Happy Hump Day! What fragrance are you wearing?
Thank you for all the well-wishes yesterday. I am on the mend, but definitely doing another fragrance-free day.
Reminder: this Friday, 9/11, will be Freedom Friday: wear a scent that says "I’m Free!" to you, in whatever context you choose to define it. (Suggested by Laila)
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.
I’m glad you’re feeling better, Robin.
I started the day with Gunzburg Rose Infernale and now I’m wearing Agent Provocateur. The dark rose times are coming again, yaay! And I really want to finally sample Paestum Rose.
Ah, the dark rose times, of course! That’s what fall is, I guess.
Mmmm, Dark Rose Times.
A period in Game of Thrones?
Heh
Wearing Un matin d’orage, which I normally wear in Spring but today is such a gorgeous Sunny day that it almost feels like spring. What is hump day?
Hump day is Wednesday, because after this it’s a downhill run to Friday.
Thanks
The highlight of my (otherwise relatively undistinguished) perfume shopping career was finding Un Matin d’Orage on sale for EIGHTEEN DOLLARS at Anthropologie.
You are the queen.
How very kind of them!
Major score!
Nice find!
That is incredible. I got mine for not very much on ebay but not as cheaply as you did yours. I think my cheapest find was Goutal’s Des Lys for around 20 €’s years ago.
You smell wonderful!
Yes, she does
I took the plunge last night and ordered Nanban for my Barney’s love yourself event!
OMG… I really hope you like it, but if not, let me know – I migth be in need of a bottle.
No pressure! I have a feeling I will love it.
I got a sample of Nanban, Byredo 1996 and Carnal Flower shower gel. Since I was on a roll, I stopped in at Bergdorf and got a sample of California Reverie (again, because my first sample was in a plastic container and It picked up the plasticity of the plastic) and the new VC&A Ambre Imperial (soooo good on paper and on the SA’s skin).
To be “over the hump” means, “to be past the most difficult or dangerous part of an activity or period of time,” as in, “It’s been hard work but I think we’re over the hump now.” (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)
Thanks!
SOTD:
NV Pichola on one arm
Houbigant Oranger en Fleurs on the other
Look out world!
Oooh, how do they compare?
They’re different, the similarity being that they’re both white florals.
Pichola is a juicy tuberose/jasmine/gardenia
Houbigant Oranger is a luscious orange blossom/jasmine
Sillage and longevity is much better with the Houbigant because now that it’s been a few hours the NV Pichola is faint
Thanks! Good to know…
Right now, I am wearing Shalimar Ode a la Vanille. Is it considered odd that I actually prefer Ode a la Vanille over the original Shalimar? Don’t get me wrong, I do love Shalimar but love Ode a la Vanille.
I am sure you are not alone!
I have some 90’s Shalimar edt, and I think that Ode a la Vanille smells much closer to that than to the current formula.
I have said the same thing!
The Ode a la Vanille is just amazing.
Where did you find your bottle?
You smell fab! I really enjoy that perfume and glad I found a kindred spirit!
I found a bottle last winter online at fragrance net – maybe they still carry it?
I got mine at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris so although I paid full price and had to lug it home, it brings back special memories when I wear it (which is not often enough).
I have a bottle I got from Bergdorfs but it was their last one
So like you..I paid full price
I’m wearing L’Artisan Caligna. I didn’t love it the first time I wore it, but it’s growing on me. I feel like it’s a good late summer scent.
Glad you’re feeling better!
This one is looked down upon a bit, I think, but I like it. And I agree, good for late summer.
Glad you’re doing better, Robin!
I dug through my lesser worn samples and picked Iris Nazarena today. Added a touch of Barbara Bui Le Parfum for a bit of sweetness, since I haven’t totally figured out iris yet.
Thank you! And you smell great.
