...fragrance you tested, and what did you think of it?
...thing you ate?
...thing you tried/heard/read/learned about — anything! — and said to yourself, wow, I've got to tell people about this?
(In case you're having déjà vu, we did the same poll back in April)
Note: image is Thistels in Brønnøy by fotoroto at flickr; some rights reserved.
Tested Jessica Simpson Fancy nights earlier today (on paper only), SOOO sweet!
Oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar ~ yum!
Reading GRRM Dance with Dragons, and after all these years of waiting, it is NOT living up to my expectations. The first three were the best… 🙁
I’m reading the series too – I’m in the middle of book 3 and loving every minute of it!
Onto the ever-growing book list this series goes!
Last juice I tested was Santal Noble, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, by Jean Laporte. A neat little coffee note during the first 10 minutes or so, then sandalwood, frankincense, and vanilla. It’s nice, but a couple of hours later I put a drop of Mysore sandalwood oil next to it and decided I’d rather just wear that. Sold as a masculine but absolutely unisex to me.
Sandalwood oil by itself is so lovely — same with vetiver — sometimes better than finished perfumes. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve tried that MPG or not, but I don’t think I have.
I need to get me some sandalwood and vetiver oil. Stat!
I got the opportunity to sniff some of this line for the first time this weekend – I tried Santal Noble on a blotter but not yet on skin. It’s nice!
I received a whole collection of Amouage samples for my birthday (yesterday) and am in the process of selecting my favorites. So far, I really like Dia, Ceil, Opus III and Opus V and will probably buy a full bottle of one of the above.
I really love the complexity of this line – I am smitten. Just wish they weren’t quite so expensive so I could own all of them!
Today’s trial: Opus IV that I spritzed as I typed this post… I smell spices of coriander, cumin and cardamon peaking out. Definately not suitable for 103 degree weather!
Ohhh! How nice!!! I haven’t had a chance to try the Opus scents. Where were the samples from?
My dog Henri ordered the Woman’s sampler and the Opus collection from Parfume Raffy. He’s a very good dog!
Who’s a good boy? My cat and my dog are very generous with me, too.
Yes, he is really good dog. I will have to talk to my cat. Maybe he will order some Amouage for me..
Never tried this stuff before.
Henri is a very smart boy, indeed! And happy birthday!
Need to borrow dog.
LOL!!!
This is why I have six cats – but only one husband! 😉
The last perfume I sampled was Cartier’s Baiser Vole – and I already have a decant of it. It’s delightful, very wearable but not boring, and wonderful for summer.
I’ve fallen for this one – love it!
I’ve heard really good things about this one, too. Need to check it out.
That bottle for itself earns a blind buy. Even cause Catier never disappointed me on a blind buy.
Currently testing Toujours from 2 Note Perfumery – stopped in there for the first time today (it’s in Portland, Maine…where I live…and I’m embarrassed to say this is the first time I’ve been in!). Unfortunately, the scent is a scrubber; but I came home with samples of some other things, so perhaps there’ll be something else I like.
Last thing I ate – pineapple and coconut gelato from Gorgeous Gelato (imported Italian couple opened this place here in Portland – it’s so good we went last night and again today…ha ha).
Something I need to tell people about – 2 Note has some really great body products. I bought the hand cream and lip butter. Natural products, good quality. Too bad I didn’t care for that Toujours, though!!!
HA…that did take you long enough! Are the body products scented?
Yes, they are. I purchased Opus I (interesting same names as the Amouages…) for the hand cream. It’s lavender, black pepper, and sandalwood. Scent is not overpowering, though. Lip balm is citrus, lavender, chocolate.
Aha. Will have to check them out, thanks!
Did I say “imported Italian couple”??? Huh???
Lol! A cute mistake. 😉
Perfume: Like This by Etat Libre d’Orange — got a sample from a friend. It’s citrus — I thought I smelled lemons at first, but the dry down is more like a tangerine. It’s really light so it actually might work on this 100+ degree day.
Food: Red beans and rice – nostalgic for my Louisiana home.
Recent obsession: The band Bon Iver! On their website, NPR has a full, live concert that Bon Iver played in D.C. It’s amazing!! If you haven’t heard this band, you must give them a try.
Love Bon Iver, and love New Orleans food too!
OK – that’s strange. You get citrus from Like This? To me it’s more like breakfast – waffles with maple syrup.
Same here, like pumpkin waffles. And I like immortelle – I just found it to be a little too much with the pumpkin and I didn’t detect much citrus, either..
I’m also surprised, I get no citrus either. But I don’t get maple syrup waffles either (maybe I will on another occasion, I wouldn’t be sad…). On me it’s more of a light-pumpkin-gingerbread. And I’m going to buy a bottle of it today! 🙂
Okay, Like This AND Bon Iver? Can we hang out?!
Ooh I like Bon Iver too; I found out about them (and Iron and Wine) 2 or 3 years ago thanks to House soundtrack. They use some good music in that show!
Just chiming to say that ‘Smell This’ is not at all a citrus to me, and may be a little heavy for summer – so I’m just wondering if your sample may have been mislabelled?
I was wondering the same thing!
Possibly. It was super light on me . . . almost gone really after a little while. Hmmm. What ever I tried was tangerine or Mandarin orange sweet.
Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola – laundry detergent – and Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude – almost like Bois de Farine on me! Might be a fb purchase.
Just finished off a left-over Panchero’s veggie quesedilla and half a dill pickle.
Ugh, unfortunately all over the social networks right now talking about the NATO helicopter of U.S. Navy Seals and Afghan soldiers shot down in Afghanistan. I’m very, very saddened and also angered by this. (Won’t go into it. I usually don’t mix my frivolity with politics!)
Oh dear. Have not checked news all day — been heavily involved upgrading home technology (new network). Maybe I’ll wait until tomorrow.
Gah. Don’t check the news today, either. It just gets worse.
Actually, I don’t have tv anymore (we had DISH satellite and it didn’t work for us – too many trees), which I’ve considered a blessing with all this financial crisis in the U.S. But my sister woke me up with this news yesterday morning. 🙁 I’m taking your advise, Julia, and not looking at any more.
I’ve been working my way through a jar of random samples from LuckyScent such as Profumum Soavissima, Omnia Madera, Santal 33, Darkly Audacious, Putain des Palaces. The only one I’ve formed an opinion on yet is Madera and I like it. I think I have another sample on the way but that package is being held hostage by UPS. My quest for the perfect rubbery/garage scent continues. I’m sorry that I missed the CdG Synthetic series.
My son is starting high school and I’m having some mommy-related anxiety over it. I know things are going to be great but it seems like yesterday that he accompanied me everywhere in a full Spider Man costume.
I’m with you over the high school and the Spiderman. With us it was Batman. Still, after an anxious start, my son is loving high school and doing well. He must gave been ready for it. Good luck!
Thank you. He wore that Spidey costume all the time so he dressed up as Peter Parker for Halloween one year and could not believe people thought he didn’t have on a costume. We tried to explain how super hero secret identities don’t really make for good costumes but he wasn’t having any of it. After that was James Bond and he wore a tuxedo everywhere.
Aw – so sweet! Sad when kids grow up! They’re so imaginative during those early years. Then they become us. 😉
my now 19 yr old went through a phase at 7 yrs of age of wearing his Phantom costume everywhere, even to the point of sleeping in it lol….of course he doesn’t care to be reminded of that 😀
A friend had an old aerosol can of Yardley Lace. The containers of these ‘body sprays’ do not do them any favours. At school my friends used to call these scents ‘deodorents’ and would spray them lavishly after P.E. So I associate them with trashy dreck scents for pre-teens. But then, surprise surprise, very high end brands produce the same aerosol brands of ‘body spray’, and they can be found next to the matching EDT which is next to the EDP. So what gives?
