It's Tuesday. We have a half inch of snow on the ground, and it would be pretty if only the sun were shining. What fragrance are you wearing?
Today's remedy for gloom: Guerlain Mandarine Basilic. Plus, a nice cup of Harney Kagoshima.
Reminder: 2/3 will be Lemming Friday — you acquired a sample because you kept hearing about it (here or elsewhere), now you think you might just have to buy the bottle. A variation on a theme suggested by SheriG.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2017, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: the Fornasetti Sole teapot is $425 at Amara.
Wearing Tokyo Milk Tainted Love after Angela’s review yesterday. I think is a nice and wearable scent. I just get vanilla and tobacco and has become powdery on me. It reminds me in some way of Demeter Saffron, but not so cheap. So far it has lasted good 4 hours and is still going with a fair sillage. It will not make it to my FB shopping list, but it was ok to try it.
Same, or similar I guess! After Angela’s review I broke out Tokyo Milk Dark Novocaine, the only one from that line I really like. It’s a ginger-vanilla that starts out fairly strongly spicy and dries into an easy cosmetic vanilla with a little spiced warmth. It reminds me of the sweet vanilla products I used when I was a girl, but in an elevated way — which is usually what I’m looking for in an low-end fragrance, rather than a knockoff of something more expensive.
Well put, on what you want out of the low end.
I have a sample of it, too, and had pulled it out to test again – even before reading her post. I always liked it but haven’t smelled it in years.
I’m wearing Safran Troublant today. I bought a bottle the first year I went to Sniffa and used to wear it all the time. I’m not usually a huge gourmand lover, but the complexity of this one makes it work. I feel almost like it’s a slightly different scent every time I wear it.
You smell great!
I think the theme for Friday is fun. I wish I had friends who talked about perfume so I could be a lemming! SOTD is different company sel de vetiver from a recent sale on rue lala. Enjoyed reading the vetiver theme reviews here a lot.
You do have friends who talk about perfume – you have NST!
yes that is why I am here:)
I relate! Was just thinking this morning about how I keep giving samples to friends, hoping they’ll be struck at the very least by the desire to start exploring on their own, but so many of those around me are loyal to their signature scent. Sigh.
Yup. I’ve left samples in the ladies bathroom at work and they’ve just been ignored!!! Crazy!!
So crazy!
What?! My goodness, if I found perfume samples in the bathroom at work I’d think I’d won the fragrance lottery!
There’s something wrong with your co-workers!
Your coworkers are missing out, they have an in-house perfume enabler!
SOTD is L’Artisan Al Oudh. I can enjoy ouds on an objective level, but virtually never wear them myself- not sure why this one called out to me today.
I love when perfumes “speak to you”, pick me! pick me!
You smell great – I love Al Oudh! I bought a bottle last summer and wore it for a week, then put it away for fall/winter. When I tried to it again in November I realized that I actually liked it much better in hot weather. So now it’s waiting for spring . . .
You smell great! I tried Al Oudh at your suggestion and really liked it. It is not as dry as the name would suggest, and the spices perhaps make it a cousin of your Safran Troublant?
To me, it doesn’t like oud or the usual imitation oud accords. It’s basically the only cumin-centric fragrance that I sort of like. Plus the original bottle was beautiful.
Ah ha! I actually like cumin, so that may be what I enjoy in it. Thanks for your always helpful assessment.
Scent twin( after reading this). It has been hot here 30C (90F) and this perfume is beautiful in the heat (after the twenty minute mark). I am not really an oud person as , to me, it can have a bitter-chemical smell that sits on the surface whereas I prefer woods to be deep and meditative, like forests. I probably get more wear out of L’ambre extreme but Al Oudh is great this morning, like spiced toast with butter.
Reading the new yorker this morning and listening to the calming voice of deva premal. Cuppa homemade chai
Lemming…Jubilation XXV….finishing up my sample of this one.
This perfume is very challenging for me, and intriguing.
Have a fragrant day ahead.
Robin, I thought we were suppose to get snow. Maybe it will come.
ah..here comes some flurries
And the sun is actually peeking out a bit here.
I will get a full bottle of Jubilation XXV as soon as my decant is finished. I still have a couple of more sprays to go. It is so opulent and warm!
I wore Jubilation XXV on a certain day last November that wound up being not so jubilant for me. Not sure when I will want to wear it again, but I did enjoy its complexity.
would you share a homemade chai recipe?
Today, I am wearing one of my ultimate lemmings.
A kind fairy included a sample in a swap packet, and I fell instantly in love.
After draining 2 decants, I ordered a bottle through Harrods ( at full retail – eek) and got it shipped to a UK friend who sent it on.
It never arrived – likely some Royal Post employee smells fab.
