Happy Cyber Monday! If you have a free moment, do tell us your scent of the day.
I'm wearing Comptoir Sud Pacifique Eau du Gouverneur.
Reminder: this Friday, 12/5, is Friday At The Mall: wear something from a mall chain (Lush, The Body Shop, Victoria's Secret, L'Occitane, etc & etc).
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 five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Following on from Fridays DIY fragrance, today I’m in home brew number 2 – this time with vetiveryl acetate. I don’t think I’ve got this one quite right yet though – the vetiveryl acetate doesn’t suspend in the alcohol/water solution very well and settles in the bottom of the bottle! There’s obviously something else required to act as a fixative. I just have to remember to give it a shake before I spray it…
Anyway, for anyone who’s interested, here’s how I make them:
You’ll need –
Something to measure with (a measuring cylinder is excellent), something to stir it with (I use a glass stirring rod), a pipette for the perfume oil (it’s impossible to pour) and a bottle of course.
To make 100ml (just halve the quantities for 50ml):
81ml Perfumers Alcohol
10ml ISO E Super or Vetiveryl Acetate
9ml Distilled Water
1. Measure out the correct amount of alcohol.
2. Add in the perfume oil a little at a time stirring as you go.
3. Once mixed cover it – cling film (I think it’s referred to as plastic wrap in the US) is excellent – and leave for a couple of days somewhere cool and dark. Stir it a few times while it’s resting. (It’s important to keep it covered or the alcohol will evaporate!)
4. After a couple of days add in the distilled water and stir.
5. Transfer into your bottle and leave it to stand for 6-8 weeks giving it a gentle shake now and again.
6. Spray away!
Fun, thanks!
Oh that’s good to know.. I haven’t played with vetiveryl acetate yet so it’s good to know that about its solubility issues.
This is such an inspiration! I’M already planning a series! Lol…
Thanks for posting, sounds interesting.
Agent Provocateur edp. Worth every penny. Love it.
I feel like I completely forgot to wear AP this fall, usually one of my staples.
I’m wearing Marni today and am contemplating a FB purchase. I’ve never had the opportunity to smell AP or AP Strip. Does anyone know if Marnie is a comparable rose and spice scent or is it apples and oranges?
I wouldn’t say they’re all that similar. AP is much more bitter than Marni, imo. The quality of the rose accords is different as well.. AP I think of as more of a leathery, dried rose, while Marni is brighter.
Marni did feel bright today (helpful when the fire alarm at work was tripped twice today and the temp never reached 30 F!). Thanks for the comparison.
AP (to me) is twice as nice as Marni. I gave Marni away. AP is curvy with excellent sillage and distinct personality. Please try it!
Love the description of curvy! Although AP is an awesome price at discounters, I’m trying hard to avoid blind buys. I’ll have to contemplate. Thanks for the encouragement!
I’m wearing AG Mon Parfum Cherie par Camille – I just have a sample but may order a larger decant today, considering the sale at STC.
And thought I’d read it was discontinued, but it’s in the “new” section at Galeries Lafayette in Paris. So maybe it’s coming back.
I would love to hear from anyone who has tried the reissued version.
It’s definitely back in France but I’ve never tried the older version so I’m not sure if they differ. I love the one on sale currently though. It’s got gorgeous plum and patchouli up front. Very strong! I don’t imagine this is everyone’s cup of tea but I love it and would be very happy with a bottle for Xmas (unlikely)! I’m pretty sure that it is only available now in the 100ml.
I didn’t know about this sale! I LOVE Mon Parfum Cheri. off to STC!
I am wearing Ubar by Amouage
Have a lovely day!
And you
An oldie but a goodie. Sotd is French Connection Fragrance. A simple ctirus floral scent of grapefruit, jasmine and vetiver. Fans of Jo Malone’s style might want to try this the next time they’re near a FC store, as it was created by her for the FC brand back in the early 90’s. It’s about 1/2 the price of the scents from her own line and lasts all darn day!
I did not know they made fragrance!
FC produces others but to my knowledge, the one I referenced was the only FC scent ‘created’ by Jo Malone.
