Quick PSAs: the Spring Meetup Poll will be next Saturday, 11 March, and the Swapmeet will be on the following Saturday, 18 March.
Meanwhile, happy Marching Band Day and happy Pound Cake Day! We're celebrating the holidays with our usual weekend lazy poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance that reminds you of pound cake, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Purple crocus [IMG_9204] by Andy Melton at flickr; some rights reserved.
Family is at farmers market. Drinking thé au Tibet in peace and about to head to the library .Just finished Diane Keaton’s book Lets just say it wasn’t pretty. I love her but the book was meh. This tendinitis in my foot is just hanging on and I am trying to not get frustrated.
Anyways..SOTD is Sous le Vent to continue my freak flag frag fly. Its both whoa and wow to me. When that wears off, which is doesn’t last too long, I will put on some Cristalle thanks to some generous NSTers. Its a green chypre weekend.
Sounds like a lovely day, enjoy! (And yay for Cristalle)
For me today is The Last Day of the Regular Basketball Season.
Thankfully I still have almost a month of tournaments left.
SOTD: Shalimar… Mexique. I wish I could afford a FB of this.
Have a great weekend all!
sometimes you can find it on ebay or amazon
I know (which makes the lemming worse to know that it’s out there) but it’s not in my budget, at least not right now.
I have the Madagascar version, if you want to try that let me know I would be happy to send you some
sandrabenedict at gmail
Do you do a bracket? Last year I won mine!
I ALWAYS do a bracket!
Big congratulations on winning last year! For the last two years I beat the 30-something male in my office (small office, only him and one other person) which really made me happy.
Mine is almost over, and I know I’ll miss it!
Which team?
Shalimar, the Mexican. So deliciously smoky.
Ha! I thought you meant your *basketball* season was almost over and you’d miss it. That’s why I asked which team. You can tell where my mind is this weekend!
Sorry about the Shalimar
A little bit is sometimes more painful than none at all…
But any is appreciated!
SOTD is Jasmin & Cigarettes, which is not freaky to many, but probably the freakiest I’ve got. Binge watching the great British baking show and sniffing my gourmands…
Question: A very generous NSTer sent me a sample of Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere and I’m in love with incense, but it’s a little harder to find (and pricier) than I’d like. Can anyone suggest a twin? Diptyque’s Essense of John galliano is also a favorite. Have a lovely weekend, all!
Have you tried fragrancex.com or fragrancebuy? You might be able to get what you want at a good enough price, (Not affiliated)
No, those sites are new to me. I’ll check it out. Thank you!
I have been planning to divest myself of a bottle, if you’d like to talk privately.
I love Black Cashmere. Believe it or not, SJP Stash is similar.
I believe it! I’ll have to do a trip to Ulta to sample Stash. Thank you!
I don’t know Black Cashmere and it sounds like you are set, but Carner Barcelona’s Black Calamus is fabulous and said to be very like. It’s pricey though.
Musc Ravageur Maurice Roucel- musk, cinnamon, and wonderful osity !! (Yes I know it isn’t a word.)
A comment about your eating oranges in the shower thread.
I once had a non-perfumista houseguest ask if I was eating cantaloupe in the shower. LOL
Of course it was my Dewy Melon Naturistics shower gel.
I will miss it when my last bottle is empty.
Triple strength coffee.
Carpe Diem. Peace.
Ha!! That NPR story was a huge hit — they will probably run it again when they’re fundraising. Cracking me up.
Sigh. I sniffed some MR at Barney’s this winter, and I fear the rumors of reformulation are true. I’m sad I didn’t buy a bottle before it changed. I will have to satisfied with my little coffret bottle and parse it out in small doses. You smell wonderful, in any case!
Oh my !
Do elaborate if you have time, Marjorie Rose !
It is one of my favorites and has gotten me through both good and bad times.
TIA
My sense of it was that what I sniffed this December was less full, less nuanced than what I have in my older bottle. It had something harsher and a bit wincey in the top notes, and then skipped that wonderful, complicated heart and went straight to a mildly spicy tonka/musk drydown. The drydown wasn’t BAD, just missing something.
I hope you have enough to carry you through until maybe a barely used bottle shows up on ebay or some such!
Thank you, I do !
And I hope your health improves.
“Maybe pneumonia” is worrisome.
Take care !
I am so excited, I just bought a bottle of the lovely Lea by Calypso St. Barth. This perfume was discontinued sometime last year, or possibly 2015 and I’ve been on the quest for a bottle for about the past year. I was able to find a brand new 100 ml bottle, still in the box, inside the cellophane wrap!
I paid what some people (okay, probably most) would consider too much, but I did mention that it’s been discontinued? And that it’s brand new?!
Donatella would approve, right?????
Absolutely Donatella would approve. She would probably go so far as to enable.
Donatella must approve!
It was discontinued right?! lol
Congrats on your purchase and hope you enjoy it till the last drop
Well it was discontinued! What else could you do?
Discontinued and you love it? Definitely.
Happy for you! I still have about 40% in my Lea bottle and don’t wear it as often as I should. Do you like Jala too? I mean the original Jala before they reformulated it and put it in a different botle. The one that is tropical, white floral paradise.
I haven’t tried that one! Sounds wonderful!
I think it is. I’m going to list a partial bottle in the next swap meet, so let me know if you’re interested. I’ve got another full bottle that will be plenty for me.
Donatella would buy 3
So true!
Ha!????
Sigh. I miss Lea. It was a warm blanket.
I may be able to help you out. You can reach me at iphintaur in the ancient land of aol.
SOTD is Tabac Tabou. Have a great weekend everyone!
Mmm, thanks for the reminder on this one — I’ve been waiting for daffodil season to break it out, and said season is upon us!
Beautiful sunny morning here, and my post-shower hand went straight to Dior Escale a Portofino. Luuuuurrrrrvvvve it on mornings like this.
Love that one.
I’m wearing Dame Pear, Water lily & Amber. I was going to wear Musk Man, but I noticed that the half inch or so left in the decant of this one was cloudy, so I thought I’d wear it up as soon as possible. Luckily I like it a lot. This is the first time I’ve had an issue with a Dame product.
Hi PriscillaE!
Some time ago i read on Fragrantica that Dame’s fumes do get cloudy, but it doesn’t mean that the scent is turned.
Perfumes do sometimes get cloudy but it usually doesn’t affect the smell.
This is my favorite Dame, so pretty.
Hello everyone!
This weekend feels almost like spring here but the forecast says it’s only for a few days and then we’re supposed to be back to pre-spring phase.
I’m in Rochas Songe d’Iris from Les Cascades de Rochas. Got a sample from Jillie in my birthday gift and I really like it. Shame it’s discontinued.
Also happy to share I bought my birthday self-present this week and it’s a bottle of Arbole Arbole.
