Question:
Hey, syracusa, You may also want to get a bit of jojoba oil to rub in the base of your neck/crook of your elbow before applying your fragrance. It will keep the perfume oils from soaking in, and help them last longer. I actually use sweet almond oil (there's no scent) because I have big plastic bottles of it for after bath, and giving massages, but most people here recommend jojoba oil.

Answer:
Dear basenoters,
Please allow me to share with you the results of my sniffing research of this past week - because I have no one else to talk to . Here is what an amateur with no "perfume lingo" discovered in search of her holy grail, statement-making signature - SO FAR.
If you've got nothing better to read, here are my stories:
Prada - became enthusiastic about it at first; seemed too common and "cheap alcoholic drink" the next day of wearing.
Bond 9 - Chinatown - well-off yet boring woman who takes herself too seriously; weirdly sweet and sour at the same time, no sillage.
Bond 9 - Nuit de Noho - like Angel; husband asked whether I put on his cologne; makes me feel like a man. Not going to happen, least of all at that price.
Guerlains
Shalimar - sharp notes, heavy rancid oil. I am looking for warmth and sophistication not a declaration of war.
Jicky - I have no idea what this one is about. I have the EDT on a card and it is already gone. It tells me nothing.
L'Heure Bleu - The eternal rancid, heavy oil smell from Guerlain.
Mitsouko - Same as above.

Vol de Nuit - Same as above. Oh, and how I wanted to love this house. If only for its divine name! Unfortunately, I had to accept that beyind Samsara, it is not for me. I am "old school" but not THAT old school.
Samsara - Yes! The only one from Guerlain that I find beautiful; but I will have to try it in EDP because the perfume had no sillage on me.
Blue Notte - Bulgari - epitome of the mainstream, middle-class, middle-age, middle-everything woman: superficial, likes bars, giggles a lot, gets along greeeeat with everybody yet has never known one true, close friendship in her life...you get the message.
Opium - yes. Beautiful, statement-y, bold, money but also class, and somehow still feminine enough. I still don't know for sure how well it performs as the only time I tried it on I had the entire perfume industry on me (meaning another 1000 sprays from 1000 houses).
But on the card it is gorgeous.
Baiser du Dragon - I get the rancid smell from the house of Guerlain. So no.
Must de Cartier - I don't know for sure but I think it veers off too far from the world of femininity. Leathery, tabacco, wood...again, I don't want to feel like a man.
Patou-s
Sublime - Beautiful on card, expecting to see how the sample will work on me.
1000 - Watery, weak, uneventful. I will not bother.
Joy - Yes, just like the name implies: happy, sunny, noisy, bubbly...and in the end tiring. I usually cannot distinguish specific essential oils, but this one - I think I smell about one ton of lily or neroli in it...am I right? Or not even remotely close... In any case: no.
Flower Bomb - I was crazy about it at first. Until I realized it is trendy and sugary. Duh. Will skip.
Coco Chanel - Oh, what a revelation and how close to home it was.
It reminds me of mom and of Europe. Elegant Europe: sophisticated, classy yet warm. It is a masterpiece. Even a non-connaiseur like myself can figure this one out.
Diva Ungaro - One word: stinky.
Sira des Indes - Gorgeous, beyond gorgeous...too bad it is on the weak side.
Winners (so far).
1. Coco Chanel.
2. Opium
3. Sira des Indes.
But Coco Chanel is not even an oriental, isn't it...

Answer:
I absolutely love Trouble by Boucheron...Have you tried this?

Answer:
Originally Posted by syracusa Dear basenoters,
Please allow me to share with you the results of my sniffing research of this past week - because I have no one else to talk to . Here is what an amateur with no "perfume lingo" discovered in search of her holy grail, statement-making signature - SO FAR.
If you've got nothing better to read, here are my stories:
Prada - became enthusiastic about it at first; seemed too common and "cheap alcoholic drink" the next day of wearing.
Bond 9 - Chinatown - well-off yet boring woman who takes herself too seriously; weirdly sweet and sour at the same time, no sillage.
Bond 9 - Nuit de Noho - like Angel; husband asked whether I put on his cologne; makes me feel like a man. Not going to happen, least of all at that price.
Guerlains
Shalimar - sharp notes, heavy rancid oil. I am looking for warmth and sophistication not a declaration of war.
Jicky - I have no idea what this one is about. I have the EDT on a card and it is already gone. It tells me nothing.
L'Heure Bleu - The eternal rancid, heavy oil smell from Guerlain.
Mitsouko - Same as above.

