Ack, another Monday! What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm wearing L'Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons and pretending it is spring already. Which it clearly is not. I do want to thank everyone who sent nice wishes for our birthday yesterday, it was much appreciated and I'm sorry I did not manage to answer everyone individually.
Reminder: this Friday, 9 February, wear something by Guerlain. We already did this in summer, now we're doing it again for winter (or, for some of you, the other way around).
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.
Note: top image is detail from a Brumidi fresco at the United States Capitol building via the Smithsonian; see "The Fresco Fiasco: Smithsonian Scientists Examine the Capitol's Art"
Vintage Krizia Uomo: very piney, very green leather chypre with an overdose of oakmoss. Eighties, but good eighties.
That sounds like something I might like…and there *were* good eighties!
Robin – I found it on Parfum 1 for …. wait for it…. $18! And it’s 3.3 oz. Wanna split??
I resolved not to buy more than 30 ml of anything. What do you think of doing this in the splitmeet and seeing if we can find 1 more (idiot) to go in with us?
You mean let’s find another “fragrantly obsessed” person? 😀 Sounds good to me.
Except also, that’s a lot of spray decanting. (lazy)
Good…if you list it, I will sign up!
Oakmoss! I will sign up for a decant of this! I have a soap that is violet and Oakmoss and it is one of my favorite things…
Our beloved Daisy schooled me in the art of decanting and it helps that I’m a licensed massage therapist! 😉 Strong fingers.
I’ll get busy and order some 1 oz. bottles – I ain’t doin’ 5 and 10 mls.!
I’m holding you to it, Meredifay! I know where to find Robin.
Do order the bottle in any case, I’ll guarantee 2/3.
Hey, if you can fit in one more person, I would love to go in on it! Sounds like just the thing I’ve been looking for. I’ve got loads of decant bottles, too, and I would be happy to send you some.
Ann, email me at rappleyea11 at a yahoo address. That would be great.
Krizia Uomo rocks! 🙂
I’m in Le Temps d’Une Fete, for exactly the same reason – needed a little dose of springtime this morning. Might need a spritz or two more before leaving the house (it’s been a while since I last wore it, and I might have been too light-handed).
A dose of spring in February never hurts!
Think I might join you. Adore LTdF… and in this weather, I’ll probably go six spritzes. It’s supposed to be in the low 60s here today, though it’s cloudy and I’m not sure we’ll make it out of the current low 50s.
(The vintage stuff would have been a two-spritzer, maybe three in the cold. But I’m saving my little vintage bottle for special occasions since I love it so much.)
Trying a sample of Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet, which is supposed to smell like pimento and osmanthus and other interesting things. Instead it smells like white musk with a little violet. Oh well.
Shame, pimento & osmanthus sound good.
Agree. Can anyone rec a perfume that actually smells like that? 🙂
Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus actually has both notes, but the pimento is possibly not at the level you are looking for!
L’artisan has Piment Brulant, which, although billed as a red pepper and chocolate mix, smells very much to me like freshly chopped red bell peppers.
I’ve heard this bell pepper comparison before, and it sounds intriguing!
I need to try that one sometime! I like that pepper smell.
Ultravile! It also has that grape note. Shudder!!! The really like TDC Osmanthus, but I’m not sure what pimento would smell like in perfume, so I don’t know if it’s there.
SOTD: Chanel No.5 Parfum. Just some simple everyday elegance. 😛
I sometimes wish for Spring too! But that also means Summer is next and I am not quite sure how I feel about all that heat…
Agree about No. 5. AND about summer heat, bleargh.
Theo Fennel Scent, which smells gorgeous and opulent in cold weather and is completely at odds with my house cleaning sweatpants!
Hey, it elevates the sweatpants 🙂
SOTD!The Body Shop Smoky Poppy.Pretty good!Dark-ish spicy floral.The body lotion is devine as well.
That’s good to hear. I wanted to try that one, but when I went to the mall, the Body Shop was gone. Sounds like I might need to make the extra effort and head to a different mall.
Ours, too!! Are they downsizing, I wonder?
Like our only Crabtree&Evelyn store in Pretoria disappeared…urgh.
MILES better than Red Musk.
I must CONFESS:I got the Red Musk as well…lol.But I agree Smoky Poppy is the winner!
I purchased the Red Musk too, to layer with other fragrances. My favorite musk on it’s own is Kiehl’s.
Sorry I dissed it then, but I do think it totally failed to live up to its billing. It’s pretty mild stuff!
