1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
2. Do you restrict your fragrance purchasing in any way, and if so, what are your rules or limits?
3. What's your favorite electronic gadget, if you have one, and what's your favorite software?
Answer as many or as few as you like! My answers:
1. None yet, but planning to test several older Keiko Mecheri scents later today.
2. First I had no limits. That got out of control so I limited myself to two a month. I still ended up with so much perfume that bottles started to go bad before I could use them up. Now, I sometimes have trouble talking myself into buying anything at all. It's rare that I buy more than 1 or 2 bottles per quarter.
3. I love my Droid 3 phone, and I love Evernote even more. I am tempted by the Kindle Fire — if you've pre-ordered, raise your hand!
Note: image is Orton_Tatton2 [cropped] by the yes man at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. Bath and Body Works PS I Love You
2. Sort of??? I try to limit myself to 1 or 2 full bottles for year. I mostly purchase samples. I would like to get myself into more of a “perfume budget” and have a “perfume queue” kind of like a netflix queue where I buy things in order of priority as I save up money for them. That’s the eventual goal, anyway.
3. I don’t really own any electronic gadgets! My cell phone doesn’t even have a touchscreen. I guess my favorite “gadget” would be my PC, TV, or coffeemaker. LOL
I bet PS I love you is really nice in the Fall. I want a bottle myself!
I wear it so much through the fall and winter. It’s so nice, in my opinion maybe the best scent BBW has ever done. I am lucky enough to have it in the limited edition EDP they did (standard version is just EDT or body splash, as are most of their fragrances.)
Robin, do you love SL Un Bois Vanille as much as you love Havana Vanille?? I was just wondering because as much as I like Havana Vanille, I cannot wear Un Bois Vanille-too much like a vanilla candle. Interesting, as both are about vanilla…
No, never liked Bois Vanille.
Hey, my second favorite gadget is surely my temp-control tea kettle! And I only got a “real” phone a couple months ago 🙂
Tell me about it, please, Robin. What do you have and why do you recommend it over the standard tea kettle on the stove? (I’m drinking a cup of Keemun Hao Ya as I type this!)
I drink mostly green & oolong & herbal. So the water temperature matters — sometimes I want 180 degrees, or 190, or sometimes near boil. I used to have to hover in the kitchen, listening for the kettle to sound just right, which was a pain.
Mine was from Upton but they don’t seem to have it now, but it was the same general idea as this:
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/utiliTEA_kettle.html?SID=dbc11f00e983b172651e4d0414974c81
For some reason – maybe we are still big tea drinker – I think of electric teakettles as a Canadian phenomenon. Here’s is the quintessential design:
http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/housewares/k-42-electric-kettle/
although no promises about water temperature…
Thank you so much! I too am hovering over the stove, which is why I asked. 😀
This tea sounds lovely – where do you find it?
And is it available online?
Nancy – it’s from Arbor Teas. Here is the link:
http://www.arborteas.com/organic-keemun-hao-ya-a-black-tea.html
Another favorite is Himalayan Quest from Art of Tea:
http://www.artoftea.com/catalog/himalayan-quest-nepal-black-p-44.html?osCsid=ecb3f8422d516ff81c0da552bf741d1f
It’s a little more expensive though. Both of these have great flavor.
Interesting. I’m not tempted by electric kettles in the least. I love my copper-bottomed small size Revereware steel kettle on top of the gas stove.
Made some STRONG lavender simple syrup last weekend and my favorite lately is putting a little of that in a good Darjeeling & Assam Earl Grey (Ahmad of London), which I accidentally picked up accidentally b/c “Earl Grey” was in fine print and I was looking for a new Darjeeling. It’s brought me back around to Earl Grey, though.
That Earl Grey sounds delicious! Making a note…. Can you actually taste the lavender in the tea when you use your simple syrup? I’ve got some lavender raw sugar, but lose the lavender taste in tea.
I’m guessing the simple syrup uses an infusion of lavender? If so, you can make them very flavorful. I use a lavender infusion with peaches to make a lovely lavender peach jam that tastes like summer all winter long! (an infusion is basically herbal tea, just in case that’s not a familiar term.)
Oh YES I can most definitely taste the lavender. I think I actually made the syrup a little too strong. It’s hard to get the ratio right with that kind of thing. I just use a teaspoon or so of the syrup in a cup of tea.
Lavender syrup sounds lovely. I made cinnamon syrup with raw sugar and piloncillo last weekend. I like it in iced coffee and hot chocolate. I’ve been going backwards technology-wise by making cold brew toddy coffee lately.
1) TF Tobacco Vanille (I’m kind of on a kick right now)
2) Not really unless no unsniffed buys count. I’ve been burned as I’m sure we all have. Plus I have that annoying skin Ph that can turn perfume in an instant.
3) My IPad! LOVE IT, totally addicted. I’m worse than a kid with a new toy. Plus I bought a hot pink cover so my hubby will leave it alone. It’s been my observation that a woman will pick up and use something that is blue, but a man won’t touch something pink with a 10 ft. pole. It’s my sneaky way of hands off! LOL
Interesting observation about pink. I’ll have to try that myself!
The pink strategy hasn’t worked for me. My sons use my iPad when the other computers are all taken.
Interesting! Wonder whether this would work with a remote control…
…not a chance….
1) Hermes Eau des Merveilles. Haven’t worn it in a while and am appreciating it anew after digging out my bottle this week.
2) I no longer buy anything unsniffed. In the past, I picked up some clunkers that way. Even if they were cheap, I wished I had saved the money towards something better.
3) Not really a gadget person!
That’s an excellent rule. I mostly stick to it too.
First of all, I love the image accompanying this poll…….
1) Safran Troublant
2) My only limit is that I must be utterly in love with it. If it is not exceptional on me, I won’t buy it. It’s not enough anymore for a fragrance to be INTERESTING or WEIRD! It has to be incredible on me. Which is why I sold a lot of my collection and narrowed it down to a very exclusive, select few that cover most fragrance categories. I still enjoy sampling the weird and wonderful ones though!!!
3) My laptop, because it is used more than anything else! Then, it would be a food blender – great for making masalas and sauces and mincing onions etc when I can’t be bothered to chop.
Isn’t that a lovely shot? I wish I was there, today.
I bought my husband a MacBook Air for his birthday, and now my laptop seems so BORING, LOL…
1. Chanel No 19 Poudre (this is my kind of No 19…! : – 0 )
2. I do restrict my purchasing, yes. I just bought a second beer chiller for my perfumes and distributed the contents of the original fridge between the two, and they are still both full!, but more accessible and visible now. So that is it on the chilled storage front – any more fridges and the nocturnal racket will be deafening. So storage issues are the first factor, which also link in with a fear of mortality – my own and that of the bottles – can I possibly use them (even kept in an optimum environment) in my lifetime? Clearly not, is the answer, based on current spray rates, so the situation is already untenable.
Another factor is fear of losing interest in the new purchase and of diluting the relative value of and interest in previous purchases. Money is the final limitation, though that applies more to bottles in excess of £60, say – I currently have a number of lemmings in that price bracket that have been curbed for the moment.
3.) My Olympus DS-40 dictaphone is a tool of my trade, but I am attached to it because it has seen a lot of action and served me well. Beyond that, I crave an i-phone and wouldn’t say no to an i-pad if it landed in my lap.
I’m going to admit that I like the No 19 Poudre – not as much as I like the No 19 edt reformulation or vintage No 19 parfum. Everybody’s sitting at my table. I’ll also admit that my favorite thing to do with No 19 Poudre is spray it on my linens when I change the sheets. I’m not trying to be insulting by saying: Now THAT’S a dryer sheet I’d buy!!
I like it too. I will try your linen spray idea!
A second beer chiller!! Wow, that’s more serious than I am, I guess. I just let them go bad 🙂
Chanel 19 Poudre is such a beautiful scent, but only on paper. On my skin it smells horrible.
1. Lyric Woman. Mmmmmm.
2. When I started collecting, the guideline was “no more than $100 a month,” and I started amassing bottles/minis/decants. These days, I’ve been seriously considering downsizing the collection and only keeping things that I really love, while purchases of full bottles have dropped way, WAY off. I still find myself tempted by splits, though.
3. Love my laptop (would never be able to do NaNoWriMo without it). It’s several years old and not fancy, but I can take it places instead of being tied to a desk.
Very impressed with everybody that does Nanowrimo. Wish I could make myself do it.
Lyric Woman……. so beautiful.
I keep telling myself I need to downsize, but it never seems to happen.
1. Sycomore Chanel
2. NONE unfortunately, I spent a lot in last few weeks
3. SonyEricsson XPERIA RAY
Wow, that’s a nice looking phone!
Yes really, and a good bundle with Sycomore that I payed almost the same, hahaha, but I can’t phone or surf with that huge bottle, although the pleasure is more than triple.
It is funny that the perfume & the phone cost the same! Makes you think 🙂
1- haven’t decided yet. I’m thinking I might go with Jeux de Peau for a cozy night in. Or maybe a spritz Ta’if?
2- a while ago I decided not to approach this as a collecting hobby so I only buy things which I absolutely adore and cannot live without. That’s one of the reasons why I’m yet to get into buying decants since I figure that I either love it enough to buy a bottle or I’m fine with just having a sample vial. I like to smell as much as possible but buy very little.
3- currently infatuated with my white iPhone 4S. I owned iPods for years, made a switch from PC to Mac last year and finally swapped my Nokia for iPhone last month so I guess it’s fair to say that I’m am happy with Apple’s ecosystem.
I vote for Ta’if – I wore that yesterday. It’s just fantastic!
I decided to go with Jeux de Peau for the evening but lined up Ta’if for tomorrow so I could get a whole day of wear out of it.
I love Apple, and I still use my iTouch. I went Android only because they were offering 2-for-1 when my son & I both needed phones. But I’ve been very happy — really, I’d guess these days all the phones do pretty much the same thing.
I haven’t used my iPod Classic since getting the phone (although I’m sure it’ll come out for longer trips and things). So nice to have everything on one device, and no more shopping lists on scraps of paper! Yeah, like I said, infatuated 😀
I still use my iTouch mostly because I don’t like any of the Android apps for Podcasts. So, the iTouch stays with me! But yeah, my older iPod Classic is in the drawer.
I’m going to get an iPhone soon because my phone is on its dying breath. I still love my iPod classic because I like my gadgets to do one thing really well.
