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Christopher Brosius was behind many of Demeter's scents but I don't really know the backstory. For their part, Demeter says they and their suppliers don't test on animals but based on your posts I'm guessing you've also heard otherwise.

I try to do a lot of research starting at the source, and then through animal-welfare sites and even vegan beauty bloggers whose research seems solid. In this case, I can't seem to find anything outside of Demeter's own site; when this happens, I tend to just give the benefit of the doubt and carry on. But something along the line (and, ugh, I cannot remember what/where) told me not to on this one. Believe me, I'ma keep looking because I love Demeter's stuff and the prices are good too (I think).

I found something called Beach Babe by I Smell Great, and it's a dead ringer for Bobbi Brown's Beach. Also, the I Hate Perfume one, which I do have a sample of, is a good one (though I think it's a bit pricier). I also bought a small bottle of something from Theme. Nice but a little too sweet. I found a few other semi-expensive beachy (they say) options by a brand called Fusion, and I will try those if I can get inexpensive (or free!) samples. I'm thinking that Beach Babe, cheesy name and all, is the winner though.

Thank the gods for the internet; I used to try to find out all this stuff when I was a teenager back in the '80s! It was not easy, man.

Edited by TattleTeeny
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OOOH, from the "Notes" list, it seems like it could be a contender. Thanks--I'll put that on my list of samples to seek out! Have you worn it?

Also, if anyone is interested, the inexpensive Pacifica brand is cruelty-free and sometimes available in cosmetics stores and even drugstores. I tried a coconut-based one and it was way too sweet and heavy but I do love, love, love the mango-grapefruit...so much that I have yet to try another Pacifica fragrance. 

Just as reference, in case anyone is hoping to find a scent based on anything I say, I absolutely need anything I wear to be very light and generally not sugary, powdery, or vanilla-based. I don't like most food smells either (for candles or perfumes, that is--I like plenty of food-for-food's-sake scents!)...but I guess I don't count citrus as a "food smell" in regard to perfumes.

You know what I remember fondly? The Rain scent by Love's Baby Soft. It was green and light and unlike the classic pink one. I haven't smelled it in probably decades so I could hate it by now for all I know--after all, I once thought Paloma Picasso was a great choice--and it still could be for someone, but I had no business as a high-schooler wearing it! What a strange choice! But still better than the guys and their damn Drakkar Noir! Oy, the '80s.

Edited by TattleTeeny
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No, I haven't worn Among The Waves - but I also prefer cruelty-free cosmetics so have heard of their line.

Never smelled Love's Baby Soft Rain. But I sure remember the original scent! For some reason me and my pre-teen friends thought it was nice. Oy.

Right now I'm looking for a TRUE lilac scent. Maybe old fashioned, but the scent of lilac takes me to my happy place, so I want to have some for a pick-me-up. Most lilac scents are a blend, even the plain oils, and don't stay true. Pacifica's French Lilac smelled okay for about two minutes and then it turned to something like air freshener. I mean, there are worse things to smell like than air freshener, but... If anyone knows of something that smells just like lilac, and lilac only, please let me know! Prefer not tested on animals.

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2 hours ago, glowlights said:

Right now I'm looking for a TRUE lilac scent.

Frederic Malle En Passant smells exactly like lilacs (on me). The trouble is, it is very expensive. Even the mini trial vials run around $30 on eBay. But it is a lovely smell.

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On 5/20/2016 at 7:23 PM, TattleTeeny said:

.

You know what I remember fondly? The Rain scent by Love's Baby Soft. It was green and light and unlike the classic pink one. I haven't smelled it in probably decades so I could hate it by now for all I know--after all, I once thought Paloma Picasso was a great choice--and it still could be for someone, but I had no business as a high-schooler wearing it! What a strange choice! But still better than the guys and their damn Drakkar Noir! Oy, the '80s.

