Happy Leap Day! What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm trying Etat Libre d'Orange Hermann à mes côtés me paraissait une ombre. Either I am anosmic to something in the formula, or it does indeed wear like a shadow.
Reminder: On 3/4, wear a fragrance from Estee Lauder or Aramis, if you have one.
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: image of Victor Hugo via Wikipedia.
I haven’t enough Lauders to fill this week, so I’m just wearing one of my old favourites: Delrae’s Amoureuse.
It has finally gotten coldish in the Netherlands, and I’m in need of a reminder that spring will be here before long.
You smell great!
Amoureuse is perfect for conjuring spring! One of my fav complex white flowers.
I’m first today! Woo! I’m sitting at the car dealership waiting on my car’s service appointment. And I’m wearing Silences so I smell good while I wait.
Ha ok maybe not first after all.
Sorry!
Well, you *smell* good.
Thanks!
That’s happened to me. I’m a slow typist. But you DO smell great. I haven’t pulled out the Silences since last summer. Need to remedy. Hope your car’s ok.
It’s fine.. it was just routine maintenance stuff.
Also, that was pretty much the reason I decided to wear Silences today.. I had been thinking about it over the weekend and couldn’t remember the last time I wore it. And since it’s been kind of springy outside, it’s pretty much the perfect time to wear it.
LAUDER WEEK! I’m starting off light with Sensuous Nude. I have a cute little 15 ml bottle, which may not last me through the year.
You smell great. I like this one a lot, especially in summer. The minis of this one are cute as well.
I initially dismissed it as a Coppertone clone, but it’s really well done and distinct in style from Bronze Goddess (which I also love, of course).
I like one of the Sensuous fragrances, but I can’t ever remember which one. I’ve only tested which ever it is.
Sensuous Noir is the best one but I actually like both the flankers better than the original.
I have the original which I liked when I got it, but something about it rubs me the wrong way.
I feel the same way! Loved it when I first sniffed it, but feel weird about it now.
Agreed! Sensuous Noir is amazingly good.
That one is nice, but it is so light. It seems like more of a mist than a perfume. Sensuous Noir is my favorite from the flankers.
Mine too.
Yes
Sensuous Noir is definitely the best but I like this one too.
I like all of thr Sensuous scents, finding a different one appropriate for each season. My favorite is one not often talked about, the Sensuous edt. Just a bit lighter and airier than the original, the magnolia note is emphasized. I love it in the spring, while I’m waiting for the magnolias to bloom here.
Twins! It’ sunny and warm here. I thought I’d pretend it’s summer for a day.
Turns out I have a whole buncha Lauders. A while back I bought one of those vintage sets of like 10 different parfum mini’s. Might as well make it an Estee week.
Vintage Lauders FTW!
Twins! From my cute little 4 ml bottle with the wonky sprayer. I’ve almost finished it and will have to decide whether or not to repurchase. However, if it is still available in 15 ml…
Parfumerie Générale “L’oiseau de nuit”. A little fruit, a little spice, some resins – but not enough of anything. Has Pierre Guillaume done anything with real oomph?
I am not sure what you mean by “oomph,” but Coze, Felanilla, and Ilang Ivohibe aren’t shrinking violets.
Oh good, I have Felanilla somewhere. Oomph = energy or force; I need my perfumes to be fighting shoulder to shoulder with me, not languishing on a chaise longue waiting to expire while I do all the work. :^)
Haha!
I haven’t tried that particular one, but the ones I’ve tried (a long list) thus far have been quite full-bodied. I wonder if they differ according to what collection they’re in, as I noticed that I haven’t tried any of the “By Invitation Only” collection, which includes L’Oiseau de Nuit.
I also just noticed that PG is now offering an Origami Coffret featuring 26 scents, but it’s out of stock until 3/5 per the website.
Bois de Copaiba is one of my big love/hate from PG. I am very fond of perfumes with a “modern-vintage”-vibe.
Drained half a bottle.
Bois de Copaiba gives me the feeling of something like a marriage between Opium and L’Heure Bleue. Some days it is really cloying and way too much, others.. just perfect.
L’Ombre Fauve on the other hand is just love
I love that one too but it’s very soft, like most of his stuff on me. The ones I can smell the most are Cozé and Aomassai.
Trying my decant of vintage Dana Tabu today. I read someone mention a connection to root beer with this one, and now of course I’m smelling that. It’s got an almost menthol-y quality on me at the moment. Definitely not what I was expecting, and we’ll see where this goes.
Also put some Natori in my hair because I realized I hadn’t worn it in a while, and I decided to be predictable.
The root beer note in Tabu is standard I think no matter what formulation you get. I have a recent bottle of it and got the same thing. Those cloves though – love them.
I think if I liked root beer, I’d like this even more.
I’m liking the dry down more than the opening for sure. And yes to the cloves.
I also think of that particular oriental accord as smelling like pepsi… I know what you are talking about. The Natori in your hair sounds rather decadent!
Well, when spraying it in my hair ends up being the most effective way of ensuring that I’ll be able to smell it myself, it’s almost the least decadent thing I can do with my perfume. Half the time when I spray on skin, I can’t smell anything unless I’m shoving my nose against my wrist. Even spraying in my decolletage doesn’t always work, despite the increased warmth there. So the hair has become my best option, even if it does appear a little decadent.
That’s a bummer! You must have scent eating skin. Too bad. Natori has very beautiful sillage, so whatever works, I’m glad you can enjoy it!
I need to start spraying my hair, my skin is very dry and doesn’t hold a scent well. I do love Natori!
I know there are some products designed to be sprayed in hair, and maybe the alcohol content of what I’m spraying isn’t technically good for it, but as I’m not someone who styles or even blow dries their hair, I figure it can handle it. Besides, it’s the best and sometimes only way for me to enjoy the perfume I wear with my scent-eating skin.
Alien smells like root beer to me.
I actually don’t think I’ve smelled that. In my head, I associate it with Angel, which I hate, and so I’ve avoided it. Time to rectify this.
