We're celebrating International Women's Day with our usual open thread poll: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the fragrance you're planning to buy (or return!) this weekend, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
A reminder: the swapmeet is next Saturday!
Note: image is Morroccan Plate with peony by geishaboy500 at flickr; some rights reserved.
SOTD: Lolita Lempicka. Perfect for the rainy weather.
Nice pick
Ubar. On heavy rotation this week. Lush, and just right for a crisp spring morning.
Love Ubar on cool, spring days! Do you have the newer formulation (as I do) or the apparently more subtle older version?
The newer one, and only a sample. An Amouage sample feels like a fb; you get a lot of bang for your buck, or in this case gift. I would love to try the older version. It has its fans. I love the depth. Something upset me at work this week and all of a sudden a new note popped up out of it. Glorious! Got me back on track quick. This brand is consistently elegant. Even when I am not.
Yes, it doesn’t take much to enjoy it, does it?!
I find Ubar very reassuring, too. The first time I wore it in public was for my brother’s memorial, which I planned and ran. Now, whenever I wear it, I feel more poised and self-assured!
I would love to try the older version, except I’m afraid to love anything that’s no longer readily available! (Attrape Coeur, I’m looking at you!)
Pulling those off is a true victory! I planned my mother’s and many people asked me to plan theirs afterwards. A odd compliment. I still feel very proud of that day. Knowing the way you express yourself here tells me you did your brother proud.
Oh, that’s kinds of you, thank you! You must have done an awfully good job for your mother, too. Can’t really imagine planning a memorial for someone else’s loved one, though. An honor but such a big responsibility, too!
Love Ubar. SoTD is Opus 1, with a heavy overlay of Oribe shampoo from the hair salon. The shampoo and assorted potions knocked the Amouage out.
Happy IWD! My samples from Kerosene arrived a few days ago. I started with Unknown Pleasures. I like it, but it’s a bit too buttery in the dry down. I have a cold, and I’m tempted to wear it today, because it has a strong lemon note at the top — that should clear the sinuses!
What fun! I have still only tried Pretty Machine.
Unknown pleasures is such fun! It really does have a “sugar cone” note but starts out with that amazing lemon. I just love gourmands but why is it all my favorite perfumes have such *ahem* slutty names? Unknown Pleasures, What we do in Paris is Secret, Putain de Palaces, Hedonist, Invasion Barbare, Jeux de Peau, etc., etc. It gets embarrassing sometimes when someone asks me what I’m wearing
Maybe the real question to ask is why do so many gourmande scents have slutty names? Personally, when I think “Skin games,” buttered scones don’t come to mind. . .
Happy IWD everyone!
I’ve been sampling a lot recently, planning my next purchase. I really wanted some Borneo 1836 but now that it’s summer (in Houston) I want something else. I’m dithering on an Hermessence discovery set (was going to host a split but February was rough on my bank account) or a bottle of CdG Black. I know nobody was super wowed by Black but I love it and I can imagine running through 100ml….
Wearing Mitsouko during my chem lab today to cheer me up. It’s so early!
I liked Black! Would think it would work well in hot weather, too.
I was instantly wowed! And I saw some fabulous reviews on base notes (for instance by Alfarom – who always has interesting analyses). I managed to score a tester of it, and think I will be wearing it quite a bit when it gets cooler. CdG Black and Nostalgia are my favorite smoky perfumes – the first more of an incense/spicy smoke and the latter diesel and smoke:) My 3rd favorite might be Lonestar Memories, but it may be slightly too sweet – I have’t made up my mind.
Good morning! Just spritzed myself with PHI and I’m trying to decide if it’s gonna become a mostly fall-winter scent. Might be too sweet/full for warmer weather. Only a bad thing because it was a gift from Mr. Spicebomb, and it would make me a touch sad to have to put it away for the next half a year.
My next purchase will likely be a back-up bottle of Bronze Goddess, now that it’s available. I will probably be done with my current bottle this summer, after it has sold out for the year! I love BG most for the transitions–in spring when I’m wishing it was summer already, and in fall when I’m wishing it was STILL summer!
Nice choice! I want to sniff the new BG flanker. I liked the one a couple years ago and got both.
Yeah, I remember thinking that the last flanker was well done. Do you find you wear both equally?
I actually find I wear the flanker version more…it was the 2012 Solieil version and it’s gotta bit of that ‘solar flower’ that really radiates in the heat of summer in TX. I am looking forward to trying this year’s version.
Estee Lauder at Macy’s is having its Gift With Purchase Event right now so it’s the best time to get it….just sayin’
Haha! Yes, I’m thinking I’m gonna just order a bottle and have it shipped to me. I know it will get used.
