It's Tuesday, and it's Billie Holiday's birthday — she was born on this day 100 years ago, in 1915. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm in Robert Piguet Gardenia.
Reminder: this Friday, 10 April, is BWF Friday: wear a big white floral. Partial credit for diet white florals, a wee bitsy dash of credit for other sorts of flowers. The decision of the judges will be final and binding on all participants.
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.
Oddly enough I just pulled out my small decant of Un Voix Noire only to find that it had dried up. So instead I’m wearing A la Nuit, also by Serge Lutens and from a not-dried-up decant. Needless to say I’m not in the office today!
Ugh, hate when that happens!
I was wearing A la Nuit yesterday. And I have, in fact, worn it to work:)
SOTD: Baie de Genievre (Creed). Not quite ready for BWF yet, perhaps just Friday?
Just Friday is fine
SOTD: Plum Japonaise.
I honestly do not like rain at all. It feels so miserable and the humidity makes everything tacky to the touch and it’s just so cold!!! (Not to mention the strong wind that’s blowing right now. Wind chill + rain. How nice. Ugh.)
It is not raining here yet but will be soon. We had 2 days of gorgeous spring, though!
I love rain, but not with wind and cold. A light springtime sprinkle makes everything smell so fresh and clean. Hope things improve where you are soon.
Dame Perfumery’s Dark Horse which has jasmine as a note so I guess that counts for a white floral!
And great name for a perfume!
Ironically it comes off as a skin scent with my chemistry…. a dusting of spice, soft florals and a creamy/woody drydown….this is a perfect scent to wear whenever and anywhere as it is subtle and non-offensive….yet, I could still smell it on my wrist when I woke up this morning after I tested it last night…loved it so much that it came on again after my shower! The perfumer, Jeffrey Dame, is also very generous (extra samples in my package) and very personable (hand written post card in both of my orders). I am definitely considering a fb of this one as well as the Black Flower Mexican Vanilla which I love on its own but would also layer nicely with Dark Horse.
Jeffrey Dame is very generous. I have full bottles of the Black Flower Mexican Vanilla and the Desert Rose. Dark Horse will be my next purchase.
Jeffrey Dame is pretty awesome.
Agreed. I love the hand written post card included with each order.
Hi Bardot,
My dark horse arrived yesterday and I love it too. It goes on as a rich vanilla/nutmeg/spice concoction and becomes quite subtle after a little while. I also found that it lasts quite a long time as a skin scent. For some reason my skin seems to amplify the clove note, but it is so well blended with the vanilla that the overall effect is delightful. By the way, I think Dame is a master of vanilla so if you are into vanilla, BFMV and Dark Horse are worth a try. My husband really likes this one on me and he has been called upon to sniff many frags in the past few years. He said it’s in the top 5. I will be ordering a bottle of this.
Sajuni-
!!! Yikes! Blowing my budget again!I may wait until I finish my travel sizes ( aside from Dark Horse and BFMV I also bought seven others which I need to test out). Tomorrow I am going to layer the Dark Horse over the BFMV…I’ll let you know how that goes 
!!
I get the creamy vanilla and the woods amplified on my skin…the spices are there, but subtle….my hubby said I smelled like “soap” which coming from him is a compliment (ie; clean and lovely)…he is extremely fussy about what I wear (and also extremely vocal about it!) and he liked Dark Horse so it is definitely fb worthy for me…I happen to love vanilla and agree with you that Jeffrey Dame is a master….I want BFMV as a fb as well
I’m looking forward to trying this one also. I do like jasmine very much and, occasionally, gardenia.
I will wear La Panthere today in honor of Lady Day. It’s the only perfume I have with gardenia in it.
In her dressing room, apparently, in 1937: Emeraude and Evening in Paris. So gardenia not necessarily required
http://shewasabird.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-billie-holiday-wear-newspaper.html
Had I known this I would have worn my vintage Emeraude today!
Great choices.
I’m in YSL Baby Doll today. Fun!
