Four questions. Answer as few or as many as you like.
1. What's the last fragrance you purchased?
2. Do you think you'll ever use that bottle up?
3. What's the best advice you've ever been given about perfume?
4. What's the last great movie you saw, or book you read, or tv series you discovered?
My answers....
1. That darned bottle of Cartier La Panthère.
2. No way. But I might get lucky and swap it away.
3. Never buy unsniffed. (See #1 and #2)
4. Borgen! Wonderful television series about Danish politics...engrossing and perfect for binge watching.
Note: top image is The Green Door / La Puerta Verde.- [cropped] by ancama_99(toni) at flickr; some rights reserved.
Ecstasy.
Never.
Allow for mistakes, but don’t stare at them. Pass them along.
Derek on Netflix.
I need to stop staring at La Panthère.
At least it’s a cool bottle …
Sadly, that just makes me even madder 😉
Think of it as a future collector’s item, something your great-grandchildren will take to Antiques Roadshow.
🙂
Love that bottle, love the opening to that scent.
Meant to add, sorry it didn’t work for you. I wouldn’t mind having that one. For the opening and that aweosme looking bottle. Probably wouldn’t buy it, I don’t love it that much to spend the money because the opening doesn’t last long. But wouldn’t mind owning it, I’d respritz for that opening. If I saw it for super discounted, I would pick it up.
Calyx. Yesterday. I went in to smell it and it was 20% off for 1 day and I’m weak.. but I do think I’ll wear it a bit in warmer weather!
But no, I highly doubt I’ll finish it.
Best advice is to give ones you don’t initially like another chance in a different mood or season, as tastes change.
Still catching up on many books and series :-/
I wore Calyx for years! It’s a bit changed but close enough.
Hello everyone.
1. The last perfume that I bought was Parfum d’Empire Azemour (in the old bottle at 50% of original price)
2. Sure, it went on a split so I have less than 30ml to use. I can use that!
3. #1- don’t blind-buy, #2- wear what you like
4. It’s been a while since I went to the cinema last time. The last film I watched on tv and liked was “The 7:39”
My SOTD is Jovoy L’Art de la Guerre
Jealous of your Azemour!
1 & 2) Eau Premiere. No way I’ll ever use it up–have never in my life used up a scent. I’m either too fickle or too lazy to prioritize scent-wearing.
3) Sample, sample, sample
4) TV series–The Americans on F/X. It’s about Russian spies living in the U.S. (the “Americans”) during the Reagan era. Lead actors are fantastic and it’s never trite or predictable. Unfortunately, F/X’s new “Tyrant” was awful.
I bought Eau Premiere in the huge 125ml bottle it was put out in (I think its second launch?) and was surprised to find it more than half used. It may be too pretty to qualify for others but I consider it my t-shirt scent
Half used by me. Should clarify that. 🙂 silly passive voice.
I wear Eau Premier quite a lot….
I went through a (small) bottle pretty quickly. It’s a great scent.
Love, love, love The Americans. The story is somewhat new to me as I was a toddler in the early 80s, but it is captivating. I also am so impressed with their use of clothes, cars, and music from that time period. I don’t think they’ve made a mistake yet.
I was a teenager in the ’80s, and I concur. I watched one episode of The Carrie Diaries, and all the inaccuracies just made me angry.
Yes, but all of those perfume bottles on her mom’s dresser in the first episode were wonderful.
In the it’s a small world category, my brother is the cinematographer for this series.
The Americans or the Carrie Diaries? The Americans is a gorgeous show. I was too busy fuming about the platform shoes and backpacks to notice much about the Carrie Diaries.
1. Diptyque Eau de Lavande
2. Yes — I am using it a lot (versatile, interesting and great for summer), and it is only a 0.7oz bottle
3. Slow down with accumulating and enjoy your collection
4. Valentino: The Last Emperor (movie)
How is Eau de Lavande from Diptyque?
It is one of those that needs to be given some listening to. My very first reaction was “What? That is awful,” and now, if it wasn’t for NST, I would wear it all the time. It is not a perfumy lavender, but a lavender from your mother’s garden that turns into leather and spices. It is not only an unusual lavender, but an unusual fragrance.
It would be great to hear your take on it!
Sounds very interesting. I was meaning to try it but the nearest perfume shop in Poland that carries Diptyque is in Warsaw. I might give it a go next time I’m there or I will get it earlier when I will swap samples with someone.
1. A huuuuge vintage splash bottle of Eau Sauvage.
2. I’m going to do my very best. 🙂
3. Don’t buy unsniffed is probably the best I can think of. I very easily could have bought a travel set of Eau de Magnolia and regret it.
4. I sort of informally collect different volumes of the Decameron, especially the edited volumes where the editor picked different stories almost based on preference. The stories are always funny and engrossing, and I almost always find a new few. I found one from the 60’s at an estate sale that I thoroughly enjoyed, but at a used bookstore I found a recent, very slim edition that did away with the frame story. It was quite enjoyable (The Eaten Heart) for a quick read.
A weird mini hobby I know, but it’s fun!
That is an unusual hobby! I have one volume somewhere, and don’t remember which.
Sounds really interesting, actually. This tangentially reminds me of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Decalogue — one of my favourite examples of subtitling came up: a punk-rock band ostensibly singing “Kill and fornicate” as the chorus…
Vero Profumo Rubj Voile d’Extrait
Probably not, my Mitsouko bottles are the only ones that ever need replacing, but you never know-Rubj is a wonderful perfume!
I’ll also have to say “never buy unsniffed”. My personal motto: Buy in haste, repent at leisure”. The buys I regret are mostly impulse purchases in the store after only a quick sniff, usually when I’ve been travelling…
The Robert Galbraithe/Rowling Cormoran Strike novels
It’s one of the reasons I try not to look at the perfume selection in TJ Maxx anymore…I’m too likely to buy something dumb because it’s cheap.
I get strange impulses when I am in a store too. I *rarely* am ever at a store that sells fragrances – I don’t get out much b/c of schedule, kid, etc, plus there are only baseline Sephora and Macy’s around with really the most standard department store choices …. — so occasionally when I do go to TJ Maxx or something, I almost feel like I have to buy something just because it is in front of me. It’s a spontaneous reaction to seeing a bottle in person. I am so picky when I on-line shop, but I think the distance factor helps with that.
I don’t know about TJ Maxx, but the Canadian equivalent, Winners, has the same parent company. Winners allow returns of perfumes, even if opened (at least the one where I live). Probably not good for the perfume, as I’ve seen bottles back on the shelves, but it does mean not wasting money if you end up with something that you really, really don’t like.
Ooh, returns on open bottles,really?
I didn’t know that about returns so that is good to know. I think the last “mistake” I made at TJ Maxx was buying two bottles of Cabaret, which I’d never sniffed. Thankfully I like it well enough. I know I’ll never use them up, but it will make good smelling air spray if I need to go that route. But I do really crave an experience where I get to sniff in person and buy in person (last time I had that meaningful experience was in 2010 at the Perfume House in PDX). It seems so luxurious compared to online shopping (although I save a lot in online bargains…. ).
Voyage parfum. I’m relieved at least to be getting some good use out of it–have worn it most days this week as I’m out of town with just a few options on hand. But even so, I haven’t even finished my sample, so ever finishing the bottle seems pretty unlikely.
Best advice has been to try a decant before going for the full bottle (yeah, did not follow with the above!) Over and over, this approach has saved me from committing a whole bunch of money to a full bottle of something I like but discover I don’t actually wear very frequently, in practice.
Love Voyager 🙂
1. Volutes edp
2. I doubt it, but I’m glad to have it on hand anyway!
3. Don’t discard things you don’t like; when you come back to them later you may discover a new element of them and like them, or in any case just learn from them.
4. ” My Struggle” by Karl Ove Knausgaard–epic six-volume autobiographical “novel” that is being compared to Proust. I read straight through the first three volumes but now have to wait in frustration for volumes 4 to 6 to be translated from Norwegian.
Yes to number 3…you may not believe it now, but tastes change (at least save a decant)
1. Hermes Caliche Soir de Parfum.
2. Nope. I enjoy it and it is more office friendly than the vintage perfume but I still settled.
3. Wear what you like. It isn’t poorly formulated crap if it makes you happy.
4. Finally caved and bought the manga versions of the Gail Carriger novels. Wasn’t sure they would translate but they are very well done and I will continue them. I already have the books and audiobooks so they could easily have been an unnecessary addition.
