Happy Halloween! We're marking the occasion with our usual open thread.
Talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, your absolute favorite candy, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Jack-o'-lanterns [cropped and background extended] by William Warby at flickr; some rights reserved.
Happy Halloween, all! Wearing Alaïa Paris today – not especially spooky, but has a slightly haunting quality to it.
As I type this, Luca Turin’s BBC Radio 3 show is coming to a close. Really beautifully produced show, matching classical pieces to classic perfumes. Highly recommended! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06l1b8g
anything interesting?
Don’t want to spoil too much, but he mentions Apres L’Ondee, Nombre Noir, Habanita and Emeraude, amongst others.
Thanks for this! What a great idea to match the perfume with classical music — I think I found a way to finally get my husband to “buy in” to perfume
Thanks so much, Lizzie for the BBC link. I enjoyed it a lot. Great matches for the 11 scents and thoughtful comments and anecdotes.
happy halloween everyone!
My “spooky” fragrance is Shalimar EDT, and I am eating adult Halloween candy -I bar of Godiva chocolate!
I am about to run to the store for the Halloween candy, and might have to buy some adult candy too
Fancy Halloween candy
Did you dress your daughter up this year? I love see the baby’s in costume – it’s the cutest.
Yes-she was a Giraffe-and I was a pregnant Cleopatra. She is too small to do anything so we just took pictures at home.
Giraffe! Adorable.
Love that you dressed up too.
Cute. One of my good friends just had a baby. She’s not even a month yet. Anyway, my friend dressed her up for Halloween. She sews a lot and made her a little “peanut” costume (with hat and all). She made dad an elephant hat with the trunk and all. They looked adorable in the pictures. Awwww! Baby love!
I have a question for all you helpful perfumisti.
A friend was just released from the hospital, and is now in a rehab facility, doing physical therapy, etc. prior to being able to go back home. He says that the hallways there don’t smell very nice (apparently the room itself is fine). I suggested that I would spray some handkerchiefs with perfume, and he could hold them to his nose on his trips through the hallways. He could also keep them in plastic baggies in his room so he doesn’t stink up the whole place.
He was receptive to this idea! Great! But now, what scents do I use? I was thinking Jardin Sur le Nil and Guerlain’s Vetiver. Possibly some rose/patchouli combo like Rose Anonyme. What do you suggest would work well in that context?
Thanks!
Perhaps something fresh and citrus-y, like Mediterraneo or Cristalle? If it’s going to be a long stint, you could make a small sample for your friend to keep in the same baggie to periodically renew the scent on the hankie.
I like the idea of a top-up sample/decant in the same bag. Thanks!
I like Guerlain Vetiver as a room spray–very clean and fresh smelling. So, I agree with that choice! The other one I use a lot (nearly drained my bottle!) is Balenciaga Paris–the violet isn’t too grandmotherly, and there’s a clean, greenness to it.
Orange Sanguine is what came to mind– bright, cheerful maybe giving a little pep before rehab activities
I really like the idea of one of the Hermes Jardins or most any Atelier–then the other thing that comes to mind is to pick up a Demeter that he could keep and refresh the handkerchief with. Then if it goes missing, as things often do in hospitals and such, it’s no big loss. Likewise there’s this nicely priced Sephora set–I just saw them in person this week and they’re very cute. http://www.sephora.com/necessaire-azur-gift-set-P398852?skuId=1735695
Hoping he is well on his way to recovery!
You make an excellent point about things going missing. I like the Demeter idea.
One very tiny consideration…. Whatever scents you choose, he probably will not be able to stand them once he is home… Too many uncomfortable memories… That is fine, of course. Just something to bear in mind… Like, don’t pick perfumes you love to wear frequently…. My choice would be to stay away from florals and citrus scents, as those tend to crop up in zombie-fied form in industrial cleaners and disinfectants… Better to choose scents that truly take him away… Vetiver, incense, amber, even patchouli… In the right perfume…
You are 100% correct that he’ll hate these things later. He normally doesn’t wear much scent, so I think it would be OK that he will hate these when he gets home. Patchouli seems like something that won’t ambush him by surprise on the street once he’s back…
It’s not exactly what you asked for, but when I was pregnant I bought a rollerball of blue oil (mostly peppermint) from Aveda. I would apply it directly under my nose anytime I had to go somewhere where smells would bother me. (Which was pretty much anytime I was in public for the first five months!) It did a great job of blocking everything out and keeping me calm. The lasting power wasn’t much, but your friend could easily apply each time he knows he will be entering the hallway. I’m sure Vick’s, Buddha’s Nose, or any other ointment would work well too.
I hope your friend has a speedy recovery.
Yes! When I worked on hospital floors, spirit of peppermint (oil) was used by nurses in patient rooms to neutralize the nasties. It was a small brown medicinal vial and we used a piece of gauze stuck in the vial as a diffuser wick. Very effective and also energizing. I’ve also used Tiger Balm under nostrils for same purpose.
Lucy, that’s a great idea!
Also a little off topic from what you asked but you could go Renaissance on him with a clove studded orange to ward off bad smells! Or any sort of sachet really. As for perfume, good old Jean Nate always smells fresh and clean to me and would be a cheap and easy choice.
CH, Demeter is a great idea. Lots of nice, everyday, non-hospital smells. They’re not expensive so if they do disappear or if they don’t please no problem another one can stop in.
Lavender oil…I think studies have shown it is not only calming but also has pain relief properties…
Spooky SOTD: Cuir et Champignon. Maybe I smell like a cowgirl zombie, freshly dug out of the soil?
Cowgirl zombie — perfect!
You nailed.
Actually, it’s wearing really well on this warm, blustery day! Definitely not a scent I reach for often, but I do like it.
Testing Halloween from DSH Perfumes today.
How is it?
I like it. It’s a mild oriental that’s much more autumnally appropriate than the Del Pozo perfume that’s called Halloween
That one isn’t Halloween-ish at all, it’s true.
I have a longstanding fondness for Turtles: “creamy caramel and crisp, premium pecans covered in luscious milk chocolate.” I can remember when they were made with pecan halves rather than pieces. Then the resemblance to turtles was easy to see.
The DeMet’s website shows that there are now many variations, with sea salt caramel, cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds with dark chocolate, minis, and apparently even a “collection” that includes white chocolate. Harumph. Just give me a big box of the originals, please, and get off my lawn!
