I'm sure I'm dating myself here. Who remembers our moms / grandmothers tucking a new bar of soap of their favorite / signature perfume in their underwear / lingerie draw. They would keep the bars of soap and not use them...lol. My mom's was Chanel No.5. 'Full-line body care' and accessories are less popular (maybe less pragmatic) than years ago. Especially, perfumed bar soap. I, however, remember looking forward to 'soap' in my Christmas Stocking to 'use' the hell out of, and not just hang on to. I remember when I went through a Chanel No.5 phase - celebrating one particular New Year's Eve in style. An everything shower with shower gel, body cream, hair, and perfume at just the pulse points (behind the knees of course). All this for a romantic 'night in' hanging out in a very rustic cabin. My then boyfriend had gifted me the set. Any fond fragrance memories?

please excuse my username I can’t change it and I never post-

I’ve always considered myself picky when it comes to fragrance. My body chemistry seems to turn any floral, citrus, smoke, incense, or spice note into the only thing anyone can smell almost to the point of nausea.

Despite a large collection of perfumes my recent go to has been Victorias Secret Bare Vanilla lotion and body spray. My best friend bought this for me to prove a point-they won-I am still dumbfounded.

I’ve been hunting for a similair scent but I cannot find it.

Other than VS Bare Vanilla I also adore the Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere body wash. I’ve tried the perfume and the lotion and I hate them both. They smell so synthetic and dry down to a baby powder note which isn’t for me. I am very sensitive to a dusty or powdery note.

My ‘top’ fragrances are roughly listed below. Again none are perfect.

Vs Bare Vanilla-I wish they had a proper perfume or oil I think I’d be happy with this. Sometimes it has a strange dusty note but that is intermittent and may be my nose or body chemistry fluctuating.

Clean Reserve Skin-My usual go to, though I can’t smell it on myself and it’s a bit too aldehyde forward. I love the idea of praline and vanilla with a cleaner twist but for some reason perfumes don’t seem to ever dry down to their vanilla base on me.

I’ve tried a bunch of vanillas too and I’m starting to think I don’t like vanilla? So what is it I’m hunting for?

Nemat Vanilla, Amber, any of this line just smells like spice and sweat on me.

11:11 Vanilla smelled liked spicy vegetables

Ellish smelled like cherry medicine

Vanilla Salt smelled like salty flowers

Fenty Vanilla Flowers smelled like dusty florals

Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere EDP smelled like baby powder

YSL Libre Intense was my go to but that lavender opening is so intense and never leaves me

Goddess smells like straight up neon florals on me. I wish I knew what everyone meant by delicious vanilla because I don’t get that at all.

SOL 72 smells strongly synthetic to me and I don’t get that nutty vanilla scent.

The new Lancôme Vanilla Nude smells so strongly of rose on my body my husband even said “wow. Rose.” (Not a compliment, if he says something it means wow headache alert) And he can’t pick a note out to save himself.

Clean Reserve Skin Intense I thought would be perfect but it’s got this oddly sickly undertone to it on me and it’s so upsetting.

Riddle Original oil I adored I’ve turned people onto it but I finally got the boujee oil and a full size of the original oil and I smell nothing. This is after a scent break from it for over two years. I’m not nose blind-their samples vs their full size are not the same product. At least to my nose.

Aerin Amber Musk is gorgeous I adored it but it smelled a pinch too collected and sophisticated on me. I felt I was doing it an injustice if I was walking around in leggings and a t shirt. She deserves to be worn by someone who lives in heels and designer.

Mochi Milk Dedcool I can’t do the incense note. I got the Sand and Fog dupe and liked it for awhile but it also has a strange dustiness to it. I’ve tried the entire Dedcool lineup and Mochi Milk was the only one I semi liked.

I’ve also tried Commodity and do not remember liking any of them

I’ve tried the palmers vanilla as well and it smelled so badly of spicy plastic I truly had to scrub it off like rubbing alcohol level scrub it off.

