Happy 5 Star Friday! Our community project for today: wear your favorite perfume ranked five stars by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez in Perfumes: the Guide or in Luca Turin's Style Arabia columns. Partial credit for a four-star perfume!
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I'm wearing Chanel Bois des Iles (which made a nice showing here over the last week), in not-quite-new but not-quite-vintage Extrait. Tania Sanchez: "It is basically perfect and, though over eighty years old, seems as ageless as everything Chanel did in those inventive years."
Reminder: on 2/19 wear a perfume by Maurice Roucel, if you have one. (suggested by Elisa)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2016, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is 5 stars [cropped] by Rosmarie Voegtli at flickr; some rights reserved.
Mitsouko! How could I not? I’m in ~2010 EdO. I have vintage extrait but I still want to smell it this afternoon.
Turin called it his desert island fragrance and I would not fault him at all.
EdP. Silly phone.
You smell wonderful
Mmmm Mitsouko. It didn’t work on me the first couple times I tried it, but now I can’t imagine not having it in my collection.
You smell great!
I don’t remember my first time too well but I think it was a Nordstrom tester and I was surprised.
Thank you! I’m absolutely enjoying it.
Team Mitsy!
Heck yeah!
I stared at this list forever trying to pick a true favorite! Diorella, Cuir de Russie, Dzing, and OJ Woman are all fragrances I love so much I can’t imagine anything better. But I went with Bois des Iles as well, in the end!
Hey twin!
Triplet. My five star list is basically all Chanels, plus Shalimar and Timbuktu, but Box of Eels was the clear winner.
QUADRUPLETS! It was my 5-star mood of the day. “Milky… sable soft…sandalwood” with a gingerbread dry down. The “brunette sister of No. 5” with a Pepsi twist.
As we all know, on another day it would have been another 5 Star: Dzing, Chamade, Iris Silver Mist, Vol de Nuit, Nahema, Amouage Gold, Après l’Ondee, 31 rue Cambon et al – all a piece of my heart’s desire.
Somehow I missed that Bois de Violette was a 5-star. Wonder why no one seems to have worn it? “…the stained-glass mandala is perfected by the violet gem around which everything dances.”
I love it and will wear it tonight.
I did a mostly 5 star week and wore it Tuesday or Wednesday. I like it but don’t think it’s a full five stars for me.
I was going to wear that one or La Myrrhe, but someone let me try their scented lotion today, so I ended up in none of them.
That Bois de Violette review is one of my fav LTs!
MDCI La Promesse de l’Aube. I first tried it in Paris, in 2012; it was the first ever perfume that brought tears to my eyes. It’s not groundbreaking or edgy, just incredibly beautiful.
“nothing quite as good as a good chypre”
Yep!
Words to live by. ????
Wow, this just went on the Must Smell List!!
That one really is just lovely. I only have a sample.
Oh! Anything that moving must be good!
They are a bit on the spendy side, but what I’ve tried from Parfums MDCI has been totally full bottle worthy, and there are still several to try. They have a really good program I’m considering where you can get several 10ml bottles and the cost of the set is deducted from your full bottle purchase.
Between perfect bottle sizes for trying new perfumes and making Peche Cardinale more affordable, I may just have to go for it. So many of their perfumes sound so beautiful… And I still love Musk Tonkin and don’t regret snapping up a bottle of the parfum several years back. It is just sex in a bottle.
Rose de Siwa is probably my favorite of the line.
I have a bottle of Vêpres Siciliennes, and it is a truly lovely fruity floral. A good reminder they don’t have to smell like a 15 y.o.
I love Rose de Siwa!
Uh oh, the sound of “free” perfume is making me get the itch!
It is indeed, you smell lovely.
Wow. I need to smell this one.
I was considering Promesse as well, you smell lovely.
Twins!
This made it to my final two for today, as I wanted to see it represented. But I thought no problem, Austenfan will wear it!
I’m so predictable
I considered that and Enlevement au Serail today, too. I’ll just have to extend 5-star week into the next.
I’m going to extend it too, with the occasional 4 star. I’ve still got plenty of 5 stars to go.
Enlèvement is like Promesse’s moodier sister, and gorgeous as well.
Love The Guide. Though I own some 5-stars, opted for a 4-star because the review’s thoroughly entertaining. The frag is AdP’s Profumo:
“if every fine fragrance innovation post 1980 has left you feeling as crankily abandoned as steady listeners to Roberta Flack and Al Green must feel when they hear rap on the radio, cheer up: good times are returning. AdP is the latest brand backtracking to the point before fragrance went seriously wrong, to find an alternate way forward. Here we stand in the firmly old-fashioned realm of Rochas Femme and Diorama, in that autumnal, port-wine richness of serious fragrance never intended to be worn while playing soccer.”
Off to yoga, and no judgment, please–the Profumo’s been judiciously underapplied!
Namaste
Put your mat next to mine!
I’m with you – I don’t always agree with their assessment, but as with movie reviews, that’s not always required to enjoy the writing. And they are excellent writers. A dog-earred copy of the Guide has been next to my bed for years, and it’s still one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read, snark and all.
Me too! I wish it was 100 times longer.
I wish they would update it. So many recent perfume loves, and I’d love to see their opinions on them!
Luca’s said on Basenotes that they’re going to do a book on niche perfumes soon, including Les Exclusifs, the Dior Privees etc. Forgot about 5 star Friday so wearing Lune de Givre by Cloon Keen Atelier, which isn’t in the book. I do like it a lot though.
Great to know! Something to look forward to, for sure!
I keep mine beside my bed too – perfect for a little light reading right before sleep. (Pride and Prejudice is the only other constant bedside book.)
Those would be my top two choices too – great minds.
Love P&P and I love the Guide.
Beside my reading chair, and never a week goes by that I don’t reach for it more than once!
That review makes my heart glad!
I’m wearing Dzing!, which is a direct opposite of last week’s Clean by Clean–warm, comforting and a tad dirty.
You smell great, of course!
Me too! This was the first perfume I ever fell in love with.
Same!
It’s one of the first niche scents I ever bought, and the first I ever bought online. It’s a great intro to offbeat perfumery.
Me too!
Bois des Iles for me too! I have the parfum (same as extrait?) from around 5 years ago.
I have a few 4-star choices but this was the obvious one that sprung to mind.
Yep, we’re wearing the same thing, hey twin!
I’m wearing Gucci Rush. It’s not my current favorite 5-star, but it was my favorite at one time (in college!) and this seemed like a great excuse to wear it again.
P.S. Excited for Roucel week!!!!
Scent twin, Yay!
You smell fantastic! I missed Rush when it came out and would never, ever even have tried it were it not for The Guide. The horror!!!
I’m in one of the original 5 star masculines today: Chanel PM. Of course, anyone can wear it (and should!) since, IMO, it’s a timeless scent that works well in warm weather or cold.
You smell great, it was my choice for Monday.
I really like Pour Monsieur. I’ve almost bought it a few times–a little scented “drag!” (In the best sense.)
SOTD: Dior Homme. It is a cloudy dreary day, iris seems appropriate.
I love that one! It’s such a wonderful iris scent. You smell fantastic.
Love it too! Uplifting on a dreary day.
I’m in that one today, too! Warm and cozy for a cold and cloudy day.
No5 Parfum
My small bottle is from the 90’s, I am not sure when they started reformulating- but it smells so elegant and wonderful.
Tea this morning is Mariage vert Provence
Lean over so I can smell you.
????
Scent twins!
I applied recent version of Parfum and you reminded me that I had some of my mom’s that is much older. The opening was off, but now it’s more lush and even more sophisticated than the other one. But I was quite contented with my first No. 5 so, feel lucky to experience both.
Loved this project! Learned so much from everyone and from the process. Happy Friday and Valentine’s Day <3!
Happy Valentines to you as well!
No5 is such a classic, I prefer the parfum to the EDT.
I got my valentine a box of Maison du chocolate, and I can’t wait for him to open it so I can eat some
Perfect strategy- no calories if they aren’t yours!
That’s my reasoning every time Mr. Spicebomb gets fries when I get a side salad.
I am longingly looking at the Bois de Iles posts this week. I only own one 5 star, Cuir de Russie but opted for Romantina by Juliette has a Gun instead (not listed I believe). It is a bit more kid friendly for the second grade valentine party today. Or maybe I want to keep Chanel memories away from being associated with cupcakes that have too much frosting and lots of clean up.
Enjoy the party. I am also spending the afternoon with second graders and pink cupcakes. After school I may get out my sample of Bois de Iles to see if I can understand it today, inspired by all the love it gets on NST.
Are you a teacher too
I ran out of my sample and am just waiting for the budget to buy a bottle of Bois de Iles
Have you tried Champagne du Bois from Sonoma Scent Studio? It’s in the same vein as Bois des Iles, but less expensive. It might help tide you over until you can get the FB of the Chanel.
I teach music to pre-Kinder through 6th grade.
Today was a sugar-filled whirlwind of a day. We celebrated Valentine’s Day before the final bell plus the Year of the Monkey first thing this morning.
I’m sniffing from my sample vial of Bois des Iles . . . and nope, still not getting it. I think the combination of resins + sandalwood goes funky on my skin. I like those notes separately, but together they are not good. I have the same problem with Chamade but much, much worse.
Lol! We had those Vday parties at my school too. If I see one more Fun Dip (candy), I think I will scream!
SotD: No. 5 EdP avec le parfum pour le vendredi de cinq étoiles. Ooh la LA!
Scent twins- I am in the parfum
I am a new convert to No. 5 parfum. Every day this week I wore a dab to my elementary school and the kids love it. I get lots of hugs and “you smell pretty” from the littlest students.
