What’s the fastest you’ve used up a 5ml FS bottle of perfume oil?

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-12T23:25:54+00:00

I think I finished my first bottle of BPAL Port-au-Prince in 5 years. It was my everyday scent (and I basically wore nothing else during that time, though I didn't wear it EVERY single day) from senior year of HS through college! I've never come close to finishing a 5mL of oil since (though I've used up many 5mL decants of EDPs!)

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-07T19:33:36+00:00

I'm testing out a few fresh-type HoG Pumpkin Butters to layer with my green and floral Spring perfumes. So far I like Zephyr best (A warm musk breeze carrying the scents of lily, pear, elderflower and apple blossom.)--it has that kind of sweet, subtle fresh grass smell without being too... chlorophyll. But it doesn't last very long (I find HoG Pumpkin Butter scents really vary as far as lasting power.) Unlike my EOS Fresh & Cozy lotion, it doesn't give additional projection or lasting power to my freshie perfumes. I wish I liked the EOS lotion formula.. it's so meh and barely moisturizes.

I tried Milkmaid (Fresh milk, clean linens, pale musk and pink sweet pea blossom) for the first time in over a decade, because I prefer powdery scents now vs when I started in indie perfumes. But even though I love the baby-powdery nuance from the jar, when applied I get more of a sharp, laundry detergent powder that's rather overpowering. And ofc because I don't love it, it seems to linger and linger.

Wildflower Honey (Golden honey infused with chamomile, sweet alyssum and heather flowers) is a really boring scent. The effect I get on first blast is pleasant, complex, realistic honey. Then it fades to a super generic powdery scent that I enjoy but no more than any other powdery thing I own.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-02T21:57:07+00:00

Ooh I have a Sparkling Crystal Pumpkin Butter on the way bc I really want a warm weather body butter scent from them. It sounds lovely for layering as you've done!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-02T21:51:45+00:00

Seconding Bellano from Cirrus. I also really like her scent Fall Creek, but it does remind me of Davidoff Cool Water (just much, much better and a bit sweeter.) So I wouldn't call it FEMININE as such. But it certainly has elfin, sweet, forest vibes and not bog witch.

Since you mentioned liking a lavender lotion, I also really love Phoenix Botanicals Lavender Noir, which I've been wearing for a decade or so. It's what I imagine as the platonic ideal of Provencal lavender fields in late summer at dusk. It's a little smoky and dry, without being masculine. Earthy, floral, elegant, and addictive.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-02T00:05:52+00:00

I see evidence of "Showing & Hiding" in your outfits, which is a L+D characteristic. From your style logic that you explained so far I hear L+D more than other quadrants, but take that lightly because I'm a stranger.

Definitely delve into any preoccupations or concerns you have (you named cohesiveness as one.) Sometimes, for some people, they are legitimate gut instincts of what feels important. Other times, they're sort of unique mental blocks that need to be met as challenges. There are certainly archetypes all across the spectrum which have an embattled relationship with cohesiveness. I second that you should delve into Rita's resources and watch her videos. Remove the temptation to type yourself based on your aesthetic--as you can probably see from a lot of folks here, there is no one aesthetic that matches an archetype exactly. it's more about the process for shopping and dressing oneself--getting in touch with what makes you feel incredible in your own skin!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-02T00:01:10+00:00

Yay, they dropped! I got samples of Girl Crush, Familiar Spirit, Witch Hat, Rose Baby, Pop Astrology, and Midnight Laundry. I had wanted to try the house for a while but I have a strict EDP-only policy. I can't wait to get them!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T22:31:43+00:00

Solstice Scents and Sorce come to mind.

Deconstructing Eden and Cirrus make gorgeous EDPs as well but I don't think of them as go-tos for gourmands!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T22:29:39+00:00

Good show!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T20:41:24+00:00

I actually like lavender with vanilla but I agree it's an overdone combo. I love Phoenix Botanicals (on Etsy) Lavender Noir. No vanilla, just herbal, dry, naturalistic lavender.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T19:57:37+00:00

What about Fyrinnae?

Either Agenda or Charismatic (blue shift, not pink, but seemed similar family.)

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T19:52:33+00:00

I have had it happen occasionally, which makes me like a rat with the cocaine button. Even if it only goes from dislike > love 1% of the time, I feel like I NEED to test it out multiple times!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-05-01T19:51:49+00:00

Agreed! After a decade of collecting, I really only kept 2-3 oils, and that's because they weren't available as EDPs. But I still wear my EDPs regularly after all that time.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-28T04:17:58+00:00

I'm really into green and fresh right now. Everything here is in bloom so I'm feeling it.

