Happy Thursday! What's your fragrance today?
(And a quick reminder: the next swapmeet is coming up on Saturday. Usual rules will apply.)
I'm wearing Calvin Klein Reveal.
Reminder: tomorrow, wear one of the perfumes included in Michael Edwards' Perfume Legends (I've added a complete list at the end of the book review), or wear any fragrance from 1992 or before. The following Friday, 10/24, we're doing Gender Wars: wear something marketed to your gender opposite, with partial credit for wearing something marketed as unisex.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2014, where I'll try to always have the next six or seven weeks mapped out in advance.
SOTD is Eau Sauvage Extreme (Dior). Lovely but a very tiny amount goes a very long way! 🙂
That’s the black bottle isn’t it? I have a mini of that I’ve been meaning to put some in an atomizer, but maybe I won’t need to..
Yes, the beautiful black bottle. I had to spray on a cotton swab first before applying it to skin, this is one of those fragrances I can taste all day long if I get too much on.
Yum!
I love Eau Sauvage but I hear the extreme is quite different so I haven’t pursued it. Good to see someone who loves it.
Chanel No. 5 today, and it was officially the last of my mini bottle. I’m about to make a request on FB for other people’s unloved bottles (I wear it maybe 10 times a year, so I don’t need a full 50ml) – if you think about, statistically one of my FB friends has to have received a bottle as a gift at some point, and no one I know apart from perfumista blog buddies actually wears it. So I’ll offer a re-homing : )
Win-Win, right?
#sadcheapruralperfumistadreams
Ha, great hashtag! Good luck.
Your hashtag made me laugh 🙂 good luck on your mission!
Great hashtag! And you never know – you might score one that somebody has shoved to the back of a shelf somewhere thinking, “No way do I want to wear this and smell like my mom, but I can’t just throw this out either.”
True! And especially with No. 5 I think there’s a good chance they’ll know -which- bottle they’ve stashed in the back of a shelf–the most astonishing non-perfumista thing to me is how many people I know wear perfume, but when asked what it is, actually can’t remember the name of the bottle sitting out on their bathroom counter!* But No. 5 is memorable enough I bet people will know.
*I had thought maybe the “What are you wearing?” question made people feel shy but now plenty of people have said they couldn’t remember, then later texted me pictures of bottles! So I think they just genuinely did not know what they put on every day! The world is a wonderful and mysterious place 🙂
True! I asked another band mom at a competition what she was wearing because she smelled so good. I mean, alllll day, a really pretty powdery floral-feminine smell – department store for sure, but nice. And she couldn’t remember.
Then later she emailed me that it was Light Blue, and my jaw hit the floor. NO WAY does Light Blue smell like that on me (or on the other people I’ve smelled wearing it), so I’m still wondering whether she might have gotten it mixed up.
What?! To my nose Light Blue smells quite different on paper versus on my skin… but neither is a powdery floral! I’m with you, she must have mixed up the bottles. Or maybe you were really smelling her hairspray/other body products.
Oh oh, wait maybe she has one of the flankers? Dreaming in Portofino, Sleepless in Seattle, Claustrophobic in Cleveland? I do definitely think it’s easy for the uninitiated to mix those up (since, uh, I read perfume blogs on a daily basis and still can’t keep flankers straight!)
And doesn’t somebody have something else out with “Blue” in the name too? Our mall doesn’t get interesting flankers (there’s really only one store that sells perfume), so I doubt it’s that.
Oh yeah. Oscar de la Renta, Something Blue. Bet it’s that.
Finding a bottle that needs a more loving home is obviously the best choice–so environmentally-friendly! :)–but if you strike out there, Ebay seems to have lots of small and partial bottles for not too much money.
Ha ha! I’d be happy to send you a FB if I had one as it’s not for me; but what’s left in the samples I have of the edp and edt are hardly worth the postage. Good luck!
Bandit, inspired by yesterdays mentioning of it.
