It's World Baking Day! What fragrance are you wearing? (And if you're baking, do tell us about that too.)
I'm barely awake, again, but this time in Prada Infusion d'Iris.
Reminder: on 5/20 we're doing The Art of the Understatement. (suggested by Anniky, and you can interpret that howsoever you like)
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.
Very awake in Un matin d’ Orage, a sleeper in my collection. Very gorgeous. Drinking the last of my Sikkim Temi.
AG Un matin is one of my faves for spring. It’s so beautifully floral but with an edge – love that wet stone damp spring effect
You smell great!
A sleeper. Very funny! And this sleeper is a beauty.
One of my favorites! Haven’t worn it yet this year.
It’s very beautiful.
also barely awake
wearing vintage guerlain samsara
I love vintage Guerlain Samsara, you smell gorgeous
I’m not in vintage, but I am in samsara, twin!
Any chance you’ve tried the two side by side? I *almost* like the current formulation a lot, and I’m afraid would adore the vintage and then add another hard-to-find vintage fragrance to my collection! (But maybe you could reassure me that they’re very similar, and if I don’t love the current I won’t love the vintage?)
I have tried both and the vintage is the one that I adore, it is more smooth and perfect. I love the vintage extrait.
Sorry, I’ve not tried the vintage version at all.
I like both but the vintage is smoother to me. I don’t think it’s that hard to find on eBay or Etsy. I always see the minis floating around.
MR, I have vintage edp and edt and have tried the current. As with most reformulations the vintage has a depth and smoothness the current lacks and you can definitely notice the ingredient quality. Id say try find some extrait or edp. The edt even in vintage has a plastic raincoat/virgin pvc note that isnt in the richer concentrations.
You both smell great. I put away my Samsara. I have vintage EDP and EDT but I may pull it back out if this weather continues.
No SOTD quite yet, but I am thinking it will be Amouage Dia today. Not understated, but I don’t feel like being understated. Today is my birthday, and I took the day off from work so I can spend it doing what I want to do. I figure that includes wearing whatever perfume I want as well.
Happy birthday! And enjoy your day off.
Happy birthday!!! What will you be doing?
We will be going to the art museum in Houston. There are a couple of exhibits there I want to see, including one of Art Deco automobiles that is closing in a couple more weeks.
I’ve heard this is a great show–enjoy! And Happy Birthday!
That show looks interesting. I don’t go as often as I should. Maybe one of these days I’ll get a membership again.
Have a great birthday!!
I’m dyong to see this one with my boyfriend but our schedules never align for it.
Yes!, it does! Happy birthday and have a great day doing what pleases you.
You’ll smell gorgeous, Dia is beautiful.
Happy birthday! Have fun
Hope it is a wonderful birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday, and in my opinion Dia is understated, at least for an Amouage.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! Hope you have a great day 🙂
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! You smell fabulous.
Happy Birthday and enjoy your day! I enjoy going to museums as well!
Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy your outing. Sounds like a great way to spend the day.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday and enjoy your day!
Happy birthday to you!
You smell great and happy birthday!
Never be understated on your birthday! May you have many happy returns! 😀
happiest of birthdays!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! Not only is Dia beautiful but it’s underrated for an Amouage.
Happy Birthday! Hope you get to do something that leaves you with a satisfied smile on your face by the time you go to bed tonight!
Oh, excellent job gifting yourself with time on your birthday! Happy Birthday, I hope it’s a wonderful day!
Happy Birthday! You smell great 🙂
You have a great birthday 50_roses, and I say this authoritatively, since it’s mine too. Have a great day at your fabulous Houston musuems!
Happy Birthday to you too!
And I hope you have a breat day too!
Great 🙂
Happy Birthday, Amy!
Happy Birthday!
Wow, happy birthday to you too!
Happy Birthday Amy and 50_Roses! Hope you both had lovely days 🙂
Happy Birthday to you as well!
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a perfect day.
Happy Birthday! I hope it’s great. Have cake!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day.
Happy Birthday, I hope you are enjoying your day and here’s wishing you a wonderful year ahead! When I worked, I always took my birthday off and took almost as much pleasure in planning what I wanted to do as in the day itself. The freedom to do as I chose, and not to be identified as who I was by what I did, was my best birthday gift to myself!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!! Glad you’re wearing whatever YOU love!! Perfume should always be 100% happiness, especially on birthdays! 🙂
Happy Birthday!
Hey, fellow Taurus: Happy Birthday! I hope your day has been excellent so far!
Wow! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I had a really good day. The automobile exhibit was amazing; I would seriously love to drive any one of those cars, not that I could afford any of them. Anyone who is in the Houston area and thinking about going before the exhibit closes on May 30, do so.
There was a sort of companion exhibit in a small room in the neighboring building. It showcased other Art Deco items, including some vintage perfume bottles from the 1920s and 1930s, gowns by Lanvin, Patou, and Poiret, beaded evening bags, cocktail sets, an Art Deco style phonograph, etc. The Lanvin gown looked surprisingly contemporary. One could easily wear it today.
Finally, we saw an exhibit of paintings by 19th century portrait artist Franz X. Winterhalter, who I admit I had not previously heard of, but who was extremely popular in his day, numbering Queen Victoria and Empress Eugenie among his clientele. The paintings were stunning, and the exhibit included a number of vintage gowns by Worth and others of the era. None of them were the exact gowns featured in the portraits, but they were of very similar styles and designs and could very well have been worn by the subjects of the portraits.
Sounds like my kind of exhibition! That’s the kind of thing Id do on my birthday too 🙂
Glad you had a wonderful day 🙂
I have been sick for a week with allergies that threw my system into a kind of full-body protest aftera kitty I am INCREDIBLY allergic to has been staying with me. I’m generally allergic to cats, but just take medicine I’m usually fine, but this kitty…oh man. His owners were desperate for someone to watch him for two months (!) and I’m too nice so I went along with it, but this, along with his penchant for middle of the night, frantic door-scratching (my roommate’s door, not mine) and general nighttime destruction is making me regret it. Dude is killing me. I do love kitties (I volunteered with rescue cats for years and am always the first to catsit for friends when they need it) but this guy is kicking my butt – both in allergies and loss of sleep. And then I couldn’t smell for a week, so that bummed me out all the more.
Thankfully I’m beginning to be able to smell somewhat, though I have a constant post-nasal drip thing happening, so I’m staring out slow with the Body Shop’s Indian Night Jasmine body butter on my hands, just to get myself back in the swing of things.
I’m really going to make a concerted effort in my work day to come over and comment more regularly – I’ve missed having you guys in my daily life so much.
Hope you’re all well and healthy!
Hope you’re back up to speed soon.
And how’s the Indian Night Jasmine?
Personally, I quite like it. I bought it on sale in the older packaging they were selling off last year before they brought in the new, and it reminded me a bit of my late, lamented Neroli Jasmin by the Body Shop, so I sprang for it. I could probably stand to indulge in it a bit more, but I savor it. I’m not a white floral person, but this doesn’t seem like a white floral to me.
OMG, this sounds pretty awful. You ARE too nice!! I especially sympathise at the moment, as I’m having a horribly runny nose and a dry, constant cough and I’m pretty sure I’m driving my co-workers slowly mad with this.
Aww – I hope you feel better too!
I’m getting better about establishing boundaries with people, but I think this instance was a failure to do so on my part. Lesson learned, and I’ll be better at taking care of my own needs the next time.
