Quick reminder: the splitmeet is coming up next Saturday, with the swapmeet to follow in March and the reverse swapmeet in April.
On the 27th of this month, we're going to try something new suggested by Regina: a separate thread to arrange local meetups. If that goes well we'll make that a regular feature.
Today, our same old open thread poll: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you wish you'd get as a Valentine's Day present, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Candy Hearts [cropped] via Tyler Burrus at flickr; some rights reserved.
After yesterday’s lovely Mitsouko I wanted something simple, easy and floral, so I went with a Demeter cologne called Wet Garden. I know that the midwest and northeast are being blasted this weekend, but in Texas it is very springlike, with highs in the high 70s. I love Wet Garden, because it reminds me of hyacinths, probably my favorite spring flower.
I was going to say I loved Wet Garden but I think the one I like might actually be Greenhouse. Is Wet Garden aquatic?
I believe there are aquatic notes in it, since it is supposed to smell like a garden after rain. I don’t have Greenhouse so I can’t comment on that. It isn’t super aquatic, but floral and a little green.
My memory is a little fuzzy too but I don’t remember Wet Garden being aquatic–I think it had a bit of Dirt actually, and some florals. Like a flowerbed after spring rain rather than water on flower petals (to that point, I feel like it was less aquatic than En Passant, for instance?)
…ok now I want to go smell it again to be sure 🙂
Greenhouse has a bit of a water note, and a dirt note, IIRC. Maybe they’re the same scent 😉
Wet Garden is my favorite Demeter scent, by far. I think it’s been reformulated — I bought my bottle years ago, when Christopher Brosius was still at the helm, and since then Demeter has updated the description of the scent with something like “Maybe not the original Wet Garden, but still good…” I tried the current iteration next to my admittedly old bottle, and it was similar but markedly different — lighter and grassier and without the achingly tender bruised-guavas-and-lilies note of the original. CB’s To See A Flower seems to be very, very similar to, if not the same as, the original. Meanwhile, I need to make my bottle last for the rest of my life!
Thanks!
Greetings! Today is my 53rd birthday and I still feel like I fell of the turnip truck yesterday! In scentabration I am wearing Tauer Lonestar Memories layered over Monoi oil and with one spritz of Lust. I find it layers wonderfully with soliflores. Have a wonderful day and stay warm my fellow Atlantic coasters!
Happy birthday girl! Enjoy all that comes your way!
SOTD Timbuktu
Happy birthday, and I know that feeling well!!
Happy Birthday stinker_kit!
Wishing you a very happy birthday. Lust layered over monoi oil. . . you smell fabulous. What a combo! I’m not familiar with Lonestar Memories, but I’m going to steal your idea and wear the others tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
Happy Birthday and many, many more! BTW, you smell great!
Happy birthday, and you are braver than I am. I am scared to layer, not knowing enough to figure what scents will work together. Maybe I’ll try a few combos this weekend.
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day and all the best in the year to come. Stay safe and warm.
Happiest of birthdays to you!
Ooh you smell heavenly!! Happiest returns of such a well-scented day 🙂
I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday from another 1963 baby! 🙂
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Have a wonderful birthday!
Happy birthday! That sounds like a lovely combo you’re wearing.
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! I’m another 1963 baby – clearly a good year 🙂
Happy Birthday!- what a gorgeous sounding, (and i’m sure smelling)
combination, hope your’e having a beautiful day.
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday stinker_kit!
Woo hoo! Happy birthday stinker_kit! You smell fabulous!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! It’s fun to see what fragrance people treat themselves to on special days – your combination sounds worthy of the occasion!
Happiest of birthdays! Umm, can this ignorant Kiwi ask what it means to fall off the turnip truck? Is it like being found in the cabbage patch? Or dropped down the chimney by the stork?
It means to be naive and unsophisticated, which is at least mostly true in my case!
Oh! I also, then, am straight off the back of a turnip truck, but in my case, I think I’d better say I’m straight out of a kumara sack!
Happy Birthday! Have cake!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! That is a very interesting layering combo.
Happy birthday!
HAppy Birthday! I am also wearing Lust!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! I already sprayed on Sensuous Noir, but you inspired me to bring Lust for later tonight 😉 Thanks for the reminder and you smell wonderful!
Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! You all are the best!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!! I love “scentabration” and will remember that on my day! LOL Enjoy yours! 🙂
Happy birthday!!
Happy birthday! You smell wonderful 🙂 Keep up the good work!
wishing you a very happy & fragrant birthday 🙂
Happy birthday! I hope to learn how to effectively layer scents in the future 🙂 (Tips please?)
Happy birthday! 53 is the new 33, right? 😉
happy birthday! lovely perfume choice 🙂
Happy Birthday! And I know what you mean – sometimes I’ll look in the mirror and think: huh, I’m really not 34 (or 44 or 54) any longer! It surprises me every time.
Interesting layering combo – I may give it a try too.
Great idea for a separate meetup thread.
As someone who has a perfumista tribe in NY, and has met with someone here in Boston, I think a meetup thread is a great idea.
SOTD is Sacrebleu, one of my favorite cold weather scents
I love the idea of a meetup thread. I am hoping some Houston area perfumistas can arrange something. I am looking forward to the reverse swapmeet as well. I have reached a point where I don’t necessarily have things I want to get rid of, but there are things I would be willing to swap decants of to get the things I really want.
A meetup thread is a great idea. Thanks, Regina and Robin!
A few people here in the DC area (and further afield) have expressed some interest in a meetup at Ari’s shop, Arielle Shoshana . stinker_kit got the ball rolling, and we will schedule this to occur some time in April. I’ll post the details once we’ve decided on a date.
SOTD is Guerlain’s Spiriteuse Double Vanille. I’ve recently come around to vanilla scents and uh-oh! Just when I was planning on continuing January’s no-buy, here comes trouble! And of course once I start on that course, I might as well look into Dame’s soliflores, right? 😉
Meeting at Ari’s shop is a great idea!
I hope you’ll join us!
Wouldn’t miss it!
Looking forward to that – hope my boys’ track schedule will cooperate.
You might enjoy Dame’s Mexican Vanilla thingy. I’m not a huge vanilla fan in general, but I thought it was nice.
I hope you can make it!
That Dame vanilla thingy does sound nice, as do the soliflores.
mals, it would be so cool to meet you!
I can see trouble brewing with the vanilla love 🙂
SOTD is Volutes edt. Wonderful weather here in the swamps today, but sympathise with those stuck in frigid temps this weekend. I’m originally from Illinois and feel your pain!
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of the decants I ordered and already dithering about which to try first. Vomutes lasts all day on me so now, even though I smell fab, I am regretting I didn’t choose something lighter and less robust.
T-Rex is so frustrated by her inability to get the treat out of her Kong toy, she has decided barking at it loud and long will magically free the biscuit. It’s a no go and she’s winding up for a full scale puppy tantrum. So entertaining watching her figure out how to solve serious world problems ????
Reminds me of watching my husband try to fix things. (Did I just say that out loud???) 😉
LOL!
Yes, but isn’t he the star that coined “Box of Eels”? He’s famous and doesn’t even know it ????
I thought you’re supposed to put peanut butter inside those Kong things? You probably should not trust me as I saw that in a cat blog even though I don’t have a cat.
You can put PB in a Kong too, but if you buy the right sized biscuit and wedge it in there, it’s much more “interactive.” She gets the PB cleaned out in a flash, but has to really work to get the biscuit. It keeps her very occupied and active- she takes it onto the tiled kitchen floor, flings it up in the air, it comes bouncing down, she chases it, catches it, then repeats until the treat inside breaks or crumbles and the pieces come out. One milk bone + Kong = one very busy puppy! Plus it help with that canine chew drive as well. Better to chew a Kong than my shoes!
I started with Cedre and then amped it up with LouLou. I wanted ‘spring flowers’ and it occurred to me I don’t really own any. So I went with BWFs, sort of.
I find ‘florals’ a bit hard in this regard. Many of them (hello Daisy!) smell like shampoo to me, or too weak/wimpy. Do youse people out there know good, easily available (I’m in the UK) floral blends to start playing with?
I love BWFs but I wouldn’t mind something in addition that’s . . . err . . . flowery (though not rose-centred), but not girly or sweet/shampoo with a bit of an edge to it? Does such a thing exist?
Try, Truth or dare by Madonna. She said that this was an ode to her mother and has been said is similar to Fracas. You will find it very cheap in most discount retailers. Try escentual and all beauty (no affiliation). These are UK companies.
The original Chloe is also a BWF, and an 80’s powerhouse.
Thanks, will check those out. 🙂
Oh that definitely exists! I also enjoy a good floral with a bit of an edge! When not in the mood for a knockout white floral I tend to go for softer, but still not whimpy floral notes like ylang, orange blossom, narcissus, lily, honeysuckle, mimosa… Some favorites right now include: Kerosene Unforsaken, Guerlain Metalys, PdN Le Temps d’une Fete… Among the more mainstream ones I really enjoy Baiser Vole.
Thank you! I’ll look into those. I’ve sampled Baiser Vole earlier and will give it another try. Funny that, when I was thinking of ‘florals’ good ole No5 with its ylang and jasmine came to my mind . . . but it’s not about flowers at all to me. More like an austere, starched-up biatch. That of course has its uses and advantages 😉 but not for this purpose.