In L’air du desert marocain. One tiny spray only because this stuff lasts! ????
That is also how I apply L’Addm!
It should really come in a stoppered bottle, shouldn’t it? Love it!
Yes, I can still smell it several hours later, which is not usual with my skin.
TGIF everyone!
F(riday/ive) S(cent/tar) OTD: Knowing.
Definitely 5 stars worthy.
Estes Lauder for both 1 and 5 star challenges! I actually have next month’s EL challenge all planned out. I am going to go overboard with it. Be ready
I would give Knowing more than five stars if I could. I would give it all the stars. Enjoy how fantastic you smell today!
I adore Knowing! I have just a tiny bit left in my bottle (vintage late 80’s) so I can’t bear to wear it.
I just sniff the sprayer periodically.
I just bought Knowing, wanting to Know! Had never smelled it. Haven’t put it on for a day’s wear yet. Is the current formulation comparable to its rating or reputation?
The newer version isn’t the same because the original was just drenched in oakmoss, which can no longer be used in such concentration. I think the vintage is far better but if you don’t have that point of comparison, I would imagine that what’s on the shelves now is still pretty great.
Salome by Papillon. It’s full bodied and a powerhouse…..but the drydown is divine…. On drydown now:-)))
I’m intrigued, but scared to try this one. I’ve heard it’s VERY animalic. I’m ok with a little, but not a lot of that in scents.
I’ve only tried it from a sample, so ymmv, but I was also worried that it would be lascivious and ferret-y and it wasn’t. Commanding, distinctive, maybe a bit old-fashioned. But more odd, than objectionable.
LASCIVIOUS AND FERRETY!! I think I love you.
Not on me it isn’t. I think it’s like Muscs Koublai Khan – depending on your skin chemistry it can veer skanky or not.
Disclaimer: my animalics sensor is poorly calibrated. I don’t really think Salome is super animalic, but it does have a right sexy blast of cumin in the opening and some hyraceum that is probably much dirtier to others than myself. It’s mostly just lush and retro feeling.
Salome is fantastic…one of the very best IMMHO. However much I wanted to wear it today, I doubt if my co-workers and boss would appreciate it as they are all (with one exception) completely anti-perfume.
Ahhh, such a good choice!
Oh, I have a sample of this being delivered tomorrow- can’t wait!
5* friday scent is vintage Givenchy 111 edt. Luca Turin really likes the reformulation, and i’ll definitely try it at some point ‘Good clean dirt’ is how he describes it. To me it’s a little like no. 19, and serves the same purpose; green, oakmossy- orris root heaven, with a bunch of spring flowers, leaves, stems, wet, earth caked roots and all.
The dry down is warm, powdery, slightly spicy. slightly cosmeticy. Quiet, contemplative, but assertive. Gorgeous.
This is the first perfume I remember really ‘getting’ and loving many many years ago when I was still at school. I still hanker after the original and must refresh my memory of the reissue which I got a few years ago. In any event you smell wonderful.
Thanks sophie!
Anything that is like No. 19, cosmeticky, and powdery, is going on my “to sample list”. It would have to be the current formulation of course, but LT likes the reissue.
Yes, it’s supposed to be a good reform. I got a 30ml vintage edt splash on ebay for about £12, so i was really lucky!- i think they don’t come up that often, but don’t tend to fetch high prices like some vintage perfumes. I would like to spray it tho, as i have to splash on a lot to make it last/ project.
I have 5 star scents, but just wasn’t feeling this challenge this week.
Instead, I went with a rose theme based on what I had (which isn’t much). However, I did buy a bottle of the one rose scent that started it all and used to be a signature scent for my old high school friend: Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose.
I was immediately reminded of my friend, who always wafted this scent wherever she went and I was always so envious of her. She was much prettier and always smelled good. I didn’t want to copy her so I never wore Tea Rose. When I mentioned interest in her perfumes, she gave me her bottle of Anais Anais because she didn’t like that one as much. AA was pretty, but not as elegant as wafting roses everywhere, but I still never wore it.
I’m immediately reminded of her while wearing it and I do love how strong it is and that sharp greenness in it. I love it – even now – but know it’s not quite a “me” scent. It still belongs to her: the exotic, beautiful friend. I was always the goofy goth girl, so the smoky dusty rose of Lyric suits me better, but I am glad I can enjoy Tea Rose now whenever I want.
I <3 Tea Rose.
Me too! one of my old favorite layering combos is Tea Rose + J’adore
I was just thinking I should try layering it with a lot scents.
Oh yes, I like to layer Tea Rose. For me it works with Eau des Merveilles. Tea Rose has nuclear strength on my skin. I spritz into the air walk through it. At such a low dose there’s no going wrong.
I feel like Tea Rose used to smell much better, but it may be that my experience has broadened so much. Does the current one smell the same to you, or not?
I am always wondering that too…I certainly remember it as being better, but am never sure if that is because I was less discriminating.
Well, there you go, I was feeling it! I think this is the only time I’ve remembered to follow the challenge throughout the week. By coincidence, R, wore Jicky the same day as you, vintage PdT, and then Chinatown yesterday. Today is Dune, lovely Dune. Such a weird scent, I’m very surprised Dior has never significantly changed it to suit market trends.
Great choice! Love Dune.
I’m wafting the lovely Dune as well. Interesting to know that it hasn’t undergone significant reformulation – I was eyeing some vintage bottles on the ‘bay last night, but it sounds like a current bottle might not be all that different.
I think the early top notes have changed; I’ve heard reports that the initial kick of lavender is gone and start is a bit sweeter. But the heart and dry down are supposed to be the same. I smelled the dry down on an SA recently, who I gather had sprayed herself with a new bottle, and it smelled on-point.
The dry down is definitely the best part, but I haven’t noticed any lavender in the sample I have … so it’s back to the ‘bay to investigate. Thanks for the info, Erin!
Maybe just out of contrariness?
Do not tempt them! Perhaps they’ve forgotten they still make it.
I am cheating a little. I am wearing some of the last little bit of Iris Gris I have, which certainly would have been five-stars if it had not been long discontinued by the time the guide was printed.
I am drinking turmeric tea from turmeric I grew in the backyard with a little saw palmetto honey and black pepper.
Oh my. I’m sure you’re enjoying that one, stars or no.
Wow. Iris Gris. Wow.
Amazing – enjoy!
The stuff of legends. It is hard to imagine it would get anything less than a five.
Please share your impressions with us mere mortals.
It has both that cold metallic note that iris root has, plus a bready butteryness like packet of puff pastry. And peach, lots of peach. A little like if you were rolling out puff pastry on a cold metal surface next to a bowl of ripe peaches while the last traces of your slightly animalic, floral chypre lingered on your skin idealized. It doesn’t smell vintage but like an amazing niche fragrance brought out just yesterday.
I have only eve read about it. Sounds beyond the stars!
Wow! Have you smelled DSH Scent of Hope which is supposedly a “copy”?
I have not, but I should get some before my tiny bit evaporates. Have you smelled the DSH?
hey monkeytoe…yes, and if you are in the U.S. I would love to send you some. I am curious as to its comparison with Iris Gris. On me, DSH Scent of Peace has lots of peach and the iris is sheer and rooty.
How do you make tumeric tea?
Hopefully monkeytoe will answer, but I boil turmeric, ginger and a black peppercorn in water for 5-8 minutes, then add milk or half & half. Some people boil the turmeric in milk.
Thanks, Robin!
I was at a seminar with Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez where we got scent strips dipped in Iris Gris from the Osmotheque. LT said, “If you want to know what pure poetry smells like, this is it… incomparable softness.” I think he would give it 10 stars.
Quarter after 9 and already close to 30 comments. The volume lately has been crazy!
After a crappy day yesterday, I went with what is becoming one of my favorites – Fate Woman. Luca Turin called it a “celestial oriental,” and we are in agreement. The way this one is blends cinnamon and chili pepper and the florals is one of the more perfect things I have experienced in my sniffing career, and I am so grateful to the incredibly generous NSTer who introduced me to this one.
Have a good fragrant day, y’all
Celestial oriental seems like exactly what Friday needs.
Yes! Getting celestial up in here…
You smell fantastic!
Aren’t the amouage bottles so lovely? Did your Epic arrive?
Have a great Valentine’s Day this weekend.
Thank you! The Epic is on its way.
Also – loving the new icon. Is that your kitteh?
He is a rescue from Brooklyn and a great cat!
Such an excellent kitty face.
That is a great cat face!
His face tells he’s found a great home!
Ugh – typo. Please disregard the extra “is” before the word “blends”.
You small absolutely FAB!
So do you, darlink! Hope you and the T-Rex are well.
Fate is such a unique scent that’s so well blended. You smell lovely. Sorry to hear you had a crappy day yesterday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend to make up for it.
Thanks hon! Hope your weekend is lovely too.
And yes, the blending in this one is magical. There are a few scents that I experience both emotionally and intellectually (e.g. noticing how well-blended it is) , and this is definitely one. It’s not something I would have picked out for myself after just reading the notes, but I am so glad I happened upon it.
Fracas. Any scent twins?
Luca Turin calls this scent a “butter tuberose”, and I think it is an excellent description.
It is a delicious tuberose scent. I was feeling tired and slightly unwell before I spritzed Fracas and it instantly cheered me up.
Not a twin, but a great choice!
Twin!! Loving this today.
Totally bailed on this project today!
I was going to wear Calyx, but just wasn’t in the mood.
Had on Katy Perry Meow, but scrubbed it off as soon as I got to work! LOL Guess my sweet tooth wasn’t that sweet today after all.
Finally settled on Modern Muse…..
