Happy Powder Puff Friday! Our community project for today: wear something powdery!
What did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I'm in vintage Molinard Habanita. Quoting my review: "If you can imagine dousing yourself in baby powder, donning an old leather jacket and then smoking a cigar in a closed room with a single rose in a vase 10 feet away, you'll get the general idea." I would imagine it's been cleaned up for modern times but I haven't smelled a new bottle in eons.
Reminder: next Friday, 10/23, will be Slow Burn Friday: wear the perfume it took you the longest to love, or the longest to buy, or the longest to find.
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 don’t own anything super powdery, but I am wearing Etat Libre d’Orange Divin’Enfant, which starts off smelling like baby powder and orange-flower candy before turning, perversely, into a leather jacket and a good cigar. It really is so strange and unexpected.
That sounds like it’s related to Habanita.
It might be! Although the thing about Divin’Enfant is that when you put it on, ALL you can smell is the baby stuff: the darkness is completely hidden, and the opening gives no clue as to what’s coming later. I can’t even guess how such a thing could be done.
In No 19 Poudre by Chanel.
It was not love at first sniff- I actually bought and returned the bottle- but still had a sample. 3 years later after I drained the decant I bought a bottle. Sometimes you can’t rush it…
Cool temperatures today- baby and I both at oatmeal – will be even cooler this weekend. I don’t mind since I am a heat box on my own
Ah, so you could wear that next Friday as well!
Good plan! Now I don’t even have to think about it
Cèdre (Serge Lutens).
Yum.
I never know when people say ‘powdery’ whether they mean scent (as in baby powder) or just a powdery texture. I can only tolerate the smallest amounts of ‘baby powder’ in fragrances, it tends to dominate and seems to last F O R E V E R.
To me it is almost like an “effect”, so maybe closer to texture — it can smell like baby powder, but doesn’t always.
Effect is a better way to describe it.
My slightly sprayed/used bottle of L’air de Rien arrived this morning, so i couldn’t resist layering this with the super powdery Rose Noir, also Miller Harris, i think someone here may have reccomended this combination, thank u whoever it was, they are gorgeous together, and silage is beautiful!
Congrats on your new bottle!
Interesting… I like Rose Noir, don’t love it – it always seems like it should have been called Rose Russet or something, all rusty-brown and green and pink as it smells to me. But I don’t get anything powdery from it, as I remember.
I’m thinking of Miller Harris Rose en Noir, so maybe you meant something other than the one I am thinking of.
Sorry, i was getting it muddled with Fleur oriental!, which i was going to wear,
so wasn’t powdery today at all!
I’m not crazy about R en Noir on it’s own, it can seem a little cloying, it’s lovely layered with Tam Dao, or any other sandlewood perfume, it needs something to balance it out i think. This is what elevates it to Love for me!
I agree on the colours, i think of it as very tobacco like in colour.
Yes, lots of tobacco.
I’m wearing Mona di Orio Musc, the most heavenly baby powder scent. I’ve been traveling or I would have have worn powdery stuff all week — I love powder. Old ladies forever.
You smell great, hope it’s ok if I join you on this one. I confess I was scentless, but wanted to participate in this week’s challenge, so for the first time I read NST before picking my SOTD. (I was having a rare wishy-washy moment) Your choice sounds perfect to me
Yay!
Old ladies rock!
I actually remembered to participate in the Friday community project this week! What a week to pick, though, because I own so few powdery scents. I never noticed that gap before. I sold by Chanel No. 22 some time ago and I never got into those cosmetic powder scents that have been coming out the last few years. So I went with Carthusia Aria di Capri, which is not a traditional powder bomb because of the bitter-herbal angle, but is lovely and is fitting in well with the book I was reading this morning somehow: Tom Fitzmorris’ “Hungry Town”, about New Orleans.
Glad you joined us! I own very few real “powder bombs” — but lots of softly powdery things.
I’m wearing Narciso, which is at least a bit powdery.
Also testing Byredos A rose of no mans land. If you like Stella but wish it was greener and more humid, it’s for you.
A rose of no mans land sounds very interesting, haven’t had much luck with the Byredo scents so far, but a greener and more humid Stella is a must-try
Oh, that sounds lovely. I love Stella but adding green to anything always draws me in.
I may follow you later in vintage Habanita!
I found that I have none of the other powder note perfumes. I do think of Diptyque Volutes (face powder) and Lush Rose Jam (baby powder musk) as powdery, but don’t feel like wearing them today. I was also thinking about AG Heure Exquise because of the iris and sandalwood, but it’s been too long since I’ve worn Habanita!
I forget to wear it too.
I envy you both, H sounds so wonderful. On me it just smelled like pickled jalapenos.
I’m wearing the lovely Misia.
Perfect!
Today I’m wearing Givenchy Dahlia Noir I think it’s the most powdery scent in my wardrobe
Iris Poudre today again. I still felt a faint whisper of yesterdays Iris Poudre on my skin this morning and it made me smile, so I wanted to wear it once more. It is lovely! And I also love it’s sister scent, Ferré (from Gianfranco Ferré) also by Pierre Bourdon, a little less powdery and perhaps a bit more playful than Iris Poudre.