Yes to your number 3. Online discussions about reformulations can be very disheartening: ‘You HAVEN’T smelled (insert name of classic fragrance) until you have smelled VINTAGE … ‘.
Well, I get along quite nicely with reformulated Calyx, Femme, Roma, Ysatis, Coriandre, Oscar de la Renta. Often they are quite cheap, which is perhaps a warning that the best raw materials have not gone into them. But it can just mean that they slipped out of fashion. And all of those I’ve just mention are still better than the average department store release!
And sometimes the best ingredients for a particular scent just might not be expensive? Probably certain ingredients are pricey because they are rare or hard to extract, and neither rarity nor difficulty of extraction guarantees a superior olfactory experience. It may pander to snob appeal!
Totally agree!
I just recently tried this version of Caleche and could not stop sniffing my arm!
I love this one as well. Once I am employed again, I see a FB in my future.
1. Three purchases:
1. HUGO BOSS BOSS BOTTLED UNLIMITED
2. NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FOR HIM EAU DE TOILETTE
3. NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FOR HIM MUSC COLLECTION
EAU DE PARFUM
2. Not sure…
3. No personal advice except answers from blogs like this one…
4. TV SERIES: Binging on “24” …watched them ALL!; VERY COOL SERIES…
Yes, Jack Bauer is the man!
I heard it was coming back. Is the new season on, then? (I don’t have TV, so I just wait and get DVDs from the library eventually).
Marjorie Rose, it is fabulous. Worth seeing.
1. 100ml Thierry Mugler Cologne
2. I’ll do my best, I really enjoy Vetiver, so I should think so.
3. If you like the notes and it’s not expensive, what the hell, you only live once. You can always swap them out or sell them on.
4. Cannot remember the last time I went to the cinema. I really enjoyed the series ‘The Following’ with Kevin Bacon. May have to invest in the box set of the second series.
Sadly, looks like I will never drain my TM Cologne, although I do wear it!
1. What’s the last fragrance you purchased?
Last FB was Terracotta Le Parfum.
2. Do you think you’ll ever use that bottle up?
Hard to say, but I’m sure I’ll make a good dent in it this summer.
3. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about perfume?
Don’t be afraid to keep trying things repeatedly, *especially* when they’re ‘weird.’ Also, I shouldn’t have bought so many things when I first got started 🙂
4. What’s the last great movie you saw, or book you read, or tv series you discovered?
Movie: watched 2001: A Space Odyssey a week ago and now a million parodies make sense 😉
Book: All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews. A woman who considers herself kind of a mess tries to deal with her rich/glam/talented-but-severely-depressed sister wanting to die. Sad but also surprisingly funny. On a big Toews kick this year.
TV: Taking a break from seasons of Shameless (US version) and Call the Midwife to finish off S2 of Orange is the New Black.
Just added All My Puny Sorrows to my library hold list. Thanks for the rec!
You’re welcome, hope you enjoy it 🙂
Terracotta le Parfum temps me to break the “never buy unsniffed” rule LOL.
Oops. Tempts not temps. Typing on a phone.
I have to admit that I totally bought it unsniffed, thanks to Jessica’s review – and it’s a genuine thanks! Nothing in the stores around me, so I finally ordered it online from a department store (The Bay) – warehouse didn’t have any so they were luckily able to ask a store on the other side of the country to send me one directly 🙂
I figured it was cheap, I had a gift card from my birthday, and worst case it would be easy to find it a new home….you know, all the usual excuses HA!
Isn’t it fun to *finally* watch a classic? I saw 2001 for the first time this year, too. JUST finished watching Planet of the Apes (the Charlton Heston version). I feel like they’re a piece of cultural history that I should be familiar with! Still haven’t seen Citizen Cane. . . 🙂
1. Last FB purchased: PdN L’eau a la Folie
2. Will I finish it? Yes! It’s only 30 ml and easy summer scent to wear that lasts all day on me
3. Best advice given: don’t give anything away especially when new into perfume, you may end up liking something you initially did not and it’s good to have various types of a certain note or genre to compare as you are learning
4. Blue Jasmine was probably the last great movie I saw. Cate Blanchett was superb, Woody Allen’s writing/storytelling very good and overall entertaining flick, albeit a sad one.
Today I’m enjoying a sample of
Rose d`Homme by Les Parfums de Rosine!
Hello Floragal!
Rose d’Homme is a great scent! Great sandalwood basenote on my skin.
You smell great! (Just reread – did I use the word ‘great’ enough?) ;D
Hi Bear!
I do like it but wish the leather note was more pronounced on me. Can you make out the leather?
Planning to move it from a dabber to a spray to get the full experience.
I am dabbing from my sample and mostly smell sandalwood with a bit of rose and vetiver. No leather. http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Les-Parfums-de-Rosine/Rose-d-Homme-6509.html
Fragrantica’s pyramid is far more complex than what I smell.
Do comment when you spray!!
Snap, Floragal! L’Eau a la Folie is the latest bottle I purchased. Yes, I will use it up even though it is 100ml as I have already got through two other bottles in this size over the last year! And the fact that I finished a bottle is a rarity for me.
But, did you know it has been discontinued? The hunt is now on for a replacement. I used to say it smelt like the lovechild of Diorella and Femme, so maybe I should try them again.
Oh no!! Why do they do this? I should try Diorella and Femme.
I think I might need to snag a 100ml while I can.
1. 1000 Flowers Reglisse Noir.
2. I hope so-thanks to perfumers who sell smaller bottles!
3. Don’t just try something once! Also, buy decants first.
4. Nothing new, though I am almost done watching Star Trek: TNG for the first time ever. I know that makes me a huge nerd (and very late to the nerd party, too), but it’s pretty great!
TNG might be nerdy, and dated, but it’s also pretty darned good – elevated substantially by Patrick Stewart. I watched it everyday after school when I was young. Loved it.
Fun…will you watch Voyager next?
I am not sure! But I’ll probably give it a try 🙂
I feel like Next Gen really gets good in the second and third seasons–more complicated and the characters get more fleshed out. Enjoy!
On a completely nerdy side note with a reference that you may not get, yet. . . I have a t-shirt that says “There. . . are. . . FOUR . . . lights!” and I use it as my total nerd-detector while I’m out walking around. 😀
That is an awesome shirt!! 🙂
It makes me smile every time I wear it! 😀
1. Last FB purchase: Chanel No. 5 extrait
2. Yes! I will finish it. I bought the 7.5 ml bottle and I’m wearing it a lot.
3. Best advice: “Go slow” (when purchasing / collecting) from Robin.
4. I streamed the documentary “The Queen of Versailles.” It was thought provoking but I can’t say that I liked it: very unsympathetic characters.
1. Jeux de Peau
2. Absolutely
3. It doesn’t matter if it’s Jean Nate or a JAR perfume, if you like it, wear it and enjoy it.
4. Great movie or book? There are been some okay ones but not quite great. TV? I’ve been watching American Horror Story which is weird and twisted and I enjoy it.
Ooo, I love Jeux de Peau! Last time I tried it I swore to get a bottle but I got distracted by something else. I should probably start with a decant anyway.
Shhhh…don’t tell, but it was another blind buy for me. I love it too thankfully.
1- Tam Dao, 50ml
2- Entirely possible, unless it turns.
3-Never, ever, ever buy unsniffed.
4- Most recent TV discoveries are Scandal and Orange Is The New Black. Both are a lot of fun to watch!
I really like Tam Dao I just wish it were a bit stronger and lasted longer on me.
1. I’ve just purchased Chanel Exclusifs 1932, parfum extrait.
2. Probably, yes, but not for many years!
3. Never buy un-sniffed. Ever.
4. Belle.
1. It’s almost a tie so I’ll mention the two I bought at Henri Bendel’s 40% off perfume sale – Histoires de Parfums 1725 (hah! and my scent twin Lucas loves this one, too) and SoOud Ouris Parfum Nektar.
2. They joined their 3-digit siblings so I doubt I will use these up. They make good swap currency.
3. Best advice (or at least the latest one)…I bumped into the Unseen Censer at Bendel’s and as we were going around sniffing, she mentioned “this smells like something else I have” and moved on to others. I tend to like similar things but I will keep that in mind the next time in perfume retail therapy mode.