I then contacted someone who travels to Paris and London regularly, and paid her to bring me back a bottle ( again full retail + VAT + charge for her time + postage to then get it to me in Canada)
This, my wonderful smelling comrades, is the bottle I spritzed from this morning.
Robert Piguet’s Knightsbridge – A Harrods Exclusive, and only available in the UK.
Sometimes a difficult trip makes us enjoy the destination even more. I’m sure you smell wonderful and worth every penny!
Oh that’s so sad about the vanishing perfume
the whole perfume/postage hooha is such nonsense imo. Overkill AND killjoy!
I bet you smell amazing, and the triumph of finally getting your bottle makes you smell even better.
That is true dedication. Now I want to smell this too! Maybe I’ll end up a lemming for it.
That is a nice looking teapot.
I’m in Esquel again, all huddled up in my “flying squirrel” sweater with large cowl.
Sounds like you got more snow than we did, Robin. It was just a dusting here.
It was amazing how fast it came, like a blizzard, but a very short one.
Allure Sensuelle EDP, camphoraceous patchouli, melon, calone, and dried fruits.
Huh.
Kinda like chocolate ice cream, topped with caramel sauce, whipped cream- and bluefin tuna.
Onea these things……what was that Sesame Street song ?
LOLOLOL.
Carpe Diem. Peace.
Craving now for that Chanel chocolate ice cream scent
You smell great !
And the snow yesterday was about two inches, no shoveling required, but enough to remove (it’s the law !) from the car.
I love the snow..but living in the city I have no responsibility other then to watch it fall. no car to clean off or sidewalk/driveway to shovel.
Oh, and one more thing:
TIME THE AVENGER The Pretenders.
To be played at maximum volume. The debut album too.
Very late catching up, but had to chip in to say I LOVE The Pretenders! ( loving Chrissie Hyndes new album too)
LOL! Sometimes a bit of weirdness adds to allure!
Bear, you can’t post a comment and leave out the bit about triple strength coffee. It messes with the tradition and flow of what you write …perfume, coffee, music, carpe diem. peace. Anyway, the tuna note on top of icecream sounds an ideal perfume for my dogs. Keep warm up there.
Triple strength coffee, always. It is a given.
Clarification: the notes are fine, but I don’t feel, the whole perfume works.
The patchouli turned to mothballs approximately 4 hours on, and the original Allure EDP is apparent, beneath.
Just one man’s opinion, I like tuna, but I am not “chi-chi” enough to want it with my ice cream.
I will be trying another Chanel (again) that doesn’t quite work for me- Bleu de Chanel EDT.
Phew. Thought you might have been feeling off colour and had gone over to the dark side (herb tea)
Never !!!
2nd that. Stay with the program, Bear!
Is Allure Sensuelle that bad? Can’t say I’ve been tempted to try it myself and those notes haven’t changed my mind
Tuna???
I’ve always had a nostalgic soft spot for Allure Sensuelle because it reminds me of the perfume section of a duty free shop where groggy travelers spritz random scents to pass the time.
Although I’ve always thought of the attraction of that combined scent as an example of the beauty in averageness effect.
I would love to know which testers get sprayed the most in stopover hubs like Singapore and Dubai airports ( thinking NZ to Europe) . I always go for ‘fresh’ scents or garden scents but maybe travellers go for the ones with the biggest displays, or the recent releases
That would be an interesting index: the level of the tester after six months in the duty free shop, seasonally adjusted.
It does smell of variety.
And the patchouli turned to mothballs.
Wearing the vintage Dior-Dior I spent way too much for a tiny amount of. It’s great and very Roudnistika – definitely in the Diorella family but I am finding it a little more spring-flowers and less odd, which luckily means I won’t need to get more. Still I’m very happy to get to know this work from one of my favorite perfumers!
You smell great!
I haven’t tried this one in… several decades (it’s a little scary when you start counting anything in such units
). I remember that it was my least favorite of my mother’s Dior perfumes at the time but I’m wondering what I would think about it today.
I love narcissus, but I was underimpressed by Dior-Dior when I tried it. I think my sample had suffered from aging, though.
Today my perfume oil is Possets The Queen. Quite interesting.
Day two of school cancellations due to snow. My library is open though so here I am, wearing Parfum de Therese as inspired by NST conversations yesterday.
Yay! You smell great!
definitely a contrast to the snow wearing Parfum de Therese
Beautiful! I’m sorely behind on the posts, but will looking forward to catching up and reading that discussion,
Question for a librarian: What book would match this perfume? It sounds like a wonderful scent.
Today I’m in a lemming of old. Years ago when Manoumalia was released I read all the reviews and comments -either totally for or adamantly against – and both just made me want to try it more. The sample I bought was one of those rare instant love moments and I ordered a bottle there and then.