Strangely, though I struggle with chypres, I LOVE Bandit. Especially in really warm weather. It feels like being at a shady cool swimminghole on a hot, still day; smelling like leaves under the hot bright sun, the damp earth below, and the tranquility of the cool deep water.
I wonder why this one seems so different to me, and wonder whether it’s just floral chypres I struggle with?
I tried a bit of vintage Bandit too and am surprised at their similarity. If anything, I prefer the greenish sharper edges and brightness of the current one.
Tonight, Patch 24. My favourite Le Labo.
I struggle sometimes with the “thick” fruit in classic chypres. Classic citrus/fresh chypres & other “dry” chypres (I think Bandit is classified as a leather chypre) I find much easier to wear.
And I can’t do fruity chypres (Femme, Mitsy, So Pretty, AdP Profumo, Jub 25) at all. Instant nausea.
Bandit still skeers me. But I love the very floral chypres.
I think it’s just what speaks to you. There is something wonderful in simply liking what you like and not worrying about it.
Prefer floral chypres as well, and didn’t care for Mitsouko or Jub 25. But I love AdP Profumo (never tried Femme–the cumin makes me wary). Loved the opening of Bandit, but something in the drydown didn’t suit.
Bandit is a favorite!
Next week when I travel to Stockholm I have an Important Task- my close college have asked me to buy a FB of Bandit for her. I gave her a sample once and she’s decided this is her new signature scent 🙂
What a fabulous signature! It is being reformulated this year so what we know as Bandit now won’t be for long- so she may want to stock up!
Wearing Fragonard Oranger from the miniatures collection. It’s more of a summery fragrance, but since it is supposed to get to be 70 degrees where I am today, I thought I would like it.
We’re supposed to get warm weather here too, but right now it’s grey & humid out, so not impressed.
Sounds like you’ve had a pretty disappointing summer 🙁 that sucks, sorry
SOTD is Dzhari. I have a decant that I forgot I had at the bottom of a box. At first spritz I wasn’t thrilled but now, about 45 minutes later, I’m starting to like it.
Can’t wait for the swapmeet! I have tons to decant or find a new home for…..
Damn postage restrictions and crazy shipping prices- wish I could swap!
I like Dzhari in cooler weather but I almost never see it mentioned
Too bad L’Artisan didn’t make this one, then they’d have three fragrances that start with “Dz-” 🙂
I put on my Muscs Kublai Khan today for the first time in almost a year. I stopped wearing it because I’m getting dangerously close to running out. 50 ml was not enough!
That’s been on my to-buy list forever, but I hear it’s been reformulated to remove the unwashed camel driver. That’s just taken all the fun out of it for me.
I ‘presume’ that if its almost empty yours is the original? If so, i hope that if you replace it you can find the same juice as you have already.
Mine is from whenever it was put out in the export bottle, which doesn’t smell unbelievably unclean to me. I don’t know how recently it’s been claimed to be reformulated though.
Oh, no! They can’t make it any cleaner than I perceive it. I have no idea how old my tiny decant/sample is but now I’m hesitant to re-order ’cause I apparently don’t pick up stinky musks very well. I ignored it in my purgatory basket for a long time because on first sniff I got nothing but shaving cream. I really love it for layering though so maybe I’ll stalk ebay for an older looking partial bottle.
Every morning at work, I make a cup of tea while my computer turns on. I always make earl grey, and the first thing I do is open up the container in which I keep the tea leaves and inhale the bergamont aroma. I love it! Something about the bergamont aroma is bracing and gets me ready to face the day.
I have a lot of stuff to do today – both work and home, as I’m going out of town tomorrow! SOTD is Cristalle. I think there is enough bergamont in the opening (and green, of course) to give me that same bracing, I can conquer the day effect!
Cristalle EDT is the scent that holds the most intense olfactory memory for me of my sister, and how much I wanted to be like her. Still is one of my favorites! Sadly she no longer wears it. But I do.
Aww, that’s sweet 🙂 It’s amazing how smells can just transport you right back to a certain time.
There are all kinds of studies showing that smelling citrus makes one more alert. It’s not in your head… or rather it is ;), but the effect is not due to your imagination.
