Monday's ugly little sister, plus, Linda Evangelista's birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm continuing chypre week with Houbigant Aperçu. Tea at the moment is a China Panyang Congou Supreme from Upton.
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.
Could it be? First 2 days in a row? I am off to play the lottery! In Chanel Cormandel…!
I think that means you have to share your winnings with us 😉
I’m in a Chanel, too. 31 Rue Cambon for me 🙂 .
Hey twin! Good stuff.
Triplets!
You smell veeeery good.
You smell awesome.
you smell elegant
Eau de Réglisse (Caron). 🙂
I have that. It is up out of reach it has been so long since I have worn it. Is that a chypre?
The Guide refers to it as a fougere. I just thought lemon and licorice would hit the spot today, and it certainly did. 🙂
Good morning! I’m wearing Une Rose Chypree. Not super chypre-y, but very beautiful.
I’m super-chypre-y today, but might be the only time all week.
Alahiiine!!!
Is this considered a chypre?
I love Alahiiiine ????????????
Love Alahine. No, not a chypre. 🙂 (Floral oriental.)
You smell beautiful! No, not a chypre, but don’t let that stop you from wearing it all week if you want to. 😉
Alahine is an oriental, but it is a most gorgeous one!
Oh ok ???? well everyday can’t be a chypre day!
Wearing Enlèvement au Sérail by MDCI, which is unbelievably beautiful and a chypre according to The Guide.
You smell fantastic! [going off to smell my bottle]
I remember your liking it, and if my memory serves me right you also like Enlèvement’s sunnier sister La Promesse? Luca compares them to 31 Rue Cambon, which for some reason I can barely smell at all.
Thanks to your recommendation, I am now enjoying 1740 so much! Full-on leather chypre and immortelle.
Good, I love it. I sometimes think that it’s link to De Sade does the fragrance no favours.
I cannot make a link out of him either 😉
I’m in my fancy “air” scent, Cuir d’Ange, very liberally sprayed.
It’s funny that this one doesn’t work for me at all. I was sure I was going to love it, people with similar tastes love it (you are a case in point), but I just cannot wear it.
There’s a funny story behind this from the NST meet-up. I’m not a huge JCE fan, but I do acknowledge he’s done some really great scents. I’m just not a fan of how fleeting they are so I referred to the line as “bottled air” and I forget, but Robin said it was fancy or artisanal bottled air or something of that sort. I said I wouldn’t buy it (definitely not a big bottle), but I went in on a 15 ml sample set split with others in our group anyway. I knew this one would have the best longevity out of them all and I do like a leather scent as you mentioned.
It does start out very squeaky clean soapy on me, but when the soap subsides a little I really like the leather. I do like how soft it is and it feels like a good summer leather scent due to it being so airy. I’m glad I bought the 15 ml, but definitely wouldn’t pay for a larger bottle of this. There are much better leathers to spend more money on.
Fancy bottled air 🙂
Glad you don’t regret your 15 ml.
Hermes just does not work for me either. I must confess, I am not a fan. I like JCE’s older compositions.
I’ll bet the Cuir d’Ange smells lovely on you. I was glad to be part of the split and get the Rose Ikebana. It satisfies me for a light rose with a twist, but it’s not far from “bottled air.”
🙂
I need chypre discribe in words for the new, young or clueless about perfumes.
This might enlighten you:
http://boisdejasmin.com/2005/05/parure_and_chyp.html
thanks
Robin, we are scent twins! I am wearing a dab from my cute little Apercu parfum mini. I don’t see this one mentioned often so I was expecting to be the only one – so nice to have company.
Oh nice!! And I almost never hear it mentioned either.
Right now I am sitting in vintage Diorling. I wish that the vintage and current version lasted longer on me. After my shower, I think I will go with no 19.
Love vintage Diorling! It’s short-lived on me too, but still wonderful.
I’m surprised, I used to have the vintage Diorling parfum, had great longevity.
The vintage I have is the edt version. So I might get about three and a half hours out of it.
I am wearing Trefle Pur, a perfect chypre for a late spring day in Texas.
You smell so lovely and spring-like!
I continue to be flummoxed by the chypre category but agree entirely with Eleebelle that you smell wonderful!
Then we’re in the same boat: no matter how many times I read about it, I will NEVER understand intuitively what a chypre is. (Yesterday, Fragrantica told me Grand Neroli was a chypre. Who knew?) I’ll just keep counting on the internet to categorize things for me.
Today’s my Thursday since I’m off Thurs and Fri. We’ll be off to Colorado for my niece’s graduation. I got her a travel spray of En Passant for her last bday and she says she loves it. Makes me happy since it’s her first perfume. She’s really turned out to be an amazing young woman considering she’s been through a lot. Her dad(my brother) died when she was 6, and her mother’s been divorced twice. She seems pretty grounded and is really just her own person. I haven’t gotten her a gift yet. Any suggestions?
My SOTD 31 Rue Cambon. I think I might do a week of chypres.
She sounds like quite the trooper. Glad she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Maybe treat her to a perfume shopping trip or take her shopping where she can pick out an outfit she may need for work if she’s got anything lined up/ interviews?