I HAD been on this long Safari kick… then sampled Faberge Partage this morning, which I don’t like much. Despite being described by Grace Hummel (of Cleopatra’s Boudoir) as a floral green/woody chypre, it mostly smells to me of soapy aldehydes, vetiver and musk, along the same lines as Madame Rochas which I also did not like. (I don’t know why. Both Mme Rochas and Partage have a good deal in common with No. 19, and I would definitely place them at different points along a continuum – but I suppose Partage leans too vetivery for my personal taste or something.)
So now, of course, after Ajda’s mention of dark rose time, I want a big honking rose chypre like L’Arte di Gucci. Will go get my bottle out of the cabinet.
Life’s too short to waste on wearing sub-par perfume. Scrub scrub scrub!
I don’t care for Madame Rochas either. Let L’Arte out of the cabinet!!!!!
Geranium Odorata for my morning walk.
California Rêverie all day, with many top ups because it is both fleeting on me and delicious enough to keep applying, and
Narciso edp tonight.
I thought that about California Reverie as well – that it was very fleeting (or at least the part of it I really like is; it devolves into this bare jasmine thing about an hour in and gets tedious) and thrilling to reapply. My sample’s gone, though, and I doubt I’d buy another.
Yeah, i get about 2hours before it’s time for more. I bought a bottle though, and looking at my collection figured I can afford to be a little trigger happy with some of them
A lovely lineup!
It’s summer again here in Oregon, after a total tease of a week’s worth of cool temperatures and rain, and SOTD is PdN Le Temps d’Une Fete. Pretty sure it’s post-reformulation, but I don’t care – it’s a wonderful scent.
I adore even the refo.
Any fragrance that celebrates any extension of the summer season is a wonderful thing!
I am comparing Tauer Maroc pour Elle on one side with Aedes Copal Azure. Maroc pour Elle is in it’s peppery phase, as the floral opening starts to elide away. This is my least favorite stage of this scent. Copal Azure is currently a little less incensey and a little more menthol cool, although underlying incense is still there. I enjoy both of these, and they are different and engaging enough, that neither supercedes the other. Both keepers ! I have a 10 ml travel spray of the Copal, and I am still working through my sample of Maroc pour Elle – a little of that goes a long way. I will move up to a decant of this when it is gone, or consider if I want this or more Noontide Petals, which I am currently out of, after blowing through a decant that I got in a swap in short order… I just hope neither of these get reformulated into pale wimpy shadows of their glorious selves. So many choices!
MPE is my fav in that elegant hippy style. I’ve not smelled Copal Azure, but now you’ve made me curious.
Still so hot here in Virginia – SOTD is AG Vetiver cologne.
Has anyone tried the Tauer Incense Flash? I love the Rose and Vanilla Flashes, so I’m really curious about the new one.
bastet, I ordered Incense Flash last week and got the free roll-on! But onto the fragrance…on first application I thought, oh no it’s too much like SSS incense, I really need to stop this. But, after 15 minutes, Tauer became lighter and more sheer than SSS without losing any of its staying power. And the price was reasonable.
It’s actually perfect for warmer days or anytime really. I’ll keep my others for colder weather.
I had to restrain myself from buying a bottle when it came out. Glad to see someone’s tried and liked it.
Great description! Mine came in yesterday’s mail, so I’m wearing it today. Lovely churchy incense with some soft leather in the background. I broke my no-blind buy rule and I’m glad I did.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I already have a travel spray of SSS Incense Pure, but I’m still tempted!
Incense Pure packs a wallop of incense. I had to triple layer the bubble wrap as the incense kept seeping out eventhough the vial was tightly closed.
Robin-sending you good well wishes. The baby seems to have pull through her cold and my husband was well enough to watch tennis last night on TV so everyone is surfacing to healthy again!
Stay hydrated and rest your body.
All my best..
Good tennis last night!
It was! Exciting matches ahead..
My favorite tennis week
Indeed. Too bad about the rain delay now.
Oh good, glad everyone is on the mend.