Yeah, floral aldehydes tend to be a bit austere and too starched for me too. I wore Rive Gauche earlier today and it too was a bit too aldehydic and mossy to give a very floral impression…
Oh, and my favorite Baiser Vole is the Essence de Parfum version, it’s the creamiest and least whimpy one on me.
Have you tried Penhaligon’s Amaranthine? That one too might hit the spot!
I’ve been looking for Amranthine but haven’t come it across yet unfortunately. My local TK Maxx has a bottle of Artemisia which also has nice reviews but it seems to be more of a nice powder scent. Plus it still costs £49.99 so I’m not blind buying it. I hope.
Do you have any good sample sites in the UK? Maybe you can get a sample from one… I shop samples like you wouldn’t believe! I can’t really find any good perfume to sniff in shops here in Finland so I would be buying blind all the time without samples.
Lol I can imagine the perils of smalltown or even largertown Finland 🙂 jotenkin takapajuinen maa 😉
Anyhoo my current policy is that I want to peruse the local stores as best as I can. I’m not too keen on buying samples because 1/ the quantity is often too small to make an assessment 2/ there’s way too much to choose from and you risk *really* disappearing down the rabbit hole and 3/ I’m not really an e-shopper to start with. I like going to brick and mortar stores and fumbling with the actual product before making a decision (however ill-advised).
We’ve a Debenhams, a big Boots, Loccitane, Lush, Whatchamacallit, Kiehls and Jo Malone so that should suffice. I can always go to London or Amsterdam for further sniffing but for the time being I’m content to hunt for dept/drugstore gems. I’m sure they’re there 😀
Oh I’d love it if I could go to an actual store to fondle some fabulous frags! I’m in countryside Finland with the closest city being midsized by Finnish standards. It’s a complete fragrance desert though. Only the most mainstream of designer and celebrity scents. The most exciting and the only niche I have been able to find in store in the whole of Finland is a selection of Honores de Pres… Even if I go to Helsinki there is just nothing interesting what so ever. 🙁
So I definitely depend on samples. I usually buy 2 ml spray samples from Aus Liebe Zum Duft, but I’m quite content with dabber vials from Luckyscent too. They are usually enough for about 8-10 wears for me.
I’ve long since gone down the rabbit hole!! But it’s Wonderland down here so I’m happy! I try not to buy bottles very often though, only if it’s a rare gem that I never want to be without. Of scents that I’m unsure about or that I don’t think I’ll use very often I try to find decants.
Jour d’Hermes is one to try. Anais Anais is one of my favorite florals (not sure how the current formulation is, though.) I love Chanel Beige, if you can come by it. Narciso EDP (in the white bottle) is gorgeous as is Andy Tauer’s Carillon pour un Ange.
Jour de Hermes is definitely easy to find, will try it out. Caleche also – I’ve read nice things about it, although it might be too aldehydic. Come think of it, I’ve also repeatedly tried 24, Faubourg. Based on the notes it should fit the bill yet I find something very ‘off’ about it. It’s floral all right, and haughty . . . and almost repulsive in a way.
Narciso in the square white bottle I like too. It feels a bit thin though which is likely due to anosmia (I can’t smell For Her at all). Will also resample.
Thank you guys. I’ve a plan for the next few days now 😀
Kelly Caleche is more floral, and I second Baiser Vole Essence.
Chasse Aux Papillons, for sure! It’s available in Sephora in the US so hopefully not too hard to find in the UK either.
If you’re looking for a no holds barred, definitely not clean, BWF (of the jasmine variety) then go try Lush Lust. Their Imogen Rose (though rose-centered) is also a very strong floral. Good luck! Let us know if you find something that hits the spot.
Happy weekend, my scented friends!
No SOTD yet, will be testing… something… later. I’ve been trying to work thru my Pinrose samples but they’re a bit challenging. First, they’re not sprays or dabbers, they’re those moist towlette thingies so I only get one shot at them (grr). Second, quite a few so far have a volume profile that annoys: too loud at first, then over the cliff to become a skin scent within 2 hours. So then you think, fine, show’s over, let’s scrub this off and move on to the next, when you find that they Will Not Scrub Off. I think these might be the longest-lasting scents ever. Honestly, multiple scrubs and they’re still there the next day. I will say there are some nice scents in the bunch but the process is gettin’ on my nerves.
Beauty question: could anyone recommend me a brow pencil? I’m hoping for something that looks rather natural, which is probably a bit silly considering I’m drawing on my face with crayons, but still, thought I’d ask….
Clinique makes one called Instant Lift for Brows that I like a lot. It’s double-ended, with the brow crayon on one end and a sort of highlighter crayon on the other. I don’t use the highlighter end, but love the brow filler-inner end. I’m a greying strawberry blonde and the “soft blonde” color works perfectly for me.
I like the NYX mechanical pencil. Inexpensive (relatively speaking), lasts all day, and comes in a variety of shades. You can go very light or get all serious and create massive dark Neanderthal brows- your choice! Don’t know if NYX is available in your neck of the woods…?
Personally, I prefer powder and usually use eye shadow.
I think one key to looking natural is finding the right shade and color for one’s skin and hair coloring. It’s a trial and error process, and by experimenting with eye shadows, it’s easier to test a greater range initially (assuming one happens to have various palettes lying around) and find out what type of gray, gray-green, taupe, brown, charcoal, etc. works with your skin and hair.
Good luck!
I also use eyeshadow and an angled brush, but I do like the NYX wax pencil to keep everything in place.
I’ll have to see if I can find the NYX wax pencil – that sounds useful.
My daughter and I were both natural blondes, but she has always had dark eyebrows, which I envied, whereas mine are now very light. Our complexions differ, too. Genes, genes … I like the sound of that Clinique pencil.
It’s not a pencil, but I highly recommend the Mac Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set. It’s like mascara, but for your eyebrows. It’s really easy, and looks very natural.
Bbrowbar brow definer rocks. Easiest pencil I’ve used and natural looking enough.
I am not at home and can’t recall which brand I use (something cheap from the drugstore), but my life totally changed when I thought to buy a brow pencil markedly lighter than my (medium-shade?) eyebrows–ones that “matched” made me look like a Disney villain but a lighter one filled in much more subtly. I’m sure there’s an explanation to do with lighting, shadow, whatever whatever, but bottom line it worked 🙂
All that said, I will confess to watching the Bachelorette so I can recount that near-Disney-villain eyebrows have been featured on numerous women in that show: maybe they are “in”? (Or um I guess that’s a fairly specific demographic, but, you know. It’s a thing? That exists in the world?)
It is a thing–those dark, thick brows. I was told by the salesperson at Ulta that they’re called “Instagram brows.” Not being a follower of Instagram anything , I didn’t ask more questions and now I wish I had. Someone must have started the trend.
I really like the Stila Stay All Day pen in Medium.
Haha oh goodness. I am afraid to google it.
I’ve been using and really like the Smashbox Brow Tech Gloss Stick. It’s a pencil that’s soft and smudgy and has a very soft look – soft enough that I can comb it through my brows (with the spoolie on the other end) and it will actually hold the hairs in place so no need for a setting gel.
I’ve used powders, waxes, gels, pomades, and other pencils and like this one best as it’s the most natural-looking and easy to use. I use it to fill in areas that are sparse. If you want something that’s super precise, it wouldn’t be great for that.
I got pretty frustrated with those Pinrose samples. They sent me some to try, but I thought they were considerably overpriced for what you get and never got any farther with them.
I like Gimme Brow by Benefit. It is like a mascara with a tiny wand. Two swipes and you’re done. The shade range isn’t the best, light/medium and medium/dark I think, but the lighter one is nice and taupe colored, not at all red.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I have much to ponder here I see 🙂
No brand recommendations, but to expand on what C.H. said, a friend once told me that when picking a color, it’s good to pick one a few shades lighter than your hair to avoid looking clown-like. Your brow hairs are interspersed with (usually lighter-than-hair-colored) skin, so the overall effect is of a color that is lighter than the hair itself. It’s best to pick a brow pencil color that’s the weighted average of your skin + hair color.
Ah yes! I knew there was an explanation! Your eyebrows are that shade, but they are not a solid block of that shade (unless you desire to make them so!) Makes total sense. Thanks Koyel.
Yes, thanks to both of you. It would not have occurred to me to go lighter, I’ve been trying to match, but not been loving the painted-on-eyebrows results at all. The gal who helped me at Sephora put on a color that was much too red, now that really looked silly. More trial and error to come, but now I have a new direction to head in, thanks!
Similarly, I also think a color that is cooler than your hair works better, because the pink of your skin shows through. Like grayish instead of brown, for example.
I haven’t put on any perfume yet, seeing as how I’m not going anywhere today. It’s freezing cold out, but toasty warm in my room, so I’ll see what takes my fancy in a minute.
I’m enjoying spending a lazy Saturday watching Pirates of the Caribbean for the bazillionth time, and updating my perfume spreadsheet and storage, since my big eBay lot and my Rania J sample order both came in yesterday.
One of the things that came in my eBay lot is a small spray of Carnal Flower. Oh. My. That is one intoxicating scent. I had a feeling I would love it, being a BWF fan, but it’s even better than I expected.
I love that movie!
I’m glad you have a pretty perfume on while watching.
Carnal Flower is pretty great, yeah.
Favorite quote from PotC: “You cheated.”
“PIRATE.”
