Happy Leap of Faith Friday! Our community project for today: wear a scent you’ve never worn before with bonus points for a scent you haven’t read about and don’t know the notes for. Thanks to Eleebelle for the suggestion.
I've just put on 4160Tuesdays Invisible Ben. So far, it's heavy on the citrus — it smells like a cross between lime candy and some sort of rum drink with lime. Very cheerful, so I lucked out because it's gloomy and raining here today.
Reminder: 6/10 will be Fake it Friday: Wear a cheaper alternative (it can be anything: a different fragrance, an essential oil, layered products, a combination of perfume and body products) to a more expensive perfume. Suggested by Hajusuuri.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2016, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: Lime Jelly Fruit Slices are $5.49 a pound at Oh! Nuts.
I was going to try Sammarco Untitled because I can’t even find a hint of a description online, but I chickened out. It’s too warm and humid for a Sammarco, so I’m trying Noel Au Balcon which was a freebie sample with a recent order. I’m sure I’ve looked up the notes before, but long ago. It’s nice and very familiar, but I can’t think of what it smells like.
I can’t remember NaB at all, sadly. Is it great?
Not great, but very wearable so far. If someone gave me a bottle I would keep it. I looked at the Fragantica reviews and saw it described as “Christmas candle” and, though I disagree, I think it smells like a high-end home goods/candles/lingerie/gift boutique that I used to frequent. Probably a scented candle mélange plus some room spray would achieve the same effect.
Aaaand I just put my finger on the association that is making it so comfy and evoking holidays. It smells like the inside of the antique buffet where Mom always stored her candles, placemats for the big glass table, and fancy paper napkins when I was a kid. I was very disappointed when I found out that fancy napkins didn’t come from the store perfumed.
LOL — great association!
I am wearing Penhaligon’s Iris Prima Eau de Parfum which I bought with out smelling but I had seen some reviews. An email with a sale on Haute Look tempted me.
And do you love it?
I like it and for the price it is good. Reminds me of another, perhaps bogetta venata? (sorry for the spelling)
Close enough 🙂
Terre d’Hermès. No LoF today, although I can’t remember if this was one of my many blind purchases… TGIF! 🙂
It s classic! Fresh orange dusts and hot pavements.
It turns out that I’m wearing room spray today. To no ill effect. My SOTD is Jardins de Babylone by Parfums de Nicolaï. I received a sample with my order last year. I sprayed it this morning and as I liked it so much I started figuring out whether it was a new scent. It isn’t. I love it, and intend to order a bottle which will then be promoted to “parfum personnel” and be worn by me.
Some people wear the Le Labo room sprays as perfume
What amuses me is that I thought that I had discovered this new Nicolaï gem and was going to tell you all about it today. First image that hit me as I googled it was a candle. It’s such a lovely fragrance though. Like a cosier Noir Epices.
I prefer the Diptyque Figuier room spray to most dry fig leaf perfumes.
And I used to wear the Diptyque John Galliano room spray, before I ran out.
Oh I’ve wanted to smell that one for a while!
It was great. But have not tried in years, so even if they’re still making it (?) no idea if it is the same.
In Cuir de Gardenia extract
Somethings in this reminds of Palmipset, and is really off putting. Leap of Faith fail
Scrubbed it off and put on Ancient Resins sample, mostly in my hair.
I tried both as well, and like you both were instant Nos for me. I wanted to like them but…No.
Glad I am not the only one ????
I have tried numerous Aftelier and sadly none of them work for me…maybe not so sad as they are pricey!
I didn’t think I would like this but I do! I actually wear it on hair.
Leap of Faith: Boy FB!
It s like the next 31 Rue Cambon for me in terms of character.
Hmm … is that good, or bad?
Both. I think it is not easy to like. It has a multi-faceted quality, just like how 31 Rue Cambon is. You are enjoying a part one minute and the next 30 minutes it becomes something else. So I sort of pine for the earlier part a bit but also enjoy the later a lot more as it changes to unfamiliar territory. It is not as en bloc solid as perfumes like, say, Jersey or Pour un Homme. It reveals the many facets. And that is what makes it complex and interesting for me.
Ah, that makes sense. I agree, Rue Cambon is beautiful but difficult to love with abandon.
Enjoy your bottle 🙂
Thank you! My purchase of 2016 ????
I wore Chanel Boy last weekend. I got a sample from my local Saks. I really did enjoy wearing it, and I’m considering a full bottle.
You smell great!
Barq, I am curious as to what you like about it? For me, it is the multi-faceted quality of this structure. It makes it beautifully complex.
I am going to be totally unscientific about this: when I put this on, it felt so comfortable. My first thought was soothing, blue, warm blanket. I liked the feeling that it evoked. Maybe it was a pleasant childhood memory. I’m not sure, but I liked it so much, that I wore it the following day.
I rarely wear a scent two days in a row.
I get that cosy aromatic part as well. I think it sits well with me more than Drakkar Noir. And, I wore it two days in a row, too! Today, I decided to spray the whole decant to test one last time before buying.
I’m wearing Regime des Fleurs Floralia and I’m cheating a bit, as I did glance at the notes when I was trying to decide what to wear today. I kept this for Friday, as it’s described as a ‘neoclassical celebration of iris and tuberose’ and that sounded intriguing.
I wasn’t sure that these two of my favourite notes would work well together, but I really like this one. It starts out very much an iris and gets more floral as it progresses. Austenfan, you asked yesterday if I liked any of the scents as much as I like the bottles and in this case, yes, I do. But it would have to come in a spray bottle at least twice the size and half the price for me to consider it. Bel Epoque might be a more realistic option, but I would really like to properly spray it first.
Thanks! My question was put very late.
Ys Uzac Satin Doll is another iris tuberose. Have you tried it?
No! But I’m entertaining hopes that once I get my vials from China and send you some lilac and lavender goodness, you will be responsive to emotional blackmail :)!
I’m incredibly susceptible to emotional blackmail 😉
Tuberose and Iris always sounds like such ain interesting combination – I have tried Tubereuse Iris by Creed and it is charming and certainly a gentle scent. Have you tried that one at all?
Mmm, that image made me think of orange wedges (the jelly candy kind). Those are my favorite.
I decided to try Orlov Flame of Gold, which ihadanidea kindly sent in a package chock full of samples. I’d not heard of this one before and didn’t look up any info on it. I was a bit concerned when putting it on because it’s a gold colored liquid and that usually means something a bit… heady or strong. But whatevs, literally, a leap of faith putting on something that I know would be better suited to the middle of winter.
It opened with very light, clean patchouli and a dusting of powder and vague woodiness. Then the amber and vanilla chimed in and yes, this is very much a mid-winter, wrapped in a sweater and blanket on the sofa in front of a fire with hot cocoa at arm’s length sort of perfume. However, it’s not a heavy fragrance.
I looked up reviews once I got to to work (yeah, reports really are DONE and I’m in slug mode now – besides – Friday) and read very odd, contradictory reviews. Kakfa said it’s all about clean cedar on her, plus being very sheer. Another site said it was all about musk and I don’t get either. I get a little bit of musk, but mostly I’m wafting some lush amber and vanilla here with dusting of clean, soft and actually true to the notes list – cocoa powder like patchouli. It’s not overly sweet though due to the musk and possibly cedar. Maybe I’ll get more musk and cedar later, but for now this is all about warmth and while it’s not a heavy hitter, it’s not necessarily sheer either.
I like it a lot and think this will be quite comforting when really cold weather hits. It’s not quite appropriate for today, but not it’s not so heavy that it’s horrible for a rather cloudy, humid and mildly temperate day.
i also love jelly candy orange slices. This photo made me want to go find a candy shop
I love them too, and I always eat too many.
