Hump day! What fragrance are you wearing? (and a quick PSA: the splitmeet is still open!)
I'm doing day 2 of leather with Masque Milano Russian Tea.
Reminder: on 2/26, crack that whip! We're wearing leather. If you need some ideas, do check out Angie's Leather fragrances 101! (suggested by thegoddessrena)
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: shown are leather bookmarks from the Animale collection at Loewe. No idea of the price or if they're even still for sale, sorry.
SOTD: Lubin Upper Ten — I am getting used to comfortably saying ‘S-O-T-D’, but not quite FBW.
Spiced sandalwood-cedarwood. Sharp, scratchy, raspy.
No.
I have not tried that one, but does not sound like I need to?
I don’t think my sense of aesthetics is distinguished, but I have never come across a sandalwood-cedarwood so…raspy. I don’t want to say synthetic because many perfumers deal out synthetics excellently.
But, you should try Gin Fizz. It is like an haute dish washing liquid!
I refer to those as BFN. Big Fat No.
HA, now that is a useful acronym.
That goes into my new perfume dictionary!
That’s too bad. I only smelled on paper and didn’t find anything to object to, but I know you’re not the only one who really was not into it.
on paper was fine, though.
Oh really. Ok good to know.
Also day 2 of leather, or at least suede: the original (vintage? it’s from 2001) Michael for Men, dried fruit and suede and lots of that dirty patchouli they used to use. It’s the first patchouli-heavy scent I ever loved.
Have you tried the new FM? You might like the patchouli there.
Dreary Morning here in the Big Apple. With really poor visibility- I can hardly see out my window.
Looking through my samples to find my “crack the whip” scent for this Friday-I decided on Songe d’un Bois d’Été by Guerlain. I put a few drops on this morning and loving it. Will revisit it on Friday.
Make it a good day.
I got a set of samples of this one from Ebay because it was ultimately cheaper than a decant. I don’t get leather from it, but I loooove it.
I get a little leather and a lot myrrh. I don’t own a lot of leather fragrances. I do have Bottega Veneta but I am not in the mood.
Don’t you just love finding stuff on Ebay? I almost bid on a bottle of 31 RC but I sat on my hands.
The Diptyque sample sale is coming up soon. If I didn’t have these two babies I was going to reach out to you and see if you or some NYC NST’ers wanted to go.
How about I watch the babies and you go to the sale 😉
I just love ’em!
I love me some baby-watching/holding too. When is the sale? We could try to coordinate something, or at the very least check it out and bring something back for you.
March 1st and its downtown.
Floragal..these two are a handful. And we have a cat that will want your attention too!
I was thinking if I go (it’s during my workday so don’t know if I can slink away) we can FaceTime and see if there’s anything you want. I wouldn’t mind baby watching either, if I could. And kitties are my specialty!
This always makes me think “Singe d’un Bois d’Été”, for no very good reason other than pure childishness. But as a scent that would be more ELdO than Guerlain perhaps?
HA! I will refer to it as Singe d’un Bois from now on!
I love this Guerlain but I just do not want to spring for a whole bottle. Maybe next year at the split meet?
I agree!
Its such a lovely bottle though..
Wearing Incense Flash today, for my leather scent, and wishing that my bottle of Lonesome Rider would ship already! Can’t wait for that to come, especially since my decant of Lonestar Memories is running low. I want to be able to compare the two, but think I’m going to need both, because while the idea of a more wearable Lonestar Memories sounds great, I love the richness I get in LM.
Good luck, hope it gets there soon! And look forward to hearing whether or not you need both.
Angela calls it “patent leather” in the linked article: Prada Infusion d’Iris absolue. I’m also wearing it in honor of Lucas’s birthday (Chemist in the Bottle blog).
Oh, then happy birthday to Lucas!
Thank you 🙂
So, what did you buy for your birthday?
Traversee du Bosphore over here. Several people mentioned it yesterday and I started to crave it. It’s cold and grey, and we’re supposed to get a nice dumping of snow in about an hour. As much as I look forward to spring, I need to get a few more wearings in before winter ends. TdB doesn’t do well for me in the heat.
Happy hump day everyone!
Ugh, sorry about your snow! It is gloomy & rainy here again.
Sampling Mimosa Indigo today which is pretty but isn’t triggering any buying urges
Would not have even known that that was a leather one until you mentioned it. Must investigate.
Very gentle leather as compared to a hard leather but yes, it’s there
Cuir de Lancome today. So pretty, and it’s warming me in the New York rain.
