Happy Holidays! We'll be back on Monday (and don't forget we're doing a special community project on Monday: wear one of your own "best of 2015" fragrances).
In the meantime, feel free to talk about whatever you like: what perfume you’re wearing today, what you're cooking (or eating) over the holidays, anything at all.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Winter Berries [cropped] by Ashley MacKinnon MacKinnon at flickr; some rights reserved.
No SOTD yet, and not sure what I will choose. My husband and I exchange our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve, so we have already done that. I gave him Amouage Jubilation XXV and Byredo Sunday Cologne. I also gave hime some flannel pajamas which he may not get to use for some time, as it is really unseasonably warm here. He likes to call it “unreasonably warm”, which it really is. It has been over 80 F for the past few days. I least I know he will use the perfume; he likes to line up the bottles and use them in strict rotation, so each one gets equal time.
We are also having above average temperatures, but not 80, more like high 30’s. There is still plenty of winter yet to come, I have no doubt he will get some wear out of the pajamas. I like the rotation system he uses, that way he doesn’t have to feel sorry for the one that gets used the least. I couldn’t do it though, I almost always pick based on mood.
It is supposed to be much colder next week–highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s, which is winter for us, so he likely will get to wear the pajamas.
I couldn’t do the rotation thing either. For one, I have too many perfumes, and it would just remind me how infrequently each one gets worn. I pick based on mood also, as well as on weather. He is not really into perfume, he mostly wears it because I like it on him. He was down to 4 bottles, and one of those is nearly empty, so he really needed some more.
I like the rotation idea! Does he bave a perfume tray?
Not a tray exactly–he keeps them in a row on the bottom shelf of the medicine cabinet. Yes, I know that is not supposed to be the best place for perfume, but it doesn’t really get too warm or humid in that part of the bathroom. Besides, he uses them up fast enough that nothing has ever gone bad.
I am not wearing anything yet, but I am thinking either Narciso or Alien Absolute. Then I have to clean and cook my ham ( one of the few things I think I make well ) before my brother stops by to tell me how busy he is, so he can’t stay. lol, he is very predictable.
Predictable has its merits
Hello lillyjo !!
Narciso ( in the white bottle?) smells fantastic !!!
Pass the ham, please.
Merry Christmas !!!
Yes, the one in the white bottle. It has quickly become one of my favorites. also, since my brother didn’t stay long, I have plenty of ham left to share:) Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. We’re lounging after presents and I’m wearing 5 Smell Bents on various testing spots. Such a fun line. My dear husband also gave me decants of No. 19 Poudre, Le Temps d’une Fete, l’Ombre dans l’eau, and Santal de Mysore. I am thrilled at his thoughfulness (he found my fragrance wish list but also paid attention to my frequent utterances that “I don’t need another full bottle of anything.”) His frag gift this year was Bel Ami Vetiver.
Now what to spray this evening? Fun conundrum to have.
Merry Christmas all!!
Oh wow he really pays attention! That’s so sweet. Merry Christmas!
(And how are you liking those Smell Bents?)
Loving them! I’m anosmic to musk, and the line relies on it heavily, so I specifically picked some musk-free scents I wanted to try.
Gardenia Oud is solid, but I’m not that crazy about oud. Cocoa Rose is good, blast of chocolate up top, then a nice sweet rose. I love Incensed but I suspect that’s because the dry down smells like Victoria’s Secret Amber Romance, which I wore in college and have a soft spot for. And my husband’s already claimed the Bohemian Rhapsody vial for himself, which is fine, because I think it smells like rubbed sage. And the last vial was Winter Vixen (love that name), which I’ll probably get another travel spray of. It’s a very edible smelling hazelnut, chocolate and vanilla. Whew, that’s a lot of mini-reviews.
Ooh thanks for this–Winter Vixen is the only one I’ve smelled of those you mention (I quite like it too!), so now I want to try Cocoa Rose and Incensed definitely, and why not Bohemian Rhapsody too (I’m with you in terms of not being that into oud–nor, in my case, gardenia particularly.)
I’m impressed, not only that he paid attention to your not wanting a FB, but also that he knew (1) what a decant is, and (2) where to get one. I don’t think my hubby could pull that off.
I agree, a very sweet and thoughtful feat of husbanding! Enjoy!
This. I think Mr. Minion just assumes I will buy what I want and doesn’t try to understand
At least he doesn’t ever complain about how much I spend, even when it would be fully justified.
Ha! In general, I don’t ask my husband how much he spends on a nice bottle of whisky, and he does the same about my perfumes.
He is very thoughtful, and fortunately (?) I’ve been down the frag wormhole long enough that Surrender to Chance is well known in this home!
Merry Christmas everyone! Santa has come, and right now we’re on the road to South Carolina to open gifts with grandparents! Wearing Calyx…a gift from my hubs. Love the stuff! Will probably have another scent from my sweet mom-in-law soon…. Enjoy the day NST friends!
