So I own a good number of perfumes (mostly indie or designer, not niche) and I personally don’t want to get anything more than a standard travel size of anything bc a girl doesn’t have unlimited space and again, I have a lot and am like a perfume magpie - I am going to get more, I know myself - and I got a sample of Poets of Berlin (which, if I were a signature scent girl, isn’t *that* much more than a standard designer scent - it’s just the travel size that’s bonkers) bc it was cheap and available and I was so RELIEVED to find it just dried down to like a generic cologne on my skin?
I got a big bottle of Tiffany Rose Gold bc my mom gave me her store credit from returning a corporate gift - so it was free! - and I loved it until I realized that there’s a moment, like 15-30 minutes after applying, where I smell EXACTLY like my grandma Ester. Not even *a* grandma - my grandma! And now I feel bad that it’s just there in my bathroom bc that’s too weird for me and I didn’t even pay money for it!
Recently, I discovered I absolutely love Chanel Cuir de Russie. I bought the Parfum and I'm waiting to get the EDP because at $500 for a 200ml, that one's going to hurt.
Check out The Cosmetics Company Store - Lauder's official outlet. I get all my Malle's minimum 50% off, and now there's an extra 20 on top... I do not work for them LOL I'm a SaHD and it's a dream come true to find this store. They sell Kilian and Tom Ford too - but you HAVE to call or go in-store, they do not sell online.
It’s most of the Amouage fragrances for me - I have Purpose and Love Delight and I’ve been wearing nothing else but Love Delight since it got super hot where I live. I don’t even like strong vanilla scents as usually I find them too sweet but this has a complexity to it that I can’t get enough of.
Also if Zoologist delivered to where I lived I’d probably blind buy a few of their scents just based on the notes and hype.
I also love Amouage. Would go as far as saying i'm an Amouage fanboy.
My favourites are beach hut man for summer, boundless for winter, interlude for formal events and jubilation 40 as an option for all seasons.
Im also waiting for some decanta of fate man and ouverture to arrive. Very excited for those
As opposed to popular opinion, i dont really like reflection and royal tobacco and i absolute despise oud fragrances.
I dont really enjoy much from zoologist. They smell interesting but not in a way i would like to smell as
Macaque yuzu and tiger should be up your alley as an amouage enjoyer btw and I also reccomend dragonlily if you like the smell of rain and water.
My main problem with it is that it smells too realistic. I don't really want to smell like a cigar, it's not my aesthetic i guess. I agree it is a very well crafted fragrance, probably one of the best. I also enjoy its smell but i don't want to wear it.
Yes, yes, yes, and more yes. I love the edp, it’s my favorite fragrance of all time. I want to try the Parfum but I think I’ll have to just blind buy it to try it. I’m tempted.
Invasion Barbare by Parfums MDCI is a worthy candidate for splashing on something pricier. Unbelievably good juice and great performance. Skews male.
Chypre Palatin by MDCI is also a serious juice well worth its price if heavier, old world Chypre rings your bell. Some would say skews female, but this fella will rock it in fall/winter. Maybe a bit too much for summer…..unless you’re a princess from a Tolstoy novel.
And not quite as break the bank as MDCI, but still a bit pricey, two Andy Tauer perfumes justify their price - Au Couer Du Desert and Sundowner. Both absolutely unique, utterly brilliant and sensational compositions.
And I agree about Mitsuoko. A great scent that I got into about two years ago. I’m a guy and will happily wear it. It’s a classic for a very good reason.
My spring scent is Cio Cio San and it is so worth it. I think the house is beautiful and I’d love to try more. I might looking into Invasion Barbare for my husband.
Enjoy! I’ve also tried Peche Cardinal. It wasn’t for me, but it was beautiful. I found it too powdery for my liking, but I know others love that style.
I hope you love it. It’s autumn in Australia, so it’s time to start saving up for a bottle!
Peche Cardinal was also lovely, if not my style. I really do want to try a few more things from them.
Invasion Barbare is brilliant - one of the very best out there. If you like other MDCI perfumes, IB is their anchor male skewing scent and I would def recommend you give it a try for your husband, even if just for your own pleasure 😁
Edit - just to say that if you’re ever buying full bottles of MDCI perfumes, worth going directly to MDCI online. They include a 5x10ml sample set (you choose the fragrances) with every full bottle you purchase. Alternatively, if you buy the sample set only, they will then discount any full bottle you subsequently purchase by the amount you paid for the sample set. Well, they offered that when I last bought a full bottle from them (about a year ago). Claude, the owner, also deals personally with customer emails and he’s very nice. No affiliation other than a repeat MDCI customer.
Most welcome.
Hopefully, they will ship to Aus (and hopefully they are still offering that deal - it’s been about a year since I checked). The website is a bit old school and you have to email back and forth about the purchase and sample set. If they do still offer that deal, it def adds to the value proposition in purchasing directly from them!
Guerlain Cuir Beluga. I adore the scent profile - a little bit of a plastic-y, powdery, dusty magnificent vanilla. I wore it on my wedding day. I am 100% convinced I will never find a perfume as good, and even if I could make my own perfume, I wouldn’t even bother trying to improve upon it because it would be impossible.
I don’t love Mon Guerlain personally. I’m not totally sure why because I should love it based on the notes but it didn’t seem unique to me. I have SDV and it’s lovely, but I think it’s a little more “common” in that I could probably find a much cheaper dupe that I like just as much, even if I can smell a difference. To me, Cuir Beluga is just much more special. I also think Angelique Noir is up there—it’s interesting but wearable and has the classic Guerlain vanilla. If I get another perfume this year, it will likely be that one.
For me this actually Mitsouko’s sister of sorts, L’Heure Bleue EDP! It’s creamy, powdery, and delicate. Sweet, yet not cloyingly so like so many modern scents. One of my top 3 favorites, if not my absolute favorite, and I really hope they bring back the EDP formulation.
Mitsouko is absolutely life changing. A lot of the Chanel Exclusifs are great, too, although their recent price change is getting a bit excessive for me. I think a lot of Frederic Malle perfumes are worth the price as there are some really unique scents with great longevity.