Oh my gosh!! That’s awful, I hope the owners are finding different accommodation for their cat for the remaining seven weeks?? That is way too long to be so sick for someone else’s pet!
You’re probably right. They said that they’re not in the greatest financial circumstances at the moment, and were trying to save money with this situation, but they are also visiting Estonia for two months. I felt like I couldn’t say no, as they said they were desperate, but many people have pointed out to me that that doesn’t have to be my problem. Sigh – why am I such a pushover?
What?? That’s ridiculous. You can’t claim financial hardship and cut essential corners while going off on fun, super-long vacations (assuming the visit is a vacation).
I think saying, “Sorry, I’m allergic to cats” deserves be a super-easy out for doing these kinds of favors. Sorry you’re going through this, and I hope bathing the cat fixes the problem!!
They’ve referred to it as a vacation (and even suggested I post pictures of the cat online with a hashtag about him being on vacation, which bothered me because this is not a vacation for me), but her mother lives there and is going through breast cancer, so they want to spend time with her.
I don’t love the way they’ve done this but I’m also sympathetic to wanting to be with one’s mother when she’s going through a crisis. But fundamentally, I think I’m just a pushover.
OMG the hashtag ????
I def get wanting to help friends who are visiting an ailing relative but they seem really oblivious to how massively they’re imposing on you; unfortunately it probably is going to be left to you to rein it in. Ugh sorry what a difficult situation.
Good heavens.
Well, I guess I can’t be filled with righteous anger if they’re going to visit her sick mother, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they have other friends who are less allergic to cats and are heavier sleepers.
I have horrifically noisy upstairs neighbors, and sticking in earplugs, uncomfortable as they are, frequently buys me an extra hour or two of sleep. Have you tried those to get through a night of scratching?
Oh I don’t think you’re a pushover, you were trying to help and reasonably believed you’d be ok with meds, but now that you’re so sick, that seems to change things! For my two cents, I really don’t think this is a situation where “Well you said you’d do it, so now you have to be sick for seven more weeks so we can have free pet-sitting” applies!
Oh no, that sounds terrible! I wonder what it is about this particular kitty that is so much worse for your system than others?
I’ve had the experience of being more allergic to some breeds than others – not sure exactly what it is. But I should also mention – he is 20 pounds of very, very fluffy kitty (Norwegian forest cat), and that fur has gone evvvvvvvvverywhere.
FWIW I am also variably allergic. Hadn’t ever really been allergic to dogs but my neighbors’ gorgeous, super-long-haired golden retriever makes my sinuses go nuts.
I hope you are feeling better and that they can find another temporary home for this cat.
Thanks babe. I hope so too.
There you are! I was wondering where you’d gone …
Oh gosh, the kitty situation sounds dreadful. Could you, um, bring him back to his home and pop by instead? Whenever I go out of town, I leave my cats at home and get someone to come in. I don’t know if that might be a viable option for you and his humans.
One of my cats has been driving me nuts, waking me up at 4am for the last two weeks by purring loudly! and lolling around all over me. I embarrassed myself by yelling at him this morning. I believe he thought I was being enthusiastic. 😉
His home is unfortunately not particularly convenient to mine, and it would require a lot of long subway rides back and forth.
And oh those 4 am wakeups. If they only could get on our schedule! Hope he behaves better tonight.
So sorry you are not well! Have you tried bathing the cat? I have heard that can help.
I’ve never bathed a cat, but he’s twenty pound of fierce kitty – I think the odds would be against me winning what I’m sure would become a battle.
Oh you poor dear. I couldnt help but comment. I would have done the same to help out and then felt stuck when it all went pear-shaped :-/ you just cant tell which ones will be good house guests! 🙂
The allergies are usually due to the dander rather than the fur itself, which is basically cat saliver from all that grooming so it makes sense that Mr Norwegian will have lots of dried cat slobber to wash off. How brave of you 🙂 I know this sounds awful but I had a cat who sometimes needed baths but tended to shred everything in sight to escape the sink so a bf taped a bit of masking tape over her paws so the claws wouldnt be so lethal. He used the paper tape for painting etc that doesnt hurt or remove fur on removal. It was a godsend.
Good luck with it all sweetie.
The tape idea is brilliant. I tried to bathe one of our old cats once about 17 years ago, and still have the scars to remind me how little fun she had. And Hi!
Oh no! So sorry about your situation. I know those nighttime antics well. Cats like to go nuts at night. We had a neighbor complain once when our guys were kittens, so we had to sequester them at night.
I hope you can find a new place for this guy.
I hope so too…I’m so tired.
My childhood kitty Jasmine would play with marbles in the middle of the night and go “bowling” as we called it on the hardwood floor downstairs, but that was about the extent of her nighttime adventures. This guy is like “YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO ME NOW!”
Oh dear! That’s a long time to suffer. I wish we could take him off your hands…but we are knee deep in cats…. Based on your description, he’s a furry one. My sister wasn’t allergic till she acquired a Maine Coon. I too am wondering if a bath/grooming might help.
Trying to imagine how that would go for us….have you ever tried to bathe a cat?
Sorry for your current situation. Be careful bathing the cat. I suggest that you get some help if you do. I washed my cat a few weeks ago but my husband wasn’t around to help. He usually holds him still while I do the washing. He is normally a sweetie but this time he showed his displeasure by running his claws down my cheek and neck. Blood everywhere. I was stunned. I hope you can get some relief soon.
I wonder if a better and safer method would be to use baby wipes. If he is willing to be petted then he might be content to have you rub him with a wipe to reduce the dander. Also if he is willing to be brushed/combed that might work to reduce excess hair and therefore lad to less dander. You could wear a surgical mask while doing it so you don’t get more exposed.
We used to do “kitty handcuffs” made from medical tape taped to itself (so the non-sticky side was to the fur) for our special-needs cat when we bathed her. You could also take the cat to a groomer and let them deal with it.
Yikes, sounds like kitty is really doing a number on you. I hope your allergies get better.
Thanks dear!
This sounds miserable. I can’t imagine you going through 2 months like this.
Maybe, try bathing him like others have suggested.
I’m beginning to consider it, though I feel like I’ll have to remove everything from the bathroom in advance of the bath to try to prepare for the inevitable destruction…
Ugh, that is the worse! I just spent a weekend with friends and they had kitties, which put my allergies into overdrive! But I love kitties, so I just suffered as they all chose ME to snuggle up against!
Yeah, I have to take allergy medicine with me everywhere and if I know I’m going to see a kitty, I pop an Alavert beforehand. But of course they love you – they know who is most allergic!
I think that you are right! 😀
I think that they sense the fear of those allergic and are just trying to cozy up to make you feel better. 😉
Echoing the suggestion to try bathing the cat, or having the cat bathed if doing it yourself is not a good idea. Some cats are quite docile about it, but with some it can turn into a bloodletting.
Once we took in a cat who seemed to aggravate my husband’s allergies. We gave him a bath, and that seemed to fix the problem. The cat had been outdoors, so we figured he must have gotten something into his fur (pollen, perhaps) that was causing the issues. He was a long-haired cat, also, so I am thinking long hair holds onto more “stuff”. I can’t guarantee that bathing the cat will solve your allergy problem, but it is worth a shot if you are planning on trying to keep him for the entire two months.
You all may have convinced me. Might try this as a last ditch effort before asking his people to find him another place to stay…which I may need to do anyway just because I want to get a full night’s sleep.
