Another Monday, guys. And, you have until mid-day tomorrow to vote in the Prix Eau Faux. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm starting off a chypre week with good old Chanel Cristalle, in the Eau de Toilette.
Reminder: 5/13 will be Chypre Friday. Wear a chypre fragrance of any sort — classic or modern or post-modern.
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 is an image from Chanel's Cruise Collection for 2016.
Happy Monday! It’s a cool drizzly day so I am in vintage Balmain Vent Vert.
Yum, you smell great!
I found a 1/4 oz splash mini of this at an estate sale a few weeks ago for $1.00, so I couldn’t pass it up. Wore a little of it yesterday, but have no reference for comparison, so don’t really know if it has spoiled or not.
It’s my birthday. And my SOTD is Chinatown. One of my happiest fragrances and certainly my gateway drug ???? To a fragrance filled life!
Happy birthday!
Hope it is a wonderful birthday!
Love Chinatown, and Happy Birthday! 🙂
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday…..Make today epicly AWESOME!!! 🙂
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!
Happy birthday! You smell very frstive.
Festive!
Happy Birthday to you ????
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday !
HUzzah! And many happy returns!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday and many more!
Happy Birthday!
Thank you for all the happy birthdays! I placed an order at Aedes to celebrate…
Happy birthday!
Chinatown is a great birthday fragrance! Have a happy day.
Hope you’re having a wonderful birthday!
I hope you have a great birthday!
Happy birthday — I hope your day is a wonderful one!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! And you smell wonderful.
Happy birthday!
I forgot it was Chypre week, so I’m wearing Carnal Flower, as it’s summer at the moment. Mind you I’m wearing some chypre as my arms and hands are covered with lots of fragrances having just made a batch of samples to send off. Thérèse and Perle de Mousse are part of the package and therefore I’m sort of participating.
It all sounds heavenly.
I think it is, others might argue that I stink to high heaven;)
I’d say you smell great!
Carnal Flower is so amazing! You smell great!
You would not even have to lean in for me to smell you. You smell great!
Kouros Eau de Sport – vintage (YSL). This stuff is S T R O N G! 🙂
OLD-style sport, then!
I am wearing Bottega Veneta, which is listed as a Chypre Floral.
I don’t know what BV is, but it smells so fantastic! I’d class it as a leather oriental.
I didn’t have any idea if I had any chypre fragrances other than Mitsouko, so I checked the Fragrantica group listing for chypre scents and under chypre florals Bottega Veneta was the first one listed that I own.
Good to know – if I want to wear it this week!
Sampling Nishane Boszporusz at the moment which seems to be going darker on me than it smells in the vial, so it’s a no go
Washed it off and am now much happier in Soivohle Rosa Sur Reuse
Love Rosa sur Reuse.
Vintage Miss Dior from my adorable mini. This was the first perfume my dad bought me when I was around twelve, and I found it very odd at the time. I grew into it by my late teens, and now decades later it’s still a favorite and a lovely reminder of my dad and his love for all the finer things in life.
How sweet of your dad, and how nice it is that it reminds you of him now.
Twins! I’m wearing vintage Miss Dior EDT from a sample.
I’m so here for chypre week.
Triplets! Eau de Cologne Vintage Miss Dior splash on in a houndstooth box and bottle. EDC seems to remain cohesive and not turn on top notes. I feel like I’m ready to arrive at my desk, remove my hat pin, hat and gloves and begin typing on my brand-new IBM Selectric typewriter when I first open the box and apply.
I love the image ;^)
What a great story!
Miss Dior is my mother’s perfume – or was. I don’t think she can stand to wear it, even when Miss Dior Originale (or w/e) is available.
Wow! He set the bar high for you. Sweet story!
What a tasteful dad, and how wonderful that you were able to keep it for all these years. Enjoy your real Miss Dior!
Divine Spirituelle
Took the day off to hang with my babies
It sounds like a trend for a three day Mother’s Day weekend. Great idea! Enjoy it. You smell great.
Spirituelle is lovely!
such a beautiful scent!
Not wearing chypre as I missed the memo but smelling hazy and golden in Mimosa Cardamom which goes with the exceptionally pleasant weather.