It’s still love, I’m just not very faithful..
LOL! Yes!
Don’t require monogamy, that word is not in my vocabulary.
Perfume-wise.
Perfumistas are the original polyamory.
I wore this yesterday! My sweetie did NOT care for it, but I loved feeling tropical all day
Sweeties can be such spoilsports!
I love that it’s not a typical tropical but has that overripe humid decay aspect- so sexy!
Last night my sweetie stirred from sleep (he falls asleep hours before I do) just as I put on some Angel Muse and mumbled about his perfume-loving wife smelling like apple pie and burnt toast. LOL
He’s usually a pretty good sport, and I’m not sure if apple pie and toast meant thumbs-up or thumbs-down!
That’s really interesting. I am always more curious about the live/ hate perfumes than the straight out ‘love’ perfumes. I just had that situation with Interlude, which not everyone loves …so I had to see for myself. Also, if it’s on the love/ hate spectrum there’s less chance of feeling ‘wrong’ about my own judgment.
I loved manoumalia on first scent, despite it being in none of the categories I typically go for, and in one of them I usually dislike on me. I have a little decant, but don’t pull it out often enough…it suits summer, though, for sure.
It’s cold enough that I can wear Kalimantan so I am.
Love Kalimantan and wish I’d bought some years ago when it was easier to find and cheaper!
I am in rejection-of-winter mode and gave myself a full spritzing of A la Nuit this morning. I need to imagine sunshine, warmth, and relaxing in my garden. . . sigh.
“rejection-of-winter” hahaha
Sometimes it is just better to live as if.
I’m warding off the “wintry mix” forecast for our area with the strongest mental vibes I can manage.
I’m pretty sure denial will save us!
“The denial is STRONG in this one” …
You smell fab and white florals are definitely a good antidote to winter! I’ve been indulging in mine lately.
Thank you! I seem to really need them right now!
and jasmine is a proven antidepressant so it was a perfect choice for the anti winter blues
Guess I have good instincts! I can certainly say that it helped me pretty much at first spritz!
ORLY? I have 2 carts full of jasmine samples that I’m contemplating. You just may have convinced me to pull out my debit card.
Sounds like you should do it for your good health.
All the gardens near my house are scented with lilies In full flower. Such a summer scent.
If you find a quirky-looking lady in your garden with big cheeks and brown hair, don’t worry–it’s just me sneaking in for a sniff.
A La Nuit was my first niche perfume! My bottle is about 12 years old and I’m hoarding the last few mls . . .
My bottle is under a year old, and I love it! Any sense on if it has changed?
No idea – I haven’t sniffed any recent versions.
This winter’s been so awful (my heat not working doesn’t help) that I’ve been trying not to dwell on it since there’s a lot more to come. Anticipating the change in seasons 3-4 months ahead of time just makes things worse
But for some reason I awoke feeling a bit of spring in the air and it has really helped my mood.
We have had some sunshine teasing us, but it’s all hat and no cattle–it’s barely above freezing most days.
Cute teapot! SOTD is the warm, coziness of Aroma M Geisha Noire. One of my favorite buts of last year. Stay warm (or cool) y’all!
*buys
I am wearing Narciso Poudre. Looking for uncomplicated loving comfort where I can get it.
I am more appreciative of a cat in my lap these days, for the same reason!
I’m eager to try this one. It gets a lot of love, and I love powder.
I like it a lot and it was quite inexpensive on FragranceBuy. Like I said, it’s pretty simple but I’ve got no problem with either pretty or simple. It seems to last well too.
I keep space on my shelf for pretty and simple, too. I’ll have to go find some to sniff.
Today I am wearing a bright and sunny (despite its name) Nocturnes de Caron.
Nocturnes is a very sunny fragrance – very classy orange blossom!
In the first couple of minutes I almost dismissed it as too soapy (aldehydes are very prominent in my sample of EDT), but then lovely ylang and orange blossom suddenly bloomed bringing a smile on my face.
The only thing that makes winter time bearable: SNOW DAY!
SOTD is Givenchy Organza Indecence. It’s a great day to smell like vanilla pudding.
Really? That name does not conjure up an image of a nice bowl of vanilla pudding…but it makes me more interested in smelling it…
It isnt vanilla pudding to me… more spices than vanilla… but just as delicious
BK Beyond Love. It took me such a long time to get around to trying the Kilians but some of them are seriously gorgeous; like this one.
Yes, it is a very pretty tuberose. You smell great.
Good Morning Fragrant Friends!
SOTD: Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Verte. Light, clean, office appropriate. For what it is, I quite like it!
I like that one, the first 120 seconds of it remind me of Gucci Envy.
I sniffed this in a store and it reminded me a lot of a fragrance I wore in the late 90s (the Garden Botanika signature scent.)