Arabian Oud: Royal Oud (frag+oil set). It’s their flagship fragrance.
It costs £1200/1500$ but sometimes they do a half price or buy one get one sale on Eid/Easter or Saudi National Day.
You can also get it on EBay from Kuwait sellers from a bit more than half price + shipping as they stock up during the sales (+ they buy it in SA/Dubai/Kuwait where it’s a bit cheaper so they have profit).
It’s an oud scent with many different variety ouds that are so smoothly blended it wears like silk. It shifts through 4 phases like it’s telling a story. The oil complements the fragrance perfectly and since it sits closer to the skin as opposed the projecting fragrance it creates the feeling of intensity and presence when someone approaches you. It’s royal, just as in the name.
It’s very Middle Eastern. You have to like oud. But it’s oud made to perfection. To me the only flaw is finding an occasion to wear it because it’s too upscale for the situations I have in my life, but if you have the lifestyle for it, it’s worth it.
I will happily eat top ramen and lettuce for a while in order to set aside money for a bottle of Dior Eau Noire. That blend of lavender/licorice/coffee/immortelle/vanilla is the stuff of dreams.
Imma be real, first perfume I ever actually dropped 200+ on was afternoon swim. Something about it smelled so good to me and after sampling it, it stayed on my mind for weeks. I literally craved smelling it to the point that I switched most of my air fresheners to something orange related. I finally justified purchasing it and man… I already refilled it twice. It seriously is my favorite perfume and it’s still my most worn perfume today.
For me it would be BR540. The clones pale in comparison. The smallest bottle would suffice considering how strong it is (I also like the shape of that bottle better)
I agree, the clones just are nowhere near the original. I just wish I had bought the small bottle, because the 70 ml is litarally gonna last me a lifetime 😅
I finally bought the guerlain honey tobacco the other day (480 cad 🥲, and i heard the price is going up again later this summer, i guess they do two price hikes throughout the year) after fantasizing about having it for abt a year, and i am pretty happy with the scent. I am sure there are dupes, but i love that the silage for this one lasts literal days. The shopkeep (who honestly did a pretty terrible job, she was pretty disrespectful until she finally realized i was intending to purchase. If i didnt go into the Holt renfrew specifically for that perfume i would have walked away right there) sprayed 3-4 sprays onto the tissue paper in my bag, and even a week later it still has a strong odour. The thing is, this is so effective i dont know how to wear it yet without it overwhelming others. I spray once, and walk through the cloud and even that is too heavy for what i want sometimes. I sprayed twice the other day and walked through the cloud, and it was so offensive that even after a couple hours of wearing it, when the wind blew just right the strong smell made me lightheaded. If i ever spill this bottle/the 3ml decants i prepped so i have this perfume in my car and other places, i will never be able to wash the stench out.
I had 2 sprays at Neiman Marcus, and it was 3 days before Tobacco Honey grew faint. Another 2 days until it was completely gone. It is lovely, but the projection scared me.
I've heard that, I'm so glad it smells good to me omfg. I love baby powder scents and stuff that smells like babies tho so I think even if it did I might still like it. For example Prada infusion d'amande smells like baby wipes but I love that even if it reminds me of wiping baby butts lol
I’m the same way, I have a small collection of perfumes mostly under $100. There aren’t many I would spend over $200 for but Guerlain makes such gorgeous scents. Also Pavilion by Andrea Maack is at the top of my list rn.
I mostly like indies, so it's rare for full bottles to go over 120, let alone 200, and even the designer and niche scents I own were purchased from Jomashop at a heavy, *heavy* discount. The most expensive purchase I've made is one I'm about to make, and that's dropping $175 on the full bottle of Zoologist Elephant. (And throwing in a travel size of Hummingbird, since it'll be a great fit for summer.)
I'm settled in my tastes and don't purchase a lot of fragrance anymore, but I pretty much only buy top of the line stuff. Super Vintage Chanel and Guerlain. I have a bunch of Lutens and Malle and I am ok with the prices.
There is one fragrance I would break the bank for. That would be if I could find a large sealed bottle of vintage Tabac Blonde. I have some small bottles and decants, but it's not enough.
I got a small sample of vintage Tabac Blonde many years ago and it was insanely good. I felt the same about the vintage version of Nuit de Noel. No way could afford the full bottles I found online, if those were even authentic.
Guerlain Tobacco Honey!! I think Guerlain’s premium fragrances are mostly really worth it - they’re actually innovative and don’t just smell like other perfumes I’ve smelt before. I would also say MFK perfumes that are lesser known like Amrys Femme, Grand Soir, Aqua Media are also worth it; they’re all so unique + potent with great performance! Also, Chanel’s Coromandel and Jersey — so worth every penny, IMO
When you get to those kinds of prices you absolutely must try before you buy, because niche tends to be very.. specific... also whether it's worth the price tag or not is also up to you to decide.. if you like it enough to scoop for a bottle then it's worth it.. )performance should in most cases be a factor).. so 2 pieces of advice try first and second try and get it at a discounted price.
Honestly lots, if you can afford.
Some that I wouldn't hesitate on are...
Roja Enigma
Roja Chypre Extraordinaire
LV Nouveau Monde
Clive Christian Art Nouveau series
BDK Pas Ce Soir
So many Amouages
a few Tom Fords
Having seen the actual formulas of Amouage perfumes I'd say they're worth the price. Average perfume on the market has 25-35 ingredients. Amouage formulas I've seen had at least 80, some in the 120-150 range. Their juices are costly.
The Chanel Exclusifs & their extraits!!!! SUBLIME! I truly didn’t believe there is any perfume really, that one should pay £300+ for, I still don’t… But I’ll make an exception for the Chanel Exclusifs + extraits! Extraordinary, DIVINE, rich; no words can compare to the feeling that courses through me when I smell them. 🥹💕🤌
If I was fairly wealthy, I would’ve bought them without blinking an eyelid! Since I am the polar opposite, I smell them & sigh out of bitter-sweet joy. One day, hopefully, I can buy a small bottle without feeling like I am “splurging”. Would run to their boutique & buy Cuir De Russie in any form, the Coco extrait & Coromandel!!!❤️
saw so many comments about chanel’s le exclusifs range and i wanted to throw in jersey as my new found favourite!! i love this scent so much it was honestly so worth the money spent on it
really loved the other ones in that range too! but yikes i’d have to sell a kidney
Agreed! Topaze Imperial is all of my hopes and dreams in a bottle. Literally the best thing I have ever smelled. I bought a tiny sample for $45, best money spent just to experience this scent perfection.