Hah!
Good thing I have an office to myself, so I can reapply all day with abandon! You know, to stay alert.
Terre d’Hermes parfum, from a sample. I still can’t decide if I even like Terre d’Hermes in any of its forms, although the parfum is better than the EDT. I don’t hate it, but I just don’t think it’s me.
I feel this way too, and Hermes is one of my favorite houses. My husband has a bottle of Terre and I really can’t muster much enthusiasm for it.
I really like the parfum version, but I gave my bottle to my bf, because he thinks its what Sean Connery would smell like if he worked in a library (true), and it’s the sexiest smell ever on him. A worthwhile donation I think..
It is great on my DH, but it is not for me. I usually don’t shrink from supposedly male fragrances, but that one… A bit too much somehow.
Yeah, I think this is much better on a man. Sad for me. Good for all the guys out there.
Me too. I would love my husband to wear it but I think it isn’t gourmand enough to appeal to him. I had quite a few spray samples (Sephora really wants me to love it) that I lightly misted his undershirt drawer with but he caught on so I use it as room spray now. I think I prefer the Parfum as well.
I like the Eau Fraiche a lot but that bottle is way too big for my tiny hands. It will be a swapmeet wish list item!
Oeillet Bengale. This one is a little bit of a chameleon. Today I’m noticing the spices much more than the carnation.
I noticed how it changed dramatically going from an air-conditioned interior to the hot, humid out-of-doors. It was interesting in both places, but I liked it outdoors just a little better. Maybe that’s why they introduced it in (northern hemisphere) summer?
I’m wearing Amouage Fate Woman. Wanted to share the hilarious copy on the packaging from the sample: says it contains “a dark and destructive accord resonating with the tumultuous unknown.” OH MY! At first it reminded me a lot of Ormonde Jayne Woman (that half chypre half oriental thing) but it’s more animalic in the drydown.
um. that sounds a little like a stomach virus, which is never a good fate to have…..
the copy, i mean, not the scent. your description has me queasily intrigued and now must try.
hahaha!
Funny!
This cracks me up! I wear this so often now that my nose “skips” the destructive accord, flies by the tumultuous unknown and goes right to the powdery, slighly animalic oriental drydown. Yum!
I sometimes wish I could go back to the very first sniff… the puzzlement, the unknown, the waffling of notes as they flopped around before settling, and the ah-ha moment of finding a new love.
Lush Breath of God. Not because I caved yesterday at the mall, or anything…
You smell good. Actually, no technically, you smell really weird. I say that because I love BOG and wear it often. ; )
Nice, which formulation did you get? I found it really different in solid and in spray (and maybe are there even different spray concentrations?) I put the solid on my skin but wish I had tried one of the sprays…
I thought they were pretty different, too. I got a lot more smoke in the spray, didn’t notice the mint, and though the melon was more pronounced (not a huge fan of the melon), it was brief. I really liked the power behind the spray and the extra smokiness, but bought the solid because they didn’t have any bottles left. Apparently they’re redoing the packaging, so lots of fragrances were sold out.
What do you think of Reveal, Robin (I think that Jessica reviewed it.)?
I’m wearing Valentina’s Home-Brewed True Love perfume oil — natural essential oils in a natural oil base. Listed notes: rose, cardamom, and chocolate. Unfortunately, I do not smell any chocolate, but I do like this perfume.
It starts off as a slightly herbal rose, then the spice enters and it’s a spicy rose. The spice comes and goes throughout the day. The rose is never that strong or sweet. It dries down to something warm and slightly dark, and if it is patchouli, then they used a very light touch (I don’t like a lot of patch). I have the body spray and the oil, and there might be a few seconds of weak chocolate in the spray.
This stuff smells good and is inexpensive. I’m happy with my purchases 🙂
It might be good to layer with rose soliflores that don’t hold my interest (I’m looking at you, FB of Jo Malone Red Roses that I purchased at Nordstrom and never wear).
I will display my snobbery and say that for Calvin Klein, it’s genius.