Absolutely do try it! I also dislike Angel, but Alien is a different creature altogether. Emphasis is on jasmine and the bottle is great!
It smells like grape soda to me
I only have six Estee Lauders in my collection and I’ve already worn three this year. Since I’m on a quest to wear all my fragrances once, before buying anything else, I’ve decided to wear my Estee Lauders later in the week. Today I’m wearing Si Lolita.
I might start EL tomorrow. No rush — it’s really just supposed to be a Friday project!
But isn’t it fun if you can do the project all week?
It is fun, but think about it — then the year might go by and you never wore your absolute favorites because you were locked down in this way! So it’s fun to do a week but it makes me nervous that people seem to feel obliged
what a great goal!
Hermann is extremely bad to me. Smells like a pure ambroxan with some woody aquatic notes and 1% of incense in the opening. Not bad for 20$, but not for $100.
I do suspect a lot of ambroxan, and that might be why it seems to keep fading out and then coming back on me. At times can barely smell it.
Givenchy Very Irresistible L’Intense. A pleasant, tasty combination of plum, patchouli and rose.
I love Very Irresistible – will have to explore the flankers more. I bet you smell great
I don’t believe I have anything of hers, and definitely no Aramis!
SOTD = Chanel #22. What a beauty! I am getting the civet or some such today-don’t usually notice that so much. Have to go sit in a meeting soon. Hope I don’t bother anyone.
Not to enable or anything, STC is having 20% off across the board for leapday. I am getting some Roja Dove, and a travel bottle of Iris Poudre, which is now cheaper than what they sell them for on the Barney’s website. Totally unaffiliated of course, just nosing out a good deal.
Yes, saw this in my inbox this morning. I’ve got a few on my list I’d like to try so may take them up on the 20% off.. a good savings.
Thanks for mentioning the Malle travel bottles. I went right over to STC and bought En Passant, something I’d planned to buy this spring. Nice to get it on sale!
I’ve sent in my order! Happy Leap Day.
Oh dear, getting ready to place my order too. And not to enable back, but … I was out shopping yesterday and saw the Brahmin Hobo bag you mentioned last week. It was stunning! You must be very disciplined.
Oh, dear, I am just trying to wait until it is really spring, you know? April is when I have it in my budget…but that’s for the encouragement!
Thanks for the encouragement! Stupid spellchecker…
They sold out of everything I wanted.
Money saved, I guess.
I’ve been trying to ignore those emails since I’m supposed to be on a no-buy. I do, however, have quite a queue in my cart that have been awaiting such a sale. We’ll see if I can hold out against the temptation.
You smell lovely! And I have no idea what STC is, but by the power of Google I will find out!
Surrender to Chance, a reputable and dependable decanting site.
Oh, why thank you!
I could be confusing this with No.18. One of them has ambrette seed which turns into sweaty body odor. Come to think of it, I have used sweaty and/or body odor or both to describe a number of perfumes (Le Labo Rose 31, Epice Marine, FM Bois d’Orange [+ armpit) so either I have a very limited set of perfume odor descriptors or they truly smell like that.
No. 18 is definitely the ambrette Chanel of which you speak!
Validation!
Oops — I was running with my credit card in my hand and tripped and fell on the STC website.
Another Monday… sigh. Weekends go way too fast.
I’m smelling up the joint in Diptyque’s Essences Insensées 2015, a gorgeous lush jasmine scent. I didn’t event spray this one for fear of not having any friends around me today. It’s strong stuff, but dabbed on its a showstopper if you love jasmine. I’m hoping the Diptyque SS tomorrow has this in stock, but I think it may be purely wishful thinking..
Argh, if you go to the sample sale do pick me up a bottle too
I love that one, and the mimosa as well.
I put on some of the jasmine solid the other day when it was unseasonably warm. So lush! It’s sweet and earthy and green too. Very well done. There is a lot going on with that particular jasmine. Really outstanding.
I’d go nuts at a Diptyque sample sale. I’ve got so many wants from that brand. Oyedo, Philosykos, L’Ombre dans L’Eau, and Tam Dao would be mine and who knows what else. It is a good thing I’m far away. Do report back on what you find there.
That’s a great one! I’d gladly sit next you
I thought for too long about getting the solid, but now it seems to be sold out 
I love that one too. Wonderful fragrance.
Question about the Diptyque SS if you know please. Is it just for the NYC store or all stores?
I may make my brother in SF head down to their downtown SF store to do recon but don’t want to send him on a wild goose chase…
Similar question – does the Diptyque counter in Nordstrom also participate?
Nevermind re: the SS…I googled and found the info online and see it is specific to NY.
It looks amazing! Please do report back on your findings there. So much precious product ripe for the picking!
Yes, NY only. They hold it offsite, not at any Diptyque story. Thankfully they limit how much product you can purchase or some folks would take everything. It’s crazy insane once inside.
I’m alive – barely – after a bad weekend fighting a nasty stomach bug.
Bracing myself for a busy day of reports, client meetings, and a personal review at the end of the day. Misia came to mind as I thought of my outfit today. I think I’m slowly warming up to this one. As soon I sprayed it on this morning I thought I was putting on ISM because that iris was super rooty smelling. It’s toned down to the lipstick and powder combo now. I’ve got on my burgundy sweater, jeans (my good skinnies) and Vita Dolce slip black slip ons.
Good luck. You have all the armaments for a successful day!
Thank you. I do feel I armed myself well today.
Glad you’re better.
Misia is very very rooty iris on me. Since I don’t love that sort of thing, I’m regretting even this small decant.
For some reason the first time or two that I put it on I didn’t notice it, but then it just hit my like a frying pan over the head today. I don’t mind it – it’s just like ISM in the opening, but I found it odd that I finally noticed that.
I can’t believe you didn’t take a sick day. Congratulations on pulling yourself out of bed.
