Happy Tuesday! If you have a moment, do tell us your scent of the day.
I'm wearing Prada Luna Rossa, which I'd been meaning to give another try. Nope, still don't much care about it either way. But I don't think I ever did try the Extreme version.
Reminder: this Friday, 1/16, wear a fragrance from Prada or perfumer Daniela Andrier.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2015, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
My SOTD is Ice Station Pineapple by Smell Bent. I might need to stock up, because it’s a limited edition (only available until Jan. 31st I think?).
I’m so curious about this one! How pineapple-y is it?
The pineapple is quite prominent, but not sweet.
I’m so glad that he didn’t feel obligated to add rum to this. I don’t like the smell of fermentation.
I gave a longer description at https://nstperfume.com/2014/11/18/tuesday-scent-of-the-day-1118/.
I’m wearing Silver Factory. I needed something with a little incense this morning.
Yum, perfect cold weather scent!
Bond no.9’s Perfumista Avenue. No show-stopper but I am enjoying it so far!
Love that name, too.
Wearing Narciso.
I want a little mini of that one!
Yes, me too!
I tried looking for this at Nordstrom this afternoon, and the SA told me it was a limited edition. I said, “Ummmmm i don’t think so.” Grrr I wanted to try it then and there. Anther day, then.
Oh no! Sorry you didn’t get to try this but hopefully soon! It is worth a sniff.
I do think that it is exclusive to Bloomingdale’s.
Worth Courtesan. Which I just realized is related to Feminite de Bois and its ilk.
Is that one still made? Worth seems to have made a little push at a comeback and then disappeared into the ether again…
I have decants of the Shiseido and Serge version and must confess I do not really enjoy these…
I’m not sure, I’ve never seen them anywhere. A friend made me a decant; I think she got it in Australia but I’m not sure if she found it at a discounter.
I bought a bottle of Courtesan last summer on fragrancenet for a really good price. Right now they only have the lotion.
The BWF bash continues, with Escada Margaretha Ley. Ylang, jasmine, hyacinth, cloves, coconut… delicious. Reminds me a lot of the old Diane von Furstenberg Tatiana, which I loved back in the day (they’re still making it, but it’s a synthetic mess these days, IMO).
Ah, I remember Tatiana
Pardon my stupidity, but what does BWF mean?
Big White Floral. My BWF limit is Carnal Flower.
Ditto that – or Fracas!
Yup, Big White Floral. Sorry for not being explicit!
Thanks!
Oh gosh I remember Tatiana as well. If I recall correctly, my sister actually had the FB and I stupidly thought I could sneak apply – I couldn’t hide the fact that I applied it
Okay, I’m laughing at the idea of trying to hide Tatiana.
I’m still juuuuust a little bitter that my mom, er, “disappeared” my Tatiana mini when I was home from college for spring break, ca. 1988. Maybe it wasn’t her… but I know for a fact she hates white florals, and I know it went missing… (I also know my sister didn’t steal it.)
I loved Tatiana too, and wore it for years. My sister gave me a bottle a few years ago and it was awful. I’ll have to try the Escada, thanks!
Um… I hate to tell you, but the Escada’s discontinued too.
Oh no! Just my luck-
Arquiste for J. Crew No. 34. (Or maybe 37???) Fabulously voluptuous rose-plum scent. So much nicer than it needed to be! A really pleasant surprise.
Oooh dear. As I am currently obsessed with my rose-plum Natori, you just said the magic words. To J. Crew I go!
Also, hope your perfume store is developing nicely! I have family and friends in the DC area and will absolutely be taking them there when I visit!
I wore Bal à Versailles today and am not sure I’m quite safe for work. Regardless, I love, love, love this one. I already suspect I should have gotten a bigger decant.
BaV is not really quite safe for anywhere except the bedroom, is it?
I’m probably repeat offender because I don’t really associate muskiness with “bedroom.” (Generational thing, maybe? Maybe because I grew up in a fairly scent-free house?) Sooo… sorry coworkers (but it probably won’t stop anytime soon)!
If you only put on a little bit, BaV can be worn anywhere! I do love that one!
I’m in Sycomore. I’ve been wearing a lot of feminine florals and heavier winter scents recently, so I felt like a bit of a change. This is perfect.
Sycomore is lovely. It’s not too heavy, but has the right amount of deep woodsy scent for winter.
Ah, Sycomore! I’ve abated my urge for it with Encre Noire, but I imagine some day/year, I’ll still get a bottle of this. It is very special.
Myrrhiad is a lovely cozy scent on this cold day
I have REALLY got to get a bottle of that. I had a sample a couple of years ago and it haunts me. It’s fantastic.