Twins!
Triplets
Quadruplets!
Oddly, though, I didn’t love Ferre, probably because it’s least like IP in the drydown which is my faaaaavorite part.
Iris Poudre for me too!
My plan is to never try Iris Poudre, so I can wear Ferre without knowing what I’m missing.
Love by Chloe.
I meant to wear that one this week — good choice!
I found a much-neglected sample of Malle’s Iris Poudre in the closet, so that’s my SOTD. At first all I got was powder and violets, but now it’s warming up and becoming more complex. I’ve been trying not to become attached to the Malles because they stress the budget a bit, but darn it! it might be love.
It took me over three years to save up for a bottle of Iris Poudre, but I’m happy I did.
I’m also in Iris Poudré. I haven’t worn it in a while and was sad to see that my sample is almost out. I really like wearing this to work and am considering one of the 10ml sprays..hmm..
Mixing Misia and Hiris to give the violet blooms their green stems and dusty iris roots. My abstract ‘viorises’ are planted in a field; the weather is damp, hazy, and with an autumnal crisp cold to match.
Nice.
Guerlain’s French Kiss for me today. This scent is just so happy on me!
It’s my SO’s birthday and we’re going out to dinner later, but powdery scents don’t really translate to evening in my mind, so I decided to wear actual powder so I could put on something more dramatic later. My scent of the day is Lush Silky Underwear dusting powder. Later on, it’s going to be Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme, which I’m finding surprisingly addictive.
Nice!
I’ve been meaning to spend more time with L’Heure Bleue, so the Friday community project is a good nudge for that.
Joining you in L’Heure Bleue!
Elizabeth and James’ Nirvana Black for me today. I’m not usually a fan of violets, but the way it blends with this scent, it works. Plus I’m a sandalwood fiend, so I had to go for this one.
Just received a package from Fragrancenet with a bunch of goodies I bought myself for my birthday, but the bottle of Ce Soir ou Jamais I ordered is half empty as it seeped out into its bubblewrap baggie. The label isn’t even readable as the perfume soaked right through it and is completely saturated. This is my first time having this happen, and I’m currently taking pictures to document this. Hoping Customer Service will take care of it without a problem, but you never know. Crossing my fingers. Any tips for how best to handle this are welcome.
Hope you’re all well!
Good luck with the Ce Soir ou Jamais. Sounds like a pain in the butt.
Update – so I was bracing myself to have to prove that this had in fact happened. As it turns out, Fragrancenet was LOVELY. They’re sending me a label right away to return this one and will be sending me a new bottle. Phew! So relieved I didn’t have to fight, and so pleased with the good customer service.
Good to know. I’ve had a very positive experience with Fragrancenet as well.
Also-fragrance net has a relationship with Google as a trusted store to buy stuff – so if something happens and you signed up for the Google protection they can help you.
If it leaked all over the place, I’m surprised that they want it back considering that lerfume is shhhhhh listed as flammable. I’m glad you got it resolved.
My sister-in-law gave me her Nirvana Black mini that she got with a Sephora purchase and I’ve never really given it good skin time before now. I’m also really liking the powdery vanilla sandalwood cozy goodness. I feel like the violet gives it a tiny hint of something leathery. Do you get that, too?
Glad your AG mishap is working out without drama!
Iris Poudre for me…adorable hubby was very rushed this morning, but as he was going out the door, he noted, “Whatever you are wearing smells really nice!” He always notices this one, and he uses this one as the bench mark to rate my other perfumes. A few things have come close, but nothing has beaten it so far.
Good thing I love it as well! This gives me a good justification to buy a FB when my travel spray is gone, I think. Happy Friday, everyone!
I went through two 10ml decants before a slightly-used bottle of IP showed up on ebay just after Christmas. (Guess somebody didn’t like their gift. More for me.
)
I’m usually don’t like powdery notes, but the Mets took the Division Series last night so
JOY FOREVER
Yay Mets! What a close, suspenseful game that was. My husband was pacing like an expectant father.
Congratulations! As a SF Giants fan, I think that it was very nice of the Mets to beat the Dodgers
Fellow Giants fan here. Only thing better than SF winning is seeing the downcast Dodgers sitting down. Plus, I like the Mets and love Citi Field.
I am wearing Guerlain L’Heure Bleue extrait and enjoying it a lot.
Scent twins today!
Discreet spritz of Oriza’s Heliotrope Blanc. And to think I used to be powder-averse–ha! Robin, thanks for mentioning Hao-Ya A Keemun: took the sting out of getting up this morning.
So glad you like it!! They just ran out of my favorite Ji Hong Keemun, I am quite bummed. Should have bought larger quantities while I could — tea is even worse than perfume that way.
I’m curious who you’re ordering these teas from. As disruptive as it feels, I consider businesses that run out of teas superior, as assurance that they don’t keep stuff in stock forever. (Since so much tea in this country tastes like dust – or flavored dust.)
Agreed, prefer ordering from places that sell briskly, the co is Upton Tea Imports.
