The usual open thread: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you're trying to hunt down but can't seem to find, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is petali bianchi spazzolati con colore giallo by eye of einstein at flickr; some rights reserved.
Today I wanted to try some new samples from Lucky Scent….I wish I had more arms to put stuff on. I tried Jasmin et Cigarette on one wrist and and Love by Killian on the other. Talk about beauty and the beast…I love the dirty jasmine of CDG’s perfume and the electric marshmallow of Killian’s. I’m filled with the desire to snuggle…and eat smores…
Typo alert! I mean: Etat libre d’orange’s marvelous fragrance Jasmin et Cigarette. Very sexy. Luca Turin gives it four stars. “Floral ashtray”. Love that book.
Hello Seattle_Painter. I was just reading that book last night, going through what they say about the Rosines… it is the BEST nighttime reading! I’m jumping between that and The Brothers Karamazov, depending on how tired I am. You can probably guess which one puts me into a deep (Russian) slumber more quickly.
I think Jasmin et Cigarettes is great! And Kilian’s Love is one of the, alas so many, good vanillas out there!
SOTD: Parfumerie Generale Cuir d’Iris… (still deciding whether to buy full bottle of this one…)
A dab of Ambre Russe and you are all set! I love the Guide and keep it on my nightstand along with my perfume journal. I’ve never kept any kind of journal or diary before but after “discovering” perfume I’ve filled several volumes. I love trying out new fragrances in the evening and keeping notes about them to refer back to.
Thanks for reminding me that JetC is a scent I am dying to try and havn’t yet. Must give it a go. Jasmine is a favourite note of mine, and anything with smoke/incense/tobacco/skanky-ashtray is my kind of vice!
Have you tried Amouage Tribute Attar? It was pure ashtray on me-definitely NOT my sort of thing, but if that is what you like…You never know, either, it might smell waaaay better on someone else. My skin does strange things to some perfumes.
Jasmine et Cigarette is definitely one I want to try! And I also love the book- I have it on me all the time. Just love the writing style, and it’s so easy to do in short chunks when you just need a little interesting reading to tide you over!
Hey Seattle, last night on one wrist Jasmin et Cigarette and on the other Hermessences Vanille Galante. Luca Turin calls the latter “vanilla jasmine”. It’s certainly indolic which is strange juxtaposed as it is with vanilla. You might like it. I like both of these–still working from sample vials.
Hmmmm… I’ve been wanting to try that Jasmin et Cigarette…..
Me too!! I think a sample order is in the works soon….
I really liked the JeC when I tried it. I thought the ‘ashtray’ aspect was subtle and intriguing.
Send me a note – Julia941 at mua and yahoo. I haven’t worn Jasmin et Cigarette much because my daughter fell in love with it and made off with my first sample. She really likes wearing it out to live music events and that seems sort of right to me. Smoking is verboten at most venues now and that jasmine/cold ashtray accord brings a little old school to a concert.
Jasmine et Cigarette always surprises me with it’s quirks. Sometimes when I wear it I wonder who’s smoking! D’oh. I also really like Etat Libre D’Orange’s Eloge du Traitre. I have Rossy and Fat Electrician samples coming — wee!
SOTD: Jacomo Silences from a sample vial. I had to find out what all the blog buzz was about. It took a few tries until one day I suddenly loved it! Silences has been easy to wear in hot weather, easier than Cristalle, which is also a favorite.
Oh, have not tried that in years — I should dig it out!
It took me several tries to “get” Silences, and now it is a true favorite, especially in humid weather. (Just a comment: it is not at its best in fall, when it can seem cold and screechy.)
Mais, the heat index here is 101 degrees right now (and going to get worse) yet Silences is still smelling pleasant. I’m getting a FB soon so that I can keep wearing it all summer (although I hate the idea of it sitting in a UPS truck in this weather).
Now I’ve been thinking about lacing my laundered linens with fragrance. This means, I’d like to ‘perfume’ my sheets and towels, etc, while they’re in the machine. I usually use fragrance-free detergent. However, I have some fragrances that I think I’d prefer on my sheets rather than on me. Has anyone every done this before? Does anyone know what quantity and at what cycle point I’d need to apply?
Thank you in advance 🙂
I never have!
Try doing a search on the Perfume Posse. I read something there on this topic within the last week or so.
Saw that too. If I remember correctly the best method seemed to be mixing seltzer water and a few spritzes of scent in a downy ball and using that in the rinse cycle.
It would probably be best to use it in the rinse cycle and then line-dry your laundry. If you use a dryer, you will likely be wasting your perfume, as the heat of the dryer tends to destroy fragrances. The fragrances in laundry products are composed of exceptionally durable ingredients that are able to withstand the heat. Just a guess on my part, but–I would think this might work better with a cheap fragrance, composed of mostly synthetic ingredients, than with an expensive one that contains a lot of naturals. If you find a way that works, please let us all know.
Well I have to say that I recently bought some Maison Francis Kurkdjian (not sure I spelled this correctly, forgive) Acqua Universalis laundering liquid because I loved the actual fragrance. I CAN’T STAND how it smells on my laundered clothes! I mean it is nearly unbearable and I was so disappointed.
As for adding fragrance, I do this occasionally when I am washing my intimates by hand and simply spray the fragrance directly into the cold water when I am rinsing. I find this true to the (obviously) original and leaves a wonderful scent to my undies. Also you can adjust how much/little fragrance. This works very well in small batches!
Right, and hang dry!
You can perfume your sheets easily enough once they’re on your bed– a spray between top and bottom sheet will do the trick. Just keep the spray way down in the middle of the bed (where your knees will be when you’re in bed) rather than up close near the pillows, in case you regret your choice of scent. Fragrance always seems to last longer on fabric than skin, so that bed will usually stay scented until you change the sheets. Make it a light spritz toward the top sheet, so the mattress doesn’t get too much!
This is my preferred method. I sometimes spray my pillows, but only with things I know to be sleepytime favourites. I made the mistake of spraying something new directly on the bedding and found it so distracting I had to get up and change the sheets. Spraying the fragrance on a cloth is a much better idea. 😉
Thanks to everyone for the lovely suggestions. I definitely try a few drops in the rinse cycle. Sadly, I don’t have a clothes line so can’t line dry. Maybe I’ll drape my sheets over doors 🙂
lovethescents: to be honest, I think what I’d do (other than actually mist the sheets as you’re making the bed) is to wait until almost the end of the dry cycle and spritz a slightly damp washcloth or handkerchief (one that you’re planning to retire to the “rag bag”) with several good spritzes of the scent, then toss it in for just the last 5-10 minutes of the dry cycle on lowest heat setting, or even on non-heated “air fluff” setting.
I don’t think I’d put it in the rinse water because I’m really thinking you’d end up just rinsing most of it away
What a wonderful idea, Joe. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂
Finally managed to order Michael Kors Island Hawaii! I have all the others (Fiji, Bermuda, and Capri) and have been having a difficult time getting this one. Neither Amazon UK nor US will ship it to France, I ordered one bottle from Amazon US, had it shipped to my parents in the US, but then they couldn’t forward it to me here because the post office refuses to send perfumes now. WTF?
Finally found another store in the UK that will ship to France. yay! It is my favorite of this series, with Bermuda second, Capri 3rd, and Fiji last.
It is true, you can only ship perfumes ground in the US. Many people just lie about the contents of the package.
Umm… no, no, no one does that… Never, ever. Certainly not me. Uh-uh… Nope…
Shhhhh!!!
I burst out laughing when I read this. When the people at the local PO ask me if there are any blah blah blahs in the package I state ‘no’ and always feel guilty for lying to a government employee. What am I supposed to say? Yes, it’s fragrance, a cache of deadly and powerful vials….
I’ve worried about how I would handle this if I ever did a swap or split. I don’t want to lie, but there needs to be a way to ship these things. I wonder–the reason for the ban on perfumes is flammability. Has there EVER been a fire on a USPS plane caused by perfume?
Perfume? Don’t know. But there has been a crash caused by improperly packed hazardous materials in the cargo area. That was the horrific ValueJet crash in 1996 in which the plane crashed in the Everglades and everyone on board died.
I think FedEx does dangerous goods. But it’s a _really_ expensive service. I prefer to take the risk and put perfume in a sealed bag to try to minimise potential leakage problems.
You can always ship UPS…
I’ve *heard* that some people label the contents as “cosmetic samples”. 😉
USED cosmetic samples, even. I’m sure that my post office either thinks that I’m a complete weirdo or having drugs shipped to me from overseas.
