Synchronized Fridays 2023

[ClockworkAlice]

I have looked through the lists quickly and of course I have so many choices - I'll blabber more about it when Friday is a bit nearer.

Lol, I've been actually synching today in advance without knowing as Turin and Sanchez gave 3 stars to my SOTE: L – Lolita Lempicka : heavy gourmand. I like it a lot. It's a beautiful slightly dusty pastry-like scent with some lemon and cinnamon over slightly resinous vanilla. It's a Lovely Gourmand.

and yesterday evening I wore Bigarade Jasmin (Fragonard): bitter grapefruit - also without a prior knowledge that this bright, tart and acidic citrus with some slight greenness underneath was actually mediocre. I thought it smells great despite being slightly faint. (I still think it does. I love it)

Oh well.

That must mean that I shall wear another (rosy!) mediocrity for Valentine's Day tomorrow: La Petite Robe Noire Black Perfecto (Guerlain): woody rose
It is already decided. You know what, I have backups - in plural - of this.
I can literally bathe in mediocrity. I am ready to become one with it - if only for this week. I am unexciting and unexcitable. I channel MEH through my veins. I am in peace.

As for the rest of the week, I'll decide later.

 

[Kotori]

I forgot to mention I was in synch for the You Give Love a Bad Name synch—

I wore Gucci Rush. I think the general consensus is that the name and ad campaign suggest rave or drug-related themes, though some reference the sex trade. Either way, in the midst of the opiate crisis and a global awareness of human trafficking, these references haven’t aged particularly well.

 

[sagebrush]

@ClockworkAlice : thanks for adding the links. Just had a good chortle. So many choices for Friday, but will probably go with Boucheron Jaipur Homme - 'sweet powder', which I would have worn anyway, since I have an evening event to attend, and Jaipur has gone down well in the past. Turin doesn't specify EdT or EdP, so why not one for day, and one for evening ?

The lists of Meh are inspiring me to sample Profumum Fumidus (kippered peat) and TF Man Extreme (chrysanthemum fougere). Can't beat a peat fire, and I enjoy kippers; ditto fougeres, and chrysanths.

 

[CookBot]

Are you excited for the MEH DAY? You shouldn't be.

Top list of best perfumes rated with three stars (2008) by Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez can be found HERE.
Top list of best perfumes rated with three stars (2018) by Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez can be found HERE.

There's so many of them! I can already tell it's going to eat up at least two hours as I dash back and forth to the Guide book in outrage.

 

[CookBot]

My god, I own *20* of them! Plus another 7 in decants and samples.

It makes me want to wear them all and give each one a participation trophy, just so they know they're appreciated.

 

[ClockworkAlice]

My god, I own *20* of them! Plus another 7 in decants and samples.

It makes me want to wear them all and give each one a participation trophy, just so they know they're appreciated.

We're waiting for a list of names and a participation parade of you wearing them!

Here's the trophy: 🏆

 

[Toxicon]

I'm 99% sure Turin's reference to "Guerlain Vetiver Oriental - vetiver disaster" is supposed to be for Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental, as Guerlain never released a fragrance by that name. Unless it's supposed to be Vetiver Extreme or one of the other Guerlain Vetiver flankers released over the years. Still interesting to call something a "disaster" and give it 3 stars nevertheless!

 

[Toxicon]

Looks like I have quite a few options from the 2008 list, and only one from the 2018 list. "Meh" full bottles:

• Five o'clock au Gingembre - "salty gingerbread"
• Tam Dao - "wood furniture"
• Floris Sandalwood - "dry sandalwood"
• Terre d'Hermes - "fresh bergamot"
• Vetiver Oriental- "vetiver disaster"
• Aziyade - "Persian dessert"
• Corsica Furiosa - "lentisk wood"

"Meh" samples & decants:

• Cuir Mauresque - "sweet leather"
• Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger - "medicinal jasmine"
• Hanae Mori HM - "lavender green"
• Un Jardin sur le Nil - "woody fresh"
• Lalique White - "cream pine"

Lots of "meh" to consider...

 

[CookBot]

I'm 99% sure Turin's reference to "Guerlain Vetiver Oriental - vetiver disaster" is supposed to be for Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental, as Guerlain never released a fragrance by that name. Unless it's supposed to be Vetiver Extreme or one of the other Guerlain Vetiver flankers released over the years. Still interesting to call something a "disaster" and give it 3 stars nevertheless!

I'm sure you're correct, since he's often sung the praises of Guerlain Vetiver.

 

[MistaPanda]

I'm 99% sure Turin's reference to "Guerlain Vetiver Oriental - vetiver disaster" is supposed to be for Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental, as Guerlain never released a fragrance by that name. Unless it's supposed to be Vetiver Extreme or one of the other Guerlain Vetiver flankers released over the years. Still interesting to call something a "disaster" and give it 3 stars nevertheless!