I’m wearing Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree, quickly becoming a favourite. Managed to get a 4ml sample from eBay for £10, blind buy but so glad I did.
On a different note, I am thinking of getting Mrs W a discovery set from Hermes for Christmas. I know she loves Osmanthe Yunnan, any other recommendations to fill up the other 2? (I will get 2 OY).
Oh fun! You can’t go wrong. For kicks do you want to tell us a little more about Mrs W’s perfume likes and dislikes?
She likes light florals and nothing too heavy. She has been wearing lately,
Guerlain terracotta
Chloe and Chloe love
EL sensuous nude
AC sous le toit
She’s not overly keen on rose based or anything too spicy.
Ideas please!
I vote for Iris Ukiyoé.
I would say Vetiver Tonka, but only because I love it, lol! It’s not particularly similar any of her tastes that you’ve mentioned.
She would probably like Santal Massoia-light woods with a fig overtone. Not overly sweet. Also seconding Iris Ukiyoe.
I have never ordered from Hermes as I have fairly convenient access to the boutique. I have no perfume suggestions other than to suggest that you ask for samples to be included in the package.
Our discussion of mimosa fragrances yesterday inspired me to pull out Mimosa Pour Moi today! AnnS was right, it does have a great “dry powdery almond accord” in the middle.
And then the Nordstrom catalog came with a scent strip of JM Mimosa & Cardamom! Perfect timing. It has a similar feel to their Peony & Blush Suede — there’s a a soft plushness to it. I did read that someone said it reminded them of BBW Cherry Blossom. It’s not a totally false comparison, at least from the scent strip.
Oh – I just got that Nordies catalog at my PO but haven’t looked at it yet! Yeah – now I can sniff at the Mimosa & Cardamom when I get home and compare. Glad you are enjoying that MPM!!!
I’m wearing the Mohur extrait that I got in the last splitmeet. It’s probably at the top of my favorites list right now. Sadly it only lasts about half a day so maybe I’ll pick out another rose when I get home…still dithering among Rose Oud/Rose 31/Rose Cut like I was earlier this week.
You know, those are different enough from one another that I feel like a small (5ml?) decant of each could be warranted to see which one(s? if any) you end up reaching for enough to justify a bottle. Because it’s not like they’re so similar that it’s a matter of deciding which is the best, say, rose oud–but rather finding out which style you’re in the mood to wear regularly. I really like decants for that purpose, as there are plenty of scents I like but in practice rarely wear. (Would love to see what poll–what’s everyone’s favorite scent that they wear the least? I might be too embarrassed to admit mine tho!)
I just put on 5 o’clock au Gingembre, a favorite summer-to-fall transition scent.
Ooooo I think it’s time to break out Tea for Two! It’s such a fall scent to me.
You smell great!
SOTD was a curve ball – as I was reaching for my end of summer greens choice (Hermes Amazone), my hand suddenly veered right and snatched up my AG Songes edp. I’m going with it – far be it for me to fight my fragrance fate. Songes is so luxurious, elegant, floral, rich, etc, but then there is that perfectly balanced jasmine skank going on that really just grounds it and adds a little something something.
That’s interesting – I, too, just had to wear Songes a couple of days ago – after testing Hermes Rose Amazone and wearing Amazone, in fact. I feel an unrequited love for Amazone, which takes the “elegance is restraint” idea a bit too seriously. Songes is Cocteau’s, “A little bit too much is just right for me.”
How is Rose Amazone? I would love to smell that!
I love your quotes – Amazone is restrained!
A slightly stronger Amazone plus rose is a great idea, and I almost liked it. I like the top notes, which remind me of Diptyque L’Ombre dans l’Eau because of the roses and blackcurrant, and the drydown. Unfortunately, most of the time I get an unpleasant undertone, something like the smell of brass or almost onions. I hope it doesn’t smell like that to every nose. I think it’s worth trying.
In a contemplative mood today and I’m wearing Dzongkha.