That’s what I would do. If I did this sort of thing. Which I don’t.
No, no, no, of course you don’t. Neither do I.
And LOL Cynthia at the “used”! I’ve never gone that far.
Yes, I’ve had some labelled that way. No idea whether it makes any difference. On the upside, unless your package was actually leaking (or maybe making a lot of slooshing noises) I wouldn’t think the postal services would bother opening things. If they combined efforts with customs it would be terrible D:
I talked to the guy at USPS and part of the problem is leakage like Lilybug mentioned. He told me about a guy who shipped some type of homemade liquid foodstuff (wine?) – anyway, the problem wasn’t so much the flammability but that the bottle was broken and ruined all the mail in the same bin was ruined. Essentially it was some sort of mail tampering issue because of the damage. The ValueJet crash was caused by a series system-wide errors and the cargo hold contained a number of improperly packed oxygen compressed generators and no smoke alarm system, fire suppression system, or even a properly sealed no-recycled air system which would allow a small fire to simply burn itself out.
I doubt a few samples of perfume could do that kind of damage and I wonder how differently they handle full bottles of perfume that are shipped by online retailers.
bwhahahahaha!
I labeled some packages as cosmetic samples — oops, I mean I *know* someone who did that — and the lady at the post office asked if I made soap. I got so flustered (I know nothing about making soap and was worried that a) she might ask me questions about the process and b) she might ask me for a bar) that I mumbled something about lipsticks and beat it the hell out of there…
Isn’t it exciting when you find a new discovery that is “a keeper”..well I doscovered Felanilla recently and I am in love!! been spraying twice a day for several days now. 😀
OMG! Felanilla is so sexy! I was trying to decide what to wear today-I think that may be it!
It is very sexy! glad I could be of help. 😀
It’s a nice one!
Oh I’m glad you liked it! I think I was one of a bunch of grumpy people recommending you not to buy it unsniffed a couple of weeks ago? It’s nice that you found a new love 🙂
Anyone know where to order Parfumerie Generale 30ml bottles? Luckyscent doesn’t have them.
Yes-The Perfume Shoppe…ordered one from her.
Do you have to ask? Only 50 and 100 seem to be offered. I need some Psychotrope!
I don’t know for sure, but I think it might just be their main line in the 30 ml size, not the private collection or LE scents. Just a hunch.
You know what? I think you might be right…
so no bois blond in the 30ml of course. 🙁
Aw, @#$%!
I had no idea they existed! That’s exciting to learn. Bois Blond, come to mama!!
Isn’t Bois Blond incredible?
I’m on olfactory overload, there’s nothing I really want, but THAT I have to have! 🙂
It’s one of those can’t-stop-smelling-myself scents. Why did the Perfume Shoppe have to be mentioned, anyway?
This week brought me one step closer to earning my perfumista card. Going in on my first split. Not sure if it’s because I’m a newbie or if it’s just me but I have the scent attention span of a gnat! Decided I’d better start looking into decants and splits before I end up fragrant but homeless!
There’s swapping, too on MUA. That’s help keep me from going broke 🙂
This is going to sound silly but I’ve been hesitant to try swapping because of the “extras”. I’m not the most creative person in the world and there’s no way I’ll be able to put together a cute package with adorable extras! Pathetic, aren’t I?
I don’t think you’re pathetic at all. I’m a newbie to all the online perfume world as well (although not to perfume itself–I have been head over heels in love with perfume for decades.) I have not done a swap yet, and I have had the same concern as you. I have been concerned from another angle as well–I don’t particularly want or need most of the things people mention as “extras” myself, so they would likely be wasted on me. I have all the pens I need, I don’t use notepads or journals, I seldom wear makeup, and my skincare is as simple as can be. Of course, I guess I could keep the extras and re-gift them to the next person I would swap with!
Thx 50R – I feel much better knowing I’m not the only one who thinks about such things. You bring up a good point though. What would I do with any extras I received? Maybe there needs to be a “no frills” swapping category?
People do put comments on their swap page as to what they would like/not like. Some do specify that the only extras they would want are fragrance samples. At least that way, you would be more likely to get extras you would actually use.
Thanna, I wouldn’t worry about it. All I ever throw in is perfume samples, and aside from our resident jewelry maker, I don’t think anyone else does more than that.
Miss Kitty is right – most of the folks here simply send perfume samples, although some more than others. 🙂
Please Thanna, don’t let the cutsie thing stop you. All people care about is if things are securely packaged. Come see me on MUA-I’m givemesomescents.
Thanna & 50 Roses: Don’t worry about extras… I’ve yet to get a pen or cute notepad. Maybe a mini shampoo that I don’t want or have use for, but usually just extra samples (often things I don’t want either, but I’m not going to be ungrateful).
If you have one or two extra sample vials lying around — of things you’ve sampled and know you don’t want to keep, just throw those in. It’s not complicated and can be a lot of fun and — most importantly — saves precious $$.
Does La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme smell like poop on anyone else? I bought a bottle about 5 years ago — at the tail end of my pretty-pretty scent phase — and it’s just never smelled good on me. Don’t know what I was thinking — poopy ain’t pretty-pretty!
Have a sample of the normal La Chasse aux Papillons. Unfortunately on my skin it smells like nail polisher.
lol – I was going to post that I was wearing La Chasse aux Papillons today and how beautiful it is. Now, I’m just hoping that I didn’t smell like poo or nail polish to the people I was eating lunch with.
The only fragrance (besides vintage stuff) that I’m trying to track down right now is my back-up bottle of LL Fleur d’Corail – I’m still kicking myself for not grabbing it when I saw it a Marshall’s a few weeks ago and now they’re all out. 🙁
Hey, I think it is all about skin chemistry. Some scents are beautyful on others, but not on me. Did you look at Ebay for LL?
Oh dear, I am so sorry you have this experience with La Chasse, just having come off of a plumbing disaster down in the basement I have been wearing perfume like crazy to get rid of the awful smell embedded in my nostrils. I will be certain NOT to reach for La Chasse!! My apologies for referring to the unmentionables in my basement but it was so directly related to your subject (somehow) and let me tell you there is nothing bottle worthy about the real thing. I need a nostril wash.
Time out with a neti pot! 🙂 So sorry about the basement.
Ugh, that sounds vile. Why does no one seem to be anosmic to poop smell?!
Twas indeed! I hope you all don’t think me horrid and associate me forevermore as ‘the one with the poopy basement’! I actually sprayed large amounts of an old bottle of KL (which was my signature scent when I lived in France my junior year in college) to mask the issue, which may (or may not) elevate me a bit in your eyes! It was one of the more horrid things a perfumista could ever experience. I would not wish it on my my worst perfumista enemy… but it is over now. Perhaps I will need therapy to recover from this?
(Scent therapy, that is!)
No poop on me! Just pretty-pretty. Wonder if you’re amplifying the ylang ylang?
Ooh, you may have hit the nail on the head — I do have issues with ylang ylang (Tabac Blonde, for instance, makes me ill), so that ‘s very possibly the problem.
No poo scent on me, just pretty pretty. I’m trying to make my little sample last until I can go FB.
SOTD: Kenzo Amour. And on my right hand Micallef Note Vanillee from a sample, delicious.
Love Amour! Wish they’d do another summer sort of flanker for it.
my mum loves it too but the price has gone up a heck of a lot.
it’s the same pricing a Chanel now.
so I might as well get her a better brand for the same price :/
getting her Coco Mademoiselle for Christmas 🙂
Oh my goodness, Owen. Do what you please, but if she loves Amour, don’t worry about a “better brand”… I am a bit surprised though that 50ml of Amour costs more than the Chanel. But also think of how beautiful that Amour bottle is.
Would not agree that every Chanel scent is better than every Kenzo scent, not by any means.
A summer flanker would be so nice 😀
I’m actually looking for another summer frag. Suggestions? It needs to be something that can be found at Sephora. I am currently wearing Kenzo Magnolia and Chance eau fraiche.
Sephora: I’m really enjoying the Clean Summer scent (Not Summer Linen, but summer) and the new green outdoor shower one. I also have been really happy/surprised by YSL Parisienne. FLowerbomb is always a fave, and Tocca Salina is v. nice too. How about the Michael Kors Island set? Now I want to go shopping and darn it, I’ve got wayyyyyy to much already. Hope this helped!