She kind of amazes me. I love that idea, though with all her prep and social events, it probably won’t happen this trip. I’m trying to lure her to visit me in NY, so I’ll definitely take her on an excursion when she comes out east.
One thing to consider – matching En Passant body products. You already know she likes the scent and I don’t think she would buy a body lotion/shower gel at that price point herself…
Nice idea. And I’m very close to the FM boutique… Thanks!
Ooh I’m delighted she likes the En Passant, that’s wonderful 🙂 I think Anniky’s idea of the body products to go with is perfect.
SOTD is Hermes Caleche from a vintage EDT mini.
Wow. You smell fab!????
I bet you smell wonderful!
Wearing Hiram green Shangri La, a fruity chypre I really like – especially after 30 minutes or so, when it has settled.
On a related note: turns out that Hiram Green is discontinuing the current packaging, so there will be a sale on the web site in the near future. In case you’ve been thinking about getting a bottle, this might be the time to do it. I have no affiliation with the brand whatsoever, but received an e-mail from Hiram with this info after buying the travel sprays. The customer service has been excellent – as is often the case with smaller brands.
I plan to get a bottle of Moon Bloom!
I wish Moon Bloom lasted longer on me, because it’s lovely. 45 minutes to an hour is just too short a span.
Austenfan said it doesn’t last on her either… I’m usually the one complaining about longevity, but this lasts quite well on me, especially for a natural scent. It does retreat very close to the skin after some hours, but I can still smell it in the evening.
But yes, one hour is not enough. A pity, as it’s a good one. I’ve been somewhat obsessed since I got my travel spray.
I’m puzzled by it.
I do have scent-eating skin, so three hours seems like a good run to me. I have a sample of tuberose essential oil – just tuberose, nothing else – and it lasts longer on me than Moon Bloom. Vamp a NY, another natural, lasts for a good eight hours on me. I don’t know what’s up with MB.
Thanks for the PSA — Moon Bloom has been on my full-bottle list for some time. I’ll try to remember to check the site regularly…
I should receive an alert when the sale starts and will try to let people know here, too.
Thanks for the PSA. I had just doused myself as much as is possible from my tiny sample of Shangra-la and am really liking it this time around. (You smell lovely!) I may need a FB of this to go with my Voyage.
Glad that it’s growing on you! I can still clearly smell it 10+ hours after application – so nice.
I thought you would fall for Moon Bloom. It is very pretty.
I know me well 🙂 I actually think it starts off pretty strange (in a good way) – maybe not Tubereuse Criminelle level strange, but still. And then it gradually turns into a beautiful tropical tuberose/white floral.
SOTD is Givenchy III (Les Mythiques), and to soften it up a bit, I am layering with a small dab of Lancome Mille et Une Roses. Cheers!
You smell marvelous!!
Wow that sounds like an amazing combination, I am sure you smell wonderful.
I’ve always wanted to try Givency III, and Mille is just gorgeous.
I find GIII in the Les Myths version to be actually quite linear. If I was going camping and knew ahead that I couldn’t shower for like 2 or 3 days, this is the fragrance I’d take with me. Guarantee to feel fresh and revived and perfume-y. Very reliable and earthy. It is a very direct green and white flowers chypre with a tad of a soapy accord. Good oakmoss, but not the most sublte of the green chypres. I prefer a little bit more development and soprano notes in my chypres to off-set the base. I like it very much, but I don’t often wear it b/c it never deviates from it’s course IMHO. Again, good for the long haul. It is kind of a “Linus Larrabee” of green chypres.
I had to look up who Linus Larrabee was but having that sorted I see what you mean. It still sounds good, but I prefer less linear fragrances myself as well.
That sounds divine, Givenchy 111 is fantastic!
Byredo Flowerhead. It’s so happy and fun.
I keep thinking about my leaked decant of Flowerhead and missing it… guess that means I should get another one. 🙂
Chypre of the day is “Balmy days and Sundays” from Ineke. This one seems to qualify as a chypre by listing a ‘chypre accord’ among its base notes, which I think is cheating. It opens nice and fresh – not particularly the claimed grassy note. I’m in a sweaty room on the outskirts of Paris and the freshness is welcome. It doesn’t have great “legs” though, and it’s just not that special.
Agreed on this. It is a nice one, but it’s very fleeting and I only wore it when I didn’t really care if the scent disappeared or if I was just lounging around the house.
I wanted to like that one, like a few others of hers, it went a bit “air freshener” on me.
I’m sorry, I’m temporarily addicted to Hummingbird. I was planning to wear Azemour but it’s too humid. Luckily, the kitties are already too hot to get into mischief. We found a freshly shed 7.5′ snakeskin yesterday in the front yard and I don’t want the cats hassling anything that big. I’m certain that it’s from one of our two huge resident indigo snakes and not anything venemous, but both snakebites and cat bites hurt and I want everybody, furry and scaly, intact.
Yoicks, that’s a big snake.