Yes, clearly you must get a bottle ASAP– it is terribly uncomfortable to be haunted for years and it’s such a relief when you do finally own it
thegoddessrena = Queen Enabler
See you on Friday!
I am nowhere near that level yet…
Getting closer every day!!
I got a bottle for my birthday this year. So yum!
Violet Blonde for me – seems extra spicy-lovely this morning.
Nice! VB has lingered on my maybe to buy list for a long time. I wish it was easier for me to explore the “newer” Tom Fords. I am also dying to smell Sahara Noir.
I saw two Bond No 9 comments above so decided to go with Broadway Nite! Neon!!
This one reminds me of Chloe Love, but even though I would agree with the Guide’s description of ‘neon,’ I would have to go with ‘nuclear’ for Chloe Love. And I say that owning a full bottle! Something about it projects to the mooooon on me.
I would love to own a full bottle of BN one day, though
Love, Chloe projects far and wide. Once I went on a sniffing spree with a friend and we were each wearing 6-8 different scents on different parts of our arms. But by the end of the night all we could smell was the Chloe.
ha, I did pretty much the exact same thing with one of my friends! We carried on shopping and every time I turned around or moved it just EXPLODED back into the air. I have done my usual 3 sprays unthinkingly with it and then felt too ashamed to leave the house right away. But I swear after waiting a few hours, it just gathers strength. And the notes look so docile!
Ha! It’s not docile at all …. like baby powder stirred into a vat of warm honey.
Really??? I wear Love Chloe to bed a lot because it’s so soft and cozy on me. I wish it was nuclear. I mean, it’s not a skin scent but it’s no Angel either.
ha, not quite as brash as Angel on me but it honestly just GOES! One small spray seems to be fine but the three sprays did me in completely – even a headache and my mom actually complained hours after application. Still on the new side of things but can’t think of another perfume off the top of my head that gets stronger and stronger on me after hours. Very strange!
OH yeah, Broadway Nite is loud. Friendly, but loud.
Definitely loud but my sample is in dabber form so that probably helps
I would probably have to stick to one spray on this one as well!
Bvlgari Black- this one never fails me.
I had a hard time deciding – I thought about Tokyo Milk Excess, but in the end I went with the warm spices of Jungle L’Elephant.
Yum.
Caron Poivre, the extrait version of Coup de Foudre. I thought it would be more vicious but it’s actually a bit soft and creamy compared to the biting carnation and pepper of CdF. Gorgeous, though, and very long-lived.
I thought the same thing – Poivre was softer than Coup de Fouet. Liked them both.
As you know I MEANT Coup de Fouet but I was writing that on my phone, and either the autocorrect was on overdrive (why would it even know “foudre”?) or I couldn’t read properly (at work, contact lenses, small screen).
Anyway, yeah, they’re both great, but to be honest I prefer the EDT version, which surprises me, because I almost always prefer an extrait if it exists. Same with Mitsouko: I haven’t smelled seriously vintage, but I really do prefer the EDT that I have (ten or so years old) to the parfum that I got a sample of.
I knew YOU knew what you were talking about.
Stupid autocorrect.
I sometimes like the EdT (or in some cases, the EdP) better as well, and it nearly always surprises me. I was sort of shocked to not be bowled over by my small split of Parfum Sacre extrait – I mean, it was GOOD. It was really GOOD. But it just didn’t hit the spot the way the EdP did for me, and I passed it on to somebody who was swooning over it.
Test driving SL Ambre Sultan. After the human meatloaf phase wore off (hellloooo bay leaf and oregano) it reminded me of Kuumba Made amber paste I used to see at Whole Foods. Smells great, and its not as messy to apply as amber paste.
HAHAHA “human meatloaf phase” omg, that cracked me up! I love Ambre Sultan and need to get a bottle of it.
I love to wear Ambre Sultan when I cook, especially Italian (all that oregano blends in so well with the food smells).
Ambre Sultan is pure human barbecue on me. To be politer I suppose I could say it’s like lapsang souchong tea, but really all I think of is barbecue. Maybe I should give mine to some tong-wielding blokey-bloke.
I’m wearing Jolie Madame, trying to work out if I love it enough to snap up a bottle now it’s discontinued. I do like the unusual leather/violet but not sure how often I’d wear it.
The lovely Cuir de Lancome today. I asked for it for Christmas – blind – but so many people had said it was their favorite blind buy, I figured it was fairly safe. And it was. This is just so graceful. I might be more into florals if they had this kind of underlying body to them. So warm and lovely (an overused word for me, I know, but it’s true).