SOTD is FM Iris Poudre. Felt like an unapologetic pretty fragrance kind of day.
So true :)! You smell fantastic.
Love that one!
I’m wearing California Reverie, which I got in the recent swap. Not exactly seasonal, but it’s gorgeous!
It’s exactly the time of year when my own California reverie starts…
PdN Odalisque today. Can’t believe it’s December 1 already, as I know the month will fly by. Stay warm (or cool, for the southern folks) on the ramp-up to the holiday nuttiness!
I seriously can’t believe it either. Does not feel like time to put up a tree yet.
SL Clair de Musc, another moodlifter. Grey November passed on into grey December *yawn*.
Because I was intrigued by one of the cheap thrills from Friday, I thought I’d check out Valentina’s Home-Brewed True Love, which I successfully found at my Whole Foods (tons of bonus points for being easily available to sample). Lots of cardamom and fits nicely with rose lotion. Not super long-lasting, but sweet, foody, and happy. Definitely a comforting scent.
I had the bath salts with that scent. You smell great!
Mmmm, you smell good today. I have the perfume oil and the body spray with that scent. The oil-based version lasts much longer. Funny — I find it neither foody nor particularly sweet.
I usually use cardamom in tea and dessert (cake, banana bread, rice pudding), so maybe it’s more of a very happy association with sweets (plus a low tolerance for actual sugariness) than the reality of sweetness. It’s hard to think of it any other way, but it’s so true that scents can be surprisingly different experiences for everyone. I’d be interested to know how it reads to you.
Most of my cardamom consumption is in tea and the occasional cup of Turkish coffee. While we experienced the perfume differently, it’s nice that we both like it.
Here is what I said about it on NST on October 16, 2014:
“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.”
Oh drat! I was just at Whole Foods on Saturday and did not think to look for this!
Tokyo Milk Bulletproof. Not sure it makes me feel that unvulnerable, lol, but it sure is warm and happy. Good choice for a busy Monday.
Brrr, it’s cold here today and I’m exhausted after a busy holiday weekend. My choice for Keep-It-Simple Monday needs to be sweet, warm and comforting: Trish McEvoy No. 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk edp it is! Definitely my favorite of the blackberry scents I enjoy, has more depth and complexity than the popular Falling in Love, and lasts much longer. A cold-weather favorite.
A question for all you scent/movie lovers: Later this week I’m going to a special 75th anniversary/party showing of Gone With the Wind at our historic movie theater. What fragrance would the indomitable Scarlett O’Hara wear (now or then, your choice)? I’d like to scent myself in kind . . . .
Young Scarlett probably wore an understated and appropriate eau de cologne that her mother picked out – lavendar and bergamont or maybe violet. Definitely from France. End of the book Scarlett would wear something expensive and loud, lavishly applied. I imagine heavy white floral – maybe fracas? Not historically accurate, but fitting.
For sure she would have worn something big and floral, probably heavy with magnolias or jasmine. I can’t think of anything really historical, but if we can choose from all of perfume history, maybe vintage Ungaro Diva? Or Lush Lust?
I’m pretty sure that it the book there is a mention of her mother always wearing sachets of verbena in her skirt. Maybe Scarlet, the war years, would use the same scent method. There is also the famous scene when she gargles with cologne to cover the scent of brandy, so maybe something boozy?
Many thanks for the suggestions! I was thinking either shy violet or blowsy white floral – no in-between for our intrepid heroine! I’m not too fond of white florals, but I do have several jasmine/magnolia scents that I do enjoy but I’ll certainly have to tone it down – it’s a long movie in close quarters! But I love the verbena and ‘boozy’ ideas, too! I will have to revisit what I remember of the movie and the book before deciding . . . .
Angel Liqueur de Parfum 2013. Yeah, I got some, Robin, and it is GREAT: darker and less sweet than the original, more adult. Not boozy exactly, but it does smell like something you could drink a snifterful of (I mean, if you were not afraid of drinking something that had a whole lot of patchouli in it).
The bottle’s pretty spectacular, too: this jarring faceted star shape that’s chromed all over so it’s reflective and opaque, but when you hold it up to the light you can somehow see clear through it — the juice inside is blue, as usual, but so is the glass. Overall an amazing object.