Snakes give me the willies… good thing I don’t see them often! We did have a 6′ black snake in the yard a few summers ago, but it didn’t go anywhere near the house. I’m actually surprised not to see more snakes on the farm, but where my parents live, in a subdivision built on the lower slopes of a mountain, they see snakes frequently. My sister once came home from an outing with friends on a summer evening and stepped over what she thought was a stick lying on the driveway. When my dad went out a few minutes later, to take the garbage cans to the road, he found the “stick” was a copperhead.
Yikes!
Eek. I like snakes quite a bit but reserve the right to squeal like a little girl and back up a few steps when coming upon one unexpectedly. We are lucky to have seen relatively few venemous snakes around here. A huge diamondback when I was about five years old (dead and with the head and tail hacked off by some genius who wanted a trophy) and a couple of little coral snakes have been all I can remember seeing here.
Steer clear of those coral snakes and diamondbacks! I’ve switched into snake-watch mode here too because accidentally stumbling onto a rattler just ain’t a good idea. I do hope ‘my’ kingsnake comes around, though.
That sounds like a good reason to try and keep cats out of trouble to me.
I’m so impressed with the size of your snake skin! You’re in the West, I suppose? Also love Hummingbird as well as Bat. I’m very glad I bought their samples kit unsniffed.
I’m at Mom’s at the moment, which is in the Texas Hill Country (so, Central Texas). This year has been a good one for critters of all kinds since we’ve had so much rain. We saw four adorable baby armadillos on our evening walk yesterday and all things predatory are fat and happy.
I was thrilled to find that Hummingbird is so pretty and Bat is wonderful too.
How lucky you are to host one of the most beautiful and endangered snakes in the United States! I have become somewhat obsessed after the fascinating article about these serpents in Garden and Gun magazine. You smell wonderful.
We are lucky to have always had a few Indigos around. I know of two right now. The big guy and a smaller one, maybe five feet, that I’ve scared away from his preferred drinking spot several times. We also have adorable little cat-eyed snakes, which are less than common as well as all the usual stuff.
Jean Patou Divine Folie pure parfum, absolutely wonderful, great spring perfume!
Wow!
Byredo 1996. Delicious woods and/or pancakes and syrup. 🙂
Reminds me of Ralph Lauren Hot, which I wore years ago and was like a nutty maple oriental.
Interesting! I’ve never tried Hot, but based on the name, I never would have guessed “nutty maple oriental.”
Twins! We are smelling great today. 🙂
We sure are!
I need some of these pancakes and syrup in my life!
Ever since you compared it to pancakes and syrup, I can’t stop smelling it! But honestly, I think that makes the scent even better. Definitely worthy of at least a decant…
I would get one but I really dislike decants… I love the way bottles look! I’ll try to swap for a partial or something…
Half Christmas is coming up. Don’t you celebrate? Mwahahahahaha….
teehee! it’s never too late to start, right?
Wearing L’Artisan Bucoliques de Provence today. It’s a new bottle I’ve been neglecting due to playing favorites with another purchased around the same time.
Ooh, what do you think of Bucoliques de Provence?
I like it, but I’m still trying to figure out how much. I lean toward warm fragrances, and it feels cool to me, but it has just enough spice to keep me sniffing. It definitely fills a gap in my fragrance wardrobe. I’m still waiting to fall in love with it as much as I thought I would.
I’m still experimenting with Balenciaga Le Dix. I think it’s love, but I’m not sure which formulation my sample is, or even if there are differences in the formulation (there ARE differences in bottle shapes over time) – do any of you have experience with the various iterations of Le Dix?
Estee Lauder Private Collection is my SOTD. I always thought this was a chypre, but on fragrantica its listed as a floral green.
Yeah, it’s confusing. For me, that one sort of bridges “chypre” and “green floral” the way that No. 19 does.
Agree.
I was considering Estee Super Cologne this morning, and that is definitely a chypre, even though it’s a green floral. My deciding factor is if there is significant oakmoss in the base. Anything with that much oakmoss counts IMHO.
I’m going to keep calling Private Collection a chypre. Michael Edwards also calls it a green. I suspect it doesn’t fit the traditional definition because there is so much green on top instead if citrus.
In any event I love it.
1740 from Histoire de Parfums. Immortelle and leathery chypre!
By the way, any NSTers with a tip for air travel with extraits? I am going to bring two unsealed Chanel extraits. Should I do extra-sealing? Check in or bring on board? I am a bit apprehensive of what a leaking extrait flacons of No.19 and Bois des Îles might do to the asthmatic passengers!
Oh as a rule I never check perfume… I think I vote for doing everything possible to seal them–probably worth investing in some parafilm? I mean if you’re still concerned for your fellow passengers after that, you can put them in a sealed plastic baggie (or double-bag them that way), but honestly I’m more worried for your lost extrait than for those around you!
Thank you forr the parafilm idea! I think I will follow your advice on the extraits and bring them on board in a zip-lock bag. The spray bottles can be relegated to the luggage.
Robin, I’ve been wondering for the past couple of days – what’s a “post-modern chypre”? I thought I had a pretty good handle on chypre, classic or modern, but post-modern is throwing me. (Or was that shorthand for “whatever seems like a chypre to you, let’s not quibble about terms”?)
