Although I’ve gotten close a few times since stay-in-place went into effect because of 1) a Nordstrom gift card that’s been burning a hole in my wallet for months, and 2) an intense craving for something new and citrusy, I still have yet to buy a perfume without smelling it first.
Bright lemon, orange and grapefruit notes always cheer me up. I just feel lighter, less weighed down when I smell like fruit, LOL! So, I’ve been rotating through my usual citrus staples, a set of Clinique Happy fragrances (the original Happy has notes of ruby red grapefruit, boysenberry bush flower, Hawaiian wedding flower) and Annick Goutal’s effervescent Eau d’Hadrien (bergamot, citrus accord, grapefruit, lemon, cédrat, cypress, galbanum, basil, juniper berry, ylang-ylang, woody accord).
I’d still to try something new, though, like Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne or Fresh Citron de Vigne.
How about you? Have you ever purchased a perfume without smelling it first?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF!
I have not, dear one. And mainly because I know what I like–and I really love citrusy scents like you, but when I’m at the mothership (oh how I miss it) and I read a description of a fragrance and then smell it, I’m always kind of surprised.
Having said that, I adore nearly every Jo Malone scent I’ve ever sniffed–especially adore, I think it’s pink peony and suede? so I bet her grapefruit would be a safe bet for buying unsniffed.
Is your life returning to normal yet or starting to? Not so much here. I was able to get my hair cut and colored earlier this month but our governor changed the opening date for nail salons from June 1 to a later date as of yet unannounced.
I was really looking forward to a pedicure and to supporting my nail tech family. I’m worried about them.
My toes could totally win ugly toe contest of this century and last.
Hello Karen. I enjoy reading your blog. “Have you ever purchased a perfume without smelling first?” No. If I think I would like a scent I get samples from “Surrender to chance” where you can get a decent decant of any perfume, oil, cologne or ” Lucky scent” and get samples of a scent also. Try before you buy. I like tuberose gardenia pikake… And some musk scents. You can try the most expensive to say a Demeter for a fun scent. Long lasting or a quick pick me up refreshing scent. Depending on your mood or weather, date night..
Yaaasssss!!! ??I am lately purchasing more and more fragrances on blind buy. Cacharel “Lou Lou”, Chopard “Cašmir”, Gaultier’s “Classique” all arrived in my wardrobe as blind buys. And I love them all!!! They were not available in my country when they were popular, and now – they’re not available at the stores anymore, thus – no other options than blind buys. Btw- If it comes about Gaultier, then I have bought several blind buys and I truly love this brand, although it has been discontinued in my country as not very popular.
The issue with me is – I’ve run out of my signature Dolce&Gabbana “Sicily”, that I’ve been using for past 13 years. It’s discontinued now and I’m trying to find some alternative “signature” (which has resulted in kinda’ random perfume hoarding?).
Lelde, I love that D&G scent! It was discontinued here ages ago; I haven’t seen it in at least a decade. If you find something comparable please let me know. I’ve been looking for years!
I’ve heard that D&G was relaunching it as Haute Perfume/ À – la niche with the same name Sicily. The price is just skyrocketing. Still – not available by me…
A more ubiquitious similarity would be Chanel No. 5. But… agh?… still… chanel just gives me an echo of Sicily!
Yeah, btw, the original sicily was indeed out from stores for some decade, but I found it in one small perfume store in Tenerife about 6 years ago. Surely, I purchased all what they had and for 6 years I was good with my wardrobe.
Hope you have a safe weekend!
I’ve done a blind buy a few times. I think only one of them worked out. Sigh. Never again. My usual M.O. is to get as large of a sample as I can and wear it at least three times in different situations, to see how it plays with my skin, the weather and my moods.
I need to sort through all my samples and decants and down-size. If I come across any Jo Malones, I’ll let you know.
I generally don’t like lemony or citrusy fragrances. I feel like I’m walking around wearing Lemon Pledge furniture polish. Then again, I tend to go for classic (not gonna say old-fashioned) heavy hitters.
Yes I have! I purchased Jo Malone Grapefruit and their Blackberry&Bay. Both I love! Very uplifting, very fresh smelling, not “perfumy” citrus imo. If you are going to buy a perfume unsniffed, i agree with Jennifer, Jo Malone are a safer bet. I’ve been spritzing them like mad in the house to keep me energized. Probably should find a cheaper option for that lol
Have a nice weekend everyone…
I’ve done it twice, once successfully, once unsuccessfully. I love original Lavanila, so I thought Lavanila Coconut was a no-brainer, but it was just… weird. Clean Reserve’s Rain was right on the money, though. (Have we talked about my undying love for rollerball perfumes, btw? So much better for my allergies than spraying perfume.)
Have a wonderful Friday and a weekend so good, it’s distinguishable from the weekdays!! #pandemichumor
I am suuuuuuuuuuuuuper picky about personal fragrance and can only wear perfume oil blends now. I’ve found a place online called Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs that blends perfume oils that make me smell like an occult shop and I trust them because their descriptions are just wicked and they just seem like a goth-y business I can get behind. I just love those incense-y, Egyptian musk-type fragrances. I used to wear Chanel No. 5 and Poison in the 90s but I cannot stand the smell of bottled perfume now, and I especially abhor being able to smell someone else’s bottled perfume. If they’re wearing a perfume oil, totally different story. Weird pet peeve.