Oh, absolutely — they buy a tea from a certain tea plantation from a certain season, then it’s gone. Sometimes they get it again but it’s not the same. That is indeed as it should be, since it’s from a different season.
Upton does also make blends that they keep in stock, so it isn’t like they run out of everything, but I’ve been ordering from them for years, and many favorites have disappeared. I know when I really like something I should immediately order the largest size.
And a Hao-Ya A Keemun — that’s a grade of a kind of tea so they’ll probably nearly always have it, or at least, will eventually get it again if it runs out, but it won’t necessarily be from the same batch.
Thanks, guys.
I’m in Isabey Fleur Nocturne. I’m not a fan of the peachiness, but the delicate floral with a touch of powder wins me over.
This whole powdery thing has been confusing me all week. So in the end I went with one of my most cherished fragrances that is called powdery in a number of reviews; Amouage Beloved. The weather is still really dreary so it’s nice to be wafting such a gorgeous smell.
Habanita is one of those fragrances that I still haven’t tried. I clearly need to. Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!
Beloved really is powdery.
It’s funny, there are such different varieties of “powdery,” and some I like while some I really, really don’t. Aldehydes can be powdery; iris can be powdery; amber/vanilla can be powdery. So can musk and sandalwood and some violets and sometimes roses. I really like the version of powdery that seems related to makeup/face powder, and I love aldehydes, but baby powder is less pleasant to me and I cannot take vanilla/amber powder at all. (Habanita nearly asphyxiated me.) You just never know.
I forgot almond and heliotrope notes being powdery. Sometimes those work for me and sometimes not.
Another option for me today was Kiss me Tender, because of the Heliotropin, but KmT doesn’t feel opaque, so I opted for something else. Another great choice would have been L’Eau d’Hiver with all those almonds.
I like Kiss Me Tender a lot (I should get a decant. or one of those 30ml bottles) but you’re right, it’s not *really* powdery.
Gorgeous indeed.
I find Amouage fate to be powdery- or maybe I am mixing up the two
Angela of NST described Fate Woman as intensely powdery.
https://nstperfume.com/2013/11/04/amouage-fate-woman-fragrance-review/
I also think Fate is powdery. And I’m one who doesn’t get “powder” from a lot of the other scents people are wearing today.
I have quite a few that would fit for today, but I chose Oriental Express.
Oriental Express is sooo good. I forgot that it is powdery too.
Me too – I should have known but I had already planned to wear Khol de Bahrein.
Since I’m not a fan of powdery scents, I had to really hunt for a fragrance with powdery notes. I finally found The Swan Princess, which Fragrantica describes as powdery. It is very light, and actually what I got when I first put it on was a spicy floral (pink pepper). So far I don’t smell powder.
I think that one is powdery mostly in the drydown – musk and aldehydes. I thought it was pretty, but wasn’t moved to buy it.
I got it from a sample giveaway at Fragrantica, and I think I’ve worn it twice before this. It has quite minimal sillage, and I am in the 5th or 6th hour after I applied it. It has turned into a skin scent and I still don’t get powder. I like it well enough, but not enough to pay that price. I will say that I am very cheap about buying fragrances. I don’t attempt to acquire samples of fragrances that I can’t afford.
I must confess that I generally hate powdery fragrances on me, but I recently discovered TDC’s Pure eVe (formerly known as Pure Virgin….not sure why they changed the name), and that’s what I’ve chosen for today. Pure eVe has plenty of musk and almond, which keeps it just enough to the left of ‘powder bomb’ that I can enjoy it. For me, it’s a slightly sweeter version of Bois Farine. It’s an easy one to reach for on weekends and casual days when I can’t quite gauge my fragrance mood, but refuse to go ‘naked’
SOTD is a sample of Salvatore Ferragamo Emozione. This one is definitely powdery – starts as a soft and fresh powder but then gets heavier. Peach is quite noticeable and works well here. I don’t know why, but wearing Emozione I suddenly remembered Monica Bellucci as Persephone in the Matrix.
Not my style, but trying it is definitely fun.
I debated this one this morning.
I almost went with Midnight in Paris, but Habit Rouge was also calling my name…
In the end I decided to wear Tom Ford Noir EdP.
Putain des Palaces for me. I kind of wish I could smell vintage Habinita – I found the modern quite dense.
That’s what I’m sampling, too. I’d heard it had a powdery note, and took the opportunity to break into my ELDO sample set which came a couple of weeks ago. (So cheap at Sephora, not affiliated, and maybe only a little bit enabling).
Thanks so much for all the well-wishes yesterday. It was like a big fragrant hug and meant a lot to me.
I’m still in my PJs since I don’t go back to work til Monday so am trying to decide what to wear today. I’m wavering between Amouage Fate Woman for baby powder and Red Hots or PdE Cuir Ottoman for sueded powdery iris. I think it’ll be the Cuir.
Good choice on Cuir Ottoman
Belated condolences and hugs being sent your way, I was unable to post yesterday.
Thanks, Laila
Been thinking about you and your family. Sending Internet hugs and healing thoughts.
