It's Monday (yuck) and World Day of Social Justice (I could go for that). What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm barely awake, wearing Comme des Garçons Calamus.
Reminder: on 2/24, wear a fragrance by Comme des Garçons, if you have one.
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: top images are for the upcoming exhibit Rei Kawakubo / Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between, opening at The Met on May 4.
Who knew there was a perfume out there that could make you smell like a massive bell pepper? Who knew there was a perfume out there that could make me ENJOY smelling like a massive bell pepper? SOTD Piment Brulant, L’Artisan Perfumer.
And obviously got my weeks totally mixed up. Doh!
Nice! (And how are your weeks mixed up??)
I somehow had convinced myself it was oddities this week, but that’s next week…
Ah, gotcha. Well, the two do mesh
The scents we can become are endless!
Have you tried Hermès “Paprika Brasil”? That one has the bell pepper thing going on, although I don’t think it suits me. :^)
I haven’t, but I’ll look out for it now…
If I may ask, does it remind you of red or green bell pepper? I’ve cooked with both, and they smell differently to me.
And if you need some peppers of CdG variety, don’t forget Harissa.
Happy Monday everyone! Wearing Tauerville Rose Flash. Super sweet and strong. One spray is suffocating me. Very nice. I guess my fb will last many, many lives! Not work today, so trying to relax and enjoy the weather.
I’ve been wondering whether I should get a sample of this one. I guess I should.
If you are in the US, I can send you a sample. Let me know.
How nice of you! Unfortunately I am not in the US. But it’s ok, because I know where to get one in my country.
You should try it. It is a very sweet-woody rose. Pretty nice. If you dab it is much better. A sample can last you forever.
STC has 30% of all the Tauer flashes.. just saying.
If you call them they may be willing to ship to you.
I have been dying try this scent. I’m in the US. Would you like to trade samples? (Sorry if this is not protocol, I’m new!) What is STC?
STC is Surrender to Chance.
Email me: monica67@aol.com
Hope it is a lovely day off!
Thanks Robin.
I really like Rose Flash, but I agree, a lil’ dab’l do ya!
You smell great! I almost went with that today.
Thanks! ????
I’m assuming that if one cannot wear the other Tauer roses, this one won’t work either? I do love PHI, and like the Rose Delight oil, though – which to my nose have a different rose accord than the others from the line.
I find Rose Delight oil and Rose Flash very similar.
I like the Tauer Roses in general. Phi is really beautiful. I enjoy the Rose Delight oil and as Luna Green says they are very similar. But I find Rose Flash much sweeter and stronger. I know some people layer both. In my case that option would be too overwhelming. So I prefer to wear them separately.
It’s Monday and I have to work on a holiday. I needed something pleasant, easy, and undemanding. I went for Modern Muse, as it’s all of the above.
You are not alone! Hope the day goes well.
Thanks! So far, so good.
Yep, I’m working too while the rest of my household enjoys a day off. Poor us.
Commando and drinking chai tea
Should note that my father in law is leaving so my homemade chai tea days are over as of now. Will try to re-create it myself
Well drat. Not the same if you have to make it yourself!
Exactly!
Cranky because I have to work on a holiday, but Ostara is cheering me up.
I also brought some chocolate with me to the office and I may have to get into it soon-I’m going to eat it eventually so why not now, right? I guess I will try to hold out till after lunch.
Ostara and chocolate. Yes.
Double yes. And oddly enough I wore Ostara on Saturday night. And also stuffed my face with chocolate!
I worked in my garden this weekend among the blooming crocuses and daffodils and that inspired me to take Ostara (and my other early spring perfumes) out of storage. Ostara is perfect for this time of year! (And chocolate is always perfect.)
And I don’t have any Comme de Garçons! Not even a sample. I think it’s the first time I’ve been entirely unable to participate.
I don’t quite love any of them, but they are worth trying.
I try very hard to abide by a “not before 12noon” rule.. hold over from my kiddie days when mom would not allow us sweets until the afternoon. Sometimes it still works, many times it does not!
Mmm…Ostara is such a beautiful scent. I haven’t taken any of my spring goodies out of storage, but now I’m tempted…
Ostara and chocolate is brilliant. Especially the chocolate
.
Nice combo. Craving for chocolates now ????
That is an excellent combination.
I am wearing Comme des Garçons Odeur 71. What a curious mixture of natural and synthetic notes! It makes me think of a spring flower that had grown on a city road, but then was crushed by a truck and taken to a modern high-tech apartment.
Or the Space Station!
One single solitary spritz of SL Rahät Loukoum, because it’s really sweet, but sometimes that hit of sugar is just what you need.
Yum.
Prompted by reading Name Brand Nostalgia in NYT’s Sunday Review, wearing a dab of Shalimar, which has been neglected during this warmer winter. Entertaining essay, and one of the commenters noted that her grandparents gave her a Shalimar mini, gifted to them on an Air France flight. Those were the days! She was so young at the time that her mom wouldn’t let her wear it, and by the time she rediscovered it, it had turned. The piece reminded me of Bonne Bell Lipsmackers, among other things.
I will have to check out that article..wonder if I could find it online.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/opinion/sunday/name-brand-nostalgia.html?_r=0
I noticed my Macy’s just started putting Shalimar back in the cases, after it being behind the counter for years. It’s about time.
That sounds like a great read! Thanks for heads up.
Lip Smackers! Always cool, imho.????