Hope the rest of my day isn’t this indecisive! Will enjoy reading all of your 5 star picks! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
I thought of you the other day when I saw the Macys here just got in the new Modern Muse. I had remembered you said you hadn’t seen it where you are yet. So you might want to check back.
Will do! Also looking to sample the new Tory Burch Absolu….So much to sniff, so little time!
I was torn between L’Heure Bleue extrait or Vanilia. Two of my favorites. I went with Vanilia at the end. This is how it is described in the Guide. It’s as if Shalimar met Andy Warhol and came out far trashier and happier. I don’t find Vanilia trashy at all, it is the most elegant vanilla perfume I have ever experienced.
Oh, Vanilia! It might just be my favourite vanilla scent ever, and I have an embarrassing number of them. You smell so gorgeous!
I totally understand. I have a back up bottle too.
That’s an odd description for something with vanilla in it.
I read the review and had the same reaction!
That review doesn’t reflect at all what I feel for Vanilia. It also says that it is a summer perfume which for me it is more of a winter scent.
SOTD : Estee lauder Cinnabar. It rates four stars, so partial credit for me.
I’ve been wearing Cinnabar a lot this winter. Believe it or not, I just discovered it two months ago while shopping at Macy’s . I sprayed some on and bought it few days later. According to Turin’s guide , it’s been around since 1977. Fragrantica says 1978. Either way, I’m glad it’s still around. And happy to have it in my collection .
Hope you had a good Mardi Gras, Barqs!
Depending on the store, you so often you have to ask for certain non-trendy ones that are hidden behind the counter. I need to remember to ask about Cinnabar next time I’m near a Lauder counter.
It was a great Mardi Gras season. Thanks for asking!
I am looking forward to some downtime, though.
Ah, I’m flashing back to high school (late 70s) when I wore cinnabar. At the time, Cinnabar felt very exotic.
I don’t know how I missed this one all these years.
I do find the first hour a little much, for it softens up into something beautiful after that.
I only really noticed that he called it “good but not great” and overlooked that he gave it four stars. I’m glad you’ve made me realize I need to try it again (the last time was when it first came out).
Saved the best for last: the incomparable Yohji Homme, simply one of the greatest men’s scents that has ever been. I don’t know what the rerelease smells like but the original is as complex and resonant and beautiful as anything you’ve ever smelled. It is hard to imagine someone not liking it.
“I sprayed it and fell in love with it so comprehensively that I sat at my computer for a couple of hours just smelling my wrist and staring at the wall”.
Unfortunately I’ve never been able to try it, but it sounds gorgeous.
He’s not exaggerating. I’ve done that too. I was visiting Toronto for a few hours, sprayed some YH on at Holt Renfrew, walked to a movie theatre sniffing the whole time, took my seat, and then RAN back to the store to buy it. Worth it! (Got back in time for the movie, too.)
That is the best endorsement of a perfume I’ve ever read! You must have startled the people at the theatre.
I’ve always been intrigued by this one because it seems to a cult following. Every review of it is glowing.
It is lovely. And since I’m working from home… what the heck. Now I’ve got Caldey Island Lavender on my left hand, and Yohji Homme on my right. Ten stars for me
Very early in my perfumistahood, I bought a sample of this one off ebay. It was so horrid, I had assumed that it must have gone off. I didn’t yet know about reformulation. . . I probably didn’t keep the sample of the wretched stuff, but I wish I did, if only to see if there’s any chance I’d misperceived it with my novice nose!
Would love to do a side-by-side with the original to see if I’m just in really shard disagreement with The Guide, or if the new version just is terrible.
Might have been a dud sample – my husband has the reformulation and I like it a lot. It’s supposed to be pretty close to the original too.
You might have been correct all along.
I have a bottle of the original that apply
once in a blue moon, and the anise- coffee-woods
do NOT create the harmony others perceive.
But then again, Turin and I rarely agree. YMMV
If only more men insisted on having perfume this good!
Chinatown! Not only have I been through two 100ml bottles (helped a bit by some swaps here and there), but it was my first niche perfume purchase. I forget how much I love it each time I spray it on, and even though one of my friends says it’s “like a goth stuck in a head shop”, I think it’s just lovely.
Oddly enough, I wore FM’s Lipstick Rose to bed and didn’t notice any still on my skin before applying Chinatown, but am getting little hits of violet and rose peeking out under it. The florals blend nicely with the woody notes and while it’s a bit “prettier” than usual, it is an interesting combination.
Off to wake wee lil Miss AbScent to get ready to go grocery shopping. Maybe I should have chosen something more serene to counteract the “fun” of taking a two-year-old to the store… Eau de Please Fall Asleep in the Cart?
Oh gosh, I remember those days…
Well at least you smell fabulous! Enjoy your shopping
Twins!
I went with 31 Rue Cambon. How can anyone not love this?
Agreed – and I went for it too.
I really want a FB- it’s time to bite the bullet and get one
another on my waiting for budget to catch up list. really I want one of all the Chanel Excl. Enjoy
It can be done
I’m with Tania Sanchez–I dock it one star for disappearing so quickly. If money were no object, though, I’d have a FB.
I am also wearing Mitsouko today, the edt. Doc Sinister was so generous and sent me a bottle, along with a teeny bottle of the extrait. I am so happy to be a part of such a great community.
Hey twin!
I too am often staggered by our community’s generosity. I try to pay it forward when I can but even so!
L, Air du Désert Marocain for me too. I love it all year round. I finally bought a full bottle, so I topped up the remains of my decant and gave it to my daughter, who has fallen in love with it too.
Wearing 5 star vintage Poison from the 80s with a light application…
it really is magnificent and has held up beautifully…smells exactly like it did when it first came out.
This perfume and the amazing advertising (Poison is my potion.) blew me away when I was little and reinforced my love of all things fragrant.
Happy Friday!!!
Vintage Poison is astounding. I have a mini of the esprit de parfum and it’s in excellent condition, so so beautiful.
Oh how I wish I still had a bottle of that! It was my signature fragrance when I was 18. I may try ebay for a vintage.
It really was kind of revolutionary, wasn’t it? The scent, the advertising, the bottle – it really made an impact. I wore it then because I was an impressionable teen. I wear it now because it’s still one of the most compelling fragrances ever made.
I think it’s hard for people nowadays to understand just how revolutionary Poison was. The name, the bottle, the ads, and the scent itself all created massive shockwaves.
Have been pretty rubbish about commenting this week as it’s felt like a very long tough week (February is always my really tired time of year). I am taking a half fay today and wearing 31 RC. Always feels polished and perfect but not too cold. I might also go and buy a full bottle this afternoon as I have a decant and the sprayer is getting sticky. Hope everyone has a good Friday and at least it’s really nearly the weekend.
A new bottle of 31 Rue Cambon? What a great way to end the work week!
Polished is a good word for it.
Be sure to test the new version before you buy it because I believe it is quite different now.
Kouros, the “feel of other people’s bathrooms.” I was tempted to go with Secretions Magnifiques, but it’s a work day today. The Guide can have some strange ideas.
Ha!
I almost went with Kouros myself. I do love it so. You smell courageous!
Have you heard of Katie Puckrik? She has a YouTube channel, “Katie Puckrik Smells”, that has a really cute video of her trying Secretions Magnifiques for the 1st time. She did NOT go for it! Worth a view….
That one is hilarious. I was watching her slather it on and saying out loud, “oh, don’t. Don’t do that. Oh, girl, stop now. OH no.”
SOTD = Cuir de Russie EDP to the left and parfum to the right. Pretty happy right now. And amazingly CdR has been around since 1924!
Oh dear ???? Did my time sheet yesterday and discovered this has been my first 60 hr week EVER (if you don’t count college). I’m paid overtime, but still…so stressful
I’ll likely been busy all day by I’ll check back later to give my impressions of the difference between concentrations (because this is my happy place and I’ll need a break). Even if I don’t comment, rest assured I’ll read your comments. Hope most of you can take it easy for me today!
Wow! You smell AMAZING. AND 60 hours? OOOf!
Hi, almost twin! You smell great.
I hope work will soon get back to normal, too. 60-hour weeks are relatively common where I work (not this week, fortunately!), but CdR definitely helps.
You smell great! OT $$ for more perfume
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Yes $ for perfume
Almost forgot! PSA – Target has 20% off fragrance! Their inventory is actually quite surprising (for instance, Shalimar Eau de Cologne).
And free shipping on $25 or more. I just ordered Encre Noire.
I’ll have to check this out…
TGIF and hopefully next week will be back to a more normal 40 hour week. OT is great in the bank account but not so much for feeling relaxed, rested, and recharged. Hope you have a great weekend to look forward to!
Sorry, mis-wrote before. I am actually trying the EDT on the left.
Both concentrations are beautiful and smell like soft suede, definitely appropriate for the office, and so well-blended that it is difficult for me to parse out anything other than “soft leather” and “floral”. The parfum is much more floral, which may be why it feels much plusher. However, I actually prefer the EDT even though it vanished after 3 hours because the toned-down florals allow the leather to be more apparent.
As with most Chanels, CdR is experienced mostly as a haze of scent that seems to radiate rather than trail. Also, I get the distinct feeling from CdR that it is a “skin scent” – in that it seems to magnify the scent of my skin. Perhaps that effect is from the (very) subtle animalic that is supposedly in this fragrance? Regardless, I really enjoyed it and will be putting CdR on my “Buy” list.
Chamade, vintage pdt for me today, as I dream of spring. Thought about wearing Narciso, which received a 4 and a half star review on Style Arabia, but wore a lot of that last week when I took it and Vanilla Flash with me on vacation to Santa Fe and Phoenix. Both worked perfectly with the environments, and Santa Fe is probably the best smelling city I’ve ever been in, with the smell of pine wood smoke everywhere. Don’t know why Narciso missed that last half star.