In any case Yardley is NOT a high end brand. After spraying it on all I could smell was a rather unpleasant version of white musk. The notes are actually listed as aldehydes, rose and oakmoss, so my sniff may have been distorted by some preconception that it would be a white musk. Also, it was old and may have turned.
Anyway, I am trying to test my nose on both more refined expressions of notes, and less refined ones – but my nose seems to get pretty much everything wrong!
Maybe you are hyperosmic to that particular musk, or maybe Yardley bulked up on the less expensive chemical musk and your nose is spot on!
I think I’ll go with that theory!
1. I’ve been a sniffing machine today and have already applied four fragrances; but the last of them was SSS Vintage Rose. And I thought to myself, I really need to wear this one more often. I love the warm, honeyed drydown so much I want to lick my wrist. Weird, right?
2. Chicken & vegetable stirfy. Yum.
3. I tried a fantastic wine the other night. It was a 2009 syrah from Melville winery near Santa Barbara. I’ll definitely be acquiring another bottle. I was so impressed with it. Smooth, yet full-bodied, and delicious as all get out. Love it when I discover a new wine!
Nice! I love SSS and enjoy honey fragrances. I need to dig out my samples and try that one again. I also like MFK Cologne pour le Soir – a beautiful, light honeyed rose.
You know, I haven’t yet tried the Maison Francis Kurkdjian line. I’ve also heard good things about Lumière Noire pour Femme. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!
Vintage Rose totally smells like honey. That one also have the half-life of uranium!
Melville are great, and the winery is beautiful too, when friends come to visit I always take them there!
How fun it must be to taste at their winery! So I take it you live in Santa Barbara County? I’m down in LA (Santa Monica), but I’d take Santa Barbara over LA any day (though my part of town is quite nice!).
Tried Love, Chloe on paper and wrist and (shocking news here) was given a sample in Macy’s. The salesperson actually offered me one without my asking! I was speechless. Can’t remember that ever happening before.
Had left over pizza for lunch. It was pretty good.
I promised myself a spending freeze on fragrance so I went out and bought some new curtains instead.
Though it’s not something new for me to try, I am going to make another attempt at knitting. I love crochet but just haven’t gotten the patience thing down for knitting. I know one of these days it will just click and i’ll love it. So I keep trying.
🙂 I’m a knitting instructor. Are you going to take a class? There is a global knitting community called Ravelry where you can find other knitters, knitting groups, and local yarn shops with classes available in your area. You can do it!
I am on ravelry. I can kill lots of time on that site. My mom taught me how to knit and crochet. She is a knitting/crocheting machine. Seriously she knits soooo fast and barely needs to look at her needles. I just need to be patient with myself. I get discouraged when it goes so slowly and I start to think that if I ever started a sweater i’d probably be a different size by the time I finished. So it’s good that mom is always looking for projects to do. I am trying to work on making more time for me and ways to relieve stress so I am determined to complete a project.
That’s great. I’m not a sweater maker except for the occasional baby gift. I really love knitting socks on double point needles.
Another knitter!
Once you get the basics down you’ll find that it’s just practice and learning how to follow instructions, really. It’s so Zen. Ravelry is such a fabulous resource!
Something I do which adds so much to my knitting time is listen to Audible books or MP3s of interviews from my favorite sites. Always spoken word for me as music causes me to sort of drift off into never-never land and I make mistakes.
It’s nice to have something to show for your hours of enjoyment. Others get to wear what I make but I have the pleasure of working with every inch of yummy yarn as I go. Win-win!
Oh, and I’m always sure to wear a delicious perfume to enjoy at the same time! Today is Boucheron by Boucheron, yummm…
Just tested Bulgari White Tea – not so great. At first a lovely tea scent, nothing special, but “nice”. Now, 3 hours later, on my skin, just about nothing.
And after reading Jessica’s post the other day, went out and got some Florida Water – absolutely love it and it only cost $3.99 – lasts about an hour – but who cares, in this humidity it’s delicious – like a cinnamon and floral shower.
Need to find some of that Florida Water!
Amazon!
Perfect – I LOVE one-stop shopping! Someday, Amazon will start selling condos and I can just live there! 🙂
Ha! Love this. I’m an Amazon fan, too.
I have some Florida water in my fridge — very nice when it’s hot 🙂
Most recent new perfume that I tried was SL Vitriol d’Oeillet last week. Today I’m re-testing Institut Tres Bien Cologne A La Russe which I received a few months ago, meant to try it again during warmer months and promptly forgot all about until a couple of days ago. I don’t consider myself a cologne-lover but this one is a little bit different and quite enjoyable.
Last thing I ate were fishcakes with a crispy green salad followed by ice cream and strawberries. Only thing missing was a bottle of nice white wine. That would have been just perfect!
The recent thing about potential flowing water on Mars is pretty incredible, I think.
Sometimes I stay away from lazy weekend polls because I start making a new addendum to my already too long “to sniff” list.
Now I’m off to find the Serge Lutens you mentioned.
Ha! I think we all know the feeling of the never shrinking/ever growing To Sniff list 😀
Unfortunately, Institut Tres Bien is out of business, and has been for the past few years…
Hey – just looked at their website – are they coming back???
Last perfumes I’ve tested: Bvlgari Man- very good, smooth, I liked it so much that I’m thinking about a full bottle. Montblanc Legend: smells like new clothes from Calvin Klein stores.
Last thing I ate: chicken strogonoff.
Last thing I learned: Oh man, difficult to know, maybe “you can only trust on yourself”. “Relatives are NO friends”. It’s not a good thing to share, but that’s it!
Sorry to hear you experienced this, Moore. I hope you find less painful lessons over time.
Love your description of Montblanc Legend!
Thanks for all Nozknoz!!! I hope so too. somethings is better to learn without living the situation. When you try Legend, please tell me what you’ve thought about it.
i recently tried Legend too. It is my least favorite of the entire Mont Blanc line. Like a stale potpourri of some sort.
I used to wear Individuel, but it became cloying to me. Everyone asked me what I was using. I like Starwalker although its poor longevity. Presence is by far the worst for me: it is nauseating and makes me gag. Exceptionnel has nothing exceptional for me. It someway common and its olfactory family doesn’t make my mind. I liked Legend: it’s a little bit different, dry, aromatic, nothing agessive and not smooth though…
A bunch of DSH samples from an order received two days ago. The hands-down winner from this bunch is Vert Pour Madame. Green scents as a rule are difficult for me; many of them seem just too austere. VPM, however, is indeed green, but with definite touch of sweetness. She may be strong, smart, and independent, but she has a warm heart. I think I smell a FB in my near future.
The rest of the samples in this order have been sort of meh; several of the Perfumed Court collection, Muguet de Mai, Formula X. The Formula X is supposed to help you find out your own natural skin scent type by how it changes when applied to your skin. I couldn’t tell much change in the scent when I applied it, so that supposedly means I have a “neutral” skin type. Formula X by itself seems to be a light “skin musk”. It is a perhaps little like SSS Egyptian Musk, except I can smell it better. I seem to be partially anosmic to the SSS EG. Muguet de Mai is a bit of a puzzle to me. I have never smelled real LOV (they don’t grow where I live), so I can’t compare to that, but MdM doesn’t smell like any other LOV scent I have tried (Coty MdB, Diorissimo, Un Couer en Mai, and others). None of the Perfumed Court frags have impressed me much. I don’t hate any of them, I just find them meh.
