Tell us anything you want about summer — vacation plans for this year, what fragrances you plan to wear regularly, what fragrances you'll have to store away until fall, what new summer fragrances you plan to buy, anything.
If it's not summer where you are, talk about anything you like.
Note: top image is Fête du Citron [cropped] by Paul Downey at flickr; some rights reserved.
Finally, the weather is heating up here in New England, after a cold and wet Spring.
My house is about to receive a major renovation (big dormer, expanded bathroom and bedroom) next week–yaay! There will even be room for a walk-in closet. The house is a 1930s balloon frame cottage style 2 bedroom one. Believe me, the closet is the thing I am most excited about!
Today, I am packing up most of my clothes, accessories, and yes, Perfumes into big plastic tubs in order to protect them from the onslaught of dust which is certain to flow in abundance next week.
To save space, I think I may just keep out a box of samples and put everything else [sob] away. It is going to be cramped quarters (we’ll be sleeping in the basement on an air mattress) and this will focus my attention on some much-neglected, albeit coveted ‘fumes. Maybe I will keep just one full bottle handy–should it be Y edt or Le Jardin Sur le Nil?
You can guess how I am feeling about packing away my perfumes.
Oh, good luck on the renovations! May everything go according to plan and on schedule!!! Especially because an air mattress in the basement sounds rather awful!
I have dreams of putting a bathroom upstairs in my “new” house (1908). And I can completely appreciate the need for closet space! I didn’t realize until I moved in to my house that I don’t have a linen closet. So my towels and sheets dwell with my dresses and coats!
Thanks, Miss Marjorie Rose! (I love your name.) The basement will be pretty grim but at least it is cool down there. May your dreams come true.
Hugs!
You can never have enough closet space. Good luck with the renovations. It’s tough to go through but it’s usually worth it in the end.
I think I will venture out today in search of the two new Hermès. I found one of those nice travel size bottles of Gentiane Blanche on eBay that should arrive this week.
Made the tough call to cancel my trip to the Cape due to huge car repairs and possible lay offs. Drowning my sorrow in decants.
It will be 112 this week and I am going against type and nature. Bandit and Amouage Gold. It feels good to deny the heat and ignore the circumstances.
So sorry about the cancelled vacation…you don’t realize how much you need one until the option is expired. Hope you get to reschedule soon. Have fun with your Hermes hunt–let us know which is your fave.
Hi juicejones, I just accomplished that search as well: following Robin’s review from two days ago, I went to Hermes store to try the new colognes. I am a fan of Gentiane Blanche, and Robin was right — Narcisse Bleu is my new crush. Iris is great (similar to Gentiane and Hiris). I can see that it will be a FB soon.
Oh good, maybe I’ll find a 15 ml of Mandarine Ambree then.
But really sorry about your vacation, that’s a terrible shame.
I love “drowning my sorrow in decants,” JuiceJones! Smelling great is the best revenge.
Agreed, I think finding joy in your scent collection is a great coping strategy! Not quite a replacement for your vacation, juice jones, but perhaps the decants can still give you that sense of being transported?
Yay for summer!
My plans this summer are to finish the painting inside my house, do some grout work in the bathroom, and maybe chip away at some yard planning.
Oh, and of course, the ongoing saga that is dating.
So, here’s my perfume conundrum of the moment: I am more-or-less feeling contented with my collection these days–I’m not feeling compelled to sample like mad or fill any glaring gaps (well, maybe a bottle of Ta’if). However, I’ve nearly drained both Lipstick Rose AND L’eau d’Hiver, and I am certain that I want more of both of them. Part of me just wants to bite the bullet and buy new bottles from Barney’s and be done with it! And part of me thinks I should be patient and lurk on ebay or whatever for a better deal. I don’t usually spend that much at any one time on scent. . . but it *does* feel inevitable in this case!
If you can resist the craving for more more more (as I seem to have done–I’m working through a lot of samples), buy your full bottles and enjoy them. My advice: don’t look at perfume sites or lurk on eBay. That only leads to more “wants” in my experience. If it feels inevitable, give yourself a treat. Then take the summer off from buying, and feel great about it. Then you can indulge again whenever your budget says it is safe to do so. Just my two cents, your mileage may vary, etc.
I agree with Queen Cupcake, buy what you love and enjoy them. Lurking always leads to other purchases you might not love. If there’s a chance that you can get either at a discount then maybe buy one and wait for a good deal on the other.
Agreed – buy the bottles and enjoy them! I ended up getting the 30ML travel sets instead and went through Ld’H in a season so I… of course…purchased another! Enjoy your bottles!
