Nice, France Perfume Series: Part Three

Ciao and welcome to part three of the Nice, France Perfume Series. I do apologize for such a long break; however, I am back and ready to update you on perfumes and travel experiences! First, let’s start with a perfume that I made in Nice, France. Although I made this perfume back on August 13, 2023, I already had the autumn season in mind. I was determined to make a perfume suitable for the brisk mornings and cooler nights. With all the excitement going on while making this perfume, it was not exactly how I envisioned it would smell like. I chose notes that were very abstract and dicey, so it was a going to be a surprise for me to find out what the product would smell like. These are the notes:

-       Top Notes: Petit Grain, Mandarin

-       Heart Notes: Magnolia, Rose Absolve, Sugared Almond

-       Base Notes: Sandalwood, Dried Fruit, Cardamon, Amber, Gardenia

What I can already infer from this breakdown is that I chose way too many base notes. I tend to be indecisive, and this screams it! I knew that I wanted to pick out notes that I don’t often lean towards, but this made the perfume very different from my usual preferences. Ideally perfumes have one to two base notes so that the heart and top notes don’t get lost in translation. Everything about this perfume is robust which might be good for some (will get into this later), but not for myself. I will still give it credit for matching the autumn to winter season while retaining a sweet scent. I was so excited to create something unique and nothing like I’ve ever smelt before. I got carried away with this inkling that I disregarded what I prefer to smell like. It is not easy to admit that I won’t wear the very first perfume I have ever made, but I am so grateful to have had this learning opportunity! Nonetheless, I got to work with notes that I have never encountered in my life and combined them into a perfume. Knowing what I do now, I would alter the perfume pyramid as such:

-       Top Notes: Petit Grain, Mandarin

-       Heart Notes: Magnolia

-       Base Notes: Sandalwood

My husband was the one to find this experience and booked it for me! He was able to stay with me for the whole process as well. He helped me write down the names of the samples on the test strips and what note they were. It was special to me to learn exactly how much of a note goes into making a 50ml sized perfume. Top notes and heart notes are 12.5mL each and thus leaving the base notes to a total of 25ml. Although I was skeptical at times about the milliliter measurements, but it was filled to the brim! I am so appreciative for the employees helping me, encouraging creative freedom, all while making it such a fun, educational experience. I will be paying another visit to this perfumery and perfume workshop to redeem myself and deepen my perfume understanding! If you are curious of what this original perfume smells like, the number is N*2023-N5520 at Molinard.

Fast forward to April 2024, my parents made it out to Italy to visit my husband and me! This was their first time in Europe, and they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary while on this trip. We traveled to Venice, Vicenza, Rome, Florence, and Tuscany! Being able to spend their vacation with them was a huge blessing. I will remember those two weeks for the rest of my life.

With that, I was able to give them the full tour of my perfume collection. My mom fell in love with this perfume that I made! She wore it one day and again another, so she was certain that she enjoyed it. I too loved how it smelt on her! I’m so happy with my decision to give it to her so she could appreciate it and think of me when she wears it. It’s not easy being six thousand miles away from family as an only child, so I hope this will be a nice reminder for her about their trip out to Italy. I should’ve clocked this earlier, but I did mention her favorite perfume is “Red Door” by Elizabeth Arden back in “My Wedding Day Perfume” post. Have you SEEN the notes that go into this perfume? It is such a fall and winter perfume! It makes total sense why she gravitated to the one I made. It makes me feel like I accomplished my goal. Now I must find her a spring/summer perfume!

Next, I wanted to mention what the Fragrantica website said which perfumes were most like the perfume I made, and to the perfume most like the note adjustments I did. These are the results:

Fragrantica:

My perfume match:

“WOW! You searched for such a great combination of perfume notes, but it seems nobody has made a perfume like that yet!”

These are the perfumes that are most like my edit according to the Fragrantica website:

1.     Prada La Femme Water Splash

2.     1872 Orris Clive Christian

3.     Esta Flor Íris Natura

If you have made it this far, thank you so much for reading. Again, I apologize for my absence, but I can’t wait to share all my perfume along with travel journeys soon! Check out my Instagram @scentlena for all of the pictures and videos!