Recently I've gotten strangely confident in my perfume selection abilities, so I've purchased a handful of them online completely blind to see if I'd like them. In ~COVID times~ I haven't been anywhere that has their perfume samples out, so this is pretty much the only way I've been able to try any new perfumes.
I wanted to share the perfumes that I've tried lately because most of them are great options for fall if you're a seasonal perfume type of gal. Most of these I either bought from my friends' recommendations, or saw them and just thought I'd like them based on others I already like. I'm putting photos of the full-sized bottles in the post because they're prettier, but I did NOT blindly buy the full size of all of these - most of them I got in the travel size since I was just trying them, duh.
SPOILER ALERT: I ended up liking them all. 😂 I learned throughout this "process" that if you give a perfume a few wears, I often
like it a lot more than I would just giving it a sniff in the store. My taste in perfume has definitely broadened over the years, so I don't think I can really say that I have one specific taste anymore.
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| Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Azur Top notes: Sicilian lemon, Italian bergamot, Calabrian mandarin Middle notes: Moroccan orange flower absolute, neroli bigarade petals, fig nectar Base notes: Coconut milk, musk, cedarwood, ambrox |
I got this one a while back, but I wanted to include it because it was my first true perfume "blind-buy," and it really worked out. My friend Ewa RAVES about it, and I caught it on sale so I snagged it. At first I was a little surprised by the scent and didn't know if I fully liked it because it's so different than any other perfume I have. I would say that if I had smelled it in the store rather than straight up buying it I would've passed it up, but after I wore it a few times I fell in LOVE. It's a perfect summer perfume without having any coconutty scent (although coconut milk is a base note), and you truly need to smell it to understand. It has SO many notes that I can't quite pinpoint any of them. 😂 It's fresh citrusy without smelling fruity or like a cleaning solution, it's rich without smelling warm, and just truly makes me think of an island resort vacation.
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| Nest Black Tulip Notes: Black amber plum, pink pepper, Japanese violet |
I got this one because I vaguely remembered smelling it and liking it years ago, and I saw a couple people on Instagram saying it was a perfect fall fragrance. I love Nest Indigo, so I figured I'd love this one too because they're both bestsellers from Nest. It truly is a great fragrance for colder weather or nighttime - I usually don't assign seasons to most fragrances, but this one I definitely consider a fall/winter perfume. It's categorized as a warm floral, and it's definitely warm and sweet from the amber plum but the pink pepper note gives it some spice. Nest Indigo is still my favorite over Black Tulip, but I love this one too! Plus, the packaging of Nest perfumes is probably my favorite perfume packaging of all time.
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| Chloé Rose Tangerine Notes: Tangerine essence, rose absolute, blackcurrant absolute |
I ordered this because I LOVE Chloé L'eau, and I've grown to love the other rose-based Chloé fragrances too, so when I saw this one was new and had a citrus notes (citrusy florals are my favorite perfumes), I had to try it. It's a fresh rose scent, much less heavy than traditional rose fragrances, and I like it a lot. It starts a little heavier and lightens up as it dries down. L'eau is still my favorite of the two, but this one is beautiful, especially if you typically don't like heavy rose scents.
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| Gucci Bloom Notes: Rangoon creeper, jasmine bud, tuberose |
I ordered a three pack of the three original Gucci Bloom fragrances because I knew I liked one of them but I couldn't remember which one. This one is the original, and I used to not like it because it's so heavily floral, but I've grown to like it a lot. I don't know if I'd purchase a full size bottle because I usually prefer lighter floral fragrances, but if rich florals are your thing then I bet you'd love this!
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| Gucci Bloom Acqua di Fiori Notes: Green galbanum, jasmine closed buds, sandalwood |
This was the second version of Gucci Bloom I tried, and this one is markedly fresher and a bit more evergreen than the original. It reminds me of a dewy garden in the morning. It smells fresh and natural but not as heavily floral as the original, and not at all sweet. I'm not sure which I like more, this or the original!
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| Gucci Bloom Nettare di Fiori Notes: Rose, rangoon creeper, osmanthus |
This is the Gucci Bloom fragrance that I remembered loving! It's both my and Kenny's favorite of the three fragrances and I'll definitely be purchasing a full-sized version when I get done with the travel size. It's the heaviest scent of the three that I've tried. It's very feminine and sensual, and just smells EXPENSIVE. It smells like something a woman in a fur coat, oversized sunglasses, and stilettos would wear. It's definitely a good perfume for nighttime, although I'd wear it during the day too. It's probably the most "mature" fragrance I've owned, so keep that in mind if you prefer lighter, more youthful scents.
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| Caudalie Des Vignes Notes: Ginger, neroli, orange blossom, jasmine |
This was another recommendation from my friend Ewa, and it's so good! It reminds me of Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume, but so much cheaper ($39 for 1.6 oz, on sale for $33 right now!) It's somehow fresh, musky, botanical, and sensual all at the same time. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love this fragrance! It's said to be a dupe for Le Labo Santal 33, but I've never tried that one so I can't compare. The only downside to me is that it's an eau fraiche, so it's not as long lasting as an eau de toilette or an eau de parfum, but for the price I can't complain.
What's your favorite perfume? Let me know! Clearly I'm on a roll with trying new ones, so I'd love to add some more to the list!
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