Thanks, Nebbe
I’m in Balenciaga Paris. I love this category of fragrance, and fell really hard for BP the first time I tried it. It’s been love ever since.
Ack! Powder, my arch-nemesis. My skin amplifies all powder notes, and I rarely like powder notes. Went with Ormonde Jayne Woman today, which is somewhat powdery, but which I actually like.
My first choice suffered a small problem. I got this mini bottle of Penhaligon’s Artemisia at a street fair a few months ago. I went to take out the stopper, and it broke off, with half of it still in the bottle, stoppering it up. Anyone have any idea how to get it out? I will then decant the bottle into some other container. So frustrating. This is a quiet skin scent, also somewhat powdery, but again, one that I like. I’d like to be able to wear it again…
Thanks!
That’s a shame. The only thing I can think of is to drill a hole in the bottle. Maybe someone else has a better idea? Good luck.
Or maybe wack off the neck of the bottle without somehow breaking the main vessel?
I’ve accidentally twisted the neck off of a stoppered bottle.
It was a Vero Profumo extrait – be careful with those! However, I had no luck trying to intentionally crack off the neck of a bottle with a broken glass stopper. That are often seems to be one of the stronger parts of the bottle, like the base. Robin suggested trying one of those glass cutting kits they sell to turn wine bottles into glasses, etc. I haven’t yet but plan to do so.
Ooh, yikes. Glass cutting makes sense, don’t forget safety goggles!
I wonder if a stained glass artist might be able to help you, without the expense of buying those tools (and experimenting) yourself…
FearsMice, that’s a great idea! I’ve been trying to think who would have the right tools and knew I was missing something. All I could think of were lampworked beads, but flame and perfume wouldn’t be the best combination.
Nozknoz, I discovered an artist in NoVA when I needed some repair work done (we aren’t affiliated otherwise); if you’d like the name of the person feel free to geeeemail me at my username.
What’s the stopper made of? Any chance a corkscrew would do the trick?
Assuming it’s something more substantial, Sajini once recounted having success pushing the closure down into the bottle, with a screwdriver/awl/icepick. Worth a shot?
That sounds like the best approach if the stopper is plastic. Even a nail of the right size could work.
Tweezers?
Is there enough room to insert a syringe to suck out the juice?
I’m in Heeley L’Amandiere today. When I sampled it I fell hard for the opening but less so for the dry-down, which turns into an unmistakable, powdery deodorant smell on my skin (like the ones teenagers might wear).
This will be the last of my sample; perfect for Powder Day.
I had the same sort of reaction to this one – I am a TOTAL SUCKER for almonds, almond flavoring, almond cookies, marzipan, bear claws… but almond fragrances so often wind up powdery in a way I don’t enjoy. (Favorite almond scent so far is Montale Amandes Orientales – it’s pretty much almond extract.)
I’m a sucker for almonds, too, and yet it’s so difficult to find a good almond scent that doesn’t veer too heavily into wedding cake territory. I’ll try the Montale; thanks for the rec!
Me too-love the flavor and always gravitate towards it, but I struggle with wearing the scent.
I finally settled on wearing Après L’Ondee on Friday, but this morning I just didn’t feel it. So I am wearing No. 19 Poudre, which is being quite contrarian and not smelling particularly powdery just now. It is funny what the influence of expectations is on how we experience a scent.
I always think that one’s so oddly named for something that doesn’t smell very much like 19 nor very powdery! I wonder how its sales are–I think it’s a really nice scent, and always wondered if it would do better with a different pitch. But then, I can def see that some consumer might specifically want to wear something associated with 19 without having to smell like 19! (Should say, I think 19 is a great way to smell, but, I won’t delude myself to think that’s the way the overall fragrance market is going.)
For me, No.19 Poudre is all powder!
Scent twins . I find the dry down to be very powdery.
It was a slow love affair for me with this perfume in particular
Took me awhile to warm to no 19 Poudre…but doesn’t seem very poudre to me either.
I chose Eau de Charlotte for Powder Puff Friday. I usually use my powdery scents for sleeping as I find them relaxing… the equivalent of a warm bath.
Happy Friday everyone!
Like several others I’m in Iris Poudre today, partly because I was unsure which scents would be classified as powdery (realize now I could have worn favorites such as Beloved, Fate or Cuir Ottoman). Iris Poudre is very nice today, the trouble is very short longevity on me. Anosmic to some musc perhaps? My favorite FM is still Une Fleur de Cassie.
Pulled out my sample of Oriza Legrand Oeillet Louis XV, which I’d heard is a powder bomb. So far, I’m not getting that.
Distinct mandarin, peppery carnation, very sweet but not in a sugary way…honey I’m guessing. Also a note that I can’t put a label on but something I think I smelled in Burlesque, maybe?
Ok, this is embarrassing. After looking up what Burlesque and Oeillet have in common, it seems that note I couldn’t identify was…powder, our theme of the day.
I hope my membership isn’t revoked : /
So funny, no, you are educating your nose, so your membership is not revoked, it is enhanced – you have moved to the next level of ingredient identification!