MR, would you like a decant of the version in the glitter bottle? Mine is not much used. You can mail me at merlynn dot edelstein It is a gmail address.
Look how generous this community is. Just sayin’. You guys are awesome.
Oh that is kind of you, Merlin! I think I’m just gonna go ahead and get a back-up bottle, but I appreciate the offer!
And gvillecreative, I completely agree! When I first started hanging around these parts, I was simply blown away by the generosity! (And embarrassed that as a newbie I couldn’t contribute!)
Well, to back up both your points, people on this forum have been so generous to me that it really is more paying forward than outright giving. I’m less good at straight forward giving:)
I bought a bottle last summer and it is well loved as I live in Florida and really can wear it year round. I picked up the Spray Body Oil yesterday and I love to layer it under the perfume. It looks very much like a 14 year old Sparkle Dream in the bottle, but once you spray it on arms, legs, chest (I even do my hair!) the sparkle factor is minimal, really hardly noticeable. Just thought I would throw that out there in case any one was turned off by the density of glitter in the bottle. I am now dreaming of the body cream for a “full fragrance layering experience!” =P
I’ve been keeping a perfume diary this year – just SOTD/SOTE etc on a small calendar notebook with running YTD and MTD totals. It’s interesting. Today’s SOTD is Iris Poudre which brings my YTD wearings to 7! (2x for March). My top hits include Fate (14YTD) and the breakout surprise Lush Imogen Rose at 10YTD – I just got this one in late January after sampling and it seems to be a favorite bedtime choice.
I’m also tracking perfume purchases in this perfume diary/calendar which helps curb my bottle spending.
Anyone else geeking out on data like I am?
Yes! You are not alone. I’ve kept a hand written scent diary for several years. I even include the high temperature. Very geeky. I converted data from one year into Excel. It was an interesting experiment. Still, I’d rather write in a notebook.
I don’t keep that data, but I wish someone else would do it for me! I’d be so curious to see the patterns over time, with seasons, etc.!
SOTD = VC&A Bois d’ Iris from the splitmeet!
I started geeking out this year as well. I had good intentions and started on January 1st….and then my Excel crashed and I had to restart on January 20th. I don’t know for how long I will keep this up; going away on vacation usually messes things up (unless I just bring one which I may end up doing anyway).
In the 48 days during the period, my SOTD by brand:
Le Labo = 7 (Iris 39, Vanille 44 and Cuir 28; also excludes days I layered Vanille 44 with another perfume)
Aftelier = 6 (Cuir de Gardenia)
Guerlain = 6 (SDV and Tonka Imperiale)
None (or I forgot) = 3
… and the rest were onsies / twosies.
I just got an idea of adding a field to track if it came from a full bottle, a decant, or a sample. GEEK!
Haha! That’s so funny because I decided to transfer my notes into Excel and added a comment for sample, decant, or fb. I’m still transferring notes.
For those with smartphones, you can add an “appt” on your calendar with your sotd which is easy and good for a look back. Apps like one note or drawing apps like Paper mimic that diary option in electronic form.
I do a bit of both but find the small calendar kept on the kitchen table to be the most consistent. If I were really good, I’d add a note about why I selected that sotd….
There’s a saying at work “One and done” which means act on it to solve a problem the first time around. Since I intend on doing something else with the data without having to do a manual review (really, just doing counts and summaries and looking for patterns of the what but nothing on correlating scent choices with weather, wear or feelings because doing that would be too much work), I decided to use the vehicle that would most closely enable to do that which was just enter the data into a spreadsheet.
That said, I don’t know how long this recordkeeping will last. One year, I decided to write down every expense. I did it for a few weeks and gave up because I found myself writing down the $1 I gave to a panhandler and the dime I dropped on the train (which rolled away from me so I couldn’t pick it up)
Do you keep track of how many times you wear samples, or only bottles/ decants? I’ve been meaning to set up a spreadsheet. (Well, I did set up a rudimentary one, but never actually started entering data.)
I write down what I wore and note if it was dabbed from a sample vial. Otherwise I know it was from a decant or FB purchase so do I don’t mention that.
I used to keep one.
Then I got deeply into creative writing again and my Excel file languished.
I always write in my diary what scent I wear, and I have a couple of perfume notebooks where I write all my purchases, wish lists, lists by note etc. I’m still a pen & paper girl I love pretty stationary and pens too much to swap them for a computer, and they’re far more accessible
Yes yes yes perthgirl. We are on the same page about this. I also keep packing slips from sample orders and make notes on them.
Sounds someone should make an app for this! Call it SOYD or something?
Quick search on Google play gives no results. This could be a golden opportunity
Would love to know if one exists for android.