Wearing MFK Lumiere Noire pour femme today – a modern chypre floral, if anybody is wondering how I’d categorize it. 🙂
I was fortunate enough to receive for Mother’s Day (after much begging) the MFK discovery set for women, and I can’t wait to try everything! Two in the set of eight are referenced as chypres, your SOTD and Féminin Pluriel. Have you tried the FP? The only two I’ve previously tried are the Aqua Universalis and APOM, so I have a lot of sampling ahead of me. 🙂
Yes, and I liked it (but not as much as LNpf or, say, Carven Le Parfum, another FK creation). I haven’t tried much from the line, even though FK’s stuff very often works for me – I am not an orange blossom fan so didn’t bother with APOM.
I like most everything from the MFK line, and they stay pretty true to scent on skin, as far as I can tell. Lumiere Noire is a gorgeous rose, but I was very pleasantly surprised by Amyris pour Homme, I get a lot milk chocolate and woods.
Amyris pour Femme is equally pretty, but like mals86 mentioned, you have to be a fan of orange and all its components for much of FK’s work.
If FP is a chypre, then I def don’t know what a chypre is. (Ugh ok maybe if I squint but dang I would NEVER have come up with that on my own.)
It’s very pretty though! Heard someone call it “a ballerina in a bottle” recently, and though that was pretty spot on. That fragrance wardrobe is a nice set, especially to receive as a gift!
Yeah, FP didn’t seem very chypre-y to me either. If you squint, you could call it a floral with a modern-chypre twist, but the chypre part is very definitely subject to the floral part. (That said, I did like it.)
I sort of made it up — but to me, modern chypres rely on dry patchouli fractions in the base, and while they only smell vaguely related to real chypres, they are at least recognizable as a class. Gucci by Gucci is always the one that comes to my mind.
Then there is this class of even newer fragrances that are called chypres, and do have dry patchouli fractions in the base as well, but far less, and they don’t smell *anything* like chypres and I don’t know why anybody is calling them chypres. An example of that would be Givenchy Dahlia Noir L’Eau, which I would have called a fresh floral.
So actually could be shorthand for “whatever the brand is calling a chypre, even if they have no justification for doing so”.
In this capacity, I think the modern chypre is the default new category for anything that is “not”, eg, not fougere, not oriental (or floriental), not woods, and most especially not sweet. I think it’s really just used in PR b/c it sounds elegant and fancy.
If it does mean “most especially not sweet” then I may have to pay closer attention to that classification. Unfortunately, I think the definition of “sweet” has changed over time.
Well, that was sort of my thinking on modern chypres as well, where patchouli/woods stands in for the moss. Haven’t tried the Gucci, but Coco Mademoiselle is maybe the clearest example in my mind of a modern (floral) chypre.
Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois. Got that really cheap on the internet, and even though I’ve spent lots of money on the original Shiseido version, this one is not that bad. Perfect for everyday.
I’ve only tried the current version and love it. You smell glorious and cosy.
Someday I hope to sniff the original! I love the SL version.
Having to go scent-free today! Barometric pressure is causing a wee little sinus headache, and I don’t want to poke the bear with scent.
Have a great day everyone!! 🙂 Looks like another beautiful Spring day is in the works….
Yuck, hope you feel better!
Ugh, my sinuses and head act as a barometer too. I hope you feel better soon!
Yuck. I get those. Hope you feel better soon.
Sampling the warm and inviting Noir Epices today. Was so interested to learn that this is classified as a “modern chypre” by Victoria at BdJ. It’s becoming clear to me that I love all forms of chypres!
See, I would consider NE to be an oriental!
Decided to wear Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture today and it’s got moss somewhere in there! After 2 vintage edc wearings of Miss Dior and Chanel No 19 yesterday which still clings to me, LPRNC will wake me up from my 1960s dreaming.
Loved so many of the posts yesterday on Robin and Angela’s writings. Fragrance and cats are stress relievers for sure.
I’m wearing Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s lovely Pandora, which I haven’t tried in a long time. The first time I wore it, I had the impression that it changed gender, mid-stride, like Orlando — or rather, like Orlando in reverse, morphing from a warm, 1940s-era women’s chypre to something rather like Old Spice. This time around, it seems more integrated, like a spicy chypre. Maybe some of the top notes have left the premises, since my sample is getting a bit long in the tooth.
I’m curious about the lasting power of Pandora. I like DSH scents, but others haven’t lasted any time at all on me. Is it that way with Pandora?
It doesn’t last terribly long on me — mind you, I’ve only tried it dabbed from a sample vial, so it may have more sticking power if sprayed. I find it to have a bit more longevity than many of JCE’s Hermes fragrances, but to have mostly run through its paces in a couple of hours or so.
Aromatics Elixir, not quite vintage but old enough to still have a hefty glug of oakmoss along with that brutal patchouli. So incredible.
Delicious!
Oh, great idea..AE here I come. Incredible indeed. Thanks!!
AE is the amazon warrior of fragrances!
Vintage Ma Griffe today; day off from work tomorrow. Hooray x 2. 🙂
Ooh hooray hooray indeed! 🙂
It’s my birthday and my husband got me the IFF Secret Smelling Collection. I’m wearing Dominique Ropion. It is the BEST gardenia I have ever smelled. Hands down. I’m really hoping someone will pick it up.