🙂
I liked a couple of the Orlovs very much last winter but sort of got distracted with other sampling and did not pursue them.
Cheating somewhat as I actually first tried it on Wednesday, but it’s Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Bleu. I sprayed some on at Sephora, only knowing that it had lavender in it. And later I had a moment of: “Hey, who’s wearing that lovely perfume? Oh wait, it’s me!” So I brought home a sample. This stuff is great!
Au The Bleu is one of my most complimented perfumes. Whenever I wear this, I will get people telling me I smell nice.
You smell lovely!
Oooh, now I want to try this one.
Leap of Faith ended up as a dive into my purgatory box. Because I have to get some web work done today I couldn’t risk a total crash and burn at work with a not so pleasant fragrance interfering with my brain. I cheated and did some notes research on a handful of fragrances I’ve been meaning to test for a LOOOONG time. The Leap of Faith winner for me today is Miller Harris Jasmin Vert. Verdict: I love the first 10 minutes and that great Lyn Harris voodoo herbal thing she does. But it flattened out in about 30 minutes and then kind of disappeared. At that point, being in a jasmine state of mind, I refreshed myself with a very long neglected Badgley Mischka Fleurs de Nuit which works great with our rainy, dewy spring day. But over the weekend when I can be poised for scrubbing, I am finally going to test my Lush “gorilla” samples for “when the weather changes” and the “smell of freedom”.
Gorilla perfumes don’t work for me personally, but I love the names of them. I also like the packaging and really wish I could find one or two that liked me a bit more.
I like the names too – I’ve not smelled anything from the Lush line at all! I’ll have to work on that.
Scent of weather changing is SO good and kind of weird. I hope you enjoy it!
I am actually really looking forward to this one – read lots of reviews and it gets a lot of different reactions.
Agreed on Jasmin Vert – gorgeous for fifteen minutes and then meh.
I like Lush 25:43 – powdery citrus
No leaping for me today. Instead, because of the sweltering temps and hair frizzing humudity, I’m in Hermés Vetiver Tonka. Yummy! Love my little travel size bottle. If a full bottle knocked on my door, I would happily welcome it, but actually PAYING for a full bottle…Ah, no. Sorry.
Have a fabulous Friday and hopefully Everyone eases into a restful and relaxing weekend. Thinking of all who have been impacted by Mother Nature recently and hoping everyone is able to avoid her wrath.
Hi Twin! My leap of faith will have to come another day. I like VT so much I’m always in the mood for it.
Me too! It’s great in the heat and “humudity… Where is spell check today?
What a great scent
It is!
That is one interesting roasted vetiver praline????
Yeah, that praline is what attracted me in the first place. I have a terrible sweet tooth, but this one thankfully doesn’t make my teeth twinge.
I love the scent and cannot imagine it in hot weather. It is a cool/cold weather one for me.
I have heard others say this too, but in my warped mind I have it categorized as a “cool oriental” along with Corsica Furiosa, Nox of Eels, and some others. This is opposed to “warm orientals” like l’Elephant, Cuir Mauresque, and Cologne pour le Soir, which are much more difficult in the heat. Shalimar is an all weather scent for me. Keep in mind I really have done my best to adapt to this climate over the years, plus, if one is predominately indoors, the AC is always set at Arctic temps.
That is interesting. For me the vetiver is definitely the main player and is brisk enough to make it great for the heat but that subdued nuttiness makes it great for cooler temps too. None of the caramel comes up for me at all!
Great scent! I’m bringing about half a 15ml bottle of this to my sister along with a quarter of rose Ikébana. I got both as FBs since. I love the hazelnut in VT :^)
I saved Anima Dulcis for today because it was the unworn scent I was most excited to try. I *did* know there was cocoa, and I *had* sprayed it on paper, so while this isn’t the scent I was most in the dark about, I can still say that I was thoroughly surprised by how it smells on skin. It actually stopped me and made me say “wow.” Why oh why must the bottle be 3.4 oz?!
That sounds really interesting. How strong is the cocoa in it and how sweet is it?
This is weird because I ended up looking up some reviews a few minutes ago, and everyone seemed to mention how sweet it is. I don’t think it’s sweet at all, and I feel like I’m in a parallel universe because my experience is so different. I thought it was a subtly dirty cinnamon cocoa (not chocolate, but powdered cocoa), and I’m thrilled by it.
Actually, this is really close to my experience: http://www.kafkaesqueblog.com/2013/02/23/perfume-review-arquiste-anima-dulcis-conquistadors-convents-chocolate/
I don’t find it very sweet either!
It is a bit animalic to me. Like amber hidden underneath the cocoa. The pairing with chili warmth is perfect. And the splash if cinnamon orange on top just makes it fresh enough to start. It is like the chocolate perfume ‘for men’
I often notice that a FB of perfume is very different than the fragrance in a sample. Last night I tested Kalimantan by Chantecaille and had a similar experience to yours with AD. I checked some of the reviews which referenced sweaty and skanky qualities. I’m not big on either of those genres and my experience was totally different. To me it was a lightly sweet incensed woodsy amber. Really gorgeous. I just received the sample yesterday, so it isn’t old. Alternate universe indeed.
Looks like Aedes and Barney’s still have the old 55ml size and shipping’s free…but OTOH, it’s a bummer that 55ml is $165 when 100ml is only $25 more!
Maybe a split candidate?
Hm, in good conscience, I can’t spend 87% of the price for 55% of the product. So this will definitely have to wait for either a split, or for a birthday present (from me to me).
Oh or you know, BeautyHabit has the 55ml too–the next time they do a 20% off sale, that’d make Anima Dulcis more practical!
I think the BeautyHabit sale is running through June 5th so it’s still on today.
Oh really? Is there a code I’m overlooking, I only see one for an extra 20% off sale/outlet items? (Alas, Anima Dulcis is not already on sale.)
Maybe it was a different sale then. Sorry!
Half-Christmas is coming up!
Standing ovation 🙂
I think you smell damn sexy!
I’ve heard great things about that one. It seems to be a real crowd pleaser along the lines of Alahiiiiine! ????
Failed to be brave enough to spray a totally unknown perfume. So retreat to a long loved favorite, Seville a l’Aube. Resiny orange blossoms everywhere! Who cares what happens at work, I’ll just sniff the back of my hand and carry on…
I have to check out; I have heard that it is a nectarous orange blossom?
It is a spicy and juicy orange blossom. Instant love, definitely recommend!
You smell amazing!
I have a slew of Imaginary Authors samples to try (thank you, Marjorie Rose!), but my leap will have to wait until this evening as it’s going to be ridiculously hot here today and heat sometimes amplifies scent to an uncomfortable level on me. Will need to be safely at home before I try unsniffed (the ones that are unnamed/unmarked are calling my name).
Oh, and in the meantime I’m in Eau des Merveilles/Eau Claire des Merveilles (pat. pending). 🙂
Of course you smell fantastic 🙂
While I have tons of samples, in order to qualify for this project it couldn’t be
A) something I smelled on paper and then asked for a sample (eliminating all samples from Osswald, Twisted Lily, MIN, and Sephora)
B) something that I bought recently because I do actually read the descriptions before I buy samples
C) something that has a name that contains a note hint so nothing with cuir, rose, vanilla, Iris, violet, encens,myrrh, jasmine
Following these guidelines, I am in Sammarco Vitrum which I got because Indiescents accidentally shipped me someone else’s order and allowed me to keep it. This is big and smoky and not seasonally appropriate so it’s going to get washed off
Oops…knew we’d have a few scrubbers.
Do you hate it full stop, or just not care for it in hot weather? That is, might you like it in Winter?
