Our standard open thread routine: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the vintage perfume you're looking for but can't seem to find, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Fetish Fruit [cropped] by digicla at flickr; some rights reserved.
Good afternoon Now Smell This!
Reporting clear skies and scorching hot weather in my region! The forecast says it will be getting more dynamic after the weekend, with storms and not so high temperatures.
I’m wearing Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum today. Pretty good, ideal for a summer day like this. I’m on a Guerlain kick lately as I decided to make a themed week on my blog. Guerlain won so starting upcoming monday Chemist in the Bottle will be all about Guerlain for 7 consecutive days.
Looking forward to your Guerlain themed week!
SO hope they manufacture some more of the Terracotta!
It’s selling on eBay for crazy amounts of $.
Is it so hard to find or did it already sell out?
Here in Poland it’s available in every Sephora at the moment.
The SA I spoke to said each main Guerlain stockist was given limited stock, so I thought that was the case everywhere. You’re very lucky! I think I got one of 6 bottles in West Australia.
So that’s the case. Now I understand that they were probably sold out quickly… Too bad.
Hi Lucasai,
I am wearing Terracotta today, too, and like perthgirl, I also hope there will be another release of this gorgeous gem. I love it beyond anything I have ever tried before.
Terracotta is the only fragrance with jasmine I have found that stays very floral on my skin. I am learning to like the jasmine fragrances that go in a sharper menthol/champhoraceous direction, but Terracotta, oh, it makes me smile.
If Guerlain doesn’t reissue it, someone would be my hero/heroine if they were to create something like it.
Congratulations on your recent blog and life achievements!
Tiffanie, do give a try to Parfums de Nicolai Musc Monoi. In my opinion it’s very similar to Terracotta Le Parfum.
Super! That is a genius suggestion, thank you. The Guerlain connection is everywhere!
Just checked out your blog. I had always imagined the Guerlain wearing gentlemen as a Maurice Chevalier type, rather than the rugged looking guy you have announcing the forthcoming Guerlain week. So I am really looking forward to a fresh view point on this very classic brand.
Hi Dilana! That guy has nothing to do with Guerlain really. I just wanted to make a funny announcement and I came up with the idea of creating a “Brace yourself” meme with that actor from Game of Throne
I am wearing Santa Maria Novella Marescialla today. It reminds me of my beautiful time in Italy last month. I tried it in Rome, couln’t get it off my mind, and ended up buying it a few days later.
My question is this: Is anything going on with Guerlain right now? I am asking this because both the local Sephora and Saks have pulled Guerlain products from their stores. Sephora still carries 3 scents, but no more makeup products and Saks said they are seriously scaling down on the Guerlain scents they will be carrying. I hope there is a simple answer because I love their classic scents as well as their newer ones, and hope they will be available in the USA for many years to come.
I can’t answer for any U.S. stockists, but Guerlain has always been really weird here in West Aus. We’re no backwater, but only the city stores of our 2 main department stores have Guerlain counters, and aside from makeup and skincare (not the full range either), the fragrance shelves might have about 6 to 8 choices, including men’s. Occasionally a couple boxes of Jicky or Vetiver might show up, but generally no classics apart from Shalimar, no bee bottles, almost nothing really. Except Insolence! Lol. I’d been talking to the SA in one store who told me the release date of Terracotta but when I rang they’d sold their 2 bottles. I called the other dept store, and a house SA found a bottle hidden in a drawer, but no advertising in either store it was like one needed inside information to know to ask. Weird.
It’s funny you mention Jicky. I’d really like to try that one now. A few years ago, I sniffed it, but wasn’t brave enough to spray it on me. Now, I feel ready, lol.
The only scents they have at my local Sephora are Shalimar edt, La Petite Robe Noir and Pamplelune.
I sent off for a sample online. I hope to have it next week.
haha! I remember calling Macy’s to see if they carried Terracotta. After about 1000 rings, someone finally picked up. I asked to speak to the Guerlain counter in cosmetics and they transfered me: Here’s the conversation:
Me: Is this the Guerlain counter?
SA: Who are you looking for?
Me: The Guerlain counter… in cosmetics.
SA: This is cosmetics. May I help you.
Me: I’m looking for someone who knows about Guerlain Terracotta.
SA: Is that a person?
Me: It’s a brand, you know, like Chanel or Lancome.
SA: Who are you looking for?
Me: Someone at the Guerlain counter.
SA: Is that a person?
Me: No, I’m want to speak with someone about a Guerlain perfume.
SA: Is that a girl’s name?
Me: It’s a brand. Guerlain. G-U-E-R-L-A-I-N.
SA: What department does she work in?
Me: Guerlain is a brand of cosmetics. They sell makeup and perfume. I’m looking for a particular scent and want to see if you carry it.
SA: Who is it you’re looking for?
Me: I’m looking for someone at the Guerlain counter.
SA: Is that a girl’s name?
….
That’s awful. I can’t imagine Guerlain would be happy to here that.
How frustrating for you!! However, must be the funniest thingI’ve read all day!