Nice pick from the husband!
Merry Christmas everyone! I am wearing my Christmas present to myself…Neela Vermiere Bombay Bling.
You smell tropically festive!
This was also under my tree this year!! ???????????? Lucky lucky both of us
Merry Christmas! SOTD is Magnetism for Men (Escada).
love Magnetism, womens and mens version.
Hello girardEAU !
You smell great. I finished a bottle in the summer, have to go searching for my back-up ! LOL
Merry Christmas !!
Happy Christmas to those who celebrate it. I’m smelling great in vintage Mitsouko EdC.
Nice to see you!
Happy holidays, leathermountain. Happy Hanukka….I missed it, didn’t I? Sorry.
Thank you, nice to see you too, and happy belated Hanukkah to those who celebrated!
Merry Christmas! I chose Azemour les Oranges for brunch with the parents and brothers (one in from out of town, and I don’t get to see him often enough). Will most likely switch to something else for later on, but can’t decide what. Cristalle EDT? Tabac Blond? Ohhh, I know – 24 Faubourg. Mmmmm.
All good choices!
Merry Christmas everyone! Pre-shower, I am wearing vintage Bal but thinking about wearing Theorema after my shower. Got a chocolate Santa and a pearl necklace for Christmas from my parents, then go to my grandma’s house and see what more loot I get. I know it won’t be perfume.
Chocolate and pearls are good.
Merry Christmas! Adorable hubby and I opened presents thus morning..I got a lovely snuggly red bathrobe and some movie sets I’ve been wanting, most notably Rome, which is a great series with lots of historically accurate details and super performances. Now I have the jello fluff and the deviled eggs made for dinner at MIL’s. I think I will wear Fate and see if anyone even notices.
Love Rome, never wanted it to end!
Ditto! I’m reading SPQR by Mary Beard and it’s a fascinating account of ancient Rome. Makes me miss the show all the more.
Loved the boxed set of Rome! Great commentary with extra historical info. I named my favorite cat after Titus Pullo.
Happy Holidays everyone,
Today I’m wearing vintage Feminite du Bois perfume and the hubby is wearing Christian Dior’s Fahrenheit.
We opened gifts Christmas Eve, my gift to the hubby (a budding perfumista) was Dolce & Gabanna’s Light Blue and a decant of Tom Ford’s Oud Wood. His fragrant gift to me was Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic and a vintage bottle of Dune.
We’re off to a movie and then a hike. Trying to walk off all those egg nog lattes I’ve been drinking!
Hello SmokeyToes!
Love Fahrenheit. Was my only bottle 25 !! years !! ago !! Oh, how the times have changed.
It is gonna take a lot of exercise for me to get rid of my egg nog/equal parts Jim Beam ‘lattes’ calories !!!
Merry Christmas !!
Merry Christmas to you too!
Jim Beam lattes…you must be one strong Bear!
Merry Christmas, online perfume friends! SOTD is wished-for-and-joyfully-received vintage Jolie Madame – a whole bottle, what luxury! Love and joy to all of you and your families.
Wow gorgeous gift!!
Nice! Wear it in good health
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!SOTD TBS White Musk Smoky Rose.I’ve been looking for a rose perfume that is similar to Lush Rose Jam showergel,and this comes fairly close.Happy Holidays everyone!The heatwave’s back at least were broken today with cool,overcast weather.Lunch with Mom and her famous leg of lamb was awesome.All in all a pretty great day.
I jus smelled the TBS White Musk Smoky Rose last weekend! The one that caught my attention was Fuji Green Tea.
I hate having to ask, but what is TBS? I have a friend looking for a perfume match to Rose Jam shower gel.
I believe that’s The Body Shop. I had to dig around in my brain for that one.
The Body Shop.
That’s the best possible answer
Merry Xmas & Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is having lots of fun, lots of rest and lots of good food and company. SOTD is good old No 5 parfum. Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are hopefully done with the good food and starting on the good rest today
Cheers to you!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. I haven’t received any perfumes this year, but I received a Lush Rose Jam shower gel from my thoughtful teen daughter. She liked and finished mine that I bought last year so she has gifted me one this year. I also received some Mac lipsticks. I am wearing MFK Aqua Universalis, it is light , fresh and exactly what I need for today.
Very thoughtful! I need to go get a bottle before it sells out again.
Good luck! The BOGO sale started this morning, but the website is continually crashing and locking up. I can barely get in, and when I do, I can’t put anything in my cart. If you decide to go to a shop and buy it in person, then good luck with the crowds.
Ha…I have it in my cart and have gone through checkout several times, so far no joy!
Hey Robin, the 100 ml bottle is back in stock as of right now.
Hey, so it is!! Huge thanks Jonas.
I was hoping to get some with news of the BOGO sale but all out of stock here
Yep, they sold out before I managed to buy!