Vol de Nuit - Same as above. Oh, and how I wanted to love this house. If only for its divine name! Unfortunately, I had to accept that beyind Samsara, it is not for me. I am "old school" but not THAT old school.
Samsara - Yes! The only one from Guerlain that I find beautiful; but I will have to try it in EDP because the perfume had no sillage on me.
Blue Notte - Bulgari - epitome of the mainstream, middle-class, middle-age, middle-everything woman: superficial, likes bars, giggles a lot, gets along greeeeat with everybody yet has never known one true, close friendship in her life...you get the message.
Opium - yes. Beautiful, statement-y, bold, money but also class, and somehow still feminine enough. I still don't know for sure how well it performs as the only time I tried it on I had the entire perfume industry on me (meaning another 1000 sprays from 1000 houses).
But on the card it is gorgeous.
Baiser du Dragon - I get the rancid smell from the house of Guerlain. So no.
Must de Cartier - I don't know for sure but I think it veers off too far from the world of femininity. Leathery, tabacco, wood...again, I don't want to feel like a man.
Patou-s
Sublime - Beautiful on card, expecting to see how the sample will work on me.
1000 - Watery, weak, uneventful. I will not bother.
Joy - Yes, just like the name implies: happy, sunny, noisy, bubbly...and in the end tiring. I usually cannot distinguish specific essential oils, but this one - I think I smell about one ton of lily or neroli in it...am I right? Or not even remotely close... In any case: no.
Flower Bomb - I was crazy about it at first. Until I realized it is trendy and sugary. Duh. Will skip.
Coco Chanel - Oh, what a revelation and how close to home it was.
It reminds me of mom and of Europe. Elegant Europe: sophisticated, classy yet warm. It is a masterpiece. Even a non-connaiseur like myself can figure this one out.
Diva Ungaro - One word: stinky.
Sira des Indes - Gorgeous, beyond gorgeous...too bad it is on the weak side.
Winners (so far).
1. Coco Chanel.
2. Opium
3. Sira des Indes.
But Coco Chanel is not even an oriental, isn't it... I can't believe I met someone more picky than me...lol.. You are hard to please, but that's who you are. To me, it seems that you basically want something strong, that will hold up on your skin, that has more oils in it, than alcohol. I don't use them, but I know most of the Estee Lauder's fragrances, are very potent. I know Amarige by Givenchy is potent, so is Indecence by Givenchy (hard to find) One of the strongest scents I've smelled, was Red by Giorgio, some people love it, some hate it. Another strong fragrance is Wrappings by Clinique, that is one of the most potent scents I have worn. Alot of women like that. Test them out if you can find them. Did you say Opium fades on you? Wow, maybe you need to layer with body lotion first before you apply your scents, that will make them stay longer on your skin. Good Luck...

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I have Samsara in pure parfum. It is divine.
1000 in EDT is weak and too eucalyptus-y. The EDP though, is awesome. Next time, I am looking for the pure parfum. I love 1000, and I wear strong perfumes almost exclusively.
I am exploring the Madini oils, thanks to JAG for sending me some. I'm getting more samples soon.
Sahara was gorgeous, with characteristics of Samsara, Shalimar, and Amber Sultan. Notes listed: citron, myrrh, amber or vanilla. But I detect benzoin and some interesting florals. They are a Moroccan family (in business for 14 generations) and are very secretive about their formulas. Reasonably priced if you take into consideration that they are pure parfum in oil, no alcohol.

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I'm kind of an orientals whore, and I rarely meet one I don't like, but I wanted to add along with moondeva, that the SHALIMAR edt and edp or parfum really are totally different scents. The edt is much harsher in the opening, and not as warm or luscious on the dry down and finish. Although I liked the edt myself, it was when I purchased the parfum, that I realised how exquisite and beautiful this scent truly is.

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Samsara EDP is hard to beat. I love Coco too, then theirs Prada Intense. I am also nuts about almond oil first.

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Syracusa--
Perhaps you'd like these:
L'Artisan Ambre Extreme (maybe not enough sillage-- try)
Gucci Rush
Dior Dune
Dior Addict
Peony Angel or Rose Angel
CK Euphoria
Le Maison de Vanilles line (esp. Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar or Vanille Noir de Mexique)
Prada Intense
Let us know!

Answer:
Originally Posted by syracusa Winners (so far).
1. Coco Chanel.
2. Opium
3. Sira des Indes.
But Coco Chanel is not even an oriental, isn't it... Yes, Coco is an oriental! Congrat to you being fond of that one! It is sooo adorable, at least on my skin. - Opium doas not suit my skin at all, I am amfraid, and Sira des Indes I haven´t been able to try.
I have started to layer my orientals, to get the perfect oriental. Perhaps a little wardrobe of some orientals you like very much, and mixing them after season and after mood is a good suggestion...

Answer:
Must de Cartier - I don't know for sure but I think it veers off too far from the world of femininity. Leathery, tabacco, wood...again, I don't want to feel like a man. Wow!!! Your skin chemistry must be amazing.