I was in one of the local fancy food shops recently, and the clerk tried to sell me white chocolate cocoa for hot chocolate. I was actually speechless. SPEACHLESS!
I’ve never had hot chocolate. Does white chocolate not work when it’s hot?
Some chocolate fanatics, myself included, think “white chocolate” is an abomination.
Oh. Thank you. I’m not very chocolate-minded–it might be five years or more since I ate any, and it’s not something I’ve ever fancied drinking. It seems as though it would be too thick.
It probably is, but I have a weakness for white-chocolate-and-hazelnut Ritter Sport bars. I know, I know, it’s not really chocolate at all, it’s basically flavoured sweetened wax. But I like it!
I have been reading everyone’s comments about white chocolate. I think I have mentioned this before, but I am allergic to chocolate. Because of this, growing up, my Easter baskets contained nothing but white chocolate. I think it was invented for people like me. I have seriously grown up to despise white chocolate. The smell of it repulses me. Sometimes I do eat a piece of “good” chocolate(Godiva) every now and then. I know my limits. I make sure if I have to suffer that it was well worth it!
Hot chocolate is perfect to drink when it is snowing out
and when you are in your car driving in the stupid snow.
Waterdragon, please forgive my ignorance, but is it that you have never tried hot chocolate or is it that its not something people drink where you live? we drink hot chocolate a lot here in the winter.
No, I see hot chocolate as a choice in cafes all the time and people seem to love it; it’s just me. I often think I will eat some, and buy it, but I never get round to it. I don’t dislike the flavour, but I don’t care for it enough to experiment with different forms, so I’ve never investigated hot chocolate. I do keep medicinal chocolate in my office for students, though. They seem to feel it improves life.
You know those photos of puppies that show said pooch with head tilted sideways, floppy eared, with that dopey ‘i just dont understand’ expression?
Yeah. That’s me. Waterdragon, I do believe you are the first person (actually, correction: female) I’ve ever ‘met’ who has no love for chocolate. I wish I could say the same sometimes!
“White Chocolate is a big, fat lie. It isn’t chocolate. It isn’t even Facebook friends with real chocolate. It isn’t even a LinkedIn 3rd connection with real chocolate.”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/white-chocolate-isnt-chocolate#.hgVD5glAJ
(Apologies to white chocolate lovers. In fact, the writers relent a bit at the end there and reference some better brands and treats.)
Well technically if it doesnt have cocoa solids it isnt chocolate. I think it tries to get away with it because it still has cocoa butter. So it’s chocolate’s half-brother
White chocolate isn’t made from chocolate.
I actually like hot white chocolate sometimes– Marie Belle in Soho serves a luscious version but they’re also a chocolatier so they’re starting with top quality ingredients to begin with
I know, Perthie, I know. It’s an oddity in my makeup. It’s not even hereditary: my mother used to eat chocolate blissfully, saying, “Dear, it’s not so much the taste as the TEXTURE. ” I’ve missed out on heaps of girly bonding sessions over the years, but I just don’t get it as being nicer than, say, mango. Or strawberries. Or passion fruit.
Well, it’s not as if you can find luscious ripe mangos and passion fruit in the U.S. There may be some hidden away somewhere, but supermarket mangoes are sad, sad imitations of the real thing. And strawberries have been bred into hard, never really ripe things for shipping long distances, too. We have no choice but to console ourselves with chocolate.
Oh, hedonistic me. I’ll take the mangoes AND the chocolate!
Would they be nice together, do you think? The chocolate would make the mangoes all—groosick– wouldn’t it? “Groosick”, by the way, is a compilation of greasey, gooey and thick, made up just now. I don’t think groosick mango would be an improvement on nature, and therein lies my problem with chocolate: it doesn’t make things better than they were already. For me! For me! I get it that other people love it as an embellishment to everything except roast lamb, and maybe…no! Surely that would be impossible?
Probably not together, no. Groosick indeed! Chocolate and strawberries together, yes
Loved reading this convo
Hello all!
I’m wearing Diptyque Oud Palao today, it’s the latest addition to my fragrance wardrobe, the bottle arrived few days ago.
Tomorrow we celebrate All Saints’ Day (not much Halloween celebration in Poland) so I wil be visiting grandparents’ graves with my family. Atelier Cologne Silver Iris will be my scent for tomorrow
Keep warm (and spooky)
Scent twin!!
Triplets!
Stay spooky, lucasai!
I’ve gone with Comme des Garçons Avignon layered over Lush Lord of Misrule Shower Gel. It’s a perfectly spooky combination for Halloween.
Sounds it! I need to go smell that Lord of Misrule.
Perfect.
Avignon was my Halloween scent too.
Oh I am feeling deeply indulged. Yesterday was my birthday…. My husband knocked it out of the park with his gifts this year. Kilian’s Imperial Tea, in the black lacquer box (with a very silly key that locks it, but fun all the same). The scent is a fairly photorealistic interpretation of jasmine tea… Absolutely gorgeous! And he gave me a turquoise necklace and earrings, which he never does unless I have picked the items out in advance. But he chose these all on his lonesome… And at the restaurant last night the extremely young and hip waitress was totally gaga over the necklace, and my husband was so pleased (and it was so nice to see him get outside affirmation for his taste, which is actually pretty good).
So that is my long self-satisfied yarn!
Happy Halloween y’all.
Wonderful! What a great birthday celebration and kudos to the hubby for surpassing all husband-ly expectations!
Happy Halloween ????
Oh, how lovely! I love turquoise: I’m sure the necklace looks fabulous. May you have many more equally beautiful birthdays.
Happy Birthday! Your evening sounds wonderful, and your gifts as well.
Perfect husband! And happy belated birthday.
Love this story! I tend to pick my gifts for my husband too, so when you does do it, as you say “all on his lonesome” and I love what he’s chosen much praise is warranted and even better should it happen not just by me. Enjoy the Kilian!
Happy Birthday! I’m glad you had such a great day.
How sweet of him! I always appreciate when my husband tries, even if the choices don’t quite work for me. Trite to say, but it really is the thought and the effort that make me happy. Always a plus when it’s right on the mark, though. Happy Birthday and enjoy your loot!