Yes to loving Carnal Flower! I think it is perfect for the cold cold weather.
SOTM is Grey Flannel. It’s amazingly comforting.
Wonderful! Love it in the rain.
Yes! And it’s definitely raining here today. Ah, Oregon in near-spring. 🙂
Oh fun! Nothing like new perfume to evaluate and organize- it sounds like the perfect indoor sport to me ????
Whoops! This is a response to newbiebex above.
It is! It’s a perfectly wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I’m going to make a cup of tea in a moment and I’ll be happily absorbed for hours. Plus the lot from eBay had a bunch of little mini bottles that must have come from a discovery set, or a coffret, but they’re all adorable and matching and just looking at them makes me happy.
SOTD is Chanel No. 5 Eau Premier.
I know this really isn’t really a fair question, but am going to ask anyway. I like many of the Chanel Exclusifs and have bought FBs of Beige and 31RC. I have not tested, but wondering about purchasing Coromandel or Cuir de Russie as blind buys. I have had good and bad luck with blind buys, but both of these seem to be quite popular here. Also, I think there are certain scents that probably would smell good on anyone just because of the high quality. Any thoughts? I know it is still my own decision.
Ask for samples or trade for little decants first-save your money for bottles of what you know you love, and the hunt and contemplation is a good part of the fun of it all.
That said, if you have to blind buy a Chanel, go with Bois des Isles extrait- it is one of the almost perfect perfumes…(course, I don’t have 31 RC yet…)
Same here with the 31 Rue Cambon but that will be remedied soon…just deciding if I should use my Saks gift cards or get it at the boutique.
Please do give us one of your splendid mini reviews. You and I have similar tastes – I am very interested to see how you like it.
For Coromandel, it also depends on whether you really like patchouli. With Bois des Iles, do you really want the lighter Exclusif, or the extrait? I think it’s better to get samples first, except that’s become difficult. Thanks, Chanel! 🙁
Yeah, thanks Chanel! ????????
Yeah is there a story behind this? I noticed their disappearance but have missed how/why that came about?
Yes, Chanel cracked down on the decanters, and both STC and TPC had big sales in January to sell off their Chanel stock.
Ohh goodness. Well. Hrmpf.
Sorry, I have Bois des Iles on the brain because so many have been wearing it this week. Definitely agree with everyone else that it’s better not to buy Cuir de Russie unsniffed, even if you love leather perfumes generally.
If you can’t get a sample of Coromandel, you could try SL Borneo 1834. Sheldrake made both at the more or less the same time, and they’re very close. Borneo 1834 is more rough, and Coromandel is more plush.
Yeah, very unimpressed with Chanel’s actions with the decanters. Having left them alone for years, why now?
I can give you some Coromandel, I received a generous amount from one of the swap meets. It’s beautiful, very well blended…I mainly get patchouli/vanilla and a touch of smoke. Get me at jkdienes at gmail dot com.
If you are in the US I’d be happy to send some Cuir de Russie.
FWIW, I absolutely hate and despise Cuir de Russie, despite generally doing quite well with classic Chanels. Don’t blind-buy it.
Do you do well with leather in general? I absolutely love the idea of leather, and the smell of leather, but leather frags smell like doodoo on me (figuratively), CdR included. But, if you and leather get along, then that’s not a concern at least!
And I sometimes get on great with leather scents, and sometimes not at all, so there’s that variation to consider too.
CdR = poopy leather but I will give it another chance. It is definitely not one to blind buy.
Hi, Kris! I’ve only now seen your question from yesterday… As much as I love almost all Exclusifs, I wouldn’t recommend buying Cuir de Russie or Coromandel blind. In that sense, I think 31 Rue Cambon is safer (although of course a blind buy is never safe), especially for people who like classic Chanels. Leather and patchouli can be tricky.
That said, I think you’d love them both and if you cannot get samples, let me know (I’m in Brussels, but if need be, can send you some vials wherever you are). I am not strong enough to stop buying Chanel after their unsympathetic decisions, but I can at least be a one-woman guerilla sample army.
Thanks all for your comments. I have a feeling, after reading the comments today, that I probably would not like either one of these. Thanks to those who would send me samples, but I think I will pass at this time. I appreciate your help.
FWIW, I could barely smell Coromandel, but I have an extremely wonky nose. If you change your mind about trying it, I’ll have the better part of a 5ml decant on offer at the next Swapmeet.
I like most Chanel scents but I hated Coromandel, all I smelled was the white chocolate note, and Cuir de Russie was just okay. I wouldn’t buy blind if it were me.
Word! I was so excited to try Coromandel since I love patch and all the other exclusifs, but I could not scrub it off fast enough – I absolutely detested it, which I know makes me an outlier.
On the other hand, I adore CdR, though it’s definitely not a scent to blind buy. It’s very barn-y.
Coromandel was quite rude to me. The first time I tried it, I loved it. But the last time I wore it… all white chocolate, and I haaaaaaaate white chocolate. Bad Coromandel, bad!
CUIR DE RUSSIE ALL THE WAY! One of the most decadent and fantastic fragrances in the Chanel Catalog! Even though it’s reformulated like a S.O.B It’s still Magnificent stuff! It’s just Leathery, Earthy, Sensual goodness!
I swear I posted here earlier, but it didn’t make! Oh well…now 18 degrees F, up from 3 degrees at 8 am this morning. Hopefully this will be the last cold snap of the winter…fortified myself for shopping with a nice spritz of Fate, which is wonderfully appropriate for the weather…maybe I should host a split of this…just thinking out loud…
Lovely! But that temp…! Brrrrr!
Hi! The cold gets old, as they say.
The Tauer has still not showed up for me even tho I see other’s have gotten theirs. So…..anticipation… 🙂
Wheeee! ????
A split of Fate, you say? You fascinate me strangely.
You know, I wore Fate yesterday all day long, out and about shopping then snuggled up watching “The Martian” and it started to really wear on me. I am rethinking a split of this since I have many perfumes I can wear all day long without ending up annoyed at them. Sorry.
Now it is Sunday and I am still thinking about the movie. If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth a couple hours of your time. I think I need a t shirt that says “Think like a Martian!”
No problem. Money saved!
Glad you have that reaction, same as me! I’ve figured out that for me the true mark of love is when the price seems like a detail rather than an obstacle. My checkbook is grateful to encounter obstacles!
Happy weekend and lovely Valentine’s Day to those who are in love.
My sotd is Diptyque Oud Palao, tomorrow I will wear Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme as I find it suitable for the occassion of V-day.
Hugs
How do you find Oud Palao, lucasi?
I like that one a lot (it made it to my wardrobe)
For a detailed point of view you can check my review at Chemist in the Bottle
It’s a great weekend for single people to pamper themselves, too, Lucas!
How would you compare Oud Palao and Rose Anonyme? IIRC, they are both rose-oud fragrances. I’ve only sampled the Atelier, so far.
Agreed. I don’t feel down because I’m single it’s just that my time has yet to come to find someone.
Interesting idea. But they are so different! Oud Palao smells more like saffron rose and Rose Anonyme is rose, some oud and I get the papyrus too.
Thanks, Lucas!
Yes, you’ve been super busy over the last few years, and have experienced a lot of transition. Not ideal timing yet.
Ah I love the sound of saffron rose! I haven’t tried Rose Anonyme yet either, so you have said enough to get me curious in both 🙂
Tauer PHI today. I am continually sampling rose scents. My mom (who lived with ALS for 10 years) wore Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose a lot. Even after she was confined to a wheelchair, her aides dressed her nicely, did her makeup, and put on her perfume before she rolled out for the day, ready for whatever adventure we could come up with that was handicapped accessible (my son was in preschool at the time). I have her bottle of Tea Rose and I like to sniff it but I can’t wear it. So I keep sampling rose scents – not my favorite note – in an effort to find something that I could wear regularly that would give me hints of her scent. I know I’ll find it some day. Not sure PHI is it, it is quite beautiful but today, at least, my skin is swallowing up the rose. Will keep trying my sample to see what happens. (Another plug for the Tauer sampler set – I decided to order one of each fragrance so I have three of those lovely tins!)
I love most Tauers, but I could not wear PHI. Have you tries the Rose Chypree? I like that one a lot, and the rose is cut with greens and incense…
Also Noontide Petals!
On my first try, I liked the Noontide Petals more than Rose Chypree, but the rose didn’t stand out to me. I samples of all of his roses so will give them each a go. Part of my problem is that I am not willing to go really big-budget so I don’t want to try anything that is out of my range in case I fall desperately in love!
Have you looked at Sonoma Scent Studio for a more moderate price point? 17 ml bottles and a variety of lovely rose scents to pick from. I love the Rose Musc, but there are other ones as well.
I have tried rose volupte. the rose was a little more than I’m looking for. Will grab a sample of rose musc!
If Rose Volupte is a little much, Rose Musc is apt to veer into scrubber territory for you.The other rose of hers I have tried is Rose Velvet, I think. It was milder. You might want to try that one too!
MMKinPA, I can remember Tea Rose smelling absolutely fantastic back in the day, and being disappointed in the bottle I bought a few years ago. Can you compare over time? I’m wondering if it’s changed, or if it’s me.
My bottle is pretty old… I remember it sitting on my moms dresser at least back as far as high school – the 80’s! I haven’t smelled it lately but I should pick up some to compare next time I see it.
I hope you’ll report back!
