively Guerlain (with an added Estee Lauder scrub here and there).One of the reasons is that Guerlain is an old company whose perfumes really appeal to my taste. I prefer woody, sweet and gourmand compositions. Although I’ve yet to find a classic...

I have been editing my perfume collection (seen here http://www.parfumo.com/Users/ScentedSalon/Collection) and have become obsessed with owning an old English perfume. I already had Atkinson’s superb Odd Fellows’ Bouquet, which is one of the best sweet tobacco scents out there, but as I read about Floris in Cult Perfumes: The World’s Most Exclusive Perfumeries, I wanted to own...

Have you ever been uninspired by perfume, no matter how many new and wonderful creations you smell? Do you feel like your collection, no matter how large it is, has left you feeling bored? That is just my feeling this summer. New releases left me feeling bored. Newly discovered niche perfume stores fail to attract me. Even my old, reliable perfume store has not been able to keep me properly inspired. What a delight, then,...

No one will ever believe that a Texan would wear a sweater in late May but that is exactly what is happening this year. Tornado season has brought not only much-needed rain but also temperatures in the 50s. That is welcome news for cold-lovers like me who begin to dread summer well before its arrival. Usually, May brings temperatures in the 90s and we leave Springtime perfumes behind and start applying sunblock and Bronze...

For years, I have been stuck in a rut of perfume: I consistently buy and use the same type of perfumes over and over. I love spice, incense, oud, rose and sometimes creamy and gourmand scents. It seems I do not come out of those preferences anymore as I used to do when I first started exploring perfume.Well, with the coming of a gentle Spring, I had an overwhelming desire for florals. Besides the rose, I avoid most other...

Dior's La Collection Privee has some real beauties in it. I've sampled most of them and found my favorite to be Oud Ispahan. However, Ambre Nuit, Mitzah and now Feve Delicieuse are also superbly done and masterfully blended. Mitzah, a rich amber and wood fragrance, has sadly been discontinued. The recently released Feve Delicieuse can easily take its place. Mitzah was all about smoke and amber....

Human nature is such that we are never satisfied with what we have for long. As soon as you think “I’ve found my signature scent,” another beauty comes along and sweeps you off your feet. Dior’s Privee Collection, much like Armani Prive and Chanel Les Exclusifs, is a high end set of beautiful perfumes that are more refined than the typical Miss Cherie and J’Adore you find at the mall. Like...

(photo via bergdorfgoodman) Seeing a beautiful black and gold bottle at the Guerlain counter is exciting because it is not that often that a new Guerlain comes out. The last one I remember was Myrrhe et Delires, which left me thoroughly unimpressed. Santal Royal, however, did not have the same effect. Smelling this sharp spicy sandalwood immediately made me think how masculine this really is. Yet I could...

I know, I know, it is cold outside, but we have had some really high temperatures here for a few weeks which makes it seem that Spring is near, so put away your ouds and bust out the Spring fragrances! Two new ones, which are both centered on roses, are Aerin Rose de Grasse and Maison Francis Kurkdjian A la Rose. (photo via esteelauder) (photo via dailyvanity) Both are fresh and light roses with...