Same old thing: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you didn't think would work with the summer weather but somehow does, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is transparence citronnique / lemonistic transparency [cropped] by Olibac at flickr; some rights reserved.
Seeing the picture of beautiful lemon slices prompts me to share that I made myself a great salad last night with baby romaine, vidalia onion, cucumber (all local, organic), Alaskan wild salmon, topped with grated parmesan reggiano and olive oil and fresh lemon. It turned out to be a fantastic combination.
My only perfume question is why in the world did I just participate in the Sous le Vent split when I didn’t particularly like my sample years ago?!?
Did you just want some around for reference?
20 mls.?!? No, I remembered what it smelled like, but as a confirmed Guerlie-girl, I just KNEW that I’d love it this time. 🙁
That sounds delicious. I’m ‘vegetarian’ but have no restraint when it comes to salmon…
Yes, fish was one of the things I missed when I was a real vegetarian. There really is no substitute, when that’s what you’re craving!
I was vegetarian for years, but the more I studied, the more I was convinced that I needed at least salmon and some eggs for nutrients that just aren’t readily available from vegetable sources, i.e. B12.
I’ve always used balsamic vinegar on salads in the past, and just this summer switched to lemons. Shaking my head at what took me so long!
Mostly, I feel that becoming a vegetarian was a good thing for me (and the environment), but now that I eat a little bit of meat (poultry and seafoods), I have found that my food is much more satisfying. I had to eat every few hours as a vegetarian, but the extra protein and fats from meats seem to keep me full into normal meal times! And, as you say, there are some nutrients that are difficult, if not impossible, to get another way.
There is apparently this book called The China Study based on ‘recent’ research claiming that all animal derived products are ultimately unhealthy for humans. But I find complete veganism difficult and as MR points out, not entirely satisfying…
I tell everyone – salmon is not a fish, it’s an omega 3 carrier!
It’s very difficult to sort out all of the conflicting information, isn’t it, Merlin? I’ve studied nutrition for almost 30 years (not “best selling” books, but boring scientific papers) and what I’ve come to believe is that so much of it depends on how food is raised and prepared. Beef for instance – mass produced and full of drugs or grass fed and drug free? Charcoal grilled or baked at a very low temp. for a minimum amount of time? I’ve learned that heat is extremely destructive to most food. Salt is a great example of that, but I won’t give that lecture here! 😉
Hi Rappleyea – I just saw your comment. I’v just finished Jacob’s book ‘Drop Dead Healthy’ in which he concludes that the reason for so much conflicting theories/info is that there are just so many variables.
About a decade ago I read about the conditions of ‘farm animals’ and was vegan for some months, maybe a year. At the time I read that amino acids had to be combined in particular ways to get the kind of necessary proteins one found in meat. It all became such a hassle I gave it up.
More recently I heard that that was utterly disproven and that animal based foods are generally quite bad for one in containing too much fat. My uncle did a nutrition course through Harvard and it seemed that that was the upshot of much of it. I tried being vegan but again found it meant giving up too much so now I more of a salmon-eating-vegetarian (lol).
It seems that the more processed food is the worse it is for you but personally I cannot eat that much raw food. My stomach can’t deal with that much cellulose and I got debilitating cramps when I once tried a raw food vegan diet.
All my info though is second-hand: I’m totally lost in the world of science!
“salmon-eating-vegetarian” – that pretty much describes me too! 😀
Perhaps the term flexitarian is more elegant, though less precise!
I’m a lacto-ovo vegetarian. It was easy for me to give up fish, because I never really liked it. The only thing that still tempts me is bacon — it smells divine!!
Bacon?! Haven’t had it in 20 years–and I’m pretty sure that my own personal hell will include being force-fed limp bacon while being pushed out of a fully-functional airplane! But I recognize that these things are highly personal. . . 😀
No, no you’ve described hell perfectly, Marjorie Rose. I threw up in the back of my throat when Robin did a post about a chocolate bar with the b-word. :-p
Though I like salmon, I don’t like other fish: all seem naturally bland and dry!
Rapp–have you been showing too much restraint in your perfume purchasing lately? Sometimes I think my judgment gets worse the more austere I try to be. Like going on a diet too strictly leads to overeating crappy grocery store baked goods–they don’t taste good but they’re convenient and have something you’ve been missing!
I guess what I’m saying is maybe you should take this as a sign to loosen up your purse-strings and buy something you really love! 😉
Marjorie Rose, I think maybe you’ve hit the nail on the head. When I look at my quarterly damage tallies, I see that in the past year, I’ve only bought a few decants, and two of them – this one and Drole de Rose – were mistakes! Great advice – thank you!
Oh, and the shiny new stone for your enabler’s pin is in the mail. 😉
So what’s on the FB list? Something that you can really scratch that itch with?
And thanks for the stone–my pin’s been pretty plain lately! 😀
Honestly, the only thing I really want right now is a bottle of Mecca Balsam. But I have a couple of mls. left in my decant and I’d rather recover a chair in my living room.
Your salad sounds amazing! Lemon and olive oil is my favorite salad dressing!
Now it’s my favorite and like I said, I can’t believe it took me so long to come to it!
Just wanted to say that your enthusiasm helped inspire a purchase of an older bottle of Infini PDT. Such an interesting fragrance — do you get a faintly smoky note from it?
Yes! That one’s a real shape shifter on me. Sometimes it smells minty and sometimes it almost smells like a margarita. So happy to enable! 😉
SOTD–Sacrebleu
During the heat wave I bought Sous Le Toit de Paris and it did fine in 100 degree weather. My perfumes now outnumber my age. If I had known beforehand, I would have saved perfume No.45 for my 45th birthday in Sept. Now I’ll just know that I’ll buy perfume No.50 for my 5 year cancer-free celebration in Feb–it will probably be Taif since that’s some pretty special stuff
Now that will be something to celebrate and Taif is a wonderful idea!