4. random comment – I am fancying Jessica Simpson Fancy — so good and so affordable…I am thinking about it 🙂
Do you know if that HB perfume sale is still going on? Didn’t see anything online about it.
It was part of the 40% Off Summer Sale. According to an email I just got today, the 40% Off Summer Sale is now the 50% Off Summer Sale although I don’t know if that applies to perfume. Since they’re downsizing perfume inventory to eventually only offer private label (by mid-July is what I heard from the SA), it’s probably a safe bet that the perfumes are still at least 40% off.
Ok. Thank you!
Oh holy smokes, thanks for mentioning this!!
Years ago I smelled a scent strip of Fancy Love and thought it was fabulous but couldn’t find it. Now I wonder if I would still like it or find it too sweet. I’ve seen it at TJMaxx, but can’t commit to purchase, even discounted. It’s too close to a blind buy and I feel like my taste has changes so much the last couple of years.
I smelled on paper at Macy’s; they are notorious for not giving samples unless you buy something although their SAs are definitely nicer than the Saks SAs (have I ever mentioned I hate them with a passion?). I’m angling for a sample somewhere.
I think I recall you mentioning something about the Saks SAs once or twice. 😉
I wish we had a Nordstroms in NYC!
They’re the best with sampling with how they provide canisters of spray vials for you to help yourself. They may not have the more niche brands, but I appreciate this smart and generous gesture.
Adore Nordstrom, but my local store discontinued the practice of making empty sample vials available. The SA told me too many people were pocketing unfilled containers…grrr!
floragal, I heard a Nordstrom will be opening a store in NYC…I just don’t know where and of course it may not open for a few years.
galbanumgal, come to think of it, those glass containers of empty vials are no longer within easy reach but you could still ask an SA to fill them for you. And I have never experienced them “running out”. My antidote to other stores pretending to not have vials available is to bring my own. I have a little plastic container with three 1.5mL dab vials and a strip of blank labels. When an SA gives me the pouty look and says the store had run out of vials, I would whip out my little plastic container and say no worries, I have my own. Half the time it works so it never hurts to ask…some of them say it’s against store policy which is kind of silly.
At my Nordstrom in So. Cal., they don’t have vials available for you to make your own samples, but if you ask, they’ll make a spray sample for you.
right, they’ll make you a spray sample if you ask, just preferred the diy method. My store has an understaffed fragrance dept, so sometimes I have to drag an SA away from one of the myriad cosmetics counters.
That’s a good idea to carry your own empties– I’ll try to remember that!
W57th! I completely forgot that that’s the plan for the new Nordstroms.
Not sure when but it is coming!
The Unseen Censer is SO GOOD at perfume shopping. She says “I just don’t love it” or “I already own something just like it” when a much weaker woman (ahem) would already be pulling out the credit card!
Not that I wouldn’t have enjoyed seeing you and Daisy, but it was probably good that I couldn’t meet up because Daisy is the WORST enabler of all and you’re next because I trust your nose.
Yay for a bottle of 1725 by Histoires de Parfums 🙂
Now we’re even more scent twins!
True dat!
1. Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli 30 ml (on its way to me right now!)
2. I think I will, since it’s only 30 ml, but probably not very quickly either.
3. Try (more than once!) before you buy. And rely too much on the listed notes to decide whether you should try a fragrance or not, especially when new to perfume (I was surprised quite often by my own tastes.)
4. I like TV series so much… To name only a few: Orange is the New Black, Homeland, Game of Thrones. Now that I am done with my studies, I hope I’ll get bad into books a bit more. Used to read A LOT, but somehow slowed down a lot too in the recent years (after having so many things you HAVE to read, once you’re done, you just want to do something else… hence the TV lovin’!)
I love Grand Neroli! It’s one of my summer staples.
Good Saturday Afternoon All!
1. Atelier Orange Sanguine
2. Absolutely! I am always spraying it! I love it!
3. Just because a perfume is expensive doesn’t mean its good; and just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it isn’t a gem! Let your nose judge for you.
4. I truly can’t remember the last movie I saw at the theatre / Betrayal by Naomi Chase / I want to start watching “Orange Is The New Black”; everyone I know has been raving about it 🙂
Have a great weekend everyone!
1. Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose. A bottle is so inexpensive.
2. I will use it up in time. I can’t wear it on skin. It is too effusive that way, but I love it applied lightly on fabric. It’s too bad it contains so much yellow dye.
3. Best advice on enjoying perfume: close your eyes.
4. I recently watched the movie “An Education” with Carey Mulligan. Chanel No. 5 makes an appearance at an important moment.
Just back from a visit to Perfume House, where I bought Ferre and Bendelirious. The former I will finish reasonably quickly, the latter sooner or later. Samples generally save money in the long run, although it doesn’t feel like it if you’ve bought an FB’s worth and still don’t have a lovematch. Catching up on Elementary, aka New York Holmes. Decided I like him better than BBC Holmes, as controversial as that might be.
1. What’s the last fragrance you purchased? Tuberose Gardenia, Estée Lauder (after reading a review here – thanks, Robin! – and sniffing a sample)
2. Do you think you’ll ever use that bottle up? Yes, yes, yes!
3. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about perfume? Never buy unsniffed, for sure!
4. What’s the last great movie you saw, or book you read, or tv series you discovered? Death in Paradise. I love detective series!
I adore Death in Paradise! I’m having a hard time getting used to a major change in the series. (I’m not saying what, because in case you’re not in the UK/Europe and are just starting to watch it, I don’t want to give you a spoiler). But I still love it — fun whodunnit plots, great scenery, attractive cast (in a non-Hollywood way, hooray!), charming Caribbean accents, enjoyable music…
I bought Cool Water because I loved how my coworker smelled in it and my husband loves ocean scents.
Maybe…..
Never buy unsniffed. However I recently bought two reasonably priced Ava Lux scents (Sweet Amber and Nag Champa) because I love her Sweet Patchouli. I have to say I scored!!! Love them!
My husband and I just started Master Chef on demand. We just finished Game of Thrones which I’m sorry we are now up to date.
My son and I just finished watching Master Chef Jr. Those kids are absolutely amazing!
We were just talking about Master Chef Jr. at dinner! My sister asked how Chef Ramsey was with the kids and I said I don’t recall any bleeps.
He is actually amazing with them. He is a father to a young son, and very supportive of the kids. Not the way he is with adults at all!!
He was! That youngest and spunkiest kid has a very bright future, along with the rest, but especially her. I hope her parents continue to encourage her passion.
1. Chanel Cristalle
2. Yes! Maybe this summer. I love and it and it’s a lighter fragrance so I spray with abandon.
3. Try the classics. You don’t have to like them, but try them. I bought a bunch of guerlain and chanel samples, and founds ones I loved, ones I appreciated, and ones I don’t get. But most importantly, I have a better reference point and better understanding of different perfume genres and notes.
4. I read Ethan Frome a few months ago. It is pretty bleak and depressing, and I really liked it. As for TV, I started watching old episodes of Futurama. It’s really funny and has interesting commentary on current society.
I love Futurama! The newer ones (when it was brought back by Comedy Central) are mostly not quite at the same level as the original run, but are still very good, and a few episodes are among the very best.
1. What’s the last fragrance you purchased? Terre d’Hermes Parfum.
2. Do you think you’ll ever use that bottle up? Yes, but it might take a while: I get headaches if I overspray!
3. Best advice: try it on skin first!!!
4. TV Series: I love Veep.
Veep leaves me laughing so hard that I’m crying!
1. Guerlain Herba Fresca
2. Yes – because I need many sprays and frequent application
3. Hmmm….not sure. All my perfume advice comes from NST. My own advice would follow many others listed today, don’t blind buy. My one blind buy is the only one I regret.
4. I have been obsessively watching Game of Thrones – almost an episode a night. I just started season 3, so still have many evenings ahead of me.
The last full bottle was Terracotta le parfum.
Not sure that I realistically will use that up as it is a large bottle but rather unique. May venture into trying to make decants for friends.
General advice from blogs
I am just finishing Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom and thoroughly recommend it. On a different note am heading out to see 22 Jump Street soon!
1. AG Mandragore edt.
2. Yes, I love Mandragore and was almost out of the bottle I already had.
3. Store frags in a dark and cool place. (Since I have an obscene amount of bottles, this is very good advice.) And then don’t buy unsiffed, although I do occasionally…
4. This is the best thing I have seen in ages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfniMkKF9qU
If this link doesn’t work properly, just go to youtube and look up Hishe “How the lego movie should have ended” And then go and watch all the Hishe “how it should have ended”. You will be laughing out loud and crying for joy that these little animations are so clever.