Scent twin! That pdt is really good… maybe a little more powdery than some of the other formulations, but rich and deep.
Almost scent twins! I’m wearing vintage Chamade EdT from the early 80’s.
I bought a refill bottle still in the box from eBay and it’s in great condition. I also bought one of the old school blue and white round metal containers for it. So pretty on my perfume shelf. I must sheepishly admit that I may prefer the current formulation of the EdT (which Victoria of BdJ acknowledges is excellent) for being less powdery, but both versions are beauties.
Glad to hear that you like the current EDT, since that’s what I have and love (never tried any vintage Chamade).
Scent twins! Wearing the pdt formula. Later I’ll dab on some extrait de perfum. I won a bottle on eBay a few years ago. Beautiful bottle, beautiful perfume.
I confess to buying an empty parfum bottle and putting my PdT into it because it’s such a beautiful bottle.
Wow! What a smart idea!
I should have bought an empty parfum bottle instead of the one filled with whatever is in it that I can’t smell.
Quints! Though I’m in EDT. I did 6 sprays this morning, and tucked the bottle in my purse so I can reapply later. Love this one so, and dream of owning the extrait.
Ah, I kept scrolling down and wondering where the Chamade was and here we all are! Sextuplets!
And now I want to go to Santa Fe. I haven’t been in many many years.
Add me in, as well, I’m wearing the last bit of vintage Chamade extrait from a tiny mini a friend gave me. So beautiful (and hyacinths are blooming now in my area). I’m typically not a floral kind of person, but this has enough other interesting things going on, too.
Big Wonderful five star Gucci Rush today! I almost went with Lou Lou but am having a third lunch date today, and have really been wanting to wear Rush. The only perfume I have a backup for. I just love it.
Scent twins! (I love Loulou too)
Predictably, I’m in Cuir de Russie. I considered wearing something more exciting, but I’m still not quite well and that makes me conservative.
CdR is plenty exciting enough- and can be very comforting!
I just knew you would, and you smell fab!
You smell great! Take care and continue to get well.
Annikky, is this something I would dare blind buy? I like 31RC so much and Beige too. Thinking about this or Coromandel as a blind buy due to all the love for them, but don’t know if I dare pull the trigger.
I had planned to wear ISM but it just did not feel right for today. I’m in OJ Woman EDP. The EDP iS quite concentrated that I can’t imagine how much richer the extrait could be!
If Bois des Iles and SSS Forest Walk had a baby and gave it hemlock, OJ Woman is the result.
So gorgeous I should wear it more often!
Sounds like a lovely combination!
I will try the combo at some point soon. The weather is cooperating in setting the right conditions for doing this!
Twins! I posted before I saw yours
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We definitely have some common loves. Scent twins unite!
I love Woman, but I might love your description even better than the actual fragrance.
I really ought to try that combination to see how close it gets to being that baby. The only ingredient missing would be hemlock!
Oh my! That sounds like my kind of baby!
ISM would work next Friday also (I think?)
Yes, it would fit! My collection is pretty anemic when it comes to Maurice Roucel.
Only partial credit for me today: I’m wearing “Vetiver” by Guerlain, which I ordered with some other 2ml samples of Guerlain stuff after the recent community project. Never tried or smelt it before.
This went on with beautiful spices, reminding me of the spice notes of Alvarez Gomez “Agua de Colonia Concentrada”, which I love. Obviously the vetiver gives a different overall feel, and as the day progressed I kept getting little bursts of cool-smelling greeny-spicy notes. This was lovely today and I think would be great in warmer weather too. I suspect when I finish my pile of samples this will make it to the FB shortlist. :^)
That’s a really lovely scent and you are right: try this in on a not too hot summer day (75-80). It’s luscious.
Love this one and in fact wore it to spin class this morning. Gives me a little boost of energy. You smell great ????
Mitsouko for the exercise, with a bit of Amber Oud by Killian because it is so darned cold out. Too bad that stuff is so spendy, as there are no decants to be had that I can find. Maybe I’ll have to set up a split of this come splitmeet time…any Amber lovers out there pining for a well behaved oud?
I like the idea of Mitsouko mixed with a bit of amber and oud! I don’t know if links are allowed, but there’s currently a split of Amber Oud on the Basenotes split board.
!
I’m neither an amber fan nor an oud fan in general, but the BK is so silky smooth! Makes me think of a heavy gold silk-satin scarf. I used up my sample and sighed to see it go, but didn’t feel I needed to buy any more.
I was all set to join the fun and wear Bois des Iles extrait but last night I received my sample of the new Tauer Lonesome Rider and was completely smitten that I just had to wear it today. The opening/top notes are just gorgeous, and I do wish it would go on and on, but the leather which becomes more pronounced is also pretty flawless among the other notes. I went easy on the sprays since I know his ‘fumes tend to be strong on me, but it’s actually not as potent as I would have expected from him. Quite a handsome scent he’s done and I am tempted by the pre-sale price.
Would be curious to know how many stars LT would give this one.
4 seems about right to me.
Eeeee you guys are tempting me so badly with this!! I am not completely surprised, given the trajectory the Flashes have been on, that this might be a bit lighter than his earlier work…and, fact is that would make this more wearable for me. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I am anxiously awaiting my bottle.
Love to hear yours too!
Goodness, a whole bottle of this lovely juice!
Oh my! Can’t wait to try this. So tempted to do a blind buy….
It’s very easy to purchase a sample from him of this. It flew to my doorstep, literally 2 days from AZ to NYC which is a amazing.
LOL!
Glad to hear you like this. I impetuously blind ordered a bottle of this, and am feeling a bit nervous.
It’s hard to resist at $75 and knowing Mr. Tauer’s artistry.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.. and there’s always a swap meet
Vintage-ish L’Heure Bleue this morning. It is lovely. Reminds me a lot more of Shalimar in this earlier version (some barnyard-y vanilla in there, maybe?), which is a compliment in my book!
I am feeling a bit cranky this morning. Mr. Spicebomb and I are heading out for the long weekend, and he made a comment that made it clear that no ring/proposal plans were in the immediate future. Something about not wanting to be like the thousands of other people on facebook. He’s waiting for perfect. Which I’d think was sweet, if I wasn’t already feeling terribly impatient about the whole thing!
Anyway, gonna try to focus on the little getaway for relaxation. What will be will be, etc.
Maybe he’s trying to throw you off the trail, MR…
That’s what my SIL did. Right before the proposal, he made comments indicating it wouldn’t be anytime soon so that she would be surprised.
I wish I could believe that, but it was pretty clear and straightforward. It wouldn’t be beyond him to be devious, but this was a prolonged conversation, and I think it would be more difficult to maintain the fiction over half an hour+.
He did say he didn’t want me to see it coming, so at some point, I’ll be surprised.
I agree maybe he is trying to do just that! Or maybe it will be just before or just after. In any event I hope you have a wonderful weekend together and you smell rather wonderful.
Thanks Sophie. I *do* smell good!
Hi, L’Heure Bleue twin!
This may not help at all, I made it through a lot of occasions that seemed perfect for a proposal, but none of those ever materialized. Even after fiance and I agreed to get married, and even after I knew the ring was purchased, I waited at least a month or two for a proposal. My very best advice is not equate the value he puts on your relationship with whether he’s proposed. My fiance spent years saying he planned to be with me but didn’t want to get married before he actually became my fiance.
I hope you manage to enjoy your weekend!
It is always good to know I’m not alone. Thank you!
I know he values our relationship, but I admit I was worried about that piece of it for a long time. Maybe year and a half ago, I broke down in a conversation about our potential future together. I’ve been waiting for the next stage ever since! (grump, grump, frowny grump!)
So sorry you’re having a difficult time- your’e relationship sounds strong, and i’m sure he will get there eventually!- hope u have a lovely and relaxing romantic weekend.
Wow, I would find that annoying. I like the fact that my husband and I just had coversations about whether we should get married and decided we would. No official proposal, no waiting around for him to pick what he thought was the perfect moment. I hate surprises anyway. I guess I am not a romantic. LOL.
Thank you so much for saying that!!!!
I feel like such a jerk, but I really haven’t felt the need for some grand gesture–I just want to be able to be in that happy place of “we’re officially planning our lives together!” Clearly, the traditional process is really important to him, but I hate the waiting.
My husband and I took a similar approach. We had been together for 15 years before we got married! We were on the same page about how it would play out and would’ve been happy married or not. I imagine it’s frustrating when one wants to wait and one doesn’t, though.
Have you told him you feel that way? Or do you feel it would spoil it if you did?
Oh yes, I’m pretty much the definition of a heart-on-my-sleeves, open-book kinda person.
He knows how I feel AND he wants the grand gesture. I’m sure it will be lovely–eventually!
In that case, give him the chance to surprise you and let yourself the possibility to be surprise. In the years ahead, it will become a most cherished memory, so it’s worth the wait!
My husband loathes Valentines Day and had actually planned to propose to me (though we had already decided to get married and I didn’t expect a formal proposal) on v-day because he knew it would be a surprise. He funked it at the last minute and proposed the day before, thinking that a Friday the 13th proposal was much more in our line anyway. I can honestly say, I wasn’t expecting it at all and thought something was seriously wrong when he arrived and was obviously anxious and very serious.
I didn’t think I wanted a proposal, being one who dislikes surprises, but it was memorable and makes for a good story and a great memory.
Anyway, you never know how devious your beloved can be. Besides, having the conversation you had shows that he has grand plans of some kind
You could propose, you know
Actually as someone who has been happily married for, what, 37 years or so, I will say that one of the secrets to a good relationship is to explicitly ask for what you want and no just hope the other person will somehow figure it out.