Ditto!
Yay for Ta’if and stable health!
I just recieved my samples from Atelier. Maybe you will inspire me to try out Sous le Toit de Paris today!
Wonderful news about your health!
I’ve feared perfume purchases in severe temperatures, too. I caved and bought the Sous le Toit de Paris in the 30mL, and it did well. I love it. It is my most complimented fragrance! It performs so well in high heat, high humidity. In general, I’ll plan to stick to my rule and limit purchases to samples and decants in these temps, but for a small bottle that I plan to use liberally, I may relent 😀
Congrats on 45 bottles, and your upcoming bday and cancer free anniversary. T’aif is stunning, and would make a worthy addition to your collection! My big debate would be EdP vs parfum. Hmmmm. Happy sniffing, and be well.
Sounds like an excellent plan. Wishing you many more years of good health!
Happy weekend, all!
I have a potentially sensitive question for you–seems like there was some discussion a while back about all-natural deodorants. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying much attention, I guess. Anyway, I’m looking to “upgrade” from my Tom’s. Drugstore deodorants irritate my skin, but since they changed the forumla for Tom’s a year or so ago (to apparently “longlasting”), it’s just not holding up for me as well! Any suggestions? I’d rather not have to go to the mall or spend $20 every time, but if you have some big love for something, I’ll consider it! Thanks! This summer of dating is killing me!
Hi, MR! I think several people here like and use Lavanila deodorants (available at Sephora). I’m interested in them but haven’t tried one yet. Maybe a user will chime in with a testimony…
I LOVE Lush’s Guv’ner but the application (a loose powder) makes me skip it if I’m in a rush. However, I put it in a flat, cheap tin (the packaging is hilarious for what the product is) so I can grab just a small pinch. I find it holds up all day, and I’m a normally stinky guy from Texas.
Thank you for the suggestion! I’m not sure I would have even considered a powder without the recommendation. Do you think it would work for a clean-shaven lady–does it need a little hair to hold it in place? (Is that question too personal!?)
The friend who recommended it to me didn’t have a problem, though she dusted it on with a kabuki brush and didn’t get quite the same lasting power. I just take a small pinch for each and am done.
I sympathize with you and your quest. I went through this a few months ago and nothing lasted worth a good shot of gravy! I went through the whole shelf at Whole Foods (it seems, anyway).
Here’s Jessica’s review: http://tinyurl.com/nf638nq
Great, thanks!
I actually just switched and am in LOVE with my new one. 🙂 I had used The Body Shop’s liquid ones for years, until they discontinued the line, and my stockpile has run dry, so I had to find something else.
I broke down last weekend and got the Lavanila normal old vanilla sent from Sephora last weekend. I decided to bravely try it out at work the first time wearing it, only to find our air conditioning had been out…and we work on the top floor…and the humidity was around 90%. And, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, but it held up in my sticky 87-degree office, with me in professional work clothes. It even kept me almost totally dry (even though it’s not an antiperspirant). So I’m a happy convert.
The smell is a tiny bit strong, but I think it’s pleasant, so it’s not a deal-breaker. Doesn’t compete terribly with perfume, and some scents are milder than others. You also want to make sure it seeps in before you wear it, or it’ll wear white marks. It’s almost like a thick handcreme; once it soaks in, it’s pretty safe.
So, the price is a little higher than I wanted to pay, and it requires a trek to a mall, but I think it’s worth it, at least so far. And it’s sephora, so I assume they can make you a sample of it if you’d rather try before you buy.
Sounds like a strong endorsement! I live in generally temperate Oregon, but this has been a more humid summer than our usual, and I really think that may be one of the big factors in my dissatisfaction. Maybe a trip to Sephora should be in order later today. . .
The only one I have ever liked is the Crystal. No frag, kills the pongs and because it is a solid it is fine to color outside the lines. I don’t think you can beat it.
You know, I’ve never tried those! I had a stinky friend when I was a teen who swore by them, though! Maybe I’ve avoided them due to that association? Maybe they’re due for reconsideration. 🙂
I’ve been using a coconut cream one that is nice: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/82877863?ref=fb2_tnx_title
I’ve also used this one with eos, that I really liked : https://www.etsy.com/transaction/75869612?ref=fb2_tnx_title
I’ve heard great things about soapwalla deodorant cream (on etsy)
I never would have thought to check etsy for products. Thanks for the suggestions!
If you’re looking for ones made with essential oils, look for cypress – it’s a great natural antiperspirant.
I haven’t had great luck with natural deodorants, but one brand that actually worked pretty well for me is Hugo Naturals, which I bought at Whole Foods. I have the sea fennel and passionflower scent, which is nice and light enough that I didn’t feel like it competed with perfume.
Great, thank you! It would be nice to find something more convenient than the mall! Might have to buy a couple different things and do some data collection. 🙂
Lavilin. Hand to God. I have been using it for years (standard deodorants cause me to itch unbearably, and I definitely require deodorant) and it is awesome. Do not fear the price (about $15) or the size (small jar); it lasts for months, because you put it on sparingly and then truly truly, you do not need to put it on again for a week – maybe twice a week in the summer. Seriously. Lavilin. Even if you have to mail order it. (There are a few hippie stores in my area that sell it but I just buy it online.)
Wow, that sounds like fascinating stuff! A quick check online and there seems to be some discussion about a change in the formula–maybe it’s not as effective as it once was? Any thoughts?
I just keep buying it from Amazon (occasionally from LifeThyme in the city), and it works. Fantastically well. If it’s been reformulated, it still works!