Those BK bottles are beautiful, and the strategically placed black areas help to protect the perfume from light, as does the box, of course. Goes well with turquoise, too.
Happy birthday, Oakland Fresca!
Sounds like a fabulous birthday! High-five to hubby for doing good
So glad you had such a splendid birthday with your loving husband! ????
Happy birthday! Your husband should do some training seminars for the gift-challenged.
Happy birthday!!!
How lovely of your hubby.
Happy happy birthday and well chosen on the husband front!
Happy belated Birthday!
Happy Birthday! Have a fabulous weekend extended-celebration.
Happy Birthday, Oakland Fresca! Tell your hubby he has great taste. I am finally getting mine around to the idea of buying me perfume again after there were two that I wound up never wearing.
Lucky you! (Although it’s not luck cause you deserve it)
Happy Birthday OF!:)
Happy birthday! Sounds like a wonderful time and some great gifts. Sometimes it’s just as satisfying to see someone happy that they have made you happy, if that makes any sense? When my husband has given me something great, HE looks so pleased, I can’t help but be happier!
Happy Birthday! Your husband did hit one out of the park with the gifts. Enjoy!
Very good morning, all. There is no sleep to be had anywhere in Central Auckland right now, because the whole CBD seems to be awake and yelling about something. I hope it’s the All Blacks’ game causing all the fuss and bother, but I have no idea. I do know there’s no fighting it, so Dakkie is visiting, I have a cup of vanilla tea (it’s only a little bit nice, I fear), Isabella is asleep at the end of the bed, a tight dove-grey comma of fur, and the dear one is doing Sudoku and grumbling very much about my perfume–L’Heure Bleu from last night, still going strong. He says it’s boring (????) and reminds him of public toilets (!!!!!!). He did specify clean ones, but still, I think L’Heure might now be one of those perfumes I can manage without.
The All Blacks are a soccer team? Here the baseball World Series is being played, and I am sure if I lived close to a bar the noise would keep me from sleeping, too. But you have the lovely furry kitties to cuddle…which is a consolation I suppose when sleep is impossible. A nap later on is also a possibility.
Oh no! L’HB smelling like a clean public toilet? It’s one of my favorites. I shall have to remember not to wear it when you come to Portland.
Ummm, no, not soccer: rugby. It’s the final game in the World Cup about now. A-NZ against Australia. Trans-Tasman friendliness is diminishing these days and there’s absolutely none whatsoever on the rugby field.
My husband recorded it, and he and my older son are watching the game right now. (Go All Blacks!)
I started to watch, but since I got 5 hours of sleep last night and have spent the entire day at the high school hosting our marching band competition… and my FEET HURRRRRTT… I am going to take a nice hot bath and go to bed instead.
You’ll know by now that the ABs won, so good for them, but the Australian team was a brilliant opponent. Congratulations to everyone.
It was a very exciting game.
Nooooooooooooo… I could not manage without L’Heure Bleu….. It is my most favorite Guerlain, and it transports me to a post war cafe in Paris, with a coal burning fire warming and drying the damp air, and tired soldiers wandering in and sitting quietly near the flames thinking about when they will go home. There are dried flowers hanging from the beams, and a woman who never comes to the counter, but flits about the back in the storeroom collecting soap and soup for families on her rounds. She is wearing L’Heure, just a little at her throat, to remind her that she is someone’s beloved.
That’s so much better than the man’s image, Oakland. Maybe I’ll put it away for a few months and see what happens next. Truth to tell, he’s got a fairly hopeless scent memory, so he may not recall this conversation at all.
How fitting and beautiful–nostalgia, weariness, hope, and warmth.
This old gal is in an old favorite today: Anne Pliska.
I can NOT say if feels like fall here, but the humidity is <95% so I'm gonna go ahead and call it an "autumnal" kinda day, Florida Style.
Ashamed to admit I have eaten more candy than I will be giving out this evening. No sense in letting it go to waste, though!
Happy Halloween to all you spooktacular perfumistas ????
Thank you! (Wish I could help you with all that candy!)
Ironically, all the Halloween candy at my local grocers was displayed right next to a brand new booth entitled “Dietician Resource Center.” I laughed out loud when I saw that
LOL.
Wearing Chinatown this morning. It’s beautiful, but in a way it feels like a costume, as it seems a little apart from me.
It doesn’t “meld” with me either.
No SOTD yet, but I showered this morning with a newly acquired bottle of Lush’s Lord of Misrule shower cream. Patchouli, black pepper, herbs,…oh me, oh my! It’s perfect for this drizzly Halloween day, very comforting. I certainly didn’t need another shower product, but I’m glad I bought this one.
It really is great stuff. I’m planning to pick up a bottle later today. Last time I went they were sold out so I’ve got my fingers crossed that they have it today. In other Lush news, I just took a look and Rose Jam shower gel is finally available online. It’s been in store for a week or two now.
I didn’t like Rose Jam at all, but the makeup of Lord of Misrule sounds wonderful. They aren’t anything alike, I guess?
They are both on the sweet side, Rose Jam more so but aside from that they don’t have a lot in common.
Thanks for the heads-up about Rose Jam shower gel being available online! Just got the biggest size they sell.
I used this this morning too! I also have a sample of the new Aesop body cream which is scented with patchouli and black pepper ess. oils. Not as sweet (or as GREEN) as LoM but beautiful and earthy.
I was also bad and bought myself some LUSH xmas gifts with other ltd ed shower gels. One has The Comforter (blackberry and juicy yum) and Twilight, which I love in the evening. Lavender and malt
The other one has Yuzu & Cocoa gel with a soap and Snowman shower jelly. Many many treats!!
Kind of off topic but have you sampled Aesop Tacit? I like their scents and have worn them in the past. Then I went through a stage of finding them a bit overpowering…but I’m curious out Tacit
I have tried Tacit actually, and I have a fondness for Aesop fragranced things so it will no doubt join my fume family at some point
I think it’d be nice and refreshing for summer so I plan to get some soon. The basil they use must be pricy though because Marrakech is $79 but Tacit is I think $109 :-/
It’s citrus and basil, basically. I think it has clove and for some reason I had vetiver in mind before I tried it (not sure if i totally made that up), so the basilness of it was a bit of a shock initially. One must like basil to like this!!! I guess as far a perfumes go it’s really grassroots and basic rather than a complicated blended affair, but the note combo is unusual and refreshing. And did I mention basil?