Wondering how Jenkr is doing today. I hope well.
AND that they caught the bastard who mugged her.
Cuir de Lancome is beautiful! You smell great today.
I actually just posted about it!
And thank you! I am doing much better today.
So, so glad that you’re feeling better!
Glad you like it! Next you will need a backup bottle
Most likely :). Why must I keep falling in love with discontinued scents? Oh, the fumie woe…
But actually, I think you were among those who helped get me to the blind buy, so thank you Rose Pepper!
Haha! I recently realized I like plummy fragrances after trying Femininity du Bois, and now I am really tempted to buy the Natori … pretty bottle, decent price, and discontinued …
And you can get a 3.4 oz bottle for under $30 including free shipping on ebay right now. ..
I have both, love both, and I say it’s a wonderful investment of $30
Mmmmm. Cuir de Lancome made me break all the rules! I bought it blind and after I wore it maybe two or three times, I got a back up bottle. Two years later, no regrets.
I may soon follow suit…
Really glad Cuir de Lancome suited you!
I think you were another enabler, so thank you! We’ve made a happy little union.
Needing lots of comfort, so I put on a good dose of Coco today.
I wanted to offer an apology to the blog owners/writers here. I realized after my post yesterday that might have been a bit too much personal drama to throw on a site like this, so my apologies there. I hope it wasn’t too out of line. That being said, thank you to all the kind words of those on this site. I greatly appreciate it. I spent yesterday relaxing with my fiance and feel a lot better. I know a lot of you mentioned my mental health and I did go through a little roller coaster yesterday – everything from wanting to exact revenge in a very awful way to just being humbled by how powerless I was. I get over traumas rather quickly though, so I wasn’t a mess and went back to work today.
On to the good news: we do have renter’s insurance and may get some money back to pay for what was stolen. Also, we have a phone tracker and it’s shown up twice in the same location so the detective now working on it has been notified. Plus, one of the guys I identified as looking similar to the assailant actually lives close to where my phone was tracked! We’ll see what happens with this…
Thanks for updating us. I hope you get satisfactory closure on this soon.
I do too. It’s frustrating that’s a sort of waiting cat-and-mouse game at this point because we basically know where the guy is, but it’s a matter of whether or not he uses the phone long enough for the police to grab him.
Either way I hope to not deal with this sort of pins-and-needles life in the city much longer. I’ve never felt safe in the city and we are trying to find a good house to move to (40 minutes away) a.s.a.p.
What city are you living in?
Philadelphia
Not out of line at all, please. We prefer that people not share political and/or religious opinions, but you’re always free to talk about what’s happening in your life otherwise.
So glad you’re feeling better!
Thanks. I’m really feeling the support from here and so glad I started contributing to the posts
Thank you for the update – and i don’t think you need to second guess yourself in this case. Plenty of folks have shared about difficult situations, that’s what community is for. Celebrate and comfort
Definitely let us know when justice is served!
I couldn’t have said it better. Don’t give it another thought. : )
Thank you. I’m hoping it will be.
Well said!
Jenkr, we all care about the people in our little community, you included, so please do not feel badly about sharing that traumatic event. We *are* a community, and hopefully we can provide a little support in a small way that can help make you feel better.
I know this doesn’t compare, but when my cat died several months ago, I was so comforted by the kind words offered here. I hope that what was said yesterday and today help to do the same for you.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of people near me and online and am quite awed by it, so thank you. I’m glad I started commenting here. I’d been watching this blog for a long time, and glad I made the plunge to talk to everyone.
Sorry to hear about your cat. I lost my Bijoux (grey tabby) last November (2013) and I do know that words from those online can be just as comforting (I posted on my flickr account about it). So I totally get what you mean by that.
In July we got another cat, a brown tabby rescue and named him Bento. He’s a little terror, but we love him.
It is always a comfort when someone acknowledges something about you – even if it’s just to say sorry. Pixels pack an emotional punch sometimes.
I was about to post something similar to this, everyone was so nice when I had to put my kitties down; I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to know how you are after such a traumatic incident. I may not know anyone here personally, but I care about their wellbeing very much. I had missed your post yesterday but, yikes! Glad you are more-or-less okay.
So sorry I didn’t get a chance to respond to this before.
I’m so sorry about your sweet Bijoux, but also pleased that you have a new kitty boy in your life.
The pixels *do* pack an emotional punch, and I’m so glad we can contribute in whatever small way to making you feel better.
Take care of yourself, hon.