I am sorry, but that is so sad and pathetic it’s almost funny. I feel bad for you that you had to experience that. I used to work at Dillard’s a long time ago and the cosmetics / perfumes SA were never placed in one particular area. It is the same for Macy’s, Palais Royal, etc. They would tell one girl to report to Clinique and then another to go to Lancôme. Estee Lauder and MAC are the only ones who hire their people personally and place them in specific malls. No one from Clinique can come over and sell their products. In your more high end stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Nordstrom, those SA are SUPPOSED to be trained and know their product
It used to be in Macy’s and other department stores (even in Malls), the sales people in the beauty department actually worked for the brands, not the store, which was it was so hard to get someone to ring up a product from a counter which was unstaffed.
However, even “trained” SA’s are usually just regular folks, (sometimes people working at the counter’s as a second job), not people as passionate about perfume as the people who read and comment on the blogs. Yes, you would expect someone working at Sephora to know whether they had a Guerlain counter (just as I would expect a grocery store employee to be able to direct me to where I can find pectin). But I don’t expect the department store SA’s to know the history of their brand or products not stocked on their shelves. Why would they, if it is a product they will not be able to sell.
And, I don’t expect to be able to fill sample vials from a department store anymore than I would expect to “sample” any food from the grocery store which they are not offering at a sampling counter.
Happy Saturday! I am extremely tired this morning because I was at one of the most amazing concerts last night. I went to see Beyonce and Jay-Z’s “On The Run” tour. It was fantastic. And of course they advertised her new fragrance coming out.
My SOTD is Cherry Musk by Ramon Monegal. The dry down to this fragrance is so elegant. Have a great weekend everyone!
So glad it was fun!
Miss Balmain Extrait, a bottle which had been in the back of my closed since (I hate to confess this,) the Reagan administration,
Is that a bad thing? 🙂 im sure there are many of us out there wishing for a Johnson administration one in our closets 🙂
Oh, wow, I bet you smell fantastic. I’ve only ever smelled the more recent formulations of Miss Balmain, but I’ve always like it better than Jolie Madame (again, the current stuff).
This was the first time I opened the bottle in years. Very rich very heady,
Does anyone else find department store perfume shopping particularly loathsome? I often like to wander into stores such as Macy’s when I am at the mall to sniff around their perfume department, but always find myself bombarded by over zealous sales-clerks. I understand it is their job to encourage fragrance purchases, but often their encouragement edges on badgering. Even though it is a bit of a trek for me, I much prefer shopping for fragrance at Ulta or Sephora, where I am free to sniff undisturbed.
I hate being asked by 6 girls in 15 min if I need help, but when I ask a question no one ever has any clue what I’m talking about. :-/
“Yes — do you know anyone here who knows her job?” Bet that sounds mean, and I’ve even had my morning coffee. I do like competence, though…
Hehe I was going to write the same thing! 🙂
Agreed. Nordstrom is the only store where they leave me alone, and with a bucket of empty sample atomizers to use. Love them! Got a number of samples at the Nordstroms in Chicago this week.
Macy’s, Saks, Barney’s, Bergdorf – they all are incredibly annoying and I need major patience to step in for a sniffing session.
Sephora is great, and always easy to get samples. Just wish they carried niche brands.
I’m still stunned by the whole empty vials for samples thing. Getting almost any sample at all here is like asking them to donate their blood or first born :-/ There might be a very small chance on a new- release, other than that, forget it. Having once worked as a loss prevention officer, i know their policy considers bringing your own container theft and after a first warning the cops will be called..
I suspect that providing empty vials is an American practice. In SA it would NEVER happen. But then again – I guess its premised on the idea that it will draw more sales than losses and that is based on a relatively affluent population.
It really is smart business. I may not buy my perfume at Nordstrom’s, but their generosity stays with me and I definitely spend more money with them than any other dept store.
Caroline: YES! We only have a sad bottom tier Macy’s in our area about 25 miles from where I live. It is such a dismal experience of either not having releases, having no testers, or just the vulture SAs (which I can sympathize – they don’t appear to have much traffic in sales). If I go there its only to stock up on Chanel frags, which can’t be messed up, etc.
Ann- we definitely miss out by living in the boonies!
I know – the only blessing is swaps and free shipping offers from retailers.
My local Macy’s recently started putting many of the testers behind glass, so now you have to ask for them. Yuck.
Seems very tacky! I always felt testers were meant to be….oh…you know, like… tested? Does each store have to pay for their test bottles? Does not seem like a great way to reel in customers…. ):
They do it here too. I used to work in store security I’m not really surprised seeing how many testers get stolen..
Wow! That’s just dumb.
I have noticed that too, especially with newer releases. I wanted to smell the new DKNY scent, but no way was I going to ask a sales clerk, and then proceed to get pressured into buying a bottle.
I have to drive *50* miles to even get to a Macy’s! Closest I’ve got is a Belk, and they’re like, Every Single Estee Lauder In Current Production!! plus allllll the celebuscents – and limited everything else, including Chanel. The only Guerlain they ever have is Shalimar.
OTOH, my “local” Macy’s never bugs me in the perfume section. I have to hunt down a SA to locate the testers for me sometimes. (The makeup people are the vultures. canihelpyou canihelpyou pleasespendmoney… which means the poor people are probably desperate for incentive pay.)
Sorry. Whining. 🙁
No, winning is OK on this question…. My fav spot for trolling for new celeb scents is the local Kmart. You just never know what may be redlined!!!!!