Nice article. Thanks for sharing it.
At work today. Half the office has the plague, another quarter decided just to not come in at all, my inbox exploded from the boss answering ALL his email after being away for a week, and I’ve got a newbie to train.
It’s…. a Monday.
I’m in Eau de Merveilles.
Ugh. Happy Monday, I guess?
Happy…. eh, not quite. It’s just Monday. Mondays tend to neither be happy nor unhappy I think.
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger… bon courage! ;^)
Very true. It’s all about trudging along to better times.
You smell great. I hope you get through them all without too much stress. Does your boss feel like he/she needs to make up for time away in one day? My boss used to send them while on vacation! And to staff while they were on vacation.
Usually my boss does work on his vacations to some extent. He at least checks his emails and does a little in-house work that he can. However, this time he was on a cruise that greatly limited what he could work on, so once he got back yesterday it’s been an avalanche of appointments/calls for him (and by extension me because I handle his schedule). He doesn’t expect his employees to do the same though. He doesn’t bother his employees when he’s on vacation – or if he does send an email it’s always “when you get back….” meaning there’s no rush. It’s more for him to get it off his checklist.
That pesky plague…at least you smell great.
Seriously though! My husband even texted today that he was feeling sick and he *just* got over being really ill less than a month ago! Dang plague is hitting all the offices!
Plague in my neck of the woods, too. I called in sick Friday, and 14 (FOURTEEN!!!) other staff members at the school were also out. They found substitute teachers for 10 of the 12 teaching positions, but the other two were left open.
I am recovering-ish, but I am nervous to discover the evidence of chaos when I return!
Hopefully newbie is promising and trainable….
He seems really nice so far and picks up on stuff quickly. He’s our 4th one in two months! We’ve had a lot of hiring to do lately.
EdM is always a good choice. You smell great!
Another rainy day. Today I am wearing the cheap and cheerful Comme une Evidence by Yves Rocher.
I like that one too. Got a bottle as a free gift with purchase the first time I ordered from them.
I am wearing CdG’s Blue Encens and really enjoying it. It has the same vibe as SL’s Eau Froide, which I also like. “Cold Incense” is the category for both. Very crisp.
I like a cold incense.
Eau Froide is on my list to sample. Sounds like I should order the CdG as well and compare.
I’m wearing Miu Miu today. Probably to much of it, but I’m grumpy and feeling a little passive aggressive.
Wearing Le Labo Iris 39 and working/reading in my favorite bakery cafe. I feel content.
The Iris 39 is from a sample vial. I am falling for it. I find it earthy and rooty, but also warm and inviting.
Bakery cafe’s will do that for you
Indeed! I am so happy when I am sitting in ‘my’ bakery. The smell of baked goods and coffee, the white noise of happy patrons, etc etc
You smell great! That’s a perfect description of it and why I love it, too.
Thank you! It’s like a cozier ISM
Your perfume and setting are perfect tools for efficiency.
It is working well for me! I love wearing iris for work. ISM, Infusion d’Iris, Hiris etc. I feel sophisticated and professional.
Bakery smell is the only kind that can compete with a good perfume.
Doing laundry and in Old Spice Amber body spray.
Has anyone heard if Kelly Caleche EdT is being discontinued? I was in Bergdorf’s yesterday and SA at Hermes said it was. It’s on the Hermes website, and I just didn’t get the feeling that the SA was as trustworthy as I’d like….
Oh, that would make me sad.
Eeek, you just reminded me I have to do two loads today. I was busy responding to a Medicare-related stupidity related to my dad’s auto accident in 2013.
On the Hermes SAs not in the boutiques…sometimes or oftentimes I get the feeling that they will tell you ANYTHING to get you to buy what stock they have left. Or maybe Hermes is taking a page out of other perfume houses’ playbooks seeing an increase in sales with rumors of discontinuation.
That was the impression I got. As far as I know, BG has never sold the EdT. I seem to struggle with them. They have Chanel 19 EdT but not EdP… they were out of California Reverie to try, which was the only reason I went in there…. I generally like BG and the SAs, esp Guerlain, but they seem to not have what I’m looking for of late. And I have a gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket!
I can send you some CA Reverie if you’d like. Email me through my SN.
Happy Monday and Happy Presidents Day Everyone! SOTD is Chloe. Just a beautiful fragtance that I can’t imagine not having in my collection. Love this one so much.
I like Chloe too but haven’t worn it lately. You’ve inspired me to dig it out this week.
Chloe is a great scent. It’s my BFF’s signature.
Jam for Presidents’ Day 2017:
Bell X1 – The Great Defector.
The Gentleman’s Toilet Water- The Knize Ten. The label says so, y’all.
Leava and petrol, m8s !
Rose Noir was worn 5 consecutive days.
My cheatin’ heart………
Triple strength coffee.
Carpe Diem. Peace. Really.
And I thought I was awake
!
Knize Ten is such a great scent and so elegant. Enjoy!
Bear, your post sends me to a dark, smokey (and well-caffeinated) dive, surrounded by beat poets! (Which is a compliment, in case that isn’t clear.)
Thank you, Everyone.
Spring is springin’ early in SE PA USA,
and I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth!
Thanks for the heads up on that show at the Met!
I’m wearing Osmanthus Interdite today, enjoying some Peet’s coffee and just relaxing with classical music in the background on my (President’s) day off.
