Happy International Day For Monuments & Sites! (Yes, I had to dig for that one.)
We're celebrating with our usual open thread poll: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the monument or site you wish you were visiting right now, anything.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is National Cherry Blossom 2013, Thomas Jefferson Memorial [cropped & brightened] by Glyn Lowe at flickr; some rights reserved.
Working the weekend!
Sunshine Amouage
Bought a FB of that and Fate from a discount website
Enjoy the weekend
Ooh! Lucky you! They’re on my hit list too
I bet that was a happy day when they arrived! 
Someone on this feed raved about sunshine so I had to sample it to see what the hype was.. It is sunshine in a bottle
Hi Lovestosmellgood, which site? I need both Fate and Sunshine but am horrified by the price of Sunshine. Email me at ann dot dalrymple at gmail dot com.
And today is Record Store Day in the states – a nice Sly & the Family Stone album, Live at the Fillmore East (vinyl of course), and other interesting things. Plus, we hit almost 70 degrees F in Boston. Ah spring.
Ah! Enjoy the nice weekend! The weather went from winter to summer..
Sent you an email !
Email me too? kalliela12 at geemail. Not that I can get these even with the discount, lol..but want to know as well. Thanks!
Ok done!
Seville A L’Aube today. Saving my pennies (dirham actually) for duty free shopping in Dubai airport. Does anyone know by chance whether Chanel Exclusifs are available there? We only have the 200ml here and no way to get the 75ml shipped.
From a quick look on they DDF site, it doesn’t look like there’s any Chanel, exclusive or not…
No, i saw that too..
But Google just found info for me that Chanel opened a boutique at the airport in Sept. There’s pics, but I cant see any perfume! They mention everything else EXCEPT perfume. Oh well, thanks Annie. I’ll just have to check when Im there. If not I know there’s plenty else I can spend my money on
Hope you find something fabulous, even if it’s not Chanel!
Wearing Seville today too!
Have a great trip!!
Good morning, all! We are expecting a gorgeous day today, so I will bring out my summer favorite–Tauer’s Zeta. Not sure what outings will be enjoyed, but certainly plan on being outside as much as possible (hopefully without burning my fair, winter-white skin with the sudden exposure)! Options include lilac gardens, a tulip festival and maybe even the iris gardens–I love spring!
Likewise expecting gorgeous, and hope to get some sun…I love spring too!
Iris gardens? I’ll have to check that out! I’ll be blinding the neighbors with post-winter white skin too, playing in the dirt. Hopefully the local nursery will have a better selection of fun stuff to plant now that it’s full April. SOTD is Dior Escale a Portofino.
Yes! They’re down by Salem, just off of I-5 (Shneider? Scheiner? Iris Gardens–something like that.)
I probably will get to play in my dirt tomorrow.
Sounds like a lovely day, and you smell wonderful! Wish I had gotten a back-up bottle of Zeta while it was still available.
Yes, it’s one of the scents I have a back-up of.
*Fingers crossed* he’ll bring it back!
At the computer early for a Sat morning. My oldest is getting tested for which math class he’ll take next year. Poor thing is really not in the mood to sit for a test on this gorgeous day.
Last night I laid out ALL (including samples) of my perfumes and reorganized my storage system-that-is-not. I took a page from some NSTers and made the lighter florals more accessible, and buried the ambers, balsams, and birch tars towards the back. And, generally made my samples easier to peruse so that I can dip into them more easily.
Question: Green frags–from Chanel No. 19 to Vent Vert–what season do you wear these the most? Are there some greens that swing more winter and some greens that swing more summer for you? For instance, I have a bottle of No. 19 Poudre that I rarely reach for in hot weather… but sometimes I crave some Vent Vert on my pillow…
I find that I crave green frags at odd times. Bandit I initially thought would be winter, but it never sat right and I once sniffed the bottle on a hot day and it seemed perfect. Now it’s only a hot weather scent.
I also crave cool, crisp scents in winter. Sometimes everything just feels so stuffy that a blast of crispness feels soothing. Scents like Hiris also fit this bill.
It’s autumn here now and although the days are still sunny and warm, I’ve actually been craving Eau Givrée- an old crisp green Avon scent I used to own eons ago and totally forgot about until recently. Would love a spritz of that right now
I have that same craving for the old Tatiana I wore in high school. I sniffed the reformulation a year or so ago, and it was nothing short of nail polish. I guess with scent, memory has to serve!
Green is new for me, so I can’t say, yet! I have worn my new bottle of No. 19 edp a lot this spring/late winter. I love how cozy it feels, which seems like an oxymoron for a green scent. . .