Rain Scent! It was one of 4 specialty sprays by Love  that came out circa 1982, after the original Baby Soft and Lemon (which to me was like Pledge) gained popularity in the 70s. . I liked Rain but adored (and wore) Love's Wind Scent. I think there was a Jasmine and something called Misty, too. Wind, how I miss you (altho, like you said about your old preference, I might hate it now).

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I've been wearing Gucci Bamboo for the past 2 weeks as a change. It was reviewed by many as spicy and complex. I'm not seeing that at all. On me it smells SAFE and reminds me of an Estée Lauder fragrance which to me again is floral, not too sweet as to be childish, and commercial. It comes across as a mix of Beautiful/ White Linen with a sandalwood note. 

I also tried Indigo by Nest and that's so totally Theirry Mugler Angel for men smelling on me. I've also found in general Nest as a brand the scent has no lasting power. 

In my area tom ford black orchid and velvet orchid are becoming too popular and common so even tho his scents are my faves I don't want to wear them all the time. 

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I wear my two Tom Ford scents (Velvet Orchid and Noir) sporadically in summer. I still have a little bit left of Violet Blonde, which I use sparingly. His scents are not too popular here and are only found at Sephora and Holt Renfrew.  Holts has the more expensive scents but I really can't justify the $250. The Bay has some of the scents online only - our stores aren't that big, and they'd be only found at the Bay stores in major Canadian cities.

The new Miu Miu scent doesn't really work for me. I like the Prada Iris one. Also wear Balenciaga. Too busy at work the past month to try anything else. I did wear Versace Bright Crystal for a summer a couple years ago.

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WHAT THE HECK?!?!!!! ??? Elizabeth & James has a new fragrance! It's called Nirvana: Bourbon.

i love their scents!! OMG and hey have a new floral coming as well Nirvana: Rose. Yay ?

Edited by Petunia13
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I got an email from Sephora earlier in the week saying they're both available for purchase (well, for me since I'm VIB Rouge; not sure if they're available for everyone everywhere), and I debated buy both.  I love both Black and White SO MUCH, but it's hard to cold-purchase fragrance.  

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Yay! ? 

This was funny. I stayed at my moms house a couple days ago while she was up north at the cabin w her husband. Unlike many older ladies doesn't like scent (or perhaps it is I know as many people age they develop sensitivities or allergies and new pet peeves). Anyhow when she was younger she did wear them. ...She has saved every scent I ever bought her so she has a display of all these pretty bottles on her vanity and a bunch in her drawer. It's such a waste and weird she'd keep and display them all. 

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I know. My aunt has an antique business (a store and she does booths at flea markets) and my grandmothers collected old antiques so I've seen and been around that stuff usually it was Avon bottles from the fifties thru seventies but even earlier junk like Victorian perfumes and mysterious tonic bottles or flapper era cosmetics in various guest bathrooms curios. I remember my mom telling her mom kept her perfumes on a vanity display and never used any of them. 

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True... I think the McQueen scents are keepers since he quit making sense well before he committed suicide and the packaging was unique. Again I don't believe my mom saved em for value but because I gave them to her or for a display but the irony is a she hates scent and b she's doing exactly what she mocked in her own mom. I wonder if it's a universal mommy or grandma thing. 

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On August 15, 2016 at 9:34 AM, Princess Sparkle said:

So....I went in to Sephora to check out the new Nirvana fragrances, and I ended up buying Rose.  I liked Burbon, but the oakwood overpowered the whole thing to me; I felt like I smelled like a campfire.  

Tried Nirvana Rose. It's interesting - not too strong or overwhelming of rose. The geranium plant note gives a pinch of spicy and green & the very faint vertiver puts tiny bit of earthiness that balances the floral so it's not cloying or typical. 

The bourbon was simple vanilla bourbon to me it was a bit too simple. What I like about Elizabeth & James scents is there's only a couple notes but each are unpredictably mixed and chosen, so the appeal is the simplicity but in that there's complexity. 

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My all time fav is J'Adore by Dior.