Thank you! I quite liked Marrakech and Mystra but don’t know if I need more of the same or a basil blast….Basil, eh. Hmmm. Aesop perfumes get me in the same way some Comme des Garcons perfumes do…like I’m not sure I like wearing them as much as I want to like wearing them, if that makes sense.
Also…we don’t have summer down here, unfortunately. We just have cold and a bit less cold! The duvet never comes off the bed.
I made a small mess in the store with The Comforter: I picked up the bottle to sniff it(juicy, indeed!) and then turned it on its side to see if there was glitter at the bottom and made a nice pink puddle on the floor. I blame the inhalation of all the bath bomb powder for killing off too many brain cells at once
Ha-ha. The same thing happened to me. One of the sales attendants made me a sample of Lord of Misrule. After, as she was ringing up my purchase, I tried to pick up the open bottle to take another huff but it slipped from my fingers and spilled all over the weigh scale. Whoops.
Hahaha! Nice to have company
and I’ve tipped over a full tub of Blousey shampoo! They must be used to us sort in there because they were ever so friendly about it.. lol
Hypnotic Poison. Sprayed directly from a poisoned apple.
Happy Halloween to all who celebrate it. Enjoy the candy!
Nice!
I’m wearing Memoir Woman today, and soon I will wash it off. Not what I wanted at all, it turns out. I made gingerbread last night and I think I’ll have some for breakfast.
Num! Gingerbread! Mr. Spicebomb deeply dislikes ginger, so I haven’t made gingerbread in a few years. Really, it’s one of his biggest flaws.
I adore Memoir, but it’s such a big experience, I definitely have to be in the right mood for it.
Marjorie Rose, if you like the old-fashioned sticky gingerbread, you can make it just as well as spice bread. I use any combination of sweet spices that seems good at the time, though I try to be light-handed with clove, and almost everything I’ve ever used has blended well with the golden syrup, brown sugar and melted butter. It does mean not using crystallised ginger, but I promise you that if you cut the bread thick and butter it warm, you won’t miss the little nuggets of ginger. We tend to make it for things like family working bees at the beach–feeding the troops who’re laying concrete paths or building fences, whatever, but I’ve also treated it more as an afternoon-tea cake. When I do that, I serve it with thick Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of Manuka honey, though whipped cream would be nice too. Cream, like chocolate, is something I don’t eat much.
Sounds delish! Yogurt and honey sounds perfect! I can’t do whipping cream, in any case (super lactose intolerant
), but I’ve done Greek yogurt and honey on zucchini muffins and it’s wonderful!
If you ever see them, do try manuka, rewarewa or Kanuka honey. Even pohutukawa honey is fabulous compared with the pale clover types. They are more than merely sweet: they are rich, with a deep earthiness and distinctive flavour and bouquet. They taste like summer up home to me, and clearly to my sister as well, because she always asks me to take her a pot when I go to Australia.
I bought some Manuka honey recently and it’s definitely nothing like the usual honey I get at the grocery store. It’s a very different flavor and texture. I’m not sure how the price is in your part of the world but it’s rather expensive here.
Hi,Poodle. Yes, Manuka honey certainly can be expensive, especially the medicinally rated varieties, but my feeling is that I eat so little of it, I may as well have what I enjoy when I do. If you enjoy it, you can order directly from the website, which often has excellent deals: buy two, get one free, sort of thing, which is useful for little gifts to foodie friends. I know they send their products all over the world, in case you’re interested.
Hey, did I just do a honey-enable? Will this contribute tony next pin, or will it count in a different category?
Yum, some day can I hop over the pond for tea?
Wearing Angel eau sucree.
Happy Halloween!
Yesterday I wore Lolita Lempicka to work along with my traditional orange and black striped knee socks. Tonight my boyfriend work is hosting another Halloween murder mystery that I am participating in. The character I came up with is Betty Bloodfang, 1950’s hostess vampire. Think June Cleaver with fangs
I wore vintage My Sin by Arpege to the one two weeks ago. I’m not sure if I’ll stick with that tonight or try something else. Any suggestions?
I’m thinking something feminine but with some skank or leather.
Love the visual of June Cleaver with fangs
We’ll be giving out candy later today in our building.. we went old- school with this year’s candy choices having gotten the Goetze Caramel Creams, Tootsie Rolls and few chocolate options.
I sprayed some Bvlgari Rouge to start the morning off – from the resent swap meet and probably my favorite of the tea options. Later I plan to wear Sycamore as I’ve been craving vetiver.
Boo!
I love dark chocolate, 70% or more. Some of the brands I like are Moonstruck, Chocolove and Pralus. Today I am wearing Masaki Matsushima Chocolate Mat to go along with the chocolate I know I’ll enjoy.
Ah geeez, now I am craving chocolate!
I’m wearing NR for her L’absolu, over Narciso body lotion. It’s a good mix. As always Halloween day is a rainy one here. I have been a bit down lately, but I always say, at least I smell good. Now I am wondering what non perfume people say when they feel this way? as in ” at least….” this probably doesn’t make sense, but posting it anyway. Happy Halloween.
I totally understand what mean. Hope you’re feeling a bit brighter soon
Glad you understood my rambling. I’m hoping once we get some sun back, I will perk up.
I can relate. Speaking of getting sun back, has anyone ever tried one of those full spectrum light therapy lights? I’m seriously considering getting one for my parrot who has started to pluck again. I’m pretty convinced its the short gray days that bother him now. He had been pretty good all summer and was looking better and just this past week or so we had some dreary weather combined with less daylight and he looks like hell again. I don’t know if those lights work but I figure it’s worth a shot for both of us because I tend to want to hibernate as well.
my sister uses one and says it does help. she bought me one, but for some reason I haven’t tried it yet. I definitely will soon though.
A friend of mine uses one every winter. I plan to get one, too. I don’t know about parrots, but there is solid research behind this for humans.
My sister uses one and sweats by it.
It meant swears by it!!! I p
I hope smelling good, or having something good to smell, comforts you somewhat. It does for me when I’m feeling that way.
Scent really does help. So does reading NST and ” visiting” with y’all. thank you.
You will never know how many can identify, and many are even perfumed. Wishing you sunnier days.
Thank you so much. you all are just great!
