The usual routine: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfumes you're looking forward to wearing this fall, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Berkeley Botanical Garden [cropped] by Ingrid Taylar at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi I have a question from London! I am trying to organise a live perfume swap meet and I would really appreciate some advice. Has anyone had experience of this kind of thing? Are they things I should do or avoid at all costs? I have this feeling that they don’t happen here because it could all go horribly wrong – Thankyou in advance for any help
I’ve never done a live swap meet, but I’ve met folks from NST and other communities in person before for sniffing and conversation. No bad experiences–naturally, personalities differ in person a bit from how we communicate in writing online, but nothing truly awkward or unpleasant!
If it were me, I think I would feel a bit uncomfortable “haggling” in person compared email or whatever, but I’m sure there are less sheepish folks who wouldn’t feel that way.
I am asking folk to let me know what they are bringing and give me a Wish List so it’s not a complete ‘blind date’ but I agree can imagine some being more ‘pushy’ than others. British people are normally not hagglers but who knows they are all passionate about perfume and if there’s any vintage Mitsouko all bets may be off! I am trying to impress upon them not to risk any ‘swappers remorse’ – I don’t want anyone hating me forever cos they lost their precious one…
Oh, the Wish List is a good idea! I also like the notion that folks could sniff things while deciding if they wanted a swap–often I am not sure if I’m interested in a swap because it’s a well-respected scent that I haven’t sniffed before. Could be really nice to be able to chat and explore along the way!
I thought I’d have a couple of copies of The Guide lying around in case people wanted an opinion – though that might backfire on some…. I felt bad for a moment when I first read Tania Sanchez on Prada saying it was like a banana left in a handbag, largely because I knew she was right, but I still love it.
Hi Bejoux,
I’ve never been part of a live perfume swap, but I know that with clothes swap parties, they’re often organized by allocating a ‘value’ to each item beforehand, with designer labels obviously worth more than Topshop etc. That way, the swap is made value for value so the person swapping covetable items isn’t left with crumbs so to speak.. Maybe if there were enough people participating it could work like that? It would be hard if only a few people as personal preference would be more important then.. Not so much competition! 🙂
Good luck though!
Just to clarify, it wouldn’t then be a one-on-one swap, each person would get a ‘voucher’ for their contribution and all items on the table. Then one could only take to the value they put in.
I think with regular dept store frags many would be about the same, and many decants and samples would be the same so it’d be easy to swap. Its just when someone no longer wants their vintage Guerlain parfum that it becomes messy 😉
Thank you Perthgirl! The voucher is a great idea – I had been wondering what to do with the random element where people just didn’t get to swap directly. It will be interesting to try and value people’s stuff – I might have to get a committee together to spread the blame.
I had a great time during my Hungarian vacation. Budapest and other places we visited were wonderful. Came back to Poland this Tuesday.
To make my blog running after a break I decided to have a themed week. There is a poll for everyone to vote and chose a perfume note for that week. Amber is the winner so far!
Seems like amber will be a definite winner so I’m wearing Jovoy Ambre Premier.
Darn, I voted for lavender. I need more stress relieving fragrances lately.
Glad you had a nice vacation. Are you still relaxed and refreshed?
Since you and Undina voted for lavender I will chose one lavender perfume and review it soon after the amber week, alright? If you have any suggestion – feel free to share it with me 🙂
Yes, I think I’m still on my vacation mood.
Oh, you’re so sweet. I don’t have any suggestions though. I’m hoping you’ll find something I haven’t tried or heard of.
I’ll check out the lavenders in my inventory.
I own Gris Clair, and if you haven’t reviewed it, it’s a fascinating and complex lavender scent, Lucas. It is not the typical cologne-like fougere, much heavier and more changeable (as SL scents tend to be!).
Hi Marjorie, I reviewed SL Gris Clair quite a long time ago 😉
Love amber – it got my vote – so glad it’s practically autumn and I can wear more. Ambra de Nepal from Profumi di Firenze is lovely .
I don’t know that one! Love Limone di Sicilia from this brand
Testing Xerjoff Lua –first test was okay….fruity, a bit sharp. Today is the second test and I’ve realized what it reminds me of. A few years ago I had a bottle of bathroom cleaner that was called something like “Fresh Meadow Flowers” or some bull like that —it was kinda nice for a bathroom cleaner although by the time the bathroom was all clean I’d be getting plenty sick of it. In a mongo-spendy perfume? I’m not so impressed….in fact I might wash it off as (same as the bathroom cleaner) I’m getting pretty sick of it. blechh
I suppose I should be grateful that very few of the Xerjoff line have appealed to me. They are, after all, ridiculously spendy.
That’s a little how I personally feel about Amouage! Though I have to say, except maybe for Ciel none of them give a household cleaner effect:)
But the other day I tried Chanel 22 – and that does have a slight vibe…
Oh, I wish I felt that way about Amouage! I haven’t even dared try some of the other expensive lines–but if Daisy and others could continue to not be very excited, I will be reassured! 🙂
ahhhhh Ahhhhmouage……. I wish I didn’t love them….but I do….I’m an amouage ho and that’s the truth.
My latest flirtation is Lyric, which I very much enjoy for the approximately 2 hours I can sniff it on skin. Any chance you can reassure me that the longevity doesn’t improve in cooler weather? It’s the issue that keeps it from being on the to-buy list!
I have a bottle of Lyric and I do find that it’s not the most long lasting of the Amouages. That said, it’s a scent that I tend to wear it the evenings so, because of that, the shorter longevity is not such an issue. I was lucky and received mine as a gift so I didn’t have to justify the purchase, but it’s a gorgeous scent that I’m very happy to own. In fact, this post got me craving it so I’m going to spritz some on tonight.
Abyss, getting it as a gift would really make it an easier decision! I’ve also considered just buying OJ Ta’if, which I find similarly satisfying, and while not cheap, still more affordable than a THIRD Amouage in my collection!
