So, did the test come close? Are you like me, and you just hate perfume? Talk about your favorites, and whether the test was accurate.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

Answers

It appears we got the same rating. The "woodsy" type. Now I like wood as much as the next girl, but the perfumes they listed are not at ALL close to what I like.

Shalimar? Ugh... that's what my mom wears. Obsession, also gross. Same with Organza and Allure. Poison is a shameful favorite of mine, but I rarely wear it. Gucci Rush is ok, but it smells like Shalimar and it gives me a headache. I'm the only non-hippy around that loves patchouli and sandalwood. Contradiction is tolerable, but it's very boring like every other CK scent.

And I'm going to go out to my local MAC counter and see about that Synthetic Nirvana set.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

I'm woodsy? They're calling me woodsy, too. And they're trying to stuff sandalwood down my throat. I've had very very bad sandalwood sorts of experiences, and the stuff makes me feel sick. I don't think they're very wise, the ivillage people.

I want something that smells like the green tea soap I have and love, but lasts for more than thirty seconds. Dammit.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

I got woodsy too.

I'm currently on a search for a new scent -- my favourite is Chanel No 5, but I want something more complex. I found a site which lists tons of fragrances and their notes: http://www.parfumsraffy.com/notes.html. I found the notes for Chanel and cross-referenced them with other fragrances to find ones which are similar. Don't know if it will work because I haven't gone to a store to smell any yet.

Incidentally, I looked up 'green tea' on the page above, and apparently Bvlgari has green tea as a base note. Might be worth a sniff?

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

Am I the only one who really doesn't think Poison is "woodsy" at all? Or Shalimar?

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

Nope, not a bit woodsy. Oriental florals yes, woodsy no.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

i got sweet... barf! barf!!

lots of vanilla based scents that i don't like (coty vanilla fields, avon vanilla musk for example) and quite a few i haven't even heard of. i didn't like ysl baby doll or thierry mugler angel, but i have tried lolita lempicka and liked it, but not for work/daytime. i would give the demeter gingerbread a try for the price... anyone tried it?

i currently wear roots for her or chanel allure

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2001

Well, they said i go for fruity which i suppose is somewhat true but i found the listed suggestions were either perfumes that i've never heard of or ones that i don't like (such as Oscar de la Renta).

I'll stick with Calvin Klein Eternity (which i suppose is a little fruity too).

The hardest part of the quiz though was that a lot of times the answers didn't contain anything that was a definite for me - most of the time i was answering with "well i guess if these are my only choices i would have to say this one".

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

I got the green type, and I don't know if that was right or not because I don't recognize any of the perfumes they mentioned. Oh wait, they had Chanel 19 and I think I like that one. So I guess it's right.

I have a "signature" fragrance that I wear every day - Mitsouko by Guerlain. But it's never on these quizzes because it's from the 30s they only have new fragrances & Chanel No 5.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

I'm fruity too and that is me. I buy anything that has a Citrus undertone (even my hand soaps and households cleaners). I have 4 of the 10 fragrances they suggested so I'll probably try some of the others. I love purfume. It's close to an obsession with me. I have about 40 different bottles of good stuff. My favorites are Spring Fever, Calyx, Happy and the like. I stray, slightly though, as my #1 favorite perfume is Jil Sander #4.

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2001

I stopped at Sephora the other night, on the way home from work, and had to keep myself from bathing in Bvlgari, or whatever it's called. I loved it. It's light, not sweet, and has that green tea note I love. Thank you, mz amy, for the suggestion.

Now I need to sell blood to afford the $68.

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2001

I can't wear most perfumes, with few exceptions. Something in my body chemistry causes almost everything to whiff like eau-de-cheap-brothel less than 2 seconds after applying it to my wrist. A few men's colognes work, but they're too damn strong. So the only stuff I can reliably wear are perfume oils from either the Body Shop or Aveda. Which is just as well, because I really loathe most currently fashionable women's scents- they all smell harshly homogenous to me.

At Aveda, I found exactly one thing that really flipped my switch- a deep, dark, musky-woodsy scent that was number 30 out of 30. So guess what, they discontinued it without notice...

So instead, I got them to make up a custom blend just for me, at the same charge as a bottle of the usual oil (about $30 Canadian). My scent is frankincense, sandalwood, and vanilla, with a little bit of tangerine and lavender. It changes from one top note to another as the day goes on and on, and I just love it.

In fact, I think I'll be making a new rose-based blend, just for my wedding day.

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2001

Happy.Happy.Happy.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Am I the only younger person who loves Shalimar? I feel comforted by the scent. My grandmother who died when I was 2 (23 years ago) wore it... my grandpa bought it for her all the time, then he got it for my mom, as well. When I was 12? You guessed it, me, too. I might love it because it is a scent that bonds, in a sense. That quiz put me with the sweet stuff, and while I like vanilla, I won't wear it much. I love Issey Miyake (I might have spelled the last name wrong, but Oh well.), Shalimar, Dolce Vita, Realm, Cool Water, and 360... although 360 is one of my "my husband loves it, so I wear it whenever I don't already have a headache and he is going to be around all day" types of perfumes. I also love Victoria's Secret Azurine... light and flirty.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

I have been wearing Shalimar for a long time. Men love it and so do I. It is definitely an oriental. It caused a sensation when it was released.

Today's perfumes are perfect for women who grew up smelling grape artificial popsicles and adulterated foods of all types. I find all new perfumes with a few exceptions, to be overpowering and slightly nauseating.

If you are interested in a new (old) scent, try the chypre based scents. They are fabulous, sophisticated and ripen on your skin in a lovely way. Ulta three has charts with chypre based scents.

Otherwise, try some of the oldies that have stood the test of time. Joy, Shalimar, Miss Dior, Chanel 5, Arpege. Also, Bellodgia, Coriandre, Worth Je Reviens, Femme and Madame Rochas. They are elegant and ladylike, and don't have the modern sameness that plagues new scents.

Remember, you get what you pay for. Train your nose --it is like acquiring a taste for caviar.

Demeter Scents, while very monochromatic, by the way, are a gas. I like Gingerbread. It is a truly revolutionary way to approach perfume.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

I wouldn't assume that all men love Shalimar. Someone gave me a bottle, and Jeremy found it just as nauseating as I did.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

My great-grandmother wore Shalimar, so I will always think of it as a fragrance for 90-somethings.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

After much searching, I have found my scent to be Trish McEvoy #3 (Crystal Flower and Snowdrop - whatever, it smells fantastic!). It is light and fresh smelling and not a lot of people wear it (it's also $60 bucks a pop...). I also love Pleasures (Estee Lauder) so I basically do a switch off but mostly its the Trish McEvoy.

Christine

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001