Our standard open thread: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you bought but never wear, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Frontera [cropped] by Sili[k] at flickr; some rights reserved.
The Friday challenges have been taking care of a lot things that I haven’t been wearing but seeing this reminded me to wear Micallef Hiver. I tend to not wear it often because I don’t really like the first 30 min, so I guess I should determine whether I still want it
Good to hear that (about the Friday challenges)!
Y’all were so helpful the other day with bath product recs, I thought I’d come back and ask about scented candles! I’m looking for nice brands with interesting, non-food scents, with good throw. In the past I’ve had great luck with Voluspa, Thymes (Frasier Fir forever!), and Trish McEvoy (that’s about my budget too).
Any favorite brands/scents (mainstream or Etsy-esque) out there? How are the Atelier Cologne candles? I’m will to up my budget if I know burn time & throw are solid.
Don’t know about their candles, but their soaps are great, and good value since they are quite large.
Voluspa are really great. Illume also has a good line.
Ooh, the Illume packaging is great! I see they’re carried in-store nearby – I will definitely check them out.
Hi Squirrely. I had Atelier Cologne candle in Gold Leather. It emanated with lovely and warm aroma, detectable in the room but not too strong. And the candle lasted for a long time. I cleaned the gold jar after I finished it and now it serves as a lovely lantern for tea-lights.
Oh lucasai – they make candles in Gold Leather?!?! Oh dear… I’ll have to get one.
They make candles scented with all of their Colognes Absolues
Frasier Fir is so good. And I managed to catch some AG Noel candles at P1 a few years ago. Those are wonderful too, but my budget doesn’t stretch to full price for them. If you can catch them on sale, they’re worth it.
There are certain Slatkin candles at Bath & Body Works that I LOVE. “Winter” is my favorite, but there’s a springy hyacinth/green leaf one I like too (can’t remember the name of it now). I’d love to try a Cire Trudon, but I doubt I could really buy one without having a severe attack of the guilts.
Oh yes – Pier 1 had a big white-floral thing called “Aspen Flower” that I also loved, but it’s d/c now, curse it. I was disappointed in the uneven burning of Body Shop candles.
Yankee Candles have a wide range of choices, mostly with great throw (even unlit.) and they are quite affordable too!
They also do these “heating lamps” that melts your candles so no open flames!
I bought a l’Artisan Ambre candle at HauteLook right after the holidays. LOTS of scent! It’s lasting forever because I only burn it for about 10-15 minutes and it scents the entire room. It’s nice and I don’t regret the purchase but don’t think I would repurchase it again.
A great brand is Aquiesse, headquartered in the Simi Valley of California and handmade in the United States, these are really good quality and can often be found at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx. The Cambrian candle is the best pine candle ever and my favorite is the Sandalwood Vanille, not a foody vanilla, but a real and smokey vanilla.
I second Aquiesse. I get my sister Pink Peony for Christmas.
Aquiesse are amazing. There is a pomegrante sage that is heavenly. TJMaxx has had them lately and I have been snapping them up!!
I really prefer beeswax candles over soy or other types… But when my budget doesn’t allow for my preference, Pacifica candles are an inexpensive alternative.
OH, I love the scent of beeswax! No other scented oil required!
I second Pacifica and I recommend the Tibetan Mountain Temple or Egyptian Bergamot Rose for a non-food scent.
Jo Malone makes really nice candles. Some are food scents, but they have several that aren’t. If I am not mistaken, Dipityique makes them also. Good luck!
I think with my next Nordies Note I’ll treat myself to a Blackberry & Bay candle – I love the idea of that one as a home scent.
You’re right, Blackberry and Bay would be great in the house.
Annick Goutal’s Christmas candle (can’t remember what it’s called but they put it out every year) is the prettiest Christmas tree scent and I get them every year.
Nest’s candles are amazing (their Amber Oud is one of my all time favorites but if you want something lighter I’d recommend Wasabi Pear, I think it is).
Diptyque is known for their candles – couldn’t tell if anyone mentioned them.
AG Noel! I love them.
Thank you all for this great & diverse list – I knew you wouldn’t fail me! I feel like my self-gift, birthday and Christmas list are all set now!
After many weeks of dark grey skies we finally got to see the sun again and feel it tingling on our faces. It felt so good.
The perfume that matches my mood today is Atelier Cologne Gold Leather. I also have Camaheu from Gabriella Chieffo on top of my hand since I was writing the review for Chemist in the Bottle.
My birthday is next week so I’m starting to think about a perfume treat I should get to celebrate.
Happy weekend
I can’t wait to get my hands on Gold Leather! How leathery is it? I love the big in-your-face leather à la Cabochard, Trussardy Uomo, Cuir Mauresque, and even Coach Leatherware No 1.
It’s quite a pungent leather but still very well-behaved. I especially love it at the begining, when it smells of rum, saffron and leather (that reminds me of new leather shoes)
Hey, Lucas! I was thinking the other day that I hadn’t seen you around these parts in a while. Wondered if you got buried in an avalanche of textbooks or something. . . 😀 Nice you see you about!
I was a bit busy at work and I also moved places, so that took some time off my schedule 🙂
Oh, moving can be such a time-suck! How do you like your new place?
It’s fine. Small but the room scheme is really good. And it’s just for myself 😉
I also have question about a non-scent topic. I’m wondering about body moisturizers or body butters that are relatively inexpensive, but smell great and work well. I’m almost through menopause, and although I always had oily skin, I’ve noticed that my skin is very dry now. I use a moisturizing body wash but I’ve never used moisturizers or body butters. Any advice will be appreciated.
Me too, Priscilla! My skin got very dry as well. I use CeraVe cream (the one in the tub) on my arms and legs right after my shower and now I don’t have any flaking at all. I get mine at Target and it’s really inexpensive.
Cerave in the tub is great and absorbs so quickly. Works well on faces too.
I have really dry skin and love to use coconut oil, especially right after the shower while I’m still damp. I never get itchy any more, and a small jar lasts forever, plus no scent. Sometimes, if I want a hot shower without the tight itchy skin afterwards, I’ll slather on the oil preshower (don’t slip!). It the same theory behind Lush’s body conditioners. I rarely use body soaps/washes of any kind in the shower, since they tend to dry me out.
I might want to try the coconut oil. I have some in the pantry. 🙂
Completely agree with the coconut oil…and if you melt it in the microwave you can stir in any essential oil of your choosing to alter the scent or customize a scent…stick it in the freezer to harded….instant (and inexpensive) body butter! Coconut oil is also great to moisturize hair and as a make up remover….and the smell is amazing!
I always use unscented Curel. It’s easy to find and it always works. I have always had very dry skin – massive lotion eating skin – and it’s the best.
I have a big bottle by my bed and slather it on before going to sleep. Great stuff!
Dry oils are really nice for winter-dry legs. Watkins isn’t too expensive.
My skin has gotten increasingly dry over the past five years as I’m heading into menopause. Eucerin calming creme feels good, and I use a light body oil in the shower before I step out and dry off. Those are unscented.
With regard to scented stuff, I like The Body Shop’s body butters. (Moringa is a pleasant white floral, and they used to have one called Moroccan Rose that I loved. The new rose is so light you can barely smell it, boo.)
If your budget can stand it, Amouage and Malle make really lovely body products – not quite as moisturizing as the stuff for really dry skin, but they won’t dry you out, either. And they are highly fragranced. Carnal Flower Beurre Exquise, of which I have a tiny sample, is To Die For and stays fragranced a long time. I have a bottle of Memoir Woman lotion, too (bought at Parfum1 on sale), and it is a luxurious experience to wear.