Also, I tried Theo Fennell Scent last night from a sample from STC. We like it. We like it very much. Anyone else a fan?
Twins.
I really like Theo Fennell A Scent. But it’s so hard to come by it’s very nearly disappeared, unless you live in the UK. There’s a strong saffron note on me which I like.
I’m beginning to think that saffron is one of my favorite notes, though I’m still not great at identifying exactly what it is, but so many things I love seem to contain it.
Totally how I feel about coriander.
It’s funny, the smell of actual saffron makes me recoil a bit–it’s so sharp and bitter–but I seem to love it in perfumes, or at least I tend to love perfumes that list it as a note.
Yeah, I was too late for the safran troublant split, but something tells me I’d love it. (And I’m weirdly sensitive to when people put too much saffron in food, go figure).
Triplets.
Quadruplets!
You all smell fantastic! Wish I had it here with me too.
Big fan of Scent. I found the EDP at a UK discounter for quite cheap not too long ago (the cost was all in the shipping) & got the EDT in a swap. I think the only perfume I have 2 concentrations of!
My sample of 31 Rue Cambon arrived last night (ordered it weeks ago!) so after my morning meeting that’s what I’ll be in. I tried it last night and liked it, but it wasn’t an instant love.
Well its not cheap-so money saved
Hey Twin. It wasn’t instant love for me either but I do really enjoy wearing it. I have a lot to get done together so 31 fits the bill.
ugh… I have to get alot done today…
Yes–it’s definitely got that Chanel “I am a put-together person who can Get Things Done” vibe!
I guess chypre requires some meditation and familiarisation, even if it is a modern one.
Chypres are some of my favs, but I’ve tended towards bitter / vintage ones in the past. I think it’s the amber that’s confusing me…still, I feel like this is something I could grow to love.
I always struggle with chypres. Amongst the old ones, I like Mitsouko, but it must be in extrait, though. Otherwise, it is still brutal.
Today I am enjoying “Cuir Beluga” by Guerlain. At one point when I was spraying it on, I could have sworn it smelt like bananas in custard, which I haven’t eaten since I was a child. Now in mid-afternoon it’s a comfortable almost edible vanilla.
I remember reading that there wasn’t much identifiable leather in CB and that is certainly my experience today. Vanilla custard perfume is not something I need in my life as it happens, but it beats yesterday’s Chanel Cuir de Russie into a cocked hat, so Go Team Guerlain! :^)
I like Cuir Beluga. Cozy skin scent on me-
Craving bananas in custard after reading your post. Sounds yummy
How about the banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery? Wow is that stuff goooood!
That does sound good! Yum
YES, it is!!!!!
Well, I think banana is a little leathery, no? That probably strikes somthing in your memory.
I have a Burt’s Bees hand cream that is banana…which sounds awful…but it is amazing because it is a cross between green banana and an artist’s studio full of oil paintings, so there’s a fantastic oil/ linseed / varnish quality to it . Like you had found yourself in Gaugin’s studio in Tahiti . ( That might be taking it a bit far but it is definitely oil painting-esque. )
I’m gearing up for Friday’s leather day by wearing vintage Balmain Jolie Madame on this rainy, dreary day.
Jolie Madame is as leathery as it gets for me. I can’t wear leather – it smells of animal hide, death and fear to me. Can’t do it.
So violets and suede are the best I can do for this week!
You smell FAB.
You smell lovely. I’m not a big leather perfume fan either. Although I love to participate in the Friday community projects and really enjoy the sense of unity with everyone here, I usually prefer to wear whatever strikes my fancy during the rest of the week. Just my two “scents” worth. 🙂
LOVE. Ok guess I know what I’m wearing today 🙂
I’ll echo your thoughts on both wearing leather and Jolie Madame, one of my favorite fragrances. In this case, the leather note adds a nice edginess to the ladylike violets – fantastic combo!
I have a hard time with leather, but somehow the harmony of notes here works for me. You smell great!
I’m wearing Nest Indigo from a coffret set I bought last year. I think I tried them all once and never went back to them.
The bottles are more compelling than the fragrances, I think.
Doing suède today with Delrae’s Mythique.
I wish that one wasn’t so shy on me, because it’s really pretty. But it’s one of those that disappears within half an hour, so I can’t justify buying it.
I can smell it for hours, although it doesn’t have big sillage.
That one is on my full bottle list for a funny reason. When I first tested it I initially felt it was too thin and fleeting, barely visible to my nose. But when I wore it on a day when I ended up with a migraine, I found that not only could I smell it well, and it was gorgeous, but that it didn’t make my headache worse, like scents usually do. So it would be my I’m-not-feeling-well comfort scent.