1. Gucci Rush
2. Probably. It was a replacement for a bottle I used up last year, one of only two fragrances I’ve ever finished a bottle of.
3. Sales Associates have one goal above others – to sell. They aren’t educators or friends, they depend on parting you with your money. Sure, you might find a nice one who does all three, but take his or her opinions and advice with a grain of salt.
4. Last summer I watched Broadchurch on BBC America. It centers around a very small, close-knit, coastal England town dealing with the aftermath of a child’s murder. It was the most emotionally stunning show I’ve ever seen. It was very successful; There is supposed to be another season and an American remake. The lead actor from the original, David Tennant, will be in the American version but if history is any indicator…well, I suggest anyone here who might be interested track down last summer’s BBC series one online.
I loved Broadchurch! I can’t remember having seen David Tennant in anything before, and I’ve just finished watching him again in The Escape Artist on PBS, which I loved as well. Watched both episodes all in one sitting, and the three hours went by in a flash.
David Tennant was The Doctor in Doctor Who from 2005-2010 and 2013.
I liked him best out of the modern Doctors. His facial expressions seem the most genuine out of them all.
I’ve seen David Tennant in many roles, but one of the first was in the BBC series Casanova (which is great!) Some Dr. Who fans refer to him as Dr. Yummypants.
My last purchase was a 5ml decant of Lorenzo Villoresi Dilmun, and I’m pretty sure I’ll use it up.
The best advice I’ve read is not to buy much (or rush into buying) when you’re starting out. I wish I’d come across that advice earlier.
I haven’t really found anything “new,” but I enjoyed the second season of Orphan Black, and am about halfway through Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, which is frankly pretty depressing (and prescient). I’m thinking of catching up with the True Blood tv series, which I gave up on two seasons ago, but as I recall it was summer-appropriate enjoyable trash. (I suppose it would be an example of our coursening culture, as opposed to Atwood’s indictment of it.)
Coarsening.
1. L’Artisan Ananas Fizz and Guerlain Muguet (they arrived on the same day). Oh, Donatella, I have many things to confess this quarter!)
2. I hope to come close, but realistically will prob start hoarding the scent at some point so I will *never* run out. Limited Edition behavior??!!
3. Best Advice: buy decants first and use the entire decant (or sample) before purchasing. Oh, an buy smaller decants 🙂
4. I’m reading Gillian Flynn’s first novel Sharp Objects and am really enjoying it. Also really like Gone Girl – it actually surprised me and it was nice to read something unexpected. Highly recommend. Heard these have been optioned for movies!
#3 is my big rule. It’s saved me a lot of money over the years. The only problem is when something is a limited edition. It’s hard not to feel rushed into making a decision. That’s how I ended up with a FB of Seville a l’Aube after barely sampling. No regrets.
I know, right? Those limited editions are problematic…. along with rumors of discontinuation.
Gone Girl is definitely a movie – the trailer is out. It stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike and is directed by David Fincher who I think does brilliant movies so am quite interested to see what he does with this.
Yes, Ben Affleck looked like the perfect Nick!
I would recommend Dark Places if you like Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. Also worthwhile is finding her interview from NPR about a year ago. It’s amazing that someone who sounds so normal, funny and nice can write about things so dark.
I have gone the opposite where if I can get a partial bottle, I would go for it instead of a smaller decant. My rationale is that it is still better than buying a full bottle unsniffed.
I could not put any of Flynn’s books down and unfortunately since I’v finished the three I have not found anything of the same sort. My favorite was probably Sharp Objects. She succeeds on all fronts: her plots are unpredictable and exciting, her writing style is superb – sophisticated but not showy, the balance between reflection and action is always spot on and of course the psychology of her characters is terrifyingly real.
Sorry for the gushing, but I don’t do it very very often 😉
Merlin, have you read any of the Justin Cronin trilogy? The Passage is the first – not the same as GF’s books, but riveting in a different way.
I just looked up the other Justin Cronin books. I forgot about The Summer Guest – one of the most lovely books I ever read. (not a thriller)
I’ll get kindle samples of them, thanks for the recommendation. I’m not necessarily looking for thrillers!
And I’m now close to finishing the sample and looks like I will have to click on buy… Riveting was the right word!
oh good! let me know what you think!
Ah, you sprung for Gurelain Muguet, CM? Pleas let me (us) know if it was oath it. I could not bring myself to buy but have an almost uncontrollable lemming going on.
Love Gillian Flynn. In a moment of madness gave Sharp Objects to my visiting brother in law before I’d finished, so will have to get another copy.
Bonjour everyone!
1. 1969 by Histoires de Parfums
2. No I doubt I’ll finish it as it’s the big bottle but I got a good deal on it and couldn’t resist
3. What I’ve found out in my 1 year of perfume obsession is that a ‘like’ is different to a ‘love’ and that is something that takes a while to learn so I understand the wisdom in taking it slow at the beginning – but I think when you’re fully in mania mode in the first 6 months that this is near impossible advice to follow!
4. I saw a really strange film recently by Jonathan Glazer starring Scarlett Johannson as you have never seen her before. It is very eery and slightly creepy. It’s called Under The Skin.
I’m catching up on classic TV and have finally watched The Wire after having it on my must watch list for ages. It’s as brilliant as everyone has said – definitely a must watch and some of the parts featuring the street kids are truly heart breaking to watch.
I read Under The Skin years ago so I know the story, but I’m still curious to see how they translated that into a film.
It’s also has quite an icy soundtrack that adds to the general unease! Definitely see it – it is one of those love / hate movies.
That is a seriously strange and thought-provoking book. I haven’t seen the film yet, but the trailers suggest it’s very different, at least on the surface.
1. Un Jardin sur le Nil
2. Certainly, it’s an old friend
3. I’m not good at following advice. I suppose it’s never buy unsniffed, but I have and haven’t regretted it so far.
4. I’ve recently read 2 of the Old Filth trilogy by Jane Gardam. I’m now anxiously waiting for the last volume. I love it.
Great books! I enjoyed all three and will probably reread them at some point.
I also reread the books I love. Some people never do, but, like fragarances, some books are old friends to me.
Oh, typo…fragrances of course.
I have only read the 1st, but really liked it.
1. Aqua Allegoria Flora Nymphea, I was sucked in by seeing a Guerlain for cheap at Winners
2. Not likely, I don’t recall ever finishing any bottle of perfume, not even when I was a 2 bottle girl
3. No blind buys (broken in question 1!)
4. Guilty pleasure…America’s Got Talent. I’m such a sap.
Haha, just re-read the question…I think I glossed over the “last great” part in question 4. I’ve been enjoying but won’t categorize this show as “great” 🙂
1. Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’Eau.
2. Yes! I only bought a 12 ml. travel refill and have been wearing it nonstop so far this summer.
3. Never say never. A complex perfume that doesn’t appeal on first sniff deserves several good chances over a period of time. However, a boring perfume isn’t likely to become a favorite the more you wear it.
4. Nurse Jackie! Edie Falco gives an amazing performance in this TV series and makes you forget she ever played Carmela Soprano.
I didn’t see a reply option for your comment above about your brother…wow! What an interesting career he has, and he does such beautiful work on that show.
Agree with your Nurse Jackie choice, though I’m far from caught up, since I watch via Netflix. She’s truly one of the most audacious series characters I’ve ever seen!
1. Last one was encre noir for my brother. That was Christmas… I don’t buy much fragrance.
2. He got hooked on vetiver and I’m pretty sure he will wear it forever!
3. Try things you wouldn’t normally like – it’s a good reference and sometimes you find a gem that way!
4. Not new in any way but I’m making my way through the x files! On season 7 now. I’ve recently been reading What’s the matter with Kansas, it’s light popular science but it’s also really interesting!
I’ve got What’s the Matter… on my Kindle and am looking forward to reading it (after I read Angela’s mystery!)
It’s very meticulous and thorough but still highly entertaining! I hope you’ll like it – in my case I was either to read What’s the matter… or Piketty’s capital in the 21st century and somehow the former had more of a pull 😉
Ha! You may be a kindred spirit… but my gloss on why I don’t need to read Piketty is the same one I had for The Perfect Storm and The Omnivore’s Dilemma… I have now heard so many interviews with the author, interviews with people who disagree with the author, and panels on the books…that I can literally quote from them although I never held a copy in my hands!