Happy Birthday! Mine is next week, and I’m planning on a bottle of Angel Muse (been wanting for a while!) Enjoy your scent!
I am also a March baby, mine is at the end of the month
Happy birthday! It’s always nice to get gifts from the only person who knows precisely what you want, isn’t it? : )
I’ve been thinking about how our weather, like yours, has been somewhere between winter and spring. We could combine the two and call it “sprinter” or “wing”, but both of those are already words with other meanings. Is there a hybrid/portmanteau sort of made-up word in another language that we English speakers could adopt for this?
Happy Bithday SheriG! Nice gift to self!!
Oops sorry..reading with the sun in my eyes. Sorry!
It actually was my birthday last Sunday – I thought at first that you had some kind of ESP.
Well then Happy Belated Birthday!????
Not a new word, but possibly an apt name for a season– swinger. Swinger season, when days of steel grey cold are followed by bright sun, to be followed again by icy thunder showers, tis truly swinger! ⛅
Ooh, I like it!
Winting?
Nice! And it has the advantage of not meaning anything else. It’s either that, or swingtime. I rather like winting.
Since my vote was for Arbole Arbole, I’m double-pleased you got it. Enjoy!
Two green thumbs up for Arbole Arbole!
Happy Birthday, and congrats on such a great present! I just bought myself some perfume for my birthday…. which isn’t until July!
Oooh, what did you get?
A bottle of L’Artisan Vanille Absolument – it hasn’t even arrived yet! It was either that or another bottle of SDV. I found this on ebay at a good price so it was the winner (and that’s why I couldn’t wait until July – or at least that was my rationale
).
First SOTD was Pure Eve by The Different Company. It was inoffensive and underwhelming, and I was not sad to shower it off. I won’t replace it until after I’ve donated blood – I don’t want to gas out anyone in the blood donation center.
I have two questions, both inspired by Byredo.
1) Have any of you smelled the Neiman Marcus exclusive Byredo Belle de Tanger? Notes of spiked bitter orange, juniper, violet, saffron and incense – sounds intriguing.
2) What is hair perfume? How is it different/ better than holding a bottle above my head, spritzing, and letting the cloud fall onto my head? That’s my current method of making my hair smell nice.
I think hair perfume has less alcohol, so less drying on hair. But I’ve never had a problem with a little perfume mist drying my hair, so I don’t worry about it!
Yes, hair mist has either no or less alcohol as far as I know. I have no problem with putting regular scent in my hair. A lot of voumizing hair products have alcohol, so I don’t get the difference (unless it’s a different type of alcohol.). Since I have fine hair, my attitude is anything that ruffles up the cuticles in my hair is a good thing. Last thing I need is anti-frizz….????
I have the same fine-hair issue.
Olive oil soap works for me. I only use shampoo these days occasionally to get rid of build-up, which you get if you use soap in a hard water area (rinsing in diluted vinegar works better but isn’t always practicable).
It has to be soap made only of olive oil, though (it should list only olive oil plus water & sodium hydroxide & maybe bayleaf oil / fragrance oils). The ones “with” olive oil just leave a sticky mess in my experience.
Same here. I’ve never had a problem spritzing a little perfume in my hair.
I’ve just discovererd the IGK hair care line at Sephora and I highly recommend the Down and Out Dirty spray if you have less volume than desirable. Especially if you spray underneath at the roots. Also this stuff they have in a jar which gives the same effect if you don’t like aerosols. And the coconut oil gel which I just tried today and thought it’d make it more smooth/shiny, but actually added more volume instead. I’m not easily impressed, but I’m seriously sold!(no affiliation, of course).
Thanks for the rec – I’ve been looking for something like this. I tried Ouai Wave Spray and, while I liked the effect, it had a really strong smell that interfered with my perfume.
I tried an Ouai spray first and liked it, but took it back for similar reasons. Plus these are cruelty free, which is a plus (and vegan for those concerned).
Spent most of the morning trying out Cormandel (EDT version). Is it on my to buy list? Yes but after I finish off a couple mini’s and a couple bottles of extrait first. With Coromandel, I get a Frapin 1270 vibe. But now I am in Lyric because I had a craving.
Gotta feed the craving.
Just had my family complain about Lyric. Used the bath products but didn’t spray the perfume. Said I was wearing too much.
Just out of curiosity: where are you going to find Coromandel EdT once you’re ready to buy?
I am asking myself where I am going to find a replacement bottle once my 28 La Pausa edt is gone…
Heh, I thought the same thing but you beat me to it. When I was at Saks 2 weeks ago, the Chanel SA brought out an EDT of No. 18 that he found in storage and asked if I had any interest. Nope. If it was 31RC, I probably would have bought it.
I don’t really know right now, I need to spend more time with it before I make a judgment call on it.
Well, what we all were trying to say: if you find a good source for EdT, please share with us: since it got discontinued, it wasn’t an easy task.
Good morning Fragrant Friends! Working this weekend, and able to wear whatever scent I like (because I’m the only one here!)
Wearing Omnia Profumo Madera. My goodness….this is a beautiful caramel. Much better than Prada Candy in my opinion. Very realistic.
QUESTION: My in-laws are going to Italy in May. I have a perfume (or two!) that I would love for them to pick up for me, that are Italian. Where is the best place for them to look? Airport duty free? They won’t go on a treasure hunt for anything (and I don’t expect them to), but my MIL does love to shop…..I would LOVE to get a bottle of Madera if they know where to look! Thanks for any info!
What city and which perfumes? Mazzolari is a big Italian perfumery shop that carries their own brand plus lots of other stuff.
They are going to Rome, Florence, Venice, and Capri. My brother in law is taking them, and he is a HUGE shopper. Surely they will run into Mazzolari and other shops! I can always order from Luckyscent, but it would be cool to have it brought back from their travels too! THANKS!
In Florence, I Profumi di Firenze shop and also the pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, I am sure they will enjoy these two special places, SMN is in such a beautiful historic pharmacy. I love their rose water, their almond hand cream and of course the perfumes and In Rome, Profumum Roma fragrances.
Thank you Hera! I wish I was going too! Someday…..
Co-sign the SMN boutique! I believe there is a cafe inside that would be a welcome respite from walking.
Jada, in Rome I highly recommend Campomarzio70; they have 3 locations, 2 of which are within several feet of the Pantheon. Check out the website “Your Perfume Guide” (no affiliation) which provides perfume shopping resources in many cities throughout Europe. Enter the city of your choice (say Rome in this case) and you will find a plethora of perfume shops with addresses and the brands they carry. The Campomarzio one carries a ton of niche brands. Hope this helps. ????
Second this recommendation! I couldn’t remember the name.
This is great info! Thanks so much!!!!
Yes, Campomarzio is great!
Ooh! I am taking notes. We have decided to honeymoon in Italy!