SOTD is BV Eau Légère (or however those accents are supposed to go). This was one of my first lemming experiences, and I’ve never regretted jumping off that cliff.
Mmm. I love Eau Legere (avoiding accents altogether). You smell wonderful!
*nods in agreement*
SOTD is Musc Maori. Sometimes the musk tickles my nose, but I’m ever-so-slightly congested today, and what I’m left with is perfect, creamy, and delicious.
Yum.
Following Eleebelle on the Parfumerie Generale theme. I’m wearing Bois Blond, an old favorite of which I only have a decant. Why?
Bois de Violette, again. I’m in full-on-obsession mode.
I gave that one a sniff this morning and it was a contender. So good!
So good! I can’t get enough. My 5ml decant is going fast. I’m holding out for a FB until February. ????
That one day to go is gonna be a killer
Exactly. But I might just make it. (Although, it’s officially February in some parts of the world, so…)
Love BdV, you smell wonderful.
You must smell like spring! Lovely.
Wearing Ambre Sultan and enjoying my last day off before a week of night shifts! Lucky me the sun is out today!
You smell great! The best Amber out there imo. I’ve done nights too, so rest up!
That’s a fantastic teapot! Love it.
SOTD: Coromandel edt
White flurries are so pretty outside my window but not sure I want to see any accumulation. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m ready for Spring already. Usually I don’t feel this way in winter but I just want sunny, warm days. And longer days too!
You smell great! And I made the cookies! Not sure they turned out the way they were supposed to, though.
Did they taste good? They were a real hit with my colleagues.
They tasted fine, but I followed the directions and I couldn’t really taste any of the spice. They tasted like butter cookies (which isn’t a bad thing) so I improvised by pulverizing dark chocolate and mixing it with more spice and salt and baked that on top, which added a little more oomph. People ate most of them, though, so they were enjoyed!
The spice is subtle, that’s what I liked about them. Chocolate is a good idea too!
I love snow..and I don’t mind the winter. I guess I enjoy all the seasons.
When I lived in California for 6 years I really missed the change of seasons so I don’t take it for granted anymore. That is just me though..
Maybe you need a vacation somewhere warm. With cookies
Usually I really embrace the change in seasons but not this year for some reason. Last night I walked across the park at around 5:15pm and it was still light out! Days are getting longer already.
For more than half of my life I lived in a place with a continental climate – all the “pleasures” of the extreme cold spells in winter and heat waves in summer. After moving to California I did miss spring for a while, but I hate cold so much that I’d rather sacrifice seasons. I get them for a couple of days when traveling but I don’t want to live through them.
Agree with you on winter weather, I had enough snow when I was younger and now am grateful to live in a moderate climate. I do miss the months of May (dogwoods blooming) and October (leaves changing color) in the northeast US, but that’s what vacations are for.
Forgot to mention the cookie of the week: French Snacklettes!
These little gems are quite tasty. Very dense chocolate and ground almonds with a touch of cinnamon. No flour! The challenge was making them into mini pyramids like she did but once I got the hang of how to form them with my fingers they turned out really well.
What’s the recipe book again?
Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan
Those sound fabulous! I really like almond flour and used it in the other cookies (unblanched) which gave them a nice rustic touch.
Beautiful scent.
I wonder if this winter is a drag because it seems to be neither here nor there. It gets cold for a few days, then bounces up and is rainy. Quite honestly, it has felt more like a Nor Cal winter…rainy and just cold enough.
I hadn’t thought of that. You may have something there.
Wearing Amouage Beloved again and testing Dior Homme Cologne 2013 on the left arm and Hermes Terre d’Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche on the right arm, as I am planning to buy a bottle for my DH. Darn it! I like them both!
I’ve enjoyed sampling several of the Dior Homme fragrances so much I would wear them myself.
My thoughts exactly when I sampled Dior Homme Cologne for the first time, its great for sharing!
Amouage Lilac Love today, for no particular reason – well, maybe I thought it would suit the weather? I only have a dabber sample, and on me it smells like generic expensive perfume. Slightly creamy, slightly powdery. Not bad, rather pleasant. But . . . generic.
I tried it too and thought it wasn’t worth the price. Pretty bottle though. For some reason the drydown reminded me of White Diamonds, which I am not a fan of.
I’m liking that teapot!
Today I’m wearing Hove Parfumeur Carnaval. It was made in 1927, and it is a jasmine, gardenia and bergamot blend.
My tea for the morning is Matcha Jasmine Green Tea.
I have and love that Hove scent. Always nice to see it mentioned.
That Hove sounds lovely.
Sounds beautiful, and like a good match for tea.