For me the other thing is: at least I can read! And there’s a shallower one, sometimes, when I’ve made an effort: at least I look good.
Hope you feel better soon.
Haha, yes! I am fortunate to be able to say those things as well. and Annikky, for the record, you don’t just look good, you are Stunning.
Thank you
Do you have beautiful autumn leaves where you live? I imagine going out for a walk beneath those heavy grey washed skies, skirting puddles, drops falling from beautiful golden red leaves and that wonderful damp earthy scent, an almost caress against your skin.
I hope the gloom lifts….sending some sunshine from NZ
Actually, yes, I am just guessing but I bet the Autumn leaves here are some of the best in the U.S. I am grateful for that. It’s really the lack of sun and impending brutal winter that gets to me.
I was in the Antarctic a few times and asked some people at Scott and McMurdo Base(s) how they coped with winter…the darkness and cold, and the inside-ness of it all. Some of the people spoke about spending time in the glasshouse, amongst green plants, other talked about the fantastic night skies, others spoke about friendships and some talked about the quietness and the opportunity to work on special projects: art or writing. It was fascinating. The thing is, though, it doesn’t rain down there…I think they say it hasn’t rained for 1000 years or something (Ross island) … I don’t know if they miss that!
I feel fortunate that we definitely get all four seasons here and there is beauty in all of them. I think if it came down to it, I would even miss the wretched snow. Maybe…
I would love the chance to go there! I would love the chance to spend a winter there. In reality, I know I likely won’t have the opportunity but I just think that it would be amazing.
I wind up turning on lots of lights in my house this time of year and getting outdoors when weather permits. Smelling just right always helps, too.
SOTM is Costes, which turns out to be oddly appropriate for Halloween – a little spicy, a little weird atmosphere. I like it.
I’ve been having some belly troubles this week. I was given 2 antibiotics to take which make me slightly queasy and also make things taste off so I’ve not been overindulging in scent since I don’t want my usual loves to suddenly become repulsive. Only scented bath products for me. I’m enjoying my Lush Don’t Rain on My Parade violet and blueberry. It’s very refreshing. My local Lush was out of The Lord of Misrule which I would have liked. The SA said the first released edition was tinting some peoples skin greenish-yellow! Would’ve been perfect for Halloween!
LOL! is it wrong that that makes me want some more? I need to get to my sister’s in Delaware for a Lush fix soon.
Ha! No, I get you. But don’t be too hopeful as I think they’ve fixed the “problem”. And thanks!
P.S. Hope you feel better soon!
Aesop make a Ginger Flight Therapy rollerball that is ginger based and therefore aimed at reducing nausea. It has a nice gentle ginger vanilla earthy scent and is quite low key. I bought it as I tend to get travel sick and I don’t know that it works that well…at least it as well as travel sick pills…but applying it is nicely distracting and I’ve worn it when I have an upset stomach and the placebo effect kicks in.
I’ve actually been drinking ginger tea which does help. But I might like that scent just for the scent. Thanks for the rec. I also get motion sickness, especially when coming in for landing to JFK where there’s lots of tilting and sudden plunges. I’m all about pills for those flights
yeah…I’m a pill girl…It was meant to say ‘not’ as well as well as travel sick pills (rather than ‘it’)
Thank you for mentioning Don’t Rain on My Parade yesterday – I didn’t manage to buy it, but got some other goodies, including Lord of Misrule. Another shop in Brussels might have different selection, going to try them, too.
Does that count as enabling :-D? I actually went looking for LoM or Rose Jam to no avail. I’m still puzzled by their distribution strategies. Enjoy the goodies!
Very happy to give you a violet pin
Elisa P, try rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball – breathe in normally for 30 seconds, wait a minute or two, repeat. It seems to help with nausea.
Interesting. Haven’t heard of that trick before. I’ll have try that. Thanks!
Hope it worked. Saved me last flu season.
Although the stuff isn’t particularly good for your teeth or your health in other respects, try drinking some coke (as in coca cola, or any other brand). It tends to help quite well with mild sickness, plus it’s great for rehydration purposes.
Yes, you are right, austenfan. There’s always Pepsi on hand at home as my husband is addicted to (diet) Pepsi. I’ve been sipping it just to get rid of the awful metallic taste in my mouth from the meds. They used to sell cola syrup in the drug store. Right next to the ipecac syrup
Are you on metronidazole ? I’ve never taken it myself, but have heard it gives that metallic taste in the mouth.
Yes. That’s the culprit. Fortunately, only for 2 more days.
I’m back in Brussels and one of the first things I did was to visit a Lush store – Elisa P mentioned Don’t Rain on My Parade yesterday and I was determined to get it. Typically, “my” Lush store was not carrying it (to be fair, it’s a small shop and they have to make choices, but still…). So instead, I got a tiny bottle of Kerbside Violet which I’m wearing now: it’s even less sweet than I remembered, but very fitting for today, I think. Also decidedd to fill a huge gap in my perfume education and bought a bottle of Rose Jam shower gel. Plus another one of Lord of Misrule, for some Halloween fun for my daughter. And, well, myself.
Fun! Sorry you had to leave Spain though
No sign of Don’t Rain on My Parade here in Aus either. Or Kerbside Violets for that matter
Welcome home! But yes, sad that you had to leave Spain..
Testing Musc Ravageur today. It’s nice but it smells like something I have already worn and reviewed, but I just can’t place what.
Wearing PdN Le Temps d’Une Fete. No special reason, it just caught my eye today and I hadn’t worn it in quite a while. I am finally getting my sense of smell back after the respiratory infection I had a couple of weeks ago, and it is good to be able to smell perfume.
The postman brought something nice today–the bottle of Jubilation XXV that my husband will be getting for Christmas. Fragrance Net had it on sale, and then there was another discount on top of that, so a 100 ml bottle came out to just $172.49. Not bad.
Hey, that’s a good deal.
Happy Halloween everyone! It has been storming all night here in Houston, Texas. My electricity went off for a few minutes. The streets are filled with broken tree branches. We thought we were done with all the rain. The forecast originally said everything would be clear for our little ghosts and goblins to trick or treat. But, the way things are looking, I highly doubt that.