I thought Madera was wonderfully delicious when I tried it too. You smell great!
Have you tried any of the Carthusia fragrances? They originate in Capri, I believe.
If it’s just a bottle if Madera you want, you can get it from Luckyscent.
So sorry, just saw from your comment above that you already know that!
Enjoy your weekend everyone!
I had a quiet saturday afternoon, drawing, drinking coffee and tea, listening to 80s tunes.
Now off to diner and a D&D session with friends. SotEvening is Encre Noire.
Oh fun! I’m doing Mice and Mystics today- enjoy your gaming. : )
You too! Enjoy
M&M is also on our list for backup (for those situations where we cannot get our whole D&D troupe together but we still want to play something adventurous).
Today I tried adr_ett by Nomenclature, continuing the freak-flag theme from Friday. I ended up covering it over with an unremarkable but serviceable l’occitane floral after about an hour or two. No projection and smelled like aluminum shavings and lily-scented play-doh, which just didn’t work for me. When I want weird, I want BOMBASTIC weirdness, not a subtle skin scent. To be fair, the scent did live up to its notes, which called it “otherworldly” and “weightless.”
Have any of you tried Nonenclature? I sampled this one mostly because the bottles are super cute, if I’m being honest.
The Nomenclature scents seem to be after a very particular thing — highlighting specific synthetic aromachemicals. As such, I think they work well, esp. for people who like light scents, but Aedes de Venustas (shares 1 owner with Nomenclature) works better for me personally.
Yeah, I agree. The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with this scent even though I’m probably never going to wear it again- the first ten minutes of this fragrance especially do manage to smell like “stillness” and “weightlessness” and sort of like an expensive starship cruise ought to. I’m glad I got to smell it!
The Nomenclature discovery set is super cute and inexpensive. I got mine at Twisted Lily and also gave one away as a gift.
Windy, cold, back to real Winter in the Big Apple. Working since very early this morning. I am braving the temperature wearing Opium and drinking plenty of coffee. Have a great weekend everyone!
Stay warm
So sorry you have to work today ???? Hope the coffee and Opium are giving you some comfort. And yes, it is winter again. Ugh.
Busy with a family outing yesterday so no time to post but I wore Byredo M/M Ink, one of my weirdest scents. Today I finished a bottle of De Profundis – that’s now 4 down and 2 to go on my quest to finish 6 bottles in 2017. SL Rose de Nuit is next on the hit list.
Congratulations on finishing 4 bottles already and it is only early March!
Are you going to re-purchase any of the finished bottles?
I have finished Chanel Gardenia, Bois des Iles and Cuir de Russie but won’t be repurchasing them. I have already purchased a new bell jar of Rose de Nuit and De Profundis. Not sure what bottle number six will be but I am thinking La Myrrhe.
Well, if you get lonely without CdR, let me know, and I’ll help with a small decant.
La Myrrhe, La Myrrhe!!! So beautiful.
4 finished bottles?! That’s AWESOME!!!! Congratulations cazaubon!
I hope to finish at least 1 bottle this year, looking at you, Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche!
Congrats! That seems like an impossible feat these days, so kydos to you.
I made this goal as its been many many years since I’ve finished a bottle of anything.
4 bottles! I’m impressed! I used to be able to get through a few, but now once I get through half of a bottle I start hording.
That’s exactly my mentality! I don’t trust that a replacement bottle won’t have been reformulated.
I’m with y’all on this. I’m not at all anxious to finish off any bottles that I really like.
I have a feeling that there might be a flaw in our reasoning.
wow..ok..I need to get on this bandwagon and finish something!
I went to see Billy Crystal last night and as I was walking across the lobby I passed a huge scent bubble of tuberose. I think it was Carolina Herrera, but the version that is sold today, as it was missing the civet note found in the original formulation. I am all for spraying lavishly but it was overapplied for the number of people in her immediate vicinity.
SOTD is a sample of Pulp that I requested from FIF when I placed the split order. I like it!
Billy Crystal! I’d love to see him live.
Oh, how fun! I love Billy Crystal. And I’m impressed by your drive-by ability to identify a scent and its vintage!
It really feels like spring today! Still a bit chilly but the light looks springy. I’m going with it with a whole bunch of orange blossom…orange blossom shower cream followed up with the lovely Pichola.
Today will be a good day
Have a great day Gi :)!!
Yesterday was our 7th anniversary (though we’ve been together almost 22 years). We went out for a nice dinner: I had a very delicious duck-breast dish and for dessert I had a chocolate pear tart with smoked anise cream and hazelnut ice-cream. Wow, was that an explosion of flavors!
Today I’m covered in Chanel no 5: vintage 90s edt, current edt, current edp, and parfum (compliments of the generous perfumelover67). The vintage is pretty animalic and I think the aldehydes may have fizzled out with age. Not sure I’d wear it out of the house. The parfum is beautiful and the ylang is definitely the star here. Also fading fast, though. I’m liking the edp more than I used to-which was not at all-especially the drydown which is more citric and jasmine-y. I still love the current edt.
Never thought I’d come around to no 5 but never say never!
Happy anniversary, and wow, your dinner (really, the dessert) sounds fantastic.
Thanks! I could have just had a meal of desserts. The other options were enticing: sticky date pudding with butterscotch, which my husband got-also yummy, and a rosewater pavlova (which I had to google) with passionfruit curd.
Wow. I am hungry.
Any dessert with rosewater goes immediately into my mouth!
That one was very tempting but I wanted chocolate!
Happy anniversary! My husband and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage this year, but 34 years of relationship. Goes by in a flash, doesn’t it?
You make me want to come around to Chanel No. 5, which my sister loves beyond measure. And I want that dessert.
Thanks! You also got married around the 15 year mark! Good not to rush into things????
Kind of liking VC&A First and Arpege (modern) made me retry no 5.
Happy Anniversary! Dinner sounds great and being in a cloud of No. 5 is fantastic. Enjoy and keep warm.
Thank you and also for the parfum!
Happy Anniversary, and many happy returns of the day.
Thanks much!
Happy Anniversary! That meal and the dessert sound really fabulous!
Thank you! That place is consistently really good. The duck was especially good and meaty, no bone. Like a really good steak!
That dessert sounds really fattening and bad for you. Next time, send it here and I’ll, um, deal with it. You can’t be too careful.
(Also, congratulations!)
I thought about wearing it instead, especially that smoked anise cream. But, I’ll surely keep you in mind next time ’round.
(And thank you)????
Also congratulations on your new love affair with No 5!!
We’ll see how long it lasts. I think I’ve been through something similar before…
Happy anniversary!
I’m still “not there” with No 5 but I keep trying different versions from time to time.
Thank you! Don’t try too hard ????
Happy 22/7 Anniversary, Elisa P !!
Thanks Bear!