I love the greenies, and I wear many of them year-round. No 19 Poudre is to me more cold weather comfort, while I find No 19 is much more brisk but suitable for all seasons. I think of super-green stuff like vintage Lauren and Aliage as being primarily for spring. I find them bracing! I feel that a green fragrance that spans all seasons and all moods is Silences.
I wear No 19 mainly in the spring and summer, although do pull it out on occasion in fall and winter for my “confidence builder”. So wish I still had my vintage bottle of Lauren. Silly me…I tossed it during the last major move 10 years ago, way before I had an interest in perfume!
I hope the math test went well!
I have a lot of catching up to do on filing samples – it must be great to get everything under control and readily accessible.
Wearing Vero Profumo Mito today and, as always, am loving it. My sample is almost empty and the FB is pricy. I’m kicking myself for not pouncing on the 15% off deal they had at Surrender to Chance a week or so ago. I dropped hints to my husband but I suppose they weren’t large enough.
This is a fragrance I find myself craving, no matter the weather or the time of day I want to wear it.
Mjane, which version do you like and wear? I bought myself a bottle of the Voile d’extrait for xmas and i crave it too, no matter what. I havent tried the extrait and I cant remember what the edp smells like now..
Hi, Perthgirl! My sample is the edp, and I’ve not tried the others. You prefer the Voile d’extrait, I assume? I need to get my hands on it and compare!
10 Corso Como… Every time I wear this I think, I should wear this more often. The sandalwood in my vintage bottle is magical.
I still want to go a good testing of this one as I love sandalwood.
I went through a small bottle of that so fast a few years ago! I’m glad you reminded me of the scent; now I’ll add it to my want list.
Yes, hold on to that vintage bottle! The new formulation is just like the old one – only with its heart and soul ripped out.
Do you know when was it reformulated AnnE? I’ve had my bottle for about three years and don’t know whether it is the reformulated version or not.
That’s a lovely new gravatar pic, Farouche!
Thank you! My husband took it today
.
Hello NST community. I will be in Las Vegas next week. Any recommendations where to shop?
My favorite stop is the Barney’s in the middle of the strip (don’t recall which casino it’s part of–Venitian or thereabouts?). The SAs were very nice, didn’t seem uppity at all, and were totally content to let me sniff away!
There are MANY boutiques as well. I remember being happy to find the Guerlain boutique (and less happy with their SA). Also Chanel, Tom Ford, etc. . . Plenty to explore for a long day of walking the strip and sniffing!
So many high end boutiques. I found the SAs at Hermes in Bellagio to be very nice.
Some niche fumes at The Cosmo in a shop on the 3rd floor I think it is, and Fashion Show Mall across from the Wynn has all the big dept stores.
Happy shopping!
I second the same place at The Cosmo for some good sniffing. The SAs not only tolerating my sniffing (lots of niche perfumes I’ve only read about but never seen!) but also watched and encouraged my son to show them card magic tricks he was perfecting.
Thank you so much everyone!
Also, Acca Kappa boutique at the Venetian, if it’s still there.
Wearing Narcisco layered over almond body butter, which has become my standard base scent lately. Going to my niece’s birthday party today, and looking forward to next year when she turns 16 and I’ll be taking her out to Barney’s to buy her first bottle of perfume, and then to the Drake Hotel for tea. This is something my mom and I did with her older sisters. One picked The Pour Un Ete, and the other picked Caleche Eau Delicate.
That’s a very sweet tradition!
Love that tradition!
I wish I had nieces
My grandmother had a younger version of that for me, when I was much younger. We’d have a fancy tea at a fancy hotel, and then we’d walk through the perfume department of Bergdorf (first floor at the time), and let everyone spray us with everything. I thought it was the most exciting thing in the world! Then we’d go pick out a toy at the toy store.
I just realized something about those birthdays with my grandmother that I couldn’t have known in my pre-perfumista days.
Her favorite scents were Yardley English Lavender bar soap in all the drawers, and 4711 for herself. These Bergdorf gauntlet walks were circa Opium-Kouros-Poison.
I now see a whole new dimension to her generosity!
Yes.
That’s a great tradition! I wish my nieces were closer – the nearest one is 300 miles away, and the rest are at least 2,000.
My mom did this for me, and it is a primal memory and what sent me into this journey decades ago. Thanks to a post by Angela here on NST, I realized I could approach my mom, who had dementia, and the older population at large, through scent memories. I have worked with that community ever since. I find it is a wonderful way to connect and explore what is, or was, meaningful to people as they journeyed through their lives. Innocence, sex, hope, fear, joy, despair, humour … there are so many stories. Through these stories, families and the community connect.
