The same routine as always: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the fragrance you've decided you don't really need, the fragrance you've decided you might have to sell a kidney for, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Roadside poppies by Steve-h at flickr; some rights reserved.
This week I have discovered two instant new loves – Bottega Veneta and TF Violet Blonde. Violet Blonde strikes me as the mirror image of Le Dix – more violets, less aldehydes, but ringing the changes on that general theme. It is wonderfully soft and smooth in the drydown, which is perhaps a stylistic point of difference though. As of today, you could take away all my perfumes and leave me with just those two, and I am sure I could manage. For at least a week or two, anyway…. ; – )
We won’t test on you on that 🙂
Violet Blonde is one of my new favorites also. I fell for it instantly. Added Bonus….. Compliments galore when I wear it.
Bottega didn’t work out on my skin but I did it enjoy the scent when I sniffed it from the bottle.
D~
Amused by “for a week or two”!
I’d like to smell these. Will have to wait, probably, for a trip to someplace big enough to have testers.
Somehow I managed to skip both those on my Big City Sniff. Just how???
Actually, I even sprayed BV on the card and found it a bit too fruity. I made a point to wait long enough to see that these were just the top notes, but no, I waited and waited and the card stayed and stayed fruity. I did not spray on the skin and now I am ready to kick myself for not doing so. Ah, silly me.
Got to sniff this recently and I agree! ….and that bottle..!
“This” being TF VB
Cannot wait to try both!
at first I didnt’ like Bottega Veneta—seemed too fruity with some weird sharp note that really started “bugging my brain” after a while….but now I’ve resniffed a few times and haven’t gotten that same annoying note……strange. I wonder if I inadvertently “layered’ that first test?
Now I’m really liking it.
Uh oh…. methinks I sense a new split coming up….
😉
Bottega has become Instant LUST with me… smelled it Thursday and Neiman’s and was just OVERWHELMED with joy… it’s so AIRY, i didn’t find anything fruity or sharp, it was woody and smooth, Piquant a little perhaps, but just Pure Brilliance. Fell in love deeply for Dahlia Noir as well… Absolute Magnificence… not sure why the criticism leveled at it, found it Deeply Beautiful and Incredibly Pretty, not as dark as the name would suggest but DELICIOUS Juice!
P.S. Baiser Vole is near the top of the LUST MUST List!
I bought Baiser Vole after one sniff.
Those two are right up there on my “must try” list.
My excitement of the day comes courtesy of the new iPhone. My previous phone was a 5 year old Nokia dumbphone so I couldn’t be happier about this shiny new toy.
To reflect the mood, SOTD is Jubilation 😀
Oh, congrats on your new toy!
That is exciting! I have a dumbphone too and am thinking about upgrading, but don’t want to pay the extra monthly data charges. We’ll see how long I can hold out!
I have a dumbphone too. I also don’t want to pay the extra data charges. At least it’s small. The phone I used to have was referred to as ” the pay phone in my pocket ” by my husband because it was a bit big and outdated. Now I’m small and outdated. I’m going to have to break down and get a smartphone eventually because they make it impossible for people to not have one. Ugh.
They really are phasing them out. I feel so outdated when I pull out my flip phone – glad I’m not the only one out there who still has one! But I’m also glad I don’t pay that money every month. When the plans get cheaper, then I’ll think about it. I bought an iPod Touch to upgrade my ipod and also to get a lot of the fun apps and stuff, without the extra monthly payment.
Just so neither of you feel completely in the dark. . .I will admit that I don’t own a cell phone. There, I said it! I only have a land-line. AND the last phone I bought? A beautiful, stylish, TEAL ROTARY PHONE! Ha! I love it, but I do notice that my friends get very confused when they get a busy signal. . .”There was something wrong with your phone, Marjorie!” 😀
A rotary phone! Awesome. Marjorie Rose is my hero.
Yes and it is beYEWtiful! It matches the vintage teal metal desk fan I found last spring. I feel very fashionable in a 50-years-out-of-date kind of way! 🙂
More power to you, Marjorie!
Thank you both! I’m very happy to finally join in the smart phone fun.
I want one – I have a Treo which is on it’s last legs – but I’ve been seeing long lines on the news and have heard people are lining up for Monday! How did you manage to score one?
I pre-ordered it last week and it was delivered straight to my door this morning. No queueing required!
Not that there were any queues outside of any mobile stores here in the provinces anyway. I noticed a bunch of people buying them this afternoon but no real queues.
I’m not the most savvy gal – how does one pre-order? Did you do it through Apple or your carrier?
I did it through my carrier but you could also do it through Apple directly. They officially went on sale today so you should be able to just buy one provided they are in stock in your part of the world (I’m in UK).
Ormonde Jayne, a British niche perfume house, which is a favorite of many here, but which has no retail distribution in the U.S. has announced a “Free International Shipping” sale from until November 1, 2011.
The Discovery Set will be mine. Yay!
There’s no added postage involved when you purchase the discovery set, so you can do that at anytime.
Well! In that case, I should order the Discovery Set now so that I can place an order for a FB of my favorite before the free shipping ends. I mean, it’s only sensible.
Yes, I’m after the discovery set myself and tried to order it this week and something kept going wrong with the cart during check-out and I was never able to complete my transaction.
Yay! Oh Yay! Because I’ve just about decided that OJ Woman is what I would sell a kidney for. WOOT!
I got my bottle of OJ Woman last week. No regrets! It is LOVELY!
It still twists my knickers that they charge the US shoppers the European VAT (19%) …..grrrr! twisted. knickers.
I’m so cheap, uh frugal, that I was upset to see that my credit card charges me for “changing money,” when we all know it’s just a machine doing the conversion in a millisecond! grr.
yep . 3% on all foreign transactions….I’m a bit peeved about that too.
Well, today I’m wearing DKNY men (from 2009) hoping to finish my bottle soon
What I’m really looking forward is buying my own bottle of Dsquared2 Potion. Just waiting for appropriate moment (a.k.a finishing my DKNY or getting some bonus cash)
I am looking forward to trying it still! Glad to hear it’s full bottle worthy.
It’s definitely full bottle worthy!
In fact I have never smelled something like Potion before (though some find similarities in other fragrances)
It’s warm, cozy, gently sweet (in positive meaning), manly, a little bit encouraging, not screaming wild but delicately staying close to the wearers skin.
I’d say potion is a kind of perfume saying “come into my world”
That’s the fragrance style I love. Always fprefered fragrances with “inner spark and soul” that stayed close to me instead of loud fragrances that everyone on the street could notice.
I study cosmetic chemistry (yup, it’s me, Lucas from monday mail) I’m a perfume lover with my own aromatic & fragrance ideology.
Very nice mini-review, Lucas. Did you find this scent as a result of the Monday Mail or through your own explorations?
Oh, thanks Nozknoz, glad you liked it (in fact I wasn’t willing to write a mini-review, but reading it now, those few words about potion really sound like a mini-review, thanks again!)
Nope, Potion is not what I found through my participation in daily mail. Pour un Homme de Caron was the fragrance I bought thanks to it.
I found out about Potion reading some fragrance news here and there. Was quite impressed with the notes composition and thought It must be worth giving it a sniff.
Fortunately Potion appeared in Poland in Douglas Perfumeries about one week after I read first news about it.
I was pretty excited giving it a try, and I wasn’t disappointed, It was a love from first sniff.
Definitely buying potion soon, this will be my number two, right after my beloved Prada Amber pour Homme
SOTD= Osmanthe Yunnan
am thinking about vintage Quartz and Sublime Balkiss and EL Private Collection.
Looking forward to sniffing Bottega Veneta tomorrow…
Yum, you smell great!
Bottega Veneta: scrubber for me. Drydown reminds me of a certain shampoo popular in the ’70s & ’80s (not Herbalessence). Actually relieved that I didn’t like it…
I shouldn’t even admit it in front of fellow scent junkies, but I am wearing Old Spice today. I stayed at my new-ish boyfriend’s house last night, so my choice was limited to Old Spice or nothing, and I think OS is much better than nothing. (Faint praise, perhaps, but it’s more than I would say about most things that can be had for under 10$ at any drugstore.) My boyfriend thinks I’m nuts; I’m a woman, he doesn’t understand why I would even consider putting on a mens’s scent. (I told him it would make me think of him all day, which seemed to satisfy him.)
It might interest you to know that Old Spice was originally marketed as a women’s perfume, back in the 1930’s. Apparently, it didn’t do too well, and they tweaked the formula and re-released it as a men’s fragrance. I don’t think anyone here worries too much about gender labels on scent bottles. Wear what you like. I think Old Spice is pretty terrific for the price, and better than a lot of things that cost much more.