Your perfume friends were all very concerned,although some of us are continents apart!Just glad you’re doing OK!And made me appreciate my “Good-No-Drama-Monday” even more!xo
Haha, yeah, no drama days are the best ones!
Thanks for the update! I’m glad you’re doing better today.
Thanks for the update. I’m glad you’re okay. Having an experience like that when you’re faced with how vulnerable you can be is terrifying. Bravo for how well you’re coping, and good luck with the house hunting.
I missed the post yesterday but just went back to read it. I’m so sorry something like that happened to you but thank heavens you weren’t seriously hurt. I’d be an absolute mess if that happened to me. I’m crossing my fingers for them to catch the guy. Do let us know if they do.
Thanks for the update, hope each day gets just a little better for you. And good luck finding your special new home!
Glad you’re feeling better and there is hope that your assailant / robber will be caught. He should be put in jail, the keys thrown away and an open vat of Secretions Magnifique to keep him company.
HA!
Coco is good for strength AND comfort
Glad you are coping so well and go easy on yourself!
It’s cold here, and I am on the incense train with Zagorsk. I think I have about 1 or two more wears left in the decant. I look forward to finishing it this winter!
I was looking at my scent wardrobe the other day, and realizing I have a lot of spring scents that aren’t getting much love. I miss them. I just can’t quite bring myself to wear them right now.
I really like Zagorsk. Should probably buy a decant at some point, since CdG doesn’t seem to make minis and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t wear it enough to justify a whole bottle.
There’ll be plenty of time to wear spring scents!
Yeah, I know, Spring will come. I’m just on a use-it-up kick at the moment, and I have so many samples that can be finished soon, I just don’t feel like wearing them yet.
SOTD is Vanilla and Anise Cologne (Jo Malone).
SOTD is Prada Infusion d’Homme. It’s like a rearrangement of Infusion d’Iris
I like that description….!
Le Fille de Berlin
I’ve got a scent crush on this right now. You smell lovely.
Thank you, it’s a good one..and I am not huge into rose..but there are a few exceptions, this is definitely one of them:). Pretty much love at first sniff with this one..I was like I love this..but it’s rose..but it’s such a good rose! A little goes a long way too.
I have trouble with rose and I love that one too. I bought a bottle shortly after sampling it. Lovely stuff.
On Keep It Simple Tuesday I am wearing Ferre.
Nice!I’m currently hunting down a bottle of that,as lots of people have compared it to Iris Poudre.Very curious about what I’ll discover!
I didn’t have much luck with it as an Iris Poudre smellalike, but I think it was that the Ferre didn’t duplicate the part of IP that I like best, that fluffy soft drydown. THe comparison is not completely off the mark, because they are related – but Ferre just didn’t work for *me* as a less expensive alternative. Hope it does for you, though.
Oh!That’s good info,thanks!Because that drydown is exactly why I LOVE Iris Poudre as well!
I’m going to agree with Mals on this one (and I’m sure a lot of others.) Ferre is a cousin to IP, but it’s more vegetal, green, violet-y than IP. The closest dupe to IP that I ever smelled with the L’AP Orchidee Blanche, but I don’t think that’s around anymore. You might try the Lorenzo Villoresi Tiente de Niege for a honeyed vanilla powdery drydown, but still, there is nothing quite like Iris Poudre! All that being said, I do have a bottle of Ferre, which is very nice to wear in spring, and I always get a lot of compliments when I wear it.
Thank you AnnS!The Ferre still do sound intriguing,albeit for the simple fact that you made it sound very,very nice!I do like green-violety scents for summer/spring fresh perfumes!Will still continue my little hunt,for both the comparitive value to IP,and the fact that is sounds like a cheery,fresh Summer newbie-trial!I’ll update asap,when I finally acquire some!33.
The Ferre *IS* very nice.
I chased a bottle down for the same reason, but I sadly got no iris at all out of it :(. During the chase I bought a bottle of Gianfrianco Ferré by mistake and it turned out to be a surprisingly wearable white floral (I usually can’t wear those). He doesn’t make it easy for us using his name in different variations for his scents though!
The other “Ferre’s” – of which there are a confusing few, are all very nice.
Pretty one.
I’m in Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey layered with Wood Sage & Sea Salt. I smell perky and fresh, even if I have a total football hangover today (I mean, honestly, who schedules these things for a Monday night?!?).
SOTD is Portrait of a Lady.Enough said.:-))
I really need to try that one. Everyone talks about how good it is.
It’s the best Rose-Patchouli I’ve ever smelled.And in my Top 5 frags of all time list!Portrait and Iris Poudre are also my two most complimented fragrances.I love when people ask me WHAT IS THAT GORGEOUS SMELL?Hehe.