I’m not sure I’ve tried much that is smokey – Lonesome Rider didn’t smell much of anything for me. Any smokey recommendations out there?
I don’t hate it and I probably would like it better in winter but it wasn’t enough my style that I feel compelled to retry it
Fortunately I have plenty of unsniffed samples to choose from! I pulled out Eau d’Italie’s Morn to Dusk. It’s okay – a mildly sweet but very simple vanilla.
Oh dear. I just went to dump some more on from the dabber, and mistakenly layered on Regime des Fleurs Nitesurf, which I had read up on this week so I set it aside. Ok, so I’m wearing the layering shebang on the left arm, and Nitesurf on the right. I smell like a phosphorescent neroli creamsicle.
🙂 I hate when a mistake like that happens. One time I was wearing Chamade and then reapplied with same size/shape bottle of Vol de Nuit. NOT a good combo.
“phosphorescent neroli creamsicle”
Everyone needs one of those! LOL!
I’d buy it…
Today’s the first day of my weekend since I worked on my birthday and had to use the comp day by the 8th so Yay! It’s a rainy day here but the hubs is off, too so we’ll have lunch with a friend later and make another attempt at hanging stuff on walls and organizing the rest of our things that haven’t found themselves a place yet.
I did find some samples from the Il Profvmo event at Osswald a while back.
Cortigiano which smells like a very synthetic blend of vanilla and some flowers which is a tad cloying. Meh. Will probably scrub.
Voile Blanche which is a dry greenish floral/lily with some patch or vetiver maybe, and a slightly beachy element. Not bad.
Well, I ended scrubbing both. The Voile started showing unapproved levels of what smells like calone which started making me queasy.
At least now you can find another scent that you love. Enjoy your day off!
Eeek, I don’t think I’ll be trying any of them. Thanks for being the guinea pig!
In honor of the day, I dug out my neglected bottle of Essential Faith perfume oil. Briny, sea salt air, a little odd but interesting.
Sounds like a trip to the beach!
Monsieur.
Bruno Jovanovic
(Frederic Malle)
Oohhh rum patch incense labdanum!
Thanks Nick!
It’s pretty f’ing fantastic!
Enjoy Boy Chanel, I’m not a lavender fan, so your review was a big help.
Obviously I test EVERYTHING whether I like the notes or not (Jicky extrait confirmed my lavender dislike) , but sampling Boy Chanel can wait. 😉
I like Monsier. It is noble and dirty at once. Villainous elegance.
I suppose you would think of Jersey as a room spray! But, Boy reminds me of mossy shaving foam of Antaeus, too, at the end. Do you like Antaeus? If so, this might be your first likeable fougère. I am not enabling at all 😉
Love Antaeus !
My 1990 bottle has about 10mls left, and I have a backup from’94.
Bold and Beautiful (not the cheesy soap opera) LOL
Once upon a time, I wore Photo Karl Lagerfeld but it slowly turned in penance. Lesson learned! 🙂
*into. !!!!!!!
Editing function required.
Completely blanked out on the “leap-of-faith” project, so wearing Goutal’s incredible Sables. I smell like dry steppe.
Love love Sables!
Makes me “travel” to exotic locations – deserts, canyons, Greek islands…
I love Sables, too! I’ve never worn it in warm weather but I actually think it might work as a warm summer night scent. Will try that soon.
I tried. It worked in 30 degrees C like some whiffs of hay, honey, curry, and hot sands.
I must try mine in hot weather. Incredible that this is my first Summer since I got interested in this stuff. :^)
I got a full taste of it at the post office when it arrived with the whole 100 ml soaking the parcel!
Dry steppes is the perfect description! It seems to disappear after your jose becomes familiar but when you are out and about, you wonder who smells so good!
Great description, great scent. To me Sables smells of the South African bush in winter, early morning. I suppose that is in the same district as dry steppe.
I dug into the sample box until I found a name for which I have no mental notes: Ex Nihilo Sweet Morphine. With a name like that, this is not what I expected! It’s floral and vanillic. Not bad, but I’m only 5 minutes into the ride. I’m taking my mom to the doctor today, so it could have been a disaster. This will be ok. For some reason, I’m reminded of Tom Ford’s Urban Musk–it’s not a duplicate, but the vibe is similar. Be well, and have fun perfume adventures!
I love that one!
The Ex Nihilos have take no prisoner names–but I found the few that I’ve tried dramatic, but in a doily filled room with wine-colored furniture in an B and B.
I received a sample of Orient Express, and had saved it for today. I didn’t know the notes, but have read people talk about it here on NST. I sprayed a tiny bit and didn’t immediately love it like I thought I would. I started to panic that I wouldn’t like it and didn’t want to commit for the work day. I ended up with Gucci Rush. I will give OE another try on a day off.
Do try it again! You might hate it, but it’s worth another shot.
I feel like the joke is on me this morning. After my four-day slow-motion leap of faith of tentatively sniffing on paper and fabric, I finally spritzed Missoni edp on myself. I’m surprised to smell chocolate and oranges. I think the flowers and gentle fruit (maybe pears) are hovering somewhere in the background. Perhaps this scent zigs and zags like a Missoni printed scarf. Time will tell.
Wheeeeee, it’s Fridayyyyyy! Let’s have a great one.
whellllp, the chocolate disappeared quickly and the fruit and yellow-ish flowers have hung on all day. I would say Missoni edp is a winner. If I wear it again I will “spritz in the air and walk through the cloud” to make it more diffuse. It is lovely but sweet. Not too sweet for adults, though.
I find myself thinking once again that Missoni is what I wish J’adore would be. The jasmine in J’adore goes raspy to my nose. Missoni has more yellow flowers.
This version of Missoni edp is from 2006 and was replaced by a new version in 2015. I’m glad I made the little leap of faith to gave it a try without researching it first. I don’t give much attention to a sample when I know it has been discontinued.
I’m glad this worked for you!
Turns out today I did something I almost never do: try and spray something unknown and without a preliminary blotter test (Whose afraid of the cheap white musk? Me!!!).
Because of the name, “I miss violet”… Who could resist?
So I’m entitled to join the Friday community project I guess!
Also because I have not smelled in ages something so interesting, so different… + wonderfully wearable and based on violets, no less!! I felt I needed to share 😉
The last violet-based perfumes to tick those boxes were attrape coeur and Dyptique’s rosa viola solid (but rosa viola is more fun than “different” to say the truth – and was a limited edition).
In any case a truly fantastic perfume, from a house that I generally dislike (the different company)…I really lucked out today. If you love violets but don’t want the obvious sugar-violet perfume go check it out! Amazing!
That is a nice one, I wonder if there is any left in my sample
I must get a sample too!
(even if that means I will displace it and won’t be able to find it when I need it! :/)
I love this one. You smell great.
Thanks! 🙂
I’m now looking for reviews online, I am surprised it does not seem to have been much talked about…
Frederic Malle French Lover. Cedar, mostly. Some spices. Not particularly French or lover-y. Nice, though.
Yeah, I think the Bois d’orage “wood storm” name fits that one better.
It really does! I didn’t know about the name change (or rather I vaguely recalled it had been renamed but not what the old name had been) but I would be MUCH more likely to buy it as Bois d’Orage.
I prefer the other name. I would not like to say that I am wearing a ‘French lover’. Incredibly awkward lol.
Reached blindly into the sample box and pulled out Bruno Fazzolari Jimmy, a perfume I know nothing about, and discovered a lovely, soft rose-violet perfume. Not my usual poison, but very nice.
Oh I like that one!
Me too!
I really like Jimmy. Pretty and femme.