If you do try to bathe him, there are some things you can do to make it a little less traumatic for you both. Some cats are just about impossible to bathe, and others are surprisingly docile about it if it is done right. Size is not really relevant–I had a 20+ pound cat who was very easy to bathe, and I have had small cats who were terrors.
One of the most important things is to make sure the water is as close as possible to the cat’s body temperature, which is typically several degrees higher than ours, around 101-103 degrees F. If the water is too cold, it is a shock to the cat to be plunged into it, much as it is to you when you jump into a too cold swimming pool or lake. OTOH, you don’t want it so hot that the cat gets overheated. Use a thermometer if you need to to get the water around 100 F. Also, the sound of hard running water seems to freak them out. When I bathe a cat, I prepare several containers of water ahead of time, each large enough to hold both the cat and enough water to comfortabely immerse the cat. If the water is the right temperature, sometimes the cat will barely even react to being put into it.
First thing is to try to immerse the cat in a vessel of plain, warm water with no soap or shampoo. Just get the cat wet, and try working the water down into the fur. On longhairs, there is a tendency for the water to just wet the surface and leave the skin and roots of the fur bone dry. If the cat seriously freaks out and starts clawing at you, just give it up and let the cat jump out of the water. Either give up the idea of a bath, or find a professional to do it. Most veterinary clinics offer the service.
If the cat does not become aggressive, you can then try applying a little diluted shampoo and lathering up. Don’t use too much, as it will be hard to rinse it all out. To rinse, dunk the cat into a vessel of clean, warm water, and use your hands to work the water into the fur and rinse out the suds. If you want to use a sprayer, use a hand-held type that you can place directly against the cat’s body, so the cat doesn’t feel the spray. Most of them panic if they feel the streams of water hitting them. To wash the cat’s face and head, just use a wet washcloth. Under no circumstances should you immerse the cat’s head in water. He will think you are drowning him and react accordingly.
🙂 I bet you’re raring to go now aren’t you Ihadanidea?? I think faced with bathtime Id take him to a boarding home for a few weeks, pay for it myself if need be, and try get his owners to share expenses on their return.
Maybe check around to see how much it would cost to have him bathed professionally. At a minimum, it might strip some of the hair out, which could help. I’d be chicken to try it myself. I have cats and have never bathed one. His parents should cover the cost… Wish I was closer. I’d come over with my “furminator” and strip his undercoat.
And then, as suggested below, see if they can find a new care giver…
I think allergic trumps all and the owners should find someone else to take the cat. A professional bath and grooming might be in order too, but then that shiny clean kitten should stay elsewhere! (If only I bossed myself as well as I boss others.????)
Wow, this sounds uncomfortable in both physical and interpersonal terms. I do hope your friends understand the cost of this favor, and that all will turn out well for everyone.
You are just super nice, and that’s great, may life always put a lot of nice people on your way. However, you are allergic, and your friends should be able to understand that and find a place to relocate their cat. It’s not ok for your body to be submitted to a strong allergen for two months like that, I think, with my layman motherly common sense. Take care, girl!
Gah! So sorry to hear about evil allergies! And it seems to take forever for one’s sniffer to get back to right.
Good grief! Hope the time left with Monster Kitty goes by fast!!!!
YEARS ago, my roommate was cat sitting, and the beast HATED me for reasons unknown. I’m an animal lover, but Bad Kitty wasn’t getting that vibe. One night I got home from work, and Bad Kitty was in my bed under the sheets. When I lifted the sheets to get him out, he flew at me, claws out, hissing, hating me! It was war, and it was clear I was going lose, big time!!! HA HA HA My fiance (now hubs) had to come over with a shovel, and GENTLY nudge him out of my room. YOWZERS! 🙂 #BadKitty
Lol! You were obviously competition for the best spot in the house!
Oh my gosh. I wish I had some great advice for you but don’t, so I just want to say I’m sorry for your allergic misery and sleeplessness and hope the situation really improves soon!!
Wearing Chanel No 5 extrait de parfum, current formula. Wow, I forgot how much of love this stuff!
Lately I’ve been testing a lot of expensive niche perfumes. If I’d never smelled this version of No 5 and someone snuck it into a sample pack, I’d swear it was the greatest niche perfume I’d ever smelled!
Sometimes I overlook the classics and chase the novel. It’s useful to become familiar with new noteworthy releases but there’s a reason why the classics endure.
There is!
I just smelled that at Nordstrom’s this past weekend while visiting friends in Seattle. Freaking gorgeous, it is!
I wore No. 5 edt on Saturday, and it was beautiful and perfect all day long! What a treat to find some extrait to try!
I bought a small bottle a couple of springs ago–Macy’s even had it, to my surprise. Considering how much money I’ve spent on perfume I didn’t really love, it was worth every penny (of whatever I paid for it).
No. 5 EDT has a permanent place in my vacation wardrobe. It doesn’t last on me — 2-3 sprays = 2 hours tops, just perfect for dinner out and then it goes poof!
When I was trying to think of understated scents that I like, Infusion d’Iris was one that came to mind.
I cut my hair even shorter on Saturday, so it’s pretty short and blond now. Wearing a very fitted black midi dress and black Louboutins. I had planned to have Hermes Narcisse Bleu as my SOTD, but it seemed too understated for my look 😉 So I’m in Champagne/Yvresse instead, again.
That sounds like a fabulous outfit and a fabulous perfume 🙂 Everyone seems crazy about Champagne/Yvresse! I hope to get my hands on a bottle in the same distant future in which I hope to get my hands on a pair of Louboutins.
I love this outfit, too (although I’m sure many people would say the dress is waaayyyy too clingy for the office). Just a word of caution – the Louboutins look fabulous, but they are the most uncomfortable shoes ever. I keep them under my desk at work and only wear indoors and for short distances. Mister L sure wasn’t kidding when he said comfort was not his priority.
1) You look and smell like a boss!
2) Louboutins are lovely, but holy moly I think that they are only for reclining, not for walking!
I have a friend who calls them “limousine” shoes. Perfect for stepping out of a limousine and walking into a club at which one will sit and be admired by all. 🙂
I’ve never worn mine to a club, but I very much get the point.
I’m impressed by the women I see striding along in their heels (including Louboutins!). Even more impressive is when they easily manage the cobblestones nearby.
Does it come from starting as a child, or just a natural grace? Or really strong core muscles and ankles? (not a joke)
Thanks! Work is tough, so looking and smelling like a boss helps 🙂
That sounds amazing- and i do love louboutins and have been known to dance in them but my feet have paid! Great outfit perfume combo though
I will not dance in them if I can help it! And thanks, I was very happy with that combo as well 🙂
Reverse swap meet Vero Profumo Rozy
Anyone else get Nahema from this??
Yep, definitely. Nahema is such a sweet rose, and I think Rozy is darker, but gosh do I love both of them!
I have a wierd response to Nahema, which doesn’t smell like rose to me. My wierd sniffer? So nothing like Rozy for me.
Day off so sampling randomly– JHAG Miss Charming on one hand and Nest Paradise on the other. Neither seems exciting enough to make my full bottle list.
I interpret “understated” as “delicate”; is that a valid interpretation? If so, I’m perfumed in accordance with the week’s theme in some gorgeous 10 Corso Como. A very generous friend gave me a decant a month ago, and I find myself thinking about it often when I’m not wearing it. It’s really leapt to the top of my to-buy list (once I work through the magnificent mountain of samples I got in March for the swap meet).
As for baking, I made some delicious gingerbread last week; does that count? If it’s going to be this cold and grey in May, I deserve some gingerbread as compensation.