I love a good bargain and have found some incredible deals on ebay in the past. That said, L’Eau d’Hiver was one of the scents where, after deliberating for ages, I just bit the bullet and splashed on a big bottle from Liberty. I still got a bit of a discount because they were doing a £30 off a £150 spend which softened the blow to the wallet a little. If you get these kinds of promotions in US then it might be worth waiting until one comes along otherwise, you might just have to for it. At least it’s not a risky purchase since you already know that you’ll get a lot of wear out.
Just found out I am among the final candidates for a job I really**really**WANT! The final interview will be a full day on site meeting everyone and their dog to see if I pass muster. I know most advise not wearing perfume to an interview, but that is just not me. And, if nothing else, I need to be my most authentic self for this. So, what should I wear? Classy, relatively quiet, but present. I am thinking 31 Rue Cambon, Tauer’s Reverie au Jardin, Hermes Jardin sur le Nil (it will be mid July so who knows the weather), or I am open for your suggestions. Wish me luck!!
Wow, that’s exciting! I would want to wear a scent that helps me feel confident and at ease–if it were me, I’d have so many butterflies, I wouldn’t want to be distracted about my scent at all. I don’t know any of those you suggested well enough to say which might be my choice, but I’d encourage you to go with your gut! Good luck!
*fingers and toes crossed*
Of course you must wear perfume! To go w/o would be akin to walking in shoeless. I think comfortable and elegant is a good call. If you get a case of nerves, it will remind you who you are. I like your idea of 31RC. Good luck to you!
Good luck! I vote for either 31RC or the Hermes.
I’d pick Nil simply because I haven’t tried the Tauer and, while I adore 31 RC, I’ve found that it can smell a bit sour in warm weather.
Yay, good luck! If it were me, I’d skip the perfume, although I know nobody here will agree with me.
Actually, I do agree– I’ve always shied away from wearing perfume to an interview, for fear my choice will clash with the noses of my interviewers. But I have used scented bath/body products (especially in my hair) to let me have that skin-hugging whisper of fragrance that is just for me
Oh, congrats! I would go with 31 Rue Cambon. It is my go-to confidence scent. :). Good luck!
You can’t go wrong with Chanel, especially if you use a very light touch.
I’d go for the Chanel. A light vanilla-based scent could also work -everyone loves vanilla. But the Chanel seems a safe bet and is classy besides.
How exciting, Jepster
Mid-July is truly iffy but likely to tend towards hot and muggy. If I had to choose, I would go with Reverie au Jardin.
Good luck with your interview!
This doesn’t have anything to do with summer, but I had to share a movie perfume sighting. My husband (the classic film buff) was watching “Coast Guard” (1939). The story is pretty routine–the nice, dependable guy (Ralph Bellamy) falls for a girl (Frances Dee), but she prefers the reckless, partying ladies’ man (Randolph Scott) and marries him instead. At first, he tries to be a good husband, but then he starts to revert to his old ways. One night, he doesn’t come home until morning. He tells her he’s sorry, promises never to do it again, and presents her with a bottle of perfume, which I am pretty sure was Schiaparelli Shocking, in that torso-shaped bottle. There is then a series of shots of the dressing table, first showing it with the one bottle of perfume, then several, then more, then finally covered with 30 or 40 bottles of perfume. Apparently, old habits die hard! I couldn’t identify any of the other perfumes. I didn’t freeze the frame or anything, but from what I could see, most of them looked like normal, square or rectangular bottles and I thought it would probably be difficult to identify them. Likely, most of them would be long-discontinued scents I never heard of, but that torso-shaped bottle is so distinctive.
Oh, I will look for that movie, I don’t know it. Good eye, Roses!
50 Roses – what a great film device! You’re probably right, but must have screen cap…have find that film and figure out how to do a screen cap…
We thought it was an interesting way to portray both the passage of time and the husband’s inability to change his ways. I would have liked to have frozen the screen, but my husband was actually the one watching (I just happened to come into the room while he was watching) and I didn’t want to make him wait while I pored over the screen. I thought about rewinding after the movie was over, but I had gone into the other room and it had already ended (and been deleted from the DVR) when I came back. I think it was probably on TCM. I get a kick out of any perfume appearances in movies or TV, even if they aren’t mentioned by name.
I do too.. I’ve been re-watching Arrested Development to refresh my memory before watching the new season on Netflix, and there is an episode in Season 1 where Julia Louis Dreyfus plays a lawyer who’s pretending to be blind, and on the countertop in her bathroom there is an Annick Goutal. I couldn’t make out the label to see which one, but the bottle shape and the tag are pretty distinctive.