I’d say only buy Ta’if if you really want Ta’if. It might be cheaper but it’s not cheap and you definitely don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’ll own Ta’if and still wish for a bottle of Lyric. I found my other two Amouage bottles on ebay at really great prices so, if you can be patient, it might be worth setting up a search and seeing what pops up. A small decant to see how much wear you’ll really get out of is another option, of course.
Oh, I can easily imagine buying Ta’if and still wanting Lyric! Hard to shake a notion once I get it!
My problem with decants is that they aren’t a good deal mL/$, so I feel like I “might as well” buy the whole bottle!
Marjorie — you don’t want a decant,….you want a “split” which is provided at the same cost per ml as a bottle ( for example: if a 100ml bottle cost $250, then a 10ml split would cost $25 + the cost of an atomizer and postage….which is normally $4-5.00 in the USA) .
Ciel is a headache in a bottle…..no doubt about it.
wait a second…..Chanel no22 has a vibe? what kind of vibe?
‘splain yerself, Lucy!
Well I found it a little air-freshener-ish, while liking it at the same time! Don’t stone me! lol.
One day I got an Amouage sampler set and I was doomed. Love like four of them. Ouch!
Oooh. Which 4?
I actually got my Amouage sampler yesterday. I sniffed Amouage before but had only one sample, so I wanted to have them at home to get to know them properly and be “literate” since the house is so highly appreciated. I was sad to re-discover that none of them is “my style” … I am afraid that I will not even be able to give some appropriate wearing to the set. Disappointing.
Gold Woman, Jubilation 25, Lyric and Epic. I need all four of them, but I’ll have to be happy with decants for a while. I own a FB of Dia Man. It feels so elegant and warm, and has the most amazing iris and labdanum notes that I can totally figure out. Now I’ll have to get the masculine sampler set, and I’m pretty sure this will lead to more lemmings!
epic woman is a favorite of mine, too! one of amouage’s underrated fragrances, in my opinion.
Morgana, I got a sampler set for the same reason about three years ago. The last time I tried some from it I like them better than before, (Epic is my favourite) but its also somehow not my style.
Merlin, I am glad not to be alone (in fact, I admitted it on NST only because of your original post on the subject), and I’ll take your advice and keep the set for possible future discoveries. Is it not surprising at all that Epic is by far my favorite in the set too?
Yes, there is this feeling of ‘if I don’t like Amouage I must have a soccer ball instead of a nose on my face’!
I think when so many people do love something its quite hard to dissent but I agree with you that it doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of Amouage, but rather one of personal style. I cant really explain it but there seems to be some deeply conservative quality to it which goes against my grain.
The reason i like Epic the most is just that I have a general weakness for cinnamon, lol!
Merlin, I think you may be precisely right about the “conservative quality” of Amouage, and I can completely see how they might not suit someone’s tastes. When I first sniffed them a few years ago, the only one I liked was Memoir Woman. They have this very refined feel to them, and I didn’t feel classy enough for them! Slowly, though, they’ve been winning me over. And I’m not getting any classier or refined! 🙂
MRose, perhaps you are becoming more conservative, lol! 🙂
‘Deeply conservative’ is as close to defining the quality as I am able to get!
I don’t think that necessarily means that they feel too classy or refined though. For instance I very much like 31 Rue Cambon, but I feel like I would need to be much more distinguished than I now am in order to wear it. Still, I would aspire to be such a person! Goutal’s Heure Exquise I adore, but I feel like I need to wear pearls when I wear it. Though I have pearls I haven’t worn them since I drained my H.E. sample some months back!
So by ‘deeply conservative’ (when referring to Amouage) I mean something a bit different but would have to smell it more and think a lot more to be able to articulate it!
Ditto. The iris one is really nice, but luckily not the absolute nicest iris ever. The rest I can live without.
Xerjoff Irisss is nothing but carrots to me — so I’m safe there….but I like XXY and Ibitira….in fact ; I love Ibitira…… Robin, I bet you’d like it as well. *snicker*
Anyhow….now that I’ve let that seed loose in Robin’s head……
Most of the Xerjoff line are far too heavy in patchouli and oud for me.
Unless I suddenly grow a prodigious amount of nostril hair and need something to burn it off……
No worries at all…there are so many seeds in my head, none of them ever get the chance to germinate, LOL…
I really liked Ibitira too, and was frustrated that it is so expensive, until I found that it smells almost exactly the same (to my nose, at least) as Divine l’Ame Soeur, which is waaaay cheaper. Needless to say, I bought a bottle of l’AS immediately.
hmmmm I also love Divine L’Ame Soeur but do not find them to be anything alike. The important thing is that you are happy with your purchase!!!
Not sure I’m replying in the right place. My favorite Amouages are Epic Woman and Opus V. Opus V has a lot of iris (which Lucas first told me and I looked it up later. I haven’t tried other iris scents.) I usually only wear Opus V for having good dreams. I think it’s too heavy to wear in public — not that I go out that much. I’m still pretty much housebound. Epic Woman has always gotten me compliments from both women and men.
As far as pricey but imo worth it: my two Designer Shaik fragrances. I love them to death! I have a full bottle of no. 30 and a Travelo of nr. 33 (I plan to buy a fb). Today, I’m wearing nr. 33
I have never tried FM’s Lipstick Rose because I HATED, HATED, HATED Une Rose! So I never dared try anything else from that line.
But if I had to name nr. 33, I would call it Lipstick Rose. I have no idea if it’s similar, but it reminds me of the way lipsticks used to smell way back in the day, before fruity flavors, etc. In addition, it is just heavenly. I’m not sure if there’s any aoud in it, but there is plenty of rose, and notes are said to contain coriander, sandalwood, bergamot and iris. I strongly recommend both these scents. Nr. 30 has a lot of vanilla, but it’s not overly sweet. These are quality perfumes.
Just to add: Designer Shaik 33 also contains peony. I’m wondering if that is what I perceive to be a “lipstick” note.
From Xerjoff’s original (or original-er?) line (I think they have like 8 now?) I really liked Elle and Richwood. So I keep trying other random Xerjoff scents, when I am somewhere like MiN that stocks them. But I’ve never found another one I liked half as well, and I think the quality has really gone down. It is, as you say, a relief, given their prices!