I like your number 3. It’s the same with clothes. It’s great to know what suits and what doesn’t, but if you only ever stick to what you think suits you, you may be missing out. When I started wearing pink toned clothes, just as an experiment, I was amazed at how many people told me how good I looked. Well, we’ll. ..
Absolutely! My next challenge is to find a Chanel I actually love – they just don’t feel like my type, too polished and aloof, but maybe that’s exactly what I need.
1. Santa Maria Novella Marescialla. I purchased it in Venice 3 weeks ago while on vacation.
2. Yes. It has all my favorites: rose, patchouli, & oakmoss.
3. Layer perfumes with lotion. I layered Marescialla with Rose Milk Skin Lotion last night. Beautiful and long lasting combination.
4. I Will Plant You A Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman. Its the true story of a holocaust survivor. God bless her.
Barqs, everything you wrote sounds fantastic…
1. SMNM sounds amazing
2. Love oakmoss
3. Layering is always smart; I start with the shower gel/body wash, then the lotion, and lastly the fragrance – makes the fragrance linger a lot longer
4. I used to be a 8th grade Reading / Lang. Arts teacher – the Holocaust was part of our curriculum and I have been fascinated with that period of time ever since; I will definitely have to check this book out
🙂
Thanks! I don’t know how the author found the strength to endure everything she did in the book. Truly inspirational!
I have to get hold of a sample of that SMN!
I hope you find it and enjoy it!
The last fragrance I purchased was Tommy Girl. I snagged it for a super low price at Marshall’s.
This may be the first bottle I ever use up because it’s very lovely and you have to use a lot to get the full effect. It’s also a very tiny bottle with weak longevity.
The best advice I was given regarding fragrance is to never trust the magazine strips. You need to wear a fragrance to tell if you really love it.
I recently discovered Dawson’s Creek on Netflix. It’s hideously soapy and corny but I can’t stop watching. The ultimate guilty pleasure show.
The last fragrance that I purchased was Burberry Brit EDT.
I will probably use up the whole things, because it is one ounce and a really easy fragrance to wear. I’m sure it will take me a long time to use it up, because it always takes me forever.
The best advice I was given about fragrance was never to use too much, as to not offend people.
I am a huge TV fan, especially comedy, and I just finished watching this hysterical British comedy called Peep Show on Netflix. I seriously recommend everyone check it out.
Peep Show is one of the funniest things I’ve ever encountered, the kind of show that makes you laugh out loud a week later just thinking about it. I need to get Netflix–I haven’t seen it since they stopped showing it on BBC America. It’s not for the easily offended, though.
FM’s En Passant (after some agonizing because the fragrance is so fleeting on me). I’ve been surrendering to Surrender to Chance quite a bit and discovered quite a few lovelies that I’ve added to my fictional “to buy list” (ha! as if!!) One frag I was certain I would love, and the hated, was KM’s Loukhoum. I kept retrying it and each time I regretted it.
The En Passant? Probably… I use a lot when I wear it.
Give up on vintage frags–its been a huge relief!
Am reading Master and Commander, which is hilarious and marvelous.. but my last really great read was Andrew Solomon’s Far from the Tree–whatever I say would be inadequate, but it is a beautiful book that tells very human stories…
SOTD is MFK’s Lumiere Noire pour femme
Holy moons, that Solomon book is worthy.
Oakland Fresca says:
28 June 2014 at 6:22 pm
” One frag I was certain I would love, and the hated, was KM’s Loukhoum. I kept retrying it and each time I regretted it. ”
LOL – Love love love Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum – different strokes for different folks!
You are in good company!
The perfume advice I always remember is Tania Sanchez urging readers of The Guide to avoid typecasting themselves. “Some mischief and surprise are needed to keep life fresh… If you are ultrafeminine, wear a man’s scent. If you are butch, doll it up for once. Live a little. Try it on. It’s only perfume.”
I do buy unsniffed sometimes, when it comes to vintage and rare perfumes. I tend to regret more what I’ve missed than the misses, which I can eventually sell or trade.
Your last sentence is great advice!
Yes, I buy unsniffed sometimes still, even though I regret it more often than not. It depends on where you live and what access you have to niche and rare, I think. Buying unsniffed can be okay, as long as you have have assessed the level of risk beforehand.
I love that advice of Tania’s! I’ve tried, and ended up loving, quite a few perfumes I would not have gone near otherwise!
1. A bottle of CB I hate perfume Dandelion I found at a Sally Ann for 4.99
2. It’s giant, but I figure I can make decants for swaps, etc? It’s milky and green and surprising and…doesn’t last very long?
3. Set a price cap for blind/weird purchases. Mine is around 5$. I figure I’d pay the same to sample the thing, no regrets. (Well, one, ugh Beyond Paradise, I was still very new to this)
4. I re-watched the movie Fargo and was surprised at how brutal it was compared to my teenaged memory.
I’ve been meaning to re-watch Fargo. I watched the TV series, and it seemed to me like it was darker than the movie, but I’m not sure if it’s just faulty memory.
Hi jjlook and sweetgrass! We’ve just finished watching the tv series of Fargo. Can’t say it was pleasant, but it was well done and compelling. We were on the edge of our seats all the time, nerves quite shredded and desperate that the “good” characters shouldn’t come to harm, but knowing there was no guarantee of their safety in that icy, dark world.
Now “looking forward” (if you can use that phrase!) to seeing the film as we understand it is quite different.
1. It’s been a while, Shalimar Ode à la Vanille
2. Sure. Shalimar goes fast here.
3. To spend my (limited) perfume money on samples and decants. So much fun.
4. Just discovered Vice, on HBO. Those guys are nuts.
1. Hermes Eau d’Orange Vert. A blind buy, guided by reviews on NST and others.
2. Very likely. I love the combo of the under-ripeness of the green orange, and the dry down that on me smells like skin after hiking through hot grasslands….exactly what summer is like where I live. And it does need to be reapplied frequently.
3. The best advice I got was from a SA at Saks in San Francisco, when I tried on Marni when it was just released: if it makes you smile when you smell it, it’s likely a purchase you won’t regret (Which isn’t to say that only perfumes that make you smile are a good fit).
4. Last great book, movie? …..hmmmm…. maybe I should spend more time reading books, less time reading perfume reviews….?
I’ve had the same thought (No. 4).
1) 100ml classic bottle of No 5 Eau Premiere.
2) Probably, I like it a lot even though I have 50% left of my 150ml bottle.
3) Hmmm – I’m really bad at taking advice!!!! LOL
4) The Pioneer Woman – Ree is charming and I like watching cooking shows.
SOTD – Shalimar Parfum Initial, due to reading yesterday of its discontinuation. Wearing it today I realize Guerlain was aping Chanel’s doing EP. Very nice!
1. Chanel No. 19 Poudre
2. Oh yeah , I’ll use it up and want more
3. When you are first starting out with perfume, hang on to your “hates” because within a year or two, as your nose matures, they may become your “loves”
4 “Chef” starring Jon Favreau – best movie I’ve seen in a very long time and a GREAT foodie movie with a fabulous musical score.
Chanel No. 19 Poudre is gorgeous!
“Chef” also looks like a movie I’d enjoy. Maybe over the 4th of July weekend I will see it.
1. A four piece set of Oscar, by Oscar de la Renta, $30
2. The fragrance, although it’s only 30mls, probably not. But I am very impressed with the bath stuff and the lotion, especially the lotion, which is really lovely. I’m sure I will finish these. The fragrance mini I will give to a friend.
3. Wear what you love. Pay no attention to anyone who says it’s dreck, or a bad reformulation. If you love it, it’s yours.
4. It’s winter here so I am re-reading my Maigret novels (by Georges Simenon). I never read these in the summer. For me it’s Raymond Chandler in the summer, Simenon in the winter. Classic English detective fiction any time. 🙂
So nice to see a mention of Maigret! Have read them all but don’t own them so don’t re-read them. I do own all of Raymond Chandler so those get picked up every few years.
I collect Maigret s, about the only thing I collect apart from perfume! They are so atmospheric you can ‘smell’ as well as visualise the settings.
Have you tried the Adam Dalgliesh series by PD James? Very “intellectual” British mystery series. I started reading them in my teens as a visiting relative from Ireland left a paperback copy and I have been hooked since (I am now 49!). I love that he is a detective by day and a poet by night. Reminds me of the duality of the real life poet Wallace Stevens.
