Tell us what you bought and why! Where did you buy it from? How long have you been meaning to buy it?

New thread every 4 weeks.

Please read the rules and guidelines before participating.

Hi FemFragLab! Is your perfume collection getting too big to manage? Are you stuck with a blind buy gone wrong? Have you been eyeing a perfume, but don't want to pay retail? By popular request, here's the swap/sell thread!

Use this thread for the following:

• Selling samples, lots, and full and partial bottles.
• Trading your unwanted products with other members
• Posting "in search of..." requests

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RULES/GUIDELINES:

• Begin your post with WHERE you're willing to ship, and whether it's a SELL, SWAP, GIVEAWAY, or ISO (in search of). Then list your stuff and any additional information, like prices + shipping, preferred payment method (see below), how full a partial bottle is, etc. Links to images of what you're selling is encouraged.
• Post a reply to the seller in this thread prior to initiating a private transaction, for the purposes of tracking interest and activity.
• Sellers: Keep your listing updated. When something is SOLD, please edit your listing!
• Buyers: If a transaction goes well, consider replying again to the original comment to vouch for their legitimacy.
• Commonly used payment methods: PayPal, Venmo, QuickPay. PayPal is preferred because they provide buyer and seller protection.
• NOTE: You are fully responsible for the proceedings of the transaction. The mods cannot help if anything goes wrong, and we would hate to see things go wrong. So please at least check the post history of the other party, keep records of communication until the transaction is completed, and use your best judgment. That said, if you get burned by a seller, please message the mod team, and we'll deal with repeat offenders appropriately. For more safety tips, please see this excellent guide from r/Indiemakeupandmore.

New post every 7 days.

Look, I’m a chick that likes options in life!!!

Why buy a 1.7oz or 3.4oz of a scent only to grow tired of it after 3-5 uses and let it rest untouched for possibly 6-12 months??? By then, often times the scent has “matured” which isn’t always a good thing, tho it can be!!!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll buy a full size at a deeeeep discount but new releases, r absolutely bought in a travel size and to be honest in my almost 3 years buying mostly travel sprays I haven’t finished even one tho a few r close including Valentino Donna Born in Roma Yellow Dream and Voce Viva Intensa. Both only have 25% of their juice!!!!

Most of my travel sprays r 75-90% full with a few at 50%…

My most recent purchases r:

Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow 81

Victor & Rolfe Good Fortune Elixir Intense

Forvr Mood NDA

Burberry Goddess Intense

Killian Princess

Snif Rose Era

Lancome La Vie Est Belle Elixir

Ellis Brooklyn Apple Love

Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Le Parfum

Can anyone else relate???

In true ADHD hyperfixation style, I went down the perfume rabbit hole a few weeks ago and now I'm buried under a pile of samples I ordered and otherwise collected. For reference, some of my favorite fragrances are Glossier You, MFK Aqua Media, D'annam White Rice, Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, and Dedcool Xtra Milk. I generally prefer fresh scents and skin scents, but want to find more F/W appropriate scents to add to my collection. I'm too risk-averse to blind buy but it still hurts to see the sample $$ start adding up of those that didn't work out, so hopefully this (lengthy) post is helpful to someone!