You might try Malin+Goetz – this line was created for people with sensitive skin. I have not tried the deodorant, but have tried a couple of their lotions. The shower gels are fantastic – great suds, non-drying and non-irritating and the scent (geranium) is great!
Sorry this is so late. Lavanila is only brand I’ve found that is effective and doesn’t cause a problem for me, and they recently cut the price (to “only” $14). It works, but doesn’t last more than about 8 hrs. They also sell a purse-sized ($9), which is nice to have on hand if you’ll be out and about. The plain vanilla and lemon scents are nice and subtle; people seem to like the grapefruit, but it’s too strong (smelling) for me. Good luck with your dating! Someday I’ll have to take the plunge again, although the maiden aunt lifestyle has its rewards.
Wearing BP PC01. Thinking of going to IMATS this weekend to buy some amazingly expensive makeup brushes. A not-cheap entrance fee, but infinitely cheaper than a trip to NYC…
IMATS?
International Make-Up Artist Trade Show, although the general public is welcome too. Just came back from it with my haul of holy-grail Hakuhodo makeup brushes. They cost me, let’s see, about the same as a bottle of a Mona di Orio, and should last me a couple of decades. They’re so soft, too…
Sounds like fun!
I only have a single, cheap make-up brush, but I suspect it’s the sort of thing that once you dabble, the advantages of nice ones start to win you over!
That picture of lemon perfectly matches with my SOTD which is Limone di Sicilia by I Profumi di Firenze. A gorgeous lemon burst perfume.
It’s been scorching hot lately (above 30*C daily) which is very exhausting when your apartment doesn’t have an air conditioning. We treated ourselves to a bike ride to chill and get some wind. We’ve been riding for 4 hours today!
Oh, Lucas, that would be so difficult – I hope the heat wave passes soon!
A few days ago, I made an offering to the alters at Our Lady, and she bestowed the gift of a bottle of Tauer’s Zeta upon me–loving it for the summer! Bright citrus and sweet linden blossom that somehow manages to not be too much for me (since I usually avoid sweeter florals). Only downside is that lasting power on me is maybe 4 hours. Upside–my date (same fella as last weekend, so hey, that’s progress!) thinks it smells lovely!
Congrats on the Zeta and the fella, MR! I trust you’ll keep us posted 🙂
Thanks, Emily! You know I’m terrible at keeping that stuff to myself!
I love linden. I must try the Zeta. Do keep us posted on the guy.
I’m not sure I’ve tried another linden scent, but I sure love the trees when they are in bloom in early summer!
I love Zeta, but can only wear it at bedtime because anything with a strong linden note makes me sleepy. Ditto for orange blossom, so Joya Ames Soeurs is also a bedtime-only scent. It’s actually a good thing, as I have a reliable, non-drug sleep aid at my disposal.
Oh how interesting! I can see how it might be soporific, though! It’s a very cozy sort of floral. And I’m finding the Zeta to simmer down to a warm skin scent the last few hours.
Congrats, Zeta is lovely:)
Thanks, Merlin!
Zeta is one of my ‘springtime’ scents – I love the linden. I find the lasting power really good – all day for sure. I need to explore more linden and hawthorne perfumes as it’s a favorite note for sure.
I’m jealous you can get it to last all day! Maybe when the weather cools I’ll find it lasts better for me. . . [or maybe when I find a better deodorant I’ll notice it better! Ha! (sorry, gross, but funny!)]
Will brave the humidity to head over to TPS to try Fate. They sell Travalo decants and I just might treat myself. I have two scents I know I want in FB, yet I spend their price and more in decants. The journey is apparently the destination. I don’t see to like many of the newer scents that excite me and I blame myself. I go back to Parure, 1000, Bandit, Deneuve, BdI. How can my nose and brain be in such cranky cahoots? The Amouage line seems to tempt me the most; probably because it is closer to the classics. Oh well, I just have to accept my limitations.
Don’t blame yourself for not liking the newer scents! You list some amazingly beautiful and well-made classics there. Between IFRA regulations and the rate at which companies churn out the new releases, few if any of them will stand up to your list.
Gah, you’ve just described my feelings at the end of my last several sniffing excursions. Even contemporary niche stuff from some good lines is starting to feel very same-y, in comparison with the older classics.
JuiceJones, your favorite perfumes are reminding me of what Oscar Wilde said, “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” 😉
Perfectly said!
I’m assuming he did not say it in his ‘De Profundis’ days…
🙂 Good one, Merlin!
SOTD is Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay, which I bought as my birthday gift to myself yesterday! The Jo Malone counter still didn’t have the new Cologne Intense, Saffron- has anyone outside of the US had a chance to try it?
Hello Ari! Happy birthday once again and congrats on Blackberry & Bay. I remember you really liked that one.
Happy birthday! I’ve got Blackberry & Bay on as well–the perfume layered on the body cream which was likewise a self-selected birthday gift! Excellent choice 🙂
(Incidentally I find the body cream smells juicier longer than the perfume, which, depending on the day, can sometimes turn to the woodsier, drier stage nearly immediately on my skin–would be curious to know if this is also how they wear on others!)
It came and went in a flash in the Vancouver Holts. Got to have a sniff from the remaining tester and was relieved to find that it was okay but not irresistible.
Happy Birthday, Ari!
I also like Blackberry & Bay (and have a bottle to prove it 🙂 ).
While in Vienna in June tried JM’s Saffron on paper (they said they didn’t have samples) and I thought it was nice but I wasn’t swept away by it to try right there and then on my skin.
Adding to the birthday wishes!
