I'm terribly behind on a number of non-perfume things, so no review and no poll today, sorry! Erin will have a post tomorrow (5 perfumes for: Drama), and next week we'll have reviews of Comme des Garçons Daphne, Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne and more.
And in other lazy news, I was hoping to start the Prix Eau Faux around now, but have been so busy with other things that I never got started, and now soon we'll be pushing into the holidays. So...I think we're going to skip 2009, and start accepting entries for the next round in early January 2010. But in 2008, we started with a contest to name the contest, and I'd like to do something similar this year: start with a contest to come up with a contest logo.1 Would anyone be interested in entering such a thing? If so, leave a quick comment and if there's enough interest I'll come up with a prize and we'll start next week.
1. If you click on the Prix Eau Faux link above, you can see the entirely lame logo we used last year, courtesy of yours truly. Anyone who can use any sort of image editing software should be able to come up with something better.
Note: image is Autumn Leaves 3 by ~Brenda-Starr~ at flickr; some rights reserved.
Absolutement! Sign me up. The designer in me is foaming at the mouth.
Yep, I’d love a logo contest too!
Hey I just wanted Flower Bomb lovers to know that the refill 3.4 size has hit online discounters… the prices range from $51 and up – this is a great deal if you don’t mind decanting.
And David Yurman is also discounted now and at this totally wacky site, happyfashion.com.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Looking forward to Erin’s post! I think I need More Drama in my life (unlike some of you, who probably need less…), so that ought to be fun.
I, um, have a couple of drafts for Le Prix Eau Faux stashed away. That was a load of fun, writing them.
Can’t wait for the review of CdG+Daphne; I’ve been holding off ordering a sample from LuckyScent. However, today’s the first paycheck with the 6% budget cut, so my perfume funds are going to be pretty meager for awhile.
Sorry, Joe.
That sucks.
Oh dear. Sorry!
Hey, I have a question for everyone: what are your favorite citrus scents? I’m taking a friend perfume shopping in San Francisco soon, and she’s on the hunt for a perfect citrus. Expensive is okay.
I think the most popular citrus is probably Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien. I find it too “lemon-fresh” but it’s a lot of people’s favorite. I just tried Humiecki & Graf’s Eau Radieuse recently — smells like lemon peels on top, very cool (not sure where to find that in the Bay Area though). If she likes citrus mixed with a little green, so something along the lines of Un Jardin en Mediterranee or Miller et Bertaux Green (not sure where to find M&B either). For a cheap thrill citrus, there’s Guerlain AA Pamplelune or Moschino’s Cheap and Chic Hippy Fizz and I Love Love.
Hippy Fizz has a funny looking cap, but it is a great cheerful scent with raspberry leaf – gives it a bit of a fizzy smell.
Im a guy, but citrus scents dont seem very gender specific to me, so heres a few i like.
Bond No 9 – Little Italy
Demeter -Grapefruit
Crabtree & Evelyn – West Indian Lime
Lalique – White
Hugo boss – Pure
Hermes – Eau de Pamplemouse Rose
Shiseido – Zen Homme
D & G – Le Bateleur
Pain$ me to $ay it, but Frederic Malle Bigarade Concentree make$ me $woon. No way to get it di$count — boo-hoo. (Happy for her if she can afford to buy whatever she likes.)
I’ll second that — BC is fabulous, citrus with a smidge of spicy warmth to it. Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte is also nice, and MPG Eau Pour le Jeune Homme is an oddball cousin of the more staid Hermes.
I’ll third that – it’s fabulous. Plus then you have an excuse to go to Barney’s.
I’m not into citrus so my knowledge is fairly limited but these are the first things that spring into mind – Chanel Cristalle, Dior Eau Sauvage, Eau de Guerlain for classics and Dior Escale à Portofino and those new Hermes ones (names escape me) for more recent releases.
I would suggest browsing the Carthusia line: the have quite a few citrus fragrances, many of them refreshing and nice.If lime peel counts, your friend might love Frangipani by Ormonde Jane…
I think my absolute favorite citrus is Comme des Garçons Series 8: Grapefruit (which is really grapefruit/orange). Just bought a second bottle, after using up my first, and that is rare for me!
Ooh… that really is a nice citrus and one of the only grapefruit scents that doesn’t smell like cat urine on me.
Goutal’s Hadrien Absolut and Guerlain’s Eau de Fleur de Cedrat (gone in about 2 minutes flat but they’re a pretty glorious 2 minutes)
Jo Malone’s Grapefruit Cologne and her Lime Basil Mandarin are worth mentioning too.