Happy Birthday! You smell great.
Happy birthday to you!!
Happy Birthday!, hope you’re having a wonderful day, and sunshine where u are. Lovely present- I love Dominique Ropion, and BWF’s, so this one sounds like a must try!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday, and may there be Ropion gardenia in your future.
Happy birthday! 🙂 I have been eyeing that set.
Please let us know what you think of the others as you sample.
Happy birthday! Looks like you lucked out with your first pick! A great gardenia scent sounds just marvelous for a birthday.
Happy Birthday and what a fun present.
Happy birthday, and many happy and fragrant returns!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! Nice gift!
Happy birthday!!
What a great husband — enjoy!
Happy birthday! And I’m VERY interested in that gardenia 🙂
you really must try to get your hands on it…I’m dying to know what you would think of it!!!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! What a lovely gift.
Happy Birthday!
Started off the day with Cristalle edt, I really love it, but three spritzes on each wrist completely gone in 2 hours. Re sprayed with sample of Cristalle Edp, which I’ve also tried once, and I think lasted a little longer, fingers crossed. Still I don’t mind longevity issues too much if I can get a bargain on eBay, which u can with Cristalle, just can’t justify spending lots on one that needs to be reapplied often.
Almost twins, Cristalle Eau Verte today, although it is classified as a floral green at Fragrantica it must earn me some chypre points.
Hello , I am saving Cristalle vert for a really warm day, it just sounds so refreshing! The Edp lasts longer on my skin, than edt, and it’s just gorgeous, I couldn’t remember lasting power from the first try. Definitely going on my ‘To Buy List’. Am already keeping an eye out for bargain bottles on eBay!
Vintage Inoui, still gorgeous and green.
SIGH. I only have a tiny tiny decant of that (part of it evaporated!) but it is SO gorgeous.
Agree
You smell divine.
Chanel No5 EDC with a few spritzes of A la Nuit to oomph it up. Methinks melikes jasmine. Not the shampoo kind, but this is good.
I’ve only three chypres (four if you count Agent Provocateur): Knowing, Scherrer EDT and last dregs of my vintage 60s Mitsouko. Scherrer is my favourite hands down.
And if my vintage No 19 EDT mini is a chypre than that’s a chypre too.It’s mostly leather though and goes pooft in 15 minutes so it’s in the ‘don’t bother’ basket.
What an interesting combination – might have to play with n5 and some jasmine perfumes to see how it goes on me.
SOTD: just a drop of sandalwood oil till after my housecall. After, I’m not sure…
I’m focusing on getting together some shipping materials for NST freebie meet items and perfumes for sale on another forum. It already feels wonderful to begin offloading stuff, and very satisfying to find out what the real keepers actually are. It turns out that there are a few more bottles on the keep list than I was planning on. A bunch of them will just go into storage in the cool basement for summer. But still I will have reduced my collection by about half.
You know, sometimes just a drop of an fragrance oil is just perfect.
Yes. Some of the EO’s are quite beautiful on their own. I particularly like pure jasmine sambac, neroli and of course real sandalwood. In the summer I put some drops of jasmine oil in a spray bottle with water, shake it up and that’s what I use to mist/freshen up my hair. It does as good of a job as some of those expensive “beachy hair wave” products and it smells beautiful.
Congratulations on your culling! It sounds like you’ve found a wonderful solution. I’ve been sending some things out this week too, and it sure does feel nice.
Thank you. It took a little while to reach a middle ground where I wasn’t just committing perfumocide. I think honing it down to three bottles was a bit extreme, but I’m ok with seven bottles. I think it was Robin who said something about a person who only keeps seven bottles in his collection and will not buy a new bottle until he has used one up. I think I kind of like that logic.
Curious, where do you sell your fragrances? I have a few that I don’t want to ebay, but I think people might want?
I’ve recommended this to others because I’ve bought stuff from there, but if you haven’t joined Facebook Fragrance Friends, it’s a good option. There’s a “files” section under the info part where people can post sales, swaps, splits, ISOs, etc.
Urgh. I’m an inveterate facebook abstainer. But I must miss out on tonnes of good stuff (in the perfume world and out of it, too).
Me too. I just rejoined temporarily so I could sell off some perfume. As soon as the task is done I will be pulling the plug on FB.
Yup that’s where I’m selling stuff.
I wasn’t able to find Fragrance Friends,
Is that the correct name? Thanks!
Wanted something easy and pretty today so went with a generous amount of FM’s En Passant. It fades so fast, though, that I will be able to apply something else after lunch.
Not too many chypres in the excel spreadsheet, but I think Aedes’ signature scent will do.
In another pretty-but-fleeting FM, namely L’Eau d’Hiver. In a blue dress, which goes with the perfume’s light-lilac “shade”.
Ugh, Tuesday!
1) SOTD: Am trying Chanel’s Chance from a sample. Sorry for any Chance fans out there, but this is a huge ‘So What; of a scent. Who would buy this when you can get get better and cheaper fruity/floral chypres out there?