It’s well done. Absolutely nothing in Jessica’s review that I’d disagree with. But all morning I’ve been redesigning it in my mind…it’s *almost* a great no-brainer sort of scent like Estee Lauder Sensuous, only it’s just a tad too fruity early on and a tad too sweet all through, and the base is too light and pale to anchor the sweet a la Sensuous (I do admit Sensuous is probably sweeter). But worth a try, and if they do flankers, I’ll be interested.
I tried this on paper in store and quite liked it- for Calvin Klein. I have to admit snobbery also.
The pillow bottle is a tad awkward though
I smelled Reveal at Macys perhaps over a month ago and it has possibilities. It is such a shame that Macys is so tight-fisted with samples!
Thanks for the mini-review, Robin!
If you’re looking for something rosy-chocolately, I’ve always thought that Tom Ford Noir de Noir is a rose with a fair amount of chocolate in it. At least it smells that way on me.
Thanks for the tip!
I haven’t tried that oil, but it sounds nice. I had the bath salts in the same scent, and the chocolate note is slightly more evident in the bath salts than what you describe. I just find myself wishing the scent were a little stronger overall.
Ah … it would smell good in the bath. I tend to under-apply, especially at work, but one drop has lasted several hours. It’s nice that it’s available in a dropper bottle — you could add some to fortify the bath salts.
Mmmmm, roses and chocolate – I’m listening! Adding True Love and Noir de Noir to my sniffing list.
I’m in Houbigant Iris des Champs
It’s out already? I’m awaiting a decant of that.
(I keep saying, I HAVE to stop buying unsniffed 5ml splits – I’m often disappointed, and then I forget I have those decants and just wear from my full bottles. But then something comes up in the split group and I’m, “OOOOH I WANT SOME.”)
I’m sure you’ll review it if you haven’t already, but how are you enjoying it?
Uh-huh. I was just thinking today about allll the new releases since my full-fledged perfumista addiction began, and all the ones I HAVE TO TRY, and the ones I HAVE TO GET ME SOME OF. And then I thought that if I keep this addiction/ hobby up, it could get crazy over here 🙂
It’s like gambling, or golf – you “win” juuuust often enough to not get disillusioned about playing. “Next time I’ll shoot the moon!”
I should always just buy samples instead, but then by the time I’ve waited for the sample services to get whatever-it-is I’m dying to test, the split’s over and no way to get more without buying a full bottle.
So true Mals! Getting a 5 ml decant at cost is almost cheaper than getting a sample. Plus they are usually sprays, and I am not a fan of dab samples. So I have a drawerful of decants, which I will never use up given my slow rate of use and of course, all the bottles! So finally, I jsut let it go and turned off the emails/notifications from the split groups.
I should do that.
I *have* discovered a couple of really terrific things through splits, which I suppose is why I keep buying them. Past success is no guarantor of future success, however, which I suppose is why I keep regretting most of them. SIGH.
Ha, well let’s all make sure to touch base at the swapmeet this weekend–I’d actually been thinking I don’t order enough decants, so maybe I can help you clear out some of the unloved ones! 🙂
It’s a green, fresh and a bit talcy iris. Not my favorite for sure, but definitely interesting
Ooh, “green” perks my ears up. One reason I jumped on this one is that it’s supposed to be iris blossom rather than iris root (so was Iris Ukiyoe, which was TOTAL CELERY on me and a complete disaster)… so we’ll see.
Telecommuting today so I’m in “sample mode” – right now I’ve got on Blanche Immortelle on one arm – it’s in dry down mode and I’m liking this phase. I’m waffling on whether I like the spicy heart.
On the other, I’m trying the lovely honeyed Botrytis. The first time I sniffed this was early in my perfumista sniffterhood and I didn’t like it at all. Now, years later, I’m finding it wonderful – oh I do love a good honey note!
I’m planning to wear Fate later today and venture into the “Tumultuous Unknown” – sounds way more exciting than computing at my kitchen table….