Happy Anniversary !!!!!
And you smell fab! Love no 5
Thank you!
Happy Anniversary! You smell wonderful.
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you!
Yum and Happy Anniversary!
Thank you!
Congratulations! My husband and I got married after 13 years together… we figured it was probably going to work out after 13 years.
Thanks! Yeah, that was the thinking. So far, so good.
Happy anniversary. It’s nice that you do something special to celebrate. The food and perfume both sound wonderful!
Thanks Petunia! I’m just relieved I remembered this year, lol.
Congrats on the long-term love affair with your H and the new one with No 5
I love every iteration and consider all of them must-haves since they’re so different. (And used/vintage bottles are so inexpensive there’s no reason no to have them all.) The cologne might be my favorite, though – it’s the most aldehyde-rich. I’ll include some when I put your package together.
Thanks! I have to say I don’t love the vintage edt-but possibly because the aldehydes are flat. Feels like flat soda, almost. And thanks for contributing to my no 5 education ????
Hi, NST weekenders, I hope it’s a good one for each and every one of us.
SotD = Vanille Galante. It is delicous and I would eat poundcake that smells like this. I’ve been asked if I’d been indulging in drink when wearing it, but it doesn’t smell boozy to me. I’ll wear it again next week too.
I’m sitting in a cloud of Onda EdP spritzed from a manufacturer sample. I wish I could remember who sent me this little gem, thank you! I didn’t spritz Onda on me, it’s on paper, yet it has a radiant presence. This is the kind of beautifully sculpted scent I’d love to smell on someone in the evening, while wearing fancy dress, and waiting for the gong to ring for dinner.
Interesting, it does not smell boozy to me either!
I’ve wondered if for some noses Vanille Galante triggers a memory of the alcohol-based vanilla extract so often used in baking.
Nor to me, but it’s a (non-boozy) favorite. It always makes me feel like someone blew a big, irridescent bubble of pink-jasmine-flavored sugar syrup around me and then set me on a cloud.
That cloud sounds perfect to me.
Out shopping with mom so there’s a lot of waiting around.
I started booze cruise week with one I couldn’t wear to the office in case I unexpectedly have to take an elrevator.
SOTD = Guerlain SDV
For my splitees with AA Calling All Angels and/or Bohemian Spice: I have not yet received my order from AA. I will let you know when it arrives so you have an idea when to expect your package. Other packages will be mailed starting today, with the Dzing! only packages going out first.
In the What Wpuld You Do department:
Yesterday, while walking to cross a light going west on 34th and 7th, I heard some coins drop and saw several quarters rolling and coming to a stop within 1-3 feet of this woman who seemed to be oblivious to what had just happened. I gestured and said you dropped some coins to which she said she has difficulty bending but did not specifically ask me to pick them up for her. There was an able-bodied man standing next to her who may or may not be with her. Under normal circumstances, I would not pick coins up off the street. What would you do? I’ll post what I did later as mom is done with her shopping.
I would pick them up for her, all the while giving ‘able-bodied man’ a contemptuous stare.
But I am admittedly too quick tempered sometimes. LOL
Working on that.
Cheers, hajusuuri!
Ditto.
Yep: pick them up for her and stare at the dude!
Probably my response as well. In my experience, able-bodied men are frequently found to be less than willing-bodied to help. When I was hugely pregnant in DC, it was 7 times out of 10 a woman who offered to help with bags or a seat. When my youngest was quite ill and I had to carry him or lug a wheel chair out of the car, it was 9 times out of 10 women who offered assistance.
I personally do not have any problem picking up coins from the street, and especially in such situation when someone just dropped them. But I completely understand that somebody might feel differently. If I were you in this situation, I would not feel bad to tell her: “Sorry, I’m a germophobe, I can’t help you.” Under some circumstances I can see myself (in that hypothetical situation – since in reality I would have picked up the coins) adding: “I have 50 (75) cents in my wallet, which I can spare, if want”
Your story made me smile because it made me think of a friend who would have the same issue with picking up coins from the street. I don’t have the same issues, so I’d probably not hesitate. But I might look at the man and pause for a second with raised eyebrow. I’m thinking my friend might pick them up, but I know she’d whip out one of her hand wipes immediately after. She carries a supply at all times.
Thanks everyone.
Fiction: I picked up the coins and even helped her cross the street.
Fact: That corner of NYC is probably one of the filthiest corners and had unsavory smells just about every time I’m near there. This, the mass of humanity surrounding us and the imminent light changing, coupled with my germaphobic tendencies, caused me to just shrug and cross the street when the light changed. We’re we to have been right outside Macy’s, not at a busy corner and not surrounded by a lot of people, I probably would have picked up the coins and then cleaned my hands with an antibacterial wipe that I carry with me all the time.
I very likely would have done the same, and I’m not even a particularly germaphobic. But I can just imagine myself muttering, “oh sorry” and scurrying across the street.
True story. On snowy Christmas Eve night one of my brothers and a brother-in-law were walking to midnight mass. A pregnant woman walking maybe half a block a head of them slipped and fell. My brother saw it and — started to cross to the other side of the street.
Fortunately my brother-in-law is a human being and he grabbed my brother and made him go help the woman up and make sure she wasn’t hurt! But I have a little bit of my brother in me. It’s almost a fear of people, frankly, as much as churlishness. But we were kids then!
I would have done the same. Ick factor would have been too much in those circumstances.
When I read the first “what would you do” post I assumed there must be a superstition about picking up coins. I’m absolutely fascinated that everyone else who posted correctly interpreted it as a hygiene issue!
I wonder if this is a cultural difference (US/N.American vs. European?), or could it be a generational thing (I have no idea of our ages… I’m over 50)?
I think it’s a cultural thing. I would have picked them up, no problem. Even coins that are handed to you as change are covered in germs, so what is the difference in ones on the street. Mind you, I always wash my hands before eating/cooking so I’m not completely cool about germs either.
I’m nearly the same age as you.
Heh, my mom thinks the same way as you. She tells me that if I am such a germaphobe, I should stop eating out and also not take public transportation
Bear in mind that we need germs as well, so if I were you I would just go on using public transport and eating out
LOL – I do!
If the woman dropped her purse, I would have picked it up for her. If the purse opened and things scattered, there will likely be more people helping, in which case, I will pick up a few larger items and move on. Coins are too tiny and require several attempts to scrape off the sidewalk and just thinkung about doing that is making me shudder.
You’re right. I didn’t even understand that the issue was cleanliness until Undina used the word “germaphobe”. I’m over 60 and not American, so I guess that could be generational or cultural.
FWIW, I’m about your age, American, and didn’t get the germ reference either. But I’m not germ-phobic where most Americans seem to be these day. It doesn’t seem to be a generational issue so much as an of-the-moment fear-trend-phobia, presumably due to advertising.