The boyfriend was being a sweetie and doing the dishes a couple days ago, and broke my Bodum French press carafe (…for the second time), so my tea of the day was coffee brewed in my tea pot and strained through a tea strainer. Thankfully, milk is the great equalizer of coffee flavor.
Mmm, I love gingerbread… I think I need to make some gingerbread cookies soon too!
I went camping with a friend a few summers ago–I brought the coffee and she brought the press. Unfortunately, I use fine-ground coffee for my drip filter, and we were stuck trying to force the press through them. The stick gave up and broke off the strainer on the 2nd or 3rd day. Pretty sure she still hasn’t forgiven me. :-/ I like pressed coffee, but I think I’ll stick with my cone filter!
‘Delicate’ sounds like a perfectly valid interpretation to me.
And J once burned a huge hole in my favourite black dress when ironing it. But how could I be angry, considering that he was doing the ironing in the first place?
Good man. You really had to forgive him that one. 🙂
My boyfriend broke my French press twice as well. The last time he was trying to scoop to water out of a backed up sink. I forgave him but we never did replace it.
Sampling Hermes Eau de Neroli Dore. It’s rather nice: A neroli cologne with a touch of saffron. I can see myself loving this on hot summer days.
I am really enjoying my little bottle 🙂
Not understated today- sampling Auphorie Miyako. Apricots and leather so far. I don’t have much experience with osmanthus, not sure I would wear this regularly but it is definitely interesting.
That sounds fabulous!
I’m starting to have a hard time choosing a SOTD and am just grabbing the first thing to hand. Today that was Pleasures. I need to weed my scents.
Ostara today, after a cold spell it feels like spring again.
So does Ostara!
SOTD is vintage Le Dix, for a predicted “normal” spring day here in Oregon – warm and sunny, but with all the outdoors feeling fresh from the rains of the past couple of days. Ahhh.
L’Air du Désert Marocain… Still great after all these years. Taking advantage of the cool weather to wear my favorite orientals for a few more days.
Definitely a great one!
I like this one in nearly any weather! Does it become too prominent on you in the heat?
I actually haven’t tried it in the heat, but I probably should. Why not?
You smell great!
You smell fabulous. Me, I’ll wear L’Air in any weather, even August heat.
Wanted to wear Eau Premiere this morning but can’t find it! Instead I went with Elie Saab edt and it is filling in quite nicely. Where oh where did that bottle go?
Wearing Bois d’Ascese today, and have already gotten a compliment on it!
I think I have a sample of that kicking around. Need to try it…I remember inking it was beautiful.
You smell fantastic!
After a conference yesterday and an afterparty that went on way past my bedtime, I’m incredibly happy to be back in the office and back to regular life.
Events like that always disorient me and leave me feeling off-balance, so I wanted something comforting and sweet. Starting out the day in Smell Bent Winter Vixen and I’ll put on Shalimar when it fades. (Of course, it’s still not acting like spring yet so my cooler weather fragrances are getting some extra mileage.)
Yum Winter Vixen! Hope you can get a full night’s sleep tonight 🙂
SOTD is (again) FM Vetiver Extraordinaire because apparently one day was not enough.
As for baking, I love to do it but must resist due to waistline expansion issues.
Baking. What Deva said 🙂
And you smell great.
In my head, I am baking oatmeal, craisin, white chocolate chip cookies right NOW!!
In my head someone else is baking all that and I am eating it 😉
😀
Robin, my birthday is Friday. How are you progressing on that rose covered perfume bottle cake? I’ve advised the mailman of its imminent arrival.
HA — no worries, I’m sure I’ll finish on time. I’m a real whiz with buttercream frosting.
Yeah, I don’t think I have the kind of “killer thighs” that men usually get all het up about. I blame my family’s enthusiasm for my baked goods (one can not ice a cake without constant flavor and texture checks).
Oh, my thighs could kill, but not in a good way! ????
Hey, if so many of us have “those” thighs, there had to have been some evolutionary purpose for them. And for once, I’m not going there!
Our flight was delayed 1 1/2 hours last night (with only a bare bones duty free shop to kill time), then the taxi line was crazy long, so we ended up getting in at 1am. I’m dragging this am.
I’m wearing Diptyque EI Jasmin today. It’s a good pick me up, but 3 cups of coffee is better 😉
Enjoy the coffee ! Hope you get some rest
Love that Diptyque jasmine!
Ditto!
Love, Chloe today, from my work stash – all of the perfumes I keep in the office seem understated (soft and unobtrusive) to me.
I LOVE, Love, Chloe 🙂
No meetings today so I went big–El Attarine. Just a tiny drop on the back of my hand and bit at my ankles.
I am drinking some Mango Honeybush from Adagio.
You smell fantastic.
Mango Honeybush is pretty good stuff!
I love El Attarine, need to wear it more often. Great choice!
Spring is my favorite season by a long shot, and I’m pissed off that it’s passing us by in the DC area. There, I said it.
I’m wearing Ex Nihilo’s Sweet Morphine, which is a lovely warm lilac with iris and a tiny zing of a spicy note that my nose thinks is carnation even though there is none in there. I was testing it last night, and began to confound myself about what “understated” actually means to me. I guess the word itself can be interpreted in many ways, so I’m interested to see what others make of it in terms of their perfume choices.
That sounds really interesting…lilac, iris and possibly carnation? May have to seek that one out to spritz….
I really like it! The dry down is nice, too!
Sounds like one I might like. How does it compare to En Passant, if you know?
Suzy Q, I find this much warmer than En Passant which is more airy to me. Sweet Morphine is greener and the lilac is bright and spicy along with a touch of mimosa, tempered by the iris and some heliotrope. Good stuff!
Thanks! I will try it.
I love this one as well, the dry down is wonderful. You smell great!
Oh yay! I’m glad to know there’s another fan here. Have you tried any other Ex Nihilo perfumes?
I just got a sample of Fleur Narcotique–but I’ve yet to wear it. and I smelled Love Shot at Scent Bar but on first sniff it didn’t do much for me so I didn’t ask for a sample.
Thanks, Elizabeth.
This sounds like a lovely perfume. Lilacs!
West Broadway (Bond no. 9).
Nothing yet for me, as I need to create some small decants as a thank you for a friend. Interestingly, I sprayed on Alaia (thanks to a RAOK from the lovely floralgal) last night, which I was unsure of, but my husband was pretty wowed…
Going to try and get my rear end to the gym for the first time since our move. Feeling way too cooped up.
Work out for me too
This comment reminded me of the 30 minute video I watched the other day regarding upper body workout. I was reclined, feet up, sipping an iced tea, with the running commentary in my head “hey, that’s a great upper body work out! I bet I could really gain some shoulder and arm strength” as my arm lifted for another sip of tea ????
Lol!
Ooh, be kind to yourself at the gym! I always forget how quickly I need to dial back after some time away and then get terrible delayed-onset muscle soreness!
awww… so nice when the hubster likes it!
I’m wearing L’Occitane Pamplemousse Rhubarb today. This is becoming one of my favorites. I bought the body lotion and was enjoying wearing it so much, I ended up buying a bottle of the edt.
I was the opposite- tried the perfume, bought it immediately then went back the next week for the shower gel and lotion. I love that stuff! It’s autumn here now but I had a massive late-summer binge on that and still wear it a bit for that wake-up zing.
I may purchase the shower gel the next time I’m visit L’Occitane.