A little sweet, but I like Philosophy Field of Flowers (at this spring I do), and Fresh Eau de Vigne–grape vine, who knew? !!
Seconding the Fresh Vigne, and boojum’s UJSLN recommendation below. If your Sephora carries any of the Bvlgari teas, those are worth a try too.
I’m not sure what Sephora carries anymore… but 2 I saw there before mine scaled back its perfume selection would be Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil and Guerlain AA Tiare Mimosa. The Tiare is a light, pretty floral along the lines of what you have; Sur le Nil is sharper fruity floral with just a breath of incense. It was the one that sent me down the rabbit hole, as they say. 🙂
The Hermes frags last about 20 minutes on me — especially unfortunate because they’re so darn beautiful.
I accidentally got Mediterranee on my leather watch band… it lasted an entire week. 🙂 You could always spritz some on your clothes to make it last.
Watchbands really cling to perfume! I’ve had that happen too.
No kidding. I threw out a watch after a tragic Allure Sensuelle accident.
Huh — I’ve never worn a watch, but maybe I’ll start. 😀
My everyday watch is a stainless bracelet style so scent absorption isn’t an issue. My other watch is an old Timex face threaded on a grosgrain ribbon that I just tie on my wrist. Very easy to change out if it clashes with my SOTD.
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic. This suggestion is very different from the others mentioned & not a flowery scent, but I think it’s fantastic for hot weather.
Agreed!
No Sephora here but I’m guessing they would stock the a lot of the usual department store suspects? If so then how about EL Bronze Goddess or Diorella?
Thanks for the recs everyone! I should try those Bvlgari teas again, my tastes have changed so much over the last few years. I checked Sephora for new scents and I’m also intrigued by the new Viktor & Rolf La Vie en Rose, has anyone tried this?
too early for a SOTD yet, but last night’s go-out scent was Morgane Le Fay’s Blue. I’ve had two perfume a-ha moments this week….first is that Blue smells on me very much like a random perfume oil I bought from a catalog (Soft Surroundings, perfume is Aya Blue perfume oil). So now I’m glad because when I run out of my MLF I stil have a 10 ml perfume oil bottle of the Aya Blue to go through.
Second is that Ineke’s Evenings Edged in Gold smells exactly like the *original* Givenchy Organza that I wore back in 1998 and loved. Organza must’ve def. been reformulated at some point because now it smells thin and watery with none of the heady sexy notes of the original. When I sprayed EEiG on last week I was shocked how similar it was (on me, I don’t know if it is on anything else). I’m thrilled!
I think today’s scent will be Caleche Eau Delicate, or Apres La Mousson which I tried for the first time the other day, I’m not usually a melon type of girl but I liked it a lot and it’s supposed to be v. warm here today.
Both fun discoveries! Will have to smell Evening Edged in Gold again.
SOTD is Attrape-Coeur. This is probably not supposed to be a hot weather scent–our highs are about 90 right now–but I love it anyway. It is sweet, soft, and warm, but not overwhelming. Even though it is considered an oriental, I find it softer and more restrained than most. To me, the difference between Attrape-Coeur and most other oriental scents is the difference between honey and molasses. I always think of honey when I look at it–the combination of the bee bottle and the honey color of the liquid–and I think of this scent as being a lot like honey, sweet and delectable, but not drowning out everything else as molasses would do.
I love this! It doesn’t sit as nicely on me in humid weather, though.
I live on the Gulf Coast, so all we get here is humid weather, except for maybe a few weeks in December and January.
Wow. Wow. I think my head just exploded… Attrape-Coeur (which I love, btw) in the heat?? Wow.
You are braver than I am. Although I admit to wearing a dab of L’Heure Bleue or Carnal Flower in summer humidity.
Of course, I am not out IN the heat, I am in my air-conditioned house, which is only 76 degrees. Seriously, though Attrape-Coeur does not smell “heavy” to me, only sweet and luscious. If it makes you feel better, I promise not to wear Vol de Nuit or Youth Dew until at least October.
But VdN is FABULOUS in the heat! Really! That velvetiness it has in the winter sort of disappears, all the green and the leather notes amp up. And you only need a tiny dab.
I would wear VdN anytime, anywhere. It’s a heady and sensual perfume on me. I love love love it, big thanks to Julia!
Mals, you’re funny! I love it. I realized recently that the thing that makes some scents wear well in the heat is how *casual* I can be while wearing them. In shorts, flip flops and a loose tee or tank top, bring ’em on! Carnal Flower, Ubar, L’Heure Bleue (I wore it to a summer concert in a church and I was in *heaven*)… so yeah, I could probably rock Attrape-Coeur. I had this heat epiphany while wearing Le Maroc pour Elle, by the way.
But yes, if I had to wear anything heavy or cloying when dressed for work and trying to hop from air-conditioned car to air-conditioned building or something, it would definitely turn into a situation of Kill. Me. Now. Put me in a hammock and nowhere to be, and hell, I’d even try Opium just to see how it performs in the heat.
OH, you know – this sounds like a Summer Dare Contest. “What’s the heaviest ‘fume you’ve ever worn in 90F humid heat?”
You know I hate anything in the Opium-Youth Dew nexus, but I’d take on big white florals. Or PdN Vanille Tonka. Or Alahine.
You know, Opium honestly isn’t my thing either, but I’d try it out. I know about the TB Curse from Hell thing you have going on. I’ll make a little confession: I think I’ve totally gone off Vanille Tonka; something in that sears my brain and makes me want to retch lately, but I no longer have any in the house to keep retesting my theory. I like your contest idea. Big white flowers make perfect sense in heat to me only because they’re … wait for it… *tropical*, right? Speaking of, I got the most delicious bar of Tahitian Tiaré Monoï soap the other day and just leaving it out on the bathroom counter it gives off a wonderful scent.
SOTD is 31 Rue Cambon. I wasn’t sure how well this would work in the warmer months when I was buying it last autumn but it’s proving to be extremely versatile.
I’m still looking for a perfect summer floral. I like OJ Frangipani and Aqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile but I’d love to know what the rest of you favour.
Hi ABYSS. I replied to your question but my comment came up down below by accident, sorry!
Thank for the suggestions! It’s funny that you should mention Dia because that’s been on my OMG, Instant Love, Must Own A Full Bottle! list for a couple of years now. I must admit, though, I always think of it as a more formal, year round option rather than an easy summer floral.
I worry that things like Carnal Flower have a potential to be a bit oppressive in hot weather. I did like Tom Ford BOVDF when I tried it so I should re-visit that one.
Carnal Flower, when applied LIGHTLY – and I mean dabbed, not sprayed – is just gorgeous in hot weather.
And I love the VDF too but prefer it as a bedtime scent in summer.
Thanks, mals. Wow, everyone seems to really dig tuberose in the summer! I must be a bigger wimp than I thought since I always worry it would be too much but I’ll try Carnal Flower again. There is something in the base that doesn’t quite work for me but I keep trying it every few months anyway.
Yes, few of these are ‘easy’. I would say they carry quite a bit of heft!
I enjoy Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’Eau and Olene, which have enough spine to stand up to both heat/humidity and AC.
Thanks! Olene would probably be too much for me but I think I have a sample of L’Ombre dans L’Eau somewhere!
I live in a dry-heat climate myself, so my faves are geared to that. The choice depends of course on the actual temperature: nice, hot, really hot, or insanely hot. Chanel no22 or EL PC Tuberose Gardenia (this one’s actually better for humid climates) for the first two temp ranges. Fidji for the first three ranges, and EL Aliage for insane heat (granted, Aliage is mostly galbanum, but temps over 100 F don’t allow me to enjoy really flowery florals).
I’m looking forward to others’ recommendations, because I feel rather monotonous in summer.
Thanks for the suggestions! That’s the second mention for No22 which I only smelled briefly. Must re-visit.
I too feel a bit monotonous in the summer since most of my favourites are more cold-weather scents. I do have plenty of choice for more unisex summer fragrances, but a perfect hot weather floral still escapes me.
One floral I like for summer is Diptyque’s Do Son. It’s a watery, slightly salty tuberose. Both my husband and love to splash it on in the very hot weather.
Thanks! I’ve definitely a sample of that somewhere, I’ll dig it out.
Any number of Jo Malones work well in summer, and I love Pacifica’s Malibu Lemon Blossom.
Happy weekend everyone! I’m testing Profumum Ninfea this morning and i was really looking forward to doing so, with the honeysuckle and all. I didn’t enjoy the initial stage, but the drydown is wonderful. I guess I didn’t feel that the grassiness worked well with the floral notes at first. – it was a little overwhelming for me.