I smelled this on a facial tissue (no paper test strips or cut up ribbon to be found anywhere) amd it was just meh to me. The Body Shop does not provide samples of perfumes bit they have a very generous return policy.
I haven’t gotten that far to pick out a SOTD yet. But it might be a good day to bust out the L’air du Desert Morocain since I haven’t worn that in forever.
Then it’s a good day for it!
Don’t think I’ve ever tried La Chasse…wonder where I can do so–think my local NM did away with L’Artisan. Eau Premiere today.
Hard to do outside buying a sample, unfortunately. Sephora has some L’Artisan now but I’ve never seen them in a store.
L’Orpheline today.
A bit under the weather. Had a very nasty stomach bug this weekend that left me entirely bed ridden yesterday.
Managing to stay somewhat functional today at work, but very dizzy and generally blah feeling. Doesn’t help that it’s very cold and icy outside.
I realize I tend to lean towards incense fragrances when I’m feeling ill.
Stomach bug, ugh 😕 Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks. I think the worst is over. I’m actually hungry today and eating lunch helped a bit.
Get well soon and stay warm!
My coworker and I have our space heater blasting in our little office 🙂 It’s definitely helping.
Get better!
Thank you.
OH NO. the stomach bug is making its rounds through our family as well… I’m seriously hoping we don’t get it…
You smell great. I’m currently practising telekinesis on my bulbflowers. I’m willing them to show me their beauty. I would love for spring to be already there.
My SOTD suits all weathers really; Cuir de Russie in parfum.
“Practicing telekinesis on my bulb flowers”! I am sure that they hear your thoughts. My plants send out a distress vibe when they need water or food.
Lucky. Some of mine can be passive aggressive, and just go ahead and die on me to let me know they need watering. Can you imagine!
Such spiteful plants to just up and die of thirst to punish you for not noticing… Plants at my house have to tolerate a high level of benign neglect, as well.
If the supreme deity is a plant, we are all screwed
SOTD is Le Labo Vetiver 46. Much more incense-y than vetiver-y, but I kind of like it in this weather. I have a tiny sample that has lasted me a long time already. Undecided as to whether I will purchase more when this runs out.
SOTD is Lancome Mille et Une Roses. As a follow up to a discussion thread from the other day – I often wear rose perfumes when I wear blue, but not the heavy, dirty roses 😉 Also – Rochas Femme is for jewel tones!
I can see those smell-colours working! Many find it strange that MeUR is blue, but I find its particular shade of blue quite appropriate.
I like to wear SSS Tabac Aurea with orange and gold.
I’m wearing Smell Bent’s Monaco-Dependent, which smells just like the wax of an unscented candle after the flame has been blown out. First Smell Bent that I’ve actively disliked, but I believe it’s been discontinued.
That’s actually one of my favorite smells. Wonder if I’d like it in a perfume though.
Mine too – hot candle wax, niiiiice. Might fire up some candles this morning too, just so I can blow them out later. 🙂
That or make someone a birthday cake!
Wearing PHI. I’m trying very hard to wear scents I love to remind myself that I *DON’T* need anything new right now.
And Robin, I completely agree–I’m very ready for winter to be over. I’ve been pretending it’s spring with my wardrobe, which is a pretty bad idea since it’s not actually warm out.
I am ALWAYS ready for winter to be over 🙂
Blah, another Monday indeed. Ready for a vacation, but I’ll style for the three day weekend I’ll have if I make it through Friday.
My SOTD is Lady Vengeance. I like it quite a bit but I’m not feeling madly in love, which is unfortunate since I have a full bottle of the stuff. Maybe I’m just feeling grouchy because I’m wearing uncomfortable hoisery today. I miss being able to wear comfy casual clothes to work!
I had the opportunity to try Lady Vengeance on a recent trip to Las Vegas where I was impressed with the fragrance selection. Always intrigued with trying new rose scents, I found Lady Vengeance to initially be such a pretty and interesting rose but I think I under-applied and it didn’t stick with me.
Is there such thing as comfortable hosiery?? I’m fortunate that I don’t have to dress for work – I feel your pain!
I love Lady Vengence – this was my gateway scent to Juliette has a Gun. I have a FB too although I wear Calamity J more often.
I am doing taxes (ugh, awful this year due to selling the old house and moving and TurboTax no longer lets me enter professional expenses without their Home and Business edition, did I say UGH yet?)
BUT I am wearing the gorgeous SSS Champagne de Bois this morning.
Ouch! Sorry about the taxes, but don’t forego legitimate deductions!
I’ve been smelling CdB for about a week now – and I’m out of it!?! I think the Universe is telling me to get some more!