That would be a really useful category of fragrance to have.
How fantastic! I’d love to find something like that for myself.
Twins! Love this one. 🙂
Fleur de Liane in minute quantities as part of my ongoing quest for tiny smells that I feel ok about wearing to work. Basically it’s like perfume homeopathy. This one is nice. Cucumbery!
Very pretty scent.. you smell just lovely!
PdE Cuir Ottoman for today’s leather. Yesterday in BV was fantastic, loving leather week. I am reserving the pièce de résistance for Friday. 🙂
Love Cuir Ottoman and its in my line up for this week as well. You smell fab!
I had to break my promise to wear JM Nasturtium & Clover today. This morning was gray and raining buckets and I just wasn’t in the mood for herbs. Went for Coromandel instead and it’s just the thing.
You smell great Luna!
That’s understandable. There will be plenty of time for herbs in the summer.
Coromandel sounds lovely today.
By the way, just saw your Q and I’m sorry to say I can’t solve the mystery for you–I think I did smell Eau de Lierre at some point, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it smelled like!
Anybody else smelled both it and the Nasturtium? Are they alike?
Eau de Lierre does smell like Ivy to me. I sniffed Nasturtium last Sunday but it did not ring any bells so I can`t really say they are similar but I did not test them side by side.
Coromandel sounds so much better for the rain – plus you smell great.
Coromandel is always a good choice.
I feel p confident you made the right call 🙂
Do you get the “powdered white chocolate” mentioned by LT? I keep thinking about trying Coromandel, but I’m scared of big patchouli.
SOTD is Byredo A Rose in No Mans Land. It is one of the few Byredo’s that I really like a lot.
Ditto. I’ve tried many by them but never really found one that struck me until I tried that.
Haven’t seen this one in stores for some reason. I even stopped into Barney’s Coop and nope, not there. I like their Rose Noir.
I like this one and also Rose Noir – and I own them both. Oopsie.
Tralala: leather, whiskey, flowers and spices. What a fun scent!
Ooh I missed the whisky in that one, you have made me really keen to try it again.
Also in honor of Lucas’s birthday (Chemist in the Bottle) and in gratitude to a lovely NST perfume fairy, I’m wearing Pierre Guillaume’s Shermine. This has a furry iris accord that to my nose is reminiscent of an elegant suede, and there is also an accord that I have now dubbed “Guillaumeade” because I find it quite distinctive and notable in his work.
Ohh, sounds intriguing. I’ve never heard of that one. Noted on the testlist 🙂
Here’s a review!
https://chemistinthebottle.wordpress.com/2015/12/01/huitieme-art-shermine/
“Iris as fur” – very intriguing indeed. Thanks for the link! 🙂
Soft suede and flowers for me today – Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur.
That one is really pretty. I wish I still had a sample.
Swap meet is coming up soon – I’ll keep you in mind if you like. 🙂
How are the Heeley ones? Are they something daring? I only tried briefly Sel Marin, Vetiver Veritas, and Chypre 21. I thought they were quality fragrances, but note quite edgy or daring.
I’ve only tried Cuir Pleine Fleur and Iris something. I thought they were very good, but definitely neither edgy or daring.
Agree – definitely non-daring. Quite office-safe, very, very pretty, and high quality as you said. I’ve only tried the two that austenfan mentions, but want to try Sel Marin someday.
Like others I wouldn’t say edgy, but very very nice and not quite like anything else to me. Sel Marin is the best salty perfume I’ve ever tried – and I have tried *a lot* of them. It’s like being on a boat in the midst of ocean spray. Hippie Rose is a little rose, incense, and something else I can’t identify but love. Iris de Nuit is like no other iris I know and I think actually it is a little edgy. It’s almost astringent and super dry, austere I guess is the word, but without the smoke of Iris Cendre or the specific delicious glacial quality if Iris Silver Mist. Ok enough!
I think Sel Marin is among a bunch of Heeley samples on their way to me. It’s up against Profumum Roma’s “Acqua di Sale” for ‘best salty perfume’ though, so I don’t fancy its chances. ;^)
I like it much better than the Profumum myself, although I’d need them nose to nose again to remember why!
Cardinal and Verveine are unusual.
Hello, twin!
Hi!
Probably my favourite perfume – saving till Friday! I should be wearing my samples of Cuir de Russie and Cuir Cannage before then but not massively keen on either. So Sycomore for me today.