Oh Billie! When I lived in San Francisco some 4 years ago ( I lived there for 6 years) I would let the fog roll in and listen to Billie Holiday.
I remember picking up her CD’s used in the Haight/Ashbury area of SF..so much fun. I can’t remember the name of that CD store.
Now I am feeling a bit nostalgic…
Oh..Terracotta today.
Creating a Billie itunes Radio station …perfect for this gray day
SOTD is Gucci Eau de Parfum, with its delicious orange blossom cuminy-ness. I know better than to say I’ll never tire of this one … but it feels that way right now! Mmmm.
You smell great! My skin usually doesn’t react well to cumin but the Gucci was fb worthy for me and I drained it back in the early 2000s! Loved the bottle too!
Thanks! I’m on my second FB with one of the larger bottles in the wings. I love both bottles, but the taller skinnier one is easier to maneuver – the low squatty one is gorgeous but hard for my small hands to spray from. (Poor me, huh.)
ha!ha! I had the low squatty one which was really heavy and yes, hard for my tiny hands too (my ring finger size is 4
!!!) Looked gorgeous on my dresser, though!
SOTD is Atelier Blanche Immortelle, once again from the very generous Lisa D.
This is lovely stuff and I don’t remember hearing too much about it. Thank you, Lisa D for the huge decant! I can see this really working well for me in the summer as well. It’s the first Atelier I have tried that really flips my switch.
Happy Tuesday all!
I wish they sold this one in a smaller size
!!
I agree! As soon as I tested it, I went to do a price/size check and was really disappointed in both! Lol. Luckily, the above named NST’er provided me with a generous decant so I am set for a while. Have you tried the the Carmin Santal? That’s another I would like to get my nose on.
no…I am afraid to b/c that one is also a very large size bottle! Although the notes sound really good! I was planning a trip to a big Sephora this month and I am hoping to sample the new Ateliers and the Commodity brand as well. Maybe I will give Carmin Santal a try…
Deva, you smell great! Immortelle is a tricky note, but when it works for me, it really works. My favorite immortelle scent is Parfum Divine’s L’Être Aimé Femme, which makes me swoon.
I’m wearing Cristalle at the moment, but I’m craving gardenia now – it’s one of my favourite notes. Well, I need to wait until I get home.
I almost went with that today, but at the last minute I changed my mind. Nice fragrance.
It truly is.
Good Morning All! My SOTD is Jardin Mystique by Friedemodin. It is described as a sparkling green floral with lily of the valley. I am starting to notice that I really like a lot of fragrances that are considered “green”. Some of the other notes is “cut grass” and “crushed leaves”. It’s a clean, beautiful scent that I really am enjoying. Could be a contender for FB purchase.
I adore green florals.
This sounds nice.
That sounds really nice. I haven’t heard of that brand. Did you find it in town, or did you get it online?
Delrae Amoureuse. Gorgeous!
I enjoyed that all day yesterday!
I was planning on wearing it anyway this week but your mention of it prompted me to get my bottle out today. It’s big, but wonderful.
Amoureuse is just magnificent. I recently got a sample of Wit and it is lovely too – almost like Amoureuse-light.
I’m wearing Un Voix Noire dabbed on from the bell jar I treated myself last year for my birthday.
SOTD is Cuir de Lancome. It put a dab of fracas on tonight while I watch Mad Men – first episode of last season
Or something with gardenia. I don’t know if I can do a BWF at work later this week though …
I might put a dab on … I need to check better before I hit send
I have taken the day off today and am getting ready to watch Mad Men too! I’ve spent some time recently rewatching some of the early seasons on Netflix. I will miss the series when it’s gone.
Cuir de Lacombe is lovely for transitional seasons. I’ve been wearing it a lot lately and I enjoy it in September as well.
Yay for Cuir de Lancome!
And I don’t watch Mad Men, but I’m going to go curl up on the couch and watch my DVR-ed newest episode of Outlander (S1, E9) in a little while.
Oh, I am so jelly! I haven’t seen the new Mad Men yet. I have recently discovered Cuir de Lancome, and it is super gorgeous. I almost wore that today.
