PSA: next Saturday is our annual Haiku challenge!
Today, we're are celebrating Sense of Smell Day with our same old open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, your favorite smell in the world, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is magnolia [background extended] by liz west at flickr; some rights reserved.
Well, I went shopping online at luckyscent last night and put over a thousand dollars worth of perfume in my cart…
Thankfully, that’s as far as it went!
Woke up to realize someone had “bumped” my van during the night and my whole front bumper will need to be replaced. Grrrr!
Robin, I sincerely hope you get another extended nap today and that you’re feeling better. Don’t forget to take probiotics while on antibiotics. Your gut will thank you.
That is WRETCHED. I’m so sorry! Really nothing worse than having to spend perfume money for non-perfume purposes.
Well, it wasn’t really perfume money anyway, more like wishing, hoping, and dreaming!
Oh dear, so sorry about your van! I take it there was no note?
Don’t worry, I take daily probiotics & drink kefir anyway, and will continue to do so! And will definitely have a nap, possibly quite soon.
Have you tried Yakult? It’s a Japanese probiotic drink. A friend of mine who frequently needs antibiotics swears by it.
Yakult is hard to find near me, but I have heard it’s good. I have tried Bio-K+ and GoodBelly shots, but they all have too much sugar and/or other ingredients I don’t want. I pretty much just prefer plain old kefir.
Kombucha is good too, and you can make that yourself if you can get some ‘mother”.
I ought to make my own but I am pretty lazy!
Sorry to butt in but I have the world’s worst stomach – GERD – and have also constantly been getting sick (flu, only one stomach) and am wondering what the probiotics do. I can google too!
Probiotics restore/support your gut by replacing essential “good” bacteria that gets wiped out by use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Next to your skin, your gut is the most important organ for defense against pathogens that cause illness and is a huge player in a healthy immune system. You can google Leaky Gut Syndrome as well and get a whole new grasp on the importance of good bacteria for health and well being. Fermented food/drink used to be a regular part of our diets but now, not so much. Kefir, Kombucha, Sauerkraut are all good ways of adding fermented food/drink to your diet. I used to brew my own Kombucha but had to stop drinking it because its was damaging my very poor/thin tooth enamel, according to my dentist, but most people don’t have this issue. If you go the probiotic route, make sure there are as many strains as possible and that there is a guaranteed delivery (time released), and expiration date and that they are refrigerated. Sorry if that’s TMI!
On the contrary, this is super helpful. I can say that I have barely ever taken antibiotics. My mother was an early critic of their widespread use and found a doctor ally in the 50s and 60s and 70s. I had two surgeries as a child and was certainly on them then, but other than that just once in my entire life! That said, my gut could still use some help!
Thank you for mentioning the tooth enamel issue–I was thinking about trying kombucha, but my enamel’s no good either. And speaking of TMI, probiotics (of the refrigerated/many strains variety mentioned above) have cut way, way down on the number of yeast infections I have, but have not been much help with my GERD. Although I suppose it’s possible (just) that it might be even worse without them.
I agree with Laurels about helpfulness with GERD. I use probiotics and drink kefir on a very regular basis and still get GERD. I think it’s possibly helpful if the GERD is caused by the H pylori bacteria-which I’ve been tested for and don’t have.
Oh no, sorry for the car! Those money really should go towards perfume, not a new bumper
Sorry about the car.
We had car repairs last year. I was really grumpy part of our saving money needed to go to something like that. But then again, it IS one of the reasons why we save up right? for those unforeseen events and accidents.
A POX on the person who rear-ended your van. I bope insurance covers most, if not all, of tbe cost.
Most importantly – what did you put in your cart
That’s such a drag to have to use your dreaming dollars to pay for car repairs! Maybe with insurance it won’t be so bad.
Thanks all, but it could be worse! The van is completely drivable and it’s more of a minor annoyance than a major tragedy. I’ll be out my deductible, but that’s all. When I first bought my brand new beloved FJ (Oh how I miss you, my love!), I had it a total of 3 months and a drunk driver hit it head on in the middle of the night resulting in over 9K in damage. So, in light of that, I think this minor SNAFU is just a little hiccup. I’m still eyeballing my Luckyscent cart, though…;)
And added sorries about the car! I love love love filling up a Luckyscent cart and then letting it disappear.