I read all the books and also enjoyed the British TV series (there were two different ones — I liked the ones starring Roy Marsden). Not entirely true to the books, but definitely enjoyable.
Oh yes! I’ve been reading P D James for years too. I *think* I own all the Dalgleish books but I’m not quite sure. One thing I love about the Maigret books though is that there are so many! I don’t know whether I shall ever catch up with Robin, and read them all.
I love Maigret. I really fell for the French series with Cremer years ago, and am now reading the books.
1) Pre-reform bottle of Jicky extrait.
2) Hmm… might be tough, but I’m trying!
3) Acquire slowly.
4) I don’t know about “great”, but I’ve been on a mystery kick lately: Josephine Tey, Agatha Christie (haven’t read since jr. high!), Deanna Raybourn. All very good writers. Tey’s The Daughter of Time is especially recommended.
A few months ago I read I Capture the Castle from recs here. I loved it so am passing it on.
I love Josephine Tey (although for some reason didn’t take to Daughter of Time). Keep an eye out for an author called Nicola Upson, who has made Josephine Tey as a character in a series of crime fiction novels. Tey partners with a detective who is a cousin of hers and together they solve murders. Sounds dubious I know – the novels are a huge departure from from Tey’s actual life obvioulsy – but they are fun.
If she’s a good writer then I’m in! Thanks for the recommendation.
I have been trying and trying to get my son to read Daughter of Time. It is the only book of hers that I’ve read. I’ll have to look for others!
I went the used route on Amazon. You can get 3-in-1 volumes of six of her eight novels for next to nothing. Depending on availability you might want to also check Abe’s Books or Biblio (no affiliation, although I wish!).
Try the public library!
I agree, but for myself, I knew I wanted to own these as they are definite re-reads.
1. Do 9 mls of by Killian’s Rose Oud count? I hope so, because that’s the last thing I can remember buying.
2. Yes, I expect it to be gone by Christmas, when I hope to be buying the travel set.
3. Don’t blind buy and build your collection slowly. I really don’t want to have more than about 30 full bottles, so I really have to consider carefully before adding another scent. I usually make myself go through multiple samples or a decant first.
4. Just got done watching all of True Detective and loved it.
1. Van Cleef and Arpels Bois d’Iris
2. I think so….but I’m still fairly new at this.
3. Try it more than once.
4. Adam Resnick’s book Will Not Attend. A bitter, misanthropic guy relates some of the stories that have made him who he is, to hilarious effect.
Last buy was Terracotta and given that I have a tendency to love a perfume for a few months and then move on, probably won’t use up my bottle. Of course, I expect to live into my 90s, so it is theoretically possible that I will use up 100ml in the next 4or5 decades
Advice–only buy what you love
1. The last thing I purchased was a bottle of Montale Jasmin Full.
2. I am pretty sure I’ll use it up eventually, I love jasmine.
3. Sniff everything you can around you, try fragrances you hate in different seasons, keep to a perfume budget.
4. I haven’t read anything “great” lately but I am re-reading Deborah Harkness’s first two books (A Discovery of Witches and The Shadow of Night) in anticipation of the release of the third book, The Book of Life, on July 15. I expect a great summer read when it arrives.
1. CdG Kyoto – finally! It’s been on my buy list for a long time. Just got it today.
2. Who knows… I think if I do it will take a good long time
3. I know it’s been said already, but revisit! Tastes change, so revisit notes you think you don’t like or perfumes you didn’t think you were into. Also try anything. You might be surprised by something you didn’t think you’d like.
4. I’m loving Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO. I also recently binge-watched Battlestar Galactica (the 2003 reboot) on Netflix. Good stuff.
BG is such a great show 🙂 I think it is even better in retrospect, compared to some of the newer shows I start watching (and then usually stop watching, out of disappointment).
Bought Prada L’eau d’Ambree at discount shop and love it. It is winter here and it is such a comfort scent.
Will finish it for sure and tempted to stock up while the price is right.
I used to say don’t blind buy, after this purchase I am not so sure.
Loved True Detective…Mathew McConaughey (spelling?) can actually act. Also enjoy the JK Rowling books mentioned in an earlier post above, I am in the middle of The Sikworm.
L’eau d’Ambree is in my favorites rotation 😉
Love it so much I thought I’d try the shower gel and it’s just delicious, and a great way to end the day.
I know, long time no see & my answers are kind of late but I’ll answer anyway 🙂
1- miss dior blooming bouquet 2014, karl lagerfild 2014 & Trussardi my name 2014
2- of course I’ll be using them specially miss dior & trussardi but I doubt I’ll finish karl’s one as I’m sure I sniffed this scent early in my life, it’s something my mother used to wear when she was at my age now, I mean in her thirties but it’s fabulous anyway & the bottle screams lux
3- my mother always says don’t buy anything that you don’t want, I buy fragrances sometimes for the sake of the bottle cause I can’t resist the shape of it but I know it’s not good for my wallet so I quit buying scents in pretty bottles.
4- I’m into horror for all my life & I don’t really read books, I actually stopped reading since I was a student at college. I think truth 2013 starring Sean lockhart is such a good movie & Sean is always good looking guy & good actor too.
1. imperial tea (by Kilian)
2. in this case maybe, I bought the travel set
3. sample/test three times before buying
4. the TV series Miss Fisher’s murder myseries
I have been listening to the audio books. She is so saucy, just love her. Great series!
So true your #3 advice! Most of my mistakes have come from not testing long enough, falling “in love” after only trying a time or two.
Waiting for Season 2 of Miss Fisher (ordered from library) right now!
What channel is Miss Fisher on? Love a good detective series.
It’s an Australian production, I have the DVDs, but I think you could see it via netflix if you’re tech-savvy
Chiming in…Netflix has season 1, but so far not season 2.
Ooooh! Must be a new addition. Did not have it when I looked months back. But then again, Canadian Netflix is a different animal.
Thanks, Bee and Robin. Netflix it is.
La Panthère de Cartier. LOL
But I will finish it, I am sure of that.
Never buy unsniffed too. I did that for 100% Love and I couldn’t understand why Luca Turin loves it so much. I gave it away to a friend of mine. Don’t know if she is using it though.
Les beaux jours with Fanny Ardant.
1) Parfums MDCI La Promesse de l’Aube (at a discount!)
2) I like it enough to do so, but my collection is disgustingly large, so I might not get “the opportunity” so to speak
3) That you don’t need to buy every bottle you like. I’m actually surprisingly good at buying unsniffed, very few have turned out to be unbearable.
4) I hardly ever go to the cinema, but the last film I remember watching on television that left a huge impression was “No Country For Old Men”.
Nicolai l’eau MIxte
It’s the small bottle, so maybe. But I *seldom* manage to finish anything.
Wanting a new bottle + something you like Love. And only buy something you love. (Now if only I could do a better job of identifying love vs. short-term crush.)
I’m watching Orange is the New Black with my daughter. Kind of. Which is to say, I have a short tv attention span, and wander off regularly. I’m rereading Penman’s The Sunne in Splendour after sitting through the miniseries The White Queen.
In perfumed thoughts: Marni. I’m nearing the end of my travel bottle. Pondering a repurchase, as it turns out I’m enjoying this in the heat.
Edit: Wanting a new bottle + finding something you like Does Not Equal love.
Good one! So true.
Hi, I had a question for everyone: I’m trying to decide between the lavender scent of Woods of Windsor and the Crabtree & Evelyn one that is being phased out. The E&C one is on sale and half price, but even at half price it is substantially more than the W of W. I want it for a simple and natural lavender to either layer with Caron Pour un Homme and also just to wear for relaxation. W of W has much better reviews but that may be that it is surprisingly good given its low price category. Anyone have experience of these and/or any advice? Tks.
The best advice I remember reading was to only buy full bottles of perfumes that make you spontaneously smile. This allows me to bypass a lot of my convoluted deliberations 🙂
About the lavender – I know there are many gorgeous perfumes out there but I am actually wanting something simple, linear and relatively inexpensive…
Merlin – IMHO, you get the gold star for the best perfume advice of the poll! I need to remember it. Sorry I can’t help with the lavender, although if you want a superior lavender e.o., I can tell you where to find one.