2) The dating game is bizarre. What is with sending text message you would not even show your mom to a person you are trying to impress? Yeech!
Well, hopefully there are multiple differences between the relationship you have with your mom and the relationship with someone you’re trying to date, but . . . I know the situation you describe. I don’t think I mind the raunchiness so much as the boredom these kinds of text messages lead to.
Right. And it’s weird, because I am of an age that grew with this stuff, but it’s still very offputting, and not at all sexy or seductive to me!
1. LOL! 2. Agree v much about the tedium.
Atelier Cologne Sud Magnolia, which right now is my balmy weather scent.
Of course, it’s like 70 in the office, which I definitely failed to consider when getting dressed. My legs are allover goose pimples.
Your office sounds like my office! I could probably go all year without wearing warm weather scents just because of how cold it is inside the building
There were some articles last year about how the standard office temperature in the US is due to the relatively low number of women in the workplace, historically, combined with US norms of building construction. And now there’s a huge environmental cost, too! Luckily, I can adjust the temperature in my own office if my officemate is amenable, but I try to wait until it gets realllllly hot before I move it too much.
At least you can save the warm weather scents for the weekends?
Random sample of the day is Irene Neuwirth for Barney’s which is a pretty, airy fresh floral
Good morning all. Things were a bit harried trying to get everyone out of the house, as it often is with 2 toddlers. so I wanted something comforting to relax me a bit – decided to try PG Musc Maori. I’ve had a small decant for ages, but figured a little chocolate makes everything better. It’s quite nice. I’ll be wearing this often.
Yum 🙂
I’m in Beloved. I have very little so wear it infrequently, but today it called out, politely yet lovingly. Gosh, I had forgotten how beautiful it is; I feel special.
You smell beautiful.
Lovely
Chanel N19 EDP today over a rose body lotion. Got all sorts of random compliments which is nice.
That actually sounds wonderful.
That sounds so lovely.
What a great combination.
Oh, I LOVE layering No. 19 (any version, but especially the edp) over rose lotion!
Sound good. Never tried to layered No.19, one of my all time favorite. Good idea, will play with it. Guess I was afraid to mess with it!:).
I’m not a layerer, but this tempts even me.
sounds like a wonderful combination. No 19 edt is one of my absolute favourites, but still haven’t smelt the Edp, must remedy that soon!
That sounds beautiful.
Sampling Jasmin Rouge today…on a jasmine kick.
It is quite nice but has not surpassed Essences Insensées 2015 for me. I also sampled Jasmine Full over the weekend. Also lovely. I will resample each but neither has moved Essences out of the front running.
Have to track down a sample of a la Nuit…I am tempted by some cheap full bottles on Ebay…but I try not to buy unsniffed…Satan, get thee behind…
Found a rollerball of Kiehls Coriander when I turned an old backpack upside down. I think it’s discontinued, which is a shame. It’s distinctive, thoroughly green, bright but not necessarily clean. I’m happy to reunite with it!
Oh that is a shame, I love coriander in perfume. Lucky you to have some!
I’ve only tried one! What other coriander scents are out there?
I’m delighted you should ask–it’s a secret favorite thing of mine 🙂 So, the De Bachmakov I was wearing yesterday has some coriander (PS, Petunia if you are around today, I owe you an account of what DB is like–didn’t get back to my computer until late last night but I did see your query!) Tauer’s L’Air du desert marocain does too, as does the original Costes (a Giacobetti) and Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, all perfumes I love. There’s a classic called Coriandre by Jean Couturier that I’ve never gotten to smell, and then also a Jo Loves that I’m dying to try, Green Orange & Coriander.
Or if you want a more complete list, Fragrantica’s got one here: http://www.fragrantica.com/notes/Coriander-64.html I admit I don’t notice the coriander in all the perfumes it mentions but there are some I def mean to circle back to and sniff again to look for that specifically.
Thanks C. H. You’re the best!
I was scentless this morning since I had a dentist app, now I am wearing Guerlain Chant d’Aromes and enjoying it a lot, perfect spring scent.
A few weeks back when some of us had our perfume rendezvous at Arielle’s lovely little shop, someone kindly dropped their little bag of Bruno Fazzolari samples in my little tote, kindly provided by Arielle. Today I am testing the glorious Au Dela, the first one, different from the one Kevin reviewed. It is a beauty. Coriander, neroli and orange blossom on a bed of amber and oak moss. Chypre heaven.
Yay! Can’t wait to hear your impressions of the others. I was commando for a meeting but grabbed a dab of the Au Dela Narcisse des Montagnes.
Au Dela was instant love for me too. I’ll be joining you in wearing i at some point this week. I’ve been wanting to sample BFs other scents as well. I’m curious to read your impressions as well.
You smell great! I just got a sample set and it’s by far my favorite, though I haven’t given the rest enough skin time to really judge.
Oh boy, it looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!
Day 4 of chypres —
SOTD = Aftelier Bergamoss EDP
Gorgeous but fleeting. Just to give you an idea, from my 9 mL travel spray, I used more sprays than 8 spray La Pausa and in 4 hours, I can barely detect it and now, I can only catch occasional whiffs. I have a 2nd travel spray, courtesy of a generous NSTer! I really should ask Ms. Aftel to consider packaging it in a larger size with a more generous spray nozzle. It will be sticker shock for sure but some perfumes are worth it and this is one of them.
