Happy Thursday! If you have a free minute or two, do tell us what fragrance you're wearing today.
I'm wearing Gucci Flora.
Reminder: tomorrow is 3 star fragrance Friday: wear a fragrance you would "objectively" only give 3 (or fewer!) out of 5 stars, but that you love and wear frequently.
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.
You seem to be having a mainstream designer brand frag week! Terracotta today, trying to add some light to a gloomy a.m.
It wasn’t really the plan but that does seem to be how it’s turning out! You smell better than I do 🙂
Mainstream designer brand frags are very “3 stars” 🙂
At best.
It’s true…most of these brands have at least 1 fragrance that isn’t brilliant but that is massively pleasant.
Preach.
SOTD is Oeillet Bengale, which is maybe a little heavy for this hot, humid day, but the heart wants what the heart wants 😉 Today is also the baby’s 1st birthday. Can’t believe this year went by so fast!
I try to save this spicy treasure for the fall / winter also. But like you, I sometimes can’t resist. Oeillet Bengale is a gem! You smell fantastic!
I’ve also been reaching for Palissandre d’Or a lot, which is definitely a cool weather scent. I can’t resist that one either. Have you tried their signature scent? I haven’t, but it seems like the rhubarb note might work better in the summer.
No. I need to try it. Adding it to my list. 🙂
Oh fun, happy 1st to baby!
Oh! Happy birthday to your one year old!
One! Adorable! Happy Birthday to the little one! 🙂
Yaaaaaay! Happy happy day to the little one!
Happy birthday to your baby!
Oh, sweet! Happy Birthday to your baby!
Happy #1 to baby!
Aww Happy 1st birthday to the kidlet!
SOTD is Romantina by Juliette Has A Gun. I really like this fragrance because it is light, feminine, and romantic.
I am truly becoming a fan of Juliette Has A Gun. This fragrance house makes some great scents.
I really need to sample this line – Romantina sounds lovely.
It is!! And everyone here is always talking about fragrances that would be “office-friendly” – this one would definitely be. I don’t think that this one would offend anyone.
I’ve never tried this line, find the brand’s use of guns/bullets as a metaphor for perfume extremely off-putting. A symbol of women’s liberation towards men? Really? Perhap’s I’m just old with no sense of humor . . .
I’m wearing one spritz of Demeter Wisteria on each arm and one spritz of Demeter Clover in the hollow of my neck. I smell good. If you like spicy carnation or lilac fragrances, then you’ll probably like Demeter Wisteria. There is a review at http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2011/04/demeter-fragrance-library-wisteria.html.
I’ve been wondering about Demeter Wisteria since it came out, thanks for posting the link to the review. I love Clover, it’s one of my favorite green scents. I’ll have to pick up Wisteria now, when I make my next Demeter purchase.
I have a bunch of Demeters but the florals never really interested me (I got Lilac and Bulgarian Rose: the rest flew under my radar). Clearly I’m going to have to order a batch of those keychain minis, including Wisteria.
Thanks for the recommendation! Wisteria’s one of my favorite scents and I’ve been contemplating whether I want to try Demeter’s. Sounds like it’s worth a shot.
Nice! I usually don’t like their soliflores, but this one sounds worth a shot. I love Clover.
I like Clover a lot.. I don’t think I’ve tried Wisteria, but it sounds nice. Next time I stop in the Walgreen’s near me that carries Demeter, I’ll have to see if they have it.
I look forward to hearing folks’ opinions of the Wisteria 🙂
Demeter’s 100 percent natural Lilac smelled nothing like lilacs; it smelled like naturally flavored grape bubblegum, which I kind of like, but it’s not lilac. Their other lilac was just OK, IIRC. The only other Demeter soliflore I have is Linden, which is pretty, but not linden-y enough for me to wear it. I’ll stick with my Pre de Provence Linden.
Around here, either RiteAid or CVS used to sell Demeter. I’ll have to see if they sent their stock to Walgreens 🙂
Sampling Mod Noir from Marc Jacobs.
A few of us Boston folk will be getting together next Thurs to sniff Italian scents. If anyone wants to join us my screen name is my yahoo address
Are you going to Officina 189?
Yes. But I’ll probably have to swing by Barneys for testing strips since they didn’t have any last time I went
Officina 189 didn’t have testing strips and I hadn’t gone with clean skin
Good idea. In a pinch, I’ve found tissue paper to be a good substitute.
Or business cards! 🙂
I’m wearing AA Pamplelune. Yummm
Yes, very Yumm!
Histoires de Parfums Moulin Rouge is my SOTD. I can wear this in the summertime if I spritz lightly.