Hot tip! Very interested in Black Phoenix Alchemy. Thank you for sharing! Gonna check em out meow.
Heehee… I just checked out Tiger Lily Perfumery! I love the small fragrance apothecaries. BPAL is more affordable but before I committed to a full bottle, I purchased several ampoules and they always throw in another sample or two as well. Did not disappoint! Their descriptions are spot on, albeit super poetic and esoteric at times, and I was happy with all of the scents.
So, I picked up A World of One Color & EggNog Cheesecake, plus some imps. Looking forward to receiving them and comparing the essences and notes to the creative descriptions. Thanks Christine!
Oh nice (dang I love their name choices)! You’re so welcome, Jennifer, I’m curious to see how you like them. 🙂 Honestly, I could just have all imps because their selection is extensive. They are quite potent and I basically smear the imp stick on my hand, mix with almond oil and I’m good to go!
Can I just say I love it when people become buddies in the comments? You gals made my day. I was crabby earlier but now I’m 100% not! YAY!
I am ADDICTED to BPAL and oh man, I have bought a lot without smelling first because the descriptions are SPOT on and pretty detailed. I can usually read the description and have a pretty good idea of what it would smell like and if I would like it. It helps that the forums are full of people who have tried and described how the perfume smells on them too!
Yes! The detailed reviews + BPAL’s descriptions tell me everything I need to know. I don’t even think I would dislike anything from BPAL tbh. 😀
BPAL is my #1 brand! Love them! Bulgarian Tobacco is my holy grail! ??
Yup, often. I search out cruelty free scents and have purchased Wicked Good and Fyrinnae spooky, Halloween, and gourmand ones. I just listened to a podcast all about fragrance and was inspired to try something different so I placed a honkin order from Tigerlily Perfumery. Soooo fun to read the scent descriptions. Such a skill to capture them verbally. Have you been there Karen? It’s in San Fran.
I did it two times with Muglers Alien Limited Editions: Aqua Chic and Sunessence Edition Or d‘Ambre, because I thought the first would be a fresh lighter Alien and for the second one: I love Amber 😉
Now I am on the fence about both: I am not the biggest fan of orange blossoms in perfume and the Amber one is not warm and cozy but more fruity. But at the drydown I can smell the Alien-Family…
I think I would have better bought D+G Light Blue for summer (which also has a nice Amber-Base) and L‘Occitane Eau de Baux for my Extra-Dose of Amber in the wintertime…
And I learned to test perfumes, because on the skin there happen crazy things and descriptions and the first smell can be quite deceiving! It saved me a lot if money!
Oh, if you have a Nordstrom gift card you should check out Le Labo! Fleur d’Oranger 27 is a divine citrusy, spring scent! Highly recommend!
Ooooh they are cruelty free too! I have heard good things about Santal 33….
Jennifer, Santal 33 lives up to the hype! Every time I wear it I get a comment. People literally sniff the air around me, “what is that?” ? I must say, others like it more than me, but it’s still ??
Le Labo for the win! Fleur d’Oranger 27 is a great reco, and their Neroli 36 is fresh and sweet. Also check out Atelier, they do citrus from lime to grapefruit – maybe they have a sampler? https://www.ateliercologne.com/us_en/perfumes/sunny-citruses?___store=us_en. Have fun!
Yes, I have. I purchased Killer Queen by Katy Perry and Hawaii made in England. I was successful with both but will not do that again! Killer Queen is Berry floral and Hawaii is tuberose,orange blossom,jasmine and woodsy. I prefer samples because sometimes fragrance starts well and smells bad later on.
Hi Karen!! I love this topic, because I’m a perfume addict!! I’ve been one since I’ve been teenager. Too funny…I actually blind bought a fragrance from Fragrancenet last week. It is Prada Amber for Men. It’s a men’s fragrance, but all the reviews thought it seemed unisex, and even bordering more on the feminine side. I had to get it, because it is said to be really soapy smelling. I love perfumes like that. It definitely has a clean powdery aroma to it, like you just took a bath with a luxury soap. I did really like it, but it was very light, so I’m passing it over to my husband. It will be better on him, because he is very heavy handed when he sprays cologne. Ha Ha!! Also, I think you would really love Jo Malone Grapefruit perfume. I’ve tried that one before. Also, I have that Clinique Happy perfume called Cocoa and Cashmere. It has such a comforting smell!! As far as the Fresh Citron de Vigne goes, that is another winner. I think you would enjoy that one or the Jo Malone. Happy online shopping!! I also have to add, that I was reading the other comments on here, and now I’m missing Sicily by Dolce & Gabbana. I absolutely loved that one!! Just so everyone knows, Dolce has a new scent called Velvet Sicily that supposedly smells just like the original Sicily. The only caveat is, the Velvet Sicily is terribly expensive. Oh, I could go on and on about perfume!! Have a great weekend Karen!!
