Question:
For newcomers, here's the lowdown on this monthly online event:Every member, any gender, novice or otherwise, is invited to apply a fragrance related to the theme of the month (listed below) and share your thoughts on the first Saturday of the month. This isn't a mandatory assignment. It's just for fun. Because not everyone logs in on weekends, you're encouraged to continue to add comments within the themed thread on subsequent days. If you don't join us for this month's discussion, please look ahead at the tentative lineup and join in at a later date.
January ~ Oriental
February ~ Animalic (civet-, castoreum-, leather-, or musk-influenced scents)
March ~ Chypre
April ~ Floral
May ~ Fruity
June ~ Citrus
July ~ Green (2007: emphasis on vetiver)
August ~ Fresh or aquatic
September ~ Fougere or men's fragrances
October ~ Ambery
November ~ Spicy
December ~ Gourmand
To read a discussion leading up to the Chypre Sniff 'n' Speak, /showthread.php?t=193383. Especially valuable for Moondeva's encyclopedic-like listing of fragrance candidates.
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Forwarded from Friday post:
Originally Posted by TDDanae I am a little early and for some reason missed the last sniff n speak so I think I better start already since I may or may not be here tomorrow. My very first bottle of Mitsouko 2.5 oz EDP arrived today.
Notes according to BN Top: Bergamot, Rose
Middle: Jasmin, Spices, Peach
Bottom: Oakmoss, woody notes.
I have finally grown into this and have been enjoying it today. Spicey I love and it doesn't have too much cinnamon as say Opium or Cinnabar. It has great lasting power and is the only chypre I have brought home that my husband likes. The others were Boucheron, Amarage Marriage, Miss Dior, Tabu & Palamo Picasso. It is easy to see now why this has become the classic it has and if it were even better in the past because of a good dose of oakmoss, it is no wonder people who know perfume are into it. The samples I had tried were EDT. I did not like them as well as the EDP. But this is definitely a keeper.

Answer:
I plan to wear three chypres today. First Montana Parfum de Peau, a strong scent which has always been described as an 'avant garde' chypre since its creation in the mid eighties. Second Chanel No.19, one of my favourite scents, the 'middleweight' of the three. Finally Narciso Rodriguez For Her, the most modern and softest chypre of my choices. Would never have guessed it was a chypre without reading the info on Basenotes.
Montana Parfum de Peau on my wrist 12.35 am. Originally fell in love with and bought this floral/chypre twenty years ago and revisited it last year, buying a couple of bottles from ebay. Notes from osMoz are:
Top Notes: peach, blackcurrant, pepper, cardamom.
Middle Notes: ginger , rose, tuberose, carnation.
Base Notes: patchouli, vetiver, civet, castoreum.
I can no longer wear this scent comfortably for a number of reasons: my nose for scents has changed dramatically; my skin chemistry has changed; I was a smoker when I wore it first time around; Parfum de Peau's composition has been altered too, I am sure that it had richer, sweeter top and middle notes all those years ago. I was so disappointed when I received my new bottles. Where once it smelled great when worn with a leather jacket (layering!) now this fragrance turns stale on my skin emitting a scent combo of beer and ashtray! This is not a combination that I crave! I imagine that it is kinder to others.

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Today, I'm wearing Aromatics Elixir...though I don't think I'll be wearing it for much longer. It's an extremely strong fragrance - too strong for me...it's giving me a headache!! The notes, according to BN are:
Top Notes: Rose, Chamomile
Middle Notes: Oakmoss, Jasmine, Muguet, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes: Patchouli, Musk, Amber, Sandalwood
On me, it doesn't give me a nice combo of the florals - all I get is a blend of chamomile & patchouli. I think the latter is what's making it so strong, and what's giving me the headache.
It's a shame - it has the ingredients that sound like a fragrance I would wear, but the strength of the patchouli plus not being able to smell the other flowers (jasmine, rose) is a downer too.
Thanks for giving me the proper opportunity to try this out!! Now I know, that it's not a scent my skin (or my head) loves...I may give my miniature to mum - she loves her floral chypres

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My Chypre Day is filled with Chanel's 31, Rue Cambon.