I tested it once, and it was nice but not as nice as Oud and Bergamot which is probably my favourite from the range and which I haven’t actually bought. Does anyone know if the Cologne Intense range is priced better in the UK?
Happy belated birthday!
I’ve recently fallen in love with the scent by Jo Malone Blue Agava and Cacao but I feel guilty for really liking a gourmand/sweet scented fragrance. Why is that? Is it because I associate sweet fragrances with my teen years and I’m long out of that season of my life? That I should, as a woman in her 40s, accomplished-NYC-chic one that I am, like sophisticated and complex compositions? Chocolate. Blah. And yet I can’t wait to spray on more! I want to buy a real bottle of this, move beyond my samples, and really commit, and yet….
I am a woman in her 40s, and I like that one, too. It’s not that sweet when compared to many other perfumes. I understand being ashamed to admit that you like a sweetish gourmand. I don’t think you need to apologize for what you like, even if it’s some lollipop fragrance, but BA&C is more sophisticated and quirky than most sweet frags, IMHO.
To continue my heresy, I don’t want to wear a perfume that smells like someone else’s sweat or feces. I make those things myself, thank you. I’m not squeamish, mind you — I like the smell of skunk because I love skunks; they are cool animals and it’s neat that they can waddle through life so oblivious because they have this nose-piercing self-defense. I love snakes, and I’ll risk picking one up even though I know that some of them could smear me with most vile-smelling scent of rotting fish mixed with feces. I haven’t been smeared yet, but I have been stuck in a car in the summer with someone who has — torture!
I should add that, when you are “in the field,” you can’t wash your hands, and Purell just won’t cut through some smells!
It seems like just about every year a boy brings me a garter snake “as a present” into class–while I love to encourage my students’ enthusiasm, I live in fear of that spray!
When I was a kid, I was walking home, and I found a garter snake on someone’s lawn. Because I was very honest, and I didn’t want to take something so precious without permission, I marched up to the door and knocked. When the person opened the door, I thrust the snake forward and said “I found this snake on your lawn. Can I have it?” They leaned way back, and after they got over their shock, they gave me a paper bag to put it in.
Hahaha! That’s hilarious you asked permission! I kinda like the idea that the snakes (and other wildlife) that goes through our yards is somehow “ours.” I guess your neighbor should be grateful it wasn’t some enormous spider!
As an adult, I of course, do not take wild animals home with me. But if a snake is in the road, my husband and I do feel obligated to move it to safety … we’re also obligated to take its picture as it slithers to safety 🙂 The creatures around our house treat the property as theirs — male birds singing and claiming our yard as territory, birds teaching their young to hop and fly in the brush pile, bees gathering food from the flowers, jumping spiders using our old truck to drum on …
I have such mixed feelings about kids wanting to bring stuff in. Mostly, I agree with you that wildlife should be left alone, but kids are so hands-on in their learning, and I teach at a school where the population has almost no interaction with the natural world–impoverished city kids, many of whom live in apartments and such. I really don’t want to discourage their enthusiasm, but I hope I can also teach them how to be respectful at the same time!
It sounds like you’ve reached a healthy balance — encouraging enthusiasm and curiosity while teaching respect.
I don’t know the Jo Malone (but I’m intrigued!) but I have fallen hard for Prada Candy and I know what you are going through. I have been making do with samples of Candy because I was not sure I trusted my liking for the stuff, but I’m going to have to upsize soon. I reach for it pretty often.
I’m a chypre lover and a wearer of Chanel No 19 from the age of about 21 (and it’s been a long time since I was 21!). I tend to like to set myself intellectual challenges, and that’s what chypres often are. Without thinking too much about it, I avoided gourmands simply because they seemed too easy to like.
So I was pretty stunned to find myself loving Candy. I’ve even started wearing (in moderation) that particular shade of shocking pink that goes goes with it, a colour I used to despise. Denyse in her review on Grain de Musc links Candy specifically to Schiaparelli’s Shocking, not in terms of notes, but in terms of the way Prada’s intent seems to be to shake up the cool, elegant image established by the other fragrances with something ‘shocking’.
Lol! That’s quite funny about the shocking pink color making its way into your wardrobe. I’d love to know what you think of this scent. I’ve read all kinds of reviews on it and its very much a hit as far as her fragrances go, and no need to layer, which is her thing. It lasts quite long on me as well, but mainly it’s the cacao note I smell end of day.
I think I’m ready for another spray of my one remaining sample, although I think I’ll be quarantined to the bedroom by my husband while he crashes on the couch tonight as he has reached his limit!
Right, I’ll add it to the ‘try’ list. (Sigh.) I’m glad to hear it lasts well. And I’ve never been interested in the JM layering idea. Might work, but I’ve always read it as a JM thing to make more money out of us!
I’m not a fan of sweetish gourmands, although I got a mini of Candy at a scent event (or maybe a GWP bag) and was impressed. It’sname described it perfectly and it struck me as a sophisticated well made scent, exactly what I would like to give a young girl, even though I would not wear it myself.
But more generally, perhaps finding that one likes something within genre’s usually unappealing is a sign of true sophistication. After all, we all went through our teen years defining ourselves in part as much as what we were “above” as much as what we liked. (“Disco Sucks”; “Death to Corporate Rock”; etc.” Hiphop is a white bread rap”: ; ” Facebook is Sooo 2005,” … or whatever was/is the mantra for cool in your generation”)
When one no longer has to be “cool,” it’s possible to be open to everything. Who knows? Maybe some day, I’ll actually find a a patchouli based fragrance I like.
Sometimes a simple/naive styled accessory helps complete a look which is sophisticated overall. At least, thats what I think!