Also, I’d been watching Hannibal on NBC, and in one episode there is a reference to JAR Bolt of Lightning. Not so much a “sighting” per se, but I thought it was an interesting choice.
It was 82 degrees at 7 am this morning. Who knows what the heat index will climb to. I am trying to stick to citrus based or green scents for summer, no florals or orientals. Any suggestions for some inexpensive options?
Florals can be nice in the heat….so for a cheap thrill, how about Bath & Body Works Wild Honeysuckle?
When it’s that hot I stick a body spray in the fridge and give myself a refreshing spritz as needed.
Inexpensive and fresh but with some style? My suggestions are Acqua Colonia 4711 Mandarine & Cardamome and Gingembre by Roger & Gallet. Here in Germany these scent are not very expensive but I don’t know how much they charge for these scents in the rest of the world.
Try Eau Sauvage and Guerlain Vetiver. Go light on the Vetiver, though – it seems very concentrated to me.
Lucky Scent has a new line of bath and body products at Target. The Sunswept body mist sounds like it might work for you? Notes: Sicilian orange, sheer lemon, and bergamot. Cheap and cheerful.
With the warm weather finally here in NYC, I now find myself heading to the fridge for my daily fragrance fix. Condiments be damned; on the inside door where one would normally store mustard, salad dressing and the like, are my bottles of Chanel’s Eau du Cologne, Guerlain’s Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat and Cologne Imperiale, Annick Goutal’s Hadrien (eau de parfum strength), Monsieur de Givenchy and Eau Sauvage. SOTD is the Chanel…the neroli and soft musk bring a smile to my face every time I catch a whiff. Lovely stuff.
Oh, nice summer mix you have!
LOL – I have a lot of perfume on those shelves, too!
I love this! Must try stashing some of my summer faves in the fridge!
Storing perfume in the fridge for a nice cool spritz is a good idea! I am in the Midwest, and it has been hot here for a few days, with storms at night. Today I started the day by going to the farmers market and I wore Lostmarc’h l’Eau du Dimanche – it was good with all of the veggie and plant smells at the market.
This summer I have discovered the joys of grapefruit in perfume. I’m enjoying Rose Ikebana, and Pamplemousse Rose, but only have samples of RI (I have a bottle of Pamplemousse Rose). I’m wondering if anyone can suggest a soliflore rose to layer with Pamplemousse Rose? I want to amp up the rose in that one.
Grapefruit perfumes are one of my summer favorites! Checkout the Guerlain Allegora Pamplemousse and Dawn Spenser Horowitz’s Pamplemousse. Both are really really terrific (as is the Hermes – yes, I have that one too.) My fav is the DSH, I think.
2nd the DSH, it’s lovely.
Jessica’s list of roses might help:
https://nstperfume.com/2012/12/21/25-rose-fragrances-every-perfumista-should-try/
Or, go basic & cheap: The Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose ought to work.
I like to layer my bottle of Pamplemousse Rose with the Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose Body Butter. I think they work really nice together. I like that the MRBB doesn’t take away from the fizziness of Pamplemousse Rose.
Velvet Rose by Sonoma Scent Studio is a beautiful (but not overpowering) rose soliflore and it’s available in 2.5 ml sample sprays to try before committing to a larger size, which I love!
We have a new baby in the house (6 weeks old now!) so our summer is riding the learning curve, which we are doing happily–if somewhat drowsily, at times. We are planning a road trip to Portland to bring the baby to visit her auntie and new cousin (a month older than our little girl) in August. Fingers crossed all goes well!
Summer is usually when I bust out the big white florals and bright, juicy fruits–CB I Hate Perfume Cradle of Light, Lavanila Vanilla Passionfruit, Chanel No. 5, SSS Jour Ensolielle–but this year I have a bouquet of trial sizes from A Wing And A Prayer to test out. What better time than maternity leave, when I don’t have to worry about “work appropriate”?
Congratulations on your new baby girl!! It’s wonderful that she has a cousin her age to grow up with, too.
I’m trying to curb my sample habit, but several of the Wing and a Prayer scents look tempting…
Thank you! We are head over heels in love, I am overwhelmed with it sometimes!
I hear you on the sample habit–so hard to kick!–but if you want to try A Wing And A Prayer, she sells trios of minis–you choose 3 scents (can include her LE offerings) that come in 1/8 oz sprays–for $10, which I think is a steal. I am falling for her Honeysuckle Rose, that may have to become a full bottle
SOTD = Puredistance Opardu
Opardu may be my vacation scent but I may still change my mind.