What a beautiful teapot! I’m not a big tea drinker ( but I do like a good chai tea every now and then ) like a lot of those on NST, but I would definitely buy this just to have out on display. This week’s theme is hard for me to do as well…..I haven’t gotten any new samples lately that was suggested by others.
My SOTD is Neroli & Basil. Hope everyone has a fantastic day.
You smell great. The body cream in that one is really nice too.
I haven’t tried it……….will have to get some one day.
Tea this morning was Kusmi Spring Bouquet. Perfume is Angélique Noire, another bottle I am trying to finish off.
I have a bottle of that too.
I have had it a year and its only half way done.
Some days I don’t think I need anymore bottles of anything. My perfume may out live my time on earth
Me too – I am sure my collection will outlive me!
I like this perfume and wear it in spring.
you smell wonderful.
Robin, the teapot is inspiring!
I’m wearing Dzing, which I dug out because of the raves on NST. It is deserving, and just reminds me of walking through an amusement park all bundled up, after the season has ended.
One of my favorites – you smell great!
This is my all time number one, and I really like reading other people’s “stories” about it. Also, you smell great.
You smell incredible. Mmmmm. Great image too!
Thanks. It really keeps getting better as the hours pass.
Commando at the moment with a case of dragging butt. It’s snowing out and have to leave for work in 45 minutes. I’m debating on Theorema or go for gusto and wear Beloved today. This is the time of year for dragging butt, I’m sick of winter and sick of the cold.
Hope you managed to pick one and go! I think “sick of winter” is the theme today.
I’m laced with cracks and am about an inch away from breaking, as I will be defending in TWO DAYS. Ahhhhhh. Wearing Floris Honey Oud; at the time I got my set of Floris samples, the house was being much discussed on NST, and thus it fits with the lemming spirit.
Koenigsberg, I wanted to mention that I finally read The Little Friend! It’s much more…solid, less anchorless, than Tartt’s other books, I think. I think I liked it, but I honestly still haven’t decided. What did you think of it? (Also in fitting with the lemming theme, I read this book because Koenigsberg mentioned it.)
Courage! They wouldn’t let you defend if you weren’t going to do well.
Sending best wishes for your success and for a sense of calm and focus!
Remember, there’s a good chance that you know more about your thesis topic than anyone in the room, and you definitely have thought more about it than anyone in there! You’ll do a great job. Go Koyel!
I’m so excited for you! You will do wonderfully well! I know it!
As usual, thank you all for your supportive words <3
They want you to succeed and move on with the next phase of your career. Don’t forget they’re on your side!
I went to my sister’s (zoology) defense and it seemed really relaxed. She did her thing, people clapped, then we ate cookies. I don’t remember if anyone even asked questions (but they probably did. And her recollection of the event is surely completely different than mine. :))
It’s the culmination of all your years of hard work. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy it as much as you can.
Oh, good luck with your thesis!
I loved The Little Friend. I enjoyed the sense of place (a place I have never been and would never choose, it has to be said). And I just liked the main character’s gutsiness a lot, and didn’t mind that some elements of the story were a little over the top. What did you think of the finale in the water tower then? :^D
That scene was definitely over the top; unexpectedly so. I was very, very disappointed by the aftermath of the water tower scene, though, in that I like endings that are tied up with ribbons, and that ending is just wide open and full of scary possibility.
Bon courage! I’m sure you will do very well.
Good luck, Koyel!
Tuesday!
1) SOTD: Philosykos. I want the promise of summer, and walking down inner SE when it is warm and breezy and you can smell the fig leaves and grass.
2) Am trying out a new nutritional supplement: Niagen (nicotinamide riboside). So you take this with a big glass of water ( I would suggest a small amount of food). You are szupposed to feel a deep lift in energy, and in a few weeks, be able to function with little or no coffee or refined sugar. We shall see!
Sounds like the miracle supplement! Do keep us informed, please!
I am so looking forward to Philosykos weather again – you smell great!
Hmmmm, no refined sugar. Let us know how it goes.
In Narcisco Rodriguez For Her, which is quickly becoming my wintertime no-brainer. There are quite a few orange trees in my neighborhood, and their blooms are pretty much the best smell in the world. Neroli/orange blossom scents tend to pale in comparison so I’ve never much liked them. But I’m liking NR For Her, I think because it evokes orange blossom without really trying to smell like orange blossoms, if that makes sense . . .
You smell great. NR for her is one of my fave mainstream- no brainers too.
I’m wearing Zoologist Nightingale today. This is one of my favorites of the line. It has a kind of vintage-y quality about it.
I tried this one last night and it is also a standout for me.
I think I should try this based on it’s name alone!!
It is pretty.