I like that thinking. Good point. I’m getting closer to full bottle purchase 😉
SOTD Eau des Merveilles, perfect for day-wear in the Andalusian summer. I want to try something by Atelier – what are your favourites? I’ve read great things about Orange Sanguine and Grand Néroli but would love some advice.
Those were my favorites of the initial releases, but admit I bought small bottles and discovered I didn’t like them as well as similar things I already owned. I do like the Mistral Patchouli too.
I like all perfumes from Atelier Cologne’s original line and many of the later additions. If you have access to the line, try everything. If you don’t, try swapping for samples: as much as I like the line, I’m affraid you won’t like the perfumes if you pay for samples (you need to know what to expect from the line – otherwise you’ll expect more and will be disappointed). But it’s just my opinion 🙂
I’ve tried quite a few of them and found the longevity disappointing, despite Atelier’s promises to the contrary. (The exception is Vanille Insensee, which lasts all day.) But what you get with Atelier are fragrances that are beautifully crafted and very legible – orange is orange and patchouli is patchouli etc. But they are perhaps not brimming with character unless you take that bell-like clarity as ‘character’. To be honest I suspect the Ateliers are made for people who value a high quality product but don’t expect their perfume to demand their attention as a great work of art!
Apart from Vanille, I also like Mistral Patchouli and Vetiver Fatal.
I really like Grand Neroli and Trefle Pur, but the longevity on skin isn’t great, so I haven’t been willing to shell out the money for them. Like Annemarie said, Vanille Insensee has good lasting power. Rose Anonyme is one of my favorites of the line, and I think the lasting power is pretty good on that one as well.
Yes, the Rose lasts quite well too. I think in the world of Atelier you are expected to buy one of their huge 200ml bottles, and use the 30mls as as a ‘portable’ version if you really MUST re-apply during the day!
Yeah, that’s the thing I don’t like about Atelier. They had the 30ml bottles but the lady at Neiman Marcus told me that they’re phasing those out as a separate purchase and only offering those as a free gift with the 200ml bottle. But she did say that you can get a different scent for the small bottle than you get for the big one. But I just don’t need 100ml of anything, let alone 200.
I *just* received my samples from Atelier yesterday! You can get the full line (minus the 2 very newest just announced) for only $15, free shipping in the US. Seems worth exploring them all!
Thanks, Marjorie and all of you for the suggestions. I’ve ordered a set of samples. I think I’d like Sous le Toit and Mistral Patchouli but will try the whole line before buying – a small bottle, of course, 200 ml is too much of just about anything.
I think Robin and I have exact opposite tastes in Atelier colognes – my favorite is Sous les Toits de Paris, the coolest grassy violet, and this spring in my “amber” phase, Ambre Nue (which I hated when I first sampled it.) I also quite like Rose Anonyme but I couldn’t tell you why.
SOTD is Nuit de Tubereuse, and I’d forgotten how fun and weirdly it blooms in the heat. It has made errands in soupy weather more fun. Sultry! Be well.
Hemlock, NdT is my very favorite summer perfume. I don’t even wear it in the winter because without that gigantic bloom it smells like half a perfume to me. Sometimes I forget I’m wearing it, driving around in an air conditioned car. I open the car door and step out into a hot humid parking lot somewhere and Whoosh!–there it is, even the tuberose. The experience never fails to delight me.
I finally caved and bought a bottle of Amouage Gold which arrived just a couple of days ago. I might not normally think of a rich floral in the heat (mid-90’s here on the Gulf Coast), but since I just got it, of course I *have* to wear it! I had gotten some birthday money which I had not yet decided how to use, and the bottle was almost exactly the same amount, so really it was a gift, right?
In any case, I am very glad I bought it when I did, because our 19-year-old central AC unit has finally had it, and we are awaiting the installation of our $$$$$ new system on Tuesday. Even though I always maintain that “extra” money–money received as a gift, won in a drawing, from a lottery ticket, an unexpected rebate or dividend, etc.–should be considered completely outside of the regular budget and spent however one wishes, I would have had a hard time spending the money on a bottle of Amouage if I had known that I was going to have to get a new AC.
OUCH! Sorry to hear about your AC, but essential where you live! Congrats on the Amouage Gold. And happy belated birthday!
Sorry to hear about your AC, but I’m glad you have a bottle of Amouage to comfort yourself with! Awfully brave to wear it mid-summer, though! 🙂
Congratulations on the Gold, and happy birthday! (And sorry about the AC — my folks live in Houston, and even *with* a working AC system, I just about die when I visit them in the summer months.)
Gold makes it a memorable birthday, 50 Roses!
Happy Birthday!
I’m sorry for troubles. However, remind yourself that if you found a good hospice, then it is time to allow those with professional skills in providing comfort to make their contribution.
Really need a perfume for strength today, and for me that would be Fireside Intense, but I’ll be wearing Amoureuse instead, because that’s what my mom likes to smell. We had to check her into hospice yesterday. I’m her primary caregiver, and it’s so hard to hold myself together in her presence, so I tend to really fall apart when I’m away. Thank god I also have two sisters to rely on! I feel sorry for my son, an only child, who will one day have to go through this kind of thing alone.
I am sorry to hear you are going through one of the toughest times in life. I am glad you have enlisted hospice. They can and will help both of you. A fragrance you can share and associate with you Mom is a great tribute. Good luck to you both.
I’m keeping you, your Mom and your family in my thoughts, Jirish.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. So sorry you are going through this.
Hospice is an incredible blessing, but this is such a hard time. I’m sorry you have to go through it, but having other family members nearby certainly helps. Praying for comfort and peace.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Please remember to take good care of yourself, too.
So sorry. I think about that with my only child too.
Thinking of and praying for you and your mom. Courage mon brave!
I am thinking of you and your family during this difficult time.