It’s supposed to be good luck to be pooped on by a bird. Eeeek. I got pooped on twice and really did not need that kind of luck!
You were at a busy corner where the pedestrian traffic is heavy. If you crouch down to pick something up from the ground you risk having your fingers walked on. Or worse you might be bumped or knocked over by someone walking while distracted. Eeep!
My issue would not have been with germs, but with the safety concerns with dropping down in the middle of an intersection – and also with the feel of picking coins up from concrete. The combination of those two textures is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Depending on my mood, I might have asked the man if he could pick the coins up for her. I tend to not have a lot of patience for able bodied men who do not act like men. That said, sometimes it’s not worth it to engage people.
The filth, the mass of humanity, the imminent light changing, and germophobia that you mentioned are understandable reasons for not picking up the coins, IMO. I would not do well in a big city, because being surrounded by a “mass of humanity” makes me anxious and uncomfortable. Having said all of that, if I could have channeled my calm self in all of that hubbub, I would have probably offered her a dollar to replace what she had dropped (Bending over is pretty painful for me.)
I also wanted to add that you can’t always tell if someone is able-bodied just by looking at them
Truedat!
Slow mover today…no incentive to go out in the cold. It was frigid last night!
Wearing Sous Le Toit de Paris today. My husband urged me to buy a small bottle (I got one of the last standalone 30 mls) a couple of years ago. I wasn’t in love with the scent but he was. Came to mind today and all of a sudden I’m loving it. I need to reach to the back of the cabinet more often!
Oh nice — I like that one too!
I just recently got a sizable decant of it because it gets so much love here, I think from hajusuuri. I love it when my person really likes something.
Great stuff – you smell lovely!
My scent today is Trish McEvoy Sexy #9, for a dose of warm sweetness on this cold day in NYC. I’m drinking my current favorite drink, a hot soy London Fog with vanilla sweetener. It’s delicious, like drinkable Shalimar!
Drinkable Shalimar! Maybe the Madagascar one?!
Good morning, hello. I disappeared for a couple of weeks, but here I am again, and there you all are! Work went mad — MAD! — and I was exhausted and too grumpy to be fit for civil conversation, even with Dakkie-Dog-Hoople-the-Cat, so I just shut up, for fear that all I would do was whine all the time. But this Sunday morning I seem to have somewhat recovered my equilibrium, and I’m actually revelling in my perfume for the first time in days and days. Maybe weeks. I’ve re-launched myself in Bois des Iles, which is blooming and twining and shimmering around me, so that even the housework smells divine. Just before I started this post, the dear man kissed the top of my head and said, “Welcome back from wherever you were. I know it’s been bad, but I can tell from your perfume that you feel better.” Huh! Open book, much?
I didn’t even really read NST, just sort of glanced at things occasionally, so I feel very out of touch but I hope all is well with you, my fragrant friends.
Oh, I was worried about you! I was thinking that when I saw Kanuka here next time, I might see if she thought she should send out the dogs for you. Welcome back and you smell lovely.
Thank you for missing me!
Glad you’re out of your fugue state! And your dear man is such a treasure!
He is, he totally is! Plus (just to add to his general awesomeness), he’s making me coffee, and he does the best coffee in Auckland. Really! He applies that thoughtful engineering precision and consistency to the process, and it’s always a perfect latte. Me, I don’t think about processes that much, so what I achieve is hit-and-miss.
LOL. I have a Keurig that doesn’t take much thinking other than pouring water into the tank, drop a K-cup into the slot and press a flashing button. Latte? I pay Starbucks to do that for me
Welcome back to the land of the fragrant! Very sweet thing for your beloved to say, and notice!
Glad you’re feeling better, and that you have such a kind and empathetic partner! I have a feeling you smell great, but my Bois des Illes sample leaked itself empty before I could properly get to know it.
Bummer! Try again with BdI — it’s absolutely worth the effort!
Glad you’re back and enjoying your perfume! How sweet your dear man is!
Welcome back waterdragon! I think you and I might have been in similar places, despite the world between us!
Glad you are back! You have a wonderful husband.
I was reading an article the other day on what are the commonest ingredients in relationships that last…The author interviewed all sorts of couples from all sorts of places. As you might expect, respect, independence, etc. were among the items, but also a striking comfort with ebbs and flows in intensity, interest, and even compatability. Guess that’s true with all great loves, Bogie and Bacall… or with travel or perfume too.
It’s been raining in Paris for several days and it’s annoying.
What do you guys wear for rainy days?
Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay or JM Wood Sage & Sea Salt! Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee works well too!
It depends. Rainy and cold, Bond 9 New Haarlem. Rainy and melancholy, Gris Clair. Rainy and in need of cheer, whatever appeals at the moment
Coromandel, Sycomore, either separately or together.
A raincoat?
After four years of drought, this year I actually enjoyed every rain we had. But, in general, I think that a warm vanilla would help. Or something boozy
something with vanilla
In Portland, we call “rainy days” winter.
Oh, and spring.
And autumn.
Lol
And summer. I live in Seattle, so all of my perfumes are rainy day perfumes. The more appropriate question here is, what to wear when it’s sunny or hot?
If I’m embracing the rain, Apres l’Ondee or Iris Silver Mist; if I’m shielding myself from it, something cozy like Safran Troublant.
I have sunny day perfume but not sure I do anything specific for rainy days . . . Must attend more carefully.
I’m not sure that I have a rainy day sent. I guess it would depend on the mood the rain put me in.
Vol de Nuit or Voleur de Roses
I tried Sycamore for a minute or so, and that didn’t work so I washed it off and tried Barbara Bui, but I don’t think that’s doing it either. Next up is Arbole Arable.
Marching Band Day!! Lots of love to all the band nerds and band parents out there!
I started out today testing Dame Perfumery Earth Mother but decided I need to come back to it some other day. It smelled interesting and nice when I applied it, and then it immediately transformed into the smell of my dentist’s office. It was uncanny! Given that a weird combination combination of skin chemistry and allergies was probably responsible, it seemed unfair to poor Earth Mother to risk making that scent association permanent.
I’m now in SSS Rose Volupté.
Sheesh, the end of college basketball’s regular season has arrived again. Thank goodness Spring Training is here to ease us into and out of March Madness. ????
I had some trouble with Earth Mother… something, not sure what, just took over and I didn’t enjoy it. But will try again because I love Sky Father.
I think galbanum doesn’t really work on me, so I’m wondering if that was the cause and if it will happen again.
My son did 4 years of marching band in high school and is planning to do the same in college — so we are long time band nerds
I did 2 years in high school and planned on only doing 2 in college due to my major. It was so excellent, though, that I ended up doing 5 (after also changing majors)! I would’ve done more, too, if I could’ve managed it in grad school.