I would certainly take you up on the e.o. but I’m sure South African brands are quite different and I prefer to get them from a shop than order on-line and worry about customs, etc. I’m currently using one by Escentia which I like very much… I probably should do some google research on it though, particularly since I am wanting to try a patchouli one too!
The ‘spontaneous smile’ was something once mentioned by another NST commentator (afraid I can’t remember the name). I do find it really helpful in that I think its ones very primary involuntary reaction to a scent that is most telling. This reaction can change from a negative to a positive but this is an exception rather than the rule and so its not worth buying a scent thinking that one will learn to love it.
Also, its not always the inner smile for me – sometimes I feel this rush of tension leaving my shoulders, or a sudden feeling of empowerment, but its the same idea!
Hi Rappleyea! I see you offered the same advice to Merlin. I’d love to know what your favorite source of essential oils is here in the US. I usually buy from White Lotus Aromatics (spectacular) but they’re top-of-the-line and my wallet is budget.
I might be too late to this, but I usually order from either Eden Botanicals or Liberty Naturals. White Lotus might have a little bit better selection of the more obscure materials, but I think both Eden and Liberty have somewhat better prices than White Lotus. Eden also has no order minimums. Liberty has a $50 minimum. But with this stuff, it’s pretty easy to blow through $50. I’ve never ordered from White Lotus, mostly because of the $100 minimum, though I know it doesn’t always take much to spend that amount.
Thanks, Sweetgrass!
Holly, sorry to be so late; I wasn’t on here all day yesterday. I hope you find this.
But to answer your question, I love both the quality and the prices of av-at.com (Appalachian Valley-Anatolian Treasures) oils. This guy was recommended to me by the Natural Perfumers’ Guild and they are some of the best oils I’ve found. They actually go directly to the rose farmers in Turkey to buy their rose e.o.
Depending what you’re using them for (I’m a practicing aromatherapist and therefore need therapeutic grade e.o.s), internatural.com’s own brand, Lotus Light, is pretty good and very inexpensive.
Holler at rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com if you want more. I can give you another half dozen sources. 🙂
Hi Merlin, that was me. 🙂 I remember you responding to my mentioning that, and I’m glad it fits for you as well. As far as the lavender goes, I’m not familiar with the C&E nor the WofW, but Yardley does a very inexpensive lavender that’s completely linear. I don’t know if it’s available in South Africa (I hope I’m remembering your location correctly.) Honestly, though, if you are after therapeutic effects as well, a lavender e.o is inexpensive and can be used as a fragrance as well.
Thank you for reminding me! I was just elaborating above on why I think this advice works so well. So thank you, many times over 🙂
I do have the e.o. and sometimes mix it with lotion or oil and I enjoy that as well. I have heard many mentions of the Yardley but unfortunately have not seen it here (yes, South Africa!)
I’m so happy my advice has worked for you, Merlin, and I appreciate your elaborating on it. You’ve been far more articulate than I could be, and what you’ve said expresses how I feel precisely.
Perhaps to make your life easier, go with the Woods of Windsor as it’s less expensive, has good reviews, and the C&E is being phased out. Who wants to get attached to something they won’t be able to find in the future?
Good point! Let’s see if I can avoid the big 50% off sign. Usually it has me whipping out my wallet like a pavlovian dog!
Well, let us know how it goes. If you’d like to try the Yardley, I can always send some to you. I’d be happy to. 🙂
What a wonderful offer! I actually have a relative in the UK at present so I may ask him to just bring me a little present 😉
But thank you!
I have a C & E jasmine soliflore. I love it. Based on that, I’d say go with the C & E. But I don’t own any WoW to compare.
Last perfume I bought was a decant of CdG Incense Zagorsk that I found at a rummage sale. Not sure if I’ll use it up–when I try it on, I keep wanting to sniff my arm, but then wrinkle my nose a bit each time. The cumin is pretty strong.
Best perfume advice–don’t buy full bottles until using up a sample/decant.
I’m a bit late to the party, but have been watching Orphan Black and LOVE IT!!!!!
1. Last purchase: Tom Ford Black Orchid
2. Doubtful. Sampled it a lot, but dabs do not approximate the spray effect. Probably a swap or gift candidate.
3. Never buy unsniffed.
4. Great book: You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto, Jaron Lanier. A thoughtful examination of how the web is transforming our lives, and with Doc Searls’ book, The Intention Economy, an exploration of how individuals can reassert their right to privacy, even when interacting, as consumers, with brands.
Now on to Diana Gabaldon’s latest for summer. SoTD a sample of BV Eau Legere. Liking it.
1. Last FB purchase was a slightly used bottle of Tabu I found at Goodwill for $15 in April.
2. Not likely to use it up, but who cares?! Easily already gotten $15 worth of fun out of it. (And I quite like it, to be honest!) I have drained and purchased new bottles of 3 or 4 scents so far, and I’m only 3 or so years down the rabbit hole, so I feel like I have a pretty good chance of using things up over time, unless they’re too unusual to be versatile.
3. Not sure I give much perfume advice. . . I *do* find that I enjoy encouraging my non-fumie friends to play and explore. Even if it’s just in Sephora, I think folks don’t realize the HUGE variety of scents out there. Just because something their mother wore wasn’t their style, doesn’t mean that there is a perfume or 50 that will sing to them!
4. Been watching OLD footage of Julia Child’s The French Chef (back in the black and white days), and I am LOVING it! She was so informative and non-fussy in the kitchen! Just watched her make an Apple Tart, and it fell out of the pan so horribly! But she just sort of mushed it back into place, sprinkled it with powdered sugar, popped it under the broiler, and made the best of it! By the end of the show, she’s comparing it to the intended outcome and expressing how much “fun” it is to have the comparison for her guests to enjoy!!! Love it.
I’m old enough to remember watching Julia Child back in the day when those shows were new! My favorite of her books is the sort of “Cliff Notes” version of her cooking: Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. I use her mayonnaise recipe all the time!
Have you seen the movie about her with Meryl Streep? Julia and Julie I think is the name. I really enjoyed it.
Mr. Spicebomb bought me a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas, which I love flipping through, but mostly find the recipes a bit much to try without an occasion to warrant them. I do love how instructive she is, though, and her wonderfully thoughtful/rational approach to technique.
My family does not agree on tv shows…we all watch different things for the most part. But all of us love Julia Child, even my teenage son. She’s a hoot.
She did seem to have mass appeal straight from the start! Today’s kitchen personalities can only hope to reach her level of charm some day!
1. What’s the last fragrance you purchased?
Well, just purchased some samples as I am trying to keep a rein on things. Tried Amouage Fate Woman and Tendre est la Nuit by Majda Bekkali and absolutely love them both. I would love to indulge on FB’s but then I would have live on the street for about 6 months 🙁
2. Do you think you’ll ever use that bottle up?
Oh Yeah! 0.7ml doesn’t last long 😉
3. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about perfume?
Try everything. But also my own advice to myself is the criteria that I MUST love every phase of the fume before considering a FB. If the opening is meh, but the dry down is superb, too bad for me, skip it.
4. What’s the last great movie you saw, or book you read, or tv series you discovered?
Saw the Grand Budapest Hotel which was hilarious and sad at the same time. When something stimulates conflicting emotions in the viewer, you know its good stuff.
As far as books go, a lighthearted “Deadwood” mystery series by Ann Charles has caught my eye and I am waiting eagerly for the next installment!
True Confession: I don’t actually want to finish any of my bottles. Since I went down the rabbit hole the only bottle I’v nearly finished is a 30ml of Paul Smith’s Rose. I’m trying to conserve the last few mls so that I can compare it to other scents. Since I’v come so close to finishing it I’v become reluctant to buy any perfumes in small sizes. My beloved Chergui has only about a quarter left and so I use it very infrequently since I always want the option of wearing it again, but also want further options and scents to choose from! My 93ml of Cristalle au Verte which I regretted buying (close to the beginning of the trip) after seeing many negative perfume reviews is another one that is approaching empty and which I now only infrequently use in order to preserve. On the other hand I am buying many – no doubt too many new scents…
Right from the beginning I heard people saying – 50mls – who could use 50ml? Why don’t they make them in less? I somehow got the strange impression that a bottle (once one had multiple scents) was unlikely to ever end and so it was a strange revelation that yes, they can empty! lol 😮
Merlin, I can sympathize with not wanting to finish a bottle! Especially with the constant threat of discontinuation, reformulation, limited editions, limited circulation, etc., etc, it can feel like you need to preserve what you have! OTOH, of course, the whole point is to have and enjoy our collections, so it’s there to be used.