I tried that not long ago and found it really nice. Need to give it another test.
jimmy is in the office apropos kit that I keep at my desk, so I was able to put a little on my hand to try. I like! you smell wonderful!
I think Jimmy is really elegant and ladylike. I will continue to sample from this house as the one I tried today is very well constructed and refined.
For today’s challenge I decided to try the oddest-sounding sample I could find in the pile. So: SOTD is Legacy 1912 Titanic by RMS Titanic. Apparently this marketing gimmick was issued on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, because who doesn’t want a perfume reminder of that event?
So, what does the sinking of the Titanic smell like, you ask? Surprisingly enough, it smells like a generic fruity floral. To be honest, it’s not the worst perfume I’ve ever smelled, but I think one wearing will be (more than) enough.
Ha! Thanks for the laugh.
Ha! 🙂
No watery notes??
Heh! :^)
LOL, I think I saw this being hawked in QVC!
I tried the project, but my nose really isn’t working today and can’t smell much. Nishane Duftbluten seems like it should have something flowery, right? I’m getting something generally ambery without much that I can distinguish. Montgomery Taylor Ambra Venizia, on the other hand, is very citrusy, at least in the opening. Light and pleasant, but I’ll have to retry when my nose isn’t stuffed up.
Oh the flowers are coming in on the Nishane. Magnolia maybe, and Ylang Ylang. It’s nice, if not exactly my thing so far.
When I was at Twisted Lily last week, I didn’t even bother trying the Nishanes. There were so many of them! Previously, I smelled one or two (don’t remember which ones) and they hurt my nose.
Well, team, I tried. Started off the day with a spritz from a sample of Hiram Green Shangri-La that arrived yesterday with my bottle of Moon Bloom. I don’t know what it was, but it was emphatically NOT ME, and also all wrong for the hottest day of the year. So I Tecnu’d it off, and am now in many sprays of Neroli Portofino, which should work nicely in the heat.
I love both of these, but definitely NP for a hot day!
Shangri la moss was so rough!
Which Tecnu formulation do you? I’ve seen the liquid, the scrub and the scrub extreme.
Just the standard liquid. Works like a charm on poison oak oils AND unwelcome perfume! 😉
Sigh – just discovered I had my dress on inside out (it wasn’t noticeable to anyone else thankfully, because of the design of the dress) and realized I accidentally entered the time of a meeting this morning for my boss incorrectly, so he arrived a half hour late, so I’m grateful for the mini bottle of vintage Tuscany per Donna I received earlier this week in the mail from a Facebook perfume buddy. Not at all a leap of faith for me, as it’s related to one of my favorites (Feminite du Bois) but with extra creamy sandalwood, which I love, so it was a fairly safe blind buy.
For those who struggle with allergies, I have found my magic combination – an air purifier and Flonase. I’m almost human! It’s wonderful.
Have a lovely day everyone.
Oh goodness! and it’s not even Friday the 13th! Well you smell wonderful, anyway — and Flonase is Good Stuff, isn’t it.
Oh no! I did that once with a knit dress that has a Missoni-esque pattern and found I liked the color scheme better inside-out, so that’s how I wear it now. And glad the Flonase is helping. It is good stuff.
Ha! I have a couple of vintage Missoni knits I wear that way- just cover the tag with a scarf, all is good!
What a day – you should buy a lottery ticket b/c your bad luck is already used up.
Of course… The air purifier idea makes sense. We have two big ones. I’ve only tried Flonase a couple of times. Glad it works!
And the dress story is hilarious.
Flonase is great..
Sorry about your dress..I am notorious for doing that
Welp, the day can ONLY get better from here on out! I have a nice iced tea and laugh at the absurdity of it all!
I can sympathize on the dress…last Sunday I got in the elevator, looked down & realized I’d worn 2 different black beaded flats – one rounded toe, one pointy. Senility is a gradual affliction.
I do own an air purifier (though its in storage). Will have to try Flonase soon. Thanks.
You poor thing but things will get better!
I’m trying Annick Goutal Eau du Ciel today for the very first time. I received it as a free sample with another purchase.
I think Eau du Ciel will work well with the heat today. Its already 82 degrees here.
Eau de Ciel is very pretty! I wore some of that last weekend.
No time to read the comments right now. My Leap of Faith SOTD is Azemour Les Orangers. I only have a dabber sample so I’m probably not getting the full picture of this scent but it’s really pretty.
PSA, Surrender To Chance is hosting 5ml Friday today for anyone who may be interested. I was able to get a 5ml decant of Azemour early this morning for a great price.
Yum, one of my favorites.
Yes, and 15% off their LOTV and Gardenia scents which has tempted me to try a vintage Diorissimo or even the pure perfume. Hate paying their prices, however, but figure this is the right way to do so.
Great idea! Might as well take advantage of the sale.
I saw the email last night. I’m just irritated at how the sale items are organized…by price and there are several of each price. I could have sworn I looked at the $32.99 batch (whatever was the most expensive) and at a $23.99 bucket and saw the same perfumes.
It’s not your imagination. I also saw some same items listed in different price categories.
I’m wearing Black Orchid, which I got as a small rollerball fom Sephora.
That’s a very rich scent! What do you think of it?
It’s not something I would reach for often, but it might be better in fall or winter.
Happy Friday!
1) It’s gonna be a sunny scorcha today, and then this weekend we will all be transported to the planet Arrakis, so no challenge for me today! Am wearing a melange: Eau Universalle all over, and then Grey Vetiver all over. On my legs is Body Shop Moringa Body Sorbet, a very cooling gel like moisturizer that has a very light white flower scent
2) OOTD: Navy blue sleeveless shirtdress, with a sort of feather design in white, lined with a cotton slip. Pure cotton, got it on sale for $11 at Old Navy, along with fake Swedish clogs and white scarf. Perfect for today hot weather!
The “fake Swedish clogs” make the outfit ???? BTW, you smell fab!
Hee! I got the clogs from Fred Meyer’s! They are so comfy! And thank you! 🙂
Following the project and wearing Angelique Noire for the first time from a Sak’s sales assistant who so kindly sent out a generous bunch of Guerlain samples for me to try. I’ve really been enjoying it so far!
I have a FB of this, love AN
Don’t fall in love its a lot of $$
I’ve discovered this sad fact from all these samples. I’m like ok: full bottle of this, and this, and this, and then I looked at the prices and was very sad. Although I’m going to an event this month where it’s basically if you buy a bottle of guerlain perfume, you get one for free as a gift with purchase. so I’m taking advantage of that.
That is an amazing event. Who is holding it if you don’t mind me asking
Sak’s in Beverly Hills is having it. I don’t know all the specific rules (how much you have to spend, etc.) but I know that the fragrance I’m interested in getting is available. There was also an option for free full size skincare with a purchase as opposed to perfume.
Oh wow, I may have to see if the SFA in mid-town has the same event. I am in need (ha!) of an SDV back-uo and Angelique Noire is on my FB wish list.
TGIF!
SOTD: Acqua Colonia Lemon & Ginger.
Reminds me quite a bit of L’occitane’s Grapefruit & Rhubarb; less tart but tiny but sweeter and warmer. Maybe I can layer them together even. Hm.. Might try when I get home tonight 😉
I’m a big fan of all of the Acqua Colonias that I’ve tried. My favorite is Rhubarb & Clary Sage.
Tulaytulah by Majda Bekkali. I reached into my sample pile and put this one on blindly. I got woody marzipan, not overly sweet, and then almost nothing after an hour, but I have been in and out of the humid heat today.
That sounds really interesting!