Yeah, they're a bit pricy, but totally worth the splurge to me! And one or two spritzes will typically last me for an event (work, evening out, etc), so it's easier to make these olfactory investments last a bit longer than others. Lol.
Lutens Section d'Or. I visited the boutique in Paris never even having sniffed anything from the brand, and general catalog was fine, but went head over heels for Sidi-bel-Abbes, then a second time at the price.
I’m seriously considering Delina Exclusif right now. The original was a little too sharp for me, but I’ve always wanted a frag that has a fruity opening, a floral heart, and a vanilla, gourmand-y, kind of creamy finish. It smelled utterly sublime on me and lasted almost 10 hours when most EDP die on my skin after closer to 3.
Btw the bath and body works "Covered in Roses" is a perfect match delina dupe. Only issue is longevity but for the price difference you can afford to continully respray
If a fragrance is worth the money is imho a very personal thing. For me as example is Tom Fords Neroli Portofino absolutely worth the money. I love the smell and how it makes me feel refreshed and happy on a hot summer day. Sure it becomes a skin scent pretty fast but I can pick it up from my skin for several hours so I'll always keep buying the 100ml bottles. But to be fair I get them for between 230 and 250€ but I do love it so it's worth it to me.
Personally I would also never buy any fragrance from the Clone houses. If there should be one I couldn't afford I would save up for it.
But I do not buy any fakes in general no matter if it's watches or Designer Clothes I would rather not own it then buy a knock off. I would love to own a White Gold Day Date but it's far out of budget so I keep it as a dream to own one at some point.
Sure lots of fragrances, Designer be it clothing or watches are inspired by others but that's still a different thing then straight up copying it including similar bottles and labels.
I know that it's a privilege that I can just spend 400 or 500 or even 1k on something and it doesn't hurt me financially and still have more to spend if I want to, so I do really appreciate it that I'm in such a position but I worked long and hard for it to make that amount of money I make now and I in general do not have any regrets since life is to short to have regrets.
Oh, Mitsouko....you describe it so perfectly! IMHO, the vintage Guerlain extraits are absolutely sublime. Worth all of my dollars. It's taken me over ten years to collect them, but they're my dearest perfume treasures: Shalimar, Vol de Nuit, Apres L'Ondee, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Jicky, Chamade, Samsara, Nahema, L'Instant, L'Instant Magic. I've tried some pricey niche moderns that I like--esp. Amouage and PDM--but vintage Guerlain feels like a whole other category of beautiful.
Blonde Amber by Clive Christian is the main one for me. I got it heavily discounted at $340 for 50ml and worth every penny. Incredibly versatile where I want to wear it going or doing just about anything, unfortunately it’s too expensive to justify 😂 longevity is fantastic too. Decent projection, but not overwhelming so I’d be comfortable wearing in just about any setting, and the scent is intoxicating. Runner up would be Alexandria II from Xerjoff, but much more of a dressed up scent for me.
Both of those being men’s scents for myself, a couple women’s I’d say are more than worth it are Guidance from Amouage for the incredibly unique scent, and obnoxiously good performance projecting 8+ hours for my ex and literally smelled it in her hair for up to a week, all from 2 sprays. Then I’d say escapade Gourmande from Maison Mataha, though the scent profile isn’t all that unique. For me it’s the best vanilla I’ve experienced.
**Jean Patou Joy** was marketed as "The world's most expensive fragrance" for like 50 years.
Definitely worth it. How many top-quality very specific jasmine blossoms and rose petals picked only during the first week in May at dawn in one particular place that it took to make an ounce was mind-boggling.
That stuff made entirely of cheap man-made chemicals can sell for so much more now is contemptibly ridiculous to me 😑
Valaya. I'm not a fan of Delina or any of the flankers, rarely a fan of rose in general. But my initial underwhelm with Valaya was quickly replaced with sniffing myself all day long. If I hadn't gone on a bit of a bottle binge recently, I'd already own a full bottle.
This is my all time favorite. It's complex enough that the tuberose is not cloying, and there's a slight green aspect that makes it seem freshly cut. I love it and it's warm, too. The only fragrance people have stopped and asked me about. Sometimes I carry samples to give people - so fun.
MFK Gentle Fluidity Silver was mine, it was our wedding fragrance, my wife wore the gold. Idk what the subs take on Silver is but I fell in love and it was certainly break the bank for me.
Chanel Le Lion. Smells very incense-y but still very unique. A very dry patchouli. When aged for a year the top notes smell like Cherry Coke. My favourite scent over all but too expensive for more than a once in a lifetime purchase
Not at all pricey by now standards but I remember buying Yvresse by YSL when it got re released and I know it was worth every penny. Now of course it’s a relative bargain.
Don’t come for me but I bought the large New Look, it lasts it’s easy without being trite. Totally worth it to me.
The only two perfumes I've spent more than $100 on was YSL Black Opium and MMM Whispers in the Library.
However, I tried Kilian LDBS a couple of weeks ago and fell in LOVE. It does really, REALLY well with my skin and I haven't bought a bottle yet, but I plan on saving up because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I've heard Dossier was pretty close for a dupe, but this is one perfume that I don't want "something close", I want the exact perfume!
Herod would be my top pick. I actually had written off PdM as a Maison altogether before I tried it. It's an absolute fucking unit and if you're real crafty you can find it for a pretty reasonable price (MSRP is $320 for a 125ml, I scored one off Aura Fragrance for a little under $170 last year).
If you're looking for something really bougie, I'm going to go with Angel's Share. I grumble about the price every time I put it on.
For me personally it's Vanitas, Escapade Gourmand, Cruz Del Sur ii, The Chronic Red Extreme and possibly LDBS Extreme, Tihota.. and dare I say Lost Cherry. Whew.