I second The Body Shop body butters. Olive is my fave. I also like Kirkland (yes, costco) body lotion “made with 100% pure plant extracts”. Absorbs well, and has a mild pleasant scent that disappears quickly so doesn’t clash with your SOTD.
I used to use the Body Shop Mango Body Butter when I was in college- that stuff was amazing!
I’m not a fan of scented body products but I do have skin that gets pretty dry and itchy so I usually use the Paula’s Choice body lotion with 10% glycolic acid, which does smell a bit like school glue when first applied but is actually unscented and may be a little pricier than you want. I have also had really good luck with the Gold Bond Ultimate lotions. I don’t love their scents but they work well enough that I can overlook them, they have a new lotion for eczema that is unscented but I haven’t tested it enough to give an opinion. My other recommendation for a light weight lotion is Cetaphil Restoraderm but it can be hard to find.
I use Paula’s Choice 10% AHA lotion on my feet, which is great for exfoliating dry skin (er, yes, I have actually ripped up hose before on my horrible cracked heels!). Following the lotion with the CeraVe cream makes for a good combination; both are unscented and work well together.
Neutrogena body oil is my favorite moisturizer, especially after a shower or bath on damp skin. I usually use the unscented oil so that it doesn’t compete with my perfume, but the sesame scented oil is very nice and mild.
I love the smell of the sesame oil and use it a lot in the summer – or even esp after I’ve been in a pool to cut that chlorine smell left on the skin. I’ve often thought that Neutrogena should release whatever fragrance they put into it as an actual fragrance!
I like the Bliss body butters–creamy without being greasy–and you can occasionally find them at discounters like TJ Maxx. I like the lemon and sage one, but I think there are other fragrances that are more generally popular. The fragrance is pleasant, but it doesn’t stick around terribly long–a plus in my book, as I’d usually rather smell my perfume. 🙂
If it’s just general dry skin, this may be stickier than you’d want to put all over, but for specific dry patches, Aquaphor is totally miraculous. I do the feet-in-socks thing overnight with it and by the next day, it’s like…well I won’t say it’s like I have someone else’s feet because that would creepy but you know what I mean 🙂
Aquaphor is good stuff for super-dry places (like feet. and elbows. and sometimes hands, in winter). It’s sort of greasy, though (think Vaseline), so not good for overall moisturizing.
Def agreed. Sometimes I’ll put it on my legs or arms, but only if I can then put on an old cotton long-sleeve shirt or pj pants I don’t care about and get in bed, so I don’t smear it on furniture, etc. Not really practical for daily use.
Glad you mentioned this, I’ve been noticing my heels are on the dry side. This is an easy fix – thanks!
About every other week I rub my feet down with a huge amount of vaseline/petroleum jelly and put on socks before I go to bed. It really makes a difference!
It really is crazy easy! Wish all skin products worked this well!
Try this Australian brand: QV.
It’s moisturising and repairing without that dreaded tackiness or “film” you get with some oils or butters.
I also recommend Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula series.
They are all gentle and non-scented for the most part!
Seconding Neutrogena Norwegian Formula, at least as a hand cream. Absorbs quickly after a moment of rubbing it in, which I love because I can’t stand greasy or sticky.
And it’s readily available in North America.
I’ve always applied body lotion after shower or bath and found key is to do immediately while still slightly damp or just dried. Have used Jergens Age Defying lotion a lot and also Keri Advanced Fast Absorbing. Neither are greasy and absorb well. I sometimes add a small bit of scented oil to the lotion. I go through so much of it I rarely buy pricey stuff. Aveeno Calming is a nice, light lavender.
Just apply a lotion you like regularly and you’ll see a big difference. Don’t wait for your skin to feel dry…just make it a habit.
Hi! I have horrendously dry skin and live with harsh winters, so I have some experience here. 🙂 I found raw shea butter from my local coop goes a long way and moisturizers admirably. And it’s really cheap. The smell is a little…nutty…but it fades to the point it doesn’t interfere with my perfumes. I kinda like the scent, too. 🙂 I find it to work a bit better than coconut oil for me. I mainly use that at night when it isn’t going get in my clothes. My daytime standard is Alba Botanica Unscented lotion. It comes in huge bottles for ~$15, so it isn’t dirt cheap, but they last! It doesn’t seem to alter any of my perfumes (I’ve noticed some lotions will “sour” certain fragrances on my skin). My other trick, if dietary restrictions allow, is eggs. I eat one or two a day, and they’ve made a huge difference in my overall skin condition and helping with winter itchiness. Good luck!
I love the smell of Shea butter as well!
I agree so much about the miracle worker that is shea butter. For me it works better than coconut oil. I also like using mango butter and several oils. Almond, argan, rosehip and borage are amongst my most used oils.
I think everyone has great suggestions and love Cerave and Aquaphor. However, with constant hand washing my hands get bad and I have to put in a good word for Aveeno. I think it has some silicone in it so it doesn’t immediately wash off, which has been a plus this winter with the seriously dry cold weather we have been having!!
Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter is unscented, scoops like soft butter, goes on silky smooth and gets absorbed quickly so it does not feel greasy at all.
I also like The Body Shop Body Butter. My favorites are Vitamin E, Aloe and Olive.
I am a huge fan of Olay Quench moisturizing lotion. It keeps my skin super soft and I have been using it for years. And I love the body butters from The Body Shop. My favorites are Pink Grapefruit and Satsuma. It leaves your skin soft and nicely scented. The key for me to having moisturized skin is using Neutrogena Body Oil. I use it every morning after I get out of the shower. With Neutrogena, it does such a good job, I could skip the lotion if I wanted to.
I adore the Satsuma body oil as well! (Not sure if it is as moisturizing though)
I recently found I need to keep my skin happy or get excema outbreaks, yuk. I found the Vanicream products really terrific. They’re for very sensitive skin and not only do they not have fragrance they also don’t have masking fragrance. That means the perfume I choose doesn’t get partially eaten by my lotion.
They make the cream which is fairly heavy duty for me and also a Lite lotion, which I sometimes mix with the regular stuff to get better coverage and better spreadability.
And… it’s relatively inexpensive! I’ve found it on Amazon and also at my local Walgreens.
Wearing SL Cuir Mauresque today. Should transition well into SL Cèdre that I’m planning on wearing tonigt.
On perfume that I bought and never wore (so far anyway…) is 4711 Nouveau cologne. Was lovely in the store but somehow I never reach for it… It happens!
Love Cuir Mauresque – you smell great!
SOT am is No 5 edt. I could dump this over my head I love it so much. I like all the no 5 iterations, but as time passes, this has really become my fav of them all.
🙂
I’m working my way through my wardrobe and today’s forgotten jewel is Jardin en Med. It is a sunny bright day today and JeM is perfect this morning. Easy, laid back charm.
Nice, I totally agree. So easy to wear, without being dumb or boring. Lovely.
Having an amber-off this morning: Ambre de Merveilles seems to be winning, and Ambre 114 might work better as a layering partner.
Love AdM 🙂
I’m in same! No reason other than I’m on vacation in Utah and brought a sample with me. Like it!
I’m wearing CdG Avignon. I love it and it feels fantastic on the sunny, gorgeous morning!
Is Avignon the one that reminded me of church? I used to feel holier than thou when wearing it.
Good Afternoon All-
Image Journey today
Amouage..not Image
I still have a sample of that I haven’t tried yet… maybe today should be the day.