In addition to joining some splits this weekend – nice turn out of offerings by the way! – I ordered some samples from Luckyscent and just took advantage of the STC 30% off sale. Once the wallet is open there seems to be no turning back..
30% off! I’m not even going to look, maybe. Oh, why not?
Oh Lord, I did this too. I need more samples like I need a hole in the head… but there I went. Coupla things for my writer friend who is exploring 1920s classics (her protag is a cabaret singer), and then a coupla things for meeee…
What a lovely combo of scent, sound, and taste! I hope you enjoy your day.
Heading over to STC now….
When it rains, it pours, doesn’t it?
It’s been a weekend of samples. Tried SL La Myrrh and then sprayed vintage Chanel No. 19 over it after about an hour. The combination was great. Tried CdG Blackpepper last night and definitely need a FB of that one. Saw a few old CdG’s on Surrender to Chance’s flash sale today so I may have to add to that sample stash.
So far today, I am in Dior Ambre Nuit.
Ambre Nuit… you smell fantastic!
Huh. Never tried La Myrrhe (which I love) and No. 19 (which I also love) together! I’m unable to imagine the result, but you say it was great. Hmmm. Hmmmmm. This gives me, a la Hercule Poirot, furiously to think.
Ooh. I haven’t tried Blackpepper. After the weekend, I should give up on everything for a while but had I done that in the past, I would have missed No. 19 and La Myrrhe..
LOL! I work from home so I can do crazy experiments without worrying about offending anyone!
Happy Monday!
1) And it is POURING in PDX, instead of just misting as it usually does this time of year! The stream on my work campus has breached it’s banks, and the walk bridge over it is BARELY over the water.
2) Scent of the day is JM tuberose &angelica- drained a sample. Perfect for today- dreaming of clear skies and flowers!
Yowza! Hope it lets up before any damage occurs.
1) This winter has just been the pits! (Reaching back to my high school vocabulary ????)
2) I think I’ll hunt around for my JM samples – haven’t tried a lot of them yet.
I know! Truly yucky! (Junior High school vocab FTW!)
I am determined to use up all of the JM samples, but I do know that I maybe buying Dark Amber & Ginger Lily for fall, definitely.
Ended up in wood sage & sea salt. Mmm, I think this one would wear better in warmer temps than today’s.
SSS Tabac Aurea. ✌????
OH yum.
SOTD is “Still Life” from Olfactive Studio. You know, this whole line just does not work on me. Supposed to be inspired by art photography, but it all ends up like overexposed Polaroids on my scent-eating skin.
Me neither. I have tried several now, and I get quite inspired and excited by the interesting top notes, but then they dry down to something slightly dull and generic. The enduring scent memory for me has been the equivalent of a blunt knife. Sounds as though your experience is similar.
I wanted to find something from that house that I liked, but after four samples I gave up.
Continuing my Month of Roses —
SOTD = Tauerville Rose Delight Body Oil
Just a smidgen on hair…and it is delightful!
I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and saw a sign for a Book Club. The book to be discussed is… The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn. I know a number of NSTers participate in book clubs and some have been in one for decades. I have to ask — really? a romance novel? I have the distinct impression that book clubs typically dissect more literary books, including non-fiction, but perhaps that’s not the case? I do read my share of romance novels but I can’t seem to get the incongruity out of my mind!
Rose Delight is a joy.
I’ve occasionally read romance novels that were in some way more than the usual romance plot, so maybe this one is like that? (I haven’t read it.) Or maybe that particular book club likes complex romance novels? Shrug.
Now I may have to read it myself – I’ll check it out from the library!
I’m near Politics and Prose, a thriving indie book store in the D.C. area, which has themed book clubs
http://www.politics-prose.com/book-groups
The group I’m in ( not P&P) which was well established before I joined, prefers literary fiction, especially award winners, and female centric books. Sometimes I’d like to explore other genres, but I love our discussions and the food.
Hooray for indie bookstores! Your group sounds wonderful.
We read everything in my book club, although we did make gentle fun of the member who proposed a Sidney Sheldon novel. We read classics (a lot of Dickens), biographies, science fiction, YA, poetry…and never, ever, discussed the “Questions for book groups” found in the back of some books. I think a lot depends on the composition and goals of the group.
I’ll probably be the one reading the Cliff’s Notes (or whatever they’re called nowadays) in lieu of finishing the book! Your group sounds wonderful, too, like Wendysue’s!
I bet you smell great! I had a sample of that, but alas could not justify buying an entire bottle when I have my own homemade rose/jasmine oil.
Romance novels can vary in tone and intent, so don’t brush it off necessarily. There are serious romance novels ( Clarissa is the ur-Romance- young pretty girl doomed by a dark and handsome dude; Pride and Prejudice is a romance novel, as is Sense and Sensibility, and then there is the grand and sweeping Anna Karenina). So give the group a try!
I think I would rather poke my eyeballs with an ice pick than join this particular book club and hopefully I am not dissing anyone who goes to this one :-). In any case, I view Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and the like as “classics” and yes, they are romance-themed but not quite what I would put into the pulp fiction romance category.
*giggles* Please, don’t do that!
And yes- pulp romance is very different indeed! I have a friend who went to graduate school in Publishing, and I remember a conversation about how romance novels were a consistent bread and butter seller for a number of publishing houses!