I once asked a SA about a certain scent (can’t remember which) and had her shove a dozen irrelevant samples in my face in under three minutes – and she was spraying each piece of paper a good 3-4 times. In desperation, I asked for a sample of one of them so I could flee, upon which she told me she didn’t have any but she would spray it on top of the perfume I was wearing (‘It’s fine’) or that the smell on paper was all that mattered. I told her I wasn’t buying a perfume that I hadn’t tried on my skin and then she proceeded to tell me on which days/hours I could return to buy the bottle from her.
Horrifying then, but hilarious now. I didn’t set foot in the entire department store for six months, convinced that this woman was waiting to hunt me down!
Ugh. Too pushy for my taste. If they want cusomers to return and buy a bottle, they should be handing out samples a little more freely.
I deal with the manager @ my fave counter, and she always says, “You need to live with it for a few days….”
Thanks to blogs like this I’ve completely abandoned all actual store perfume shopping (along with much other in-person shopping). I now get to read reviews by people who are authoritative, educated and opinionated, buy decants or sample sizes, try one per day and take my time thinking about it. So no more being rushed, trying to fit squirts up my arm because I won’t be here again for a while and surely I’ll remember them all, being pressured to buy, being reluctantly offered a paper strip, being stalked by teenage SAs because clearly I’m about to shoplift Daisy right off the tester shelf, being targeted by brand spruikers who think I’m a soft touch because I look vague (where was that beeping escalator again? where did they move Guerlain to?) The best perfume reviews are like the best art reviews: the author uses her/his language skills both analytic and poetic to articulate something inchoate but real. And not only do I find this writing as enjoyable to read as a novella due to the inevitable digressions, it’s also useful. So, cheers. I’m wearing a first for me today: simultaneous Black Cashmere both fragrance and garment!
Slept in, and ready for a full day of leisure – so need it!
I’m currently wearing Cuir de Lancôme as I had a floral/ leather craving. It’s at the one hour mark and just a delicious blend of soft, worn in leather with florals and amber.
I may switch it up later today as I head out for an evening with the gals.
Wishing everyone a super weekend!
Such a great scent! It’s really a shame that they discontinued it. I have my bottle (and backup) because it’s sooo good!
Me too, although it’s not coming out again until the autumn.
Love Cuir de Lancome. I had put it away until fall, but it’s only 70F and rainy here today, so it would probably be lovely.
Good morning all! One enabler pin to Jonas, who already this AM has prompted me to take the plunge on 100ml of Eau Rose! I really should have tested it more extensively–I had not cared for initially but then yesterday in the summer weather, it was such a delight! Probably a third test would have been wise, but it was half off, but only for a matter of minutes… that’s how they get ya 🙂
Wow that was close. I hope you don’t regret it.
You know, I did break my “three tests before you buy” (or better yet, finish a sample!) rule, but once I realized half-off meant getting the full bottle for the price of a rollerball–I think it’ll be hard to regret taking advantage of that deal! At very worst, maybe I rehome some decants via swap. Thank you so much for the head’s up!
I recently got Eau Noire which I adore, but my boyfriend doesn’t like it and I know from reviews and forums that he is not alone! I’m thinking I may have to keep it for when I am at home alone or otherwise just wear a tiny bit that others are unlikely to perceive. Does anyone else adore perfumes that are widely abhorred. I don’t mean stuff which is just generic, or which perfumistas dislike, but juice that repels others? lol!
I love Eau Noire Merlin I think you made a great choice 🙂 I’d get some too but Sydney is a long way away.
I can see why some people would be repelled by it though. I guess…
I love Bandit but I’ve never worn it near my b/f. I guess I presume that most people find it difficult, although he’s never vetoed anything I’ve worn maybe he just suffers in silence and knows that tomorrow will be a new one.
I also never wear ‘perfumey’ vintage frags near my sister who loathes them.
It’s truly wonderful, and I don’t find it ‘difficult’, simply cos I like it, but I would say it is a little unusual 😀
My husband loathes roses, but I never give up trying to win him over.
Avoiding rose completely would make perfume shopping very difficult!
Oh sure, but I don´t even avoid rose soliflores… The man married a woman, now live with it! 🙂
Too true! And really, the smells from them we have to live with are nowhere close to roses 😉
lol! Absolutely!
SOTD = My Inner Island Vaniglia Rhum
Love it! I was going to be monogamous with Atelier Cologne Cedrat Enivrant but when I smelled this at a store in Boston, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I just have to have it.
I am now waiting to board the ship for my cruise! Have a great weekend and week ahead y’all!
Enjoy the cruise!
Vaniglia RHum even sounds like a cruise perfume. ENjoy!
Have fun on your cruise!
I think I’m falling for Aziyade which is a sample you sent me. I tried it a while back and thought it was okay but the other day, oh my, it really smelled good.
Have a lovely time, and can’t wait to hear all about it. Smell great!
SOTD La Fin du Monde SOTE mcQueen My Queen
I’ve been sitting in front of my collection, housed in a 3 shelf bookcase almost totally full (+ decants and samples) and for the first time ever felt it’s a bit excessive. There are so many I love but don’t get to wear often enough due to all the others, and too many I never wear at all because I like other ones more. Yet I don’t want to get rid of any (maybe about 5 I’d never ever miss), and I know there are a few out there Id still love to own.
Is perfume collecting a legitimate collection considering they do eventually turn?
Of course it is a legitimate collection! If you have accumulated many things of a similar nature then it is a collection regardless of utility or eventual state. Of course, if you only collected turned perfumes then you might be considered a little strange unless you were a bottle collector
It’s a good question.