I didn’t get on with the balsamy stuff in the very bottom of PoaL, but up until that point I thought it was gorgeous, and WOW does that stuff radiate. I put a dab from a sample vial on one wrist, transferred it to the other wrist, and then put on my wool coat.
THREE WEEKS LATER, I got a compliment from the clerk at the drugstore. He was all leaning over the counter, eyes rolled back, saying, “What IS that gorgeous stuff? I must know!” One of my kids was home sick so I hadn’t put on any perfume – it was PoaL on my coat.
Decided to smell like rich old lady today so I’m wearing Joy. It’s an older bottle and I got some weird notes at first but the dry down is exactly what I remembered it to smell like.
I have a little love affair with Joy, but I don’t find it rich old lady at all (perhaps that is my problem!). I do tend to wear it when I am wearing colors in the red and gold ranges–plum purples, pale pinks, saffron… I actually think that I prefer the EDT to the EDP–but that may be because it is a memory worm for me of my mother’s dresser when I was little.
That was just a comment from a co-worker from a few years ago when I wore Joy and I’ve remembered it ever since. To her it wasn’t a bad thing at all – I think she aspired to be a rich old lady! I love the powdery warmth of Joy and it hold good memories for me as well.
I love Joy (EDT is my preferred version as well), I get “rich old lady” from it too (in the best way), my grandma wore it.
The Extreme was better but still very meh.
(Current) Vent Vert. It’s a bit sharp, I would love to smell a vintage version, but there still is an elegance to it that I really enjoy.
I would love to smell vintage Vent Vert, as I love Green, and I love the 2 Piguet Celliers:
Sharp and biiiiig! I was given a bottle and it took me years to grow into it! But I love it, it’s so distinctively itself. Now off to google PIguet Celliers.
Hello everyone. My SOTD is Wild Fig and Casis by JM. Because the air is crisp and chilly, I just decided that it would be another fig day. I’m loving fig fragrances!
There’s just something about fig! You smell great
Have we had Figgy Friday?
No, adding to list!
I dug through my bottles to find the Prada No. 8 Opoponax so that I could wear it today, and then forgot to put anything on before I headed out the door! I am wearing a drop of new reform of Chamade extrait that I had in my desk drawer. Much, much nicer than the last bottle I tried two or three years ago.
I actually get more iris from No. 8 than from No. 1. The No. 8 is on my FB wish list.
Love Chamade.
Oh – I wish I’d fallen down the rabbit hole when those older numbered Pradas were still around. The No 8 sounds so swoon-worthy! But Chamade is a good stand in, right?
The numbered Pradas are still around. They are available in the boutiques and displayed prominently amongst the other (mostly) lesser / newer Pradas. I was a Prada mule for someone who used to post here.
Cold and gloomy and snowy today. YSL Nu adds warmth and just seems to suit the day.
I’m wearing Le Labo Rose 31 body lotion. My husband brought it back for me from a business trip, it was the hotel’s bathroom stock! Swanky. (The Fremont in Toronto) Anyway, I’m reading the back of the little bottle and it lists the ingredients and then says “more effective if someone else applies it for you” LOL Very funny and clever.
A nice rose frag without being too rosy. I can still smell it on my arm after almost 3 hours, that’s pretty damn good for a lotion.
Uh oh, I feel a lemming coming on.
I love that stuff! My husband and I refer to it as “dirty rose.” The Fairmount in Chicago has it too!
“Dirty” in a good way. We really should call it smutty rose.
Yeah dirty! It’s the ONLY cumin heavy fragrance I can wear. That rose is just awesome for standing up so well to such heavy cumin.
That IS clever (and the right kind, imo) of marketing for that. I now want to stay in a hotel that has that!
The Fairmont Hotels chain uses Le Labo Rose 31 and has larger size body products for sale too.
They used to use Miller Harris Citron Citron. I have a nice collection of those body product minis from a travelling acquaintance and a few of the Rose 31 also.
Wearing Gris Clair today and thinking it so similar to Caron Pour Un Homme that I do not need to purchase it!
Agree. Or Rochas Man plus smoke. Don’t need that one either :).
Interesting, I own and love both (although if I had to choose one I would probably go for the Caron) and to me they are very different. On me, Gris Clair is cool, dry and almost dusty, and sometimes has a medicinal note that I don’t particularly like. On the other hand Pour Un Homme is simple, warm and comforting (one of my favorites when I’m stressed or sick).
Gris Clair was just giving me lots of that fresh cologne smell that is probably my least favorite aspect of this fragrance and the Caron. It just seems annoyingly juicy today!