I like Damarose a lot, too. Unfortunately that’s one of the ones that comes in the bottle with the semiprecious stone label so WAY too expensive. I do have one of the sample sets that includes that one and Irisss. Those sample sets are a super deal for anyone who likes this line.
Those bottles are attractive.
A few of the Xerjoffs are on sale at Min New York. Still not low enough of a price to tempt me but maybe you will find your unreachable love.
What a waste of a beautiful name (Lua= Moon). Then nothing realated to the name, lol, not even romantic (I never saw a love arising in a bathroom). Bathroom cleaners’ smell is worse than deodorant or air freshner. Good for the budget though! 🙂
Has anyone tried the new Xerjoff ‘join the club’ range? I must admit I feel like boycotting them on principle of their pretentiousness, but none of the notes really capture my attention either. Happy to be proved wrong though, if the yacht club really is all that 😉
That is funny, Daisy. Back in the sixties, a guy I was dating gave me a bottle of Fiji. It was nice, but not for me and so I gave it away. Years later, married with children, I moved to the Netherlands. A popular bathroom spray deodorizer smelled exactly like Fiji!
SMELLY SIGHTING! Anyone interested in the titan arum might also be interested in Lysurus moskusin, a type of stinkhorn mushroom, which according to Wikipedia “ has an odor comparable to “fresh dog feces”, “rotting flesh”, or “sewage” when mature.” The foul-smelling slime on its fruiting body attracts insects and other invertebrates and they disperse the spores. I was very excited to see my second LM a couple of weeks ago during my morning walk. It was covered with pill bugs and flies. I took numerous photos (I am too gimpy to get down on the ground to smell one, but I don’t mind missing the smell of dog poop.), and then returned to my office, totally stoked! It is a very cool looking mushroom — it is in the Phallaceae family, and yes, it does look like a certain part of the male anatomy. The three (I saw another one a week later!) that I have seen were all pinkish-orange. When my husband picked me up from work, I took him to see the LM, but, unfortunately, it had dried and shrunken considerably.
I knew what it was because a co-worker had one in her yard a couple of years ago, and she invited us over to see it. My co-worker did get down and smell it, and she confirmed its stench. BTW, next to her computer at work, she kept a cute photo of her husband standing next to a titan arum.
Last night, my husband said that he needed to get some new shoes (hiking boots) and to go to the office supplies store for some stuff for work, so he suggested that we go out to dinner and then head over to REI, etc. After dinner, as we were heading towards the stores, and he said that he knew that he needed to go shopping, but that he really wanted to go see a movie instead. So, we went to see The Spectacular Now. It’s a movie about teenagers, but when we entered the theatre, most of the folks had gray hair — such is the power of getting a good review on NPR! We enjoyed the film. Another good movie about teens is Fat Kid Rules the World — punk rock saves!!
KC, that was a great bit of info.
I will see the film and try to integrate “stinkhorn mushroom” into my vernacular. It applies to so much and so many!
Oooo, you’re right!
I heard that review of The Spectacular Now! Glad to hear it’s good! Being a teacher, I’m often wary of movies about teens–they are so rarely represented authentically, with all their sweetness, challenges and complexity of real people!
The lack of tired stereotypes was refreshing.
I was thrilled to see stinkhorns in last year’s crop of mulch. So weird! I’ve never had the nerve to get down and sniff them (yet). I’d look like some kind of pervert – people wouldn’t realize I’m just a dedicated perfumista. 🙂
The other name for these is Devil’s dipstick, LOL.
Stinkhorn mushroom followed by Devil’s Dipstick?
You lot never disappoint or fail to amaze me.
Because of you, all my friend’s will receive a new moniker for Christmas!
Cool mulch sighting! I’ll have to remember the Devil’s Dipstick. Ha!!
🙂
Just had to google some images of old stinkhorn after reading your post. Whoa!!
Lol! Yup, can’t say I’d be inclined to crouch down and put my face to that either…. 😮
🙂
We had a monsoon thunderstorm in the middle of the night. It has been a hideous week but I think we are out of the 110+ degree days.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was afraid I would get laid off. Well, I was and while currently unemployed I am six lbs thinner, BP is normal, no panic attacks and I sleep like a drunken baby.
Boy, did I need to get out of that place!
I have an interview Mon and hope to find something w/in the month.
House is getting a deep clean. Found a stash of old Tom Ford samples that I swear I had never seen before. Moss Breches was in the group! Hope this wasn’t TMI, but things are looking up. It feels like a Timbuktu day to me!
So sorry you were laid off, so glad that you are better off out of there. Hope things will continue to look up!
JJ, the way you talk about being laid off sounds a bit like how I felt after getting out of my LTR a few years back–it was definitely hard to have something familiar over, but I also felt this immediate relief to be out of a difficult situation! I hope you are quicker to get a job than I’ve been finding a new honey! 🙂 *fingers crossed* for your interview!
MR, neither of us should negate the thrill of the hunt.
We are both in our frog kissing stage. Fine, all part of the process.
At least when you feel overwhelmed you can go to Our Lady for succor.
On to something better!
Wishing you the best of luck finding a new job – sounds like you’re much better off out of it. I too have a job that produces all those negative reactions but unfortunately have to keep on with it until something better comes up which, in Ireland at the moment, is unlikely. So, just have to keep updating my fragrance collection to cheer myself up! Wearing Jayne Ormonde Tolu at the moment. Keep sniffing my wrists – loving it!
Tolu is lovely! So sad that shipping has made OJ a luxury-priced line for me in the States!
I can’t even get samples in Australia! Insane! Other places can still ship here so I don’t know why it’s suddenly become so hard for OJ :-/ They emailed and said they’re trying to get a store opened in Melbourne by the end if the year.. Melbourne..yeah that’s only a 5 day drive! Lol
5-day drive, Ha! That’s how I feel when I learn a shop is opened in NYC! Now, *only* 3000 miles away! I do wonder why they’re having trouble over there at OJ with shipping—pretty sure I wouldn’t have the same issues with shops in other parts of the EU.