I wonder how many perfumista geeks there are out there to make that happen? I know this is a pretty nerdy crowd, so you’d think we could find a few!
Fingers crossed!
That sounds like a challenge
So glad you mentioned this, I’m fascinated to hear from you and all the others on this score. Til now I’d only kept a record of new scents tested, but I think I will have to start keeping track of SOTD!
Hi perfume peeps! After five years as a hardcore perfumista I finally tried the parfum version of Chanel No 5. All I could say is what took me so long and where is my credit card!
Now the question is whether to buy a bottle or the refillable purse spray. Please comment if you have experience with either one. I’m waiting to hear what you all say before I make the purchase. Thanks!
Buy the bottle! I think the Chanel parfum bottles are sooo beautifully classic that it just makes sense. You can always decant into a small bottle to tuck in your purse.
Oh yes, that’s a good idea, CM. I do love the bottle design.
I have a bottle of Cuir de Russie in extrait and, while it does have a certain classic allure, I kind of wish it came in a spray bottle instead. Perhaps I’m just paranoid, but hate the idea of it getting contaminated, evaporating or getting accidentally knocked over.
Knocking it over?!? Uh oh. That would be awful.
You could transfer some perfume into a sample vial with a pipette if you’re worried about contamination.
Agree that the bottle is classic/beautiful, but I’d opt for the purse spray. It’s refillable and portable, plus I find that extraits are a bit longer-lived when sprayed (but that could just be me).
Thanks Galbanumgal. I found that when dabbed it went to the base notes rather quickly so I’ve wondered how it would smell sprayed. I’ve got Chamade parfum and it’s so potent & long lasting that I wouldn’t want to spray it!
You know, I’m not familiar w the Guerlain extraits. But I find Chanel’s to NOT be huge. You’re right, much as I enjoy Chamade, not sure I could handle a more intense version.
I agree!I treasure my little 7,5ml bottle!!The parfum and Edt are my 2 favorite No 5’s!
No. 5 parfum is wonderful.
Am wearing Bas de Soie, which might be a little quiet to combat today’s greyness. It’s like a glass of rosé when perhaps a mojito is needed…
I know what you mean — I am tired of greyness!
Hey N, a group of my fellow teachers and I started a mini tradition of going to Vegas for Spring Break last year–this will be the second annual trip–for precisely this reason! We all need some sunshine and it’s still a few months away! But maybe that’s more of a margarita scent rather than a mojito scent?. . .
SOTD has been Roja Dove Gardenia. It seems spring has arrived in London. It has been sunny and mild!
Oh, lucky you! It is warmer here today, but does not feel like spring at all.
Happy International Women’s day! I grew up in a country where it’s widely celebrated and I forever associate it with the smells of tulips, daffodils and mimosa blossoms. As such, SOTD could only be a spookily realistic mimosa reconstruction that is L’Eau d’Hiver.
It’s very nearly ignored in the US. Thierry Mugler’s Twitter account today exhorted us to “Go onto the street and show your feminity ! Just like muglerian models … assert yourself !” which I thought was pretty funny.
Well, at least in Portland, showing your femininity in public is protected free speech!
Ha! I’m not in Portland so may keep my femininity under wraps today.
Hahahahahahahaha dying laughing. A+ Portland.
“Muglerian” should be used as much as possible from now on, indicating an over-the-top glamour.
Yes!
Love it!! “Muglerian”!!
Yesterday I visited the Neiman Marcus at Friendship Heights DC and tested the new Cartier La Panthere. I also collected, sample cards of Hermes Bel Ami, VCA Rose Velours, A Dozen Roses Electron, Tom Ford Cafe Rose, and Carven Le Parfum. They were all nice, and I’ve ordered samples of the last three. Bel Ami was by far the most interesting, but it’s a bit craggy and would be so much better on a handsome man than on me.
I’ll be interested to try Ellena’s reinvented Bel Ami Vetiver when that comes out.
Forgot to mention, it’s a beautiful almost spring day here, and what I’m actually wearing is Puredistance I, which is perfect for the day and totally worth what it costs.
What did you think of the Cartier?
I was tempted. It’s warm and soft, almost a skin scent, lovely and easy to wear. It would be nice to have that pretty bottle, too.
All the bestest and most scented things to all the fabulous ladies from Now Smell This community.
I had a great week. I made a reservation for a shuttle bus that will take me to the city center from the airport and my new business cards with Chemist in the Bottle logo arrived couple of days ago. I think I’m ready for Esxence in Milan.
Spring is in the air here, birds are sining, clouds are rolling in the sky, nature goes back to life. With all this I decided to wear Atelier Cologne Cedrat Enivrant.