I so prefer the Caron, and even though I’m a huge lavender fan don’t really like Gris Clair, the opening I find very gorgeous but the drydown comes across as sharp and unpleasant to my nose.
My perfume experience and experimentation of the past few days confirmed a stereotype I have: I far far far prefer women’s scents to mens’! I try to be more adventurous, really, I try. I have been testing the Ormonde Jayne Discovery box (beautiful pull-out tray) over the past few days. And though some of the women’s scents were meek, they were still all positive for me. But the men’s: Isfarkand and Zizan both had this eau de armpit thing which so many perfumes aimed at men have, IMO. Why? It’s all ok, because I am a woman
, but I sometimes feel I may miss out on a bit of adventure and a very pleasant smell if I don’t stay open to male-geared fragrances. What say you?
It sounds like you’re still trying other things, so I wouldn’t be too concerned. We like what we like!
I hear you, I tend to more feminine scents as well, fir whatever reason. But, I try to sniff and test the men’s too, just so i have context for discussion on blogs, and so i don’t miss out on a great something.
It kinda fits with my general “keep an open mind” philosophy.
I don’t particularly think OJs scents shake out this way, but most men’s scents tend to smell like they have smaller budgets. I don’t remember those two OJ men’s scents well enough to know what accord they share that might be armpitty, but there are accords (cumin, grapefruit, costus, civet, indoles etc.) that some people smell as sweaty/unclean/animalic. I would say it could be the cedar, but I think several of the OJ feminines have cedar, too.
I think that OJ Woman is totally unisex. And Ta’if too. You wear what you like!
Speaking as someone with definitively girly taste, I think it’s okay to love what you love. I like florals and greens and aldehydes. I’m not much of a vetiver fan. Lavender gives me gigantic headaches (thus ruling out a large number of “men’s” and unisex fragrances, as well as a few women’s). I like fougeres, but Not On Me; I’ve found that I tend to get on best with masculine scents that are woody, spicy, or both.
I might feel differently about continuing to explore more men’s stuff if I lived where I could sniff everything by just going to the mall. I don’t. I have to buy samples (or beg friends for them!) if I want to smell anything more adventurous than a narrow slice of mainstream.
So – if free sniffery is convenient for you, I say smell everything. And if it’s not, feel free to seek out just the things that seem appealing, and don’t feel terribly guilty about it.
Don’t discount body chemistry either! You not only have to like the notes in a fragrance, but the way that the notes work on YOU. There are so many wonderful options to explore out there with just the feminine fragrances.
Also, I’ve noticed that sometimes I have to build up to, or develop an appreciation for, certain notes. I used to not like aldehydes, but now I do! It sometimes surprises me when I revisit a fragrance that was not my thing and now I love it
Thanks, yes, I still have a lot of exploring to do. I just couldn’t help noticing that I hardly ever sniff a men’s fragrance I enjoy.
Oh, yes, I agree that it is good to try whatever comes your way as long as it appeals to you. An open mind is a great gift. I feel like all fragrances are for everyone whether they are considered unisex or not. But don’t worry about missing out when there are so many fragrances to try. This fragrance stuff is fun, right?
And it makes sense to try things more than once if something is just so-so on the first try. What you wore yesterday can change how something else smells the next morning.
I had a big laugh one evening last week when I accidentally layered a very sweet fragrance on top of a cologne I had used that morning. I kept getting whiffs of eau de boom-boom. I thought I had stepped in something out in the yard. I kept checking the bottom of my shoes, and then I made my kids show me their shoes. All the shoes were clean, so I finally figured out it was me smelling up the room. Shower time.
Didn’t want to hurt any feelings, so I saved the scary combo for the end: Guerlain Ylang & Vanille on top of Atelier Orange Sanguine. Truly love them both, but not together. Just ewww.
JLo Still today, haven’t broken this one out for awhile! Have meeting in small room so wanted something low profile.
Hi NSTers. Gosh it is good to be back. I’ve been traveling about three weeks and then I got some horrible bug bite infection and lay in bed for several days–very drama queen! But the antibiotics are kicking in and so I am back to my usual procrastinating on my work… errrr reading perfume blogs.
But I wanted to share with you my travel perfume faux pas. So I was in a very hot climate–by my northern California standards at least… But being from northern Cal. I didn’t really take climate into consideration when I pack perfume for the trip–instead focusing on samples of scents I wanted to get to know better, plus a perennial favorite–Ubar. I brought Wit, Cuir d’Ange, A*men Pure Wood, and Rubj edp. Well, I drained Wit, wore Ubar VERY sparingly and only on a couple of days, and couldn’t bear Cuir d’Ange, A*men Pure Wood, or Rubj edp. It was like all the hidden hints that accent those fragrances came to the fore in the heat. I felt like an over-ripe flower, a sweaty head shop, a damp saddle! I still cannot bear to sniff any of those fragrances.
