Just…give it a minute, okay? It’s very funky oriental, smoky and sweet and floral in turns. Not Safe For Work, unless you’re trying to seduce your boss or something, or you live in France. The coriander note in perfumery can turn into “body odor” if your chemistry doesn’t agree with it. Happens with Alexander McQueen’s Kingdom. This might be a favorite especially moving into autumn.

The really money item is the boudoir atomizer, but it’s a fat $150 at Amazon. There is a coffret, though, that’s only $80.

Fifi’s first perfume, Fifi Chachnil is an oriental harmony both insolent (amber, coriander, tobacco) and tender (powdered rose, mandarin, lily of the valley. This is the eau de parfum, a rich, strong version of this perfume.

photo: amazon.com

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French for “A Lily” this is indeed mostly reminiscent of lilies. It’s more tolerable to me (normally I don’t love single-note scents) because of the background of lilac. It’s kind of a blend between a big white lily, and some of the yellow sweetness of honeysuckle. The drydown is nice, clean, musk with a whiff of vanilla (very faint whiff on my skin). It won’t find a home in my permanent collection but this is a lovely floral and very wearable. Reminds me of a lovely outdoor wedding! My one qualm with it is that the scent seems somewhat “dated”. It is indeed a product of the early mid 1990’s - 1994 to be exact. Sadly for lily lovers, it’s difficult to find, and retails for about $140 - your best bet may be the Perfumed Court.

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This reminds me so much of a cherished Christmas gift I got when I was about 12 - a grapefruit shower gel from Crabtree & Evelyn. It’s a very sweet citrus, with minty, herbal notes that give it more interest and dimension. The lasting power is impressive and it takes a long time to dry down to the woody basenotes (which blend very nicely with the citrus topnotes). Another item it reminds me of is the (discontinued?) Origins Fret Not. Might just be full bottle worthy at some point. Very bright and cheery if you can get past the sweetness (some will probably love it, some will dislike it). $88 for a 1.7 oz bottle at Bigelow Chemists.

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Urban Decay thoughtfully hosts a friends and family sale a few times a year. It’s on! Until the 28th, I believe, you can use FFL30 to get 30% off your order! I got a bunch of eyeshadows, but one of the yummy scented things you might like are the flavored body powders. They’re shimmery and pretty, and can actually be licked off!

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Unlike most vanilla scents, this one isn’t a try-hard crowd pleaser. It opens with a smoky-citrus wall of scent, almost completely obscuring the soft, spicy vanilla center. When the smoke clears, frankincense keeps things buoyed far from gourmand territory. I really didn’t think I’d like this scent due to the topnotes, but I quickly warmed to it as it did to me. I’d love to smell this on a man. $88/50ml at Luckyscent.

Creamy vanilla and rich tonka get top billing here, but theres another key player in this spellbinding scent: dark and mysterious frankincense, which firmly steers the vanilla away from the bakery and into an opulent hookah bar upholstered in deep brown velvet. Opening with a tingle of sharp lime and tangerine, this unfurls into a cinnamon-laced, smoky vanilla that makes us deliriously happy. A voluptuous and adult vanilla, a vanilla that has been around the block, a vanilla that has nothing to do with cupcakes. Enveloping, warm and slightly dangerous.

photo/italics text Luckyscent

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