Oh, I’ve been super explicit about this one–for about 2 years now! I’ve got no problems asking for what I want, but at some point, it’s not just about me, right? It’s just super clear that my needs are really different than his in this case, and I feel that I need to honor his. But I think I get to feel disappointed, too, when I had been so happily anticipating things happening soon.
Should say, it’s not something we’ve been discussing non-stop. But future-stuff has come up on-and-off over the years, and I’ve always been really clear in my hopes. Mr. Spicebomb has always been much more stoic and can be difficult to read. If I didn’t ask, I’d never know what he was thinking!
“It has the haunting, outdoors witchiness of tall pines leaning into the night,” so I had to make Ormonde Woman my choice for today. TS hit the nail on the head with her five-star review of OW in The Guide. “Lulling and unsettling in equal measure,” it is just gorgeous stuff.
Wow! I have not smelled that and now I want to!
She definitely did, it’s my favourite OJ, and one of my most unique scents.
I bought the travel spray set of O.J Man for my hubby’s birthday last year, absolutely love O.J on him, but unfortunately my skin eats most o.j’s up really quickly.
You know, I am pretty sure that I don’t get what everybody else gets out of OJW. It was three minutes of coniferous, one minute of violet, and then all amberamberamber, very sweet and non-woody.
I’ve postulated elsewhere (maybe on Kafka’s blog?) that I might be anosmic or hyposmic to Iso E Super, and that might be why I can’t smell OJW entire. In fact, I remember that I had trouble telling Orris Noir and OJW apart.
Or maybe ALL you can smell is the Iso E Super? I got the OJ discovery set and after trying 4 or 5 of them I started getting the sensation of deja vu which led to a high degree of annoyance from smelling the same thing over and over again. After doing a little research it seems to be the mega doses of Iso E Super that’s the common thread.
I’ve put them away for a while and hope that after a break I’ll find them wearable again. I loved Woman and Ta’if (as in LOVE love) and am crossing my fingers that I’ll have that reaction again after some time passes.
Whereas, that feeling of deja vu is what convinced me Iso E Super is one of my favorite notes!
I love it too.
Mals, same here. I love the beginning OJ Woman, but it that intriguing part doesn’t last very long, unfortunately.
Twins. I got the OJ set a couple of years ago during a sale+ free shipping thing. I wanted something to go with my project’s grant app (!) due today; a project which will hopefully involve a lot of driving around BC…a weird way to get to which 5 star to pick, but there you are. I do get the forests, and something chemical I wish wasn’t there. But also I think this smells really nice to others around me, so hopefully my writing partner agrees.
I’m wearing this too! It is such a beautiful scent.
Twins! I love it, too!
I had several options to chose from but in the end picked L’Air du Desert Marocain because I love it. This is one of the few scents that I can smell all day and I really love the sweet, dry incense.
An all-time favorite of mine. You smell fabulous!
????
It does, indeed last forever…
You smell great! That was my first ever indie perfume and an enduring love!
Holy cow! 102 comments and it’s only 9am. I haven’t even had my coffee yet.
Après l’Ondee today. I’m ready for spring.
Lovely choice!
Why, thank you!
I haven’t been able to participate on the boards much lately. But I can see by your new name that your move is complete. How are you settling in? Chicago’s current 19° misses you.
It’s half past 4 p.m. where I live!
And you chose a beauty.
Thank you! I realize everyone is in different time zones; I guess what I meant was that there were over 100 comments about an hour and a half after Robin put the post up. It seems like the comments for SOTD have really exploded lately. It’s great for participation to be up. -A little hard to follow everything, but great for the site.
One of my most worn perfumes since I got my bottle. I think it’s lovely in the summer because it’s so cooling but also so much more interesting than a simple citrus or classic cologne.
I bought it as a souvenir when I visited Paris (because I had to get something from Guerlain’s flagship store, but didn’t want something I have access to at my local mall). Oddly I don’t reach for it often. But when I do…Ooooh that violet/hawthorn/heliotrope combo!
I was spoiled for choice this week, but had a bit of a conundrum. I wanted to participate, but I got a little package from some eBay shopping, and also wanted to wear something new. None of the scents I ordered ranked any higher than 4 stars, and I was seriously tempted to wear Jubilation XXV anyway, being my first taste of Amouage. Luckily the generous seller included some samples, and so I am in a completely unexpected 5 star!
SOTD: Pascal Morabito Or Black – when I first put it on, I wanted to take it right back off. Dark chypre doesn’t begin to cover it. To me it opened as a nearly sneeze inducing blast of pepper. It settled though, and now I’m smelling a pleasantly sharp, aromatic with some oakmoss.
I would give XXV five stars–I’ve only gotten to wear it once but I recall thinking it smelled like an haute luxe Timbuktu. If IIRC that Timbuktu is a five-star, then, it’s just perfume math that XXV must be at least five
I think XXV will be a 5 star in my book when I get to give it a good wear. I actually brought it with me today, in case Or Black gives up the ghost.
Thank goodness it’s Friday! So this isi truly when the year starts- in February! I think a lot of yoga and a lot of sleep is necessary this weekend, but the film festival starts this weekend too!
SOTD: Only partial credit this morning. Did a spraying of 1000 by Patou. This only got 4 stars, and LT thinks this would be a great perfume for guys. I agree- this is a lovely, unsweetened dry chypre, really fresh and elegant, yet does not hit you in the face the way some chypres can. It smells deliciously floral/herbally and clean powdery. It’s very comforting! It’s another scent that should invite hugs from either gender. I can’t believe this only garnered 4 stars, but there you have it.
OOTD: Casual again- white cotton blouse, cream cotton cardigan with an obi-style belt, high waisted dark rinse jeans, loafers.
The outfit and perfume match seem chic and entirely film festival suitable. I love obi belts too. Hope you get the perfect amount of yoga and sleep this weekend. Am always curious what people wear perfume wish for exercise, as I struggle with either wearing nothing or forgetting I will be exercising and wearing the SOTD which could be all wrong!
SOTD: Caldey Island Lavender. Best. Lavender. Ever.
Still feeling a bit punk so working from home… OOTD is sweats, tshirt, big fuzzy slippers. Heh
Maverick’s surf contest is on today! Starts at 8am PT. Woot! Go Santa Cruz boys! And girl! — there’s one woman on the alternate list. Dunno yet if she’ll get in….
While it’s not my favourite lavender ( Caron’s L’impacte is in top position), I love Caldey Island. Such a pity I can no longer order it from the UK.
A dear friend muled me a bottle of the perfume from the UK. But you can still order the oil from overseas… I have both, and I find the scent more intense in the oil format.
That is good to know! I’ve been hesitant about the oil, but this has persuaded me that I need another lavender.
One caveat, though – I read in one of the Style Arabia reviews that LT believes Caldey Island has been reformulated and is no longer so special. No idea if he had tried the oil, though.
I’m wearing Theo Fennell Scent today, looking ruefully at my dwindling decant. I wish I’d gotten a full bottle while the getting was good. However, needing to use it small amounts may have saved me from myself. A little of this musky, cumin laden floriental goes a long way. More than just a dab can clear the room.
I got in when it was still at UK discounters, and love this one, too. You smell amazing. Maybe it’s still at some of those? I bought it less than 2 years ago…
Every so often, I check back in with L’Heure Bleue (parfum) to see if my feelings have evolved at all. Apparently it continues to be my Citizen Kane, though: I recognize it as one of the greats, but I find very limited joy in it.
Oh well. I’ve got Jicky at the ready for later if I need to switch.
I have that reaction to a number of the five-stars on the P:TG list.
In fact, I got to thinking about my opinions of everything on that list, and decided to blog about it today – sometimes I’m able to get past my personal response and recognize great perfumery in something I don’t like, but sometimes I can’t do it.
Yup. Angel. I can see it’s a game-changer, but it’s pure torture to me. Ah well…..
A very entertaining read! Glad to see that I’m not the only one who side-eyes many of The Guide’s five-star picks.
I think what holds me back with that one is the anise. I would love to love anise, but I’m not there yet, and therefore the joy to be found in this one continues to elude me.
Maybe try some light Anise scents? Etro Anice is lovely, summery and very easy to wear.
I’m game for giving it a try. Thanks for the rec!
I feel the exact same way about Citizen Kane much to my husband’s chagrin as a die hard Citizen Kane and Orson Welles devotee.
Box of Eels which I think is worth 10*********!
I’m in the edt currently but have a sample of the extrait from a wonderful NSTer and will apply that when the edt begins to fade a bit.
Everyone is wafting some serious beauty around this little blue and green marble- cheers to you all! ????
I agree. Part of my aversion to rating systems is they’re usually 5 stars, which clumps too many things together.
Ormonde Jayne Woman. I bought this with the advice of the Monday Mail series, but I’m not quite sure if it wears on me as well as it does other people. I sometimes think about swapping it, but then I worry I’ll regret it later. It’s lovely stuff either way, though, and it’s easy to see why it got 5 stars.
I would love it, if only you wanted a bottle of l’heure blue
Unfortunately I already have L’heure Bleue! But I might just swap it when the meet rolls around in March, so keep an eye out
It’s very beautiful and original, yet I think it is kind of a challenging fragrance to wear. I have a bottle but don’t find myself turning to it very often. On the other hand, when I smell it on a friend, I find it so gorgeous!
Hey twin. On me, it works best in winter.
Boucheron in the house!
I love this, but rarely have occasion to pull it off, so it usually ends up being worn for TV time or housecleaning, etc. It might revolt at this rate…”I’m too grand for your living room!”
Gorgeous! I got some of this in the 90s, and was just totally blown away by how different it was from anything else I’d ever smelled.