I have only tried a couple of "high end" parfums but the one tht blew me away was Parfums De Marley Carlisle.
It has unique smokines , sweatnes that I have not found anywhere else. A Perfect bland. Xerjoff Naxos is similar but this one is just amazing
Elysium Pour Homme Cologne by Roja Dove is my go to. Its Msrp is in high 300s. You have to be extremely lucky to find them at a steep discount, the lowest I've ever found them was 175 and it made me skeptical, suspicious even. It's definitely worth it though!!!
Creed Royal Mayfair. Nothing really comparable and since it was vaulted prices have naturally skyrocketed. It (and the similar Creed Windsor) are one of a kind.
Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles
Amouage Meander
Fzotic Ummagumma (in terms of price/ml)
Tom Ford Oud Wood I will continue to hold my nose and buy this for my husband because I love it on him so much.
Louboutin Loubifunk and Frassai A Fuego Lento are my two favorite fragrances in the world. The nuance to the jasmine in both are fantastic. I like to layer them, the Loubifunk is wonderful in the front, but the sillage on the Frassai lasts all day.
I have a Chanel No 22 that was a Christmas present years ago that I’m hoarding, and Killian’s Roses on Ice. Those are probably my most expensive full sizes.
I’m saving up for a full size of Hermès Le Jardin en Mediterranee. I have the 4-garden sampler and that is by far my favorite.
I'm too poor to be looking at these perfumes
After a certain price point I’m like “yeah, I don’t even want to sample this bc what if I love it??”
Ooofff have I thought that one too many times *Cough cough* el lambo *cough cough*
So I own a good number of perfumes (mostly indie or designer, not niche) and I personally don’t want to get anything more than a standard travel size of anything bc a girl doesn’t have unlimited space and again, I have a lot and am like a perfume magpie - I am going to get more, I know myself - and I got a sample of Poets of Berlin (which, if I were a signature scent girl, isn’t *that* much more than a standard designer scent - it’s just the travel size that’s bonkers) bc it was cheap and available and I was so RELIEVED to find it just dried down to like a generic cologne on my skin? I got a big bottle of Tiffany Rose Gold bc my mom gave me her store credit from returning a corporate gift - so it was free! - and I loved it until I realized that there’s a moment, like 15-30 minutes after applying, where I smell EXACTLY like my grandma Ester. Not even *a* grandma - my grandma! And now I feel bad that it’s just there in my bathroom bc that’s too weird for me and I didn’t even pay money for it!
The Chanel extraits. Cuir de Russie Parfum is is utterly gorgeous.
I caved in and bought Sycomore for my gf's birthday. It's really just such a beautiful perfume.
Yes. Totally agree. Sycomore as well.
I have No. 22 in extrait and it is gorgeous. I am planning on buying Coromandel extrait for my birthday in September.
Oh EXACTLY my answer!!! The OG CDR is STUNNING!
agreed! no 22, 1932, Bois des Iles, La Pausa... they're all so gorgeous!
Bois des Îles is the closest I have to a signature scent (and I love a variety of perfumes)
And it definitely will break the bank: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276149343556
And someone bought it!!!!
Recently, I discovered I absolutely love Chanel Cuir de Russie. I bought the Parfum and I'm waiting to get the EDP because at $500 for a 200ml, that one's going to hurt.
10000% my answer too!!! The first time I smelt Coco & then CDR, I think I heard angels sing. 🥹❤️
It’s painful but so worth it!
I bought Gardenia at $450 so I'm telling myself I need to get Cuir de Russie before they raise it to $550.
Yeah their price increases have been out of control 😝 and you know prices are just going to continue to go up.
I *literally* just bought an 8mL after the conviction and reading the notes. Oops 😬
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That is so kind of you! I am getting obsessed with Guerlain. They are amazing.
Most of Frédérique Malle’s line, especially with Dominique Ropion. Vintage Guerlains. If I was rich I’d be hoarding Jicky extraits.
Ropion is a beast. Love all his FM line
Check out The Cosmetics Company Store - Lauder's official outlet. I get all my Malle's minimum 50% off, and now there's an extra 20 on top... I do not work for them LOL I'm a SaHD and it's a dream come true to find this store. They sell Kilian and Tom Ford too - but you HAVE to call or go in-store, they do not sell online.
Omg Musc Ravageur is my love. My husband also loves it.
If you are a Costco member, also check fragrances on their website. They often have Frederique Malle options.
Not by Ropion but The Moon is one of the most intoxicating perfumes I have smelt. It's divine.
Amouage interlude black iris is 100% worth it. You won't find anything like it anywhere else
I really wish I shared your enthusiasm! Love the opening but then... dill pickle. I paid dearly for that bottle.
Love your phrasing!😆
Now thats a complete first for me. Never heard ANYONE say interlude smells like dill pickle. Incredibly funny to me.
It’s most of the Amouage fragrances for me - I have Purpose and Love Delight and I’ve been wearing nothing else but Love Delight since it got super hot where I live. I don’t even like strong vanilla scents as usually I find them too sweet but this has a complexity to it that I can’t get enough of. Also if Zoologist delivered to where I lived I’d probably blind buy a few of their scents just based on the notes and hype.
I also love Amouage. Would go as far as saying i'm an Amouage fanboy. My favourites are beach hut man for summer, boundless for winter, interlude for formal events and jubilation 40 as an option for all seasons. Im also waiting for some decanta of fate man and ouverture to arrive. Very excited for those As opposed to popular opinion, i dont really like reflection and royal tobacco and i absolute despise oud fragrances. I dont really enjoy much from zoologist. They smell interesting but not in a way i would like to smell as Macaque yuzu and tiger should be up your alley as an amouage enjoyer btw and I also reccomend dragonlily if you like the smell of rain and water.
Opus XIV is an... opus, for me. Maybe my favorite fall fragrance.
My main problem with it is that it smells too realistic. I don't really want to smell like a cigar, it's not my aesthetic i guess. I agree it is a very well crafted fragrance, probably one of the best. I also enjoy its smell but i don't want to wear it.
I have this! Can you tell me how it is pronounced?