Getting ready for another round of medical tests & looking for suggestions for a light, comforting scent that won’t leave lingering traces behind in the MRI chamber. Already thinking about 4711, but open to new views. What scent comforts you when you have a difficult doctor visit?
Vanilla? Lavender? But like Juicejones said below, it should be something familiar to you. Sending good thoughts for a positive outcome.
Thanks, Rappleyea. Vanilla might be a good choice, neutral but also comforting…. maybe styrax & lemon, too. Shalimar?
You can never go wrong with a classic Guerlain!
When in doubt, Guerlain’s got your back!
I’ve had more than my fair share of MRIs and CAT scans, and the hardest part for me was tolerating the contrast medium that they inject to help “light up” the area they’re checking. I would want something that would settle my stomach, therefore–maybe something with a touch of peppermint or ginger? But I add my vote for familiar and comforting–whatever will make it easier for you. Good luck!
MR, I agree about the contrast medium– that metallic taste that spreads through your mouth, very alien and unsettling! I keep a tin of ginger Altoids in the car for afterward. It does the double duty of settling my stomach and banishing that awful tinfoil taste. 😛
Those ginger Altoids are great, huh? Years back, when I was still on all sorts of unpleasant drugs, there were days when ginger was the *ONLY* thing I could tolerate. I swear I lived off of ginger cookies for like a year!
Peek Frean Ginger Crisps!
Oooh! Those look like the real deal! I hope you keep a box handy throughout all this! After all, you need to keep up your strength! 😉
I recently discovered a Vera Wang Spa scent at Kohl’s – Lavender and Freesia. It’s light, clean, pleasant, and I’d wear it in an MRI! Tocca Colette is a vanilla/incense/sandalwood that is also quite pleasant and soothing. Or just wear what you love, and let everyone else deal!
I like that last idea, assuming that the facility doesn’t have a policy of requesting that patients avoid perfume (some hospitals and medical offices around here are like that). If it were me, I’d be wafting L’Heure Bleue out of the MRI tube.
Emily, thanks for pointing this out– I checked with the imaging center, and their policies mostly run to making sure you have no metal in/on you (including metal-based tattoo ink). Fragrance is tolerated, but I definitely want to be mindful of others whose appointments follow mine.
All my other MRIs were in cool weather, when I could spray a bit of Balkis on my scarf and leave it in the waiting room coat hook, bringing just a tiny comforting trace of it into the chamber with me. But summer = no scarf! 😛
Ooh, there’s a Kohl’s ten minutes from my house! I need to get some new MRI-ready togs anyway (no metal snaps, grommets, or zippers)…. Thanks!
I’m so happy to see you on here, Meg! I don’t have any recommendations, but I will be wearing some Poivre Piquant and sending you good vibes for the tests.
My dearest birthday lady! Do you know I think of you EVERY time I wear Poivre Piquant? (HM! Maybe that’s what I should wear– it could be my talisman….) Much love and bon anniversaire!
I agree with Marjorie Rose about the contrast – so nauseating, do NOT drink it too quickly just to get it over with – but my question would be, have you had one before? I thought I would find it claustrophobic, but in fact it was just boring and noisy, and oddly hot. Something cool and soothing – I would choose something with a tea base – would be in order, I would think, something with which your positive associations would overrule any negative associations picked up in the MRI. Something you wear to bed?
I think this is my 5th brain MRI. They usually inject the contrast in my arm, and within seconds, I can taste it clearly. But SO much better than actually drinking it (which I had to do during last year’s AppendixFest– blurrrrgh!) I like your tea suggestion– I have a cooling geen tea fragrance I don’t seem to wear often– maybe it could use just for this purpose.
I had the intravenous and the drinking kind at the same time, and made myself so sick. BUT, got it all over with in one day. Sorry you keep having to do it more!
I like your/our tea plan. The scent of tea is soothing. Yes.
The green tea fragrance is what I ended up choosing at the last moment. I’m glad I did– it was very sheer and unobtrusive, but seemed to help me relax in the chamber. Many thanks for the good wishes. 🙂
Wish I could send you some Montale Steam Aoud. It is so calming and seems to open my lungs. My coworkers tell me it calms them down when I wear it. Perhaps an essential oil or balm on your temples? Keep in mind the chamber is close to your head and the magnets make a pounding sound. Not to frighten you, you will be fine, but something clean, calm and familiar should help. Good luck!
Thank you! So true about the noise– it’s something I can’t imagine ever getting used to. I get through it by pretending that the bam-bam-bam of the magnets is piped-in techno music. 😉 …. thinking about what essential oil might be nicest. I have a nice basil oil that is very light and smells like minty Christmas candy….
Frankincense and ylang ylang e.o. both lower respiration rate (hence the traditional use of frankincense in meditation and religious ceremonies). Clary sage is calming to the point of almost putting you to sleep! Chamomile and lavender are also very relaxing.
I actually have every single E.O. you name here except for clary sage– and I believe I might have some grapeseed oil to use as a carrier. Maybe I could blend something myself! Meg’s MRI Mixture!
Feel free to email me – rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com if you’d like recipes. I’ve practiced aromatherapy for 20 plus years.
And on that theme, perhaps focusing on your breathing, or some similar meditative exercise may make it a little less unpleasant?
YES! Very important! That community-center course in yoga breathing I took once upon a time comes in handy for this very purpose. It keeps the mind from wandering.
SOTD is Shalimar Light. I found a bottle last weekend at a terrific local perfume shop that has a lot of older stock. I already had Eau de Shalimar but wasn’t all that fond of it, but had heard that Shalimar Light was better — and after rigorous side-by-side tests, I’m inclined to agree. The lemon note in Shalimar Light seems much less synthetic to my nose, and the drydown is creamier or smoother or something. (I also know that there are multiple versions of Shalimar Light, and am not really sure where mine falls on the timeline, but have resolved not to drive myself crazy trying to determine if there’s an even better version out there somewhere.)