(Raises hand shyly…) So I’m the only one who thought, “Eh, scented soap” about this one?
I mean, really. I could barely smell it.
Reformulated, maybe? It is hard to imagine barely being able to smell the version I have, anyways.
Don’t know! I know it wasn’t vintage.
On the other hand, I can’t smell Nahema, either.
The classic one in the blue and gold bottle? It’s a big, big scent to me. Like it would be a great fit for the characters of Dynasty headed to a black tie affair. I found a beautiful bottle of extrait at an estate sale but have never opened it because the edp is already too strong for me. The stuff I have could clear a room with one spray. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but I think you should check it out again. I guess you could be anosmic to one of the notes (and it could be blocking you from smelling the rest of it), but I wonder if you sniffed from a bad bottle.
I suspect that there’s something in there I’m anosmic to and it’s blocking me. That happens from time to time, and often with something that is supposed to be “big.”
Wasn’t that the one where he said wearing it was like having your picture taken next to a Roman marble foot the size of a Volkswagen?
I had several scents to choose between today but in the end it was down to Dzing! or HdP 1740, because I wasn’t really feeling like wearing something classic. I went with 1740 because it’s less in-your-face-skanky and thus a bit more work appropriate. I ADORE 1740, SO much! It smells so golden and opulent. The immortelle is like caramelized sweet hay and the leather is just the right warm animalic kind! Bliss!!
That sounds really wonderful!- i haven’t sampled anything from HdP yet, must remedy that this year.
Envy. Such a beautiful, elegant cool silvery green on me.
Envious of your Envy!
SOTD is vintage Guerlain Vol de Nuit extrait. I haven’t worn any Guerlains yet this week, and I have a bunch of them!
I just bottle found a bottle of the same and am sending my sister back with money to get it for me. Hope it is still there.
Guerlain is clearly a favorite house of LTs. Or at least it was. I wonder what he thinks of their recent work.
I had Amouage Fate yesterday, so today I went for the heavy guns – La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens. I have to say, it’s not an easy perfume to love. I’m not even sure I do love it. But it’s got something that makes me pay attention, a quality that makes me pause every time I catch it on the air. Some five-start perfumes are so completely and utterly pretty, or beautiful, one doesn’t even wonder why they got awarded the merit. On the other hand I like La Myrrhe because I have to really think about it.
I agree, some of them are just gorgeous, and some make you think.
FWIW, though, La Myrrhe was love at first sniff for me.
You’re so lucky – when it’s love at first sniff, you just enjoy it straight away. I feel like I have to work to get to the same point, in terms of enjoyment. But maybe it’ll come with time? Like, I didn’t love classical opera at first, it was just too much effort. Whereas now, many years later… a whole ‘nother story!
I didn’t like Alahine the first four times I tried it, but I felt compelled to KEEP trying it – there was something in it that pulled me. Try #5 allowed me to admit that although it is not at all my usual sort of thing, I really love it. Memoir Woman had the same kind of trajectory fo rme, except that love took 12 tries!
OTOH, I have never really warmed up to Mitsouko, and I tried probably two dozen times – different concentrations, different weather… there’s a point at which you stop trying.
Scent twins today! I discovered La Myrrhe after falling earlier in my perfumista ‘career’ for the usual SL suspects (Chergui, Bois de Violette, Feminite du Bois, Fumerie Turque), most likely because it was harder to get as a non-export.
It was love at first sniff for me, but I do see your point about it being a more difficult perfume for many to come to love. Perhaps if I’d *started off* my SL journey with La Myrrhe, I would have experienced it differently. Once I discovered it, however, it became my very favorite from the house. I don’t wear it as often as I might, since I like it best in cooler weather. I love its almost buttery texture and depth. To me, it’s the perfume analog to baklava: unbelievably wonderful and rich, and a little goes a long way!
I love La Myrrhe, and own a bottle, but I’ve found out I do not wear it that much. I somehow find it quite demanding. If I want Myrrhe and and easy ride I tend to wear Myrrhe Ardente.
Oh, I don’t wear mine much either. I find that I tend to wear it on special occasions (even if said special occasion is only a snow day with the kids home from school, or my grandmother’s funeral). But it does tend to pull my attention to it, so it’s not to be “wasted” on a day of errands.
Today, I don’t have to be at work, so I can pretty much wear what I want but torn between too many choices. Sarrasins, L’Heure Bleue, Lolita Lempicka, no 5 in vintage form, or vintage Mitsouko. I guess I’ll hop in the shower and hopefully decide.
Go for the Sarrasins just to be different! Plus, it is stunning.
Badgley Mischka for me. TS described it as “…chorusing up from the skin in great clear peals like church bells…a message of straightforward good news”. This blisteringly cold day doesn’t stand a chance against it. Perfume 1, thermometer 0.
I have a mini of that on my eBay watch list. I never hear it mentioned. How do you like it?
Love it. Cassis, peach, osmanthus, patchouli. Striking without being strident. Bliss.
Thanks! Sounds lovely. I’ll probably add it sooner than later.
Mmm. That sounds right up my alley. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Worth the hunt!
If you like sweet, fruity perfumes, then it’s great. If you don’t like them — it’s also great. It’s quite beautiful and balanced, with a nice hint of spiciness too. I’m not a huge fan of sweet or fruity but I regularly seek out a tester when I’m out shopping and will gladly buy a bottle if I ever happen upon one at a discounter. Assuming that a mini is quite affordable, I say go for it.
I agree! Once upon a time I thought I disliked fruities in general and cassis in particular. THIS is the perfume that changed my mind.
I have a mini of the parfum – so beautiful. And I love that review.
Me too. How often does a person declare flat out that they want to marry a fragrance?
Love that one!
It’s such a pleasure to wear.
Funny, my thermometer also reads 0.
Aiya!
Plus (or rather minus) wind chill, I’m sure! Same here. Bundle up !
Twins! I was beginning to wonder if I was alone in my love for Badgley Mischka. I think of it as being very summery, for some reason.
Yay twin! You are not alone!
Wearing 5 spritzes of Bulgari Black, just because I can; it’s my day off and I went a little crazy after my 1-spritz work week. 1 spritz = having to stick my nose in my sleeve, I am finding.
It will also be a bore cycling through all my perfumes again, to see which ones end up on the Not At Work list. Right now Encens Mythique is on it BUT maybe just maybe it will be okay at a lower dose…
My work situation is similar and lately I have just been wearing one tiny spray under the shirt – but I am actually kind of enjoying it. My usual way of wearing perfume is to put it on the back of my wrist and spend hours re-smelling it up close and thinking about it; this method forces me to kind of just enjoy the aura in a more passive way. It’s not my favorite but it’s nice in its own way.
It really is a treat to have a day to spritz with abandon after worrying and trying to not-wear-perfume-while-wearing-perfume all week at work, isn’t it? Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere that wasn’t so restrictive!
You smell great, btw.
i wear 5 sprays of Black whenever I wear it…even to the office
It’s still hot hear and I am heading out on a bike ride, so starting with Osmanthe Yunnan. After I get home and shower I will switch to Vol de Nuit extrait.
I am going to start the day with Osmanthe Yunnan, too. It will only last a short while, so I can follow it with something a bit more tenacious.
But, oh, how I love it for that short while!!
Twins! (Triplets?) I’m super-excited because ever since kpaint sent out the Excel file with the names, I’ve been looking forward to being part of the in-crowd and using a five-star scent on a five-star day
I don’t know, I don’t get all the excitement over Osmanthe Yunnan. It’s quite lovely and pleasant, but not really that exciting. (Is that sacrilege?)
I was surprised that it got five stars. I feel like the first few minutes are worthy of that rating, but then…well, it seems like a scent should last at least two hours if it’s five stars. Don’t get me wrong, I own and I love it. I just don’t agree with the rating. Then again, I own plenty that were given two or fewer stars.
I felt the same about its rating – IMO, a fragrance HAS to last more than three minutes to get 5 stars.
It’s nice to hear I don’t have defective skin!
I was decidedly indecisive this morning and almost went with L’Heure Bleue, but ended up in Loulou, sprayed very lightly right before putting on my coat in an effort to keep her quiet
She’s one sassy dame, that LouLou. You smell fabulous.
Thanks! She just needs a few minutes to settle down. It’s one of the few that I can’t spray around my husband as that opening gives him a headache.
Wear OJ Woman today. Lovely! I wore Timbuktu yesterday, for double 5 star points.
Too slammed at work to read all comments. Will do so tonight. Looking forward to seeing what everyone chose.
There is nothing else like this. That. Is. All.
Twins! OJ today & Timbuktu yesterday also.
Well I’m off the mark in so many ways–was in the mood for Honore des Pres Sexy Angelic today, despite it not being in the Guide nor, as it turns out, very suitable for winter. Still smells nice but too delicate for the cold. Will put on something more substantial later.
…as promised, now testing M Micallef Mon Parfum, certainly more substantial! I quite like it and at the same time, feel like there are many other similar perfumes available at considerably lower price points? Like I guess it smells more expensive than NR for Her… but, does it? It’s not sooo much nicer that it doesn’t still have that quality of like, mm this is def made from synthetic substitutes for musk, patchouli, etc., rather than the real thing. I don’t know, please tell me if you feel like I’ve got this one totally wrong!!
I don’t know which formulation was review in the guide, but I’m wearing a recent Cristalle EDP, which fit the bill perfectly to help me get to work very early today.
I had the same question about Cristalle, since it was one of my contenders. I have a feeling the review is for the EDT since the edp was released much later. But I love the edp- you’re smelling great!
I assumed it was for the EdT too since he calls it a crisp citrus chypre, with the EdP really isn’t? But who knows.