I had the bug the worst on Saturday. I think I ate a handful of nuts and a piece of bread the entire day. Sunday was ok. I was wrecked with no strength, but managed to keep some more food down. So today is mostly a mild recovery day. I’m exhausted and still weak from not eating normally, but it’s not anything to keep me from working.
Ugh stomach bugs are terrible! Hopefully you treat yourself to something comforting and easy to digest today! Your outfit and SOTD sound amazing – go get ’em!
Thanks. I have some plain chicken and brown rice with me for lunch. I think it’s fairly safe. I’m pretty sure I’m over the worst of it and it’s just a matter of building up my strength again.
Uuugh – so sorry about the bug. But I bet you’re going to get an amazing review!
I hope so! Thanks.
You are very brave for leaving the house – my entire family and I also had that particular nasty bug last week. Ugh. Feel better soon!
I’m not too bad now, but I really did not want to get out of bed this morning. I think it’s been going around because several people in my office were out with something over the past couple weeks. It slowly hit me last week. I took a half day last Wed. and just felt off since then. Hopefully it’s out of my system now though.
You look fabulous and you smell delightful. I am trying to warm up to Misia myself, and I am glad someone has this and is wearing this as part of their wardrobe!
The lovely Annikky sent me the Misia sample. It’s so dang hard to get decants of Chanels now and I don’t live close to a Chanel boutique so I’m really grateful I got this to try it out. I wasn’t impressed the first time I tried it, but I’m slowly starting to understand it now.
Glad you’re feeling better and kudos for being up and at out today. I’d need a vacation after a stomach bug.
Hahaha, if I didn’t have a review today I might have been tempted to take a personal day
Hey, twin! Sorry your weekend was spent being ill, and I hope your Monday is as gentle as possible. I’m trying Misia for the first time today, and finding it very pretty. As an aside, can anyone confirm how “Misia” is pronounced? Is it “Miz-ee-ah”? Or “Mee-sha?”
I say the first pronunciation, but I’ve no idea if that’s correct or not.
I *think* it is Mee-sha, but not sure.
Feel better very soon.
Thank you much
I hope the Misia is helping you get through the day. I’m wearing it too!
Hey, it’s late now, but hope your day ended on an up note, Jenkr.
Fleur de Chine today. So beautiful and smooth and warm – which given it is freezing in London is a good thing. Seriously contemplating a back up.
Meanwhile I seem to be developing a real love for tuberose perfume and am interested in Beyond Love – any views on how it compares to Carnal Flower and Fracas would be really interesting/helpful?
Fracas and Carnal Flower put tuberose first and foremost. They are not real soliflores but very tuberose centered.
Beyond Love is an abstract white floral. I’ve tried to like it, I even had a small bottle at one point, but I gave it away. I find it incredibly loud and incredibly boring. You’ll have to bear in mind that overall I’m not much of a Lauder fan, so if you are, your mileage will probably vary. As it will anyway.
Listen, forget all I’ve just said, I’ve realised that the perfume I’m talking about is called Beyond Paradise.
Beyond Love, is very much all about tuberose and beautiful.
I was confused and then realised it must be Beyond Paradise! Thank you and I shall try Beyond Love.
I had the exact same reaction to Beyond Paradise. I sniffed it, bought it, wore it for a week and gave the bottle away!
Beyond Boring! I bought BP years ago ( when I was more easily swayed by reviews…LT 5 star ) and liked it at first but then it just began to seem ‘fake’to me, as if I was in the studio audience of a Hollywood entertainment/gossip show. But then I have problems with Bronze Goddess too. It’s all that manufactured casual beachiness, too try hard for me.
I actually really enjoy Azurée Soleil wich is almost identical to Bronze Goddess.
BP starts with this beautiful message but keeps on shouting about it long after you have understood it. I don’t quite understand my own reaction though. The early Delrae’s are rather ‘insistent” and I love those.
YES! SHOUTING!
I know, I’m a bit of a lone freak where AS and BG are concerned.
My take: It’s an oily, coconutty tuberose, smells quite true to life, I don’t find it as embellished as Carnal Flower. Fracas I find much sweeter (also has a lot of orange blossom). I love it less than I used to, I think it might have been reformulated.
Thanks Elisa and it sounds interesting and certainly worth a try.
Scent twin!
I’ll let you know when I try Beyond Paradise later this week. In the meantime I think a backup bottle is in order. Fleur de Chine was discontinued, so the price will become exorbitant soon.
I have a small sample of Beyond love, and a bottle of Carnal flower. I think I love them both equally. Carnal flower is much greener, & like elisa, I find Beyond Love very summery/coco nutty, I find it an incredibly joyful take on tuberose, it makes me really happy and cheerful when I have worn it.
I still think that the joyfullest take on tuberose is my beloved Vamp à New York.
I think Beyond Love is a very beautiful tuberose, less intense and easier to wear than Fracas or Carnal Flower. It’s something I would recommend to a white floral lover who has great taste and a feel for quality, but is not a perfumista. I don’t know if you have tried the jasmine, Love and Tears? I feel it has a similar realtionship to the big jasmines like A la Nuit and Sarrassins – lighter, easier, maybe not as special, but very beautiful.
I feel like I should wear some Beyond Love now…
It’s true for most of the By Kilians that I have tried. I adore their take on lavender. I can never remember the silly name. I think they might just as easily have been called Ping, Pong, Pung …
A Taste of Heaven, I think. And it is very nice. I like most of the Kilians, but I guess it’s telling that I don’t own a single bottle. Considering the general price level these days, they aren’t even that expensive. I did buy travel sprays of Love and Tears and Water Calligraphy for my sisters, however. Very successful gifts.
Monday again….so soon?
I have enough Estee Lauder beauties to wear everyday this week! I love most of Estee’s perfumes, and can appreciate even the ones I don’t prefer….
SOTD: Very Estee. Smelling quite sophisticated and elegant today!
That is a really good fragrance! I keep forgetting how yummy so many Lauder scents actually are!