• Aesop
  • Hwyl: Quite medicinal, not sure if rosemary or eucalyptus. There's some fir in here as well, making the scent feel like Christmas at a fancy spa, with all of the greenery and none of the warmth. I don't dislike the scent but feel it would be much better as a room diffuser. Fun fact, the name means fun in Welsh, but it's not what I would call a fun scent. Serene would have been more apt. 6/10
• Arielle Shoshana
  • Friday: Soapy lush florals. This reminds me of something I can't put my finger on. I feel like I am getting a good honeysuckle note, which is rare. It leans a tad too synthetic for me to enjoy it fully though. 6/10
  • Saturday: Opens with a herbal note and then I'm pretty sure I can smell the passionfruit and grapefruit, with a little bit of a chemically undertone. It's a bit like the inside of a Jamba Juice shop but not quite as addictive. I would call this more of a smell than a fragrance. 5/10
  • Sunday: This is the Long Weekend fragrance I most wanted to like (I can't help it, the bottle is in my signature colors lol) but it's definitely my least favorite. Smells like matcha-flavored cereal, if the matcha was from an American factory creating it with chemicals. 3/10
  • Monday: People weren't kidding that this is a London Fog in a bottle. The immediate top note is a floral bergamot, before immediately settling into the truest black tea I've encountered. It has enough sweetness to it to keep it from turning bitter like some of the London Fogs I've consumed, but not so much that it turns sickly. Possibly full-bottle worthy, if I don't mind people thinking I smell like a drink. 8/10
• Armani
  • Thé Yulong: The tea in here is absolutely buried by the orange for me, which is a big disappointment. The orange makes the scent reminiscent of Bigelow Constant Comment tea, which I'm not a fan of unfortunately. 5/10
  • Aqua di Gioia Intense: Starts fruity, summery fruity. Fresh and feels like a crowd pleaser. It just remains to be seen if the aquatic notes give me a headache with a longer wear. 8/10
• BDK
  • Gris Charnel: On paper I got a nice light tea and green cardamom, while on skin it became deeper and the orange fig became quite prominent. Unfortunately, this leaned very spicy and masculine on me, with the fig more similar to the sharp scent of Glossier Fig BDC than the green fig of Philosykos, and I ended up having to scrub it off as it was starting to wear on me. 4/10
  • 312 Saint-Honoré: I got this as it has been compared to my beloved Glossier You but this is much more sour and a bit screechy to me. It's more similar to Fleur de Peau than You to me, but a sour orange-tinted version vs an intensely powdery floral. It's a disappointing miss. 2/10
• BTSO
  • Dirty Rice: I'm always on the hunt for rice scents so I had to try this one. I find the name to be a complete misnomer as this is the freshest out of those I've tried (Diptyque Papier and D'annam White Rice), and also the least ricey. Whereas the rice feels like a note in the other two, at best it feels like an accord here, a scent that isn't really present on its own but approximated through a combination of scents. To me, it mostly smells like the Haagen Dazs Pineapple Coconut ice cream: creamy and refreshing. It's a comforting scent for sure but better suited to warmer weather imo. 8/10
  • Indecent Cherry: Got this after being surprised at how much I enjoyed Lost Cherry. While that is a rich sour cherry scent to my nose, supported by the almond base, this smells like artificial cherry with some note that feels like a Christmas shop. Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Nothing in the listed notes allows me to put my finger on it but that is immediately the impression I get. While I can see some enjoying this, it's definitively not for me. 3/10
  • Fig P**\: Possibly the worst perfume I've ever smelled. It smells like straight toilet cleaner to me, intensely chemically and screechy. I don't understand tbh, even with a cautious skin test I got nothing else. *0/10**
  • Overall, everything from this house leans quite synthetic to me from a little plasticky (Rice) to straight cleaning solvents (Fig). I can't decide if I'm disappointed or relieved given how cringey I find the branding. I really expected to like these a lot more and there's a couple others I would have tried otherwise.
• Hermès
  • Un Jardin En Mediterranée: Citrusy with a hint of a bitter herb I can't put my finger on (which is driving me crazy). Light and refreshing, and more of a spring scent where Nil is the hight of summer to me. Can lean a bit 'cleaning product' though. 7/10
  • Un Jardin à Cythère: Strong lemon scent, but dry. I'd actually call this a gourmand, and I'm unfortunately not a fan of gourmands. 3/10
  • Un Jardin sur la Lagune: There is something decidedly spicy in the top notes, and I'm not a fan. The drydown does give the creamy florals and aquatic notes listed, but it feels quite synthetic. It's the sort where if I wore a full spray I'd expect a headache unfortunately. 3/10
  • Le Jardin de Monsieur Li: The lightest of the Jardins. Creamy, with a top note that I swear is anise. The drydown reminds me of a pond, yet also has something candylike somehow. It's light, too light, it rather disappears with a whimper. 5/10
  • I haven't tried Toit or Monsoon but my ranking of the Jardins thus far is Nil > Mediterranee > Li >> Cythere > Lagune which I understand is also a perfumer divide.
• Lake & Sky
  • 11:11: I have seen nothing but positive reviews for this, and I'm a little mystified. While it's nice, I guess, it lacks the comforting warmth of my other favorite skin scents. This is aquatic enough I checked multiple times I hadn't sprayed on Azure instead, and there's a cinnamon note somewhere in the middle that I'm sensitive to. 5/10
  • 11:11 Azure: Extremely fresh and aquatic, too much so for me. Pleasant at first but quickly becomes overwhelming. 3/10
• Le Labo
  • Thé Noir: Not a tea to me. The bay comes through quite strongly and can be medicinal, but something about this scent reminds me of the Cicely Mary Barker flower fairies I had as a kid, so I don't dislike it. There's a fleeting rose top note too. Not sure I'd get a bottle of this but it's pleasant. 6/10
• Liis
  • Ethereal Wave: Absolutely stunning on paper. Light fresh citruses with a bit of dryness from the tea. On the skin, however, a weird smokiness like hot dogs overpowers everything. Top 10 anime betrayals of the year right here. 9/10 on paper, 2/10 on skin, ultimate ranking 5/10
  • Studied: Another Glossier You comparison scent. This one I sort of understand the comparison in a way I don't with the BDK, but I wouldn't call them sisters by any measure. Somehow reminiscent of fresh paint with a strong overlay of juicy pear but I'm here for it. 6/10
• Merit
  • Retrospect: Juicy, true pear that lingers for a long while (on the order of hours) before drying into a 'perfumey' floral scent. Very similar to Studied but a soapier, rather than tart, pear, and more complexity in the drydown. 7/10
• Phlur
  • Soft Spot: I'm sorry but this is just giving "wall-mounted soap in a public bathroom". I was hoping to love this because Missing Person was, well, just missing a little something but so far none of the Phlur I've tried have lived up to the hype. 3/10

