...I fully agree with you that after all it´s purely a matter of taste. Same as with movies, literature, music or outfit styles and as with all fields in which humans roam with their personal view there will be highly discussed differences :-) Jerry Cotton vs. Dorian Grey, so to speak :-) I think someone should write a novel letting both meet and solve a crime case :-) Sorry, I am drifting away from your interesting topic.Celeb scents are often scoffed at. True. I admit I have sinned with vanity, too, thinking that my exquisite taste cannot be at all represented by something as tacky as a Rihanna scent :-/ I admit this kind of thinking is foolish and certainly not fair and I have already made a big exception from my priniciple.I own Dita von Teese´s "Erotique". When I decided to purchase this scent I began to analyse why I was willing to do so. I came to the conclusion : I like Dita. And maybe I was also sold for that sleazy but yet appealing perfume name (please don´t judge me *g*). And maybe also the very alluring low price made me think no harm can be done in buying the stuff and seeing how much I will like it in the long run."Erotique" is a deadringer for Comme des Garcon´s "Wonderwood". Two different price levels, niche vs. celeb. Ouch. What a sacrilege of holy niche perfumery ! To even dare comparing these scents. I do, nonetheless. I once owned "Wonderwood" and sold it because it caused me terrible migraines. With an issue like that the actually beautiful scent did nothing for me."Erotique" did not make my head hurt and it smells very nice. Unlike other celebrity perfumes it is pretty unsweet, almost masculine. The bottle is no piece of art but OK. I am not a bottle collector anyway."Erotique" showed me that I can move away from my sometimes biased views. Owning and wearing this scent did not ruin my perfume wardrobe nor did anyone come up to me saying, "Oh no, she´s wearing THAT celeb stuff again." Admitted, I am not so much anymore into fruity-floral-musky stuff like Lancome´s "La vie est belle" (which is, IMHO, the perfect scent caliber for a standard celeb scent) and so Dita´s scent was different from the start and hence attractive to me.Maybe very young buyers are more susceptible to celebrity merchandise and so the Rihanna-Madonna-Heidi Klum-juices are directed with emphasis on this particular peer group.....older brawls like me appreciate some good old Opium and Poison and terrorise their surroundings with that *lol* :-)I forgot to mention another one I have dearly loved since teen age : Gabriela Sabatini. She may not be a celebrity anymore but in the 80s she was one of THE tennis stars. Guess we can count her in this discussion. Not a floral-fruity one either.....she got me hooked over decades with a woody-floral composition.Are expensive niche houses always better than cheapies ? Hmmmmm.............................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............no. I came across some pretty stinky niche scents worth a small fortune. One thing is for sure : I will never ever have "Woman X" on my skin as long as my nose is alive. Go figure :-)And psssttt : I have always had a liking for Elizabeth Taylors "White Diamonds" but please do not tell anyone :-)

[email protected] :I must admit I only smelled "Lady Vengeance" once. As far as I can remember it is almost the same scent as the "extreme" version. Almost. The "extreme" version is much more patchouli-laden than the regular Vengeance scent. In my opinion LV was softer with a bit less sillage. So, if you prefer more of the rose and less of the earthy bytones I would recommend to test the LV.Both scents are very nicely done, maybe it is just my twisted scent brain but I usually fall for "extreme" or "noir" versions :-) The LV would have been an equally good choice for me.

...Great timing, Briarthorn :-) It so happens I wore a soliflore rose scent today :-)I started out with roses in an oriental setting and in chypres but recently I also have moved towards the soapy/romantic type of rose. Today I wore Crabtree & Evelyn´s "Evelyn Rose" which overall got rather negative reviews in some forums but I must say it is a lovely one. There is a slightly fruity touch to it but no patchouli, no amber, no vanilla (at least not on my skin) and that makes this one rather stand out in my collection.Yes, it may smell terribly dated and old-lady-like but such a soft and unsexy rose comforts me and gives me a friendly hug. Some other rose fragrances I really dig are :"Fashion Decree" by Atkinson --> Chypre, lots of patchouli. Has a rather cool/reserved aura, almost austere. Anna Wintour in a bottle :-)"Coco" by Chanel --> Peppery and sexy, warm, glowing with sensuality. A classic, one of my all-time staples."Knowing" by Estee Lauder --> Chypre, dark, mysterious, Titania´s realm as a perfume. Masterpiece, I would not want to ever be without it."Very irresistible L´Intense" by Givenchy --> Fruity-floral, gothic girl between teen and grown-up, soft and sensual. Plum lingers in the background. I have worn it on and off for some time, actually I enjoy this one more than I admit :-)"Vengeance Extreme" by Juliet has a gun --> Chypre-oriental, loads and tons and gazillions of patchouli leaves mixed in that concoction. Earthy. leathery, smoldering and yet somewhat soft, a demanding kiss of roses. Wonderful ! "Black Aoud" by Montale --> Oriental, much has been said and written on this one. Some love it, some hate it. I love this plushy dark red rose and the tangerine that softens the patchouli vibe. Ultrastrong formulation but phantastic with one spray under clothing.If someone is into a fruity and soft rose scent I recommend Atkinson´s "Rose in Wonderland". Romantic and very lady-like.The more well-known roses such as "Chloe" and "Paris" (YSL) are not my cup of tea. There is something in there that just does not harmonize in my opinion....I am still guessing what this might be.

...One of my favourite patch scents is "Vengeance Extreme" by Juliette has a gun.If you also like roses and leather then this one might be of interest for your search.Or "Fashion Decree" by Atkinsons. Lots of patchouli, also with roses but a bit more feminine. Both medium-sweet and definitely unisex (despite what their name might suggest).