Yo! I have to go to an all-day staff meeting today– well, two days, actually. It’s not enough to ruin Wednesday, obviously, they needs must make Thursday a depressing waste of time as well. Which reveals my mood. Which explains my SOTD: vintage Femme. Hear me roar from wherever you are in the world, and not necessarily the way the song meant! I thought in quite a linear way about what to wear, and decided that there are two ways to approach this sort of situation: go fully formal, stockings, dress, jacket etc, or completely unbuttoned, in a I-might-have-forgotten-to-brush-my-hair-but-I-had-time-for-eyeliner-and-red-lippy sort of way. Chose the latter. Very mature…I’m thinking, nothing lasts for ever. I’ll be fine on Friday.
Ack, you are giving me flashbacks to the last office I worked in. Or, looking on the bright side, reminding me how grateful I am to be retired. My approach was generally to find an acceptable subterfuge for not attending, such as dental surgery. Less painful.
SOTD Nirvana Black from a roller ball. Although I appreciate the convenience of a roller ball, I always seem to struggle with knowing how much to apply. I inevitably paint myself with it on wrists and neck, and then return to it soon after with a second application.
The work family life balance can get unwieldy and I’ve missed my NST pals. Hoping to jump back in full swing soon as I’ve neglected the simple pleasure of reading and sharing. (That does sound so wistful, doesn’t it?? I think it’s coming from the fact that I’m re-reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society and it’s making me want to write wildly romantic letters!)
I have never liked rollerballs, but I guess they’re now completely mainstream so I ought to make myself get used to them.
I loved that book and was chuffed that I ended up in Guernsey on my British Isles cruise in 2011!
I’m in my newfound friend Cologne du 68 today, and here come the clouds already, covering up the blue sky we got to enjoy for all of three days. The inside of my car is soggy, the clothes in my bottom dresser drawer smell moldy, the yard is mostly sticky mud, and while I’m grateful for this year’s healthy rainfall I’m so, SO ready for spring and warm, dry weather!
Spent the night at sister’s. Woke up to dense Central Valley fog. I miss the deep fog in winter here.
A spritz of Civet. I need it definitely order a sample of that and Hummingbird.
I love the fog. “The fog crept in on little cat feet,” Carl Sandberg.
Since I decided to participate in Lucas’ (The Chemist in the Bottle) rose month and went even further than agreeing to wear rose perfumes on days “assigned” to me – I’ll be doing my own month of rose perfumes, today is the last time I can wear something completely different and winter-y. I’m wearing By Kilian Amber Oud – one of a few kilians and one of a very few agarwoods that I love.
I love Amber Oud.
I keep catching whiffs coming from my hair and thinking: what a great scent!
I should do a Rose Month!
If you do anything on the blog, I’ll link to it from my calendar post (coming up later today) – and we’ll have a spontaneous joint blogging event
A rose-month sounds fun. That’s a challenge I would probably enjoy immensely!
Lucas has posted his calendar, and later tonight I’ll be posting mine – come in and join!
Great stuff Amber Oud. Yum!
Yep!
I have a meeting today, and am sampling Galop. I simultaneously smell professional and fancy! So far, so good.
I tested that when I was in Auckland last week and I liked the way it was adult and stylish and womanly but with room to be interpreted by the wearer as to whether it was also arty, elegant, feminine or unisex . A bit like wearing a multi-choice perfume quiz….lots of leads and no right answer.
Your description is perfect. I have to say after two hours, I can no longer smell it. I only put two tiny sprays on though.
I’m wearing Musc 25 today. Reading perfume blogs definitely got me interested in Le Labo, so I will devote the rest of this week to the many Le Labo lemmings I have (samples of many, not enough funds for all of the full bottles I’d like).
Jealous of all the snow I’m hearing about! Send some down south, please.
You smell great. Many of the Le Labos are lemming worthy, except for the price point
Cousins in Vanille 44!
The sun is out, and I am wearing Chene, so: so far so good, for today.
Am wearing 2016 Guerlain Muguet today from a most generous NSTer…
It is nice but not worth the price imho. I believe it was $400 something for 100 ml if memory serves.
I keep thinking back to Luca Turin’s comment on his sadly short-lived blog about what good perfume should cost…
Per LT, “so let’s say $120 or so for 100 ml of EdP or a half ounce of proper extrait.”
Absolutely pricing I could get behind. $400 for 100ml is more than a tad too rich for my pauper’s blood.
You must smell wonderful. I really admire muguet scents.
I miss his blog, too. If only perfume houses would heed his advice on pricing! (Andy Tauer had a lot to say about it – although none of his products fall into the *wildly overpriced* category. On the contrary, he has a lot of offerings that are very reasonable and accessible.)
The price for the last year Muguet was €430. I think the price is not for the juice (though, I would be curious to compare 2016 for the previous years since they’ve changed it for the first time in many years) but for the limited edition collector’s bottle: when less than 3,000 bottles is created, the price of the bottle design and a small batch production of everything – bottle, packaging, perfume, marketing materials, etc. – should come from somewhere.
