...Hi,I was wearing some vintage Derby (1985) Eau de Toilette last week and realised that I need more of that kind of stuff in my life!Of course vintage Derby is astronomically pricey so it's not an everyday option. On top of that one might wish for something more modern, less 80's. So I'm asking you what you would recommend as dark-green woody leather (my best try at naming a category for it). Of course nothing will replace the original, this is clear, but there must be more to explore in this genre, no?I don't care much about the gender labels chosen by marketing teams, but to fit the bill a fragrance should at least be relatively dry and have a restrained floral heart, if any.Suggestions anyone?

...When I was a kid, my dad wore Moustache Eau de Toilette on Sundays and special occasions. After it got discontinued my mom got him Eau de Rochas Homme (1993) Eau de Toilette because a sales assistant convinced her it was the closest thing. A few years ago when I realised that Moustache had been re-released I was very happy to get my dad a bottle (the reformulation is very close to the original, miracles sometimes happen).My mom has worn L'Air du Temps Eau de Toilette, Chamade Eau de Toilette, Eau de Campagne, Vent Vert (1990). I got her recently Le Jardin de Monsieur Li which she likes too.

...As an echo to the first message of the thread...Wazamba 😊

...I made my niece quite happy -- or so it seems -- with Miss Charming.Good luck anyway! 😉

...Hi,As "musc" is a term used quite liberally in the perfume industry and community, could you specify if you mean animalic kind of musc, clean ones (often called "white muscs"), or any of these?For sure on the animalic side I'm voting for Muscs Koublaï Khän, a stunner!

...Unfortunately I only know Or du Serail.  Lovely mix or raspy honey + tobacco. I need to revisit that one! 🙂

...Thanks so much for taking the time to write your thoughts on this!Indeed I guess it is a difficult topic and I tend to agree with your analysis, the market is probably somehow demanding this kind of easy-to-grasp fragrances. One could probably find similarities with other modern trends in other areas like cinema, music, food, etc.It's great if others would like to write their thoughts about this, but I wasn't aiming so much at analysing the trend as much as discussing interesting houses (or single fragrances) that precisely manage to go beyond figuration and take us to uncharted territories. On one side we have houses that seem to make a living of simple -- but of course not necessarily bad -- kind of fragrances (Jo Malone or Maison Martin Margiela for instance seem obvious examples). On the other end of the spectrum we have abstract, inventive creations like Nuit de Bakélite (a masterpiece IMHO). Of course there's a vast grey zone in between...Anyone to propose other exemples of what they consider abstract fragrances?

...Today I was craving Le 3ᵉ Homme Eau de Toilette ☺️

...PlumedirisI'd suggest Voleur de Roses by l'Artisan Parfumeur.That's a great one!I also love Rose Poivrée which is not marketed specifically towards men, but is a great pick for men (and of course women too) in my opinion.It's one of the four original fragrances J.C. Elena created for The Different Company and one of their very best I think!

...I don't have a specific recommendation, but from your tastes I would recommend to explore Amouage, if you haven't done so already of course! 😉

...I love many recent niche fragrances, but I often find myself thinking with nostalgia about vintage perfumes. The main reason is I believe that I miss the abstraction quality which caraterize most of the great fragrances released let say before 2000.I find that too often, niche perfumery favors clarity and legibility over complexity, depth, and fantasy. How many niche brands nowadays claim to link their creations to specific memories, be it a visit at an exotic fragrant spice market, a stay in a remote temple perched on a mountain, or a lush landscape by the sea? I have nothing against figurative fragrances when well done and novel enough, but I just feel that we have too much of that style and too little of the former one. Is it because it takes more time, effort, and/or creativity to come up with a new abstract creation rather than a figurative one? Or is it that the market prefers simple ideas, easy to grasp, over complex ones? I would guess a combination of both.However, there are of course creators and brands still aiming at abstraction. I'll avoid dropping too many names here, but just two that struck me recently like the kind of thing I'm looking for: Naomi Goodsir and Marc-Antoine Barrois. I am convinced that their fragrances must have taken years to create. Interestingly, in both cases they are relatively small designers seemingly as passionate about perfume as they are about their own art. They also seem to favor quality over quantity, proposing only a handful of fragrances, each deserving attention and patience to be fully appreciated.If any of this makes sense to you, I would be happy to read your comments and possible suggestions of artists, houses, or even sngle fragrances aiming at abstraction rather than figuration.

...Vintage Bois des Îles Parfum 😊

...I've watched The Banshees of Inisherin last week. It's currently in theaters here in Germany. The story takes place on an Irish island in the 1920's with just a handful of characters. The landscapes are beautiful and the slow rythm allows to sense the sluggish passing of time on the island... Which seems to be driving some of its inhabitants partially mad.There are a few trash scenes -- one should not be afraid of seeing a little bit of blood -- but it's anything but an horror movie. I highly recommend it!

...I rarely wear something for bed (although I wouldn't say I never did!)But I usually try new samples on bloaters in the evening and if it is nice I will keep the bloater on my night desk, This way I get whiffs of the new discovery while falling asleep... 😊

...Encre Noire Eau de Toilette and some other Lalique fragrances can often be found at a really good price at discounters!

...Upperfem44Everything everywhere all at once 10/10!!!I loved it too!Last one I watched at a theater was Triangle of Sadness. I do recommend it if you like social satire and don't mind some crude scenes and dark humour! 😬

...I did enjoy reading the book a lot, although I found Oppenheim's style at times clumsy/lumbering. But apart from that, I found it a very necessary book for any fragrance enthusiast. As someone wrote above, many of the facts were known/suspected already in "initiated circles", but the larger audience had little chance to put the pieces of the puzzle together.I only regret that Oppenheim's had to write his book with so much emphasis on the groudbreaking aspect of the revelations in his book. He probably felt he had to do so in order to sell the story and it also feels that he wrote it in a rush as he was worried that Creed was going to release something in parallel.But anyway, there are so many interesting bits in it that I recommend anyone to read this book!

...I think the Chanel Exclusifs line would be a good place to start, a few of them may fit.For instance 31 Rue Cambon Eau de Parfum, Misia Eau de Parfum, Beige Eau de Parfum, 1957...

...I try not to get more than one per month... 😆In November I got three... but none in October, so I only need to skip December and I'm good! 😁The three ones were:- Le 3ᵉ Homme Eau de Toilette (A vintage bottle, I think I like it better than the current one)- Sahara Noir (Blind buy and a pricey one on top, but I don't regret it!)- Voleur de Roses (Black Friday offer on L'Artisan website)

...OrigoQuite like Vetiver Extraordinaire from Frederic Malle So far I think that's my favorite all-out vetiver fragrance!I think it's also worth to mention the new Vétiver Bourbon which is great. I will probably need a full bottle of that one too!