You smell great, Phi is the only Tauer fragrance I have in my collection, the other one that I wish I had is Reverie au Jardin
Have you tried any of the Rosines? The rose accord used in almost the entire line has some similarities with Tea Rose – it has that same tart/citrussy/green edge.
I have a sample of la rose. Will try it again. My nose has definitely changed over the par couple of years.
How about:
Jo Malone Red Roses
Ann Gerard Rose Cut
FM Portrait of a Lady
I have a vial of the Jo Malone, thanks for the other suggestions!
Rose Noir by Byredo recently caught my attention. Smelled gorgeous on a friend of mine.
What about Marni Rose? I’m a rosephobe so I have steered clear of it, but it’s widely available and cheap! Wouldn’t be the end of the world if it didn’t work for you, but it’s nice to find a wonderful scent that is cheap and lovely- Hello Bvlgari Black!
Seconded!
I don’t know if this helps, but a few rose scents I have come across either earlier or in my recent sampling are:
Hermès “Rose Ikebana” (Heremessence series) – rose and rhubarb, beautifully sharp/sweet, bought as a 15ml and followed up with a FB
Czech & Speake “Dark Rose” – rose, saffron & oud, bought as a FB but I did not love it.
4160 Tuesdays “Urura’s Tokyo Cafe” – rose & violet love hearts so won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, FB from freebiemeet (thanks SunsetSmells!)
Jul et Mad “Néa” – toothachingly sweet gourmand judging by scent only, 5ml sample which I haven’t worn yet so it might work out differently on skin (I see some reviewers get rose from the beginning, as I do but as a rose syrup; for others it develops later).
I second the Rose Noir suggestion and, in a different way, the Rosines. Rose d’Ecume is pretty amazing, with a citrusy note and something genuinely evocative of a lightly salty sea-foam. Not sour at all, which can be my problem with some roses.
That’s so touching.
Have you tried Rose Anonyme from l’Atelier Cologne? It’s my SOTD and is very comforting. I’m also fond of Rose Pompon from AG, but that’s a bit more flirty/in your face.
Speaking of Tauer samples, I got mine yesterday and quickly discovered that I don’t like Rose Vermeille. There’s too much of something in there.
It’s so cold in the front of my house that I’ve been hanging out in the back bedrooms, still in my cozy robe, and I’m working on sample organization. My spreadsheet is up to date, but not my scores of samples.
Last night I had a disturbing thought: Do I enjoy collecting more than I do wearing? Don’t like that idea one bit.
I’ve wondered about that too, KarenB, but I think the answer is that I enjoy collecting what I’m going to love wearing. Because I’m in Aotearoa-New Zealand, I don’t go the decant path: the cost per ml, together with postage, is just too many $$$$. On the other hand, I buy FBs madly when I encounter something I adore, and I sit in hotels rooms or rented apRtments in foreign cities feeling all gleeful about my finds. The hunt is fun, for sure, but back home, I also get a big kick out of my extensive wardrobe and like you, I find a whole range of sensory enjoyment in it: I like organising it and re-organising according to different principles, I like thinking what I might wear for this day and the Ithe other activity, I am amused by by occasional indecisiveness, I like noting my thoughts as to how various perfumes behaved and affected me on different days. So, I think that you and I enjoy both the collecting and the collection. I should think we all do.
The local meetups thread is an excellent idea and I am hoping others are game in sunny San Diego… 🙂
Yes, count me in for a meeting in San Diego! And thanks She-ra for suggesting it!
I am in for a San Diego meetup!
Wearing Reminiscence Vanille on a really cold day (only 8 degrees here today). It’s a good one for this kind of weather.
Someone on fragrantica asked for a description of Kiss Me Intense and how it compares to other almond/heliotropes. So Now I’m wearing Kiss Me Intense, Kiss Me Tender, Etro Heliotrope, Jour de Fete, Reminiscence Heliotrope, and Mandorlo di Sicilia… And I’m not even terribly fond of sweet almond or heliotrope… how have I accumulated this much of the sort? My sample and decant collection is like a reference library sometimes… I keep all sorts of things I don’t love because “they might come in handy some day…”
Anyway. I’m getting a whole lot more ylang in Kiss Me Intense than I ever have before and that in combo with the bitter almond is really nice! Very heady and narcotic! And it is rather a lot more intense than Kiss Me Tender. So I’m starting to fall in love with it and also starting to find it a good replacement for Kiss Me Tender!
The other scent’s I’m wearing are not my thing. Sweet almond is just too play-doh on me…
You know, I have been dreaming about meeting some fellow fragrance fanatics! I have yet to meet even one perfume obsessed person IRL. We are few and far between here in Finland I think. But it would be so much fun! A bit of a language barrier though, since my native language is swedish (I’m a finnish swede) and I don’t speak very good finnish at all… but if we are online and speaking about perfume on international forums then english will be a common language! 😀
Thanks for commenting on all the heliotrope scents – I love the flower, but I often find that almond/heliotrope scents smell too much like Play-Doh/cherry cough syrup for me. I really *liked* Kiss Me Tender but not enough to buy it at the time. Haven’t tried the Intense version, but I think I’ll put it on my sample wishlist.
As for almond scents, so far my favorite is Montale Amandes Orientales – it smells like almond cookies without the cherry angle.
I have a sample of something that was labled as Amandes Orientales but since it smells nothing like almonds I’m guessing it’s either turned or mislabled…
I just made a list of the almond scents I have tried so far and thet were rather numerous to say the least, around 40! and almond has never really worked for me (play-doh) so I have no idea why I’ve so obsessively sampled them… Anyway, I think my favorite gourmand almond is Reminiscence Dragee which is just such a wonderful powdery almond meringue! I had a bit of a turkish delight phase too, but I’m so over that now… Kiss Me Intense, PHI Kandahar and Mon Precieux Nectar are my favorite floral almonds I think… And I really enjoy Tonka Imperiale and Reminiscence Tonka so apparently tonka/almond is a thing I like too.
Dragee, hmm? (scribbles onto list)
If you’re ever in Tallinn, we could do a Finnish-Estonian get-together, although I’m myself very rarely home these days. I actually used to study Swedish at school, but as I haven’t used it for something like 15 years, I guess English it has to be…
I have never been to Tallinn actually! And I do think it’s a must visit if you live in Finland so a future visit to Tallinn is very probable. I’ll let you know if I ever do, with some providence you might be around the area too, who knows! 😉
I worked out earlier, and need a shower. I haven’t decided yet what fragrance to wear.
I do have a question:
Lately I’ve been on a grapefruit kick. From drinking grapefruit liquer with champagne (delicious!!) and wearing Guerlain Pamplelune a lot. I also received samples of Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose cleansing gel and moisturizing balm. This one is very pretty also.
Any other grapefruit suggestions?
I like the grapefruit in Jour d’Hermes and in Sel de Vetiver. Grapefruit liquor with champagne sounds wonderful.
I forgot about Jour d’Hermes. I know I have a sample around here. Its been a while since I tried it, but I do remember liking it. Thanks!
The name of the grapefruit liquer is Giffard Pamplemousse Rose. I received it as a Christmas gift, and it is so delicious. It gives the champagne an icy bite, if that makes sense.
Not a perfume, but if you haven’t tried a La Paloma yet – yummmmm. I usually have the easiest time getting the San Pellegrino Pompelmo soda, but Goya or something is more traditional.
I will look for these next time I’m in the grocery store. One of them might be the perfect summertime drink.
I dig Pamplelune.
Me too! I regret not buying a full bottle. I have a decant that I’ve been using. I’ll hate it when it runs out.
I asked at the local Saks, and they don’t carry it.
I’ve seen it at a couple of discounters recently…. Beautyspin and FragranceX. I’ve had good experiences with both.
Thank you Pixel. I’ve never ordered from fragrancex before I ordered a bottle of Pamplelune tonight from them
I’m so excited!
Your cocktail sounds delectable! To my nose, Goutal Eau du Sud smells like grapefruit pith (and lime zest.) YSL Baby Doll is one I spent a lot of time in when it came out. I put some on recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its grapefruit is of the candied variety and it’s a fun, girly and most un-serious scent.
I do love Annick goutal scents. I’ll try to get samples for both of these.
Candied grapefruit sounds good!
Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis.
I just looked up this one on Atelier’s website. I’m going to order a sample. I love to order samples from here because I love the postcards wrapped in wax paper that accompany the sample 🙂
Some Sephoras carry it in-store.
I’ll second Jour d’Hermes, and add that the Absolu is much heavier on the grapefruit. You might also try M. Micallef Pomelos. I got the cheap refill bottle in its older version (No. 21), which is supposed to be less floral and more citrus than the current version, from Fragrancenet, and while the top notes have turned, it smells great after 20 minutes.
Albino from DSH Perfumes has a really great grapefruit pith note
Thanks! I’ll check this one out also .
It’s supposed to be our coldest day of the year in the DC area, with forecast wind chills of 10 to -5 degrees. So far, I’m keeping it simple with that Michael Kors Ultimate Body Lotion, to which a lady cabbie introduced me yesterday. I may test Orlov samples later on.
I’m not sure I’ve ever tried any Michael Kors perfumes. I’ve been wary due to Tania Sanchez’s one-star review of Michael:
“evil tuberose” “Shrieking hair-singeing horror, probably first rejected for use in industrial drain cleaner. One of the worst ever.”