Not having any new samples at home, the closest thing I have at hand is Cuir de Lancome, my only successful bought-unsniffed perfume. When I was in Liberty in London they had random bottles scattered on different floors and I had a spritz of the Wilhem lilac perfume. It was pretty enough I went down to the perfume floor to at least ask about the pricing, but the SAs at the W-counter were snobby so I left. The ladies in haberdashery were very nice, though.
Cuir de Lancome… sigh.. this is what I want to wear now!
CdL is really lovely!
You smell wonderful. Snobby SAs, booo!
Happy Friday! I’m trying a My Burberry EDP sample that came unsolicited with a Nordstrom’s order. Watery, sweet floral — Not my type of thing, but I don’t hate it. It’s reminding me of one of those Charmkins toys from my childhood.
LOL — not what Burberry had in mind 😉
😉
I get that Charmkins scent from the occasional perfume. I actually quite like it 🙂 but wouldn’t shell out too awfully much for a bottle of it. Actually, I would rather have the Charmkins Pixie Pony that I had until it fell off my keychain in High School.
I bought Oscar de la Renta Coralina unsniffed because I had never heard of it and it was in Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries line. I did spray when I got it but have no memory, so for me this is my Leap of Faith, spraying on my precious real estate. It has mimosa and violet/Iris with woods and a bright greenness. It is very ladylike in light, powdery way but there is light musk in the background and the floral mix is not quiet. It seems different from what I usually wear (too many to commit to a list) but for a nice department store perfume, it is worth wearing as Oscar used to be.
“…mimosa and violet/Iris …” sounds nice I will look for it some where to try.
Leap of faith = Nejma Puro
It’s a trap!
The coconut and caramel opening were promising. I should have been warned by the too-sweet caramel note. 🙁 Ladies and gents, I am wearing Angel.
Thankfully it was a splash sample, so the sillage is minimal (relatively speaking). Feeling awfully self conscious right now, but objectively it is quite lovely. The rough edges in original Angel have been smoothed out. I’ll keep it for now.
My patience (and a walk in the warm sun) has rewarded me. This is now a smooth, sweet, and rich mélange of notes. I get the sense there is a well-blended vanilla, but there is something else that is herbal/woody.
Looked up the notes and it is supposed to be tobacco, rum, and mahogany. So that explains the yumminess emanating from me right now. Much happier! 🙂
Sounds lovely!
I’ve never heard of this. That said I would not normally seek out coconut forward perfumes.
I leapt into Halston “couture cologne” today. I bought the little 2mL sample at a rummage sale, and I have no idea how old it is. It smells nice, if a bit generic. Florals, musks, maybe some aldehydes? I’m happy with the choice, will probably finish the sample, but definitely don’t need to search it out. I’m going to go look up the notes now.
I don’t think I had ever tried a Halston perfume!
Tried Clean Cotton this morning and I smelt briefly like a nice launderette.
That disappeared in a matter of seconds so tried Champaca – very nice but very gentle. I think I will stick with a sample of that.
That was my impression of Champaca too.
Leap of Faith: Dev 2 by Olympic Orchids (last night in case it went wrong).
I knew that it was one of a set that was done to express aspects of Quantum Demonology, but didn’t know the notes. I assumed it would be, to some extent, dark and smokey.
Opened with glorious spices and something I first perceived as very dark leather until it coalesced in my brain as eewwwd. Oud is not a favourite. Ah well, I was sure it would settle down. Not really. It eventually smelled like oud and immortelle. I like maple syrup, just not on me. A miss, a very palpable miss. 😉
I love those Devs. I love Dev 1, it has the most incense to my nose. I totally understand why these are not everyone’s cup of tea.
I like the night before strategy. 🙂
Really. Why didn’t I think of that?
Really, it ended up smelling like maple syrup? Maple syrup is just what I liked about 1996… Maybe I should try Dev 2!
I like all the OO Devilscent perfumes. The only one I wouldn’t want a bottle of is Dev 3, which is too much cinnamon for me. I don’t remember syrup from 2 so I’ll have to dig it out for a sniff.
LoF is vintage Amouage Gold pour Femme, EdT. I found a purse spray of this on the Dutch equivalent of Ebay. The purse spray is made in the style of the first Amouages (the slightly clumsy ones before the current design). It is a sort of minaret, and it can come in handy as a small secret weapon as it heavy (I don’t know what they were thinking about women’s purses and muscle power)! Could easily use it as a club and knock someone unconscious.
The scent is utterly lovely, a cross between vintage 19, 5, Eau Arpege and Ivoire. The civet is pronounced (I feel somewhat uncomfortable with it being the real deal), followed by rose and Lily of the Valley. As an EdT it is soft spoken.
I’ll have to dig out my sample of Gold pf – I tested it a very long time ago and don’t remember. I do have a large decant of Gold for Men which is a tremendous fragrance of magnificent proportions that lasts for hours. I can only wear it when I’m in the right kind of mood b/c it is really BIG.
Penhaligon’s Empressa, which was the sample I got with my cheap bottle of Ostara (a gift bottle).
The card describes it as “fruity, feminine, accessible.” So . . . just like an empress?! Actually, so far it is citrus and fruit heavy in a way that my nose interprets as masculine (and a little boring).
Hello! Yesterday you mentioned you were interested in Elixir, and today I saw that Surrender to Chance has 5ml Elixir samples for their Fabulous Friday special!
http://surrendertochance.com/fabulous-fragrance-fridays-new-fragrances-choose-your-5ml-decant-for-only-7-99/
Oh, thanks!!
Do you live in the US? If so, I would be happy to send you a decant of Elixir. I love it, but will never finish my bottle. My email: laugsb@sbcglobal dot net
I read somewhere that Empressa is a dupe for another perfume. Possibly Coco Mademoiselle? Faulty memory so not 100% sure.
I’ve poked around a bit, and I think your memory is correct. If I’ve ever tried Coco Mademoiselle, it was always drowned out by other stuff I was trying, so I can’t speak to the similarity myself.
Coco Mademoiselle is not my idea of what an Empress would wear.
Don’t really have any LoF but am wearing Ostara. Still debating if a heavily discounted FB was a right choice.
I bought a heavily discounted backup. I am set for life in this one. I quite like the wetness. It isn’t fresh and clean to me. It is more lush. It isn’t my absolute favorite scent but I’m happy I have it.
I’m sure you can dispose of it at some point easily, given the discontinued status.
To me, Ostara is all pepper. The same story with Eau des Merveilles (sp?). Nobody else smells pepper, or at least, nobody else smells a lot of pepper, in these fragrances. Must be my nose’s quirk!
Still trying to figure out if I like this one too. Haven’t reached for it in some time, but will give it a go this weekend.
I’m still wondering if not buying a deeply discounted FB was the right choice. The grass is always greener, I suppose.
My plan to wear JM orange blossom and 7 Virtues orange blossom came to naught because I can’t find my 7 Virtues sample (the perfumista’s cry: I know it’s around here somewhere!).
Instead I’m getting extra credit by sampling from the Anthropologie Fiction series. London, She Knew He Was Forever is pleasant, but that’s about it. Notes turned out to be Magnolia and green tea. Ha! Autocorrect just tried to change Magnolia to Mongolia. That might have been a more interesting perfume.
Sad how often that happens to me!
Is it a decent magnolia?
Definitely more tea than magnolia on me.
Thanks!
I love how Anthropologie has stepped up their fragrance, skincare, makeup offerings… they’ve got some unique brands.
Mongolia and tea…hmm?
Its cold up there, I suspect they do drink a lot of tea.
I’m pretty sure there’s a steppe/steep joke in there somewhere.
Is horse milk a thing there? Maybe tea with horse milk.
Happy Friday, all!
I did my Leap of Faith yesterday with Ellen Tracy, and it was a ‘no’.