I wanted to add that I love the picture you selected today, Robin. The color of those dresses is gorgeous!
Our weather is finally cooling off a little bit, and I’m wearing BV Eau Legere today.
I love this fragrance! You smell great!
SOTD is Amouage Beloved, from my new bottle 🙂 After much hesitation I decided that I preferred this one to Ubar.
Congrats on the bottle! That is a hard choice between those two.
Nice! I need to work on my ability to tell the newer Amouages apart. It all gets a bit blurry for me after Epic/Memoir (I had a sample set of the old ones, 12x2ml, really useful).
So do I. I even have trouble telling the older ones apart. The new ones however are even more troublesome. The ones I love Gold, Beloved and Ubar I know very well.
Ooh! Congrats on the Beloved!!! I like it better than Ubar too. Ubar never really relaxes or opens up for me. Gorgeous but too tight laced!
I got lucky on ebay 🙂
I need to get lucky on ebay for about 5 bottles I am really wanting!
And I wanted to add: I think that Ubar is probably more interesting as it shows more development, but Beloved is so affable and wearable and just lovely.
I must have a lot of the old hunters in me. I can wait for a long time for something to turn up and then pounce! This time I didn’t have a long wait. And I paid less than half of the retail price. Mind you it’s a tester but I couldn’t care less. My bottles live a very sheltered life and the juice more than makes up for it.
Being patient really makes a big difference to get the best deals!
Baiser Vole edp today. It’s become such a neverfail go-to scent.
That is such a lovely fragrance. I drained my sample a while back and keep thinking I need to get a bigger decant or get a bottle.
You are so right — it is a great go-to scent. I have a large decant, and I’m thinking about purchasing a full bottle.
I ended up buying a big tester bottle of the edp, which worked out cheaper than the small one (I think I paid less than Aus$40 which is unheard of! Lol). I never buy the larger sizes if there’s an option but it’s on my dresser (in the shade and cool all you lovelies starting to panic!) and since I bought it about 8months ago it’s probably my most worn frag. No regrets 🙂
Sampling Dzongkha, so far so good. There is something very familiar in the scent that I haven’t been able to identify, I can’t directly relate it to its notes of iris, incense, cardamon, peony, vetiver and tea.
Mmmm love Dzongkha 🙂
I like Dzongkha. Must get that one out and wear it soon. Today I have on Heeley Menthe Fraiche, which is great on a hot day.
Clinique Wrappings. The most explosively bright scent I know. Lightning in a bottle.
I wore the “body smoother” the other day — I swear it’s stronger than the perfume.
What’s body smoother? Lotion?
I’m wearing Jour d’Hermes Absolu, one of the minis I received this week. Love this one. I own, with this one, six Hermes minis, and so far, not a dud in the bunch.
You really can’t go wrong with Hermes. If I could only wear perfume from one house it would probably be Hermes. I may not love them all, but they’re all well done, quality scents.
I’m wearing Shalimar! First time I’ve ever worn it in the heat, but it’s holding up pretty well and the vanillary drydown is very pleasant. I think it was someone on NST who commented what a good summer scent it can be!
I think you can really wear any of the big classic orientals in heat if you only wear just a dab. I like that you can smell different aspects of an oriental in warmer weather.
I like to wear Shalimar EDT in the summer, EDP and/or parfum in cooler weather. I’ve also been considering the cologne – does anyone know if the current formulation of Shalimar cologne is any good?
I’ve been testing incenses this week, and this morning am trying out Lavs which is a like but not a love. My favorite thus far has been Armani’s Bois d’encens. Wishing it wasn’t so spendy but it seems to work beautifully on me.
Funny story though…I stuck my wrist under my guy’s nose with it on and asked “what do you think this smells like?” He said, “I dunno, strawberries?”
Just goes to show how perceptions can differ. (Though to be fair, this is the guy that almost invariably thinks everything I have smells like vanilla…including things like Chanel 19 and Silences) 🙂
Hahaha! This so reminds me of my fiance. He says everything I wear smells like celery. Rose? Celery. Incense? Celery. Amber? Celery.
Haha! I suppose “vanilla” is a pretty safe bet as it’s in so many perfumes. It’s like me trying to talk about wine aromas. “Red fruit” for reds, and “dry minerality” or “elderflower” for whites usually get a good response 🙂
Thanks for the cheat sheet!