1. Vintage No 5 parfum
2. I will allow myself to spend up to about $25 a few times a quarter on a large decant to try something I really want to sniff (and then deal with the consequences of being happy or disappointed when that happens), or on swapping supplies. This year I’m trying to limit myself to one (really amazing) full bottle per quarter b/c I already have too many bottles and something has to be major toe-curling to induce me to buy. ( Right now I want a bottle of Ormonde Jayne Woman, so I’ll wait until around Xmas to snap one up, or wait until the next time they do free ship.) I try and hold out as long as I can to buy and if the moment passes, there is always another one coming down the pike. And my hubbie and I might buy a house (yikes) so I’m trying to be a very good perfumista.
3. My fav electronic gadget right now is my small heat pad that I am using on my sore shoulder, my sore mouse-hand, and my sore hip. Is it winter already?
Anns, get better soon
and how exciting, good luck with the house : ))))))
Oh, so sorry — hope it’s a good heating pad!
Sorry you’re hurting, Ann. I finally got Ormonde Woman, and I’m wearing it today!
1. SOTD Caleche (Not Kelly Caleche)
2. I adopted a no more than two bottles from any designer. Then I decided to abandon that rule. However, I really have yet to get a third bottle from anyone. have also imposed upon myself a “a no-‘borrowing’- that-1970’s- just -about -never- opened Shalimar- from- Mom-who-obviously-would-not-miss-it-since-she’s never-opened-it-rule”.
3. I do not love any electronics.
Actually, as I thought about it, here are some more policies I follow:
1. No celeb scent. (I did buy Daphne, without realizing that it was by a “celeb”)
2. Is Scent X like Y which I already own? Then, no purchase unless it is significantly better. (For instance, I liked Bottega Vetta, until some one pointed out that it is sort of a lighter version of Daim Blond. Since I already have Daim Blond, no B.V. for me).
: ) Bottega Veneta is so much different from Daim Blond : ) both are excellent, but not that much similar at all. and now i run away very faaaar : )
That’s certainly an interesting way to limit yourself. I also have two bottles from several houses but no forerunner with three yet, wondering who/ when that will be
It’s funny but I am almost the exact opposite. I tend to collect from certain houses but not from others. I own pretty much all the Nicolaïs,
(those small bottles are wonderful!), and a lot of Goutals. Both of these houses make fragrances that I, apart from admiring them, really enjoy wearing. I have to keep reminding myself that I do not absolutely need all the Goutals, but something in me kind al likes having the complete line.
1. Eau Duelle by Diptique.. unfortunately its faded away now.
2. I am an addicted Sniffer. Although i have purchased and regretted on more than one occasion, im strict to only buy fragrances i feel relate to me and i can identify with.
3. Hmm… i love my blackberry if that counts. i cant live without it.
i dont own an ipod, or an ipad or an iphone… but blackberry? gimme gimme and ill never let it go 😛
Of course it counts!
1. Pacifica Egyptian Bergamot Rose – a softly spicy rose-amber, perfect for today’s fall weather.
2. When I started, my restriction had to do with price rather than quantity, so I had an upper limit of what I would pay per bottle, but no restriction on how many bottles I’d buy per month. That was ridiculous! And I ended up having more perfume than I could ever possibly wear. So now I buy only samples (like the two SSS 2.5 ml samples I bought last month) or splits (PG Indochine coming up!) or small bottles (under 30 ml). And I don’t buy many of those – something will sound really interesting, and then I’ll think “but I already have 3 things I love in that category” and that’s the end of that lemming.
3. I use my laptop the most, but I love my Kindle the most. I got stuck in my doctor’s waiting room for over an hour yesterday (computer problems put them waaaay off schedule), but I had my Kindle with me, so I had my choice of books to read. That’s why I carry it with me everywhere.
I can relate to the “I’ve got three things I love in that category.” I spent several months sampling the greens (it had been a problematic note for me, but I was determined to find something that worked on my skin) and found 3 that make my heart go pitter-pat. Now, I find myself with no desire to sample any other green. I’m satisfied with my choices.
pitterpat 🙂 I have no clue what it means but I love it. : )
which 3 are your beloved greens?
Silences, Heure Exquise and Bel Respiro. Silences is my cool and sophisticated vibe, Bel Respiro feels natural and sporty, and Heure Exquise is straight up “I feel pretty, oh so pretty….” 🙂
Nice choices!
thanks Dionne,
Heure Exquise and Bel Respiro are 2 of my all time favourites, but never tried Silences, so high time!!!
: )
“When I started, my restriction had to do with price rather than quantity, so I had an upper limit of what I would pay per bottle, but no restriction on how many bottles I’d buy per month.” -> I had pretty much the same system at first. I still rarely spend more than $100 on a full bottle (if I want something that costs more than that, I’ll get a decant or ask for it as a present. Not my money!). But I’m not as quick to buy cheap FB’s any more, since I have so many I’ll probably never get through, and end up wearing some of them out of guilt more than desire.
Are you going to upgrade to the Kindle Fire?
Tempted, very tempted.
1. New Look 1947
2. I restrict myself, though don’t have hard and fast rules. I used to average about $100/month, though have cut that down considerably in the past year (I think?).
3. Kindle!
Will ask you the same question I asked above — are you going to upgrade to the Kindle Fire? (I’m collecting info so I can decide if I want one!)
Hi Robin – I’m going to say no at this point. Would rather wait til after they’ve worked out the kinks. Never like purchasing the first release of a new product…
Yeah, that’s mostly what is holding me back.
2. There are very few fragrances that I buy to replenish. By the time I want to, some are discontinued! I try to buy for juice I would wear as well as the beauty of the bottle, for example the Lolita Lempicka line. I collect the Escada summer LE’s too. I have a vast collection of Guerlains and some Givenchys so I look for those bottles that I am missing (and miniatures) that are preferably empty.
3. A guy once phoned to say he was going to give me a “free” Smartphone. I asked what the catch was. You have to pay a monthly fee. Next question: What is a Smartphone? He stifled a laugh as best he could. Apparently it’s like having a portable computer. “Don’t you go out and socialize so you’d need one?” I didn’t tell him I wouldn’t be so rude to my friends as to get on a computer while I’m talking to them. We got rid of our cell phone that lost its program twice and haven’t missed it. I use the two computers we have at home, although the value of having one at work to look up fragrance notes, etc. for customers would be a boon. I still think two of the greatest inventions of the last century are Call Waiting (formerly Call Alert) and VCR’s. I now covet a tape-free PVR with a flat-screen TV.
1. Nanette Lepore: spicy for fall and at $8 for 30 ml EDP, a steal!
My Smartphone is crucial to me more because of Evernote than anything else…I need to have all my lists with me! But I know what you mean.
my Grandma bought me Thierry Mugler A*Men spontaniously for Christmas this week. we were shopping with my mum and brother. I forgot to put perfume on that day so went in Boots to spray some.
we came across A*Men and I was like ooh I like that. so my grandma asked me if I wanted it for Christmas for her to wrap up. so I said aww ok thanks 🙂 I could tell by her face that she wasn’t keen on it but she said she liked it.
smelling A*Men this week made me realise I love it more than Angel.
you can smell the chocolate and the coffee in it. rather than lashings of patchouli.
1= I’m not wearing perfume today, I forgot.
but I might going out tonight so I’ll either put Alien on or Flowerbomb.
I’ve been forgetting a lot to put perfume on lately.
2= I own hardly any perfume. like 5-6bottles + some samples. I plan in advance what I want to buy, so I don’t spend stupidly.
I want Shalimar Parfum Initial, Kim Kardashian and Angel taste of fragrance for Autumn/Winter (but I doubt I can afford them all).
and for Spring/Summer next year I want Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice, Kim Kardashian Gold and maybe Cheeky Alice (again, can’t afford every one).
I try to limit myself to buying 3bottles each half year/ two seasons.
so 6 bottles a year. but I don’t usually buy that many anyway. I set this rule to avoid buying on impulse or buying the latest thing that comes out. and things that smell like everything else or something else I own.
I think everyone must have a limit of some sort. I don’t think anyone has the endless money to just buy everything they see/ smell. apart from if your rich.
3= my cousin’s wife’s brother was selling his iPhone 3GS 32GB in white, and I needed a new phone so I bought it from him this week, at like half the price is sells for instore. so that’s my favourite gadget now.
but I guess my favourite gadget before my iPhone was my old phone lol, Samsung Tocco. which I had for about 2years. so my favourite gadget will probably always be my phone. and now I’ve got an iPhone, I’ll always want an iPhone I don’t want any other. there’s no going back !
there is absolutley no way I’m going to use 32GB though. my iPod nano 5th gen was 8GB, and I barely filled half of that !
and if you mean software as in computers, I only know Microsoft and Apple. I like them both for different things. so I would like both a PC and a MAC. we have a PC with Microsoft and I’ve always used Microsoft until college in Media where they have MAC’s.
Oh, you have a sweet grandma!
I liked your grandma story too. m:)
AND — typo! — I have no idea why there’s an m on my happy-face emoticon. Maybe it’s an elaborate hairstyle.
“I want Shalimar Parfum Initial, Kim Kardashian and Angel taste of fragrance for Autumn/Winter (but I doubt I can afford them all). ”
My opinion is you buy the Angel; isn’t it a limited edition?
yes I think it is limited edition. I am most definitley going to buy it 😀 it’s at the top of my list !
1. Chanel Bois des Iles
2. I am in the same boat as many above- when I started perfuming, I went way overboard amassing a collection (limiting to 100-200 per month just b/c I am not at all wealthy and gotta pay the bills!). Noweadays, i have to be pretty blown away to pick up a new bottle, and haven’t bought anyhting this quarter (I would be buying a decant or bottle of Bottega Venetta but instead I was able to pick one up in a swap! So my going overboard in my early days allows me to get new stuff these days 🙂
3. Only cool gadget: Kindle. I want an Iphone- maybe in my x-mas stocking!
You’ve been too good this quarter!! 😉
1) Yves Rocher Voile d’Ambre. I bought a purse spray. It’s a nice work-appropriate scent and I’m glad to have tried it, but I don’t know that I’ll get a FB when it runs out (this was a blind buy).