My SOTD is Tuberose Angelica by JM. It was the first thing I picked up this morning, so I went with it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Do you have much trouble with outages? I assume CenterPoint is responsible for the equipment in your area? I keep trying to get a hold of a person to try to convince them to upgrade the equipment in our neighborhood, but all I can get is an automated message. Our power was out for ~3.5 hours last night, and last Sunday-Monday it was off for a total of 23 hours; off for 19 hours, back on for 4, off for another 4 hours, then finally back on (until last night). Unfortunately, this is not unusual for our neighborhood. We get outages almost every time it rains hard, but also on beautiful sunny days. Sometimes we have had 3 or 4 outages in one day. Usually, if we are on the east facing side of the house, we can hear a loud boom coming from the transformer on the pole back behind our house right before it goes dark. I know storms can cause outages, but every single time in the same neighborhood? And even on mild, sunny days when there is no rain? Does anyone else have this much trouble?
That sounds like a nightmare! We get more outages in the winter because of high winds, but nothing like you describe in your neighborhood. try calling the billing dept, that should get you a real person who could at least give you the right people to contact.
How funny is that? Everything you just said is what we go through all of the time. The loud boom happens all the time. The sun will be out sometimes and “boom” off the lights go. The running joke around my house is, “Who forgot to pay the light bill?” Yes, CenterPoint is the service we use. And it’s odd how the people directly across the street from us are on a different line. So, when our lights go out, they still have power. Or vice-versa. 50_Roses, we might live close to one another. When we did get through to someone one day, they made a comment like our box and lines are very old, but won’t be replaced anytime soon.
We deal with these issues with Comcast cable company as well. They are the worst. The cable will just go out for no apparent reason. Drives me up the wall…….
Yesterday I was distracted by Fracas and didn’t contribute to the community project. Today, however, I’m wearing Private Collection to pay homage to my “Absinthe, the Green Fairy” costume of a few years ago. I wore it to a swing dance (the wings only lasted one dance before they were taken off) and to a costumed running club event. It was a windy day, and I nearly became airborne when a strong gust came up as I was going across a bridge.
Thanks for the visual……
Hope this Halloween is uneventful.
Haha, those running behind you probably enjoyed the sight
Hi all. Happy Halloween, Solstice or day of your choice. Favorite candy as a child: Reese’s Cups. Fave today: Valrhona 72% dark chocolate.
Went to the mall commando and sprayed Miss Dior on my hand. It took Dawn and Fast Orange hand cleaner to get it of. Never again.
Has anyone (@hajusuuri, you may have) tried Aftelier Bergamoss yet? So tempted.
Off to visit the kiddies for Trick or Treat.
Be well.
Hajusuuri has definitely tried Bergamoss (and I just had the same trouble with autocorrect as she did when posting about it (very humorously)), and I have as well. I remember liking it and making a mental note to try it again. Which I haven’t yet, so this response is probably less helpful than it could be.
Ha! I remember that autocorrect fiasco. My iPhone must have gotten smarter after my rant because Bergamoss now shows up on the word ribbon, along with “BergamossBerg” – I think it is still trying to mess with me and stick in BergamossBerg when I least expect it!
I’ve tried Bergamoss. It’s really lovely. I did review it on APJ a few months back. It wears close to the skin. I’m not usually into understated or natural perfumes but this one made me consider purchasing it. I’d say get a sample and try it. I’m pretty sure Hajusuuri was considering buying it too if she hasn’t already.
Poodle! Your review was wonderful!
Thank you!
hajusuuri here reporting in later than usual on a weekend.
anngd, you should absolutely give in to the temptation of trying out Bergamoss! I have never used solid perfumes in my entire life and Bergamoss convinced me what a silly girl I am. Mind you, this could be the only “FB” solid I will ever own but what a gorgeous one to own!
Coincidentally, I am currenty wearing a shirt that is a shade or two darker than Bergamoss – apple-greenish. As to the scent itself, picture a sun-dappled forest on a late spring / early fall morning, slight crisp in the air, the outside of your shoes getting damp from stepping on earth and leaves after the previous night’s rain. It starts off citrusy and green, then gets slightly more body with oakmoss (and I say it’s oakmoss because it smells just like an oakmoss candle I bought at Barnes & Noble as a gift for a friend! –I still need a no doubt about it oakmoss reference point but if Bergamoss is that reference point, I want to get more perfumes with it in huge quantities). There’s a hint of leather and some flowers I couldn’t identify. Overall, this is very well done. This stays very close to skin and is absolutely office friendly.
Thanks, will do. Your description sounds wonderful. I’ll also read @poodle’s review. Office-friendly is a must, which is so constraining.
Trying out l’artisan Mon Numero 8, courtesy of an NST swapper who can apparently guess what I might like better than I can. A warmer (but not sweeter) version of the iris in Mythique…
It is subtle but lovely.
Yesterday I dug out my sample of Tabac Aurea because everyone had been chatting about it and man that is a cherry-tobacco powerhouse. I’m working tonight, so I’ll try to find a perfume to be my costume. What smells like “elegant person who isn’t working tonight?”
Wow, that’s a tall order.
I didn’t buy any Hallowe’en candy (because there aren’t any kids in my building and I would just eat it all myself), so I’m wearing a few drops of the licorice-y Sambuca by Demeter. It’s utterly delicious.
I need a bottle of that.
Husband and I rode a trolley through historic downtown Raleigh, stumbled on a great Italian restaurant, then checked out a chocolate factory -Videri Chocolates. The 1# bag of baking chocolate (75%) I bought turned out not to be cocoa as I’d imagined. Guess I’ll have to eat it.
I was comparing Lanvin Vetyver Blanc on the back of one hand, with L’Artisan Vetiver Fatal on the other, when I recognized the need for sunscreen. The 60 spf titanium dioxide cream I keep in the car doesn’t seem to have changed them much, just locked them in place. Seems unlikely but lucky.
Well, the plan for today was Breath of God from Lush. It always strikes me as bit otherworldly. But it’s blindingly bright and over 90 degrees yet again, and Breath of God is not heavenly on me in warm weather.
So when the postman delivered a lovely swap this am, Jo Malone’s Dark Amber and Ginger Lily became the SOTD. Nice for a hot day of Halloween prep in dusty SoCal, although I’m not sure exactly where the lily went.
SOTA is Frapin 1270, which started out faint but nice, and has been getting nicer and nicer all afternoon. This is one of those that is elusive – nosed glued to wrist elicits very little, but sit back and let it waft and you’ll find yourself in a woody/slightly boozy veil of scent.