Botrytis is awesome. It’s on my FB wish list. It is just so-o-o good
Today I’m wearing Bond 9 New Haarlem. It suits the weather perfectly – gray drizzle and murky, with lamps and a book and tea, with Chopin softly in the background. Almost time for work 🙁
Well that sounded just perfect until you mentioned work. It has a habit of doing that :-/
Wearing my sample of Tauer Sotto La Luna Gardenia. Not a great choice – today it’s reminding me quite a bit of Tableau de Parfums Loretta, also composed by Andy. It took me a long time to get off the fence with regards to Loretta, which I eventually came to regard as being schizophrenic, like somebody married old-school Dior Poison, with its scary cough-syrup fruit and evilly lush tuberose, to a neon-green, hallucinogenic patchouli phantasmagoria.
SLL Gardenia is gardenia, but it’s a gardenia sinking into Tauerade. It doesn’t have that frightening patchouli, but it does have a similar white-floral + dark gourmand vibe going on. I’m getting too much gourmandy stuff today, but I doubt very much my two half-spritzes (those sample sprays do deliver a very fine mist) will wear off before dinner. So I’m stuck.
Didn’t know you would be reviewing this one today, Robin.
Yeah, I think I said I would on Tuesday, but didn’t mention it again after your comment this morning because I’m never sure I’ll finish a review or not…
I wish I could remember Loretta better, I just remember I did not like it.
For me Loretta is straight up grape bubblegum. That seems to be the problem for most people who were repelled by it. It’s actually my favorite Tauer but I like grape Popsicles, gum, and vintage Poison so that was probably a given.
Now I kind of want to try the Gardenia but Tauers are so hit or miss and I’m still reeling from the Rose Chypree the other day. I liked it, loved it in fact, the first few times, so pulled out my sample for an innocent spray and…it hates me. Instantly made me gag and run for the detergent. Hope the Rose flash doesn’t turn out to be a disaster.
I want to say that Rose Flash is hugely different from Rose Chypree, but I really only tried a drop of Rose Flash on a blotter, so I should keep my mouth shut I guess.
Well, I’ll point out (as I should have done earlier) that I seem to be SUPER super-sensitive to patchouli. The first seven – yeah, seven – times I tried Loretta, all I got was that patch. It was awwwwwful. Trial #8 got me some plum/dark berries plus the patchouli which was not much better. Only by Trial #9 did I even get to the tuberose. Loretta deeply unsettles me.
Today’s rainy weather seemed to call for the warmth of L’Ambre des Merveilles. I love ambers and wondered if anyone had other recommendations.
I also have Prada’s L’Eau Ambree, but there is something about it that I just don’t care for, perhaps the patchouli?
There was an amber conversation on a SOTD thread just last week! Here were the suggestions (I wrote them down because I’m always on the hunt for good ambers):
Histoire de Parfums’ Ambre 114
Sonoma Scent Studio Amber Noir
Juliette Has A Gun Calamity J
Annick Goutal Ambre Fétiche
Nobile 1942 Ambra Nobile
Pd’E Cuir Ottoman
And I will be checking back in to see if there are any more recs.
How did I miss that?? Thanks so much, Squirrely, for taking the trouble of repeating them here. I have put this list on a Post-It for future reference.
The only one I have tried is Cuir Ottoman. After a gorgeous opening, something in the drydown just didn’t work for me.
Have you tried PdE’s Ambre Russe? That is one bold amber, much stronger than Ambre des Merveilles. I would also recommend Ambre Précieux by MPG, a very elegant amber. And I second HdP 114 which to me is in the same vein as the MPG.
Seconding Ambre Precieux – a reference Amber scent if there ever was one. I was smitten on first sniff.
Also, Dior Mitzah which may/may not be classified as Amber….maybe more Ambergris. Good stuff. Bois de Jasmin has a great review.
+1 for Ambre Russe. One of my desert island perfumes, but I don’t get the blast of vodka that turns people off.
Profumum Romas Fiori d’Ambra is lovely, very dense and embracing.
Thank you all for the wonderful amber suggestions.
🙂
Goodness, these are two of my favorites!