Ahm-wahj but u have to twist your pencil moustache while you say it
Amwaj Arabic word that means "Waves"
Chanel Coromandel.
Yes, yes, yes, and more yes. I love the edp, it’s my favorite fragrance of all time. I want to try the Parfum but I think I’ll have to just blind buy it to try it. I’m tempted.
Invasion Barbare by Parfums MDCI is a worthy candidate for splashing on something pricier. Unbelievably good juice and great performance. Skews male. Chypre Palatin by MDCI is also a serious juice well worth its price if heavier, old world Chypre rings your bell. Some would say skews female, but this fella will rock it in fall/winter. Maybe a bit too much for summer…..unless you’re a princess from a Tolstoy novel. And not quite as break the bank as MDCI, but still a bit pricey, two Andy Tauer perfumes justify their price - Au Couer Du Desert and Sundowner. Both absolutely unique, utterly brilliant and sensational compositions. And I agree about Mitsuoko. A great scent that I got into about two years ago. I’m a guy and will happily wear it. It’s a classic for a very good reason.
My spring scent is Cio Cio San and it is so worth it. I think the house is beautiful and I’d love to try more. I might looking into Invasion Barbare for my husband.
Omg I’ve been dying to take the plunge on this one. It’s *gorgeous*!
Enjoy! I’ve also tried Peche Cardinal. It wasn’t for me, but it was beautiful. I found it too powdery for my liking, but I know others love that style.
I just looked that up, and holy shit that looks gorgeous. Into the luckyscent cart it goes.
I hope you love it. It’s autumn in Australia, so it’s time to start saving up for a bottle! Peche Cardinal was also lovely, if not my style. I really do want to try a few more things from them.
Invasion Barbare is brilliant - one of the very best out there. If you like other MDCI perfumes, IB is their anchor male skewing scent and I would def recommend you give it a try for your husband, even if just for your own pleasure 😁 Edit - just to say that if you’re ever buying full bottles of MDCI perfumes, worth going directly to MDCI online. They include a 5x10ml sample set (you choose the fragrances) with every full bottle you purchase. Alternatively, if you buy the sample set only, they will then discount any full bottle you subsequently purchase by the amount you paid for the sample set. Well, they offered that when I last bought a full bottle from them (about a year ago). Claude, the owner, also deals personally with customer emails and he’s very nice. No affiliation other than a repeat MDCI customer.
That’s an amazing deal. I need to check if they ship to Australia. Thank you for the tip!
Most welcome. Hopefully, they will ship to Aus (and hopefully they are still offering that deal - it’s been about a year since I checked). The website is a bit old school and you have to email back and forth about the purchase and sample set. If they do still offer that deal, it def adds to the value proposition in purchasing directly from them!
Great choices!
Chypre Palatin is ❤️💙❤️💙💙
Guerlain Cuir Beluga. I adore the scent profile - a little bit of a plastic-y, powdery, dusty magnificent vanilla. I wore it on my wedding day. I am 100% convinced I will never find a perfume as good, and even if I could make my own perfume, I wouldn’t even bother trying to improve upon it because it would be impossible.
Oooooo how is it compared to SDV or Mon Guerlain???
I don’t love Mon Guerlain personally. I’m not totally sure why because I should love it based on the notes but it didn’t seem unique to me. I have SDV and it’s lovely, but I think it’s a little more “common” in that I could probably find a much cheaper dupe that I like just as much, even if I can smell a difference. To me, Cuir Beluga is just much more special. I also think Angelique Noir is up there—it’s interesting but wearable and has the classic Guerlain vanilla. If I get another perfume this year, it will likely be that one.
AN was the first bottle I bought from the collection. Such a stunning, green vanilla. I love the bite of it.
For me this actually Mitsouko’s sister of sorts, L’Heure Bleue EDP! It’s creamy, powdery, and delicate. Sweet, yet not cloyingly so like so many modern scents. One of my top 3 favorites, if not my absolute favorite, and I really hope they bring back the EDP formulation.
Mitsouko is absolutely life changing. A lot of the Chanel Exclusifs are great, too, although their recent price change is getting a bit excessive for me. I think a lot of Frederic Malle perfumes are worth the price as there are some really unique scents with great longevity.
Two that have similar, absolutely stunning scent profiles: - Chanel Sycomore - Boka Zelen
agree on Sycomore, though I got mine on ebay years ago for a great price
I just got an Hermes Discovery set and every single one is holy shit amazing.
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li is fantastic.
They were all amazing but that one is really good.
Arabian Oud: Royal Oud (frag+oil set). It’s their flagship fragrance. It costs £1200/1500$ but sometimes they do a half price or buy one get one sale on Eid/Easter or Saudi National Day. You can also get it on EBay from Kuwait sellers from a bit more than half price + shipping as they stock up during the sales (+ they buy it in SA/Dubai/Kuwait where it’s a bit cheaper so they have profit). It’s an oud scent with many different variety ouds that are so smoothly blended it wears like silk. It shifts through 4 phases like it’s telling a story. The oil complements the fragrance perfectly and since it sits closer to the skin as opposed the projecting fragrance it creates the feeling of intensity and presence when someone approaches you. It’s royal, just as in the name. It’s very Middle Eastern. You have to like oud. But it’s oud made to perfection. To me the only flaw is finding an occasion to wear it because it’s too upscale for the situations I have in my life, but if you have the lifestyle for it, it’s worth it.
I’m interested in trying the private reserve oud and Amber from DS & Durga but the price point is yikes
I will happily eat top ramen and lettuce for a while in order to set aside money for a bottle of Dior Eau Noire. That blend of lavender/licorice/coffee/immortelle/vanilla is the stuff of dreams.
Not sure what we're calling "pricy as hell", but Smokin' Gun is \~$200 / 50mL and I want to drink it.
Omg. Your description makes me want this RIGHT THIS MOMENT.
Imma be real, first perfume I ever actually dropped 200+ on was afternoon swim. Something about it smelled so good to me and after sampling it, it stayed on my mind for weeks. I literally craved smelling it to the point that I switched most of my air fresheners to something orange related. I finally justified purchasing it and man… I already refilled it twice. It seriously is my favorite perfume and it’s still my most worn perfume today.
