I haven't seen a recent discussion of L'Artisan, so I was hoping we could have a new one! I'm falling in love with Tea for Two, Saffron Troublant and Vanilia, but I most definitely can't afford all three. I'd love to hear others' musings as I try to figure out which to purchase. Or musings on other faves from this house. For all I know I have others I'll soon be in love with, making the decision that much more difficult!

Saffron Troublant--so unique! Spicy but smooth and warm. Really a saffron-tinged, ice cream-like skin scent on me upon drydown.

Tea for Two--I've begun to crave this one. The interesting, almost rubbery beginning, then the lovely spices and honey notes that kick in, and again, I'm left with a sweet, warm, spicy skin scent.

Vanilia--this has become my fave vanilla. That smokey edge causes me to sniff my arm compusively when I have it on.

I know for some L'Artisan frags are fleeting, but each of these is still subtly there on me by the end of the day.

Decisions, decisions!

Sorry, can't advise you Beatrice. I like all three and several more from L'Artisan. In fact, there aren't many I don't like from this line. They have a clarity and simplicity that makes them very minimalist and modern.

I don't find them fleeting at all. They are none of them powerhouse scents but that is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much. My most recent purchase in this line was Jatamansi which is so wonderful in hot humid weather.

Why not order decants of these three? Or just pick one and get that one and put the other two on your list of future puchases or gifts.

That's a tough call. I like all three mentioned, but I would say that the Saffron is the most wearable. The Vanilia gets a bit too smoky and almost ashy on my skin at times depending on my chemistry. The Tea for Two is delicious but too much like actually smelling a hot cup of tea for me. I vote for the Saffron.

I also LOVE Tea for Two. I'm a tea fanatic and prefer to think of the tea scent as a Russian Caravan. The original Russian Caravan tea, a black China tea, gained its smokiness over the course of a 16 month, 11,000 mile camelback journey from China to Russia. The smoke was imparted by pine campfires burning at night while the caravan rested. For such an exotic scent, I find this one really comforting. The smokiness, the burnt rubber, is almost too strong at the beginning, but after about 20 minutes, it paves the way for clove, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, smoothing honey, a spritz of orange rind, and fresh tobacco. You'd think it would be too foody and too sweet, but it works sooo well.

Bois Farine is really interesting, too. You might give it a try... and I hear Passage D'Enfer is alluring and incense-y.

Bois Farine didn't work well on me--all viscous, slightly rancid sesame oil, but lots of people love it. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with Jean Claude Ellena frags. While I appreciate them as works of art, many are like giant scent mallets that beat me down when I want to be bouyed up.

Thanks for the comments on Saffron Troublant & Vanilia -- will have to give them a try. I saw a description of Vanilia and it sounded simple with only a few notes listed on the website. Does it strike you as one dimensional?

Thank you, Katy, Sharilstuff and AdaVeen for you comments. I think I'm reveling in this decision, really, because whichever I choose, I'll love it I'm sure. AdaVeen, I don't find Vanilia one-dimensional, actually, and I do tend to find vanillas one-dimensional. The floral and smokey components round out the vanilla really nicely.

Well, Beatrice, what I can tell you is that as soon as I discovered Tea for Two I bought a bottle and a back-up, which is completely insane considering the amount of perfume I have and the fact that there are no rumours of discontinuation. The only other perfume I have back-ups of is my holy grail, Tabac Blond and a few BPAL oils.

Of those three you mention, I'd definitely go for Tea for Two.

Only recently I've ordered my first L'Artisan. Even if I've found many of them quite interesting in the past, they seemed all like aquarelles. Too ethereal, too thin and fleeting, a bit artisanal and like drafts - rather than the final performance; the oil painting with its robust rendering and its solid vision. By now though, my arsenal is broad enough for them to add something to it - and I hope I'll come to think of them as etches rather than aquarelles.

I've ordered Jour de Fete, and have been enamored in the past by Mechant Loup and Bois Farine. However it seems that Malle's Fleur de Cassie is somewhat similar as well as superior (and stronger) to the latter. Tea for Two is another one high on my list to retry.

Good luck with your decision!

Vidabo, Jour de Fete sounds scrumptious as well. Could you describe it? I haven't been able to sample that one and I'm very curious.

Beatrice, you're so lucky that these wear well on you! There are a number of L'Artisan scents I love, but they all go POOF! and pull a disappearing act on me within 1/2 an hour. I'm not exaggerating! After about 1/2 an hour I can no longer discern them at all.

My favorites are Passage d'Enfer, Timbuktu, and Bois Farine. I think. It's hard to judge scents which are gone so quickly. I like to live with my scent for awile! I never have tried their vanilla, and since you and Sharil mention a smoky/ashy quality, I am now sorely tempted.

And Vidabo, I'm fascinated that you compare Bois Farine to Une Fleur de Cassis! I am strangely drawn to Bois Farine, though so many people I know find it repellant. But Une Fleur de Cassie is one of my deep and abiding loves. I think this one is a sensational knock out! It never occurred to me that they have anything in common. I must go sniff my Bois Farine sample more closely....