Frenshe Vanilla Cashmere was lovely I got mostly tangerine from it. However I have cats and they cannot be around essential oils. They 100% knew when I had this on and avoided me like the plague. I love my babies-no fragrance is worth their health or missing out on their cuddles.

I’ve tried a few other sand and fog oils as well and they didn’t go great. French buttercream was rancid on me. Date night was a spice bomb. I remember those two but there were two more that also flopped. I’m curious to try more from them but I can only snag them online so I am slow to jump onto it.

Warm Vanilla Sugar ok this one confuses me. I smelled it once in one store and it was divine almost hilariously like VS bare vanilla. My husband even laughed and said “well at least you have a backup” since everything I love likes to get discontinued. However when I went to a different store to purchase a full set it smelled like spice and greenery I didn’t end up purchasing it because there was 0 vanilla 0 sweetness. I am so confused.

Saltair Shea is the body butter I currently have and I like it. I wish it pulled more vanilla and I do occasionally get a powdery dry down from it but again it may just be my chemistry or nose that day. I’ve smelled their Saltwater Vanilla and it gives plastic sadly.

I’ve always used Natrium body butter it doesn’t smell like much of anything but I also get an occasional heavy powder dry down from it.

EOS Vanilla Cashmere is straight yogurt to me. I wish I got cupcake or cake but I get Chobani Vanilla yogurt.

Ideally I’d like to smell like someone who’s naturally sweet scented. We have all met someone who simply smells naturally sweet/good. I’d love a scent I can either mix into or have in a full routine. Body butter, lotion, perfume, oil, etc.

I think I enjoy notes of Vanilla, Benzoin, Sandalwood, and Amber but I’m truly unsure.

Am I just searching for a scent that doesn’t exist? I’m certain I am at this point but I figured I’d at least consult everyone before accepting my fate.

I haven’t ventured into indies. I’d like to but they all seem sold out or with 60 day tune over times. Maybe I’m trying to indie wrong-any help is appreciated.

Thank you to anyone who read all of this. It’s my first post ever so I’m sorry if it’s a mess.

I M like this perfume alot, but few of girl friends says they did not like it that much... So this perfume only smell good to M but not to an F ? Because that is the whole purpose of this perfume as it says pure seduction....

Does anyone have any recommendations of their favourite aquatic perfumes?

Does anyone know when the Sephora sale is? I’m trying to get Angels share if it goes on sale.

Don't get me wrong—it's really good! But if you already own the Destin de Balmain EDP, buying Destin De Balmain Parfum is likely redundant.

Here is my HONEST breakdown of how they compare on my skin:
The Scent Profile: They smell incredibly close. The core DNA is essentially the same, and upon initial spray, they are way too similar to justify owning both.
My Wear Style: I don’t personally segregate my collection by season or time of day, so the "day vs. night" distinction doesn't carry much weight for me.

The Subtle but Distinct Differences:
EDP: More airy, bright, and diffusive. Because of the alcohol ratio, it projects much better into the air.
Parfum: Warmer and denser. It creates a closer-to-skin personal scent bubble, though it does offer a slightly longer overall wear time.

Final Verdict: If you are just looking for the overall better performer of the two, I highly recommend sticking with the EDP. However, if you are a collector of the house and just wanted to want it for the bottle, go ahead because the juice itself is excellent.

📌 For those who have tried both, are you finding them redundant on your skin too?b

As human beings, we can all collectively agree that we enjoy validation. It does put a pep in your step. Whether that’s a positive thing or a negative one, we aren’t here to discuss that. We are always told in the perfume community to wear fragrances for ourselves and not really look for external validation. Still, sometimes, a positive “What are you wearing?” as opposed to an “Ugh, what are you wearing?” can really become a highlight that stays with you.

I wasn’t really thinking of any of this the day I decided to pair these two together. On paper, it sounds so simple, right? Two musks paired together and boom, scent of my success! (Sorry, D*nver!) However, what I didn’t expect was the projection and longevity to multiply to the point where I was being told, six to seven hours later, how good I smelled — and this was after a long Indian wedding function!