Doused myself in Guerlain Cologne du 68 today. Not sure I should have worn a cologne on a humid day with rain in the forecast, but it seems to be holding up well. Now if only my sinusitis would go away…
You smell wonderful, and I think that one has a lot more going for it than the usual eau de cologne despite the name. A FB of that may be my birthday present to myself this year.
I am very impressed with this one and may need to get a larger decant when I’m done with this one.
I’m wearing Tokyo Milk Sencha Bleu. I bought a full bottle of this because it was described as a hyacinth scent, but all I’m getting is a generic soapy floral. Best hyacinth that I’ve bought so far is still Demeter’s Wet Garden.
I need to try that Demeter. I haven’t really found a great hyacinth scent… by which I mean a photo-realistic hyacinth-only fragrance. I really dig Smell Bent Florist’s Fridge, and E. Coudray’s Jacinthe et Rose is lovely too, but neither one is exactly what I want when I want “A Hyacinth Scent.”
I have a huge bottle – I’m happy to send you some wEt GArden if you like. You can email me at jasouza9 in hotmail land if you’d like some.
Yup. Wet Garden is a good hyacinth.
The only super true hyacinth I ever smelled was that Jacinthe des Bois by L’AP. Too bad it’s gone….
Making today my BWF day, since I’m off from work. Wearing Rubj edp. On Friday I’ll be smelling of dog, and possibly sick dog, since the dog flu has hit Chicago really hard.
I just saw that (the dog flu issue)! I guess there is no vaccine available…? Poor pups
Sarrasins today. I smelled this and almost immediately bought a bell jar. It’s still love, and I wear it at least once a month despite all the other bottles clamoring for attention. This would be a desert island scent for me, along with Box of Eels.
Your husband has made NST history with that comment!
Not my husband–Pixel’s!
I was wondering if there was something he wasn’t telling me
Oh geez, thanks for the correction
I can’t keep my “Box of Eels” straight! Lol
Does Kai count for big white floral? That might be the only one I have.
I think it should. Maybe not BIG, but definitely a good white floral. I was planning on wearing that one Friday.
It works!
Vintage Ivoire today, with a testing of Santal Majuscule. So far, not terribly enamored with Uncle Serge’s offerings with sandalwood. (Santal Blanc was way too sweet for me.)
I am wearing EL Tub. Gardenia. I put it on in honor of the upcoming BWF day but it is suitable for Billie Holiday’s birthday as well. What a voice! My teenage boys don’t like BH, but I often give her a play when I have the house to myself.
She’s an acquired taste for a lot of people. Maybe your boys will change their minds one day!
I’m cheating on BWF week again. Recently got some samples of stuff I thought would be interesting but safe for my pocketbook – things that hadn’t gotten lots of rave reviews and didn’t seem my style but I thought might be interesting to sniff. Unfortunately, I’m really liking La Treizieme Heure in spite of the description. To me the smoke and darkness are secondary (at least on this warm, foggy morning) to the clove, narcissus, and vanilla leather. I can see myself getting quite a bit of wear out of this as a comfortable linear skin scent. Probably not FBW but certainly on the decant list so far.
Good stuff if a bit pricey
I am wearing a tiny drop of Norma Kamali Zagara, which is definitely a BWF.
It is so big it needs to be dispensed by the drop
I haven’t chosen a scent yet but after reading the comments I think I’ll wear Donna Karan Gold edp today. I’m not much of a BWF person but I do like lilies, especially grounded by the amber in Gold.
Gold is so nice.
Lots of wonderful samples and decants showed up in the mail yesterday, so I’ve been totally overwhelmed (in a good way!) with all the incredible options I have to work through. I’m wearing Amouage Lyric today (never tried an Amouage before), and feel totally swathed in incredible lushness and vibrancy. On a side note, I can’t usually smell myself consistently without putting my nose up to my wrist, but wow, this stuff projects!