I’ve long been frustrated by most men’s lack of scent/taste perception. They just arent trained well enough I think 🙂
Before I went on holiday I was making some decants to take, and had a friend over, watching me. He screwed his nose up at everything and made random comments like ‘I dont like musk’. There was no musk in sight. So I sprayed him with A La Nuit. I can be a bit evil like that 😉 Then he had to go to work. As a cop. Very upset with me. But I think he had it coming 😉 lol
That’s cute! Mine usually has 2 groups: give him a headache and don’t give him a headache. Although he did say “church” with Lavs since he was a former altar boy.
Love it! Whenever i make my guy guess what fragrance i am wearing, he always guesses Shalimar.
Sometimes he is right 🙂
I forget, but someone was wearing Journey Woman this week here and I thought: yes, must wear that this week. So I am today. It’s rich enough to cut through the humidity and last on me. (And honestly, I’m not too bothered if it bugs my coworkers either, but no one has said anything yet.)
I’m working through my Strange Invisible Perfumes perfume minibar (this is “sample set” for common people like me, but it is a beautiful object, so they are forgiven). It’s Magazine Street for today and I like it, but this is unfortunately overshadowed by frustration: it is supposed to include a magnolia note and I do get a glorious magnolia scent from it. Unfortunately, it literally lasts two seconds. I have tried it twice now, both times with the same result. I’m depressed. Has it happened to anyone else? To make things worse, I had a similar experience with Essence of IX, but with the blackcurrant note: gone in a flash.
Strange Invisible Perfumes huh? 😉
Hah! Funny AND perceptive! Strange Invisible Topnotes, mostly – their base lasts really well on me.
At the moment, I’m wearing a layer of L’Occitane Ambre & Santal body lotion which I impulsively bought on sale last week or the week before (with the Arlesienne hand cream). I’ll top it off with a sandalwood fragrance from one of my samples later. Which one should it be? Bois de Iles, Tam Dao, Santal Majuscule…..?
Volutes edt for me today 🙂
On a TV note, I have been really digging the new season of True Detective! It’s such and off beat, dark and dense series. I didn’t think I would like the second season as well as the first but it’s fantastic! Great acting, atmospheric cinematography, and wonderful music. Any fellow fans out there? I wonder what perfume would go great with it?
I’m a cheap fellow fan. I loved the couple of episodes that I saw on a plane ride last summer, so now I’m keeping my eyes open for DVDs at the library.
Oh, I hope you find the DVD’s on the cheap! Adds a lot to the series if you are able to watch it in chronological order.
Ooh thanks for the reminder! Need to watch season 2!
Hop to it! 😉
I’m glad to hear season 2 is enjoyable! I’d heard that season 2 wasn’t as good as season 1, so I haven’t rushed to watch. Now’s probably a good time to start, though, since I can watch a few episodes all at once.
Season 2 has a totally different plot and characters, and is building very slowly to what I think is going to be a huge climax. I am predicting that one or two of the main characters will die in the finale. I love the measured pace of it- one of its main attributes I think, because you really get invested in the characters.
I really liked the first season, but I haven’t started the new season yet. I just cut back my cable to save money, and I didn’t start because I thought I was going to lose my HBO access. Fortunately the very stripped-down package I now have (basically internet + local TV channels) still has access to HBO Go.
Yeah, I cut the cable cord a while back myself and just watch it on HBOGo on my laptop. More money for perfume, right 😉
I am tired and it is cold and rainy. Again. Wearing Mugler Fougere Furieuse and debating if I need a FB.
I really want to test all these Muglers!
Of those Muglers I liked Oriental Express, and FF the most. OE is the most wearable. With FF, I feel limited. Like I have to be dressed perfectly, while eating brunch with a water view or something.
I am sampling Lolita Lempicka L’Eau Jolie today. It’s a summery fruity floral (with pear, black currant, peach, and neroli) with a clean musk that I think is giving me a headache.
On holiday after going to a conference. Went to Hooper’s in Harrogate, where they have a nice selection of perfume. Tried Amouage Sunshine, which was amiable and fleeting, TdG Parti Pris, whose name I have always loved, which as also amiable and fleeting, and Air de Rien, which was raisins soaking in rum on me, and not fleeting.
No luck finding the latest Penhaligon in England! Odd. Brought a good selection of samples I have used up and decants I want to wear, so that worked out well. Having a nice time, but also looking forward to home.
Testing out my sample of By Kilian Lemon in Zest. I can’t say it’s really doing much for me, but I’m coming to realize I may not like lemon-centered scents much (although I love a lemon top note). I smell a bit like a cocktail, which is actually kind of fun, especially after a long week.