I have to try it in warmer weather then, only used it in cooler temps so far. It’s just lovely!
Starting Chypre week off with a slap from a leather-gloved bog person’s hand: vintage Bandit Parfum.
Also, a PSA for Knot lovers (I hope this is ok to do here, Robin), I saw Bottega Knot 1.7 oz on Zulily this morning for 58.29.
It’s still a bit chilly here this morning, but sunny and the clouds are very dramatic. Hubby is taking a day off and we are thinking about going up to Ogunquit for the day.
That’s a beautiful way to describe Bandit: Tollund Man in a bottle. . .
Haha that’s what I’m going to call it from now on.
I’m wearing Aromatics Elixir – just a light application since I’m in the office today.
Love AE!
Oh, that will be my Friday perfume. You smell AMAZING (after the first 20 minutes)
My friend just gave me a bottle of AE on Saturday. I haven’t sniffed it yet and glad to know that I should wait that 20 minutes, Ede. May join you on Friday.
I also broke out the Cristalle to start off Chypre week. I’m going to like this week.
Hey twin!
I am going to love this week as well!!! For me today it is Diva.. Ungaro.
I like Cristalle in the blotter, but it turns sour on me. Does this happen to anyone else? It seems like a staple.
I don’t get on well with Cristalle either.
Have you tried the edp? There’s more emphasis on the green florals than on the citrus than in the EDT, and it’s a bit sweeter.
Ok- I will look for it. Thanks.
Joining Robin and others wearing Cristalle EdT. I admire it but am working too hard to like it. I will also look for the EdP.
Demeter Lilac- dipping back into my spring scents since it’s finally warming up here!
You smell gorgeous, Robin. SOTD for me is Gris Montaigne, thanks to the lovely and generous Laura. Happy Monday everyone 🙂
Why thank you, and I”m sure you do too (have not smelled GM).
Monday…..yet again! Still riding the high of my brother’s wedding this past weekend. The bride and groom are PERFECT for each other, and the entire weekend event was just as perfect. Sigh……
SOTD: Bvlgari Omnia Paraiba. Love love love this one, from top to base note!
What perfume did they wear?
I’m not sure anybody else in the family cares about perfume in the least! LOL I didn’t smell anything…… 🙂
As for me and my 2 girls…..I wore Omnia Paraiba (my new FAVE), Lesley wore Tresor Midnight Rose, and Lauren wore Katy Perry’s Meow! We represented the perfume world for the family! 🙂
Cristalle is one of my favorite “summer” chypres! I will have a real problem picking on Fri, so I think I’ll have to make the rest of this week a chypre week for me. Today, however, I am reaching into the back of the drawer for some long neglected favorites. SOTD is SSS To Dream – it has an unusual earthy spring vibe, and that is where I want to be today.
I think I’ll do a chypre week, too.
Nope, changed my mind for today. 🙂
You smell great! To Dream is such a beautiful one. It is dreamlike.
It is very lovely and it really lasts!
I’m going with Bandit, non-vintage, I guess, but loved.
Hi twin!
Robin, I have you to thank for a scent I didn’t realize I’d love and probably wouldn’t have tried. You know that box I won from the raffle we had of South Bay by TDC? LOVE IT. I’ve been wearing it all weekend and am wearing it again today and it will most likely become the scent I wear the most this summer.
Oh that’s fantastic!! I’m so glad.
Ooh envious–I’m wearing TDC De Bachmakov from a sample today and wishing I’d won that raffle!
Can you describe it? I know that you are good at this. 🙂
SOTD: Goldea
I agree with your review Robin and that it is a well done sweetish, fruity golden musky scent. I can’t help but wish for a little “more” to it though, perhaps a little more warmth or something, especially when the bottle is rather “luxurious” and inspired by “gold and sun”.
Yeah. And hear almost nothing about it — wonder if it is selling?