Curious to know your thoughts when you do try it today. Let me know
Decided it was too chilly to try Journey. Went with my sample of Maai instead… the strongest impression I’m getting from it is that old black soap. Coal tar soap, or maybe you know it as carbolic soap. (Not pine tar soap, that smells different.)
Now getting Africa stone (hyraceum). Sort of rich and animalic in a Bal a Versailles sort of way, but not nearly as floral as BaV. This thing is weird.
We ordered some of the same Luckyscent samples. I tried Maai, but wasn’t bowled over by my initial test. Someone on Perfume Posse said the drydown is nearly identical to that of Amouage Gold Homme. I’m not an Amouage kinda gal, so that might be the problem. I did hope that Maai would be more floral.
Gosh, I was thinking that Image Journey sounds like a really lovely fragrance, lol!
Scent twins! That’s if you’re wearing the woman version?
Yes-Journey Woman..Don’t you just love it???
I am home today cooking and doing chores, but had an inexplicable urge to wear Amouage Gold woman.
Wonderful!
Yes am so pro smelling great at home, most especially if you’ve got some chores! A spoonful of sugar, etc. 🙂
Gold always fits the bill!
Hahahaha you guys, I just had the best “sniff your clothes to try to remember which is the perfume still wafting off it” moment–thought my hoodie had traces of a nice musk drydown, actually just the kind of thing I’ve been shopping for, as it seemed more realistically animalic than anything I own.
…and then I realized, mmmm actually that might just be sweat. Hahahaha. 😳
Ha! Oh dear.
LOL!!
Hee, hee! Your own sweat. Now, that’s an inexpensive perfume 🙂
Come to think of it, I’d actually SAVE money, now that I know I just need to wash my clothes less often!! 😛
The clothes that remain unwashed for the longest period of time could be the “vintage” scents and the more recent unwashed could be the reformulated…
The reformulations always are disappointingly tame, aren’t they 😉
Started off the day with the last dregs of Eau Duelle edp from my sizeable sample that I got from the disgruntled Diptyque rep at a local Nordstrom several months ago. One down, a gazillion to go!
Showered and was planning another drive by of my sample stash, forgot, and took the dog for her walk. Just now got home to see the mailman delivered an overflowing package from a swap friend. So Generous!
Thank You AnnE! I just spritzed on Dune and I see what the fuss is about with this one! I’ve only had it on for about a half hour now and it just keeps getting better and better.
Wow, just wow- So many kind and generous people associated with this blog. It restores my faith in humanity, which has been a bit shaky lately.
Yay for Dune! It’s really an odd and wonderful thing! AND I got one of the best scent reactions when I was wearing it at Home Depot once! I was shopping for something manly (I always feel a little butch at Home Depot) and a fella who was helping me find the what-cha-ma-call-it turned at one point and said, “Whoa! Is that YOU?! You smell amazing!” And then he looked a little embarrassed and went back to searching for the what-have-you. 😀
HA! That is adorable–it’s just the best when perfume makes people forget themselves for a moment! 🙂
Also now I am going to start hanging out at Home Depot because the thought of a butch girl wearing Dune…how do I make the starry-eyed emoji?!
I wish i knew! If i are single again i’d be there, in some aisle, “looking for the right ___ but not sure about ____” and shooing away customer service 😉
🙂
I’m not nearly as butch as I used to be! Years back, when I was working as an ecology researcher, I was all about the men’s work boots, chamois shirts and army surplus pants. 😀 About a decade ago, I learned how to wear make-up from the internet, and started to slowly learn to wear girl clothes. I have downright girly moments these days. 🙂
Dune for all gender expressions! 🙂
It’s good to be flexible!
Great story!
Oh Nice! I love it when people notice and compliment a perfume I’m wearing. Sometimes though, I think people notice but are afraid to say something. Maybe they think it will misinterpreted.
I saw a man with an outstanding beard the other day- it was immaculate and well cared and I was going to go tell him what I thought and off he went in the opposite direction and I missed an opportunity to give a compliment! Drats!
I love your home depot story. I used to wear Dune when it came out and it is really lovely. I almost always tell people – even total strangers – that they smell good. Just the other week at the library there was this woman with a group event standing out in the lobby. I was like – you smell really good! She said thanks and I asked her what she was wearing. She said Aromatics Elixir. I was thinking, OK, I need to go and test this again! I think people like to be noticed if they care about wearing fragrance – esp. these days with fragrance gestapo and boring fruitchooli disasters.
Lol at fragrance gestapo, glad that that hasn’t arrived yet in Holland.
Aromatics Elixir has one of the best drydowns ever!
Dune! Dune would have worked as my “only perfume I like from a house.” I’d been thinking I mostly hadn’t tried enough things to make a meaningful selection, but I’ve tried a lot of Diors (modern versions), and Dune is the only one I’d buy a bottle of. My sample is gone anyway, so I couldn’t have worn it Friday, but it’s good to know I had one.
I have been wearing the heck out of Ubar this week! I’m not sure what’s changed–maybe it was sampling Poet’s Jasmine last weekend?–but it’s been exactly right more days than not–creamy, pretty, full without being big (at only 2 squirts–a very low number by my usual application standards!)–really fun to discover that I can wear it so often and enjoy it! No SOTD, yet, today, but probably will give my nose a break and aim for something a bit more sheer. . .
I’ve had those Ubar weeks…I try something else and then just wind up reapplying Ubar over it. And then I go for months without wearing it…
Oh, good to know I’m not the only one! It seems like a such a special scent, I think I tend to keep it for “special” days. But for whatever reason, that changed this last week. And yes, I suspect that it will work its way out of the rotation soon enough and won’t get worn again for a while!
SOTD Amouage Journey Woman. I wasn’t blown away by it the first time, the dry down felt a bit too sweet and persistent, but I decided to give it a second chance this week. Now I think it’s wonderful and have worn it three days in a row. Maybe it needed colder weather? This also feels like a everyday Amouage, I own Memoir, Epic and Fate but many days they’re too big scents to use for various reasons.
Not perfume related, except that actually I’m sure questions of the sense of smell must be somewhere in his work–I should go look for that–but are others as sad as I am to hear the news about Oliver Sacks? Maybe it’s a strange thing to say about a scientist, but I always felt like he made the world feel like both a more magical and a more humane place. Hate to think of losing him.
He died? Oh, no! I loved his books and because I’m a psychologist, I always kept in mind that some of the bizarre symptoms I was seeing might have a neurologic cause. He could explain the most complex disorders in ways that were relatable and understandable to everyone.
He’s still with us for the moment but on Thursday he published an essay in the Times with the news that he has terminal cancer. I haven’t been able to bear to read what he’s written about it just yet; I’m totally with you, his works took such complex material and made it not just accessible but so compelling and meaningful to people in so many different fields. Really hard to lose someone like that.
Totally agree with your feelings, C.H. His death will be a great loss.
I was gutted by that news, too. It’s strangely comforting, though, to share the sense of impending loss with others here.
Me too. There’s something reassuring about seeing how many people he’s touched.
Thank you so much for mentioning this essay! I’d missed it. It is, like his other writing, very moving.
Sacks has been diagnosed with incurable cancer. I’ve only read three of his books (the autobiographical Uncle Tungsten, Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat) but he strikes me as a caring, genuinely touching and honest individual.
Yes, I’m a fan of his too. I can only hope that he is as comfortable as possible and surrounded by people who love him.
Oh, my son actually teared up when I told him. We love Oliver Sacks, and completely agree with ‘made the world feel like both a more magical and a more humane place’.