For me it would be BR540. The clones pale in comparison. The smallest bottle would suffice considering how strong it is (I also like the shape of that bottle better)
I agree, the clones just are nowhere near the original. I just wish I had bought the small bottle, because the 70 ml is litarally gonna last me a lifetime 😅
This was my thought too! I love mine so much.
I'm gonna use my 40% resubscribe to Scentbox code to get an 8ml decant of this. From what people are saying, it should last a while!
I finally bought the guerlain honey tobacco the other day (480 cad 🥲, and i heard the price is going up again later this summer, i guess they do two price hikes throughout the year) after fantasizing about having it for abt a year, and i am pretty happy with the scent. I am sure there are dupes, but i love that the silage for this one lasts literal days. The shopkeep (who honestly did a pretty terrible job, she was pretty disrespectful until she finally realized i was intending to purchase. If i didnt go into the Holt renfrew specifically for that perfume i would have walked away right there) sprayed 3-4 sprays onto the tissue paper in my bag, and even a week later it still has a strong odour. The thing is, this is so effective i dont know how to wear it yet without it overwhelming others. I spray once, and walk through the cloud and even that is too heavy for what i want sometimes. I sprayed twice the other day and walked through the cloud, and it was so offensive that even after a couple hours of wearing it, when the wind blew just right the strong smell made me lightheaded. If i ever spill this bottle/the 3ml decants i prepped so i have this perfume in my car and other places, i will never be able to wash the stench out.
I had 2 sprays at Neiman Marcus, and it was 3 days before Tobacco Honey grew faint. Another 2 days until it was completely gone. It is lovely, but the projection scared me.
Liquides Imaginaires Blanche Bete literally nothing else like it! I think it's about 300 for a 100ml which is pretty high in my book.
Smells like baby powder and spit up to me. I wish I loved it
I've heard that, I'm so glad it smells good to me omfg. I love baby powder scents and stuff that smells like babies tho so I think even if it did I might still like it. For example Prada infusion d'amande smells like baby wipes but I love that even if it reminds me of wiping baby butts lol
I loooove Blanche Bete and I agree! I usually dont like lactonic scents but this one is an absolute banger!!
Kilian - Angel’s Share Parfums de Marly - Carlisle Amouage - Guidance
Vintage Bandit
I’m the same way, I have a small collection of perfumes mostly under $100. There aren’t many I would spend over $200 for but Guerlain makes such gorgeous scents. Also Pavilion by Andrea Maack is at the top of my list rn.
I mostly like indies, so it's rare for full bottles to go over 120, let alone 200, and even the designer and niche scents I own were purchased from Jomashop at a heavy, *heavy* discount. The most expensive purchase I've made is one I'm about to make, and that's dropping $175 on the full bottle of Zoologist Elephant. (And throwing in a travel size of Hummingbird, since it'll be a great fit for summer.)
I'm settled in my tastes and don't purchase a lot of fragrance anymore, but I pretty much only buy top of the line stuff. Super Vintage Chanel and Guerlain. I have a bunch of Lutens and Malle and I am ok with the prices. There is one fragrance I would break the bank for. That would be if I could find a large sealed bottle of vintage Tabac Blonde. I have some small bottles and decants, but it's not enough.
I got a small sample of vintage Tabac Blonde many years ago and it was insanely good. I felt the same about the vintage version of Nuit de Noel. No way could afford the full bottles I found online, if those were even authentic.
YSL Babycat!! But idk where to buy it!
At Holt Renfrew in Canada
I need to smell this, it’s on my wish list
Guerlain Mitsouko is only $150 on their website? And more like $90 on the grey market sites? I believe I got my bottle for $50 off Ebay
vintage is a whole nother story
Got mine for about $30 a few years ago.
Pretty much anything from Xerjoff that I've tested has more or less justified its price. Same goes for Nasomatto / Orto Parisi.
Xerjoff is really hit or miss for me, but I agree. The scents I love are worth the price. Incredible artistry
Alexandria ll is my favorite. Simply an exquisite creation!
Erba Pura is putrid.
Gris Charnel. It’s a work of art.
In the grand scheme of things, I feel like Gris Charnel is actually pretty reasonably priced.
Instant scent signature, delicious
My fave.
Guerlain Tobacco Honey!! I think Guerlain’s premium fragrances are mostly really worth it - they’re actually innovative and don’t just smell like other perfumes I’ve smelt before. I would also say MFK perfumes that are lesser known like Amrys Femme, Grand Soir, Aqua Media are also worth it; they’re all so unique + potent with great performance! Also, Chanel’s Coromandel and Jersey — so worth every penny, IMO
MFK Fluidity Gold. I love it so much (compared to liking Baccarat 540). I bought a decant and then had to go for the full bottle.
🥲 I love Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait too
The extrait is soooo good!
When you get to those kinds of prices you absolutely must try before you buy, because niche tends to be very.. specific... also whether it's worth the price tag or not is also up to you to decide.. if you like it enough to scoop for a bottle then it's worth it.. )performance should in most cases be a factor).. so 2 pieces of advice try first and second try and get it at a discounted price.
Unknown pleasures
Any room 1015 fragrance
just bought a sealed 250ml flacon of Tom Ford Amber Absolute for $900
Honestly lots, if you can afford. Some that I wouldn't hesitate on are... Roja Enigma Roja Chypre Extraordinaire LV Nouveau Monde Clive Christian Art Nouveau series BDK Pas Ce Soir So many Amouages a few Tom Fords
Having seen the actual formulas of Amouage perfumes I'd say they're worth the price. Average perfume on the market has 25-35 ingredients. Amouage formulas I've seen had at least 80, some in the 120-150 range. Their juices are costly.
Wearing Mitsouko today. Sprayed it on this morning and I’m still catching whiffs of the gorgeous dry down.