When we think of those that are collectors, whether it be stamps or old cars or baseball cards, not only is there enjoyment for various reasons but there is a future value that makes it also an investment.
As a perfume collector I’m not sure I view perfume as an investment that I can sell for much more later in life, and as you rightly say, fragrances can turn. However there are some vintage perfumes that do get amazing amounts of money, but I still don’t understand how one knows its worth that money.
So is it more of an indulgence (hence your phrase “a bit excessive”) or is it a legitement type of collecting?
I think it’s the rare collector of anything who recoups their investment without a stroke of luck or careful planning with investment in mind. My grandmother tried to sell my grandfather’s stamps after his passing, and found none were worth any more than twice face value, and most were good only for sending mail. But they made him happy for many years!
There may be a question of whether collecting anything is legitimate, given that it means owning more of something than one truly needs. But that’s a dark hole it may be better to avoid!
So are you thinking that a ‘collection’ has to be of something permanent, that does not deteriorate? Nah. Everything fades, disintegrates, dies … at some point. What about gardeners and plant collectors? They never ask themselves that question, I’ll bet. Anyway, you aren’t just collecting perfume, but the experience of wearing it, and all the history and culture that goes with it.
Thanks for the input 🙂
It’s the first time I’d ever really questioned it, even though perfume is ‘my thing’ and im happy with that. Mainly due to the size of it- there are many, many bottles there, and also because being in Aus, and the farthest city in Aus, being able to swap and share is a very limited option, and I think being able to do that is part of the enjoyment of having it all.
Maybe I need some Aussie fume friends… 🙂
Are you on Facebook Perthgirl? Aussie Fragrance Network is fun. People buy, sell and swap quite a bit. It’s a closed group but you only have to ask to join.
Yes I am on FB. I had wondered about that but wasn’t sure how to join, as it said by invite only or something. Do I just send a msg saying please let me in? 🙂
Yep, there should be a link saying ‘join group’, or something like that. You should get a reply back fairly fast. I remember feeling rather self conscious when I first joined, but it’s a nice group of people. 🙂
Good Morning NSTers! I have a question: I’ve noticed that I can no longer detect some favorite scents after initial application. I know they’re there – I “remember” the sillage from when I first got the so I know I’m not anosmic to that scent – and I know they last quite some time. But in many (too many) cases, I can’t detect anything about 5 minutes when I used to be able to smell the whole development.
This happens even when I haven’t worn a scent in a long time (a month, a couple of months). And I noticed that I’m becoming accustomed to scent even faster – I get a new scent and wear it a few times and then poof – can no longer detect it. Even (new) scents from the same house (i.e. Guerlain) go into stealth mode almost immediately.
I understand what’s happening – I’m becoming used to the scent – but how do you reverse this? Am I doomed to miss out on my favorites forever? They are my favorites for a reason and I want to enjoy them! I’ve tried going perfume free for a week – tough – and that didn’t really help. Thoughts? Ideas?
Oh that’s tough. I don’t know, switching to different scents would have been my suggestion. I’ll be curious to hear if others have ideas!
This happens to me a lot, so it’s good I have a lot of frags to rotate. It is a particular problem for frags I think I might have a musk blocking issue, so I always need to watch that as well.
Sometimes if I haven’t worn a perfume in a while I have trouble smelling all of it the first time, again, that I wear it. And then the more often I wear it the better I will smell it. It’s like the opposite of the becoming-accustomed-to-the-scent type of anosmia. But in general my sense of smell fluctuates wildly…
Is your sense of smell diminishing in general? If so, you may want to see a doctor since that can be an early warning symptom of a number of issues.
As for perfumes, have you made a change in lifestyle? It may be that you used to sit in a warm place, or a car with closed circulation which let the perfume waft up to you during the day. It is also possible that for some reason you have become ansomic to middle notes but can still detect top notes.
Do you wear scarves? One good way to test might be to spray a scarf instead of your skin. During the day you should get a small whiff from the scarf since it would be close to your face.
I’m sorry this is happening to you. In addition to the suggestions already given, maybe your body chemistry has changed? With most scents I have found that if I apply on freshly showered skin it stays true(r) to what would be on a blotter, develops normally, and lasts at least half the day. If I apply when I have not yet showered for the day (or at the end of a day when I haven’t showered since morning), my skin tends to eat the perfume up. It goes on pretty ripe then disappears. This is especially true in the summer heat and humidity when my skin tends to be more oily.
Other things to consider – How’s your sense of taste? Has that changed at all? Can you still smell something like fajitas placed in front of you? Can you detect the ripeness of a peach by smelling? Also, do you have outdoor allergies? They are particularly bad across the US this summer. (My doctor explained that because the winter was abnormally cold and long all the pollen, etc. came out at once instead of the usual gradual pace and hit people hard.) Do you have any deep congestion? Sometimes there can be no cough nor runny nose, yet way back in between the ear, nose, and throat lies a bunch of icky stuff that will affect your sense of smell.
I hope you are able to figure this out. Good luck.
I’m sipping on a recent discovery – rose lemonade. Slightly unusual, but rather nice, a refreshing pale pink lemonade with a hint of Turkish delight.
Haven’t decided on a perfume yet. I think Ta’if might be nice, or I might just wait until the evening and put of a spritz of Lyric.
I’m also trying to decide if I should take advantage of Amazon’s discount offer and finally buy a Kindle Paperwhite.