Having said that, until I start collecting expensive bottles for bottles’ sake, I’m not paying $400+ for the chemically created flower perfume. I could consider that price for perfume that includes expensive natural ingredients – rose, iris, agarwood or ambergris, but not for lily-of-the-valley or lilac, which can’t be done from the actual flowers.
Cuir d’Ange for this sunny morning. I’ve gone off many of the Hermessences (never seem to choose Iris Ukiyoe or Rose Ikebana anymore) but like this one more and more lately.
Yum! That’s my most-worn Hermessence, too.
I’m testing Lubin Kismet, basically a musk scent to me. It seems unusual in being both warm and cool somehow. It doesn’t live up to the name. Can anyone think of a fragrance that should have been named Kismet?
Well, I’m so vintage I was thinking of the musical, but there are many contemporary meanings. Maybe, Oud Satin Mood would be closer to a Kismet scent.
Ha, I didn’t think of that, but Kismet doesn’t smell like a musical either.
Maybe it refers to the process of making it (or the inspiration) rather than the scent itself?
Amouage Fate?
I mean, it sounds more “organic” Amouage Kismet and Lubin Fate.
I smelled the Spring limited edition launch from Jo Malone over the weekend, and I thought they were all boring. Most reminded me of other perfumes (and the other perfumes are better). I sprayed Tobacco & Mandarin and Whiskey & Cedarwood-one on each forearm and they didn’t really do anything on my skin besides vanish. The herb garden launch last year I thought was much better. When I got home I sprayed Wild Strawberry & Parsley to confirm. It was so much more unique and interesting than any of the 5 new releases–AND it lasts on my skin. Today I’m wearing Myrrh & Delires.
Sad news about the five new scents, but I do agree that the herb garden launch was great. Those are some of the only Jo Malones I truly enjoy!
I liked the sugar & spice collection, and regret not buying Ginger Biscuit.
I figured as such with the new line. Haven’t had a chance to experience them, but just from seeing what you posted and a few others, it doesn’t seem like I am missing out on anything. The herb collection was done well. I’m still sad about not being able to find Peony &Moss from the London Blooms collection created by the great Christine Nagel.
One of my favorite JM of all time.
Ah good, another to skip.
I adore M&D! Last year I had to hunt down a bottle bc it’s getting so hard to find.
You smell lovely in M & D. Sad to hear the JM launch isn’t great. Did you like Myrrh & Tonka?
I do like Myrrh & Tonka. Nothing revolutionary–but of course with Jo Malone that’s not at all what I’m looking for. It lasts on my skin and I find it to be cozy, comforting, and easy to wear. What do you think?
I like it a lot and will buy it at some point.
I am wearing Sballo perfume oil by Bruno Acampora today and watching the snow fall. Much as I hate the winter, it does kill the bugs and the germs. I hope it kills the gypsy moth so we aren’t reinfested this year.
Sballo is so nice!
I totally agree about the antiseptic properties of winter!
Today I am in L’eau d’Hiver which I love. I first heard of LdH on YouTube. Sally Hughes just gushed about it so I wrote down the name. Then I received 5 ml in a NST swap. Drained that quickly, then I bought a travel size with a bonus sample. This will carry me a few more months, then it will be FB time!
Sally Hughes introduced me to L’eau d’Hiver too and the whole Frederic Malle line. I love that video, I think it might be my favourite video on Youtube!
SOTD is Vanille 44. I had Le Labo city exclusives on the brain yesterday after Lovestosmellgood’s post.
Glad that I can be an enabler
Slow start to my day so far. I’m sitting on the couch drinking Earl Grey and listening to the sounds of my upstairs neighbors’ exercise bike wafting down through my ceiling. I’ll shower in a little bit and then I’m off to go do laundry (blech)
Scent of the day is Shay &a Blue Almond Cucumber, from a sample I got in the freebiemeet. I applied some on waking up and will reapply post shower. It isn’t a very “me” scent but I still like it quite a bit! Cucumber is really quite lovely when it’s divorced from the synthetic melon it’s usually paired with.
SOTD is D.S. & Durga “Foxglove”.
Top: citron and palisander rosewood;
Mid: iris, neroli and champaca;
Base: suede, peach, ambergris and immortelle.
This is really quite fun, but after a deliciously sharp opening the dry down is skin scent only. It’s OK today when I can re-apply at will but it won’t do for my ‘normal’ life.
Today is the 3rd day in a row of constant low cloud, a dismal grey blanket that has been constant and unvarying. The Universe is reminding me I should be living in Malaga. :^D
Ha, the universe has apparently been telling me the same thing and I didn’t even know it! Malaga, fine.