2) That being said, I’ve recently implemented a no-blind-buys rule, though I will make exceptions if samples or testers aren’t readily available, and/or if I find an exceptionally good deal on a FB (i.e., under $20). And though I do like having an array of pretty bottles to look at, I’ve been trying to consider decants for stuff I enjoy but likely won’t wear that much.
3) Does my heated shiatsu foot massager count as an electronic gadget? If so, that.
Oooh, it counts, and it sounds like something I might need!
Best birthday present I ever got for my husband 🙂
1) Prada Candy
2) I work in a store that sells perfumes so I don’t buy as many as I would like but if I’m somewhere and find something I can’t get where I live I will usually but it.
3) iPad!! I love it!
yay to Prada Candy!
I might end up buying it myself. Now that it’s colder, I want it more.
Go for it Robin, I tell you, go for it. Prada Candy is really well done (as everything from the house of Prada, IMHO) This would be perfect for cold autumn and winter.
It’s sophisticated, not too overwhelmingly sweet (to me it smells like vanilla toffee)
If I were a woman, I would definely want to have Prada Candy in my collection
1) Was wearing New York, but didn’t feel quite right, so when it had faded a little I dabbed on some of Etat Libre d’Orange Like This.
2) I use the completely unscientific gut-check rule. Do I feel bad about spending the money or do I really, really love it, think it’s worth every penny, know I’ll wear it, and feel comfortable that my bank account won’t notice the hit? Fortunately, after a few months of soul searching, a FB of Memoir Woman made the cut and I don’t regret it at all! I too am thinking of weeding out some bottles that I like, but don’t love.
3) Definitely my iPhone. My Kindle comes in handy at times, but I still love and prefer a real book. My iPhone, on the other hand, lets me avoid logging on to the computer in my husband’s office at home. A quick glance at my phone lets me know whether there’s anything I need to deal with – and it lets me check this site, etc.
I am torn. I love books. My house is full of books. But sometimes I feel weird about continuing to buy all these books — it seems wasteful somehow, esp. when I don’t know what will happen to them when I’m gone, and nobody wants real books anymore.
Also, buying books is much less satisfying to me now that most of the old used bookstores I loved are gone.
I still love real books too. Especially cookbooks. I like reading through them and find it much easier to find what I’m looking for in a real cookbook. I do have a kindle but sometimes I want the real thing and not an ebook.
Oh, cookbooks — absolutely do not want a cookbook in an ebook. That said, I use tons & tons of recipes from the internet.
1). I’m wearing PG Cadjmere today. This will probably be the first re-purchase for me in years – just adore it.
2). I work freelance, so I restrict myself when I’m not working. When I am working, I can sometimes be so thrilled to be able to spend that I buy things that I don’t really love all that much. My new plan is to keep a little list of things I’d like to have in my head and ask these questions “Would I use a full bottle? Could I easily do a swap instead? (some items I want are never up for swap), Is it in danger of being reformulated or taken off the market completely?
3). Without any hesitation, my MacBook Pro. I could not function without it.
Cadjmere is really nice!
1. wearing Yosh Sombre Negra
2. I have a lot of restrictions. I generally buy no more than 1 bottle per month, never to exceed a total of 12 bottles. I generally will not consider a fragrance that is more than $2.50 per ml. I generally will not own more than one fragrance of a specific fragrance family at any given time. I dont do blind buys. I dont do decants.
3. I like Filemaker Pro, a tool for building databases and graphical layouts to display the data. I use it for my fragrance sampling notes. I can provide a standalone empty shell copy of the database for anyone that wants to have something more sophisticated than excel, but doesnt want to buy Filemaker Pro.
Great idea…my sampling notes are still in a document instead of a databse.
That software sounds interesting. Was it highly intuitive to learn to use?
It much easier than any other DB software ive used. you dont have to know how to write a sql query or anything, and there are a lot of resources online to get help.
1. Rediscovered Pomegranate Noir on Halloween, and have been wearing it and loving it all week. Great fall scent.
2. I am restricting myself from buying bottles, as I have way too many and it is so rare that I actually go through a whole bottle. If I drain a sample vial, I will consider a bottle if I still want it after a while.
3. Definitely my iPod — it’s my walking companion.
I like to wait and see if I’m still thinking about something too. Many scents, I drain the sample & then just forget about them.
1. Wearing Agonist the Infidels today, it’s a somber day outside, I needed a somber scent.
2. I try to restrict myself to one bottle a season/ damage poll (one bottle being ~$100). Sometimes I’ll get a few cheaper ones instead. Like someone else said, often I will just wait as long as possible to see if the FB desire dies completely, and for most it does.
It’s amazing — after a year, I can delete about half of the things on my “to buy” list. I just don’t care about them anymore.
1. A sample of Lipstick Rose. I would love to have a full bottle of it 😀
2. Rarely, sometimes 1-2 bottles a year and they are mostly back up bottles. But I am a passionate sniffer, thanks to your blog 😉
3. My “gadget” would be the coffee maker.
Thumbs up to Lipstick Rose. I’m 99% sure I’m going to buy a FB this weekend. I’ve used up my decant and think about it longingly. I think this means it’s love 🙂
Just bought my FB on ebay yesterday! Can’t wait until it arrives. (re: Lipstick Rose)
1. L’Artisan’s Havana Vanille (too lazy to look up what it is called these days.) Was my first split purchase as a newbie -remember all the hype before it came out?
2. No strict rules, but I am cutting way down. Especially no unsiffed spilts. I really have way too much stuff right now and would rather just enjoy the things I know I like instead of constantly searching for new stuff. I don’t thave the time or ability to do lots of testing of samples (husband with migraines) so I just keep accumulating things. Trying to pare down now, but it’s tough as most of my stuff is decants, which are harder to sell, so I just end up swapping them and getting more stuff!
3. My iPod Touch – I wanted to get a bigger iPod to fit all my music and also didn’t want to get an iPhone because I refuse to pay the $20 more a month for data. Now I have all my music with me plus all the silly apps I need.
Vanille Absolute? Vanille Absolu? I can’t remember either.
1. Wearing Bond Las Vegas (limited ed.) Love it. I have to really love a scent to buy it and unfortunately I love too many scents. I’m not really into electronic gadgets
Did not even know there was a Bond Las Vegas! They are busy over there at Bond.
1. Love + Toast Gin Blossom.
2. For a long time I kept to a $50 per month budget for ordering decants, but I could purchase fragrances at antique stores & thrift shops w/ no restrictions. Lately I’ve had to curb this because the temptation to bring home FBs is too great– even though I’m still well within budget, I don’t really want all I own & I’m running out of room. Back to small decants.
3. I’d be a Luddite if not for my Droid phone and my el cheapo 1Gb SanDisk MP3 player, which gets me through grocery shopping and visits to the dentist.
Olenska, never heard of Love and Toast until I stumbled upon the bath and body collection at Target. Fell in love w/Salt ‘n Sea which has no “marine” note, at least, not in the modern fragrance sense. Delicious. I bought several bags of the lotions and shower creams, and also in Clementine Crush. The perfumes on their website look intriguing.
I’m flat-out addicted to Honey Coconut, but Gin Blossom and Paper Flower are also lovely.
1) Ava Luxe’s Palisander
2) Sampling budget of $30 a month – doesn’t sound like much, but after two years it’s getting pretty impressive, and this way I get a real chance to test each fragrance several times. If I LOVE a sample after several wearings, I’ll eventually purchase a decant, unless the bottle isn’t much more ie. my summer purchase of Silences. I usually get four bottles a year – Christmas, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, birthday, so that basically works out to one a quarter. I simply don’t have enough disposable in the income to ever buy unsniffed, but I’m not complaining. There’s something to be said for the anticipation that comes with restraint.
3) My ipod nano. Love it. There’s a part of me that’s still amazed that something so small (and purple!) has 4000 songs on it.
Do you have that teeny tiny little square one? My son has the older model that just looks like a smaller iPod Classic.
Mine’s a 4th generation – surprise Christmas present three years ago from hubby, and it still makes me oh so happy. (Just had a blast making myself a Halloween playlist and cranking it so loud the teenagers complained ;))
6th generation is when they got square – 5th gen looks just like mine but has a camera as well.
You have the same one as my son. It’s a nifty little thing…I like it better than the square.
1. Wearing TF Black Orchid
2. Unfortunately perfume is not my only indulgence (ahem, shoes) so I try to limit myself so that I don’t go completely broke. So one rule is general restraint. Another rule is that I have to wear something for at least a few hours before buying. I often wear on a few occasions before making up my mind. Finally, I also have a rule not to buy things that are too similar – as someone mentioned earlier – so if I start to fall in love with something and then realize it’s similar to something I already own, I don’t let myself buy it.
3. No fun gadgets for me – just a laptop and my blackberry.
Naomi, I just love TF Black Orchid when the weather turns cold.
1. I’m wearing Cuir Beluga today. It was a cold and cloudy day, so I thought CB would be the right choice. A beautiful fragrance!
2. No, I don’t restrict my perfume purchases. In case I have enough money and I feel like buying a fragrance I just do it.
3. I love my HTC Sensation. The battery life is rather short but that’s ok to me. My favourite software is the What’s App Messenger! Isn’t it useful to write free messages to all your friends? If just all of them would use What’s App, I would not lose so much money on SMS…
1) Guerlain Vega
2) Must wear something 3x before buying
3) No favorite…right now I would be happy if my washing machine worked. The culprit seems to be electronic gadgetry.
I love Vega and am considering a large decant or split.
Love Vega.
1) Tauer – Incense Rose
2) My income and my student loans are all the restrictions I need. 🙁
3) Got my first smartphone as a gift a few months back and I’m kind of co-dependent now. How did I exist before my smartphone?
Just how I feel about my phone!
1. Bottega Veneta. Love it.
2. Stick with decants. If I go through the decant, which is very rare, then I will think about a full bottle. That rule went out the window with BV!
3. Love my iPhone! I ran it through the washer and some of the dryer (what’s that clanking?) It came back to life after a week and is fine. I am an Apple fanatic.
I did this several years ago with my cell phone. I ended up putting it through the wash twice (the phone was in the pocket of a pair of pants I had been gardening in and didn’t get clean enough). The next day the phone was fine!
1. Wearing Smell Bent (ha! As usual!) Incensed +Tibet UR Bottom $ today.
2. My only rule is no full bottles unless I find myself putting something on day after day after day. I am a packrat, so I end up with LOTS of anything I take an interest in. Buying spray samples that have a good number of spritzes in them usually does it for me, and I can keep a good rotation going. I don’t like making perfumes too serious, they’re like candy for me.