Currently sitting at dentist office enveloped in my go-to comfort scent, Narciso edp (white cube) layered atop a dab of Nirvana Black. Wards away the I’d-rather-be-anywhere-but-at-the-dentist vibes… for the most part.
Narciso (white) too, I have the impression it’s becoming my Monday default scent, how boring of me (nothing against the Narciso, I’m still happy I bought a full bottle).
I’m glad for the full bottle purchase as well. As for the Monday morning rotation, at least it’s one less decision to have to make at the start of the week. Nah, not boring of you, just elegant simplification put into practice. ????
You smell wonderful, and how fortunate that your dentist allows perfume!
Thank you so much! Yes, very fortunate, though, if the dentist is allowed to foist plastic-cherry scented chapstick at me, along with clove-tinged antiseptic while the air permeates with that unmistakable lactonic aroma from nearby nitrous-oxide… I’m wearing my SOTD come you-know-where or high water. ????
Wonderful Monday default scent!
U. Smell lovely, that ones on my birthday list!
I am wearing some Aliage which is a scrubbed green chypre in the Y mode with sweet rose and anise. My old bottle smells a bit off in the first ten or fifteen minutes, but once the vetiver, galbanum, moss combo start up it is wonderful.
I am drinking some Lupicia Kuuipo, which is guava and black tea. I like but don’t love it, but it is nce to dream of Hawaii on Monday morning from my office.
I am drinking MF french breakfast and imagining I am in a cafe in Paris
I’m sitting next to you. Ahh, Paris!
I am sticking to Hawaii until Paris warms up!
I’ve never been to Hawaii, but it’s climbing the list of places I need to travel. Now you’ve got me thinking about it and I want to go tomorrow.
You smell great! I love Aliage. My mom wore the bath powder when I was little. It’s one of my first scented memories. I bought us both the old bottles from the EL outlet for Christmas. No doubt I’ll finally be opening mine this week.
Estee lauder Private Collection is my SOTD. This perfume has been a favorite of mine since my teenage years when my sister and I shared a bottle. Such a beautiful and comforting scent for me.
Scent twins! How nice that it brings back memories of your sister.
When I first smelled PC (years ago) it smelled so musty and old-fashioned that I couldn’t imagine why anyone would wear it. I suppose it still smells musty (or at least mossy) and old-fashioned, but now I love it. I just pulled my early spring scents from storage and was drawn to PC immediately. We smell great!
Yes we do smell great!!!
My sister and I used to share a few scents when we were teens. My mom would buy them for us.
Now, my sister can’t wear perfume because it gives her a headache. I take her shopping with me sometimes, hoping to find her a scent she can tolerate. The closest we have come to her wearing a scent is Pink Sugar shower gel. That’s a start at least. I’m still working on her.
It’s temporarily spring today, so I’m reveling in the beautiful weather and wearing Jasmin et Cigarette, which always makes me happy.
You smell terrific! Is yours an older bottle? I’m frustrated with my new bottle because the longevity is nil. I’ve had older decants that were more intense and lasted longer.
Uh-oh. I’m still working from a decant but definitely plan to buy a bottle, so I *hope* there hasn’t been some devastating reformulation that diminishes its longevity!
I don’t have scent eating skin so it’s really noticeable to me. Even spraying lavishly doesn’t seem to help! The actual scent seems unchanged but it’s like it’s been diluted.
Yay
Off to my midwife today- can you believe it’s been 6 weeks since I had this chubby Buddha!
Angelique Noire today and a dab of the Rose from the same collection.
No, I can’t believe it. It really seems like it was only a couple of days ago that we were waiting impatiently.
Before I know it I will be back to work ????
wow! 6 weeks already!
I love chubby babies. My son was such a big boy, people would ask me “How do you carry that big boy around?”. Seems like yesterday. He is 24 years old now.
Enjoy this sweet time with your little one
“Chubby Buddha” So adorable ????
Wow, that time flew!
Happy six-week birthday to the little one!
Time flew by!
6 weeks already!!! Time goes by fast when you don’t get much sleep! LOL It’s all a blur…..
Today I have a bad headache, so wearing nothing, but wishing I had a bottle of Mythique for some headache comfort. I have a brutal work week ahead of me, so this doesn’t bode well. Have only one Lauder, so will have to save that for Friday.
Feel better soon!
Mythique for headache, huh? Interesting…
Hope you feel better and your week isn’t as rough as you’re anticipating.
So sorry about the headache – I woke up with one too but after a large cup of black tea and two aspirin with codeine, I feel ready to face the day. I love the fact we can buy those over the counter in Canada, it’s a life saver.
I am going to wear Tuscan Leather as I did not get to it last week.
SOTD – SL Fumerie Turque
Not much left in my bottle, at least I know what I’ll get at Barneys next beauty event!
When is the beauty event? I heard it’s coming up in March last time I checked.
March 8-12
Thanks!
I know you’re a La Mer gal…have you tried the lip balm? It’s got fab reviews on the Nordstrom site, but am a bit leery of the mint aspect.
Yes, but the first tub I had had a wonky screw top and I stop using it. I have a new one in my La Mer stash which I will start using shortly. Have you tried Gennaissance? OMG in both $$$ and how nourishing it is to skin!
Holy Toledo, just looked it up. Nope, Gennaissance will not be included in my Barneys Beauty Event purchase!
The Malle boys at Barney’s (NYC) are taking pre-orders for the beauty event. They are fantastic when it comes to sending samples of perfumes you want to try, unlike others (i.e.. Lutens- “we have no sample vials” baloney).
Post shower I’ll be in Knowing. Not sure that I have enough EL for the week, but I’ll begin boldly with one I love. Estée Lauder was one of the few brands I could always sniff and buy, so it came to epitomize “perfume” for me, and at one time or another I’ve had many of the scents. Now I want to repurchase some.
I’m still in Bottega Veneta – for the fourth day in a row. I wasn’t in the mood for leather last week so I didn’t participate until Friday, but something about it just clicked and now I can’t get enough of it. Well, that and all that talk about Marjorie Rose getting a new purse may have inspired a new bag of my own and I needed a scent to match.