That’s wonderful, Holly.
What a fabulous tradition! Please report back on which perfume she chooses!
Continuing my week of Aqua Allegorias with Anisia Bella which is cheering me up as I get whiffs as I paint some trim on the house.
Yum! And good for you, I need to start on the spring painting.
I’d like to know which fragrances you think would layer well with Caudalie Huile Divine. I know they now make a perfume, but from what I read I’m sure it’ll be too sweet for my taste. I’d prefer something that would accentuate the florals or lift the fragrance up.
I’d like to know this as well, since I really like the smell of this oil. I think maybe I’d try layering it with Narcisco, with its luminous, milky gardenia, or perhaps add something powdery like Heliotrope Blanc. Maybe something beachy like Bronze Goddess, or perhaps a citrus?
Wearing Sensuous Nude that I received from a lovely person during the Freebie Meet, I’m sorry I don’t remember whom! It’s blissfully warm and beautiful here today, unseasonably so, and Sensuous Nude has a pleasant gauzey effect that’s perfect for spring. I drove my elderly parents out in the country this morning and many Amish farmers had the teams of draft horses out, tilling the fields, a true harbinger of spring. Enjoy your day, everyone!
I’m on my 2nd modem replacement in one week and things are not yet back to normal and I don’t have another 2 hours to futz around with the rep. Service is intermittent and turning the modem off and on fixes the problem temporarily and that is just not acceptable!
I’m preparing for a rummage sale tomorrow, helping a neighbor who has been absolutely wonderful to my mom and this was the least I can do as a thank you. She’s on fixed income but would never accept any money to defray the cost of gas and her time. We’ve taken to buying “too much” of some groceries and giving her a little bit here and there.
I have one more idea for the Community Project: YMMV Friday – wear a perfume that lasts the shortest or the longest or the strongest with one drop and see how others experience it.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Good on you for helping your neighbor, hajusuuri!
I am wearing Illuminum Tomato Leaf today. I love this bright, cheery fragrance.
Have a great weekend nst’ers!!
I don’t know they had a tomato leaf scent. Does it really smell like tomato leaves?
Wearing it just once, I thought it smelled like freesia. I don’t usually like freesia notes, but that one was quite pretty. I was mystified by the name. Very curious to hear others’ perspectives.
Happy Record Store Day!
Got up too early, spent too much money, and about to scoot off to work for a full shift.
I wore Apres LA Mousson but I might put on something else for work. Maybe Mitsouko EDP. Need something strong to fight off the encroaching rain!
Coumarin, I wore Tauer Noontide Petals for Record Store Day. Blast of patchouli seemed just the thing. Hope you got good stuff!
Spent double my budget, of course. Some really good stuff, mostly represses. I haven’t even opened any yet!
You smelled great.
I have a sample of Diorissimo vintage that I tried for the first time–Diorblissimo! I love it. Isn’t it lilac that I smelled, still smell? But I’m not sure …
“Diorblissimo” = brilliant!
Diorissimo is a lily of the valley scent. The perfumer tried to duplicate/evoke the smell of the lilies of the valley in his own garden.
I have always experienced it as a lilac scent, even though I know it’s supposed to be lily of the valley.
Heaven, whatever flower it is
Amazing name, and I agree with you that it’s not the most realistic lily-of-the-valley–thankfully, as I don’t much care for the real thing! I don’t quite smell lilacs but it does have a more rounded, softer scent than most LOTV and thus more in the vein of lilacs (and actually my brain makes a similar lily/lilac swap for Serge’s Un Lys, probably also for the softness brought in by the vanilla in that one). I’ve lately taken to saying that if you could do to how things smell what magic hour does to how things look–that’s what vintage Diorissimo is like.
Or just now seeing Robin’s comment–yup, “heaven” is the other word that comes to mind!!
SOTD = Copal Azur. Worn to the Grocery store, it made that ordeal much more pleasant! Then took a long nap…still recovering from the residual cold. Going out to trim my Haflinger’s feet in a bit. Neglected them this winter…always something to catch up on…
Had to google…and they are slippers too so was confused for a moment!
Wearing Serge Lutens Fille du Berlin on right wrist, Fille en arguilles on left wrist. First time wearing either one, and digging the combo.
Neither makes me want to reach for my wallet, at least in the current season, but they do smell great together!
Wore Copal Azur to take my little kitty-face to the vet and stroll around in the perfect weather. Now that I’m safely sequestered at home, I’m testing out Bogue Profumo Maai. This one might take me a few tries. I think it smells great, but for the life of me, have no idea when/where I’d want to wear it.