Not on board yet with chypre week, but lots of Cristalle to cover most of the days. Today I am wearing the beautiful orangeblossom Frederic Fekkai’s Sensuelle, layered over Dyptique’s Lait Frais. The latter is a surprise, I received a sample of it with a recent purchase, and it is a really lovely orangeblossom scented bodylotion, which leaves my skin scented (I used some on my hands before going to bed last night, woke up in the most gorgeous orange blossom scent) and it lasts, and it consists mostly of good stuff, macadamia oil and almond oil. I am quite smitten and glad bodylotions are in the Donatella free zone. It is somewhat serendipitous that just after mother’s day I am wearing orange blossom, it was the scent of orange blossom that was comforting on a holiday after she died quite unexpectedly four years ago, and it led me by the nose down the rabbithole…
I got samples of the Lait Frais and their hand lotion and liked them a lot too. When my travel sizes run out I would definitely purchase.
Because I am a N00B, can you explain (as if to a 5 year old) what the ‘Donatella’ in joke is? 😀
Donatella (herself a perfume collector) “supervises” the quarterly damage poll here where we confess our purchases for the past three months. Body products don’t count. 🙂
(The rules are not strict. You can list samples, decants, minis, candles, body products however you want, or not at all.)
Ah ha! I see these confessions and just crack up! I am now envision a VERY sharp and chic Donatella Versace drawling out her absolutions!
Donatella Versace, aka Our Lady of Scented Abundance, hosts the quartely ‘damage polls’ here at NST, where, if you feel the need, you can confess that quarters perfume purchases. I think some jurisprudence has evolved (before my time), samples don’t need confessing, nor do gifts, nor do bodylotions…
https://nstperfume.com/2015/07/03/the-damage-so-far-second-quarter-2015-buying-poll/
Muhahaha! Yes! I just said above- I can see a very chic Donatella Versace languidly placing her hand on people’s heads, saying “You are forgiven!”
I love the Lait Frais. It’s usually the first thing I reach for if I want orange blossom as there’s a creaminess about it that I usually don’t get from perfumes. The hand balm smells great too, like a much improved Jergens original that brings out the almond instead of the cherry.
Your description of the lotion and fragrance together is making me want to wear some OB this week. I recently was able to test the new Eau des Sens from a fragrance tester blob in a Nordstrom catalog and was taken with how pretty it is. There is something simultaneously comforting and uplifting about orange blossom. It is lovely that you associate orange blossom to your mother. Have you ever tried Dilmun? I am having an idea…..
Oh Ann, you are reading my mind! I came across a comment you posted here about Dilmun, and have been sorely tempted to blind buy. Now, I didn’t, so if……I would be so happy!
I think you are spot on with OB being both uplifting and comforting, and I will try and sniff Eau des Sens.
YEAH! Don’t blind buy. I am guilty for not finishing your package. I am happy to send you some!
SOTD is AG Rose Absolue. It’s a gorgeous rose, but the best thing is that my daughter-in-law picked it out for Mother’s Day after her first perfume immersion at Sniffapalooza a week ago. It was a great bonding time for us. We loved sniffing with so many amazing people , and meeting Hajusuri and Ihadanidea, and most likely other NSTers, and bloggers. I am going to send her a big decant of it. What a lovely day <3
What a lovely story, and Rose Absolue is exquisite.
Thumbs up, WendySue! It was geeat meeting you and your DIL.
Thanks for sharing this! ????
Wow great. Thanks for sharing about Sniffa. How nice of your daughter in law to get you a perfume!
That is a great gift!
Jean Patou Divine Folie pure parfum Ma Collection vintage bottle, so beautiful, perfect spring perfume!
Sampling JHaG lady Vengeance. So far I have been underwhelmed by my JHaG sampler. Nothing I hate but nothing to love, either.
Those JHAG roses are really lovely but came at a time when really nice roses in that rose and patchouli was so overdone. You are smelling the best of a popular trend. If I didn’t have Stella already, I’d have got either Lady Vengeance or Miss Charming.
I almost bought a bottle of Couvent des Minimes Cologne of Love yesterday at Ulta, but I’ve made a few too many purchases recently, so I managed to resist. Of course, this morning, I was craving orange blossom and/or neroli and/or petitgrain, so I went with Atelier Grand Neroli.