Yippee! Braved it to the store (it wasn’t very busy) and scored two! Enabler pins bestowed.
My luck with the mosquitos ran out, so my SOTD is some all-natural bug spray that SO’s mother gave me. It’s mostly working but needs to be reapplied often. The smell… goes on like coconut and dries down with a scent that reminds me of some Kuumba Made musk I have. Unfortunately, it captures the note in the musk scent that I don’t like, but there’s some charm in its familiarity.
I hope everyone’s having a great Christmas and/or Friday!
By SO you mean FIANCE, right?!
Haha, yes! I guess it’s time I start calling him the future Mr. Eleebelle!
I’m not sure if I congratulated you on your engagement so if I missed it before let me extend my congrats to you now.
Hello Eleebelle!
Congratulations on your engagement !!
Thanks for your Shalimar love yesterday. I’m wearing it again today.
Merry Christmas Everyone !!!
( I make my own capitalization/punctuation rules – LOL !!! )
Eleebelle!
I love Kuumba Made oils. Have you tried the Amber Paste? It’s another favorite.
I remember thinking the amber paste smelled good but the tester I sniffed seemed like it had solidified. How does the texture hold up in a normal, non-store environment?
I ordered samples from Ys-Uzac Switzerland a couple of months ago, and they sent me an elegant holiday card with a 15% discount code. Taking advantage of the freakishly warm weather and retesting all the samples. Today it’s Jasmine BOM, a jasmine soliflore that reminds me very slightly of J’Adore l’absolu, but with indoles. Nice!
If it wears off later, I’ll try Métaboles (which I’m noticing is on sale at Luckyscent for $110 instead of $160, by the way).
Ha, forgot to way Merry Christmas! Thanks, everyone, for the gift of perfume community all year!
And Merry Christmas to you!
(Or I should say Merry Boxing Day since I’m so late)
Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m wearing MKK this morning. I’ve mentioned before how much I think it smells like how I imagine the Nativity to smell–furry, musky, warm, and with a touch of something “perfumey.” I haven’t opened any presents yet, but I’m sure they will be wonderful, although I’m not expecting anything scented.
Oh yes!! Ha the perfect Christmas perfume!
I would never have thought of that, foxbins, but it makes sense. Enjoy!
Love that, foxbins!
Add my Christmas wishes to all!
My morning will include baking a few French baguettes to go with the steamed mussels and clams at dinner tonight. I wish I could splash a little white wine in with the shellfish, but that wouldn’t be so friendly to a couple of my guests, so herbs and tomatoes will have to do. (I feel confident it will still be yummy!) I am slow getting started this morning, but it will all get done, right?
*AddING my Christmas wishes. M-O-R-E C-O-F-F-E-E . . .
Ha you and me both!
Very generous of you to forego the white wine in deference to your guests! I feel sure it will still be delicious.
Good luck with the baking! Baguettes dipped in mussel broth is one of life’s great pleasures.
Oh yes it is!
Agreed!
Your meals and desserts always sound wonderful …. I want to sit at your table! And the scent of fresh bread, too. I am going to try making French Silk Pie for NEw Year’s day…good to have at least one resolution, eh.
Hey, you’d be welcome any time!
Here’s a good, reliable French Silk Pie recipe, if you don’t already have one: http://www.food.com/recipe/french-silk-pie-americas-test-kitchen-485739
Enjoy!
Sounds wonderful – I’ve bookmarked that!
Thanks…will report back.
Your description stayed with me all day until we went out to Christmas dinner at a favorite restaurant. I had to order the mussels and they were lovely!
Yay! I hope they were delicious!
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!
I had asked for a body lotion of Prada Infusion d’Iris (I already have a tester of the EDP, but the lotion is my favourite formulation) to my husband. When he went shopping, he couldn’t find the lotion sold by itself, so he got the whole set, with the EDP, lotion, a mini, and received an Id’I hair conditioner as an extra! It’s his favourite scent on me, and now I’ll be applying very generously.
I love the lotion too – and WOW – a hair conditioner is fab!
Oh nice! I often wish that my most loved perfume (chanel 19) came in more forms but I guess No 19 is not popular enough to justify it. Hair conditioner would be great! I did once try the lotion of no 19 but was unimpressed.
Or maybe its aromachems don’t play well with other products? I believe oil and alcohol are the most scent-friendly carriers. I know lots of aromachems are not stable in any kind of soap. I think I’ve read that hair conditioner usually has some soap-like materials in it. Do you remember if the No 19 lotion was under-scented, or did it not smell right, or wasn’t great lotion?
Lovely!
No scent yet. We haven’t even done presents yet. We are sitting listening to Christmas music on the TV Yule log. Hallmark has a fire going with a cat and dog wandering around. Very pleasant.
Last night was Ta’if for services and then dinner. We actually sat outside to eat. Can’t believe it…
Dinner downtown tonight. Not sure on scent yet.