Enjoy your weekend
Hi Lucas. Your review of CE was wonderful. I look forward to sampling it soon. Hooray for spring!
Thanks a lot Suzy! Keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll like it. Cedrat Enivrant is so lively and uplifling!
Also, stay tuned because on Monday I will be reviewing Amouage Opus VIII.
Hey SuzieQ…swapmeet next week…I’ve got some goodies you may be interested in
Hajusuuri, you are tempting me! I’d better get with the program. I didn’t even know the swap meet was coming up.
I think I will have some nice stuff for swap too
This is so exciting, Lucas! I’m very much looking forward to your impressions and new favs. I’ve been thinking of getting perfumista cards made even though I don’t have a blog. I identify with that more than just about anything else now.
I know! Just thinking about the trip makes my heart run faster. It’s my first time when I will be visiting a big perfume fair and I already have scheduled a few meetings with brand founders.
Perfumista cards sound good. Would they be more like business cards or you’d use them as blotters to spray perfume on them?
This sounds like a great time – looking forward to your report
Thanks!
I would use them like business cards or calling cards, but it did occur to me that they would be useful as scent strips on occasion.
You could probably get them printed on blotter paper..,
They would make nice scent strips for sure, if you pick the right kind of paper.
Your trip sounds really exciting Lucas,I hope I can visit one of these trade shows in the very near future too!
I’m sure you’ll get to that point someday!
How exciting, Lucas. I can’t wait to read about your adventure.
Thank you! And I can’t wait to be there! I’m sure I will have a lot to share
It’s a beautiful spring day here today, going to the dog park a little later. I can’t believe it’s time to set the clocks forward–it seems like a set them back just a few weeks ago.
SOTD is VC&A Bois d’Iris, received in the splitmeet last month. Lovely!
I wore Bois d’Iris yesterday! Beautiful perfume
I love that one too!
Hi foxbins! I, too, am wearing VC&A Bois d’ Iris! I may need a full bottle … well, maybe not “need” but want.
I know, hajusuuri! It’s really pretty, isn’t it, and suitable for many occasions. I wore it to a training where I knew it would be lovely but discreet. I am going through the decant pretty fast and might end up with a FB as well.
SOTD – Jo Malone’s Lime Basil. I have been curious about Carven as well and will probably get a sample. Happy International Womens Day to you all. Enjoy your weekend.
Let us know what you think about the Carven..
Happy International Women’s Day NST readers and Robin!SOTD-and also the week!-was Dior Hypnotic Poison in the new EDP version.Gorgeous and lush,perfect for the current rainy weather we are experiencing!I love the original,but this one-in my opinion-is fantastic!!I’ve also discovered a little known gem called NOTHING MORE by Gosh,a cosmetics brand from Denmark.Really inexpensive,and an undiscovered gem!(Cranberry+Violet).Anyone else familiar with it?Happy Weekend everyone!
Oh, wish that EdP would get to the US already! Want to try it. Never heard of the Gosh brand, sounds interesting.
Also a fan of the EDP. I find the almond note in the EDT slightly off-putting. Gosh’s Musk was the reason I never tried any of their other scents, but this does sound interesting…
It snowed again this morning so I’m wearing Rose Ikebana…
UGH, so sorry.
What I ended up purchasing to celebrate my 5 yr cancer free anniversary–a partial bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Santal Exotique. Does anyone know if vintage Yvresse is identical to Champagne, because the current version in the cube bottle definitely isn’t? SOTD is Milk of Flowers
Congrats! Very awesome!
It was an awesome weekend–my brother came up and we went out to dinner several times, saw Phantom of the Opera, went to the top of the Empire State Building, and my sister-in-law treated me to a pedicure. Also, my ex came to visit as well, and I had gotten him some samples from MIN, and he ended up buying Puredistance M, so now I have an enabler pin….
The highlight was the little French restaurant–is there anything so festive as being served a souffle, surrounded by people one loves?
Congrats! I have a soft spot for souffles as well
We should meet up one day as we’re both in/near NYC!
I would love to meet up! I use my screen name as my yahoo address
Woo hoo, I’ll be in touch!
Puredistance earns you a high-carat stone in your enabler’s pin!
What an amazing milestone! Congratulations on your anniversary – so glad you celebrated with those you love!
Congrats! That is so very awesome, yes!
YAY!
I have the original YSL Champagne, and I don’t think it smells like champagne. It has touches of face powder, melon, and a honeyed note. To me the combined effect is something like nougat. Champagne is tart, so I don’t find them similar. I’m not really crazy about it, to be honest, but I do love the champagne cork-inspired bottle.