I really like all of the Couvent des Minimes scents I’ve tried, and I love Grand Neroli. Thanks for connecting those dots for me. 🙂
It is a cool and windy spring day here, perfect for Amouage Epic. Will have to check out the chypre database for later this week, not my favorite category but I know I have a few.
Holy Cow, Batman! I can’t imagine wearing a single item from the posted photo on a “cruise” (or anywhere else!). But then, I have no style acumen at ALL ????
SOTD is AG Ninfeo Mio since its (another) scorcher here. ????
I thought the same thing but I have no style acumen either. High fashion is incomprehensible to me most of the time ????
Me too, although I do admire style and fashion on people who have a real flair for that sort of thing and often wish I could be more like them. I should be more fashion conscious, but between scrubs and yoga pants, I’m pretty well set ????
My exact response to the Cruise Collection too. The one on the left reminds me of medieval or Korean traditional dress. As for the other two, definitely cruise wear — no one would care if they fell into the ocean.
And this is from someone who often finds high fashion very interesting, even if unwearable.
Well, pretty sure in addition to fashion lessons, I need to affix a filter to my mouth (or fingers, as the case may be)!
Can’t figure out what you would possibly need a filter for??? As interesting as I find fashion sometimes, it’s often in the same way as other weird things interest me. Those two outfits on the right are butt ugly, especially the pajama bottoms.
While I don’t have scrubs, I do have one pair of yoga-like pants (I’m mostly a skirt wearer), as this is Vancouver and one likes to fit in. 😉 But I am a big believer in comfortable clothes. Stretch fabric is my friend.
Ninfeo Mio is so perfect for hot weather. I am jelly though b/c it’s not got over 55 here for weeks! I am perturbed by our chilly spring.
It is lovely! One of my favorites, and a sister by another mister to PdE Corsica Furiosa, which I also love with my whole heart. Thank you again for introducing me to the delightful NM????
I also missed the memo about chypre week, wearing Rosine Rose d’Homme today, one of my favorite roses. But I love chypres so I’ll switch to Paloma Picasso later in the day. It will be fun to plan out the rest of the week!
Rose d’Homme is my favorite rose in the Rosine line. It is so rich and warm and mouth watering.
Totally forgot about Chypre Week: I’ll start tomorrow (god knows I have enough of them). Instead I’m in my newly acquired SL Fourreau Noir, lavender incense (with I think a little chunk of licorice — it’s not listed in the notes but other people smell it too), so so good.
Sampled this yesterday and it’s so warm and lavendarey. Have you tried Encens & Lavande? If so which do you like better?
Oh, definitely Fourreau Noir, because of that licorice quality. Encens et Lavande is not bad but I much prefer Encens Lavande by Compagnie de Provence, which is soapy and sandalwoody in addition to the namesake elements.
Happy Monday! The weather is beautiful today: sunny and 60s right now. I’m wearing a yellow skirt and L’Temps d’une Fete to celebrate.
Beautiful and appropriate.
YAY!
Yes! Nothing sunnier than wearing a hit of yellow! And you smell great!
I didn’t miss the chypre memo but felt wearing Equistrius this morning so that is my SOTD.
You smell wonderful ????
Yum! I wore that last evening.
SOTD: After a hot Friday and Saturday, it’s a seasonable cooling down yesterday and today- which is much appreciated!
Today, I am in Niki de St Phalle(EDT), which I may make my summer go to, honestly (combined with judicious dabs of Bois des Iles or Coromandel). My bottle is not overwhelming at all- it’s just incredibly gorgeous- green, flowery and there is this lovely and weird nutmeg/walnut note at the end? So lovely and light to wear for this warm spring/summer!
OOTD: Was up until 2 am. Had to wake up at 530 AM to get to work. White patterned blouse, high waist white jean and black swing jacket, silk scarf. They were clean and already ironed! 😛
Announcement: Did youse guys know that Chanel is coming out with a new flanker of number 5? I did not until this morning?!
I did hear that, and have already forgotten whatever else I knew other than a flanker.
Huh! So a random Brit blogger (A Model Reccomends, just double checked) is going to Grasse for the big to do for Chanel’s new #5 flanker.