Always pay attention to what the Universe says.
No kidding! 🙂
I am wearing Herba Fresca. I was going to spray on some Mentafollia from a mini, but I got a whiff of the fresh accord when I took off the cap and reconsidered.
I wasn’t able to participate yesterday, so I’m wearing my celebratory NST fragrance now.
Ideally, I would have liked to have worn my VC&A Bois d’Iris, which I went out and smelled immediately at Bergdorf’s five and a half years ago when I read Robin’s review. I lusted after it for years until finally purchasing it last year when I started leaning in to this habit. Sadly, the winter seems to kill it on my skin, so I have to chose another NST-based discovery, but rest assured Robin, I always think of you and this blog when I spray my bottle and smile.
The weather prompted me to wear Cuir de Lancome, which was almost universally praised in the comments here as everyone’s favorite blind buy. Like everyone else, I love it.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: the community that exists here is a testament to you and your work, Robin. Thank you. I am so grateful for it, in so many ways.
Correction – have to choose, not chose. Always a typo.
Every time someone mentions it, I feel more and more like I need to track down a sample of Cuir de Lancome!
Me too!
Thank you!
CdL always works. 🙂
Did you go get perfume therapy this weekend?
A bottle of La Fille de Berlin is on its way to me now….:)
I’m adding this one to my “try it soon” list. Even though leather and patchouli don’t often work for me, Cuir de Lancome sounds too good to miss. 😮
Personally, I don’t get much patchouli from this at all, but it could just be me and my errant sniffer.
I’m home with a sick kiddo today. As sad as I am that he’s not well, I’m looking forward to getting cozy on the couch and watching a movie (he’s been loving the John Hughes movies of the 80’s).
SOTD – an super light application of Samsara because the last time I wore this he commented on my “yummy smelling lotion”.
It’s been fun watching my favorite 80s movies with my kids, as they move into/through teenhood. The Outsiders, Pretty in Pink… Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club…
Exactly! We’ve watched all of the above except The Outsiders – I forgot about that one! Recently watched Sixteen Candles (I must have rewound that final kiss scene a million times!) and Ferris Bueller is the #1 favorite and on the docket for today.
Life moves pretty fast. 🙂
Are you still here? Go home.
(To this day I love clever credits.)
Clever credits are fun. I love when they have outtakes … especially for animated movies (Monsters, Inc., I’m looking at you … and laughing). Mals, have you seen the *opening* credits to Monty Python and the Holy Grail? “Those responsible for sacking those who were supposed to have been sacked, have been sacked.” Or something like that. The moose references go on a bit too long (well, it IS Monty Python after all), but are also fun nonetheless. (I’m giggling to myself and probably attracting concerned attention.)
Sheri, a moose once bit my sister…
🙂
Heeeeeee 🙂
Monday is a great day for ‘cozy on the couch,’ hope it helps him feel better soon.
Not an eighties flick, but Bend It Like Beckham was a real hit with my boys, and I was thrilled since it featured two female protagonists. It owes a lot to John Hughes, but updated.
That was a good one.
Today I’m in Exultat from Maria Candida Gentile. Mmm…
Ex and Sideris have been on my list to try for awhile. I keep thinking I will make it down to Twisted Lily to sample, but may need to just order samples online.
If you’re coming down I’d love to hang out with you! Especially since I love Twisted Lily. Failing that, I could send you samples of both. My screen name is my yahoo address
So nice of you! I will email.
I am also pretending its Spring in Chamade. (I have the EDT and love it, but wish it would last longer.) Yesterday it was 68 F in the Richmond, VA, area, and I found the first few snowdrops and crocuses blooming in my garden! But today is rather gloomy and back in the low 40s.
Chamade is so gorgeous.
Hello to my fellow Virginians! My daughter lives in Richmond so undoubtedly enjoyed the lovely weather yesterday. Here in the Banana Belt, the daffodils are about 4 inches up. I see it gets cold again towards the end of the week, sigh. I am struggling with a head cold today but am thinking about exploring some Olympic Orchid samples. Ellen Covey mentioned on her blog there might be some changes in the available lineup so time to discover the one I cannot live without before it is gone!
Hi, fellow Virginian! You know, I have some unloved OO samples, mostly the more floral ones, looking for a new home. If you want them, pm me at malsnano86 geemail (sorry, bot-defeating code there) with your address and they’re yours.
I’m feeling a little Spring-y myself! SOTD is Hermès Hiris.
Such a happy optimistic scent! Much needed on this dreary Monday.
Cold and rain today and nothing fits it more perfectly than Atelier’s beautiful Tout le Soit de Paris. I really love this one.