Understated will have to wait for another day. I am going big in Beloved today.
Beautiful.
Wearing Memoir today while doing some research. My 10 year old Lab puppy just got her blood work results in from yesterday. The vet called and said that Charlie is diabetic. So we go back to the vet to learn how to give Charlie her insulin shots. Poor puppy.
Poor puppy, poor you!
Oh, poor pup. Giving a pet insulin shots isn’t pleasant but it does worlds of good. If you’re able to feed her immediately after the shot, your pup will come to associate the two and might cooperate in exchange for her special treat. This is how it happened with my parents’ cat, who lived to a happy age of 20.
Good luck with your sweet doggy. When my cat became diabetic I never thought I’d be able to administer the insulin shots but, really, it was much easier than I thought. Done the right away, under the skin but not in the muscle, they don’t even feel it. He lived for several more years after that and it just became as much of our daily routine as feeding him. I’m sure you’ll do just fine, sending hugs your way.
I’m in Terry de Gunzburg Rouge Nocturne today and really enjoying it. It seems to fit my rose sweet spot (Diptyque Eau Rose and the like are too light; Ann Gerard Rose Cut is too much, etc…). I read Kevin’s review of it and now want to try Paestum Rose.
But this one, were it not so spends, would be in my collection. Sigh. As it goes.
*spendy not spends
SOTD is Fleur de Chine
You smell beautiful. And I actually find this one understated, especially considering it’s a Tom Ford scent!
1) It’s has been very cool at night, so I got out the fluffy feather comforter from the closet and threw it back on the bed. It’s still cool in the morning, so needed something grounded and woody. I ran out of my samples of Infusion d’Iris, so SOTD is Coromandel over (homemade) jasmine body oil
2) In my blue chambray Tencel skirt and a white patterned blouse with kitten heeled black shoes. And i honor of my captured raw vegan guru, almond milk coffee and a cinnamon sugar donut! 🙂
Love the vegan guru homage 🙂
A most delicious hommage, I must say! 😀
Delightful all the way around ????
A very spring morning! 🙂
Back in Bvlgari’s Omnia Paraiba today….it’s my jam lately! 🙂
Smelly News: Got my Scent Trunk sampler yesterday, and all 3 samples are winners! Received Omega Mendittorosa, Ineke’s Scarlet Larkspur, and Sarah Horowitz Perfect Vanilla. Good stuff! Anyone interested in trying their service can hit this link, and get $5.00 off your 1st month: https://scenttrunk.com/refer/ My email, if you want to use me as a referral, is jadwae99 at the gmail! 🙂 Sampling services are my favorite way to learn about perfume, and try notes that I wouldn’t otherwise try…..
Enjoy!
Still waiting for Paraiba to appear down under… I notice there’s a shower oil and not letting myself blind-buy it to ‘sample’
I’m not one to encourage blind buying, but it’s a pretty easy one to like. I was thinking I’d prefer it as a shower product. Very summery, though.
I smelled Paraiba in the duty free shop yesterday. It’s a cheerful one, for sure!
I just spritzed myself with some Bois et Fruits, sent to me from a generous NST perfume fairy godmother. I’m liking it so far, and am thrilled to be able to cross another from my try list of plum and/or milk notes. Speaking of which – has anyone tried Mugler’s Dis Moi? That one seems milky and I’m intrigued!
Where do I get that Prada bracelet? I want a black one!
Sotd is Nishane Fan Your Flames
I’m all in for Infusion d’Iris this morning. It was one of the first scents in my perfumed explorations that went from “eww” to “wow” after several wearings.
Hmmmm… My take on “understated” so far is that I’m not in the mo0d for it. I was in Amouage Fate (woman) yesterday and I’m in Parfums DelRae Debut today. Debut I think doesn’t get so much love as some of the other DelRae offering, but it’s a lovely bright thing for a sunny day. Perhaps I’ll come up with something by Friday, but right now, I want to project in all directions, office hours or no!
121 comments before lunch! Wow!!! SOTD is Amouage Beloved.
Gorgeous.
You’re smelling great!
Hey, must be a good day for Beloved in Portland. 😀
SOTD is Azemour les Orangers, which I didn’t manage to wear during chypre week. I love this one, but have barely made a dent in my huge bottle. Why, oh why did Parfum d’Empire discontinue their cute little 50 ml bottles??
Why did they even change the bottle design? I don’t like the new one at all…
Loved the old bottle and cap design…so elegant. I have a 50 ml. bottle of Equistrius in the old design.
I have Cuir Ottoman, Azemour and Eau de Gloire
I have the 50 ml of Equistrius too. Snagged it at the Minn NY sale last year.
sotd is cuir d’ange.
i love it, although there are so many other scents i want to wear but can’t because it’s waaaay tooooo hot !
so far i’ve been rotating lighter fragrances or the more linear ones – cleaner clearer outline rather than a fuzzy mishmash of complex cloud that changes shape.
Are those Prada bracelets? I’m loving those! 🙂
Back at work today and besides a slight headache, I feel a bit better.
My SOTD is No. 42 The Flower Shop by Jo Loves. I only had a few spritzes left with this one, so I will enjoy the beautiful bouquet it represents. Hope everyone has a good one!
Same here. Would love the black one
Yes, Prada bracelets, but I think from a couple of years ago — don’t know if they still sell them or not.
I too am among those feeling deprived of spring, boo. Wearing Honore des Pres Sexy Angelic is going some way toward mollifying me, but sunshine would work better!
Switched to Musc Ravageur–in a variety of ways, the day required sturdier perfume armor!
And Vanille 44 to wind down. A good perfume day!
The OJ sample set has arrived. I repeat…the OJ sample set has arrived!
I am wearing Osmanthus and it is very interesting so far. Different from Osmanthe Yunnan and JM’s Osmanthus Blossom.
Ooh! Enjoy your new toy box!
which ones did you get?
The one on their website. 12 samples so most of their line. A pretty good deal.
https://www.ormondejayne.com/perfume-discovery-set.html
Wearing Beloved today. I love how pretty this becomes! (Not sure I *do* understated. :] )
I love it too. You smell great. There are three NSTrs wearing Beloved today*.
Like 50_roses I’m taking the day off for my birthday, but am by myself today and tonight. My choice so I could get out of town, but now I have to entertain myself. (Not hard.) Wearing a spritz of Profumum Aqua viva because it’s fresh and nicely accents the outdoors.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, dear Amy! It’s nice to have a day for oneself occasionally – enjoy! Sending hugs from Brussels.
Happy Birthday! Have a great day. 🙂
Happy birthday Amy!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, and you smell wonderful. I love that Profumum.
Isn’t it good?! The dry down is amazing.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Nice, and so lovely you both got the day off! Enjoy.
Happy Birthday! Hope it is a great one for you!
Happy happy birthday!
Oh happy birthday! Happy to hear you get to spend it as you please 🙂
Happy Birthday! What better day to spend the day with oneself than on one’s special day? Enjoy! You can celebrate the rest of the month with others!
Happy Birthday! Enjoy the outdoors 🙂
Happy Birthday to you, fellow Taurus! I hope your day has been great so far!
Strange Invisible Perfumes Fair Verona today. This line is the only one I really enjoy that is completely botanical.