How smart to do Christmas dinner somewhere besides your house. Not having to cook and clean up after a big meal is priceless!
We put on the Netflix fire on Xmas Eve…I had never seen it!
YouTube says the Yule log is their most popular clip. They extended its length last year so people wouldn’t have to keep reloading! I heard about one on a TV channel but didn’t hear about the Netflix one. I will have to look that up!
That’s so funny!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Happy holiday, day off, or just day, to all! I’m in Rosine’s Rose Praline. My husband is working today
so a friend and I will be doing the windows on 5th Ave and then movie+Chinese food in Chinatown.
Sounds like fun, ElisaP!
This does sound like fun! Living in NYC …
Well, the windows thing turned out to be not-so-fun as ALL of the tourists had the same idea(Saks was the worst). So we ditched and saw the movie Brooklyn, which I enjoyed, and ended up eating Thai instead of Chinese. But the Rose Praline lasted the entire day. What a lovely scent. Not as sweet or heavy as it sounds. Almost a light but full slightly fruity rose dusted in Cocoa.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
SOTD = Chergui. I normally douse myself with 5 sprays but decided to go superlight with just one and woo hoo, it did not go into bug spray territory!
I gave scented gifts (plus gift cards) this year to my nieces and sisters. Each sister got an Yves Rocher candied orange and cinnamon shower gel, one niece got the Philosophy Fresh Cream perfume ornament and the other niece got the trio of L’Artisan minis from Sephora. Each niece also got perfume homework for their birthdays in the First Quarter 2016 — I got the Atelier Cologne sample tin with gift card; after sampling over the next few weeks / months, they should tell me their choice and I will get them the 30 mL.
I got a bunch of gift cards – love the gift of choice! Scented gifts for me of the type NOT From me To me variety – a super generous NSTer (you know who you are) gifted me with a travel spray of Aftelier Bergamoss EDP AND a 30 mL FB of Jacomo Silences EDT!
We decided to forego the movies tonight and instead, there will be more EATING We’ll order Chinese food and probably end up watching some DVDs.
I have more family and friends gathering over the next few weeks and I’ll have more Christmas loot waiting for me
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you. I haven’t packed yet!
Merry Christmas! If you are ever in the market for another niece I’d be happy to apply for the position. That’s a fabulous gift idea to get them the sampler and then a bottle of their favorite.
And Merry Christmas to you, too, Poodle!
Hello everyone and Merry Christmas, or as I like to say, “Meowy Christmas.” I’ve been wearing Safran Troublant every day lately. It’s wonderful for the holidays! I’m like 50 Roses — suffering through yucky warm humid weather in Texas. I’m in Galveston and it’s nothing but fog, fog, fog. My mom and are are cooking many good things and eating like queens. I got myself a bottle of Elixir des Merveilles for Christmas. I’m going to finish making my traditional cookies this afternoon, a soft buttery powdery cookie with a few pecans and then a tart lemon icing that my grandma used to make.
Ooh, the cookies and all the gourmand scents sound perfect. I ran out of Safran Troublant about a month ago and I miss it so. Enjoy your time with your mother!
The Hill Country was foggy this morning too, but at least it was pretty and we could imagine that it was cold (with the a/c blasting) and the roads were very clear.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and hope everyone is having a lovely time, whatever the celebrations. There are clearly lots of wonderfully scented people across the world!
Boxing Day here, and I’ll be spending the day helping eat the leftovers and wafting La Rose from Le Galion. Looks as if it’s going to be a nice summer’s day
We are going to be going on day 3 of leftovers here…this year’s roast was WAY too big! Have a great day
I’m enjoying reading about other people’s holiday! I’m commando so far but planning on some Eau de Merveilles parfum later – a previous year’s xmas gift. This year’s was N’aimez que Moi parfum, but I don’t think that very Christmassy for today. Gave some Olivine sample sets as gifts to family. My beloved as always smells perfectly fantastic without any adornment.
Happy quiet foggy Xmas from Long Island!
The fog / rain is hopefully clearing here finally … I am done with the humidity!
I’m loving the humidity – it makes my skin and lungs so much happier. But the lack of sunshine is getting to me and I could totally see how humidity could drive a person crazy too. I hang a lot of clothes to dry and they all seem a bit clammy this week.
I don’t mind it in summer. When it’s winter and raining & grey, seems yuck. But glad it’s making your skin & lungs happy!
Was in Knot today, its so warm the heavier scents don’t feel right. Might switch to something more Christmassy later for bed. But right now too stuffed and drowsy to move at all
Hope you had a decent rest by now!
Oh yes, the best bit about holidays is not feeling guilty about naps
Merry Christmas! My husband gave me a bottle of TF Fleur de Chine, which I’m very happy with. I noticed the FragranceNet was finally carrying it, so sent a quick link to my husband, which he happily followed up on. Hope all of you are having a wonderful day.