Homemade turkey noodle soup–so much better than anything I can buy, and one of life’s simple (but intense) pleasures.
DH and I visited Carlsbad Caverns on our vacation a couple weeks ago. All I can say is WOW! It is breathtaking. We had both seen it as children, with our respective families, and yet it was even more spectacular than we remembered.
Are you fan of roses??? Could you tell me some good masculine rose perfumes???
Tauer Une Rose Chypree and Incense Rose, Parfums de Rosine Rose Pour Homme, Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon, and Chanel Egoiste (rosy-spicy-sandalwood).
Fine list. Hope they aren’t as expensive!!! LOL
I am a fan of actual roses, as in rosebushes. I have over 50 roses in my garden (hence the screen name), and am becoming more of a fan every day, as they are actually surviving the terrible heat and drought in Texas this year.
I don’t know as much about rose perfumes, but to the list I would add Czech and Speake Dark Rose. Ormonde Jayne Ta’if is marketed as a feminine, but you might try it. I think a man could wear it easily. I haven’t smelled Amouage Lyric for Men (only the Women’s), but it is supposed to be a masculine rose.
So are mine! Let’s hear it for naturalized roses on their own roots! I’m in SA and everybody’s yard is directly tied to the aquifer level. We are in a scorched earth situation but my roses still look pretty good.
With 50 roses on your garden you don’t need rose fragrances at all!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ll second Egoiste (Chanel, by Jacques Polge) and add Knize Ten (Knize, by François Coty and Vincent Roubert), which has a rose note, although it shares the stage with many others). I’m told Lyric for Men (Amouage) smells great but some think it’s too feminine. I haven’t smelled it yet.
I’ve tried Egoiste a looooong time ago and i didn’t like it. I have to try it again cause my taste have changed a lot.
moore, I would add Rose 31 by Le Labo.
I saw something about it. It was a good thing, but I can’t really remember where!! Thanks for the remembering. 🙂
Gres Cabaret smells amaaazing on my husband: big of pepper, bit of incense, some rose and musk… mmm. Bonus: it’s cheap. Drawback: oogly bottle.
I’m curious about Cabaret. It’s notes, excerpt for the rose doesn’t sound so feminine. Thanks!! One cheap feminine perfume with rose that i love is Vanderbilt. Have you ever tried it??
Thank you all!!! I`ll try to smell each of them. Usually I like rose notes of the feminine perfumes, that kind of powdery, a little dry and creamy sensation.
I found Lyric Man a bit an the feminine side. You should check out Montale. A lot of them feature rose of some sort. I wear Black Aoud, which has rose with leather and woods. I also like Attar and Louban from this line.
Feminine soul can be a distinguishing mark and usually gets a lot of attention in a good way. 😉
I have come so close to ordering a sample of Vert pour Madame. You take me even closer! I can;t wear SSS Egyptian Musk. It screeches at me. Weird.
I think those Perfumed Court series scents from DSH are all (or mostly) naturals, and I don’t generally do well with those either. Big fan of Dawn’s stuff as a rule, though.
Can’t remember what the last fragrance I tested was, but the last one I tested and wanted to buy was Monsieur Balmain. Fabulous lemon fragrance.
Last thing I ate was leftover kimchi fried rice with bacon. Yum!
Last thing I wanted to tell people was this joke:
A penguin’s car is overheating so he drops it off at a mechanic and goes to eat an ice cream cone. He comes back to the shop covered in vanilla ice cream. The mechanic says “Hey, it looks like you blew a seal.” The penguin says, “No, no, it’s just ice cream!”
Love Monsieur Balmain– refreshing and long-lasting.
🙂
Lmao! I need to remember that one. Thanks!
Perfume – last tested was Sweet Redemption by Killian. Just looking at the notes it should have been perfect for me, but nope–too mild mannered. Not enough incense, not enough myrrh. Mostly soft orange blossom and vanilla. Maybe it’s my New England background, but somehow anything with redemption in it’s name seems like it should be a little more challenging than this. Pretty, though.
Food–plum and fig yogurt. Delicious.
Book – Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants. Highly recommended. Quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” On the paperback cover there’s a picture of a thistle. Just like the photo at the top of this post!
If anyone discovers the as-yet-unidentified virtues of poison ivy, let me know. Meanwhile, I will be destroying any I find around my house.
Ha – Poison ivy is a miserable nuisance for sure. I’ve even considered getting goats to eat the poison ivy in my fields. They will eventually consume it, but only after they’ve eaten the other plants they like better. And then, I’m told, you have to be careful that you don’t get a rash from the poison ivy irritants that stick on the goats’ hair. The only comfort I can take at all in it is that birds like those nasty little white berries on poison ivy, so it’s good for that at least.
Plum and fig yogurt does sound fabulous! Do you make it or buy it (or assemble it)?
Bought it. Liberte Mediteranee yogurt, made in Canada but also sold across the border in Maine and Massachusetts. I’ve been working on making my own yogurt from scratch, but so far haven’t come up with anything this creamy, even using the wonderful whole milk from the local farmers’ market.
Have you tried draining it? I make yogurt at home as well, and even with full fat milk, it’s never like greek yogurt. Set it in a colander with cheesecloth and see how it goes!
I am LAZY, so I finally bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-Donvier-Yogurt-Cheese-Maker/dp/B000064841
Works like a charm.
I tried a fresh fig yesterday. It didn’t tasted like anything. I bought it so I could get an idea of what it might smell like in perfume, but it just had a planty smell. Maybe there was something wrong with the one I ate? It was soft, so I assumed it was ripe.
I live in the wrong part of the world to know much about figs, but it does sound like the one you had wasn’t very good. But keep trying. When they’re good, they’re very good.
I highly recomend slicing the top in an ‘X’, then bakeing in the oven with a spoonful of brown sugar and butter. Much, much better then raw.
One of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life was a dessert of roasted fresh figs with some really good dark chocolate melted inside. Heaven.
Ooh, that sounds good.
Try roasting ripe figs in the oven. Mmm. Excellent with pork, if you’re an omnivore, or with quinoa, if you’re not.
Oh, yes. Great idea especially for figs that aren’t quite perfect, which is usually the case here. Roasting concentrates the sugars and releases the juices.
Thanks everyone!
Perfume — tried Love, Chloe (found it too cosmetic-powdery for me) and EL Sensuous Nude (this was nice, might get a smaller bottle at some point).
Food — pumpkin bread.
Thing I’m wowing over — Crystal the Monkey. She is currently my favorite actress. 🙂
Yes — perfect description then of who should try the Estee Lauder. If Love, Chloe is too much cosmetic powder, you need Sensuous Nude.
Thanks, Jill & Robin. I knew there must be some step I was missed and suspect that this is it.
I agree, Love, Chloe didnt fit me; just purchased a small bottle of Sensuous Nude. Think I will find many situations when it will work perfectly.
Last perfume to try : Dior’s Dune. Unusual scent, although I’m not sure it merits its reputation fro bleakness. I am enjoying the fact that I cannot detect a single floral note in there. What do other people think?
Ate: marinated lamb cutlets with roast potatoes and french beans.
Reading: Justine Picardie’s biography of Coco Chanel, also one of George Simenon’s Maigret novels, also a book about Shelley.
I wore Dune in the 9th/10th grade and loved it- however, because of scent memory and that being a time in my life that I wore a perfume until I finished the bottle it hearkens choir practice, geometry and just barely beginning to figure out who I was….I am hoping to happen upon a mini one of these days so I can hopefully get past all that and smell the juice!