3. My PS3 is my favorite electronic device. Games, music, movies, blu-ray and (should I chose to torment myself) internet in one handy little machine that takes up the same amount of space as a boxed jigsaw puzzle? Really? I love you, Sony! That said, I really am looking forward to getting a Kindle fire. I want to get rid of a lot of the absolute crap that’s clotting up my apartment, and a lot of that absolute crap is actually books…
(taking notes on Smell Bent combo)
I took advantage of the free Halloween shipping, and both of those are part of my order. I love perfume mail!
It is the best kind of mail, isn’t it?
There was still a ghost of it left after my shower tonight, so I boofed it back up with some Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple.
Ha, I just ordered a sample of Incensed from IndieScent along with my FB of Jacomo #08. I haven’t tried anything from the Smell Bent line before — it looks like they have some interesting stuff, and the price is right.
1. I’m wearing Hot Couture by Givenchy today. Got a complement by the receptionist in a Dr.’s office who told me I smelled good and was I wearing Chanel no. 5 lol.
2. I am down to buying decants only because I’ll never live long enough to finish a fb of anything. I usually wear a scent during the day, then shower and wear something else to bed.
3. Right now my favorite portable device is my Kindle.
Glad to see so many Kindles. I might have to buy one.
1. I am wearing Bottega Veneta, and am loving it more and more, and did not think I would.
2. Life has enough restrictions…So why restrict myself when it comes to perfume? My motto: So many perfumes…so little time!
3. I am having a continued love affair with my iPhone, lol! How could I have ever lived without it???
Hugs!
LOL…love your motto!
1. Sonoma Scent Studio Fig Tree, third (or fourth?) day in a row!
2. Not really. I used to limit myself to about $150 per month, but I’ve been spending far less than that for quite a few months!
3. Love my iPad 🙂
You are liking Fig Tree? That is good. I’m uncertain. On its first wearing my son looked around the room and said ‘What is it that smells so BAD in here?’. He never comments on my perfumes normally, claiming not be able to smell the differences. So this is a really bad sign. Of course if I like it, I’ll wear it when he is not around!
Annemarie, I finally sent away for 5 samples from Bud Perfumes. How lovely they all are! I have a couple of favs and will be ordering larger sizes of at least 2 (possibly more) and also 5 more samples. Oh dear, my bank balance wishes I didnt love perfume.
Ah, but you have some bargains there! Well done. Glad you like them. Come the cooler weather, I will be ordering a larger sized bottle of the lovely Sophia. Sigh.
Yes Sophia is going on my list too! Lovely!
Anne-Marie, I do really like it! But in the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that she sent my sample with some fir absolute and some rose damascone, to layer with it for different effect, and I will probably be taking her up on her offer of a “tweaked” version. It’s stunning on it’s one, but with the addition of the fir, I’m completely smitten!
Talk about good customer service!
When I get my version, I’ll make you a sample, so that you can try it too! 🙂
Dee – may I be so bold as to beg a wee fir version too? I love fir and I think it would be wonderful in Fig Tree (I was a tester for FT, so I’m quite familiar with it). I haven’t ordered my bottle of FT yet since I thought is was a warm weather scent, and if I like your version better, I’ll have Laurie make that for me.
Many thanks! Sounds wonderful. I can’t yet put my finger on what discomforts me about Fig Tree, but I’ve only tested it once, so it may grow on me (pun intended).
1. Angel Liqueur….I am not sure of the exact name..
2. I try very hard to restrict my purchases because I buy way too much, but so far I have not been able to controll my impulse buying. I think I am going to start requiring myself to have a waiting period before any purchase. I have tried it a couple of times in the past and, guess what, I did not make the purchase.
3. I love my iPad. It is not perfect, but it’s a lot of fun.
You smell great 🙂
Tara – I just received Angel Liquer in the mail yesterday. It is definitely FB worthy IMHO. I think it is SO smooth like a very fine cognac. Lovely!
1. In honor of what would have been my grandmother’s 115th birthday today, I’m wearing my sample of Violette by Calypso Christiane Celle. Violets were her favorite flower.
2. I buy only one retail-priced niche bottle per fiscal quarter, but I’m quite the e-bayer. I spend a lot of time waiting around in airports and I tend to e-bay during that downtime. I’ve bought a few things unsniffed, but limit myself to minis or samples under $10 for unsniffed items.
3. Has to be my iPad. I swore I didn’t need it, that my laptop and smart phone were enough, but once I got this critter in my hot little hands I find that it’s just what I wanted.
Teri, what a sweet post and choice in honor of your dear grandma.
1) Keiko Mecheri Datura Blanche. I have a sample of it in my travel bag, which is currently in use because I’m a refugee from the widespread, prolonged power outage in Connecticut.
2) I’ll go months without buying anything, then I’ll be consumed by “the itch” to get something new — usually triggered by a 15% or 20% sale at one of the discount websites. I almost never go sniffing at the shops so I research, research, research, then pick out one or two bottles for less than $40 each. I’ve gotten better at guessing what I’ll like and haven’t been disappointed in quite awhile.
3) Love my TiVo!!! But I need to upgrade. Finally have a TV that’s hi-def but the TiVo isn’t.
Gracious, sorry to say that I had no idea people were still without power. Hope you get yours back by Monday!
I heard today on the news that there were still about 47,000 people in Massachusetts who were still in the dark. I’m pretty sure there are some in New Hampshire and Connecticut too.
Really amazing — it was a relatively minor snow event here.
1. SOTD is Fireside Intense.
2. I’ve limited myself from the very beginning, for both practical reasons($$$) and romantic reasons (I still love the idea of a signature scent, so I’ve tried to develop a signature collection). Told hubby that I would limit myself to no more than 25-30 full bottles, so I could at least wear my scents once a month. I figured if you can’t do that, in what way do you really ‘own’ the scent, as opposed to just sampling a scent? Right now I’m at the point where I’m not even buying for myself any more. I keep a list of the bottles I would like to get (LuckyScent even has a list you can keep on line) and my husband/family/friends can consult it at Christmas/birthday, etc. I still get surprised, because I don’t know which of the scents I’ll be getting, but I and they know that I will love what is purchased.
3. Has to be my laptop.
Love Fireside Intense!
I am wearing a dab of Le Galion Snob which smells a lot like vintage Joy. Delicious tendrils of scent have been curling up from my wrist all day.
I have a budget for non-essentials that includes scent. I am pretty rules bound so I have only gone over it once and then only by ten dollars which I deducted from next year’s budget.
I am not a gadget person, but I am not sure how I would get through the regular around the house chores without my mp3 player. I must admit I am often slightly tempted by an e-reader, especially for trips, but I am sticking with boring old bound books.
I had a mini of Snob when I was in high school. I didn’t wear it too often, but it made me think about what it was going to be like to be a grownup, if that makes any sense.
1. Bottega Veneta. I’m falling in love.
2. Oh yes! First, I sample A LOT before I buy. Plus, I ask myself if this is the scent I would take with me if the house was burning down. If the answer is “yes”, I’ll buy it (doesn’t always work though).
3. None. My Blackberry has given me trouble lately and they won’t give us iPhones at work.
1. None yet, but later, either Penhaligon’s Amaranthine, or a dupe of Chergui sold online by CocoaPink. (It is very good, I think.)
2. Generally I have a limit if $50 a month, to be spent on decants and minis where possible. If I want a FB, I can spend extra, but have to save for it. I have a little box by my bed into which I put $10 and $20 notes whenever I can afford them it. Slowly, it adds up to a FB. A FB has to be something I know I will wear often. If it is a masterpiece of perfumery, that is great too!
3. Not a gadget person.
Thanks for the info on the Chergui dupe, I am checking out Cocoa Pink right now and am also ordering their dupe of Spiritueuse Double Vanilla. Anything else you liked from their line?
I tried their ‘Fear of Cemeteries’ for Halloween. Could not resist it! But it is actually a bit earthy for me; perhaps I’ll get to like it. I also really love their unscented goat’s milk & honey lotion. Lovely, spreadable and easily absorbed.
I love the Chergui-type 5 ml perfume spray. Long-term Chergui wearers will no doubt detect differences between it and the Serge Lutens Chergui, but to my inexperienced nose the differences are negligible. Perhaps the tobacco is a touch more obvious at the start in the SL, and maybe in the original there is a faint touch of the signature SL jammy fruit accord (which I am not fond of anyway). And maybe the dry-down arrives a bit quicker in the CocoaPink version.
CP offers its perfumes in three strengths – low, medium and ‘smell me across town’. The 5 ml sprays are the ‘smell me across town’ strength – I emailed to ask. Actually I did not think it that strong, nothing like Opium or Giorgio. But perhaps it varies according to the notes in the fragrance. The Chergui-type in ‘smell me across town’ stacks up very well against the longevity of the SL original, I thought. It does not fall apart and die after 10 minutes like many dupes do. I get hours out of it.
And hey, who care how close the CP Chergui is to the SL original – I like it!
Sounds good to me, I’ll let you know what I think when they get here:)
1. Ta’if
2. I started out buying unsniffed discounted bottles (Hermes and Annick Goutal), but now no unsniffed and none over $125/50ml.
3. Love my ipad, and yes I have preordered the Kindle Fire, since my DH loves my ipad too.
Oh, please do report back in some future poll about your Kindle Fire…I’m dying to know!
1. Chypre Rouge, the first Lutens I ever bought and still a huge favourite.
2. Sample on skin a few times before committing to a purchase. Not more than one bottle at a time (I do not always follow this rule if I am travelling).
3. Kindle. I am reading SO MUCH MORE than I was six months ago!
Pyramus, love Chypre Rouge. Sad that my samples are gone and I only have memories.
My today’s choice was Prada Amber pour Homme as it was quite a cold morning here.
My restrictions? I guess I’ve never bought more than 3 bottles in one year (so buying less doesn’t really count) There are many fragrances that I like, but when it comes to buying I pick only those perfumes that I tried (samples, spraying on myself in perfume shop) and I know I’ll love them for a long time (I just know that after trying once)
Yhym… Can you call a non smartphone mobile phone an electronic gadget? If no, then I don’t have any.
BTW – does anyone have some feedback on costume national homme?
Going to assume you already read Kevin’s review? I liked Homme but liked 21 better.