The other amber I could easily buy a FB of is Dior’s Ambre Nuit – similar notes as Prada’s amber, but without the patchouli and just a deeper, richer and more sensual scent.
If only they’d make a smaller amount vs. the 125 and 250mls!
I am really not much of an amber fan myself, but one floral amber I adore is Teo Cabanel Alahine. Looooooooove it. Rich, but clear and golden.
I second Alahine, and for a smoky amber, L’Air du Desert Morocain.
Oh yes to L’Air du désert!
One of my goals this fall is to find a great amber perfume! L’Ambre des Marveilles is great. I also like L’Artisan L’eau de Ambre – it is pretty and easy to wear. I have been wearing Prada Ambre pour Homme Intense. It seems a little masculine at first (which doesn’t faze me), but then that goes away and it is just a nice smokey amber. Many of the ambers Squirrely mentioned are on my to try list – I have a big cart full of amber samples at one of the decanting websites just waiting for me 😉
Has anyone mentioned (or does it go without saying) Ambre Sultan? I used to not be much of an amber person, and I feel like that’s the one that converted me.
Also for a wallet-friendly option, Pacifica Spanish Amber smelled great on paper–I’m meaning to go back and try on skin.
Then there’s Tolu… still not quite my thing, but, worth a shot for amber!
Oh, and for a sheer amber, I like Atelier’s Ambre Nue, also. Orange + amber. Nice for fall, I think.
Oh yes, I do have that one (forgot). I bought it last fall in the south of France, so it has great memories!
Oh ha, what a happy surprise, then, to find an unexpected bottle that even has happy French memories attached! 🙂
A nice, small, travel-friendly bottle, too!
Another wallet-friendly option is YR’s Voile D’ambre, very nice, body lotion is just as lovely as the edp.
Yes, I just got this one and I do love it. The opening, however, does remind me of Shalimar which is mom’s scent 😉
Haie Fleurie du Hameau and lots of it as I contemplate an afternoon assignation with my former coworker.
LOVE.
Those are totally allowed with former co-workers 🙂
You go, girl! Have a wonderful time. 😉
Love La Haie Fleurie!
Today I am wearing Maria Candida Gentile Sideris. This is really lovely and if I didn’t already have five or six incense/rose scents I’d be getting more of this. As it is, I’ll put it on the “Buy someday after you’ve used up enough of the scents you currently own to justify a new bottle” list. That list is already pretty long.
You smell great!
SOTD Hermes Hiris- So happy with this fragrance! It’s cool and warm at the same time, a little floral and a little earthy, sunbeams and shadows, casual and elegant- in other words, a wonderful contradiction!
I am eagerly awaiting some samples of SL Borneo 1834, Iris Silver Mist, and de Profundis, plus a decant of Corsica Furiosa! All the little pretties- I can’t wait!
Do any of the fragrances mentioned above speak to anyone? The only one I have sampled is CF, all the SL are going to be new experiences…Hopefully good ones!
Have a wonderful Thursday all =)
Borneo 1834 is like wearing chocolate velvet, a lush crunch of patchouli and bitter cocoa, reflecting black and brown. Heavenly!
Iris Silver Mist is a thin trail of cooling incense smoke. It’s hard to imagine but the name is perfectly apt.
Enjoy!
Holy Cow, I think I might have some very high expectations from Borneo!
I tend to waffle a bit with incense, so it will be interesting to see how ISM effects me.
What you describe sounds like heaven on earth regarding Borneo!
Thanks for your input=)
I have a decant of De Profundis and am seriously considering a bell jar. To my nose, it’s a realistic chrysanthemum (is that spelled right? it looks wrong) surrounded by greenery and soil. There is a wisp of incense or smoke there too. Some people get violet but I don’t.
Forgive my ignorance, but are chrysanthemums and carnations the same thing?
I know I like carnation…the “greenery and soil” sound great too, I love earthy smells. I like violet as well, so will keep my nose peeled to see if get any of that.