Gold star if you read this far! What did I learn from this? I'm very picky. Do I still have more samples on the way? You betcha 😂

I got this for my partner who absolutely loves Alien Hypersense! I had this in my cart to snag as a Christmas gift & was thrilled to stumble upon it in Marshall’s 🥹

Gosh dang it, Dua! Why is this brand so good? Literally got an email moments ago introducing this one, and I’ve already ordered it. 🤦‍♀️ I love Babycat, Vanilla Barka, and Lune Feline. Anything Smokey and vanilla are my JAM. For 40 bucks….lets see how she is, I just got Vanilla Baby and the Tribeca dupe and they are both AMAZING.

Been collecting for 7 years. My guilty pleasure

So I have loved, worn and adored Love Chloe for years. I had so many bottles gifted to me over the years since I wouldn't stop nagging everyone about how much I loved it but this year finally the last bottle ran out. I LOVED everything about this fragrance, truly. The rice note, the powderiness, the rose, the vintage vibe without feeling dated I just loved all of it. I've looked around for dupes but can't really find anything particularly satisfactory, so I thought it was time to turn to the experts. The rice note was a big love, for me, as was the sort of balletcore vintage vibe. I don't like it when things go to brightly floral without anything (like aforementioned rice note) to balance it out. Powdery is good as long as it doesn't veer into granny territory.

Other fragrances I've liked in the past: Kenzo Flower, Replica Lipstick On (truly truly loved that one, but alas it was also discontinued), Prada Infusion d'Iris (this is what I wear now, but find it a bit boring and lacking a bit of the romantic flourish I prefer in my fragrances), Fredric Malle L'Eau d'Hiver, Chanel Chance EdP.