New transport rules for perfume started being imposed in the UK this year. Royal Mail will no longer ship fragrance internationally from the UK (started end January ), and special labelling and conditions are required for domestic shipping. Perfumes are now likely to be intercepted and confiscated/destroyed if they are shipped internationally or don’t comply with the new requirements. I don’t know if businesses can get exemption from this, but it’s certainly been a problem for private individuals (packages not arriving etc).
I love Mossy Breaches. I hope finding it was a good portent of things to come.
How wonderful that a tough thing has had such a good outcome for your health! I’ve been let go twice and I’m terrified of being unemployed again, even though my performance review yesterday left me crying (and job-hunting) all night. I truly believe the work world does not have to be the meat-grinder that it is today; I hope future generations solve some of the problems we are leaving them, including that one!
In the meantime, I support both thunderstorms and unexpected Tom Ford samples!
I hope your work world improves, this generation! Being stuck in an unhappy job, and always feeling insecure sucks. Sending you some good wishes:)
Thanks! And I’m wishing luck to juicejones; we will keep the circle going…
JuiceJones, I hope you end up with something much better!
Thanks, Nozknoz!
I will. Good time to reevaluate how I have changed in the ensuing seven years. I have only seven more years until retirement and if I want to work a job a year until then, I will.
That’s an idea! There’s a book I’ve been meaning to read by a young man who graduated from college and couldn’t find a job where he was, so he decided to travel around the U.S. and try different things. It’s called 50 Jobs in 50 States: One Man’s Journey of Discovery Across America, by Daniel Seddiqui.
It sounds like a great relief: and you didn’t have to actually make the decision to leave:) I hope you get some well-deserved rest and then find something a lot better!
I’m very sorry to hear that you were laid off. I’m glad that you are feeling better physically. Sending positive vibes your way …
Glad to hear that something good came out of something bad. Improved health is always good. I hope your job search is short and that you find something you like.
best of luck on your job hunt!
i’m in graduate school right now but will be on the job market next year – i must say that i’m borderline terrified, but your attitude reminds me that there are silver linings to everything, even the trials and tribulations of the world of employment 🙂 congratulations on the weight loss, too!
2046,
The world was a kinder place when I entered the work world.
Not as cynical; more welcoming. I didn’t know anyone who had to take out a school loan. No need to.
I wish you the best! Getting in with the right group of people is a plus, but also the luck of the draw.
While I can understand your angst about being unemployed, this sounds like it was a blessing in disguise! Congrats on all the improved health. I hope your next position will be in a positive atmosphere.
I’v been testing Tubereuse Criminelle recently and am definitely falling for it. The first time I tried it I had to wash it off – not because of the menthol-ic top notes which I actually liked but because I felt averse to the tuberose that started coming through. Now, however, I smell that winter-green burn all along and have come to love the lush white floral that opens up within it.
I had a question though: the menthol-ish note (said to be methyl salicylate) reminds me quite a bit of Maroc Pour Elle which is sweeter and rosier but which has that same interesting effervescence. Apparently methyl salicylate is found naturally in tuberose, but is upped in Tubereuse Criminelle. The notes for Maroc Pour Elle, on fragrantica, however do not include tuberose, only jasmine – does anyone else detect the similarity?
Perhaps this is another time my nose is trying to make a fool of me! 🙂
I think you should trust your nose. I haven’t done the smell comparison with these two, but according to Elena at Perfume Shrine, methyl salicylate occurs in the absolutes of jasmine and hyacinth as well as tuberose, and in ylang-ylang and neroli oils.
A beautifully “mentholated” tuberose is Ayala’s Moriel’s Treazon, which has a *very* high dosage of tuberose absolute. Very expensive, but even a sample will go a very long way.
Just went to look at her page – very interesting; And, as you say, quite pricey!
Do you think she sends outside the US?
And thanks for the info on methyl salicylate!
I gave in this week and bought FBs of a few scents I’d been running low on–I’d drained my L’eau d’Hiver and Lipstick Rose, and I’d gone through over 15mL of Bois des Iles decants and minis . . . SOOOooooo, I just bit the bullet and bought new bottles of all three!
I haven’t spent that much on perfume in a few years–maybe not since those first few months of perfume-crazed excitement! Ah well, I love them all, so no regrets! Unless my furnace goes out or something! *eep!*
I dream of draining a bottle! (Though at least my habits are money saved.) I suspect I am one of the lighter-applying folks here.
This week I wore like 5 spritzes of Secrete Datura to work. A coworker just about swooned with delight, but I worry that there are others who don’t swoon and can also smell it when I wear so much.
My standard spritz is one on each side of the neck/under ear, once on décolletage, one on each wrist, and/or possibly one on each forearm/elbow crease. Then there are the scents that benefit from being spritzed in the hair, too! (Lipstick Rose is especially lovely wafting through tossed hair!)
I suppose it’s possible that this explains my purchases this week! 😀
It sounds similar to the amount I spray; but even my most favourite scents I cant wear for more than two days in a row. As a result I cycle through my collection more or less easily and have not yet drained anything very special. Still, I have been wondering whether I should invest in some backups…just in case!
I’v recently fallen in love with Lipstick rose but they are charging R2300 for a 50ml bottle here! Thats about 230 dollars given the exchange rate. So, I’m going to organize a decant (my sample being gone) and wait for someone to go to the US or the UK… It is a very versatile fragrance – I can imagine wearing it daily:)
Hi Merlin, Where in SA d you get Lipstick Rose. Hefty price, but I just NEED to know (knowledge is power … or wallet danger!).
Hi Ida, I’v just logged on again: there is a new shop in Hyde Park shopping centre. It also stocks Diptyque, Marni, Tom Ford Private collection and Armani Prive. Also they now have Marni. It is where Body Shop used to be (now they have moved downstairs).
Sorry about the double Marni, I was excited to try it if not that excited by it!
Merlin, each of my Malles were about that price–I want to say LR was a little more than $230, and the Ld’H was under that. Not cheap, but there’s only so many options to get them!
I thought it was excessive because it seems like it costs 105 pounds on certain websites in the UK (Liberty). I can’t see Lipstick Rose there now but look L’Ea d’Hiver is ninety five pounds there and if you look at the other Malles they are also much lower in price.