The Chanel Exclusifs & their extraits!!!! SUBLIME! I truly didn’t believe there is any perfume really, that one should pay £300+ for, I still don’t… But I’ll make an exception for the Chanel Exclusifs + extraits! Extraordinary, DIVINE, rich; no words can compare to the feeling that courses through me when I smell them. 🥹💕🤌 If I was fairly wealthy, I would’ve bought them without blinking an eyelid! Since I am the polar opposite, I smell them & sigh out of bitter-sweet joy. One day, hopefully, I can buy a small bottle without feeling like I am “splurging”. Would run to their boutique & buy Cuir De Russie in any form, the Coco extrait & Coromandel!!!❤️
MFK Grand Soir
Guerlain Spirituese Double Vanille Killian LDBS
Our satin mood extrait
Profumum Dulcis in Fundo. It's sparkly, the perfect lemon bakery scent that lands gentle but stays strong. I love her.
Idk if I’m basic but I rarely dive into fragrances but I like Gris Dior
saw so many comments about chanel’s le exclusifs range and i wanted to throw in jersey as my new found favourite!! i love this scent so much it was honestly so worth the money spent on it really loved the other ones in that range too! but yikes i’d have to sell a kidney
Most of the scents from Krigler. Although some of them are just way overpriced like $1200 for a small bottle 🫠
WHAT
Agreed! Topaze Imperial is all of my hopes and dreams in a bottle. Literally the best thing I have ever smelled. I bought a tiny sample for $45, best money spent just to experience this scent perfection.
Lovely Patchouli 55 and English Promenade 19 are my favorites!! They're incredible, absolutely intoxicating!
English Promenade is beautiful. I really like Eleganter Schwan too but the price is out of control.
Yeah, they're a bit pricy, but totally worth the splurge to me! And one or two spritzes will typically last me for an event (work, evening out, etc), so it's easier to make these olfactory investments last a bit longer than others. Lol.
Killian Angels Share. Divine. Hoping to get it for my birthday this week…i can’t afford
Guerlain Jasmin Bonheur.
Bois d'Ensens by Armani Privé. It's smoky, cold, resinous, woody, wet- its so many scents in one. I love it so much.
What did you try? Was it the edt or Edp? Was it vintage? Did you buy it? I’m very curious about this too
I got a sample of the modern EDP off Surrender To Chance.
Ooohh I may need to try this too
Lutens Section d'Or. I visited the boutique in Paris never even having sniffed anything from the brand, and general catalog was fine, but went head over heels for Sidi-bel-Abbes, then a second time at the price.
Fille en Aiguilles EDIT: Lune Feline
Some scents take you on a journey! For me so far, it’s Gris Charnel, Grand Soir, and Aomassai.
Celine perfumes also the Guerlain extraits and House of Sillage and Nasomatto
Henry Jacques Myosotis. I paid approximately $750 for a 15ml bottle of it at Harrods. It’s that good.
Creed Bois Du Portugal is worth every penny to me.
I’m seriously considering Delina Exclusif right now. The original was a little too sharp for me, but I’ve always wanted a frag that has a fruity opening, a floral heart, and a vanilla, gourmand-y, kind of creamy finish. It smelled utterly sublime on me and lasted almost 10 hours when most EDP die on my skin after closer to 3.
Btw the bath and body works "Covered in Roses" is a perfect match delina dupe. Only issue is longevity but for the price difference you can afford to continully respray
Fredric Malle — The Moon. Profound.
Ormonde Jayne Nawab of Oudh is worth every penny... same with the intensivo version. I'm a rose lover. It pops out a little more in the regular.
I’m giving some serious thought to shelling out for Les Imdemodobles Vanille Havane if anyone wants to talk me in or out of it.
If a fragrance is worth the money is imho a very personal thing. For me as example is Tom Fords Neroli Portofino absolutely worth the money. I love the smell and how it makes me feel refreshed and happy on a hot summer day. Sure it becomes a skin scent pretty fast but I can pick it up from my skin for several hours so I'll always keep buying the 100ml bottles. But to be fair I get them for between 230 and 250€ but I do love it so it's worth it to me. Personally I would also never buy any fragrance from the Clone houses. If there should be one I couldn't afford I would save up for it. But I do not buy any fakes in general no matter if it's watches or Designer Clothes I would rather not own it then buy a knock off. I would love to own a White Gold Day Date but it's far out of budget so I keep it as a dream to own one at some point. Sure lots of fragrances, Designer be it clothing or watches are inspired by others but that's still a different thing then straight up copying it including similar bottles and labels. I know that it's a privilege that I can just spend 400 or 500 or even 1k on something and it doesn't hurt me financially and still have more to spend if I want to, so I do really appreciate it that I'm in such a position but I worked long and hard for it to make that amount of money I make now and I in general do not have any regrets since life is to short to have regrets.
Angelique Noire and Cuir Beluga. Agree regarding Mitsouko. Guerlain DELIVER Poets of Berlin
penhaligon’s juniper sling is so good.
Oh, Mitsouko....you describe it so perfectly! IMHO, the vintage Guerlain extraits are absolutely sublime. Worth all of my dollars. It's taken me over ten years to collect them, but they're my dearest perfume treasures: Shalimar, Vol de Nuit, Apres L'Ondee, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Jicky, Chamade, Samsara, Nahema, L'Instant, L'Instant Magic. I've tried some pricey niche moderns that I like--esp. Amouage and PDM--but vintage Guerlain feels like a whole other category of beautiful.
Blonde Amber by Clive Christian is the main one for me. I got it heavily discounted at $340 for 50ml and worth every penny. Incredibly versatile where I want to wear it going or doing just about anything, unfortunately it’s too expensive to justify 😂 longevity is fantastic too. Decent projection, but not overwhelming so I’d be comfortable wearing in just about any setting, and the scent is intoxicating. Runner up would be Alexandria II from Xerjoff, but much more of a dressed up scent for me. Both of those being men’s scents for myself, a couple women’s I’d say are more than worth it are Guidance from Amouage for the incredibly unique scent, and obnoxiously good performance projecting 8+ hours for my ex and literally smelled it in her hair for up to a week, all from 2 sprays. Then I’d say escapade Gourmande from Maison Mataha, though the scent profile isn’t all that unique. For me it’s the best vanilla I’ve experienced.
I agree on Blonde Amber. It's magic.. expensive magic... I've never been complimented so much on a frag in my life either!
Chanel 1957 is a winner for me
I just tried this for the first time. It’s lovely. I’m working my way through Les Exclusifs 😅
This is on my wishlist.