I vote for Ta’if!!! It is the most amazing rose ever! I think my HG of all roses, and I have a ton. I like Lyric too, but it has too much of a honey accord and is just so rich that I feel suffocated when I wear I sometimes. Ta’if is rich too, but to my nose, it is more shimmering and effusive than Lyric. Both are very good.
A friend has a Kindle, not sure which kind, and is in love with it. Think her boyfriend’s jealous…
I dig my Kindle. It’s the very basic one that they were selling around Christmas 2012 for $79 (now $69, I think), probably not as nice as the Paperwhite, but I do okay with it. There are some books I “need” to have in hardcover, and some I’d rather have on the Kindle, but often I find that the digital version is even cheaper than some paperbacks.
Love my kindle. It’s an older one though. I’ve been considering the paperwhite one but I think I’ll keep my vintage one until it dies. There’s no real reason to replace it yet.
I had a standard Kindle for a couple of weeks, but sent it back because I realised that wanted something that I could read with the lights off. I got an iPad mini and thought it would do the job, especially since I can read on both Kindle and iBooks apps. Of course it’s relatively heavy which is why I’m back to considering a Kindle.
I think the newer Kindles… or maybe it’s the Paperwhite?… have a built-in light. I just use a clip-on book light. 😀
Once I got a stand for my ipad mini, I pretty much set the kindle aside. Agree it’s heavier though.
I adore my kindle. I have a 2nd gen and it’s so convenient for travel. I spend a lot of my day staring at a backlit screen (computer, ipad, etc), so regular paper or a kindle screen is a great break ( so I can’t comment on the Paperwhite). One of my favorite ways to use it is in conjunction with the site “Instapaper”- if i’m surfing the web and see a long form article I want to read later, I can save it and then download several at a time on my kindle. For travel, it’s like a custom-made magazine. I’m also intrigued by this new kindle unlimited they just rolled out. Book-wise, I mostly use my kindle for the classics (which are free) or to read sample chapters of books I’m thinking of reading (so I know if I want to walk “all the way” to the library next door!)
Now, tell me how to make rose lemonade!
Ah, I’m afraid the lemonade was shop-bought. Fentimans is the the brand here in the UK which makes it.
Hee, hee. I was going to ask for the recipe, too! I live in the U.S., and I’ve seen the brand — Fentimans — that Abyss mentioned below at BevMo and CostPlus World Market. I don’t think that I’ve seen the rose version in a store yet, or I would have already tried it 🙂
Could you make lemonade then add a bit of rosewater, the stuff middle-eastern shops sell? I think orange flower water would be delicious too 🙂
I ordered it now. Amazon promised to deliver tomorrow if I also take out a free Prime trial which provided the final push. I expect it will come in handy during my upcoming holiday.
Congrats Abyss! I’v had my Paperwhite for about a year and I’m so much happier with it. Despite many high book shelves I was somehow always lacking space for books. I find physical formats to be somehow clumsy and lacking in economy. Whenever I went on holiday it was stressful deciding which books to take and which to leave behind. And of course my suitcase was always too heavy because I would be worried about wanting ones I didn’t take, lol! Also, at times I find the presence of shelves and shelves (or piles and piles) of books to be somehow oppressive.
Now I have a library stored in my one modestly sized kindle. It really is amazing!
I totally agree. I got a Paperwhite for my birthday this past May. I can pop it in my purse and take it with me wherever I go. Ordering the books is a lot cheaper than actually buying a hardback. I still like hardbacks, but my Kindle is so much more efficient. I’m just trying to keep up with technology. Lol!
Oh Abyss, you will love the Paperwhite Kindle! It is so compact and easy to read. I gave my older version to a friend and never looked back. Enjoy!
I rolled on some hippie shop sandalwood oil this morning. I like it! I am not one to layer- but I think this would make anything a little better.
An impulse purchase. Subtle, but can be detected for days after application. You can’t scrub it away.
Spritzed my sample of Caleche this morning–have no idea whether this is the edt or soie de parfum–obtained at Nordstrom last yr.
It is soapy, but I like it better now than I did initially. Does anyone know if there are marked differences between those 2 concentrations?
I own the Soie. It is the best formulation for me. It seems to have more depth. I think it smells richer.
The Soie smells quite soapy to me, in a good way. Fine milled luxury guest soap.
Splashed on Kai dry oil with abandon. Going to see how long it lasts on its own.
How did it do?
Several hours, so not bad at all.
Wearing vintage Samsara. Huuummm.
Yum. My mum finally handed over her big bottle of edp from 1989. I’m surprised there’s still so much in it because that’s all our house smelt like for months!
My dad always bought her perfume for Christmas but it’s the first time I ever remember her buying one she wanted for herself.
This stuff is strong! I have a half 75 ml bottle that apparently will last forever!
My SOTD is a tester I scrounged of the Aerin Lauder Evening Rose after the comments I got the other day. I can’t decide what to think, and now it makes sense to me that the few reviews out there are kind of all over the place. It is very nice, but smells A LOT like the SSS Rose Musc (though not as well developed) and the dry down (or extremely light application) of Del Rae Bois de Paradise. Also a lot like Keiko Mecheri Attar de Roses, that I nearly bought a few years ago. Hmmm – rose conundrum! Evening rose is nice, but on my has zero sillage. I can only smell it if my nose is pressed right into the spot I dabbed. I’m wondering if there is a musk blocking issue….
