Wednesday 12 July 2017

Another Bonkers perfume sale!

I have been having a torrid week so far, including several more whiffy incursions by Tootsie. The only humorous aspect to any of the predominantly bad things that have been kicking off lately was the sight of Truffle leaping backwards several feet in the air after clawing her scratching post, for all the world as though she had seen a cucumber (that mythically frightening vegetable). Then, perplexed at her dramatic reaction to a familiar toy, she went back for another attempt - doubtless to check she wasn't imagining things - and instantly leapt backwards again! When I sniffed the pole I knew immediately that it was Tootsie's malodorous calling card that had freaked her out to such spectacular effect. Anyway, the scratching post is in the bin, with another on order. A chap whom I can best describe as the upholstery cleaning equivalent of the SAS has been in today to deep clean the sofa, the target of previous urinous acts of terrorism.





I have also been suffering from an identity crisis, following the receipt of these emails:

"Greetings from Vicky of Threeway Steel Co., Ltd China
Glad to know that your esteemed company is in the market of steel pipes."

AND this, from a PR Executive with the incomparable name of Flo Birmingham:

"We are hosting a beauty event on Thursday for the launch of Spotlight Teeth Whitening. It is a pop in event open from 10am to 6pm and there will be manicures, blowdries, braids, goodie bags and dental consultations with the Spotlight founders, dentist sisters Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven. We'd love to have you there."





Too right it is a "pop in event". And I would have quite fancied "popping in a whitening strip" and chatting to the namesake dentist sister and my fellow attendees with (presumably) a couple of horsehoes of plastic in my mouth.

But I can't really slip down to London at the moment. Meanwhile, I lost one big job prospect and may have gained a smaller one in its place. In view of the precarious work situation overall (as in I haven't had any since April), I decided that it was time for another bottle and decant sale. This differs from past sales in that I am putting forward some perfumes I am happy to part with, plus others that I would happily have kept. Realistically, however, I have too many, and they are more useful to me at the moment in 'liquid' form...that's not quite the metaphor I am searching for. ;)

I will organise the stock into two main categories: Newly Listed Bottles & Decants and Old Suspects! The latter have all been reduced in price, to allow for a bit of depreciation since last year. As you know, I am only able to post perfume within the UK, due to being a convicted felon. I can at lesat offer a range of postal options ie 1st or 2nd class, with or without recorded / signed for delivery, though the latter is a bit safer, I always think. Allow an extra £3 to £4.50 depending on your preferred option.



Newly Listed Bottles & Decants

Cuir de Lancome 50ml (c47ml remaining) - £45 [SOLD]

This is a 50ml bottle and there's a few ml missing from the top, though I have a little bit left in my current one so I am a bit puzzled as to why this should be. However, I can only conclude I must have done a little decant for someone from it.

Oh, and the bottle has that notorious wonky top, without which no bottle of Cuir de Lancome would be complete!, together with the built-in shape sorting puzzle of the box that prompted a post all on its own.

Why oh why did they discontinue this beauty?






MAC Naked Honey 20ml (c9ml remaining) - £12

This (also discontinued) scent from 2009 became a bit of a cult classic, and is noted for its unusual honey and linden note combo. The bottle design is rather wacky too, and should appeal to Undina and beekeepers everywhere.







Armani Prive La Femme Bleue (c4.5ml) - £17

For lovers of chocolate and incense, this is a beauty: I paid £40 for a 10ml decant. I see that Surrender to Chance are charging $80+ for a 3ml spray vial, which is over £60, or an eyewatering £20 per ml! There is a slight sticky residue on the collar, which I haven't tried to get off with acetone for fear of contaminating the scent. I could decant this into a fresh atomiser if people would like.






YSL Opium Fleur de Shanghai (c13ml) - £15 [SOLD]

This is a decant of the 2005 flanker (a sort of summer edition) to Opium, also sadly extinct, though in fairness I think it was launched as a LE. Ayala Moriel is a big fan and it was her review that drew me to seek this one out. I much prefer it to classic Opium, Coco Chanel, and other heavy hitting spicy orientals. It isn't light as such, but has a brighter feel due to the inclusion of notes like magnolia.