Is it just that much lower in Europe? I’m confused!
Sorry, here is the link:
http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty/Frederic-Malle/L’Eau-d’Hiver-50ml/1
Unless I want to order from Europe, I think Barney’s NY is my best option for new FBs in the States. In their defense, I *did* order the 100mL bottles–since the two I’d drained were 50s, I just figured it was safe to assume they’d get used! And I didn’t have any shipping costs, so that was nice.
I saw on the Malle US site that 100ml is 250 dollars, but the 50ml is only 170 – which is higher than the UK price but still substantially less than what this shop is charging. 105 pounds, 170 dollars and 2300 ZAR. Rands or ZAR at the current exchange rate is about R15 to a pound and R10 to a US dollar. Perhaps the price is not preposterous then?
Normally I spray a bit on the wrists or forearms, and touch to share between both arms, and a bit at the decolleté. I think I could get away with wearing more more often…
Lovely purchases! I’ve gone thru a complete travel set and am well into set 2 of leau d’hiver. Lipstick rose is also lovely- perhaps I’ll spritz a bit in my hair today…it’ll mix nicely with my Azemour sotd.
My typical spritz is pattern is décolletage, back of wrists and back of neck.
Now, that’s what I call a splurge! Congrats, those are incredible choices!
Yes, it definitely feels like a splurge! But, OTOH, not an impulse purchase. I think it took me a couple months to convince myself it wasn’t completely reckless!
Sometimes, a perfumista just has to bite the bullet. Great choices, Marjorie Rose!
I think perhaps perfumistahood does suggest a certain lack of restraint! 🙂
I did the oddest thing tonight, at least odd for me. I sprayed on some L’Eau d’Hiver before I worked out. I wanted that scent with me as I was sweating by butt off. No sure what that says about the scent, but I think it’s because I find it very calming and working out also puts me into a calm state. Hmm. I’ve never thought of fragrance around exercising before, but there you have it.
Such a magical scent L’Eau d’Hiver is. Glad you went for it and have a whole new bottle to enjoy.
Oh, I can see that working quite well! Ld’H is such a fresh and cooling scent, I think it’s a great choice for a workout! You wouldn’t want some heavy oriental or BWF–make you pass out when your body temperature rises!
those are some wonderful choices, though! unfortunately lipstick rose goes all plastic-y and sickly on me, but my friend wears it so well.
I’m sorry to hear that LR doesn’t work with your chemistry! As someone said above, I find it to be very versatile and comfortable nearly year-round. But plastic is not a note I would choose to wear, either!
No scent, our town is blanketed in smoke like never before..from that massive Rim Fire that has burned 200 sq miles..4 times the size of San Francisco..it looks like something out of an end times movie where I am..hard to breathe..got an air purifier, all one can do for now I suppose. Truly is something scary and concerning.
That is scary! I’m glad you are trying to take care of yourself and hope it will be over for you soon. Is there any end in sight? I don’t watch the news and haven’t heard about this particular fire though I know we are having more of them every year.
No, no end in sight…bouts of dizziness. It’s insane the amount of smoke.
Oh my. Be safe first (though I know it’s heartrending to think of leaving one’s home in a disaster).
Oh dear. You and your community are in my prayers.
Sorry you are affected by that, Omega. The Washington Post weather blog had a satellite photo of the smoke clouds from the Rim wildfire, which was impressive. I’ve also been hearing that the wildfires have affected the electrical grid serving San Francisco, and a state of emergency has been declared. Wow!
Jeepers! Hope it passes over soon.
Me too, getting nausea too.
My daughter lives at So. Lake Tahoe, north of the Rim Fire, and when I spoke with her yesterday she was coughing intermittently. She said the smoke was bad, I imagine it is getting worse, they are having ash fall in the Carson Valley, too.
Alll the while I was thinking of campfire with marshmallow scents, and some of the Forest Path Sonoma perfumes, and burned rubber scents from Bulgari.
Hetch Hetchy water reservoir with electric generation is in the possible path of the fire, the electric transmission is in the fire and it is down, but the power slack is being picked up by other suppliers for now, but it’s August and hot, so we might have brownouts area wide. Ash falling in the water could be a problem later.
I’m sure they’ll get a handle on it, they are throwing everything at that fire they have.
Thanks all for your good wishes!
Praying for your daughter and me! They can’t fight it from ground really, too dangerous..it’s so massive, not even plane drops are helping much.
I’m sorry to hear about what you are going through. I hope that something changes for the better soon.
that is really terrifying!! i hope you and your family stay safe.
Fires like that are so scary. I hope they get a handle on it or the weather turns in your favor with either some rain or a shift in the wind so you’re not getting as much of the smoke.
California wildfires are so hard (I experienced two of them). It seems that we are just not managing the land as we should. But once you are there, you have to think that it will be over, because it will. Hopefully the nature will be able to recover, at least somewhat … It is so powerful to see when it does.
Enjoying a great last full week at the cottage before having to go back to work. I rarely wear scents at the cottage. But I am wearing Infusion de Vetiver today. It has really become a summer favorite.
Enjoy your last hurrah of summer! School starts here on Monday, not looking forward to getting up at 6:30 again. Ugh.
I’m a morning person, but resetting my schedule to the early hours is definitely one of the downsides of transitioning back to the school year! I always seem to rebel and stay up later in the summer than I do any other time of the year.
It’s only fair to tell you all – I was innocently looking up a hair product that I need and saw that Eau d’Italie now makes shampoo and conditioner. However, it’s now on back order at both Luckyscent and Beautyhabit, so no immediate temptation.
‘Innocently’? Snort!
Also “SNORT”
🙂
Now where is Daisy to give you a jewel for your enabler’s pin? 😉
:::: virtual shiny stone awarded::::
Aedes usually carries it.