You smell lovely! What is the longevity for you?
Thank you! I have a mini that has to be dabbed on, so about three hours, four or five if I press my nose to my wrist. I’ve sprayed out of testers at the mall and gotten a little more though, especially if it gets on my clothes. I’ve tried layering it with body products too (JM Nectarine and Honey bath oil is one of my favs with BV), but they always end up overpowering the perfume. I have a feeling that a BV lotion/perfum gift set is in my future.
I got the BV lotion gift set the other year. The lotion smells wonderful and very true to the fragrance. I really enjoy it. It’s only with the greatest restraint that I don’t buy all the other bath and body products. I really love BV too!
That is good information to have. Thank you!
I’d be interested in trying the body lotion of this one because the shower gel I did not like at all. I think a shower to me means fresh, clean, but BV with its patchouli and leather don’t smell fresh at all and it just didn’t work for me.
I use the body cream and the shower gel – lasts all day!
Well, that settles it. I’m going to have to buy both now.
All that talk about purses has me looking for one too! I wore Bottega Veneta last week, along with the body lotion, and my jeans still smell like it, even after being washed!
I’m glad to know others are getting a lot of mileage out of BV. When I do finally open my wallet I’ll have to get the lotion too.
Happy Leap Day!
SOTD = Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardenia – mixed with the menthol from 5 salonpas patches. The menthol is overwhelming at the moment, but I’m still enjoying the combination. The pain in my legs from the combination of my first 5k run followed by Spartan Race training, not so enjoyable.
Between work, working out, and family it seems I don’t have any time for myself. If anybody has any work-life balance tips, do share.
In the meantime, I’ll be indulging in perfume. Leather week was great fun! My favorite was Cuir de Lancôme, it reminded me of Cuir de Russie with the soft leather accord, but with less floral and more vanilla. Bottega Veneta was in the same vein, but didn’t last long on my skin (2 hours). Puredistance M was lovely, but I mostly got labdanum and incense so I don’t really count it as a leather.
Without any planning my SOTD and Estee Lauder minis came in the mail over the weekend! So I’ll be having an Estee Lauder week
Congrats on running your first 5k! Sounds you like you have quite the workout routine.
Congratulations on the run. Kudos for doing that while working and taking care of family. You may have stumbled on a new product for athletes with the salonpas perfume combo.
You are taking care of yourself in one critical way by working out. Many busy people I know swear by spending a few minutes when they get up or before bed with a simple mindfulness practice ( there are lots of apps that are not complicated) .
That said, work life balance at certain times may be a mythical concept :-). .
As Valerie Jarrett said, “You can have it all, but not all at once.”
Congrats on the 5k. I really need to get back on the horse myself but ice is always a barrier this time of year with all thawing and freezing. Keep it up.
Working out is taking care of yourself- however, remember that you do need rest days- the body can take only so much pounding! If it is in your budget, schedule sport massage into your routine- 1-2 times a month should do the trick.
I was going to say the same thing. Working out is “me time.” It’s the ultimate investment with dividends in current health, energy, and state-of-mind, and future longevity.
That’s so great! Congrats on your accomplishment. I have a large stash of Salonpas and actually like the smell.
I just started to read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, which is all about the choices we make and determining what is essential vs. trying to do it all (me). The work/life balance equation is a tough one and a process..
Congratulations on crossing the finish line
SOTD vintage (?) Bal a Versailles. I’m visiting Mom and found a white satin box with gold leaves embroidered on it and the classic bottle half full of ambery floral animalic fragrance within. It was slightly off at the opening, but then very good after that. I find things on each visit. Or they were here and I am realizing what they are!
Vintage BaV is just the most symphonic lush fragrance. It’s one of my favs.
Treasure hunt at mom’s! Fun!
: – )
I will be sitting on the sidelines vicariously enjoying all of you in your Lauders this week.
I do still have enough PC Tuberose Gardenia in my sample to wear on Friday, so I will probably do that – PCTG doesn’t bother my stomach the way the others in the line do.
Was considering wearing one of my manymanymany tuberose frag samples, but my mom just called to invite me to lunch, so BWFs are off the menu, so to speak. She hates them. I’m wearing DelRae Wit instead, in honor of our pretty weather. (Wit has some white florals, but I don’t think it will trouble her.)
Love Wit, you smell lovely.
Wit is so pretty. I only have a small vial, and I’m hording it.
Same here with the hoarding of my wee bit.
Was thinking about Wit this weekend when the temps yesterday reached 60 degrees. I’d love to get some more of this one too!
Rosine Rose d’Ete to start out. This might be one I should apply from a sample, rather than a spray, just to tame down those top notes. They are very sweet, and I am a sissy.
Still, it played nicely with the early morning sunshine!
I really love that one – it’s a happy summer scent for me.
A very merry leap day to you all. I just finished a highly nutritious
breakfast of freshly baked oatmeal cookies and coffee to celebrate. I’m holding off on a scent of the day because my bottle of Kyoto is out for delivery. Fingers crossed that I get the sample of Azemour that I requested. After a good solid week of springish like weather we got a light dusting of snow last night. I’ll be out with the shovel soon enough.
Also, I must recommend my absolute best cheap thrill ever. Last spring I picked up a little jasmine plant at Home Depot for just four bucks. I keep it by a West facing window in the bathroom and it has bloomed repeatedly ever since. It went dormant in December but over the last week, new growth has appeared and it has started to bud out again. I can barely wait for those intoxicating blooms to unfurl. Overall it has been a very unfussy and rewarding houseplant. The same cannot be said for the gardenia that can’t home the same day (RIP).