My favorite of the three is Saffron. My favorites in L'Artisan are Fleur de Carotte (now discontinued) and Dzing. Dzing is amazing. Timbuktu is fab too. My next "must try" is Passage d'Enfer. There has been so much written about it, it must be really good or at least, really unique.

I have Tea for Two and I don't get the smokey note alot of people talk about. On me, it's almost like a ginger/honey skin scent.


Saffron Troublant - I ended up selling my bottle because it always reminded me of spices you use for cooking. I loved it from the bottle but it seems better suited for a dish then for the skin. ;0

I like the L'Artisan line and my only complaint is they don't last very long on the skin.


Dawn

of the three, all of which i enjoy, i'd say the tea for two is the most interesting and the one least likely to bore you in the long run. then again, if you are a layerer, vanilia might be the one for you - i always find that i want to add something to it after a few minutes - it's pretty but not deep enough somehow. saffran troublant can sometimes seem like a solid wall of scent - it doesn't evolve much. that's why i would go with tea for two if i were only going for one.

Beatrice, I'm at a loss to describe Jour de Fete, I've smelled it only a couple of times. I remember it as an almond scent, with something rather peculiar to it, that hooked me. The notes are: almond, wheat, vanilla.

Jill, perfumesmellinthings happens to connect fleur de cassie not with bois farine, but with jour de fete! I haven't read the article yet, but in case you'd like to:
http://perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com/2...farnesiana.html

So maybe I've been mistaking bois farine with jour de fete, huh? In fact, it seems likely I have, because I remember a flour note that I thought similar to a specific note or accord in FdC (would that be the cassie itself?) - and JdF features wheat prominently. On the other hand, as far as I know 'farine' in farine flower means flour, and probably for a reason. I hope someone else can shed light on the mystery.

bois farine: white cedar, gaiacwood and sandalwood, white iris, farine flower, fennel seed.
fleur de cassie: bergamot, rose, violet, aldehydes, cassie, mimosa, jasmine, clove, cedarwood, sandalwood, musk.

I've tried so many L'Artisans and generally the house just doesn't work for me. However I really, really like Saffron Troublant!!! So, my vote goes there. I find it light, sweet and a little sassy, although it doesn't have great lasting power on me. None of the L'Artisans have great lasting power on me it seems though.

I guess Vanilia I would choose second, although I prefer a drier, smokier vanilla and feel the L'Artisan is a tad on the flat side and just way too sweet to my taste- kind of like vanilla ice cream (MHO only.)

The Tea for Two just seems to be a no-no with my chemistry, so can't really comment otherwise on it.

Another L'Artisan that seems somewhat intriguing is Timbuktu. I've sampled it only once, but I found it refreshing and kind of zingy.

Jour de Fete is a lovely green almond scent, not very sweet, more fresh (not at all like Rahat Loukhoum or POTL).

My favorite is Passage d'Enfer, a fabulous incense and lily scent (much more incense than lily on me).

I don't care much for Vanilia or Tea for Two, they have an odd note that smells rubbery and unpleasant to my nose. Saffron didn't excite me either.

My favorites from this line are Passage d'Enfer, Timbuktu, Dzongkha, Fleur d'Oranger and Fou d'Absinthe.

I'm loving reading everyone's impressions. I'm still in great indecision about which to purchase. Each day I rotate wearing one of my samples, and each day I feel like "that's the one!" Today it was Vanilia, and the drydown was more floral than last time: creamy, smooth, light, vanilla and floral. I didn't get the smokey quality quite as much. I kept thinking "what smells so divine?" and ... it turns out it was me! Maybe I have to admit that I'll eventually need them all. But I still have to decide which to purchase first.... ;-)

The only one I like, make that love, is Saffran Troublant. It is so different from anything else I've ever smelled. With my large collection, it's always about "different" for me.

I've had good luck with most L'Artisans. I don't think I hate any of them, though I may not be mad for them, and they last a long time on me. I'm way behind on smelling any new ones, however.

I'm glad you're enjoying all the samples, Beatrice! Wonderful that they are all saying, 'pick me!' on the day you test them. I wish I could give you a contrasting impression of these, but have little access to the line and of the trio I only know Saffran Troublant, which I got in the Epices de la passion coffret. I adore about a third of what I've smelled in the line, but curiously they don't inspire the real hand-wringing hankering, and find the others very interesting, each a character. Going to sniff Saffran top. Have to apply, can't smell anything. I got this recently and it's still a mystery. I got a blast of some kind of booze plumcake dessert and then the saffron, very deep yellow and smooth, not fuzzy dandelion-like. This is a wise and happy scent to me. Uh-oh, layering poorly with the dregs of who knows what on my wrist from yesterday which had a good 3 sotds. Good luck and fun and joy with your choice! And the other two waiting.

Of the three, I like Saffron Troublant the best. For some reason I can't smell L'A's Vanilla on my skin and I don't like the rubber note in Tea for Two.

My other L'Artisan faves are Mimosa Pour Moi, La Chasse, Mure et Musc, Voleur de Roses, Patchouli Patch, La Haie Fleurie and Bois Farine.

Emma