I have 2 vacations coming up: a mini 4 day trip to the Berkshires (Western Massachusettes) and immersing myself in culture at Tanglewood; trip 2 is a cruise with stops in Venice, Turkey and Greece.
Yay for the Berkshires! We are heading there too. We go every summer for a few days. I love it out there. Just an FYI, if you’ve never been to Tanglewood, we went last year and you might want to make your SOTE a good spritz of Off. The mosquitoes really seemed to love me and if we go again I will marinate myself in bug spray. I hate mosquitoes.
Hello Poodle! I skipped last year, but had been to Tanglewood for each of the 5 years prior to that. Eau d’ Bugspray may be in order for me, too. I’m hoping that Shed seating may give me a break from the mosquito horde!
We were in the shed and those blood-thirsty beasts found me anyway.
Poodle, they are drawn to sweet peeps and you must be super sweet
Sounds great, am envious! Have you tried solid fragrance? Admit I haven’t, but they seem suited to transatlantic travel.
@galbanumgal – thanks for the suggestion. My perfume wearing method is spray and walk into the mist. I tend to use the more protective travel spray atomizers that have either a plastic or metal outer layer and have no concerns about breakage.
Opardu seems like a wonderful scent for the cruise. It’s the essence of summer relaxation and of course reminiscent of the classic Jean Patou Vacances. Also, if you like Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose or any of their other scents, that seems like the right vibe for the sites you’ll be visiting
I am really loving Opardu and I fear my 17.5mL travel spray may be used up before I go on vacation. Puredistance is having a gift with purchase through July 31st so I may consider getting one of the larger sizes. Wallet is saying ouch!
Venice, Turkey, and Greece; sounds amazing! Have a safe and wonderful journey
It’s about that time of year when I start looking for refreshing summer scents. I am really Really looking forward to PdN’s new sOleil to be released here in the states. I’m already planning my unsniffed purchase!
Does anyone else have planned purchases for summer – sniffed or unsniffed? I’m wondering what everyone is lemming (lemon!) for??
I’d like to spring for l’ombre dans l’eau or chanel no 19; green scents are my thing this summer, i guess. i’m working on being satisfied with the ones i have, green or not!
I have both of these and they are terrific!
I really NEED a bottle of Sonoma Scent Studio’s Jour Ensoleille. I’m almost out of the few mls I had of it. I also want Whips & Roses by Kerosene among others.
That SSS JE is really nice, isn’t it? It’s been on my list for a while. I’d like to try her new cocoa sandalwood as well.
Love Jour Ensoleille and SSS. I actually just ordered a travel size for an upcoming trip. Of course, I had to order a few samples too, including Forest Walk and the new Citrus Vetiver.
Nicole
LOVE Jour Ensoleille, it is totally a “happy place” scent for me! I have a purse spray of it but feeling like a full size bottle is in my future…
I recently got a sample spray of Cocoa Sandalwood and oh, my, it is delicious. Not as much sillage or longevity as JE, but I think it wears very well for an all-natural composition.
Went to the mall today and avoided the perfume counters because I really don’t need anything at the moment and I’ve already got plenty on my to buy list. I still spent a ton of money though at Sephora and Teavana. Plus I had to get birthday gifts for the hubby, my mom, and my niece. It’s birthday season in my family which means I’ll be shopping a lot in the next month or so. I have no scent of the day because I thought I’d cave and go and try some things at the perfume counters but I was a good girl so now I’ll reward myself by trying some samples I received in the mail this week.
Congrats on buying what you were supposed to, instead of perfume
This summer I am looking forward to going to a wedding and celebrating my childhood friend marrying her sweetheart. I found a vintage dress to wear, kind of a chiffon and sweetheart neckline kind of deal, and I’m enjoying debating which perfume to wear with it: La Chasse aux Papillons for something girly, or Fleurs d’Oranger or NR for her for something a bit sexier. I guess there is also the tried and true Chanel No 5! It’s an evening wedding, so I’m leaning towards one of the latter, but it may also depend on the temperature in mid-July!
In hot weather, I’d probably go for La Chasse. If it was cooler, maybe the Serge.
Oh, but now it occurs to me maybe you meant the L’Artisan Fleurs d’Oranger?
Sorry, should have specified it was the SL; I’ve heard good things about L’Artisan’s, though. I just wish La Chasse lasted longer, though I agree it’s the better choice for warmer weather. The SL sometimes gets a bit… grapey on me in humidity, for lack of a better adjective!
You know, I wonder how they layer? A tiny dab of the Serge with a spray of the L’Artisan? But could be a disaster, of course.
I’d also suggest L’AP Seville a l’Aube. It’s worth sampling in any case.