Lots of scent-phone family around for the rest of the week / weekend and will need to dial back on the ‘fumes. Still commando but I am about to experiment with a discreet amount of Chanel No. 19 or Atelier Cologne Sous le toit de Paris or perhaps go with the safest Bvlgari Black….
Everytime you write that I still get surprised that Black is considered ‘safe’. 🙂
I always get a chuckle out of it, too. (The first few times I wore Black, I thought it was a little too “biker” for me. “Safe” would have been unfathomable.)
Black does make me think of wild adventures on a bike, but I do find it wears very close, and so it is safe in that sense…
The rubber part is very close to skin and the most important part is there is absolutely zero flower scent which is what usually gets the nose wrinkling. The faint leather aspect blends in with the new car smell my car still has despite it being 20 months old.
Ditto, it’s all rubber to me.
I find it hard to imagine that anyone could object to No. 19, but that’s me…
So far so good – 2 spritzes of Chanel No. 19 EDP has not elicited any comments. I may up it by one tomorow and also use my No.19 shower gel as a shampoo.
Oooooooooh…..if my hair could handle that, I would be tempted.
Feminite du Bois for me today. A boy was flirting with me yesterday and even if he won’t be smelling me today, I was in the mood to be provocative.
(I say boy because, in this day and age, in New York, most males under the age of 40 have not earned the title “man” in my experience.)
Once I get to know them, I realise a few over 40 havent either :-/
It’s a shame I’m not attracted to 70-somethings. They’re the only ones that seem to know how to behave.
Oh, I don’t know about that, ihadanidea! I’m kind of in the age group of the 70 year olds,and I can’t say I’ve noticed outstanding maturity or courtesy. As a general rule, that is. I love the exceptions, when they happen by.
Sorry to hear that it doesn’t get any better. I will say that the consensus in my age group is that trying to find a gentleman friend (when you’re a girl) in New York is more frustrating and disappointing a venture than just about anywhere else. Not sure why. But this is why I invest most of my time and energy in other things (perfume!). And may you encounter ever more exceptions!
LOL! 😉 Men aren’t really interesting until they hit 40! Most of my day to day flirting crushes are on men in their 50s actually. Works for me as I always like to look ahead. Did I mention I’m happily married to a younger man, lol!!!
I will say that I’ve met interesting ones under 40, but they’ve always been claimed by someone else.
But good for you re: your younger man. Get it girl.
Rainy, dreary day back in the office for me, wearing Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d’Iris as a comfort scent. This one was a love at first sniff for me, even tho it is pretty sweet. Maybe I have to stop saying, “I don’t like sweet.”
Ha, sounds like me with flowers – I don’t like florals but they are well represented in my collection AND I do wear them!
I’m in Chanel Cristalle EDP with dabs of No 19 extrait (thanks Hajasuuri!) on wrists for some extra green.
You are Chanel heaven!
I considered some No 5 in the hair, but I think it would’ve been overkill. But I get that “hovering sillage” you mentioned when I spray my hair with No 5 and it is really nice and ethereal.
I like to get it in my hair at the base of my neck. It smells so good!
You smell good 🙂
I’m about to refresh for the afternoon and am not sure what I’ll pick. That being said, I used my Chanel No 5 bath oil after shower this morning and I think I smell pretty good. There is this very hovering kind of sillage that it creates which I really enjoy.
Oooh! No 5 has bath oil? Think I need some of that!
It was from a few years ago – their holiday special offering. I don’t think they normally do it. I’m glad I snapped some up. I’d keep watch from November on – about every other year Chanel seems to release something special in No 5 for the holidays or mother’s day. A few years ago beyond that there was a No 5 dry body oil spray, before that it was another monster sized bottle of No 5 bath oil, but it was layered with different colors (however they do that). You have to keep a watch out and then be ready to buy right away, b/c like in my case, while I’m thinking about whether or not I want it, they are gone……
Just put on some Byredo Bal D’Afrique from a sample. I had tried it before and only got vetiver, but now I’m getting some nice fruitiness.
I need to try that one. I’ve heard it compared to Vetiver Tonka, which I adore.
I like this one and I get plenty of fruit from it. I swear I smell pineapple, although it’s not listed in the notes.
Cloudy and cool yet again today, with high humidity and storms predicted for the weekend. Hoping the weather holds as our local ‘Taste of’ begins today with great food and entertainment. We live just 2 blocks away so just stroll over and spend much of the fun weekend there.
Going vintage today for Throwback Thursday with Coty L’Aimant. Often compared to Chanel No. 5, I can’t wear the Chanel but L’Aimant with its somewhat soapy aldehydic rose works well for me.
Was in Osmanthe Yunnan today, something light.