MK Island got three stars, though, and some of those are pretty good.
Hey, Tania seems to be showing some restraint with that review ????
Yes, I wish she would tell us what she really thinks! LOL!
Yeah, why can’t people just say what they mean? 😉
I didn’t think it was that bad. But then she really hated PdN Fig Tea (“I staggered back, spitting curses”) and I like that one, too.
LT liked White Luminous Gold (style.arabia).
That’s interesting! Google shows that this can be found in a gift set with the body lotion I like, a small size of Rose Luminous Gold, and a silvery nail polish. I’ll be sure to test this one the next time I pass by a department store.
Haha – I actually really like Michael Kors – it’s strong but it’s pretty!
I am not sure that Michael and Michael Kors are the same perfume. Or that they are not. There is some equivocation on the internet.
Michael Kors was one of my first Sephora buys when it first opened here. I never reach for it – my tastes have changed a lot- but I didn’t think it was awful!!
I will love Michael til the end of time but can hardly stand to smell it now… First off… GINORMOUS Fan of Mr. Kors’ fragrance and fashion… But as for the reason I cannot smell it, well let’s start off by saying it is a GIGANTIC Tuberose scent and one that once you smell it you’ll never, EVER forget it! Now the reason, my beloved sister, Terressa, who died in 2007 (9 years this Feb. 5… ????????????) was married to a man named Michael in ’99 when the scent debuted. That year for Xmas I bought the scent for her as a kind of honoring of her husband and because, it smelled KICK-ASS on her, really it did! Well, she later divorced Michael and gave my mom the bottle because she didn’t really want that kind of reminder… But since she has been gone, smelling it makes me think of the great times when she was Alive… And it makes me miserably sad to smell it now, as gorgeous as it is!
My mom doesn’t really like eve scent and isn’t a big fan of Tuberose anyway… So I have the bottle on my dresser now and just smile at it sometimes… It makes me miss her terribly!
I’m so sorry about the loss of your sister. If the scent helps you remember the great times you had with her, it’s definitely worth hanging on to it.
Wafting Chergui today, to match the burnt orange jersey top I have on. I bought this in Paris on an extended family vacation, so it always brings back wonderful memories when I wear it.
Fun! !
You smell fab!
I may top off my Cuir a Beluga with Chergui before I head out to a party. We’re celebrating the Lunar New Year a week late (although someone told me it’s not late). I am bringing Tres Leches cake from a Cuban restaurant – who says we have to stick to Chinese food 🙂
Cuir Beluga! I don’t know what Cuir a Beluga is.
Ah. I seem to recall that it was formerly referred to as “Cuirass.” 😀
LOL, truedat!
The DC celebration is this weekend.
I think all the Tet festivities here were held this weekend.
I keep getting whiffs of yesterday’s Chamade. Now I want to wear it again.
Aren’t you lucky that you can!
Happy Valentines Day everyone.
Its a bitter cold NYC day-babies and I are staying inside. I mostly feel bad for my friend that is coming tomorrow from California! She has no idea what she is in for..
I just adored wearing my No 5 parfum yesterday for the 5 star community project. A few drops lasted all day. Its from the 90’s and I wonder when Chanel took all the oakmoss/civet out of their perfumes? I would of never reached for it if it wasn’t for the 5 star day-normally I don’t wear NO 5. Now that I put it on, its like falling in love with a perfume all over again.
I had the same reaction when I wore the EDP this week. I also wore the EDC to bed one night, and have deep love for that one, too.
My EDC is roughly from the 60s. It has a certain whiff which makes all the difference and it’s subdued and layered so that I can enjoy it’s development.
But then again I actively dislike modern No5 (’95 onward) in all its incarnations so I’m probably biased. Also possible I’m talking through my hat.
My tragic No 5 EDC story- a boy I met at the end of summer in France during college sent me a splash bottle of the edc for my next birthday. 1986. I didn’t really like it but kept it around for the glamour of it. At some point about 6 years ago, we did some painting and my perfumes that were not in daily rotation were boxed up. I have no idea what happened to that box – Goodwill or – horrors – trash? I still mourn the loss of that bottle! I now just have a small vintage decant to remember it by.
Oh, that is sad!
Moment of silence.
Amen! Bowing my head and speaking a silent prayer!
I’m sure there was still oak moss in the 1990s. Don’t know about civet. IIRC, nitro musks went out in the 1950s. So there are differences all along the time line.
No perfume yet, but continuing to work my way through lots of tiny decants. I hadn’t realised quite how many I’ve bought over the last few years from TPC and STC.
Think how good you’ll feel when you have sniffed every single one and had a dab of most of them, and rehomed a bunch of them! Oh, that is what I just did. It felt great!
SOTD: vintage Fracas. Normally I’m no BWF fan, but a close friend gave it to me and I trust her judgment, so I’m chancing it.
Do you like it? I’m afraid to try it for its reported “bigness”.
Oh, no, it is wonderful, I think, although admittedly best for summer weddings and other outdoor functions. 🙂
I’d have to agree with Meredifay– it’s splendid but it really needs space to expand.
I must smell pretty strange – went to my local fancy perfume boutique and now have FM Monsieur on my left hand and on the right, Margiela Lipstick On. The first one is mostly patchouli on me and a lot of it, especially the first two hours. It has mellowed a bit now and I can detect some vanilla, but it’s pretty relentless. Unfortunately, I don’t like the Margiela at all – I think they have tried to make the classic lipstick theme a bit more interesting and unusual, but it just smells slightly off (to my nose).
I find some of the FMs a bit dense or hard. Relentless is a good word. Maybe I could use a lighter concentration, or old fashioned bottles with the glass dauber stoppers.
Same here. En Passant is my favorite, the exception that proves the rule, and then yes for Musc Ravageur I would not at all mind lightly dabbing rather than spraying!
It reminds me a bit of POAL or Vetiver Extraordinaire in that singlemindedness, but like these two, it’s definitely good quality and patch lovers shoud certainly try it. It’s just not my favourite note and there isn’t much else to make it appealing to me personally. I shall retry, however.
If only one could get a version of PoaL with one-tenth the patchouli! Even Le Parfum de Therese, which I enjoy very much, is just a bit harder than I would like.
Now that you and Eleebelle both have had that reaction, I think I will just go ahead and skip that Replica!
I mean, by all means, give it a sniff when you come across it. But unless you are really really interested in all possible lipstick scent variations, I would not spend much energy on seeking it out.
I went for a longish (9.5 mile) run in the feels-like-8F-cold and now I feel invincible. Rawr!
Wearing Osmanthe Yunnan because I’m going for a pedicure later, and the owner doesn’t like perfume.
9.5?! Wow ???? Much admiration! Happy pedicure – you earned it????????
Thanks! I’m trying to keep my running mileage up so that when I do a half-marathon in October, it’ll be easier.
Yes, respect!
Thanks!
IMPRESSED!
Thank you! I just realized I should also add that I got a few wafts of Mitsouko from Friday, and that helped.
You are an inspiration! 🙂 Only a true athlete runs in that kind of cold!
Invincible AND with your feet done. Go take the world, girl!
I’m continuing the 5-star theme and currently wearing Timbuktu. I can’t say this one has ever really spoken to me. That said, I’m finding that I do not dig wearing vetiver-forward scents except in the summer, when I absolutely love them.
I am trying to stick to a low-buy budget but got some really fun stuff this week: Dame Perfumery Osmanthus (which arrived in 2-3 days of ordering and included 6 samples, a 10% off coupon, and handwritten note;) 2 ea carded samples of Alaia Paris and Marni; a small spray bottle of White Linen; 3 carded samples of Flower by Cynthia Rowley (inspired by the Perfumes: The Guide .pdf update that someone posted earlier in the week.) Spent under $30.
I had planned to put another 5-star on later in the day, but my bottle of No 19 Poudre is out for delivery, so I’ll be putting it on when it arrives. I don’t have a long-standing relationship with 19, but when I tried the Poudre at the store I feel head-over-heels in love. Hopefully I’ll feel the same way when it gets here!
I hear such great stuff about Dame Perfumery, I think they’re going to be my March perfume investigation/investment.
Oh, yes, some nice scents for very reasonable prices. I haven’t tried the new soliflores. The vanilla is my favorite.
You can’t go wrong at their price point! And they really are lovely.
I like the idea of the meetup thread. That would be fun.
I’m doin’ it up DIY style today. I’m wearing a thing I made to figure out what to do with isobutavan (which is strong and sweet and kind of smells like vanilla and apricots). So I decided it use it to sweeten a big cedarfest. I’m using Texas cedarwood, Himalayan cedarwood, rosewood and patchouli, and the isobutavan is working nicely with it, sweetening things without being cloying.
Beautiful avatar! I like the meet up idea too, but no one here in the swamp to meet up with. So sad! One day soon I may move back to a civilized part of the country ????
Thanks! That’s Maggie. I got tired of looking at my big ol’ head and she’s way cuter. ????
Happy Valentines Day to my sweet smelling fellow bloggers!!
SOTD: Black Opium. Just the right richness and sweetness on a chilly day like today.