PdN Cedrat Intense is a knock you on your but citrus blast.
I also like Escale a Portofino and Eau de Sisley #3 (not strictly lemon but still lots of citrus going on there)
It’s not expensive (or long-lasting), but I adore Creative Universe’s Element of Surprise – a lovely citrus opening, a tea dry-down. Great summer stuff.
2nd that one, it really IS nice.
i love AA anisa bella and i also find the jardin sur la nil very refreshing
I love citrus – these are my personal faves: Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade, Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte and the Concentree version, Eau de Rochas, Guerlain Cologne du 68 and Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat.
My favourite citrus is Diptyque’s L’eau des Hesperides! I also have L’eau de Neroli, but that turns a bit auntie-like on me for some reason.
I’m terrible at creative stuff so I’m looking forward to see what other people come up with for the logo and the Prix Eau Faux, I read last year’s entries and they were hilarious.
Also really looking forward to the Daphne review as this is one of the recent releases (Havana Vanille is the other one) that I can’t get to and try.
On the plus side, this week has been great for free samples. I’ve 2 Hermessences, 2 Armani Prive, new Goutal, new Acqua di Parma, Badgley Mischka, new Guerlain and…. 31 Rue Cambon (yay!! and swoon)
And yet more on the way.
Looks like you’re going to have some fun!!! Which Hermessences did you get? I like VT quite a lot. And OY is very nice, too…
Should hopefully keep me occupied for a while.
I got the latest Vanille Galante and OY (SOTD, lovely). I’m familiar with all others, love VT and have a sample that I wear regularly and own a bottle of AN.
Im definitely interested in designing a logo. Good idea for a contest. Will the readers be judging the entries or just you?
I don’t know…but so far only 3 people have expressed interest, so it may not happen at all.
But, id love to have a 33% chance of winning.
I have a question stemming from last week’s discussion of fall frags you look forward to wearing, what would be good for a newbie like me? I’ve ordered samples of 31 Rue Cambon, Coromandel, Cuir de Russie and Bois des Iles, as they all sound very intriguing. I currently enjoy Bulgari Jasmin Noir, Coco Mlle, Narciso Rodriguez, what should I try next?
What you’ve got lined up sounds very nice, and mostly approachable by new sniffers. (I had trouble with the leather in CdRussie, although I often like leather notes – but that may just be me.) I started my sniffing with the Chanels too, and then moved on to more classics.
Have you thought about doing a Monday Mail for more recommendations? (see bottom of page, on the left)
once you’ve sniffed 31 Rue Cambon, you won’t need anything else….oh wait, of course you will….ever try: SSS Champagne de Bois, Guerlain SDV, Mauboussin, Delrae Bois de Pardis, Frapin 1270, Montale Soleil de Capri, Fendi Theorema, PG Felanilla, PdN Vanille-Tonka, Hermessence Ambre Narguile, AT Une Rose Chypree, AT Incense Rose, Lea St. Barth, PotL Luctor et Emergo, any Amouages??? hmmmm, it apprears I am a Fall Fragrance Ho.
So true about the 31RC, I can’t get enough of that stuff since I got my miniature on Tuesday.
You’ve got some fantastic stuff on the way already and it looks like we have similar taste so I’d second Ambre Narguile recommendation (if you are into amber) and Fendi Theorema. Also suggest Piguet Visa (fruity patchouli with a touch of leather. A modern re-make and quite approachable, I think), Amouage Lyric is wonderful too. Perhaps the original Prada also (easily accessible)?
Wow, thats quite a lot of abbreviations. I still consider myself a newbie and i dont have a clue what half of those mean. You, and other gurus like you, may want to consider, especially when making recommendations, taking the time to type out the full name of the perfume house and the fragrance.
Some acronyms (not all I’m sure) are listed here:
https://nstperfume.com/2008/04/25/a-perfumista-lexicon/
Alternatively, given people are kindly taking the time to make recommendations, the person receiving them could google, for example, “Une Rose Chypree” and see that it’s from Tauer Perfumes by perfumer Andy Tauer, and say “oh, AT = Andy Tauer”. Or simply ask the recommender to clarify, rather than grouse at her shorthand.
L’Artisan Dzongkha and Timbuktu, and Eau d’Italie’s Bois d’Ombrie are nice for fall too…and Lubin’s Idole.
In other news – luckyscent has the Purse Bullet roll-ons by Juliette Has a Gun. I love the look of them, but I’m not a roll-on fan and I need to try the scents that they have available before purchasing.