I had to laugh just a little – because as always, varying perceptions and backgrounds are the filter for smelling stuff! I was one of those people who found the Oriza Oeillet overpoweringly powdery.
I’m joining the crowd today in FM Iris Poudre from a sample I’ve had but not tried before. (I’m finding community scent Fridays a good way to dig in and use up samples, hooray!). I like powdery scents but only wear them when it’s really cold, otherwise I find them stultifying and suffocating.
Iris Poudre seems to get a lot of love here, I’m finding it to be gentle and refined and somewhat comforting but I’m not in love with it. I get no violets (one of my favorite floral notes) and a bit too much musk (don’t like musk). My favorite aldehydic scent still remains Balenciaga Le Dix and my favorite powdery scent still remains Molinard Habanita.
How gorgeous does everyone smell! I like powdery a lot more than I thought. I am 28 La Pausa, I also sprayed it on my t-shirt, and I am lucky enough to smell it all day today. Might give it a layer with Misia this evening, inspired by Nick’s combination.
Glad to be of service
Now that you mention 28 La Pausa, I have forgotten how it smells. I have to sniff it again. I have this obsession that I must be able to visualise the scents I have smelled, so I keep going back to sniff the vials and mixing them all up and seeing if I get them right.
Shalimar!
You smell perfect.
Love love
Twin!
I was going to wear Shalimar, the Queen of All Powder (among other titles), but still going commando, with obstructed sinuses under a 40 C heat. Ick!
Sinusitis is such a nuisance! You know, Shalimar doesn’t read as powdery to me at all.
Me neither, I get vanilla on good days, and lots of wood all the time with Shalimar…but not powder!
Heck, I get no wood at all.
Go figure! I get lots and lots of baby powder!
It seems powdery to me, but part of that effect is that kind of vanilla that always seems “flat,” and part (at least) is the patchouli in it.
But there’s so much else going on in Shalimar too that I don’t think of it as being primarily a powdery scent. Shalimar really is the queen (and Mitsouko is probably the Empress, I think).
Yowch. Hope it clears up asap!
I do get a bunch of powder, at least from the EdT. And it is mostly up front, then dries down to a more leather incense citrus gorgeous vanilla love train.
No scent yet today but I’ve already nearly exhausted my selection of powdery having worn Violet Blonde and Marni earlier this week. I’ve seen Jolie Madame referred to a powdery scent but I don’t especially get that aspect so it feels like a cheat! Have samples of other powdery things but alas I don’t care for them… it’s funny, I don’t think I dislike powder per se, but it does seem like many of the notes that might create a powder effect aren’t so much my thing (the sweetness of heliotrope sets my teeth on edge, etc.)
Jolie Madame doesn’t seem powdery to me either.
I’m iffy on powdery scents. I like a cosmetic powder scent every now and then, but anything remotely baby powdery doesn’t work for me. My SOTD is Infusion d’Iris which I love, but is about all the powder I can handle.
I am in Cuir D’Ange for the first time, with thanks to hajusuuri for her recent split! I think I took too seriously what everyone said about it being a skin scent and probably oversprayed… But I love it. Just hoping my officemate doesn’t mind. He’s a patient fellow and has never said anything about my scents.
Yeah I find this one has a lot of presence, especially if you’re grading on the JCE curve!
Yes, kudos to hajusuuri for organizing her splits so efficiently! I got Cuir d’Ange, too, and love it.
Our splits ended up being almost perfectly balanced
Great split purchase! Interesting and wonderful smelling scent.
I’m wearing vintage L’Heure Bleue extrait this morning. I don’t really get powder from this as it’s one of those perfumes with about 90 notes that all blend into gloriosity. I almost wore Habanita today, but it’s going to be pretty warm and leather/tobacco/powder didn’t seem appealing.
I adore this one! And I have no idea why people call it “powdery.”
Bois Farine was about all I could handle today, since I’m going to be outside and powdery stuff feels too froufrou.
I was going to wear Jardins d’Armide, but our plans to go to town for some shopping were nixed by the propane tank unexpectedly reading empty. Since we will have company next week, waiting for the gas guy took precedence.
I forgot about the Friday project and put on Biehl al02 today, which has spicy stewed fruit smells, to me at least. If I would have remembered I would have put on Teint de Neige, which is a really nice powder bomb.
Yay! I’m wearing it for the TdN team.
Spritzed on Chanel 19 EDT this morning, but not sure what this afternoon will bring… my bottle of Isle Ryder arrived, so that’s a strong possibility!
I’ve read the word powdery so much that it’s starting to sound weird to me. I’m more tolerant of powder than I used to be, I think, though if it’s too much of the baby powder variety, I don’t like that. And I think that’s mainly what I think of when I think “powdery”.
I’m wearing Bijou Romantique again. I think it’s fairly powdery. It’s been on my mind a lot because after wearing it a week ago, my car still smells like it, but now mostly just when the car’s warm after sitting in the sun. I’m actually really liking it. I don’t really smell it in the morning much, but when I leave work and the car has been sitting in the parking lot all day, it smells nice.