I’m in lavish amounts of Dune! Needed some comfort because I had to get a shot (I’m very nervous around needles and tend to faint like a 18th century lady around them) and ol’ Dune is somehow just right – not too pliant so that you can’t lean on it for strength, and not too upright so you can’t seek comfort in its fuzzy dry lavender arms. It has lots of character but it’s a pretty nice fellow all things considered. Well worth the five stars.
Previously this week I’ve worn both Mitsouko and Knowing without knowing (ha) that mr Turin loves them both as much as I do. I don’t always agree with him but clearly we have some things in common…
A colleague of mine wears Dune and it’s lovely. It doesn’t seem the same on me, sadly.
sometimes perfumes are just nicer to smell on other people than to have constantly in your own nose after all! I can totally see Dune as one of those, it’s very persistent and I definitely have to be in the mood for it to wear it.
Isn’t it a good feeling when you discover one of your loves is a favorite of LTs or TSs too? I feel like I’m onto something or that my hobby is justified because I must have a bit of talent if the experts agree.
I love Dune. I don’t get lavender though. Must retry tomorrow.
Oh, and I have the same issue with needles. I find it helps to look away and read something, even if it’s just a pamphlet I pick up on the way in.
In a couple of generous smears of the glorious Homage attar (the old stuff) from my puny little sample vial. Wish I had a vat of the original, it really is beautiful.
Homage is fantastic!
That’s what I like about reading the entries here, they remind me of all the little vials and testers I’ve stored away and forgotten about. I’m going to fish out my precious molecules of Homage tomorrow.
I would love to smell this one. Please waft some in my direction.
Ditto. I completely lamented the fact that I can’t get any now.
Same here. One of my life’s regrets.
Yes, Homage Attar is a doorway into another world! Enjoy!
So hard to choose a “favorite” 5* but in the end I had to go with Shalimar.
Outstanding choice ????
I’m currently out of the country, and unfortunately just grabbed a bunch of samples to go, so am kind of limited to what I grabbed. I do have one 5-star scent: Histoires de Parfums 1740, so I guess I’m wearing that! Not my favorite in the line, but, there you are.
I’d forgotten there was a 5 star HdP. I should try that one again, barely remember it — but do see LaDomna’s comment above!
It happens to be my favourite of the line, and one of my favourite ambers. I adore the combination with immortelle.
I went with Guerlain Derby for my 5-star day. I’ve been into smoky and leathery lately, so this fit the bill, if a bit soapier than I’d like. I think I may need to break down and get another bottle of Bulgari Black, because this is one of those days that I really wish I hadn’t swapped it (or at least kept a decant if I didn’t feel I needed an entire bottle). WTF was I thinking… At it’s pretty easy to find at discounters.
Also yay for Maurice Roucel Friday. I didn’t realize he did both Musc Ravageur and L de Lolita Lempicka.. makes sense now that they kind of smell similar. I have both, and they’re the only Roucels I have, so I’m wearing one of them next week.
Double-yay! I love my MR bottle so much…
That was the last little push I needed to pick up L de Lolita…
I’ve been wanting Black too, but I can only find the big bottles at discounters. I don’t need 3.4 oz. of anything. If you find a small bottle, please report back!
Check amazon
It was a battle of the “O”s this morning–Opium vs Odalisque. I went with Odalisque. The Guide says, ” A unique, underrated marvel.” It’s a beautiful jasmine chypre and I should wear it more often.
Really looking forward to sampling this one soon.
I wore Odalisque last night. I had a large sample, but I was loving it so much I went online and ordered a bottle…..
Yes! And PdN makes a 30 ml size, which is one of the reasons I bought a bottle.
Hi NST friends! I’ve been lurking but not posting, but today I want to rejoin the conversation! I’m not wearing anything 5 star I don’t think, but I just got some goodies in the mail so on one wrist I’m trying Sa Majeste la Rose and on the other Roses Vanille. I wasn’t expected the SL to be so green – for some reason I had the impression it was full of honey, but it’s lovely nonetheless.
I also received a still shrink-wrapped box of Un Lys from 2006. It was a blind buy, and I have to admit I’m a bit scared to open it… what if I don’t like it and I have ruined its pristine NIB condition?!?
Hello friend-who-got-me-my-Caldey-Island-Lavender
Why hello
Oooh… I think Un Lys is gorgeous, one of the easiest Serges to love. Lily and vanilla, plus a bit of lilac which I am maybe imagining (I always confuse “lys” and “lilas” in French) but I love either way. Simply beautiful. All that said, you could order a sample and try it that way, to be safe!
PS, if it’s helpful, Un Lys has some green–hard to do a lily scent without it I suppose!–but not as much as Sa Majeste, IMO. Un Lys is softer and creamier.
I’ve read mostly only great reviews about Un Lys – it seems hard not to love… I don’t mind green, and softer and creamier with vanilla and lily just sounds amazing…
I’d be reckless and tear it open!!
Hehe I probably will. I’m still a touch sick, so I’ll probably wait until I’m feeling and smelling 100% to do it though!
I always have that reaction when I get a sealed bottle – especially if it’s vintage. But it only lasts about 30 seconds.
Oh, the dilemma of a blind buy. If you have any patience and willpower, leave it sealed and see if you can get a sample from TPC or STC. –But we’d all totally understand if you tear the sucker open!
Yes, patience is the issue… I mean, it seems well loved and I’m confident I could swap it if I don’t love it, but if I don’t it might just be more economical to try to sell it for what I bought it for… hence the dilemma.
A tiny spot of Iris Silver Mist this morning. Fascinating perfume, but not totally sure about it.
Yesterday was 31 Rue Cambon, a dignified perfume, and I did not live up to it. I was very undignified when I leapt up from my desk late for a meeting, fell over my handbag and sprawled across the floor in a crowded office! I fled for the lift with cries of “Are you OK” echoing in my ears. And the I got the giggles really badly, also not 31 RC-worthy, so am very grateful I was chairing a meeting of people I knew well.
Now my bare leg summer look will not be enhanced by a huge carpet burn on my knee – perfume will certainly assist, so I will need to have my favourite perfumes in heavy rotation
Ack! That sounds like something I would do. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve fallen out of my chair at work – and had said chair then fall on top of me. In high school I twice fell running UP stairs, once in a mini skirt which pulled up over my undies while my books went flying; the other time with a lunch plate in my hands sending food into the air. Good thing you were amongst friends
Oh no! And it’s so much worse when you’re an insecure teenager. At least I have the confidence of age on my side
I had two very similar falls my first month at college–one a sort of cartwheel down a flight of stairs, and the second on the freshly-waxed floor of the dining hall, complete with broken glassware and my tray sliding all the way across the room. They got me an entirely unearned reputation for day-drinking.
Haha, it’s very hard to live up to 31 Rue Cambon. I love it, but I always feel I’m not elegant enough for it.
Ouch, carpet burn! Almost as bad as a paper cut. You really need the healing power of your favourite perfumes. And you smell great!
Like several others, I also chose Mitsouko (in edp form, non-vintage) as my 5* SOTD. Not because it’s my favorite of LT’s 5*’s that I own ( that would be Dune), not because it’s my favorite chypre (that would be vintage Miss Dior), and not because it’s my favorite Guerlain (that would be Apres L’Ondee) but simply because he said it’s his favorite fragrance, the best fragrance ever created, and the one he’d take to Mars if he had to move there for tax reasons. I’ve never sniffed vintage Mitsouko nor Coty’s original Chypre that LT notes was released 2 years prior and that Mitsouko has improved upon, I wish I had! I just thought I’d enter into the spirit of the man, plus it’s been very cold here and Mitsouko just seemed to fit. I like it but don’t love it and rarely wear it so it was a good experience to revisit it again.
Plus, I actually wore it last night as well, because it seemed somehow very fitting to wear one of the great perfume classics to see one of the great film classics of all time – the (surprisingly-mentioned above) Citizen Kane! Our historic theater had a special 75th anniversary showing of the film with a lecture by an Orson Wells scholar beforehand. I love the thought of someone else viewing this movie in this very theater in 1941, perhaps while also enjoying LT’s ‘masterpiece’ just as I did!
Fun! I actually love Citizen Kane (not due in small part to Orson Welles being incredibly handsome in those years – although even the aged and heavyweight Orson Welles still has some sexiness going on.) It would be amazing to watch in an historic theater.
Wells’s portrayal of Mr. Rochester is perhaps my favorite version. So handsome.
If you get a chance, do smell vintage Mitsouko, especially in extrait or PdT form. So much richer.
I’m so jealous! Our non-historic theater showed Casablanca a couple of years ago and it was a stunning experience. I’d seen the movie once before – on the 13 inch TV/VCR combo I had in college. It was a completely different movie on the big screen. I would love to see Citizen Kane that way. I bet the scenes inside the mansion made you feel like you were in the room with them.
Citizen Kane is fabulous. I have this vague, nagging memory of an interview in which a woman was asked what attracted her to her famous husband. She said something like “his kisses are sweet and his skin smells of honey.” I think the husband described was Orson Welles.
I had to run an always-tension -filled-and-overly-long yearly meeting this morning and so went for Iris Silver Mist, not so daintily applied. I think I might actually have been more draconian than usual, but only in good ways I am sure.
I found it was always good to waft a “Don’t mess with me” scent during those types of meetings. ISM fits the situation perfectly!
Partial credit for my 4* SOTD!ELDO Antihèros.Cheap strong lavender soap according to Turin.My favorite part of it is the burnt sugar note I get.AWESOME.
I am not sure I ever smelled that one, and now I’m curious!
Enjoying the”pretty dancing feet” of Tocade today. I would describe it as a vanilla rose with a bit of chemical edge that is entirely deliberate and interesting. And look! Composed by Maurice Roucel and probably the most whimsical bottle in all of perfumery.