Yay to both of you! We live in the rare (for this area) school district whose high school has a marching band, and my stepson didn’t want to be in it. I could not understand it. What could be more fun? I didn’t do marching band but did sing in a few different choirs in high school and they’re my only fond memories of those years – touring, traveling, staying in hotels, performing.
Lol at the Spring Training comment. I remember reading that the day after Florida won the National Championship the headlines of the sports pages there were all about spring training beginning that day and not their National Championship win!
We go crazy here (Ky.) but then we stink at football.
This is a basketball town too, and things really do come to a stop in March for these Cats. Once the craziness of the Big Dance is over, it’s nice to have college baseball and Spring Training to enjoy.
Band moms represent!
Yay! You band moms are the best. My mom was a band person herself, and so my parents were pretty much always at our games, even in college. (I could actually see them up high in the stadium during pregames!)
How do you find Rose Volupte?
It’s the first time I’ve worn it, but I like it a lot. It’s a full, oriental rose–in this case without the incense of Lyric or POAL. The rose and plum were delicious in the opening, and I think I can still detect them now, even though the ambery, woody base has come to the fore.
Gucci Rush after seeing it on yesterday’s Freaky Friday post. Forgot how fun it is to wear, so unapologetically sweet and synthetic. My husband is perfecting his homemade onion rings and tempura shrimp, I can barely smell it anyway, not that I’m complaining!
OH…..!!!! Onion rings !! My kryptonite …………….
Weakening in their presence…………
LOL
Enjoy ringthing !
Onion rings.
OMG, onion rings *and* tempura shrimp!?! My mouth just started watering!
Yum. Any husband who wants to perfect those is a keeper ????
Continuing with random samples: MFK Apom. A little too soapy on me this afternoon, and I find that my skin always magnifies any cedar notes. Just as well that I don’t need to add to my wishlist.
Uh oh. I have an as-yet untested sample, and my skin tends to really boost woods and other base notes, too. Guess I’ll see what happens…
Natori EdP, for thrift shopping. One more store to hit up after this one. The DH is in bed with a cold and I sort of abandoned him to his misery. Will have to make him soup for dinner to make up for my negligence.
No pound cake! But might look for some gluten free something for a treat.
Fun, hope you found some treasures!
Bright blue skies but cold today in the DC area. I’m wearing the Ma Collection version of Jean Patou Que Sais-Je?
http://yesterdaysperfume.typepad.com/yesterdays_perfume/2010/10/que-sais-je-by-jean-patou-1925.html
I had a series of interesting things to eat this morning, starting with a cashew version of baklava and savory biscuits with nigella at a friend’s house, and, later, saganaki (melted cheese with honey, lemon, dill and pepper) and a roasted beet salad at Kapnos Taverna in Arlington, Virginia. I also had their house-made grapefruit and cinnamon soda. The flavorings are light and blend together in a way that doesn’t taste like either grapefruit or cinnamon precisely, but rather reminds me of a weird, slightly medicinal indie perfume.
Que Sais-Je is great! You smell wonderful. But you’ve blown my mind thinking about dill and honey together!
And that touch of lemon!
All sounds good, and I LOVE beets.
The beet salad was dressed with Greek yoghut sprinkled with sumac and also had oranges, fennel, pomegranate seeds, and mint leaves. The mint was especially nice.
I love mint in salads.
Sounds great but I personally would have been overwhelmed by so many new things and the explosion of flavors. I tend to think that I am somewhat adventurous considering that I am actually quite picky due to a list of foods I don’t like or should not have.
I took my time.
They were harmoniously done, more subtle than it might sound.
That sounds fabulous. Especially that cheese.
SOTD is L’air du Desert Marocain, which was the just spine-stiffener I needed today. I volunteered at the shelter today, somehow forgetting that it was Saturday, and therefore a madhouse. Tons of people show up on Saturdays to see if we have an animal they want to adopt (or to just look at animals – some people seem to treat it as the “free zoo”) and each one seems surprised to find that there are other people there. Nobody likes waiting for anything, including looking at animals. On the plus side, I spent an hour holding a tiny, tiny kitten that was wrapped up in a towel, burrito-style. He was too young and tiny to regulate his body temperature, so I kept him warm. Awwww……
Anyway, I’m now sitting on the patio by the pool and enjoying the cooler weather (low 70s as opposed to the unseasonable upper 80s we had earlier in the week). Enjoy the rest of your week, all!
Mr. Spicebomb and I are looking for a new kitten. We need a scrappy and confident little boy to give our big fella a run for his money! I was trying to figure out if there was a “kitten” season when suddenly we’d have lots of options. Our local shelter never seems to have more than a few kittens at a time, and this time around, I don’t want to adopt an adult.
Kitten season in the PNW usually starts end of May/beginning of June, depending on the weather. Count from when the weather stops being really cold (I know it has been an unusually cold winter this year for you), add two months for mom cat’s pregnancy and two more months for kittens to be ready for adoption. The easiest way to know when kittens are going to be in the shelter/rescue and ready to adopt? Call and ask them when they might have kittens coming in from foster homes. Many shelters/rescues will give you a courtesy call when kittens come in (the Vancouver shelter does “pre-adoption” of kittens in foster). Good luck!
Oh, thank you! That’s later than I expected.
Butting in here slightly and I don’t know if it is the same where you are, but we found it almost impossible to get kittens in the city and super easy at a shelter in a more rural area about two hours from us. (We might not have had to go so far, but we knew someone with this shelter who gave us the head’s up.) I love kittens about us much as anything in the world.
That’s a good thought. Maybe we should “shop around.” We definitely want a kitten this time, but one that has been properly socialized and gentled–not something totally feral that wouldn’t be a good mix with two adult kitties. Oftentimes the shelters around here have “difficult” kitties that may require extra energy to make a part of the family. I’d really like to avoid that project, if I can, this time around.
Definitely look into kittens that have been fostered then. They will have been in a home and been handled and played with and petted.
Gris Clair today, which smells good, but a bit like medicine, to me today.
Speaking of medicine, the doc yesterday says “maybe pneumonia” and offered some antibiotics. I didn’t have a fever last night, so I’ve chosen not to fill the prescription, yet. I’ll wait and see if I’m actually improving on my own, first. Mr. Spicebomb is eyeing me with frequent, worried glances, but otherwise, I see little downside to waiting and avoiding unnecessary medications, if I can.
Oh no! “Maybe pneumonia” doesn’t sound good. Take good care of yourself.
Doing my best! Lots of rest (and a little hockey–I get sick of laying around for days!).
Two years ago my whole family came down with pneumonia, staggered… Starting with my oldest son… I was last. I didn’t have a fever either but the x-ray was incontrovertible. Just saying….
Ya, I’ll ride out bronchitis without antibiotics but pneumonia I’d get on top of.