It’s tricky going back to an old perfume isn’t it? Minis of Dune abound in eBay, so you could pick one up with no great trouble or expense. I’m not sure why I missed Dune in the ’90s. I was wearing Pleasures, I think.
I wore Dune at about the same age as you, though I don’t think I wore perfume every day back then. It was the first bottle of perfume I ever chose for myself. So a couple of months ago I tried it again, loved it and bought a bottle. I had to bring the bottle back the next day to exchange it: the spritz I had applied in the shop started rolling waves of adolescent anxiety over my skin, and they didn’t recede until it had been fully removed. What a pity – I love the scent!
Love Dune. As the masculine one it`s subtle and it`s not that kind of potent florals, it`s more subtle and I think that`s one reason it`s so famous (at that time the floras were so potent, reminescent of 80`s).
Yes, there is something diffident and restrained about it.
Working my way through the Ineke series, so the last new thing I tried was Balmy Days and Sundays: not really my thing (buckets of freesia), but nicely made nevertheless.
Last thing I ate? A big leafy green salad with bacon caesar dressing and a scoop of chicken salad, which I finished about thirty seconds ago. Summer food!
Last thing I wanted desperately to share with people was this Youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOElCjWTJPk), which is a magic trick so perfectly executed and so unexpected in its resolution that I literally felt light-headed, as if my brain couldn’t process what I had just seen, it’s that good.
Great trick, thanks for sharing!
I tried my best to fall in love with the Ineke series (had a credit voucher for Anthropologie burning a hole in my wallet) but couldn’t muster more than polite like.
Wow, that IS an awesome trick!
I like Field Notes from Paris very much in cold weather.
Last fragrance tried: Mona di Orio Vanille – participated in an unsiffed split. It’s so similar to Balsama della Mecca to my nose and I don’t need both. Perhaps I can swap away the MdO at some point.
My current excitement: Aedes de Venustas seriously rocks, I mean seriously. My b’day present was ordered yesterday. Received it…TODAY. Comme des Garcons + Daphne Guiness – you now belong to me. That was a long time coming – I’ve wanted it since it was first released.
We just got back a little while ago from the last Harry Potter movie. I’m going to miss the characters so much.
The last thing I ate: Sofia brick oven pizza @ Bertucci’s. White pizza with mozzarella, roasted artichoke spread, sausage and fresh thyme topped with shaved cheese. Then their mascarpone cheesecake for dessert.
Presently enjoying a nice glass of red wine. Cheers!
I’ll miss the Harry Potter characters too. It was reading about Hermione that got my niece interested in books.
Yes, the Potter books hooked many young folk on reading. Wonderful. The movies, for the most part, were really well done too.
Congrats on the Daphne G! It has been on my want list for a long time too. I keep swapping/buying decants when I run out…
Thanks Helenviolette! I’m always happy to see another Daphne fan -as it sure has its detractors too. It’s glorious on me. [Smells real good on the husband too! I spritzed some on him since I was already wearing freshly applied perfume when i tore open the package. He said he won’t wear it to work or anything, but he’s enjoying it, and prefers to smell it on me. ;-)]
Happy Birthday!
Hopefully we’re finally going to see Harry Potter today.
Thanks for the b’day wishes, but my actual b’day isn’t until mid month, but I do celebrate all month. 😀
As well you should!
Happy birthday!
I only saw the first HP movie, but now with everybody talking about it I feel like watching all of them in a row…
Oh that would be fun Alnysie. I thought the first movie was so charming. They tend to get darker as the story goes along.
I watched them all in the week before the last release. It was really fun!
Oooh, Daphne! I’m excited for you. It’s been on my want-list for a long time too. Happy Birthday!
Aww, thanks Jill.
I tried the reedition of the first Scherrer – the green chypre. There must have been some changes but this smells like the real stuff, love it!
I just came back from a party and basically ate too much of everything – including couscous salad, spinach tarte and the most gorgeous chocolate cake.
I spent a couple of days in Berlin last week. I go there at least twice a year and it feels new every time. Really the only place in the world where you get both Paris and Moscow. Great perfume shopping, too!
ooo did you get anything?
I didn’t, I was a good girl! 🙂
I’m leaving for Berlin in 2 weeks and I’m staying there until December. Then I go to Hamburg/Bremen/Lübeck for a week after my program is over.
on topic: The last perfume I tried was Calvin Klein Escape and it was the worst thing I’ve tried in a while.
The last thing I ate was a spinach and artichoke pizza.
You lucky one! You have to visit the “The Different Scent”, a wonderful perfume store in Krausnickstrasse. It’s in the basement so it can be missed easily. The owner is super-friendly and the choice of scents is quite impressive. Also, the neighbourhood is great. Hope the weather will improve till your trip – so far, we haven’t had much of a summer.
1) Got an unused sample set of Victorias Secret Parfums Intimes for $1 at a yard sale, and they were nowhere near as bad as I feared they might be. Silk Mandarin Santal was especially nice.
2) A grilled chicken fajita burrito for dinner.
3) Viggo Mortensen is playing Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg’s next film, A Dangerous Method, AND Old Bull Lee, Kerouac’s fictionalized version of William S. Burroughs in an upcoming film of On The Road.
Wow – Viggo Mortenson in worthy roles – can’t wait!
Wow, Viggo’s third film in a row with Cronenberg! That’s a first. He’s just about my favorite director. Can’t wait to read up on this. Eastern Promises was pretty fabulous.
It actually IS turning into a trend for Viggo. He rarely works with any director twice, let alone three times (Lord of the Rings doesn’t count as the trilogy was filmed concurrently). He & Cronenberg are quite a team.
The last new thing I tried was no sample but a blind buy of Barbara Bui Le Parfum. I love it, fancy talcum powder and incense. A powder scent for powder haters.
Last thing I ate was a Chobani Greek yogurt with mango slices and a drizzle of honey.
Dont ever ever try a lightener/ bleach kit from a drugstore. I had light brown hair and tried a kit, left it on for the max time and it turned lurid yellow. Had to go to the salon to get it fixed with tail between legs. Dont skimp when it comes to you hair!
Ha! I have to laugh at the image of the home-blondification (I know, not a word, but it should be!)! I actually love to do my own hair, but I admit that blond is rarely the final outcome. And if I DO want blond, I bleach it and then dye it to make it more natural in shade. My usual, though, is blue, which is clearly NOT an attempt to look natural! Happy to hear it all worked out for you in the end, in any case!
Chobani yogurt is basically what I live on, to be honest.
My favorite is pomegranate but I like mango too.
I do wish they’d bring back that Barbara Bui.
I haven’t sampled anything in ages, and I keep thinking I should open up the big jar of samples that is sitting in a drawer. Who knows what I might find there? But I do have SL Vitriol d’Oeillet coming my way soon, and since I love carnation/clove, I have hope.
Last thing I ate: watermelon from the local farmer’s market. Heavenly.
The thing I read about (darned if I can remember where!) that I have shared with everyone is a 5K run – where the runners are pursued by zombies. That’s nearly worth training for. 😉 runforyourlives.com
Yes, open the sample jar and let us know what you find! 🙂
LOVE Run For Your Lives, thanks for the link!
Now I’m hoping they’ll have one of these closer to Chicago. Can’t decide if I’d want to be a runner or a zombie, but I’d love to participate.
Went to Barney’s today, so I sniffed many and tried more than one on. The one that surprised me was Dans Tes Bras. It started out with the earthy smell that somewhat reminded me of mushrooms. But now, hours later it is this lovely musky, woody, skin scent with a hint of floral. At least on my skin, which has a tendency to really mess with fragrance. i.e., roses turn sour, etc.