Sounds like perfume companies churning out perfumes as quickly as romance novels get published
I tend to put Austen in the social commentary grouping – female centric because she was describing the lot in life of women in her day. She liked a happy ending, though…
I was in a book club once, and I found most of the books not to my taste. But I did enjoy the company and general discussion.
Did you finish reading the books?
I’m in a couple of book clubs and none of them read romance novels. I would have to assume that if it’s not a romance-specific book club, then maybe there’s something about this selection that raises it above the rest of the genre? I recently heard an interview about a Harvard-educated romance author from a literary family who does quite a bit of research into the historical accuracy of her settings. Maybe that’s her? Quinn is sounding familiar.
It seemed like a general book club. That said, I will see if I can borrow the book from the library and see what’s what.
I don’t often read books unless I’m on vacation. It’s all I can do to keep up with small local papers. Having discovered Outlander on TV in French, I watched the whole first season and then got the English version from the library. This then prompted me to read the first book of the eight in the series. I’m now on the third! They are huge tomes! What I like about these”romance” novels is that the heroine is about five years older than the hero, and he is the virgin, not her! The genre is described as science fiction fantasy as well.
An accidental fan! I have never read an Outlander book but it sounds like it’s worth pursuing.
Oh gosh, I love the Outlander series. Discovered it 21 years ago when I was nursing my first baby and spending a lot of time doing it, and have read each one eagerly.
Oh, you smell really good today!!
I’ve been in a book club for a long time (nearly 20 years), and we read a little of everything–fiction, non-fiction, biography, poetry, plays, classics….we did once read a romance novel, but in general genre novels are not for us as a group.
That being said, Julia Quinn is an excellent novelist and her books have great dialogue and quirky characters that really capture your interest. A quick, fun read–perfect rainy day/airplane/beach book.
Did I say that I read everything!!!!
Thanks! I was thinking of you when I left the comment
Some Book Clubs are just an excuse to have a Girls’ Night – drink wine, eat, chit chat. But probably not the one at B &N
I bet!
In a book club for almost 7 years now, and Romance is not a genre one of us reads or chooses.
We read ‘serious’ stuff, but the discussions about the books are not so serious anymore most of the time.
Yes we started out proper, but throughout the years we got to know each other so well (we visited each others weddings for instance) and have such great chemistry together, we now use half of the night to catch up with each other, gossip and enjoy good food anf lots of wine.
That sounds like a delightful book club, Jiji!
It sure is, really happy with it. So yeah, we started out thoroughly (that was the word i was looking for), doing research on plot, character development, author, critiques/ reviews and so on.
Nowadays with our lives all changed (some married, some of us with small kids, all of us in busy jobs), we are happy when we all have finished the book in time haha.
The other part I enjoy most about a book club is I now read stuff I’d never pick myself. So its good for broadening my horizon.
It’s so nice when sustainable friendships grow out of a shared interest!
I can’t do book clubs because I don’t want someone else picking my reading material and most of the choices are not to my taste.
I try to avoid anything that feels like homework encroaching on my free time.
I haven’t smelled rose delight, but it sounds delightful!
I used to work at a bookstore and as far as I can tell there are book clubs for all tastes. I think there is just something people enjoy about having an opportunity to talk to about a book they recently read. Having books chosen for you by a group is sort of a mixed bag; on the one hand, you may end up enjoying something you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself, but you might also just spend a lot of time reading books you wouldn’t have chosen and don’t particularly enjoy. Either way, it can be fun to talk about! I tend to think of book clubs as more of a social experience than a literary one.
I have never been in a book club but based on the comments here, the social aspect seems to be the raison d’etre (spellcheck you better not change that to raisin!).
A Rice U. Sociology Professor, Elizabeth Long, published a book about this: WOMEN AND THE USES OF READING IN EVERYDAY LIFE, back in 2003. (Ironically, we were in a feminist reading group together–it was feminist theory, though, not literature. And that’s where I heard about her research, but I confess I haven’t read her book.)
Really loved writing a post on Flapper Perfume over the weekend – inspired by chatting with a writer friend who has set a novel in 1924 Chicago. It was so much fun to write!
SOTD is another rose sample pulled out of the candy dish, Mona di Orio Rose Etoile d’Holland. Verdict: pretty, once the screechy topnotes went away, but I don’t need it.
(I’m finding those CdG images fairly disturbing. Is it just me?)
Oh, yes, I read that post this morning! Entertaining and educational – and I added a couple things to my list of Samples to try out. Always like reading your stuff.
Glad you stopped by!
Loved reading your flapper post. I’ve challenged myself to try Mitsouko again. I have a sample that taunts me from time to time. There is something in the initial notes that takes me back to the childhood mistake of picking a hard green peach from a tree and taking a bite. Gives me the shivers every time.
And a link for anyone who might like a novel excerpt with perfume:
https://granta.com/chanel-no-5/
Should have mentioned there is some NSFW language in the link above.
Thanks for link, will read it!
I don’t get on with Mitsy myself. Especially not compared to Coty Chypre.
But it’s recognizably genius.
Thanks for letting us know. Will head over to read it.
Beautiful day today and I plan to spend some of it ripping out the many weeds from the dirt patch in our yard so hopefully I can try planting out their this year.
I’m wearing Suleko Djelem which feels perfect today. Green enough to conjur Spring, but warm enough for a cool day.
Djelem is just so, so pretty. Hope it makes your un-fun task less un-fun. I do a container garden, which requires little to no weeding. Don’t forget to stretch your back afterward!