During my seemingly neverending quest for a non-irritating, high spf facial sunscreen, think I’ve finally found a pretty good contender–Josie Maran broad spectrum spf 40. My standby is Olay complete, but seeking something with a higher spf. It’s hard finding anything without avebenzone, which I can’t tolerate. The Maran is a bit more moisturizing than the Olay, without the white cast. Too bad it’s not fragrance-free–despite my love of scent, I don’t want it on my face!
SOTD is Bas de Soie, which I initially deemed too pedestrian. It’s working really well in this extreme humidity.
I made the switch to the same Josie Maran moisturizer last summer. When I hit my 30s, my skin suddenly became completely intolerant of chemical sunscreen, and that’s been the only high SPF barrier sunscreen I’ve found so far that doesn’t turn me white.
I love the JM moisturizer but the scent of my bottle varies from bleu cheese to hyacinths in 6.2 secs. I don’t know what that’s about! But, it works. All of her products are great and priced fairly.
You might want to seek out John Master’s Organic line (Whole Body stores and online elsewhere)…he offers an SPF 30 mineral sunscreen that only leaves the faintest of white casts – I don’t think this sort of thing is avoidable with a high SPF and pure mineral sunblock agents. I do believe this product is fragrance-free as well.
I love Bas de Soie, but only on fabric. On skin, the hyacinth/iris combination falls apart over a musk I don’t prefer.
Banana Boat Natural Reflect Baby, the newly reformulated Coppertone Water Babies, and Neutrogena Sensitive Skin are all good. So is a big hat.
I have used the JM sunscreen too, but found I needed a bit more since I spend a lot of the summer in Florida. I really love La Roche Posay for facial sunscreen (and other facial products). They have a mineral one, a regular formula, and a tinted one. SPF 50. Available online at various places and Ulta. I have sensitive skin that is combo in the summer. I use the mineral sunscreen and it works great for me. Doesn’t leave me white and no greasy residue. Just a suggestion for anyone who is looking for a good one.
Nicole.
I also use a UV blocker umbrella. I’d call it a parasol, but that calls up the image of something frilly, and this is just a line of basic umbrellas that have a silvery reflective coating to screen out a lot of the UV. Cooler than a hat, although this time of year when the sun is so bright I tend to use both, in addition to sunscreen. I have no commercial affiliation to these umbrellas but wish they would become a trend.
I want parasols to come back in style too.
I just got an email with an announcement that might be of interest to anyone in the Houston/Beaumont/Lake Charles area. A corpse flower is about to bloom at the Shangri La Gardens in Orange, TX. Apparently, they expect it to open within the next few days, and the gardens will be open on Sunday and Monday June 23 and 24 (they are normally closed Sunday and Monday).
Sounds like fun! If I we lived in Texas, my husband and I would make the trek.
My Le Labo Ly and Ylang samples arrived this morning so that’s what I’ve been testing today. So far, neither one strikes me as a must own.
Lys was pleasant but probably not distinctive enough for my taste. Ylang smelled nice when sniffing the bottle, but, after spraying, there is a slightly aggressive, artificial smelling note akin to a woody musk that just dominates the whole composition and through which the mossy, chypre quality struggles to peek through. It might work better in cold weather so I’m setting it aside until then.
I’m with you on Lys. It’s pretty but not distinctive enough for me to buy. On me there’s more musk in the dry down anything else.
Money saved for something else, right?
Bless you, Abyss! I just got an email from Surrender to Chance about a Flash Sale (15% off until 9:00 tonight Central time if anyone is interested) and I *almost* bought a decant of the Ylang – unsniffed! And I know better!! So you have averted disaster and I thank you.
Cool! I definitely think that this one needs to be sampled first.
Just bought Etat’s Fils…..(not bothering to look up whole long name). I sampled it yesterday at one store then found it at Henri Bendel for 40% off today and since the whole line is discounted, I’m assuming that they’re dropping it. I like the combination of rice, lime and gentle spices. It’s cozy without making me think of winter.
Oh wow, the entire ELDO line??? I got an email about 40% off in-store only from opening to noon…but for those of us who can’t drop everything and race off to Bendel’s, the sale is useless. I will be stopping in next week as I have gift cards to use so if they are dropping the line, they might still be on sale!