SOTD is Decennial Santal Sacre, one of my favorite incense frags: calm, cool, and collected. Need to test the other Decennials…
I’m wearing Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honeysuckle today. Just picked it up at TJ Maxx last weekend. It’s a little shampoo-y, but it’s kind of working for me.
I’m choosing to believe my weather app for once: it’s going to be a perfect day. Cold, but PERFECT. So, I think either Divine by Divine, or Jean Patou Sublime. I like both perfumes, but I’m going with the names, really.
Today was a good NST day for me: I know quite a lot of the perfumes you’ve all chosen, and can think, “Oh, yes, yum!” when I read what you’re all wearing. There are days when I read the posts and feel slightly depressed because I’ve smelt hardly any of your choices, and I know none of that deliciousness will ever reach Aotearoa-New Zealand. Sigh. No, actually, no sighs, because it’s going to be a PERFECT day.
There is so much coming out now that it’s just impossible to keep up – even to get through old frags and then discover new ones seems impossible! Only someone with lots of time and or money and also likely living near a big city can really smell everything. A few years ago I got tired of spending money on samples that usually I didn’t end up liking. I try and just be patient now – the good stuff with stick around for a few years at least and the meh stuff will be gone before it even matters.
I love Sublime. I knew a woman years ago who wore it as her signature. I loved when I had to sit next to her b/c her sillage was amazing. I always wanted a bottle. Do you have the older or the newer version?
Hi, AnnS. It’s funny you should comment on Sublime, ‘cos that’s what I chose. I think its golden-ness will match the golden day. I should think my version is the new one, because I bought it from an on-line cosmetics discount company. That’s another thing about living here: I have to accept that if I like a perfume, I like what I smell here and now, even though there are clearly better versions available, and I buy with no regrets for what might have been.
If you like it, you like it! I think that if you had been wearing something for a long time and you are used to it, and then the company changes it, then that is a different matter. I would like very much to try the current Sublime, but it hasn’t crossed my path yet! I don’t really remember the original one, except that I thought it smelled very good and the bottle was very pretty.
Like AnnS, I too used to spend a lot of money on samples after reading about what other people were wearing. Roughly 75% were okay, 20% were “Get this off me, now!” and 5% were “Gee, maybe I should get more.” I don’t think you are missing too much. If there are things you’re longing to sniff, send me an email at my username in AOL land and I’ll see if I can help.
Wow, you’re just amazingly kind! Thank you so much. I’m not sure, though, about being able to bring samples into A-NZ as an individual citizen. The one time I tried, the Ag&Fish part of Customs got all twizzled up in their regs and red tape, and I got nothing from my purchase. I bet those boys and girls smelt gorgeous for weeks, though! Our import restrictions are very tight, but they seem to allow full bottles through. But I will do some research, and see if I can perhaps find a loop-hole.
A long time ago I did a swap with a very kind and interesting Aussie. It seemed that she had more troubles getting my package out of limbo than I had with hers. That being said, if for some reason you discover that you can get samples in NZ, then I have bunches I can send your way too. Why not! They are just sitting around my drawer. The last time I sent off a huge bunch of samples it was to a lovely NSTer in Canada for a swap. That takes some time and a little finesse with the post, but it worked out OK thankfully. I wish the powers that be wouldn’t get all nuts over a few vials of perfume!!! There are regs for shipping all kinds of potentially dangerous stuff that’s not technically a cosmetic!
Yesterday’s mention of Eau de Givenchy reminds me that another summer is well under way, and I have utterly failed (and happily so) to be loyal to an Eau de something for the summer.
Oh well, so many shiny pretty smelly things to distract me . . . today I blame Iris Ukiyoé.
I went with Jessica Simpson’s Fancy because I hadn’t worn it in a while. I like it, but boy is it strong! I used a small spritz around 8AM and I can still smell it very well.
You smell fabulicious! I smelled this semi-wild in the office and was bold enough to ask the person what she was wearing and it was Fancy! Cheap thrills as I got mine at Marshalls.
I’ve ever smelt Fancy, but I’ve got a really soft spot for Fancy Nights. In fact, it might be my choice for tomorrow’s challenge.
I saw your post and decided to wear a tiny bit of Fancy to bed. It was unseasonably cool here today, so I can handle it.
So hot and humid so I decided to go right against the norm of something light and fresh and opt to wear L’Artisan Patchouli Patch which makes me a bit of a hypocrite because it seems a more fresh side of patchouli. Oh well .
I’m wearing FM Eau de Magnolia. The lightness of it becomes much richer & more enveloping in this rainy, humid weather. I’m loving it tonight!