*came home, of course
Gardenias are so fragile! But I am encouraged to hear about your sturdy productive jasmine Maybe I will get one somewhere…
Enjoy your jasmine! I, too, purchased a small jasmine plant for cheap 4 or 5 years ago. In the summer, I keep it just outside our bedroom on the deck where it blooms beautifully and its intoxicating scent wafts in through the open window. Indoors in winter it blooms albeit to a lesser degree. It has grown by leaps and bounds and now occupies a large pot on the floor and its branches are trellised. I hope yours does as well!
I would love to have an indoor jasmine, but I fear the cats would find it tasty and we would be up to our ears in emergency vet bills. I think I will check out the garden centers for an outside one though and find an area near a window for a little arbor.
PS. The oatmeal makes your breakfast acceptable.
Great idea! I want to get one too. I have lavender and wisteria in my yard but I love jasmine.
That is the best breakfast, and those flowers are going to be INTOXICATING!
Hey, that’s my kind of breakfast!
Oatmeal cookies are really just energy bars in a more charming form! Enjoy your Kyoto — I get so many compliments on it when I wear it.
I couldn’t make up my mind this morning b/c it’s warm and cool with the weather. So I decided to wear something very neglected: Guerlain Rose Barbare.
Ooh, I am planning to use a Nordies gift card I have to get that one, it is so lovely. You smell great!
Good deal for you! I am rather enjoying it. The bottle will last you forever!
Ahh, this has become my favorite rose! And it plays well with others too.
Today I used up my sample of Bruno Acampora Musc. So nice! I guess I can’t smell some of the musk, since it is really soft and has practically no sillage on me (that I can smell). I do get some nice patchouli and forest-floor/mushroom. But in addition to more than usual application on skin, I spray a little bit on my sweater, and that helps a lot. Clean-ish and sensual.
I wonder how the extrait version in that gold spray bottle is compared to the edp.
I have the oil, it is pretty potent and layers well under other things.
I can smel BA Musc for about 10 minutes and then absolutely nothing. I really like that first 10 minutes though.
I’m wearing Darcy as I continue to try the Parfums de Marly line. I am enjoying this one–patchouli, reminds me a bit of Angel, but as I never wear Angel and most of the time don’t love it, I’m probably not the person who should be making comparisons unless I do a side-by-side comparison. And I’m back in California and off the base! YAY! I have access to all my glorious perfumes again.
The base?
Orlov Cross of Asia today. I love this stuff
This one sounds interesting. I looked it up and it seems like a BWF, or am I mistaken?
Less about other florals and more emphasis on the Ylang. Wearing a little fruitier on me today than previous wears
Yves Rocher Secret d’Essences Neroli. It seems to work better now that the weather is warmer. I find it a wee too sweet though. I totally overdid powder the other day anyhow so it’s a nice air freshener antidote to that.
My scarf reeks (heh) of Love, Chloe atm and my dressing gown is infused with new Ivoire.
That sounds like a nice mix!
Oh, I just read what the community project was for this week….Estee Lauder. I have tons of this. Well, today I’m wearing Dark Amber and Ginger Lily by JM. Does it count that Estee Lauder bought the company? Hopefully, I can get half credit. Hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy Leap Year to everyone!
I was wondering the same thing. I have Sensuous Nude, but don’t really like wearing it that much so will have to stretch the rules on Friday.
Wearing my beloved Caleche today. Just right for a Monday. Such a Monday…Hope all are well.
Love that one
I’m feeling vaguely anxious that I haven’t worn a lot of my heavier scents this winter. I’m not sure if it’s due to the mild weather we’ve had or it’s just me. I’m also not feeling springy just yet. I finally chose L’Aromatica’s Kulfi, which does smell exactly like kulfi! It’s a creamy cardamom scent with a touch of vanilla, coconut, saffron, sandalwood and Play Doh. It’s rather comforting but not overly sweet like some dessert-like fragrances can be.
I didn’t even bring some of my tender tropicals inside this winter, so I know what you mean. Not that I’m complaining about not lugging hundreds of heavy pots in and out and keeping the cats out of them, but I’m not ready for spring at all and I have some very neglected cold weather scents I didn’t get to.
Oh yes, I remember you commenting about lugging your plants around last year! I’m glad you didn’t have to do that with all of them this year.
I’m wondering if not using the cold weather scents much this year will curb my spending – that would be nice! Although not likely …
Heh! Ain’t gonna happen here
SOTD is Jannat al-Ferdous perfume oil by Attar Bazaar. Citrus fruit and blossoms drying down to sweet powder. A mood lift on an overcast day.
That does sound very nice!
It’s definitely working.
Happy Leap Year and Happy Monday!
1) SOTD: Rainy and with a bit of a chill. It is still winter, after all, despite the groundhog’s flirtation with spring! But I am going for it- I need to be lively this morning. So Jour d’Hermes- that grapefruity, warm scent is perfect for a wakeup! And for some reason, I have Eau Premiere on the wrists. I smell great if I do say so myself.
2) OOTD: Crisp white shirt, navy blue slim trousers, leopard print shoes and an old beautiful pink and grey striped silk scarf.
I think I envy your leopard print shoes…:-)
I swear, I love these shoes and don’t wear them often enough! Real leather and fur, beautiful print and because I have big feet (size 9 1/2 US) Igot them on a wicked sale for like $22.
This sounds like such a lovely outfit.
Thank you!
I do try for Mondays!
Another tease of sun this morning which led me to choose an equally sunny scent: LouLou. It makes me happy!
Hope you got out in the sun!
Wearing Patou Joy today. I love how indolic it is. Is anyone else sick of winter and starting to reach for warmer weather scents? That is all that I want right now.
Oh yes! Jour d’Hermes gives me pure sunshine. Joy is a perfume that is pure summer evenings with all the fun that implies- concerts, weddings and dances!
Today, Feb 29th, I am wearing the shadow of yesterday’s Sagamore, Lancome….Bye!