Also loving Le Labo Vetiver 46. Because for the most part I smell incense and every now and then just a touch of vetiver. So again, not what I was expecting.
Tatiana, after testing Escentric Molecule 03, which is comprised of vetiveryle acetate – basically the central element of vetiver – I realized that a lot of what I had thought of as the smoky quality of incense in perfume was that note!
I tested the new Chanel 19 Poudre today. I like it- like being the key word that puts it a few bars above Meh. It reminded me a lot of Prada Infusion d’Iris, which I also like a lot- and don’t own. I am cooking some carrot/coriander soup right now which I LOVE and smells delish wafting about.
The perfume I have tested lately that keeps me coming back: Les Nez Let me Play the Lion (A nice summer campfire incense- puttin it on my Christmas List).
HV, does your carrot coriander soup use fresh coriander leaf, or coriander seed? Sounds so good either way – I think carrot leaves have something in common with both types of coriander, so it’s such a natural match! What else to you put in it?
I really need to get to the mall and try No. 19. Too bad it’s not more awe inspiring though.
But how do you feel about regular No. 19? And do you draw any conclusions from that? ( I mean, is the 19 Poudre sort of a 19 with training wheels, so to speak, and if you love the original don’t bother with the flanker?)
Just sniffed Hermes Pamplemousse Rose~ I think I have a new love. I got a sample to try tomorrow fresh out of the shower. It seems I’m quite attracted to masculine grapefruit! HAHAHAHA.
Currently cooking: Miso glazed cod with zucchini corn fritters.
I may or may not be addicted to watermelon. I probably am.
Oddly, my body chemistry has changed in the last year (possibly due to illness) and perfumes are starting to smell better on me. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I’ve heard it has to do with your acid/alkaline balance…
Pamplemousse is really good but has no longevity. Have you tried Eau de Gentiane Blanchè? For me it`s better and has a little bit more longevity.
I will try it asap~ thanks for the recommendation. : )
And try layering PR over GB for a great summer cologne with better longevity than either on their own!
My last sniffs were some Smell Bent from the Dark collection, which I happened upon at a neighborhood shop that mostly doesn’t sell fragrances or candles and such. Nothing jumped out at me, though I still like the bottles!. . .
My afternoon snack today was mashed sweet potato and carrots with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and an unapologetic pat of real butter! Yum!
I have spent my summer (off and on) painting flowers on my car, and I wish I could share the joy of this process with everyone! I love the actual process of painting and creating, but I also love that it breaks down boundaries between myself and the community. People are always approaching me to discuss my car, art, and the important of the arts, and I find that very joyful!
What kind of paint do you use? I have an old car I have though about doing something with. I have a lot of other projects still to tackle, though–such as painting clouds on the ceiling of my foyer.
If you want something that will last and look professional, the best choice is One Shot Sign Painters Lettering Enamel. Since it is enamel, you must use paint thinner, but the up-side is a lovely, glossy finish and a huge array of vibrant colors to choose from.
Marjorie Rose, you sound like fun.
Thanks!
I wish people were less uniform. I would love to see someone with blue hair climbing out of a flowery car! Not that I personally do much to break the monotony…
Oh, Merlin, don’t get me started! I’m really not as counter-culture as that image implies, but I DO believe in authentic self-expression. Actually, it’s because I insist on authenticity that I am neither very comfortable with being completely mainstream (or “normal” as my students would say) nor do I fit easily in a counter-culture. Every group seems to have their rules, and I refuse to do something, wear something, say something, or pretend to be something just because it is “what is done to fit in.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to create conflict, I just don’t understand why people feel so threatened by personal expression.
How wonderful — do you have pictures online somewhere? Love to see it.
No pictures, yet, but I really should! I will be sure to share when I’ve got some! (Ha, as a side note, the Honda dealer who sold me this car told me that he’d post a picture of the finished paint job on his dealer website! It was a few years ago, now, so I’m not sure he’d remember, but I intend to remind him!)
…Today I tested Jo Malone Verbenas of Provence. Very refreshing on a hot central Florida day. I enjoyed it immensely though not long lasting on my skin.
…Last thing I ate was filet mignon w/sauteed onions, spinach and creamed corn. Homemade pound cake w/strawberries for dessert. Delicious!
…I’ve heard the book “Same Kind of Different as Me” is very good. I’m looking forward to reading it!
Home made pound cake – YUM!
I want your dinner!
Now that is a dinner. Sounds amazing!
Indeed – it was quite enjoyable 🙂
This has been a big testing weekend for me.
I went to Macy’s and tried Esprit d’Oscar last night, and the associate was also nice enough to give me a sample of Vera Wang Lovestruck to try later. Although, in his words: “That bottlecap is so Hobby Lobby!” WELL PLAYED, Macy’s guy! 🙂
Then today I went to a local boutique I just found out about in Austin and got to try a bunch of the Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Parfums d’Orsay, and Jovoy lines. Ended up buying a full bottle of Gantier’s Tubereuse. ::headdesk::
What a great SA!
Ditto, esp. for a Macy’s guy.
I last tried-Tom Ford Black Orchid. I liked it, but not enough to buy it.
I last ate – some amazing carrot and orange soup, with a side of sourdough bread from a organic market down the street.
I last tried ect…- I moved to Toronto from a tiny prarie town and have done so much in a week, I dont know where to start!
So, let this be my introduction. Hi now smell this community! Ive read this blog and dreamed of perfume for the last year.
Now I have access! Any torontonians out there that can point me towards some good brick and mortar stores? I havent had anywhere else to get perfume then shoppers drug mart. Also, how to deal with humidity? Everything smells…more! (also, my hair makes me look like a lion. Im not used to this!)
Thanks guys! Cant wait to find some of the things ive read about…
-stars
Hi and welcome! Hope you’ll find some locals, but if not, try posting early on in the next open thread poll, which will probably be 8/12 or 8/13.
Thanks Robin! I will 🙂
Welcome, Stars!
I suspect most of the humidity advice will be to try everything, and see how it goes! I’m pretty new at all this, myself, so I don’t have too much wisdom to pass on. I have learned that I personally prefer scents that don’t seem to create such a heavy cloud of scent in the warmer weather (not that I have much of that to deal with in Oregon). So I avoid heavy gourmandes, very spicy Orientals, and white flowers. Well, I mostly avoid white flowers, anyway! But I’m sure you’ll hear from folks who love how their perfumes “bloom” in such conditions! Happy sniffing!
“bloom” is right! I think I may have to look into all those light, citrusy cologenes ive always found to pale. This weather seems perfect.
Hi! I’m in Montréal, but I found this link that lists where (if) many perfume houses can be found in Toronto: http://kjanicki-sotd.blogspot.com/p/perfume-houses.html.
A few are only found on LuckyScent and if I’m not mistaken, they use UPS for full bottles, so ordering from them could end up costing twice the price because of their charges… But I think you can find most stuff in brick-and-mortar stores, lucky you! I’m going today to Holt Renfrew’s to ask if they can order a bottle of Frédéric Malle from their Toronto store… (They don’t have them in Montréal, I think.) *Crossing fingers!*
Oh! Thank you, this is perfect!
Hi and welcome Stars. I am late to reply, but I agree with Marjorie anyway: try everything because you never know (I am finding I like a lot of vanillas in the summer…maybe it is cruel to those around me).
Otherwise, I would suggest looking up: “top ten of summer” posts in the search bar for recommendations over the years.