I want to love Dzongkha, but I just don’t…
I wanted to love it and luckily, I do.
I did not love it at first sniff. Thankfully I didn’t disregard it then and there because I’ve fallen hard for its many facets. The cold stones, the milk and tea, the iris, just to name a few.
I’m going through my OJ samples, today it’s Qi, not my cup of tea, I really don’t like the dry-down.. yesterday’s vanille d’iris was another league.
Can’t wait to try more OJ, especially the vanille d’iris. In a couple of weeks I’m connecting in Heathrow terminal 5, with a 3 hour layover. I understand that there may be a OJ store or counter there. What else am I going to do for 3 hours?
Wowee – I’m jealous. My sister is going to London in mid-October and I have half a mind to ask her to mule back a blind buy bottle of it.
Hajusuuri, I think we have similar tastes so if I get to sample it, I will let you know what I think.
Yup, we are scent twins!
And since I am an enabler, with your 3 hour layover, you actually can start at a different terminal first and then go to Terminal 5 and you’ll still have plenty of time to spare
I’m going to try the Qi tomorrow and Montabaco Friday. Wearing the Vanille d’iris today. I think it’s a like, not love, much to my wallet’s relief! I sprayed a little Tsarina on the back of my hand last night and I got a little nauseous :(.
I am wearing Ninfeo Mio which smells much more cheerful than I am today.
Hope it cheers you up then
I’ve been testing Thierry Mugler Oriental Express because Robin highlighted it in the fall iris post. Actually, I’d forgotten the iris context by the time my sample arrived, and it struck me as the perfect amber fragrance. After rereading the reviews and looking for the iris, it does remind me of AG Heure Exquise.
I’d say it’s somewhere between Nobile 1942 Ambra Nobile and AG Heure Exquise, but streamlined. I’d agree with other reviewers that they’ve succeed in the goal of, “Drawing inspiration from the iconic classics to reveal them in a fresh light.”
I didn’t care for the bottles (as seen in photos), which are blocky, with a shiny metal band (engraving is available
). Otherwise, I’d be tempted despite the price ($225).
Has anyone tried the latest in the Les Exceptions series, Cuir Impertinent?
Context is everything, ha!
Heure Exquise… interesting. I’ve not smelled any of those yet.
Heure Exquise, good idea! Now that I’m home and have spend the entire day unscented I’m gonna drench myself with HE.
I’m continuing my leather week with Boxeuses, a great one for early autumn. I’d like to wear Cuir Mauresque tomorrow, but cannot find my sample and unfortunately don’t own a bottle. So I’ll have to come up with something else.
Annikky, I was going to buy the cloche of Boxeuses on my birthday trip to Paris earlier this year. The Paris- Marrakech trip that didn’t happen.
Could you give a mini review? Leathers and incense are my quest.
It is an autumnal leather, if ever there was one: not that you couldn’t wear it in other seasons, of course, but this is the mood I get. To me, it’s mostly about leather, woods, slightly burnt caramel/maple syrup and plum. If you know Feminite du Bois, Boxeuses is like a sister to it, with leather and more sweetness added. It’s a proper leather, of the tarry variety rather than suede, but it’s not as intense as some leather bombs. Boxeuses doesn’t seem quite as tough to me as the Lutens web site describes, although it definitely has the typical Lutensian (not sure this is a word) richness. If it was even a little sweeter, it’d probably be too much for me, but I find that combined with woody and spicy notes, I can take a little sugar.
I’m sure others can do a better job, but this would be my hasty summary.
Sounds right on to me!
Sounds delightful and Lustensian is a word in my dictionary.
I would include birch tar and plum to the mix of what it smells like to me, in addition to what Annikky said.
I’m commando today and doing my best to get moving. Last night my hubby decided not to bother locking the kittens up and for the first time ALL of them slept with us (well, with me actually ’cause I’m accommodating and don’t squirm). They were actually very good but Newburg is a terrible wool sucker and it was a bit like sleeping with a very drooly, purring remora fish. I so hope he will grow out of it.