SOTD today will be a bit of Joy to match a bit on my mom and present a unified fragrance as we go to a birthday party with a scent-sensitive relative.
That is a great idea! In my case, I would have to get my mother off her Baby Doll (Mum, why did you ever ever change from Diorissimo to this…) and to something at least from the Les Jardin series.
Ha. Maybe you could have a subtle perfume intervention by gifting her a bottle of something different?
She worries that I might have to sweat it to get her fragrances. I gifted her Misia once, and she has kept it in her holy shelf — not even using it.
Perfume solidarity, nice.
I always see Ellen Tracy at TJ Maxx, and wonder about it. Now it has at least one emphatic “no,” so it’s a less tempting blind buy.
Well, it was a no for me, anyway. (To start, the top notes in my sample vial were definitely off.) Fragrantica has it classified as ‘oriental woody’. It has dominant sandalwood and is flowery-sweet. That combo just doesn’t work for me. But if you like that, it could be well worth a try if it’s a steal at TJ Maxx.
Unknown Pleasure #5 and SOTD is Rundholz “03.Apr.1968”. This lists just 3 notes: passion fruit, heliotrope and labdanum. It is the most beautiful incense, like someone made CDG Avignon and really meant it this time. Good lasting power, sweet resinous dry – down. I reckon I’m in for a FB of this come Autumn / Winter.
I need the positive mind energy right now of all you NST folk. Channel your thoughts towards me not missing my ruddy plane to Dublin! An hour before flying and I’m still in the train!
Hope you made it! Is the passion fruit very prominent? I adore Avignon, but don’t like the passionfruit so far. At least I didn’t like the note in Vero Kerns EDPs.
I honestly don’t get passion fruit from it at all. So this one may be worth sampling. I think I got my sample from essenza nobile, and from Fragrantica comments it looks like Luckyscent carry it.
Gah, I’m an idiot. The top note is lychee not passion fruit. It would certainly explain why I don’t get passion fruit from it. I think at one point in the day I got some vague hint of tropical fruit, but it’s really not prominent.
Lychee I can do 🙂 thanks, the sample list it goes!
Lab on Fire What We Do in Paris is Secret has lychee and heliotrope.
Two times I was 1 and 1.5 hours late for my plane because of the terrible traffic. Both times I went into the airport without any hope, and both times the flight was delayed so I made it at the last moment! So I am sending you some of this good luck!
It worked! :^D
Yay!!!
Yay! Made it! Positive thoughts right back atcha, NST people! ;^)
(But a poor overweight unfit man should never have to run like that again!)
I don’t fly often, but running down concourses is a pretty big reason I never wear sandals, Birkenstock, or flip flops when I fly. It is impossible to run in any of these. Glad you made your flight!
Thanks! Could have done with heelies today!
That’s such a terrible feeling.. happened to me in the fall with taking the train from Paris to airport and having detours to figure out in french! Lost my iphone in a cab that we ultimately grabbed but got to the airport with literally 15 minutes to spare.
Hold on to your phone and good luck!
That RER B train is the pits. Took it from Gare du Nord this time and we were rammed in like sardines until 5 stops later. Usually I take it from Chatelet-Les Halles, which is currently an underground concrete rats’ nest that feels like it could be Kinshasha, all dirt and chaos. Supposedly it’s being renovated, but not in time for me to benefit.
And I thought NYC subways were the pits. Ha!
And smells like unwashed pits. Yuck!
During my first time in Paris, I underestimated the traffic. I left only an hour and a half for me to get from Versailles to CDG on a Friday evening. Needless to say that it was a big mistake! Lessons learnt.
Adding the Rundholz to my must-try list. It sounds great, and the date is almost my birthday.
Love me some jelly fruit slices! So good!
I’m playing along today, trying for the first time Voile Blanche by Il Profumo. On Fragrantica the notes are floral notes, sand and sea water and it’s listed as a floral aquatic. I definetly get the floral and water notes, sand not so much. It’s OK. Staying power is nil and I practically spayed the entire sample on me.
Happy Friday, friends!
Hey twin! I actually found it to get more potent as it wore on, but I didn’t leave it on long enough to judge longevity.
True, it’s still with me as my husband made very clear. (He’s not a fan)
But love being twins with you!
I love jelly slices too
Hey! Just got my Aftelier package today. The perfume version is definitely strong than the edp, but for the Vanilla Smoke it’s still a subtle scent on me. The cacao scent is very citrusy, but I think I like it. Again, adore her packaging.
Did you get yours?
Wearing a blind buy that might have doubled up for Fake It Friday–but no.
In Molinard’s Lavande–as I was craving lavender after draining a decant of Caldey Island Lavender (thank you Pixel!!) and eternally wishing for an FB of Kiki–which in addition to being too expensive just doesn’t have staying power on me.
But this Molinard does the same thing the Caron Pour Homme did… veering into vanilla territory. I like my lavender scent savory, with herbs… NOT with vanilla. I gifted away my Caron a short while ago. I’ll give this a few more tries, but I am guessing it too will go on the chopping block.
Random extra thought. The Molinard bottle is a very satisfying, bottom heavy weight, and an elegant shape…but the label is terrible. It looks like generic TP labeling. Even with just one color, most anyone could design something simple and elegant for this pretty bottle. So why not?
Have you tried Pour Un Homme Millésime? The lavender is way more long-lasting and camphoraceous. You might like it more.
If you like not vanilla lavender, you may want to try the “new” Carven Vetiver (in the turquoise bottle). It is definitely a vetiver scent, but it has a pretty prominent and natural lavender accord for the bulk of the progression. The use of some light herbs and lemongrass makes it very pleasant. It’s one of my fav fragrances from the past few years and a good solid use of lavender without getting all soapy or vanilla. (I don’t like vanilla lavender combos either).
Oh I will definitely check these two out. Camphor on the one hand/Millésime and vetiver on the other–both sound good.
I like the Carven Vetiver in the white bottle, the discontinued iteration that is prior to the one in the green bottle. After the heartbreak of no longer being able to wear Encre Noire, I was searching for a vetiver to replace it and purchased the older Carven without smelling it. Well, initially, I hated it and found it far too musky but then I tried it again and decided it was not unduly musky but is in fact, smokey. It is a smokey vetiver that skews more masculine and that is a fine thing, indeed.
Why no longer being able to wear Encre Noire?
I have developed a lamentable dislike for Iso E Super, which reads as a way too radiant raspy cedar to my nose. Lalique Encre Noire has one of the highest percentages of this molecule and so does Terre D’Hermes. It is a bloody shame but I just could not stand wearing either of these fragrances anymore. I gave my bottles away to an appreciative co- worker.
I just saw your comment further down!
I have this headache if I spray either of them close to my head. I don’t know why the warm shades disturb my olfactory bulb. With Brin de Reglisse as well!
I found a sample that I know nothing about, so I’m able to participate in today’s challenge. No idea what it is, will have to google it later, but it has notes of orange, salt and amber. Reminds me of Eau de Merveilles, but lasts way longer on me.
Oh, then I want to know what it is too!
Me, too!
Going to continue same as yesterday with Jardin Sur le Toit. It was one spritz yesterday. Going to go full out today as I expect to head to doctor. Hate going to doctors. Just one of my least favorite things.
I really enjoyed the sample of JSLT while I had it. Very light and pretty and fresh. It reminds me a lot of some of the old cologne florals from Goutal. If I didn’t already have so many Goutals I’d probably get a bottle of it.
How are you coming along? Dr. visit for your fall injury?