Hi Startsandash, I was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago and was at Noor Boutique (176 Cumberland), where I spent a huge amount of money on perfume in a very short time…
I’ve been testing the Odin line. Billed as masculines but definitely unisex. Quite lovely and well crafted.
Last thing I ate was a handful of salted almonds from Trader Joe’s. TJ’s gets the salt:almond ratio just right.
Which Odin have you liked best so far, Lil?
I really like Odin #1
1. SL Vitriol d’Oeillet – thumbs up so far, nothing vitrolic I can smell…
2. Hamburger and tomato-cuke salad
3. Chie Mihara sandals and shoes, none of which I can afford.
I didn’t find it vitriolic, either, Elizabeth, but rather fresh and relatively natural, with a bit of a soft leather feel, like the petals themselves. Uncle Serge is such a trickster! I keep wonder if the name is a reproach to IFRA for banning some of the notes traditionally used to make carnation, but it’s probably about as significant as Tubereuse Criminelle.
Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that there are secret jibes and jokes woven into our favorite scents! Sounds like a new Da Vinci Code storyline. . . 😉
I’m sure the funereal De Profundis is about the death of perfume at the hands of IFRA! But I like your idea of secret plotters using coded perfumes! LT could turn that into a novel. 🙂
Testing a tincture of hyraceum aka African stone (fossilized hyrax excretions) from Via del Profumo on a scent strip. It’s intriguing – like a naturally occurring leather perfume. Also periodically sniffing a sample of SL Vitriol d’oeillet. My first thought was “leather carnation!” I like it well enough to want a decant but think it would be most effective on a guy – to play carnation against type.
Lindt Supreme Dark 90% cacao chocolate. Not bitter, but rather like the concentrated essence of the darkest, richest brownies. Yum!
The Dalai Lama was in Washington a few weeks ago to present the Kalachakra. His three 2.5-hour teachings on Buddhism (streamed live at the time) can now be streamed or downloaded from his website, dalailama dot com – a divine freebie!
Thanks for the Dalai Lama tip! Definitely gonna look it up!
That’s fascinating about the hyraceum/ africa stone. I recently saw it turn up in a list of notes for a new Penhaligon’s Duchaufor, Esprit du Roi, and wondered what it was.
Wow, I missed that Duchaufour – got to try it!
Last thing I tried, as far as I recall, were the three “O” eaux by Lancome, i.e., the plan O de Lancome and then the O d’Azur and O De L’Orangerie. I liked the original “O” the best by far. I’m hankering after these citrus/fresh/green/light scents due to the incredible heat wave lately. (I’m in Houston and if we hit 100 tomorrow it will be a full week of 100+ days.) It’s a chypre’ type with light citrus notes on top, tangerine fairly noticeable which I love, and some herbs and woody notes to make it a bit more complex, but all overall quite light. I think I’m going to buy a bottle. Not expensive so I can be lavish splashing it on.
Last thing I ate was some leftover home-made fried rice, not too exciting, I know, but I did add some nice fresh chopped snap- peas to it. And I had it with a decent glass of Chardonnay.
Last thing I’ve been telling people about is a hilarious kitten video on Youtube, hope the link works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-1F-CokXNU&feature=share
It will make you giggle!
Who can resist a great kitten video? Hilarious!
Aw, we both posted cat videos. 🙂 Yours is funny! Kittens are so cute.
What an adorable kitten! Thank you, Calypso!
Noz Koz where in Washington are you? 😉
Fell for AG Un Matin d’Orage-it’s cold, creamy and clean and FB worthy. Actually I am smitten with AG period.
I don’t know how I missed this house but I think it’s wonderful!
Also am diggin’ Fleur Liquide by Memoire Liquide- a green tinged orange blossom with mimosa and jasmine, doesn’t sour or fade and just sings on my skin.
I just ate some Ben&Jerry’s for dindin-lol.
I love Chunky Monkey. 😉
Drama in the land of perfumistas is not cool and I just want to love people the way I love perfume– whole-heartedly.
It never gets old- please treat people the way you want to be treated and realize that not everyone is gonna like you- but the ones that do are the ones that matter…..
Agree about drama, although luckily for me I have no idea what you’re talking about 🙂
Tamara, I’m in the other Washington – the DC area. Aiming to visit the PNW before too long, though – it sounds like such a beautiful part of the country with cool people.
If you like AG you should definitely try their Heure Exquise, I have a feeling you might like it.
1) Love, Chloe. I liked the top but hated the base which to my nose, smell like cosmetic powder. I am usually comfortable using perfume meant for women but this, I don’t think I can pull off.
2) Clear Soup. And I ate it at around 1:30 a.m. before going to bed (now 10:30 a.m,). I am based in Riyadh and the month of Ramadan is on its second week. Although I am not a Muslim, I decided to join the majority here in their fasting. I thought I will feel irritable, short-tempered and all (due to hunger) but NO. I feel more focused and in control.
3) During Ramadan, dates are eaten to break the fasting and before eating the main meal which happens at around 7:00 p.m. after prayer. And what’s interesting to note, dates should be eaten in odd numbers, not even.
Wow, I am wholly impressed with your choice to follow Ramadan traditions while you are there in Riyahd! I was once told by a well-traveled friend that the best way to show people you respect and care for them is to eat their food with them, and I must say that my more limited experiences supports this idea. What can be more straight-forward a message of acceptance than to share food (or share in the not-eating, as in this case). And I’m happy to hear that you are feeling well throughout (I would fear the hunger-crankiness as well!).
That is what I’ve always heard about intermittent fasting routines — your head is clearer.
Would pausing for 5 seconds before taking my next cookie out the jar count as intermittent fasting?
I’ve been swapping a bit lately, and always receive several samples – often of scents I’ve never heard of. But, I recently got a sample of one that I have heard of but had not tested in some time – Dans Tes Bras. Spraying it again tonight before bed on a cool evening, I remember how I liked it. Indeed, it’s making me happy. It’s one thing to sniff and think, “oh, this is interesting,” or “this is nice.” But it’s been some time since something has made me happy.
Last ate – ice cream.
Something I learned – S&P downgraded US bonds. Should I share with everyone? I hope people know already since it’s a pretty big deal.
That S&P news, and of course the state of things that precipitated it, is very depressing. Thank goodness for perfume!
Depressing is a good name for it…shocking, too. My perfume budget may suffer for several months…
Something to share: I just finished J.K Huysmans ‘Against Nature’, a translation of ‘A Rebours’. I find it hard to get into a ‘plot’ these days; but this is wonderful chewy language (even in translation) and a kind of extended meditation – though mediated by a very unusual character!
Thanks, Merlin – I’ve always wondered about that book, so I appreciate your rec.
It really is fascinating – but don’t count on liking the main character. He must be the most contemptuous literary character ever created – but exceptionally erudite!
I tested many frags lately,but ended up bringing home AG Heure Exquise and left behind TF Noir de Noir and bow kicking myself for it,as I could have bought it for 160.
Regrets…regrets!!
You did well with Heure Exquise anyway – it’s one of my all-time favs! It’s always the ones that got away that tantalize, though, isn’t it?
I also wanted to say, I am planning to go to Saks at the Galleria today to see if they have By Kilian Sweet Redemption yet. The reviews are making me salivate.
I’m waiting for my latest samples order (I went a bit crazy, and still have a great many on my wish list) to arrive from First in Fragrance.
Maybe tomorrow!