50 Roses is wise.
I adore Old Spice and am currently stalking an original Shulton bottle of it. It is a great carnation fragrance and I often receive compliments when I’m wearing it and surprise when I reveal what it is.
Old Spice smells good. I would be hesitant to wear it myself because it’s my father’s scent – but if it weren’t, you betcha I would wear it!
And nice save on the “I can smell it and think of you.”
Yes, that was quick thinking on Kady’s part! 🙂
I would wear Old Spice, if it weren’t inextricably associated with my grandfather in my mind.
I’m kind of glad that my father & grandfathers weren’t Old Spice men, now that I have a boyfriend who wears the stuff.
Oh yeah — boyfriend smelling like Dad would not be ideal.
I like Old Spice. I gave it to a character in my novel (male) just because I find it so comforting. I think I would wear it myself, though, on certain days.
Oh, but I love Old Spice!
I wear and love old spice!
Another hand up for Old Spice!
SOTD is OJ Tolu, in celebration of the almost fall weather we are having here.
I am hoping for a better damage poll report next time. The only thing on my wish list right now is Aesop Marrakech. I really should not be buying for myself right now; I need to get started on my Christmas shopping. My goal is to get it done by Thanksgiving. I am planning to get my 12-year-old niece some SSS–a bottle of Cameo and some lotion.
I used to try to have my Christmas shopping done by the end of November, too… and then I started doing NaNoWriMo in November, and there went all my planning. (Grr.)
You are a special kind of crazy to do NaNoWriMo! A playwright friend of mine practically has to plan her year around it!
50 Roses, you smell wonderful! Tolu is one of my favorite Fall/Winter fragrances out there!
I’ve just switched from Douce amère, which I had been wearing since this morning, to Tolu. God, do I change my mind easily… I thought I wasn’t ready for a full bottle but now I think I am. Perfect for the first cold-ish days of fall
Love Douce Amere AND Tolu!
Oh dear, so I just made an unsniffed purchase the other day when I finally snagged one of those limited edition mummy bottles of Antiu from DSH. I think I may have quite possibly purchased the last one available, however after anticipating its arrival upon wearing it I can’t decide what to think of it.
It’s lovely in its concept — the presentation bottle is stunning. However somewhere along the line too many notes turn it into an overpowering bitter lemongrass that drys down to something akin to cinnamon & cat’s breath on me & I’m so disappointed because I wanted to love it.
I love the bottle, the concept, the presentation, but on me it’s just not meshing. The part of me that still aspires to be an Egyptologist is crying inside. Not sure if anyone would be interested in taking it off my hands because I fear Antiu & I are forever destined to not get along.
Cinnamon & cat’s breath — that makes me want to try it! So sorry it didn’t work for you — I know that disappointment!
I will admit that all the DSH fragrances I’ve tried in general turn to cinnamon & cat’s breath on me, but this does it in a way that I don’t really care for. The best combination of that on my skin was Reinette which is just delightful. Antiu just doesn’t mesh with me at all, though. It has this moment about 2 minutes in that’s gorgeous & honeyed & then … bitter lemongrass. So sad.
I really need to check out that line, I haven’t explored it!
Oh, so sorry! Hope you’ll find someone who wants it.
As do I. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for it like I had initially been tempted to do back when it was first released. I know it’ll be lovely & esteemed on someone … sadly, I am not that someone. With my track record I would have expected it to at least just turn to incense on my skin which I could have lived with quite happily.
Would you have any recommendations on where I might try to sell it/trade it? I’ve actually never done so with any of my perfumes. Usually I can at least learn to love something, but this just isn’t working for me. I still covet the bottle, but it’s just not worth keeping for the bottle alone in this case.
Maybe you can empty the contents for a swap with someone and keep the bottle for something else?
Too funny – you’ve made me remember a line from The Simpsons: “my cat’s breath smells like cat food”!
I have recently and somewhat reluctantly decided that I really must smell the 37 Serge Lutens fragrances I have not already tried. Of the 19 I’ve tested, one – La Myrrhe – is abiding love, four – Louve, Gris Clair, Borneo 1834, and Tube Criminy – are despicable IMO, and the rest really made no huge impression on me. I either vaguely like them or vaguely dislike them. But it turns out that I have actually been steering clear of the really polarizing stewed-fruit ones.
The issue, of course, is finding a way to sniff samples without buying them, given my life in Perfume Boondocks.
Tried Jeux de Peau the other day, and was surprised to rather like it. Apparently, smelling like slightly-charred French toast has its appeal.
I just got a sample of Bas de Soie in a swap I could send your way. Although now I see that you’ve tried it already. I also have some Chene, so I could make up a sample of that. I at one time had samples of Daim Blond and Un Bois Vanille – I’ll see if I still have them. Although none of these are the stewed fruit ones!
I’ll take that Bas de Soie if Mals doesn’t bite! (I’d love a full bottle of it too, if someone just has one sitting around unwanted. . .)
Sure – i’m jasouza9 on MUA and you can see if there’s anything else you’d like!
Just realized you may not be on MUA. You can email me at jasouza9 AT hotmail dot com.
I’m on MUA too, same name as here. Just sent you a message this morning!
I can toss the Angy Carnation in your package if you need to sniff it?
If you ever decide you need to sniff Cuir Mauresque, let me know and I can make you sample.
Well, maybe I can help you. I wanted to test 1 fragrance from SL, which I couldn’t find in the perfume shops. I wrote the SL company in France a letter and asked were I could buy the sample, and they sent me all their available scents on cards with little wax vials/samples.
Have you tried Chergui? It doesn’t seem to leave people indifferent. I am not sure what might be to your taste if you like La Myrrhe, but you might try one of the sandalwood ones, either Mysore or Santal Blanc. I love them both, but they are quite different. Mysore is much sweeter and more “flowery”, and Blanc is more dry and might be more to your taste.
I bought a full bottle of JdP. I like its unfoodlike apricot jam and buttered toast effect.
I lurves the stewed fruits! My first Serge was Arabie, which is about as stewed-fruits-and-booze as you can get. Wore it a lot at Christmastime.
Funny: on me Arabie is very spicy and a little oriental, almost food-y.
SOTD is Safari which is perfect for the warm fall day we have had. It ‘feels’ golden and warm like the fall sunlight on days where my daughters can still play outside in shirtsleeves after school. I am looking forward to the cooler, brisker fall weather and can’t wait to break out my warm spicy favourites! Black Cashmere, SL Gingembre, Shalimar (always), Wenge, Alahine, Black, OJ Woman….
LOL…I am looking forward to next spring! I am so not a cold weather person.
Golly FragrantWitch! We might be scent twins–you’ve listed some of my favorites! I don’t mind the fall at all, although I do admit we had a rather lackluster summer this year. I always enjoy the transitional seasons best, though! There’s something about all the wind and “schizophrenic” weather–sunny one minute, raining the next–that we get in Oregon that keeps the world seeming fresh to me! 🙂
I would have to add my recently purchased Jacomo #8 for a good fall scent, even if it doesn’t last as long as I prefer.
Hello scent twin!
it’s been a nice and mostly warm fall so far so I have been refusing to let go of summer…SOTD Hermes Eau Claire des Merveilles.
I am patiently waiting for a bunch of samples from Sonoma Scent Studios to arrive. I am also coveting that new scent from EL that is being marketed to the Mid East strictly for the bottle because I am not an oud fan at all.
Has anyone ever tried EL’s Tuscany per Donna?
Oh, I used to love Tuscany per Donna! I wore it a lot in my very late teens and early twenties but I haven’t smelled it in years but lately I have been thinking of it. It was a warm woody floral that just smelled fabulous and always garnered compliments. Of course, being Lauder it had good sillage and good lasting power so a bottle lasted a while.
Reformulation being what it is I am almost afraid to smell it and potentially sully my golden memories of it!
I recently got a bottle of Tuscany per Donna and I really love it.
It’s a big, rich floral oriental. It got a good review in P:tG by Tanya. I think her description of it is right on. It’s the only fragrance with a big peony note that I can stand.
I bought a bottle for my mum for her birthday. It seemed pretty nice, especially since I didn’t know she liked anything scented other than Yardley’s lavender talcum powder.
Thanks for the info. I have never seen this at the EL counter but I saw it online and was just wondering…thank you!
mmmmm I used to love Tuscany per Donna ….15 years ago? 20? heavens! how did so much time pass? Haven’t sniffed it in ages…hope they haven’t slaughtered it with reformulations.