I did some searching during my coffee break (boy did I need it- I am sure my thyroid is NOT thrilled) and there was another blogger (Perfume Shrine) who wrote about the issues with Chanel’s perfumes and how accessible they were to ‘younger’ women and men.
Ah well. We shall see, err, smell soon enough, I think!
Yum, I love Niki on hot days but I do think she’s a bit odd. 🙂
I am a bit odd, so this may be my HG fragrance! 😀
I bet unique and awesome probably describe you better. 🙂
Oh, gorsh! Thanks so much! 🙂
I picked up a mini of Niki recently, and found it troublingly weird — so much so that I was propelled into an appreciation of Mitsouko, which suddenly seemed so *accessible* by comparison! 😉
I wonder how old your bottle is? a local niche perfumer told me that she loved the original version of Niki but not so much the new version. I guess the older has a strong marigold note which may be the oddness that you are picking up on. Anyway, I only have the new edt which is the only one that I can find. I like it well enough having never tried the original.
I Think I have the most current version- and that hay/nut/spice weirdness *must* be the marigold that the notes reference. I mean, you just don’t expect it with the green, powdery bitterness and the flowers.
It’s a delight to me! It makes my godsons give me hugs, which honestly, is the most important thing! 😀
I also get something minty in the opening…
and hugs are the best!
For once I remembered the project early in the week! I’m in Aftelier’s Bergamoss.
Ooh, good one. You smell lovely.
Yum — love Bergamoss!
Me too! You smell great!
Really enjoying Crown Bouquet today. Needed that sweet green slap. 🙂
Sampling Fat Electrician today which gets lots of love here…
Thinking back to my collegiate days, this smells a bit like weed to me if memory serves. Not pot covered by cheap headache-inducing incense as so many dorms smell of, but just weed itself.
So far I am enjoying this vetiver weed wonder…
It smelled like weed to me too. Weed + guy smell.
Isn’t it good? I had a boyfriend who liked this one. Great memories!
Starting off Chypre Week with Rochas Audace.
It’s 3am and I’ve just nipped outside to see if there is any star/ meteor/ aurora action…and there isn’t. Too cloudy. The ripe cranberries in the garden smell amazing, luscious jam scenting the cold night. Now back in bed and reading, planning perfume treats for the morning. Will start with Shisheido Koto, from the old miniI picked up at the goodwill store. A nice matchto the wispy mist and cloud that setttles on the suurrounding hills. Not often that I’m up at the front end of the ‘comment train’ so happy day everyone !
Vintage Guerlain Vetiver today. Enjoy this beautiful day!
You smell fab! Love that vetiver!
You smell GREAT.
Gorgeous! I love Guerlain Vetiver. It is one of my desert island fragrances…as long as I’m taking about 40 with me.
Since my Salomé disaster (RIP) my chypre selection has suffered a blow; but Fragrantica seems to think Penhaligon’s Quercus counts as a chypre . . . and it’s going to be quite warm today, so that’s what I’m trying out.
I saw that too. I guess it is, as besides the citrus it has oakmoss and a bit of “amber” (a mix of resins) leading them to that classification. I thought about it too, but wanted something soft.
I seem to get mostly citrus and resins. It’s not unpleasant, but it is more “masculine” than I really enjoy. I also applied it more heavily than I usually do. Oh, well!
Guerlain Vetiver pour Elle today. Ill put a bit on of the regular Vetiver later so I can compare side by side.
SOTD is vintage Cristalle EDT. A few years ago I bought this bottle on eBay from a woman for whom it had come to represent the end of her marriage. Every time I wear this, I think of her and hope she’s found some new favorites that make her happy.
And maybe a new partner 😉
Chypre of the day is Guerlain’s “Mitsouko” in EDP. This has a complex and slightly muddled scent to my nose; I can’t discern individual notes and I’d be hard pressed to tell it was originally meant as a women’s perfume. Happy to have tried a famous old war horse but it doesn’t cry out to be mine forever. :^)
You smell goood.