Sampled Daimiris the other day –except for a slightly boozy opening I am almost completely anosmic to it. What an odd sensation. I’ve never been unable to smell a specific perfume (as compared to having a cold and being unable to smell anything)
That happened to me with Bvlgari Black! Sprayed on my arm, got a bit of smoke/rubber and then…nothing. It was gone, to my nose, though others could smell it later on me. I am still wondering what’s in it that I can’t smell, it must be more than one component I would think.
Can’t smell Jour de Hermes at all beyond a slightly generic opening. Very annoying, everyone raves about it.
I didn’t know that word existed! My husband is anosmic to freesia. We once visited a beach in early spring and back of the beach in the dunes were wild freesias. I still don’t understand how they got there. I gathered an armload and my husband couldn’t smell a damn thing. He couldn’t smell Antonia’s Flowers either, which has the closest to ‘real’ freesia smell I’ve tried. He also put the kybosh on Bond #9’s Eau de Noho, that gorgeous linden, renaming it Eau de Stepmother’s Bathroom Air Freshener.
Sometimes, if one tries every now and then, certain receptors seem to turn on. The following are still quite faint for me,but I can now detect something: Cuir de Russie and Bois de Illes. At one stage I couldn’t smell Kenzo’s Flower, but now I find it quite strong! I have some difficulty with Terre de Hermes as well – the transparent-ish mineral note. Also if I try a gazillion things, my nose just gives up and stops smelling anything!
That is so true! I’ve experienced the same thing… A scent seems really faint or weak and then you “learn” to detect it. The best time to sniff is in the morning fist thing.
And it’s encouraging too, isn’t it?! I guess its got something to do with brain plasticity; so if one also became a painter, musician, cook and massage therapist, the sensory parts of the brain might all just flower!
Unfortunately I’m not sure anything will ever improve my (missing) sense of direction…
I’ve spent over $500 at the vet this week. Blood work, exam, ultrasound, urinalysis, urine culture, and antibiotics. My little poodle was pretty sick last weekend with vomiting and it seems she has another UTI. So she’s on meds for two weeks and once we get the urine culture results probably more meds. They seem to think it is a by-product of her possibly having Cushing’s disease. So once she feels better I think we have to have the rest of the testing for that done because its possible if we treat it her UTI’s will stop. Needless to say, that has put a dent in the perfume budget. I’m glad I bought those other bottles a few weeks ago because I’d never buy them now.
I hope everyone is enjoying what’s left of the summer.
Poodle, I’m sorry to hear about your furry baby’s health troubles. I hope you’ll be able to get to the bottom of it and treat whatever needs to be treated.
Based on her age, I think we’re probably just treating symptoms. I’m hoping we can get to the bottom of the UTI thing and get rid of it once and for all.
Thinking good thoughts for you and little poodle.
Thanks. I’ll take all the good juju I can get.
so sorry about your poodle. i hope things get better for her soon.
Thanks!
Oh no! Nothing worse than a suffering pet – give poodle a good pat and kiss from me!
Yeah, sick pets are pretty bad. So are sick mothers. Mom was in the hospital again too. That’s why I haven’t been commenting much. Been busy with that. If she hadn’t decided to go to the ER a few weeks ago when she did, she probably wouldn’t be here today. I really shouldn’t complain about the vet bills because her 2 1/2 days in the hospital cost over $43,000. Obviously insurance will cover some. It’s hard to figure out how her room cost over $10,000 alone. Healthcare is insane. Anyway, she’s doing better but still on restrictions so I have to go and do a lot of her housework and errands for now.
Sounds very stressful: I hope some calming and happy scents are helping you through. Its so much more pricey to have to be in hospital than to even stay in a luxury hotel: the world is upside down!
Poodle, many hospitals will write off expenses that are extreme and beyond what you can reasonably afford. I would encourage you to call the business office once you get the bill and make your case for assistance.
When I was hospitalized a decade ago–in my mid-twenties, waiting tables, on the state health plan which only covered $10K of hospital expenses–they wrote off my ENTIRE bill–$150,000!!! All I did was call and say that I could afford maybe $5 a month, since I was still disabled, and when she saw the total, she just excused it in full. No arguments, no lawyers! So, I say it’s always worth a phone call to find out if a hospital will help you out! Good luck!
Oh, your poor little doggy! I hope the vets can resolve the issues soon. I’m glad your Mom got to the ER in time. You can certainly justify perfume expenditure for stress relief! I send you good thoughts for yourself and those you love, animal and human.
Sorry to hear this, Poodle. Lots of good wishes to you and your mum.
Such a challenge to figure out the best care for a furry friends! I have finally decided to try medicating my neurotic kitty, whose odd behaviors over the past decade include peeing in the bathroom sink and obsessively licking my sheets. When I bought my new leather sofa last month, he decided to pee there, too. SOOOooooo, giving in to the kitty Prozac after trying all the usual behavioral improvements for a month or so. It would be so much easier if we could just talk to them and ask them what is going on and where it hurts!
Marjorie Rose, I hired the services of an animal behaviorist and it helped for about 90 % with my cat problems. One still needs to occasionally take Clomicalm for anxiety, but on the whole, it’s all more harmonious in my home. I do use Feliway diffusers and occasionally the spray. I hope your cat problems are soon resolved.
Thanks, Jonette! Unfortunately, my funny guy shows no response to Feliway and similar treatments. He really does seem to just be a very anxious/neurotic animal. He overgrooms patches on his paws, he seems awkward socially with the other kitties, and is just plain odd, even by cat standards! I love him, he’s very sweet, but I think he’s just got some wires crossed! I was very hesitant to medicate him, but after a decade of other efforts to keep him comfortable, I feel like I’ve pretty much tried everything!
But hey, success!, he’s willing to take his medicine in a Pill Pocket, so we don’t have to have a wrestling match each morning! 🙂
Sometimes you just have to resort to meds. If you can get him to take them you’re lucky. Pilling a cat is not fun. I hope his behavior improves. We used to have an anxiety ridden greyhound. It’s hard when you don’t know why they do what they do.