Sherry, you sound like a kindred spirit. I’ve been loving perfume since I was in junior high. It’s all the influence of my mother. She and I always share our latest finds with each other.
I actually bought Jo Malone Grapefruit without ever having smelled it. While it did smell good, it did not smell like a fresh bright grapefruit scent. It actually smells like Irish Spring soap, spot on. I just bought another Jo Malone without having smelled it, and it is the Vanilla & Anise perfume. Again, smells good, but it’s very floral instead of the vanilla and anise I expected. It also doesn’t wear long.
I try to get a sample of a prospective new fragrance first. If I can’t score a sample I read reviews on Frgrantica (awesome, comprehensive perfume review site) to get an idea of what it might smell like. I did take the plunge and buy two perfumes without testing because they both earned positive reviews. They were Avon Velvet (amazing!) and The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods (very enjoyable). But typically I don’t blind buy perfume.
I’ve blind-bought many perfumes— often from eBay after I read a review or blog post. It’s silly really, because perfume is so subjective. I’m a citrus lover, too, or anything light and fresh. I also like floral as long as it’s not powdery/old lady. I love Aerin perfumes— Mediterranean honeysuckle, rose de grasse is my absolute favorite rose scent (though crazy expensive), and ikat jasmine— I didn’t even like jasmine until that, but all her scents have a twist that makes them truly special.
I always grab the Sephora scent samplers where you get a certificate for a full size plus all the samples— so much fun. If you know you like at least one scent, then it always works out to be a good deal.
Happy was a favorite of mine as a 90s teenager. I tend to like Nest scents as well. I’d love to test done Jo Malone once things are more normal again.
Really at this point, I’m a scent hoarder. I probably have 20+ bottles, and I swear to myself I’ll use some up first… and then i find a new perfume obsession. One day, I will probably be found dead buried under perfume bottles and eyeshadow palettes, half eaten by my two cats…tabbies of course. 😉
I may have when I was a teen but definitely not now. I cannot stand most scents and I have a hard enough time picking out scents in store. A lot times I think I like it and then I get it home and it’s over bearing! I wouldn’t dare buy a scent without smelling first!
Yes, but it’s not usually a fully blind buy, either-I usually look up the scent notes of the perfume I’m considering, either on the site I’m buying from or (if buying in store) on Fragrantica, to make sure I like all the notes and sometimes to compare it to a similar scent I may already own.
I have blind bought Jo Malone’s Basil & Neroli and it ended up being a decent decision. If you like citrus scents I would recommend Maison Margiella’s Under the Lemon Trees (which you can try in a travel spray and they even have a $35 discovery set of their fragrances on Sephora, I happen to really like several of their fragrances). I would also recommend Mandarin di Amalfi by Tom Ford. It’s totally a slice of heaven to me. I actually like buying decants as well before I purchase a full bottle. I usually use Scent Split over Surrender to Chance just due to the fact that the packaging is superior in quality.
Normally I’m all about testing it first, absolutely! Right now I’m obsessed with perfume. I think it’s because everything is closed and I can’t sample things. I’m thinking of ordering D&G The One (I had a rollerball, so I know I like it) but there are so many I’m dying to try and I might just do it with one of them! I’m eying Balenciaga Florabotanica, Givenchy L’interdit, D&G Pour Femme, Prada La Femme, YSL Mon Paris, Guerlain Mon Guerlain, Chanel Allure… please advise if anyone’s tried any of the above and hated/loved it!
what a fun topic! I love all the comments. I ‘ve recently been bitten by the fragrance bug, so that’s a big YES to carefully researched blind buys and occasional on-a-whim impulse blind buys. also a big yes to Jo Malone fragrances. If you like citrus, try Nectarine Blossom and Honey, Basil and Neroli. I don’t think Grapefruit is a safe blind buy. Some adore it, but it is one of the more polarizing choices in the line. I’d also suggest Chanel Chance Eau Vive. It has a a wonderful, uplifting mix of citrus! And because fragrance is an expanding beauty category, there are tons of ways to sample new things on the cheap without committing to a full bottle purchase! check out the Sephora sample sets- Atelier has a couple of sets that feature popular citrus based fragrances. another that hasn’t been mentioned is subscription services that send small sizes every month. I’ve been interested in gifting a 4 month trial from Luxury Scent Box, which gives generous amounts to spray and you are able to choose what you try. Also, be on the lookout for the awaited release of Jo Malone’s collaboration collection(Jo Loves, her new company) at Zara. Emotions line has Vetiver Pamplemousse, Amalfi Sunray, Fleur d’orangeur to try. Lower price point than Jo Malone or Jo Loves sounds good to me!
Yes. As the perfumista formerly known as Vetiveronica (Veronica is my “American name”), if it had vetiver, I ordered it.
The only real disappointment was Carlo Corinto Vetyver. Too aftershave-y. And although way before my time — too disco-y.
The best — other than Guerlain Vétiver Pour Elle EdP and vintage Mitsouko parfum — is Guerlain Djedi, an oriental chypre from 1927. Not the 1996 limited edition reissue. But at one hundred dollars a drop… Worth every penny but pretty steep. And it contains the banned oakmoss.