This past week, I’ve been trying out some of the samples I have at home: DSH — loved her two cardomom scents, but they disappear really fast. Robert Piguet: Bandit — expected to love it, but it was all wrong for me. ;( Went to Douglas and Sephora and tried out four scents I’ve been wanting to try/retry: Wrong info from Sephora salesgirl when I asked for Bulgari Black — she insisted that Jasmine Noir was “the” Bulgari Black. It was a real scrubber on me. Then when I came home, I looked it up and found out I knew more than she did. Tested Dune, which was my signature scent throughout the 90’s. No longer feels right for me, and also has too many (unwanted) memories. I’ve moved on. This lasted until the next day, despite a bath. Tested Habit Rouge and Chanel Pour Monsieur. Loved them both, but it was a bit too much for one day. Went to another shop on another day and tried only Habit Rouge on both wrists. Loved it, but found it a bit too faint. The very last part of the drydown, it turned a bit unpleasant. I’m wondering if the perfume would be nicer, but don’t think I can find a tester. In fact, it might not be available in Holland. The sales woman denied it existed, but I saw it on the web. Next trip, I’ll try the Chanel on both wrists. Today, I was wearing my Lorenzo Villerossi Alumut. I went through my first bottle very quickly. I’m having a love/hate relationship with this second bottle. Last week, I thought it smelled divine on me. Today, I couldn’t stand it. Right now, I’m retesting my Amouage Jubilation Woman, which I haven’t liked in previous testings. But I am ready to order my second large bottle of Epic Woman. I’d like to fall in love with another Amouage. I’ve just discovered a shop in Amsterdam (and online) that sells mini’s of various Amouage scents! Hooray!
Food: smoked eel. This is the food of the gods. I try to eat it once a month. A big luxury.
What I want to tell people about: if you or someone you know has a chronic illness, there is a wonderful blog with a support group/forum I’ve just discovered: http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com
And you all probably know about this, which has been around for a couple of years, but it’s such a feel good CD/DVD:
Playing for Change (you can view some of it on YouTube, I think or there is a link from Amazon)
Ooh, I never had smoked eel. I tried fresh ones sometimes in sushi and didn’t really like it, but maybe smoked would be the way for me…
I’d don’t like fresh eels either. Smoked is just wonderful. I buy them as fillets and eat them with bread and butter or mashed potatoes.
They’re available in all Dutch fish shops over here in Holland. I don’t know about other countries.
Thank you for sharing the blog/forum “but you don’t look sick.” The name, alone, wins me over! I especially like the “spoons” analogy, as it can be so difficult to explain this sort of energy-budgeting to folks who’ve never had to do it. I was an energetic, go-getter when I developed a potentially chronic illness that no-one’s ever heard of (Wegener’s Granulomatosis). It has completely changed the way I live my life, even now that I am doing well and off all meds. Good to see there’s a quality resource should I feel the need for community and commiseration!
Marjorie Rose, I’m glad you’re doing well and are off meds. I’m off the big meds (Prednisone, Methotraxate, etal) but have a long way to go still with my recovery. That website has been a godsend. Yes, the “spoons” theory is a good way of explaining it to “healthy” folks.
Ahhh, Prednisone and Methotrexate! Sounds like we’ve enjoyed the same recipes! 😉
Thank you so much for all these great recs, Jonette! Glad to hear you are off those big meds, too. I just got a Buddhist book called How to Be Sick. Haven’t read it yet so I’m not sure whether it’s a rec or not, but the reviews are good.
Sorry for the late reply — don’t know if you’ll see it. Thanks for the book recommendation. I looked at Amazon and the author’s site and have decided to order it.
Ah, I did not know (or forgot?) that she has a blog – thanks for the reminder, Jonette!
Jonette thank you so much for the link!
Having RA and fibro has changed my life forever and it’s very hard to explain it to healthy friends and family-especially strangers.
I appreciate this. Be well<3
Last fragrances I tried (only once): Huitième Art Fareb and Aube Pashmina, which came (along with one other HA sample, Vohina) with my purchase of Praliné de Santal. I could smell the basil, rosemary and tomato of Aube Pashmina, but after an hour on me it smelled like shampoo, and a boring shampoo… Fareb was more interesting, if only because I didn’t find it boring like Aube Pashmina, but I was really confused as to what I thought of it. Have to try it again. I thought it smelled like Indian food, but also like the smell of a shopping mall during Christmas… But take my beginner’s opinion with a grain of salt!
Last thing I ate was my coffee, still haven’t eaten breakfast.
And the last thing worth sharing I found was this funny cat video (NSFW language): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpl5mOAXNl4
Another adorable kitten! Not so dumb – living in the moment is pretty smart!
Last fragrance I tried was Bond No. 9 Nuits de Noho, I quite like it though it smells slightly too gourmand-y on me, and it’s entirely not weather-appropriate (it’s hot and humid here..). I generally like the way gourmands smell but I still don’t want to smell like them.
Last thing I ate was a chocolate chip cookie.
Worth sharing..A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a really great read!
I’m looking for a few more summer reads…I’ll check that out, thanks!
Was at my hairdresser’s yesterday and she was wearing BB’s Beach–doesn’t work on my, but she smelled terrific!! I pulled out a ton a samples more than a week ago, but have yet to try them as I should….maybe later I will start some samplin’
Was up and out early today so I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich with a cup of coffee while I shopped at Whole Foods.
Am reading a very interesting book–“A Jane Austin Education–How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter” by William Deresiewicz. It is a very personal assessment of how his life changed related to the major life lessons he perceives in Austen’s books. Intersesting both as literary criticism and personal growth…and particularly interesting that is a man writing this! Not finished yet (about half done), but am liking it so far…
I’ve been meaning to read that book! I heart Jane Austen. Glad to see it get a good review from you!
I sniffed quite a few things yesterday — one that stands out as a huge disappointment is By Kilian Rose Oud. My initial reaction was “not enough rose, not enough oud.” Considering the notes it just seemed to lack oomph for me. But I shouldn’t be all that surprised – I’ve yet to fall in love with any of the Kilian’s. The obnoxious SAs don’t help things either.
Last thing I ate today was coffee and a muffin.
As for something worth sharing, I’m drawing a blank – my mind is mush! Have been working all weekend and currently at the office. Not fun.
This morning I’m wearing Dune. The first time I wore it I was walking around in Paris and going to the Rodin museum. Good memories, love this scent.
Eating – -not much, but produce from my garden, especially heritage tomatoes.
Reading – a book about the history of the “neo-con” political philosophers, the ones who got this country in such a mess.
Osmanthe Yunnan/a peach/Argentine Tango.
I think I’m having a hard time smelling OY. I test dabbed from a 1 ml vial, and wonder if a spray would be better. Peach was just okay, dog liked it though. Tango is hard but rocking my world.
OY is much better sprayed, and sprayed liberally. It is so beautiful, but it is very light.
Last perfumes I tried were Portrait of a Lady, which I loved, but I had tried so many things that day, I also tried Hippie Rose by Heeley, Nightscape, and Chanel 19 Poudre (lovely). A friend and I had gone to Scentbar and were there for hours trying perfumes, then we went to Barneys and Sacks.
I have not eaten anything remarkable lately, oh, I am hungry now, and not much to share, just had a tough week and perfume makes me happy even during trying times.
How did you like Hippie Rose, Arwen?
Hi, I’m new here and I’m wondering if any of you find that letting a fragrance sit for a year or so makes it better. I tried that with “Bandit”. At first hated it, now it’s interesting.
I can’t stand Prada’s “Infusion d’Iris” – no explanation, just personal dislike, in spite of letting it sit for a year.
I wish that i lived in a place with a perfume shop. Here in SC all that’s available are department stores with very little variety.