Oh, I need to try that one!
Sampling SL Mandarine Mandarin today; I’m getting gentle smoky spices over a whiff of mandarin. This will be so perfect to wear in September reading a book & watching the rain… I had to test it against Baghari which, of course, opens roughly in comparison, is brighter & more major chords, more candied waxy orange. MM moves in and out of skin scent status. I’m really enjoying it, but probably don’t need to catch a plane to purchase a bottle.
That’s about how I feel about MM.
gg: I’m envious; I’m a total Lutens fan and am eager to try that one. Someone was hosting a split recently and I had to restrain myself from jumping onboard because I couldn’t justify the cost. I do have to get a sample sometime though. Your description intrigues.
Joe, it’s definitely worth a sniff!! Very mutable & remarkably well made.
SOTD: Some vintage Emeraude, with my grandmother’s vintage No.5 on one arm – trying to love, or at least like, it and hoping good memeories will help! Still looking for a summer floral that I can love…
Argh..that should be memories. I need more sleep!
Oh, if you can’t find love for vintage no 5, send it my way. I’ll bless you and your grandmother.
Another vintage Emeraude fan! Lovely! Umm… and you REALLY want to send that Chanel to ME!
No, no, over here! Send the Chanel over here! I have had my eye on some vintage Chanel no. 5 on eBay for some time now, but I have held back because I really have overspent lately, what with FBs of Bois de Violette and Attrape-Coeur. There always seem to be “new” old bottles showing up though. I have some sort-of vintage Emeraude as well–circa 1980, anyway. I don’t know how much it had been changed at that point, but I imagine it has been cheapened even more in the last 30 years.
The 70’s/possibly early 80’s Emeraude is pretty darn wonderful. Do you have the edc in the tall bottle with the white top? That’s what I fell for in the 80’s, and it’s not bad. 70’s parfum de toilette is even nicer.
It is the tall, fluted bottle with the fluted gold cap that they used for all their frags around that time. I have a Muguet du Bois of about the same age in the same bottle, just with a different label. I am absolutely certain of the vintage because I bought it myself when I was in high school, so it had to be between 1978 and 1982. I just don’t remember the exact year. It is labeled “flacon mist”–I take it to be an eau de toilette strength, but I am not sure. It has good lasting power, though. The oddest thing is that it is an aerosol spray, with propellant, not a pump spray (the Muguet du Bois is in a splash bottle). The label has the “warning–contents under pressure” etc. on it.
Wonder how long they used that packaging? I have a bottle of Muguet des Bois in that same bottle but I’m pretty sure it’s of more recent vintage.
Well, if you bought it new yourself, of course you’d know the year! 🙂 That was probably a decent formula – I’ll bet it still smells good.
SOTD: Lush’s Karma, but I forgot I was wearing it (no coffee yet) so I’m also wearing Serge Lutens Bois de Violette.
I do that kind of accidental layering all the time!
I need to get some of that Karma cream. Of course, in the store it smelled like nothing, but once I got out in to the air it was great.
I want to start a petition for Hermes to create coffrets of everything they’ve got.
Hermessences, Les Jardins, all of it.
A retrospective “Curated” by Ellena with 10 ml (or 15 at most) bottles.
Perhaps re-editing old perfumes by the house.
I would certainly splurge if it covered a lot of releases.
With a book explaining the history of each release and photographs by Fabien Baron.
We can dream, right? 🙂
I’ll sign!!
Me, too! Great ideas, kaos.geo!
Awesome idea!
I followed a woman in the store a month or so ago (when I was in Orlando for my father’s funeral) to find out what she was wearing it was so lovely, and it was Chanel Chance, which on me was not that great. But I am telling you this was drop dead gorgeous on her! Perhaps worth a try? Badgley Mischka,TF Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, Chanel No.22, FM Carnal Flower/Une Fleur de Cassie, and Amouage Dia are all outstanding (summer) florals, but by no means ‘light’ if that is what you are after.
Not worried about light per se- Shalimar is my absolute fave with Black Cashmere a close second at the moment. I am defintely tend to like more of fall/winter types of fragrances. 22 smells vile on me but will have to try the others. Thanks!
Arrggh again…there should be no ‘am’ in the above sentence and definitely should be spelled correctly. Sorry!
Oops..just realised that I replied to a post meant for someone else. Apologies Abyss and sarahbeth.
Give Chamade a try as a summer scent. I love it, and while it does have the Guerlinade drydown, it has a lovely green opening, making it perfect for summer.
I adore Chamade! I am definitely a guerlie – girl , Guerlinade is just bottled perfection for me.
So sorry about your father. I’ll have to try Chanel Chance, don’t know if I’ve ever smelled it. It’s always interesting to me that perfumes might smell beautiful in someone else’s sillage, but then I wear it and wonder about how it smells on me, and it won’t be the same, I’m sure.
I commented several below to you, Sarahbeth.
Thank you!
Love that photo, Robin! IMHO, frangipani is the Platonic ideal of the flower – the perfect and perfectly simple shape, and perfect fragrance. 🙂
SOTM is vintage Balenciaga Fleeting Moment PdT, originally composed by Germaine Cellier in 1949, but mine is more likely the 1960s version (based on Perfume Shrine’s interesting review). It has an herb facet that reminds me of Diptyque’s Virgilio and makes it more interesting than other 60s/70s lady ‘fumes.
Agree, that’s a great shot! And your perfume sounds interesting…
Just wanted to say thanks to the NSTers who offered links to Cake Wrecks in a recent lazy day post. Hilarity! I can’t believe I’d never encountered that website before– needless to say it’s bookmarked now. . .
Lordy, is that site hilarious! I ran across it last year and have laughed so hard.
It’s the best, isn’t it!
Her more personal blog is a lot of fun, too:
http://www.epbot.com/
Thanks for this cool link, Tama!
SOTD: Tauer’s Incense Extreme. More and more I have come to appreciate its minimalist simplicity and rough hewn sexiness! This has become one of my favourites of his line. Although, I have said that about Lonestar, Reverie and L’Air at one time or another!!!
Agree!!
Suddenly wanting to try TDC’s Sublime Balkiss – can anyone comment on this fragrance? Thanks.
I liked it!
I like it too. its a leafy green, happy sunshiny scent and black currant is quite prominent to my nose. I think it’s also got a bit of dry incense or pepper which makes it fresh through the dry down.
whats a great scent to try for a nice pipe tobacco accord?
Rictor – on me, PdE’s Ambre Russe is all pipe tobacco. LOVE!
SSS Tabac Aurea.
I’ve seen that mentioned several times recently. Might have to get an SSS sample order together. I’ve loved almost everything I’ve tried from that line except for Champagne de Bois. Sounded so perfect for me but just didn’t work out.
Do try it! It’s absolutely beautiful.
FINALLY tried some Cuir de Russie today! Wow. It’s the EdT of course, and leathers have been the next frontier to me. It seems so un-Chanel- the top with all the iris is, but then after an hour or so all that civet and those animalic notes come out and I’m in heaven! Bravo for Chanel still making this. I can only imagine what the extrait must be like. I think it’s my perfect leather. If only it lasted longer! Perhaps the full giant bottle is necessary so I can bathe myself in it!
Jared, I’ve been wearing Chanel Cuir de Russie for days, it’s an amazing leather and it lasts a fairly long time.
Gorgeous, isn’t it? I’d love a bottle of this at some point. Now to choose between a huge vat of EDT or a pure parfum.
I think that it smells exactly like a Chanel bag stuffed with fragrant Chanel goodies (face powder, etc).
I’m wondering where the parfum is available. I heard it’s only in the Paris boutiques? But I wonder if NYC has it somewhere.
I’m in UK but the standalone Chanel boutiques in London have the pure parfum so I’d imagine that a large flagship Chanel stores in US would do too.
Jared: Bergdorf Goodman has it in NYC – 800-558-1855 (no affiliation). I bought myself a bottle of the extrait for Christmas. BG’s has gift cards in Sept. and Dec. I think. Not sure if there is one coming up before Sept. though. $25 off of a $100 purchase.
Yes, it is divine, and yes, I’d been a very good girl. 😉
Ooooh, lucky lady! Is there a huge difference between parfum and EDT?
The usual – deeper, richer, smoother.