I had an interesting revelation this past year (after years of collecting fragrances): I am more excited when I finish a bottle of perfume than I am when I purchase a bottle of perfume. Is that weird?
I love finishing bottles too. I get some weird sense of accomplishment from it.
Not weird at all imo… Think of it this way: How often do you buy a bottle, compared to how often you finish a bottle? If you’re anything like me, finishing is much more rare than buying!
In fact, I don’t know if I have ever finished a bottle. as soon as it looks like it’s running low, I feel the need to conserve, and switch to another bottle.
Agree, gives me a very intense feeling of satisfaction!
I was wondering whether this sensation varies depending on how much you like the scent. I can see how the fact that every ml was used is a satisfaction, but what about there being none left (even if you have back up bottles, its still one bottle less left!)
True, but you’ve made room for another bottle of perfume that needs to find a home. There’s so many bottles out there sitting unloved waiting for someone.
Sigh, will our work never be done? 😉
No, Marko, I feel something similar. It is because I have a more than sneaky suspicion that I have waaay too much perfume. So when I finish something, it feels like it cancels out some of the insanity. I guess perfume is my thing, so it’s ok, but I do know that I will be outlived by bottles and bottles I would never be able to finish. Every now and again, when I outlive a bottle, I feel somewhat excited.
Exactly! The whole “…cancels out some of the insanity” is spot on. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. I finished 2 bottles this year, so I’m 2-times less insane than I was at the beginning of the year…..I like that….
😉
“Two-times less insane” – I love that!
I am wearing AC Vanille insensee. I love it. It’s so smooth and not sweet at all which is perfect for me cause I love vanilla but don’t want to smell like a cupcake.
Right now, I’m looking forward to trying a bunch of samples I ordered from lucky scent. I am especially excited to try Avignon and Kyoto.
Vanilla Insensee is wonderful, isn’t it? I love the CDG Incense Series that I have tried. They are all so fresh, like incense without the smoke (not that I don’t like smoky incense, I do). I find all that I have tried very wearable in the heat, especially Kyoto.
SOTD is Une Nuit Magnetique by The Different Company. Plucked from my 25-vial grab bag of samplers. I don’t think this one and I will be friends – I’m finding the blueberry note (or maybe the blueberry combined with something else) a little nauseating.
I haven’t had the internet for the last three weeks so I’m happy to be back and indulging in some perfume reading 🙂
If I may throw out a question: what does everyone like to do with their samples/decants as far as using them? Do you splurge on spray vials? Just use them as dabbers? Transfer them to atomizers? Can you even transfer .5-1 ml samples to an atomizer and get more than a couple of sprays? Do you ever start with a dabber vial and then upgrade to a spray vial, or do you just head out and buy a full bottle?
I’m pretty new to the decanted vials and samples, and as I’m checking out more niche brands (and non-discounted full size bottles!) I am curious as to what other people do to try to make sure they’re buying a full bottle of something they *love* 🙂
If I have a choice I go for a spray vial (especially since some of those non-spray vials are vile to get the lids off), but personally don’t feel it’s worth doing any transferring. Just spent $100(!) on a batch of indie scent samples, so I am very much hoping I fall in love — also, that there’s a discount if I go ahead with a full bottle.
I just did $120 on Surrender to Chance’s July 4th sale – *after* the discount code – so you’re in good (bad? HA) company! The sprays are so nice but they can get expensive for something you’ve never smelled – Portrait of a Lady was almost $18 for a 2ml vial…but I decided hey, I’m never going to buy the $350 FB so why not have a little something for special occasions 🙂
Hopefully I’ll get better with picking out which deserves a spray-vial splurge as I go along 🙂 Thanks for the input!
Hope you wind up with some wonderful things in the samples you’ve just purchased 😀
$18 for a 2ml vial? Ouch! Hope you have good sample luck too…
applebite – love your screenname
I let very few perfumes touch skin; I apply via spray and walk into the mist or I spray high enough above me that may hair gets the perfume and a fine mist on skin. While my preference is to get spray samples and decants but quite often there is no choice; as such, i usually end up purchasing multiple vials of the same perfume and then transfer them to my own atomizers.
Thank you 🙂
Interesting – how many samples/ml do you take to fill an atomizer? or have it at a usable level, at least? Some decants I am sad that I miss the top notes, but others don’t have strong enough middle/base for me to feel like I’m missing out. Also can I ask where you buy atomizers? Thanks 🙂
Email me (click on my screen name).
Quick answer – As long as I have 1.5 mLs or more, it’s a candidate for transfer.
My two cents: these days I don’t buy very many samples totally blind, instead waiting to smell things in a store (I get to NYC with some regularity) or pick up new things in a swap. Then I order a small (~5ml) spray decant just of the ones I like (with the rule of full bottle only after I finish a decant, but, rules are made to be broken!) Requires a little patience but I got bummed out at a certain point with how few of the scents I’d end up even enjoying wearing once (let alone falling for), relative to how much $$ I was spending on samples.
That said, I do order tiny samples of vintage perfume from time to time. Usually I’m inclined to get the smallest amount (and no, I wouldn’t typically try to transfer it, figure I’d lose too much of the juice just on the container! I dab it on), with the thought that if I do love it, I’d be glad to have saved pennies to put toward a full bottle.