I actually enjoy digging around in the dirt and 3 hours went by ptetty fast, but yes, my back is achy now. Will take your stretching rec stat! I don’t grow anything indoors because our cats love destroying plants. The only thing I grow inside is wheatgrass for the cats.
Djelemwas good company ????Glad you like it!
Fragonard Reine des Coeur today! Using up the perfume towelette samples that now comprise my entire remaining collection in France. It’s not bad, but it’s quite sweet. Maybe a touch headache-inducingly sweet.
The Boy and I are going to Australia in late March for two weeks!!!!! It’s the first time for us both. We are flying into and out of Sydney, but are not planning to stay there the whole time, of course. Any advice from our resident Australians/other people who have vacationed there? Right now we’re contemplating a week-long driving/hiking/diving trip between Brisbane and Cairns, and a few days along Great Ocean Road between Melbourne and the Twelve Apostles. I’ll surely ask you guys again between we leave.
OH, fabulous!
That sounds exciting! Enjoy your trip!
I am in a huge cloud of Lush Lust this morning, my finger slipped on the atomizer, but I don’t mind. It is pouring rain here but I am inside cozy and warm.
There are still spots available in my MFK Grand Soir and NV Mohur Extrait splits if anyone is interested.
You smell AMAZING. And perfect antidote to the pouring rain here!
Cousins! I’m in Kerbside Violet.
I tested Lust and got a very strong hominy/dried corn note from it. Am I the only one? It’s not the only jasmine that skews that way for me.
I’m testing Andy Tauer’s Au Coeur du Desert, the new light version of L’Air du Desert Marocain. Still trying to decide if I really like it.
I used to adore L’AdDM, but the patchouli has gotten to dominant for me. But there’s something about Au Coeur that I’m not sure of. Maybe it’s the “higher dose of ambergris” that’s mentioned in the Luckyscent version.
I’m welcoming the challenge to revisit CdG this week. I’m initially attracted to those scents but ultimately disappointed. I like the ideas but need one or two natural ingredients to really enjoy a fragrance.
LADDM is one of my favorites, and I was expecting to love Au Coeur du Desert. But the too much of whatever there is too much of in there made me nauseous and asthmatic – I tried it twice a few weeks apart, and it made me ill within a few minutes each time. So disappointed! I sent that sample on to someone who appreciates it more than I. With a little trepidation, I wore LADDM last week, and it was wonderful as always. No transfer of ill effects.
I should probably stick with the original, too, and apply as lightly as possible.
Wow. I experience Au Coeur DD as WAAAAY heavier than L’air DDM! When I tested, I was so grateful I only gave myself a single spritz so I could distance myself from it a bit.
Interesting, I only have a dauber of Au Coeur and a spray bottle of the original. I need to find a way to apply less of the original for an accurate comparison, I guess.
Application certainly may explain our differences of experience. OTOH, I may be the outlier. I’ve heard others describe LDDM as overwhelming and big, but that is not my experience of it. I find it to be very nearly a skin scent, albeit a *pervasive* one.
Eau d’Hadrien seemed safe for a flight to Florida this morning. I couldn’t bear to go commando. I had the most entertaining seat mate! He said he overslept and rushed through security with all of his liquids, including his unopened perfume and that they checked it and let him through. Through most of the flight he detailed various scenarios where a smile and panache helped him get what he wanted. Even if some was embellished, it was almost motivational.
Fun! I’d love to sit next to someone like that.
I would, too. As someone with a flying phobia, conversation with seat mates really helps to distract. Doesn’t happen very often, though.
What perfumes was he traveling with?
Perhaps it’s me…I would rather be left alone when flying. That said, your seat mate sounds charming. At least he did not bring something weird.
My own near miss experience was running to catch a flight with a microscope (in wooden box) in tow. It was a flight from Newark to San Francisco and I was muling it from an uncle to my brother. I was lucky to have made the flight and in pre-911 days, no one batted an eyelash for bringing it as carry-on. Actually, maybe there’s no problem nowadays either! When was the last time you read about a microscope being used as a weapon?
Now I have a MacGuyver-esque scenario playing out in my head where the villain has managed to get the microscope on board, and has removed a lens (or maybe a prism – shows how little I know about microscopes) and is using it to focus sunlight through a window and burn through a very important and unfortunately exposed wire …
You have a wild imagination, my dear, and I love it! There’s a reason why microscopes usually stay put in a lab – they are HEAVY for a relatively small-looking thing. The wooden box didn’t help either!
Last night I was thinking that I had better start wearing more winter fragrances because before you know it, it’s spring! On deck for this week I have Bijou Romantique, Rose Nacre du Dessert, Roses & Chocolate, and SOTD is Reve en Cuir.
I wore Bijou Romantique this morning. I actually enjoy Rose Nacree year-round. On a summer evening it can be intoxicating – but I live in a climate where evenings are cool (if not downright cold) in summer.
Rose Nacree is a new bottle for me, and so I have not yet tested it in the warmer months, but good to know.
Enjoy your bottle! I’ve just been using mfr samples that I bought (super cheap) on ebay
Good morning , NST. You all smell wonderful today! Me, I don’t. For reasons that escape me, I decided to give one of “Other” category an outing today, and with every whiff, I am reminded of why it’s filed on the shelves below knee height. Oh, I know. Gotta go: a second shower is a necessity. When I have purified myself, I will wear 31 RC to help me overcome the memory of this unfortunate experiment.