Other smelly news: On 1/28, Robin posted about Avon’s new “Ulta Sexy Heart”, a sweet gourmand of cherries and chocolate marshmallows. I mentioned that my 11 yr old girl would love it….and I picked it up for $5.50 on Ebay! LOL Brand new perfume going for 5 bucks? We shall see what Avon has put out there for us to try! 🙂
Other Ebay buys this week (that I never expected to win, LOL)….Ghost Summer Flirt, and Naughty Alice. Super cheap…can’t wait to get ’em!
I tested Naughty Alice once… it wasn’t naughty, and I liked it. 🙂
Mine showed up this afternoon! I really like it a lot….will definitely get some use around here!
I NEED a bottle of Black Opium in my life!!!! I, as a man, am going to wear this with pride and passion!!! It’s SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!
I bought a rollerball size, but it’s a spray, and I LOVE IT too!!! If I get thru this size, will definitely consider a bottle next! Mmmmm
Sephora has free bottles for members with 200 points (in case you want a backup?). Not sure about size…
Today I’m wearing Beaufort’s “1805” which since I got a sample seems to have been renamed “1805 Tonnerre”, although it was only launched last year. Anyway, this is the one with notes of gunpowder, blood, seawater, brandy and more, supposedly in reference to the Battle of Trafalgar. Remarkably, although when I first smelt it I thought it interesting but possibly unwearable, today I’m wearing it quite happily. It has been interesting all the way through to the drydown, where it smells of charred wood and a sort of boozy incense/ resin thing. It’s going on the FB longlist, but might not make it onto the shortlist because I’m not sure whether I like it as much as I admire it.
I had some Pharmaprix (Canadian drugstore) points to spend, so I went perfume shopping this morning. I tried CD les creations de Monsieur Diorella and Dioressence, and finally I choosed Diorella but after coming home I am now thinking if I made the right choice since Dioressence changed and it became really gorgeous on my skin. Please help me , should I keep the Diorella or change it for Dioressence? Which one is your favorite?
I love Diorella more than just about any other smell on earth – I wear it more in summer though, so keep that in mind if you’re in chilly climes! But really, if the Dioressence is blowing your mind, follow your bliss! 🙂
Thank you, I am really torn because today it is really chilly here and maybe that’s why I am not feeling the Diorella, I have a feeling I will love it more in spring, summer.
You’ll just have to rack up those points again and buy Dioressence. 😉
I prefer Dioressence, but I am biased since I have smelled its glorious vintage incarnation.
Wearing my Paestum Rose (Eau d’Italie). I discovered that I don’t love it always (and I’ve been neglecting it for quite some time), but in the last week, it has been just perfect!
I think that’s a really interesting perfume! I wish Eau d’Italie would revise their packaging completely.
The packaging is also annoying since it does not allow you to see how much of the juice is still left in the bottle. But, it is kind of different (at least among the bottles that I have) and to me it does have an Italian style to it, so I don’t mind it after all. Importantly, as you say, the perfume is a good one, and I wonder how those by Altai compare … wish somebody can tell me that they are as interesting (and I would get myself samples asap).
Yay super excited that people seem game for the meetup thing. Hoping some of you are in the Atlanta area! I’m having one of those great days when you’ve had a cold for a while and suddenly realize it’s gone and just being healthy feels so great. Wearing Moss Gown, which is gets 5 stars from myself.
I love that feeling of just having gotten a whole new lease on life!
It’s pretty cold here today and was very snowy this morning, but now the sun’s out, the cats are stretched out on their favorite blanket soaking it up and I’m off to work on a birthday cake for the twins when they return tomorrow.
I haven’t bought it yet, but Montale Intense Café makes me think of Valentine’s Day (in a good way) in a bottle. I love it. All cocoa, roses and vanilla. 🙂
For some reason, I am very attracted to Montale, but when I look at the options, I get so overwhelmed, I end up saying “the heck with it.” I read a review of Sandflowers and it seems like it would really work in my hot humid climate, but so many others I would love to sample…*sigh* Indecisive is my middle name. Is the rose very prominent in Intense Cafe?
Montale has a crazy long list of fragrances.
Agreed. I want to explore their line, but from the accounts they have a lot of misses. I’ve boiled down the Montales on my “Try” list to the following:
Aoud Lime
Black Aoud
Aoud Cuir d’Arabie
Montale Intense Café sounds wonderful, though!
Morning, NST. Another relentlessly beautiful day here–oh, super!–and I decided on L’Ombre dans L’Eau when I woke up around 4. It was always going to be L’OdLE, I dressed for it (all green and cool, with a bit of pink), I wanted it, I could smell it…so imagine my surprise to be smelling of Traversee du Bosphore! There’s nothing like strong, clear decisions for a Sunday morning! Hope your weekend is wonderful, everyone.
That is a good story! The hand reaches for what the hand wants!
I put on DSH Oeillets Rouge this morning for a trip to the mall. While I was there I tried a little squirt of The Art of Shaving Sandalwood. It was not immediately impressive but now, 2 hours later, it’s pretty nice. I also tried a bit of Jour d’Hermes Absolu, and liked it, too, but I have a big bottle of the original so I probably won’t get any. However, if someone had some in the swapmeet I would jump on it.
I have a mini that needs a new home. Will send it your way 🙂
Thanks!
Eau de Shalimar. Wish they would bring this back, but will probably have to settle with the cologne…
Indecisive this morning, so I copied someone else on Basenotes and sprayed on Huitième Art Liqueur Charnelle. It is smelling pretty good, especially now that the !?@?! Santa Ana wind has died down.
Still in 5 star mode, I’ve been wearing Mitsouko today, I hadn’t done any Guerlains in my week so a hefty dose is needed! It’s fabulous, I feel comfortable using this bottle up, as apparently the new Wasser version is better than the Fléchier I’m wearing.
You smell wonderful. Mitsouko deserves every single word of praise Lt said.
Today is rainy and a glum, which is twice as glum after yesterday’s sunshiny spring day. Sitting around the house and all over the soft leathers for some reason. Cuir d’Ange for the am and then threw on some Bottega Veneta this afternoon.
Will be going out for some valentine’s dinner tonight and after watching a bunch of Lydia episodes on PBS today, am really hoping for some Italian!
Did Cuir d’Ange win?
It wins for me, but Bottega Veneta is not bad at all.
Yes, I’d say Cuir d ‘Ange won the head to head.
More interesting overall.
Did end up getting some good italian; lobster ravioli. Well balanced, good bite.
But at the same time, Bottega veneta is a great perfume, too.
Ooooh, lobster ravioli! What sort of sauce?
SotD is Ostara all day long. It is radiant in a gentle and comforting way, evolving subtly through earth, stems, leaves, buds, and flowers. For me Ostara is a yellow-slightly-orange floral that reminds me of Wit and La Chasse aux Papillons. With Jour d’Hermes as a yellow-slightly-green floral, I feel ready for Spring.
Best wishes for Valentine’s Day and/or Singles Awareness Day, and a happy weekend to everyone!
Let’s put our feet up. 🙂
Ostara is nice and works well on weekends!
Ostara is lovely for Spring, as is La Chasse. I really need to try Wit.
My much anticipated bottle of Chanel 19 Poudre arrived in the mail today and I tore it open and sprayed away… and almost immediately knew something was not right. A survey of the bottle in my hand and some quick research on the internet confirmed that it is counterfeit.
I took some photos and attached them with an email to the seller with a long list to illustrate that it was an obvious fake. We’ll see how things go from here! (Ebay will step in, as I understand it, and resolve the issue if the seller doesn’t step up with a refund. I think I can also make a claim through paypal.)
I’ve bought dozens of bottles of perfume (including lots of Chanel) on ebay and never had an issue. It is partly my fault, however. I was too anxious to get my hands on a bottle of the Poudre and broke my own buying rules, so I’m not all that surprised I struck out. (Rules, esp for Chanel: don’t buy sealed bottles, don’t buy from new sellers, don’t buy anything without seeing photos of the bottle from all angles – front, back, sides, top, and especially bottom.)
In other news, I’m wearing the 5-star L’Artisan Dzing! YUM! My decant had been sitting ignored for months so I’m glad Friday’s challenge encouraged me to pull it out. Within seconds of applying, it shot up to the top of my ‘best L’AP’ list. We’ll see how it fares over the next few hours. At any rate, it has considerably improved my mood!
Wow….That is TERRIBLE! Hopefully you’ll get a quick resolution. I’ve bought several bottles off Ebay, and so far no problems, but I tend to focus on inexpensive things that I can bid on. I’ll definitely be careful if I ever go for a more expensive bottle…..
Will have to put Dzing! on my sample wishlist! So many of you here enjoy that one! 🙂
Sorry kpaint you have to go through this! It is annoying but you should not worry — I’ve been on eBay for ages, and can assure you that they have an excellent customer service (particularly in the recent years), and, if the seller does not respond appropriately, they will resolve it for you.
What a bummer! I do a lot of ebay buying, but then I’m usually looking for vintage(ish) or discontinued stuff, and a lot of it would already be opened.
I think I might have only bought one thing in shrink-wrap, and it was clearly never-used old stock. Still… what a shame.
BTW, I sent you a private email to the address in your name. If you didn’t get it, please let me know.
Happened to me once too with a bottle of “Sun Moon Stars” purchased it, waited for it, got it and all it smelled of was rubbing alcohol! Was so pissed I couldn’t even describe!
Arg I am so sorry to hear that. It does make buying any of the more widely available scents hard–I am sure there are plenty of real bottles people are reselling but given the number of counterfeits… Smart idea about only buying partial bottles.