Doing understated, for me, moderate application of Chanel No 5, current version EDP, so it is pretty, but not much, if you know what I mean, on me with my scent eating skin. I miss the bottle I had from the late 60’s. Now there, thanks to my grandma, was some perfume! I wore that to my Junior prom. 🙂
Drinking some Downton Abbey Earl Grantham’s morning tea, some nice black leaves with a good hit of ginger. Very tasty after a adequate addition of honey. Work is not so awful today…. but I really need a different job. I am just done with IT. I want to work in a museum or an art non-profit or a bookstore, helping people think about truth and beauty and all that…any of which I could do right now if I took a 50% pay cut. Sigh. Ah, well, something will work out.
I hear ya.. I used to work at the art museum here in Houston (in the gift shops, but still.. ), and while I don’t miss working in retail, I do sometimes miss being in that environment where I can go look at art on breaks and stuff.
Oh, I am so jealous!
It was still retail (complete with jerky customers and such), so don’t be too jealous. ;P
Spent the last 2 days cleaning out the storage room so that a guy can come tomorrow to put a ceiling and shelving in and seal it from the wildlife and outdoors. I need a medal. A bravery medal. Maybe some perfume. It was horrifying. Ive lived here 12 yrs but couldnt ever store decent things in there because it was just a big nest for rats, spiders, snails, cockroaches, silverfish, earwigs etc etc and I had to take everything out. I smelled like rat pee. Everything did. A little rat face peered over the wall to watch me when i started ???? and now the rat family is in the roof above the lounge room 🙁
So no understated here. Went with Coco to stand up to rat pee and I’ll have to wear it again soon to ensure that Coco/rat are not forever linked in my scent memory!
Oh, I have been there too! Sometimes one just has to screw up their courage, breathe through the mouth, and get on with it. But it’s done now! Congratulations!
I hate spiders. You deserve more than one treat for doing such an unpleasant task.
Yay! I’m glad to see you here, perthgirl!
Your storage room sounds like a horror! Gosh, that would creep me out. I hereby bestow a virtual medal for bravery upon you for dealing with it! I hope that you can find a suitable venue for wearing Coco that will eradicate any Coco/rat associations. 🙂
Eek! Brave, indeed, and deserving of treats! I know they carry disease and poop and pee, but when I had mice in an old apartment of mine, I couldn’t bring myself to exterminate them. And our cats at the time were pretty useless.
How did you do it?! I would have had to hire someone. I can barely think about that space, and you deserve a pint of Coco, at least.
ICK!!! Silverfish and rats… the thought makes me shudder. Bravo for wading in and dealing with it all. You should get something special for bravery under fire.
Rats are people too! ???? But it’s a good thing they have been convinced of the need for a new home. I lived with a spider in my shower for months- he/she just hung out, did a few twists and turns occasionally but in general we had a very amicable relationship. I caught T-Rex zipping around the back yard last week with an almost complete shed snake skin. When I told her “Out!” she sucked it in like a spaghetti noodle!
Palmetto bugs- now that’s a different story. They. Must. Die!
Wow, Perthgirl, you are about the bravest woman I’ve heard of in a long time.. You deserve all the treats your little heart desires.
I went with Equistrius today. I need to explore more from this house.
You smell yummy!
I hope you can get some much needed rest tonight.
Thanks! Me too. I made plans after work with a friend in from out of town, but will probably keep it short.
It’s a lovely house and I like so many of their scents, but as mentioned above, the discontinuation of the 50ml bottles means I will likely never buy a full bottle. So sad.
I don’t generally do understated with regards to perfume, as I like to get wafts of whatever I’ve put on, but I’m wearing Kyoto this morning. It’s pretty soft. A glorious spring day here and I need to weed, so outside I go…
To quote Poo Bear “Tut Tut!” Cold, dank and drizzly day. ☔️ Feels more like March in England than May in Oklahoma, but that’s crazy okie weather for you, at least we haven’t got any snow or ice, or flooding like last year. So I wrapped up in a generouse dose of Botrytus by Ginestet. Had an early dr appt, and fighting of a low grade migraine, so I’m off to nap. Thank the Lord I’m a homemaker, and can set my own hours. ☺️
Hope you feel better, but at least you smell great!
Thanks! Am doing much better this evening. 🙂
I’m wearing Osmanthus Yunnan for now while I’m baking! I’m making a grapefruit chiffon cake filled with grapefruit curd and white chocolate buttercream. It’s for a friends bday.
I’ll probably go with something stronger later today, like Fleur de Chine 🙂
It sounds amazing and like it’s a lot of work. You’re a good friend.
I love the process of baking and seeing people enjoying it, so it’s fun for me!
Me too. It’s an important creative outlet for me.
Grapefruit curd is interesting, especially with white chocolate..
I was thinking “chocolate and grapefruit” and grimacing. Then I reread it–oh! white chocolate. That’s better! Now it sounds incredible. Kudos.
Haha! I actually do like chocolate and grapefruit, such as candied grapefruit peel dipped in dark chocolate, although I can see how that would be a specific preference. However, the white chocolate is so mellow and a perfect balance for the tart grapefruit.
Oooohh…that sounds yummy.
I am wearing the opposite of understated today, Chanel Coco edt. It is still cold here so it seemed like the right choice . I ordered a vintage version so I will see how they compare.
You smell fabulous. Please do let us know how the vintage edt compares in a future post. Have been eyeing those vintage, dark-ambery bottles on ebay for some time. As a kid, I remember the scent swirling like invisible smoke inside restaurants my parents frequented from the mid-80s to early 90s, especially in the winter. Back then, ladies wore fur by the ton and cigarettes were smoked by the multi-pack indoors. Coco managed to gloriously purify the air like incense. So baroque. Have a mid-2000s bottle of the edt (no vintage to compare with yet). Never fails to garner complements. I think it seems so alien to people who are only accustomed to popular 21st century fragrances. Usually, when I mention it’s Coco, around since the 80s, they look at me baffled, followed by, “Why can’t they make them like that anymore?” Exactly. Again, you smell fabulous!
I look forward to hearing how the vintage compares, I have only smelled the current version, which I like a lot
If I consider understated to mean summer-weight and easy then I’m going to be hitting the theme easily this week. I am enjoying Jo Malone Wild Strawberry & Parsley again today as I work on cutting up the big old pecan tree that came down last week. Actually, I smell mostly like sawdust and the tannic oddness of pecan foliage, which I love. It’s misting at the moment and I’m tired of sweat/rain dripping in my eyes so am taking a break. Also, gnats because there’s no breeze – yuck.
I didn’t know it was baking day, but there’s buttermilk in the fridge that needs to be finished and the masses are clamoring for another chocolate cake. Apparently, each one is better than the previous and they need to double-check the trend. I admit that the icing on this last one was especially good and the cake didn’t sink like it usually does so it was visually much more pleasing. I like to bake, but I’m really glad that everyone loves this easy recipe so much because I don’t have to be in the mood to spend time fussing in the kitchen.
Chocolate cake, yum… I love a good chocolate cake and made one just last week for a friend b-day.
Buttermilk drives me nuts. I like to use it vs. the substitute of milk & lemon, but I always have so much left over. I need to find some other uses for it.
I can’t think of a single healthy thing that I like to eat that involves buttermilk. Guess I’ll stick to waffles and cake.
I have used the powdered buttermilk for baking, but it just seems like cheating somehow so I usually just resign myself to unhealthy eating until I’ve emptied the jug.
hahaha!
I’m gonna be at your front door in five with a fork in hand ????
You smell lovely! And in Estonia, you would eat buttermilk with kama and be super healthy ????
My scent choices this spring have been oddly autumnal, and today is no different. I’m in Cuir de Lancome.
