Hank Williams was born on this day in 1923. We're marking the occasion with our usual open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you most recently saw marked down somewhere, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image of Hank Williams with Hank Williams Jr via hankwilliams.
Happy Saturday Everyone! Wearing Basil and Neroli by Jo Malone today. Glad I had a change of heart on this one. I really like it alot.
Nice! You smell refreshing!!!
I started Christmas shopping a few weeks ago and bought Jo Malone soap and with a code got a free 9ml travel spray of that one…so two separate gifts for two individuals that I know will like both…can’t go wrong with Jo Malone for presents, right?
You started Xmas shopping!! I am impressed.
Believe it or not that actually started happening some time in July…which is just as well because the household is now officially on a “no buy” policy so luckily I do have quite a few trinkets to go under the tree and I won’t be buying anything else!!
Oh and I stocked up on wool so I will be knitting some presents as well….
That’s what I always say……lol!
Happy Weekend!
Its a beautiful day here in the big apple-and I got a whole lot of apples at the green market. I was reading in the WSJ how fall is the best season, and they gave 50 reasons why-I could of added some of my own thoughts..they gave the Byredo untitled perfume as a fall fragrance. I haven’t tried it-but I have never sampled anything from that line that has made me swoon.
I am in No 19 perfume from the 90’s
No perfume happenings lately, other then a Derek Lam I was testing out this week. Its just a white floral. Nothing more..nothing less. Just my opinion.
I am testing out some new lipsticks..Autumn makes me want to wear makeup since it won’t be running down my face like the summer.
I bought some from Shiseido (their new Rouge Rouge) and Dior. I have tried 2 from the 3 I bought from Shiseido -Murrey is a warm pink, and Toffee Apple a medium-dark red. Very hydrating, easy to apply and long lasting.
Ah..hit the button before I was done. I think of Shiseido as more of a skin care makeup company than a perfume one, but I couldn’t help but try our their two Zen fragrances when I was checking out..one in square bottle was forgettable, and one in the Black spray cologne was very nice. I wish I could of sampled FdB from back in the day…
ME TOO!!! I love the current formulation of FdB and would so dearly love to try the old stuff.
I tried out some of the Yves Rocher lipsticks today 🙂 I’m on a cheap fashion/make-up kick right now, what with a move and possible unemployment coming up. I totally love the Dior lipstick ads, though 🙂
I am thinking about returning my Dior one or passing it on to a friend who doesn’t mind that I used it once. Since the Shiseido one glides on my lips more easily with no pulling (not sure that makes sense) and has a lot of pigmentation. For its a 10 dollar difference so I would rather get my money back.
I also love the FdB by SL-I find it very unisex-what do you think?
Where are moving to? to the States?
Mmm, I think it’s pretty feminine on me. It’s just so soft and warm and spicy.
Yup, back to the US! Not sure where yet! That will depend somewhat on the job I find.
Have you tried Pop cosmetics? Their blushes lip glosses and lipsticks are between $5-7 and they are amazing. Glide on amazingly, texture can beat Dior and Chanel and they stay on for a whole day. Colors are great too – I ended up buying 6 for a price of a single Chanel lipstick and could not be happier
AH! They sell them at the pharmacy not far from me-I will check it out!
I haven’t tried them yet! Thanks for the tip!
Just bought apples myself at my farmers market!
Vintage Zen was amazing…I will have to check out the current version next time I am in a dept store….
The 2 that they had near the check out were completely different but called the same name. One in a square and the other in a black bottle.
The one in the black bottle is the current formulation of vintage Zen. Still smells pretty good.
I’ve been buying apples as well. The summer fruits have already started to change, little flavor and no juice, so it’s time to move on, sadly…
I’ll be visiting the farmer’s market by the museum of natural history tomorrow morning.
I haven’t been to the one by the MoNH, I should check it out.
I feel like the greens were less this time around-but it could be that maybe they weren’t ready to be picked. I bought some bok choy and I am not sure how I am going to prepare it-but I have some teriakyi sauce that I want to try and use. Hopefully the little one likes the flavor
I usually just sautee it with some onions in olive oil…
saute
I also went to our local farmer’s market today, though there were tons of tomatoes, not as many apples, which surprised me. I got horseradish dill pickles and cheese.
YUM!
I wore two chocolate hazelnut fragrances last week, which also is one of my favorite flavors. Another is dark chocolate and orange. can anyone recommend a fragrance that smells of dark chocolate and orange?
Aftelier’s Cacao edp is chocolate & orange, gorgeous scent!
Jo Malone also had a chocolate & orange scent but it’s been discontinued. I’ve seen it on ebay.
I have a decant of the JM – it really is very nice
Does it have good longevity? I find her scents hardly last at all on me.
Aftelier does not last on me either but most naturals and essential oil blends don’t …I get pretty good longevity from the Jo Malones….
You could also consider combining two fragrances to get what you want…Orange Sanguine and Pacifica Mexican Cocoa?
Yves Rocher had a holiday bath set last year called Candied Orange and Cinnamon, smelling uncannily like a Terry Chocolate Orange.
I love those. I wait all year until I can buy one at the local store and then pray that they have the dark chocolate one.
Priscilla-
I accidentally answered your question in floragal’s box…I think you might be able to create what you want by combining two fragrances like Orange Sanguine + Pacifica’s Mexican Cocoa…..
Olympic Orchids Seattle Chocolate. It is orange candy coated chocolate and delicious.
Also lasts for hours and hours
Correction: California Chocolate !!! I’ll get it right eventually. Sorry.
Wearing the exquisite Mohur today.
Was so sad that I missed the mailman by 5 minutes yesterday with my delivery of Dilettante! Now I think I won’t get it til Monday. The anticipation is killing me.
I know that feeling too well. Anticipation!
Well worth the wait. All of Hiram Green’s are amazing
UGH! Sorry you have to wait! Report to us on Monday on how it is!
Yay! They had it ready at the Post Office. I just sprayed it on 5 minutes ago, and am pretty darned happy already. So much of what I’d read about it noted the lighthearted happiness to this one but so far this has a bit of growl too.