Still snowing here. I heard on the news that by the end of the current storm the Boston area will have gotten somewhere around 60 plus inches in the past two weeks. They are running out of places to put all the snow and we are up to our necks in it here in metro west. Our neighbour in the unit downstairs spent five hours shovelling yesterday while I was inside with hot beverages and feet up, so I arranged a gift certificate for her with a massage colleague.
I haven’t decided on a SOTD today. Looking for the perfume version of smart wool.
Also, I was getting samples ready to ship out to a couple people, but that will be delayed by a few more days. Sorry!
I highly recommend Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant for the warmth, which is what I’m wearing as the snow keeps on (and on and on) falling.
Excellent idea! That will be my SOTD!
The governor was saying last night that they have removed enough snow from Boston to fill Gillette stadium 90 times!
My Atelier samples came in mail this morning! Wearing Mistral Patchouli first, not sure what to try next or what to layer. Will be experimenting all this week for sure.
Did they include pomelo Paradis after all?
No unfortunately, but they did throw in a sample of Sous Le Toit De Paris which I wasn’t expecting.
Too bad. Sous le Toit is very nice though.
Oh, that’s my favorite of them all!
Will try next if weather allows, the patch and vetiver are doing great though in this humid heat.
Chandler_b, Sous le toit de Paris works in any weather (for me).
Love Mistral Patchouli. It has a presence that I really enjoy.
Wearing Calamity J today. The snow in Boston necessitated a change in travel plans so instead of connecting through Logan I’ll be leaving for Ireland direct from Chicago – kind of a win-win if you ask me. Any suggestions for the duty free shop when I return or for purchases in Ireland?
Can you get me a full coverage tea cozy that zips up over the face 🙂
^ She needs one in Irish wool tweed. 🙂
With nose holes
Hot and very humid day today so chose AdP Colonia Oud. An Italian guy I work with told me my ‘perfume’ was nice 🙂
Yum.Just yum.
The closest I can get to ‘pretending’ it’s spring is the desire to smell roses. For Keep-It-Simple Monday, I’ve opted for YR’s oldie but goodie from its long d/c Pur Desir line, Pur Desir De Rose. edt. A deep pink rose soliliflore with a bit of spice (carnation?) and dewdrops on its petals, it’s light but satisfying for daytime.
Will amp it up tonight with SSS Velvet Rose to deepen the flower and spice. I love Laurie’s roses!
Rats! Another discontinued YR rose that sounds totally sniff-worthy.
Thanks for the link to the Smithsonian article, Robin!
Perhaps I’ll wear Hanae Mori Butterfly tomorrow.
Wearing Oriental Express (yet another one I first learned about on NST). This one is really growing on me.
31 Rue Cambon today. Using up the very last of my sample and still trying to talk myself off the ledge on this one. It is soooo gorgeous though! Hoping maybe this one will come up in the splitmeet!
I can help you out, email me at jkdienes at sign gmail dawt commm…
Seriously? What a great bunch of people around here 🙂
I’ll send you an email. You are the best!
Sheesh…. all this talk about roses… just ended my commando stint and applied MFK’s Lumiere Noire pour femme. Gosh, I forgot how much this one cheers me up. …. I take it back about what I said about my passive aggressive garden earlier 😆
SOTD Oriza L. Legrand Marion-Nous. This is now on my to-buy list, after a few others…
YSL Champagne EdT. I like the parfum better, but now that this has settled down from its opening jumping-on-a-trampoline phase, the edt is quite nice too.
Aqua di Parma Rosa Nobile today, to get me out of that Rainy Monday head space.
This one was a Christmas gift, and i just love it.
SOTD is Habanita applied very lightly but still she resists me. If she doesn’t start treating me nicer into the swap pile she’ll go!
She took a while to grow on me. It was only after detecting the beautiful ghost of this perfume in my seat belt strap that it became true love.
There’s something in the early stages reminiscent of (forgive me) cat pee….I don’t know what it is. I’ll certainly keep trying tho.
SOTD for me is Ambre Narguile, and loving it. A gourmand amber but done very sheer.
Received a sample from Hermes and continue to find these Hermessence scents just gorgeous. ..
They also gave me a sample of Iris Ukiyoé which is the only one so far I don’t like. It smells like some type of cleaning product to my nose.
I was just thinking of trying Ambre Narguile because I really enjoy the Hermessence scents, and I especially like Iris Ukiyoé.