Monsieur. de Frederic Malle today (the only fragrance I know with a full-stop in the name).
oops, I was also too busy in the last weeks, and missed out the chypre marching order 🙂
today is Lys med
couldn’t resist the lure of new samples so trying Sammarco Vitrum. I often forget that I like vetiver and this one is lovely so far. Rooty and very green.
I think the Sammarco sample set is going to be my fall perfume purchase. They seem really interesting.
They are, so far, very interesting. Even Bond-T was fun to sniff. Chocolate and patchouli aren’t usually my friends, but it managed to be quite intriguing and I didn’t have to scrub it as I had expected.
I started Chypre Week yesterday with No.19 EDT.
SOTD = OJ Woman
This was listed as a chypre in Fragrantica. OJ Woman reminds me a lot of SSS Forest Walk which is considered woody aromatic.
To be honest, I don’t think I consciously choose fragrance groups with the main reason being 99% of the time I don’t know to which group a perfume belongs nor do I really care except for these projects. If anything, I am getting an education on fragrance groups and perhaps I’ll find out that I do naturally gravitate towards a certain group.
Same. I always thought I was a more of a fruity floral person- and to my HUGE surprise, I love aromatic fougeres and chypres when it’s hot out- and I love big woody + sweet orientals, like the beautiful Coromandel, Bois des Iles and Noir pour Femme.
But when I think back to my childhood in Brooklyn, it makes a sort of sense. I was always surrounded by these amazing women, every hue of the rainbow, wearing either those big delicious 80’s orientals or the amazing super green and uncompromising chypres like Aromatics. And during the summer, every adult seems doused in life saving cologne of some sort!
I’m kind of hoping I get to know what a chypre is from this project – to see if I can follow certain notes across the perfumes. Like ajellyfish above, I’ve chosen Penhaligons’ Quercus as one of them and I sincerely doubt it’s going to smell like it belongs in the same family as the others. (Because when I decanted the manufacturer’s vial into a 2ml spray, it smelt similar to Endymion a few weeks ago, i.e. like dishwasher rinse aid).
Like you, hajusuuri, I usually can’t tell where my perfumes belong. I think I have a fondness for chypres, though, because I seem to have many of those worn for this project. It would be useful to know which group(s) I don’t like! I might gradually classify my perfumes as a way of learning more.
I’m wearing CdG Wonderwood. I insist on both having the windows open and wearing shorts even though it’s not quite warm enough for either. I’m wearing a cozy sweater and a cozy perfume to make up for it 🙂
Great perfume.
In vintage Dioressimo (thanks, jj!) which suits the sunny, slightly chilly day. It clashes a bit with my cherry-red summer dress, though, as I think of Dioressimo as a pale pink.
I picture you looking glamorous as ever, and smelling great 😉
I am home sick today, so no perfume for me today. In between sleeping, I am watching perfume videos on you tube. Mostly sleeping.
Get well soon! Sleep is often the only think that works.
Hope you manage to sleep it off!
I’m wearing Queen of Hearts today. I’m working from home today because the office has no power. A transformer in the neighborhood blew, apparently. And I’m drinking Taylor’s of Harrogate Scottish Breakfast tea.
In non vintage Mitsouko today. Was running a little late todAugust answer this was the first thing I grabbed.
I love Cristalle, I wear it a lot in the summer!
Today, I am wearing a Chanel just like you but it’s another one: it’s eau de cologne.
Happy monday all!
i <3 chanel eau de cologne!
yes, me too! it’s unlike any other cologne of its genre, i think…. closer to Bonpoint but even softer than bonpoint’s and so softly ‘citrusy floral’ – a thing that can make sense only in chanel’s vocabulary <3 – and elegant… best cologne ever! For me at least, I don't necessarily do well with excessively fruity colognes, they don't sit too well on my skin
Mmm, chypres! This is gonna be a good week. Today I’m wearing Azemour. (I seem to prefer my chypres to be fruity.)
Thanks for the inspiration! I wasn’t really feeling chypre-ish today, or much in the mood for anything, but you reminded me about my Azemour decant and how green and good and bracing it is — just the thing for a foggy, groggy Monday!
Not a chypre, but decided to start the week with Papillon’s Angelique, the least mentioned of Liz Moore’s quartet. I just love the mimosa and champaca. My favorite comment on it that I think of every time I wear it was that Angelique reminded them of “the white city of Gondor.”