Oops… looks like I missed that one. Will read it immediately.
I only wanted to read some review of it, because I found a nice e-bargain for this one and didn’t know what to think about it.
I still stick to my resolution of purchasing Dsquared2 Potion soon.
1) Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Jasminora
2)I have no strategy, but I am slowing down. My problem is that I don’t really like samples, or spraying from samples. If I want a fragrance now, but already own something similar, I will probably not buy it. I am also more drawn to smaller bottles. I still find it very hard to resist ebay-bargains though.
3) I don’t own a gadget, nor does it seem likely I ever will.
Ebay is hard to resist…less on perfume, for me, than on other things.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today? 31 Rue Cambon
2. Do you restrict your fragrance purchasing in any way, and if so, what are your rules or limits? Not really,if I really want a fb I just start staching money aside then get it,wish I was wiser as to more into purchasing decants but I prefer ‘the bottle’.
3. What’s your favorite electronic gadget, if you have one, and what’s your favorite software? I love my IPad,I carry it to bed,kitchen for recipes and to cuddle on the sofa as I am now. 🙂
I am too lazy to count, but think iPad is winning today.
1. MKK. The truth is lately it’s the only scent I want to wear, even to work. I just want more and more of it. Sadly, there’s almost nothing left of my (large) decant 🙁
2. I set my ebay notifications to skip my gmail inbox and go straight to archive 😉
3. I like to deal with computers, but strangely indifferent to gadgets.
Yes, me too on point three, now you mention it. I like a lovely big desk top. The smaller the gadget, the more annoyed I get.
Lenika, love MKK. It would be a outrageous to wear it to where I work (not that I won’t try) so my hat’s off to you.
🙂 I think just a little would be ok for work.
1. Mitsouko
2. I have two “rules”: First, I only buy a full bottle of something if can wear it to work. Otherwise, it’s decants only. (The problem with this rule is that I’ve discovered that I can convince myself that pretty much anything is work appropriate. The only thing I haven’t been able to convince myself is Carnal Flower, but not for a lack of trying.) Second, I only buy a full bottle after I’ve used up a sample, or tried it 3 or 4 times if I’m doing drive-by spritzings in a store. I don’t have a budget or bottle limit but I try not to get carried away. My birthday and Christmas are next month so I really can’t justify buying myself anything now but it’s killing me to not buy myself Bottega Veneta.
3. I have an iPhone. It’s nice but I’d trade it for a bottle of Apres L’ondee in a heartbeat.
You sound like a woman who has her priorities straight! 😉
“Drive-by spritzings” — have been there…
1. Sycomore. From my spartan travel bag. It’s great, but I am missing my new love, Bottega Veneta, whom, alas, I left behind. I can almost see the bottle, nestled in my middle dresser drawer with its adorable little ribbon. Half afraid I might trample my girlfriend when i get home if she dares to stand between me and BV.
2.These days i am aiming (and frequently failing) to translate all things spendy into learning opportunities about intentionality (etc.). So I try to wait for (and celebrate) the desires that feel relatively (!) enduring. (An oblique reference to BV. BV!!!)
3. Macbook Air. Much thinner and lighter than the (admittedly awesome) slab ‘o pizza I just ate in the Montreal underground.
I covet my husband’s MacBook Air.
I am currently wearing Burberry for Women. I got a sample today, and I really like it so far. The sample is quite large, so I am going to wear it for a bit before I commit to a full bottle.
1. Just applied some Oha about 30 minutes ago. It is one of my very favorite ‘fumes, and I desperately wanted to be able to smell something, as I have had a really nasty case of flu this week, and haven’t been able to smell much of anything for a couple days. Dinner last night was supposed to be turkey a la king, but it tasted like cardboard in cardboard sauce, served over crispy cardboard, washed down with hot liquid cardboard.
2. Sort of. I’ve decided that with the size of my collection, I will only buy FBs if I really, really love something. I also have yet to spend more than $300 for a bottle of anything, so Xerjoff et al are off-limits.
3. I’m not much of a gadget person, so I guess it is my laptop. I do love my digital camera, though. My cell phone is a “dumb” phone, and I don’t even have text messaging, nor do I perceive any need for it. I figured out that my average usage on my cell phone is something like 1 minute per day.
Oh dear, get better!
1; Just dabbed on Pur Blonde- sample from Australian perfumer Bud Perfumes. Possbly better suited to wear in winter but it is just lovely and I cant resist wearing it.
2; I have to wear a perfume sample for days before I will commit to buying any size of it. I have finally become discerning!
3; Not really an electronic gadget person (son has every electronic device know to man) but I suppose my favourite would be my hard drive dvd recorder.
If you are anything like me, all your money goes on electronic gadgets for your kids, not for self!
True-just how many game consols (is that even how it is spelt?) does anyone need?
1. The last few sprays of my sample of OJ Orris Noir.
2. Limiting to Birthdays, Christmas and trips through Duty Free (at least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway…)
3. My phone – Xperia Arc. I’d be lost without it, the alarm gets me up in the morning and I can check the News, Facebook, Twitter, email (personal and work) and surf perfume blogs all before I have to get out of bed !
Sounds like you’re enjoying Orris Noir? It’s one of the top 3 for my list from the Discovery Set I got this summer. I love the peppeiyness of it, with that earthy base that seems to “Ormonde Jayne-aid” (or whatever the equivalent!).
*pepper-y-ness* (however that’s spelled!)
Hi Marjorie Rose!,
That OJ base is wonderful, and makes it hard to pick a favourite.
Tolu comes a close second, or maybe Champaca, or Woman 🙂
My amazing husband has just ordered me an FB of Orris Noir for my Birthday next month, and I can’t wait!
Oh, lucky you! (Good smells and good hubby!)
That looks like a beautiful phone, Kizzers!
It really is pretty Nozknoz, and thankfully for me, its incredibly simple to use too…
😉
1. Myrrhiad by Huitième Art.
I’m a myrrh lover; this is really nice, but I can’t see myself buying a bottle at that price point. My go-to is still AG Myrrhe Ardente.
2. My only rule is when I run out of each month’s unallocated funds. Hahahaha. Just kidding (sorta). I don’t have a dollar limit, necessarily, but I try to rein myself in by thinking about whether I really need it and for full bottles, sort of sticking to a wish list (which of course changes over time). Decants from splits often “kill” any plans or intentions to be frugal, but even so, I’m not eager to smell everything anymore as soon as its launched. I figure it’ll be around for at least 6-18 months unless it’s an LE or something.
3. It WAS my iPhone (3GS) until I lost it … and I probably won’t replace it for another few days. Weighing my options, though it’s been a bit liberating without a phone for almost two weeks. Skype has worked in a pinch. I’d say my favorite software is probably boring old Internet Explorer. 😀
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Seconding the love of Myhrre Ardente!
Thanks to you Rapple, count me as another fan of MA! 😉
Oh great! I’m glad you liked it. Always happy to enable. 😉
Have you had a chance to try the VA and/or the GL Rapple?
V. – No, not yet. They are both sitting on my vanity awaiting my pleasure. Unfortunately, I made myself sick testing BV, and left off sampling for a bit. 🙁
Geez, sorry to hear you lost your phone Joe!
Ditto, that’s terrible.
Joe, I was just thinking that my favorite software is a good browser. I recently switched from Firefox to Chrome, and I’m really happy with it!
1) I didn’t put any perfume on today. 🙁
2) IFRA is doing a good job of limiting my perfume purchases! I guess being a woman-of-a-certain-age and fondly remembering the beauties of yester-year, I just don’t appreciate many of the new releases. I’ve stocked up on many of my favorite vintage scents (mainly Guerlains) but I’m not a collector (of anything really) at heart.
3) My Kindle – and I’m as shocked as anyone that I love it so much. I especially love that the pages actually look like printed book pages, and that it isn’t back-lit like the Nook, iPad, etc.
I can read my kindle all day but anything with a backlit screen kills my eyes after a while.
Before I got my Kindle, I downloaded the software onto my computer and read a book one afternoon. Big mistake! I saw spots (like camera flash spots) for two days. That convinced me to get the Kindle!
That was my main reason for choosing a Kindle 3 over an iPad (and the reason I probably won’t go for the Fire). I want to be able to read in the sun, and I had read that the backlit screen is harder on the eyes.
H. – I did a lot of research before choosing, on the devices as well as the physical eye aspects, and you’re right – a backlit screen is very hard on the eyes. We should only look at one for 20 minutes before looking at something else for a while. No wonder I saw spots!
Hi all!
1. I spritzed infusion d’ Iris round my neck this morning (it keeps me feeling ‘fresh’). Later in the afternoon I spritzed my wrists with Incense rose – I felt like I needed something profound + dry. It did the trick! I find Inf d Iris more witty + sharp (Tarantino versus David Lynch?). I’ll probably spritz a gourmand before bed.
2. Like everyone else I went nuts at the beginning of my obsession. Then I realised I had about 3-4 bottles which I either NEVER wear (bad choice) or hardly ever wear. So now I have this rule that I need to like something for about 3 months before I can buy it. This makes sense cos the ones I never wear I did try several times before buying and *thought* I loved them. The thing is that though I know what I love after 3 months, its like I’m not excited enough to buy them anymore…
3)Unfortunately technology does not like me. But when my good ol laptop gave up the ghost at the beginning of the year I bought a macbook air. I am pretty co-dependant on it now! I also love my ipod, esp. when I need music for extra energy:)
Good rule!
SOTD is Fancy Nights – not to sweet, comforting and with just the right amount of incense to make it interesting but not overwhelming.
I have two categories for buying fragrance. Vintage, mostly bought on ebay, I usually don’t spend more than $10 on though I did go up to $30 for a bottle of 1.7oz bottle of 80’s Guerlain Chamade edt.
I usually won’t pay full price for modern perfumes, I wait till they hit the discounters or put it on a birthday/Christmas wish list. If I do buy something $40 is normally my limit.
My favorite electronic device is my laptop – I”m not really instep with the modern electronic age, which is ok with me:)
FN was a nice one.
1) and 2) I’m sampling a new one– Myrrhiad by Huitienne Art. LOVE it. If I blow through this 1 ml vial then I’ll probably get a 5 ml decant. If I blow through THAT, then I will go ahead and get a FB. It’s just like longer and longer dates before I sleep with someone…But am trying to cut back. I kind of went nuts when I first started, and so am trying to really see if the love affair lasts more than a week or two, then I plunge ahead. Have traded away, via MUA, most of the ones I don’t use, and asked for lotions which I can use more quickly. I’m moving, so I want to make that as easy as I can.
