# Perfume **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469 "2011-11-19T18:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/1 "2011-11-19T18:14:30Z")
I have been testing perfumes whenever I go to a store, hoping to find one I want to buy but no luck. Most are jsut not good, and Britney’s Spear’s one is godawful! Recommend me one. I don’t want too fruity or candy like, something subtle. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/2 "2011-11-19T18:41:00Z")
what do you like? Spicy? Flowery? Sweet? I like Angel, Samsara, Angel or Demon and I also like DKNY’s Delicious and Coco Chanel’s Mademoiselle… I tend to NOT like the really flowery ones. Samsara is strong, nice for an evening out dancing… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/3 "2011-11-19T18:55:40Z")
A lot of perfumes sold in drugstores and the more common department stores have a lot in common; they’re syrupy-sweet or they’re a chypre type perfume, which is what most people complain about being “too perfumey”. I recommend that you go to a perfume decanting website, like The Perfumed Court, and start ordering “note” collections that sound interesting to you (smoke? leather? salt? citrus?). You’ll get some harder-to-find perfumes including a lot of indie perfumes. You’re bound to stumble onto something you _love_. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/4 "2011-11-19T19:07:43Z")
A good friend of mine is a perfumer with her own line. She’s been written up in a bunch of magazines and has a lot of celebrity clientele. Plus she’s a wonderful person! You can order samples of her scents cheaply from her website. > **[Sarah Horowitz Parfums](https://sarahhorowitz.com/)** > > Owned and operated by an Independent Perfumer with a passion for perfume, and the emotional connection between fragrance and those who wear it. We hand craft every fragrance in small batches using only the finest fragrance and essential oils that are... If you’re in the L.A. area, she also does what she calls “Fragrance Journeys”, where you go to her and she will create your own unique custom perfume for you based on your tastes. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/5 "2011-11-19T19:17:42Z")
I don’t know how subtle it is, but my favorite is Cool Water. It makes me think of rain. Nice and fresh. Back in the 80’s, you could buy a scent called Rain, but I haven’t been able to find it for a long time. I collect miniature perfumes (for the cool bottles) and fell in love with Pavlova. It smells like Ivory soap – nice and clean. Haven’t been able to find that one either. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/6 "2011-11-19T19:21:08Z")
I got a free sample of Burberry Brit once. I’m not much of a perfume wearer but I really liked it. It’s since run out but I’m contemplating actually buying it again. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/7 "2011-11-19T19:21:17Z")
Easy to find and surprisingly good and subtle for a light floral: Glow from JLo, the basic version. Seriously. I read a good review of it in a magazine, tried it, and liked it. My inlaws are big into hugging hello/goodbye, and so many of the women said they loved my perfume and asked what it was. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/8 "2011-11-19T21:37:49Z")
I’ve loved and used [Cacharel’s Anais Anais](http://www.fragrancenet.com/anais-anais-perfume/cacharel/womens-fragrances/wf/en_US/00097?gclid=CKHvzb7Sw6wCFY3KKgodRwHCrw&mv_form_charset=utf-8) for about 20 years. Also Salvador Dali [Dali](http://www.fragrancenet.com/dali-perfume/salvador-dali/womens-fragrances/wf/en_US/00652). And one more: [Clinique Happy.](http://www.clinique.com/product/1579/5188/Fragrance/Clinique_Happy/Clinique-Happy/index.tmpl?cm_mmc=google-_-ENG_ENG%7CFragrance%7CBrand%20Product%7CExact%7CPC-_-Fragrance%7CPerfumes%7CHappy%7CHappy%7Cx%7CSPP%7COK-_-clinique%20happy) I’ve never bought the perfume but adore the skin cream. I like florals, not too strong or sweet, with a spicy undertone. Both of these are classic, sexy scents. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/9 "2011-11-19T21:41:59Z")
Go classic. Chanel No 5 Guaranteed to never go out of style. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/10 "2011-11-20T16:15:28Z")
I recommend J’Adore Dior to everyone. It’s a near-perfect scent that’s not overpowering, not syrupy, not floral. Just. . . classy and sexy. It seems to smell great on everyone too! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/11 "2011-11-20T16:18:09Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Go classic. > > Chanel No 5 > > Guaranteed to never go out of style. +1. My absolute favorite scent for any woman. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/12 "2011-11-20T17:19:21Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I got a free sample of Burberry Brit once. I’m not much of a perfume wearer but I really liked it. It’s since run out but I’m contemplating actually buying it again. i really like the burberry brit sheer in the pink bottle. it’s nice and light. same for DKNY be delicious as mentioned upthread. i seriously have more perfume than i will ever use in my life. i have a full bottle of clinique happy heart than i will probably never open. it came in a double pack with another full sized bottle and i’ve kept that one going for years. i have at least another ten bottles, not to mention that millions of sample sized ones i have… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/13 "2011-11-20T17:30:48Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> IMHO, she says with a sniff. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume/603469/14 "2011-11-20T18:45:30Z")
I liked Calgon’s green tea body spray. (Haven’t seen it in the stores recently, though.) Also, check out men’s colognes. They tend to be more woodsy or spice-scented than floral or candy-like.