Chicago Sniffage
June 11th, 2006
March from Perfume Posse and I got together this past Saturday for some downtown Chicago sniffage. First of all, let me tell you, March is a total delight. She’s just as hilarious and bubbly in real life as she is in her posts. Considering the fact we barely knew each other before the meeting, we hit it off pretty well. You know, perfume really can bring the world together. But enough of that. Here’s a brief report of what we sniffed.
We started out at Nordstrom’s on Michigan Avenue. Did you know that store has the Great Wall of Perfume? I call it that because it has the most unique scents you’ll find in the entire Chicago area, to my current knowledge. There are Carons, Amouages, Guerlains (quite a few in parfum), Patous, Annick Goutals, D’Orsays, Castle Forbes, Clive Christians, Carthusias, Hermes, etc. In short, any perfume fanatic’s dream, right there, arranged neatly on one wall. Even a two shelf display of Flowerbomb, right in the middle. Whoever got this brilliant idea to stick some Flowerbomb in the midst of it all, should be sent off to an uninhabited island with nothing but a box of select Guerlain and Caron scents and a couple pairs of spare underwear. So, we sniffed and sprayed and sniffed and sprayed again. March really liked Jill Sander #4 which I guarantee she would have never noticed had it not been for my handing the bottle to her. Yeah, I like to take all the credit I can get. I didn’t have any new discoveries, other than Lanvin L’Homme - a well-blended cologne with spicy notes of nutmeg and coriander. I actually smelled quite a few men’s colognes - something I don’t usually do.
Then we headed off to Saks and Neiman’s neither of which had anything new or exciting to offer, with the exception of Bond No. 9 New Haarlem that March thought might work great for a cologne for her husband (oh yeah, it will!) At Neiman’s, we found out the correct way to pronounce Donna Karan’s Wenge - something that qualified us both to skip a year in the School of Perfumery. March also deserves an award for coming up with a brilliant layering combo - Donna Karan Wenge, Labdanum, and Jasmine. Absolutely irresistable!
Our next stop was C.O.Bigelow’s shop at the Water Tower. Nothing much new or exciting was discovered there but I did give Chantecaille Frangipane another chance, and once again concluded our affair is over. Probably the highlight of our expedition was the Hermes boutique on Oak Street. Not only did we spritz pretty much every scent available on the shelves but also discovered there was a whole hidden drawer with tons of testers of such rarities as Amazone, Eau D’Hermes, and even the exorbitant Doblis! March was smitten by Rocabar (a first time try for me, too) that, according to Osmoz, features the notes of bergamot, lemon, coriander, artemisia, cardamom, violet, orris, carnation, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, and oakmoss. A must try for the lovers of spicy, woody scents. The final destination was Barney’s where we perused the L’Artisan display, and where I got reunited with a lover I dumped a few months ago - Dzing! How can one ignore a perfume that has an exclamation point at the end? No, it’s impossible. Resistance was futile, and I was once again enraptured by its balsamic, leathery demeanor.
Needless to say, our noses were thoroughly sniffed out towards the end of it all, and I came home with my hands and arms covered with an average of 20 different scents. Apart from some scents I liked, there were some I absolutely hated. Here are a few:
Versace The Dreamer - what is that smell??
Dior Fahrenrheit (sorry, Marina!) - a combination of tar and dirty railroads.
I Profumi di Firenze Fiori del Cielo - an artifical heady white floral.
What are your recent fragrance loves/hates?
Image source: www.expediaguides.com
Entry Filed under: This and That
15 Comments Add your own
1. Marina | June 12th, 2006 at 7:49 am
Tsk Tsk Tsk
Your day sounds absolutely wonderful! tell me more about Doblis, is it as great as I imagine it to be?
2. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 8:26 am
Doblis? I’m not enthralled. It sort of reminded me of Mitsouko. Definitely not worth the hefty price tag.
3. Judith | June 12th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Oh, what fun! I am very jealous!
I (more or less) agree with you on Doblis. I like it (and am glad to have a decant), but I don’t think it’s fabulous, and clearly what you are paying for is the limited-edition signed bottle, etc. Didn’t catch the resemblance to Mitsouko, though.
BUT, if you think this is expensive (and I do), I saw a bottle of the original issue go for over $2000.00 on Ebay (silly me, I bid around $200:)
4. Patty | June 12th, 2006 at 8:53 am
Sounds like so much fun! I get to to perfuming with March in August. Thanks for reminding me about Jil Sander 4. I always loved that one, then my sister stole it from me, and I forgot to replace it and then just forgot about it until now, thanks!!
5. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 8:59 am
Yoiks! That’s a lotta money! I think it’s more like Mitsouko towards the drydown.
6. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 9:16 am
Hi, P.! Yes, March told me about your meeting up in NYC this August. How exciting! I bet you’ll have a total blast.
Jill Sander #4 is indeed lovely. It actually reminds me of Divine by Divine.
7. Elle | June 12th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I am totally envious of that Great Wall of Perfume! I’ve somehow missed Lanvin L’Homme and Rocabar. Must rectify this shocking lapse soon.
8. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Yes, you must!
9. Victoria | June 12th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! I adore Doblis. I only wish I had more (either of it or extra $600 to justify a bottle). I do not see resemblances to Mitsouko though. It is more along the lines of Eau d’Hermes, albeit more leather and less wood-spice.
10. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
I have no idea why my nose picks up Mitsouko but it does, not 100% but just something about it. I must say I’m glad the scent didn’t rock my world or perfume budget.
11. Katie | June 12th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
*sobs* You HATED The Dreamer? What a pity. I guess it’s just odd enough that it’s going to throw folks into love-it-or-hate-it camps, alas.
This sniffing trip sounds so fun! I too have somehow skipped Lanvin L’Homme and must rectify that situation. Sounds delightfully spicy to me.
12. Ina | June 12th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Yes, The Dreamer is definitely love it or hate it which March had promptly warned me of. Sorry!
13. March | June 14th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
The Dreamer …. lordy, lordy. What a weird smell.
I will email you, I know I said I’d send something and now can’t remember what?!?
14. Ina | June 14th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Will wait for your e-mail! I need your address, too.
15. Aromascope » Underr&hellip | July 21st, 2006 at 12:15 am
[…] When I was looking for my next Underrated Friday pick, I wasn’t sure if Hermes Rouge would quite fit the category. I can’t ascertain if this is an underrated scent. All I know is that I never smell it on anyone around me, and it doesn’t seem to get much praise on online perfume communities. For being such an exquisite beauty as it is, I feel like it deserves more recognition. I’ve become acquainted with it just recently, mostly by spraying it on blotters in department stores. During our Chicago Sniffage, March sprayed some on her wrist, and I distinctly remember the moment when we were crossing the street, and I stopped in my tracks when I got a whiff of it. Of all the scents March had on that day, this stood out the most, leaving a most gorgeous sillage. […]
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