Sadly, the mailman (person!) came and no delivery of any fragrant fumes =(
Hi Deva. No, they are not the same and they don’t smell similar to my nose. Here is Fragrantica’s odor profile for mums: dusty, soft, slightly musty note with green facets. That is what I remember mums smelling like, but it been years since I sniffed one.
Carnation is one of my favorite notes!
Yes, mums are certainly a bit on the musty side whereas carnations have a definitive spice, they are different in scent from each other.
hmmm…musty doesn’t sound auspicious…and it IS the spice in carnation that I love!
Revisiting an old favourite: Jil Sander Stylessence. Dry but warm woods, today with a distinct citrus hue. Very nice.
Wearing Kilian Water Calligraphy, which I dislike.
I arrived at work this morning without perfume on (which is unusual but occasionally occurs when I’m rushing) so pulled this Kilian out of a desk drawer as I’d rather wear mediocre perfume than nothing at all, and I seem to have samples kicking around everywhere.
Maybe “mediocre” is unfair, but I don’t like marine type notes to begin with, and I find that this perfume in particular doesn’t smell nearly interesting enough compared to other Kilians, and certainly not enough to justify the price.
I can get hopping mad at expensive mediocrity.
SOTD = VC&A Orchidee Vanille
I wanted something cozy today and it delivered!
I sampled this in store and loved it- I am a huge vanilla freak and this one is just gorgeous! I heard a rumor VC&A fragrances are now being found at on line discounters…?
Yup, rumor confirmed. I don’t see Orchidee Vanille as much as some if the others, but the line is definitely out there on a nice discount if you keep your eyes peeled. 🙂
if they have Bois d’Iris, I will be first in line!
Wearing Dahlia & Vines Nest today from a mini. Have to admit this is a lot of peony/floral for me.
As an aside, yesterday I had my first experience with not being able to smell a scent *at all* with the Nirvana Black oil, which I found especially odd because I bought the perfume yesterday 🙂 I mean, the perfume is light and fades quickly, but I didn’t expect that at all because I would have figured the same ingredients were at work. Has anyone else tried the oil? I almost blind-bought it online before it came to Sephora Canada stores and I’m sure glad I didn’t now!
Wearing Un Jardin en Mediterranee. The cedar and jammy fig make me think fall, and it seems a bit too much for summery. The weather here in SoCal has finally cooled down a bit and feeling more fall-ish.
I should try this again. I bought a bottle and have fallen out of love with it, but maybe for fall.. colder months?
I know some people find it summery (is that fig season?), but the sweet woodiness make it a colder weather scent for me. Give it a few more tries and if not, swap away!
I happened upon my sample of Odin 07 Tanoke which a lovely woody-incense with some ginger and bitter orange in the top notes. Not shockingly new, but done perfectly. I have to admit, a noswe would have to work to make a ginger, bitter orange, guaic wood, and incense fragrance that I really hated (dear perfumers, that is not a challenge).
Today I used up the rest of my BV Knot sample. Yep, I sprayed with abandon since I seem to not be able to smell this one with 1-2 small sprays or a dabber. The liberal spraying did help, and catching a whiff of the orange blossom & lavender on the way to work and throughout the morning was quite lovely. I do find the combination of those two notes so soothing.
The scent continues to linger, but not as much as I’d like it to.
I spied some mini bottles on ebay (so adorable!) and may have to place my bid.
SOTD is Chanel No.19. I always reach for this one when I can’t make my mind up
That is an excellent default setting.
SOTD is Iris Nobile (EDP). Perfectly elegant and warm and wonderful. Suits the weather which is still very mild for October.
How is that Reveal, anyway, Robin? I have a store sample of it that I have not yet used, and am curious.
See my answer to Kindcrow above!
SOTD is vintage Houbigant Chantilly. The frilly pink-and-white lacey packaging belies the warm, sensual fragrance within. After a bright lemony opening, the soft orange blossom gets a kick from spices and carnation and then melds into a rich base of oakmoss, sandalwood and a hint of leather. She may be an elegant lady, but don’t mess with her . . .