Last night I dreamt about getting an Amouage sample/travel spray in the mail – which is odd because I haven’t ordered any, have never smelled any of their scents, have never seen any of the bottles. It was very vivid, but it all came from the images I create from reading people’s comments here.
David Sedaris does a good impersonation of Billie Holiday (I heard it on the audio version of “SantaLand Diaries.”)
My SOTD is Demeter Pineapple.
For better or for worse, I can’t hear Billie Holiday without thinking of David Sedaris. His impression really is impressive.
Hysterical, but he RUINED Billie Holiday for my son, since my son heard the David Sedaris imitation before he heard the real thing. When they showed Billie Holiday in Ken Burns Jazz, my son started to laugh right away.
Ha! Yes, I agree with you all. That was my favorite part of The Santaland Diaries. I also can’t hear “Away in a Manger” without thinking of Holiday /Sedaris.
what fun!
Was rushing out the door this morning, so chose an easy, very springy scent: Baiser Vole EDT. I do like it, but some days I wish it had a bit more of a green/mossy element maintained. May have to experiment with layering/partnering.
I’m going to have to really think about options for BWF Friday: I’m pretty sure nothing I own would qualify, and I don’t even think I have much in the way of samples. BWF and gourmand fragrances are the two that I steer away from, generally.
What would folk here recommend as a ‘gateway’ scent to sample, that I could likely access in a smaller department store or Sephora (local options are pretty limited)?
Maybe Ester Lauder’s Tuberose Gardenia or Elie Saab for department stores and Bulgari has a couple of jasmine scents that might be available at Sephora
Some of the Tocca’s ,I believe, would qualify as BWF or at least WF and they are easily accessible at a Sephora…..
Tocca Florence definitely would, if you like gardenia.
Was sick all weekend and still can’t smell much but I could smell a little bit of Iris Ganache in the bottle so I’m wearing that though I pretty much can’t smell it on skin. No one was ever hurt for smelling like Iris Ganache….
I hope you feel better – my nose is finally sniffing right after a few weeks of head cold misery.
SOTD = Seville a l’Aube, and I am happy, even tho it is rainy outside.
I’ve been reading everyone’s positive comments on the Dame Perfumery scents and eagerly awaiting my sample of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla. A generous packet arrived yesterday, and I, too, really appreciate the personal touch. It’s very cold and rainy here today, and the BFMV is warm and luscious, mmm . . . Looking forward to trying the Desert Rose next.
You smell positively delicious
!!! I have been wearing Black Flower Mexican Vanilla almost every night since I got my sample…..except last night (it was a Dark Horse night). I cannot remember the last time I was so excited about a brand! I think tomorrow I might layer Black Flower with Dark Horse……tell us what you think about the Desert Rose…..I do like it but would not consider a fb b/c I have enough rose fragrances….but it is very pretty!
SOTD PG L’eau Rare Matale. Foggy, cold, Chicago spring day.
I have a packet of samples from Twisted Lily that I’m looking forward to trying later…
Wearing Calyx today, one of my recent acquisitions thanks to Swapmeet!! I’m having a blast sampling all my new perfumes.
vintage or re-formulated? Loved, loved,loved the original from Prescriptives…I think I drained about 5 bottles in the late 80s…I was always a heavy sprayer….with Calyx you could smell me a mile away!
I don’t know its vintage but it’s Prescriptives. I imagine applying this with a heavy hand this summer!
Oh yes!!! heavy handed is the only way to wear Calyx…especially in the summer
!! The original was by Prescriptives and then Clinique took it over recently…somewhere along the way it was reformulated…the re-formulation is a much milder and more floral version of the original which was over the top mouthwatering sour fruit! Gosh I loved it!
I loved it too, Bardot, went through bottle after bottle. Mouth-watering is a good way to describe it.
Trying Guerlain Mon Precieux Nectar today..
Lovely orange bloossom with almond and vanilla.
oh that sounds heavenly! three of my favourite notes
!!
Miss Dior Cherie today. Think this is the sweetest i can tolerate in a perfume, and still enjoy.
So tired and dragging, this works great as a pick me up.