Oh thanks! Good to know! I suppose I’ll try this EdT for a while and see how I fare. (Really, probably both would be good to layer! Hello $$$!)
The parfum I bought – only 1/2 oz. – actually was quite a bit cheaper than those ginormous bottles of edt. With the gift card – $135. Seems pretty reasonable these days.
Wow, it does sound like such a huge bargain, relatively speaking.
Every week I get excited about upcoming Lazy Day polls because I’m constantly thinking of questions. But *lazy me* never writes them down. So by the time it’s poll-time, I’ve literally forgotten what I was burning to ask. Argghhh! Hopefully they will come to me…
SOTD is Floris Malmaison. Wonderful spicy carnation floral! And I’ll probably be testing some other newbie samples and decants throughout the day. Scored a *cheap* bottle of L’AP The Pour Un Ete this week AND wow, it’s already a new FAVE!
Oh no…tell me it wasn’t the Bigelow sale! I didn’t see it on the available list, so didn’t call.
It was actually 🙁 I called twice. The first time it was not on the “available” list. The second time, it was!
Drat. I knew I should have checked in case something was missed… esp after Daisy snagged Vanilia even though that wasn’t listed. Ah well…not like I NEED any more perfume.
I have a little decant of Malmaison, and it is fabberlous!
I love Floris Malmaison, too! I mentioned being a carnation fan and somebody sent me a sample and I just adore it!
So sad they discontinued Malmaison 🙁
Oh me too! I’ve got a small decant… It’s making me want to explore all the other carnation scents….Villoresi, SMN, Bellodgia…
Make sure you try the CdG Series 2: Red Carnation – it’s wonderful.
Yes, I have a sample of that one somewhere. I want a bottle…
According to Sanchez/Turin DO NOT try Mona D’Orio’s Carnation. I would have to agree it starts out promising then quickly falls apart. There is a nice Fragonard carnation scent, hmm I think it is Billet Doux (Love Letter).
I did *NOT* do well with Bellodgia, even vintage – I found it unpleasantly soapy. The CDG was great, and Billet Doux was just the girliest, sweetest carnation ever (a good thing for me). My favorite carnation is still DSH Oeillets Rouges.
I hear that the Mona Oiro Carnation refers to blushing, not to the flower. Haven’t smelled it, though.
Ah interesting. Thanks, mals!
SOTD is JM White Jasmine & Mint. It was so hot and humid in my apartment when I got up this morning I couldn’t contemplate putting on anything else (I don’t have central air, which I bemoan every summer).
Yesterday tried Micallef Red Jewel (many thanks to Daisy) and quite liked it.
Hi Jill. What are the notes in Red Jewel? (Is this a new Micallef?) I have been curious about this line, but the prices have steered me in other directions… the bottles are interesting though, and would certainly look nice on my shelf! I would have to know that its contents were worth it, however. What is the general opinion about this line? (Perhaps it is Daisy I need to talk to!)
Sarahbeth, I’m unsure of the notes — when I did a search for it, I couldn’t find anything on Red Jewel? Hopefully someone else knows more. I am horrible at picking out notes, but I got a big, orange-spicy vibe from it, and it strikes me as more toward the “masculine” side of the spectrum. I don’t know anything about the Micallef line except that they have nice bottles!
Sarahbeth (and Jill): I really like Micallef, though it’s a pricey line for sure (though what isn’t these days?!). Gaiac is one of my faves and their Rose Aoud is beautiful. Royal Muska is a very nice floral musk. Strength and lasting power are good on the one’s I’ve tried.
As for Red Jewel: I have a decant of regular Jewel (poss. avail. only in Europe) and Daisy thinks Red Jewel might just be a slight variation for the Middle Eastern market. Both are in crystal-encrusted bottles that look alike, but those on Red Jewel are pink. Daisy said in a sniff test they were very alike. I think Jewel is fantastic: sort of a rich, aldehydic orange scent. It smells very lush, and like a very deep orange with some spice and perhaps orange blossom as well.
Thank you Joe!
Just FYI, link below is to the German retailer that seems to be the only place that has Jewel (it’s referred to as very limited edition). I’ve only seen Red Jewel on eb*y from a seller in Kuwait.
http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/kosmetik_produkte.php?products_id=6624&language=en
Thanks for the info, Joe! The way you describe Jewel does sound very similar to Red Jewel (at least how I experience it!).
Happy Saturday to all! This morning, I’m starting with two Goutal fragrances I’ve never tried, Le Chevrefeuille and Eau de Ciel. So far, I don’t think either will turn out to be right for me.
A little later… the honeysuckle is starting to appeal to me, now that it’s settling down. The Eau de Ciel has a musty quality (The combo of rosewood & linden? Not sure.) that puts me off a bit.
Ciel smelled like bubbles to me, but Le Chev is one of my favorites.
Bubbles?! As in soap? You know, I’m sniffing again and thinking of laundry detergent (the powdered kind).
I got “line dried sheets” out of Eau du Ciel, and liked that very much. I don’t want to smell like that very often, but when I do, nothing else suits me.
Bubbles, as in the kind you blow as a child. Soapy bubbles. And C… have you tried LAP’s L’Ete en Douce? That’s a clean sheet scent to me.
Heehehehehe – in my notes, next to L’Ete en Douce, I have =Tide.
How funny!
Haven’t tried the L’A, E – and probably don’t need to since I already have that little Eau du Ciel mini. It may serve all my Laundered Sheet Smell needs until I die.
I have a bottle of Eau du Ciel, which I bought on an impulse after testing it in a store. Unfortunately, I liked it less and less the more I actually wore it. My problem, though, is not mustiness but excessive sweetness. It doesn’t seem to have any base notes, and it becomes too cloying. I think this is the first time I have seen anyone mention this frag here, and I had wondered if I was the only one who had ever tried it.
I’m starting to wonder if linden just isn’t my thing. I do like Neil Morris Clear, however, which features that note.
I’ve never tried a linden scent because there are rows of linden trees where I live. They are blooming now and are so beautiful. I know, having smelled the real thing every Spring, that I would be horribly disappointed by a linden perfume.
I have a small bottle of linden essential oil (diluted in jojoba oil) and I like the smell of that very much. The notes of EdC are supposed to be linden, iris, violet, and rosewood. Rosewood is much sweeter than sandalwood or cedar, so I am thinking it is a matter of synergy among all those sweet, flowery notes. I think it needs something to ground it.
***********************
Just tried a quick experiment– I layered Eau du Ciel on the back of my hand with some vintage Coty Chypre. The Chypre strikes me as being all base notes with little or no top notes, just the opposite of the EdC. So far, it seems very nice, a sort of DIY floral chypre.
I adore the smell of real linden blossoms, as I was complaining a few days ago on another post, no fragrance comes close to the real deal.
Ciel was just ok and was Jo Malone French Lime Blossom (I actually think that the candles smell nicer than the cologne). OJ Frangipani has a wonderful lime blossom note but it’s by no means dominant.
This was the fragrance I wore when I was pregnant with my first… I mean very pregnant. Now I am not sure how I would feel about this scent. I remember being complemented on it then (sixteen years ago!) but I think I was just radiant and beautiful as I now find all pregnant women to be. Of course back then I just felt like a cow who happened to have perfume on. I did love it though, Eau de Ciel.
I find Eau de Ciel a bit soapy for my taste. I have a mini and I do enjoy it once in a blue moon.
It’s one of those days where just one isn’t enough. I’ve wearing Chergui, which Rictor07 might try for a sweet pipe accord, IMHO. Also dabbed on a bit of AG Musc Nomade, but it will never come close to Musc Ravageur for me.
And for a different stroke I’ve added (I need more limbs) a small dab of Chamade. Chanel is getting a break today.
I just asked The Man what he thought of Chamade and he said I smelled like candy. He needs training, obviously. I had just put it on and wasn’t about to explain top and heart notes, dry down; his eyes would glaze over.
My husband has no nose for fragrance either. He wears it every day mostly because I like it on him. I wear perfume because I like it on me. Consequently, I do all the fragrance shopping for both of us, and choose things I like.
Im the opposite. My GF never buys fragrance for herself, but she will go out with me and sniff some once in a while. She would be perfectly happy with mainstream. She keeps telling me she just wants bottles with “bling” that look nice on her dresser. I just roll my eyes at her.
i did try Chergui recently on paper. I didnt like the powdery opening, but it was much better after the first 30. It was one of the ones i wanted to revisit and try on my skin.