That seems to be something I really like about this line over all…smelling pretty but with a bit of fang too!
PSA! TK Maxx (UK) on the web have a number of Miller Harris, Serge Lutens and L’Artisan fragrances (just do a search for ‘fragrance’). It’ usually worth checking the bricks’ mortar stores as well…
Just lazing about in Rose Privee today.
Ahhhhh UK shipping only 🙁 I should’ve taken the tip from when you wrote “UK” in your original message, but grump! I’m just across the Channel and am bummed that there’s no continental delivery. What magnificent prices.
Ahh, a perfect lazing-about fragrance. I may join you later!
Thanks for the tip off!
Got myself 3 bottles at those crazy prices, so that’s 3 enabler pins for you. :^)
I wear my ‘Shameless Perfume Pusher” badge with pride 😉
Happy birthday, Hank! Love his music. Today I have a day of chores ahead of me – laundry, washing the dog (ugh), shopping, and comparing insurance plans. Hubby started a new job and we have to decide whether I should keep mine from my job or switch to his. Scentless at the moment, but thinking I should put on Absolute Pour le Soir, because I have the day off and that is definitely not work appropriate.
APLS is wonderful!!
I love wearing APLS for chores! Did you go with it?
I did!
Hello Now Smell This
I’m enjoying wafts of new NVC Rahele floating around me. It’s such a wonderful perfume, I will easily fall in love with it shortly.
So… first few days at work after summer holidays were a bit dreadful. A colleague returned from maternity leave (I took over the position after her) and she’s already trying to boss me around and prove that I mean nothing there.
Such things are not nice to hear but I’m not going to get easy on her and I’ll fight for what I’ve achieved.
Had a bit of a tumble with my boss this week. Control freak that she is, and so unnecessarily so because I’m ever the respectful and authority-submitting employee. She simply feels threatened at times.
Give it time as she’s probably just reasserting herself and finding her footing again having been out for so long. Tough adjustment for both sides.
I guess you have a point there. Tough for both of us.
I’m very curious about Rahele! Can you describe it a little?
It’s a lovely osmanthus that becomes more leathery, rosy and mossy over time
Wow, that sounds gorgeous!
What are your thoughts on it?
I’m sorry the person you subbed for is now bossing you around like you mean nothing. My boss is in for an unpleasant surprise. I’m not sure when she’ll get the results of OUR assessment of her performance because a bunch of us will be providing the unvarnished truth about her management style and really, lack of competency in certain areas of our function (leading her to either dismiss the work as easy and should not take much time and/or give us no credit because she’s only reporting to senior management on things she is working on). Our group is pretty flat and most of us already regularly interact with her manager and the manager’s peers.
Seems like I’m not the only one having problems at work. It amazes me how certain people get their positions when they are not really qualified to be on them…
Ha, ha; happily we ourselves also get positions we are not really qualified for, if we are honest, so it all balances out over time. :^)
I’m very late to NVC, and have just discovered how lovely they are, so am very keen to hear more about Rahele. A bottle of Trayee will be my birthday present to myself in a few weeks.
I’m sorry to read about your work problems, one difficult person can have such an awful effect on an otherwise great job.
If she’s actually your boss, be political. If she’s not, be firm and direct. Good luck, and sorry you’re going through that: I hate bad office dynamics.
She’s not my boss, that’s why the situation is irritating
SOTD is Guerlain Cologne du 68, from the STC closeout sale. There may indeed be 68 notes in it, but it simply smells like fancy baby powder on me! Not that that’s unpleasant, mind you.
The marked-down perfume I recently saw was an insane deal on a luxury scent at a discounter site. I’ll share specific details when I confess to Donatella in the next damage poll. [sigh]
This is totally random, but… Whether you’re a Futurama fan or have no idea what I’m talking about, for some weekend entertainment I present to you Emoticon Dr. Zoidberg:
(V) (°,,,°) (V)
Have a good one, NST!
😀
Our gas-powered string trimmer is named Zoidberg because it’s warped and when it spins up or down makes a very Ziodbergesque whooping sound.
???? But do you scuttle sideways when you use it?
Oh, very clever!
It is! To clarify: I didn’t come up with it; I ran across it a year or so ago. But something randomly reminded me of it, so I thought I’d share.
Love that – we’re both Futurama fans in my household!
You both have excellent taste. ????
I like 68, but agree it smells less complex than the number implies! Just read this week (over at Monsieur Guerlain) that it’s been discontinued.
I saw that, too–either the day before or after my decant arrived. It’s one of the rare times in my life I haven’t ended up kicking myself for just missing out on something. Whew!
Perfect timing!
I went for a decant of Cologne du 68 too. I’m glad I did, and I like it very much, but I probably don’t need any more than 5 mls of fancy baby powder.
Exactly!
I like the Parfum du 68 a lot better than the cologne. It reminds me a bit of Mon Precieux Nectar.
Good to know! The list of notes looks like I’d like it, but I’ve yet to sniff it. I know LT liked it, too…
SOTD: Volutes edp
Been in the mood for tobacco scents and this one is so easy to wear. Good transition into cooler weather scent.
I wish I saw some of the scents I want marked down! Ebay seems to be the best place for me these days. Has anyone else noticed that the number of Ebay sellers doing decants has increased greatly? Interesting, and I’m happy about this, but do wonder if perfume brands will try to put an end to this as some have with the sample companies.
Hubby’s back at school today and I miss him of course, but also enjoy having the apt. to myself for the day. 🙂
I haven’t noticed that on ebay but thanks for the heads up!
So you get to wear some of YOUR favorites without being quarantined 😉
A few years back, eBay cracked down on decants. I wonder if they changed the policy on that or they’ve turned a blind eye because more sales means more fees?
I don’t think eBay can monitor all of those sales easily.
They monitor silly stuff. Way back, I used to put up GWP items for sale, including perfume minis (mostly EL and Clinique). There’s some sort of formula that calculates how many of a certain type of item you’ve listed in the past x days (they won’t tell you howm many days) and once you’ve exceeded the count (and they don’t tell you how many items), you are placed in the timeout corner and cannot list any item in that category for y days (the y days is deeply hidden somewhere in your profile and customer service can’t even direct you there). Anyway, all these to say that eBay pretty much does what it wants and may unfairly curb postings at whim.