Congrats on the TF Fleur de Chine and all the other TFs you “settled for” when you did not see Fleur de Chine ;-). Merry Christmas, Farouche!
And you too, hajusuuri!
Merry christmas from Norway! Wearing Portrait of a Lady. Wonderfully baroque and dense with rose, patch and incense. Perfect for christmas imho. We had pinnekjøtt (Norwegian christmas dish) gor christmas dinner. It is dried, smoked lamb that are steamed for hours. Very yummy ☺ Tomorrow it will be turkey, Nigella Lawson style ????
That sounds delicious!
Merry Christmas Everyone! Hope everyone is having a fabulous day! I wasn’t expecting anyone to get me perfume this year because I have so many. I did give a lot of fragrances to relatives and friends. I did get a few items from Bath and Body Works. My SOTD is from my sample stash……Blackberry and Bay.
Did you give your brother Aromatics Elixir? Or was it Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme?
Merry Christmas everyone!
I’m wearing Tom Ford Sahara Noir.
How appropriate! Probably one of the nicest frankincense and myrrh fragrances! You smell terrific.
Thank you!!
You’re very sweet! And congrats on your new goodies. You will surely smell divine!:-)
Peace and joy to all! Received a huge bottle of Chanel No 5 from my beloved! Lovely! My thoughtful daughters gave me Lush bath bombs and violet candies. Feeling blessed and grateful.
Lovely gifts, enjoy!
Merry Christmas from snowy Colorado! I’m wearing Burberry Brit Red, a favorite holiday fragrance (and just a favorite, period). While I gifted perfume this year, as usual, I did not receive any. I have remedied that by turning a visa gift card into a full bottle purchase of both Noel Enchante and Fou d’Opium on the DSH website ????. They are both absolutely gorgeous. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday!
Ah, YOU took all the snow! It is too weird to see people walking around in shorts at Christmas.
(And I admit I did a little online shopping last night myself)
Merry Christmas anyone celebrating!
Today I wore Seville au l’Aube, since I have a sample, and thought the orangey notes would work for the holidays. Oh Dear! It was AWFUL!!!! This scent turns out to be a complete scrubber on me, except I was rushing out of the house, so I couldn’t scrub it off. On the way out of the building, someone was cooking lamb, so the perfume then combined with the scent of the lamb (which I loathe) and it was a scent disaster. Dinner is cooking now, and that has made everything better.
Oh boy. I love Seville but cannot do lamb or goat…I am shuddering just thinking about it.
Oh no! On me in the right mood, that one is nice, but I can see it being too much, especially on a busy day like today! Last time I wore it, it was also a disaster, but if it’s right I get a nice vintage-y feel with just enough vanilla. Not being a vanilla fan typically (except in my cookies, that is), this is the most vanilla-y sample I have!
So many people love this, but on me it turns to orange candy. Oh, well….
I get Tang. Orange Tang.
NASA’s gift to the world, if rumors are to be believed.
I am so with you, missionista — I totally cannot do seville à l’aube, and I cannot stand the smell of cooking lamb. Only thinking of the combo is making me sick …
I love lamb and goat, but I can easily understand how those smells would be unpleasant and intrusive if you don’t go for that kind of thing. Glad your dinner helped!
I enjoy the scent of lanolin on my fingers if I’ve been helping somone clean wool. . .
Oh, I love the smell of lanolin and wool, it is such a calming scent. But the smell of cooking lamb, goat etc. is a totally different thing for me.
Understood!
I can’t separate the smell of goat cooking from the smell of freshly butchered goats and hides (and bits) resting in the sun. :-/
Sheep, though, I only know in their separated forms–alive or food.
I love Seville too but I can easily see it being a love or loathe scent.
I’m in thanksgiving mode here, as my darling hubby has recently come through heart surgery with flying colours, and is fighting his way back to full health. As a small celebration of this major milestone in our lives I have gifted him JPG Ultra Male, because to me that’s exactly what he is. And my SOTD is Fragile. . . . Yeah, Jean Paul, we’re in the fan club. Meanwhile, in other news: My daughter is the grateful (I hope) recipient of Narciso edp, while I am the really, really, really happy buyer of Gorilla Perfumes Lust, that just fell into my bag as I was going about my business in the shop that day. Seriously, nobody in their right mind would enter a Lush store to buy perfume!!! (well, except me, that is.)
Wishing everybody on here a very happy Christmas, if you celebrate, but even if you don’t, just take a small moment to celebrate life, because that really is the ultimate celebration. Hugs and kisses to all of you.
So happy your hubby is doing well! Good health is the greatest gift of all ????
Hoping his progress continues uneventfully, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Wonderful! Hope he has a quick & smooth recovery.
So happy for you and your husband, cassieflower! Thanks for the wise words to remember, also.
Happy Holidays to one and all. Hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.
SOTD was Amouage Fate Woman. Two spritzes this morning and I’m still doing some serious wafting.