Today is my birthday and I’m determined to have a good one so I’m going to go shopping by myself and spend as much time as I want looking at things I don’t really need. Nobody to question my purchases will be the best gift in a long time. Now I just have to conquer inertia and get out the door!
Happy birthday!! Shop away!
You probably mentionned it somewhere before, but how many kittens are we talking about?
A litter of four. Three girls and a boy. They are entering starting to look like miniature cats and really test their limits now at about 16 weeks. I had one jump in the sink this morning when I was washing my face so boundaries are a work in progress
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Hope it is a wonderful day!
Happy birthday!!
Aw, kitty snuggles are the best. Have a happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday and the birthday budget for your shopping spree should be your age with a zero tagged on the end!
Ha! Sounds like a great birthday plan – happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Thanks! Hasn’t gone according to plan. Hubby called to request help, his parents’ flights were all re-scheduled and they are to arrive any minute instead of early tomorrow. He has been house-sitting and still needed to mow, clean the house, and get them some groceries so I left the mowing to him and pitched in on the cleaning, groceries, and leaving them a meal. Oh, well. I’ve been promised a do-over and I would hate for them to come home, exhausted, to an empty fridge.
I hope the do-over happens post haste.
Yes, the scent of tea! Please get better and get lots of rest!
Today, I sprayed on Wasabi+Pear body spray from Nest Fragrances. I got it for like $15 at TJ MAxx or something. The wasabi is more of an ozonic accord, and then you get fresh, light pear. I went fruit picking yesterday afternoon- plum, pears, apples and figs- and this seemed perfect.
I smell…fruity. But light
Dabbed a bit of Cedrat Enivrant this morning, which I didn’t care for the first time I tried it but works very well in the heat and humidity. I’m thinking of putting some Azemour on once that gets even more subdued.
Oooh, Cedrat Enivrant is so cooling. I doused when I was in New Orleans last October. It was still two showers a day hot and it worked out well.
Another ludicrously hot, humid day…so it’s Moschino Funny! for me today, it’s light and fresh but doesn’t immediately vanish in the heat. I actually also love to wear this one when I have a cold (which I don’t now, but it seems like so many of you do-the first wave of fall germs are hitting!) because it’s sort of energizing.
It’s Arquiste’s L’Etrog for me today. Drained that sample!
You are on a roll! You must have cleared out a nice bit of space by now, draining all those samples.
Wearing AG Vent de Folie. Not sure what the weather is going to be doing where I am today (rain or sun or just overcast), so thought this one would work. It does stay with me better than I thought it would.
Hello! You all smell wonderful. It’s supposed to be WARM here today (dunno that I believe it, but I really want to) so I’m going to wear L’Ombre dans L’Eau, which I bought in Sydney at the weekend. It’s lovely in its own right, but it’s also a defence against my sister’s red heeler, who loves my Rahat Loukhoum so much she keeps “herding” me towards places I will sit down so that she can give me slobbery kisses. I adore the dogs, but I find that one doggy kiss a day is sufficient.
Robin, glad to hear you’re feeling better.
I rather enjoy dog kisses but I’m much more of a dog person than a cat person, but I would object to being herded though! L’Ombre is a great scent, very distinctive as most of those early Diptyques are.
I’m the other way: more a cat lover than a dog lover, but I respond to any creature with a personality and a point of view, I think. However, I find being “heeled” by anything, including humans (figuratively, of course), really, really annoying.
How is it working with the herder?
She’s confused, I think. She’s sniffed me thoroughly and she’s walked all around me, but she hasn’t done that nipping on my calf that she was up to before, so I think L’OdL’E is doing the trick. It’s a deep instinct though: she heels the other dogs, including the alpha, who turns round and clouts her after a bit. I’m planting stuff this morning, and frequent kisses would be just too much!