Congratulations! It’s nice that you get along with your ex. I must try Milk of Flowers. I love cloves — I got the last bar of clove soap at Cost Plus World Market today.
If you’re in the US, email me and I’ll send you a sample.
Such a good way to celebrate
Rena, What did you think of the Champagne EDP? – I find it so different from the EDT version.
I have no idea which version I tested. Am going to hope that it is the EDT since that is what I bought off eBay…..
Congratulations!! Wonderful.
Happy IWD! Have been out demonstrating today for womens rights. Big event in Norway this year. Wore L’Artisan Safran Troublant.
Oh good, glad people are doing that somewhere! And you smelled great.
Yes, I’m glad that people are doing that somewhere!
Yes, so great! What are the big issues on women’s rights in Norway at present?
SOTD is Rose Anonyme on one arm and Une Rose on the other. Smells like indecision and poor financial choices! Luckily it’s springy here, and I hope that continues, lest I forget I don’t need decants or bottles of either. Much less both. Ahem. They are good though….
I do love Une Rose, but I don’t own it either.
Today for the first time tried Aus Liebe zum Duft No. 1 Extreme. Warm and sweet in windy day.
That one is very extreme! I need to try the regular version again.
Sotd, Tuscany Per Donna EL. One of my all time faves but I don’t hear of anyone wearing it much at all. My bf in the mid 90s loved this too and we each had a bottle. We always had the same taste in stuff…wish I knew where she was now, darn it! And ya, I tried fb. I don’t hear a whole lot of love or talk about this scent. I think it’s very similar to Samsara. I hope EL will never discontinue!
It’s my mum’s favourite, if that help. Bought her a bottle a while back and the SA dug had to dig around in the drawers for a while before unearthing it. I got a Coach makeup bag as a gwp (or pwp?), so everyone was a winner.
Glad to hear an older fragrance mentioned. I have never tried TPD and you are right, it does not get discussed much. I’m in Australia and I don’t think EL distributes it here any more. I certainly never see it. I’m sure I’d like it a lot more than all of those Pleasures and Beautiful flankers!
I love coming here and reading about perfumista people doing interesting things! IWD is totally not registering here in my part of the USA. Maybe I will send a tweet out about it when I get done here.
SOTD is Prada Iris, which I bought impulsively today for my birthday at Ulta in our local mall, along with a tiny skin test of current Samsara which seems sort of boring and smells utterly unlike what I remember Samsara smelling like in the 80’s when my sister in law and I doused ourselves with the stuff, and a tiny skin test of the new version of Shalimar, which smells nothing like the old bottle of Shalimar EDT that I’ve been layering with an orange water spritz all winter long, but is kind of nice in and of itself as the day goes on and I sniff my arm from time to time.
My question is, if I like Prada Iris, its nice flowery part, its nice rooty part, what other Iris perfumes should I seek out?
If you can find it, the Absolue version is lovely.
Layering Shalimar with orange water sounds so amazing. What a great idea! Also vintage Samsara has a lot of real sandalwood in it and you can find the old formulation on eBay for not too much money.
Happy International Women’s day, all! I’m more muggle-arian than Muglarian today, which is every bit as feminine.
Just got back from clients/kicking around Cambridge with hubby. Beautiful sunny spring like day here. To celebrate, I broke out the pure jasmine oil this morning and smoothed a few drops into my hair. I don’t wear perfume with clients but feel I can get away with essential oils, depending on who the clients are.
When we got home, there were two packages from Surrender to Chance on our doorstep. After last week’s thread, I bought a bunch of samples of things I wouldn’t normally try plus some things I’ve wanted to try for a while. Right now I’m sampling Cuir de Lancome on one wrist and Coromandel on the other wrist with Encre Noir a bit further up the arm. Can’t really smell the cuir very much, seems more like a soft floral than a leather on me, may have to reapply. I absolutely LOVE the Coromandel, no ambivalence there. I used to have some old wooden drama masks from Bali years ago and Coromandel has a note that is exactly the smell of the tropical wood they were made of. I’m glad I sampled Encre Noir because on me it smells identical to Guerlain Vetiver which I already own a bottle of (so I can cross EN off the wishlist and save up for some Coromandel!) I’m just lining up some goodies for the swap, so maybe some kind soul has the mega bottle of Coromandel to make a decant for me?!
Adore Cuir de Lancome – but it is about equal parts discreet floral/purse leather for me, and I prefer spritzing that one. A dabber sample might not do it justice.
Duly noted. Will transfer to sprayer. Thanks!
Yes! Just transfered it to a sprayer and reapplied and now I smell the leather notes more clearly. This one is a subtle beauty. Thanks for your suggestion.
Any news on the comfy shoe front?