Hi, Is this the Safari from our swap? (I hope I am remembering correctly)..if so, then I want you to know how much I love love love Eric F. and Bulgari Black. ….I am so happy that you are enjoying the Safari…it was the perfect swap 🙂
It is yes- I love it! So glad you are loving the Erica F ( so fab I bought myself one at the same time!) and the Black. It WAS a perfect swap!
I. Love. Fall. I. Love. Fall.
I LOVE FALL. (Winter I’m not so crazy about, but I hate summer more…)
SOTD is Sensuous Nude. It’s a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of day, and Sensuous Nude seemed appropriate.
Bought a FB of CdG Avignon last weekend, and have worn it three of the past six days — which is highly unusual for me. It’s been warm in the Bay Area, and I love how it works in the heat. Also got a very small bottle (1/8 ounce, I think) of DSH Pandora, which is one of the most interesting things I’ve tried lately. It starts off very old-school perfume-y (for want of a better phrase), but I get a fascinating damp-earthy drydown. Not easy to wear, but I think I’ll make friends with it.
Finally: trying to decide what to wear, scent-wise, when the fiance and I run off to Vegas at the end of the month to get married.
Love Avignon — have been wanting a FB of it for such a long time now … could be a good Christmas gift to myself this year. 🙂
Do it! As niche perfumes go (I guess CdG is niche?), you could spend a lot more for a lot less.
Congratulations! In my mind, Diorissimo makes a wedding a wedding (it’s what I wore to mine two years ago), but go with something you love that will remind you of your special day. BTW, it took me longer to decide on a scent than it did to decide on a dress!
Thanks! Yeah, it took me half an hour to pick out a dress, but I’ve been dithering about the perfume ever since we decided to do this. I’m considering Futur — I love it (especially in the heat), the name seems appropriate, and I already own a bottle. But it seems a shame not to use the wedding as an excuse to buy something new …
Yeah, Futur is lovely but… yeah… that’s a shame. I still regret not being a perfumista when I got married
Buy something new, but for the honeymoon? It would be a shame not to wear Futur when the name is so auspicious!
Congratulations!
Thank you!
Are you concerned about what you are wearing at the alter, or in the honeymoon suite? Those might be two different scents.
The altar in question will be at one of the quickie chapels on the Las Vegas Strip, so I’m thinking of the wedding as a one-scent-fits-all occasion.
Wow, congradulations! I hope you have the time of your life and that whatever scent you choose always transports you back to these happy times!
Thank you, Meg! The knowledge that I’m about to saddle a perfume with all kinds of wedding-related baggage is making it even harder to pick one … what a weird arena in which to be experiencing pre-wedding commitment issues.
I think everyone here can understand that type of commitment issue!
Scents can take us back to those moments in life and to people. It’s totally understandable. I have perfumes that I can’t stand now because they remind me of people I have bad memories of. I have other perfumes that I wear just because they have some happy thought associated with them.
Isn’t there a really great Guerlain boutique in Vegas? I seem to remember Daisy ordering by phone from there.
There’s a good idea – Emily can buy a new perfume during the honeymoon.
If a good Guerlain boutique is involved, it’s more likely that Emily will buy several new perfumes during the honeymoon …
Seriously, that’s a great idea. And I do love me some Guerlain.
…at the Palazzo… just sayin’ 😉
Seriously, it is my favorite Guerlain boutique. They are super friendly, helpful and generous. Congratulations!
… which is but a leisurely stroll away from where we’re staying. It’s meant to be. Thanks, Rappleyea!
They are super nice at the Palazzo –Jorganne, Tee, Chuck –all fabulous. At the Breakers you want to talk to Monique or Sylvia.
I want to live in a Guerlain boutique….
Finally tried Traversee du Bosphore, and I think it MAY be FBW. I find it quite addictive. Would like to spray it, though, as my sample is pretty fleeting on me.
Today, though, I’m wearing my Crazylibellule Vanille Macarons. Such a nice fall comfort scent.
I plan on trying Traversee du Bosphore tonight. I’m going perfume shopping for a friend & know that this one place carries L’Artisans but last time I was there they didn’t carry Traversee du Bosphore yet. I can’t wait to sniff it though I suspect I may be compelled to purchase a FB of it.
I adore TdB. I tried it when it first came out and it didn’t do a thing for me. About 9 months later, after an LA SA told me she thought it was one of the best releases of the year (I know it’s her job, but they know me at this place and I really didn’t feel like she was selling me), I got a sample. Love. Since then, I’ve managed to swap for decants, so no need for FB, but it is certainly FB worthy.
I think it was one of the best releases last year. It’s still one of my favorites (among so many!). I’m waiting for the temp. to drop a little bit more. Today I’m wearing Le Labo Poivre 23. I’m still testing….
Kitty – I love this in warm weather – have you given it a try? To me it’s transparent and cooling. I’ll be sure to try it out in the cooler months, though…
Traversee du Bosphore is my SOTD. It worked so well with the warm day/cool night. The first few times I tried this, I liked that it was so different from anything I’d ever smelled but I wasn’t sure I’d want to smell it all day. I kept trying it because my both my husband and my dog love it. No kidding- my dog goes crazy when I wear this. Today, I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrist. I love TdB now, not just for the guys in my life but for me.
I enjoy TdB very much. It’s a Duchaufour that’s both weird (in a beautiful way) and wearable. I like almost all his scents but only wear most of them at home. It’s leather-candied apple combo seems ideal for fall, but I love it in summer and winter, too. I hope you get your FB!
SSS Champagne de Bois today. Yum. Waiting for the weather to cool down a bit more so that I can break out my favorites.
I finished reading “The Lantern” by Deborah Lawrenson last night. I’d give it a B- overall, but I’ll give it an A+ for perfume references. Any books that starts out: “Some scents sparkle and then quickly disappear, like the effervescence of citrus zest or a bright note of mint. Some are strange siren songs of rarer origin that call from violets hidden in woodland, or irises after spring rain…” is my kind of book.
That was my SOTD yesterday. It didn’t compare to Winter Woods and Tabac Aurea when I first tried the line, but this fall I decided I needed a decant and don’t regret it. The sleeves of my lazing-around-the-house sweater still smell good.
Same SOTD – love!
I just read The Lantern, also, and pretty much agree with your rating. The many scent references make it completely worthwhile, and the story did keep me reading!
Love both CdB and WW. They are similar yet different. I prefer wearing CdB in warm weather and WW in cool. You may want to give SSS Sienna Musk a try for something sheer and spicy, wihch sounds like a strange combination but works really well.
SOTD is L’Artisan Batucada. Perfect for the extra hot weather we’ve been having here in San Diego this week. Maybe a little more salt than I would like – it’s kinda like a less sweet Herba Fresca. Don’t need a bottle, but I’ll be happy to use up my 5 ml decant.
Would love to try this one. Is there a split of this one among NST folks or do you know?
I got mine from the google group – I don’t know of any other splits out there. Sorry!
aaah, I am so behind. How do you find them on google??
There is a “group” on Google, but they aren’t accepting new members at the time since it’s gotten kinda big. There are other sites where people host splits like the scent splits wiki.
Wearing the new Bulgari Jasmin Noir L’Essence and loving it – perfect for a cool-ish and pretty Fall day! This one’s going on my Christmas list for sure!
Glad you found a new favorite!
Sell a kidney for fragrance? Not sure. . .maybe that Amouage Memoir I’ve yet to purchase. Somehow, each month as I budget for my bottle (I’m strictly limiting myself to 1 each month), I can’t quite get myself to do it. Maybe now that the weather is cooling. . . I thought it would be too much in the warmer months (not that we had more than one warm month this year!).
I am currently wearing Jacomo #8, but I will switch to something else whenever I decide to accomplish something today. Schools are closed, so I get an extra day to either get stuff done or catch up on my sleep. Sleeps won out so far. . . 🙂
I can totally relate! I have fragrances on my wish list that are sitting there forever… and they are not on my today’s list… makes me wanna blush, run and hide!
But Memoir is great. Do you have a decant of it? Maybe you just need more time to wear it and figure out your thing with each other? Have you been wearing it lately?
All I have is a carefully nursed sample from The Perfume House. Thankfully, it is a powerful enough scent that a little goes a long way, but I am still running out. 🙁 A decant sounds like a perfectly reasonable intermediate step, but somehow I have yet to purchase one of any fragrance. I guess I always convince myself that it is “cheaper” to wait and buy a full bottle. (less expensive by the mL, etc.)
Marjorie, I’d love to share my LS sample with you.
We’re long overdue to meet in Portland anyway!
I would love to get together again! Now that school is in session, weekends are going to be best. . .but do I remember that being tough for you? Worst case scenario, there’s the winter holidays! (Oh gosh, or Thanksgiving week–but I always avoid shopping anywhere near black Friday!)