Sunshine and snowdrops that popped up overnight greeted me this morning, a wonderful start to the week. Pushing aside any thoughts of the snowstorm approaching later tonight, I’m staying with my spring thoughts on Keep-It-Simple Monday with Dame Perfumery Narcissus soliliflore. Beautiful, warm, a but spicy (it smells a bit like ylang-ylang), another lovely scent from Jeffery. Outside my screened porch I have a small night-scented garden where I plant stock early in the spring that scent the air at the same time the fragrant narcissus I planted years ago bloom. Dame Narcissus recreates that pleasure for me while I wait for that garden to begin blooming.
I own no actual Lauder scents, so this week I will wear their acquisitions: Tom Ford, Le Labo, Frederic Malle and By Kilian. Today is Tuscan Leather.
Pretty soon they will acquire Buick, Chevrolet, BMW, and Mercedes????
Yes! So true.
LOL!
I’m wearing Iris Nazarena, because I have a new blue-grey sheath dress and I think they work well together.
I forgot to check the theme of the week and have a very limited supply of Lauders anyway (Bronze Goddess is my only FB), so I might follow Cazaubon and include their acquisitions. As of tomorrow.
Ooh, Iris Nazarena! You smell fantastic, and your dress sounds like a perfect match.
Absolutley fantastic weather today- full on sunshine, 75F, and low humidity. Gorgeous! I live for these days, which are quite infrequent here in the swamp.
I have one EL, Bronze Goddess, which will work fine for Friday’s project. SOTD is Chanel Box of Eels. Yum!
Also, hat tip to Pixel and Meredifay! Pixel generously sent me a sample of FM Vetiver Extrodinaire and Meredifay totally enabled a purchase of the travel size over at STC 20% off sale! Please forget I said I was on a no buy until April. Happy Monday to all. ????
So. Yesterday was busy. I loved it–students everywhere, hanging over banisters, chatting in corners, late to class, asking if they can record the lecture for a friends “who can’t come to classes on Monday ‘cos they have to work.” !!!!!????? I tell you, it’s all on for young and old at our place! I start again with the Y3 team at 8 o’clock–who accepted that timetable? whadda mistake to make! — then I deliver That Lecture at 2. Yay!
I’m wearing beautiful Bel Respiro, truly a perfumed sigh. It seems to have moderately good longevity on me, and I think I smell wonderful as I bound off into the fray. Hope your days are fabulous everywhere, NST.
Thank you! Have a fabulous day you too.
Jolie Madame. Could have worn this on Friday, but I’m enjoying it’s timeless modernity on this rainy, dark grey Monday.
I am trying out Tam Dao today…
This reminds a bit of the original EL Bronze Goddess in the 1st iteration to my nose…
This is the EDP and it is very nice. Has a bit of creaminess and I swear I smell coconut now although that may be the creaminess that my nose is struggling to name…
Love Tam Dao! Better quality sandalwood that most things you find these days, or at least an effective impression of better quality sandalwood…
Trying out Eau de Protection this fine morning. I’m liking it a lot but it reminds me of something else I have. Maybe Rose Ikebana? I’ll have to go back and have a spray for side-by-side comparison.
One of my favorite roses, though it may not be totally unique. I don’t think I’ve tried Rose Ikebana. I’ll have to try that one. I’m curious to know how your side-by-side pans out.
Not so similar in the side-by-side though the quality of the rose in both I’m finding very similar. Rose Ikebana has a bright astringency to me and there is a bit of that in the ELdO too, I think. From that starting point, though, they are going down two different roads.
I wish the ELDO retained that opening longer. I think that astringency is the Rose/geranium combo. The drydown reminds me of an air-conditioned hotel lobby with leather couches.
Have you tried Vetiver Geranium? It is lovely!
Wearing the devestatingly lovely Clinique Aromatics Elixir Perfumer’s Reserve. I would encourage anyone who has not tried Aromatics Elixir in any form to do so. There is not really anything else like it and I know some of you are truly thankful for that.
I have still to try AE, thank you for the reminder.
SOTD = SL Chergui
I will “fail” this Friday’s project unless I extend EL to include Le Labo, Frederic Malle and By Kilian. So, random theme for this week is perfume names with a word that begins with the letter C, not counting the brand / house.
Anyway…in perfume shopping news —
– Vera Bradley should stick to making purses. The recently launched perfumes can be repurposed as embalming fluid.
– Nordstrom still carries Love, Chloe (as does Duane Reade / Walgreens)
– the mall perfume kiosks are a lot savvier than I gave them credit for. The guy I spoke with knew Love, Chloe was discontinued.
Embalming fluid!! Yikes! ????
Not as bad as Florabotanica which felt like spikes but these, oh lordy, chemical mess preservatives.
Wow, thanks for the warning. Florabotanica was dire, which is a shame as the bottle was gorgeous. Had it been tolerable I would have bought it, but it was a complete no go.
My thoughts exactly as all I have from EL is a sample of Bronze Goddess.
I’m trying to figure out which ones to try if I’m at a dept. store.
Ha! Too funny.
That was hilarious!
Oh, don’t you love the smell of formaldehyde? YIKES!
Correction – it was Bigarade Concentree that smelled like sweaty armpit, not Bois d’Orage
Haha, every time I read your sweaty armpit comments I laugh. I am SO thankful I don’t pick up that note when I wear BC, because I absolutely love it!
I’ll have to read comments this evening. Just wanted to wish everyone a happy leap day! My SOTD is Indochine by Perfumerie Generale. You all smell lovely!
You smell wonderful! That particular fragrance is so versatile and everyday wearable, but still unique.
Thanks Deva! I really like it too. I ‘ve noticed that the samples that I purchased from LS are more mellow than their fresh FBs of perfume that I’ve ordered. It’s happened to me twice. Once with Sballo, EDP and now with Indochine. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it. It’s just a tad more masculine sprayed from the fresh FB than from their dabber samples. They must make tons of dabbers in advance and the perfume mellows a bit by the time I ordered them. I actually let my bottle of Sballo sit for a year before using it. It’s perfect now.
That is on my list of to-smells. Sounds like it would be delicious.
Rats… I already mailed your package. I would have included a sample.