For winter I sometimes go to Too Sexy by Victoria Secret

recently though it's been all about Do Son by Diptyque. They have it in perfume oil roll on. A little goes a long way.

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It smells like baby lotion white floral mix smell in me. My body chemistry turns most fragrances to a soft baby powdery floral on my except Chloe which smells like Bug Spray on me. 

Anyhow I bought nirvana rose yest since Sephora gave 3x pts on fragrance.  That one to me smells very rose but spicy and a bit of tart crispness like greens. Something about it seems like a very modern version of an Estée Lauder scent as in its "safe". I haven't been like wowed for a long time w scents basically the last one I really liked was nirvana black. Whenever I try new ones that are a bit up market or edgy they don't last or too quirky. 

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I love both the Nirvana rose and Bourbon. Tom Ford Orchid Soleil smelled terrible on me. 

Did anyone else get the 8 sample perfumes from Sephora a few weeks ago? Working my way through them. 

Tried the Mugler Angel Muse yesterday, I liked it but it was pretty strong and very long lasting, every time I shifted in bed I could smell it.

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I missed that special code. I waited and when I went to place my order it was no longer an option ?Is it just me or is Sephora weekly and daily specials almost all skincare or hair stuff lately? I don't have any skin issues. And I have long hair so even a deluxe sample is not that beneficial to me (I'll end up using it once or 2x if best). 

I agree Nirvana Bourbon is nice. Elizabeth & James do so well on their scents and fashions. I wish theyd expand into cosmetics. 

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Just bought moschino moschino fresh  coutoure which is like a cross of Clinique Happy and Light Blue. It's nice for daytime or work. 

I still think Nirvana Black and Michael are the shit and probably my Holy Grails. But don't wear them much so as not to get sick of them. Tom Fords fragrances are always a slam dunk IMHO. So I rotate them. I also got tory burch fleur verte it's lily of the valley which I ❤️ (I like Jessica McClintock for that reason but it has a warm almost heady note in the dry down) but TB Fleur Verte incorporates crisp greens. It's nothing I'm head over heels for but it's likable. 

I have flower bomb which is likable enough and wearable but doesn't slay me. My store has a night cleaning crew and the woman complimented it so sincerely and is so sweet in general. I gave her some spritzs and I kinda want to give her the bottle but don't know if that would be creepy or patronizing. I planned on giving her a box of candy or something for the holidays...we sometimes talk makeup or hair even though I don't speak Spanish. Beauty appreciation and product love defies language barriers. 

Edited by Petunia13
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It's been years since I wore perfume, but I've been considering it again lately. Before I buy anything -- or even get samples (no Sephora or anything like that here, unfortunately) -- is there anything anyone hates when other people wear it? I'm not too concerned about being fashionable, but I also don't want to wear something that seems too old-fashioned or old-ladyish, if you know what I mean. (I'm not too sure I do.) Is there anything that is difficult not to overdo? I don't like it when people wear too much perfume, which is one reason I quit.

I'm not big on floral scents in general and usually like spicy sorts of scents in candles. I imagine I'd like the same things in perfume, but I'm not sure.

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Petunia I think it would only be weird if the bottle was mostly empty, I think if it's fairly full you could pass it on saying you don't reach for it often. 

I really want to try some other Tom Ford scents but at $250/bottle (canada) it's not something you can try and not like. Does Sephora in store have samples? (Of TF?)  I like to shop online because I love the samples, but feel weird asking in store. Is that totally a fine thing to do? I've only seen TF sample once online as a points gift. 

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Petunia13, that's very sweet of you. Our office cleaners are mostly very lovely people (the ones I chat with - some work on different floors and I don't know them). If the perfume bottle is almost empty, it's a 'no'.  If it is almost  ull, you probably can. Or find a rollerball or other small size.  So it comes across as a nice gesture and not weird.  You can even say that someone in your house is allergic to the scent and that it would be a waste to throw it out. She's liked it, so maybe she could make use of it.