Am thinking about ‘fessing up to my coworkers about the amount of perfume that I own — in preparation for a meeting next week, we’re supposed to all submit a fact about ourselves that nobody is likely to know (ack; I hate these types of things). Assuming that nobody I work with is lurking on NST, I’m pretty sure that “I have over 100 bottles of perfume” will come as a surprise. Only downside is that I’d need to count to determine the exact number, and I’m not sure I really want to know.
Congrats on finding SL — great scent.
I think “around 100” should be sufficiently specific!
I agree. That also leaves some wiggle room for denial later. 😉
Haha, good point!
Wearing Coco EDP, which I didn’t think would do well in the summer, but it does:D. Nice:D.
LOVE COCO! Been obsessively wearing it the past few weeks!
Coco is surprisingly versatile.
I’m late to the party. Thanks to a new love interest, new hobbies, new friends, and new mindset, I’ve hardly had time to test anything in months.
I also have had a blocked nose for a month. GAH!
Anyway, I’m doing a road trip in the USA next month and want to post some vlog posts interviewing indie perfumers. But I cant for the life of me remember anyone’s brands apart from Olympic Orchids and SSS – any recommendations (and questions you might want answered)?
Aftelier and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.
Maybe the fellas at Slumberhouse here in Portland?
Liz Zorn of Soivohle? Her new Studio Z (featuring both perfume and visual art!) is in Middletown, Ohio. Happy trails 🙂
John Pegg of Kerosene !
Ineka?
The titan arum at the U.S. Botanic Garden bloomed, but it was only open for one day, and the lines were very long – about an hour’s wait. I didn’t have the time that day, so I missed it. The USBG now has 14 titan arums, so I’m hoping another will bloom in the next year or two.
DC summers are usually very hot and humid, and it’s challenging to find perfume that works. I discovered last week that Prada Infusion d’Iris is perfect for a day with a heat advisory. IdI is strangely uniform and unchanging, and this smooth effect seems very chill on a hot day.
I was ambivalent about Infusion d’Iris previously, but, clearly, it was just a question of finding the right weather for it.
nozknoz, which Prada I’dI did you wear – Absolue (my favorite), EDP or EDT?
Hajusuuri, I have the EdP. I haven’t tried the Absolue or EdT yet. Perhaps I’ll branch out now that I’ve decided that I actually do like the EdP in the right weather. I wasn’t sure about it before.
I love the edp but once wore it in winter and it was so chilly it made me really miserable. I assume the absolue is better suited to cool weather.
I’m sorry that you missed the bloom. I guess the one positive thing is that there are so many people who are interested in it.
I was really surprised that so many people were eager to sniff what the Washington Post described as the smell of a dead elephant!
At least I now know exactly where the USBG conservatory is and how to get there. It’s supposed to be a wonderful spot in the winter, and they have an annual orchid display.
SoTD was Mint (Series 1:Leaves) by CdG. The discontinued one, by Duchaufour. I’m almost out of it, there’s only a tiny bit left. It is a wonderful summer fragrance – a realistic crisp torn mint leaf smell, not biting but very green, almost airy, and quite tenacious if over applied without smelling synthetic. I bought it at COW Parfumerie in Stockholm, Sweden many summers ago visiting friends there for the 1st time. I still remember the excited rush I felt when I walked into that tiny perfume store and saw the 2 discontinued scents from the CdG Leaves series sitting there for sale (the other one is Shiso, which I also bought but later sold….it wasn’t as satisfying as Mint). I must admit I haven’t smelled a mint as satisfying yet – and I’ve tried a LOT of mint scents). It is my favorite mint and it will always put a spring in my step.
Oh, that’s one of the few Duchaufours that I haven’t tried. Darn. What a thrill to have found it!
*arrives very late indeed* Hello, anyone still here? *proffers a yogurt dip*
This week was a winner because I finally made it over to Vancouver – my first visit there as a budding perfumista! – and made pilgrimage to several holy sites. Highlights included a consultation with Naz of TPS (yum) and meeting the S.A. of my dreams at Holt Renfrew <333
Returned home with 3 full bottles (!) and an empty wallet. What can I say… seemed like a fair trade to me. Now where did I put those crusts of bread and that hairshirt… 😀
I’m here. Well, actually I am at work, delaying grueling spreadsheet review. Actually forgot a scent today/
What were those three bottles?
Chanel Coromandel, Montale Blue Amber, and Serge Lutens Chergui.
*dances a happy dance*
Seconding the request for details. Isn’t it fascinating to talk to Nazrin? I keep bringing friends in to see her figure out a perfume for them. All these friends are content with the one perfume, so good thing they well-chosen ones. Wonder whether your Holts SA was Sinead, who’s nice and pretty knowledgeable.
Talking with Nazrin was wonderful – so relaxing and interesting! Apparently I am made for ambers <3 I bought Montale Blue Amber and Serge Lutens Chergui from her, and Chanel Coromandel over at HR.
The S.A. was Jess, who was very approachable and helpful – plus she kindly offered samples of Byredo Chembur and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille after I confessed that I'd already spent all I could. She was a real sweetheart but alas, leaving HR at the end of the week 🙁
I think you left them under the bridge, where you were sleeping, lol!
(replying to Snorfer)
😀
Yes, it’s belt-tightening time for, ooh, the next month or two at least.
Isn’t it a good thing that perfumes don’t add calories? The belt should fit quite nicely actually.