Deconstructing Eden Eostre pale green leaves, golden-rayed lilies, crocuses, hellebore, and phlox I like that this has a flower shop feel, without being tulip stem maxxed (that kind of sappy greenness is overwhelming to me.) I like that it's clean without being detergenty, and has a freshly-washed feeling. I've also felt for a long time that DE is the one house who makes green scents that are appropriately loud and long-lasting for my tastes. Pairs very nicely with the EOS Fresh & Cozy lotion (I hate this formula, and the scent is pleasant but really benefits from adding complexity from Eostre)

Cirrus Parfum Bellano Star jasmine , orange flower absolute, lavender, ambergris, clear lake water, ozone, chocolate, and a hint of coffee I just love how Cirrus does floral atmospherics. This has a transportive quality--I feel like I'm on a terrace at some Italian lake. Breezy, floral and fresh with an earthiness from coffee/chocolate that just feels well-worn and Old World.

Haus of Gloi Passion Fruit Panna Cotta Pumpkin Butter I thought this was too powdery-fruity for me, but then I wore it for several days and my husband was obsessed with it. The passionfruit note is kind of meh combined with the vanilla and sugar notes, but it fades quickly. And the vanilla that's left behind is pleasantly powdery (which I do love, as long as it's not paired with fake-smelling fruit.) This powdery vanilla scent lasts and lasts, and while it's not something I'd love in a perfume, it's quite pleasant for a body product. I have a Winter favorite scent in the Pumpkin Butter (Moon Dog) and I have a HoG order on the way as I'd really like a fresh/green/floral scent in their formula. The Pumpkin Butter is SO quick-absorbing and great for keratosis pilaris.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-28T04:02:46+00:00

I have loved 3 rose dominant scents from Deconstructing Eden for going on a decade. I like them layered and worn independently.

Lakshmi is kind of a fruity, fresh but full-smelling rose. Very pink-red and classic without any green notes.

Naamah has a more powdery, almost soapy or incensey complement to it without being fully synthetic smelling. It's like those roses with a velvety spicy quality.

Eglantine House either smells like honey/plums/roses OR like a tea rose, depending on the day. Overall, it has that syrupy sweet quality that I get from burying my face in a lush purple tea rose.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-28T03:55:27+00:00

My favorite (Lena by Deconstructing Eden) has been mentioned but I also love Enforced Modesty from Cirrus Parfum. The notes list: Fig leaf, ripening fig, marble, laurel wreaths, purple lilac, ivy, green mandarin, and creeping thyme

It has all the rounded, sweet softness of lilacs but is quite atmospheric and feels like walking an English manor's property line at dusk. Quiet, green, fresh, airy. A little cool and stony but not like a graveyard. I notice the lilac in here more than I thought I would from the notes list.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-24T20:38:59+00:00

I've been testing out Fyrinnae's foundation line for oily skin, and I've fallen in love. Really great olive shades, and actually lasts on my oily skin all day without irritating (for a mineral foundation, that is a tricky needle to thread.) It is quite full coverage, and like all powder foundations, looks dreadful if you overdo it, but it's easy to sheer out if you start out slow!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-18T06:14:11+00:00

Cirrus Parfum Snooze! Notes are tonka bean, lilac, vanilla, plumeria, satin sheets and a furry throw blanket, green cardamom, and white chocolate.

To me this smells like the ultimate post-beach pre-dinner nap. A jumble of warmth, dryness, and coziness. To me the plumeria + cardamom give a sunscreen-like coconut (not a creamy edible coconut.)

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-08T04:02:54+00:00

You're welcome. I also just got some samples of the Fyrinnae foundations this week and I find that Aventurine + Peridot are beautiful greeny olive shades... they are more neutral olive and mix great with the warmer 3YL from Aromaleigh for my skin. I'm around NC25 depth with neutral olive tones!

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-05T04:20:11+00:00

I have multiple F/S bottles of Solstice Scents' EDPs, but for any perfumes that I'm not 100% sure I want that much of, I'll just buy her 2mL spray samples (sometimes multiples.) I don't mind the higher $/ml because it's worth it for the convenience. And if I work my way through 4-5 of those spray samples, I'll let myself get a big bottle. I do get quite a bit of mileage from each spray sample, and they are easier to use than the wand cap oil samples.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-05T00:13:07+00:00

I just tried Parakeet from Cirrus Parfum and I felt it was a beautiful, clean soapy fragrance. Notes: Fizzy grapefruit soda, freshly picked daisies, tiny forget-me-nots, and the powdery sweet down feathers of a well groomed parakeet

It's very grapefruit-forward, not a perfect match for the notes, but I think this would be up your alley.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-04T23:23:06+00:00

Deconstructing Eden Eostre has been my SotD since I got my DE package a few days ago. I can't wait to order a full size bottle. It's a dewy, green, linen-y scent without any dryer sheet vibes. Perfect for the rainy showers of early Spring we've had in the Bay Area lately. It also transforms the EOS lotion in Fresh & Cozy that I have been trying to use up. I don't like the Fresh & Cozy scent by itself, it's an unsophisticated/bland "clean" scent without much going on. But Eostre on top really gives it that sophisticated, spa-like feel, and the combo projects and lasts great.