Yep. Finally went to a CityMD to find out what I should be doing next, if anything. Glad I went. They did X-rays just to ensure no fractures (for some reason doctor was concerned on that…I wasn’t.) Next stage is muscle relaxants, and warm compresses. But…the best part of the whole thing was discovering I was more improved than I realized. We cabbed there, and I used crutches. But I figured out putting weight on the leg was okay, so we walked home. I was on and off the crutches just to test it out. So…I’m walking!! Woo hoo!! Just need to be a bit cautious next few days.
Good news!!
Yay! Glad you’re better!
Tauer Noontide Petals. The tauerade base scared the heck out of me in my early perfumistas days, so I was afraid to try this sample, which was sent to me by a wonderful perfume fairy. When I opened it today, the tape that was sealing it, left there for too long, inadvertently unscrew the vial as I took it off. So, when I sprayed, the cap fell and I had a 2 ml dose of perfume leaked on my hair. (All this to say I deserve all the points this week.) It was literally sickening at first, but hey, this IS a nice perfume. Tauerade is growing on me, which is beyond awesome, since Andy Tauer is lovely and witty and I want to be able to enjoy his work. I realize it’s a white floral, but have not read any review yet. Up to that! Later on I’ll catch up with everyone’s answers. This week’s was a particularly fun project!
I want to enjoy his work as well. Of all of his, I’ve liked Zeta most… but am not missing it now that my sample is done. I recently tried Fruitchouli and hated it.
I absolutes hated Le Maroc pour Elle, which I was so sure I would love. Yikes. Have to try it again now, though.
You might like Une Rose Chyprée and Lonestar Memories. I happen to love Le Maroc.
I hated URC as well, lol, but my tastes have clearly widened since. Time for asking for one of those cute sample packs again, I guess. BTW, did Rose d’Homme come in your Rosine set? I find it stunning.
🙂 on Fruitch
My fav Tauers are L’ADDM, Vetiver Dance, Cologne du Magreb, and most wonderful of all to my nose is Le Maroc pour Elle.
I have to try them again…
Oh dear, is all I can say 😉
All the points, indeed! I apparently like the Tauerade, but the beloved PHI was a scrubber for me.
I reached into the sample bowl and pulled out Peccato Originale’s Iniezione di Morfina. (Morphine is a thing now? Twice this week I’ve seen mention of Sweet Morphine.) I know nothing of this house or this scent, but on dabbing it’s a waft of sweet aromatic spice. I smell lavender and clove. It’s not a scrubber, but not true love, either. Maybe it’s supposed to put me to sleep? That’s what an injection of morphine does to me.
When briefly reading this comment without reading glasses, I thought it was “Iniezione di Mafiosa.” That’ll teach me to go get my glasses…????
I have a candy bowl but not a sample bowl — I like that!
I did not expect to participate but had a sudden inspiration. I was also thinking a leap of faith Demeter layering but in the end, I had the perfect candidate for today’s challenge.
SOTD = Dior Collection Privee Vetiver
I have a decant from basenotes splitter remik. It was still in its bubble wrap and since I don’t recall ever trying this nor looking up the notes, I thought it was fair game! Lucky for me, it is pretty single note – a nutty vetiver. Thank goodness I don’t feel like I need a bottle because it is discontinued. I can fill my vetiver craving with Sycomore. I have yet to try Guerlain Vetiver which I understand is THE vetiver of vetivers. Thoughts on whether or not I should pursue vintage?
Oooh, and I am looking forward to Fake It Friday! It could be a Fake It Week, with some easy ones that don’t require layering to achieve.
I tried the Guerlain Vetiver about a month ago, and it only lasted 2 – 3 hours for me. I usually have scent glue skin, so this is definitely not the norm. If the vintage lasts longer, go for it.
Perfumes genrally have medium longevity on me which of course is also influenced by how much I wear. Some perfumes though just go poof on me — CdG Red Carnation (4 sprays, barely 30 minutes), Chanel No. 5 EDT (2-3 sprays, no more than 2 hours), By Kilian Flower of Immortality (ironic that given its name, a dab lasted less than 20 minutes)
I went to look for Dior Vétiver here, but was told that they no longer stocked it! How come I still see it on the website? Ahem!
I like Encre Noire very much, but find it to be dense and heavy, so I spray it only on my inner elbows. If I spray it too close to my head, the warm woody-ambery Iso E Super gave me headache. The same with Terre d’Hermès. Nowadays, I gravitate towards the smoky and roasted nuts of Sycomore along with its glazed nuance. It has joined the Guerlain’s and Encre Noire as my trinity of vetivers. An interesting one also is Vétiver Tonka.
The bergamot galore has been toned down in the Guerlain Vétiver because of some photosensitising components. It still is a good bitter vetiver as it gets, contrasted by some hesperidic freshness. I would not bother too much, unless you are a big fan of bergamot!
Thanks, Nick! Bergamot sometimes veers on barbershop to me, so a toned down bergamot is most welcome!
Wearing Omnia Paraiba today…
At first I was meh on it, but as it has worn on I am enjoying it quite a bit.
TGIF!!!
About the same experience I had 🙂
No leaps for me today. I’m wearing Coco. I’m going to my cousin’s HS graduation later today.
You smell beautiful! Have a good time at the graduation.
Happy National Donut Day! http://www.day-finder.com/national-donut-day-2016.php
SOTD is Ebba Miss Marissa, a sample I received with an order from Luckyscent. I’ve never heard of (nor read about) this fragrance and am not familiar with Ebba. At first, it reminded me of a white peach balsamic vinegar I bought at a farmer’s market last summer, sort of thick and somewhat sweet yet with a pungency about it. Now that it’s been on awhile I keep getting wafts of . . . dill pickle? Yes, I smell a distinctive note of dill pickle. Think I’ll scrub this one off and go get me a doughnut http://fortune.com/2016/06/03/national-doughnut-day-eat-free/
yuck!
good idea to move on to the doughnut!
Donut day?! I just drove past a Dunkin Donuts and was soooo tempted…
Donut sounds yummy
I am always happy to eat a good donut! Funny you mention Miss Marissa b/c I also have a sample of this in my purgatory box and it was in the “maybe” pile for today. I’ve just never got up the nerve to test it. Now I think I”ll pass b/c I usually don’t like peach notes and I definitely don’t like dill pickles. It will go right into my give away samples baggie.
I just looked up the notes on fragrantica, which lists plum blossom, cassis, fresh mint and water lily. I note several reviewerss have also mentioned a peach note. But I don’t know how my nose can construe fresh mint (which I do enjoy occasionally in a fragrance and can perceive) as dill but it does. I’ve washed it off but I can still smell dill pickle, and I haven’t come near a pickle since Memorial Day!
I distinctly got dill pickle from HdP Vert Pivoine! I like dill pickles, but NOT in my perfume…
Jean Patou Sublime had a distinct pickle note for me. Not unbearable, but no, thank you.
I liked my Wednesday Leap of Faith so much that I am wearing it again today…my free sample of Dame Perfumery’s Citrus Man…is it just me or is there a similarity in the drydown of many of the Dame fragrances? To date I have literally sampled ALL that is available from Dame and the mens fragrances have a similar accord to my nose…luckily it is one I like!
If I were to recommend Dame Perfumerie to a total newbie who has no clue what she likes or dislikes, which ones would you recommend she try. I think the experience of dealing with a personable niche / indie perfumery could take the fear out of ordering online samples, not to say things won’t ever go wrong.
Hello, good morning, best of days, NST: it’s Saturday! It’s Ssturday starting a three-day weekend! It’s very cold but the sky has that perfect, untroubled clarity that promises bright light and deep blue shadows: my favourite sort of day, I think. Received wisdom suggests that I should wear a warm perfume (I completely get Deva’s classification above), and in fact I did enjoyTF’s Noir at dinner last night, but I want to honour the light, so I’m wearing Cristalle. How strange that such a cool, vividly citrus scent should be so perfect in winter! The dear man has just happened by with a perfect cup of tea (that man is worth his weight in platinum, truly!) and pointed out that though I might have found the perfect perfume, my socks don’t match….well, I wasn’t aiming for elegance today.