SOTD: Dzing! (L’Artisan Parfumeur) 🙂
Wonderful!
Love.
Same here !
SOTD= Aftelier Luminiere, which started off nicely, with flowers and greenery-not exactly honeysuckle, to my nose, but rich and pretty. After half an hour my nose was clogged and running-allergy attack! Bummer, so much for that one. I scrubbed and liberally applied Avignon, which soothed the sinuses and smells lovely.
Oh no! So sad.
As far as I can tell I have two leather scents. Cabochard and Cuir Amythst. Today though, I am wearing Mugler Over the Musk. A nice pick, since I do not own a perfume called ” Over the stupid man I thought was a good one, but wasn’t “
🙂 Congratulations on moving along.
Got yourself a bad egg huh?
At least you smell great
Onwards and upwards, as they say. And you’re smelling great all the way!
Thanks everyone!
Hahaha if you find such a perfume, let me just say right now I’ll be happy to host the split 😉
I think you have a good reason to treat yourself to a new FB – if you can’t find a FB of “Over the stupid man..” just go for the next one on your wishlist!
Haha, yes! I have definitely been going over my full bottle wish list.
Starting with leather week a little late and wearing Boxeuses. Beautiful, but it’s also really bleak outside today, so I might add something a little more upbeat on top later.
You smell gooooood
Twins! I love Boxeuses. Just finished yoga and since I’m home alone for the rest of the afternoon, I was generous with it. 🙂
Enjoy your extra-generous wearing! 😀
Ooh — I need to revisit that one!
Delicious. But I can see wanting something brighter on a dark day.
SOTD is Dame Black Flower Mexican Vanilla. Mmmmmmm. It’s very vanilla, but not gourmand, at least not to me. Though I love vanilla notes in other perfumes, I’m not typically a fan of fragrances where vanilla is the focus. This is a wonderful exception.
I like that one too, and I’m flirting with purchasing a second travel size. I’m kind of afraid of heading to that website because I think it may lead to a rather large order. ????
Me too! but, I think I will sneak a peek today.
A large travel-size order might get you on the full-bottle list though, then you get surprise packages of samples in your mailbox when there’s something new. It’s an investment in your future 😉 I got little vials of the Soliflore oils the other day, so now I can try layering the sprays with the oils.
Whaaaattt??
I did too. I was so surprised and pleased when they came in.
I did not know this was a thing! Very interesting!
Me, too! A delightful surprise!
I understand that fear! I plan on ordering in the summer, at least travel sprays of Dark Horse and this one.
I’m getting seriously tempted by all the nice things people are saying about Dame–and I have been looking for a not-foody vanilla.
It’s a sweet vanilla, don’t get me wrong, but not foody to me. It smells delicious, but not edible at all. It also has a nice grounding of well done patchouli.
SOTD: Bois des Iles extrait. ’nuff said.
Nuff said! I wore exactly one dab of this as my lucky charm on my wrist the night before an interview. Feels solid on me.
Oh, Delish!
I am wearing the same. I layered it with the edt and smells perfect
I was complaining last week about Bois des Iles EDT being too quiet for me, but wore it today and it smells amazing. I still want the extrait though in a FB!
Caleche vintage edt again today. Having never previously got it, I decanted some into a spray bottle and suddenly – wham – it all makes sense and I can see it becoming a regular. Feels very like No 19 but wish an added warmth.
You smell great 🙂
Ashoka today – leather and fig. Surprisingly nice considering that neither is a favorite note of mine.
That sounds like a nice combo.
Hump day! Also Teacher Conference day, where I’m reminded that my kids are far from perfect! LOL 🙂
SOTD: 212 Sexy. Sweet fancy Moses, I love this scent! This is my fave scent at the moment….
Perfect = boring! 😉
Also Twin Peaks day, which beats both Hump Day and Teacher Conference day! But I did not know that this morning.
Trying Hermes Kelly Caleche today, courtesy of a NST fairy. Not my usual poison, but quite interesting. I have had a hard time finding a perfume love from this house, could this be the one?
I actually like the extrait one, have you tried?
My sample is the EDT but I bet it would be beautiful with a bit more strength.
Ooh yes, I have not tried the extrait but I do prefer the EDP to the EDT, worth keeping an eye for that one at least (it’s relatively easy to find–I’ve never seen the extrait, I think.)
It lasts only the blotter for 4 months!
Wicked bad storms rolling through over night, but now just rain, rain, and more rain. My back yard is like the Everglades, complete with croaking toads. There’s probably a baby gator lurking about, just waiting for the opportunity to snatch T-Rex.