I guess perspective helps-you have a positive outlook!
I have carts filled on various sites and sometimes that just satisfies the itch.
I’m really sorry to hear about your van. I’m glad neither you nor T-Rex were injured, just inconvenienced.
Wow! I didn’t know! Happy Sense of Smell day everyone!
Also happy longer May weekend!
May 1 and 3 are public holidays in Poland, I took May 2 off from work, stretching my weekend to 5 days! Love it!
Tomorrow we’ll be going with my parents to Africanarium to have a look at the animals.
SotD is Encens Jinhae by Atelier Cologne.
What fun, enjoy the long weekend!
I’m envious! Not a holiday here.
Enjoy your mini/vacation!
Extended weekends are the best! Enjoy
Enjoy your long weekend, sweetie. These are holidays too in some parts of Asia and some colleagues who were already late to submit their work asked for more time!
Did you attend sniffapalooza (saw some pics on IG) or not this time?
Oh no …… so sorry Deva!
I was rear ended the day I went back to work after my moms funeral. Took almost a month to get my car back.
But I digress…
What was in your cart? ?
I do that all the time.
Robin, take it easy and rest.
Onda VdE, Salome, Nicolai Vetyyver, Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 156 Vaniglia del Madagascar…so many more I’d like to add. I think I’m in perfume withdrawal and it’s more painful than I was expecting. Happy to know I’m not alone in the pseudo shopping cart spree!
Sorry you had the added drama of being rear ended after your mom’s funeral, no less! Talk about adding insult to injury. Hope things are getting better for you
My favorite smell in the world is Narcisso Rodriguez Muscle in the silver mirrored bottle. I spray it on my shower curtains. The bed sheets, inside my handbags, etc. I must be alone in this olfactory delight, since it is almost extinct out there. But my favorite “real smell” is a dewy, wethe lilac.
“Wet”
And “Musc”!
That’s hillarious! Narciso Rodriguez Muscle!
I bet it has the right sexappeal
Or pexappeal even!
Sorry. My phone is malfunctioning
My grandfather died of another form of tick fever (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever). Take good care of yourself, Robin!
That picture of the Magnolia is lovely. I want to plant a couple of those. There are strains that are hardy in my area. I want to find a really fragrant one, of course.
I am commando today because of another horse emergency. The pony that has always been totally strong and healthy has a mild case of founder. The back seat of my car now has bantamine, but, and also some antifungal medicine for the other pony who has some rain rot, rolling around in it. I feel awful. It is hard to get good help, but obviously I have not been supervising them closely enough. The stress and long hours of my stupid paying job is no excuse to neglect my beautiful big hairy babies. Not sure what I am going to do, exactly, but I need to make a change…
oh, poor horses! Hoping they recover quickly and you can find decent help asap.
Wow, I am assuming he was untreated? (I do not know if it is ever fatal when treated, so just guessing.)
And so sorry about your horses!
Oh, my grandfather died in 1926, before they really had a handle on antibiotics. My father was 5. When I was a child, my sibs and I got every vaccination that came along.
Yep, so did we. People still remembered polio then.
Poor horses
good luck finding good help!
Oh I am so sorry about the horses. I hope everyone heals quickly.
I’m sorry to hear that the horses are sick and you are stressed. Sending positive vibes (human and equine) your way.
How are you Robin?
Bouchron EDT
Smelling wonderful!
Tired! But already losing some of the other symptoms, so that is good
Wonderful, glad you are feeling better!
Oh, you smell great!
No 19 Poudre
Busy Busy weekend
Happy sense of smell day. Temperatures are slowly climbing towards a level thats normal/average for this time of year.
I love how the weather influences the way all things smell! The asphalt, garbage, grass, trees, people…everything changes.
I was wearing Philosykos (edt) this morning. Its soooo good, i bought a small bottle last summer, despite its poor longevity.
(people say the edp lastst longer, but to my nose/on my skin it seemed there was a difference and i prefer the edt)
Same here! Not as warm as it should be but the forecast says we’ll get there soon.