Ha! Thanks for bringing it up. Based on some great suggestions here, I went online and checked out a bunch of Merrel and Birkie styles but have yet to get to a store to try them on in person. If nothing else, I’ve learned my lesson to not buy shoes online unless it’s two way free shipping! So that means buying at top price from Zappos, trying them on and sending them back even if they are perfect and then re-ordering from the discounter? Then spending the savings on perfumes…
Drydown update on Guerlain Vetiver vs Lalique Encre Noir. The Guerlain is turning into a juicy lemon soap vetiver, a little bit screechy. On the whole Encre Noir is drying down to a lovely, salty, peppery vetiver with a little smoke, much more smoothe and subtle on me. It was strange because the opening to both was so similar.
Guerlain Vetiver is pure soapy green hay on me. I don’t recall testing Encre Noir, though. Sounds nice!
Yes, I was just thinking that they open so similarly on me and then the Guerlain keeps amplifying into a loud, annoying puppy while the Encre Noir becomes more of a mysterious little cat.
I’ve always been more of a cat person!
Love Encre Noir – it really does smell like India ink….
Yes, it is really beautiful. I will test out the sample and then decide what to do. At first I thought I could just use Guerlain Vetiver to fill that gap but now I’m wondering if Encre Noir is a better choice.
The Guerlain is very lemoney on me. Much more woods in E.N. But, the one time I did a side by side with E.N. and infusion D’Iris and they smelled very alike. The vetiver in IdI is softened by the floral facets and in E.N. it is deepened by a woodiness.
I have IdI and Encre Noir but prefer the Prada.
Too congested and sick of rain to have a scent on yet. Lingering and (potentially) dumb question…
How do reviewers/writers report on fragrance’s relative sillage? If it’s tested on your own body how can you tell how far away it projects?
I don’t know why I’ve never sorted this one.
(also have a few things to swap next week, vintage-y things)
Huh, my sister in law had the same question. Are you she? Anyway, I think you need a friend to tell you about sillage (and if they weren’t your friend before…)
It’s not a dumb question. I used to wonder about this a lot; so many reviewers speak with great confidence about sillage. I think after you’ve tested an worn a lot of fragrance you do get a feel for whether a fragrance has a strong projection or not, but the wearer may not always the best judge, other people are. I once walked past a woman on a disability access ramp at work and I had hardly moved four steps away from her before she complimented me on the fragrance I was wearing (24 Faubourg) and while it was nice to get the compliment, at moment I was not smelling the fragrance myself.
There is debate about this point, but I do believe that if you wear the same fragrance relentlessly every day you stop being able to smell it effectively, and that accounts probably for why some people over-apply.
Wore 24 Faubourg last night, and was struck by how big it was during the 1st 30 minutes. The last time I wore it, I’d thought it fairly unobtrusive. Funny how our perceptions of frags we think we know can change from one wearing to the next.
Yes indeed, though my experience was the other way around. In my first few wearings I thought 24F fairly unobtrusive, and I probably over applied. Only later did I really perceive that it has quite a big presence.
It doesn’t really answer your question, but I have noticed that even though I can nearly always smell my own SOTD, I’m learning that my coworkers almost never notice it! How many conversations have included a surprised casual friend saying that they’d never know that I love perfume since I don’t wear it to work! (Even though I wear it nearly every day!)
Yeah I switch scents around enough that I tend to still notice them, especially if I turn my attention to it consciously. Tonight, at the restaurant where I work weekends, a lady was wearing so (much?) perfume that it could be detected in the the kitchen. I wondered how it was even possible.
Glad I’m not sharing a lift home with her!
Well, that’s always the next sentence. “Well Marjorie, you just must not wear too much of it!” I want to bring out some sample vials and point out that I could spritz myself drenched in Infusion d’Iris and STILL not be smelled 20 feet away while a teeny dab of Perfumer’s Workshop Tearose could probably be noticed in the next room!
So, I guess that’s how *I* conclude a woman can be that fragrant–she wears LOUD scents, rather than necessarily a lot of them. (After all, I’m a 7 or 8 spritz girl for nearly anything I’m wearing!)
Might be because my nose is not that sensitive, but I find that some perfumes sit close to the skin. I have to sniff my own skin to really smell them. Others I keep getting whiffs of. Some diffuse better than others?
Yes, happy International Women’s Day! Much to be proud of but still a way to go on some fronts.
SOTD, which with the hubby out of the apt. I was able to spray liberally, Hermessence Brin de Réglisse. Unfortunately even many sprays did not help this beautiful scent last beyond 2 hrs. Glad I didn’t to a FB, but sad nonetheless.
Temps hit 50s today – we’re talking your basic heat wave in the northeast
Enjoy reading all your lovely posts!