I would have liked to wear a cold weather scent but it topped off at 85 here today, so I had to nix that idea. Had a very low key day with friends, went out for dinner, eliminating all the stress of cooking and cleaning. T-Rex spent the day pestering their dog to death and I’m pretty sure the sweet, gentle, mild mannered rescue was quite happy to see the back of us.
Hope everyone has a fabulously fragrant weekend ✌????️
Wow, 85! It was quite warm here but not that warm, and unfortunately no sun at all.
Merry Christmas, everyone!!
I hosted parents, in-laws, sister and nieces this Christmas for the first time ever, so it’s been a busy week! But now I can take a deep breath because the Christmas meal has been served (successfully! first turkey ever!) and everyone has returned to the hotel for the night.
I wore Ys Uzac Immortal Beloved, and it was a wonderful choice. Maybe it will become a yearly tradition!
So glad your first turkey went well!
In the midst of all the holiday dinner prep, I forgot to apply any perfume today. We had dolsot bibimbap (Korean rice dish with numerous toppings, served in a blazing hot bowl that makes the rice all golden and crackly at the bottom – yum).
Now that it’s all quieted down, I’m going to go spray myself with something lovely and calm, like Ciel d’Opale.
Happy holidays to all you fragrant folk!
Mmmmm. I wish I had been at your house. One of my favorite meals.
Hope it was a beautiful day for all. I’m in New Orleans with family, where it was 79 and humid. But the city is all lit up, La Frenniere Park has a drive thru light display, and Harrah’s Casino is piping out bubble soap “snow” each hour (on Fulton Street) for 15 minutes. My grandson (4) was enchanted. A fun day.
I have a sore throat, may be getting a cold, so commando. But tomorrow is another day.
Hope the cold passed you by!
Thanks, but I think its a bit late. Now we have to leave for NC Sunday instead of Monday (driving) due to bad weather moving in. I’ll just travel well supplied with kleenex.
Nothing quite like an enchanted four-year-old day!
It was a nice break from his pattern of bashing toys together and screaming “Bam! Pow!”
Happy Holidays to all! Had a nice day with the in-laws who always have an over-the-top Christmas (and every other day that merits celebration and/or decorations).
Didn’t score any scent, bit I did get some lovely crystal whiskey glasses and a nice bottle of Redbreast, as well as some gorgeous cobalt blue Italian leather gloves. My husband made and presented me with a memorial to the probably late and certainly missing Bat the Cat. He mounted his collar in a beautiful shadow-box for me.
What a thoughtful gift your husband gave you! and the cobalt blue leather gloves…absolutely gorgeous.
Yes, and since we have to rush north for a funeral I will have an opportunity to wear my lovely new gloves. I refuse to wear all black to what I feel should be a celebration of someone’s life.
I’m trying to think of positives to the NYE funeral, other than my husband’s grandpa finally being free of his dementia and grandma being relieved of the stress. OTOH, it means we have to reschedule another trip we had planned, and re-arrange cat sitters/financial meetings/my uncle’s vacation time. I missed out on the pre-Xmas stress, but now I’m looking on it as saving up. *sigh*
I am very sorry for your family’s loss. I am hoping after the New Year, you will have some time to rest.
So sorry for your loss!
I’m always grateful for the over-the-toppers, who compensate for those of us with tepid spirit.
Sorry for your loss, and hope arrangements go smoothly and as stress free as possible.
Blessings to all! We had a fun holiday with friends, lots of good food and good wine and good cheer
It’s quite chilly here, we even had snow flurries on Xmas Eve — pretty!
Over the past few days I’ve worn Theorema, Rouge Bunny Rouge Arcadia, and Arquiste J Crew #57. Not sure yet what today’s scent will be. Might dig into the ELdO sampler set I bought myself in the pre-Xmas sales. I see my email inbox today is full of fabulous offers for the post-Xmas sales…. oh dear!
I gifted myself some lovely wall cabinets to hold some of my scents, so I can enjoy the sight of the lovely bottles. Now husband and I are having the debate about how best to mount them, since they’re heavy and the wee little picture hook style brackets they came with are clearly not up to the task. It always takes us a few rounds of discussions to settle on a cunning plan
Today I’m wearing vintage Chanel Cuir de Russie EdT. The top is quite similar to the contemporary version I wore the other day. Drying down it’s still more Chanel than Cuir, but also more Cuir than today’s juice. I don’t think this sample is in a state of perfect preservation, but I love it with its signs of age.
Welcome back, good to hear from you!
I have to try CdR again – it was all barnyard when I previously tried it. Maybe I need the de-fanged modern version?
I’m not sure what to think. Was in Saks NOLA and tried CdR again. Liked it last time on paper, but this time, well….. I guess it was kind of barnyard. I couldn’t put it into words, but the leather had a nasty side.
I don’t get much barnyard from the current juice. Then again, I enjoy lamb and goat nasty.