Well, ELDO, Aquaba and some solids from lilubelle were the only perfumes on sale and since I haven’t seen the latter two on the shelves since I moved to the area in Aug, I,m taking a guess that they’re going to stop carrying ELDO as well. Also, it appears that there is no longer a separate L’Artisan miniboutique–they’re now in with the rest of the perfumes. Also, if Bendel’s does stop carrying the line, you can still get it at New London Pharmacy (not that that helps your gift card situation). I’m not on their email list; it was simple serendipity that I’d tried Fils yesterday and knew it was going on my to buy list and then happened to be somewhere that had it on sale
I’ve spoken with the head of the fragrance department. Apparently, there has been some falling out with the people who run ELO, and yes they are dropping the line.
I bought the very reasonably priced 30ml bottle of PdN’s L’Eau cHic, after last week’s poll. Haven’t given it to my boyfriend yet, but I like it on my pillowcase (to approximate the scent on his shirt.) I miss the superMINT of Geranium Pour Monsieur but we’ll see how it goes.
Because I bought from luckyscent, I got some free samples! Loving CdG’s Black, and would find it suitable for anyone missing L’Artisan’s Tea for Two. Your mileage may vary.
On the other hand, I got a sample of Tauer’s Noontide Petals. Yet another disappointment with Mr. Tauer. I love his company, and his vision, but I have not once smelled a winner from him!
I respect all the people who love his works, but to me, the emperor is nude. Noontide Petals smells so harshly functional on me.
Nice buy! I am liking CdG Black too.
Some impulse this week made me get out my bottle of Chanel No 19 Poudre, having not worn it for some time. I enjoy it. But I started to wonder how people feel about it these days? It was released a couple of years ago in a build-up of high excitement – followed by disappointment for a lot of people, most of them fans of the original No 19 and/or fans of Infusion d’Iris (which Poudre resembles).
Has Poudre bedded itself down now, I wonder? Found its market? Found its place as silk slip of a fragrance? Or is it contributing to the general air of disappointment created by a number of bland releases from Chanel recently?
Love the iris in the opening of No 19 Poudre but I seem to rember it not staying around long enough for me to buy it. Maybe I should retry and see what I think now. I think the thing that people were disappointed in was Coco Noir
Yes, the iris note is really, really stunning. Maybe not so much the musks. The musks are supposed to be new or special, or something, according to Chanel, but I always thought the musk note is the least impressive part of the fragrance.
There was disappointment at Bleu, No 19 Poudre, Bleu, and one or two of the recent Exclusifs as well. Nice stuff, but not the stuff of dreams.
Hi Annemarie, I really like Chanel 19 Poudre. It feels comforting and ladylike. Kind of like a soft veil all around you. I was torn between buying Chanel Poudre or 28 La Pausa. I was looking for an iris scent that was soft and powdery. Both of these offer that. I went for the La Pausa only because it was my first Chanel purchase and I have always wanted something from the Exclusifs line. I think both are just as lovely, classy, and well made. Victoria over at Bois De Jasmin also really liked 19 Poudre and gave it a very nice review.
I’ve never tried La Pausa. I’m glad you enjoy it! It sounds from what I’ve read that both it and Poudre are completely, elegantly Chanel.
No. 19 Poudre has become one of my staple office perfumes, especially on the days I consider too warm for EDP Infusion d’Iris. Despite the negative reviews, I bought an FB and am really enjoying it – one of those perfumes for the days you can’t really think about perfume.
I wear it that way too. Poudre just floats unobtrusively but beautifully.
We leave for a week on Cape Cod shortly, and I’m planning what fragrances to bring. Last year I emptied out the wood recipe box that belonged to my mother and filled it with samples to test while I was away. It was lovely having the time to devote to new sniffs, although I also brought some old summer favorites such as Jardin sur le Nil, L’Artisan’s Bergamot, and Cristalle.
I have also lost a good deal of weight in the past year, so had the task (I abhor non-perfume shopping) of buying new summer clothes today. Now that the shopping part is over, I’m looking forward to going to a concert tomorrow evening with my husband, in new, well-fitting clothes and a stunning fragrance TBD! Any suggestions?
Farouche! Congrats on the weight loss! I had been to Cape Cod once and stayed at a nice B&B in Dennisport run by 2 sisters (I’m probably describing half the B&Bs).
Anyway, my pick for Cape Cod would be Atelier Cologne Mistral Patchouli – it actually does not even smell like patchouli to me. It is grapefruit-citrusy and has a fresh airy blend of other “stuff” (pepper, star anise, iris, incense, geranium, benzoin and vetiver). Note: I couldn’t personally identify “stuff” individually so the list comes from Robin’s review here:
https://nstperfume.com/2013/01/10/atelier-cologne-mistral-patchouli-fragrance-review/
I was originally going to mention another perfume for evening but changed my mind because I think Mistral Patchouli could actually work as both day and evening scent.