I wound up purchasing two oil scents of jasmine and bergamot peel that I wore together–Definitely all I could handle.
What scents do you wear in hot, humid weather?
Sous Le Toit, vintage White Shoulders, Fils de Dieu, Innoui, Haie Fleurie, Terracotta Le Parfum
Also,I wore Jardins d’Armide a lot this summer but that’s year round for me
I remember White Shoulders because my aunt wore it, but the only one you mentioned that I’ve tried is Terracotta. I will definitely plan my sample testing better next time!
Glad the antibiotics are kicking in. Aside from the bit and the fragrance flops, I hope you had good travels.
I wear Fleur d’Oranger a lot in our muggy VA summers, but that might be just the thing you’re looking to avoid. : /
I also like Smell Bent’s Prairie Nymph in the heat – it’s honey and carnation; the honey seems appropriate when it’s already sticky out, and the carnation feels fresh.
Great travels other than the limp! Yah… I LOVE Fleur d’Oranger… but drained my samples ages ago. Will have to get some more!
Eau de Merveilles (did I spell that right?). Orange Sanguine, Mistral Patchouli, Cedrat Envirant, Infusion d’Iris, and Carnal Flower on hot steamy nights.
Hmmm… The Prada might have actually worked. Carnal Flower would have just been too much in so much heat and humidity… at least for me
(and I love Carnal Flower!!!)
This summer, I wore Le Labo Bergamotte, Jacamo Silences and Chanel 19 on rotation for a while. I put away all my florals for cooler weather!
I should have brought Chanel 19!
Florals. The prim ones, not the louche ones (i.e., Wit, not Amoureuse, although I adore Amoureuse in spring). Green stuff like Silences and No. 19, citrus florals like Kelly Caleche and Moschino Funny.
I think Ubar might kill me in the heat (oddly, however, Carnal Flower smells GREAT and does not eat my head).
At least Ubar stayed Ubar… just more so… but the Rubj went all kaleidoscope– and not in a good way! And leather fragrances?! What WAS I thinking!!
Oy, leather. On the other hand, we were doing the Big College Pre-Application Tour with our daughter in August of 2012, and if you have ever been to DC (Georgetown) or Williamsburg, VA (William & Mary), you will know exactly how muggy and awful summer can be.
PdN Kiss Me Tender was actually quite wonderful in the heat. Surprised me.
If you already like bergamont and jasmine, you should try Chanel Cristalle EDT! In the summer, I also like L’Artisan Timbuktu (I know not everyone agrees with me here though) and Hermes Marine Epice. I concur with the recommendations for Le Labo Bergamont, Eau de Marveilles, Carnal Flower, and No 19.
See, I would have thought those would have worked as well… but it was so dang hot. I suspect the Marine Epice (which in CA I love and have a nice-sized decant) would have fallen apart like the others.
Any of the Annick Goutals that begin with “eau”. Any Diptyque, practically. Chanel Cristalle edt or edp. Chanel No 19 edt. Cartier Baiser Vole edp. But my hands down go to all around for mostly hot or not getting to shower too often for travelling fragrance is Annick Goutal Mandragore edt.
I feel I must have tried it, but I cannot summon the scent of Mandragore. I will make sure to sample it next chance I get!
Seconding Chanel 19 and Cristalle, and adding Chanel Bel Respiro, Chanel Eau de Cologne, Bvlgari Au The Blanc, L’Artisan Coeur de Vetiver Sacre, Parfums de Nicolai Fig Tea, and Atelier Oolang Infini. And maybe Ineke’s Field Notes from Paris (haven’t actually tried it in steamy weather, but I imagine it would do well).
I was wondering about the Exclusifs that usually disappear on me…I bet Bel Respiro would have been lovely!
i have a fairly extensive very hot weather collection, several of which have already been mentioned. Wit, Eau D’Ete and/or Fig Tea, Bvlgari Red Tea, No. 5 EDT, almost any Ineke, Kelly Caleche, most of the Diptyques, Un Jardin sur le Nil, the CDG Incense Series, ELDO Rien (very sparingly applied if worn in public), Amaranthine, several of my favorite Olympic Orchid scents, What I Did on My Holidays, Vanilla Insensee. I’m sure there are more since it is near or over 100f for quite a chunk of the year here.