I had a weird/dumb thought on my drive to work this morning.. so Bijou’s main note is benzoin, and the scent of papier d’Armenie is benzoin-based, right? So if papier d’Armenie is paper that gives off benzoin scent when heated, then I basically have seatbelt d’Armenie.
“Seatbelt d’Armenie,” I love it.
Ha! Perfume Algebra. Maybe a new business venture: scented seatbelts
I’ve only tried Bijou briefly but remember it being likeable.
Habanita, Number 5, Habit Rouge. What powdery flavor for today? I think Habanita, I feel like such a badass when I wear this. I layer it over vetifer EO for maximum enjoyment.
Awesome!! I can totally see Habanita and vetiver together. It’s like the Bacall and Bogart of layering!
My perfume collection is organised by colour – White bottles, then red, Amber, gold, green, blue, violet/dark, black. My powder choice comes from the white and the amber section . Both perfumes were created by Nathalie Gracia Cetto. The first is First Edition Blanche, a perfume that makes me feel ten years older than I am, ten kilos heavier and frumpy. I bought it unsniffed as I thought the bottle had a bit of a Doctor ZHivago vibe going. The second perfume ….from the Amber selection ( colour wise ) is Love Chloe. This was a gift and I sometimes wear it. Two things I have learnt: I don’t like rose scents and I find powdery scents – unless Iris based – difficult. But they still look good on the shelf.
Kanuka, you little beauty, colour! Yes!!! Why have I never thought of that? I’m off to re-organise, not by the colour of the bottle (I keep mine in their boxes), but by the colour the perfume makes me see and feel! Brilliant fun.
BTW, I know what you mean about perfumes that make you feel heavier. I have that experience with almost any Dior, and own not a single one. I have no idea what it is about the Dior aesthetic that upsets my psyche, but there’s something.
I’ve never been happy in Dior, either. My mother did it brilliantly back in the 60s….but she looked like Jean Shrimpton crossed with Sigourney Weaver crossed with Mary Quant. I’m more Jack Russell crossed with Mr. Magoo crossed – so I guess I have quirkier tastes and a low boredom threshold with a touch of impatience….which explains my recent attempt to turn unused perfumes into scented candles.
It is late and you probably won’t get this msg, but thanks for the belly chuckle, and what do you mean you turned perfume into scented candles? Pray tell us more!
It’s a bit of a work in progress but I ordered some soy candle wax and wicks thinking that some of my Demeter and ‘reject’ scents could be blended to make candles. I’ve been working on a 6 to 10 percent perfume to wax formula and heating the wax to around 60 degrees Celsius then lowering to 40 before blending….but it’s not been overly successful yet….which makes me think I should either do some research or find a recipe OR make better perfume choices in the first place. I was hoping to give my friends candles for Christmas…ha ha…will let you know when I get it right.
At least it kept me amused.
Thanks, and let us know if you figure out a good process!
Maybe it’s because most of the current Diors smell so thin?
I love your system! Maybe your collection could be featured in that new series here.
Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige, a longtime love of mine and one of the most powdery perfumes ever!
Powder is a run-away note for me, so I’ll pass on today’s challenge, thanks
SOTD is… well I haven’t figured that out yet.
Sniffed J’adore Touche yesterday. J’adore l’absolu is my favorite Big Commercial Frag (maybe that’s a Friday challenge?) and I liked the idea of a base that you could layer under it to give it more oomph, so I was excited to try Touche. Alas… it’s not a bad scent, but one thing it sure isn’t is a base. After running the SA gauntlet at Nordie’s (“We don’t have it”; so I point to the box on the shelf behind her; “oh”; she reads the box; “oh it’s meant to be layered with a J’adore”; then she says I can’t sample it until I pick out which J’adore will be layered on it, which I refuse to do since I want to see what Touche smells like on its own…. sigh)
Anyhoo, I was more stubborn than the SA so I did get to try Touche solo. It starts off as a big clean jasmine (big. my husband spent the next 20 minutes doing the fake-cough thing… soooo funny, dear) then dies down to a mild sandalwood-ish skin scent. I’d think the jasmine open would overwhelm whatever is layered over it, and I find it hard to believe the sandalwood skin scent would be noticeable under anything.
So there ya have it, I took one for the team
I’ve been really curious about this so thanks for your tenacity and research. Another Friday project could be Battles won and lost with sales assistants! I’ve had my share, that’s for sure. I even had to show a YSL assistant an image in a magazine to prove that the perfume I was asking about existed…but by then I had already been dismissed as difficult/ insane …..
Ha! I’ve done that with my smartphone. “See? this scent!” Even then I still lost that argument at a Giorgio Armani store. Despite showing them the Armani ad for a new Prive scent, they sniffily told me that I was mistaken, there was and would not ever be any such scent.
My personal gold standard, though, was the SA who informed me that Guerlain Jicky did not exist, and she knew that because Guerlain only makes one scent. Shalimar.
Maybe you should have insisted that Guerlain doesn’t exist…or even better that perfume doesn’t exist…or best of all that she doesn’t exist. Honestly, drives you nuts,eh?