I use the same reasoning, it’s terrible. I’m like, no, I love it, I should hold out for a full bottle. Then the funds never materialize and I end up waiting forever! We should make a decant pact.
…or at least a sniffapalooza in Portland! In which case count me in…
Annie, I would be very happy to meet more perfume lovers in Portland! Email me at marjoriehundtoft at yahoo dot com if you want to connect!
A snifapoolza in Portland?! Now that I might actually be able to make! Can I email you as well Marjorie?
You bet!
I’m not in Portland, but I’m on the Oregon coast, so please count me in. Marjorie has my email, but it’s write2warum at gmail.
Wearing my beloved Douce amère. No full bottle (that’s a first!!!) on my wishlist for the moment, after buying my much lusted after Amouage Homage and my second bottle of Le parfum de Thérèse. I’ve been caressing the idea of SL Arabie and OJ Tolu, but neither is enough “real” yet to justify the splurge.
Wow, a bottle of Homage is a real treat – congratulations!
How crazy is that? I want to make a purchase and I cannot seem to make up my mind on what exactly I want to buy. There’s a life with no lemmings! Maybe I have been too sample-crazy and just completely sent my nose and tastes floating around with no compass or a map? Anyway, I’ve been thinking about
Bois des Iles
Cuir de Russie
#5
Coco
Chant d’Aromes
Liu
and Vol de Nuit (of course)
Some other contenders are Love by Chloe and #19 Poudre.
And Gawd, I am so boring. No lemmings. No unsniffed purchases. I smelled them all. I like them all. I am just not sure…
Who can help me choose?
I can totally relate. Sometimes you just want to thrill of a shiny new bottle of something good that hopefully will rock your world. Cuir de Russie gets my vote
Thanks for the vote, Delfina! (I love your name, too, sounds like dolphins and Delphi) It’s also continuing my working relationships (GREAT relationships at that) with my local stores during the events. But you nailed another part of it. I do want to be swept off my feet and add something adorable and classy to my wardrobe.
So many lovely choices, but I’m not sure I would buy if I wasn’t completely over the moon about a scent. . .would it ruin the excitement to have the money set aside, knowing that whatever the next whim, you can ride it?
If not, my vote on that list is Bois des Iles, but I’m not familiar with the last two.
Have fun, whatever you do!
Thank you for the vote and wise words! It’s funny how sometimes I find myself harboring a less than rational desire 🙂 seems like — what’s so hard, just wait if you cannot choose. But there’s the right times with some store events, etc. …
Oh please don’t think of it as ‘no lemmings’. Think if it as ‘contentment’. A lot of people never find it! My advice would be to just cruise with what you have for a bit, try some stuff that has been languishing in your collection, wear something out of season and see what the effect is … etc.
If had to choose out of that list I would go for a Chanel, but maybe not No 19 Poudre unless you are certain. A lot of people are disappointed with it, but even among those who like it (I do like it quite a bit) it does not sound like a great love, like Bois des Iles or Cuir de Russie often are for many people.
Annemarie,
thank you for kind words! Contentment is a nice one.
I am not a No 19 lover the same way as you are… and one time I wore Poudre I was smitten, the next time — not so much. I have enough in my sample for one more wearing and the third time will decide whether I love it or not!
Totally understand! Good luck.
Maybe it’s changed, but the VdN Edt I ordered from NM a few years was so weak I sent it back. Maybe you are thinking of extrait ?
I had sprayed from a tester at Bloomingdales and it worked, but yes I actually was considering ordering EDT from NM! Yikes!!!!!
I agree, Warum – there are so many wonderful classics that one really does not want to miss. They are all great and one really can’t afford to buy all of them at once. How to choose – it’s like that episode in Greek mythology in which the hero has to choose among the goddesses!
I personally I love Guerlain more than Chanel, and I’m especially fond of vintage Vol de Nuit, which is a bit more versatile and relaxed than Shalimar and Mitsouko (not that I’d live without those, either). I had to have No. 5, as well. Now that the Exclusifs are available in a smaller size I’ve got Bois des Iles, as well. Wouldn’t mind some No. 19 parfum, either… Good luck choosing!
I also vote for CdR. It’s classy and a real beauty. I wear it all the time and get the nicest compliments, even though I wear it more for my own pleasure than the pleasure of others. I received two compliments today!
I am so excited because I am going to San Francisco tomorrow and sniff scents with people that I have never met!!! I have never done this before, so it is a Great Adventure!
Tama organized it and it sounds fabulous! I am gathering up my cash and coins(for parking!) and I am ready to buy something wonderful and new!!
Wish me luck!!
Oh… nice! I’ve never done that before either. Must be exciting and a lot of fun!
that sounds pretty cool! Have a good time in San Francisco!
Tama has quite a long day planned, starting at 11am and ending in the evening. Have you considered taking BART into the city? I’ll be parking at Daly City BART (free parking on the weekends), and from there it’s only a $6 round trip, compared with $3 to $3.50 an hour at the downtown garages.
So jealous! Have fun!!
Have fun! It sounds like Tama planned a fabulous sniffing day!
Do report back!
Hope you guys have a wonderful time!
Tama’s SF Sniffas have been great! You’ll have a fab time. Sadly, I can’t make this one . . . so I’m already looking forward to next spring’s event.
Had a little splurge last night: I knew I’d be getting some extra money coming in next week so I went ahead and bought a 75ml of 31, Rue Cambon. I have a slight cold so my sense of smell is off, but man I can smell it clear as day! I haven’t worn it in maybe 2 years but it sure is fantastic. So glad. :3
I too have been coveting a bottle of 31 Rue Cambon. I had smelled it with Beige, Bois Des Ils, and No 18 on paper. I thought I just liked it but loved Beige. However once sprayed on my skin, Beige became cloying sweet but 31RC was heaven. I am hoping it will come out in perfume sometime.
Congrats on your purchase!
Any ideas on where to find a bottle of Dianne Brille edp?
According to their FB page:
“Dianne Brill Eau de Parfum: available in *limited quantities* If your interested in placing a order please contact Cali via email at CaliLee [at] diannebrill [dot]com”
Thanks, Robin! I didn’t think to check facebook.
Am looking forward to the Turin/Sanchez book out at the end of the month about their choice for the 100 most classic fragrances. I may not agree, but I’m sure it will be fun reading!
Yes, I’m looking forward to it too, although I seem to remember tania saying somewhere that it is drawn out of The Guide, and if you have read that, there may not be much that is new. Still, sounds like a nice book to own.
I just received a publicity copy for blog review, and it is indeed 96 reviews of five-star scents, pulled out of Perfumes: The Guide. In some cases, reviews are updated for changes since 2007. The four extra reviews are of reconstructions of discontinued classics smelled at the Osmotheque “museum”: Coty L’Origan, Chypre, Emeraude, and Fath Iris Gris.
I was completely gratified to read the update review for Secretions Magnifique, which Tania Sanchez says smells exactly the same as before but should originally have had a dissenting rating of one star from her. She warns testers not to accidentally touch the blotter to their noses.
It’s a much more manageable volume for people less obsessive about their fragrances than most of us are.
Are there any other good perfume books out there that anyone can recommend?
Books of reviews?
Reviews, descriptions, history, anything really. I’m always looking for good books on topics I’m interested in. I have The Guide but I’m not sure what other books might be worth taking a look at.
Wearing Black Aoud today. Finished my bottle of SSS Sienna Musk this week, and ordered my bottle of Yosh Sombre Negra which should be delivered on Monday.
My question: Has anyone tried anything by 40Notes? That brand is the newest addition on indiescents, and im wondering if i should look into sampling anything in particular.
I’d like to know too; I haven’t tried them.
My SOTD is SL’s Muscs Koublai Khan. I’m also in love with Tom Ford’s Violet Blonde and want a full bottle.
I just came back from the “Festa Italia” at St. Thomas University in Montrose in Houston. It’s still very hot here, 80’s, but not humid and really rather nice. Anyway there were a lot of booths with junky jewelry, food, games for kids, music, etc. One booth had a lot of discount perfumes and I have never seen such a mixed bag, some real oldies and some brand new things including some by Hermes etc. Anyway I saw an old old favorite of mine, K de Krizia, which I used to own in the early 80’s, but had absolutely no scent memory of. I squirted the tester on myself and it looked really yucky, very orange and viscous. Ew! I didn’t even want to sniff it, thinking it was gone bad long ago. Now, an hour later, sitting at my desk in the a/c, I kept smelling this incredible scent on my wrist and suddenly realized what it was. Gosh! I may have to go back (of find some from an online discounter). I have to confess, I bought the perfume way back when because I was in love with the image of the ads, which were shot in black and white and were quite romanticized. I even tore some out of magazines back then to hang on the wall in my office (I remember one with a really cute kitten). Wish I could find those again.