Yes, and once you have Chergui, all things are possible.
Hello all!
Inauspicious start to the day: cleaning kitchen and broke my favorite martini glass. Sigh.
SOTD Atelier Grand Neroli. Working in midtown NY this week – which perfume shrine is closest to the UN?
You can easily take a cross town bus (going west on 42nd street), get off at 7th Avenue and transfer to the downtown 1 train to Christopher Street to check out Aedes (9 Christopher, near 6th avenue). I’d venture to say a one way trip would take you 30 – 40 minutes but well worth it to visit the best niche store in Manhattan.
I can barely manage trains and buses in Boston, but will try it – just on their website and it looks like a necessary trip. Thanks, Sayitisntso!
Or take a taxi! Certainly less adventurous and more expensive but you won’t have to deal with the transferring!
The store is at the very end of Christopher Street. It is a small place. As I recall it has a stuffed peacock in its window.
Saks (5th Avenue between 49th and 50th Street) also has a great cosmetics floor. This is within walking distance of the UN area. By Kilian, Bond No. 9, Annick Goutal, Penhaligon’s, Diptyque, Acqua di Parma, Jo Malone, Tom Ford, and Miller Harris are just a few of the fragrance lines you’ll find there. The sales associates tend to be a little umm…aggressive but if you can fend them off, you’ll have a great time.
Love Saks! Walk to Saks + taxi to Aedes sounds like the plan.
Aggressive is putting it mildly at Saks in NYC.
Bergdorf on 57th & 5th, and Barney’s around the corner at 61st & Madison are good spots too, AND, had a nice experience at Henri Bendel’s on 5th between 55th & 56th.
Happy shopping!
I’m sorry to hear about the martini glass 🙁 I hope your day improves!
It’s great that you’ll have a chance to do some perfume-hunting when in midtown. The Saks solution sounds perfect… within walking distance and lots of perfume houses to choose from.
Being an only child is very difficult when a parent is hospitalized as there is no one to lean on or to take a shift. The best statement of help I got was, “This will not last forever; the stress will come to an end.” Realizing that we are all finite beings and that I would be delivered from the anguish really helped me cope. I was completely alone dealing with a dying parent but I survived. If there’s a silver lining to being an only child, it’s that one doesn’t have to fight with siblings in childhood nor for an inheritance.
Recently I bought an Evening in Paris nearly full cologne with ancient box for $20 as a reminder of my dear mom’s fragrance. My dad was always fragranced. He loved the spicy scents like Heritage and Voile D’Ete.
I also must add that I just got a gift of L’Heure de Nuit pour with spray. I’ve tried to wear the original L”Heure Bleue but can’t. This new one, however, I can!
@Celestia – *hugsss* I’m an only child, and I was in exactty the situation you’re in now, with both parents, one after the other. It *is* terribly hard, but as you say – it will come to an end. (In my case I clung to sanity by remembering how much my parents had cared for me as a child; it really helped give me strength to know I was there for them when their time came.)
You’re so right about not having to fight with siblings… that really is a silver lining, especially when you hear horror stories about families that turned against one another. If you need emotional support, though, that may not be enough. You might consider approaching your local hospice to see if you can get some help – after my Dad died the prospect of going through his possessions alone was almost too much, so I asked for (and was sent) a kind volunteer who kept me company and even willingly helped out with some tasks. A “sister” appeared at the time I most needed it, and I’ll always be grateful for her..
It’s lovely that you found a box of Evening in Paris to remember your mother by. One of perfume’s greatest gifts is that it can so strongly recall the presence of a departed loved one. It sounds like both your parents adored fragrance, how wonderful that you inherited that from them too.
Your kind thoughts elicited a tear. I live in Vancouver too so we are perfume sisters! Let us find companionship in this wonderful common interest.
I’m not even late to the party. This party is probably over. I’m hoping I can get back on track with the weekend thing next week. My weekends have just been crazy busy lately. Lots of driving, errands, and not much fun though. Although last weekend in Maine was fun. I did get some fragrant souvenirs at H & M Crumpets in Ogunquit. I bought a jasmine perfume oil, a patchouli perfume oil and a linden EDP whose brand name escapes me at the moment and I am quite honestly too lazy to go upstairs and check the label.
I just looked at H & M Crumpets’ web site. I’ve got a serious soap habit, and that place looks dangerous! 🙂
A soap lovers dream. We got soap too. I think hubby bought about 4 bars.
The really dangerous part of the store itself is that it’s connected by a doorway to a chocolate shop. We left with many bags.
I love Ades de Venusta – it is a jewel box of a store and is simply a wonderful experience! Right around the corner is a wonderful Italian trattoria; I can’t remember the name but it was the guys at Ades that recommended it to me. It is definitely worth going to after your perfume shopping experience, anngd! In Nolita (close to Ades) there is Lafco (285 Lafayette St), which carries the Santa Maria Novella line, Claus Porto, and other wonderful lines. It’s a beautiful store:) I haven’t been, but I have heard wonderful things about Osswald Pharmacy as well.
Awww, the zesty smell of lemons! I love lemons on everything. I use them in my water to give it that extra zip, use it on my food for that extra flavor, and now even for my body wash and fragrance mist to help put that extra pep in my step during this smoldering season. I live in Texas and the temperature today was above 100 degrees.
Has anyone tried Victoria’s Secret “Sparling Citrus” – Lemon Escape? It is such a refreshing scent. Thoughts from others?
Just moved into a new house and what’s the 1st thing my sister does? She spills her bottle of ANGEL!!! Are we gonna smell it for wks?!! Lol! Thank goodness I adore it now. Let’s hope the rest of the family does too. Haha! : )
May your place be henceforth infused with angelic rapture!