“Doesn’t exist” is part of the SA dictionary:
‘It’s been discontinued” Perhaps, but more likely means their store doesn’t carry it anymore.
“It doesn’t exist” Hardly likely, but means their store has never carried it, or they haven’t been issued promo stuff or tester bottle yet, or their store has no plans to carry it.
Did someone say BIG JASMINE?
Oh my god, thanks for all the belly-laughs. I love that you defied a self-important SA, and I love that your adorable hubby sounds exactly like mine (cough, cough, what IS that??). And no such thing as Jicky? Hilarious. Seriously, how do you keep from slapping them? I would have no such self-control.
SOTD = SHL 777 Khol de Bahrein
Perfect for a chilly day in NYC. Khol de Bahrein is a semi-sweet powdery iris + amber. It is elegantly sheer but has enough body to last a full day.
That sounds lovely – I bet I would like that. Thanks for mentioning it!
Yum. I forgot about that one for today. I also get a slightly nutty note in there which makes it interesting.
That is a good one!
I like Lucas’s review: https://chemistinthebottle.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/777-stephane-humbert-lucas-khol-de-bahrein/
Yum, iris and amber. How can you go wrong
Crud, I always forget I like that one and have a generous sample around someplace.
I like violet, vanilla, and baby powder notes, so I guess I’m not afraid of powder
Last night, nozknoz said that Lush Rose Jam “has sort of a baby powder musk,”so I decided to wear Rose Jam today to see if I could sense any baby powder. I do get a very slight baby powder vibe. You are quite perceptive nozknoz!
The Vermont Country Store makes a long-lasting baby powder body spray that is water-based. Unlike many alcohol-free perfumes, it does not contain propylene glycol, which irritates my skin. It is VERY strong, and it’s easy to over-apply it.
I have a question, though. What part of “baby powder musk” makes it musky? “Musk” is such a catch-all. I like the smell of baby powder, but I hate animalic musks. I also don’t like perfumes that smell like laundry detergent/white musk. I just read an interesting piece on the 4160 Tuesdays blog about musk (http://www.4160tuesdays.com/blog/read_111055/5-musk-the-great-mystery.html). My favorite line was “What do musks smell like now? It’s difficult to say – sweet, fresh, vague – like a recently washed pet rabbit, I’d say.” Baby powder is not animalic at all to me, not even as “musky” as a recently washed domesticated rabbit might smell.
You’re welcome, kindcrow! You’re right, it’s not exactly the Johnson’s baby powder musk, but somehow it’s like that.
That’s a good question! I’ll have to do some research, but I think it has more to do with the large size and other characteristics of the molecules, including functional, rather than necessarily how they smell, although, of course, we have each come to have certain expectations as to what “musk” smells like. Since the large molecules evaporate more slowly, they serve as a fixative in perfumes.
Of course, the original musk of perfumery was deer musk. Fewer and fewer of us have ever smelled the genuine article. Initially, chemists tried to recreate it, but now it seems “musk” has become a fantasy term, what with white musk, crystal musk, etc.
Also, great article!
Whenever I see “crystal musk” in a list of notes, I laugh. It sounds silly in and of itself and for some reason, my brain reads it as “crystal meth.”
Yes, I think that for the industry, it’s often more about the function of the musk. For example, I would not call Ice Station Pineapple “musky,” but its minty-piney freshness is long-lasting, and I assume that that is due to the “icy musk” that is listed in the notes. Still, I wonder what it is that makes someone sniff a baby cologne and call “musky” (I’ve seen that in a number of reviews).
And then there are the pink musk stick candies from Australia and New Zealand. Someone tried to describe the flavor at http://www.thelonebaker.com/journal/2010/1/17/musk-sticks.html.
Kindcrow, you’ve opened my eyes today! I have never seen or heard of these, but I do know of lollies called “Smokers”, which were around during my childhood and may still be. They were pink and tiny and flavoured with musk, and perfectly disgusting they were, too, sweetly, pinky dull and, well –sweet. Their scent was astonishingly pervasive: if someone in the room was eating the damn things, you’d not only smell them, you’d end up with the smell in your skin and hair!
I bet these stick things are the same flavour. Ick.
Oh, yeah — I saw those on-line a few weeks ago. According to http://www.remarkablesweetshop.co.nz/product/32-pink-smokers, they are supposed to be flavored with clove, musk, and aniseed. Wow. I can’t imagine a candy so strong that it would fragrance skin and hair of other people, no less!
Very belated reply, but when I first smelled Mitsouko I thought is smoker’s lollies. It took me a while to get past that.
All the mentions of Iris Poudre lead me to think I might go for that after my shower. IP was one of the first perfumes I tried when I discovered the sites that sell decants, then discovered that some things just can’t be obtained in New Zealand. We have lovely scenery, but not so good on shopping
I was delighted to get a bottle when I was in Australia a few years later. I dream of being paid enough to do regular weekend shopping trips to Sydney and Melbourne!
I smell a business opportunity here
The gal who owns ShopFranceInc does personal shopping trips from the US to Paris. I paid her to bring me a Serge Lutens bell jar once. Maybe there’s a market for something similar from NZ to Australia??