Cuir de Lancome is a 50-60 degree scent to me whether Fall or Spring 😉 I’ve been enjoying it for the past month quite a bit.
Yeah I can see that, but it’s over 80 here and still not feeling springy.
Wearing Dries van Noten today while waiting for May to warm up. It is the month of birthdays: my former husband, myself, and our two children. And I know so many other Tauruses and Geminis! Well, you can tell which generation I belong to.
Expensive month!
Wearing Tauer Incense Extrême in the rain today.
Apropos of nothin’… a friend recently observed (and rightly so) that my earth-toned wardrobe entirely lacks “feminine” pastel colors. It got me thinking about how this also applies to perfume, too. I lean toward dark, rich woods, chypres, ambers and animalics– the “earth tones” of perfume. Florals make me feel “not myself”, inauthentic, a grass-stained tomboy in a frilly Easter frock. Opinions & thoughts?
Just because you are a female doesn’t mean you need to wear pink. I’m sure that you rock the earth tones. Our differences are what makes us interesting. Just think how boring it would be if everyone liked the same things. I treasure my quirky friends. 🙂
Agree so much and at the same time, I think tomboys should be allowed to wear girly perfumes and pink clothes if they wish! If you don’t enjoy it then by all means don’t, but if you’re hesitating because you feel obligated to match your perfume to a particular self-image, I say chuck out that obligation! Contrasts can be just as fun if not more so 🙂
True! Everyone should make their own choices. Mine feel right to me; I don’t feel ambivalent or anxious about them at all. But others do, and I wonder why.
I agree, our differences are what give us character. This couldn’t be more true. Wearing (or not wearing) pink shouldn’t mean a thing to anyone. But it’s really important to some– almost a team color, a duty. Y’know?
Interesting thought, olenska. I, too, prefer “darker” perfumes, except in summer, when I have to lighten up or suffocate. And I’ve felt silly when visiting southern California or Florida because everything is pastel or neon. Eek! I’ve always related my taste in clothing to personality and climate and my taste in perfume to heritage, but maybe they are one and the same. I think you could be onto something!
Wow, what you say about sorting your tastes by personality, climate, and heritage is an interesting notion. It makes me question how I sort mine. Perfume is definitely personality for me, while clothing is climate-driven and color/pattern preferences are ancestral. (Somewhere back in history, I’m dyed all weld, woad, madder, and oak gall…)
That’s really interesting! I often think of my perfumes in colour, and I have to say that the colours do seem to match my wardrobe. In fact, I can feel quite scratchy inside if I end up wearing a pale perfume with a vivid shirt. I also match textures: I have a couple of perfumes that I wear with pure cotton blue-and-white striped shirts, because the perfumes are the olfactory version of the colours and the texture.
Scratchy inside! That’s it exactly! A nagging sense of dissonance until the right pairing is made. Your inclusion of texture in the decision is really sensible, because it makes a difference all day long. It’s counter-intuitive to wear a cooling summer cologne during winter, but if I am forced to wear a sweater, I MUST carry some 4711 so that I don’t overheat… 😛
I think mainly in weather temps and mood with clothes color playing very little part in my daily perfume choices. Interesting to think about this and hear how others decide.
Ah, mood, that’s another vital factor! This conversation is cooking!
That is interesting. And I agree with Petunia about a wardrobe requiring certain colors. I’m attracted to jewel tones and deeper hues. No pastels in my wardrobe, either. I do have a few perfumes that I would translate into pastel colors, however.
I’m curious what your pastel scents are. Is there a unifying element to them, a certain note perhaps?
I don’t do pastels in my wardrobe, either. They aren’t flattering on me. I do seem to have a lot of blue in there, though…
Hail, fellow non-pastel-wearer. 🙂 Though they look great on some adults, to me they are tied to childhood. If I even try on a pastel garment, my soul chants “No-no-no-no!” (Rather like a child, ironically!)
I am in southern Spain and sort of deliberately just took samples with me which makes me sure how much I miss some of my favourite perfumes. I have used Aesop body lotion which smells rather good and tried Kiehls Orange flower and lychee, too sweet for me in the heat certainly. Wish I had some blooming florals or a crisp rose with me (I was enjoyong smelly strongly of Milieu Rosa opwhen travelling) but will enjoy them all the more when I get back soon! The weather is just beautiful though.
I hope you are enjoying your trip. It sounds like you have the perfect excuse to go perfume shopping.
Thank you- I will certainly try to see what I can find.
How nice! Surely there’s a local perfume creator you can try 😉
I hope so and will explore more properly tomorrow!
If you’re in or near Málaga or Marbella, SAC perfumes are worth a look. Last time I looked in they had a nice range incuding Amouage, Aedes de Venustas, Armani Privé, Parfums de Marly, Salvatore Ferragamo and a bunch more.
I am somewhat more inland but thanks that’s a good tip. Planning on a trip to Jerez and will see what I can find there.
I love Southern Spain – I hope you’re enjoying your trip!
Well now we know where all the nice weather absconded to! Enjoy.
Best of good mornings to you, NST! Hey, I finished my big project yesterday, so I’m no longer under house arrest, and I’m so happy I could hug the whole world. I probably will! Despite the completion, I slept hopelessly badly–there’s really no justice, ‘cos you’d think I would have passed out from a combination of exhaustion and exhilaration, but no: I’ve been awake since 1.40. Following my new doctor’s instructions, I resolutely avoided my iPad, iPod, Kindle, et al. and lay there thinking kind thoughts, but when it was clear that I wasn’t going to sleep, I got up and did some tasks and eventually thought of perfume, so I sprayed with Sensuous, which I’m rather enjoying. So, the original Sensuous will be my SOTD, and very nice too. It’s a little like Black Cashmere’s poor relation, but no worse off for being less rich, and yes, more understated than BC.
Sorry to hear about the sleep issue but you do smell nice. I too spent too much of the night awake but am blaming the cockerels!
Kept it simple today, Kuumba Made Egyptian Musk oil. Terrific anchor for a variety of fragrances. My dip of the toe into understatement territory.
Mmmm, love Kuumba Made oils.
I would love to be home right now baking away and contributing to this very important day 😉
Baking is such a joy for me.
I’m in Bottega Veneta and so grateful to the very generous Elisa P. for refilling my supply of this beauty.
???? And thanks for the Jasmin
that I’m enjoying today!
Love baking, too. Nothing scents the house better!
Theorema, which is my mostly understated goto when I don’t know what to wear. I think it works in all seasons, too.
Yes it does 🙂
Oh you guys I am so dumb–I stopped at Nordstrom after an unpleasant meeting, scooped up some samples (interesting flankers on display) and carefully placed them each in separate pockets swearing I’d remember which was which…and now of course I do not. Any suggestions on how to distinguish among:
Bottega Veneta Knot Eau Florale
Elie Saab Rose Couture
Cartier Panthere Eau Legere
??
Having sprayed them again, I THINK the BV is the most orange blossomy one, the Elie Saab the most clean-patchouli-ish and the Cartier the lightest/just sorta gently sweet floral. But I’m second-guessing. Comments welcome especially if you’ve sniffed any of these flankers!
I think you identified them right. Knot EF has mandarin and neroli, so I’m guessing that’s the orangey one. Of the three, though, I’ve only smelled Panthere EL, which is gardenia and tiare, plus a bunch of nose-tickling musk.