OMG I actually worked on this product at eBay. How funny!!!
Ha! So my description is what it felt like to be on the other side — being kept in the dark about obscure policies with no recourse to rectify.
I think it’s a common practice not to give out those exact numbers: I saw a similar behavior for iOS notifications’ connections. I think it’s done because otherwise people will be working around those rules by stopping one short and resuming exactly the moment the “time out” is over.
I love your updated gravatar Hujusuuri
Thanks! I love yours too because it looks like a macaron (ha! I know it’s a landscape picture you took while on vacation).
Well, now that you mention it, it does look like a macaron. Now I need to go back to thinking of it as a wonderfully calming vista. 🙂
I would prefer to think of it as a macaron (now that hajusuuri put that idea in my head)
I’m in trouble again…. 😉
Next week I will wear some sweet scents to match the macron 😛
What have you done?!! Now all I can see is macaroon! 🙂
Yes! No quarantine!
Ha! My husband is out of town and my first thought was “I can wear whatever I want, and spray with abandon!” I do miss him. Really.
Yes, I too noticed the increase in decanters on eBay, Etsy also. It’s an interesting situation to watch. Will Chanel and Guerlain go after them, or eBay itself?
The brands usually notify eBay that someone is selling something they should not have and ask eBay to remove the listing. eBay generally comply – otherwise the brands end up taking eBay to court. So if Chanel, Guerlain etc chose to enforce it the way they enforce with bags wtc – they can. Tiffany for example has people they employ to go and search eBay for fakes
Thanks, that makes sense. (I’d like that job – being paid to search eBay all day!)
I have noticed some decanters appearing and disappearing quite quickly.
I also thought the decanter crackdown was attributed to perfumes being considered a combustible substance and should not be air-shipped. God-forbid we all have to use ground shipping only – more expensive and takes longer – and the resulting whining from buyers as to why it took so long to get the items!
Figured this was the case.
There’s actually a pretty wide variety of decants – niche & dept store.
Markdowns? I, uh, got a buy-one-get-one-free coupon from Yves Rocher. So…there will be a bottle of Rose Oud up for the swap meet 🙂
I mostly went to YR to check out Accord Chic, on advice from Hamamelis, who suggested it might be a dupe for YSL Nu. Unfortunately, though I totally see the similarity, AC amplifies the notes in YSL Nu that I dislike, and doesn’t have enough of the spicy wonderfulness of Nu. But if the top notes of Nu do appeal to you (the stuff that smells dreadful to me but burns away quite quickly!), then you should check it out. They also, it seems, have the most wonderful kohl pencils for a measly 4€ apiece.
But anyway, rocking out right now in some Rose Oud on my wrists and YSL Nu on my neck 🙂
Score with the coupon!
Micallef Note Vanille for me today. Boozy caramel vanilla– it’s been making me very hungry
That sounds yummy!
I hadn’t put on any fragrance this afternoon before I went for a haircut. The brazil nut oil leave-in conditioner that the stylist applied to my super-coarse horse mane smells SO delicious that I’m not sure I need anything else. (But still reaching for Absolue Pour le Soir because I’m certain they’ll get along like gangbusters.)
Ok, who made the conditioner? (I am always looking for great smelling hair products)
It’s Topganic Silk Serum. It really tamed my crazy hair (straight, wiry, insanely thick, and frizzy as heck when it’s humid). Let me know if you’ve tried it and what you think. 🙂
Thanks so much! Looks like something I can’t use — can’t use silicones on my hair — but will see if I can find the shampoo and give it a sniff.
Sotd EldO Vierges et Toreros.Easier to wear than some might suggest,if you can get past the costus-note in the opening.Lazy weekend of being on standby for work,but otherwise doing noooothing.I have a question about the US postal service,as I have a friend going to the US in Oct,and I asked her to post a package from there to my friend Sandi in NJ.Do we use normal postal service or a courier company?Who is the best/fastest/most reliable?She will send off my package from either Chicago or New York.Thanks!Happy weekend!
Most reliable is definitely NOT the US Postal Service!!!! I had four packages misdelivered/lost in the summer in the time span of a month! My advice is UPS…they have always done good by me!
Great,Thank you!
I have had a lot of trouble with the USPS as well. Half the time we don’t get our mail (not even the bills!) and I know that stuff I send out goes missing.
I only use the US Postal Service because it’s less expensive than courier, private services. I haven’t had any mishaps recently and I’ve sent and received quite a few packages lately. I guess if I were sending something that was expensive I’d use FedEx or UPS.
Awesome thanks!It is a bottle of vintage Mitsouko,30ml in box,pristine condition,which I swopped for her April Aromatics San Francisco Rose(which was the BEST SWOP EVER!!)So I’d really like it to get to her in perfect condition!I think one of the couriers suggested might be best!:-)
In that case, something more trustworthy is the way to go. Great swap! Enjoy????
Dame Perfumery Bergamot, Jasmine and Labdanum….oh my gosh I may be wearing this one all week!!!
I had originally gifted it to my mother but because she is overloaded with Dame bottles she passed it on to me….I have full bottles of BFMV and Dark Horse but those bottles are different from the Women’s Collection so this was my first full bottle and I must say the glass is so thick and the bottle feels so good in my hands….very visually and tactile-y aesthetically appealing! (yeah, I know that is probably not grammatically correct but you get my drift….feels good in the hand and looks good to the eye….:) !!!)
I’ve been wondering about this one. Do you get a lot of the Jasmine from it?
My nose smells the jasmine and it is sweet but diffuse and soft….and almost “lipstick-Y” for lack of a better word! feminine and pretty…it will be perfect for me as an office scent as I see it to be very non-offensive and pleasant…it is not sultry as some jasmines can be to my nose…I am not very good at descriptions so if I can find a decent review I will attach a link!
http://www.etiket.ca/en/dame-perfumery-bergamot-jasmine-labdanum-edt-100ml.html
Ok so I could not find a full review but I found this which gives a full list of the notes…the lipstick I smell must be the “violet” and the sweetness from the “vanilla”…when combined with the labdanum creates an amber accord.