The man who turns problem-people into human puzzles to teach us all. . . .
Oh, no! I haven’t read any of his books, but I always enjoyed his interviews on NPR. My husband is going to be very sad. I hope that he gets everything that he needs to suffer as little as possible.
I was very sad to hear bout his recurrent cancer. It’s terrible. Melanoma is dreadful sneaky. It’s the number one cancer killer of women under the age of 30.
OH NO! That is sad! I have been living under a rock (also known as “work”) and am just so sad to hear that.
Auuugghh. Thank you for sharing this news here. I hadn’t heard it.
I was looking for a book to read last night (insomnia) and found The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. I’ve had it for decades and enjoy re-reading it again every few years.
Dr. Sacks’ writing helps me feel the connection that comes from knowing we can all be understood though we are all different beings.
Been sampling current Mitsouko and l’Heure Bleue EDTs by Guerlain. Interesting. They both smell a bit samey to me (Guerlanide?) but I must say I prefer Mitsouko – a lot. Might go for another sampling tour tomorrow with the p o s s i b i l i t y that I might make a purchase.
Funny how pedigree and packaging influence perception. I just realised Mitsouko smells like Gucci Rush (the other way around, to be specific). Rush smells frivolous, young and sexy. It will forever remind me of walking into Gucci Paris flagship store ten years ago to buy a pair of leather pants. Mitsouko, on the other hand, smells, erm, like my grandmothers handbag. Interesting, but ‘old’. It only became ‘modern’ in my head after I made the Rush connection.
This is like the third time this week someone’s mentioned Rush. I must try it! Mitsouko doesn’t grab me but I would be interested in smelling the connection.
They’re both peachy ‘chypres’. One difference would be that Mitsouko has an oily-musty feel to it (oakmoss or whatever goes for it these days) whereas Rush is more airy.
Tested Nanadebary Classic Pink last night, expecting to love it based on the notes … but not so much. There seems to be one errant note in it that gets in the way of enjoyment for me, and I can’t quite pin it down. Maybe cumin? I love cumin in “Gucci brown”, so maybe it’s something else in Pink. Ah well, that’s why we sample. I still have Green and Bronze to try (went on a bit of a Nanadebary binge at Lucky Scent), plus Dyptique Eau Rose. Right now I’m in Carthusia Mediterraneo again, and it’s fading fast. Not much staying power, but so refreshing on first spritz!
Don’t know that brand but love the name!
Now in Eau de Potting Soil with a smidgen of Dead Leaves Fraiche, but heading to the shower and decision time for the SOTRestOfTheDay. Might go with the Eau Rose, in keeping with the gardening theme i seem to have established today.
You’ve either been gardening or dipping into a bunch of Demeter samples! 🙂
I hadn’t realized it, but I WAS channeling Demeter a bit there, wasn’t I? 🙂
Well, I thought I was going to put on Eau Rose after my shower, but my hand reached for Le Temps d’Une Fete instead. Wow, why don’t I wear this more often? So gorgeous!
It took me awhile to “get” Le Temps, but now I love it! It was my evening scent last night. 🙂
Adore adore adore Le Temps d’une Fete… I’ve been known to wear it year round.
Has anyone had experience with Surrender to Chance? I came across them online but have never read anything about them. They seem to offer a large number of both niche and well-known perfumes. Thanks for any tips. I am learning so much from everyone through NST.
Yup. I’ve ordered a handful of things from them, and their rival decant company, The Perfumed Court. I have had good customer service and no issues with spilling/leaking/etc, although I know some have had issues with TPC in the past.
I have had great service with STC as well.
They’re very reputable. I’ve been satisfied with them, as well as with TPC and The Posh Peasant.
Yep to all of these.
I’ve ordered from both and Posh Peasant and never had a problem. You can also order samples from Lucky Scent.
They have great service! I’ve bought a lot of samples & decants from them.
They’re great, and also a good source for decanting supplies if you’re ever in the market for those.
Great customer service there and at The Posh Peasant (those are the two I have experience with).
Likewise, big STC fan. Sign up for their newsletter and/or Facebook page, they often have great sales!
I highly recommend STC and they’re my primary sample/decant source! They have a great selection, the customer service is excellent and they often have sales. I’ve found the staff there to be very helpful and approachable. You can hop over to Perfume Posse to read about Patty White, who is one of the founders.
I’ve also had good luck at The Perfumed Court, The Posh Peasant, and LuckyScent. I could keep going with the list, but those are all good for starters. 🙂
Highly recommend STC!
Thanks so much everyone! This is good to know, and I have your recommendations for a few new sites as well. I’ve often purchased from Lucky Scent but haven’t been sure about others. Your reassurance will keep me busy here in Upstate NY, where the snow and cold continue!
I use them a LOT – sometimes I wonder if I might be single-handedly keeping them in business. Excellent service.
I also highly recommend STC. Your best bet is to sign up to get the newsletters. There’s always some discount code to use (for 5 or 8% off, depending upon total purchase). Usually once or twice a month or so, there are special discounts tied to a holiday or anniversary or the owners just feel like doing something special.
If you are looking for several samples from the same niche brand, the brand’s own website usually offers samples or Discovery Sets that end up being cheaper.
Don’t get me started on The Perfumed Court — I will never use them again because of a really bad experience.
TPC is very leaky and they don’t have good customer service.
I order from STC regularly. They do a fantastic job and their prices are very reasonable, especially with the periodic 15 – 20% off and fab fridays deals on 5ml decants. You can get notifications on that stuff if you sign up for their email newsletter. I sent them a “feel sorry for me” email about how I needed to order some le muguet before winter storm 3 (Neptune) hit Boston and they wrote back with a weather report from their neck of the woods (midwest). I always feel like I’m dealing with real people there and not some faceless, soulless company.
I learned about Surrender to Chance here at Now Smell This. I have bought samples and decants through them. I have had nothing but great experiences with them. And they do have great sales. If I want a whole bottle of something, I head over to Lucky Scent. I have nothing but positive things to say about them as well. You can’t go wrong with these two companies.
Heard and saw a few geese flying by this AM. I am in MN and they were heading north. Maybe spring is coming. (Either that or the geese were confused!) Anyway, not too cold here today, so I got out the AG Vent de Folie, which smells really nice on me. Saw a comment on Nanadebary above; I like the Classic Pink and Green, but found the Gold a bit much, but many people like it.
Those smart geese were leaving central Ky. where it was -18 yesterday a.m. (actual temp., not wind chill)!
Just updated my spreadsheet with all the Random Small Bags of Samples in my Nightstand and aaaaaaallll their contents. Weirdly exhausted now. I kind of want to keep going (WHERE ARE ALL THE THINGS??) but I also want a nap.
Ehhh, nap now and go back to cataloguing later.
(I bow down in awe, btw. 🙂 I started out six years ago with a spreadsheet but abandoned it when I got overwhelmed.)
I just finished reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. The author made a reference to L ‘Artisan La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme which had me instantly reaching for my computer to read a review. My guess is that in my pre-perfumista days I would have glossed over this. Now I pondered – did the author wear this perfume or possibly sample different scents and try to match the character? I think I notice perfume references in books and movies more now that I am more perfume focused.
I always wonder that as well. Sometimes the fragrance is so unexpected for the character, I feel certain the author does not know perfumes… I recently watched some terrible show on tv… I cannot remember the show or what it was about, but I do remember that the detective- type person figured out who was the “bad guy” by recognizing the perfume scent in the air… I remember think the scent was a very odd choice.