Auntlada, most folks hate really strong scents.  There's a scent that a lot of women wear that I despise/makes me nauseous. I have no idea what it is and it's rude to ask. Many department stores are happy to give samples of various perfumes.  Walk up to a counter, ask to try a couple and take it from there. Let the salesperson know that you are looking for something new. Try a couple of spritzes of scents at a time. If you like the sample, sometimes the associate will give you a sample size to try at home for a couple of days.  Not all scents work on all people.

Sarahendipity, I am in the same Tom Ford scent boat as you. The private line is $255 here for the 50 ml spray. The Sephora stores in major cities probably have an extensive collection. The one near me mainly has the Orchid line and some Neroli Portofino stuff.  I bought the Noir de Noir body spray at Sephora's VIB sale - I was willing to spend the $65 (with discount) to try it out. If you have a Nordstrom in your area, you can most likely find the collection there. If you have a Holt Renfrew store near you, many will carry at least part of the line (my store is small so it only has the fragrances and lipsticks).  I work downtown so I visit the counter when I can to try a couple of scents. I do let the associate know that is what I am doing - there are lots to choose from. You can also see what Holts has as part of their e-commerce site. When I ordered a couple of Lips and Boys lipsticks the other week, one of the samples available was one of the new Louboutin perfumes (I would like to know what a $400 scent smells like).  I spent $150, so I got a nice goodie bag filled with samples! Another option, at least at this time of year, is to check out your local Winners/Marshalls. I've seen a couple of TF scents there for about $100 a bottle - mostly very masculine ones like Noir Extreme.

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23 hours ago, Sarahendipity said:

Petunia I think it would only be weird if the bottle was mostly empty, I think if it's fairly full you could pass it on saying you don't reach for it often. 

I really want to try some other Tom Ford scents but at $250/bottle (canada) it's not something you can try and not like. Does Sephora in store have samples? (Of TF?)  I like to shop online because I love the samples, but feel weird asking in store. Is that totally a fine thing to do? I've only seen TF sample once online as a points gift. 

I have definitely asked for perfume samples at Sephora before; in the fragrance section, they have tiny spritzers (technical name I'm sure) they put them in. I always ask for samples before I go on trips so I don't have to lug the bottle with me. 

@auntlada The only time I can't stand fragrance on other people is when they wear too much of it. I had a former boss that used to wear WAY too much floral perfume and it used to make me gag - and I almost exclusively wear floral perfume!

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I've flirted with perfume before. I have Marc Jacobs Dot and some Chloe perfumes I never wear. I used to swipe on my DKNY rollerball but I think it's gone off. I haven't been able to bring myself to toss it though. I have some other samples and deluxe samples kicking around but I haven't been able to find a perfume I love enough to add it to my regular routine. There are also just a lot of perfumes that I like at first but end up giving me a headache. In the past, I was about to buy a Jo Malone perfume but I recently went in and tried something... I think it was orange blossom and when it dried down, I realized it smelled like a fancier version of a Demeter Honeysuckle perfume I used to have. I have two samples of Annick Goutal perfumes that smell gorgeous but I worry about committing to a full size bottle (So expensive!). Like a lot of people I like jasmine and gardenia scents. 

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I wandered into this topic to ask if there's a polite way to ask someone (a young co-worker) to not wear perfume. I find that young girls wear way too much. They haven't learned the art of spritzing the air and walking into the mist.

There was an older woman sitting next to me at the opera the other night. She was wearing a lot of something. It was so strong I couldn't even begin to pick out notes. It didn't seem like a heavy floral or incense/musky or bright or citrusy. It was just POWERFUL. I ended up moving for the last act when I spied a free seat. I don't know what I would have said to her (it's not like she could have washed it off) but I wouldn't have said anything anyway after she glared at me and acted like I'd highly insulted her when I asked her to move her coat. (She had a big cape with her and a blouse with these big weird sleeves, both of which kept poking me whenever she moved... which was a lot).