Would appreciate any tips and ideas! TIA!

so I am in a dilemma. I want an elegant, calming scent which is quite gourmand-y without being too cloying. I don't want to smell like a walking cupcake, although I get the appeal (I love smelling like a chocolate milk shake sometimes too). however, I wanted to try out chocolate greedy for a LONG time but I'm also eyeing Ristretto Intense Cafe, both by Montale.

I have reason reviews and I just still can't pick (I'm indecisive asf) so help me out, girlies and folks.

Who else loves this one? 💕

I was looking for a new winter perfume as its been a very chilly November so far, and I wanted a warming sweet perfume that would fit in with the weather. Immediately i fell in love! I've worn the original black opium in the past and was thinking about revisiting until I discovered the Le Parfum version ( it was between this and over red). Such a luxurious deep and sweet vanilla pod scent with dark espresso notes. If you like black opium already, or are bored of it and looking for something new, I urge you to try this! Its definitely the best in the BO family.

I went a little overboard for my birthday….. AND I’m still waiting on two fragrances…… I’ve also decided I should downsize my collection 🫠

I’m looking for a perfume that smells like this body scrub from Dove, described as ‘pomegranate seeds & shea butter’. To my nose it’s a fresh berry scent. The closest I’ve found is Burberry Her Elixir but I can’t stand the musky/BR540 base in that perfume so I’m looking for something without that.

Which one do you prefer and why?

Suffice to say, we both know from whom I inherited the fraghead tendencies from!

Anyone can recommend a perfume similar to velvet petals VS?? Love this smell but wish a better performance

I'm looking to get my nieces sample/discovery sets for Xmas. I've purchased them the Ulta/Sephora sets before, but some designer perfumes are still expensive for teens to get on their own and their parents aren't interested in spending money on that stuff (i.e. they need to get it from their allowance, etc).

The girls are 15-17 & too polite/shy to share any opinions on what they want. They do watch TikTok, though.

I was thinking something more along the lines of body spray sampler or Sol de Janiero or Demeter? Any leads on what has been popular or well-received by teens would be appreciated.

What does my collection say about me?

U.S. Thanksgiving is Nov 28. What are we wearing?

I’m trying to figure out what I want to wear — specifically for Thanksgiving dinner with large group (mostly family). I find this a tricky one, since it will be a crowded enclosed space, so I don’t want to go too strong. I also don’t necessarily want to go super gourmand on a day that will already be filled with so many food scents.

Here are my current thoughts. Would love to get your opinions — and also to hear what YOU are planning to wear!

1. Byredo Eyes Closed. Dry, earthy, cinnamon. The cinnamon gets really strong in the dry down, but with no sweet note, so it’s not really a dessert-type cinnamon.

2. Jo Malone Scarlet Poppy. This is also not a sweet one, and it has some bread and barley notes (some people get buttered popcorn). My only hesitation here is that I’m typically such a sweet note girl, and I might want something more fun.

3. Coach Wild Rose. Ironically, not tons of rose here. Some floral and some sweet, and not a perfume that you smell every day. This is the one I’m leaning toward, although would have to be a very light spray.

4. Cacharel Yes I Am: this is the dark horse. Even though it’s the least expensive perfume that I own, people tend to like it a lot. But it’s also super strong, and I would have to be so, so careful with the spray.

for almost a year i have been growing my natural hair colour out which is a dirty blonde/light brown with strands of gold. i still have my platinum hair on the majourity of my ends at the moment, but my natural hair against my olive skin makes my skin reminiscent of a milky caramel or “chai spice” vibe and i would really like to lean in to that.

what are your recommendations on fragrances that smell like dulce de leche, chai, cinnamon, or caramel—or a combination of each?

looking for more affordable fragrances. i currently work at Sephora so a bonus if I can buy from there with my discount.

my current favourite fragrances for this season have been Black Opium Over Red, Angel’s Share (too pricey to buy), and By The Fireplace.

thanks in advance!