I am really hoping that White Moth will come to fruition in 2016; notes of tiare absolute, jasmine, beeswax, green mandarin, vanilla and cedar wood. Would gladly blind buy!
SOTD vintage Fidji, and planning some Sycomore for SOTE. I don’t think I have much in the way of chypres but have a sample of Heeley Chypre 21 which will do for Friday. Haven’t managed to like Mitsouko yet.
Happy chypre week! I am wearing my workaday Voyage for the moment, but want to share a personal chypre-related triumph I had yesterday! A few months ago, after years of not really knowing what a chypre smelled like, I decided I had to learn. I got out everything in my collection that the internet said was a chypre, from Chinatown to Bandit by way of Mitsouko, and smelled them ALL so I could triangulate.
Well, it seems to have worked. Yesterday I found a tiny bottle of Safari in an antique store and bought it, knowing nothing about it but vaguely remembering people said good things. I smelled it, and my mind went, “Whoa, I never expected it to be a green chypre.” Wait a second… did I just recognize a chypre? I ran to my computer, looked up some reviews, and lo! it is a green chypre. FINALLY.
Yay!
Congrats! Safari is a real beauty and definitely a chypre. I’ll likely be wearing that during the week.
That is encouraging! Maybe I can learn a thing or two as well from you, Regina. After some lawn mowing, I’ll set aside some time for research. I hang out with such smart femmes.
I have been batting my eyes all morning at my shiny new mini of Miu Miu. I tested the perfume several times, and each time my hopes were dashed. But Sephora was offering free minis with purchase last week and I suddenly found myself ordering fancy sunblock for the whole family. I just love the Miu Miu bottle. And you know, weirdly, the fragrance smells better than I remember it…
Started the day in Pamplemousse Rhubarbe, which was quite lovely for all of a New York minute. Topped off with Mure et Musc Extreme.
I just received that same free mini of Miu Miu on Saturday. It was my first time testing it. However, I didn’t have the same luck as you. Glad you like it though. The bottle is adorable. Normally, If I don’t like the juice a I am pretty practical about passing them along but this one is an exception.
Well, I couldn’t bear the scent when I tested it in stores…but I’m finding what’s in my mini inoffensive (and I keep looking around furtively, ever hopeful a Miu Miu kitten will materialize as well!)
Ha! I wish!
hey Oakland, what’s the verdict on the no 5 body oil?
You know, it smells like I remember No. 5 smelling a long time ago, if that makes any sense. No.5 in contemporary bottles, at least edt and edp, are close to my scent memories, but the oil is even closer. It doesn’t last as long as perfume, but I went ahead and put a bit in my hair (I have dry curly hair) and my husband kept commenting on how great I smelled…
Are you in the US? I’d be totally happy to send you a sample! Let me know your email.
I am–that’s very kind of you, and I’d love to give it a shot prior to purchasing a 6 oz bottle! It’s crln456 in gee mail land.
I also love that bottle … well, off to see if that offer is still around 😉
My daughter sampled it because she liked the bottle and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it smelled on her. Her body chemistry is completely different from mine and she does well with things I think are terrible on me. I may spring for a bottle for her birthday.
SOTD = Mohur Extrait. So pretty.
Yum!! You do smell pretty!
Mmmm good!
🙂
SOTD = Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls. Perfect for a cool rainy day.
Best of good mornings yo all NS-Tites. Early lecture today, written, but somehow not yet organised in my mind, two staff members who are not in blooming health, and a problem PhD student: I feel the day might be slightly difficult. So now, where are my red boots? But no, I swore I could do a week in dresses, and I will. And my SOTD is Cuir de Russie extrait. I smell….expensive. Huh–that’s not what I was aiming for, but it’s what I’m getting: a scent that smells expensive and more interesting than pretty! Be well. All.
I think red boots look cite woth a dress…
I’m wearing Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere today.
Monday came much too fast!!
You smell fantastic! No 5 EP is just perfectly wonderful.