Afterthought: bottle, meet rubbish tin! Farewell.
Oh dear, what was it you tried?
Something called J’Ai Ose, by Guy Laroche. I used to love Fidgi, but this was nothing like as attractive as even the reformulation of the reformulated reformulation of Fidgi, which was itself only a distant cousin of the gorgeous greenly floral perfume I wore as a mere gel, back at the beginning of time. I must have been feeling nostalgic for time past when I bought this ….this….this ghastliness! It got all over my clothes, underwear and all, too. Of course it did. The dear one looked relieved that I was ripping off my outfit and flinging it in the laundry basket, jacket and all, as I hurtled towards the bathroom….he has just taken a deep breath of 31 and kissed me goodbye. He was walking round me in wide circles before.
I love your descriptions – I’ve never tried J’ai Ose, and I’m not in the least tempted now
Oh, do be careful about leaving the ghastliness in the laundry hamper … or even of washing the infected items with anything else. I did that with an item that I wore while sampling Imaginary Authors Bulls Blood and am only now (months later) getting the last vestiges of the odor out of everything.
Ah! Excellent advice. Thank you. I’m OK for now, because in a very slovenly way, I just dumped everything on the lid of the laundry basket (mum would have had a fit, if she could have seen me), threw myself at the shower and into clean clothes and raced for the door, so quite by chance, I have prevented cross-contamination. I will soak the things tonight and wash tomorrow on a separate wash.
That was one of my first perfumes – from my school days – and I LOVED it. I thought it was so cool . I must have gone from that to Opium to Boucheron. I have no real memory of what it smells like – bitter, fusty and strong? Glad you weren’t trapped in it all day.
Sorry about your perfume incident. I have never tried J’ai Ose. Taking note of it, just in case it crosses my way…..
J’ai Ose huh?
Look what just popped up on the front page
https://nstperfume.com/2017/02/20/guy-laroche-jai-ose-fragrance-review/
Aha! So, my bottle must be deeply flawed in some way.
I’m sure Angela would love your bottle
Is it entirely coincidental that you wore this on the same day she posted about it?
Yep, totally coincidental!
So funny that you scrubbed Angie’s new BFF!
For my birthday this past Saturday my husband gave me a beautiful glass cabinet to display my perfumes. Then on Sunday we went to Toronto for brunch with my daughters and their families and on a sniffing field trip. I somehow ended up with a travel size FM Lys Mediteranee (sp?) as well as the Iris Nobile I had been planning to buy. Today is Family Day in Ontario, so I get to finish up a fabulous weekend by staying in my pyjamas as long as I want. Since I only have 4 CdeG decants, I will eventually wear one of my new scents today and play along the rest of the week.
What a perfect weekend and what a thoughtful gift from your husband. Yay!
Belated Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a perfect weekend.
Wow! A display cabinet is such a great gift. Congratulations!
Belated Happy Birthday! Your family seems to have embraced your passion for perfume!
Happy birthday for Saturday, great gift!
Nice gift from the husband!Happy Birthday!x
Happy belated birthday. Wonderful presents!
Lovely and Happy Birthday!
I love that Canadians have a day off for Family Day. I should call my sister and her fam. Sounds like a lovely birthday weekend!
Happy belated Birthday!
Happy birthday! Lovely gifts.
I applied my new vial of Body Made Luminous from Scent by Alexis two days ago, and it’s still lingering on my wrists. Last night I thought I’d layer it with some Aqua Di Parma Mandaloro di Sicilia (the Blue Mediterreneo almond) to go with the chocolate and honey. I was hoping for sweet dreams, apparently.
PSA: Birchbox.com is having a 30% off sale (40 if you’re an ACE) including several fragrances including the Dasein seasons, Tocca Isabel, and L’Artisan Perfumer and Comptoir Sud Pacific. I’ve had bad luck recently with blind buying, but 40% off! What to do?!
Stay strong in your resolve! Isn’t there a perfume that you know you love and have been wanting to get a FB of? Put $40.00 in your save it for a big bottle later envelope, and delete that tempting email from STC from your inbox! There, see, that came out so nicely because I have already said it to myself this morning. Twice! LOL.
Great advice!
Thanks for talking me down meredifay! You’re so right, and now I have a new strategy!
Happy to help! A kind person around here did the same for me the other day. Lemmings are fun, but sometimes it is nice to have cooler heads prevail…
I am sampling Dame’s new Artist collection perfumes today. Dabbed Earth Mother on one arm- sadly this one is mostly sweet, patchouli and vanilla on me; I did get a few random whiffs of the sage early on but very little of the other notes (LOTV, jasmine, sandalwood, Amber). The other arm is Sky Father. I prefer this one; citrusy opening but then I got the various spices (cinnamon, anise, clove) in a lovely blend. After 4.5 hours it’s sandalwood, Musk and vanilla but still present. Other than the opening it didn’t feel particularly masculine, definitely unisex. Might be FB worthy; I will probably spring for the 5ml sample to see how it works sprayed.
Earth Mother and Sky Father. I admire his willingness to go local, and these are appealing to me. (Trotting off to the Dame site to see for myself…)
Oh, wow. Sky Father sounds like it’s right up my alley. I have a postcard to send them….I think I know what my request will be.
Thank you for your descriptions of how the newbies wear on you!