Speaking of really cute kittens, I’ve been meaning to tell you for ages that I love your avatar.
Thank you, that was a kitten named Socks whom I rescued off the street by my house along with his beautiful mama Sylvie. At about that time I also found out about two orphaned tabby kittens and I went to pick them up and brought them home. Fortunately, after a bit of sniffing Sylvie also adopted them and helped bring them up. I found homes for all three kittens but kept the mama and she is sitting here right now by my computer. 🙂
I got Korrigan right after she placed five kittens for adoption. I knew people would be more likely to adopt the kittens than the mom, and I wasn’t going to bypass a cat who likes dogs in favor of a kitten who might not have inherited such tolerance.
As someone who volunteers at a Humane Society, I love hearing these pet rescue stories. Thank you for caring about animals.
Calypso, if you search ebay for “Krizia ad” or “Krizia perfume ad” you may find some of them – that’s where I got the My Sin cat for my gravatar. 🙂
There are websites, too, that have galleries of vintage perfume ads, but I’m not remembering what they are called. Perhaps someone else here will remember.
I love K d Krizia and wore it back in the day – it was my signature for a few years. When I fell into the rabbit hole, I decided to revisit. Bought a bottle on ebay that had turned slightly. Then I found a perfume shop that had old stock and bought another bottle. It’s really lovely, a little bit of a throwback, but not really old-fashioned. I believe it was one of Roucel’s first scents…
I have just had a massive perfume clear out-about 30 bottles that I dont love anymore. My family and friends had an early christmas. However, even with a greatly depleted collection, I cannot decide what to spray on today! Its 20c but dark and cloudy- I have settled on either Balenciaga Paris or Prada L’Eau Ambrée.
Oh, good for you. I have some unloveds that I really need to pass on (thinking eBay – too “weird” for most of my family/friends, but too commonplace for most of my perfumista friends).
I would love to try ebay but posting perfume in Australia has strict rules -im not sure that it can be done. So give away is the only option.
USPS is pretty picky, too. I bought a buncha stuff on ebay to begin with, and I just recently figured out how to prepare a package via Paypal, so I don’t even have to take it to the post office.
(It’s my understanding that you can legally send perfume in the US if you specify “by ground.” Of course, I don’t know if Aussies have more or less trouble than Americans. The real killer for us seems to be sending perfume overseas. I have YET to manage that successfully.)
I am really curious about Penhaligons Amaranthine – anyone out there tried it and have an opinion?
My SOTD is Coty Imprevu (from ebay) which makes my feel elegant and charming – completely at odds with the jeans and old cotton shirt I have on but there you have it.
Just saw this after writing my comment! Joining you below in the perfume-does-not-match-outfit attitude!
I love Amaranthine! It’s an unusual, compelling, semi-tropical floral blend with a milky aspect that adds to its charm. Check out Angela’s review of it here at NST.
I agree! It’s a lot of fun, definitely unusual and distinctive. I too find it quite milky/creamy yet there’s a green accord in it that stops if from being too tropical/sweet/heady.
Definitely check out Angela’s review, it got quite a lot of love when it first came out.
Yes, I just tried a sample. On me it smells awful, like a mishmash of curry and cumin, absolutely not floral.
see my coment below.
I love Amaranthine as well. It definitely seems to be a polarizing fragrance for perfumistas, but a lot of friends have complimented me when I’ve worn it.
Amaranthine has a very raw, fleshy quality to it, quite similar in feel to Delrae’s Amoureuse – similar that is, until you try them side-by-side. To me, Amarantine smells more “proper” than Amoureuse, but both are beautiful tropical florals.
All the scents I like best are elegant (classic-style if not outright classics). My clothing wardrobe seldom lives up to them!
I’ll have to try the other end of the spectrum… wear some Demeter Dirt of Tabu to a black tie event!
I adore Amaranthine. The first time I tried it I didn’t get it at all. Then a couple of months ago I had another try and fell in love. This is one reason I never toss samples – you just never know what you’ll come back to. Love it in the heat.
SOTD is No. 5 which I have really been loving the past couple weeks. I was upset at first because I accidently bought the splash instead of the spray but it turns out I like how the aldehdyes seem “denser” when dabbed.
I just moved to a very different location: from a medium sized city in a desert to a tiny village town in a rainforest on the coast, and it’s been interesting seeing how the change in climate and local aesthetics affects my perfume choices. I really get the idea of ironic/unintuitive perfume outfit matching now that I have heard others mention before, i.e., wearing an Amouge with ripped jeans. I have been enjoying putting on No. 5 at the beginning of the day and then putting on my wetsuit to go surfing later on and smelling my perfume mixed with the rubber. Makes me smile every time!
That is awesome. I think the next face of No. 5 should be a surfer.
Agree absolutely!
What an image overhaul that would be! Might just bring a younger fanbase into the fold!
I love the idea of No. 5 mixed with the smell of rubber and sea. Great mental image. 🙂
Today I am wearing Cuir de Lancome, as I now have a backup order and now feel I can go wild. A nice autumn scent.
I adore Cuir de Lancome! Bought a backup bottle as well – it’s discontinued, and when it’s gone, it’s really gone.
Also love Cuir — however, I spritz it in such small amounts that I don’t imagine I’ll use up my single bottle in my lifetime. I don’t know what it is, but it seems really strong to me.
I typically do two spritzes at a time… *sometimes* three. The level in my first bottle has noticeably dropped since I bought it.
And I tend to be a light applier, too. I just can’t stand the thought of running out of CdL.
See, I have to dispense Cuir by half-spritzes. I suppose it’s a good problem to have in relation to discontinued perfumes.
Penhaligons Amaranthine is great, I can send you a sample if you want–email me at adelajuarez_3688@yahoo.com
Thank you for your kind offer! I am emailing you now.
Has the log-in feature changed on this site? Because I’ve been having a helza time logging in (I use an alternative browser). This is my first time getting thru after several attempts at different times today/yesterday. I liked it better before!
I am also having problems with the log in. I can only log in reliably with Chrome, never with Firefox and only occasionally with IE8. Obviously, it’s working for lots of people though, since there’s all these comments!
I think robin posted a few months back about this trick—- after logging in, if it still says you aren’t logged in, REFRESH! Then you’ll be logged in. That works for me every time I have trouble.
Robin – if that’s right, maybe you should repost? I’d hate for perfumistas to be left out.
I made an unsniffed purchase of AG Heure Exquise today. I found it on sale for $57 at a store called Beauty Collection in LA (kind of like a small, upscale Ulta). They have other AG scents on sale too for any of you nearby! I just sprayed it on and so far so good!
Very brave to “blind” buy a scent! I struggle with that whenever I see a “good deal” on a scent that is well-loved by people I respect. Happy to hear that you’re enjoying it!
AG Heure Exquise is one of my favs – and what a deal!
Yeah I was nervous about it but the reviews+the notes+the price meant I couldn’t resist!
It’s beautiful. I love No. 19 and Silences more (though I couldn’t quite tell you why), so I don’t own any – but I thoroughly approve of the love that HE gets.
Help me my friends….wedding tomorrow, late morning with lunch to follow at charming inn. I am reading a poem, and the service is to be very casual. They requested guests wear autumn colors.
What perfume?
an assortment of Tauer’s
Chanel 19 or Rue Cambon
Lyric Woman
too many jasmines to count
various ambers and woods
Help me narrow down these choices?!!
My choice would be Lyric Woman, or Chanel 19 🙂
I have yet to sample any Tauers, but a lot of the descriptions sound like autumn to me.
If it’s cool out, I would do something woody…sounds like a great setting. Have fun!
Adding – if you have Tauer’s CpA – that might do well
I don’t suppose you have CB Burning Leaves? I love that one, it puts me right back to playing in piles of dry oak leaves as a child.
I don’t know if you have Tabac Aurea, but that’s great for fall. You couldn’t go wrong with 31 Rue de Cambon or No. 19, either.
Tauer Une Rose Chypree comes to mind, do you have that one (a favotite of mine)?
This would be my pick as well. What did you end up choosing?
Oh, I think I’d pick 31 Rue Cambon myself – but you couldn’t go wrong with Carillon pour un Ange, or Une Rose Chypree, or Lyric.
Or No. 19, if you love it and feel comfortable in it. I love it, but it’s my Amazon woman scent,, my invisible armor scent – and I wouldn’t feel happy wearing it to a wedding. But that’s me. It is lovely.