Happy weekend, all! Started off the day in the ever-lovely Jacinthe de Saphir, and switched to Pomelo Paradis once that had faded, plus a smidge of Cio Cio San on one arm from a sample. I’m finding Pomelo Paradis, like all the Atelier citrus colognes, to be a joyous juicy burst up front and then not much more, but those first few minutes are great! And Cio Cio San is very pretty, but like all cherry blossom-esque scents, ultimately just not very “me.” I might wind up back in Sous le Vent later, since I rather enjoyed its mountain-lion-in-heat aura at work the other day…
“Mountain Lion in heat aura”. You made me snort my orange juice! Do you cats love this scent?
Had a craving for AG Petite Cherie today. It’s too cold outside for it, but I’m wearing it anyway.
I just ordered a few AG samples from LuckyScent (my first)…keeping my fingers crossed.
Very often they are lightweight — well, not all of them, but the line tends to run to pretty florals. I typically use the “spray until wet” technique for Goutals, or they disappear really fast on me.
I do love Petite Cherie.
Thank you for the warm wishes of a speedy recovery for my son. He’s already jumping around!
SOTD is Fallng Trees. So good, it’s addictive!
Just tried a dabber of this and it is very nice. You smell lovely. And glad that your son is recovering.
I’m in Woodissime today compliments of Pixel from the Splitmeet…
And I love it! Sweet and woody with osmanthus which I only know from reading reviews. Has a plum note to me too which V. Intense by Piguet also has…that was another Splitmeet spoil. And this all brings me back to Natori in the paperweight purple bottle which also has plum I believe. I have to find my bottle of Natori to compare to these two new beauties.
Do I need FBs of Woodissime and V. Intense? Possibly. We shall see. It is always prudent to drain one’s decant before reckless buying. Hearts and noses can be fickle I’ve learned.
So I was standing in line at REI with all sorts of technical whatsit in my arms (my son leaves for east Africa Fri morning– I will survive, I will survive, I will survive) and the woman in front of me turns and says, “Do you smell that? Its lovely. Sandalwood? Wait. Is that you?” I grinned, “Yes!” “What is it? Woods? Its Amazing.”
Ready for the reveal… Timbuktu? No. Dzongkha? No. Bois de Iles? No.
SJP’s Stash, the oil in my hair, and just the teensiest spray of the perfume on my neck.
Ooh. Tell me more about your son and east Africa! Did I miss an explanation of this trip earlier? (If so, apologies for insisting you repeat yourself!
)
I did mention it, but I don’t mind repeating as I am psychotically alternatively one minute very proud of him and the next minute bereft at my sweet baby taking flight so soon… My soon to be 16 year old is heading off to Tanzania and Kenya for several weeks for service work lite–a little teaching at an orphanage, helping to supports some schools, a safari, and a hike on Mt. Kilimanjaro sort of thing. And then he’s home for a week (one week!), and then he’s off to Jordan for two months. So although this first trip is not so long, it is the start of his leaving the nest. . .
Oh, those are going to be transformative trips for him! I don’t blame you at all for anxiety AND pride–both are warranted! He’s young for traveling like that on his own. I assume you have a lot of trust in the organization he’s working with?
The hardest part of my trip to Madagascar (in college) was actually returning to the United States. My eyes had been opened to how most of the world lives and survives, and I came home and had no patience for our first world problems. It took nearly a year for me to readjust to our luxurious lifestyles and not feel like an alien.
Great story!
You smelled wonderful.
From time to time, during my morning shower, I close the drain and add a couple of drops of Stash to bathtub. It smells so good!
I wish we had a proper bathtub. That sounds perfect!
I love Stash…it’s a great scent!
I’ve recently become a little obsessed with incense perfumes, especially if they are also a little flowery. Testing out Kyoto today. It is very nice in a subtle way, but you all already know that!
I want to try Kyoto badly! I got Avignon in the split meet and LOVE it! I’m sure you smell fab!
Out shopping today and saw Dune sitting out at Dillard’s. I can honestly say I noticed it hidden behind a bunch of newer stuff. After a nice forearm test spray I decided to just mist myself lightly, totally embarrassing my 10 year old goddaughter. Loved it. And then, as we were walking through the mall she said, “Can you please not go around smelling yourself like that?” Lol
Anyway, I enjoyed my Dune spritz today and would like another. Happy Saturday, everyone!
Yay for Dune!
“You’re embarrassing me.” I LOVE IT.
Dune is so very good. It’s one SIL’s signature, however, and my sister wore it for several years, during which she told me very firmly that I could not EVER wear it because it was hers. So even though she no longer wears it (and won’t ever again since it reminds her of her first husband), I still feel like it’s not “mine” and don’t wear it myself. I just like to catch a whiff on my sister-in-law.
I really enjoyed it all day yesterday and would like to have more on hand to try further. And I know it’s SO wrong but I wholeheartedly enjoy embarrassing my son and goddaughters and any other kids who happen to be around. One of life’s little pleasures ha!
I re-tried Santal 33 this morning before heading out to breakfast and the thrift and grocery shops. I had given my decant to my guy a while back, deciding that I liked it but would rather smell it on him. Last night I grabbed the top of the decant and got some of the perfume on my fingers. It smelled a lot like a shampoo I just finished sampling, Iles Formula! After wearing it today, I decided to keep it for myself.
Since I’ve been back home, I put on House of Matriarch Bohemian Black. I was trying to think of perfumes for the Booze Cruise on Friday and remembered this one has a limoncello note. Yum. Now let’s see if I think of another boozy scent I’d rather wear before the day arrives. This one is a bit Shalimar-esque but modernized.
Do you have any Frapins? There is nothing like a fine cognac!
Yes, I actually passed all of my Frapin decants to my SO because I like to smell them on him. ????
I’ve started making a list of perfumes I own (whether sample, decant, or bottle) that have booze notes. I should have a lot to choose from! I may wear one every day this week.
Someone mentioned onion rings and I started to salivate.Like salivate as if I have not eaten in days.Lol!And its 10am on a Sunday which is more buttered toast-time than onion rings.I love onion rings.Still salivating.Lol.Packing sucks,but not thinking about work is awesome.Happy Weekend!!x
Mmmmm, buttered toast – is there anything it can’t do? So envious of your break from work, even if it does mean packing things.
Part of packing was selling/giving away/trashing “stuff”…like my bed.I did not think said bed would be collected today,soooo I am on the floor tonight.Voluntarily.Lol!Packing last-minute stuff so I need to be in the house.No,there is no couch if anyone wondered about plan B.Also SOLD!Lol!MAY I NEVER LOSE MY SENSE OF HUMOR.
What’s that smell?