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With some fragrances it's dangerous to wear too much. Especially if they combine it with other scented products like a dry shampoo or scented hairspray. I have heard with cheap scents that contain ambergris it can be choking. 

I want to know what is the fragrance that comes up so often and I don't know what it is and it's always the same. People call it in un PC terms old lady perfume but it's so strong and wafts. It smells like potpourri or cheap candles. It's sweet and floral but w musk. Recently someone was wearing it and i almost wanted to ask what it was. If it was made by that poor cat pe pe la pew stalked or what. 

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With some fragrances it's dangerous to wear too much. Especially if they combine it with other scented products like a dry shampoo or scented hairspray. I have heard with cheap scents that contain ambergris it can be choking. 

Her perfume gave me a very intense headache. It was like someone was driving a spike into my eyebrow and I could feel it poking out the back of my head. 

I wonder if the fragrance you mean is some kind of lotion or some beauty technique/product that younger people tend to not use. Otherwise, maybe it's something classic and popular like Chanel No. 5 but it just reacts poorly with some people's body chemistry. I don't always love perfume on myself, but I can usually tolerate it unless you've applied WAY too much. I can even take Axe as long as there isn't a ton of it. I remember something happened in high school and for some reason one day, there was a super strong smell of Axe coming from the boys' locker room. It was so strong you could smell it a full floor up. 

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I gave the night cleaning woman at the store I work at the bottle of Victor &a Rolf Flowerbomb this morning as she was leaving. It was mostly unused and she was pretty happy & surprised- she hugged me. My main concern was she'd think it was a weird gift to give a workplace pal and she understands no English so I couldn't explain or say why I gave it. But she kinda understood anyhow. 

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I used to wear Diorissimo then Je Reviens by Worth.

In 2005 found "my" scent and have never been swayed by others. Blue by Ralph Lauren. It doesn't change on me and always a compliment when I give a hug.

It was a well known present to give me, plus I had bought alot more on my own once I was given an early tip they were discontinuing. I have a hefty unopened cache in a cupboard in a cool interior room that will last me for years.

I keep the blue bottles to make tea lights and scent diffusers.

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Kat Von D perfumes "Saint" and "Sinner" are coming back soon. I missed them first go round but the Sinner scent has been used as a reference point in a few perfume reviews so I'll probably buy it. The bottles are beautiful 

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I love Dior's Eau Sauvage (the original 1966 one, not the 2014 Sauvage update) and Estee Lauder's White Linen. I also have an presumably inexpensive Italian scent that I don't know much about called Limone that my mom got me when she went to Italy last year, it is lovely, similar to Eau Sauvage but with the citrus notes turned up to 11. I want a couple of the Jo Malone scents but I can't decide which. I love woody/leathery scents too and I like that profile in the Jo Malone scents. I am not big on heavy florals or overly powdery scents as a general rule. 

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On 6/28/2017 at 9:06 PM, Jac said:

I love Dior's Eau Sauvage (the original 1966 one, not the 2014 Sauvage update) and Estee Lauder's White Linen. I also have an presumably inexpensive Italian scent that I don't know much about called Limone that my mom got me when she went to Italy last year, it is lovely, similar to Eau Sauvage but with the citrus notes turned up to 11. I want a couple of the Jo Malone scents but I can't decide which. I love woody/leathery scents too and I like that profile in the Jo Malone scents. I am not big on heavy florals or overly powdery scents as a general rule. 

Nice to see someone else who loves Eau Sauvage (I used to wear my dad's! and bought my own later on). The other fragrance for men that I've used is Guerlain's Oriolan, a woody fragrance. I also love an Italian scent called Alamut, by Lorenzo Villoresi, which is woody, but with amber, rose and jasmine notes. It's very unique. So I do alternate between fresh and oriental. I love Hermès' Eau des Merveilles, which is a bit of both, and always come back to Dior's Dune. A fresh fragrance I absolutely love but which has almost no lasting powers is Hermès' Eau d'orange verte.  

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