I am wearing a bit of a spritz of 90’s era vintage Shalimar eau de toilette that I purchased for a song on eBay… This is very pre-reformulation and is EXQUISITE! It has such a Beautiful lightness yet the distinguishable richness that defines Shalimar… That Always off-kilter Lemon opening is so forward in this version and then followed by such a rich Naugehyde like thick skankiness that it’s almost disturbing and for noses of this day and age not used to such funkiness could come across as off putting! But within 15 minutes, Miss Shal blooms into something so bloody ravishing that you can’t stop smelling it! I like the new formulation only because it’s softer in the opening (Even in the EdP) and blooms more naturally than so radically veering from Animalic to Floral. I used to think Shal was a Chypre in Oriental clothing… This little bottle of loveliness disproves this handily… This is a total Radiant, Deep, Spicy, Unabashed Oriental Floral with sexiness to spare! You can definitely see where No. 5 and Shalimar share a similar lineage (both were born in 1921, Guerlain simply sold Shalimar privately in it’s boutiques, until 1925 when it then begun to be sold to the public) though where No. 5 is a female Racounteur, a Provocatuer, a bold Force of Will and Nature, Shal is an old school lady of leisure and wealth that spends her time in the Opium Den with men of questionable morals and languorously imbibes on a incense soaked velvet chaise!
It’s those aldehydes that Beaux used that changes the fragrances, makes the two fragrances more fraternal twin sisters than identical… The Aldehydes create a Sparkling and Adds a sharpness that Guerlain did not include into Shalimar. Shal is more plush, voluptuous, zaftig, No. 5 is leaner, razor sharp, but still luxuriant!
My love of Shalimar has been renewed by this little 90’s bottle of Magic!
Your description of Shalimar makes me even more disappointed that it just doesn’t work on me. Maybe someday I’ll come across some vintage, and it’ll change my mind.
What does your 90s bottle look like? I recently bought a bottle of the EDT but can’t find the batch code to date it. I suspect it’s from the 80s/90s though.
As Valentine’s Day is tomorrow… And the unofficial mascot of the day is the Rose…. Let’s have a roll call of what your favorite current and classic Rose scents are!!!!
For me the current love of my life is Miu Miu! In my opinion the best new scent of the entirety of 2015!!!! Just ADDICTIVE!!!!!
A classic favorite is the older formulation of Crabtree and Evelyn’s Evelyn!!!!! Evelyn Rose, Watermelon, Peach, some dewy Freesia…. Heaven in a bottle!
Oh, the tragic demise of original Evelyn 🙁 I sniffed my Mom’s old empty bottle yesterday and wished for a time machine.
This morning I spritzed classic The Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose around the house then spritzed myself with Chanel Eau de Cologne. It’s a citrusy-rosy day.
I had to go to a funeral Saturday. A particularly sad one, as it was for a colleague’s son. He was in his early thirties and died very suddenly. I didn’t know him, but seeing his many friends’ and his family’s grief was heartbreaking. I had thought initially no perfume, but then at the last minute a bit of De Profundis. I am not sure why, but was glad I did.
Tomorrow roses! I’ll likely go for Une Rose or PoaL, although since I’ll be working all day, maybe some Hippie Rose first, possibly my favorite laid back, not too overpowering, rose-incense-bit of patchouli perfume. As a woman in Paris rightly noticed, it smells *exactly* like one of the Guerlain exclusives, but the Heeley was first in the field, I’m pretty sure.
I’d love to hear about other rose and incense or rose patchouli loves. The Tauers are high up for me already. Or is people sick of the genre?
Happy Sunday to all!
Oops are!
I haven’t tried a ton of rose perfumes, as I find it a “difficult” note, but two I really like are Ormonde Jayne Taif and La Parfums de Rosine Poussiere Rose, both of which I think have incense. PR has opoponax, which is probably why it’s my favorite rose so far.
Thanks so much for the Hippie Rose rec. I’ve been sampling rose scents literally for years and like Laurels (above) find them difficult on my skin. They either go soapy or are paired with the dreaded musk (I loathe musk!).
With that said, I love SSS Amber Noir, not one that would jump to mind as a rose scent, but it has a beautiful rose heart. The rose is paired with amber and incense. In fact it may just become my SOTD!
Funny, I just ordered a small bit of Amber Noir the other day! Hippie Rose has a bit of musk and is a little quiet for some people, but well worth the try.
Oh good! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
I love the Tauer roses, as for rose/patch it’s Mon Parfum Chéri, Voleur de Roses and Gris Montaigne.
Oh my…this is the 2nd time on this thread I am recommending these!
For Rose Patchouli:
Ann Gerard Rose Cut
FM Portrait of a Lady
Other: (also Rose + Patchouli and sweet)
Marni Marni (I think Deva reminded me of this)
Tauerville Vanilla Flash — surprising, it is more of a rose patchouli than a vanilla…and toothachingly sweet
Tauer PHI Une Rose de Kandahar
Fascinating–I find Vanilla Flash pretty solidly in the vanilla category, perhaps with some tobacco? Had not noticed much rose, now I want to try it again!
Now for me, it starts out mostly incense, and slowly evolves into a vanilla scent. I’ll have to try it again.
Same with me- I don’t get anything remotely floral and I’m ok with that????
Thank you! I love Portrait of a Lady and Phi, one of which I am going to put on right now. The others go on the testdrive list!
Have you tried Paestum Rose? It has that incense-wafted-across-hot-stones accord that I think of as Bertrand Duchaufour’s signature — reminds me of looking at a rose through a piece of grey silk chiffon.
No but I definitely will. It sounds beautiful. Thanks!
Favorite rose-patchouli scents for me – L’Arte di Gucci (I know, I KNOW, it’s d/c, sorry to bring it up but it’s always first on the list), FMK Lumiere Noire pour femme, Ungaro Diva (other flowers in there besides rose, but the rose stands out to me), and Olympic Orchids Ballets Rouges.
Other patch-roses to try – ELdO Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection, Agent Provocateur, maybe PdE Eau Suave.
Rose-incense for me would be Parfum Sacre. You could try Or et Noir (also Caron, and purportedly the inspiration for PS), but I think the rose is a bit screechy. I don’t get on with a number of things people think of as being rose-incense – they often smell like wet, acrid wood ash to me. Love PS, though.
Thanks so much for all the ideas. Ballets Rouges and Rossy de Palma don’t work for me, but the others go on the testdrive list!
SOTD is Olympic Orchids Mardi Gras–better late than never. It’s smoky honey with orange blossom, and I’m enjoying it, but don’t know if I want a FB. The orange blossom in it reminds me of Penhaligon’s Cornubia.
I got a copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, after hearing it praised here, and I am KonMari-ing like a madwoman. I got rid of about a third of my clothes last week, and am doing my books now. So far I’ve put more than half of them in the discard pile, but I haven’t gotten to fiction and poetry yet, which I suspect will be harder to pare down.
I really like the idea of local meet-ups, though as a third-generation Californian, I wonder if we might be a bit too stand-offish for that sort of thing.
Magic happens when perfumistas get together 🙂
I’ve had my share of meet-ups and every single time it was as if we’ve known each other forever and just continuing an ongoing dialogue. Also, it may have to do with one’s personality — I am an extrovert so there you go.
My plans for Portland OR are not yet set or I would already have emailed some Portlanders whom I know mainly through swaps and here.
Then the meetup thread is coming just in time! Getting excited… 🙂
This fourth-generation Californian would wager we’re plenty friendly, in person. 😉
Hello Scented Friends, hope everyone is having a lovely valentines weekend!
Carrying on 5* week in the incomparable Fracas- for all those frightened of Fracas, the rollerball mini i have may be the way to go- i don’t know if this is still made, i got mine from ebay, however the application is light, i roll it on liberally to get some sillage, even then it’s no power house.
I love the idea of meeting up with fellow perfume lovers, and going on a sniffing expedition with other scent obsessed souls!
Had to check out Nordstrom’s fragrance dept. yesterday while doing errands in the mall.
I experienced Fracas for the first time. I’m an admitted floral fan. I was also sprayed by the sales SA with a new summer flanker release on the other wrist. Several SAs were trying to sell the newer fragrances to some bewildered men looking for Valentine’s gifts. I offered the wrist with the “new” fragrance to a gentleman and he liked it. Oops! It was the Fracas. He smelled the actual new one and was a bit puzzled – I think he may have like the Fracas. They told him the Fracas smelled like soap!? I said it was a classic fragrance, but did not want to be attacked by SAs (who left me alone to fill their sample atomizers!) in fear that they might revoke the Nordie’s credit card 😉 . Is there higher profit margin on the newer scents?
Definitely look forward to group sniffing.
Maybe they have a quota to hit? I generally love nordies and the general fragrance SAs are usually lovely, but the last time I was in one of the stores, I asked the Chanel SA for an Eau Premiere sample for my 70-yr old mother, who loves No. 5 but feels it’s too old ladyish (love my mom). The SA went on and on about all the Chance flankers (Eau fraiche and something else that was green an insipid) and really pushed them. I took those home to my mother as well, she was unimpressed with the Chance-lettes but loved the Premiere.
(Though what she really flipped over was Alien – my ultimate frag nemesis. Go figure).