“Over the past year, a Columbia University preservation expert and a curator at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan have been engaged in an unusual poetic-scientific experiment in the little-visited olfactory wing of history, trying to pin down the powerful connection between smell and memory — in this case, collective memory.” Carlos Benaïm and IFF are also involved.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/arts/morgan-library-book-smell.html?contentCollection=weekendreads&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=c-column-middle-span-region®ion=c-column-middle-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-middle-span-region
Such a fascinating article, Nozknoz, thank you. I am a librarian, and whenever there is a box of new books on my desk, inevitably someone will ask if they can sniff them. I remember reading a list of scents that are inspired by old books, but I don’t think I have ever smelled any that I felt “got it”, have you? But I totally agree that the connection between smell and memory is VERY strong.
Back in the deep freeze. Spending my Sunday in Calling All Angels.
Today I’m wearing Vol de Nuit from an old decant I found, and I’m not sure what vintage it is but it is WONDERFUL stuff. Wow. It’s deep and stinky with that real oakmoss smell. Just checked then price on Neiman’s and it’s $350 so I won’t be buying a FB anytime soon!
I do have a question: This coming week I will be going to Belgium for one week, including Brussels. Does anyone know of any perfume (or other interesting) shopping opportunities there? Aside from chocolate of course!
PSA:
The vintage is actually cheaper on ebay!
Rapple is our resident Vol de Nuit expert.
I’m still sad that I can barely smell VdN, because it really should be right up my alley.
lol! That’s because I’ve worn it for so long! Umm… decades.
Are you anosmic to even the extrait?
Apparently, I am. It has a smell, it’s just faint. And cardboardy. Which makes me think that I simply cannot smell what is there. (This has precedent. I bought one of those adorable 2ml bottles of Nahema off ebay once and could. not. smell. it. Then I sent it to JoeA and he said it was great. I tried again two years later, still couldn’t smell it. Sigh.)
Wow! If you can’t smell Nahema, you are definitely anosmic to something in the Guerlain base. Nahema has actually become almost too loud for me to wear and may be on the chopping block! :-0
That IS interesting. Nahema is sometimes just way too too much for me… I am always very judicious in my application, and I am a total douser with other fragrances. I For instance with Rahele, I can spray that one like mad.
I probably had not fallen deep into the rabbit hole when I visited Brussels but had been reading NST. I was determined to find L’Occitane Immortelle de Corse based on Kevin’s review. None of the stores in NY had it. I walked into the boutique at Grand Place and got a bottle. If you or anyone you know is into Tin Tin, you are in Tin Tin territory! Enjoy your time in Brussels.
For perfume: Senteurs d’ailleurs is a very nice shop:
http://www.senteursdailleurs.com/
Fantastic collection! Dozens of brands. They also carry exclusive lines (like TF private blend, and the waaay too expensive Serge Lutens).
And you have to visit the Grand Sablon, there you can find great chocolatiers like Patrick Roger, Wittamer and Pierre Marcolini. Near the Grand Sablon there is another perfumerie Kroonen and Brown, lots of niche there.
And if you like art, there is a lot to see and do as well. Their Fine arts museum has a great collection. Brueghel, Magritte, beautiful fin de siècle stuff!
Enjoy Brussels!
Sunday scent is Robin’s patented Tam Dao/Philosykos layering combo, because it was a gorgeous, brilliantly sunny morning when I got up. By the time I got downstairs to make coffee (only 5 minutes later), it was snowing big fat fluffy flakes. It’s been alternating between sun and clouds at just about the same rate ever since. Ahhh, springtime in the Great Northwest. Still loving the SOTM though.
I didn’t get snow! I *did* wake up to sunshine in my eyes and it was such a wonderful tease.
Could be purely an altitude issue – we’re at about 250 feet here, and IIRC you and Mr. Spicebomb are closer to sea level. OTOH, we’re closer to the Beaverton “banana belt”. Funny little microclimates we have here.
Woke up yesterday and this a.m. to sun as well, followed both days by really cold air and very gloomy skies.
WHEN WILL IT END
Soon. I’m just SURE it will end SOON. I’ll pray for you if you’ll pray for me.
Good morning, all. Instead of giving lectures this week, I’m spending it in face-to-face interviews with the two short-short-listed candidates for Head of School. My clothes are (kind of) conservative, therefore, and my perfume likewise. I’m wearing Cristalle today, and its lemony crispness just fills my heart with joy. I wanted something that veered towards enlivening, because the days are long with interviews and presentations and lunches and tours and coffee conversations. Thank goodness I don’t have to go to dinner as well: the Vice Chancellor and the Dean take care of that, although I suppose I could have used the opportunity to break out a wonderful boozy scent. Anyway, I hope my colleagues appreciate Cristalle. I suspect the rooms will get pretty funky after we’ve been breathing in them all day.
You all smell gorgeous! I’ve decided I need more booze in my collection, which is not a statement I could make in any contexts! Be well.
“Yes!” to boozy perfumes. I grew up in a teetotalist home and have never developed a taste for drink, but I vividly remember how my knees went wobbly at my first sniff of YSL Champagne.
Waah, back in the cold grey dreariness of home.
SOTD yesterday was Penhaligons “Opus 1870”.
Top: coriander, yuzu and pepper;
Mid: cinnamon, incense and rose;
Base: musk, sandalwood and cedar.
Classic and interesting ingredients, skilfully blended by a secret Penhaligons process so the end result is the same boring old crap as everything else they do.
SOTE was Tom Ford “Tobacco Vanille” – beautful.
SOTD today is Czech & Speake “Cuba”.
Top: bergamot, lime, peppermint and rum;
Mid: rose, clove, tonka and bay;
Base: tobacco, frankincense, cedar and vetiver.
Had to laugh at your “secret Penhaligons process”.
Me too! Lol…
Same! LOLOL
(I do want to try Savoy Steam, though, just because of the name and PR story…)
But it takes a special kind of genius, right? ;^)
Lazy Sunday morning watching bicycle racing and cuddling with the dogs. Perfect for Musc Ravageur, which is more cozy than ravageur to me. It was supposed to rain but I see patches of blue sky so I think not.
Giving away some five bottles each of my perfumes to two of my friends (who now may be on the way down to the rabbit hole). I carefully picked what I thought would be perfect for each one of them (which was the hardest part). I already gave one of them her treat and she was delighted with my picks. I will be giving the other friend hers on Wednesday and hope she will also like what I picked for her.
Today I revisited some oldies while looking for scents for my friends and I am wearing Hermes 24 Faubourg.
How wonderful!
I love picking out perfumes for friend’s. Almost more than for myself. Almost.
I wish I had friends who enjoyed scent as much as I do. Most wear perfume but they’re not that into it really.
My friends were not into perfume either but then one started to really be interested and also sniffed me when I walked into the room. Now she is really into it. The other friend out of the blue knew and saw my large collection and asked me if I would be kind enough to pick one out of it for her and I gave her five of them.