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Chypre for today:
Ysatis extrait from Givenchy.
Created in 1984 by Dominique Ropion.
Notes taken from Michael Edwards' book "Perfume legends"
Topnotes: Mandarin, Ylang-Ylang, Orange Blossom
Heartnotes: Jasmine, Tuberose, Rose, Iris
Basenotes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Ambergris, Civet, Clove, Vanilla, Bay-rum.
I don't wear this often enough but when I do like today, I see the face of my dear friend. Not very fond of perfumes at first, but over the years starting to sniff my hair and wrists. Buying her first extrait, running with her face glowing of joy for finding such a treasure.
Now she has become a woman with a knowledge and collection worthy of every perfumeforum.
She gave this bottle of Ysatis to me.
Ysatis today for friendship and love.

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I have devoted this day; as I did yesterday too; to Rochas Femme edt. (new).
Ordered it unsniffed; based on reviews, I got the impression that this is a love or hate scent...? I definetely don't hate it, but it wasn't instant love either....I feel puzzled by it; trying to figure out this smell, it is so different from the other fragrances I've had during the years.
Couldn't find the olfactory pyramid in the directory; but I know it has cumin; very strong in the beginning. It is supposed to have notes of ripe fruits; plums and peaches...I'm not able to smell the fruit...the same goes for the flower notes. But I'm still a novice in this business -
My overall impression is a dry; warm morning in the wood at springtime.

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I learned (am learning) how to layer here on BaseNotes - and consider it an art, like putting together a good meal. Playing with combos of sweet and acrid, fruits and spices, a good cheese and an after dinner cigar sunk deep in an old leather arm chair.
But to me, most Guerlains are complete meals in themselves. Not a stew or potage, but totally satisfying every sensory longing. I almost never layer with them.
Which brings me to my long-neglected companion Mitsouko - brought forth for todays Chypre'n'Speak. I've got the newer EDT which is missing the thrumming undertone of oakmoss (I guess) but is till a marvel of fruits and flowers held together with (I guess) the Bergamot.
It always amazes me how few ingredients are listed for these classics - L'Heure Bleu is another. This what our BN Directory shows:
* Top Notes
* Bergamot, Rose,

Middle Notes
* Jasmin, Spices, Peach,

Base Notes
* Oakmoss, Woody notes
Moondeva put this in the "fruity chypre" class but on me the flowers are more prominent with just a hint of fruit and a jab of spice and a greeny haze over all.
In Mitsouko I glide through the corridors of a private gaming club in Deauville - very discreet, everyone in evening clothes, flirtations so subtle one is not quite sure.....

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I was leaning towards two of my chyrpes but when today arrived changed my mind.
Y by YSL in edp and parfum, double blast.
Y to me has always been elegant classy and feminine. Such a great shame YSL decided to discount the parfum and edp. And even the edt is hidden in a drawer unless asked for.

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I had a hard time deciding what to wear today because my half of my collection is Chypres. I considered Jolie Madame, Miss Dior, or Mitsouko, because they are so wonderful, and I want to encourage other people to try them if they have not already done so.
However, I decided to choose something new. The reason is this: I will not have to deal with the issue of reformulation. So, I chose Une Folie de Rose by Les Parfums de Rosine.
People, if you had problems with Aromatic Elixer, please get a sample of this from Luscious Cargo. It is rose and patchouli in its finest, sweetest, most femininie form. Not harsh at all, like Clinique Aromatics Elixer. Sweeter than L'Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Rose, because it contains benzoin. More feminine, way less challenging than Montale Black Aoud. So, if you are looking for a rose and patchouli scent, I cannot recommend anything more highly than Une Folie De Rose.
It is a very rosy perfume. The patchouli is lovely, combining with the rose to create a rather orangey aroma. This has a superb spicy rose. A citrusy bergamot opening evolves into lovely jasmine and rose absolute. Tea rose keeps it lively. Spice and a slightly sweet base make it delicious.
Best of all, it was formulated in accordance with all the strict new regulations governing oakmoss, plus (I am happy to report) Les Parfums de Rosine has received the Greenpeace "green light" designation, indicating that this company does not use potentially harmful chemical substances known to accumulate in the body.
It's chypre, it's in its lovely, original formulation, and it's safe. What more could I ask for?

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I was sampling Chypre Rouge on one wrist this morning, which gave me the impression of something hot red and rough...like a cinnamon red hot candy without the sweetness.
Surprisingly that has faded and so I decanted some of my vintage Mitsouko into an atomizer and spritzed that on. I got the bottle off ebay , don't know the year, but its engraved with Guerlain and Made in France on the bottom. The juice is dark amber colored and potent.
I get an incensy burnt peach smolder from this. Quite nice and yet "bad" in a good way. This is a fullbodied and dark fragrance. The smoldering quality is what made me add it to my naughty frag list.
Less is more. Too much would asphyxiate me.