u/birthdaycheesecake9

Hello! Hoping to get some suggestions on purple scents… the only problem is that I’ve got a lot of dealbreaker notes that would normally be a big component in a purple scent.

I really struggle with most florals. If a perfume is centred on a particular flower, I probably won’t like it. I don’t mind iris and violet, or lavender when it’s taken in a more dry herbal direction, but I won’t like it if it’s just an iris or violet or lavender scent. Rose and I don’t get along most of the time.

I also struggle with most fruits, including those that would normally be in a purple fragrance. I can deal with fig and blackcurrant, especially when taken in a less sweet, more medicinal or dry direction. I really don’t like passion fruit, plum, or berry notes 99% of the time.

Gourmand notes, I’m also very particular about. I like liquorice/anisic notes, savoury and starchy notes, and boozy notes, but not any of your more traditional gourmand notes (baking, confectionery, coffee, honey, chocolate). Unsure how I feel about red wine, but leaning to no.

My taste is more dry than sweet. Love resins, industrial and atmospheric notes, weird accords, woods, spices (cinnamon is iffy), dry greenery, dry earthy notes, touches of smoke, aromatic herbs, tea notes and fabric notes. I prefer smelling like feelings and concepts and memories more than things.

Have tried Filippo Sorcinelli’s Oceano Viola, Nest Indigo, and Goldfield & Banks Purple Suede, and enjoyed them all.

Also in my collection are JHAG Ode to Dullness, various liturgic/Catholic guilt scents, CDG Black and Palisander, Chasing Scents Slow World, Imaginary Authors Telegrama and Memoirs, DS&Durga Bowmakers and Mississippi Medicine, and Lush Shade, Lord of Misrule and Tank Battle.

Probably a tall order, but ideally available in Australia (or at least available on a decanter who ships to Australia). Don’t care about the price (within reason).

Thank you in advance!! :-)

Was hoping to get recommendations for a dress shirt that I can wear with a blazer and pant set for dressier occasions.

I prefer slim tailoring over looser tailoring and boxy/oversized cuts, and would want something that can be tucked in and worn with a tie like a normal dress shirt. Would probably prefer natural fibres or at least blends mostly consisting of them. Not opposed to some cool distinguishing feature (unique buttons, collar shapes, vaguely recall seeing an influencer I like wearing a dress shirt that came with a tie in the same fabric), but I don’t want lacing or shirring.

I feel like I may be looking for a unicorn here, because I’m a size 4 to a small 6, quite short, and I have a full bust and smaller waist for my frame.

Wanted to see if there was anything out there, or if I should be looking at finding something good enough and having it tailored to me instead. Don’t really know where to go for that either, so I’d appreciate any guidance :-)

Pics are showing the kind of fit that I’d want.

I thought it would be interesting to compare and review two fragrances with identical names: Speakeasy.

I happened to have samples of both, so here they are head to head.

1. **Frapin** Speakeasy:

Probably in my top two Frapins (second to If by R.K.).

It’s like having a mojito at a dusty, heavily wooded prohibition-era bar. The rum note has a profane and slightly dangerous edge to it, because it’s a rum drink that comes with risk. You should maybe leave this bar and head home, but what the hell, you order another.

The mint is present but not dominant, which is good for me because mint is a very challenging note for me. Here it works, and I would miss it if it wasn’t there.

2. **Ssaint** Speakeasy:

Among my favourite Ssaint fragrances, and I like that it’s a fragrance house from Australia (where I’m from).

This one is a whisky neat in a hole in the wall bar that also shouldn’t be there. You shouldn’t be there either, but the grog is good, atmosphere great, and the people even better.

The heavy woods, soft leather, and dusty carpet of the place carry the scent of everyone who has been there before you, and all of the stories they tracked into the bar and swapped over a glass.

**The results:** Ssaint Speakeasy.

I favour this one a little more because I’m a fan of saffron and woods, and the lack of mint works for me a little more.

That being said, I still really enjoy Frapin Speakeasy because rum is one of my favourite spirits to drink, and I’m a big fan of boozy notes in perfumery generally. I like that they both have this slightly dusty quality to their wood facets, it really makes them both live up to their namesakes.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed these reviews if you read this far :-)