Your perfume guide and nose bio-hacker sharing olfaction knowledge, sniffing inspiration and food for thought. Meliora is a channel about olfactory design, beauty product aesthetics, creative self-expression, and mindful hedonism. I always experiment and try new formats and topics, as long as they connect us closer to inner harmony, energize us to pursue joyful experiences, and enhance our sense of belonging.
Cheers, Maria Meliora.
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@dmac6704 boutique chanel is certainly a good introduction into less conventional perfumes . That said I never found them to be original in composition and somewhat.. diluted somehow. But you can test them in person - they are intelligently designed and Chanel brand has a lot of value to some people by itself. What is suitable is only for you to decide, truly - what smells interesting to you isby definition suitable for you 😘😘
Oh Wow! I was so excited to buy Yes I Do for my daughter for a wedding fragrance…now I know the back story….Oh yuck. I thought it was a romantic wedding day fragrance. Bummed.
@debbietaylor9241 it is kind of both - they tried to be hooligans in their interpretation of the "happy ending" story , vulgarizing what (some) women are willing to do behind the scenes upon being pressured vs appear as innocent trying to maintain social status, play of words as well.. by its olfactory construction it is a light beautiful lily of the valley fragrance - appropriate for weddings. It is sad how disgusting the vision for it was, how blatant in its disrespect to women the narrative and self-righteous the insult disguised as a cheeky joke. Again, you chose well in terms of the scent, I just personally can't get over the meaning behind it .
did you try by now the Cartier one? I have a sample and I do not like it, it gives me a headache and it smells very synthetic. So you did not miss out on it. happy to send you my decant.
Omh what a nostalgia .. Collecting perfumes is a very expensive hobby ...glad i sold my entire collection it was over 300 perfumes mostly niche wnd discontinued ones...so glad that insanity left me ...
@@MariaMeliora I collected perfumes for about 2+3 years and I sold everything when the pandemic hit...afterward I switched to designer clothes ...cuz I realised better have something that will last over time instead of empty bottle ... But the crucial point for me was when my vintage Pucci perfume went bad...and then I bought every existing addict from Dior I literally spent a fortune on having like every one of and also backups ...I went insane and its not even my fave or my signature ...I deleted my frGrantica accounts and every perfume account I was following and since then I literally bought and still now buy the first cheapest perfume I find...and often times they are copies ...which I never thought I would ever do... I do plan on buying piguet calypso tho I really miss it
@@MariaMeliora to add...completely irrelevant but once in a while I watch, like now, videos or search for some perfume and to find so much has changed only makes me feel even better I let it go ... My favourite perfumes literally 95% of them went discontinued...and I have like top 10 really favourites...the prices let me not even begin ...like the prices went up at least 40-50% ....not to even mention niche category ...lmao
Hi I’m a perfume addict too nice to meet you at least you started out buying affordable I went straight for the niche and high end 10k in ten months and going strong 🤦🏼♀️
I have tried to declutter my collection per your advice, listed some stuff, and now I feel "narcotic withdrawals" and severe regrets:( even if I don't really love those perfumes they became like children to me. I haven't bought a new perfume in 2 days 😅 I was wondering what was your absolute Holy Grail perfume that's must have ? Because I was thinking to buy just one really good one and maybe then I won't have that desire to buy anymore
Love this update! And YES to the numbers!!! I agree on the FM Bigarade Concentree, so fresh and juicy! I have all my "summer" frags out of their boxes in my closet. Am rotating about 5 at a time every few weeks not for any other reason than it helps me make a choice faster 😂. Right now my fave picks are Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege, Gucci Gorgeous Jasmine, Byredo Pulp, Bobbi Brown Beach, D&G Shine and Chloé Love Story.
Your house must smell AMAZING then Maria. 😄 Interesting about using masculine targeted scents as bases. They do rely more on woody accords don't they. At the same time the JV fragrances were always notorious for their poor longevity. Or should I say poor projection because they tended to 're-activate' with moisture. You nailed the MdO style though. And with the tighter regulations concerning the use of galaxolide. But we'll keep some people searching for perfume Waldo though shall we? 😂 Keeps the creative juices flowing. Appreciate your insights as always. 💗🖤
I bought perfume for the first time in a decade this last November and it unleashed a new passion or hobby for me and I definitely do not buy one at a time hahaha. These companies must have insane markups because fragrance ultimately is just a bit of essential oil suspended in alcohol. In most instances I would wager that the bottles cost more than the fragrance. I am all about brands that sell amazing fragrance in bad packaging, I think Granada is my favorite in that category. They are a nice brand trying to enter the lux market but they have crooked sticky labels on all of their bottles.
Heyy!! Have you tried any of the Christian Louboutin Loubiworld collection? I just ordered some samples in the mail and wondering what your take on some of them would be
Gorgeous scents in this selection of yours! So glad you picked Cartier's La Panthere as a Chypre choice. I am a sucker for Mitsouko for a long long time (own the extrait version). I fully agree to your description of La Panthere as a contemporary fruity Chypre. And yes, the Parfum version is the best, also to my nose. And Sancti.... oh my god....such a delicious, beautiful and uplifting incense! Smells like a Catholic forest chapel on a spring morning.