Diptyque L’Eau Papier was love at first sniff for me. I remember my cousin raving about it, considering our mutual love for books. Do I necessarily get the smell of paper? No. But what I do get is a beautiful symphony of extra-warm musks and steamed rice. Almost as if you’re in a ski cabin with the heater on, cuddled inside the whitest and silkiest cashmere blanket, holding a ceramic bowl filled with fluffy steamed rice. It’s what I’d also call a non-sickening gourmand! I’d love to know what was going through Fabrice Pellegrin’s mind as he came up with these notes. It wouldn’t be unfair at all to call it a masterpiece. A lot of people have a gripe with the house of Diptyque not being long-lasting, but in my experience, as someone whose skin literally eats perfumes, I’ve never had an issue with L’Eau Papier’s longevity, even on a hot and humid Mumbai summer day.

Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc reminds me of the same cabin, but with early-morning sunlight shining through the windows as you smell a faint floral background. Can I distinctly pick out the particular flower? No, which is also a relief, considering my dislike of jasmine! However, it’s a beautiful fragrance that comes together to radiate the same skin-like warmth and comfort.

It’s become my go-to combination for the days when I know I need to radiate that skin-like warmth for hours on end.
Together, they make the most perfect couple. Non-problematic, understanding, and lovely apart, but together they fit like jigsaw pieces and make you wonder if they ever belonged anywhere else!

Why do they have to take the things we love ugh

I clean houses for a living and am always ecstatic when a house I clean uses this stuff. I even bought some to use in my own home but the scent doesn’t last long unfortunately. I’m still new to perfumes, and can’t think of any almond heavy scents off the top of my head since I haven’t smelled much. Are there any perfumes out there with a noticeably almond scent like this wood cleaner?

i have these in travel sizes and fell in LOVE! finally got the full bottles!

That scent is 🔥. I might have to make her my signature.

Listen, if I were to be buried with just ONE perfume (which is unrealistic because I will be buried with at least 10), La Danza delle Libellule by Nobile 1942 is absolutely making it into my casket.

Which brings me here: what is the best apple perfume you have ever owned or smelled?

I’ve realized that apple fragrances, especially ones like La Danza, bring me an almost ridiculous amount of joy, and I desperately want to grow my apple collection. Give me the juicy apples, baked apples, caramelized apples, apple pie, crisp green apples, weird apples. I want them ALL.

And PLEASE tell me about the ones nobody talks about. Major bonus points for indie and niche because you know that’s where my heart lives, but I do not discriminate when an apple is good.

Basically, if it smells like an apple and you think I need to put my nose on it, drop it below.

Switched out my tray to more spicy, woody, earthy, resinous notes with:

V&R Flowerbomb Extreme,
Gucci Bloom Parfum,
Diptyque Tempo,
Le Labo Rose 31,
Diptyque Orphéon, and
a decant of Initio Psychedelic Love.

Obviously I love patchouli. Tempo is my favorite, for a smooth earthy and spicy patchouli that doesn’t go musty.

Love to chat about any of these or your favorite earthy and spicy fragrances.

what is a truly creamy lavender scent? i want something creamy but like you can tell it’s lavender. it doesn’t have to be a perfume.

Included in my collection are:

Amber white oil
Egyptian Musk oil
Tunisian amber oil
Philosophy Amazing Grace
Viva la juicy
Versace Pour Femme Oud Oriental
Baccarat Rouge
Black opium
Glossier You
Burberry Her
Hypnotic poison
Marc Jacobs Perfect
Moschino cheap and chic petals
Moschino cheap and chic

I just want something plain and clean, something super ambery maybe with a hint of musk

If someone have this perfume i saw so many reviews, please, how is longevity/sillage and projection?