Halloween is not super meaningful day for me, but I did put up orange lights, carve a jack-o-lantern and get some candy for the T or Ters. I just don’t go all out like some folks.
Reglisse Noir for me. Interesting indie minty licorice.
Looking forward to “falling back” tomorrow!
Ditto on the falling back. I am not a morning person and hate having to get up an hour earlier on DST. I like to have some light in the morning to convince my brain that it IS morning, and these last few weeks of pitch-black “mornings” have been rough.
There are few things more depressing to me than taking the pup out to pee in the morning and looking up and seeing the moon and stars. And I like the moon and stars but at night, not right before breakfast.
Also looking forward to falling back. SOTD was Guerlain Oriental Brulant. Favorite Halloween candy is just about any peanut butter/chocolate combination. Total sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Sadly, my sons put them in the candy bowl first, so they are all gone. Luckily, there are still some Snickers bars.
Also a sucker for peanuts/peanut butter/chocolate combo. My two desert island foods would be peanut butter & chocolate, because they work great eaten together or separately.
My choice for yesterday’s Halloween party was Etat Libre d’Orange – Like This and a headpiece with a feathered crow the size of a blackbird
Excellent! Very Schiaparelli!
Was wearing a sample of zhis yesterday too, but need to wear it some more.
Happy Sunday to all! I have just realized I’ve been subconsciously polling what perfumes in my small collection smell good (or even better) when working out and creating a good sweat. I usually wear lower key fragrances so as not to offend anyone at the gym but it’s really intersting (at least to me, but I’m kinda dorky) to what works well and what’s just a big fat NO!
So far the only absolute NO! is SL Feminite du Bois. About halfway through spin class, I kept noticing a “dirty hamster cage” smell, which was rather embarrassing and off putting. So that one will be saved for after spin and shower only.
The two I really like to work out in so far is Box of Eels, which gets better (if you can imagine it getting better-it’s perfection in the first place!) the more I heat up and sweat. The other really good one I’ve noticed is BFMV.
I don’t think i am going so far as to create a spreadsheet about this but if anyone has noticed what particular fragrance were well when working out, please chime in. Happy to say I have
recovered from my sugar coma
I would add Cuir Beluga to the list
Oh, that one is on my “try before I die” list! Well, actually ALL the Guerlains are on my list…We’ll see which comes first
I like these kind of ‘research’ topics. I wonder if sweat is kind of salty/bitter and so you need its opposite in terms of scent…like something sweet or powdery. I go hill walking/running every day and find that Candy works nicely with a ‘healthy glow’ and so do some of my vanilla scents, like SL Bois de Vanille. But sometimes sweat can be sweetish…in which case maybe you need the opposite of that…gets complicated….something fresh, or ozone, like Issey Miyake (if you like that kind of thing) or herbal. If it’s okay I’m going to join you on this experiment.
Come one, Come all! I would love to hear what works for you. I have Un Bois Vanille and it works ok for me too, but rather than morphing into something slightly better it seems to fade during my workout. I’m pretty much a single spritzer though, so that may have something to do with it. I’m gonna give it a spin (literally!) in class tomorrow with an additional spritz or two. Slainte!
Chanel 19 EDT is my favorite to spritz before a workout. It’s invigorating! I must note, though, that the new green version works much better than the vintage for workouts!
Two randoms:
The first is last night I applied a free sample that came with a purchase… Morn to Dusk… Okay. Officially I am not a vanilla fragrance person. Yes, I occasionally wear Shalimar, but to me that is a fizzy lemon Guerlainade voila thingamajig. I was too tired to give the M to D a good scrub, but if I were doing anything other than going to sleep I would have. It’s funny, because I like the idea of liking vanilla scents (and I use it liberally in cooking), but apparently I do not like to wear it!
Secondly, I have different voices and accents in my head for all of you…. And it is totally unscientific. It was a little bit of a shock to realize that very likely Waterdragon and Gaynor have NZ accents (which as a dopy American, sound very much like Australian accents)… But in my mind’s ear, I don’t hear the accents. Which got me thinking that probably none of your voices are like how I imagine. Poodle’s is gravelly with a lot of laughter, Mals has some hints of Wisconsin and you can tell she is smiling when she talks, Deva’s is very feminine and warm, etc. etc. etc. Do you see where I am going with this? (If you do not, but just think I am weird, that is close enough!)
Oh I love random-ness! I am a huge vanilla fan- I love it in any and all iterations and that Morn Til Dusk was on my list, but it has slipped down a bit. Was it the vanilla that made you want to scrub or some other aspect of the scent?
And yes, I think we all have preconceived notions based on comments, voices on phones, etc. For what it’s worth, I see you as a very erudite intellectual type with a wickedly humorous glint in her eye. Cheers
I am highly flattered by your fantasy description of me! As for the M t D, I actually think it was the vanilla I did not like… There are lots of vanilla perfumes I find hard to wear, so it might be an excellent perfume for a vanilla lover. But, for what it is worth, my husband thought it smelled like a piña colada mix–but he is not the most discerning when it comes to scents!
Oakland! Australians and New Zealanders sound nothing alike! Why, they speak like thees and we sound like thus…our mulk is ruch and cramey, theirs is reech and…actually, I think that to Americans, we all, Aussies and Kiwis, must sound a bit English. At least, when I’m in the States, I’m constantly asked which part of England I’m from, and a couple of times, when I’ve said I’m not English, I’ve been told with great authority that I must be.
Oh goodness. I did not mean to say that Australians and New Zealanders actually sound alike, but only that I am ignorant of the differences (which I blame on being American!) But, straightening to my full height and clearing my throat, I am certain I would not mistake a NZ speaker for one from England–north or south.
Oh, Oakland, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you…I was teasing, truly. I understand that of course we’d sound similar to everyone but ourselves. Aussies’ feesh’n’cheeps and Kiwis’ fush’n’chups is a constant source of material for comedians and sports commentators here downunder, but I get it that for the rest of the world, the variations in local pronunciation are obscure and unimportant. I was silly and clumsy with that post, but honestly didn’t mean to offend.