Cold and overcast and since it looks violet colored outside I had to apply one of my favorite violets Atelier’s Sous le Toit du Paris
Mmmm. I may have to pull that one out soon. You smell great!
for Keep It Simple Tuesday it’s Bas de Soie, a little tame after yesterday’s bring-it-on Chinatown, which I hadn’t worn in a while…
Testing Le Baiser du Dragon for the first time today. Sounds amazing with the almond and amaretto notes, but I’m always very careful with gourmands and oriental fragrances since they tend to overwhelm me very easily. We’ll see how this one goes!
I’m wearing Ninfeo Mio, or I was when I came into work. I find it pretty, ladylike, and rather frail.
TF Black Orchid Voile de Fleur today, for tuberose-ylang with cream and pepper. It’s terrific for this rainy day.
Might put my Billie CD on while I do some sewing.
BO VdF is my fav of all Tom Fords. I find it elegant and yet very wearable.
Le Feu d’Issey, perfect for sunny spring, and picking up my new keys, and an afternoon ahead of less pleasant moving related chores.
Best of luck with the move!
Tested Angeliques sous la Pluie and it disappeared again within an hour. Pity, I do love a good G&T and the beginning is just heaven! Guess, I’ll just save my pennies for l’Eau d’Hiver.
Lubin Gin Fizz is similar and not quite as pricey! Maybe not as herbal, but good fun.
Thanks, sounds like my kind of scent! On to the sample list it goes.
SOTD is Amouage Gold, so elegant I put on pearls and hair in an updo
Last night after our leather discussion, I found my sample of Dior’s Cuir Cannage, and it is wonderful. I would love to roll around in a vat of that! For me it is a floral leather in the family of Cuir de Lancôme, but more rounded. If I were writing a serious review, I’d want to compare those side by side. Both are great scents. I’m on a leather kick (kink ;)) Be well.
I have been meaning to try Cuir Cannage and the Lancome side by side for some months, and just haven’t gotten around to it. CC seems rather… how to put this? Chanel-y to me. More Chanel-y than the Chanel leather, anyway (which I’ve whined about enough and won’t do it again, or at least not here
) – that iris. The restraint. SO so pretty.
CC is pretty, and my nose reads iris and jasmine in the leather. Blind sniffed, I could completely agree identifying it as a Chanel. I’m hoping *you’ll* do that intensive leather comparison on your blog, being the resident CdL expert
Pearls and an updo to match your perfume? I love it
good for you, Hemlock! My cords/jeans/yoga attire practically never match my ladylike tastes in scent.
Pearls and updo sound wonderful. My fav P&U fragrance is Lancome Magie. Except I rarely do an updo. But I love pearls! Pearls and visible lipstick.
Thanks for the encouragement for me to be ladylike! Amouage rather inspires that, which is a good thing. I’m normally in the group that juxtaposes scent with fashion–ladylike clothes and a massive leather/oud/musk bomb, or dressing up housework slouchy togs with aldehydes. It tickles me to be a tad contrary and to provide contrast with fragrance.
(BTW, my private nickname for the updo is the heifer ball, which should give anyone showing livestock a giggle.)
And the discussion inspired me to actually WEAR Cuir Cannage today
Earlier I saw this review by Luca Turin which connects Cuir Cannage with Cuir Russe:
http://arabia.style.com/beauty/beauty-guide/fall-winter-fragrances-2014-message-in-a-bottle-luca-turin-reviews-amouage-sunshine-christian-dior-cuir-cannage/
I’v only had a small dab sample of Cuir de Lancolm, so my impression is not very well founded, but I don’t remember it having any of the orange-flower menthol that distinguishes Cuir Cannage. Also Cuir Cannage has quite a modern talc powder feel to me, while the Lancolm smelled like an older cosmetic powder.