Go, Mom! 🙂
I don’t like the Chances either. 😉
She has great taste. I get the feeling from most SAs that they have been trained to sell an “image” associated with their fragrances, rather than the scents themselves. It’s why I have a “no buy until I try” policy for department stores, especially Nordstrom since they give out free samples.
There’s usually a push to sell the newer stuff – I guess the thinking is that the older already has a following.
FWIW, Fracas is a *bit* like soap on me (all that orange blossom)… and I like it, but there’s undeniably a cold-cream angle to it.
I guess we have to try the new things to appreciate the old ones !
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I’m off to spritz myself heavily in Rahat Loukoum, in celebration. It’s looking like another lovely, warm, early-spring day is in the cards here in wino-country!
Rahat Loukoum! You smell beautiful!
Smelling fliral and head-shoppy in the long-discontinued Mark Buxton fragrance Holy Champa made for the French clothing store Antoine et Lili.
ooh I’ve never heard of this but it sounds great.
Tested Teo Cabanel Early Roses at bedtime last night and liked enough to make it my SOTM this morning- it’s a very nice fresh, slightly green rose.
But people, yesterday afternoon I was thumbing through an ebay search for vintage perfumes and ran across a near-full bottle of Alahine … for a very reasonable per-ml price … and I jumped on it, despite never having so much as sampled it before. My usual level-headed restraint completely deserted me. Yikes.
Level-headed restraint should sometimes be set aside, and it seems to me that high days and holidays are the times to do just that. All that’s been written about Alahine here lately makes it sound entirely desirable. You did the right thing.
Oh, good point – it IS a holiday! I guess it will be my Valentine gift to myself … and hubby, if he likes it. Fairly safe bet, in that he usually likes ambers. Thanks, waterdragon!
Omg! That happens to me only in my dreams! Hope you love it????
I hope so too!
ha, that was on my watch list…but I have the current version in the metallic bottle, which allegedly smells just like the older glass bottle version.
I was going to ask whether the newer packaging was just that or meant it had been refo’d – thanks for anticipating the question. 🙂
Apparently it’s survived the packaging change largely intact, which relieves me *greatly*! My bottle (now about half empty… amazing considering that I only wear Alahine in winter and I don’t even like orientals that much) is the older glass type.
I really hope you love it!
(And if not, shoot up a flare. Somebody here will take it off your hands.)
Yes, I was just going to say let me know if you decide to pass it on, I am very interested in it!
There’s a time for level-headed restraint and a time (in the words of the great Donna Meagle) to treat yo’self. Alahine is totally worth it.
Happy Valentine’s Day to lovers everywhere. It’s to be nother hot day here, and I’ve prepared myself by choosing Narcisse Bleu. I really enjoy the earthiness of this, but although it is anchored in the earth, it also manages to be so crisp it crackles, like frosty grass. The other perfume I turn to when the temperatures rise is DKNY Woman, which is like a glass of something icy cold with vodka, all dewy with condensation. I have these, and I know them and enjoy them, yet yesterday I lay around torpid in the heat, with a headache, wearing the ever-lovely Traversee. Perversity, thy name is Waterdragon…maybe it’s part of becoming a Grumpy Old Woman.!
Embrace your inner curmudgeon! That’s my new motto, now that one of those Big Round Number birthdays is close enough that I could throw a rock and hit it.
Happy Valentine’s Day! My Valentine’s fragrance is one I bought in Miami Beach a few years ago, Vengeance Extreme by Juliette Has a Gun. It is a rose/patchouli bomb, happy and over the top. Nothing subtle about it, and I thought it was a good memory scent for the upbeat atmosphere of Miami. However, it fizzles out on me in less than an hour! (Maybe that’s a good thing. 😉 )
That sounds fantastic! I have never tried any of the JHAG series, but there seems to be many admirers out there.
Sephora carries some of the line now and has a little $15 sample pack I’m eyeing. Also sample sets for ELDO and Histoires de Parfums. Sephora always knows how to take my money.
Just bought the Histoires de Parfums sample set for $16. You get a tiny jewel for your enabler’s pin 🙂 .
Two tiny jewels. Those sets are also at Parfum1.
Just doing my part. 😉
Thanks for the tip on the Histoires set!
Hope everyone is sporting a happy and healthy heart today, no matter your sweetheart status!
I’m in olfactory heaven with my teensy weensy decant if Onda VdE. Our time apart has done nothing to cool my ardor for this fragrance, and in fact, it seems I love it even more. I am having second thoughts about a FB purchase of Box of Eels because I really don’t like Chanel’s boorish behavior. Thinking of forgoing it all together and putting that money towards Onda.
I love Box of Eels and will miss it once my samples are
fini, but sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Where as Box of Eels smells great on me, Onda becomes part of me and I am unable to discern where I end and fragrance begins. True love in Valentines Day! I am very lucky ????
Sounds like a keeper!
That is indeed true perfume love. Congratulations!
Go for the Onda! True love and it smells great– what are you waiting for?
Wearing ELO Eau de Protection, a tough rose for V-Day.
Started the day in No. 5 Eau Premiere, but now that it’s gotten so chilly, I’m craving Soivohle Centennial – d/c now (sob), but a gorgeous fuzzy blanket of a chypre floral.
Then going to Revise More of the Novel That Ate Everything (burp).
In the morning I was in Diptyque Rosaviola, a valentine gift from my husband and then changed to Narciso edp.
I am curious about Rosaviola — and the candle too. What’s it like?
I find Rosaviola similar to Lipstick rose but it doesn’t have any lasting power and stays very close to the skin since it is a solid. I also have the candle and that is very nice, I would highly recommend the candle and the packaging is to die for too.
Thanks so much. I am not a big Lipstick Rose fan, so that’s some money saved.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all my fragrant valentines! ???? Nothing going on in the romance department here but I’m wearing Ostara today.
In the spirit of the holiday I decided to treat myself a bit and splurged on a bottle of wine. It’s a tempranillo from Argentina that I haven’t tried before. The description on the bottle talks about notes of tobacco, leather and chocolate so I’m pretty excited about it.
Wow! That sounds great! I hardly ever drink alcohol but that one sounds absolutely FB worthy. You will have to let us know how you like it.
I’m having a glass right now and I like it a lot! I have to kind of focus to try and pull apart the notes, but the fruit is decidedly blackberry to me and the other notes I get vary from sip to sip but I do occasionally get a hint of leather, sometimes a bit of spice or smoke, a bit of chocolate or vanilla. If you’re curious, it’s Zuccardi Q Tempranillo 2011. It’s more than I would normally spend at $17 (spending more than $10 is a splurge for me) but I had something specific in mind that I was looking for and the description matched so perfectly that I decided to go for it.
duly noted- I may pick up a bottle and give it a whirl????
Happy Valentine’s Day! We finally have a bit of cool breeze and some clouds so the shed-fixing project is more pleasant than the last couple of days. Unfortunately, I’m seriously unmotivated and keep wandering off to play with the kitties – today’s death toll: 2 mice, one huuuuge rat, one adorable little lizard I didn’t get to in time 🙁
I thought I was in the mood to sample some Or du Serail but it turned super sweet the second it hit my skin, so I smeared some Oud Caravan #3 over it thinking to stomp it with funky oud. Turns out that the dab of Or du Serail walloped the Oud at first, then they decided to play nice and I smell pretty good.
I love three of the four Naomi Goodsir’s, but Or du Serail is just too sweet for me. Glad you found a way to tame it, as the idea is so great.
So late to the party this weekend, but here goes: Saturday SOTD was Ava Luxe Bois Exotique and today’s was SSS Incense Pure.
I wanted to spend the weekend in lovely frags, because it was a tough week. I’ve been fostering a kitty, and although I tried everything, she turned out to be just too feral (she was 7 or 8 months old) to be an adoptable pet. I had her for over a month and could never pet her or pick her up (unless I scruffed her). All is not lost – she’s going to a woman who has a collection of “barn cats” (semi-ferals) where she’ll be fed, given her shots once a year, and live as good a life as possible, but I feel terrible. She’s the first foster of that type I haven’t been able to turn around.
You’ve done your very best, and the cat will be in the optimum situation for her–try to think of it as a partial victory. Kindness is important, even if it doesn’t lead to exactly the result you’d hoped for.
How is the Bois Exotique?
Bois Exotique is all sweet, ambery woods on me. I like it very much.
So sorry about the kitty, but she will have a better life as a barn cat than being on the street. I know a woman who “tames” feral kittens for the local humane society and she said it was impossible to change their behavior if they were older than about 12 weeks.
Incense Pure is lovely, I should dig mine out. Today I’m wearing Tauer Incense Rose.
I’m sorry kitty won’t tame, some just won’t. She may actually become a fairly sociable barn cat once she adapts, since she’s had some human interaction that many don’t. A semi-feral barn cat will have fewer terrifying encounters with horrible huge stomping monkeys than an inside cat will so it’ll probably be easier on her, even if her lifespan may be shortened.
That said, Tigger was almost 20 when we put him down, and he lived with emphysema and being badly injured in a barn fire, so they can live full lives.
Sounds to me like she is heading to a wonderful place for her and you needn’t feel bad at all.
Agreed, my in-laws have some wonderful, if a little wild, barn cats. It’s not a bad life for the little monsters!
It sounds like you did everything you could to make her a suitable indoor kitty – I’m sure that’s emotionally really hard, but know you have a good heart and more cats to redeem down the road. 🙂
Thank you all for your kind words.