LOL…but I was hoping you’d HATE it.
You WISH!
Back to the grind today. Reports, reports, reports . . . .
Wanted something easy and warm-ish but not overbearing since it’ll be somewhat warm (50s!) so I threw on some Shanghai Lily.
Right, back to zombie mode working on reports….
You smell great whilst writing those reports! Shanghai Lily is gorgeous. I know the feeling–I’m back today, after a week off, and it feels really like work. Trudge, trudge. Playing last week was waaay more fun. Hope your week goes well.
Single digits here this morning so I picked something warm and beautiful Amouage’s Opus VIII. My decant is getting low and this one is definitely on my fb soon list.
I am wearing Ellie Nuit by Ellie D. I usually wear this in the spring, but it is smelling really nice today in our zero degree weather.
Well, nuts, it appears I jumped the gun on Friday At the Mall, as I’m wearing L’Occitane’s Ambre & Santal today. I have to say that this is a very well-done fragrance: rich, warm, a slightly resinous. It has surprisingly good lasting power and decent sillage. Quite unisex, too. A warm hug for a chilly morning.
Wearing Vraie Blonde. Doesn’t last that long on me but I enjoy smelling like a suede-y bellini. A festive start to December!
Back to my old stand-by YSL Paris. Hits the spot, as it always does.
I haven’t even thought about my SOTD yet. Maybe I should wear no 5 or maybe Amouage Memoir today. Got sidetracked with getting a 1 ounce bottle of Euphoria for $24 for my grandmother.
Cyber Monday! Humbug!
Luckyscent has not reduced by 50% the Comme des Garçon box set that I’ve been hoping for! Not to mention that shipping to Canada adds almost another $100 to the purchase. So much for Free Trade! Humbug!
Wearing Eau Sauvage Parfum today. Not the best choice. I have this love/hate relationship with vetiver: some days I can tolerate vetiver, somedays not. Today is a NOT day, and ES Parfum contains a lot of vetiver.
Humbug!
Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles!
Today I’m wearing Walk of Shame by smell bent. I think this is the best one in that line…on this cold fall day it reminds me of spring and that feeling of possibility in the air…it’s also clean, yet somehow naughty.
Today I’m wearing Bijan, which I found for $12.99 at Ross on the weekend. Great cheap thrill. After several mentions by commenters on NST, I thought I’d try it. I like it, and think it’s perfect for this time of year.
Wearing Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit today. Kinda cool morning, but going to get warm today, so couldn’t decide what to wear. This one fits in most weather, even though it doesn’t smell much like vanilla or grapefruit!
SOTD = SL Iris Silver Mist
I plan to devolve into Mall scents as the week goes on although I may still change my mind. In the meantime, I’m in highfalutin mood / mode today
I’m wearing Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee today. It’s kind of warm and rainy and it felt right.
I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. I spent Thanksgiving with the fam and avoided shopping areas like the plague on Black Friday.
Infusion d’Iris!
Me too!
Wearing SL Chypre Rouge today. It doesn’t get much love or hoopla among Uncle Serge fans, but it works wonderfully on me, and is a perfect fall/winter scent.
It’s my absolute favorite of the whole SL collection.
Finally, another fan! Whenever I do a quick sniff survey of my SL bottles, I usually end up wearing this one, or Douce Amere.
My SOTD is Pink Molecule by Zarko Perfume — elderflower, apricot, and creamy woods and not very sweet. It is FBW, but I haven’t purchased it yet because I’ll never use 100 mls of it and I don’t see decants of it at TPC or STC. I will probably end up getting it anyway
That sounds like something I need to try. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried a perfume with an elderflower note, but I’d like to. I love elderflower in drinks (like St. Germain liqueur).
I love St. Germain and the elderflower note in Pink Molecule reminds me a lot of the liqueur. I hate the taste of alcohol, but I can barely taste the alcohol in St. Germain. It’s good with sparkling water and lime juice. Such a pretty bottle, to
I definitely need to smell this now. I love St. Germain, and the bottle is gorgeous, but it’s a bit pricey. There is also a (non-alcoholic) elderflower lemonade that I like to get at the grocery store. And of course I’m drawing a blank on the brand name.. I want to say it’s Belvoir or something like that
Thanks for the tip on the Belvoir. I will look for it.