Waterdragon – you’ve expressed an interest in a few things I’ve worn recently and I’d love to send you samples of anything you’d like to try. You did mention your email address ages ago and I never noted it down, but I’m gaynor dot bradfield at the usual geemail, if you want to let me know where I could post things to you.
You’re such a darling, but I’ve got a counter-suggestion that might be even more fun: we’ve got expiring flying points because of that maddening thing that Air NZ suddenly did with Westpac, dropping the BNZ as its partner, and R has suggested that we use them up on a weekend in Wellington, because it’s a place we can walk everywhere, and also, I really want to see the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa. When we get organised, can I send the date, and if it works in your life, maybe we could meet up for coffee and mutual sniffing (as it were)? I suspect you’re much more adventurous than I am, and maybe if we went to World, some of your courage might rub off on me…shall we talk further? My private email is my screenname245at the same provider you use.
I’ve just sent you an email – meeting up for mutual sniffing is a wonderful idea!
I’ve spent most of my 3 decade affair with fragrance as a tuberose hater, because big florals just weren’t my thing. A few years ago, I began to test the waters with tuberose, taking baby steps with more muted tuberose fragrances, and one day, the light went on, and I liked what I was smelling. I have cautiously added a few tuberose scents to my wardrobe (full confession: Fracas, Carnal Flower, and ELPC Tuberose Gardenia remain out of bounds), and with the rumored d/c of Mahora/Mayotte, I decided I would give it a whirl before it became too hard to find. I found a small bottle of the Extrait for a very good price, and am wearing it today for the first time as my LoF fragrance.
My first thought is that this is a very potent tuberose; one dab has enormous presence! I think what makes this wearable for me (in the tiniest of doses) when it’s bigger tuberose sisters still are not, is that familiar, comforting Guerlinade, which is also quite present. Unlike my favorite tuberose, Eric Buterbaugh’s Regal Tuberose – green, soft, and round – Mahora is bright and white tuberose on a smooth base of orris, rose, tonka, and vanilla. It has bloomed considerably in today’s heat, and is just as strong as it was 7 hours ago, when I first applied the tiny dab. I think this LoF is a keeper, although it’s a tricky one to wear, and would not be an office friendly scent. I suspect this 12 ml bottle will not need to be replaced in my lifetime!
Is your Mahora modern or vintage? It sounds really appealing! I have been telling myself I’m not a floral oerfume person, but yet, I get along with some of the powerhouses like Carnal Flower. But I’m still afraid to try Fracas – go figure.
I don’t like big, buttery tuberose, but I liked Fracas. (I’ve only worn it dabbed, though.) Mals, I think, said that on her it was as much orange blossom as tuberose, and that was my experience, too. It was much less intense than Serge Lutens Fd’O.
Apologies; I forgot about the project!
My SOTD is Bath & Body Works Vanilla Musk. I’ve had it for well over 20 years and it still smells perfect! It’s in an aluminum container, so I wonder if the packaging has helped keep it pristine. I remember it came with another bottle called Vanilla Sherbet, which was fantastic. Nothing fancy about either scent, but very comforting.
How cool that it’s lasted this long!
Sotd: Vintage Diorling!
This was a true leap of faith purchase on evilbay! It was a small flacon of perfume in a sealed box. Figured my odds were 50/50 that it would still be good. All I can say is OH MY!! A scent truly from a different era. I’m sure my daughter would tell me I smell like an old lady. Good thing she’s away at school! ????
Yum.
SOTD = Chanel Egoiste, from a sample. It smells like metallic honeyed carnations to me… very unusual. But I like it.
“”Metallic”‘scares me, but I can see how some carnations (which I enjoy as a note) ould give out that vibe!
Hajusuuri, I think maybe what I’m perceiving as metallic might be rosewood. It does some odd things on me.
Hmm… really? Is this the new version? Mine is from the 2009 bottle, and it smells mostly of geranium, raspberry-toned rose, sandalwood, and fruity musk.
Nick, sorry, but I don’t know which version of Egoiste I have in my sample. I picked it up from a decanter right when they all were getting rid of their Chanels.
I have a hair appointment this morning – as my hair gets grayer, the hair appointments are getting more frequent 🙂 I don’t have anything I haven’t already tried, and am still trying to decide what will go best with the odour of hair dye.
Just go grey, Gaynor. Maybe a spiky “do”.
Very late to report but I did participate. I had a little hand-me-down sample of Roja Dove Beguiled; had no idea what the notes were, and no possibility of falling in love since obviously it will be beyond my $$ to spend…
Something citrus and bergamot-musky at first, and then it reminds me of my now-drained sample of Amouage Beloved. Don’t know if it’s alliterative power making me think so?
I’m in Charlotte, house hunting. 96 and highest humidity. Escaped to a mall, where I tried a little known Jessica Simpson, Tommy Bahama Island something or other, and Tresor Le Nuit, both perfume and lotion. The lotion was rather nice, the Tommy was at least inoffensive, but nothing really significant. Think I’ll go torture myself some more. In A/C.
Good luck on the house-hunting.
Joining the late entrants with partial credit at best–Osmanthe Interdit which has a note in the name, was already in my “top of the testing pile” bag, and wasn’t even the first one I fished out (rejected Ombre Mercure as more than I could tackle even without opening the vial). But for whatever reason I was expecting either something really sheer or something leather-dominated, so the delicious plummy character succeeded in (very pleasantly) surprising me!
This was a very fun project, thanks Eleebelle–excited to go read what others have made of this! (What did I miss??)
(Ah yes: tea, I see it now. Smell it now! Still not really getting the leather but maybe as it dries.)
I spent the afternoon and evening in an office with persons I’d just met, so I tried to limit the potential awfulness by a careful selection from my unsniffed samples. I narrowed my choices to three: M. Micallef Mon Parfum Cristal, because I’ve liked nearly everything I’ve tried from that house, and even the two I didn’t (Black Sea and Vanille Marine) weren’t full-on scrubbers; and two natural perfumes, Hiram Green Voyage and Richard Lüscher Britos 44°N 03°E – Causse Méjean. (Thank you again to the wonderful women I met at South Coast Plaza in April for providing said samples.) I decided against Mon Parfum Cristal, because I remembered reading that it was very sweet, and it seemed like it might be a bit much on a 90*F day. The Richard Lüscher Britos would have given me the bonus points (I read about the line at some point, but could only remember anything about the Madagascar one) — which, frankly, I need. (For the record, I did wear Salvador Dali on Alberto Morillas Day, but fell asleep on the couch before I could post. I wish I’d bought a bottle a couple of years ago when it was super-cheap and easy to find.) But I chickened out, and went with Voyage, which is quite nice. It reminds me of the Mona diOrio Vanille, with its woody vanilla/citrus combination. I was just reading reviews on Fragrantica, and I agree that it smells a bit harsh nose-to-wrist, but is much nicer at a little distance. The longevity is great, too. Moon Bloom may have to go on my to-try list, despite my not-always cordial relationship with tuberose, as I really liked Shangri-La as well.
SHOCKINGLY I can comment that I know your scent today!!!!!!!!!!! Invisible Ben came to me as a sample in one of the Freebiemeets and I fell in love with it, notwithstanding my aversion to citrus. Not sure I would characterize it a “candied,” but in my nose, there’s a smoke that takes the edge of the tang of the citrus and the effect is marvelous!