Buying plenty, very large bottles seems like a perfectly rational way to protect yourself. 😀
I was actually admiring your constancy – finding particular scents you like, using them up and then getting more! I think it is a point of maturity I may not have reached!
I’m not sure it’s a matter of maturity as much as it is, maybe, snobbery? I only buy stuff I adore, that lasts most of the day, and that I think I can wear regularly. I guess I’m not a very good perfume collector, in that regard. Owning it to enjoy in the abstract isn’t enough for me. Neither is “cheap fun.” I’d rather own (and drain) a few Malle’s than settle for a dozen more affordable, but less satisfying, fragrances!
All that said, I still find myself “hoarding” some of my bottles–holding back from wearing a scent too many days in a row, say–out of some inexplicable desire to keep them! Eventually, I can usually convince myself I’m being silly and wear it anyway, but the urge to preserve causes me pause. And my ability to drain a bottle is certainly helped by the fact that I nearly always apply a solid 7 or so sprays of whatever it is I’m wearing!
None of your criteria sound like snobbery to me, lol! You want to adore it, have it last and for it to be wearable, all of which sounds like simple good sense.
What I meant by ‘mature’ is that it sounds like your interest in scent is very much integrated into your life – you know what works for you, and what is your style.
I think that most of the time I am too conscious of the scent; it can be too much the focus rather than the background which is why I become so restless and am always wanting a change! In that way I feel like I am still a bit of a toddler in the perfume world. I’m a little bit fixated on how (for example) doors work and have not yet managed to simply open and close them as I go about my life. And I want to conserve a little bit of all the doors I come across, lol!
1. Yesterday – Ecume de The Comptoir Sud Pacifique. Three days ago have got a lot of samples and decants.
2. I am not sure. I never tried this perfume, only read about this. But I live in a such small country where is not possible to test niche lines. So I order samples and then test and buy (usually decants, sometimes bottles). But I could not find a sample of this aroma, so bought a whole bottle, very cheap I guess. Fortunately I have a daughter, who always use scents that I didn’t like. 🙂
3. Try to wear the perfume for three days to open it’s secret 🙂
4. Not outstanding, but nice film “Out of Africa” with Meryl Streep.
Great #3!
1. Carnal Flower, 100 ml
2. With my perfume-eating skin, I need to spray with abandon and re-spray throughout the day, so it will be used up all too soon!
3. I’ve received a lot of bad advice (never layer! only spray the air once and then walk through, etc.) from a perfume museum official and perfume boutique sales personnel. So the best advice contradicts that and I’ve learned it here. I’ve also learned to first apply lotion or unscented oil to make scent last.
4. I’ve just started reading “Women who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I am savoring every poetic phrase and the content.
One of my digital TV channels is showing beginning episodes of the BBC comedy series “Outnumbered”. I’ve always loved this series, but there are many episodes I never saw. It is truly hilarious and brilliant and the child actors are completely natural. (My favorite is the one who plays Ben). The series ends this year and started in 2007. Highly recommended, especially for parents.
Jonette…you had an idea for a poll about gardening, didn’t you? I left myself a very cryptic note, and now can’t figure it out, what was it?
Here’s what I sent you:
I have a lovely smallish garden and had my gardener/landscape artist design it to be wildlife-friendly and have lots of sensory stimulation: colors/scents/textures/heights. As my perfume hobby has grown, so has my interest in the flowers that make up the perfumes I wear. I never consciously thought of this until recently, when my gardener said to me that my garden is turning into a “perfume garden”. I’ve just added 16 (!) super-fragrant roses, including “Evelyn Rose”, because Crabtree and Evelyn discontinued that wonderful fragrance. I’ve just discovered Tuberose through Carnal Flower and now I’m having Tuberose bulbs planted. My Tea Olive is due to flower this summer and I have numerous other fragrant flowers and scented greenery.
I’m wondering whether this idea might be good for an NST poll. Surely there are many of our members who also have “perfume gardens”. I, for one, would love to know what grows in their gardens and where they live.
For many years, I lived in city apartments and grew indoor scented geraniums, so the lack of an outdoor garden should not be an obstacle.
Ack, you emailed it to me, didn’t you? I thought it was a comment and have been searching & couldn’t find it. Sorry, and many thanks!
Oh, and I’m also planning to read my way through all of Donna Leon’s mystery series. I read the first 15 books and then didn’t read further. She writes a new one just about every year, so now it’s up to 23. They are well-written and make me long to visit Venice. Not being able to do that, due to my health, I will just have to eat more Italian food (which is prominent in all the books).
1) An older Tresor that was apparently supposed to be sealed and unused, didn’t arrive that way. Seller refuses to take back, says I am scamming, blah blah. Ya, I am trying to scam..that’s how I get all my perfumes you know:).
2) Nope, smells like nail polish
3) Best advice, Idk…it’s ok, I won’t tell Donatella about yours if you don’t tell her about mine? Srlsy though, it’s probably not to blind buy, idk.
4) SAD but such a good movie…The Book Thief, you will need your Kleenex though.
1. What’s the last fragrance you purchased?
Cassini by Oleg Cassini
2. Do you think you’ll ever use that bottle up?
yes!
3. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about perfume?
Never buy because you are seduced by the top notes. So many people get captured by those top notes and then can’t stand the drydown of the bottom notes. Just give the perfume time to settle down on your skin before you make an impulse buy from the top notes.
4. What’s the last great movie you saw, or book you read, or tv series you discovered?
The Invisible Woman – very good!
1. Three way answer. I’ve recently bought three scents : a gift set of Queen by Queen Latifah ,a 6 ml rollerball of MAC Turquatic both home and tried, and Jesus del Pozo In White that I blind bought……..for a whopping $1.25. I will not be shamed on this . It’s cheaper than purchasing a sample. Shipping was free too.
2. No clue. Most likely my collection will outlive me ( and I’m only 35 now!)
3. Wear what you love .
There is no gender in perfumes just marketing hooey.
If you love a scent buy at least one backup .
Try it on your skin.
Retry things in different weather / time of year/ hormones.
Keep samples for reference even if you don’t like something.
Ammunition cases make great sample vial holder/ organizers.
Never stop learning.
4. I’ve been watching Grimm seasons 1,2
1. I nabbed CDG Luxe Champaca EDT at an awesome price just last week and am ADORING it.
2. I probably will, even though it’s 100 ml – I wear 10 sprays at a time, at least. Am I mad?
3. Uhm. Don’t think I’ve ever gotten any such advice, really! But I keep telling myself to use it, use it ALL, before it goes stale. (Not that that’s a huge problem, as they live in boxes, in a drawer in a cool room.)
4. Fargo! The series. Wowee! What horribly awful and real people.
I’v wondering why the wind, coming from the cape, has been smelling so good 😉
1. Bulgari pour Femme
2. Probably not! I used to love this in the early 90’s – guess that must be when it came out, but I went through a horrible breakup in the middle of that decade, and I didn’t wear this for years. I just bought some, and I wore it every day for a week, and found myself getting more and more depressed! I think the scent is taking me back to that hard time in my life. So, maybe I will give it to my sister, who I know likes it.
3. Selecting scent based on the weather is more important for me here in intermittently humid, hot, rainy, bleak Michigan. Back in Wyoming, it was pretty much always dry, and sometime cooler than other times, so it wasn’t such a factor.
4. The Hurricane, the story is not totally sympathetic, but Denzel Washington is a fine actor doing a great job with some problematic material. Intense – best watched with a group of people to discuss the events in the film!
1. On the weekend I bought 1996 Byredo – 50ml. I absolutely love it, so –
2. Yeah, there is a good chance I might use it up. It is really good winter iris.
3. Advice – the whole male/female fragrance is a marketing ploy.
4. Good books – I really enjoyed Angela’s book – Lanvin murders, I also really enjoyed The Martian.
TV – I am catching up on some Good Wife, and others mentioned, I love Death in Paradise.
1. .5 oz bottle of Lucien Lelong Tailspin
2. It’s a small bottle and I like it a lot, so probably yes.
3. Make sure to test a fragrance both dabbed and sprayed before you decide to buy it. They are sometimes very different experiences.
4. I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I finally watched the movie “Argo” this weekend and was riveted.
I’ve been meaning to watch Argo.