Oh thank you! And I think you did a good job with your description. I have been wanting to find a sultry jasmine to match with my Korres jasmine body lotion. I love that smell so much.
Allure Homme Edition Blanche. I likes – it’s very lemon-y at start and then morphs into a smooth, velvety something-something (must be the vanilla+musk).
Unfortunately Mr Schneeze announced he dislikes the fragrance on me as it’s too masculine 🙁 It doesn’t *really* come across as a ‘mans’s scent’ to me. Just nice and cuddly. But apparently I ‘smell like a truck driver’. Oh well.
Schneeze – is yours the EDT or the EDP? I have been lloking in vain for the EDT as I believe it was what came out first and got good reviews. Looking at basenotes, it seems that it went through a relabeling to EDP with no reformulation bit who knows?
EDP. Afaik the EDP and EDT are the same relabeled/repackaged (and repriced) scent. My knowledge comes from the reviews on Fragrantica though so who knows.
A truck driver?????Oh goodness!!!
Oh, I love that one and don’t think of it as truck driver at all! How interesting.
I’m giving samples of Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere and a Chanel mascara a whirl today — I smell like powdery Coca-Cola and my eyelashes look like they want to be taken out to the opera (alas, I only have plans to take them out to the grocery store). And the reason I have Chanel samples on hand is because a full, glorious bottle of No. 19 EDP arrived this week. I’ve been avoiding full-bottle purchases lately, but this one was overdue, and it’s so glorious to be able to spray with abandon instead of doling out drops from various sample vials! Sprayed, I’m finding 19 to have a stronger iris note than dabbed, which is just fine by me. God, I love this perfume. It’s a perfect and somewhat unlikely blend of wild-meadow wood-nymph and poised, elegant refinement. Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much what I want to be when I grow up. 🙂
Chanel No. 19 EDP – wowoweee – you smell womderful!
Wonderful stuff, what a lovely purchase, enjoy spraying with abandon!
Oh, how nice to have a FB of something you love so much!
Spray away!!
You smell amazing. I love Chanel No 19 edp. I’m dying to know– how is the most recent formula? Did you have an earlier version that you can compare it to?
I love No 19.
I tried it side by side with a sample I had that’s maybe two years old, and the only noticeable difference to me was that the sample smelled a bit flat, I assume due to age, and the new, sprayed version was more noticeably iris-y. I don’t know if there’s been a reformulation in the past two years, but my bottle smells like the No. 19 I fell in love with two years ago! 🙂
No. 19 FTW, always!!
Testing Alien Eau Extraordinaire today. I was pleasantly surprised – I really like this one. I don’t care for Alien; there’s something in it that reminds me of the cleaning products they used at my middle school, but whatever it is doesn’t seem to be in the flanker, or at least it’s very faint.
The bottles still look like penguins, though. . .:-)
Ha! I was pleasantly surprised by the Eau Extraordinaire, too! I never cared for the original Alien (or Angel) but this flanker and the Angel Muse have won me over. (Agree that the bottles are still penguins, however…)
Wearing Tauer Rose Delight body oil layered with Amouage Lyric. Had some really good dark chocolate and now it’s time for a lazy Saturday afternoon nap. Then possibly some Ambre Narguilé later. Ahhhh….
That sounds wonderful. Add a movie and a glass of wine and it would be my perfect day.
Wait, let me get it straight: you’re wearing Tauer’s body oil AND Amouage Lyric – and you still think you’ll be able to wear something else later??! 🙂 Your skin might be eating up perfumes.
I have today off, and took my shaggy haired son for a hair cut. It’s still too long for me, but at least it’s manageable. Sotd is Agent Provocateur Maitresse. Admittedly, I bought it for the bottle. I do like it though, it reminds me of Gucci Violet. I smell like candy flowers. I rarely come across perfume bargains. My friend up north, however, told me next time she visits will be bringing me a vintage bottle of Ma Griffe. She found it at an antique market for four dollars.
LOL!
My dear departed Mother would always say “Cut THAT hair “, as if it was a being unto itself. LOL
The Beastie Boys use the same line in Fight for Your Right to Party !!!!
Good times. 😀
I sang the lyrics while reading your post! Trust Me when I say, I have loved my fair share of shaggy hair. I just don’t love it on my son.
A cool, gray Saturday in Paris – I had to turn back on my way out this morning as shorts and polo shirt were way too optimistic.
I had a fun half hour at the Serge Lutens HQ in the Palais Royal. Sniffed just about everything on paper strips, and then selected 4 to try on my skin while I went for coffee in the gardens outside. All four were good:
Bapteme de Feu – didn’t perform terrifically well on my skin and the metallic notes jarred with me a bit, but it’s interesting;
Ambre Sultan – good stuff, fruity, spicy and animalic all at once;
Santal de Mysore (bell jar only) – rich and juicy, and the other Mr. Koenigsberg approved strongly;
Fourrier Noir (bell jar only) – to be honest I’ve kind of run out of adjectives; it was rich, animalic, blah blah blah.
So in the end I got the Santal de Mysore as a bell jar, plus samples of Ambre Sultan and Bapteme de Feu, and a weird kind of blister pack of 4 tiny solid samples of Fourrier Noir (along with Tubereuse Criminelle, Chypre Rouge and Sarrasins).
I sniffed all the Collection Bling (or whatever they call it) and 2 or 3 were very nice, but not €480-€600 nice. I’m afraid in my universe no perfume could ever conceivably be €600 nice. Also sniffed all the Eau de Whatever and agreed with the general NST consensus: Eaux neaux.
After all that: official SOTD was Acqua di Parma “Colonia” (I told you I misread the weather!) which was nearly as nice as Agua de Colonia Concentrada at about 5 times the price. Actually I had absent-mindedly started the day in Ys-Uzac “BOM Incense” but scrubbed it off because (a) it would likely interfere with the SL sniffing whereas AdP would reliably wear off and (b) Oh God get this foul stuff off of me!
[As reaction (b) was possibly unfair I shall try it again now as SOTE and see if it settles into anything wearable].