I’d go with either Rue Cambon or Lyric Woman for Fall colors.
Thanks everybody for your wonderful suggestions….it really is hard to pick among so many lovely scents. Ultimately I wore Tauer’s Incense Rose–just a light spray. It’s incense seemed right for the very old chapel (for the service) as well as the windy, leaf strewn patio on the Delaware River (for the reception)….a perfectly beautiful day for a happy celebration.
Nice choice. Love this one in cooler weather.
sotd: L’artisan Fleur de Narcisse. delicious friday evening vino: Coastline Cabernet Paso Robles. happy friday!
I grew up right outside Paso Robles! Hope you are enjoying your wine!
A friend who lives in Boulder said she was looking for a new perfume. I directed her up Broadway to DSH. Now we’ll see if she
1. Gets addicted
2. Wishes she could get addicted but doesn’t want to spend that much
3. Prefers mainstream
You won’t be there to help guide her? It will indeed be interesting to see how she responds. It always surprises me how *personal* scent can be!
Gosh, I hope she goes and talks to Dawn directly! I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.
Do keep us posted! I’m dying to go to the DSH boutique, but that’d require an airline ticket, hotel, car, etc., in addition to all the stuff I’d buy once I got there.
Whine! I’m a new perfume addict who can’t wear fragrance for the next 8 weeks. I’m getting daily hyperbaric treatments and everything — deodorant, lotion, hair gunk– is forbidden. I spray my work clothes lightly, and when I get home I spritz like a fiend. I feel so nekkid! Thank goodness, no treatments over the weekend.
No scents for 8 weeks! Oh that does not sound like fun at all.
My SOTD is Antonia’s Flowers but thank goodness it’s just a sample as it’s not really doing anything for me. I had high hopes for its freesia and like being inside a flower shop but it’s a bit too flat and sharp for that. Might have to try again when it’s cooler. Thoughts?
I’ve had trouble with eczema in the past year. I haven’t had it since I was a kid. I can’t think what’s different except that in the last couple of years I wear perfume but it’s NOT on my wrists, where I apply perfume. Does anyone think it could be the perfume though, that I have sensitized my immune system? It was never this bad when I was a kid either. No asthma though. I keep thinking I should only apply to clothing, just in case, but then I forget (and I have a lot of little dab on vintage parfums 😉
You might try taking fish oil capsules – those essential fatty acids help to fortify the skin.
To me, Antonia’s Flowers is more of a springtime floral scent. I also think of it as a light-hearted scent. I “get” the freesia in it but it doesn’t actually smell like freesia to me. It’s very pretty, but you’re right in that it doesn’t have a lot of development to it. I would categorize it in the same class as the Guerlain Aqua Allegorias.
Her Tiempe Passate has more character.
Yes, I got the freesias too – they were just disappointingly flat, not radiant and song-like the way real freesias are. It is spring here but I think late winter might work better. Most of the spring flowers have already gone. I will give Tiempe Passat a go, thanks 🙂
I’ve dealt with eczema since childhood too, but perfumes have never aggravated it. Foods, yes; also general stress (ie, adolescent angst). If it’s on your hands, try keeping them well moisturized? I usually have trouble if I’ve washed a lot of dishes or clothes by hand: soapy water is so drying. Using a gentle lotion several times a day really helps. Be sure to reapply after every time you wash your hands.
It’s almost entire confined to the extensor side of my elbows and a bit on my face, I’m fortunate my hands are largely uninvolved. I don’t use soap and I lavishly apply emollient cream mixed with water which seems to be the most (but still limited) successful way of keeping it at bay (otherwise I have to use a steroid cream). I don’t think it’s the perfume but it’s something that niggles in the back of my mind. It’s comforting to hear you don’t find perfume to be a trigger, thanks!
Update: I recently posted about 10th wedding Anniversary and low expectations of Hubby commemorating occasion other than usual bunch of Kroger flowers. It was wisely suggested that I “gift” myself so as not to be disappointed. We had planned dinner out with the in-laws watching the kids.
What happened: Hubby stopped at Kroger and got the same bunch of lilies he gets every year and a Disney anniversary card (Cinderella) that our oldest daughter immediately appropriated. I got him a boxed set of favorite music artist and Blu-ray of a heavy metal concert he saw in theaters. I bit my tongue and started planning what perfume to buy. Then he pulled out the laptop and started looking at kids pirate ships for our soon-to-be 6yr old daughter for the FOURTH time in a week and I saw red. I waited until we were alone and then told him, angrily and tearfully that I deserved some consideration as well. I said a lot more than that actually but the upshot was he listened and said he was “sorry” and asked for some time to come up with something.
Tonight he came home from work and gave me a pretty gift bag with an assortment of my favorite candy, a nice silver pendant and a bottle of Beyonce Heat Rush. He proudly told me that he had stopped at a couple stores and smelled a lot of perfume, this was his favorite and he didn’t think I had anything like it. I was thrilled by the gesture.
Just thought I’d share how things turned out, hope that’s ok.
I admire you for saying something and am heartened by his actions. I hope you will both treasure the Beyonce Heat Rush and treat yourself (after a discreet interval) with one of your major lemmings!
That’s wonderful you were able to communicate openly and he got your intended message. You deserve to be treated like a queen.
Yes, yes, yes. Sometimes saying what you need is so necessary, even if it feels wrong and unromantic and like it “doesn’t count.”
Sounds like he heard your feelings and responded in a loving way! I’m sure your appreciation of the gift made an impression on him, too.
Bravo to you and your hubby! It always bugs me when people (myself included!) never speak up about what is bothering them – people can’t read minds and even if you think you are sending obvious signals, they may not get them. It is tough, of course and it seems some things shouldn’t have to be said (like your 10th anniversary deserving some kind of consideration – seems obvious to me!). So glad it all worked out.
Ruth, I just wanted to add my voice of support to the choir! I happy to hear that he listened and heard. Here’s hoping next year is even better! (BTW–what do you think of Heat Rush?)
Honestly? Its one hot mess of syrupy fruit with some vanilla. But that’s OK. I’ll wear it because he tried and doesn’t complain when I walk around drenched in Guerlain Mahora or Lanvin My Sin.
I assume he likes it on you, at least? That’s always nice. . .
I’m also happy to hear that he doesn’t blanch at some of the more unorthodox fragrances you wear! That shows supportiveness.
Well, you could do a lot worse than syrupy fruit and vanilla. Best wishes to you – I wish I had spoken out at some key moments, to my now-ex.
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
At least he tried to redeem himself. It seems like he did a good job in the end. Better late than never.
He’s a great guy and I know he loves me – just not the “romantic” type. When our first daughter was born his big gesture was finishing wiring the chandelier we had tried to install the night before I went into the hospital to give birth.
Good for both of you (but especially you). I must admit, I did kind of giggle at “he didn’t think I had anything like [Beyoncé Heat Rush].”
Ruth, you guys handled this so intelligently, proud of both you. Thanks for shareing. Whenever I see red in the future I will try to remember this : )
Wore Thierry Mugler Ice Men today… Love the Way it drys down from something so Fresh and Aromatic to something so Warm and Sensuous! and That Colour of the juice too is OUTRAGEOUS!
Hum, maybe you’ll like Armani Attitude then. I love the A* Men Summer Flash bottle. The shape is the same as Ice Men, but the colors are different, gorgeous.
have you tried Armani Diamonds Black Carat? If you like fragrances that warm-up through the wearing time you should give it a try
Whoever (too lazy to go back and look it up right now) mentioned the BBW Marshmallow Fireside candles, thanks !!!
What a great scent for the approaching fall!
Another instant love from BBW: the Holiday CO Bigelow lip gloss in Vanilla Spiced Chai.
I went into Sephora and sprayed on Clinique Happy and Kate Walsh Boyfriend. Happy was a little too happy. but I was surprised to find myself liking the Kate. I may have to buy a bottle as it reminds me of one of the Frapins that I liked at a more comfortable price.
I wore three fragrances today
1. Major Scrubber (on my skin as far as the reviews tell)
2. Okay fragrance
3. I like it fragrance
—–
1. Smell Bent Fuzzy Teacup — this actually made me gag and cough like a smoker
2. Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly
3. Degree Sexy Intrigue
I love Otter Luvr and Little Miss Panda and they love me back. But Fuzzy Teacup hates me alot. It hates me so much it tried to suffocate me. 🙁
A lot of the Smell Bents are very strong. I am so curious about Ottr Luvr – I want it just for the name but the notes sound very not me! Smell Bents are interesting if nothing else!