We’ll be in the 50s on Monday in Chicagoland – heatwave indeed!
Oh I remember those glorious spring days when I lived in the midwest! Teeshirt weather!
Spring has sprung here. Everything is blooming and the birds are preparing to make more birds. During a walk by the river yesterday, a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks were flying around near each other and vocalizing — courtship behavior. I pointed to a snag and joked to my husband that they were going to land there and mate. And they did! No shame whatsoever
That snag is popular. We’ve seen White-tailed Kites copulate there before.
SOTD = Noble Rose of Afghanistan by 7 Virtues. I thought that my cold was getting better, so I went to my crochet meet-up at Panera Bread. While we were there, a woman approached us and admired our work. She said that just seeing us made her happy. She is from Ukraine and used to crochet out of necessity; she said that when her children were young, if she didn’t crochet socks for them that they would have no socks. She stopped after it became cheaper to purchase clothing. Now, she wants to start again. She was there with four generations of women and girls from her family to celebrate International Women’s Day.
I THOUGHT that my cold was getting better. I’m home now and feeling feverish. Think I’ll have some soup and listen to the post-baseball game radio show. Spring Training — another sign of spring.
Hope you feel better soon, kindcrow!
Thanks!
Yes, take good care of yourself and rest rest rest.
IWD here meant that we cleaned up the house… husband and teenage boys included. Progress on the division-of-home-labor front? Hmm. Maybe.
SOTD is The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter, plus a spritz or two of EScada Margaretha Ley. I am white-floraling.
Weather was warm enough that The CEO hung out five loads of laundry on the clothesline to dry. Gorgeous.
Hmm. I think as long as the men/boys have to be *asked* to help, then the division of labor isn’t yet equal. . . but good to get the help all the same, I guess!
Sotd is Habit Rouge. I went to see the Rocky Horror Show at the theatre last night (SOTE was Nu), and am back at work veeeery early this morning
but the hot spell has finally broken after literally weeks of mid-high 30’sC, but still no rain in about 3 months… HR is perfect and crisp yet warm for this very tired girl on a nice fresh early morning 
SOTD Tiffany parfum. Finally – an orange blossom I can wear – so excited! It’s feels elegant yet subdued on me -just what I’ve been looking for! And the vanillic drydown is just lovely
My SOTD is Bottega Veneta Eau Legere, which is just warm enough for the end of winter here, but has those few accords that harken to spring…. My question, if anyone has any experiences or opinions of the Tocca fragrances. I’ve never had the occasion to smell them in person, and there were not on the radar for getting samples or swaps. I am now intrigued, perhaps the pretty bottle has finally got to me. Any suggestions or best of the group recs? Thanks!Ann
Hey Ann, the Tocca scents are all available at Sephora, and I think Anthropologie has the 15mL bottles as well. . . if either of those stores are near you.
I have a soft spot for Colette, which is a friendly, inoffensive floral–which could describe most of the line to be honest! I’ve never wanted it enough to buy it, but I’ve almost purchased one of those cute 15mL bottles on several occasions.
Thanks Margorie Rose for the tip. Unfortunately I live in a retail wasteland, so no chance for something as smart as Sephora or Anthropologie near me…. but I’ll check out other reviews on Collette. I have a billion spring and floral fragrances already, but I am just craving something new and fresh this time of year!
I find Bianca pleasant and it definitely qualifies as “fresh” BUT I’m not sure I’d recommend it to someone already in possession of a billion fragrances
The Toccas definitely are really easy-going and pretty enough, and if someone didn’t have any fragrance background and just wanted to walk into Sephora and walk out smelling nice, Tocca would be a good bet… but I suspect anyone who has a broad frame of reference for what one can get for the $70 Tocca charges for 50ml may feel frustrated by the quality or lack thereof…
CH – thanks – you know I think you have actually talked me down… I’ve never been a bottle person. I think it’s just that right now “pretty” = spring for me! The winter has been so awful and I just imagine the UPS driver delivering a pretty bottle of spring to me, lol. I’ll probably wait and hope for something else that will really do the trick.
Haha, woohoo, finally, I can count myself among the responsible adults NOT egging on a purchase… But, um, we can’t let that last too long. Here’s my thought–do you already own En Passant? Whenever I consider dropping $70 on a Tocca, I think instead that $100 would get me a travel set of En Passant. Now that is some heavenly spring to deliver to your door!
CH – no, I don’t have en Passant, but then I was thinking of all the frags I have that could trounce the Toccas… Chamade, Amoureuses, Cristalle edp, Carnal Flower….. I need to get a grip! I know it should be the same: why spend some on meh, when a little more would be great. Congrats on the accomplishment!!! But now I have to go find something to want….