BOM Incense was a scrubber for me too. Pungent green/herbal/camphorous thing, with smoke, but not incense.
I wasn’t keen on BOM incense ( or the Girl in the Dragon tattoo) I think CDG does incense and woods much better. However I do get lots of wear out of Pohadka, Lale and would consider Immortal Beloved ( boozier) and Metaboles ( greenhouse tomato).
I just tried Bapteme de Feu and it smelled really sour and slightly metallic for over an hour. I couldn’t even get a sense of what it was trying to do. It almost smelled like a perfume project gone awry. I had to scrub it.
Money saved 🙂
Yes, but I bought something else, so not really, lol.
Naughty!!!LOL!
Nice to discover that my little girl shares a birthday with Hank Williams. She’s been really difficult today, I suspect starting school and turning 5 has all been a bit much, she says she wants to be 4 again and go back to pre school, she’s very tired and overwrought.
Finally both in bed and having a (very) large G & T!
I tried Angel Muse in Fenwick today, after reading such positive things about it on the Friday community project yesterday, absolutely gorgeous, the balance between sweet and green is lovely, I had some tea and hazelnut praline chocolates in the cafe, kept sniffing my wrists, and a love affair began. I’m incredibly tempted to buy a small bottle if it’s at the Gatwick Airport duty free shop early next month..
I bought one of the new YSL cream lip stains today, (ridiculously expensive I know) but it did help, along with the perfume, tea and chocolate to counteract the stress’s of the day!
Spending an entire day and week at school is a pretty big ask for a five year old. I found making school lunches every day was enough to test my patience and I was way past five.I wanted to invent/ create wax fruit and veggies to put in the lunch box as my son always left the bits of celery, apple etc. uneaten . I thought the wax substitues would fool the lunchbox police while eliminating wastage. Hope next week and the next 13 years go better!!
Here hee, thanks kanaka!
I think maybe I am who you think of as “the lunchbox police” and I feel for you. I supervise a grade 1 class at lunch and there is one little girl whose parents pack her a delightful, well balanced lunch. She eats exactly 3 spoonful of yogurt each day.
Poor thing! I wouldn’t mind going back a year (or five) myself…
Hope she had a good birthday anyway, and enjoy that G&T!
Poor kiddo. It’s cute what she said though. Like when a 6 yo says, “when I was little…”
Ha! My nephew used to say “When I was young…” from ages 5 to maybe 8.
Ha! It’s so cute.
Thanks everyone for your essential oil suggestions yesterday. I went to our health shop to try and find labdanum, birch tar etc. but no luck. However, I sniffed everything available and found that myrrh had a wonderful buttery leather scent so I bought that. So my Signal Hill perfume is very simple: myrrh at the base with a little sandalwood and a tiny dash of nutmeg. Then kanuka and pine for the forest walk element. An finally the tiniest hint of lemon. I left out the manuka as it threw everything. I guess I need to let it sit for a while. I haven’t used alcohol but relied on myrrh as the fixative. I could probably add a but of coconut oil and vanilla for the gorse/furze and broom but haven’t yet. Will make an alternate version today.
yes myrrh should do the trick! and DO let it marinate…I find that after six months the oils blend beautifully and it becomes more “polished”…you could also add sweet almond oil or jojoba oil as carrier oils and if you want a bit of vitamin E oil as preservative….
I have sweet almond oil as I liked the sweet nut vibe so will use that today in my Big Easy scent. Big Easy is the name of the track used by mountain bikers that winds gently up the hill …lots of gorse near the top, and native forest in the gullies.
Hey, Kanuka! Waving hi to you! It’s been ages. I’ve got some decants of Black Cashmere and Epice Marine for you, but I haven’t organised myself into going to a Postshop to buy a bag. Soon, I promise.
The kowhai are in flower up here, and there’s a flight of mad tui getting drunk on the nectar daily. I swear I saw one hanging upside down by one foot as he drank from the flowers. I told him it was perilous, but he just chuckled in that throaty way that tui do and quickly ignored me. There’ll be tears before bedtime, mark my words….
Howdy Sweetpea. I think you should keep your precious Black Cashmere and Epice Marine until I see you next as I am still going strong. If you fancy a home made perfume that smells of wood and manuka I would love to send you some of my Signal Hill first edition. I think it might develop over the next week as it is pretty subtle. The funny thing is that it does smell like Signal Hill but would be better worn out doors on a nice warm day for the full impact. Our kowhai and wattle are brightly yellow and i caught sight of a pheasant on yesterday’s walk! The tui are up at 4.30am! Still no shining cuckoos though (bet they are in Albert Park by now…upward whistle repeat 10-15 times followed by a long downward sighing-whistle.
Hi Kanuka,
I’ve practiced aromatherapy for 25 years, so I’m just dropping by to say that you *really* want to dilute your e.o. blend with either oil or alcohol. Straight e.o.s should never be used on the skin and your blend with lemon and pine – although sounding delicious – will really irritate skin.
Dilution numbers are:
# of mls. = # of drops = 4% dilution (considered unguent strength)
i.e. 30 mls. (1 oz.) with 30 drops is a 4% dilution.
So 2% dilution (used in massage or body lotions) would be 1/2 the number of drops. In 30 mls. that would be 15 drops.
You can make a blend stronger of course, but be aware that a number of the spices and resins are very irritating to skin, and lemon is used in aromatherapy to burn off warts!
Finally, the ladies of the Natural Perfumers Guild recommended this company to me for e.o.s and they are fabulous:
http://av-at.com/
Happy blending! 🙂
This is great info, Rappleyea. I haven’t dabbled yet but when I do, this will come in handy. My skin gets irritated super easily and your words of caution are valuable.
I think you have my email from swaps? If not, it’s rappleyea 11 at the yahoo site. No space though between the name and number.
I’ve taught several aromatherapy classes and would be happy to email you some of my handouts when/if you are interested.
Thank you for the advice and recipe. I blended/diluted my oils with sweet almond oil. The scent isn’t quite right at the moment. It has a swampy smell and overall resembles clary sage more than I’d like but maybe it will improve with age. I am going to try and find a course so I can learn some proper skills as I was a bit slap dash. Your dilution advice is very, very much appreciated.