I think there’s a world of difference, paper strips vs skin. I can’t get a true reading on perfumes off of a strip, and can actually smell the paper itself.
*sigh*
I would love it if my husband gave even a little tiny hoot about fragrance. I ask him to wear it, and he rarely complies. I wear my own and he barely notices, but he does appreciate how happy the stuff makes me. I suppose that makes me more bearable to be around? Hmm.
Maybe it’s time for a change-up of what you normally wear. I’m sure if you tried something a bit different he might perk up, maybe he’d say, oh my, what is this?
Good idea. I would have to really figure out what notes and general impressions he likes, and then when he’s around, adjust accordingly. See how I just plain overthink things?
*thunk*
SOTD is DK Iris, which would be a HG if it were stronger. Actually, it is HG-worthy, in any case. I love rooty iris, too, but this is so warm and floral. Mmm.
DK Iris and Black Cashmere are both on my (lengthy, I admit) to-try list. So many perfumes, so little time…and so little money to go around!
Black Cashmere is wonderful – definitely get sniffing! Also, try Chaos which is really lovely as well. It is not the confident assertive fragrance that BC is but rather a comforting, peaceful herbal- resiny joy. Wenge from the Essences line is great as well and layers nicely with both. Enjoy !
I would really, REALLY love to get my hands on some Fresh Index Grape & Vine, but I think it was discontinued eight-ish years ago. I miss it!
So sorry! Sounds nice, but I never tried it.
Is that different than the Fresh Eau de Vigne mentioned above?
SOTD is just a dab of SSS Incense Pure. Even though it’s hot (90’s) and extremely humid, this scent somehow feels refreshing. I only put on a small dab as I’m going to a concert tomorrow and will probably want to wear something else and IP lasts forever on my skin. Love it though!
Great choice! I love incense, even I’m the summer. And IP is superb. CdG Zagorsk makes me feel cool in the hot weather, which we’re having too – a rare thing in June in Northern CA.
I really want to try that one. I recently got an incense fragrance from Ava Luxe that is quite green and refreshing – it’s very good.
Today I’m wearing Vamp à NY by Olivia Giacobetti for Honoré des Prés (from Denyse’s preview at Grain de musc). It’s pretty much the first tuberose I’ve ever wanted to wear, and have worn it for two days now… it’s beautiful!
Isn’t that gorgeous stuff? I love me some tuberose, and I think Vamp is stunning. Longevity not very good on me – it’s completely gone in 2.5 hours. OTOH, I did not follow the “Spray your arm wet” advice she gave for it, so perhaps I’d do better with a generous spritz. Oh, but it is beautiful.
It *doesn’t* last very long on me either, and I’ve bees spritzing skin, hair, and clothes… but I kind of like having to apply 3 or 4 times a day (including bed-time). I guess I feel that way because one of my last tuberose experiences left me swimming in monster sillage for several days, having only applied one spray!
“been spritzing” sorry!
MALS86, have you tried L’Artisan’s Nuit de Tuberose yet? What do you think? I can’t decide, I’m right there with Robin’s review of it but gathering other opinions… I THINK I like it, a lot.
I have a small decant and have sniffed the bottle – what I’m getting out of it is POTTING SOIL MILDEW camphoraceous tuberose WET DIRT. Which I hear is the classic Duchaufour thing, not that I’m all that familiar with his early stuff. So haven’t tried it on skin yet, mostly because I’m worried about the possibility of smelling like dank potting sheds in public.
It may play out differently on skin, though. If I get brave, I’ll try it soon.
Ooh, I have so been wanting to try that! Glad you love it!
Want my free sample? The first person I thought of was Mals when I smelled it. I knew she would be loving it. I’d love to find a tuberose that played fair with me.
Ohhhh, you didn’t like it?
I admit I was wary because of that darn t*lu b*lsam – but it is not bothering me in Vamp. My plan was, “If I hate the sample, I’ll pass it on.” But I, um, didn’t hate it.
When I put it on I instantly thought of En Passant and you, of course. I was so hoping to like it. OTOH, there’s no shortage of scents for all of us, and I love that I can just pass it on.
I’d love your sample, meadowbliss, if you’re sure you want to part with it! I’m at toriphile07@yahoo.com — we can swap samples!
Consider it done. Enjoy!
My sample of that broke in the post 🙁 The jiffy bag sure smelled nice when it arrived, though.
Oh, that’s too bad. Did you contact the person who sent it to let them know?
I’ve never heard of this one. Sounds lovely!
Denyse has an initial review of it on Grain de Musc. Some of us are participating in a mass bloggers’ sample review on 6/23. I got mine late last week and am trying to spend some time with it before discussing…
Hello fellow fumies,
It is finally a nice day today and the sun has my spirits lifted.
SOTD is sadly ..nothing.
I think I just have apathy for summer scents these days..
I cannot find one I feel is worthy!
It’s kind’ve discouraging since I love to wear fragrance all the time. I just feel like everything that is light is – so indistinct!
I want the perfect one. Suggestions?
Has anyone tried Guerlain’s Eau De Fleurs De Cedrat?
On another note, I did something crazy in the middle of the night guys,
I was sniffing my Montale bottle and opened it.
I looked in there and the bottle wasn’t even half full!
I had just bought it recently from The Perfume Shoppe when they had their sale in May. I was alarmed, I mean it made my stomach hurt. Had I been jipped?? But Paula was so nice to me , it hurt my feelings almost!
So long story short- I poured it out in (very , very carefully mind you! ha) clean measuring cup! hahha Crazylady alert!
Anyways, all was well, it was just the right amount(100ml.) but I guess in those long aluminum bottles it’s not filled all the way.
I don’t get it, why not use use smaller ones?
I’m so stupid but I was worried.
And Paula called the other day to tell me my White Aoud had finally shipped from Canada ,( I ordered on May 17th)
I was sweating that one too,
what if it never came, how would I handle that?
Online shopping is kind’ve scary sometimes,
you take such a risk huh?
Ok thats my perfume story for the day, thanks for reading!
Has anyone else done some thing like me?
I’m scared nobody will pipe up 🙂
I have tried the Cedrat. It is a fleeting, but lovely citrus/woods. Spray yourself wet in hot weather. The opening won’t last more than 20 min., but a faint woody drydown is there for 4 hours on me. It is my favorite of the Guerlain colognes so far.
The Comptoir Sud Pacifique bottles are the same…they don’t come filled to the top.
Ahh don’t worry, Ive had a cfew hundred shipped to the Land Downunder, from Europe, Britain, the US, Asia, have had one broken that was packed up at customs and mailed on, then replaced by a wonderful ebay seller, and samples form TPC opened, resealed, shipped on…even the volcano hardly slowed things down!
Hello Wini! Wow you really do go through some things to get your stuff. Thats crazy that they pilage through it and then send it to you like that, I would be pissed! And I’m sorry about the busted bottles. Hopefully that hasn’t happaned any time recently.
Thank you so much for piping up on here, I appreciate that.
I felt really dumb when all day went by and no response to my silly tale.
I’m afraid I’m too deeply involved with my perfumania, I am in such a fever for it these days.
Kinda wish it would loosen it’s hold on me, if you know what I mean 😉
Well thanks again, have a wonderful week Wini!
Truly , Tamara
I’ve finally found a spare moment to start testing my By Kilian discovery set, I’m very positively impressed (trying to focus on the scents, not their prices)
I was quite impressed with them also, but the prices are in fact discouraging. Im looking for smell-a-likes for a few of them.
I need to try By Killian, BAD. Which is your favorite so far?
Cruel Intentions and Straight to Heaven were the ones to strike a chord with me.
it’s a bit early for the favorite, but I know which ones I’m not tht keen about: Love (it’s too marshmallowy-vanillic on me) , “A taste of heaven” (trying it for the first time now, it’s actually getting worse and worse, now it’s going through a musty-moist-rag phase 🙁 ) , “Straight to heaven” would be great on a man (and I need to meet him!). So: the good ones: “Prelude to love”, a nice iris-citrus, “Beyond love” (is still one of the best tuberoses out there, and I’ve tried heaps of them, even the last HdP, AP, and Vamp a NY), Liasons Dangereous (beautiful plummy accord, but misnomed should be called “Grandma preparing jams”), “Cruel Intentions” needs a second try, and Black to Black is still on the to try list
Just arrived in the mail: package from 8a hotel containing the Lisa Kirk “Revolution” fragrance, a birthday gift from my hubby (his selection). He’s wearing it, since I’m doused in Vamp à NY.