Now that I think about it, the first time I tried Iris Ukiyoé, I did get a kind of cleaning product feel, sort of upscale-ladies-powder-room. I don’t know if that’s a good association or “ew.” 🙂
Do you want my 4ml sample of Iris Ukiyoe? You can have it!
jkdienes at sign gmail dawt commm…
It already feels like spring here, but winter strikes suddenly and often quite late around these parts, so I’m trying to not get my hopes up. I’m in LUSH Smuggler’s Soul, which is very sandalwoodsy and lasts a long time on me, I keep catching hints of it throughout the day. It’s ended up one of my favourites, even though I’m not usually a big fan of LUSH’s scents. I own 10ml of EDP and might have to repurchase rather soon…
I want to try Smuggler’s Soul so badly but there’s no word on when the new scents will come to North America. I’m getting really impatient about it.
I am wearing Fidji vintage perfume. I am home , relaxing, doing nothing , this feels the right choice for today, it has a calming and comforting effect.
Always wanted to try that one. May have to seek out a mini on eBay.
My mom used to wear Fidji. I loved it on her. I don’t think she’s worn it in years though.
I went with Apres l’Ondee from a sample. It’s mostly gone now, which is ok because I’ve never quite made up my mind as to whether I like this one.
I had the same reaction to that one. Really wanted to love it, but I’ve let it go now.
My 30 ml bottle of Grand Neroli just arrived from Etiket. I had requested samples of Fleur de Louis and L’Etrog but they sent me samples of the entire Arquiste line. I can’t wait to try these out.
As for my SOTD, I am trying out the sample of HDP 1828 Jules Verne which also came with my order. Honestly, I requested it based on the name alone. I’m finding it similar to Chergui which is strange because aside from incense their isn’t any overlap in their official notes lists.
I really like L’Etrog, and it is very similar to Annick Goutal’s Eau d’Hadrien.
I need to try L’Eau d’Hadrien.
SOTD = Tom Ford Amber Absolute
People, I had to scrape ice off my windshiel this morning! Oh wait, it is still winter in these here parts. I got a wee sample from the last NST swap and I immediately got hooked. I had since acquired several decants.
Actually, the drydown is more like a very faint beeswax fragrance, which isn’t so bad, but I already have Demeter’s Beeswax.
I meant this as a reply to my own comment on Smell Bent’s Monaco-dependent.
I am wearing AG Vent de Folie. I get a nice lipstick scent from this one, which oddly, I do not get from violet/rose combination perfumes (like Lipstick Rose).
Oh, thanks Robin for your fragrance of the day. I was fighting a migraine last night and this morning. Usually I skip scent or opt for a cologne when I have a headache. But La Chasse sounded good, so I went looking for my sample vial. It is good! (And doesn’t affect my headache.)
The citrus at the top is delicious, then I get honeysuckle all the time. It’s so close to the actual flower that I’m almost floored. Why don’t I remember liking this so much? I must have been overwhelmed by other samples when I tried it.
When I lived on the east coast of the US years ago, the Smithsonian was a favorite destination. I still get goose bumps when I think about the first time I saw the National Mall. I burst into tears as we drove up Constitution Avenue. It was humbling to see proof that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.
Nice, and hope your migraine is better!
I grew up in DC, so the Smithsonian was just “part of the landscape”. It is impressive though, and spoiled me for other cities where you have to pay money to get into museums.
SOTD is Floris Mahon Leather, the leather and saffron always cheers me up.
It’s a gorgeous, sunny, 69 degrees warm day here in the Mile High City,* so I wanted something green and bright, and vintage Safari is fitting the bill perfectly.
* with apologies to you long-suffering folk in Boston and thereabouts
:-/
Love Safari.
On my last week of holidays before I go back to university so distracting myself from feeling nervous as its a big change of direction by working through my sample collection to keep myself busy. It’s HDP 1873 today. so much grapefruit but I think for my grapefruit fix I’ll stick with Pamplemousse de Rose. There is something a little sour and sharp about 1873 that isn’t working for me.
Had the day off today. Since we are going on vacation in a few weeks I am starting to get into vacation-mode. Post-shower, I have on Guerlain Terracotta layered with some coconut lotion. I can almost see the beach and palm trees.
SOTD was Jo Malone Vanilla Anise, from a sample. It’s just too fresh for my tastes. If you were in the market for a light, transparent vanilla/anise perfume with a little fresh–is it musk? I’m still not confident in identifying notes, even when I’m pretty sure I can actually smell everything. Anyway, it’s a light, fresh, summery sort of vanilla. I think I’m going to spray something heavier over what’s left of it, maybe Agent Provocateur L’Agent.