Thanks for letting us know how they work for you. I was just looking at these last night. Sounds like I might really like the Earth Mother.
Small spritz of Fahrenheit this morning.
Love that one. I have no memories of the vintage, never smelled it. I have a very recent formulation, it lasts hours and hours and I think the flowers, leather and odd sci fi vibe are lovely. And I dont know why lots of people label this as strictly masculine.
I smelled Fahrenheit recently and it smells pretty close to what I remember from the late 80’s. I had a roomie who wore it for awhile in college and it smelled great on her, so I don’t think of it as strictly masculine either.
Good to hear I am not the only one who thinks this is totally charming on a woman (being me in this case)
Maybe advertising influenced the way this fragrance is perceived? Dont know what they look or looked like, will do a google search!
Bvlgari Black today. It’s pairing nicely with the cool temperature, fluffy clouds, and rain-cleansed air.
Hope your Monday is treating you well so far, fellow NSTers!
I haven’t worn Black too much this season. I have to unbury it. So many perfumes and I can not take care of all of them. You smell great!
So many perfumes, so little time.????
Testing two different irises today! One is Armani Prive’s Iris Celadon, which is not wowing me. This is its third outing, and it’s way too fleeting and there’s a note in there that bugs me. Maybe ambrette seed, maybe the musk? Whatever … it’s boring. The other is Parfums de Marly’s Athalia, which has notes of orange blossom and iris (two of my favorites) and white musk which I’m indifferent to unless it dominates the drydown. I loved my dabber sample, am not loving my spray sample. Where’d the iris go? All I can smell is dryer sheet variety orange blossom and … white musk. Sigh …
And y’all … get your butts over to the splitmeet if you’re a fan of hyacinth, cuz eswift83 is offering Apollo Hyacinth and I want it. Oh… and it’s the best hyacinth *ever*.
Oh, my little dabber sample of Athalia is really great. I will have to get a small spray sample and see if the same thing happens to me….
+1. Go go go
A clammy morning here so am avoiding anything too cloying and wearing Blackbird. It smells good . Off for my walk through the forest. Have a good week everyone.
Enjoy your amble. I would like to do the same today but must wait for the skies to clear a bit.
Forest Walk would be a great name for a perfume. Oh, wait, that’s been done.
Quite humid here too, but at least it’s warm
Perfect pairing – Blackbird and a walk through the forest in clammy weather. That stuff is phenomenally potent, but the pine tree is so photorealistic that I have to take a whiff every now and then just for that.
SotD = Le Jardin de Monsieur Li which I must spend more time with. It always surprises me how much sweetness there is in Monsieur Li, but it’s balanced and refreshing.
I’m CdG-less save for a sample of Grace. The musk in that one goes strange on me but it smells great on my daughter. Maybe I can get her to wear it this week.
Monday, Monday, so good to me . . . hopefully.
Have you tried Hermes Muguet Porcelaine? It struck me as similar to Monsieur Li. (Maybe not similar but they share that refreshing green-watery-aloe note IIRC.)
Yes! I L-O-V-E Muguet Porcelaine and agree there is a connection there. For me the green-watery note in MP leans a bit toward melon. In M. Li it recalls leaves from a citrus tree.
I love the Muguet as well – a surprise for me as I’m not an LOTV fan.
I love Monsieur Li! You smell great!
Merci! and xièxie!
SOTD = Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d’Iris. Really one of my 3 or 4 most favorite perfumes ever. This, Mohur Extrait, Seville a l’Aube, Amber Oud, La Chasse aux Papillions. Apres l’Ondee. Oh, that is six. LOL.
It’s really a good thing that I so rarely have to define/list my favorite scents. Folks have plenty else to do in their day.
Now I want to see your list! Lol!
Do you have an hour or so to listen to me drone on?
I’m impressed you can even narrow down to 6
Perfume shopping SOS…
Looking at STC’s sale and am inspired to try some Smell Bents. Any recommendations out there for favorites?
No recommendations from me, but I saw those listed and wondered if it made more sense just to get one of the sample sets from the Smell Bent website? They’re so reasonably priced as it is. I didn’t do a comparison, though.
I found them pretty short-lived. I did the sample set from their website, and it seemed like there were thousands of choices.
SOTM a single spritz of Kenzo Amour, as I am spending the morning at the immunologist’s office, and I try to be polite around all the allergy people. Will have to reach for something BEEGER after the visit!
Yes I have many doctor’s appointment perfumes. Preferrably ones that wear off off after 6 hours, and could be mistaken for soap. For example, Eau d’Italie, Dans Tes Bras, or Infusions d’Iris.
Lol! Good plan!
The third warm day in a row here – we seem to be finally getting summer, I’m almost hyperventilating with excitement! I’m thinking I’ll go with Rose Alexandrie from the Armani Privé line – it’s a lovely light rose, not too sweet. Sadly fleeting, but beautiful while it lasts.
Late to the party and wearing vintage L’Heure Bleue extrait today. I have found that dabbing L’Heure Bleue is better than spraying. I’m looking at the STC sale and seeing not a whole lot that is grabbing me except the Tauer Flashes. I think that I will get only one of them wither the rose or the vanilla.