Was it Sherlock? There was a plot twist based on a fictitious perfume called “Claire de la Lune.”
Very similar plot device… But I remember Claire de la Lune in the Sherlock episode…now what show was it?
Ack, I think I saw that show too and just remember a scene of someone putting on perfume in a car. Can’t remember what it was.
Oh, was it Forever, the show about the medical examiner who’s immortal?
Okay, I just re-read my post, and realized how utterly ridiculous the concept sounds. Medical examiner. Immortal. What a giggle.
Hi Lisa D. couldn’t respond to your comment directly, but you made me laugh so hard my coffee nearly came out my nose. My son is looking at me with quiet concern…. Immortal Medical Examiner… SNORT!!!! We should make a list improbable tv super powered professionals… From flying nuns to the police sketch artist who can leap from building to building.
That happens with us and birds in movies. With the internet, there is no excuse for saying that a bird is native to an area when it actually is not.
Hey Kindcrow,
Have you seen “bird bingo” illustrated by Christine Berrie? I jjust saw it in a bookstore yesterday and it is gorgeous!
Oooo … I just looked at it on Amazon. Beautiful!
Am wearing La Chasse Aux Papillons (sans extreme) and it is working very prettily on this gorgeous, sunny spring day…
I had a mental snort when I read what I wrote – it didn’t even cross my mind that it was odd until I actually saw it in print, and then it just sounded utterly ridiculous. It would be a hoot to be in on those pitch meetings, listening to people earnestly describing their ideas for tv pilots, “Okay, so there’s this dog, right, and it can read peoples’ minds, but it can only work its will through its human owner, because it can’t talk, but the dog’s owner believes that SHE has telepathic powers, because she can hear her dog, and so…….
Just received a large decant of Chanel No. 22 in the mail today and have generously sprayed myself. It is so beautiful but perhaps would be more appropriate for an evening out. (I’m in my dirty, smelly post-riding clothes.)
you smell amazing.
I have my weekend cut out for me: I just received the IFF Speed Smelling Collection that I ordered from Luckyscent. I haven’t tried them yet, but the packaging is exceptional. The 10-ml sprays come in a leather-like white box with a booklet highlighting each perfumer and his/her creation. It also has a glossary explaining technical terms related to the ingredients and a bundle of scent strips for testing. I was intrigued by the reviews on Grain de Musc and delighted the kit is available in the U.S. this time.
http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2015/01/eleven-exquisite-experiments-iffs-speed_30.html
It will be fun to see what the noses do when they have a chance to play!
I was tempted by that but decided my Sample Mountain was big enough. Sigh.
There is that. But I’ve been reading about those IFF adventures on Grain de Musc for years with envy, so I could not resist.
Hi I have sadly bought a bottle of San Majeste Rose by Surge Lutens. It is nice but way too strong and flowery for me. Any suggestions for pairing it with something to cut down on the flower? Thank you!!
I have actually paired that with the CdG incense series perfumes–any one of them works.
I’ve seen this suggestion for fragrances that tend to overwhelm: spray a small amount into a ceramic dish, and use that to dab with instead of spraying. It might help with the “way too strong” part. For cutting the floweriness, maybe something citrusy? I haven’t tried Sa Majeste though – perhaps someone who has can suggest a better tempering influence.
I have a couple old powerhouses (Youth Dew, in particular) that I can only wear dabbed. I spray once onto a cotton ball and then use that to dab a few key spots. Lovely and no longer room-clearing!
I love SMLR with Santal Majuscule.
Today I am wearing Chanel’s Misia on this very snowy forced-to-stay-in day.
what’s it like? Always curious about a new Exclusif.
Yes, what is it like?
I am sampling it today… On me it is mostly violet. I understand it has rose and iris too, but those were more blended into the background. It smells great, but projection and longevity were not as good as I had hoped for. I sprayed a good amount of it on my testing spot too. Guess I will need to try it in a boutique where I can really douse myself in it to see if it can last better.
I tried this today for the first time at Saks, on blotter, not on skin. Very powdery to my nose… not my thing.
I found it very odd that it wasn’t out on display and there wasn’t any brouhaha around a new exclusive being released. In fact, when I asked about it the girl looked at me like I had three heads. She asked somebody else about it and they perked up and went to find the one bottle that they had as a tester. I found that very bizarre but maybe that’s just how Saks operates, or Chanel too.
Money saved!
I’ve always found the sales people at Saks to be somewhat entertaingly ignorant about their products. I have had to stop myself from correcting them at times about certain things and just smile politely. If I’m in that neighborhood, most of the time I don’t even bother with Saks, and instead head straight into Bergdorfs or Barney’s. Less pushiness, more knowledge, better experince, even if I don’t buy.
Hope you’re doing well Floragal!
After hearing in NST about getting a samples from Hermes, I emailed Chanel and asked for a sample of Misia. Alas, they are not as kind as Hermes and said NO.
On the upside, I did request some samples from Hermes, so thank you to whomever suggested it!!
I got 9 Freebiemeet packages out today! I have a few more to go and expect to have all mailed out by early next week.
I am wondering if anyone here had ever received frozen perfumes? I have not had this experience although just the thought of it is making me nervous as it is way cold in many parts of the U.S. (and of course elsewhere but I usually only deal with U.S.-based packages).
Hi there, hajusuuri!
I’ve gotten some very cold perfume but never frozen. Maybe I saw a few little solid bits of precipitate, but those redissolve easily as the fragrance reaches room temp. That all goes for alcohol-based perfume.
I would not recommend sending any water-based fragrances through the icy climes…. although I admit I am curious about what would happen.
Good to know, leathermountain. I think I only have one water-based perfume (CBIHP Russian Caravan Tea). Thanks.
I’ve never heard of perfume freezing in the mail although I’m sure it has happened. Ethanol has a pretty low freezing point (-115 C). The higher the concentration of alcohol, the lower the freezing point will be. Generally speaking colognes should have the lowest freezing point and extraits the highest. (I just checked and colognes freeze at between-60 and -70 degrees) some extraits might be iffy but I think if you’re only sending edps, edts, and edcs you should be fine.
Thanks, Jonas. I mailed a package last week that contained 3 extrait samples and it actually got delayed in transit. The recipient ws also concerned but she wrote back to say they were fine. At least it did not get cold enough to reach the temps you mentioned!
And I was a lucky recipient of one of your packages this week 🙂
So grateful, and so many great scents to get to know.
The thing I worry about is stoppered bottles leaking in shipment. Remember, we put them in the freezer to loosen stuck stoppers, and similar conditions may occur during winter shipment. Just be sure to tape the stoppers down tightly.
Good point, nozknoz! I use parafilm year-round (hat-tip to Undina and her most excellent post on how to prepare decants). If I am send manufacturers’ samples, I leave them as is.
Good point indeed!
And a new set of experiments to try….
My SOTD is Vanille Abricot by CSP. I wanted to counteract the grey skies with something sweet. It’s my third CSP in three days. I wore Vanille Peach on Friday and Amour de Cacao on Thursday night to a talk on local spiders. I learned that jumping spiders have excellent vision compared to other spiders.
Speaking of jumping spiders, the mating dance of the peacock spider (an Australian jumping spider) rivals those of the birds of paradise.