In other news, shopping in Herald Square will be fun again! Soon to open on Broadway between 35th and 36th: Shake Shack AND Rituals – HUZZAH!
I have no idea if this is true but I was told second-hand that MA did the 9ml Bergamoss sprays mainly as a more affordable way to introduce people to a scent she feels is really more properly incarnated as a solid perfume–and indeed, I got AMAZING staying power when I tested the solid, like truly a full day. Easily the best longevity of any natural I’ve ever tried. Especially if you’re feeling up to spending for the scent, I’d def encourage going for the solid!
It is usually the other way around! I will take this under consideration when I place my next Aftelier order.
Is it? Interesting, I think I might have imagined that sprays would evaporate more quickly.
I think you should try both and the Vanilla Smoke (extrait) and Cuir de Gardenia. I always end up buying more or offer to split a samples order if I know I am already sending Person X something. I hate paying shipping costs if I am already spending $$$s.
That’s interesting! I haven’t tried the spray, but the solid only lasts about an hour on me. It’s a *very* enjoyable hour, though!
I mean I should say: I’m an admitted perfume lightweight, I wear very little to start and even just yesterday, I tried to show someone my perfume and she couldn’t smell anything when to me it was TOTALLY still there 🙂 So, weight my opinion accordingly.
That said, it’s not like I haven’t ever encountered a perfume I found short-lived (my beloved Sexy Angelic for one–average one hour +/- 30 mins, yikes!), and of course many that have a medium duration, like 4-6 hours–this one definitely surprised me for going and going. I def put on a good smudge of it though, and if applying generously is the trick, then it def becomes more expensive still. (I’d be curious to hear, actually, if there’s a sense of how many wearings one should get out of an 8ml solid, akin to Kevin’s perfume math for spray bottles.)
The solid definitely lasted longer on me!
I’m spoiled. I also have the solid which I’ve barely used but will once I am in short or 3/4 sleeve shirt. I don’t like perfume on my clothes.
And I just realized that it is Chypre Day 3 (and not 4).
Oh good I’m glad you have the solid!! (Isn’t it dreamy?) In that case I def think it’s worth at least mentioning to Mandy that you’d be interested in a bigger size–I’m sure she’d like to know there’s a market for it!
Funny I wore this yesterday and it lasted through five hours of meetings plus, which is good for me. Sorry your’s was fleeting.
Ha! A case of YMMv!
Hello friends! I have been so swamped with real life (house buying selling) and work (promotion) I have not had a spare moment to join in the fun here. I didn’t even know it is chypre week. Sheesh! I will get on that ASAP.
SOTD is Kelly Caleche.
I promise to read everyone’s comments tonight so I can catch up!
Sounds like all good news, though!
Congrats on the promotion and on your housing successes!
Congrats! And you smell(ed) great!
I’m stoked for this week’s chypre project. I have a few, so I can start before Friday. Gotta have a think and plan ahead, though, since it’s forecasted to break the century mark here. So much for ‘Spring’. ????
SOTD is Dame Perfumery Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood.
Eeek, in the 3 digits already??? Yucky!
Yep, Thursday and Friday are when we’re expecting ‘the ice to break on the Santa Cruz River’, so I’m planning my chypres accordingly. I’ll wear the heaviest one tomorrow while it’s still ‘cool’. ???? At least it’s a dry heat!
Continuing the chypre samples with Jubilation Woman (en?) which is way herby-er than I remember. Delightful like the sun that has come out…
Ooh, maybe I’ll wear Jub25 tomorrow. I had forgotten about it!
Late today. I’m in Bergamoss with Hajusuuri but added a bit of Silences cream to my wrist to give it some umph. Time to reapply.
Ooh smart combo!
Meanwhile I wanted to reply belatedly to your query about De Bachmakov, which I find completely wonderful and want to spread word of far and wide! I find it very refreshing, sophisticated and winsome, three qualities that can be hard to find together! Per ad copy, it does smell “mineral” but only if “mineral” somehow has very favorable connotations for you–I would not have guessed that “mineral” would mean something this appealing! Likewise it’s herbal but usually I am not much for aromatics as a genre (too sharp for me) while this one I find totally agreeable. Same again for the listed freesia note: would usually scare me, total non-issue here. The ingredients are clearly very high-quality, and the composition is really intelligent, without being at all “difficult” to enjoy. I’d say, if Gaiac 10 were less peppery and a bit zestier, or if Versace Versence were made with (much) better ingredients, or if some of those Kilian colognes (Bamboo Harmony? Prelude to Love? I honestly can’t recall, apologies if I’m unfairly maligning someone’s favorite!) showed the same care and imagination that make some of the more powerhouse scents from that line so good–it’d be something like this!
(Oh and I have no idea what they were thinking with the name–can’t imagine what this has to do with Russia except that I think it could inspire a very nice vodka-based cocktail??)
The name of someone important to the company?