I don’t know if that helps at all!
All input is helpful! I like to know what other people are doing because my in-person input is super low 🙂
I’m ordering samples mainly because my sniffing options are pretty limited here in Canada – I’m somewhat close to Toronto, but a lot of things aren’t in Canada at all or what I spend on transportation works out to such a big chunk of a sample order that it seems to make more sense.
I do like the idea of ordering larger decants to really kinda see what I love enough for a FB. I did a grab bag order from STC because I’ve had zero exposure to a lot of the niche brands and I thought a general idea of their styles would be a nice idea, as well as exposing me to a lot of notes I’ve never thought of, nevermind smelled! No regrets – it really is a lot of fun, but I’m seeing how I could drive myself crazy spending hundreds of dollars on samples of things I’m just ‘meh’ about.
I absolutely find it worthwhile to order 1/4ml samples of some things I’ve read about that are vintage or discontinued – even if I never buy a FB, some of them are just so special…and I totally had to scratch the itch of wondering what everyone was talking about, which can be priceless!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
A fellow Canadian!!! Hello there! I’m your neighbor over in southern MB.
And I’m in rural NS. Talk about no access to stuff 😛
Sometimes I get some pretty dull samples, as freebies with purchasers. If I get one which is pretty meh as a fragrance, it is still probably okay as a laundry scent, and I will add a drop or two to my handwash.
I’m wearing for the first time a sample of Bronze Goddess that I got on STC (I know it’s readily available to sniff, but I really wanted to try it on my skin multiple times, and the limited number of bottles drives me nuts. It seems always sold out so quickly close to me). Does anyone know if it’s this year’s version? Do you find the versions to be noticeably different from a year to another? I ask because I really enjoy it, but I remember trying it a couple of years ago and finding it to heavy on the white flowers. That could also very well be because my tastes evolve or I may have tried a different form of the fragrance (maybe it was the body oil… Can’t remember).
To my nose, the variations from year to year are minimal, but the different forms are in fact different…I am finding the body cream both sweeter and more floral than the Eau Fraiche. Also true that it’s just stronger, so could just be that I notice different facets.
Yes! That body Creme is to die for. Do you ever layer the Creme with the Eau Fraiche? (Though perhaps unnecessary due to the potency of the Creme. )
I was under the impression that since Bronze Goddess became Bronze Goddess (after Azuree Soleil, which is a bit different), only the bottle each year changes. It smells the same to me anyway! They sometimes (used to?) do flankers of it which were variations but the pillar frag stays the same.
SOTD is Marni, layered over the scented lotion. It’s the first grey, cool day here after a couple weeks of blasting sunshine, so it felt like a good time to shift scent gears a little. I love Marni, but I find I rarely wear it and I have a hard time figuring out why…. is it about needing the right mood, the right season, the right weather, the right clothes/colours/textures….? Usually I can tell, with the perfumes I have, what they’re calling for, or calling out in me, but somehow I have a hard time interpreting this one, despite how much I like it.
I hear ya–I would have said I preferred the first Marni to the flanker, but now that I own both, the latter’s what I reach for, or at most I layer the two–I really can’t remember the last time I wore the Marni straight up. It’s an interesting thing, the phenomenon of fragrances that one likes a great deal, but doesn’t often feel moved to wear!
I finally got Marni with the creepy doll last week. We were in the Berkshires and the hubband bought it for me as a birthday gift. We both think the doll comes alive at night. Lol. I do like the perfume and shockingly so does he.
Creepy doll talk never gets old for me!
If there is a reason all perfume doesn’t come with creepy dolls I’m sure I can’t fathom it.
Funny! That doll creeps me out too!
For me it’s a weather thing. Because Marni has lemony topnotes but a warmer drydown, I find it needs to be worn in warm but not hot weather. And of course remembering to wear it those days too. I have the shower gel, lotion and just got the 30ml perfume, and find myself in the shower often feeling like I’d like to use the shower gel for the freshness, but it’s too cold out to go the holy hog. So I pick something else!
SOTD is Parfums de Nicolai Eau d’Ete. Applied from a sample vial, sniffed, bought a bottle on Amazon from LuckyScent for $35. Who knew that citrus and cinnamon was a great combination? The cinnamon note has stuck around long after the citrus burned off, and I love cinnamon.
It’s so nice in the summer. Best for plenty of resprays on a really hot day. 35$ is a great price, too.
I don’t know if this is in Australia only, but Lush are having a Christmas in July sale and have a limited supply of Rose Jam shower gel available. I picked one up yesterday. The SA said what they had on display was all the stock they had. It is sold out online.
Lucky you! Mine is almost gone.
Started the day off with Abercrombie 8 and dashed off to work. 8 is like a touch of vanilla, and very summery & warm to my nose.
Some hours later, sitting at my desk @ work & got restless.
Found in my purse my mini of Noa by Cacharel, figured if any 8 remained, it would blend well. I smell scents-ational!!
I bought some vintage Ysatis recently and while I love it, I don’t find the sillage as huge as many people say. Ysatis has a reputation as one of the great heavy-hitters of thd 80s, but to me, while it us certainly strong, its not humungous. Longevity is maybe 5 hours, whereas I was expecting all day. Am I not smelling fully, or is my skin just eating it faster than usual? I don’t normally have scent eating skin. Anyone else have experience with Ysatis?