I am not offended, I promise, but I am tickled that I never ever imagined you saying anything like fush’n’chups at all, and then realizing that you just might. Even the folks who never speak for themselves on NST, but are delightfully described–such as Mr. Spicebomb, or Mr. Lucy, or the CEO… each of them has a voice in my mind that is probably startlingly incorrect… why I suspect I have all the four-legged creatures all wrong as well, and all the wrong colors and noises even for parrots! And yet I can picture each as clear as day.
Oh, and I meant to say, I think your idea is fascinating. I’m quite a teller of stories, and voice – and voices– are important to me. in my mind, I have gathered NST together at the most enjoyable party ever, and we’re all involved in at least five conversations at once. I hear lots and lots of laughing, and stories everywhere!
Hi, Oakland!
I think it’s fairly easy to tell Aussies and Kiwis apart from accent, but it’s probably a matter of being able to listen to ordinary people speaking in their accustomed way.
I mean, off the bat I can identify four different Virginia accents alone, but there are variations and subsets… When you hear them live, you learn to tell them apart.
(Really funny I’ve got a hint of Wisconsin in your head. I’ve never been to WI! Actually I’ve never been there. CLosest I’ve been is to southern Indiana – to visit relatives who moved there from Virginia.
)
Oh I know. It is a complete fantasy on my part–the Wisconsin. Some how I associate your writing voice with straight talk and open fields–which in equal ignorance I associate with Wisconsin. I have never been there either. Whereas my mental picture of Virginia is something else… Like the word psalms… in my head I always pronounce it P-salllmmms… which is how I thought of it when I was very young and reading novels… its my mind’s ear doing its own thing despite all the evidence to the contrary!
You know, to this day, whenever I write the word “beautiful”, I spell it out in my head as I go, because it was one of the first word attack skills I ever learned! I’m glad to learn that I’m not alone in this sort of thing!
I do voices for all of you in my head when I read too. most of the time without accents.
Kia Ora! I think Waterdragon has nailed the NZ/Aussie difference perfectly. I would add that New Zealanders tend to end their sentences with a rising terminal – so a statement sounds like a question. I also end most of my sentences with ‘eh’…Nice day, eh. That Shalimar smells good, eh.
The most wonderful aspect of Australian language (in my opinion) is the use of the word ‘darl’. I would live in Australia if only to be called ‘darl’ in every shop and cafe. It’s the Australian equivalent of ‘hen’ (which is what I got called in Scotland) or ‘hon’ in USA? You need to visit!
I don’t mind being called ‘darl’, but I get quite snitty when I’m called “dear”. I tend to reply in rather crisp tones then.
Definitely….Helen Garner wrote a scorching article about being patronised by a waiter in Melbourne – he asked if she had spent the day shopping and the article goes on from there. Perfect.
Hello, hello, hello! I’m not exactingly bounding off to work today, but I am going. It’s awful of me to have a case of the bad don’t-want-tos when I’ve just spent more than a week at home, but I have. It happens, and it’ll probably be better when I get there. To encourage a general stiffening of my resolve, I’m wearing 31 Rue Cambon and a Chanel lipstick, also bought in Paris at 31RC. Nice memories
Oooh, I am afraid I am expanding into makeup…what color lipstick?
31RC is of course always appropriate and lovely…
It’s a deep pinkish red. I chose something quite quiet, but the charming and gracious young sales assistant managed to convince me that I could wear something more vibrant. I love both ridiculously, in large part for the memories of shopping at the actual 31 RC!
My husband thinks there must be a great number of hungover Kiwis today, given the recent All Blacks win. Yes?
Not sure, but I would guess that is so. There were certainly lots of parties, and it seed as though most of them happened just outside our apartment building!
Light spritz of L’Arte di Gucci for church today. Husband and older son approve. Younger son is determined to be a difficult teen today. (“Do I like it? I don’t know. It smells like perfume.”)
The control panel on my dishwasher, after being wonky for MONTHS, chose to stop accepting inputs last week. The repair guy comes on Thursday, but I’m already tired of washing dishes by hand. Pout. (I know, 1st world problems.)
Also, I just broke down and bought a secondhand Fitbit Flex (the wristband one) after having lost my Zip twice – both during trips where I couldn’t go back to all the places I’d been to look for it.
Anyway, am liking the Flex, and having it on my wrist where I’m very aware of it, instead of invisibly hooked to my waistband or my shoe or my bra, is an incentive to walk more.
I am amazed at what an effective nag a fitbit on the wrist is. I hate to let it down, despite the fact that it’s nothing but a strip of plastic.
SOTD Is LA Tea for Two. I bought this quite a while ago and wore it a few times and it got moved out of rotation. Someone, can’t remember who wrote it mentioned wearing it and enjoying the smokiness. Smokiness?? I had no memory of that….hmmm.
Got out the bottle this morning and I am in love! It’s like having a new bottle for free!!
Back to work tomorrow after 3 month hiatus. At least I don’t have to fly 2x a week, and can listen to books on CD in the Los Angeles commute for the next 15 months.
Boo Hiss on returning to work! Why can’t we all just loaf around and buy perfume?
On a serious note, please update us on your audio book choices. I have discovered audiobooks help me to sleep as its very difficult for me to doze off otherwise- I tend to toss and turn for HOURS! so annoying! But I have an Audible Ap on my phone which has been a godsend and I’m always looking for good stories = )
Deva, you can email me at apsaramaiden at iCloud dot com and we can exchange reading lists. If I don’t love it by the end of disc one it goes back to the library. And I always need a backup book. Life is too short for all the good books, good chocolate and great fragrance to be experienced! And you are a better woman than I – haven’t been to spin in 2 weeks????
Hi Deva,
I have a similar problem with shutting off my brain. It just wants to keep whirling. Just as often, I wake up in the middle of the night and fixate on some unimportant detail with the same result. I’ve developed a habit grabbing my tablet and listening to documentaries on You Tube. The narrators have monotone voices and before I realize it, I’ve fallen back into sleep. Just a thought. Sorry I don’t have audiobook recommendations.
Tested a few scents this weekend but am ending the weekend in Eau de Merveilles that I bought on sale. I just love this one and feels perfect for fall.
Eau des Merveilles is wonderful for fall. It’s what I choose when I don’t want to smell like a flower.
Chanel No. 19 EDT, the new, green version is the one I spritz most often. And I must note it works much better than the vintage!
Oops, this is for Deva above!