During a recent internet search for perfumes that feature elderflower, I found a couple of blog postings from the owner of Providence Perfume that reveal her love of St. Germain
http://providenceperfume.blogspot.com/search/label/elderflower
If you’re in the U.S., you can get a sample through their site at http://www.zarkoperfume.us/products/zarkoperfume-sampling. Use the drop-down menu to select individual samples.
Today I’m wearing Daim Blond. I’ve very nearly finished this bottle (there might be enough left for one generous wearing) and hope it hasn’t changed too dramatically in the last six or seven years since I bought my first bottle as it is one I’ll be replacing soon and can’t go without.
Good Girl Gone Bad. Hoping I can do it reverse….
SOTD: Cuir de Lancome.. just a very soft and butter floral leather by this time of the day. Love it.
Happy Monday everyone! My SOTD is Oeillet Bengal – Aedes De Venustas. This is a nice scent for a damp, chilly day!
My SOTD is Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre. I always forget how lovely this scent is, then I put it on and remember the loveliness.
Somebody please help me! I’ve been driving myself batty over some of the cyber Monday deals online, specifically the super discounted Amouages on Fragrancenet. I haven’t smelled a whole lot of Amouages and have kind of a love hate relationship with a few of them. But they are so marked down and I’m almost ready to take a chance on Memoir Man, my favorite and one I’m wearing today (I would get it for my husband of course). But then there is also Jub25 for women, Opus III and Memoir Woman tempting me… I have a chunk of change in Paypal from stuff I sold on eBay. Any sage words of advice?
‘Tis the season of giving, and you really can’t go wrong with Memoir Man. Opt for that, and you can wear it stealthily yourself. It’s so complex that it does not read masculine at all, and wears beautifully on the feminine neckline.
Oh thank you! I feel so much better about getting MM. And I was wondering about the unisex-ness of it, but you have reassured me. I sprayed some of my Memoir Man sample on my man tonight and he said “HAI KARATE!” so I think we will slowly ease him into Amouage land.
Oh, no! I don’t want to know things like this–I would be too tempted to go bananas. Hope you settle on something you love and will wear frequently.
Oh thank you. I just have the 6 sample men’s set so have not really tried any of the lady’s line. I wish I had lady’s samples tonight so I could make an informed decision.
BV’s Knot from a carded sample shared by a kind friend. It’s pretty. Orange blossom, sweet, soapy and clean. Undemanding. I agree with Angela’s review here at NSTthe other day. I don’t need a FB, but would wear it if I didn’t already have a diverse collection of fragrances in this genre. I think I was hoping for something more inspired from BV, as I really enjoy their first fragrance. Knot bad at all, rather pleasant, but knot amazing
I am really enjoying my sample. I am still trying to decide if I should buy a FB of this. Still holding out hope that Santa will put it under my tree.
Then I hope Santa delivers for you! Knot is pretty, and well done.
It’s down to 19 today and back at work. I am wearing Histoires de Parfum Ambre 114 to warm things up!
I’ m wearing Histories de Parfum Amber 114 also. Makes me feel warm and cozy plus I get lots of compliments on how good I smell!
Warm here today, so I was in Lostmarc’h Ael-Mat. It’s worn off now, and I feel like more scent, so trying to decide if I should go with some The Vert scented moisturizer, or spray something on. I also have to make some decants for sister-in-law tonight, so I might wind up smelling of those…
I missed yet another Community Fragrance Friday, and the last one was pretty much made for me! I was spoiled for choice, with most of my “collection” under $50, and I even had three under $20. I did wear both Queen Latifah Queen and Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights (bought for $9.99 each) last weekend, so I was with you in spirit.
SOTD is Mauboissin Histoire d’Eau, bought for $20 slightly used. Leather and mandarin orange is a nice combination for a cool, cloudy day. My Christmas shopping is officially done, so I’m hoping to have more time for blog reading.