From memory (the one I gave away…) it wasn’t as big sillage-wise as opium etc, but it was heavy, especially initially. I found it gave me headaches as I couldn’t escape the fume bubble around me. Although, I was 16 then and it really wasn’t my thing at the time. If I still had it I think I’d experience it differently.
Thanks, that accords with my experience then. Yes, 16 was maybe a bit young for Ysatis. When I was about 22 I knew someone in her mid-30s who wore it beautifully, but even at 22 I didn’t think myself ready for Ysatis. I think (hope) I have sufficient sang froid for it now!
My experience is that it is huge. And my memory (in retrospect) that I must have blasted classmates when I was wearing it – true dadaaa! 80’s style – when I was wearing it at university. I was not paying attention to longevity those days yet, so cannot comment on that.
Maybe we just spritzed more in the 1980s? I can’t believe how much perfume I got through. Chanel No 19 EDT can be applied quite freely, but I cringe when I think of the Paloma Picasso and Magic Noire I got through. Like you, I must have really made my presence known.
I think people did generally apply more. I have VIVID memories of walking through dorm halls in college in the late 80s and being practically asphyxiated by Poison (I love it now. But then I only put on a little bit!) and being choked in elevators and buses and classrooms and such by just about anything.
Yes, I remember that kind of thing. Hence the popularity in the 90s of non-scents from Issey Miyake and Calvin Klein, I guess. Those must have been interesting times for perfumers, now I think of it.
Why did I wait so long to try Wit? I sprayed and thought, “gorgeous but what’s the catch”? I kept waiting for the beauty to become boring or the teeth to come out but I just smell great. I predict a full bottle unless the next couple of tests are very different.
It is really lovely.
My Lucky Scent sample order has arrived. Most of them are fruity. I ordered April Aromatics Unter den Linden, Vero Profumo – Rozy – Eau de Parfum, Olivier Durbano – Amethyst, 4160 Tuesdays – Urura’s Tokyo Café, Bois 1920 – Sushi Imperiale, Histoires de Parfums – 1804, and Parfums DelRae – Emotionnelle.
I won’t be wearing any of them today, because we are visiting my in-laws, and I don’t test new stuff when I going to be hanging out with others. My husband’s mother is buying him tickets to a baseball game for his birthday, and we’re going to pick the dates today. Cool!
I feel like crap this morning, but it is so worth it. One of the bird clubs that we belong to arranged a field trip to visit a Flammulated Owl nest site, and we didn’t get home until 6:00 this morning. We planned to be home by 12:30 (am), but we were so tired on the drive home, that we stopped to take a one-hour nap at a rest stop (we were planning to wake up at 1:00 am). We slept through the alarms on both of our phones, and didn’t leave the rest stop until almost 5:00 am. When we got home, I slept from 6:30 to 8:30 and now I’m up for the day.
The researchers mist netted the owls, and after they took measurements, some of us got to ever so gently touch the owls before they were released. I’ll never wash my right hand again 🙂 They are the second smallest owl in North America, and extremely beautiful and effing adorable with their big dark eyes. Dreamy sigh …
There were interesting smells on the field trip, as well. The sage brush smelled not only sagey, but also dusty and of rain. I kept catching whiffs of the delicious vanilla scent of the Jeffrey Pine, but the cones and elevation made me think that what I was seeing were Ponderosa Pines. I finally bent the brim of my hat up so that I could get really close to a tree trunk and sniff it, and yup, it smelled like a Jeffrey Pine. Perhaps we were in a transitional area? There was a strong and mildly unpleasant smell that I’ve smelled in the forest before – formic acid (per my husband). Must be from the ants. I was wearing vanilla perfume last night, and I smiled to myself knowing that I smelled like such a nice tree, the Jeffrey Pine 🙂
Eek! It’s almost 10:00. Better go wake up my husband.
That sounds like a really cool experience kindcrow!Love your smell observations too!I’ve been trying to smell my environment and surroundings more consciously,too!I bought an Antique chest of drawers this weekend,to help alleviate current perfume storage problems.It smelled of Vanilla and a zesty,lemony smell(Guess they Pledged it before delivery,lol!)I used Cherry Teak Wood Oil on it today,and it reminded me of Bendelirious,which I ADORE!I love this kinda “new-found” attention to smells!
Ah, what a nice way to store your perfume. I keep looking for something at Cost Plus World Market, but I really should visit the antiques “mall” (lots of antique shops in one location). Bendelirious sounds nice!
Oh, I could feel the touch of those soft feathers! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely adventure with us – and all those wonderful scents. Have gotten up pre-dawn for bird watching but never did the reverse. Already looked up Flammulated Owl, tomorrow I must look up Jeffrey Pine and formic acid. And Happy Baseball Birthday to Mr. Kindcrow from one fan to another!
🙂
Since I’ve spent the last two days on planes, I haven’t been wearing any perfume to avoid offending others in such a close space. (Both planes were tiny jets, three across and only 25 rows. Ugh. The toilet was right behind me and across the aisle was a frantic mother with a screaming infant and a querulous toddler.
Once home I doused myself in Isles des Bois and am looking forward to a quiet Sunday evening 🙂
I sympathize: flying is almost never fun. And it’s very considerate of you not to wear perfumes! I usually settle for a drop or two dabbed onto my wrists.
Isles des Bois is great – enjoy your Sunday!
You are such a kind fellow passenger!