You will have a ball doing this. I don’t know a lot about perfume blending as I’ve mainly done therapeutic aromatherapy (I’m great with aches and pains, colds, flu, etc.) but I do have a very good perfume blending book: Create Your Own Perfumes Using Essential Oils by Chrissie Wildwood.
My favorite over-all reference on the subject is Patricia Davis’s Aromatherapy An A – Z. Just a great basic reference in alphabetical order of oils and subjects.
And here is an article that you might find interesting. I’m pretty sure they give classes as well:
http://www.basenotes.net/perfumenews/3314-natural-perfumers-guild-celebrates-10-years
Brilliant. Thank you.
How marvelous! I hope it ripens appropriately!
Testing Mugler Fougere Furieuse at the moment, which isn’t furious at all, very tame. And way too musty-herbal for me. Off to scrub…
The best thing I’ve tried lately is Le Galion Cologne Nocturne. Excellent lavender, not even the smallest hint of mallrat.
I did not dislike this, it just did not grab me as FBW.
Hello, all. I’ve been asleep, and I mean really and truly asleep. It’s such an unusual occurrence for me that I just have to announce it. I pretty much passed out yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours, and then I fell asleep again about nine o’clock last night. and didn’t wake until five o’clock this morning! I feel amazingly well and happy and energetic and EVERYTHING WONDERFUL. It has made me realise how tired I am most of the time. Of course, it also means that I have done no work at all so far this weekend, but I can probably achieve good things today.
I’ve been testing the new No.5 Eau. I like it quite a lot. It’s not complicated or mysterious,and it is definitely lighter than I expected, but it is infinitely pretty. I can imagine that if I got tired of cool green perfumes in the coming summer, I would be very glad to spray this prettiness and enjoy it as it blooms in the heat. I think it is versatile. I could wear it quite seriously with a dress to a meeting or quite easily with cargo pants and a T-shirt. Does this sound like another purchase looming? I think it might be. Oh Lady Donatella, I am the weakest and most self-indulgent of your acolytes….too bad!
I will hunt this out. I get a lot of wear out of Eau Premiere but am not so keen on No.5 …so No.5 Eau sounds very tempting. You definitely need a perfume substitute for your Hermesessence. And it could be that No.5 Eau is helping you sleep? So it’s a medical related expense.
Medicinal perfume! Of course.
I got to try this while in Sydney ???? I’m not a No 5 fan, but loved this one. Also found the longevity excellent (on me!).
Really and truly asleep – how wonderful for you!
I do not take for granted the fact that I sleep well.
I hope this continues for you!
Great to hear that everything’s wonderful 🙂
I’m not a fantastic sleeper either and can feel sluggish on a regular basis, so I definitely notice when I have slept well.
And definitely treat yourself to something lovely- not that good deeds need rewarding, but you did graciously give away some precious goods the other day!
I agree with your assessment of the new No 5. Thing is, all that is true of Eau Premiere, which I already own. Do I need both.? Actually, EP may be a tad dressier than L’Eau, so maybe …
Other thing is, there is no cheap way to buy Chanel, at least not a new release like this. You just have to grit your teeth and plonk down the money. 🙁
I’m feeling so frivolously awake that plonking down some money just feels like a good way to pass the time…I love the Eau. I know all the good things about Premiere, and I love it too (though I don’t own it–yet!) but one of appealing things about Eau is that it is a cologne: spray, play and spray again! Light and lovely for summer, you know? Or for you, coming towards winter, something light enough to spray in heated buildings without feeling asphyxiated. A Chanel for all seasons, in fact. After coffee, I might wander down to the Chanel boutique and see what I can see….
I haven’t tried this yet but once it’s available for testing and I like kt, I will wait until Sephora has a 20% off coupon to trigger a buy.
I went hunting for this today at Sephora, Macy’s, and Nordstrom but everyone said it won’t be released until Sept. 28. The Nordstrom SA pretty much came out and said they had it in the store but weren’t allowed to display it until Chanel gives the okay. I didn’t care for Eau Premiere but this one sounds really nice. Oh, and the Macy’s SA didn’t know what a flanker was–I asked for the new No. 5 flanker and she just gaped at me.
She probably did not even know what a flanker is. Nordies gave me the same answer 2 weeks ago…we have the tester and merchandise in store but we are not allowed to haul them out until Chanel gives them the go ahead.
Chanel No. 5 parfum often helps me sleep very soundly. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on No. 5 L’eau. I have counted more likes than dislikes so far.
Glad to hear that u slept well for the first time in a long while. Sleep does have such a powerful effect on mood!
SOTD = Guerlain Mon Precieux Nectar
Nice! And as a bonus, it has an almond note so I’m still on theme with yesterday’s Harvest Moon scent project. It’s softly floral, balsamic, easy-to-wear, well-behaved and unmistakeably Guerlain. I have a decant from the STC sale. If I wanted a more expensive with less ooomph and less sweet version of L’Occitane Immortelle de Corse, I would buy the bee bottle. I am not ruling it out as a future purchase or split candidate.
I have a decant as well and really love it!! Its a good everyday fragrance.
Having only worn it once, I already get that sense of ease of wear!
It’s lovely, isn’t it!
I still have a little left of a sample I got a while back, & I think we need to get reaquanted.
I must have 1-2 smaller samples which have been neglected. I spritzed this from the latest batch and I’m glad I did.
Oh goodness gracious gosh yes, Mon Precieux Nectar is wonderful. It’s one of a handful of fragrances I’ve purchased a decant of more than once. Love, love, love the almond note and gentle florals. MPN is like Apres l’Ondee grew up and became even more beautiful.
It sounds like you LOVE it!
I love this one, you smell great.
Thanks. I have been reading more about it and understand that it was initially available in a 500 mL flacon for a cool 6,000 euros and was reissued in 2012 in the much smaller bee bottles for the masses.
Bigarade Concentree today. Love this on Indian summer days. Can anyone recommend a source of quality glass bottles for decants? I know of Madina and First in Fragrance, but are looking for other options.
