...Hmmm, how many perfumes for this clue? I was considering "Le Mans", since it's both a car race and for 'for chaps', also because fish is often garnished with lemons... phonetically similar to le mans. But it's not really a gourmand, unless you consider citruses gourmand? The part about flankers coming in colours doesn't fit either. But it was a fun guess!

...Greysolon:I read the sentence, "I made the mistake of putting mine in my gym bag...", and thought the story was headed for a different, more fragrant ending. :o My wife loves the old fashioned bulb atomizers. Of course, they were, at one time, a necessity for spraying but now it's more about nostalgia for the glamour and elegance of the past. I just like that companies take the time to think about the tactile and visual aesthetics of their products. However, if it's poorly designed then what's the point, right?I wouldn't mind if that were the case, Crave is one of a few perfumes I almost never OD from. It's a great perfume for summer, totally underrated IMHO! As for bulb atomisers, I think they look great on the right bottle, but I have heard they introduce much more air into the perfume and speed up the decay of a fragrance. So I avoid them.Beckham's "Instinct" has one of those magnetic caps you mention. It's quite satisfying. If I were to design a bottle I would likely go with the wonderful metallic glass of the Kenzo "Power" bottle with a magnetic cap. Have any of you handled a "Power" bottle? It's opaque, which is always a hassle, but the bottle is always cool and shiny silver but with the touch and sound of glass. Classy!Edit: Hmm, it's showing the wrong bottle. Does anyone know how to specify the right perfume when there are multiple name matches?

...For "Crave" by CK you have to squeeze a rubbery indent on the plastic jacket/container, which puts pressure on a plastic strip which then presses down on the nozzle. It's cute the first few times you use it, but the novelty wears off pretty fast. I made the mistake of putting mine in my gym bag... the mechanism disconnected inside the plastic container and I had to prise the whole thing open and use it as a splash from then on.

...A few years ago at Supernova (a geeky/comic convention here in Melbourne) I was waiting for a friend to come out of an auditorium at the end of a talk that John Rhys-Davies was doing. Most people waiting were back behind a barrier but the security guard knew me and we were chatting just outside the door. All of a sudden the doors open and I prepare to be trampled by a deluge of fans exiting, but instead it's John Rhys-Davies being ushered out by his assistant/handler/something. He was remarkably chipper, gave me a hug and a big smile totally out of the blue.I missed out on meeting Jack White of the White Stripes by bare minutes. He visited Gallin's Guitars while my bf at the time was working there, all dressed up in a swank black suit and top hat.

...Have you discovered a note others love that you just don't like or "get", even in the most lauded fragrance?What is a smell others can't stand, that you love?

...Triffid:And he does get nervous about the expanding army of perfume boxes that seem to be colonising every barren nook in the bedroom.:lol:Between my postage boxes from ordering samples and full bottles online and my SO's boardgame obsession/addiction and the packages they come in, I doubt I'll ever be short of cardboard storage again! We really must to invest in some renter's insurance, the mental image of my perfumes and his huge stacks of games fuelling each other in a great ball of flame is nightmare material.

...My partner supports my perfume interest. He never used perfume previously, only deodorant spray. However he has slowly picked up some appreciation by osmosis. I joked on here a while ago that, if I held my wrist to him and asked him what he smelled, it was always 'flowers'. The fragrance might be gourmand, spicy, or aquatic, but always he would say 'flowers'! But now he has a little more understanding of notes, maybe three or four additional descriptives! :lol: In truth he is probably the reason I feel I can actually buy perfumes without too much guilt... he encourages my interest because he sees that it makes me happy, so if he walks in on me umming and aaaahing over an eBay listing, he is usually the one to say, within reason, "treat yourself"! He is also a good sport when it comes to me randomly sampling perfumes on him. My other housemates and guests are also quite used to it by now. :wink:

...That has to be it!

...I thought for sure Triffid had it! Hmmm, "Heracles", perhaps?

...Sleuth is correct. :)

...My flankers are all precious, some of them are real gems. But I was the original and while I am harder to source, to those that know me I am everything.

...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oqxz6hpGbs

...If this is aimed at this thread specifically, could it be "Perfumista Avenue" by Bond No.9?As for my clue, not a quote, just something I threw together. The lick, fumes and coat were all on purpose. :)

...Indeed. 8)

...I am a 'fume of fumesbut hold no flames near me!You may want a lick of mejust don't give me a taste!As much as you may want a coatits wear is counted in years!

...House is Ayala Moriel, perfumes are, in order, "Espionage", "Treazon" and "Sabotage".

..."In truth, I wanted her to read my mind so I didn't have to stoop to the womanly art of articulation.:a997a7d8ef]I'm going to have another go at "Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norell". I bought it years ago after hearing great things but I only got half way through it... put it down one day and never felt the urge to pick it back up again. Years later someone suggested it to me again and I admitted to them I didn't find it exactly a page turner. They grinned and told me the second half is much more interesting, that the book is almost split into two styles... now, what kind of author does that? Perhaps it's some kind of stubbornness reward? :wink:

...I do wish there was an easy, non-invasive way of asking other Australians if they'd like to sample swap with us though! Those were great.

...Like you Triffid I at least go by listed notes and price, but for a long time I was a blind-buy addict. I've recently toned it right down though. With every blind-buy or sample I find my tastes becoming more particular, my overall perfume sense more refined. "Fussy" in practical terms! So less and less of my blind buys are actually pleasing enough to keep. Many of them I trade on or sell as second hand to try to recoup my losses. I buy more samples now than I used to. Contacting brands directly and finding sample sellers based in Australia has helped with that, as the international sample sites often have pricey postage. Best: 24 Gold. I just got my hands on 24 Gold Oud Edition, too. Very happy with it!Worst: Rasasi attars. There's something in their attar base that just smells like overly synthetic, rose-scented cleaning chemicals to me... at first I thought it was just some bad luck with Amber Ood but I've had the same issue with Esraa and others as well.

...That's correct SystemeD. :D