Love that brand! I like their concept and their packaging. Prices are ok. Thing is, in Germany, you can buy those online for a much lower price than from their website. Especially when it comes to scents from their upper price range, like Fidelis or 1904. I own Ambre 114, Fidelis, 1904 Madame Butterfly and This is not a blue bottle 1.4. I am very keen to try Mata Hari as I have a soft spot for Chypres. If you like 1904 as a reference for Iris scents, have you ever tried SL Iris Silver Mist?
Ambre Sultan, Arabie, Serge Noire....you are dismissing all those SL gems, Maria, you are KILLING me! ;-) My husband wore Serge Noire as a signature scent (before it went into the ridiculously overepriced black skyscraper collection) and he really pulled it off. So sexy on him. To me, Ambre Sultan works as a true reference for amber scents. When I smelled Arabie in the SL Boutique in Paris, it really beamed me directly into the scenery of the spice market of Souq Waqif in Doha (spent 2 years in Qatar). This is so truly Middle Eastern spices and dried fruits; LOVE it! Anyway, perfume is very subjective, we all like different things, thank God, and it is so refreshing that you do not shy away from taking these holy grails of niche perfumery from their pedestials. Chapeau!
Agree with you on the mid niche. I've realised I like the smaller niche brands around that price point you described. And they are usually the ones that I like the packaging aesthetics of. I mean they are comparitive to pricing of new designer bottles but can be much more interesting. I feel turned off by those luxe niche brands 300 and over at the high department stores. I feel like it's all glitz and glam over the actual quality of the perfume
I used to watch you in Russian back in the day, and I bought Sea and Sun in Cadaques cause of your review, it's a decent summer fragrance, I still have about 10 mil of it now. I'm aware I've an issue with shopping and collecting, but that's just fragrances, I luckily don't fancy buying clothes and somehow cooled off about makeup (well just turned 30 really and started reading about skincare and became rather picky). My addiction (well not in a medical sense I guess) is rather weird: I started to buy a perfume every month, but I've almost never exceed 1 perfume per month (presents don't count), back in the day I didn't buy perfumes that exceeded 50 euro, well now I've upped to 100 as I'm more stable financially but I never cross that line. I also don't really hunt for sales, well I do google it a bit but searching for discount codes have always been too much of an effort. Weird enough, I buy only the biggest bottle, at least 60 mil, if the price exceeds a 100 euro, I don't buy a fragrance and if a fragrance is only sold in a bottle less than 60 mil I don't buy it. I also never buy samples. It's a weird kind of behaviour and I'm not good at pinpointing my reasons it just feels comfy this way. So I've never overspent, but I've collected more than 150 full bottles for now and although it's just one small cupboard it takes a toll on me - I can't keep all that in sight, I can't wear all of them long enough to make some period of life associate with each particular fragrance, and selling is too much of a hustle ... I've never experienced any negative effects of the collecting really, no fragrance even went bad... but I still feel weird about it. I keep buying one fragrance per month though. Donno, it's weird. I could stop, but could I, as I'm collecting for a decade now.
You really amused me and made me laugh in the self-ironic chapter about Lipstick on and La vie e belle😂😅 Rafined and warm provocative Seinfeld look like humor ❤
No shame in falling for prosaic designers once in a while Maria. 😄 Happens to the best of us. Use it as a springboard to allow yourself the freedom to explore the origin of that attraction. There are fundamental forces at work! Appreciate that take on the new Prada. Was wondering about that one myself.
¡Hola Maria! Have you tried Highland Lilac Highland Lilac of Rochester ? I just wore it and I liked it. I have Pacifica which I love and En Passant that I relate to something precious but old. Saludos desde Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Perfumes and Secret links: 00:00 Introduction and Mindful Hedonism 01:22 Conceptual vision for olfactory accessories: Cartier L'Heurs Collection: X, VI, IV, I www.melioraparfums.com/shop/p/cartier-lheurs-travel-set 06:28 Never forget to sniff the vintages: Hermes Calenche edp, 9:37 True bohemian luxury: Vintage Perfume mini of Cartier Panthere 15:16 Exploring the flower of the year: Fragonard Lilas and Jean Patou Vacances Subscribers-only: use MAXLILAS code at checkout to get 2X more perfume with the Royal lilac sampler (10x3ml vs 8x2ml): www.melioraparfums.com/shop/p/lilac-fragrance-8-sampler 20:22 New Tom Ford vs Old: Ombre Leather and Electric Cherry 23:19 The Appeal of Mid-Priced Niche: Jacque Fath Velours Boisé and Tempête d’Automne 31:10 Delicious Blackberry Jam and Black tea: Musk Milano's Russian Tea 35:10 Humility Lessons: New Prada Infusion de Gingerbre 38:50 Rag & Bone Encens, Monoi, Odditiy - clear star emerged! 43:57 The Delight of Floris Bath and Body Products: Rosa Centifolia, Cefiro, Night Jasmine 49:33 Care Packages from viewers: Army of new decants to try and review! Decant Storage 52:03 Gourmand Iris Battle: Replica Lipstick On vs Lancome La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu Subscribers-only: use IRISDUO code at checkout to get 70% off this duo: www.melioraparfums.com/shop/p/gourmand-iris-duo-lipstick-on 01:02:22 The Psychological Aspects of Fragrance Shopping post- Perfume Addiction
I just buy decants and sample, enjoy the fragrance, I review them in detail, and if I love them I save 2/3 ml for special occasions. I buy very few bottles. This is my way of loving fragrances but not ruining my life and my passion for art of fragrances too.