Oh thanks so much for this. Did you find the Panthere EL very sweet or less so than the original? Partly what has me second-guessing is that the original felt like a Jolly Rancher to me, whereas this one I don’t get that same over-sweet feel, and even I kinda like it! So I wondered if it was one of the others, where I liked the pillar better. But the florals you mention plus musk sounds right to me!
I don’t really remember the original very well, but I didn’t think either one was TOO sweet. Of course, my tolerance for sweetness is really high, so I might be the wrong person to ask.
Such an easy mistake to make! I have so many samples without names on them. (Or that labels got wet and became unreadable.) Hopefully none of them is love so you won’t have to wonder too hard about it!
I know, fingers crossed. I mean worst case I can go back and reconfirm if there is one I want–I’m just a little regretful because I probably wouldn’t have taken any for myself, I mainly picked them up for a newbie friend who likes light florals, but alas it’s really not very helpful to send a neophyte unlabeled samples!! (Lol, if fragrance wasn’t mysterious enough already…)
Haven’t smelled these particular flankers, but based on the originals I think you are probably right about each of them. Good luck!
Luck much appreciated! I was likewise guessing based on what I know of the originals, but giving how far flankers sometimes depart from their pillar, I wonder whether there might not be one that doesn’t match its mate!
I tried the Panthere Eau Legere, and liked it more than its parent. I found it less sweet than the Panthere, which does have syrup-y fruit in it. YMMV.
Oooh so glad for this verification! This is just exactly the impression I had. Ok then I’m ready to affix a label to that one at least. Merci!!
Another chilly – 52 degrees – dreary and rainy day. I don’t see any days in the near future to open the windows and let my neighbor’s LOTV waft in, so I think I’ll just snip a few (we share our gardens) and put them on the bathroom shelf instead to bring their fragrance inside. The good news is that all that rain has brought an explosion of green everywhere I look, and the migrating birds are finally coming through. Earlier I caught a glimpse of a tiny, yellow-and-black warbler in our redbud tree (but it flitted too quickly to identify), and a beautiful rose-breasted grosbeak dressed in my favorite colors is dining lazily on sunflower seeds after, perhaps, a long flight. I thought I saw his mate earlier, too. They usually stay awhile, and I’m happy to have them.
YR classic Desir de Nature, with a touch of mint on top, classic LOTV in the middle, and anchored by a bit of cedar is my SOTD choice. I received a free bottle along with an order a few years ago and rarely wear it, but today it perfectly captures the essence of greenness, tiny flowers, and visiting guests. (Guess I’ll just have to ‘imagine’ the warm and sunny weather that’s missing from this picture!)
Going on with nuclear-understated week, this time wearing Narciso for Her. Nuclear it is, no question about it, and understated because its’s just a musk with a little floralcy, if that’s a word.
Today’s understated scent was the pleasant green lilac of Ineke’s “After my own heart”. Didn’t last very long – I didn’t really expect it to, on my skin – but it’s a pleasant simple perfume and judging by Fragrantica doesn’t always fade so fast.
I am having fun looking at pictures of Paris apartments so I can sort out a short let for the month of June. I won’t be keeping the Airbnb place I got for this week and next; there’s too much of the ‘student dive’ about it.
Ooh you do smell nice. Have fun with Paris lets, which area are you looking in?
West and Central, north of the Seine. Learning from my mistake in London last year, so trying not to be 45 mins or more from work. :^)
Wandering around in a fog of fatigue, I need something not too understated — that way lies sleep.
So Samsara EDT. It lifts me up and calms me at the same time. And it’s just plain old beautiful.
It is and you smell good!
Hope it perks you up!
Wow, am I late to the party today.
SOTD is La Curie’s Ossuary. I’m definitely going to have to try it more, because my nose must be broken today. I can’t smell any violet at all; all I’ve gotten is the wood and incense. Smells good, though!
Happy Birthday to 50_Roses, Amy and karen B!
I’m wearing Fou d’Absinth, which I think is understated. I’m also wearing a Chico’s shirt, white cotton button down with cobalt blue and mint green paisleys, and elbow length sleeves with cuffs. What looked “colorful” in the store now looks rather dowdy 50s housewife. Oh well.
My birthday is also this week, Friday, and I will be going camping as I often do this time of year. And surprise, it is going to rain ALL WEEK. Well, I will sleep in the car and still enjoy myself.
Speaking of understatement, supermodel Elle McPherson wears Guerlain Vetiver:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/fashion/elle-macpherson-makeup-skin-care.html?action=click&contentCollection=fashion&module=NextInCollection®ion=Footer&pgtype=article&version=column&rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fskin-deep
Late to the party.
SOTD = Baby Beluga, Baby Beluga errrrr, Cuir Beluga (earworm from Oakland Fresca)
Understated but classy. I love it!
What to wear tomorrow? Still figuring it out!
Oh my goodness Cuir Beluga is the BEST!!! Someone gave me a little sample and after my first try, I am hoarding it jealously until the day I save up to buy myself one of those amazing bottles. Mmmmmmm. Probably my favorite Guerlain so far.
For ihadanidea: How to bathe a cat (from mirth.wikia.com) —
1) First …. dress for the occasion. A 4-ply rubber wet suit is suggested, along with a helmet, face mask and welders gloves.
2) A Bathtub with a glass enclosure is preferred to the one with a shower curtain. A frenzied cat can shred one of these in about 3.5 seconds.
3) Have the Kitty Bubbles and towel in the enclosed bathtub area beforehand. No… blow drying the cat after the bath is not suggested.
4) Draw the water, making it a little warmer than needed as you still need to find the cat. Position everything strategically in the shower, so you can reach it even if you are face down or prone in the tub.
5) Find your cat. Use the element of surprise. Pick the cat up, nonchalantly as if you were simply carrying him/her to the supper dish. No need to worry about the cat noticing your strange attire, the cat barely notices you anyway.
6) Once you and the cat are inside the bathroom speed is essential. In one single fluid motion shut the door to the bathroom, step into the shower, close the sliding doors, and drop the cat into the water. While the cat is still in a state of shock locate the Kitty Bubbles and squirt whatever part of him is above the water line. You have just begun the wildest 45 seconds of your life. Remember that cats have no handles and add the fact that he now has soapy fur. His state of shock has worn off and he’s madder than hell.
7) As best you can, wearing welder’s gloves, try to field his body as he catapults through the air toward the ceiling. If possible, give another squirt of Kitty Bubbles with his body now fully exposed.
8) During the 5 seconds you are able to hold onto him, rub vigorously. No need to worry about rinsing. As he slides down the glass enclosure into the tub, he will fall back into the water, rinsing himself in the process.
9) Only attempt the lather and rinse process about 3 times. The cat will realize the lack of traction on the glass by then and will use the next attempt on the first available part of you.
10) Next, the cat must be dried. No, this is NOT the easiest part. By this stage, you are worn out and the cat has just become semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. We suggest here that you drain the tub and in full view of your cat, reach for the bottle of Kitty Bubbles.
11) If you have done step 10 correctly, the cat will be off your leg and hanging precariously from your helmet. Although this view of the cat is most disgusting, he will be in a much better position for wrapping the towel around him.
12) Be sure cat is firmly wrapped in towel before opening tub enclosure. Open bathroom door. Put towel-wrapped cat on floor and step back quickly. Into tub, if possible, and do not open enclosure until all you can see is the shredded towel.
13) In about 2 hours, it will be safe to exit the bathroom. Your cat will be sitting out there somewhere looking like a small hedgehog while plotting revenge. But doesn’t he smell better?
🙂