Thank you, pixel!
Happy Boxing Day!
I am now in recovery mode from a day of bustle and cooking. I woke up very late (for me) to find my wonderful Mr. Spicebomb doing the last of the dishes already. So, there is nothing for me to do but drink coffee and try to wake up!
Dinner and pie were wonderful last night, and my family went all evening without weirdness (no guarantee), and so it was a successful event!
My family does not really do gift exchanges, so there wasn’t anything to open up (Mom handed out candies, Dad gave us all a suet block and feeder). I admit to being a bit disappointed at not getting a *particular* sparkly gift from Mr. Spicebomb, but perhaps New Years? (Please?!)
I think a lazy day, lounging, watching movies or reading, wearing something that will develop over the hours–Beloved, maybe?–sounds like a good day for me today!
A lazy day in Beloved sounds wonderful!
I came by my bottle of Beloved on some wishful thinking and optimism (*coughblindbuycough*), and I’m pleased to say that I do not regret the purchase. I can’t honestly say I would have bought it anyway, if I’d had a chance to properly test it beforehand (or test it at all!), but it seems very versitile and stays interesting for many hours, which is what I ask from my perfumes!
I’m so grateful to people here for putting into words the things I can’t. Family “weirdness,” so succinct.
I’m sorry you can relate, but it’s always nice to know we’re not alone!
Last night my aunt asked if I was wearing Shalimar, and she was close. It was Ode a la Vanille. She told me that my great aunt who is in her 90s loved Shalimar and has all this old perfume, and my aunt didn’t know if she should throw it out. I told her that I would take it because I like vintage perfume etc. Actually, I don’t own any vintage perfume, YET. She then said, well maybe she should keep some of it to wear, especially the Chanels. Arrrghhh!
Yes, Arrrghhh, when people change their minds like this …
It counts that you planted the seed of “don’t throw it out”. You can also mention that there are banned substances in the old perfumes that only someone who has a thick skin can wear safely
I’m seeing her again in a few days. I think I’ll bring some samples to sweeten her up.
Fragrance conspiracy, I like it.
Sampling orris and sandalwood, jo malone (my husband was so nice to get me a sample). I really like the orris part, but not so much the sandalwood (I didn’t find the finishing stages much interesting). Switching to Omnia which I blind bought following Robin’s review (not her advice not to buy it blind!). This is much better (and cheaper).
Omnia is really great, another one I wish I had saved a little of.
there are some good deals on eBay, and my came perfectly fresh with a very new looking box (in case you are considering
So today I went to Lush to stand in a very long line and purchase my 2 for 1 Rose Jam shower gel. ( thank you all NST people ) I then texted my greatest friend and said hey, I got you some RJ shower gel. she texted back that she had just gotten me some! we live about 300 miles apart.
How fantastic! And now both of you have plenty
Tried JM Orris & Sandalwood, on paper. It was ok, though competing with other sample spritzes probably didn’t help. Probably needs to develop (alone), based on comments from others.
Bought Fresh “Cannabis & Sandalwood,” liking it a lot.
Was hoping to sample more Annick Goutals in Saks NOLA, but the ladies at the fragrance counter there told me AG dropped their US distributor, and Saks no longer carries the line. BUT AG has secured another US distributor, and Saks will be getting the line again in the unspecified future.
Oops….Cannabis Santal.
Looking for Christmas gifts, I have found the following rare perfume:
Alliage (Estee Lauder)
KL (Karl Lagerfeld)
So, rich scented holidays to Everybody!
Last night I went searching for KL. I have about 10 sprays left from a 20 year old bottle. Where did you find yours?
SOTD is Dark Horse.
Broke all temp records yesterday with a high of 86 degrees.
Stick a fork in me, I’m done! ????
Happy Holiday weekend to all. May your temps be cool and refreshing.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. The day itself was a whirlwind and hubby and I didn’t open our gifts until yesterday. Oddly enough I didn’t get any new perfume so today I may need to rectify that oversight with some online shopping of my own. He did get me some great stuff including a telescope which he thought I’d like since I’m always pestering him to go outside and look at the moon. Lol. I also bought myself a fabulous lighted, glittery, pink poodle at Lowe’s on clearance yesterday. Sadly, she’s missing the pompoms for her legs but she’s still fabulous. I’m going to contact the manufacturer and see if they’ll send me some. Totally tacky, I know, but I absolutely love it.
poodle, is the lighted poodle a lawn or interior decoration? I’ve been seeing lighted PIGS on people’s lawns this year. When did that start? I think lighted poodles would be way better. Enjoy!
It’s indoor/outdoor like those lighted reindeer everyone has. I didn’t see any pigs around here yet. We must be behind the trends. Lol.