I like the little drawings on Smell Bent, but have yet to fall in love with anything. 🙁
I love One, Blimey Limey and St. Tropez Dispenser. Incensed is a nice incense as well.
Wanting bottles of Chantecaille’s Vetyver, Moss Breches and Chinatown, but killing for a iPhone 4S. Does anyone want me to do any killer service??? I’m not expensive how you can see…
I had a really rough week with a student. . .
Ha! I guess I’d better not even joke about that, so please pretend you can’t read it!
Ha! I’m very professional: discreet, no evidences… 😉 I hope FBI do not read this cause nowadays all we say can be used against us. I’m afraid they discover me. It’ll be the end of my profession. I’ll disappear somedays… 🙁
I’m not sure if you know because I haven’t it on NST.
but Thierry Mugler has launched limited editions for Christmas.
they call it the Taste Of Fragrance collection. they added a food note to Angel, Alien, A*Men and Womanity.
I’m not too keen on Womanity anyway so I wasn’t particularly bothered by the added fig. it doesn’t even smell that different.
Alien doesn’t really smell different either, it smells more like the summer editions.
but Angel blew me away! they added dark cocoa (basically chocolate) and I LOVE it. I need to get me a bottle. I can’t really smell the chocolate in regular Angel so this was such a nice suprise. they were supposed to bring the patchouli out aswell but I smelled mostly chocolate.
and I smell mostly patchouli in normal Angel so it’s like they’ve made it the opposite.
I think it’s what Angel should smell like normally ! with the added chocolate.
beware though: it is nausiating at first, it’s an overdose of chocolate which made even me feel a bit sick. but after a few minutes it calms down into this wonderfully blended scent.
They sound very interesting! I’m sure a lot of people will like the Angel sans patchouli. I couldn’t stand Womanity in the first place either, so not going anywhere near that one!
(And there was an announcement here last month –
https://nstperfume.com/2011/09/20/thierry-mugler-taste-of-fragrance-gout-du-parfum-new-fragrances/)
I think most people will find it vom inducing haha. there is a LOT of chocolate in there!
and ofcourse! how would they not know about it ? :L I missed that post, aha. I only found out about a week ago.
I just bought a bottle of Strange Invisible Perfumes Magazine Street on Ebay. I’ve sampled it several times and was happy to find a bottle for less than $100.
I would really like bottles of Pipapo and Umami from Florascent. Well, and their Ylang too. I wonder if I can convince my husband to buy them for me for Christmas? I found them on clearance online and the 3 of them together cost less than one bottle of the scents I’d like.
Your comment makes me aware of how *normally* I want gifts to be a surprise and demonstrate a thoughtful awareness of my needs/wants. But when it comes to perfume, I’d MUCH rather give suggestions than be surprised! I say lay the hints on thick!
My subtle hinting consists of making a list and handing it to him. I give him plenty of ideas to choose from. I used to try laying the hints on thick and he just never got them. I find the direct approach works better for things I really, really want.
And I just go straight to buying what I want and handing it over to The CEO, with the instruction: “This is what you’re giving me for Christmas.” Or birthday. Or anniversary.
He hates to shop, even with a list. It’s win-win.
(This Christmas I am lemming a new cell phone. It’ll still be a dumb phone, because I really don’t need all the bells and whistles, and I definitely don’t need a data plan, but I need one more advanced than the El Cheapo Tracfone I have now. Tracfone actually works great for my needs… this time, I want a qwerty keyboard on the thing. SICK of texting on my old phone, it’s so unwieldy.)
Good point about the keyboard. I don’t text a lot, but a keyboard would make it a whole lot easier. I think it’s time for my upgrade!
My dude actually enjoys shopping, so I’ve been pleased with the efficacy of the hand-him-a-list approach. He’s really taken a shine to one of the SAs at the Guerlain counter at the Saks in SF, which works out nicely all around — she makes a sale, he gets brownie points, I get my perfume, all with minimal drama.
I have a teenager who also has an El Cheapo Tracfone, which works great for the “where are you, when are you coming home, you forgot your homework” sort of conversations I tend to have with her. Problem is, her social life just heated up this past summer, and she’s using her text feature more frequently. Also, her phone hardly ever gets signal at the high school, where she spends 80% of her waking day. She needs a new phone, too.
Actually I walked away from my laptop before posting this and he sat down and read what I was writing. Hopefully that’s a big enough hint. 🙂
Typically I don’t hand pick gifts I would really like, with the exception of perfume. And I usually want perfume.
You may want to hurry up.. Saffron Rouge has all Florascent scents, including Pipapo, on clearance, and some of them are sold out already. I called up SR and they confirmed that they will not carry the line anymore. I bought several bottles of my favourites to stock up. Few other retailers have limited selection available. Looks like Florascent line is still available in Europe, so I hope that means the house will survive these rough times.
SOTmorning: SL Cedre. After being scentless during the week I need this heavy, syrupy, delicious soup on me. Just for walking the dog and doing chores! After my shower, not sure. Need something autumnal, golden, warm, comforting to balance my austere medical treatments. Any suggestions?
Datura Noir, Chinatown, Vetyver (Chantecaille), Burberry Brit, L (Lolita Lempicka), Armani Code, Absolutely Irresistible. Best wishes to you!
Fall always makes me think of Ambre Narguile and Botrytis. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestions! A bunch of new things to sniff. Here’s more about where I’m coming from: http://wayitisnow.wordpress.com/
I ALWAYS (every week) recommend as uplifting fragrances Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (my aromatheraphy) and Happy Men (Clinique). Have fun!
Your blog is amazing, bluepinegrove! Really, you write so beautifully, and I love your wit, e.g., “Getting the eardrum pierced was not that horrible, and it’s one of the most discreet piercings you can get.” I hope you have many opportunities to apply your talents to a wide range of unpainful topics.
Thanks for reading, NozKnoz!
Just realized I forgot to answer your question. Some anti-austere comforting favs would be SSS Tabac Aurea and Via del Profumo Mecca Balsam, which are a bit similar to my nose. You could get a sample or decant of MB from the Perfume Court. Don’t remember if they have SSS. Indie Scents has it and they also sell samples, or you can order from her website.
Thanks again for your blog!
I read your site . . . and I am speechless. Your style is captivating; the content gripping.
How about Lubin Idole? It’s autumnal yet sheer, perfect for this time of the year.
And hope you are better soon! 🙂
Oh my. Idole sounds amazing. I’m sending for a sample of that and the Botrytis ASAP. For the Ambre Nargile, is there a way to get Hermes samples online?
I’ve already tried to get Hermès samples. Depends on where you live… and don’t forget to ask for some Hiris sample, a very nice stuff…
I’ve been tempted to order Un Jardin unsniffed–really sounds like it’s up my alley. Where did you try and get samples of Hermes? I live in Oregon, NOT in Portland. Limited access to decent perfume shopping.
I don’t live in USA and never received a sample of Hermès. You can get it entering the site of Hermès and asking for samples (hermes dot com). Sur Le Nil, for me, is a safe blindbuy. And if you don’t like, it’ll be very easy to do a trade with nstperfumers. En Méditerranée is less blindbuy as Apres La Mousson. Sur Le Toit I’m dying to know yet. For me, Gucci By Gucci sport remembered me too much a mix of Sur Le Nil and Méditerranée (both follow that line). Aprés La Mousson have a lot of similarities with He Wood from Dsquared for me. Hiris has one of the best oppening notes I’ve known.
In my experience, Hermes are quite good about giving out samples. I would try either calling your nearest boutique and emailing their customer service and asking them nicely to send you some samples.
Mmm, I pulled out Botrytis this week. We are finally having some cool mornings and it was just right. Amber Narguile is one of my favourite bedtime scents.
SOTD is a sample of Prada Candy. After a few hours it was really, REALLY reminding me of another fragrance and I racked my brain trying to think of what it could be, and then it hit me: Molinard Tendre Friandise. They’ve got a very similar clean musk and vanilla drydown.
I loved that one too — makes sense!
Yesterday’s SOTD: FM Lys Mediterranee. It’s was 95F yesterday so it still felt right to wear it despite being fall. I love the salty aspect of it and I’m starting to realize that salt=sexy to me in most scents.
I’m seriously lemming a bottle of Musc Ravageur. I’ve been wearing my sample of it quite a bit and I can’t help but be reminded of Shalimar, but without the strong lemon (and perhaps something else?) that makes Shalimar hard for me to wear. Love that burnt sugar note. So unisex too! I can imagine this smelling very sexy on the BF (I’m thankful that the packaging is unisex too since my BF is leery about wearing things he thinks are marketed to women). However I’m trying to pace myself because I’m saving up for a trip to India this coming summer!