I get mine from Amazon from RiverRun usually and they’re plain, but haven’t had any problems with the quality-though they mostly get sent out to others, so if they leak or don’t spray, I haven’t heard about it.
I bought a variety of sizes from Riverrun recently and find them quite good – no leakage so far, and excellent sprayers.
I’ve seen those but they seem fairly expensive to pass on for a split. Not sure…
SKS Bottles and Best Bottles are good sources, but you have to buy in quantity. Accessories in Fragrance is good for smaller quantities but you end up paying more per item most of the time. For dabber vials, I usually just add a packet of 25 to my STC order when I am running low. I have also bought from a place on 38th (or could be 37th) between 5th and 6th Ave (NYC) but some styles of the bottles leaked and I ended up donating them to a thrift shop.
Thanks! Think I’ll try Best and see how they preform.
Trying a cautious dab of La Petite Robe Noire, Ma Robe Sous Le Vent, Eau de Parfum Intense – that’s a title and a half! I got a sample yesterday when I bought some Guerlain skin products, and it’s very sweet. Not my cup of tea, but I think a young colleague at work might love it.
My husband is away visiting his brother in Michigan and I was supposed to go as well, but one of my kitties decided to eat about 1.5ft long 1″ ribbon which was the handle of a gift bag the day before our trip. The vet advised keeping a close eye for vomiting or other sick behavior so I decided to stay. She’s been fine and fortunately passed it, miraculously, today so I’m very relieved.
As my consolation, I made a trip to Twisted Lily yesterday to sniff the new stuff: IA Slow Explosions(ok, but not moved),
MFK Grand Soir(nice enough except for the woods which I found to be screechy)
Arquiste Ella and El(neither struck me)
Slumberhouse New Sibet (weird!!)
I also tried a bunch from the Parfums Quartana Les Potions Fatales(which I recall rolling my eyes to the ad copy/gimick/9 releases when it was announced on here) and was pleasantly surprised- I think they’re unusual and colorful and fun in a synthetic sort of way. I ended up splurging on Hemlock, which was the most subtle of what I sampled, but has enough interesting twists(a hint of rum, spice, vinyl, and greenery) for a musky, vanillic skin scent. Me likes!!
Glad kitty is ok! Had I left work earlier yesterday, I would have stopped by Twisted Lily, too! Enjoy your new bottle!
Thanks! Me too. And now that I know she’s fine, she’ll get a talking to. I was there earlyish, yesterday, and even though they were open, they were prepping for some visitors/shindig, so they kept rearranging and windexing the bottles after I messed them all up, lol. Eric was very nice about it, however.
Now that I think about it, this line could be what TokyoMilk would do with a much larger budget.
Oh, kitty drama! Good to hear she’s doing just fine now. Enjoy that new bottle!
She’s a mischief-maker. She’s lucky she’s cute. And thanks ????
Gosh. I guess I should be grateful that my cat is having no issues digesting the cash he eats out of my wallet.
Ha! No kidding. Second trip in a row where something happened with her right before we’re scheduled to leave. Little sabateur!
Yikes!!!
I’m glad she’s okay. It seems as though she has a sense of your leaving.
Enjoy your new bottle.
Thanks! I’m beginning to get the feeling that she knows something is up, eventhough we hadn’t pulled out suitcases yet.
Wow, magnificent GI tract! She should get an extra treat for passing that without incident. Glad she is well and you deserve an extra bottle of scent just for the stress of it all ????
I’m totally baffled and really lucky. Need to up the childproofing.
An extra bottle would be nice-but that 1 bottle was way more than I intended to spend (which was nothing). Stress shopping =bad idea, but I’m enjoying my Hemlock ????
Wearing Papillion’s Salome, which I really enjoy. It has a thrilling root beer opening, followed by a hilariously incongruous sweaty (my coworker offers “grandmother’s powder puff”). Still, I think I prefer Absolue pour le Soir.
Hi, not sure if you saw my comment awhile back. But if you want my Ostara, email me. I don’t have your email anymore.
laugsb at sbcglobal dot net
It 60F and rainy here but I had a ticket to Feast Portland so I went downtown to eat and drink good things. Everyone was crammed under the tents because of the rain, so after I stuffed myself I wandered into White House, Black Market. I always have good luck finding clothes there and today was no exception; I bought a warm sweater with an asymmetric zipper closure. I put on Theorema this morning but it’s gone now and I will be joining Coumarin in Salome.
The Santa Ana winds are blowing for the first time this autumn. I blame the harvest moon, wink-wink.
Since temps are back in the 80’s (but it’s a dry heat!) I’m pretending it’s spring with my SotD, La Chasse aux Papillons.
I feel pretty, just like this guy:
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/09/a-caiman-covered-in-butterflies-photographed-by-mark-cowan/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds
Scroll down to the second picture for a closeup of side eye action. Hee-hee!
Thanks, so much for the link: that’s a fabulous picture of a phenomenon I didn’t know existed. I wouldn’t mind some butterflies sipping on my tears — and no side eye. 🙂
I saw that photo the other day and it just struck me how symbiotic some species can be (on a good day, anyway)!
I’ve been trying tons of perfumes since 2013 or so, but my nose is a bit slow. I think I finally realized the reason I wasnt really in love with most of them – I like oakmoss, I like it a lot. And with a few exceptions it’s really not in anything anymore.
So I ordered 1 ml of the vintage Mitsouko parfum from STC when they had their Guerlain closeout sale. For me that was a lot of money to spend on that little bit of parfum.
So today I wore my vintage Mitsouko for the first time and now I know what all of the fuss is about. The top notes are pretty much gone, so I refreshed them with a smudge of current version. Pure beauty. But it makes me a bit wistful, and it’s not just because “they don’t make them like they used to”. For me, Mitsouko is wistful on it’s own, it smells like the moment one realizes that something loved is gone forever, and it’s time to start a new chapter. Which might make it even more beautiful. Then I wonder, how much of that is the perfume, and how much is the wearer? If that makes any sense.
On that cheery note, have a great weekend, everyone!