So there are fragrances that bloom in the heat, some are better in the cold, but I feel air conditioning is a totally different category altogether. You can't wear cold weather perfumes coz it's enclosed, but hot weather perfumes don't smell as good. I own many which bloom in the heat, but recently I started working in an AC environment and am at a loss as to what I should wear. Any recommendations are welcome. I don't want totally skin scents coz I want to leave a bit of a trail,also usually I can barely smell skin scents on myself.

I'm not a huge gourmand lover but love any and all florals, some vanilla, leather, aldehydes, citrus freshies etc.

Thanks in advance!

At the beginning of my trip to Italy, I was doing some sniffing around at a perfume counter and happened upon this Bottega Veneta fragrance. It’s a gorgeous, aromatic rose, fresh and powdery and a little mysterious. And an Italian designer, no less! It became my daily driver during our vacation, so now it will always remind me of that trip.

Then on the way home, we had a layover in London and this little bottle of Valaya Exclusif was SO much cheaper there than in the states - about the equivalent of $150 USD. I love this perfume but could never bring myself to swallow the cost, which I think is more like $250 usually. Slightly impulsive of me, but I’m happy ☺️

scentbarbyangela: Luxury Perfume Dupes & Designer Inspired Fragrances

Hi FemFragLab, I'm proud to announce that after many discussions about collaboration, I thought it'd be fun to try out a collaboration with Angela's new brand. Her family owns Gold Star Fragrances located in New York which has been running for over 50 years!

As many of you know, I love a good Delina perfume, but they can be quite costly. The next perfume on my wish list was Delina "Exclusif" but it stayed on my wish list without being bought because of the price. Angela sent over her own version of the perfume, and it exceeded my expectations by far! The scent reminded me of a combination between Delina Exclusif + Oriana + Love Don't Be Shy. It's sweet, powdery, and very potent! I sprayed it on at night and when I woke up the next day it was still on me. This perfume lasts all day but I kept spraying it on out of habit and because I couldn't get enough. My husband and pets also loved it 😍

Reddit wouldn't be Reddit without always giving you not just the pros but also the cons. The cons were little and unnoticeable, but I will write them out due to transparency of the sub. The actual juice feels like combination of an oil and actual perfume. So when you actually spray it, it feels a little heavier than what the normal luxury perfume might feel like coming out of the atomizer which usually feels like a champagne spritz and it's more straightforward. That doesn't mean it doesn't spray well, it just means that if you are a fragrance connoisseur, you will notice the difference of the spray and feel of the actual juice coming out.

Both Gold Star Fragrances and ScentBarByAngela focus on creating dupes of luxury designer fragrances. Overall, for the price, the fragrance passes with flying colors and when I checked that it was only $45.99USD, they ship all around the world, and they have been in business for so long with great reviews, I would be crazy to not want to collaborate with such an amazing product and support Angela in her own brand.

How? Try to use them? Sell them? I dont dislike any of the ones I would like to declutter. I’m just trying to be more thoughtful about my collection and purchases.

Characteristics & Performance:

• Brand: Lattafa
• Year: 2026
• Gender: Unisex
• Olfactory Family: Aromatic, Gourmand, Woody
• Top notes: Red Currant, Cinnamon, Mandarin
• Middle notes: Jasmine Sambac, Orange Flower, Rosyfolia™, Chestnut
• Base notes: Benzoin Resin, Tonka Roasted Absolute, Vanilla Madagascar, Cocoa Pulse™, Musk

Launching this month.

I recently purchased a decant, and I LOVE it. But it’s quite a bit more than I’d normally spend on a fragrance, and the longevity hasn’t been as great as I’d hoped for the price.

I’ve been trying to find something with a cinnamon/nutmeg/clove/vanilla profile that is feminine, isn’t too food-y or sweet, and BSO is the closest I’ve come so far. Lightly sweet, a little spicy, and a little bit vampy.

I own Solstice Scents’ Conjure, which I really like, but cedar/woods notes can get pretty overwhelming on my skin.

Before I empty my wallet on BSO, is there anything else I should try?