Sounds like a major improvement, and an unsung benefit of wise perfume selection!
I could handle the kisses but the herding is a nope. Hope it gets worked out satisfactorily.
Hope you manage to get some warm weather! Did you get the edt or edp?
It got to 22.5, whichever delicious after 14/25/14 type temps. I got the EdT– it’s lovely. Australian flies like it, though! I’m doing the ‘Okker wave’ every 10 seconds. Next stop: a hat with corks round the brim!
Got a swap in the mail today, and am trying out MPG Ambre Precieux. Not too sweet for the sun that’s returned…
That is one brilliant amber!
Good to hear you are feeling better, Robin!
I’m wearing that ’80s bomb, Cacharel Lou Lou, today. I wore this almost exclusively in the day, with my short skirts and big-shouldered jackets. It’s great on a cool, foggy morning.
Is your Lou Lou from the 80’s? I recently was given a bottle as a gift. It is not as BIG as I remembered. Still lovely though.
Lillyjo, I think my bottle is from the early to mid ’90s. I think it was discontinued shortly thereafter, but then reissued sometime in the 2000’s. Mine is the blue bottle with the red band below the cap and is still BIG. The notes have really held up well after all this time.
I’m in Eau de Merveilles again. It’s definitely my most worn scent, but it’s a particularly good fit for today- it’s disgustingly humid here and I’ve been darting from meeting to meeting all day. At least I smell good amid all the chaos.
I’m wearing Providence Perfume Co. Samarinda today. Yum.
I love this one. You smell great!
Today, in honor of Fall, I broke out my bottle of Davidoff Zino and I let my rosewood and patchouli flag fly even though it is probably too warm……
I’m in BV Knot today, my easy scent.
Great scent!
SOTD = Chanel No.19 EDP
I was in a rush this morning so I quickly just spritzed on my reliable No.19 and it is perfect for this yucky humid day!
Wow, I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! Days have been flying by.
Sorry to hear you were ill Robin, but glad you are on the mend.
I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had time to chime in with SOTDs. I’ve finally got some down time today, phew! I’m wearing Samsara today and am SO ready for cooler weather. This heat needs to go away!
Hope everyone is doing well.
A little cooler today so decided on Love by Chloe.
Hiris was absolutely great last night post-shower at the end of a long, hot day. Today I’m enjoying the wonderfully clean dry-down
Along with No. 5, Hiris is now a favorite I didn’t think I would ever enjoy.
I love when that happens. That happened to me with perfume in general, come to think of it.
I’m doing something in between layering and composing en plein peau (i.e. blending diluted raw materials directly on my skin). I don’t have as many pine-note raw materials as I thought I did, so part of this is Topanga Canyon Beard and Face Oil from Juniper Ridge. The rest involves white florals, some cool spices, and… gin. I haven’t drunk any of it, but I really am wearing it. Also I used it on a q-tip to clean up some sticky labdanum solvent-extracted resin, having run out of rubbing alcohol. It worked really well. (We are still working on an enormous bottle left over from our wedding celebration two years ago.)
Any gin experts out there by any chance? From what I can tell, compound gin can have flavors added separately, whereas distilled gin (or possibly only the more specific distilled London gin) is flavored only by distilling “fermenting grains with juniper and other aromatics.” I’m wondering if that’s true, and if those ‘other aromatics’ have to be minimally processed parts of plants. In other words I’m trying to figure out if distilled (London) gin would qualify as an all natural perfume.
Wearing Chinatown, as I wanted some richness. It has mostly faded, which is a little unexpected for a cool day. Maybe a little cautious on the spritzing for the office.
Found a bottle of the flanker Marni Rose for $40 at Marshall’s today amongst the the usual celebuscent suspects!
Score! Woohoo, great hump day!
Congrats! I never find any perfume I want at TJMaxx or Marshalls, so I’m delighted for you.