Oh, how I sympathise! One of our two kitties is a real handful – my husband calls him the “lad” (yes, he has been neutered in case you are wondering). He is so affectionate and sweet, but just loves to pee where he shouldn’t as a statement and a protest about next door’s cat coming up to the window to make fun of him. We have tried everything – Feliway (spray and diffuser), several spare kitty litter trays etc. We think that the only thing that helped a little was a supplement called Zylkene, which is made from milk protein and is supposed to calm pets down in a non-drug way. The other tip is to make sure that when you clean up not to use anything with ammonia derivates – apparently this smells not unlike cat piddle to a cat, and attracts them back to the same spot to wee there again! And, in our case, we have to quite literally barricade the gas hob at night to put him off widdling there! And the beast has at this moment snuck onto my lap and is purring sweetly and innocently at me …….
Hi Marjorie Rose,
So sorry to hear about your cat’s illness/behavior. I’m a fellow cat lover. My cat had similar behavior and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism . She spent a lot of time licking our shower curtain, eating kitty litter, and licking fabric. She had also lost some weight (apparently kitty litter is not fattening!). Did this vet rule-out hyperthyroidism?
Sorry to hear about your dog. We visited the in-laws yesterday. They have three poodles — large (85 lbs), medium (40 lbs) and small (15-20 lbs). The smallest one is old and they give him medication for diabetes, his thyroid, and anxiety. His vision is poor, but his nose still works. He can seem totally out of it and disoriented, but if he smells food, he appears to experience an amazing amount of clarity! Your avatar photo reminds me of the largest one, Dylan, who was named after Bob Dylan 🙂
Your in-laws sound like my kind of people. 🙂 I have small and large and a whippet as the medium dog.
Sorry she’s not feeling well, Poodle! But she’s lucky to have such a loving mum. Sending dog-hugs your way.
Thanks Ida! Based on what I’m seeing with my poodle and my parents, it’s not fun to get old.
I’ll second that! I’m getting old, and my health issues have removed the fun from my life. Still trying! Loving pets, a beautiful garden, some quiet hobbies and perfume keep me from running amok with an axe.
(Just kidding, but it can be very frustrating!)
Jonette, I think we have the makings of a great public service message on behalf of fine fragrance here (to counter the anti-fragrance trend). 🙂
I think you’re right. This little hobby keeps quite a few of sane I’m sure.
This week I had to go on a very important business trip to meet an important and Very conservative client, and then make a presentation to a business group,o f the sort of people who do not believe in high fashion, would be amazed to learn that there is such a thing as unisex fragrances (much less people “cross dressing” fragrances according to their own noses and Sephora gender segregation be darned) or even that there are such a thing as fragrance enthusiasts or blogs.
I struggled over what scent to wear. This was not an occasion for a personal statement. Admittedly I could have gone with out any fragrance, but sometimes a spray makes one feel more polished). I did not want to risk carrying a full bottle on the plane (even a 50 ml bottle.
, and did not want to be either too girly or seem to be wearing a man’s fragrance. (It is a sort of male dominated industry). I also wanted to avoid anything which might trigger an “I hate perfume” reaction.
Ultimately, I chose the cologne version of Eau d’Hadrien (Somehow i had used up my samples of t he regular version).
i think it can be difficult to figure out what scent to wear in work situations – a friend of mine who works in PR told me she was recently chastised by her boss for wearing “overbearing perfume”. my friend only wears l’ombre dans l’eau edt, and always in very discreet amounts (to my nose), but perhaps our senses of smell are just not up to par…
eau d’hadrien seems like a great choice, though. very bright and refreshing.
bosses are not my favorite group this week.
Bosses are never in my favorite group.
I did read a post from someone once who hated L’ombre dans L’eau – I think she was horribly averse to the blackcurrant note, or something. But in general, L’Ombre being overbearing!!! How absurd, She should have worn Daphne the next day to instruct him. 🙂
Anyone familiar with the Smell Bent fragrances? I discovered their website and the prices look reasonable.
I ordered a bunch of rollers. I thought that they were fun, kind of whimsical scents. Unfortunately, they seemed to last about 2 minutes on my skin.
I bought a small sampler pack and had the same problem. Zero lasting power.
I not only had that problem, but also found there was one note that annoyed me and it appeared in every fragrance. How unfortunate, as I think he’s on to a good thing and I love his ad copy!
I apologize if anyone has read other comments about this perfume by me this week, but I am wearing L’air de rien today, as I have been for two weeks now, and I love love love it. It is getting me excited to break out Dzing and some of my other favorites when the cooler weather arrives here. I don’t think of myself as liking “dirty” perfumes, but it does seem I like an animalic note. I am going to order a sample of L’ombre fauve soon.
Its sad that I don’t get any dirtiness from Dzing – mainly toffee apple with some cotton candy; nice but a little dirtiness would be nice too. Bal de’Versailles is where I go for a little of that civet-y stuff; and Air de Rien just pongs on me! Can’t wear it at all:)
I don’t think you need to apologize for swooning over a fragrance in this crowd! So much fun to find a new love, huh? 🙂
Yes, indeed. I almost (almost) believe that if I’d found this earlier in my perfume loving phase, I’d have stopped sniffing any more! Now I know it’s too much fun to explore around the edges of what you like.
Hello all!
Has anyone out there tried Brecourt’s range of perfumes? I must admit I’d never heard of them but a store in Melbourne sells them (online to me) and I’m curious, esp about Eau Trouble and Haram. The prices are quite reasonable too, about $115 I think..
Sorry, have not tried Brecourt but have often been curious. Their scents don’t seem to get reviewed very often. Indiescents.com sell Brecourt’s perfumes at $60 each. Shipping to Australia is likely to be steep but depending on exchange rates, you may still come out ahead. There are some customer reviews on the Indiescent website which may be helpful.
And you can buy samples from Indiescents, but they are not cheap.
Thanks for that info annemarie 🙂 the reviews I’ve read are pretty mixed, but I’m still (always) curious! I’ll just have to add them to my endless list 🙂
I remember sniffing Haram and being disappointed that it wasn’t as Haram-y as I’d hoped. 🙂 But I don’t remember where the sample came from – a Luckyscent sample pack? I’m not sure. You’re right, even in the states they’re not very often just come across, you have to seek them out. That would certainly make it tough to decide on investing international shipping!