Scent twins!
I went to a brunch today for Jo Malone in Neiman Marcus for the 3 Blossom fragrances that are part of the limited edition fragrances. It was such a nice event. And because I know so much about JM, I was offered a job as a freelance promoter by the senior district manager. Sweet!
My SOTD is Earl Grey and Cucumber by Jo Malone.
That’s so interesting, and such a nice offer! What does that mean exactly?
I stopped in JM yesterday as well and tried the birch and black pepper again. I like it, but not love.
I also tried the new Diptyque scent, Florabellio, and was given a sample which is good because it’s such an odd scent I really need some time with it.
It means that I would be able to travel to different Jo Malone events and present products and promotions with the company. More like a seasonal job because there are only a certain amount of events per year. I would still keep my regular job, but this would be any perfumista’s dream!
I love it! Such a cool idea!
Early Grey and Cucumber is a really pretty scent!
Floragal, I found Birch and Black Pepper to be a simplified version of CDG Black – although the CDG is probably more masculine…
Apparently the Lily of the Valley & Ivy is the most popular in Joburg. I can understand why – its very lovely and demure. My personal favorite is the Geranium & Verbena. If stocks last all the way until Spring/September, I may go for a bottle
EG&C is definitely a fascinating fragrance!
What a fun opportunity! And, because you truly love JM so much you will be a perfect representative. Win -win!
Awww! Thanks a bunch!
Not wearing any perfume yet today. Went with the hubband to the greyhound kennel this morning. Walked a few dogs and found one hound mix that might be a good fit for a coworkers mom. She wants a beagle. It’s a beagle mix. They had some really sweet greyhounds there too of course. Hubband would love to bring them all home.
After that I was out doing yard work. It is so good to be able to go outside and not shovel snow or slip on the ice I can’t even begin to tell you. There’s actually some green out there! I’m exhausted now and hitting the shower. After that I may cuddle up with a cocktail and a nice spritz of Mitzah.
Greyhounds & Mitzah sound like a perfect day!
Gardening exhaustion + cocktail = pure bliss. I’m there with you, Poodle!
I am wearing vintage Balenciaga Prelude edt that I found at an estate sale recently. I can’t believe I haven’t tried this before, it is out of this world. I am just relaxing at home, cooking, reading blogs etc and enjoying the springlike weather without the snow and the cold finally.
I would love to see the cherry blossoms in DC or Tokyo. I’m not choosy.
Closer to home, the jacaranda trees are blooming early, so the lavender-periwinkle-blue-purple flowers are everywhere. Near my parents’ home is a jacaranda that blooms in all white.
Trying a sample of the easy-to-like Tocca Colette today and feeling sheepish. I really like Colette even though I told myself I can’t wear amber/musk/incense after trying so many others. Never say never. Colette’s cedar and vanilla are so comfy.
It’s hard to beat jacarandas! The cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin are lovely, but there are traffic jams around the city with so many people trying to see the peak bloom, not to mention huge tour buses. Photographers like to get there for sunrise or sunset. Here is the 2015 Capital Weather Gang round-up:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/04/13/cherry-blossom-photos-the-best-of-the-best/
I especially liked this photographer’s shots this year:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14715630@N03/
Thank you for the links, nozknoz. I’ve found the display this year to be utterly captivating. The weather has been so perfect, and we’ve been able to watch the city transform from one day to the next.
It was an amazing conjunction of peak blooms, gorgeous weather and a weekend this year!
The Capital Weather Gang blog (on the Washington Post website or accessible through their twitter or Facebook pages) is a great source of weather forecasts and analysis, and they also do frequent photo round ups like this one. Also, one of the members of the CWG, Kevin Ambrose, compiles an annual calendar with some of his best photos:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/01/05/the-2015-washington-d-c-weather-calendar/
Thanks! I’ve seen you mention them before. I’ll check it out!
Wearing Voyage d’Hermès, a hopeful scent for a blue sky day. Our magnolia tree is finally in bloom and sending wafts of fragrance up to our second-storey apartment windows.
I’ve been testing Kusmi Petrushka tea that I bought at the Hillwood Estate last weekend. The dry tea smells disconcertingly like tomato basil salad. Fortunately, the brewed tea tastes nothing like that. It’s supposed to have rose and almond, but I don’t particularly notice those notes. The main notes I can detect are vanilla, spices, citrus peel, and high quality black tea. I might have chosen something more exotic if they’d had a wider selection, but it’s an excellent tea.
I found the Kusmi Violet tea on Amazon and have ordered that one, too.
If you don’t mind more email, sign up at the Kusmi website and you’ll periodically get free shipping or bonus tin offers. It’s a nice brand, everything I’ve tried has been very good quality.