You broke my heart with your description! Oh, who am I kidding?, it was already broken:) I do think perfumes have feelings, and an identity. I’m sure we project on to them though. I try and stay away from the wistful ones.
What a wonderful discription of vintage Mitsouko. I’m wearing my sample of vintage EDP today, for the first time also, sent to me by a generous NST fairy. I have and love the current version, but the vintage is richer, and rounder I think, more oak mossy, and creamier too.
I have been on a scent try-athon. Today: MEMO African leather (exciting opening, one dimentional drydown), Kenzo Flower l’Elixir (can’t stand the teeth achingly sweet opening- no, just no), Diptyque Ofresia (one of those scents you admire but just isn’t yours). After a meh day of scent trials, I am indulging in Guerlain Vol de Nuit EdT; it’s perfect on this cool early fall evening.
I do have one question: has anyone tried both L’Artisan Parfumeur Tea for Two and Olfactive Studio Lumiere Blanche? I blind bought Tea for Two and regretted it; i dislike the cinnamon and the thin milkiness bothers me. I want to try Lumiere Blanche because a light creamy sandalwood sounds really good, but the similarities of notes and impressions between the two perfumes make me wary.
Be careful if blind buying Lumiere Blanche. I tried it and love it but both my mother and the sales assistant couldn’t detect the scent for some reason (musk?) and remarked that is was invisible. i haven’t tried Tea for two so can’t compare.
Thank you for letting me know that. In this case I will definitely get a sample first.
I bought a large sample of Lumiere Blanche and also found it almost invisible. (My spell check tried to change this to “Lumber Blanche”.)
Ah, that’s a shame. Do you still have that sample by any chance 😉
You all smell fabulous this weekend (as always)!
SOTD is PdE Azemour les Oranges, sent to moi by the lovely Petunia. This has become one of my favorite “go to” scents in a very short time, so Thank You to Petunia! You get a big Enablers Pin because a full bottle is in my future after my danged “No Buy” is fini!!
Busy day today doing last minute stuff before I leave for vacation tomorrow. T-Rex is sitting on my suitcase and giving me the stink eye. I think she’s trying to tell me something????
Safe Journeys to all, cheers!
Hope you have an absolutely riotous time in Ireland! Safe travels to you, and a hug for the disconsolate T-Rex!
Thank you! And T-Rex won’t miss me a bit after she realizes she will spend half of her day in Doggie Day Care harassing other dogs, and the remaining half recovering.
Have a great time!
Thank You!
Oh, wow! The day came so quickly! Hope the trip is fabulous. Looking forward to the report. Happy trails!
Thanks!
Bon voyage! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Thanks ????
I had a hunch that it was something you would like and it is a perfect hot weather scent. I’m so pleased that you like it. We’re house cousins today as I am in Equistrius and enjoying it’s sweet helium filled iris.
I hope you a wonderful and safe trip. I hope you have a wonderful time with family!
You smell fabulous and Equistrius is another favorite of mine. I wouldn’t mind a full bottle of it either, but I think I’d get more mileage from the lovely Azemour. Thanks again for your lovely goodies????
Stink-eye indeed! Safe journeys and do report back and take lots of pictures!
Will do and thank you! Hope in my absence, fall makes it to NY in a big way so you can bust out your fall scents and your sweaters ????
Can’t wait to hear your stories. Travel safe and have great adventures!
Sunday spent in the Parc de La Villette, attending a vegan festival (a passion of the other Mr. Koenigsberg). It is good to spend a day in the open air after a long week of extended days sitting in the office!
SOTD is Ineke “Hothouse Flower”, which has surprised me by being very wearable. I usually don’t care for white flowers and this one is meant to be a gardenia soliflore. I could have worn it for tea week (green tea) or, stretching a point, for grain week (corn silk). I think my skin accentuates the green notes and the fig, making it deliciously creamy.
“Sunday in the park” is one of my favorite phrases. Sounds like it was a wonderful and fragrant day.
A little late to the party but I’m trying to get my mother into the shower. She wants to go to this festival thing near Lake Farm Park and it closes at 5 today. She has been told that we are leaving by noon and we are not waiting until 4 for her. She can read her book later. Will be wearing vintage Miss Dior to this one.
Ha — did you get her ready on time? I can see we need you in my house, where we are all supreme procrastinators.
My dad gave her the shot in the butt she needed. I decided on Rose de Nuit instead of vintage Miss Dior. Kind of a mistake, love the opening but the middle and drydown gets sour.
But, she probably needed to finish that chapter and maybe didn’t notice that she had accidentally started the next, and one can’t stop on the second page of a chapter…
🙂
Home after a week in the San Juan islands, and happy to be back. As beautiful and peaceful as the Sound area is (and as perfect as the weather was), there’s just nothing like one’s own home for comfort.
I had intended to make good on the Harvest Theme from last Friday once home and in reach of my bottle of Escale a Portofino, but the weather this morning dictated otherwise. I’m in SL Chene layered with VC&A Bois d’Iris for morning coffee, and will likely switch to something leathery (oooh, Cuir Mauresque!) for dinner with the folks this evening.
Ack! I’ve always wanted to go there! Hope you had a great time, and are now back home safe and sound.????
I hope you had a nice time with your family. I have family who live on San Juan too. I’ve never been but my uncle and aunt had a house on a cove used to talk about watching the orca. They really loved it there. My cousin, their daughter, still lives there. I can’t help but wonder if you’ve met? Of course, I have no idea how big the community is there? She is a pilot and used to run a charter service but I’m not sure what she’s up to lately.
We were on Whidbey Island mostly – made it up to Fidalgo Island, but didn’t get over to San Juan Island proper. People are very friendly in the islands – we heard more than one person’s life story while we were there – but I don’t think we met any former charter service pilots. Sounds like an exciting job to have!
She may very well still be doing the charter service for all I know. We’re just out of touch since I’m on the east coast. My uncle told me that it’s a lovely place. I’ll have to look up Whidbey Island,
I’m wearing Incense Gold by Zegna.
Had the best smelling day in my sample of shangri-la. Though I’ve liked it before, today must be the perfect weather for it, as I kept wondering, “what smells so good?” Thank you, perfume buddy!
You smelled great today.