I have a bottle of Harum and it’s quite nice gourmand oriental. Lots of cinnamon if I recall correctly… 🙂
I love Brecourts’s amber ( can’t remember the exact name) – nice lasting power and good sillage without being overpowering. Have not tried any of their other scents but thought their prices quite reasonable.
Robin, I assume you’re back from vacation (hope it was wonderful!)
I’ve had a very difficult time logging in! Every time, it tells me I’m logged in, but as soon as I go to read the whole article and the comments, I’m suddenly logged out again! I don’t even know why it eventually worked. I tried at least seven times. Any ideas? I haven’t been doing anything different. My browser is Firefox.
Great vacation, thanks!!
Once you log in, you really are logged in, but the caching system we use (not worth explaining, just trust me) doesn’t always show the latest version of the page, even though it’s supposed to. I am hoping this will get fixed — it used to work. I can’t turn off the caching system because the page loads would be so slow, everybody would stop coming here.
Simple fix: log in. If you aren’t shown as logged in, press CTRL+F5.
And sorry for the hassle!
Thanks Robin, I’ll make a note of it.
FOTD: Ange ou Demon, the first one. First and last time … eh …
Looking for an autumn fragrance of plum, spices and vanilla that isn’t Femme de Rochas. Well,maybe a more modern take of the masterpiece.
I have Kenzo Jungle Elephant, which has spices, vanilla and prune (not plum). I haven’t spelled Femme, so don’t know if this is a good alternative for you. Shiseido Feminite du Bois is often recommended to me, because I love Jungle Elephant. It might also be worth checking out.
Thanks Jonette, I have and love both, they’re just not plummy enough! LOL
I hope you find your plummy scent!
OOPS — see that I wrote “spelled” instead of “smelled”.
Great idea, Nile Goddess! One of my favorite autumn fragrances is BK Liaisons Dangereuses, which is a plum rose scent. Perhaps Balenciaga Le Dix would be worth checking.
I wonder if Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Sonoma Scent Studio or Aftelier have anything with plum. I can imagine DSH Mata Hari done with plum rather than apricot… I hope you’ll report back if you find what you’re looking for.
What about one of the new Tom Ford ones; Plum Japonais? I haven’t tried it yet but its on the sniff list…
I haven’t chosen a SOTD, and it’s almost noon. We did a little birding by the river and it’s so humid that I don’t really want to wear anything. Our summers are usually hot and DRY, and I like it dry. It’s been such a weird summer. It’s a good year for wild grapes, and I picked a bunch and we ate them while we walked. Delicious — not a bad one in the bunch, which is rare. We felt quite decadent ( and a bit guilty for eating an entire bunch — the towhees and waxwings need them more than we do).
And the blackberries haven’t looked as good this year!
Shoot! Dag nabit! And darn it all to heck!
Just checked the shipping status of my above-mentioned Malles, and apparently they were delivered YESTERDAY! Except, no box was waiting on my stoop when I got home last night!? I’ve never had a shipment stolen before. . . it’s possible it’s hiding under a shrub or something–and I’ve looked, but they said it was left at the front door. I have a security door, and it would have been obvious if it was left there.
Just called FedEx customer service, and they will do an investigation. . . won’t hear back until Tuesday, apparently. Anyone got any advice on how to proceed? Any chance Barney’s would send a replacement set? Can I claim it on my homeowner’s insurance?! Give a sacrifice to the perfumed gods for magical deliverance?
Floragal below has more useful advice than me, but I think FedEx is supposed to get a signature, and if they can’t produce it, I would think that they are liable.
Oh no: perfume shopping should be a delight and without such complications:(
Oh dear. Some courriers take the position that they are not required to obtain a signature on residential deliveries.
If you have an airbill number, you can get a tracking report from Fed Ex on line, which should have the exact time location, and signature (in any) on the package. This can be very useful in locating missing packages. (Happened to me with that big presentation; My supposedly undelivered package was located once I could tell the hotel staff exactly which of their employees had signed for it and when).
Perhaps it was delivered to the wrong address, in which case, a neighbor may be puzzling out who gave him such an expensive gift, or may be holding in her front hall waiting for you to pick it up from her.
I wondered about a neighbor, too. A few months back, some flowers were delivered and she held them for me–didn’t know it until she called a few hours later!
Oh I hope it turns up or you can get a replacement. I’m crossing my fingers for you. I hope one of your neighbors has it and brings it over to you.
OMGoodness! How awful! How’d you pay? Amex will cover this for you if it turns out to be stolen. Perhaps other credit cards have protections too. I would think Barney’s also has insurance. Why would they leave such an expensive delivery without a signature?
I’m so sorry this happened. What a nuisance.
I put it on my Visa card. . . I will look into it, if I don’t get another solution. Thank you for the suggestion!
I sure hope it turns up or that it is replaced. As extra compensation from the gods, perhaps you will meet a really special guy this week!
Yes, holding thumbs for you here as well:)
Thanks, Jonette! Actually, on the guy-front, I’ve been feeling pretty fortunate . . . still seeing a fella I met about a month ago (Mr. Spicebomb, as per Angela’s nomenclature!). Spent most of the last two days with him, and still not sick of each other! (I was over at his place when the package supposedly arrived, in fact. . . )
Good luck with recovering your package! So, you’re still seeing Mr. Spicebomb (or Mr. Microfiche, as my nerdy side wants to call him)? I know that you were kind of joking, but it IS great that you can spend long periods of time together without getting “sick of each other.”
De-lurking after months of reading. Wondering if anyone has smelled/ordered Frau Tonis before? There’s a review on here of their linden scent, but I ordered the little samplers of nos. 5, 70 & 56 kind of impulsively…
Hey, we’re always thrilled to see someone delurk, but best time to delurk is on a Saturday or Sunday…doubt there is anyone much reading this poll today. I can’t help you because I haven’t smelled them. Do come back for the next poll, we have one every weekend.
It’s true, I have read a few of the weekly polls. But: apologies on off timing.
Oh, did not mean you should apologize! Only wanted to suggest a better time to find an answer to your question 🙂