I’ve only tried Aomassai, which is really unusual and lovely, need to try Indochine!
Happy 1 March everyone! I’ m getting excited about the approach of autumn…all those leaves and cold mornings.
I sampled Poison Girl yesterday and it made me smile. I wasn’t a Poison wearer …. Mainly because most people who wore Poison gave off enough scent for two, so I wore it by association. I haven’t ever bothered trying any of the flankers either but yesterday Poison Girl was on display and it brought a smile to my face…like bringing up a memory of wearing satin slips with Doc Martens.
I’m smiling at that memory. Except for me it was a pair of Fluvogs-same concept. I wonder if I could still get away with that.
I didn’t really like the perfume but I thought that it had a bit more personality than most department store scents that are marketed towards younger women. It wasn’t just watered down grape and raspberry. More like Anais Anais in vibe.
Egads, Fluevogs! The shoes of my youth. I basically lived in a pair of his ultra-pointy cowboy boots. I got into Docs, too. Of course I did. Such memories, most of them good.
I just looked them up…awesome! I was more a Blundstone girl.
Hey, I am still wearing my Fluevogs and Doc Martens at 49. Not with a silk slipdress though.
I wore my Docs today, too…Doc grrrrls!
Delrae Panache. A new to me little decant, and perfect for a day when I don’t know what to wear but I should seem like a competent adult.
Yum, you smell great!
Totally off-topic: Does anyone know if Dottie and/or eswift83 had their babies? I’m guessing so since they’ve been quiet lately, but I haven’t seen an announcement. –And I’m getting antsy over here!
Good question!
Eswift83 commented a few days ago, maybe Friday?
That’s great news! Thanks.
The EL project’s interesting to me already–I have a pretty favorable impression of the line, but as I review the list of their fragrances, really the Sensuous trio’s really the only thing that interests me, and I only have samples of those, no bottles. (I should would not mind a set of minis tho!) I should probably try to smell the Private Collection fragrances again–gosh, if they are still in production? I don’t even know. In any case, not in sniffing distance this week, so something from one of the brands they’ve acquired will have to do. Credit where credit is due: even though I’m traveling with a limited selection of scents, four perfumes from EL’s subsidiaries or licensees made the cut!
I think Amber Ylang-ylang is d/c, but Tuberose Gardenia and the original PC are still around.
Oh that must be what I was thinking of–wouldn’t you know, the dc’ed one is the one that I was most interested in revisiting.
That’s a pretty impressive travel selection!
Well this trip is eight days so… obviously couldn’t do with fewer than 11 perfumes to choose from!
Does it make it better or worse if I say the selection was already pretty travel-ready because I keep a tin in my fridge of the samples/decants/travel sprays in most regular rotation? So I just grabbed the front row and tossed ’em in a ziplock baggie. …yeah ok mentioning the fridge perfume probs doesn’t make me sound any more reasonable does it
I have No.5 EDT permanently in my suitcase and I usually end up bringing one or two others…no matter the length of travel. Of course this could vary but I am usually running around like a chicken with its head cut off and could really manage to only pick a few!
Finally finished reading comments after being interrupted multiple times. SOTD is SSS Champagne des Bois. I love this…. Besides the price, I like the idea of a single perfumer working away in her studio surrounded by so much beauty.
You smell great!
Me too! I wouldn’t mind doing what she does where she does it.
I really like this too, on both fronts – the smell and the handcraftedness.
Today, for no other reason than it just seemed right, I’m wearing En Voyage’s Zelda. The more I wear it, the more it fascinates me. Happy Leap Day!
Wasn’t taking any chances today, so am in No. 19. So far so good…
That’s my usual driving lesson scent, but my bottles getting low..
U smell beautiful.
Today was a driving lesson day, which I always wear an Iris perfume for, to give me confidence and strength.
Iris Poudre, as it’s new, I’m having a bit of a love affair with it, The aldehydes are perfect for this chilly but bright weather we’re having.
My new bargain 100 ml bottle of Seville A’Laube came in the post today, yay! £39.00!
Enjoy that bottle!
This morning I sprayed BOTH wrists with Moon Dance – this is huge news because often I can barely handle 1 spray of anything! I love scents, but I’m just so sensitive to them I get headaches easily or feel like I’m being smothered. But my 2 sprays worked just fine, so maybe my tolerance is growing! I’ll have to try 2 sprays on the same wrist next. I’m excited because I think there’s a lot of scents that I might not be able to fully appreciate with such a light-handed application.
The Moon Dance has faded though, and I haven’t decided what sample I should try this afternoon.
Is this the JHAG? I just received my bottle of this, it was love at first sniff.
Yes!! I was lucky to win a decant from APJ, and it was love at first sniff for me too! This is one scent where notes don’t really stand out but meld together into awesomeness.
Mr. Hugo was quite a handsome man but I’m trying to figure out how he’s associated with leap year day. It’s not his birthday. Also, how can it be March tomorrow? It was just Christmas a couple of weeks ago.
I’m wearing Mistral Patchouli today because I usually wear it in summer and I wanted to see how it was in cooler weather. It’s okay, but I think it’s really prettier when it’s hot. Live and learn.
Victor Hugo wrote a poem (from memory) about going into a forest with a shadowy dude called Hermann…and Robin’s perfume today probably references that poem? That’s my guess…Hermann the shadow
Thanks! I only know him as the author of Le Miserables.
Yes, thanks Kanuka! His poem inspired the EldO fragrance.
If only I had just tapped on your perfume link before spouting off…Sorry!
I enjoy Mistral Patchouli in the summer. Tomorrow I’ll give it a try to see how it behaves in cooler weather. And I’m curious to see if my Atelier samples are holding up. The last time I sniffed one it seemed to be fading a bit into aftershave territory. Eep!
Trying Un Jardin Sur le Toit, just a bit and I like it. I have a sample set, and have tried a single spritz of each over the past week, all a pleasant surprise. I hope a full wearing proves as pleasant. We’ll see…..