3) I don’t do well with technology. I HATE texting. My computer is always screwing up, but I WILL say I have read more since I got my Kindle than I have in years. But it’s getting pretty beat up. I need a new one. Fire? Anyone try that??
Have heard that so many times about the Kindle — people read more.
1) Comme des Garçons Incense: Kyoto. I’m on the verge of ordering a FB (see below).
2) I have to really love something to spring for a FB. Generally that means sampling numerous times in a variety of circumstances, although once in a while I fall in love at first spritz. Never, ever do I buy unsniffed; that way lies madness. No price limit per se; however, I find that outrageously crass pricing (I’m looking at you, Clive Christian) has the perverse effect of making me devalue a scent.
3) Both my iPhone and my MacBook Pro play key supporting roles in the dramedy that is my life.
1) Guerlain Mitsouko, because all of a sudden it got cold here.
2) I didn’t at first. Then the last credit card bill came and I nearly died. Tried to think how to pay it without my husband seeing it. But he picked it up, looked at it and asked me if it was correct. Uhm, gulp, yes. Then he just paid it. So now I’m not letting myself get anything until after the holidays are done and over with. But I will be asking Santa for a Chanel Exclusive. Need to think of a reasonable strategy for after that and live with all my samples from now on.
3) No favorite electronic gadget. Although I do love all my Apple products. Just different ones at different times. My iPhone when texting my child at college. My iPad when traveling. (Love that I can have multiple books on it at once, so I don’t have to decide ahead of time what I want to read on the airplane). And I hate them all equally well, when they crash or I’m having problems with them.
I read this poll and many of the responses on my smartphone during my bus commute home, but wanted to wait to comment until I had access to a real keyboard! As usual, I can relate to so much that has been said already.
1. I’m wearing Chanel No. 5 EDP and finding it more than satisfactory. It goes well with jeans and a black turtleneck (I’m sure Steve Jobs would have agreed;)).
2. I have little need for rules anymore, as I feel so little temptation anymore. I am more than a decade into this avocation and have more fragrances than I could possibly wear if I lived another 50 years. And it is so very seldom that I feel the slightest stirring of interest in any new scent … I can recall only two purchases in the past year, and I regret one of them (the very large, expensive one, naturally).
3. I do love my gadgets, more than I like to think. My current pet is my new Nook Color, kitted out with a 32 GB N2A card to transform it into a full Android tablet. I use it for checking email, Web surfing and viewing crochet patterns. Oh, and reading books.:p
I also love my prepaid Android phone (yes, I’m gadget-happy but ch… uh, *price-sensitive*) and my good old iPod Touch, as well as my MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.
Oh, and I start and end each day with a little Chatsford pot of tea brought to a boil in my Pino Digital Pro variable-temperature electric kettle. I am enough of a tea geek that I wanted to be able to set the precise temperature myself, even though I usually stick to black teas that have to be brought to the boiling point.:)
1. Tauer Carillon pour en Ange (just bought a 5ml roller from Perfumed Court)
2. nothing unsniffed no matter how good it sounds in word. 1 ml tester, than if it passes the wear multiple times test, buy a 5 ml roller bottle and then if it still smells great, buy a real bottle.
My Catalyst workstation, a Dell 30 inch screen and Firefox.
1. SL Jeax de Peau – It’s raining in LA and feels so cozy 🙂
2. I try to keep my spending to only 1 bottle a quarter; however, my absolute max is one a month. (If I buy 2 in a month I skip the next month).
3. My iPhone 4. I would love to have a 4s but am trying to wait until the 5 is released. (All the more money to spend on perfume!)
Mmmm, LOVE JdP. Good choice!
1. I’ve been running horribly late all week, and today completely forgot to grab my intended sample as I ran out the door. Fortunately, I had a sample of Safran Troublant squirreled away in my purse, so that was my SOTD.
2. Like many others, I’m discovering that I don’t wear half of what I have, and things I thought I loved, I merely like. Due to space (and these days mental space) limitations, I’m trying to scale back and only have what I truly love. I mostly have decants anyway, but I think something around 15 scents/season is what I’d like to aim for (total owned, not new acquisition).
3. I’m pretty good at talking myself out of gadgets. I can’t stomach the thought of smartphone monthly bills, cable tv bills, or any of that. I was tempted by both the nook color and Kindle Fire, but neither has 3G. Still contemplating a Samsung tablet (some people are Apple junkies, I’m a Samsung junkie… my tv, dvd player, phone, laptop, and even washing machine are Samsung). I guess I use the laptop more than anything, which makes it easy to talk myself out of a new TV (yes, still analog here).
I don’t have a system of buying fragrance – I just wait until something seems to be irresistible, then buy the smallest amount available. It’s hard to know if something will trigger allergies. I’ve made several mistakes and had to pass on scents that I loved but couldn’t wear.
The iPad is my constant companion. When I’m in class, it’s right there to look stuff up, just love it.
Robin, I have a large book collection too and am worried about what to do with it. i still like the feel of a real book in my hand, but the lighting is so good on the iPad that it will probably soon be place for all new books.
Oh yes, I’m wearing “Vol de Nuit” – have fallen in love with it again. It was one of my first passions.
Love these weekend polls!
1. Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile.
2. As budget allows, with some room in the budget (nearly) always available for extremely good deals or on-my-list-forever-and-I’ll-probably-never-see-it-again items.
3. Just got a new iPad and loving it!
I put on Bas de Soie to meet a friend for lunch today It’s my first Serge Lutens, which I thought would never happen.
If I’ve bought a bottle in a particular month I then wait until the next month for another purchase. The exception is when I am travelling and bumping into things just not found in Vancouver and then the rule seems to be: anything my little heart desires.
My free-with-a-laptop iTouch has made my commute, which suddenly became longer a few months ago, much less painful.
1. Amouage Honour Woman, one of the very few white florals that feels comfortable on me. Perfectly pitched.
2. No rules, no discipline. What saves me from wretched excess is that I am easily satisfied. I like the perfumes I already have so much that I don’t feel that I need many more. Nonetheless, I am always open to surprise and delight.
3. My Zojirushi bread machine. Although it has many, many preprogrammed settings, I usually just use the one for bread dough so that I can shape the loaves myself and bake them in a regular oven. It’s a wonderful machine. I never buy bread anymore, but make my own with the help of my Zo. My Kalamata olive & rosemary sourdough bread is really delicious, if I say so myself.
Olive and rosemary sourdough. Mmmmm. Sounds wonderful. Wish I had the patience to make bread. Or more to the point, to make a good sour dough starter.
Oh, I made my comment about my Kitchenaid mixer below without seeing yours! I love homemade bread! I agree that there really isn’t any comparison. I find store bread rather difficult to endure, now! (weird texture, weird flavor, just wrong!)
1. Botega Veneta
2. I have to LOVE, I mean loooove a scent before I buy. I have to wear it a few times~ the initial spray and well into the dry down have to be fresh and perfect. I hate when things smell stale on me. I have to make sure it does not induce a migraine. Then, I have to crave the scent for awhile….then I’ll break down and buy it.
3. I could not live without my macbook pro.
I put on Lipstick Rose this morning, from my meager sample. But happily, I just found a “gently used” bottle on ebay for a good price, so I will soon have more! Yay!
I limit myself to one “reasonably priced” bottle a month, unless I find something at a ridiculously low price early in the month–then I might let myself get a second one. However, I am finding that my “must buy” list is shortening, so I anticipate a time when I might not have a FB in mind one month to the next. (In which case, I might finally save for a bottle of Amouage Memoir!)
I am exceptionally non-gagetty; however, I do rely heavily on my laptop computer. It is my DVD player, radio (yay for live-stream!), home-office, and, of course, internet provider. I also really appreciate my old workhorse of a kitchenaid mixer, which helps me bake all my bread. I can do it without, but it’s awfully convenient to have it!
1. SOTD is Chanel cologne – the last of my sample. Love it, but already have Mugler Cologne so the chanel will remain unpurchased
2. As above … I have to love, love and adore a fragrance before it’s FB worthy. Some are out due to poor staying power (Vetiver Tonka), others because they’re too similar to perfumes I already own. Eg, love EL Jasmine White Moss, but already have No19 and Piguet Futur, so can’t justify it!
3. My beloved iPad 🙂
1. Cristalle (have been wearing it for 30 years);
2. Fall in love before committing to a full bottle (wish I followed my own advice);
3, iPad (my first Apple product) which I love particularly when I travel — I can watch movies, read books and listen to music on the airplane; Like other respondents, I love Evernote. I subscribe as a Premium user because of the value it adds to my day to day life. I access Evernote from my business laptop, home laptop, Blackberry, and iPad. I store perfume reviews and my scent wishlist in Evernote.
I’m glad you asked the tech question. Great ideas here! I’m also very tempted by the Kindle Fire, but inability to choose and lack of time keep me from being a gadget person. If I weren’t working, I could spend all day surfing the net and playing with electronic gadgets. I LOVE google, but I have to note that it’s learning everything that we know plus everything we’ve forgotten or never bothered to learn and will turn into an AI someday. I want to be uploaded into the cloud when I die – that’s my idea of heaven.
I went wild for a couple of years. Now that I’m about to retire, I’ve pretty much stopped logging on to ebay in order to avoid temptation, although I did pop on after I got The Little Guide to order some Balenciaga Talisman. I can see why LT likes it – seems like it would be perfect for him – and I can’t imagine why it was marketed as a feminine. That’s what I’m wearing this evening; earlier, it was Frapin Caravelle Epices (sp?), which is lovely for fall.
Nozknoz, years ago,the X-Files had an episode about a man doing just that – uploading his consciousness to the internet and living eternally in that sense. Interesting idea.
I wonder if that was before I stopped watching (when I went overseas), and I had the latent memory tucked away, or after…did it end well for that character, or was s/he one of the bad guys they discovered?
As was so often the case, the ending was somewhat ambiguous. 😉
So glad you mentioned Google Noz – how did we get by before? I Google like a madwoman.
Nozknoz, have you read the “Otherland”-series by Tad Williams? It’s a SF-series about uploadinng your conciousness in the cloud when you die, long but really interresting!