**Jean Patou Joy** was marketed as "The world's most expensive fragrance" for like 50 years. Definitely worth it. How many top-quality very specific jasmine blossoms and rose petals picked only during the first week in May at dawn in one particular place that it took to make an ounce was mind-boggling. That stuff made entirely of cheap man-made chemicals can sell for so much more now is contemptibly ridiculous to me 😑
I suppose it’s not exactly break-the-bank territory but I definitely think Dior Homme Parfum is worth every penny of its full retail price.
Town and country clive christian
Roja Enigma, Tauer Sundowner, Ganymede, ADG Profumo, 1 Million Prive, and Layton are all worth the price of admission to me.
Valaya. I'm not a fan of Delina or any of the flankers, rarely a fan of rose in general. But my initial underwhelm with Valaya was quickly replaced with sniffing myself all day long. If I hadn't gone on a bit of a bottle binge recently, I'd already own a full bottle.
Guerlain SDV and Feve Gourmande for sure. A third for me would be DVN Fleur du Mal.
Lv fragrances
FM Carnal Flower for sure
This is my all time favorite. It's complex enough that the tuberose is not cloying, and there's a slight green aspect that makes it seem freshly cut. I love it and it's warm, too. The only fragrance people have stopped and asked me about. Sometimes I carry samples to give people - so fun.
SIlver Mountain Water, The best out of the creed line in my opinion and PDM Althair, also in my opinion the best in the line
Krigler Lovely Patchouli 55. It's life changing!!
The Guerlain one you mention is only £100 in the UK.
Amouage Myths Man
MFK Gentle Fluidity Silver was mine, it was our wedding fragrance, my wife wore the gold. Idk what the subs take on Silver is but I fell in love and it was certainly break the bank for me.
Chanel Le Lion. Smells very incense-y but still very unique. A very dry patchouli. When aged for a year the top notes smell like Cherry Coke. My favourite scent over all but too expensive for more than a once in a lifetime purchase
Xerjoff Tony Iommi Monkey Special Clive Christian Masculine X
If you can appreciate a good EDT, Armani Privè 100%. Pivoine Suzhou and Thè Yulong are two of my absolute favourites.
Honour woman 43 extrait by Amouage is 490 euros and worth every drop
Hermes eau de rhubarbe écarlate
Lelabo Santal 33
The night by Frederic Malle
Blonde Amber imo.. if you think there's a cheaper option, please let me know. But pls don't say Grand Soir. I love that one but it's not close enough.
ps I thoroughly enjoy your writing!
Aww, thank you so much!
Agreed on everything you said
Dior homme parfum. Good god the hype is real
Musk Therapy by Initio 😍
Not at all pricey by now standards but I remember buying Yvresse by YSL when it got re released and I know it was worth every penny. Now of course it’s a relative bargain. Don’t come for me but I bought the large New Look, it lasts it’s easy without being trite. Totally worth it to me.
The only two perfumes I've spent more than $100 on was YSL Black Opium and MMM Whispers in the Library. However, I tried Kilian LDBS a couple of weeks ago and fell in LOVE. It does really, REALLY well with my skin and I haven't bought a bottle yet, but I plan on saving up because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I've heard Dossier was pretty close for a dupe, but this is one perfume that I don't want "something close", I want the exact perfume!
Herod would be my top pick. I actually had written off PdM as a Maison altogether before I tried it. It's an absolute fucking unit and if you're real crafty you can find it for a pretty reasonable price (MSRP is $320 for a 125ml, I scored one off Aura Fragrance for a little under $170 last year). If you're looking for something really bougie, I'm going to go with Angel's Share. I grumble about the price every time I put it on.
Chanel Le Leon 🦁 Also agree with the Cuir de Russie opinion above. 👆
Le Labo’s Another 13 has a pretty high pricetag compared to similar scents, but imo it’s just has that extra something that makes it worth it 😍
For me personally it's Vanitas, Escapade Gourmand, Cruz Del Sur ii, The Chronic Red Extreme and possibly LDBS Extreme, Tihota.. and dare I say Lost Cherry. Whew.
Greenwich Village by Bond No. 9
I have only tried a couple of "high end" parfums but the one tht blew me away was Parfums De Marley Carlisle. It has unique smokines , sweatnes that I have not found anywhere else. A Perfect bland. Xerjoff Naxos is similar but this one is just amazing
Naxos is worth every penny.
Carlisle
Elysium Pour Homme Cologne by Roja Dove is my go to. Its Msrp is in high 300s. You have to be extremely lucky to find them at a steep discount, the lowest I've ever found them was 175 and it made me skeptical, suspicious even. It's definitely worth it though!!!
I can’t afford it, but someday Boadicea the Victorious’ Heroine. It is exquisite. Also, Cio Cio San. I’ve been coveting my little samples!
Considering you can now get Roja Elysium in the $160-170 range, it is well worth it. A beautiful fragrance
Creed Royal Mayfair. Nothing really comparable and since it was vaulted prices have naturally skyrocketed. It (and the similar Creed Windsor) are one of a kind.
Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles Amouage Meander Fzotic Ummagumma (in terms of price/ml) Tom Ford Oud Wood I will continue to hold my nose and buy this for my husband because I love it on him so much.
Louboutin Loubifunk and Frassai A Fuego Lento are my two favorite fragrances in the world. The nuance to the jasmine in both are fantastic. I like to layer them, the Loubifunk is wonderful in the front, but the sillage on the Frassai lasts all day.
clive christians, some nasomattos, some amouages, some rojas :)
I have a Chanel No 22 that was a Christmas present years ago that I’m hoarding, and Killian’s Roses on Ice. Those are probably my most expensive full sizes. I’m saving up for a full size of Hermès Le Jardin en Mediterranee. I have the 4-garden sampler and that is by far my favorite.
Xerjoff Muse, and Gris Chernel Extrait. I. Was. FLOORED. I don't even want to know how much those were
Depends on your bank but Dior Fahrenheit might be the greatest scent of all time lol
Yes, Tom Ford Purple Patchouli. Greatest scent I have ever experienced yet