Freaky freaky weather here,after Cyclone Dineo passed us over the weekend.Four seasons in one day,with “Tropical-Humid-why is it so cold suddenly” moments,it changes almost hourly.Not complaining as I probably had 100mm of rain over the last few days.The late-summer garden is perfect.Other than that,fairly simple routine:work-pack-sleep-work-pack-sleep….Jasmin Rouge got me through Monday.I think alcohol might get me through the rest of this week.8 days then I am on leave for the whole of March,a full calender-month on holiday.It will be my first in a Nursing career of 21 years,that I take continuous leave for that long.Happy Week everyone!Now let me go pack another box or 3…x
Enjoy your time off! You’ve certainly earned it????
Thank you!Moving house,THEN relaxing!x
Nice! The long-deserved vacation that is. Hopefully you have other plans besides packing & unpacking (though a month off would certainly make that task less stressful.)
Enjoy your time off- Nurses rock!
Jasmin Rouge, SWOON, you smell so good! <3
That scent is in my top 3 of jasmine centered fragrances at the moment.
And enjoy the hell out of your holiday!!!!
I’m so glad you’re getting a long vacation. It will be nice to have the time to get settled in your new home. I still haven’t smelled Jasmin Rouge, but every time I see it, it reminds me of you.
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever taken more than 2 weeks vacation at a time. Hope you’ll have some fun aside from the move!
Best of luck! I hope you schedule in some time to enjoy yourself and the approach of a whole new adventure. xo
Enjoy your time off. You deserve it!
Hang in there those last few days, and good luck moving before your nice long holiday!
Enjoy that holiday, and as for the move: keep your eyes on the prize!
Late to the party today! It’s that kinda Monday!
SOTD: Atelier Pomèlo Paradis. Bright and crisp, and I can still smell it after 7 hours! NICE!!!
I have so many bottles of CdGs that this project is really not a challenge here … Wearing CdG Kyoto as I need some calmness and beauty.
You smell fantastic!
SOTD–for some reason I reached for Ineke’s Sweet William. I heard through the grapevine that it is being discontinued. I don’t need anymore, but in case there are some lovers out there, check it out.
Working this week prepping for a big board retreat this weekend. lots of reading and note taking, etc……need a pot of coffee and maybe a snack?
Another I’ve been eager to try! Thanks for the heads up. Have a good retreat.
I chose Un Matin d’Orage for me today. My Monday is nearly over, but some remnants of this gorgeous floral are still floating around me. I have a bunch of CdG samples so I have some options for Friday.
Taking a break from roses today (sorry hajuusuri). SOTD – Khol de Bahrain layered over Golden Iris lotion. V. happy
Sampling Carthusia Corallium today. I read an article about Molly Ringwald recently and she said this was her signature scent. Being the John Hughes movie lover that I am, I had to give it a try.
It is quite nice, and seems to have good staying power. I will have retry in the summer.
Love it when an interview includes a signature scent. I imagine Molly smells classy.
I still get weepy when I watch The Breakfast Club, and
Uncle Buck will always be on my list of guilty pleasure movies.
When I put my robe on this morning it smelled like Bijou Romantique, so I sprayed myself down with it to enjoy with my morning (decaf) coffee. Last time I wore it my H told me I smelled like a cinnamon roll, so why not wear some for breakfast?
Am now in white floral heaven with Carnal Flower on one hand and Fracas EDT on the other, to answer the question: “Do I need both?” Carnal Flower is buttery, dense, and overtly tropical while Fracas is more angular, sharpened by stemmy bitter greens, and almost wet by comparison – perhaps a garden cooled by the rain to Carnal Flower’s summer hothouse.
And the answer to the question, obviously, is “yes!”
Um, like, duh! ????
I have a sample of Bijou Romantique in my “try again” box. I just tried again. It’s delicious.
Checking in late after a bike ride and a prolonged facebook session… I am in Natori today, a great cheap thrill.
Hello Everyone – I just posted a new split for Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense. Here’s the link to the Splitmeet:
https://nstperfume.com/2017/02/18/the-splitmeet-episode-7/#comments
(scroll down to the bottom)
I am currently working my way through an STC beginner niche perfume sample set. Today is Amouage Interlude Woman, which I have now worn two days in a row and cannot make up my mind about. It smells very tart and fruity to me, and is a bit overwhelming. I think I am going to set my sample aside, and try it again at some later date. I have a sample of CdG Avignon in the very same niche sample set and a hand-me-down bottle of Palisander, so I will be able to participate in this theme with two whole scents this week.
Interlude is one of my favourites as it is such a shape shifter scent. Sometimes I get a real chalky spearmint in the opening, other times it is a smooth floral. Amazing on hot days. An aerial acrobatic scent.
I love the way you describe it; clearly it’s a scent to spend some time with!
I feel exactly the same way about Interlude. I’ve gone through several samples. At times I put it on and think “I MUST buy this!” and at other times it makes me feel a little nauseous. So I haven’t bought any.
Palisander is one of my favorite CDG’s. I’m very frustrated that the sprayer refused to stop spray about halfway through the bottle and there is no way to get the cap off. Aside from breaking off the top I think that bottle is just lost to me and it makes me sad. It also to be honest makes me resolve not to buy another one because I don’t want another bum sprayer.
“refused to spray” –is what I meant– or “stopped spraying”–somehow I melded them together as I typed.
I’m glad I’m not alone! That’s so sad about your bottle of Palisander. I was curious about what can be done about broken sprayers, and found this old discussion on Fragrantica that offers a few interesting strategies:
http://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=30348
Some of them sound a little hazardous, but maybe all isn’t lost?