Peacock Spider mating dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_yYC5r8xMI
Birds of Paradise mating dances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7QZnwKqopo
Kindcrow, I just found out about those spiders the other week. They were featured on BBC’s Life Story miniseries. They are truly remarkable little creatures and at only half a centimetre long i imagine they’d be easy to overlook. It’s a pity what happens to the beautiful males after the deed is done though. 😯
They also featured an incredible little puffer fish that does something truly unbelievable to attract a mate. See the below clip.
https://vimeo.com/115237324
Thanks so much for sharing that pufferfish video! Incredible, indeed (and narrated by one of my favorite humans, Sir David Attenborough). I had to know more, so I just read a Smithosonian article about them. The male decorates these ridges with fragments of shells — reminds me of bower birds.
Speaking of beautiful males, have you seen this photo of Sir David: http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/642×390/d_f/DAttenborough01_GQ_12Dec12_rex_b_642x390.jpg? Be still my beating heart. I’m so glad that no one has eaten him! 🙂
No problem. I think you’d really like Life Story. Check if your library has a copy.
Regarding that photo, I thought Attenborough has always been an old man lol.
Thank you for posting this, another incredible watch! My Littles Ones have become very fond of puffer fish since they got stuffed animal versions, and I will share with them.
You’re welcome.
Those Pufferfish stuffies sound cute.
Wow, thank you for these incredible videos! Especially the spider one, it’s hard to believe it’s real.
Thanks for the link to the adorable spiders. I had seen the clip before but not bookmarked it. I love spiders and frequently get disgusted looks for rescuing them (not the dangerous ones, those I squish) so am glad to see them getting some positive attention, even if most people are still icked out by them.
I never wear my bottles of BV Eau Legere or Eau de Merveilles. Maybe when it gets warmer, I’ll try to get them back in the rotation.
At the moment, on this snowy day, I’m really enjoying the samples of Poivre Piquant and Cuir de Lancome I’m testing out today. Cuir de Lancome is as good as I hoped. If I hadn’t just admitted I never wear Eau Legere, I’d say I need a leather scent…
I haven’t been wearing my Eau Legere during the winter months either – I just think it’s more of a spring/fall scent. And from what I can tell, Cuir de Lancôme and Eau Legere are very different scents. You might need both. 🙂
I bought a lovely essential oil diffuser yesterday. It’s a large one that looks like a wooden tulip and makes a cool steam. The plastic water tank under the “wooden” case changes colors and it is very soothing to look at. I was using it all day in my treatment room with an essential oil blend of cedarwood, rose, orange, lavandula, ylang ylang and frankincense.
SOTE: Imperial Opoponax layered with Patchouly Antique
That diffuser does sound pretty. Color-changing tank? Nice.
It sounds lovely!
I think I finally found a scent that my husband likes and I like too – amazing!!!
It’s an oldie, but I’m sure it has many fans… L’Eau d’Issey.
I see that it actually has a lily-of-the-valley in it which is his favorite note.
It’s not love for me but I do like it.
Scent of the day for me was Coromandel, again.
Congratulations!
Yipee! I guess there is no chance of him tagging along on one of our sniffas?
Lol! Not a one
Giggling over here–my Mr. Spicebomb wouldn’t easily be dragged into a sniffa, either–even though he doesn’t mind smelling nicely for me. 😀
SOTM was Fendi. I had a full on attack and planned all day to go out to the perfume shop I found that had a partial bottle for sale. But, the day got busy and I finally decided to just stay home and save the money. I am both sad and proud of myself. We’ll see how I do tomorrow. I keep telling myself he’s likely sold it or price or it was skunked/evaporated anyway! I think I will go douse myself in Coromandel instead!!!
SOTE tonight was Chanel No. 19 edp. Gorgeous stuff! Really hitting the spot tonight. All I have is a decant from a lovely ‘fumie friend, though. Anyone wanna illuminate me if it’s changed a million times over the years? No idea the vintage of my little sample.
I have a small 4ml bottle of the edp that seems to be 1980s or ’90s (I think maybe the edp was released in the 80s?) and a full 2013 bottle… not a whole lot of difference to my nose, nor any significant difference in strength or lasting power. I know Strawberrynet is a gray-market online distributor, so I don’t know exactly when my bottle was produced – I couldn’t find a US distributor for the edp, so I got it where I could find it!
My daughter was supposed to have brought me a bottle of the edp from the Rome airport, since that was where I first tried it, in 2010, but she mistakenly got me No. 19 Poudre instead. (I haven’t even opened the Poudre and am intending to sell it, probably on ebay, as it’s not my thing.)
With regards to No. 19, I have definite preferences for it – the current edt is thin and it’s missing the leather note in the base, and it makes me ask where the rest of it is. (That said, it’s still better than some other current Chanel perfumes… don’t get me started on the Chance flankers.) The edp is rosier, more floral, maybe a little less vetivery. I think of it as being friendlier than the edt, which I like to call “invisible armor.”
All that to say that the edp perhaps had less moss in it from the beginning, and unless it’s been messed with considerably since I bought my bottle, might not be ruined by reformulation.
I just went looking – it’s back on the Chanel website, 100ml at $122. I don’t know why it wasn’t there when I was trying to buy it in July 2013.
Gosh. I might just bite that bullet. . .
Well, there it is. I just bought my first FB of the year. It’s 3.4 oz, which will likely last me a lifetime and a half! Hope it’s just as wonderful as my little sample–but I’m feeling optimistic after your comments.
Oh, and it’s listed on the website as a LE, so that might explain why you haven’t seen it there before. For whatever reason, they’re limiting how often it’s available in the States.
Oh, congrats! I hope you love it. I suppose the LE status has something to do with its availability on the Chanel website. Incidentally, I can’t find it at Strawberrynet now!
I only allowed myself to open the bottle on my January birthday last year, and of course I have a bazillion other bottles, but the level is already down about 10% because I wear it fairly often. I bet you’ll use it more often than you think. 🙂
Oh, her impressions are so right on with mine! It’s got that fascinating balance of austerity and sexiness, formality and rule-breaking rebelliousness!
I’m surprised to hear that the edp has rose, since I didn’t sense that sweetness last night. Might have to return to it today and try to parse out the notes a bit more attentively. (Post-workout? Might be a bit much for the gym!)
And you may be right–I can see how it might be very versatile. I may be very glad to have all those ounces!
Now we know whom to ask about No 19! 🙂
Yeah–if only I could find an expert! 😉
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the detailed response! It is one that I found interesting from the start–I could recognize that it was special and unusual and well done aaaannnd. . . I couldn’t figure out if it was for ME or not! But for whatever reason, it really sang to me last night! 😀
Oh, and thank you for the details regarding edt and edp. I had a suspicion that there was an important difference there. I totally get the “invisible armor” effect, even with the edp, but it *does* have some presence and sillage, which is important to me. And I wouldn’t want something colder–it’s already less warm and inviting than I tend towards.
You are welcome! I am still not sure why I don’t love the parfum, except that it might be more vetiver-focused than the other two. I mean, it’s nice. I will never shame anyone for loving it when I don’t – it’s just that the edp and the vintage edt sing to me and the parfum doesn’t.
More comparisons among the versions of No. 19 here: http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2008/04/twin-peaks-chanel-no19-and-heure.html
ack. Replied to this above!
Just to add some more about No 19. I’ve not ever smelled the edp, so these comments are just about the edt (current) and the vintage and current extrait. The current edt is very wonderful galbanun and iris, and the “chanel stuff” they always use, and a lot of crisp, sunny, “green” vetiver. It’s one of my fav vetiver scents and I wear it a lot, but I only discovered it about 2009 when I began to explore galbanum scents.