Started off today with CSP Amour de Cacao for spin class, now home and showered and in…
ONDA! VdE!!
I don’t know if it officially fits into the leather category, but I’m off work today, it’s dreary as all get out, and I looked long and lovingly at my teensy (expensive!) 1.5ml decant, and splurged with TWO spritzes! Oh Lordy, I smell good ????
Happy Humpday to all!
Wow, you smell amazing!
Thank you! I think I should have called it a day with a single spritz- Onda is Powerful!
You smell great, and appropriate for the new swamp in your backyard!
????
I mean that as a compliment – I think Onda is dark and swampy in the best of ways. Beautifully witchy.
Toads!
Really, those toads get to be as big as a VW Bug. Last year I walking my dog after dark and this HUGE toad jumped right onto the sidewalk and scared the beejesus out of us- the dog and I both yelped, more in surprise than anything else. When that toad hit the ground, I swear the ground SHOOK!!
That hypothetical baby gator better leave T-Rex alone!
Right?! Don’t mess with T-Rex ’cause Mama T will be all up in your business! ????
Exactly! I’m the same way about my boy. You mess with him, you mess with me.
I’m wearing a little vintage oddity called Florineige Cuir de Russie. Apparently Florineige marketed travel souvenirs consisting of perfume packaged together with dolls in international folk costumes. I imagine CdR came with a doll in a Russian sarafan & kokoshnik. Anyway, it’s really nice. Leather & iris, very simple and pleasant.
Interesting.
Pretty good for a novelty item…
How cool!
Someday I’ll track down the doll!
Iris Prima, today. Wearing jeans – but also ballet flats and a silk shirt, so I’ve got SOME prima ballerina bases covered.
Sounds like a good match for Iris Prima. Clearly the theme this week has influenced me clothing wise too as your comment made me realise I am wearing a khaki leather pencil skirt. Feels office appropriate but who knows what my colleagues think!
They think you look great!
Leather sample number three: Dior Cuir Cannage.
That name really bugs me… Makes me think of canned goods!…and leather!?
It’s nice, but it doesn’t feel like me.
If you google-image cannage, it will give you something much nicer to picture instead!
(I mention this because for a while I kept reading it as Cuir Canard which is not a very appealing image either!)
I read it as carnage. ugh…
Lol!
It helped, thanks! 🙂
SOTD: Guerlain Shalimar. I’m having a quiet moment in my home, eating breakfast before I leave for appointments and errands. Its very nice to have a quiet moment and to be wearing Shalimar at the same time
That sounds like a lovely morning.
i envy your quiet moment
🙂 Makes me want to schedule a quiet morning at home with Shalimar!
Decided today was the day to wear my teensy sample of vintage No. 19 extrait. The top notes are quite Jolie Madame like.
Oh, you smell great!
Agree! The drydown is bomb. Only have one wear left tho 🙁
Wish I had some…I’d share!
I flirted with Vanille Absolument today but it’s going to be quite warm this afternoon so it didn’t feel right. Do I’m sampling Tauer Sotto la Luna Tuberose.
Wearing Silver Iris today, as I sprayed before my new package arrived from eBay. I won a slightly used (a few sprays, 1.5 ml maybe) La Fille de Berlin for £39.00.
Starting leather week tomorrow, so looking forward to wearing LFDB this evening, maybe with a tiny spritz of Epic.. Hooray for new perfume!
For a minute I thought you meant you paid that for 1.5 ml, but you mean 1.5 is missing, yes? In which case, congrats on the great deal!
About to hop in the shower while in the dry down phase of vintage Bal. It’s grey and rainy out and I don’t need to go into work, so I can procrastinate on the shower. After said shower, I will dig out my decant of Jubilation 25. I had $200 sitting on my Amazon account and was looking at some Amouage costs and accidently clicked or pressed the one click buy on my Kindle for Jubilation 25. Am I sorry? Absolutly not.
Accident, eh? The best kind of accident!
Accident! a beautiful accident!????
It’s divine intervention 😉
Again another early morning in Cuir d’ange. My sample is running out fast.
Ohh.. I know there is a Hermes in my new city, but I kind of dread shops like that. I know that’s stupid but alas. I willhave to check it out some time, find out some prices and details on that travel set and such.
But now I’m ready for some serious leather action, Dior Leather Oud is on and cracking. Ohh, love it!
I am your early morning twin. Cuir d’Ange, almost leather ;-).