It reminds me of Bulgari Black, sans sweetness and added cumin + oudh (no idea if either of those notes are actually in the frag).
It’s interesting, but the jury is out as to whether it’s actually wearable!
Oh, what a cool gift! And it sounds appropriately weird.
Yay – I get to share something SO cool! Just got home and got the mail which included a treasure. A small bottle of vintage Chanel no 19 eau de cologne. It’s bee-u-tee-full!!!! I don’t think they make the cologne any longer – is that right? Anyway, to me, this is a green, leathery, mossy iris scent that is making me happy as can be. This is definitely a new favorite for me. Has anyone here tried this? Thoughts?
I will have to look — could swear I have a small vial of the cologne. Don’t know what they’re still selling in Paris…
I’d love to know what you think of it. For a cologne, it’s fairly long lasting. I got it from Ebay, sold as vinatge, but not really sure. It’s really lovely either way.
CONGRATS! And I’d bet that if it’s edc and mossy, it’s vintage. But really, if it’s terrific, what does it matter?
I really love the vintage edt.
It’s later in the day now. I spent some time reading and sunning in my pretend pool (hot tub filled with cool water) and now I’m lavishly spritzed with a Goutal that I DO love. Vetiver!
I really love that one, too. I used to wear it to the office often, but I think I’m going to start saving it for weekends. 🙂
I started my day with a spritz of Demeter Gingerale – it is actually hot out and I went out to the beach at Fort Funston, which you have to get to by climbing down some sand stairs (basically logs joined by cable and thrown down the hill to create steps), so I got a great workout (in the “thought I might die climbing back up” category).
Once I was clean I spritzed my sample of Fresh Hesperides, which is actually a rather nice citrus-floral. I pooh-poohed it when the SA shoved a paper of it under my nose (don’t generally like anything by Fresh) but I wound up with a sample somehow anyway. For the price, I could see having a bottle and applying fairly lavishly. Don’t know if I need one, but it is growing on me.
Hrrmpf, I’m starting to wonder whether there is much difference between the $20 and the $200, does this mean I’m entering another phase??
Actually, the new Honore de Pres (organic natural) were a real wakeup to me, I was expecting a sort of funky headshop thing that would make my ole hippy heart happy…and they are amazingly bright and transparent…and I was associating that vibe with “modern chemical”…
P.S. but VERY impressed with the H d P!
today i am wearing a new fragrance called fig amaretto by Liz zorn…. But tonight I am going to change and wear M. Micallef’s Notes vanilles….
Fig amaretto sounds nice.
Also testing Manoumalia today- wow, what a strange creature this is! I haven’t quite smelled something where the masculine and feminine elements are thrown together so forcibly, neither dominating but holding each other in check! Very distinctive- I could see how this would be a very polarizing scent- either love it or hate it! I’m kind of loving it- and I think a man could pull it off since all of that vetiver in there does battle with the tiare.
Funny, I don’t think I get any vetiver from it, really, but it is sort of grassy, I believe. To me it’s very floral but not a sweet floral. It’s quite a nice fragrance.
Wouldn’t mind owning it myself. I’m surprised it’s an EdT. Either way, wonderful. I’m probably lumping vetiver and grass together in this dark green sort of sensation. I also get the same thing that happens in Carnal Flower- this transformation into leathery rubber. Not sure what causes that, but I love it.
Just ordered my 2nd perfume of the month, BLIND, Korres Pepper/ Jasmine/ Gaiac Wood/ Passion Fruit. Hope I like it! The first was Estee Lauder Sensuous, which I think is a really lovely woodsfest/skin scent. I was in the market for a great summer scent and ended up with Sensuous somehow? For some reason I am drawn to perfumes that represent (in my mind anyway) the opposite climate which I’m in. My brain says buy one thing, but my hand controlling the mouse clicks elsewhere.
So does anyone have any experience with Korres fragrances? I love many of their products but have zero knowledge of their perfumes. This is the sort of thing I should post BEFORE I buy, isn’t it? I need to start taking advantage of all of the sites decanting, I’m such a n00b.
I have so little experience it almost doesn’t matter…I tried a few of their “fragrance waters” a few years back. Been curious about those 3 newer perfumes, but have never seen them.
Here it is just after 5pm — just checked NST for the first time today and now 215+ comments! 😉
It was a bit warm (near 75) at midday, but now it’s cooling down again (65). I do wish it was warmer in the shade and in the evenings here more often. Oh well.
Wore Annick Goutal Grand Amour all day. It goes on such a lush floral bouquet but it really settles down a LOT fairly quickly. I love when I first spray it on though. Decided to finally compare it to Chamade when I got home a little while ago; I think Chamade is greener and almost mossy up top, and when GA dries down it still has an aspect of musky hyacinth smell when I bring my nose close to my skin. Both are really great, springlike floral that both evoke green/blue/lavender colors to me.
Confession: I wore out my spray sample of FM Vetiver Extraordinaire last week and I finally “get it.” I promptly got a 5ml decant from a friend who happened to mention one was available. VE may surpass Sycomore as my favorite vetiver, though both are must-haves.
Enjoy your weekends, everyone!
You want warmer? Come here to the Houston area–it was 90 today, and our LOW tonight is supposed to be 77…and over 80% humidity…and we probably won’t get a break until at least October…or maybe November.
mmm I love Vetiver Extraordinaire. It’s the one that I think of as a “rich” vetiver as opposed to the citrusy lighter ones like Sycomore and Vetiverru.
50_roses: I totally know I’m being whiny about our cool nights! I much prefer this to 100-degree super-humidity. I feel for you. I just don’t like having to don a fleece pullover at 5pm all summer long because of the “cool ocean breezes.” You can smack me now. 😀
Tama: I don’t feel that way about it exactly… to me it’s as bright and sharp as Sycomore & Encre Noir, but there is a different vibe somehow. I also got a decant of SL Vetiver Oriental, and that’s a whole different game too… very heavy elements (leather? cumin?) at the top, and the true character of the vetiver doesn’t appear as much until the drydown. Love, LOVE them both, but VE is amazing! I just had to squirt a drop on right now.l
It’s OK, I’m just envious. Of course, there is a good side to living where I do–as I tell myself every winter when my in-laws in Denver are getting buried under mountains of snow!
Very jealous of the cool ocean breezes….very very very jealous. Every time I complain about the humid mosquito filled summers my partner says we should move to the West Coast. But part of me is so East Coast, I can’t imagine it….But still…
Funny that you get light/citrusy from Sycomore… I get heavy, nutty, chewy vetiver from that one. In fact, it’s often too much for me.
I find it a bit smokier, but still a lighter one. But I have never sprayed it lavishly so I could be full of it. 🙂
That’s so funny Boo, I thought Sycamore was a light bare wisp of a scent.
I’m with boo on this one. One spritz from “the jug” can sometimes be too much (overpowering, etc.) to the point where I can actually “taste” the fragrance. Those Chanel LE spritzers really pack a wollop LOL.
Oh, and like Tama, I get a lot of smoke from this one (not nutty and chewy, like), but only on the opening & the middle. I get citrus in the late drydown (2 or so hours in…)
I agree, VE is pretty fantastic. It is the next thing on my list to buy, and I kick myself for not getting it sooner. I wore Sycomore today and was reminded how much I absolutely love it. Very few fragrances cause the kind of reaction Sycomore does! I think both offer a different take, so they both get a home in my collection.
ITA about Sycomore, Jared. It holds a very special place in my personal perfume hall of fame 🙂 . I was a preemie perfumista when I sniffed it for the first time and it literally blew my mind – the fragrance itself and the fact that it was done by Chanel changed me forever. Although the Jardins (especially sur le nil, like boojum) sitting in Sephora were what got me interested in this whole field, Sycomore is the fragrance that had the most surprising effect. To me, Sycomore illuminates (in its perfect execution) what was/is possible in fragrance.
Grand Amour has been a staple for me lately – springtime in a bottle. And I also like VE, but need to spend more time wearing it! It’s one of my favorite vetivers.
SOTD is Susanne Lang Red Ginger. I’m undecided about the opening. It’s quite sweet, almost jam-like, but the spicy amber in he lingering drydown is addictive. Unfortunately I’ve used up most of my sample yesterday and today. I feel like I need more time with this one. I was surprised how much I was intrigued by it.
That one didn’t work for me at all (sweet-amping skin). I think I sent my sample out with a split (who knows, maybe it went to you)… but I’ll look to see if I still have it around after all. If I do, it’s all yours!