Mostly i’m just wanting to roll around in Cuir Mauresque since yesterday :p
Thanks for the link! I enjoy Turin’s reviews. CC is really lovely. I think if I’d met CC before Cuir de Russie, I’d have bought CC, not CdR in its current formulation. CdR is more dry. I like it, but wear it less than CdL. You should seek out more CdL before it’s impossible to find if you are a floral leather fan. Don’t know about you, but I always have room for more leathers in my collection. (BTW, I am happy to send you a decant if you need CdL) Now I just need to find my Cuir Mauresque sample.
Yes, I haven’t tried the extrait, but I do find the Edt of Cuir de Russe a little too dry and thin. Actually, I don’t have any Chanel exclusifs: probably because I’m neither elegant nor restrained
I must look to see if anything remains of my Cuir de L sample. It seems to be available in the new bottle… not cheap but I’v never seen it particularly cheap in South Africa.
As for too many leathers – well I probably already have too many. The funny thing is that in side to side testing the most similar of the ones I have are Etro’s Gomma and Cabochard. The former is a little more bouncy and plush, while the latter is greener and a bit more brittle, but they are so close I probably would not have bought both if I smelled them side by side first. That being said – despite the similarity, they are quite different in mood.
And along with Cuir Mauresque – I would definitely invite Lonestar Memories in, if I found it waiting on my doorstep. Both have that lovely balsamic tone
Also meant to say: I’v been finding the post unreliable lately so I’m not going to take you up on that wonderful offer! But thank you so much!
I aspire to be elegant and restrained. I am not. I think lots of my Chanel and Guerlains are aspirational fragrances, scents for who I want to be.
I confess I own Lonestar Memories–it is a treasured gift from Andy Tauer, in one of his early Advent giveaways. I love its creosote and birch tar. I wear it as SOTE usually; it has a contemplative vibe for me. Be well.
I find Lonestar Memories a much happier, and more calming scent than the celebrated Desert Marocain, which just leaves me desolate!
Somehow I ended up with Une Rose Chypree which I would trade for LM in a heartbeat
SOTD: Dark Horse from Dame Perfumery. Sultry, gorgeous, non-fussy and chic. It is also very unisex. This one is definitely full bottle worthy for me. And I totally agree with what others have said about Jeffrey Dame. He wrote personal notes for both my orders (each of which arrived within 3 days of being placed) and a lovely thank you email decribing Dark Horse as a “wonderful fragrance that is soothing but that growls along”. He said he will be formally introducing it in San Francisco at the end of April, but wanted to make it available on line. So we are some of the lucky first people to try it.
Scent twins! You smell amazing!!!!!!!!!! (and now I am thinking maybe I SHOULD buy a fb right away in case it sells out at the end of April?)
That’s not a bad idea.
Was not feeling the BWF this morning so settled for the much tamer John Varvatos Artisan.
SOTD is Narciso. Don’t know if it counts as WF at all, but I like!
I am wearing DelRae Amoureuse today. Saw the bottle last night as I was looking through some of what I have in my collection and decided it would be today’s scent.
Scent twins!
You both smell great!
Ah man, I have a sample of Un Voix Noire. I could’ve worn it today! But instead I am wearing Tokyo Milk French Kiss (tuberose and citrus).
SOT am was Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue (from a generous swapper), and I really love it. So now that’s on my to-buy list. SOT evening is Bottega Veneta eau Legere (also from swapper), b/c it has that gardenia accord that I’m lucky to smell. It’s also warm on a drizzly evening. Cheers!
Darn, wish I had read this earlier, could have worn Une Voix Noire. Will put some on tonight. Right now I am wearing Rose Extreme by Micallef.
I’m in Cuir Cannage for the mentholated orange flower and calf skin.
I’m sampling Chanel Gardenia parfum, thanks to an exceptionally kind perfumista. Liza Dalby once left a bottle of Chanel No. 5 at the grave of Murasaki Shikibu. Someone should do the same for Billie Holiday with one those grand flaçon (900-ml) bottles of Chanel Gardenia parfum.
SOTD = Puredistance Opardu
This has every flower imaginable – tuberose! gardenia! lilac! bulgarian rose! carnation! heliotrope! Sillage is minimal and is absolutely office appropriate. It’s a fragrance I would never want to be without.