Hey, if it is any encouragement (or enablement) I was so intimidated to go to the Hermes boutique as I’m not at all what I’d think of as their typical customer. It turned out to be the single most wonderful shopping experience of my life. They are pros with a capital P and was treated as though I was buying a Bentley.
A year later, I went back and the SA greeted me by name. Not kidding, highly recommended experience.
What a great story. Also impressive that the same SA was still there a year later!
Such a wonderful experience! Absolutely an encouragement for me to take the plunge 😉
I find most of the Hermes SAs really nice, nicer than the people in some of the local high end department stores. It’s worth a shot!
I’ve been to the Hermes shops in Chicago and Las Vegas. Neither were the intimidating experiences I had anticipated. Both SAs I dealt with were genuinely nice, appreciative of my passion for fragrance, and knew their products well. -And similar to what Robin said, not nearly at pretentious as the SAs I’ve encountered at NM or Saks.
Thanks everyone! Will definitely take the trip down to Hermes sometime with all this added courage, and most likely some Cuir d’ange will leave the store with me 🙂
In Zeta today, saving my one and only leather sample I brought with me for Friday!
Zeta is fantastic!
I’m very curious about Zeta. I love, love, love linden soliflores, but don’t have much experience with it mixed with other notes.
I’ve been so curious about this one, too, and loved reading the letters between Andy Tauer and Mandy Aftel while they were working on this an Honey Blossom, respectively.
I really liked Zeta, too. The opening was a bit lemon cleanser but the honeyed drydown was gorge. I’ve only had a sample since he discontinued it. Weird that you can still get in his sample sets, though.
Actually, you can’t get Zeta in the regular Discovery sample sets. I just tried a couple of weeks ago. They are still in the larger sets and he explained that they were made when still available and when they sell out, that’s it.
Chanel Cuir de Russie for me today, the LE version, which is plenty leather-y on me, with lovely florals as well. One of my favorites. We’re going to a concert tonight- YoYo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble – this scent feels appropriate.
You smell fantastic and the concert sounds at least as good.
Wow! Have a great time.
Day 3 is Chergui for me. I was going to wear Bottega Veneta, but I decided I wanted more oomph. So tomorrow and Friday will probably be Cuir Ottoman and Cuir de Lancome, but I haven’t decided in which order yet.
That a list of some outstanding choices. No matter what you pick, it will be perfect!
It’s awfully rainy and dreary here in MD – apparently we’re in for torrential rains, wind gusts up above 50 and isolated tornados – so I’m trying my sample of Cafe V. Still deciding what I think about this one.
I’m having a leather week, well, sort of. Love leather, also meant to spend this week reassessing a bunch of long-forgotten leather-themed samples. But I still find it hard to concentrate on perfume while juggling work, household chores, and various puppy-related activities (belly-rubbing is really time-consuming, y’know). Monday’s Floris Mahon Leather and yesterday’s Armani Cuir Noir failed to grab my attention – again – so I’ll take it as a sign that these are perfumes I don’t need.
Today I’m going with the tried-and-tested: Heeley’s Cuir Pleine Fleur. It’s one of my favourite “work” scents, along with Chanel no. 19, but, whereas no. 19 is a “don’t mess with me” scent, Heeley’s is more of a “say whatever you want, I don’t care”. It creates a kind of a soft, violet-y invisible wall between me and all potentially irritating stuff.
Wow, a buffer against irritations! That sounds great. And, violet!
It’s still a “work” scent though, i.e. it helps me feel professional and focused. Of course it’s all in my head, my colleagues might well see me as some nervous and/or sleepy weirdo 🙂 . And what works as a buffer against irritations for me might well be an irritant for some of them, ha.
Great description! It is a lovely mellow scent.
I find it really elegant in some old-fashioned way. Bet it would be great on a man, too.
A bottle of J. Cavallier’s 2000 Armani Mania finally arrived today after vanishing into the Post Office black hole for a week or so. Blind bought and totally not what I expected for a juice that lists labdanum and vanilla in the top notes. It’s bright, nearly sour on top (bergamot, saffron, guaiac wood?), but the notes travel at warp speed on my skin and dive head-long into nutmeg, amber, cloves, iris, and white musk. What an oddball, beautiful little gem that bears no similarity, save a name, to the current peach-hued Mania.
wow, that sounds delightful. I think I like a lot of the perfumer’s work…
Adorable bookmarks! Now I need one or two,will likely settle for an index card tucked into my library book.
No scent today, except the way dry down from my knit scarf which is lovely.
Sampling JHAG Anyway today…
Very light shampoo smell…it is very, very light and I’m not anosmic to musk either.