...I like them both sweet and very unsweet.Sweet goes for orientals and florals, unsweet/bitter for chypres.A very sweet oriental powerhouse which I very much enjoy is i.e. "Aqaba Classic" (almost a twin of Opium) and an example for unsweet powerhouse might be "Azuree" or "Knowing", both by Estee Lauder.

..."Deep Roses" by Montale...or "Aoud Queen Rose" by the same brand.

...I must admit being a bit snobbish about celeb scents but in November last year I learnt not to generalize over this group of perfumes.It was when I found "Erotique" by Dita von Teese.Yes, it is a tacky name and definitely does not transport any sexiness to me BUT :) it is the better "Wonderwood" for me (the CdG version gave me terrible headaches). Sandalwood and some incense with a decent sillage and longevity. I was impressed. A wearable cheapie that I adopted into my collection with great pleasure.

...Hello Everyone !I am currently looking for something herbal to pick my senses up (not only on warmer days).Anyone remember the old fragrance by Les Copains ? A quite celery-like fragrance. Not quite what I have in mind but the concept is appealing.Aromatics Elixir is wonderful but to me more on the earthy side instead of herbal.....and the infusions by Prada are rather floral and not herbal enough for me.On the other side I cannot wear No.19 (smells awful on me, believe me).The scent I am looking for need not be fully unsweet, not too masculine either.I love sage, oregano, basil, caraway, bergamot, lemon....so the concoction may very well have a mediterranean vibe.Do you have some suggestions for me ? Thanks in advance, any hint is welcome :-)

..."Asmar" by SoOudSugared cappucchino with amber. :-)

...I do not find Sycamore fruity or even sweet. Neither is Bois des Iles IMHO......As for the general trend of mainstream perfumes becoming ever so fruity-"pleasing" : I am with you on this one.Well, fruity perfume is generally not my cup of tea anymore (aaah, in my younger days, yes, but that was looong ago) and sweet is fine with me but there should be a twist with the sweetness :Either some dirty patch or some edgy amber or some smoldering resins or hot spices....you get my idea, I am sure :-)

[email protected] : No bad intentions here, only the very best :D :D :D Yeah, I know Oud Royal is pretty expensive stuff but definitely worth a try. I like oud scents, too and have a great love for balsamic orientals (btw, do you like Ambre Fetiche by Annick Goutal ?...no oud but nonetheless VERY balsamic IMHO) but not all have worked for me. And with all the variety of oud scents out there it surely is possible to find one or two to fall in love with :-)Somebody mentioned "White Aoud" by Montale and I can also recommend that one for you. Both Oud Royal and White Aoud also have a nice sandalwood note enhancing the spiciness. A fruity (tangerine) rose-heavy oud with a nice sweetness and smokiness is "Luxor Oud" by MEMO. Very feminine, very cozy. No medicinal notes, no harshness, this one is easy to get along with.A peachy oud-scent with lots of character (meaning very heavy and strong-willed) is Boadicea the Victorious´ "Virtuous". Balsamic but it wore me out.

...First "Oud Royal" by Armani comes into my mind when reading what you are looking for.Or some of the Micallef aouds, Aoud Gourmet, i.e.

...I think I might mention here my new best-loved scent at the moment :"Sideris"Myrrh and incense but the kind not yet burnt. Slightly vanilla-touched and a bit powdery as well. More the pleasant kind of church :-)Very dark and mystical is "Sahara Noir" by Tom Ford. This one will knock you off your feet (whether positively or negatively is up to you to decide). Very heavy on incense with woodiness and rather gothic IMHO.

...As far as I know these cute little 20ml bottles are officially only available as gift for the purchase of a 100ml bottle (at the Montale boutique in Paris you will be able to receive them) and I am also positive when ordering online at Montale the same rule applies but have never ordered online with them so far.Well, but as stated there are ways of getting your hands on one of these small bottles at other sources :-)

...Callas:Cuir by Lancôme :wink:+1Very feminine, very soft, classic.

...Whenever I need roses around me I choose one of the following :"Luxor Oud" / MEMO"Black Aoud" / MONTALE"Very Irrésistible Givenchy L'Intense" / GIVENCHY"Midnight Oud" / JHAG"Knowing" / Estee LauderOne very nice rose scent is "Deep Roses" by MONTALE. You cannot have any more roses than with that scent (and some tangerines).

..."Luxor Oud" by Memo (fruity-smokey)"Very irrestible Intense" by Givenchy (chypre-fruity)"Black Aoud" by Montale (patchouli-rose)"Coco" by CHANEL (carnation-rose)"Knowing" by Estee Lauder (smoky-honey-rose)"Midnight Oud" by JHAG (leathery rose)

...I forgot "Arpège" / Lanvin and "No.5" --> not to be underestimated as animalic bad girls :-)

..."Parfum de Peau" by Montana...goodness gracious, that one is a blast...on me, however, rather a nightmarish experience."Paloma Picasso" --> I love it as the animalic notes are not overdosed on me. It is rather a chypre, though."Memoir Woman" --> Very animalic but the tuberose and the absinth keep that at bay (for a while) :-)

...Shalimar and Mitsouko. Both are timeless but nevertheless have that nostalgic vibe.Another one I could very much imagine in the 40s is "Azuree" by Estee Lauder. That´s a to-die-for chypre and it buzzes with vitality."It don´t mean a thing if it ain´t got that swing..." :) Doo wup doo wup doo wup doo wup.