At time, I liked the current edt best, even though it was reformulated, b/c generally I don’t care for strong leather accords in fragrances. I also hadn’t really developed my nose for seriously oakmossy stuff yet. I also didn’t like that “leathery swamp water” combo of vetiver and oakmoss that was so common in those green Chanel fragrances which now, ironically, I really love (I’m looking at you, Cristalle!).
The current No 19 edt is a great sheer summer frag, still has the best iris and vetiver on the “common” market, even though it’s a pale version of it’s previous glory.
So… the current extrait is like a richer version of the current edt. Mostly just super wonderful iris that Chanel uses, the galbanum, the other “chanel stuff”, and then a wonderful grassy hay, sheer very green vetiver for a long drydown. It’s very linear, but wonderful summer frag stuff. If you like sheer and cristp vetiver – no funky smokey muddy swamp water in sight – then this is for you. I wish they actually distributed this in proper sized bottles and it was easier to get. Probably the justification for the edp….
The vintage extrait, on the other hand, is whole other lovely beast. Ditto on all the galbanum, iris and “chanel stuff”, but in this case, the vetiver plays more of a supporting role in the middle progression to give way to a most astonishingly warm, golden and beautiful buttery oakmoss for a very pleasant drydown. It is not sharp or excessively leathery, nor is it funky swampy, but just a smidge of what can be construed to be “leather” in a quality buttery oakmoss that smells like a whole lot of other good stuff too.
If your sample is more golden than green, then you have some sort of vintage iteration. If it is more green and smells more vetivery than oakmoss or leathery, then you have a “current” ish version.
Cheers!
^ Yep. Ann knows her 19!
Talking about sample colors, that’s a distinguishable different in the edt versions. The edp of whatever age seems to be pale peridot green.
Thank you, Ann!
I took a little dab (still pre-workout today), and I *do* get what I would call creamy oakmoss and a touch of soapiness, that I assume is the vetiver. Still no obvious rose that apparently is present in the edp. I’m not a big iris fan–it’s way to austere and cold when it dominates, but I sense a vegetal heart that must be the iris. And funny, I wouldn’t classify it as leather, but perhaps I need it to settle down a little more. . . I appreciate that it’s complex enough to not be obvious!
Oh, and color of the juice is mostly golden yellow, with a subtle green tinge, FWIW. 🙂
Congrats – if you have some golden green juice, you have some vintage. You are a lucky duck! I hope you enjoy it. I do love the iris that Chanel uses – No 19 is my fav iris and then the totally different AdP Iris Nobile edp…. No 19 is very special juice! One of these days I’ll get my hands on some of the edp. I imagine I’ll enjoy it as much as all the other versions of No 19! I could experience that galbanum iris opening a hundred times and not ever get bored of it. Add a little rose – no problems with that either.
Sunday SOTD pre-workout was VC&A Orchidee Vanille from a swap friend (Thanks Hajusuuri!)
Post workout is Black Cashmere from another swap friend (Thanks Pixel!) and it is lovely. Not what I was expecting, but sometimes the unexpected is better than the expected!
Hope everyone is having a fab and fragrant Sunday!
SOTD is a simple vanilla lotion as I thumb my nose at today’s arctic temps and head off for an afternoon in the tropics – the orchid show at our botanic garden. More than 10,000 plants, I can’t wait to inhale their fragrance. Then the annual seed swap to follow will inspire plans for my spring garden and provide me with some great heirloom seeds.
And since birds were mentioned in a couple of posts above, I thought I’d share a link with you for some effortless bird-watching. Our local news has been featuring glimpses of the little eaglets each day, and I have become addicted.! Lots of interesting info on this website as well as the FB page, and the webcam is terrific:
http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
Have fun. That orchid show sounds amazing.
Five minutes from my house is a nursery that specializes in orchids. I forget about them for most of the year, but right around now I get so tired of the cold that I’m drawn to make an annual visit. Their open house is usually at the end of this month, so everything is bursting into bloom. It’s the next best thing to spending the day in the city sniffing (which is decidedly unappealing in January and February). The colors are vibrant and the humidity of the greenhouses feels so wonderful after the dryness of winter! I buy the cheapie orchids for $25 and get several months of blooms from them, though I’ve never gotten them to rebloom. That’s down to my lack of skill, though. Anyway, it’s cheap therapy!
Oh, I love orchids! I have two (from Home Depot) that I’ve managed to keep going for about four years. They bloom every winter, and it really is great having some color in the house this time of year.
I keep mine in the window, water them about every 7-10 days, and cut off the stalks entirely when they’re done blooming. I think the key may be not to pay too much attention to them. (I think my first two attempts failed because I overwatered them.)
I’m really jealous of your orchid expidition. Have fun!
Infrared for viewing at night. Nice! That orchid show sounds great!
The orchid show was an exquisite sensory delight: my immediate physical reaction upon entering was tears in my eyes and chills down my spine. In addition to several narrow halls filled with hanging orchid ‘waterfalls’ and orchids shaped into trees, several greenhouses (already filled with flowering plants) had numerous orchid specimens tucked in everywhere to add to the tropical ambience. Despite the cold weather outside, the sun shining brightly thru the greenhouse glass warmed our bodies and stirred our souls and we were transported to a different world.
The exhibit featured various displays, one of which explained in great detail how vanilla is derived from a specific orchid plant and showed a timeline of important events in the history of vanilla. Prominently featured was the creation of Shaimar in 1921! An intriguing ‘scent table’ offered various forms of vanilla in beakers to sniff – including Madagascar, Mexican and Tahitian vanilla bean pods, vanilla wafer cookies, and, Mmmmm, Shalimar!
In addition, I learned that a local company I’d never heard of despite living my whole life here had been producing vanilla for over 100 years, so I came away with a couple of bottles of the pure extract, to support the local economy.
Plus a good supply of heirloom and organic seeds from the seed swap. A great afternoon!
What fun!
I kind of fell in love with Helmut Lang edp yesterday. I have been particularly weak lately and would like a second opinion. It seems like it is well blended. The amber isn’t too muddied by vanilla.
I am open to being talked off the ledge, or pushed. If anyone has an opinion I would like to hear it. Thanks.
I think my decant is a different formulation from the most recent one. Are you talking about the most recent one? If so, ignore the following comments.
My decant is charming in its way but definitely worth extensive sampling before purchase. The most memorable effect is the lavender/cotton candy contrast, and it’s one you really have to be in the mood for.
It is the newer formulation. I got the lavender but no cotton candy. It seemed quit elegant. I will sit on my hands a while longer. Thanks
Wearing dabs from a miscellaneous sort of vintage bottle I bought on ebay for cheap – it’s called Chypre d’Amboise, no sticker on the bottom. It may, according to my limited research, be “Chypre” from the house of Parfums d’Amboise, a Parisian company making fragrance since the 1920s. This one is definitely not that old. It’s rather nice, though it smells cheap in the way that drugstore and Avon scents in the 1970s used to smell (that’s probably a commentary on how even cheap stuff back in the day was pretty decent and smelled like perfume instead of Windex). I mean, you’d never mistake this for Mitsouko, for example, but it’s actually quite pleasant. Yay for ebay cheapies!
Windex – ha- that makes me think of the scene from the most awesome “Lost Boys” movie (from the 80s?) when the grandpa spritzes some Windex between his hands and taps his face, a la aftershave, to get ready for his date with a special widow lady.
Sampling The Lion in the Cupboard for the second time today. Funny thing about it is that mint is listed and referenced in the reviews, but I can’t tell if I smell it or not. So far I’ve only applied this scent right after brushing my teeth, and I can’t be sure what mintiness I’m feeling.