I may need to kick it up a notch w/ a sample of Marni in my desk drawer today.
Memo Irish Leather. A sample given to me by a lovely NST’er a while ago, when I opened my sample box, it had mostly evaporated! As good as reason as any to wear what was left in leather week. Not as butch as yesterday’s le labo cuir, but definitely bracing with green and juniper-y aspects.
Irish Leather reminded me of an elegant reworking of the smell of Irish Spring. In a good way, but I wondered if there wasn’t a wink in it…
I adore the juniper in it!
Goodness me, it’s after 7, and I woke only half an hour ago! I can’t even remember the last time I slept like this. I need to honour it with something gorgeous that will keep my happy expansive mood going, and my hand has fallen on….Narcisse Bleu. I thought of all my fat and happy sweeties–Traversee, Rahat Loukoum, Loukoum, my hoarded sample of Ambre Narguile and others–but love them though I do, they seemed a little cliched when I am so relaxed in my body. NB is differently comfortable from the gourmands: it smells of damp earth and green growing things and a sharp wind that mutters, rather than whispers, of cold air and rain. I feel wide awake and alert, and happy that like most of M. Ellena’s compositions, this one will permit top-up sprays during the day. I love that moment when a perfume hits the skin, wriggles a bit, then settles in, and then assertive, beautiful top notes warm up and waft out…I love all stages of my perfume wears, but that’s the moment of recognition, and it has all the charm of meeting a beloved friend. Enjoy your days everywhere, scented friends.
The Republic of Estonia is 98 today and I’m going to see the President soon! Wearing a tiara, a sparkly dress (not as bad as it sounds) and Mohur extrait.
Sock it to ’em, Annikky! You’ll knock them for six…or eight!
I can see in my mind’s eye that you look gorgeous! Have a wonderful time!
Brilliant! Happy birthday Estonia!
A tiara! How amazing – and with the prefect perfume!
Perfect! Enjoy your day. 🙂
Congratulations! No one could pull this off better than you. I’m sure you’ve enchanted the nation.
Sounds wonderful! Congratulations to Estonia, and you.
How exciting! I need an excuse to wear a tiara.
Try to get in front of a BBC camera crew ! I would live to see you on the news…
Congratulations! You look and smell great.
Congratulations! You must be so excited.
Will you go in a pumpkin coach?
My leather wimpIshness continues, a spot of Chamade for me today. A perfume that will help me deal with the busy day coming up at work.
Chamade is never wrong 🙂
Lovely stuff!
Watching the snowflurries outside my window and wondering how many inches we’ll really get, as the forecast seems to change constantly. But I’m tucked in for the afternoon with a pot of tea, a good book, and two kittens ( well, tucked in as much as one can be with two rambunctious kittens, one of whom is actually a kitten/monkey/squirrel) and enjoying wafts of everyone’s favorite, Box of Eels.
bwahaha i love kitten/monkey/squirrels!
Ha! I have a kitten/monkey/goat. I kid you not. She eats wool. She eats cashmere. She eats organic packing peanuts. Fortunately she does not eat polyester or plastic, or else she’d be dead by now. But I wish I was tucked in with her and her brother today instead of in the Dallas airport. (She eats cotton when I leave town.)
Possible identity crisis, maybe? My puppy thinks she’s a bird. She doesn’t understand gravity quite yet????
Still wearing florals in this gorgeous sunny weather in Portland. Moon Bloom today, but I’m fighting off the urge to buy more perfume. I bought two (two!) winter coats on sale because I could not decide between them and the “I busted the budget so what’s a little more” thinking has kicked in. That, and I did buy car mats for my birthday instead of something scented…
You were very practical, both with the coats and the mats. Have faith that the universe will reward you!
I like this outlook!
I’m still haunted by those car mats. I’d say you’ve done your penance and perfume should now be at the top of your list.
I had a magical walk yesterday. It was stinking hot and I found myself in a small dell surrounded by pine trees …. The scent was resinous and piney. But, in the dell were a tangle of wild blackberry bushes covered with large, ripe blackberries. I picked a handful of them and the juice ran through my fingers as I ate leaving purple red trails and the scent combination of pine and blackberry ….incredible. Completely magical. So now I’m on the hunt for a blackberry / pine needle scent, or just a blackberry scent. Maybe Jo Malone? But I want something rich, decadent.
Wearing Cristalle today.