Forgot all about chypre week, so today I’m wearing vintage Joy. Tomorrow I’ll start playing with the chypre lovelies. Yum, this week will be fun!
You smell fab! If you are still interested in some lavender samples you can mail me at bbduin fishtail xs4all dot nl.
I can’t quite remember what I promised you, have just found it. Just let me know.
Sure, that’s so sweet, I’ll be writing you today. Just found my pipette to get you some Fire and Cream.
Not wearing a chypre today. I was standing in front of the perfume cabinet and LouLou was calling my name. Naturally, I answered.
how could you not? Lou Lou is beautiful.
We two seem to be the only ones to wear it semi-regularly!
Magie Noire is going to be my chypre SOTD…as I like it much better than Koto. Bolder and with a Bear friendly dash of hedione. Means a visit to my off-site perfume storage unit but that’s ok.
Magie Noir is one of my fav chypres, and I actually thin, my first chypre love, even though I didn’t know that at the time. It is so warm and sensual too.
I wanted something soft today so I went with Shiseido’s Zen Classic (sometimes called Original).
Oakmoss, spicy, rosy florals, and resinous “amber.” The citrus is so fleeting that I’m not sure I would qualify this as chypre. I’m happy that I have it in my collection as I had the real original in the 70s.
I think that’s the Shiseido I had back in the ’80s. It was in a matte black bottle. Am I right? Can it still be found? I used to like it very much. Therefore, you smell lovely!
Yes, the original was in a matte black bowling pin shaped bottle (ie rounder than now). The spray was in a round metal canister if I recall correctly.
What I have is the re-release called Zen Classic on Shiseido’s site. The current bottle looks matte black, but when you hold it up to the light it is actually greenish black. Both the dab bottle and the spray are EDCs (which is what I remember of the original).
Happily, to me it smells very much like the original scent. For a cologne strength even one dab lasts quite awhile.
If you check auction sites you may find the originals. The bottle has to be bowling pin shaped. I am not sure how to tell apart the vintage and newer sprays.
Thank you so much for verifying my guess. You might have enabled me to round up a bottle, and if the newer one smells similar to the original I won’t be fussy.
Yes I loved this in its earliest iteration! Have not sniffed it lately.
Love chypres! Today I’m wearing a “modern chypre” – Perles de Lalique from a very old sample. It is lovely!
Late to the party to report wearing a sample of HG Shangri La, a present from a local perfume pal. A sort of cinnamon-y modern chypre, and way more glamorous than my house clothes and chore business after a busy busy “weekend.”
Hey, you smell great! If my perfume had to go with my outfits, I’m not sure I’d get to wear any ever. What goes with a t-shirt, cargo shorts and Birkenstocks, anyway?
SotD: Eau des Merveilles, the perfect palate cleanser after a weekend spend overindulging in sweets and treats.
Alas, I have no chypres. *hangs head* The only thing a bit close to a chypre that I’ve worn with success was Dior Eau Fraiche (more than 20 years ago) which had amazing citrus, oakmoss, and rosewood. Perhaps labdanum doesn’t like my skin.
All the love for Cristalle reminds me to try out Cristalle EdP & EdT and Cristalle Eau Vert the next time I’m near a fragrance counter. I spent part of last November working with a colleague who wears Eau Vert year round. It smelled delicious on her. I do like citrus/green fragrances.
On a walk yesterday I noticed the neighborhood gardenias are blooming. It’s amazing how their scent varies from one plant to another. The first flowers I sniffed had a definite rasp with a bit of blue cheese funk. Further along the walkway I inhaled gardenias with a tinge of sweet-tart green apple. Some flowers which had already begun to wilt had a syrupy sweetness. Marvelous! I picked up a cypress cone which had fallen to the ground. As I cracked it apart in my hand a delightful aroma filled my nose.
I’ve recently grown a big interest in chypre. Today I’m wearing vintage Givenchy III. Actually it’s the first time I wear a fragrance which is marketed as a “feminine” scent (I’m a man) and I do like it! The dry down is beautiful.
For chypre Friday I will have the choices of Aramis, Devin and 900 (all three modern reformulation) and G3. Do you also consider Hermès Équipage (vintage) as chypre?