The bottles are pretty and the whole line offers relatively simple, uplifting, pretty fragrances. Instant mood enhancers. I’ve sniffed most of them but found it hard to distinguish them one from another – they are a bit the same, I thought, and the names offer no help. I tend to think of them as a Continental version of Jo Malone. Unlike the JMs the fragrances are not framed around distinct notes, but most of them are just easy-wearing florals with only light to moderate sillage and longevity. Women who grew up hating their mother and grandmother’s Giorgio and Amarige probably like them.
The one that does stick in my mind had a nice light tuberose note combined with citrus – might have been Cleopatra? – and I loved the opening but the fragrance fell apart into something rather dull after that. (And it has blackcurrant in the top notes so be careful if you can’t deal with that.)
Marjorie mentions Colette, and that seems to be the one a lot of people go for. Victoria at Bois de Jasmin gives it four stars.
Colette had something in it that irritated me–maybe the same note that’s in Cashmere Mist? Sorry I can’t sort out the notes better.
Cleopatra I liked quite a bit. It reminded me of Hermes Un Jardin sur la Nil, but it was less tangy (and shorter-lived).
Stella is the one people seem to love (blood orange is the main focus) but I keep forgetting to try it when I’m at Sephora.
Stella does sound good. I’ll give it a try too. I may have already, on a day I was testing too much at once.
Thanks annemarie & Laural for your comments. I think now I’ll put Tocca behind me and try to find something else new and intriguing with my nose and not my eyes – pox on the pretty bottle!
Wearing Santal Majuscal from a sample as I’m recently infatuated with woods. I like it but find it too buttery, in a similar way to J de P. I tried Amber et Santal by Loccitane this week however, and have to say I enjoyed that. Perhaps there is a bottle in my future!
Make that Ambre & Santal by L’Occitane…
I’m wearing Grand Néroli today to go with the orange blossom that’s beginning to flower in the streets. Spring is on its way!
I went shopping yesterday and tested a lot of scents but, to my surprise, the one which I can’t get out of my head is Elle L’aime, by Lolita Lempicka. Lovely and summery. Unfortunately, the one that stayed longest was the unsolicited La Vie est Belle which the Lancôme assistant sprayed on me as I was paying for something else. I just can’t stand it!
SAs *still* spray people like that?! You would think with the small, but loud, anti-any-fragrance-at-any-time population, they wouldn’t be able to get away with that!
It’s the first time it’s happened to me in years. She just caught me unawares. In fact I’m not keen on any Lancôme fragrances, but that one is the worst, at least on me.
Oh gosh, I would have cried bloody murder, got the SA’s supervisor AND the store manager and berate her on the spot. I so hate having that happen!
Well, perhaps. But unemployment is bad enough here; I wouldn’t like to put somebody out of a job, Her intentions were good and it wasn’t really that serious. There are much worse things to get angry about!
I’m glad it wasn’t serious for you, but if you had had an allergy…
True. I must admit I never even think about allergies, being fortunate enough never to have suffered from any, but I suppose it is something to be borne in mind.
I’ve actually tried La vie est belle several times (by choice!) trying to figure out how something that smells so much like everything else can go so wrong. It isn’t boring, I guess.
SOTD Cristalle EdP.
Last weekend I found my way to an estate sale where a found a FB of Cristalle which happened to be at the top of my “to buy” list – it felt like the ultimate score! I also walked away with a FB of Samsara EdT. I don’t know how often I’ll have the Samsara in rotation, but I felt like I couldn’t go wrong with it. My only regret is that I didn’t take home what was a bottle I didn’t recognize. (I was also out of money and had poor wifi, so couldn’t look it up). When I got home I realized that it was L’Accord Code 119 from niche line, Caron. I’m feeling huge regret that I didn’t get it. I don’t even know if I would have loved it, but would like to delve into trying some niche scents.
SOTD: Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger. (My first wearing of a SL. Yes, I know how late I am to the party.) It’s really nice, and I hardly get any cumin, but it’s heavy on the jasmine and tuberose, which isn’t bad, but isn’t what I was hoping for, either. The search for the perfect OB continues! On the plus side, I think it may be bringing me around to tuberose.
I’m glad the weather is finally improving back east (which to a Californian is everything east of the Rocky Mountains). I spoke to my cousin in Iowa earlier this week and she was fed up with the ice.
I know, I fell in love with what turns out to have been an old tester of Fd’O, more cumin less tuberose, and now I am kinda disappointed by what’s currently available (not that it’s not lovely, just not so much ‘me’). Waffling on whether it’s worth trying to hunt down some of the old stuff…