(not applicable to Dana’s reformulation that is currently available)
I’m wearing Dior Homme today. Creamy irisy goodness. The only thing “masculine” about it is a little herbal-y bit I get in the top, but even that doesn’t feel too masculine to me. You could slap a different name on it, and I don’t think anyone would bat an eye if it were on the women’s side of the store.
It is plain gorgeous :)! Just the right proportions of everything!
Prada Candy for me today! Perfect fall day, plans include the pumpkin patch, apple cake, and an apple ginger cocktail. I really wanted to wear Ambre Narguile, but my poor little sample is almost gone, so Prada Candy it is. I’m getting ready to make an apple simple syrup right now!
I don’t like gourmands very much, but I really liked Candy. Still waffling on whether I should ask for a mini for Christmas (I know I don’t need the whole bottle).
Apple ginger anything sounds FAB.
A mini would be wonderful, and I know Sephora has the roller balls. I reach for Candy far more than I ever thought I would. It’s probably my go-to fall and winter scent, which I didn’t expect. It’s sweet, certainly, but not cloying, and has a strong resinous quality that I think keeps it from going over the edge.
And yes, my house is smelling wonderful now with the simple syrup on the stove simmering away. Apple ginger is definitely a winning combination!
I have an unopened bottle of Candy waiting for me! It was a freebie purchased with points. I’ve gone through a couple of samples (yum!) but was toying with the idea of giving it to my niece instead. Hmmm.
I’m wearing my other Teo Cabanel sample today, Early Roses. This is very pretty, very roseate, I’d describe it as dewy primroses. I’m not sure how ‘me’ it is, but that’s not the fault of the juice. I just like my roses darker and spicier.
Oh, that’s a pretty one. Summery and light. I’m kind of stocked up on summery light roses at the moment, with YSL Paris Pont des Amours (LE) and PdR Rose d’Ete, but when I exhaust those I’ll probably buy Early Roses – I thought it smelled very natural without being screechy or soapy.
Assuming it’s still around by then.
I like my roses in all differing shades, from light to dark. But yes, if you only like the dark ones it wouldn’t suit.
I really like it but am a sucker for pretty sparkling roses as well as the vampy ones.
Wearing vintage Poison edp today. Love it so much.
Wearing vintage Gucci Rush for men.
I’m wearing Songes by Annick Goutal.
Pretty!
SOTE is Vero Profumo’s Rubj Voile d’Extrait. I’ve only worn it in summer before, on warm sunny days. It makes quite a different impression when it’s cold but I like it, more subtle.
I’m wearing Mitsouko (vintage EdC) while trying to decide if that’s what I’m going to wear tomorrow. Probably yes, perhaps different concentrations on each wrist. I’m getting mostly what LT called the “peaches and floor wax” phase, which worked today.
Chanel Coromandel, the one that convinced me I don’t hate patchouli
Great choice!!!
I initially applied Chanel 31 Rue Cambon, which I realized, too late, is far too outspoken for work. I decided to spray some Chanel Beige over it, thinking rather erroneously that that might tone it down. Yeah, don’t engage in that experiment in that folks.
I’ve noticed lately that Chanel Beige is currently my default scent when I can’t make up my mind. It’s so pretty and cheerful and bubbly. Not a lot of depth, but easy to wear and to please.
What a weird week! I have been busy week training my replacement so have missed NST but the new girl didn’t come back after lunch today so we’re back to square one. Have worn Wit all week as I figured it would be inoffensive in close quarters.
This evening I came home and sampled Smell Bent Five again. It’s almost too gourmand for me at first but I think I really like it. It has none of that scratchy blonde wood that bothers me so much (I actually like the smell but it gets to my throat) and for some reason I keep thinking of Spicebomb but I can’t find it to compare. I’m sure the resemblance is superficial and Five is…softer? I’m too exhausted/wired to give a good review. PSA: twelve hour time release pseudoephedrine WILL make you wired for all twelve hours, even if you are used to the regular stuff. Listen to the pharmacist when he warns you. Don’t be like me.