Blackberry is a favorite note of mine and I enjoy it in many scents as I eagerly await the berries along my back fence to ripen in late summer. The truest, freshest ‘just’ blackberry scent I’ve discovered is Yves Rocher Mure Sauvage from its Le Plaisirs du Nature line, available in bath products and edt (at least it was when I puchased it). It’s green and twiggy and tart, not sweet at all, really, just like picking (and eating) sun-ripened blackberries straight off the bush. A simple scent but a satisfying one when that’s what you want, but also great for layering when you’re seeking a dark, tart berry note.
Perfect. Thank you.
“Stinking hot” are the right words exactly, and it’s not even as though this is summer’s last hoorah. Two more months, would you say? Erk.
I love what you tell of your life, Kanuka. Pines…wild blackberries…walking in scented hills….skies open to the Milky Way. It speaks to me of the days of my childhood, when it was possible to find places where there were no other people, the air was clean and bright, and there was no noise pollution….soon, soon, I WILL. leave Auckland. In the meantime, though, I’d better write a rather baroque case study to teach from, and the Le tire to go with it.
Le tire? I do adore what the little green autocorrect man produces sometimes. I picture him lurking behind the screen of my iPad, waiting for something he can pick up and re-employ, a bit like a Word Womble. Of course, I’m writing a lecture, but it lacks the verve and panache of the French-sounding “Le tire”…
What a wonderful life you have Kanuka. 🙂 Parfums DelRae Bois de Paradis has a blackberry bud note. I sampled it last year and although it isn’t all about blackberry, the note is identifiable.
I’m very lucky to have found myself in a small city, surrounded by hills and beaches all within minutes of home. So lucky! But it would be death to anyone who likes a proper city life…the only buzz here comes from bees and insects.
Your walk sounds amazing! I absolutely miss blackberries as the blackberries we get here in Maryland pale in comparison to those that I grew up with in Washington state. Reading your description does remind me of the Olympic Orchids perfume Blackbird. Ellen’s website mentions the following notes: tawny dry grass, fir and cedar trees baking in the sun releasing their sharp, incense-like resins, and juicy ripe blackberries.
Perhaps that is one to try? I’ve tried it once, and I remember it being deep, jammy and interesting – now I’m inspired to try it again!
I love the name, too. I spend a bit of time foraging while my dogs chase rabbits. My walks are Fitbit free….the slower the better.
Just ordered it…yay. It sounded exactly like my walk. First blind perfume purchase 2016!
Oh I hope you end up liking it!! 🙂
Lovely walk! Sounds like the inspiration for Sonoma Scent Studio Forest Walk. Have you tried it? Not sure what berries are in there.
Haven’t tried it. But it sounds so goood.
Teensy amount of Ambre des Merveilles. The anti-perfume colleague seems okay with all of the perfumes I’ve worn for the past couple of weeks in, yes, teensy amounts. Started from the lightest and working my way up, so we’ll see whether the heavy hitters get through as well.
Good luck!
I can’t see anyone being offended by Ambre dM. It’s so pleasant and good smelling. At least to me…
Completely happy wearing Arquiste 57 for J Crew today. Not as happy about wearing a one piece jumper under a sweater. I smell good and look cute – but it’s a pain to use the loo. 😉
I am loving leather week! Today’s pick is Nanban. Once the opening notes die down, I like it quite a bit.
Hello everyone!
It’s my birthday today & I just turned 26.
I celebrated with some cake, treated myself to new messenger bag and later I will buy Atelier Cologne Mimosa Indigo once it appears in Polish Sephora.
Scent of the Birthday was Prada Amber Pour Homme (leather note – check)
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Have the happiest of days!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! One of my early FB purchases was Prada Amber Homme Intense. I loved that one.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Woooohhh getting up there, Lucas 😉
Happy 26! Enjoy your new scent.
Hope you have the best year ever!
Frantically busy day, but wanted to check in. Wearing MPG Cuir Fetiche. Which is lovely, but not all that Fetiche if you know what I mean. And I think you do.
Love the bookmarks.
Agree – the bookmarks are adorable.
So late today. Work sometimes interferes with my need to enjoy all the comments 🙁 I’m wishing I could love leather, but I can only love it in theory for now.
In Volutes EDT today. Wafting cozy tobacco and iris powder today. Can’t believe they’re axing this one!
On the bus home from Fairway. Feels like I’m never going to get there!
I too dropped in early and then just circling back now 😉
Enjoy your evening.
Thanks! I miss nice supermarkets. Queens is devoid of them, mostly. Hope you got some goodies there. See you tomorrow 🙂
Huge summer thunderstorm today. Did I sleep through spring??? Finally wearing Knize Ten. Harmony is restored.