Good to know – thanks, galbumumgirl! I was intrigued by their variations on Earl Grey.
I have both of those teas and they are yummy, in fact I had Petrushka for breakfast this morning. The red fruits one and St Petersburg are great too.
I think the Hillwood Estate had the red fruits one, too. I’m realizing that I was biased against that one because of all the bad fruity floral perfumes. I’ll need to overcome my snob perfumista prejudices.
I try to have some Kusmi Violet tea in my house at all times: I don’t drink it that often, but if you like that kind of tea, it’s lovely for afternoons. I usually also have their Prince Vladimir and Kashmir Tchai and currently also Tsarina.
Good to know – I think I almost chose Prince Vladimir. I will definitely try more of them.
Spent the day wearing Amouage Beloved and loving it. I don’t know why I haven’t tried this one and it’s been sitting in this pile of unworn since it first came out. I think that it was the price tag (when it first came out) was over $400. Now, it’s within my reach (about $200). It’s full bottle worthy but there are other things I have my eye on.
You smell fab!
A little late for this, I know, but my first idea was already taken for Dealer’s Choice, so I just had to come up with a second, original one. So here’s my idea for a Friday: Live a Little! Wear your rarest or most expensive perfume, or something you’ve been hoarding, because, after all, why not live a little!
That’s a great idea!
Great idea, and we all do this. I’m guilty of hoarding tiny vials of a vintage perfume until it evaporates!
For some reason I thought I was beyond my love for vanilla fragrances after I stopped wearing vanilla essential oil as a single note in my 20s. I realized this morning that my last two perfume acquisitions, Wit and Terracotta, both have vanilla dry downs, so clearly I do like vanilla.
Today was my first spray of Terracotta from the bottle, not a sample sprayer. I find this so easy to wear and know it will be one of the perfumes that I reach for often this spring and summer, and in the winter when I’m dreaming of warmer days!
‘In my fragrant dreams i am under the Eiffel Tower wearing Fracas’.
Dressed in Dior .
Handbag by Chanel .
Tres chic!
Two days in a row, I’ve taken an Apres L’Ondee scented bath. I think this must be one of the best ideas I’ve ever had.
Wearing Corsica Furiosa now, reading FT’s How To Spend It and thinking that I really don’t need much help in that department.
That bath is a great idea! When do you spritz, and how many times?
I spritz just before I get in and quite a few times. But I’m an overapplier.
Me, too.
I have been trying to decide what my SOTD would be today. I was torn between Rozy and Rubj but after reading these comments, I am leaning
towards Noontime Petals.
In contrast to the lovely weather, I’m feeling cross because I haven’t able to use any scent-armour for the last couple of weeks (cold/allergies have left my sense of smell and taste out of whack). I guess I feel especially vulnerable today because I’m titrating down dosages of some meds (yay!) and really miss my “eaus of protection.”
The cats are doing their best to keep me cheerful, though.
I’v had flu-ish symptoms for the last few days and have been surprised to really enjoy Tubereuse Criminelle. Winter Green gone gorgeous!
Perfumista problems: I’m sitting in my dad’s living room, and something smells like rotting mammal. I think, “Did my Nahema sample turn ugly?” I move from the chair. It’s not the Nahema. Dad may need to call out the chimney sweep, though.
It’s been a vanilla/Tauer kind of weekekd- first Vanilla Flash yesterday and then Dame Perfumery’s Black Flower Mexican Vanilla before bed.
Today was Un Rose de Kandahar, one of my top 5, forever and always!
Coincidentally, I just watched a 30 minute interview with Andy Tauer from Tigerlily Perfumery event last night.
Here’s the link of you’re interested (no affiliation, just like Tauer and his perfumes ;))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBPgoqzKz4I
Laughing at the thread photo, I just returned from Washington DC and enjoying the cherry blossoms! They are a little worse for wear but still lovely and pretty, especially compared to our MN spring, which hasn’t sprung! I am wearing my new Aedus Copal Azur frag the boys sent me as a gift in my order. I’m not hooked, it’s nice and spicy, but has a weird soapy dry down I do not like at all. I’ll try again another day for one more chance.
Had a sad perfumista moment on Sunday. I tested out L’Heure Bleue, and it did. not. work. It was generically “perfume-y” and generally floral and powdery. Neither great nor awful, but certainly not the sublime bit of heaven that it is for many people. The really awful part was that it broke me out in a rash! Seriously, the places I applied turned bright red. I didn’t get itching or pain, but given that the scent is nothing great for me, I will be happily passing this one on.