Gaynor, Kanuka, we’ve got to get together on this. I seem to go to Oz at least twice a year, and most years at least once to TOH, either the States or continental Europe. I certainly don’t mind being a mule for you if there’s anything you want. I’ll let you know when I’m going.
And, if you to set up as a perfume courier, Gaynor, you might be surprised how regular a customer I would be!
A very good idea! With at least three of us in NZ, we must getting to a point where some coordination would pay off
I don’t get to travel overseas too often but I could do the op shop finds….just got a bottle of Bandit for $2. My favourite NZ perfume store is H and J in Invercargill. It has a big range and the assistants are so cool that it turns into a spray and sniff fest that leaves everyone gasping for air.
No! Not really! That’s fabulous! I’ve just got to come down to the mainland and see what I can see.
So, how shall we do this? I have a private email address at waterdragon245 at the service provided by the big g. I’m likely to be in Melbourne around 18–21 November, so please do let me know if I can mule anything in for you. (I can’t quite get my head around the fact that I just used “mule” as a verb, and that the sky didn’t fall on my head!)
Water dragon that is such a generous offer. I have vowed not to buy anymore unsniffed perfumes- no matter how tempting. Thank you though. Can’t wait to hear what you buy though. Have fun.
Thank you Waterdragon, I’ll drop you a line
Kanuka – have you tried the decant websites like The Perfume Court or Surrender to Chance? I’d never buy a bottle unsuited, but I don’t mind taking a punt on .5ml for a few dollars.
Unsniffed would make a lot more sense!
Dunno if you two will see this, but maybe you will, so: could we somehow co-operate on samples, sending them round in a travelling box, somewhat the way that they’re doing on Bois de Jasmin? No compulsion, no pressure, just as-and-when we feel inclined? I was going to try the sampling services as soon as I get organised, and if I decide to get a full bottle/s, I’d happily forward the samples to you.
Have you Kiwis ventured into World – best array of niche scents in NZ but very pricey. I’m in Canberra, a virtual fragrance desert, so I too rely on trips to Melbourne or Sydney and the sample websites.
Wearing vintage Tweed (Lentheric). Comes across as a leathery-powdery thing, if that makes any sense. Pleasant memory, my Aunt wore this when I was a kid.
My mother had a bottle of Tweed when I was a kid. She never wore it (never wore any perfumes, actually) and I don’t know what happened to the bottle. Wish I had it…
It’s Friday evening here in Provence so I am sneaking in my powdery SOTD; Rose Irisée, soft powdery iris with a hint delicate rose. Really special. I admit I’m envious of you people who own Rose Poudrée. It’s on my to buy list, I love it.
Oh, who makes Rose Poudrée? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.
(This reminds me, I must have had some Rosine options for a powder scent in my sample pack from them, although now I can’t recall exactly which was a powdery rose.)
SOTD is new bottle of Assam Tea. the elephants on the bottle are so cute!!
Bronze by Ellen Tracy…..seems sort of powdery to me. Nice everyday scent, good for the office, especially on casual Friday.
I’ve comedown with a cold, so can’t smell anything at all. Nevertheless, I’m wearing Comme des Garçons Black, which I recall as being somewhat powdery.
You smell good, if not well.
Sotd: Baiser Volé.
I think it is powder-y waaaaay down deep underneath the killer lily.
p.s. Thx, leathermountain!
Oh that’s a great idea for a powder that I enjoy!
Hey, haven’t heard from Leathermountain in a week or so. Hope she’s ok.
I brought my decant of Mugler Oriental Express with me with the intent if wearing it for the project but forgot!!! I had hoped to get to Brooklyn today to finally get to Twisted Lily but maybe I will get to go Monday before I head home!
Good luck with the walk! I’ve still never been to Twisted Lily and would love to join you Monday but I’m back to work then
Come back soon.
Katrina, Twisted Lily is closed on Mondays. I hope you’re reading this! I’ll email you too. Good luck with the walk!
Very late here – I was swamped with dire meetings today so….. I was originally going to wear what is the current Habanita edp – lovely stuff. But I thought it might be much for meetings, so I wore Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise. Cheers!!
Unique again this Friday! I’m in the charming Lolita Lempicka.
Although it is Angel spawn, this powdery iris and violet accord doesn’t become cloying or overwhelming.
The powdery scents I love seem to have opoponax in common. My original plan was Carthusian Ligea ‘La Sirena’ but I worried that might be too much for an appt. with a new Dr. (And she was indeed rather crunchy-granola. Told me that sugar is poison and I should cut it out of my diet completely. She’s not wrong, but there is a point at which life is no longer worth living.) I was going to wear the last of my sample of Jardins d’Armide, but ran out of time and grabbed Etro Shaal Nur, which was both handy and, I think, theme-appropriate.
I have something like 5 of these Friday posts saved up in Offline Browser. Maybe tomorrow I can catch up.
Hmmph. I was so SURE that I’d have at least one scent twin. I went with Chanel #5 edp for my powderpuff scent today.