Yes, ‘pretty dancing feet’ is a perfect description! Tocade is my choice when I’m in a light-hearted whimsical mood.
I only own two of the 5 star fragrances on the list (Chinatown and Angel), and since I couldn’t find Chinatown, I went with Angel. It’s a bit heavy for such a hot day here in California, but I just won’t reapply after lunch as I usually do!
I wore Rive Gauche last night post-shower and am still trying to understand it but am beginning to appreciate its aloof beauty. I’ve read a lot of reviews of this fragrance (though not LT’s) but none that addressed the bottle, which has always fascinated me. When I was a child, it stood out from the other bottles on the shelves because it did not look like perfume. It didn’t even look like a beauty product. Was it the first women’s fragrance to flagrantly eschew ideals of traditional femininity? The fragrant representative of YSL’s Le Smoking, perhaps?
This morning I braved a misting of Rochas Tocade. Testing it on paper and the back of my hand it smelled unrelentingly sweet. On my skin it doesn’t – but I have to reorder my expectations and think of it as a fruity floral rather than a rose. Luca Turin repeatedly notes the metallic edge of this perfume, which I actually got this morning by spraying a cloud of it and walking through it. That said, I’m still not sure I understand the 5 stars except in the context that he felt it had been needlessly dismissed when it came out.
Later in the day I will brave a wearing of Lou Lou. I am a big fan of 80s powerhouse fragrances but when I tested this one on the back of my hand it was lethal. We’ll see how it goes. And speaking of Cacharel, IMO Anais Anais deserves a 5th star. To my mind, it is almost heartbreakingly beautiful even nearly 40 years after its release.
Oh, I forgot about Rive Gauche, one of my favorites from my young adult days. I have the reformulated Rive Gauche Intense, which most closely resembles the original.
About Tocade, LT said the devil is in the details, and so are the angels. It’s not so much the ingredients/notes as it is how the rose, vanilla and other notes, from the top to the drydown, ‘meshed together perfectly.’ that merit its 5* (in his opinion). I like this one and on me it’s quite powdery and I don’t (fortunately) get too much of the ‘iridescent gleam of nail varnishes’ nor a metallic edge.
I didn’t even know Rive Gauche Intense existed. I’ve been wanting to buy a bottle of RG for my mom because it was the first perfume my dad ever bought her, but I’ve read several reports that it has been reformulated beyond recognition. Thanks for the tip!
That Rive Gauche bottle is really odd! But also sometimes really useful! Last summer I helped my dad clean out the workshop/garage… 20 years of accumulated rubbish got thrown out. When I was sweeping the floor under a piece of machinery I suddenly found the cap of an aluminium spray can. I picked it up and stared at it for a while wondering why it looked so familiar until it hit me that this was the cap from a bottle of Rive Gauche! When I mentioned this to my dad he said that yeah, there was a bottle around somewhere too and after a little bit of searching it turned up, under a pile of sawdust.
This bottle has been in my dad’s garage for almost 20 years, been kicked around and endured extremes in both temperature and humidity. It is dented and worn like you wouldn’t believe! But it is still half full and the perfume still smells right as far as I can tell. It’s not really my thing, floral aldehyde seldom is, but I can appreciate how well made it is. And I appreciate how well that can has protected the scent!
Joining a number of you today in L’air du Desert Marocain. Such a beauty! I say a little thank-you to Andy Tauer every time I wear it.
That was my Saturday night scent! A five-star weekend
Oh Mitsouko, how I love your long, lingering, lovely drydown.
You smell lovely! If I owned any, I would have worn the same thing.
L’Heure Bleue, after much deliberation. Because it was in the first package I ever ordered from a decant retailer, and was the first classic Guerlain I fell in love with. LHB holds a very special place in my heart. Ended up having a 5 stars day, from the music playing on the radio on my commute to work (Beatles’ White Album, Paranoid, Joy Division!) to the afternoon meeting with my favorite co worker drinking good coffee under a tree.
Have a great weekend, you all!
You smell beautiful, I love l’Heure Bleue! My first Guerlain love was Eau de Guerlain, and I still sort of swoon whenever I smell it.
It’s lovely, isn’t it? I have never tried Eau de Guerlain, only Impériale, which I would describe as ‘perfect cologne’, Luca Turin style.
Impériale is a little more tangy, and I think a bit more straightforward, I love it, but I love Eau de Guerlain a bit more. This is how Luca originally reviewed it on his blog:
“It is often hard to notice when something has gone missing. After years of wearing it every day, and even more years of not giving it a thought, I came upon
Eau de Guerlain (born 1974) sitting forlorn at the back of a shelf populated by younger heavies. I had forgotten how good it is. Eau de Guerlain
is to citrus what the mandolin, with its doubled up strings, is to a guitar. It is as if, by some arcane miracle of perfumery, the ivory and green notes of cédrat and verbena have been made to sing in harmony with the jaunty lemon-bergamot tune exactly a major third on either side, giving the whole thing a ravishing, nostalgic timbre. Even more miraculous, Eau de Guerlain has a coherent, fresh drydown that completely transcends the Cologne genre. If you want citrus, there is simply nothing better out there.
Thank you, Austenfan! It was lovely to read Luca Turin’s wise words. (I had the guide on my kindle, but after breaking two devices I gave up on electronic books. I miss LT, though, his Style Arabia reviews are all I have now,)
I love Eau de Guerlain. It makes my heart feel full and uplifted at the same time.
Such a beautiful complex and intoxicating fragrance.
It’s very warm here today, so it sure was intoxicating, in a delicious BWF kind of way.
I had a lot of choices as I have a good collection of classic Guerlains and Chanels (some bottles, some decants). For today I picked vintage Chamade because hyacinths are blooming here now where I live. Back in the 80s when I was systematically searching for a new signature fragrance, I tried Chamade in extrait form and loved it. But I moved on because I felt it wasn’t “the one.” Now I’m so happy I can go back to those fragrances I loved but let go (silly me) and enjoy wearing whatever I’m in the mood for!
Charade was on the top of my list for today! You smell wonderful.
Chamade, of course! – we will laugh at these autocorrect devices in a few years, I hope…
Here we are on five-star perfume day and I’m wearing… Michael Kors Ultimate Body Lotion.
I was in a taxi earlier and smelled a delicious fragrance. I asked the lady taxi driver if she was wearing perfume, and she said it was her lotion, and handed me the tube to try.
I liked it so much that I bought some at Macy’s on the way home, priced at $50 something for a huge tube, but you can find a more manageable size tube on ebay for under $20. It’s quite a nice lotion, too, thick and creamy but not oily or sticky.
So this has turned out to be cheap thrill Friday for me, instead.
That is so funny! You’re apparently supposed to layer that with one of those trio (Sporty Citrus, Glam Jasmine, Sexy Amber).
Perhaps The Ultimate Body Lotion has a touch of all three, then?
It didn’t take time to try the testers, but perhaps I shall over the next couple of weeks.
That must be some lotion if you already bought a full tube! Someone should tell Michael Kors. Sampling in cabs would be a great way to market a good product.
Great idea! Or we could launch a Kickstarter to get cabbies to wear great men’s scents, in order to improve the general level of men’s taste in perfume!
More importantly, to improve the general level of enjoyment in cab rides.
Had to put on some L’air du desert Morocain today. Then later saw it was five star Friday. Perfect. Shout out to all my scent twins! We smell fantastic today. Although Bois de Iles or Shalimar would be nice, I like those late in the evening as I’m winding down. Both are Just a little to femme on me for wearing out. But quite cozy.
Hey Twin!
That seems to be a popular choice today! I’ve been meaning to order a sampler from Tauer for awhile. It just might be time to finally open my wallet.
I have “suddenly” discovered that I own 10+ five-star perfumes. Initially I planned to do a five-star week, but this week turned out to be rather hectic. Last Saturday I’ve brought home a new puppy, so after calm (if joyless) dogless months I have to adapt myself to being a dog-owner again. That’s why I pretty much neglected fragrance all week and almost forgot about today’s project.
It took a lot of thinking, but finally I’ve decided on Jicky. It’s definitely “me”, it’s comforting but not boring, I can wear it year round and cannot think of an occasion when it would be inappropriate. Four or five years ago I would have said it’s my desert island perfume. Today? Well, I certainly don’t love it any less. But I don’t wear it often enough. And there are now some fragrances in my (relatively modest) collection that I feel much stronger about. So, an unexpected side-effect of today’s project: thinking about how quantity of one’s perfumes influences one’s ability to enjoy and cherish each one of them.
Oh well, might be a side-effect of today’s weather… Will wear L’Heure Bleue to bed, it also doesn’t get enough wear.
Congrats on your new pup.
You smell good AND you have a new four legged friend- life is good????
Enjoy your puppy, and your Jicky. The last time I got a puppy was a few weeks after I quit smoking, and I really did not give cigarettes much thought after that.
Oh, that’s the best reason for not wearing perfume! What kind of dog did you get?
I own several 5-star rated perfumes, but I went with Amouage Gold. Just because.
I was considering Gold. It just seems like the archetypal 5-star. You smell wonderful!
Wearing Badgley Mischka, in parfum. I don’t seem to like the Parfum as well as the edp, although I bought it from Evilbay, so it’s always possible the bottle was low and they topped it off with something else. (Considering what I paid for it, it hardly seems worth the effort.) It has a distinct aquatic note that I don’t remember in the edp. Maybe it’s a spray vs. dab issue? Anyway, the edp is a big fruity floral, a little loud and vulgar, great on a summer night. The parfum, on a warm day in February, is just a little too “fresh” for me. I’ll have to try it again on a really hot day.