I love scifi, Eva – I’ll look for these!
Hi Noz! Congrats on your upcoming retirement! I love that Caravelle Epices, too. Keep thinking about a bottle…
getting in on this post VERY late…
SOTD: Donna Karan Black Cashmere, it was one of those dreary cold rainy days when nothing but the softest incense would do…
Lately haven’t bought anything, it seems to go in waves, so I’m in a ‘dry’ spell now. Looking forward to getting a SFA or NM gift certificate near the holidays so that I can get a bottle of Clive Christian “C” for men.
I love my Droid Incredible 2.
Tauer Lonestar Memories, which does not make me think of Texas. (Whatever you do, don’t think of Texas!)
There’s a great deal of pleasure in having lots of decants available, and curiosity about the new or different keeps me from buying too many full bottles.
My Olympus XZ-1 camera, very compact, but with terrific f1.8 lens and beautiful image quality.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
Kelly Caleche
2. Do you restrict your fragrance purchasing in any way, and if so, what are your rules or limits?
I always buy a sample, then an 8 ml decant – unless it is a discount fragrance. I only buy a full bottle of a fragrance if I get through the decant in less than three months. So I have a lot of samples and decants, but not so many full bottles.
3. What’s your favorite electronic gadget, if you have one, and what’s your favorite software?
My favorite electronic gadget is my new laptop I guess. I don’t use many other gadgets. My favorite software is probably Photoshop or Powerpoint.
I’m coming a bit late to this party but enjoying everyone’s responses. Today I wore Bvlgari Blv Notte to work because I thought it would be easy to wear and inoffensive (I’m a bartender), but it ended up annoying me. I could wear it last year but it looks like no longer,
I agree with many people here about not buying stuff unsniffed anymore, it’s almost always a bad idea, with the exception of when I found Eau de Shalimar at Marshall’s and have worn often since then.
I don’t like gadgets. My bf has an iphone and I only know how to check the time on it. I spend a lot of time with my computer. I love PowerPoint. I am a teacher in training and find it very useful for lectures 🙂
1. Cartier Déclaration. It satisfies on those days when nothing else will, and today was one of those days. Plus, it’s sheer, unobtrusive, and likeable enough to go with any mood, outfit, or occasion. (And no, I don’t think it smells like armpit sweat. It’s too dry and sprightly for that, and the lack of musk, civet, indoles or patchouli places it on a realm above such earthly associations.)
2. *Sigh* Yes, finally. I’ve been through the unsniffed bargain letdowns, the bought-it-because-of-the-hype moments of weakness, the “loved the name, loved the backstory, itching for a new fragrance” phases, and the “liked it once, but now it inexplicably doesn’t work for me” heartbreaks. I’m tired of it all, and my wallet is bruised. Loves only, the kind I feel I couldn’t live without, or I don’t buy. (He said this week.)
3. My BlackBerry, bought long after everyone else on the planet had one and my cheapo flip phone with the cracked screen stopped seeming quirky and adorably luddite and started being simply embarassing. The BB has become my third arm, and its ease of use and access to seemingly infinite information both thrills and scares me. I don’t trust it ONE BIT. (He said as he checked his BBM feed for the 18th time this hour.)
Your reply to #2 is sorta heartbreaking! At least you have your Blackberry to comfort you! (and some well-loved scents)
Ha, ha – we’re just service animals for the BBs and iThings!
1) Today I’m wearing Luctor & Emergo People of the Laborinths (a change from my 31 Rue Cambon, which I’ve been wearing so much lately.)
2) I only buy things I can’t stop thinking about. Then, not more than one every month or two.
3) my iPad– I’m using it now! (And, I must add that I, too, love my electric kettle!)
1 will probably wear Osmanthe Yunnan
2 Rules: won’t buy something immediately after testing – I need to wear it for a few hours – better yet, a day – before I know if it’s something I *must* have.
Generally won’t buy unshiffed unless Luca or others I trust have given a descriptive, constructive review – and it’s a type I know I like. And even then I’ll buy only a sample. If it passes the test above, I’ll consider buying a bottle. ( how I discovered Eau de Rochas)
I don’t care if I have an encyclopedic collection – I want only things I love. So what if I have half a dozen chypres?
Won’t buy ugly bottles.
3 have had my iPhone 3G for 3 years and it was love from the first. I use it for everything I can – weather, Web, eBay, interval training, reminders, bird songs, Facebook…
3
1) Keiko Mecheri Datura Blanche
2) Test wear a scent a few times before I buy. Makes a big difference in what ends up as an actual purchase. Also I’m a perfume wearer not collector, so buy something I will wear and wear it often.
3) My iPad2! I’m on mine now too. I just got it last weekend and me loves a whole lot! Haha, I do have to battle hubby for time, I wasn’t smart enough to buy a pink case 🙂
1) SL Chypre Rouge
2) no restrictions. Life is too short. Even with unsniffed purchases. Worse case I’ll spend $80 on something that will end up as bathroom spray…and some bathroom spray Or candles do cost that much!
3) my iphone. Never imagined that I would become addicted to it, but I am. Also great to look up info and reviews on that greatly discounted frag that you come across but never heard of before.
I have stood in the perfume aisle of TJMaxx checking out perfume reviews – and saved myself some money
Happy weekend smelly peeps!
My SOTD is Etro Shaal Nur for the second day in a row. I received a sample from Haunani and it has been added to the ‘must have FB wish list’! Gorgeous scent.
I only purchase as much as I think I can get away with without causing my husband to divorce me – and the dollar amount depends on the month and what else we have going on.
Despite the new gadgets we have acquired this past year (iPhones and iPad) and as much as I appreciate them, my trusty laptop is still my fave gadget.
I sniff Shaal Nur every time I go sniffing at the Perfume House. I think it’s wonderful, but I can’t quite convince myself it’s for me. There’s something unapologetically Gothic about it (not “Goth” or “Emo” but in that good, dark, ornate Edgar Allen Poe sort of way).
That’s interesting, Marjorie Rose! I don’t find Shaal Nur dark or gothic at all. It’s definitely an oriental, but for me very approachable, friendly, and soft. I love its complexity and feminine feel, too.
Me too!
Really? I find the dark, resinous incense feels “Gothic” to me. Now, I may be giving away my lack of Catholicism and other cultural references for incense! My old hippy father burns incense, but it’s usually champaca or patchouli–lighter and more floral than I associate with incense perfumes.
Another example of how personal references can influence how we interpret scents!
Shaal Nur is great stuff! I wore it a few days ago too, it’s perfect for this time of the year
Marjorie, have you given it a full wearing? If not then I’d definitely recommend it because I find that this is one of the scents that really changes as it develops and definitely needs time to be evaluated in its entirety.
No, I haven’t been brave enough to ask for a sample. I feel sorta guilty each time I go sniffing at the Perfume House, since I so rarely buy something from them. I’ve actually been trying to figure out what I could buy full price from them so I can feel like I’m a “good customer” and feel ok about asking for samples!
In any case, I can easily imagine that the complexities that I notice must develop wonderfully over time!
How about a candle? The Claus Porto ones are not too horribly priced, and I haven’t seen them around anywhere else. Guilt assuaged re PH, and it would make a nice present for someone or oneself.
Oh, that’s a good idea! I didn’t even think of non-perfume options! I bet there are some nice soaps there, too. . .
Marjorie Rose, I shop at the Perfume House when I visit family in Portland, and they’ve been very nice about making me a sample or two when I’ve asked. I don’t buy something every time, but usually I walk away with one new bottle. But we’re talking only two or three visits a year.
Yes, they are always wonderful there. I have only ever had good customer service, but that just encourages my trepidation to take advantage of them!
Hooray that you’re loving Shaal Nur! And I have to say that I love your fragrance purchasing rule. 🙂
1. Promesse de l’Aube by MDCI, lovely!
2. Like many others here I bought too many FB in the beginning of my career. Now I try not to by anything unsniffed, preferably try it many times before purchase. Also no scent that are merely “nice and pleasant”, they have to be special! The problem is that I live in a perfume wasteland, so when I’m travelling it’s hard not to buy a bottle although I haven’t tried it properly yet.
3. Love my Iphone and Ipod! I still use my Ipod classic too, I like to have my entire music collection with me when I’m travellin, by now there’s 300+ albums on it! When it comes to software I’m addicted to Spotify, there’s almost no music I can’t find on it, and the sound quality is very good.
Today it’s Estée Lauder Sensuous. I like it on cool days.
I set limits on myself. I just ended a scent spending freeze the other day with a bottle of Cartier Baiser Vole. That’ll be it for me until after the holidays. I have bought things unsniffed but try to avoid it if I can. I am also trying to only buy things I really truly love or at least like a lot. I have some scents that I might not be head over heels for, they do fill a need. I might not want a big white floral every day but some days I just need a dose of Fracas.
Hubby calls me the gadget queen even though I have a dumb phone. I have a kindle, iPod, iPad, iPod touch and I love them all. This darn iPad is an addiction. I have a hard time putting it down. I may need to set limits for myself on it.
I’m very fond of Sensuous! I keep meaning to buy a FB, but other things keep getting priority. But I’ve used up two samples in the past few months! I find it a very comforting and safe fragrance–not a statement, which is sometimes exactly what I want.
Late to the party!
Today I’m testing samples….so far, Alexa Lixfeld 01, Theorema, Mazzolari Musc, and Mor Marshmallow, and Belladonna. If I could pick one to *just* wear today, it’s be the Mazzolari.
Fragrance purchases: I only buy what I love now. If I’m iffy about it, I’m not going to bother. Fragrances that I think I love I buy decants of, and if I use the decant up and still love it, I buy a bottle. Also, I’m buying more expensive scents now…they seem to hold up longer and I realize that if I buy something I really love, even if it’s expensive, it was worth it. I love a lot of fragrances, though, so I still get in trouble 🙂
I live on my iPhone.
It’s Saturday.
1. Mollie Parnis. After 5 years of scouring eBay I finally scored my signature fragrance from 1978 to the early aughts.
2. When bidding, set a reasonable high bid and stick to it. Also—and I learned this the hard way—avoid SA’s esp at Bergdorf’s. If I’m going to spend over $100, I will get a decant and live with it a few days. I bought Guerlain Mayotte at Bergdorf-Goodman for $250; it is a sweet tuberose with no staying power on me. Grrr.