Enjoy your vacation!
Hi Hajusuuri! I have a sample of Mistral Patchouli and will bring it with me to the Cape. In fact, I think I’ll bring all of my Atelier Cologne samples, they won’t take up much room and I haven’t really given much time to them. I still have a week or so before going, but I like to plan early
The temps are going up so it’s perfect to be by the ocean. Enjoy the Cape! I always think of those beach roses when I think of the cape so perhaps a rose perfume might be nice. Or maybe something salty like Sel Marin by Heeley. Or the scent of Coppertone and a nice frosty drink.
Yes, yes! I thought of the beachy fragrances, but not the rose ones. I’ll definitely include some roses in my selection to bring with me, especially some of the lighter ones. I have a sample of Rose Anonyme somewhere as well as Mona’s rose (can’t think of the name).
Farouche, I’d be tempted to go for FM Le Parfum de Therese.
That is a lovely one. I have a smallish decant and will dig it out to wear to the concert. Thanks, Nozknoz!
In the cubicle reshuffle, I got the office mate who appreciates perfume. He’s admired Eau de Star, Tocade, and Lolita Lempitska so far. Much, much better than the temp I had earlier this summer who claimed to be sensitive to EVERYTHING.
Nice, congrats!
I want the new Hermes colognes even being a blindbuy.
Never buy unsniffed
I just got back from a long weekend in the Florida Keys which included a day trip to the Dry Tortugas. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who may be flirting with going there (the Dry Tortugas). I brought along my Bronze Goddess spray oil!
Dixie, I don’t know much about the Keys but I’m kind of drawn to the idea of these islands. What did you do there, and what did you enjoy about them?
Nozknoz,
I have been vacationing in Key West for about 20 years and the best way I can explain it is to say it has the charming atmosphere of a Carribean Island with the security of American soil. It has all the typical ocean activities like scuba diving, parasailing, booze cruises,…or if you’re like me you can hang out at the pool, window shop, and eat at some amazing restaurants. Everyone is very, very relaxed. Shorts and flip flops will get you almost anywhere you want to go. I saw a man in a business suit once and he had paired it with yellow and navy Nike running shoes.
Feel free to email me if you would like to know more. My address is jgbennickatyahoodotcom (using @ and . of course) Obviously I love the place, but I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who needs to relax and dry out in the sun for awhile. I always adjust to Island Time within about an hour of arrival.
Can anyone explain to me a little about Charles of the Ritz? I have a bottle of vintage Arpege (Lanvin) that says Charles of the Ritz on it. And today at an estate sale I stumbled on a bottle of something called Ritual by Lanvin-Charles of the Ritz. It is a half ounce bottle of eau de parfum with gold lettering on the bottle… It practically knocked me down when I first sniffed it. Oakmoss, aldyhydes, oakmoss, citrus, oakmoss… floral… did I mention oakmoss? It cost me 50 cents. I’ve been wanting find something that I could use as an oakmoss reference… I found it. The perfume is perfectly wearable (if you like oakmoss
), but must be applied extremely judiciously!
Ritual sounds terrific! I know what you mean about having a reference fragrance for oakmoss. Mine, if you will believe it, is Laura Ashley No 2, which I still own from the 1980s. It is extraordinary that a perfume marketed to young innocent women could have been so dank and dirty compared to the equivalent product today. On Charles of the Ritz, go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_of_the_ritz
http://www.fragrantica.com/designers/Charles-of-the-Ritz.html
http://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk/library/perfume/c/houses/Charles%20R.htm
and for some loosely related context:
http://boisdejasmin.com/2012/09/classics-on-a-budget-drugstore-perfumes.html
Hey, thanks for the links. I heard or read somewhere else that the Laura Ashleys were good for Oakmoss in the 80s. After wearing Ritual all night, I confess that by this morning I feel it is wearing me. I will have to take my own advice on applying it lightly more seriously…. now to the shower!
Every summer I crave Dior’s Eau Sauvage, and every summer I come up with reasons not to buy it – it’s too fleeting, too bitter, too chypre, too expensive, whatever. This year I’ve decided “screw it” and am plunking down for a bottle. I’ve been living with a sample from Sephora for the past few days and have completely fallen for it. It’s so marvelously fresh and life-affirming – lemon! jasmine! aromatic herbs! – with an edge of old-fashioned barbershop elegance. It’s sun-bleached and optimistic, yet grounded. I can’t get enough of the stuff.
What an inspiring testamonial! You’re making me want to pull the trigger on that one now!