Happy Holidays and wishes for a productive and loving New Year for all! My favoriate gift is actually one I got for myself, a little bluetooth keyboard to be able to type more and make few mistakes on my phone. It works great! SOTD, pre shower, is Tam Dao. After shower, something to perk me up and give me ambition to do more cooking and cleaning…something bright and strong – probably Copal Azure…
favorite! not favoriate…guess I can’t blame all my mispellings on stupid spell cheker. LOL!
Well, I did not receive any perfumes this Christmas but 80% of my samples from STC arrived on time and in dainty little boxes: presents to self.
I was really hoping that Botrytis would usurp the place of the costlier Ambre Narguilé but the radiance of the Hermes outshone the latter. The Botrytis is pleasantly honeyed and fruity as I imagined but disappeared into the background next to AN.
I also sprayed Goutal’s Sables on one wrist and immediately took refuge in Bois d’Argent. This newbie nose of mine identified something really pungent and camphorous from the onset. Any ideas as to what I was smelling? Could not help but recoil. I did give it some time to unfold, as I was anticipating the maple syrup core described on some of the other perfume blogs. Worth waiting for but not fond of the leather note. As for the Bois d’Argent, I have come to the conclusion that my nose is immune to almond scents.
I adore lily of the valley and have given up on finding a soliflore that would ever match Diorissimo so I ordered a mixed bouquet in the form of P de N’s Odalisque. I am not a huge fan of citrus and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the overall impression. May add to my springtime to-buy list in the new year.
Mistakenly ordered Le Troisième Homme instead of Pour un Homme and found it a tad too masculine; the latter is supposedly sweeter due to the vanilla. Oh well, will keep it in my sample library and order the Proper Homme next time.
Still awaiting my samples of Montale’s Intense Cafe and Oriental Dream.
Okay, must stop procrastinating and get back to some marking. Intend to finish all my classroom related “homework” in time to party hard on NYE.
All the best and lots of bubbly to all!
Lots of people love Botrytis but I found the honey note too animolic for my taste. Enjoy you search. Others may have better suggestions but Indochine has a softer honey note.
I just read a mouth watering description of Indochine and must procure a sample soon!
The only place I found a sample is Luckyscent. That is if you’re interested.
I meant AN outshone Bortrytis.
I understood your comment but am not familiar with AN so could only comment on Botrytis.
I hope that everyone who celebrates had a nice holiday. It’s been a hectic holiday weekend for me but a nice one. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. I sold several unloved bottles on The Bay during December and so treated myself to vintage L’Heure Bleue and also Indochine. I believe my vintage LB is from the eighties but haven’t checked it the code yet. I must admit that it wasn’t what I was hoping for. After sniffing the 1930 vintage it just seems like a pale imitation. The older bottle had a much deeper floracy -florality (did I just make up a word?). I haven’t decided if I will keep it and further pare my collection.
I meant and continue to pare down my collection. Although I love most of my perfume, I seem to always reach for my favorites.
I don’t have the confidence to purchase vintage bottles of perfume online because you never know if the seller is trustworthy . If I did (in addition to a fatter pay cheque , I would have vats of vintage Diorissimo. Anyone buying tips ?
It is a risk for sure, I’ve only bought a few bottles from eBay and one was a mini. I usually look for people who are selling from their own collection. Of course that means that the bottles may not be full. I really don’t need full bottles of anything at this point so I actually prefer smaller quantities.
SOTD = Aftelier Vanilla Smoke
Today was the large family gathering, the uncle, aunt, cousins, and the next generation. The drama started before the get-together with the choice of a venue. My branch of the family never gets involved in that so we just find out the time and the location but we always hear about the drama as it’s unfolding.
I don’t like to judge, but I will. My cousin’s 2.75 year old son spent the ENTIRE meal engrossed in “his” iPhone, watching You Tube videos and playing games (navigating all of these on his own). The kid responds if you interact with him via the game he is playing but he barely speaks in even short phrases. And the shame of it is that his grandfather (my uncle) is a pediatrician and he doesn’t seem to realize that his grandson is developmentally behind (at least according to my untrained observation but I’ve seen my nieces and nephews growing up and they were more “accomplished” at the same age).
Anyway, enough procrastination! I must pack! Perfume-wise, I’m thinking of bringing Vanilla Smoke, Cuir de Gardenia and Bergamoss EDP , in addition to my staples of Chanel No. 5 EDT and No. 19 EDP. If I find my travel spray freebie of No.5 Eau Premiere, I’ll bring that as well!
Too bad about your cousin’s parenting. We had a couple in the office once with two small children, probably 2-ish and 4-ish, who had complete meltdowns when we had no public wifi for “their” iPads. The mother explained that the only time they don’t scream is when they’re watching videos so she had to take the devices everywhere, then sent her husband and the kids to the restaurant across the street. She was concerned that the older child seemed to be unable to communicate normally and had behavior problems. I admit I wasn’t very sympathetic.
Have a nice trip hajusuuri! I hope you left a bit of extra room in your suitcase for new fragrance purchases while on vacation.