3. I put up with electrinics.
Sugarplum – if the Mayotte purchase is fairly recent, I’ve had very good luck with returning ‘fumes to BG. You might give it a try. Also, if you like the scent, but just not enough staying power at that price, Mahora, which is easily obtainable on eBay for way less money, is the same fragrance.
1. 31 Rue Cambon – just to confirm that it’s not for me. Confirmed.
2. It was hard for me to decide what was too much money to spend, so I devised this bargain with myself. Everyday that I stick to a low calorie diet (1200 calories or less), I can put $25 into my mental fragrance account. And, I have to have the mental money in my ‘account’ before I purchase. That sorta puts things into perspective for me, and happily, I’ve lost some weight this year! win/win
3. I love them all, but I have to say that use my laptop and iPad more than anything else. I love to play scrabble on the iPad and Photoshop on the laptop.
1) eau parfume au the verte extreme
2) I have this infamous 10 bottle limit, to prevent myself from overspending and also because perfume goes bad and I want to really use the ones I’ve got. If I am too excited to get a new perfume before finishing a bottle (very rarely this happens) I do a decant of the one closer to be finished and I give the bottle away to a friend.
3)I’ve had an iPod touch 3d gen and now I have a 4th gen. I’d have an iPod but the price here in Argentina is, WITH the phone carrier subsidies, the same as buying it unlocked in the states… So at about 700 USD I am not getting one soon. I recently acquired a Samsung Galaxy Ace. It is a good android phone, and does mostly everything the iPod touch does. But honestly the android interface is still light years away from reaching iOS. Typing on the android is too slow. But well I got it for 200 USD with the subsidies and that is as much as I am willing to pay for a phone these days. Oh and I’ve got a rule about phons too! I must keep them for as close to two years as I can get to. I changed this one at 1 years and 8 months just because the price was too good to let it go by..
I meant “I’d have an iPhone “. … But I guess this iPod touch I’m writing in got jealous and auto-corrected !!!
1.Today I am wearing Dzing! but during the day was at the store so sampled Private Collection EL and Sensuous Noir (I am behind I see, as there was already a Nude version!!, why bother???)
2. I have set a rule that I cannot buy any more perfume unless I raise funds by selling bottles I no longer want or samples… I hate this rule, but nothing I can do about it.
3 Does my heat pump count as an electronic gadget?? I love it!
Is there a setting that I receive notification of replies to my comments? I cannot find it anywhere, please help.
No. I wish there was, but there isn’t. The most you can do is subscribe to comments in RSS & read them all, which I do understand is not tempting.
1. Right now wearing ‘Be delicious’ by DKNY, tho ‘Halloween’ by J. del Pozo is my signature perfume.
2. If a scent really captivates me, i have no limits.
3. My iPod, i couldn’t live without music (also very temped by kindle fire).
1. FM Fleur de Cassie….glorious & perfectly suited to the bout of warm spring weather we’re experiencing here in Adelaide South Australia.
2. I don’t limit myself to a certain number of purchases & I don’t usually buy anything over $100….the number of purchases has dropped dramatically since my first days of falling down the rabbit hole some 4-5 years ago. If a fragrance interests me, I’ll buy a sample & wear for at least a cpl of days before making a decision on it. Having said that, when I was in Melbourne last week & tested Fleur de Cassie it was instant love & way over $100 lol<3
3. Love me some technology….3 faves my laptop, my HTC android & my iPad….with a pink cover of course 🙂
Oh good girl, that is a true classic! I was smitten when I first went down the hole, what, three years ago – I ended up with the little trio from Mecca in Myer Sydney and am now worried as I get into the third one…but as I probably have enough ‘fume for all of us I’m reFUSing to go and buy the bottle!
1. JC Brosseau The Brun – managed to get a bottle from Ebay maybe a year ago – unsniffed – all based on the raving review here on NST. Was terribly disappointed with it and put it away. Some time ago my husband found it and surprised me by wearing it. He smelled so good I made myself retry it – and fell in love. Smokey tea with violet and a touch of iris – yummy. A perfect autumn scent!
2. Trying to get things cheap from online discounters or ebay. Or staying with splits and samples. But a few times per year I support the best perfume store in Stockholm by buying a bottle from them. Next on the list is FM Noir Epices when they get a shipping of the small bottles sometime in November.
3. I love my Google calendar, automatically synchronizing between my PC and my HTC phone. I share one calendar w my hubby and have a slew of different calendars to keep track of different personal projects.
Which perfume store in Stockholm is the best in your opinion? I visit Stockholm a few times a year and usually make a point to visit NK to shop for perfume (including the Hermes-boutique) but I’d like to know if there are any other good locations!
Cow Perfumerie! I go to their main store on Mäster Samuelsgatan (they also have a small shop in NK). They are the friendliest sales persons possible. They are big on Comme de Garcons, Etro, Humiecki and Graef, L’Artisan, Profumum Roma,, Mona d’Orio, some Amouages – and just recently managed to include Frederic Malle (I probably forgot some brands…).
Just across the street you have the Byredo store as well.
Thanks, I’ll make sure to include this in my shopping-expeditions in future, sounds perfect!
1. I am wearing Lorenzo Villoresi Spezie. It’s perfect today
2. I had to put a limit, because I was ruining myself buying too much. I have a limit of 1 per Quarter and it’s still too much
3. My iPad! But I hope Kindle touch will be soon available in Italy!
I bought a purse atomizer of Bond No. 9 Chinatown when I was in their flagship store in New York last week for my birthday. So, because today is my actual birthday, I am wearing this — beautiful.
I try to restrict myself to 50 ml or less. This is why I am so glad that Chanel finally decided to bring out this size in the Exclusifs line. One of my top three fragrances is Sycomore.
I love the Sync system in my car. I can listen to music straight from a USB without having to worry about switching my iPod in and out of the car. Lately, I am obsessed with Laura Marling and The National.
I adore Chinatown — thanks for mentioning it, it’s time to get it out!
I’m wearing Ormonde Woman today. What a great one for fall!
I need to develop a good set of fragrance buying rules.
I’m just loving my Kindle 3 (a fairly new purchase, and I would *never* be without a Mac computer in one form or another!
Love your new gravatar, Haunani!
1. After sampling Tommi Sooni Jinx (nice – fruity aldehyde worth trying a few more times), and MLK Pour le Matin (warm citrus musk that also warrants wearing again soon) I’m wearing 10 Corso Como from a recent FB purchase. Love that spicy sandalwood.
2. I’m still in newbie phase where I want to smell everything. I try to limit to one bottle a month, but will buy into a split at a moment’s whim. I also like to indulge in large samples (small decants?) as the 1ml dab samples just don’t let me experience the perfume as well as a spray sample. I am getting more selective in what I spend $ on for FBs and try to drain my sample, but I often find that if I love it, I’ll buy right away and gift the sample to friends.
3. Favorite gadget: iPad or iPhone, hands down. But I also LOVE my kindle. Robin, if you are an apple girl, you might want to check out the iPad. You can download the kindle app and read kindle books on the iPad. You can also use apple’s iReader (prices are not as good as Amazon) – don’t forget that libraries have ebooks too!
I have my kindle 3 (3G version) that I use to read outside (often in a ziplock baggie on a raft in the pool) and I a gave one to my mom a year ago and she loves Loves LOVES it! Her kindle is linked to my account, so we can share books. Got my dad an iPad and linked the kindle app to my amazon account, and he can read the same books on the ipad!
Kindle is a good choice for eReader and has more content and better prices than B&N or Apple. Amazon also has apps for a variety of other devices (iPad/iPhone/Android phones etc.) and you can share your books across devices and it syncs your place so you can read on your phone in a line, and then pick up later on the your eReader device of choice.
I read a LOT and find that I do more reading on my iPad than my Kindle these days. I don’t miss “real” books at all. In fact, I appreciate not cluttering up my shelves as I hate to part with books. I still buy cookbooks and hardcovers by my favorite author….but I generally buy the ebook version too; I prefer kindle books to real! Good luck on your decision 🙂
Great topic! Motivated me to sort out my account password etc after losing the lot six months ago in the final crash of my PC and then skulking on various borrowed laptops and old clunkers because I could NOT decide on what to get. My daughter got Macs and she made up my mind for me; I got an imac which by a poignant coincidence was delivered the same day Steve Jobs died. I’ve barely moved from it so I guess I’d have to give it the vote, especially as we also managed to get decent ADSL instead of satellite at the same time.
Close second is the Kindle, also only new but its absolutely marvelous for those gripping yarns and old classics and especially since I live in the ‘bush’ and cannot get decent books easily.
Scent of the day started Eau d’Italy Eau Lac as its rather warm now Downunder. Then I’ve just blasted myself with an unsniffed purchase from last summer, the La Prairie Silver Threads. A great quality tuberose ‘fume without the massive commitment required by the Darth Vaders like Criminelle and Fracas. Oh h**l, even writing her name has made me go and put some on! I never would have found these brilliant things without our perfumista universe!
The amazing thing about my perfume journey is that it has reawakened old urges to travel again and go adventuring, all the way to Paris to buy a few Bell Jars!
I’m glad to see you got the computer issues sorted out and are back here!
My SOTD is Nasomato’s Nuda. I chose that because I had to attend a funeral and it is a very quiet scent.
I have had to limit my perfume spending due to hardly any funds left over after paying bills. However, sometimes I cheat and buy something in between and then have to scrape up money to pay the bills. Last quarter I purchased 2 bottles, but then sometimes a quarter goes by and I haven’t purchased anything–not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t. I recently purchased Miriam without sniffing (something I never do, except sometimes if it is an Andy Tauer scent) and I loved it upon first sniff. I think it is a classic.
My favorite gadget is my iPhone 4. I had to purchase a new phone because my purse landed in a river while I was boarding a boat. In the purse was my ordinary cell phone, iPod, wallet, Chanel lipsticks…almost every material thing of importance to me. So I had to purchase a new phone and bought an iPhone 4. Of course, 2 weeks later the iPhone 4S came out while I’m still paying for my iPhone 4. Timing is everything and I never seem to have the perfect timing. My other favorite gadgets are my iPods–the “Classic” which I use on my dock so I can listen to all my music, and my Nano which I use when I work out and also in my car, along with my iPhone which also contains a lot of my music. I am yearning for an iPad and an Apple computer. But I will have to live with my old computer for a while and keep the iPad on my wish list.