Serge Lutens Chergui (c14ml) - £16

I am pretty sure this is a 30ml bottle, and the fill level is about half. Chergui needs no introduction, which is just as well, as it is so cosily weird that I wouldn't quite know where to begin.






Hermes Hermessence Santal Massoia (c13ml) - £25

This is a travel spray of which I have used a couple of ml. It's worth having just for the adorable cloth bag in my view, though it does smell lovely as well.






Tom Ford Cafe Rose (c17ml) - £30

I swapped my partial bottle of White Suede for this in a blind swap, but while I am a lover of rose, I am not a coffee drinker and this was 'insufficiently rosy' for me, to quote my friend Jessica's phrase.






NB I was umming and ahhing about selling my half bottle of Tauer PHI Rose de Kandahar, but am not quite able to let it go yet. Check out the next sale though, just in case!



Old Suspects! 

Still looking for their forever homes, as black cats are wont to do, though to their credit, two of my fellow perfume bloggers have adopted just such colourways. 


Annick Goutal Grand Amour 100ml (a good 50ml remaining!) - £26





Bois de Jasmin is a fan of this one, giving it a solid four stars, and it would suit lovers of hyacinth, which is quite prominent in the opening.

Rykiel Woman Not for Men! 40ml (c17ml remaining) - £17

Don't be put off by the garish bottle...this could pass for a niche scent in a blind sniffing test. An amber/musk/leather number, beloved of Marla from Perfume Smelling Things (review here). I see a fair bit of crossover with Soir de Marrakech from Les Parfums du Soleil (though that is a bit obscure), and L'Erbolario Meharees (slightly less obscure!), which is in turn a bit of a dupe for Musc Ravageur. In that general vein, say. You can buy it still on Amazon, but only in the 125ml size for £150 odd, and no one needs that much of anything, obviously.





B by Boucheron edp 50ml (c45ml remaining) - £19 

Calling osmanthus lovers! Box available but a bit bashed, sorry.





Kenzo L'Eau par Kenzo Eau Indigo pour Femme edp 50ml (c28ml remaining) - £16

This bottle was pre-owned by Michelyn Camen of Cafleurebon. ;) Here's the entry from Fragrantica, which rates it 3.8.





Perfume-Related 'Merchandise'

And finally, I have tacked on a category to accommodate a perfume cushion cover to fit a 16"/40cm square pad. It is in a shot silk-like fabric (that may indeed be silk!), is based on a design by the artist Bridget Davies, and was one of only two she had left. Selling for £45 on its own, £50 with cushion. (See also the photo at the top of the post.) Close up of perfume bottle motif below.





And here is the reverse...







The main background colours are what I could best describe as gunmetal blue, and a greyish light blue. I can of course post this anywhere in the world at whatever international rate applied.

So there you have it. I am open to minor haggling around the margins, bulk discounts (I wish!) and other forms of BOGOF and promotional jiggery-pokery, but let's see how it goes. If there is something you are interested in, you can contact me via Facebook, if we are friends on there, or by email - flittersniffer at gmail dot com.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh rats, I am sorry to read that things are not wonderful in Bonkers World right now but as the Chinese say, all things pass, good or bad, so I am hoping your luck is just about to change.

Back to the Tootsie problem - this may already have been suggested and perhaps it's not viable, but what about one of those electronic cat-flaps that will only respond to the signal emitted by the special collar that Truffle would be wearing? I've never had experience with these, but apparently they work. Good luck.
Jillie

Vanessa said...

Hi Jillie,

Yes, I am a believer in that saying too, and thanks for your good wishes. ;)

I am indeed considering the microchip flap, though there may be an issue with fitting it in the pane of glass where the current one is mounted. If I need a whole new pane of glass it could get expensive. For now, I am keeping Truffle in at night, and if that becomes unworkable, a selective flap could be the next plan regardless of ease/cost of installation!

Anonymous said...

I was going to suggest the same thing as Jillie. It's possible the new flap will require a slightly larger mount so you can use the same pane with more cut out.
I was also going to suggest that Tootsie's owwner share the expenses for upholstery cleaning, new pane of glass,etc. Or get that cat neutered. This is getting unreasonable!