I found myself near Ulta so I’m sampling SJP Stash. I like it, but not sure I need it. Although the $40 gift set with 1 oz spray, body lotion and oil rollerball seems hard to pass up.
I found it hard to pass up too. In the end though, I decided it just wasn’t “me”.
SOTD = Lalique le Parfum – I think is the name, from a generous freebie meet NSTer who sent me a fascinating batch of things I have not smelled before. This smells good, but not much, if you know what I mean. I could smell touches of the almond occasionally, and various flowers and spices and vanilla, and I liked it, and I actually can still smell smell something on the back of my hand if I huff a little bit. I wonder if they have a extrait or an intense version, or if getting a spray bottle and overspraying would give a more satisfactory experience…. on Amazon, I could get a 1 oz spray plus some body lotion for $30.00… ah, but I know what this is. I am trying hard not to go lemming after Durga, and so I am distracting myself with cheap thrills… sigh.
I think you smell great! I did get that very same gift set on Amazon after a generous NSTer sent me a decant which I polished off in a few days. It’s no powerhouse, but I can now spray lavishly, and I like having a bunch of cross-season, office friendly scents that I actually also like.
Cool! Does using the lotion too enhance the scent at all?
I dunno! I haven’t used it. The perfume lasts all day on me.
But, from sniffing it from the tube, it smells almost exactly the same. I’m not big into scented lotion-the gift set was just the cheapest option for a 50ml bottle.
I have been so busy at work that I not only don’t have a chance to participate, I haven’t even had time to read any articles. I just took a quick break and read the main post…haven’t had the time to read the comments. For the record, today I am wearing ElDO La Fin du Monde. I can’t believe I didn’t discover this one sooner. I love it!
I find Box of Eels comforting and I need comfort today. Yesterday the plumber was here to hook up the sink. He took a look and uttered the fateful words “I’m gonna hafta open up the wall.” No water today and a huge bill in the offing. OTOH, I smell wonderful.
I feel your pain! Think you’re reaching for the right fragrant antidote to one of life’s irksome realities.
Oy vey. Renovations seem fun until you actually start doing them, lol. At least you smell good.
Ouch, not words a homeowner wants to hear. Sorry!
I finished up a sample of Carnal Flower today. Mmmm. Perfect for a chilly, sunny day. I think I now have only one spray sample left of it, so I need to procure some more. Probably just a decant because it’s really expensive.
I only recently tried this for the first time. I can totally understand the love it gets. Not to enable, but it’s available in a 10 ml size. Still a big chunk of change, though.
Oh, and I got mine for free at the Nordstrom in Bellevue. The SA had a drawer full of 3.5ml boxed samples to hand out. You could check the downtown store, too.
I have a bunch of Guerlains to go through and today I’ve got Nahema on one hand and Samsara on the other. I felt a little “meh” about both last time I wore them, but they’re getting prettier the longer they sit on my skin. I pretty well drenched both hands and neither projects much at all, though.
I’m imagining you smell wonderful.
I tried samples of those two plus Chamade and Champs Elysees and they turned very harsh on me. They smell great on other people. I think the Guerlain sandalwood sometimes doesn’t work on me.
Ya, you’re right, I do
Bummer about them not working for you. Or maybe that’s a good thing. You and Isabella are both making me want to try that Cologne!
SotD = Cologne du 68
I’ll join the tail end of today’s lemming parade with Cd68. So nice I bought it twice, first a 5 ml decant, then a bottle from a discounter. It smells wonderful. Why do the good ones get discontinued?
I first tried Cd68 because it was mentioned repeatedly on NST. And thanks to Isabella today for wearing it and reminding me how much I like it.
SOTD = Bvlgari Black
I was going to wear Tobacco Vanille but I had a decant atomizer fail, Grrr but I am enjoying Bvlgari Black. This was, surprisingly, my miost worn perfume in January!
I hope to remember to say rabbit rabbit rabbit tomorrow morning. I have bot managed to do so even once!
Tomorrow, I am starting Lucas’ Rose Month with Mohur Extrait! Woo hoo!
Tomorrow I’m joining you in wearing Mohur Extrait!
Bvlgari Black is such an interesting perfume – I still can’t believe they’ve discontinued it.
Your write-up was so compelling I didn’t have a choice but to dig up a swapped decant (thanks SuzyQ) and the rest was history!
https://undina.com/2013/05/16/from-zero-to-forty-ml-in-less-than-15-years-bvlgari-black/
I love that we will be wearing Mohur Extrait on the same day!
I’m in Lush Silky Underwear – from the solid in a tin. I put it on early this morning and it’s still lingering. A bit more smoky vetiver today with the Jasmine humming nicely in the background. I was going to put on L’Heure Bleu EDP but this lasted longer than expected.