Perfumes can, and do, change over time, but a year is not really that much time. It may well be that what has changed is your nose. The more perfumes you try, the more your tastes tend to change and, usually, expand. Often you find yourself liking things you may not have cared for before. You may also be surprised one day when you revisit something you once loved, and discover you don’t much care for it anymore. The weather also has an effect. There are perfumes I like only in cold weather, not in the heat of summer. Your mood and the state of your health can affect your sense of smell as well. If you were ill or taking medication before and aren’t now, or vice versa, you perception of certain smells may be affected. Some perfumes do seem to be acquired tastes as well. I have seen many, many comments here along the lines of “I didn’t like (name of perfume) at all the first time I tried it, but after testing it a few times I finally “got” it and now I can’t live without it!”
Last thing tested: something from a sample vial which I cannot now remember. Which ought to say something about what I thought about it.
Last thing eaten: a tomato sandwich. White-wheat bread, thick slice of homegrown tomato, salt, pepper, and real mayo. THAT’s summer, to me.
Last noteworthy item: dying to talk about this, but can’t at my house, for reasons that will become obvious… it appears that my 16 year old daughter has an admirer. (Okay, she’s had a few before, but this one she seems to be interested in in return. That’s new.) He’s a really nice kid, too. As a full-fledged Band Mom this year, now that I’m not working, I chaperoned band camp – and every time I turned around, here’s Brock out of the trumpet section making excuses to talk to Bookworm (alto sax). EVERY time the kids had a few minutes to themselves, I looked over – and they’re five centimeters apart and laughing. Whoa. Now if he’ll just Make His Move…
Tomato sandwich! I’ve totally been craving one lately! Yum.
Need to try a tomato sandwich – somehow missed that growing up. A match among band members seems auspicious – hope it works out!
I love the pair, Brok with the trumpet and Bookworm with alto-sax! Hopefully it will work out:)
I wanted to report in on the Kilian Sweet Redemption. Our Saks (Houston Galleria) does not yet have it for sale. The SA said they have been promised it by “mid-August”, so soon. They did have a bottle for testing purposes and I tried a spritz. She also was kind enough to give me a pre-prepared sample (decent size too!). The verdict: Meh. I am not a big fan. It is pleasant but I found it to have an unexpected “furry” quality. I don’t know why that word kept coming to my mind. I think it’s the vanilla that turns me off. It is VERY gourmand-ish, in fact I’d compare it to Dulcis in Fundo, but actually think I like the latter more. Sweet Redemption is dusky and musky and smells like a (good-smelling) closet. I was more in the mood for something with brightness, sparkle, uplift, light. It might be nice around Thanksgiving time. Good thing, one more FB to save on.
While I save my $$ for Rose Oud instead!
Thanks for reporting back, Calypso! LOVE Rose Oud! Money saved for Rose Oud is smart money. Very curious about both Sweet Redemption and De Profundis, though. I love most of the Calice Becker Kilians, orange blossom and a number of SLs, so I might like one of these.
“Furry” — how interesting! Thanks for the review. (And speaking of furry, I love your avatar. 🙂 )
Thank you, that was my foster kitten Socks, I took him in off the street out front with his mama Sylvie. Socks was adopted but I still have Sylvie who is flfufy and all black. He was truly the world’s most adorable kitten ever.
Last sniffed: TokyoMilk Song in D Minor – BWF which I can still smell in the crook of my elbow more than 24 hours later, and which smells similar to some much more expensive green floral – perhaps AG – which I have to locate in a large boxful of samples – sort of, uh, overdid it at the monthlong sale at TPC.
Last eaten: a bowl of grits, seasoned with a little butter, salt and brown sugar. Not real exciting but a dietary mainstay for those of us who can’t eat wheat.
Last read: Just finished The Yiddish Policemen’s Union – interesting and odd premise from Michael Chabon; just started The House at Riverton by Kate Morton – pure entertainment of the English country house sort.
Last thought: I’m a knitter, too – now have a designing biz with my best friend – and I’m struck by the similarity in tone between this blog and some of the knitting lists I used to frequent. I wonder how many knitters are perfumistas and vice versa. I *do* know that lots are knitters are “cat people.”
Maybe I’ll take up knitting when I retire. I wish I could find a health blog that was even half as interesting and fun as perfume blogs!
My point exactly. Granted, health issues are more serious than either knitting or perfume. Even so, although I sometimes read health blogs for info, I’ve never been tempted by ongoing participation. On this blog, by contrast, I find that people are interesting and generous and have a sense of humor, all of which I appreciate,
I’m not a knitter, although did used to do quite a bit of needlework (needlepoint, embroidery, etc) back when I had less money and more free time, that is, before I bought a house. I find that creative people in general are cat people. My husband and I are both musicians, and we are definitely cat people, as are a lot of other musicians we know.
Cool! What instruments do you play? Or are you vocalists? And if you have 50 rose bushes, you must be an incredible gardener, too!
My husband plays piano/keyboard and sings a little and I play the recorder.
So I have tried to be a knitter, but my kitties won’t allow it! There is no such thing as knitting without kitty “assistance”!!!! It’s what my dad would call a classic “im-pud-ament”!! Ha!
My cats are the reason I don’t do jigsaw puzzles anymore!
I just keep telling them (and myself) it’s a good thing that they’re cute!
Hi all, hope you are enjoying your weekend.
The last fragrance I tested, I purchased, it was Kuumba Made’s Amber Paste, I loved it. I would blend it with a musk or even better an incense perfume like CdG’s Incense Avignon for a darker impression. I like to layer scents, I mixed a tiny bit of Kingdom with Carnal Flower-a beautiful combo. I can’t understand why I didn’t try CF sooner, I’m not a huge “floral” fan but I really like this one.
The last thing I ate was a salad, not exciting, but yesterday I had fun taking my cousin and his girlfriend from FL out to Dim Sum on Clement St in SF. I took them to the “live” food markets so they could see something different. They had a blast!
I also tried Roy’s Hawaiian/fusion restaurant in SF. My Mahi Mahi with lobster sauce was fabby and their molten chocolate lava cake was super yummy. You could not tell it was gluten free.
The last book I read was “The China Study”, interesting and informative. Next on my list is a few zombie books Tama has kindly lent to me. I love Zombies! The book, btw, is FEED by Mira Grant.
SmokeyToes, I’v heard people becoming very excited about this book! Have you changed your diet in light of any of its conclusions?
Hi Merlin,
I’ve made many changes to my diet, with excellent results. I have two auto-immune diseases, Crohn’s (affects the digestive tract) and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (bile duct and liver scarring), both were affected in a positive way by dietary modifications. I have more energy and less abdominal and joint pain and the foggy brain syndrome is gone. I also have cut way back on meat consumption and eliminated gluten entirely. It’s not easy, but well worth it.
Today I street-tested a perfume called ‘Moonflower’, by some New England indie company that’s mostly known for its hand lotions and candles. It was in a rollerball, and it didn’t last long, but it contained cinnamon, myrtle leaves, amber, and – this part I love – cognac and mahagony. Um. What the heck do these even smell like and where do people come up with this stuff? It was actually quite nice; it conjured up images of strolling down a moonlit path (not the Bath and Body Works kind) with an after dinner drink in hand – which, I think that’s what the creators were going for. Has anyone else here heard of these notes? I’m sure the more knowledgeable types here have, in answering my own question.
Right now I am reading “I Don’t Know How She Does It”, by Amanda Pearson. Great story, came out a while ago and has been transformed into flick w/ none other than SJP. Chicklit, but, you know, good chicklit since it’s about balancing motherhood and a career and Goddess knows that’s a conversation that will never go out of style.