I just tried Issaye Miyaake’s A Scent and was kind of blown away. Anyone else?
No but I am totally dying to try it! Tell me more!
I was blown away… by the strength. It’s really nice, but I’m feeling it might need to be applied lightly to minimize risk of headache. Don’t take that the wrong way: it’s a stupendous green floral.
No, I agree it is really strong, I’m not even sure I want to wear it (too floral for me) but it is quite old-school. Sort of like Private Collection but with a brighter lemon-peel thing on top. I would like people to wear this sort of thing more, honestly, rather than the fruitier-vanilla stuff out there.
Wasn’t wowed at first try, but later on I tried it alongside Versace Versense – only then its comparative genius hit me. Still, most likely Not Very Me.
I smelled it twice briefly in the bottle lid and loved it both times. I kind of feel like waiting for next summer for it
Yeah, it’s mos def a spring/summer scent.
I’d try my hands at some graphic designing. =D
I really like the photo you used here, Robin – beautiful colours.
Isn’t that a great shot? I love it.
As a perfume newbie, I’m very excited about my first Prix Eau Faux! But can anyone hope to beat Serge Lutens famous “tick tick tick tick tick………”???
Well, Serge isn’t allowed to enter
Good thing – we plebians wouldn’t stand a chance.
I might also be game for a logo.
Got my first full-on paycheck and there will be some perfume in my mailbox soon! I found out MPG is folding or changing or something so am going to bite the bullet and get a couple of those – Secrete Datura is one of my faves and I found it on sale. The Rose Kisseme sounds fab enough to buy unsniffed – it is on sale at Luckyscent so I may just do it.
yay! Onward!
Daisy, I’ll be emailing you soon.
Hooray, Tama! Congrats and wishing you much fun!
Ohhh if you see Bois de Turquie in that sale, please give a yell. I like that one quite a bit but never seem to find it anywhere…
I’m definitely interested in the logo contest; the question is whether I’ll get off my lazy bum to actually do it!
Can someone who knows Guerlain Sous le Vent better than I explain to me why sometimes it reeks of cheap lime-flavored sourball candy and yet sometimes I get a wonderfully spicy, vaguely carnation-y scent? It’s like Sybil in a sample vial…
I think a lot of Guerlains are like that – I gave a sample of l’Heure Bleue to a friend and told her some days you will think this is the most beautiful thing you have ever smelled and some days it will smell like a medicine cabinet.
Good point. I’m still soldiering on with the Guerlain classics — L’Heure Bleue still smothers me, but the other day Mitsouko finally didn’t smell like barf! So, progress… I think.
Robin,
It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. It will all get done and those of us who are grateful for Now Smell This will still be here. Please take time to smell the roses or whatever scents give you joy.
I am a little over-extended at the moment, thanks
I was at Marshall’s tonight and walked by a big shelf full of hand sanitizer by CA’s Ed Hardy line. Thought I’d grab some from my teenager to ward off all the nasties this fall/winter… took a sniff, and debated getting some for myself. It actually smells really good!
I am usually anti-sanitizer but I don’t want to get sick this winter, so I may take up the habit. Bath & Body Works has some nice-smelling ones and I may pick up a bottle.
I prefer hand-washing for myself, frankly, but teenagers are like swamp-things, so I thought if it smelled great and came in a fun bottle, maybe – just maybe – it would catch on.
FYI – if you don’t want anything to interfere with your SOTD, Lowe’s Pro Gone sanitizer is fragrance free and Target carries a brand called Smart & Silky that is fragrance and alcohol free. It’s marked as Kids Foaming Hand Sanitizer.
Why do I know this much about hand sanitizer? Because we have to sanitize the kids in the computer lab and I have a kid who is allergic to fragrance. Thank goodness, mine isn’t strong enough to be a trigger or we’d have a problem.
Hi Robin
hope u manage to catch up and get some rest !!!
I’de be interested in designing a logo….your photograph has the most amazing colours…but a little to “posed” for my abstract tastes. It gives me reference for painting…tthx
Thanks!
Well, I liked your logo.
And I don’t think I’m very talented at drawing logos, but I would love to partecipate. If only to be sure we have our logo contest!
(as long as the last ones classified don’t get exposed to public shame ;( ! ).
BTW, is my application binding?
…what if I don’t come up with any inspiration?
Oh my, I’m already stressed.
But yes, it is also fun!
I’m just a bit worried….
LOL…no, we won’t beat down your door looking for your logo submission, ha!