That's why I was actually considering wearing this one... if I manage to find the bottle !
Most other "descriptions" are neutral... but "Vetiver disaster" sounded interesting enough 😄

 

[NabiE]

I also have several options (most of these are samples/decants):

• Agent Provocateur: throwback rose
• Dans Tes Bras: sour heliotrope
• Heliotrope Etro: powdery mimosa
• Iris Poudre: powdery fruit
• Louanges Profanes: sweet floral
• Musc Ravageur: hippie musk
• Passage d’Enfer: pine incense
• Bijou Romantique: citrus amber

It's been some time since I've read both Guides so I didn't recall LT feeling meh about a lot of Malle's output... That's interesting.
I enjoy all of these, even though only a couple are real favorites.

 

[Ken_Russell]

As always, yet another sync idea.
While having found close to nothing-not even among a variety of samples-from the 2018 list, have however plenty more options to choose from the 2008, both among the samples AND full bottles currently owned.

 

[donna255]

Holy crap Batman.

I have quite a few from both 2008 and 2018, and I can remember feeling miffed on all their behalves at the short one-liners about them.

I did wear Caron Alpona in the second favourite house synch and I adore it!

So might be a Serge Lutens Daim Blond is the one I am thinking of at the moment.

 

[teardrop]

l have quite a few choices with which to join the general apathy. 😄

Several from the 2008 list:

Alien - woody jasmine
Black Orchid - cucumber chocolate
Cadjmere 18 - coconut woody
Le Chevrefeuille - lemongrass tomato
Eau du Sud - basil cologne
lmperial Opoponax - sweet fougere
Monyette Paris - coconut tuberose
Passage d'Enfer - pine incense
Putain des Palaces - floral leather (sample)
Roma - vanilla indole
Stella - salty musk

From the 2018 list, just a couple:

Bronze Goddess - floral coconut
Santal Blush - carrot cinnamon (decant)

Some of these are warm weather fragrances for me, & others l wouldn't wear at work. l'll make my final choice on the day, but l think l can narrow it down to either Alien, Cadmere 18, lmperial Opoponax, Passage d'Enfer, Putain des Palaces or Santal Blush.

 

[NabiE]

I'm pre-syncing with Bijou Romantique (EDIT: by ELDO) today. I agree that it's not particularly groundbreaking, but I find it really pretty, cozy, and easily wearable. It's a powdery, velvety amber which can be regarded as a relative of Shalimar, but it's girlier, more linear, and quite a bit sweeter, thanks to a dollop of benzoin which gives a milk-chocolate-y impression.
Fun fact: Today I was able to detect the sage note in the heart for the first time after quite a few wears.
Apparently, Bijou Romantique gets described in the Guide 2018 as "citrus amber". Personally, I don't find citrus particularly prominent other than in the top notes, so I wonder whether LT (EDIT: or TS?) actually went through the whole development of the perfume.

 

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

<----- Look, I also added the links!

This Friday we are returning to one of our most popular synchs - The Perfume Guide Synch, celebrating the two books of reviews by Luca Turin & Tania Sanchez – but this time, with a twist. We have celebrated the best fragrances and defended the worst fragrances many times, but let's see the beauty in mediocrity and celebrate the ones that our dear reviewers were lukewarm about.

Are you excited for the MEH DAY? You shouldn't be.

I suppose they are softer versions of turds in Luca Turin's eyes?

 

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

Looks like I have quite a few options from the 2008 list, and only one from the 2018 list. "Meh" full bottles:

• Five o'clock au Gingembre - "salty gingerbread"
• Tam Dao - "wood furniture"
• Floris Sandalwood - "dry sandalwood"
• Terre d'Hermes - "fresh bergamot"
• Vetiver Oriental- "vetiver disaster"
• Aziyade - "Persian dessert"
• Corsica Furiosa - "lentisk wood"

"Meh" samples & decants:

• Cuir Mauresque - "sweet leather"
• Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger - "medicinal jasmine"
• Hanae Mori HM - "lavender green"
• Un Jardin sur le Nil - "woody fresh"
• Lalique White - "cream pine"

Lots of "meh" to consider...

I'm surprised with Terre d'Hermes.

 

[ClockworkAlice]

I suppose they are softer versions of turds in Luca Turin's eyes?

I'm not exactly sure if softer turd is actually a better version of it.

 

[CookBot]

Le Chevrefeuille - lemongrass tomato

That description alone leaves me dying to try it.

 

[CeeTee]

That description alone leaves me dying to try it.

SAME! That sounds divine to me, personally.