So yes that’s exactly it, co-founder and bottle designer Thierry de Baschmakoff, but it’s promoted as a tribute to his Russian background and…I do not totally see the composition’s connection to Russia! Think I would’ve gone with something about a limpid eau to honor his beautiful work with glass. Or whatever. Just to say, this isn’t a fragrance to keep you warm through a Siberian winter!!
That would be their artistic director, Thierry de Baschmakoff. Apparently to celebrate his Russian origins.
I actually do like scents with mineralic or even herbal/aromatic notes. It depends on the scent of course. One of my favorite mineralic scent is EU de Roachas. It’s terrific on hot humid days. Thanks for for your detailed explanation! I’ll add De Bachmacov to my sample list. It sounds nice for summer. I think it’s great that you found something that you love!
Eau de Rochas…can’t type on this IPad.
Oh that sounds so good.
I think I’m pretty close to breaking down and buying some in which case I’ll be happy to send you a sample 🙂
Twins! And I never thought to layer the two. I will have to try this combo!
Did you see above that SophieC layered rose scented lotion with No 19? Sounds like a gorgeous combo to me.
Hello, all. I’m feeling all in my head today–much to do, some of it late, worry about team members who are battling huge stuff bravely but so far unavailingly–I really, really want my mother! Better still, my father. However, those two wishes being completely unobtainable, I’ll do what I can without the benefit of their wisdom, and wear Number 19 to help me achieve it. Isn’t this the bestest of all perfumes, when she’s not being a brat? Green, fresh, floral, feminine, good company but not frivolous. Thanks to Chanel for this tiny way to make the world a better place.
Glad to read she is on best behaviour again.
It’s amazing how much I miss my father when I am with people having a hard time or being difficult. I’m sorry your father and mother aren’t available.
Wearing Magie Noire again. I came home with the bottle as it reminded me of my youth, and Boucheron wasn’t available.
I was delving through old perfume advertisements yesterday and came across one for REO a cologne from 1978 with the byline that it was made ‘exclusively’ for gay men. Does anyone remember it? NZ didn’t pass the Homosexual Law Reform Bill until 1986 ( how I loved the political engagement of the 80s in NZ…homosexual law reform, anti nuclear marches, Springbok tour…). Anyway, interesting to see all the old advertisements and the absence of teenage girls and flesh.
I used to love Magie Noire. It would be nice to sniff again, but I don’t think I would buy it.
Monday’s ugly sister indeed — last day of vacation for me, booooooo! Sotd is Dame Passionfruitsalad once more, been getting a lot of wear out of this on this trip.
Sorry 🙁
Jacomo Silences. So great!
It looks as if our unbelievable run of beautiful autumn weather is coming to an end, it’s dull and wet today. Belatedly joining the chypre theme, Mitsouko for me today. I need to read up on chypres to confirm what others I have, but at least I can start with the obvious!
Mitsouko may be ‘obvious’, but it’s a perfect place to start. And end. And fill in the middle… ????
Many thanks to Lindaloo (lou?) yesterday, who confirmed my guess and told me a lot about Zen. Another NSTer at work!
You’re welcome. You may notice I never use a few words where a lot will do. 😉
SOTD = Green Oakmoss by Soivohle. It’s an unexpectedly good match with today’s weather. I was inspired by several NSTers who have mentioned it as of late.
You smell lovely.
Thank you!
Yum. I haven’t worn that in a while either. Will have to try to remember.
Happy Birthday to Linda Evangelista. I miss the days of the Super Model. Stupid cold and rainy day again. Still feeling under the weather, but I tried to brighten the day with my new Very Sexy Now perfume from VS. Which I got for free over the weekend. I got the white bottle 2014 edition, which smells like coconut. It did not do a very good job at transforming the day, but I smelled pretty good.
All chypre-d up today in O de Lancome.
You smell gooood.
Oooooh, very nice!
So I lined up chypres last night after wearing Bergamoss yesterday. I took a shower and put on Lubin Black Jade which is listed as a floral chypre and was nice, but fleeting. I really want to love one of the Lubins in those great bottles. Today Shangra-La from a tiny sample and still going strong this late in the day. Wishing I had Christalle for the nice weather, but I really hate the bottles and can’t get myself to buy one. How shallow am I?
Not as shallow as the bowl of soup I had at a diner last Saturday. How shallow was it? A fly in the soup would not drown because its legs could touch bottom.
Ha! ????
Ach!
I really like Black Jade. You smell good today! They do have nice bottles but I have heard people say that their caps aren’t that great. I guess they are made from plastic.
Oh those lovely caps are plastic?! It does smell good though, even if a bit fleeting for me.
SOTD Penhaligon’s Quercus. Reminded by a post yesterday that I had a bit of this.
Very renewing after a couple of days recuperating from excessive workshops, volunteer meetings and task. Apparently although I understand the concept of pacing, I don’t know how to apply to myself.
Really late applying perfume today, I had a massage this morning and then spent the day running errands and searching for new living room curtains. It was hot and sunny here so now I’m wearing Nicolai Balle de Match, an aromatic citrus that instantly cools me off.
Sounds like a fun day!