I re-discovered Tonka Imperiale last week and have really been enjoying it. Today I’m wearing Bois d’Armenie and really like it, too.
My most interesting discovery in the last couple of weeks is Mona di Orio Les Nombres d’Or Vanille. It starts out green in an OJ Woman kind of way with woods that remind me of SDV only not so sweet. As it develops and the cloves and other spices kick in it has a definite carnation quality to it (I had to double check that it was in fact the Vanille and not the MdO Carnation sample I was using). The vanilla is just starting to emerge at that point and it reminds me of the vintage Bellodgia extrait I have – it has much more vanilla in it than the modern EdT I’ve tried. I find the woods very rich and sweet with a hay-like quality but the vanilla is quite dry. I don’t really detect a boozy note to it, but more like something that has been aged in rum. The vanilla keeps it from smelling like a smoky rum cask and the woods prevent it from moving over into spice cake soaked in rum territory. It’s quite strong and complex and it develops over a number of hours on my skin. I don’t really recognize it as a “vanilla” scent until the deep drydown. I applied it rather heavily before bed one night and the following morning it was still very much there and that’s when the vanilla was most prominent.
The Mona di Orio fragrances that were available at the time the Guide was written were savaged by LT and I’m not sure if those scents are still on the market. I didn’t know anything about her or her perfumes until LuckyScent sent me a carnation sample at random but I like what I’ve sniffed so far.
I also received my Le Labo city samples and I’m underwhelmed by the two I was most interested in – Vanille 44 (Paris) and Gaiac 10 (Tokyo).
I think the original Md’O fragrances have been discontinued in favor of the new line, but stocks have not yet disappeared from retailers.
Somebody else weigh in on this – Joe. you’re a fan, right?
SOTD: Etat Libre Like This from 8ml decant, I really love it — but it doesn’t last, fades away too quick on my skin, It sort of reminds me of Memo Manoa? Like This is sweeter. I’m not sure it I want a FB of Like This…I wore it last night to my sons football game, and I had to wear it again today..did’nt mind re-applying over and over..I was told by my kids that I smell good even if I can’t smell myself, well I sprayed some Memo Manoa and walaaa..it is gorgeous side by side. Oh well maybe I do need a FB of Like This I’ve already used up half of my new decant I just received yesterday.
Wearing Profumi di Pantelleria Nica and cannot figure out what the really really strong note is that lasts for an hour or so before calming down. Smells like cumin to me, but cumin isn’t mentioned in the notes (blueberry, grape, tangerine, violet, freesia, cardamom, cedar wood, sandalwood, musk ) at all. Perhaps it’s fermented grapes? I haven’t decided about this one yet. It’s in the “difficult to wear” box for me.
Interested in trying the Molocule 01, 02 and 03. Anyone have any feedback/opinions on those?
never tried any of these but heard they’re quite intelligent – when someone wears any of them others reception seems to be like “oh, you smell exactly I’d like to smell”
Seems like molecules adapt to individual perception of scent giving others that feeling as if you were wearing they’re favorite fragrance or fragrance they’ve been looking for.
Someone here on NST (Robin or Angela?) said the vetiver one, Molecule 03, was a favorite vetiver. I love vetiver, so I tried it, and it was good. I like AG and Guerlain Vetivers better, but trying molecule was interesting. It made me realize how much of what I read as incense in many perfumes is that “vetiver” compound. So I ordered samples of the other two but haven’t tried them yet. From what I’ve read, I think it will have the same effect of making one realize how much they are used.
I own and love Molecule 01 and 02. Molecule 01 is the Iso E Super mixture, and garners more compliments than anything else I wear. It is odd, some people report not smelling anything with it, and others find it too loud. It smells. . .vaguely of soft wood, incense and musk to me. Katie Puckrik has liked it, and put it in several of her reviews.
Molecule 02 is the Ambroxan scent, with its ambergris vibe–warm salty skin, vague mineral like wood. As I said, I like both. I like layering them together, and I like the Escentrics 01 and 02 as well. I was not as enamored with Molecule 03, which seemed too harsh and synthetic/sour on my skin.
Perfumistas have hated these in general, blasting them for their simplicity, and dubbing them scents rather than full perfumes. I say wear what you like, but sample first, as your mileage may vary. Hope that helps. Be well.
Thank you for the great info. I’m so curious to try them, so I may order a few samples from luckyscent just to play. I love the idea of “non-perfume” perfume. I like the Juilette Has a Gun.. Not a Perfume, Odeur 53, scents like that.
Do someone know a place at Orlando or Miami where I can find an unblocked iPhone 4S?????
I’ve decided I don’t need the 30 ml bottle of Fresh Cannabis Santal I bought last week. I like a bit of crispness and/or elegance in my fragrances, and this one is more on the decadent side, bordering on bohemian. Also, the sweetness feels a little unbalanced – the opening is so candied and caramelly it practically sticks to my fingers. It just doesn’t sit right on me, much as I love the notes, especially that gorgeous, rich patchouli. I feel like I should have put the money toward refilling my Angel star. (Yes, Angel is sweet, too, but I feel like the sweetness is better kept in check. Plus, I just find it a stranger, more interesting fragrance than the Fresh, which is a bit one-sided and literal.)
I remember being a bit disappointed in that particular Fresh. You might sample Coze if you get a chance for an enveloping winter patchouli with a hint of cannabis.
SOTD: Huitieme Art, Aube Pashmine. Not the comforting autumnal scent I’ve been craving, but its name screamed at me from my pile of samples. Not sure how I feel about the tomato-leaf note in this garden-y scent, but I’ll have to remember this one next spring.
SOTD = TF Violet Blonde. I’m a huge TF fan so not surprisingly like this, although it’s not quite what I expected — maybe I was expecting more brazen sex from it, which is admittedly hard to do with violets. I liked the beginning and middle and now I’m well into the dry down and it might be a bit too clean musk/ powder for me. We’ll see.
On an unrelated note, lately I’ve been craving a really good tobacco-y fragrance. Any suggestions?
Consider Kilian Back to Black, SL Chergui and Costamor’s Tabacca (this one is reasonably priced and the dry-down is very similar to Back to Black). Also Odori’s Tabacco offers a honeyed approach…
Thanks for your suggestions! I do like Back to Black but it isn’t love for me, and to pay for Kilians it would have to be true love…
Then you should try the Costamor – the dry down is almost exactly the same and it’s much cheaper. Lucky Scent carries it! Good luck with your search and be sure to post what you find…
My favorite tobacco fragrance: Sonoma Scent Studios Tabac Aurea. I get the “What smells so good?” reaction every single time I wear it.
Ineke’s reasonably priced and beautiful tobacco orange Field Notes in Paris.
I wish I’d thought of this earlier, but just wanted to note how amazing the Miriam clip was (posted I think on Thursday for the draw), and the comments in response to being asked to imagine what would happen to the characters over the course of the year were AMAZING! Worth going back to read. Too bad we couldn’t discuss the comments, since it was a draw – there were so many insights and imaginative ideas. Wish we could revisit it as a discussion!
Agree completely! It was fascinating to read what others imagined would happen in the year to come. I wanted to share this with my family. . .but the material is too close to home. I cried so much about it, I couldn’t bear to share it with them. It was oddly comforting to see others dealing with these issues, and how universal this experience is.
It was a bit ‘close to the bone’ for me as well. Consequently I got totally obsessed, replayed it endlessly, scrutinizing individual scenes. I ended up with a sort of depth analysis instead of a prediction for the characters. It felt like some highly significant personal homework had been done, so I left it there. My bf read the comments but did not watch the movie. He told me my answer was quite pretentious : (
I thought your analysis was very perceptive, Merlin, and felt that you had seen deeply into what the film maker was trying to convey.
Thanks for the reassurance!
Will keep this in mind if they do other shorts that we have access to!
I’ve recently gotten a job after far too long of unemployment (yay!), so I can *finally* afford to actually do a bit of fragrance shopping! I’m very excited. 🙂
Though now it comes down to it, I’m not sure what to get. There are so many fragrances I’ve read about during my perfume abstinence that I’d love to sample (Ambre Russe, the new Serge Lutens, CB In The Library, Yatagan, among many more), but I can’t really afford to buy both samples and a new bottle. :/ I should probably go for something cheap-ish that I’ve been drooling over for a while, like Bulgari Black or one of the CdG Incense series. But…samples! I’m so torn. 🙁
I’d say buy the Bulgari Black or CdG with your first paycheque, and then you have something to wear to work (much like starting with a nice pencil skirt). Once you have a plumper bank account, go with the samples. Play with them for a few more paycheques, then buy your favourite…