Greetings from the south bay… seconding (or is it thirding or fourthing) Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien. (sounds like I should try Mandragore…) (like I need more things on my “oh! I should try that!” list…) I also love Teo Cabanel Meloe for hot days.
I am wearing boring old no 19 in EDT form even though it doesn’t quite suit me. The leather is too butch for me not like Cuir de Russie’s plush leather. I just have to get through 3 or 4 more wearings. But I think I will go Bal a Versailles tomorrow.
Are you draining a sample? You could always save it for a swap or freebie. Not telling you what to do, just hate to see someone else “get through” a fragrance – life is too short, so in 2015 I’m trying to jettison frags that just “aren’t for me.”
BORING OLD NO 19? Paint me green and boring. I agree with Squirrely: you will definitely not have any troubles swapping that away! (And let me know if you do, btw!) But to each our own, and feeling boring is never good, never the reason why we spritz. And, if I may say so, I think BaV is totally fabulous so you will smell great tomorrow!
I thought that too – No. 19 doesn’t bore me… but BaV is good as well.
Today I have on l’Antichambre La Lecon de Musique, which is a lighter floral. I felt like I needed something flowery in the midst of all of the cold weather we’ve been having.
SOTD = Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue
Perfect for the cold weather (and really all year long).
One of my all-top-fives and a strong candidate for Friday. You smell lovely!
SOTD is Une Fleur de Cassie, possibly the oddest Malle, I started wearing it on Friday evening, wore it again on both weekend days and after a break yesterday with Silences am back on track with this one.
Needless to say I’m hopelessly smitten with this one. It’s giving Thérèse a run for it’s money as my favourite Malle.
I am wafting an enormous cloud of Boucheron Boucheron (the femme one), an ’80s floral that always cheers me up and makes the day sing.
That’s pretty. I’ve only tried it once, but it was nice.
SOTD is Elixir des Merveilles, but it’s giving me a headache. I think I might need to give it a rest.
SOTD is Histoires de Parfums Ambre 114, perfect for a not-so-cold snowy day!
good one!
That is a gorgeous amber!
That’s what I’m wearing today, too, katrina. It is perfect for winter, though here the weather is very cold, but not snowy!
SL Santal Blanc. Again. It is such a great winter scent.
Couldn’t decide today, so my current to go for those moments Wood, Sage & Sea salt by JM
I’m wearing Volutes EDT today. I think I prefer the EDP for the prominence of the iris note, but I smell pretty yummy nonetheless.
Agree with Edp being the better Iris!You still smell fabulous though!
Volutes is good:)
I like both, but have a FB of the EDP and only a travel size of the EDT, so I guess I must prefer the EDP as well!
Today I’m wearing my sample of What We Do in Paris is Secret and it reminds me of something from high school that I can’t place. ck in2u, Jean Paul Gautier, some Hugo boss? It’s driving me crazy! Lol. But I just got my ineke vol 5 sampler and my STC order is supposed to come in today so who knows what tonight has in store!
SOTD is Coco edp, b/c I needed my old friend today. Blah blah meetings. Coco and I are snickering in the corner.
I like wearing Rien or Aromatics Elixir for those occasions. I love it when my perfume outwits the company I’m in.
I think sometimes my frag outwits me!
Same schedule for me today – back to back meetings. I went with Etro Messe de Minuit, in the hopes that I would be perceived as only a shadowy presence, and not have to personally engage in much of the blah blah.
Coming in from the freezing cold, two sprays of Lyric Woman does the trick for me!
I’m in Centennial today because I wore it the other day at my husband’s request and realized that I can smell it through this irritating head cold.
Going on a little trip with my Mom this week and realized that I packed the wrong box of samples. I was really looking forward to the ones I left at home :(. I foolishly brought the tried and true box instead of the newer mostly unworn ones and the boxes are completely different colors so I have no idea what I was thinking. Grrrr.
Oh, and the two samples I was consoling myself with having are not in the favorites box where they should be.
Love Centennial.
I pulled out a random sample this morning and ended up in Nez a Nez L’Hetre Reve. It’s a bit woodsy/forest-y/anise-y, and while it didn’t inspire love, it made a strong showing in the “like” category.
That was a plum leather on me
Eau de Magnolia. Bought it at liberty’s in London when we were on holiday as it wasn’t avaliable in Australia yet then spent the whole of winter not sure if it was for me or if it was a bad impulse jet lagged just got off a 24 hour flight buy (shopping to try to stay awake!) but it’s really lovely on a humid melbourne summer day. Loving it!