Somebody here recently recommended Montale’s Jasmin Full (wish I could remember who: please speak up if it was you!), and it’s gorgeous. I have trouble with the big indolic white florals, and while this certainly isn’t a quiet scent, it’s an absolute cracker. When I lift my wrist to my nose, it’s far too full-on and show-offy. But when I just let it be, or dab it in an out-of-the-way spot, like behind my knees, it’s stunning. And it’s not the jasmine soliflore you might expect from the name: there are wisps of honeysuckle and leaves, and soft vetiver in the dry-down. Lovely.
I’ll definitely pass on that recommendation–thanks, whoever you are!
I was one of the ones chatting about it. Did you buy it or just sampling? I need to pull out my sample and give it a fuller try again. I could see it being the kind of thing that’s great to just dab a little of and catch a gentle whiff from time to time.
I think I may have mentioned it and then a bunch of people chimed in. It does pack a wallop but smells so so good – glad you are enjoying it!
Wearing M7 by Saint Laurent Today, one of my personal TREASURES! always makes me wistful, was a surprise Christmas present from my Beloved Sister, and it has always had a special place in my heart! 🙂
I think I need to get some of that – it is pretty wonderful stuff.
How sweet of your sister to give you something you love.
I really like Kenzo’s L’Eau Par Indigo Pour Homme but I find it far too light with nearly no lasting power whatsoever. Anyone have anything similar to recommend?
I wish I could remember it better…I reviewed it just last summer but admit it did not make a huge impression on me. Are you looking for a similar sort of woody musk with gingery spices? You could try D&G The One for Men or Burberry Sport for men.
SOTD is Ambre Fetiche – bad choice really for an out of town trip. Was expecting that it’ll be raining the entire weekend but it’s hot as one fine summer day. Didnt bring any other back up scent 🙁
Oh, sorry 🙁
I went for a country drive today and in a small town – quaint and popular with tourists – my 7 yo daughter and I found a delicious array of hand made clothes and decorations in silk an wool. She bought a beautifully made silk donkey, gold, with gold eyes. And I bought – Tocade! In a small cabinet in a corner I found a lovely collection of fragrance miniatures. Tocade is hardly a revelation to most people I’m sure but to me it was a delight, for I am usually into greens and serious orientals. How coudl I have overlooked this beauty?
Oh, and L’Air du Temps parfum, thank you very much. I hope in the parfum it works for me, as in EDT is reminds me of a bird’s nest.
A good day …
Tocade is great stuff! And it can often be had for a song.
Sounds like you had fun on your trip! I really like That Slut Tocade (it’s so… *friendly* – like it’s had a couple too many and has to hang on to your neck to avoid falling down).
L’AdT = bird’s nest? Fascinating comparison… it’s twiggy? Not neat and compact? I have some vintage edt that is nice once its damaged topnotes burn off.
I had a mini of L’Air once and loved it. Later I scored a 100 ml EDT tester very cheap – and hated it. I keep trying it every now and again, hoping I’ve changed my perception of it, but it is still dry and synthetic and rather awful. Withered. Ungiving. This morning after my shower I’ll try my new parfum. If it’s awful, I will have wasted my money, but I will KNOW that L’Air is no longer for me. I notice that LT gave it only 2 stars.
If anyone likes Opium, start stocking up now before those new bottles hit the shelves. I smelled some of the stuff in the new bottle, and of course, big time reformulation. It’s so thinned out and wimpy. Makes me want to grab a bottle of something that actually has some character and bone structure. Why must these mainstream fragrances get so debased??
I think those new bottles are already on the shelves in many stores.
SOTD yesterday was Nahema vs. Tea Rose. I was going to a garden graduation party, where I knew everyone would be dressed pretty pretty, and I wanted to smell like I belonged in the garden.
Today, I’ll be working in the backyard pre shower (just smells like grass back there- scented plants are in the front/side yard), so the perfume world is my oyster. I can wear something that no one in my house likes. Mr. Lutens, I’m looking at you.
That is a real benefit of solitude, isn’t it? Nobody in my house likes my Chanel No. 19. Which I LOVE.
Getting a very late start here today. After the pool yesterday (I’m a swimmer), I switched fragrance gears completely and did my favorite summertime layering combo. Hampton Sun Privet Bloom (EDT) over Terre d’Hermes. If you have these fragrances, give it a try! The Terre really cuts the “prettiness” of Privet Bloom, while the greenness of the PBs flowers really shake up the calm smooth character of Terre’s citrus-woody drydown. In a word, exciting! And long lasting.
Then we went out to the mall…overhauling our bed linens/towels, etc….and I sniffed the current version of Chanel Pour Monsieur EDT concentree on skin and wholly LYSOL, Batman! Anyone else have comments on CPM? Concentree vs. non-concentree, etc.? I even think the concentree version has been reformulated because I don’t remember recoiling in disgust! I know what Mr. Turin says…
Never have smelled that Chanel pM, and now I’m not sure I want to! Ha!
Yes, Lysol. I took one for the team and my report is: don’t go there. 🙂
My husand has Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree in his current rotation, and it smells very nice on him, in spite of what LT says. The bottle was purchased about 2 years ago, so it may have been reformulated since then. It seems a lot of reformulations have taken place within the last couple years. It is nearly empty, and I have a bottle of Sables waiting to take its place when it runs out. With regard to Sables, I do pick up the maple syrup note about a couple of hours into it, but that is perfectly fine with me. I LIKE maple syrup.
I know I’m late with this, but it just came up: vanilla. I just adore the far far drydown of Havana Vanille, once I’ve chopped through the rummy-tobacco jungle. That vanilla part (12 hours later) is both translucent and intense – totally unlike most other vanilla things I’ve smelled. No powder, no doughnuts or anything. It’s like vanilla liqueur, or super-extra-triple-strength vanilla extract, minus the alcohol.
Anybody run across any other vanilla fragrances that have that CLEAR, intense vanilla? Without the cotton-candy stuff?
I can send you a sample of La Maison Vanille Noire de Mexique. Have you tried that? It’s a little cupcakey, but no rum-tobacco forest slashing necessary.
What did you think of Vanille Galante? It’s got this lily-vanilla thing going on that keeps it from being syrupy-baked-goods…
Have you smelled Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille (I think I spelled that right)? I don’t think it is very widely available, but I did just see it at the NM in the Houston Galleria two weeks ago, so it is out there. My first thought when I smelled it was vanilla extract–as in really potent, double or triple strength vanilla extract. I didn’t pick up any cotton-candyish sugar overload, either, although it did develop some other notes in time. It would probably be worth your trouble to at least get a sample of it and see what you think.
Mals, I’ve been looking for the same sort of vanilla you’re talking about and haven’t exactly found it! But, I second the Vanille Noire du Mexique Joe suggested. It’s definitely worth trying if you haven’t.
How about Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Intense? someone sent me a sample of it and I adore it….it’s not frou frou, it has this intense, almost vintage opening that dries down to a pure vanilla. Love it!
I have 3 SOTD today and will probably have a 4th for bedtime. It was unbearably hot here today so I started out with I Profumi di Firenze Talco Delicato; mid-day before going to the gym, I spritzed myself with Carthusia’s Mediterraneo. After coming home and taking a shower, I sprayed on some Byredo La Tulipe, which I wore the rest of the day. Bedtime it will most likely be either Chanel’s Bois des Iles, Cuir de Russie or No. 22.
Hey, nice scent day!
Ok, I have a question to You guys (or whoever can help:)). You know one of my all-time favorites, and the most beautiful summer perfume is Ananas Fizz, yes I really love it:) I like it’s citrus heart, it’s creamy coconut, it’s sweet pineapple so ripe n juicy… ummm. do You guys think I would like Bahiana, based on how much I adore Ananas Fizz? Has anyone tried Bahiana? I was just thinking that because a lot of people compared it to Ananas Fizz so I was wondering. Thanx!
I love both of them…
https://nstperfume.com/2005/08/11/bahiana-by-maitre-parfumeur-et-gantier-fragrance-review/
Robin! What a pleasure to read Your review on Bahiana from past:) Now I think I will love Bahiana based on what You said! And yes, Robin, I do like fathers on my bottle:)) hahaha
On Saturday, I discovered a store that mixes the scent of your choice into hand cream or bubble bath: http://www.shopsalus.com/
I got shea lotion with red ginger.
Fun, hope you like it!