Unfortunately I live in Canada and don't have a mule, so I can't purchase. :( I hope the sale goes well and that more contracts appear soon.

-- Lindaloo

Vanessa said...

Hi Lindaloo,

Jillie inspired me to investigate the precise geometry of these things and the flap I would like to get is 2mm wider in its cut out diameter than the one presently installed. However, there is an 'adapter mount' you can buy that compensates for this in some way.

Sorry I got my fingers burnt and wouldn't risk sending to Canada anymore. I would love to post more widely. ;(

I am keeping a running total of my expenses caused by Tootsie - another throw is being dry cleaned as we speak, to whose whiffiness I have only just tumbled, but whether his owners will see this as in any way their problem remains to be seen.

Undina said...

I'm sorry to hear about all the troubles - both job situation and cat-related. I hope that both get resolved somehow.
I love cats, as you probably know. But I have to ask: do you think it would help if you actually hit that animal? I would organize a stakeout and hit him with a belt or something like that.
Also - just an idea: if you were to buy one of those motion-activated spray systems (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000RIA95G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500021184&sr=8-3&keywords=ssscat&dpPl=1&dpID=312oWmz8z1L&ref=plSrch ), put it in front of the closed flap at night and let it scare the cat away. Then when you decide to start letting Truffle out, you could keep that can standing close to the entrance but turned off: Truffle won't be afraid since she won't know what it does when on but Tootsie might remember and be scared of the turned off can.

Vanessa said...

Hi Undina,

I am so tempted to hit Tootsie, you have no idea! I have waved a lump of wood near his face, but he just took a swipe at it with his paw and hissed at me. I could probably trap him one night by setting the cat flap a certain way. I am actively pursuing the microchip flap route though, and hoping it will fit the existing hole.

The spray you mention seems very clever, but presumably you couldn't just stand it there as I bet Tootsie would knock it over and bat it out of the way in his annoyance? I suppose the idea is that he would have been sufficiently deterred in the first place by the spray to not want to go back in to take a pot shot at the can... ;) Though it seems to have a two minute delay, which might give Tootsie a window of opportunity to leg it after being detected? Unless I have misread the instructions. I do like the sound of something spraying him automatically A LOT, though. With Anti-Cat, I need to be on hand at the key moment.

odiferess said...

Hi Vanessa,
I hope your sale is going fortuitously.
My work has slowed down too due to the onset of school holidays (although the annual flowers in my garden have more or less shot their summery load already). With the hideous financial due of MOT-time car and a broken boiler, I've raided my scent cupboard for lesser loved bottles to sell on and realised that I'm now down to an almost 'normal' size wardrobe of perfume! Well, a newly besotted person's stash possibly. Three bottles were re-homed and the rest is no longer what you refer to as a SABLE (why do I feel like I'm tempting fate?).
I've explained to my furry black Joseph that he has been mentioned in a famous perfume blog, he responded by chewing on my fingers. I hope Foxy had more luck communicating the excitement to Gaspard.
Love to you and truffle

Vanessa said...

Hi Sarah,

Lovely to hear from you. I have been greatly enjoying the photos of your burgeoning garden, especially the wandering beans. Glad you have managed to sell some of your own collection to raise funds. So far I have only sold one decant!, but there is interest in the Cuir de Lancome and the Armani that might result in a sale.

Haha, you have now reminded me of Gaspard, whose precise colour scheme had passed me by. I was thinking of Vega, Asali's recent rescue cat.

Blacknall Allen said...

Oh what a set of annoying circumstances- both work and feline. We keep our cat indoors which may not be an option for Miss Truffle but at least keep the tom cat spritzes down to a minimum.
I hope the sale goes well and your snazzy new blog look helped me stop being lazy and tidy up my own blog. Here's to a much better Fall on the cat and job fronts!

Vanessa said...

Hi Blacknall,

Keeping Truffle indoors is sadly not an option, and believe me I have tried. Hopefully a new cat flap will resolve the issue. There were two new cats in the garden last night, and I ended up chasing them down the service road at 1am, brandishing the bottle of Anti-Cat.

Am pleased you like the new blog look - I really do myself, I must say, and wish I had changed over sooner. And thanks for your good wishes for a better time ahead!