I feel the same as L. Worse – I gave away a half bottle of VINTAGE Eau Sauvage a few years ago b/c I was hardly wearing it any more. It is all those things you say (fleeting, bitter … ) but still the best of the best. And not as expensive as a summer cologne from a darling niche house such as Ramon Monegal or whatever. So go for it!
Subhuman, Eau Sauvage is a classic that belongs in everyone’s perfume library. (I also own its cousins, Diorella and FM Le Parfum de Therese.) Even if you don’t wear it often, I think your future self will thank you for buying it before it was reformulated out of existence and being able to wear and learn from it over the years.
You might also try the Parfum version.
We just got through watching another movie with a sort of perfume association. This time it was a Japanese film, “Early Summer” (1951, from director Yasujiro Ozu), and the young daughter of one of the characters was named Mitsuko.
well, I don’t like summer at all, I looooove winter.A bit stupid beacause I’m in love with Italy!
But, I bought Neroli Portofino last year in Napels.We had a few hot days here in Holland and wore it for the first time this year. TOTALLY in love, today it’s raining, and normally I never wear summerscents.But this beauty.. pfeww..
Hi everyone!
Summer just got started here so I stick to Etro’s Vivolo Fiori.
Lovely scent.
Enjoy your Sunday!
No real summer here in the UK yet
The temperature has started inching up but the days are usually grey and windy. I am craving really hot weather which gives me the chance to wear my hot weather staples like the Hermes Jardin series, Escale de Pondicherry, Tubereuse Criminelle, The pour un Ete and Vamp a NY – they just do not seem right yet! I do not have any vacations planned over the summer so no hope of escaping to balmier climes…
It’s in the 80’s here US (southern California ). Bought my first fragrance from the Hermes Jardin series yesterday. YAY! I bought Un Jardin Sur Le Nil. Love it, not sure why it took me so long to finally commit to a full bottle. I was watering my garden the other night and every time I waved the hose I got this beautiful breezy scent. I had UJSLN on the same arm holding the hose. Went right out the next morning and bought a bottle! Lol. I think I will be wearing this one a lot.
SunsetSmells, Oops meant to add sending you some sunnys days so you can pull out your hot weather staples soon.
Thank you, Kelly! Every wish helps!
I went to Saks yesterday and got samples of both of the new Le Labos. I like both, and I’m wearing Lys 41 today. I was thinking it reminded me of something, and it just hit me: take Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia and add some tuberose, and this might be just about what you get. I have a bottle of ET Gardenia so I need to try them side by side to see if the impression holds up.
I tried out Ylang 49 last night, and I think I will gravitate more toward that one in cooler weather. I think overall it’s the better scent of the two. There is a little harsh note in the early stage, but it settles down nicely. I was surprised by how much rose I got in it.
Not perfume related. But yesterday evening, our town had a sunshower, and as I went for a walk, I saw the most extraordinary thing, a vey large full arch of a rainbow, not a pale mist, but a full one, with every color of the rainbow spectrum. It stayed for at least a half hour. SOmetimes, one color showed more strongly, then another would seem brighter. After about 20 minutes, a second, half rainbow appeared over the southern quarter of the arch.
In addition, the bottom rainbow was huge, so as I walked around town, I could see it stretched over different views. I first spotted, high above the ice cream shop, and then I could look up through a stand of trees and see it through the leaves. As I turned home (after about fourty minutes of watching) I saw that it streched over the vistas towards the west, and arched above an old store church tower.
Lovely.
That’s amazing. I hope it brings you luck!
I just spent the weekend moving bottles in my bookcase so that the heavy spicy orientals would be on the back row and the tea, chypre, and citrus fragrances could be at the very front. My favorite Bergamotto Marino and Eau de Courrèges are front and center.
I splurged this weekend with a bottle of AG Eau du Sud.
In the near future, I need (want really) to replace my bottle of Clinique Happy pour Homme. Nothing spectacular, but something that I’ve always enjoyed.
I also need to finally get a bottle of L’Artisan Black-if only for the bottle, …. and might finally get Chanel 19.
summer in middle east is unbeleivable, way too hot for words. I may go for a little vacation this year. I’ll take with me some of my favorit summer scents which are bvlgari mon jasmin noir l’eau exquis, j’adore l’eau cologn floral & chance eau tendre. What I don’t like about my fragrances that they’re kinda old, I mean nothing from this year or at least the year before
I really liked hermes jour d’hermes, gucci flora fraich & narcisso l’eau. I also love body shop body butters as they all are very lovely & smells amazing & summery. I have the peach & now I want raspberry & papaya ♥
I need a small bag from kipling or so for weekends. I rarly go in a vacation or so, not much money really.