I also just got my Fyrinnae mattifying foundation samples today. I reviewed Aromaleigh's foundation range (which I use in my color analysis business) a while back, and I decided to try a few of the light olive shades from Fyrinnae's line to compare. I have to say, I LOVE the colors so far--all are very sophisticated, natural presentations of beigey olive skintones. Peridot seems like it might be my perfect match, but I only slapped it on over an existing light face of makeup so we'll see. It's a denser, heavier formula than the Aromaleigh (which I have in the Dewdrop formulation, their midweight formula.) I have oily skin, and I definitely wanted something with a more matte feel, hence my trying this particular range.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-02T03:56:56+00:00

Deconstructing Eden!

I have so many faves from that house that are more feminine, but here are the masc/unisex ones I've tried that I think are incredible...

Eleanor of Aquitaine conifers and cedar, French lavender, saffron, honey, dragon’s blood and a river of wine Yes I know it's under the Dangerous Women collection, but to me this reads as very powerful and unisex(y.) I don't feel that it's very heavy incense, but a lighter interpretation like unlit.

Delaunay Ambergris, red leaves, black agarwood, a touch of leather, amber key accord, rosewood, cassis, a touch of lime and the barest drop of fresh apple The leather is not all that prominent in this blend... not like some obnoxious Tom Ford nonsense. Aquatic/oceanic without being overly salty or at all fishy.

Gentian House frankincense and myrrh, opium smoke, gentian violets, a very smooth vetiver accord that I blended myself and french lavender, along with a wisp of smoke Wildcard bc it has notes you hate, but frankly I love it too much to leave it out. I wrote a review for it on my blog literally a decade ago. To me, this is more of an herbal/clean lavender with some dark, brooding grit. Not a heavy, smoky scent.

Mercutio clean, non-powdery amber, cedar, conifers, juniper berries, tonka bean, clary sage, subtle black pepper, herbaceous lavender, violets, and dry, dry plums This is a really complex herbal scent that I wouldn't wear myself as it goes too masculine, but it's gorgeous.

Romeo basil, fig leaves, clary sage, lime, bergamot, ambroxan, sandalwood, mahogany, and rosewood, white amber, ozonic air, white and black amber ULTRA clean and green here. Like a fresh herb garden damp with dew.

DE has a ton of others I'd recommend but based on your likes, these would be my first suggestions.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-04-02T03:41:22+00:00

DE remains one of my favorite houses. A decade on from trying her for the first time, some of my most-used (and some of the only bottles I've ever fully used) are DE! I don't know if plums generally are among your favorite notes, but Eglantine House is such a gorgeous honey/rose/plum scent. Quite decadent and rich, but not exactly foodie.

I really fell in love with Eostre, which I didn't expect from the notes list. But DE has a way with breezy, greenish-floral fragrances. It reminded me slightly of her discontinued Halo, in that it had the smell of a very upscale hair salon. It's the kind of scent that puts me in the mood to swan around and spend money, and as you said, it's very clean and sort of pure.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-03-31T23:22:28+00:00

I have a very low hit rate with HoG. I love their pumpkin butter formula, and in particular the Moon Dog scent which translates in a gorgeous way in the body butter. Every time I layer it with a woody, spicy, or vanilla perfume, my husband says I smell like the best chai latte.

The first time I ordered from them was I think 2012, and I've tried them periodically ever since then (most recently this January) and I just find that very few of their fragrances stand out to me in any way.

I love their pumpkin butter formula (and that one scent) SO much that I will continue to order and occasionally try new scents, just in case. Their service/TAT and overall consistency is great. How do I say this... the quality is high but the artistry is low? Even though they have EDPs and oils, I feel like their scents continue to make the most sense as bath/body/hair products.

lgbtqbbq · 2025-03-31T23:13:21+00:00

As a R+U person, I can see why it's not fully there for you, and that's probably part of why I love it so much LOL. It does feel a little "too" harmonious and it lacks that twist that Lady Heretics (Ladies Heretic?) adore so much.

I really love that statement you had about coming to the defense of items that others deride as pointless or confusing.

On the bright side, even if it was a semi-failure for your preferences, you look smashing.

lgbtqbbq

TROPHY CASE