Okay. It is official… The wretched smell in our kitchen has reached an all time noxious as the day heats up outside. Verdict? Dead rat somewhere in vents. We live next to a small forest full of woodland animals… But only the rats come in (well squirrels too, but they seem as surprised and horrified as us to find themselves in a house, and are chased out by the cats in no time). I’ve never seen a rat in the house, but they have left a few presents for us in the basement over the years. This smell is really something. Ghaaaaaaajjgh!
I’m hanging out in my office sniffing vintage No. 19 extrait, inspired by AnnS.
Anyone else ever dealt w a dead animal in the vents or walls?
Ugh! Terrible! I’m so sorry you have to deal with that. It is SOOOooooo distracting and unpleasant when there’s a bad smell you can’t readily get rid of!
A friend had rats for months, it seemed, and eventually did seem to eradicate them. But along the way, more than one died somewhere down in her basement or in tunnels or whatever. Only solution she had was to let it rot away. Took a few months. Blech!
Yuck. I’ve dealt with all sorts of dead critter scents in my life and there’s nothing to do but track down the body and remove it and as much of the surrounding porous stuff as possible. The smell will linger forever if you don’t.
Of it makes you feel better, when I was a kid we had three squirrels fall down the chimney of our vacation home when we weren’t there. Two crawled between the mattress and box spring to die and the other found an unzipped canvas bicycle pannier. They had been dead for months when we found them and the scent stuck around for weeks, even with the disposal of the contaminated fabrics.
Hope you locate him quickly.
I have had a number of dead rats in the garage or the backyard shed over the years. The only way I have found to get rid of the smell is to find the body and remove it, then spray the area and surroundings with bleach to help kill the organisms that cause decomposition. I’d rather have the bleach smell than the dead rat smell.
Not animals, exactly, but when we re-sided our house a couple of years ago the contractor found a beehive in the wall below the spare bedroom. No bees, thankfully, but he very carefully removed the hive anyway. I think he had a friend who was a beekeeper and thought maybe the structure could be recycled somehow.
Oh, gosh, yes! Never a rat, but hordes of mice and sometimes a chipmunk b/c we live in a woody area. I’ve never found a way to deal with the smell except for incense and wait it out. Can you contact a duct person if you know its in the vents? Oh, gosh. Awful. I know there is something (likely mouse or chipmunk) in our one wall this winter b/c late at night sometimes I can hear that tell-tale scratch-scratch-scratch when they are moving around. Ugh. Hey, at least you smell good?
Just made am appt with a duct company, but not until March 2. Heaven help us!
Oh, yuck, good luck! Never had any dead animals inside, just a few live critters including a raccoon who once clmbed up the breakfast room curtains!
Once had a squirrel jump across my keyboard while I was typing with our oldest, fattest cat in slo-mo pursuit.
This is not a nice smell in case anyone was in doubt.
Oh, dear. We had a bird die in the chimney once, and had to have a chimney sweep come clean it out. Time and incense were the only remedies for the lingering smell. Having a sensitive nose is often no fun. If you can determine where the smell is worst, you might try closing the vents in that room. It might help a little. Or it might be a good time for a spontaneous vacation–my sister sometimes decides she wants to be elsewhere for the weekend, and hunts for bargains at nice hotels within a two-hour drive.
My SOTWeekend is l’Air de Rien. We’re beating the cold wet weather with a Firefly/Dr Who marathon and lots of pizza. At some point we are going to have to hit the gym and vacuum up a bit. The cat is not willing to brave the weather to potty so is exploring self expression through litter flinging. Sigh.
Cats. This made me laugh, HARD.
Sounds like a fun marathon. I loved Serenity (haven’t seen Firefly) and love Doctor Who (mostly the shows with Doctors 3 through 5 and 7).
You must watch Firefly! It’s some of the best sci-fi, western, action/adventure, comedy, morality play ever!
We have family members who live in Boston. One of their cats will use the litter box for liquids only and MUST go outside regardless of weather for the remainder of his toilette. So they must always keep an area cleared for him outside, despite how many feet of snow now? Cats!!!
Firefly! One of my favorite things. What scents did Inara use? 🙂
Musta been something good. Although, if I looked like that I could probably get by without perfume…as a beauty aid, I would still need it to survive.
My SOTD is Tokyo Milk’s Honey and the Moon. I used up me entire sample vial because it’s one of those regrettable purchases. Out of sight, out of mind. Speaking of which, i impulsively bought i neon magenta brocade full skirt. Think Roccoco on steroids. Sigh … Must make it work .
Back to Honey and the Moon, I just find it lacks body , umph. You know what I mean ? I am no longer in that macarons and animal crackers age bracket.
In search of sweet honey, smoke, and some smoke. Recommendations ?
I meant honey, smoke, woods, and incense. I have this new obsession with bees and am currently reading Honeybee Democracy
I heart bees! How can you not love a creature that does a waggle dance to give directions? That book sounds very interesting.
I don’t have any perfume recommendations, but I found these on-line:
1. Cinders perfume oil (available in soap, too) by Firebird Bath and Body. Notes: Burning leaves, woodsmoke, and creamy, smoky raw beeswax. https://www.etsy.com/listing/110093207/cinders-perfume-oil-woodsmoke-burning?ref=shop_home_active_7
2. Woodsmoke and Vanilla perfume oil by Firebird Bath and Body. Notes: frankincense and myrrh, fir needles, balsam and cedar, on a soft base of vanilla and honey. https://www.etsy.com/listing/62821664/woodsmoke-and-vanilla-perfume-oil?ref=shop_home_active_10
3. Smokewood Apiary. Available from Solstice Scents. Notes: Smoked Honey, Creamed Honey, Beeswax, Amber, Wooden Frames, Ginger & Vanilla. http://www.solsticescents.com/SMOKEWOOD-APIARY-PERFUME–Smoked-Honey-Creamed-Honey-Beeswax-Amber-Wooden-Frames-Ginger-Vanilla_p_577.html
4. L`Artisan Tea for Two
5. Diptyque Volutes, https://nstperfume.com/2012/10/04/diptyque-volutes-fragrance-review/
6. Fumerie Turque Serge Lutens
Hi Kindcrow,
just saw this now. Smoked Apiary sounds delicious! Anyway, don’t know if you will ever see this , but here is a licensed pdf excerpt of Honeybee Democracy from Princeton.
http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9267.pdf
Enjoy.
Late reply but do sniff Indochine.
Commando today due to fixing our shower – the cold water inlet froze up LastThursday, and now finally today, we have a working shower. UGH.
I consoled myself buying six samples from Lucky Scent, and three samples from The Perfumed Court, vintage oils and a tiny bit of old Apres L’Ondee parfum! Hope they all get here ok, since the Temps are supposed to drop again..
SOTD is Etro Shaal Nur, which came in the mail yesterday. I smell divine, if I do say so myself. Fragrancex has a bunch of Etro at the moment. (Not affiliated, just someone who’s been looking for a reasonably priced bottle of Shaal Nur for more than a year.)
Does anyone have any recommendations of other Etro perfumes they love? The only others I’ve tried are Lemon Sorbet (pleasant but fleeting, and the name is misleading, as it’s not sweet at all), and the famous Messe de Minuit (interesting, but too stark for me).
And hang tough, all you poor souls in the frigid east. If it makes you feel any better, it’s pouring rain at the moment here in So. Cal., and during the warm weather last week, the skies were very brown. It reminded me of the terrible air quality when I was a kid.