Philosykos is one of the perfumes that make me go nauseaous
Oh thats too bad. But I can totally get it.
What other perfumes make you nauseous?
I hardly get extreme physical reactions from perfumes. Sometimes a sneeze here and there. A few scents from Juliette Has a Gun and By Kilian gave me a headache.
And intensely sweet scents, like Black Opium or La Vie est Belle, just make me extremely uncomfortable. They are suffocating.
Oh and Womanity..there is just something wrong with that!
Haha (trying to keep it polite
Totally agree re: La Vie & Black Opium, etc. When i do smell perfume in the wild it is often these types, and they suck up the air somehow.
The one that really got to me lately was Juliette Has a Gun and an Oud (probably not the correct name). I sprayed it on the ‘girls’ on my way out of Sephora, and they shouted at me in the car all the way home. Instant headache. Bad move.
I think Moonlight in Heaven from Kilian and Une Nuit a Bali Murmure de Dieu. Perhaps its their boiled rice note that bothers me.
It can make me nauseous sometimes and other times I really like it. How weird is that? I am this way with fig in general I think.
I cannot seem to keep fixed in my mind which Diptyque concentrations I prefer and wish they’d never introduced the EdPs
I know I liked L’Ombre better in the EdT.
I cant remember what L’ombre I tried. I still have the sample so I am going ti look up what it was and then try the other concentration. Because the one I tried opened gorgeous but turned into something to sweet to my liking.
So if the other concentration behaves better, maybe its not that bad after all.
The edp is much sweeter, at least on me. I really like both versions. I got some Tauerville Rose Flash in a swap (thank you, Katrina!), and decided it was similar enough to the edp that I didn’t need both, but I’m still hankering for a bottle of the edt.
Laurels, thanks for chiming in
Sounds like I really need to try the edt (I checked my sample, and it was the edp).
L’Ombre is one of the few rose scents that I ‘get’, but the edp ended up too sweet on my skin after a few hours (like ‘candy’ sweet).
I’m with you! I never came to appreciate their EdPs, and a couple of perfumes I like from the brand I prefer in EDT (but I think some of them got discontinued – e.g., Volutes
).
Bantamine, BUTE, and…. i don’t know what is up with my spellchecker. I put the word in three times and it still changed it when I posted it.
Silly technology, thinking it is being helpful.
Drives me nuts. Does yours capitalize the name of every flower, too?
That drives me insane! I’ve even put the lowercase in as a shortcut and it inserts the word then capitalizes after I type the next word
I hate to turn off auto-cap because I do type in a rush.
Hello friends and Happy Saturday. Havent been able to post that much lately. Work has been bananas and will be for the remainder of the school year. Honestly, I just grabbed the first perfume I got my hands on this morning; so there’s no method to my madness. Wearing BlackBerry&Bay by Jo Malone. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I did a random sorting of the list of my perfumes that I haven’t warn in a while to get a choice of perfume to wear – and got Blackberry & Bay. But then I remembered that I “need” to fit two more wearing of my favorite perfumes into April – so B&B will have to wait until Monday. But you smell great!
You smelled great! My favorite Jo Malone.
Sampling Sous le Vent this morning thanks to a surprise package from a very lovely NSTer, and preparing myself for a whirlwind day of plant shopping and gardening since it’s supposed to be mostly sunny and reasonably temperatured here today. Yay! The little redbud tree in the back yard is COVERED in magenta buds – it just occurred to me that I’ve never investigated whether they are scented. Must go sniff!
I don’t get any scent from redbuds, but they are so lovely.
Same here – no scent at all. But they’re so beautiful!
I didn’t know it was Sense of Smell Day, but I did go on a brief sniffing trip to Antwerp. Tried Amouage Bracken (love it), Amouage Blossoms something (silly name, silly fragrance), Tom Ford Vert de Fleur (OK but not great), Frédéric Malle Superstitious (very nearly a scrubber) and some other things that I have entirely forgotten about. Oh, yes, I sniffed some of the Lush showergels, Yummy Mummy was my favourite, but I refuse to buy anything by that name. Put on some Lush Lust, it’s a great, great jasmine.
Have a nice nap Robin!
Antwerp is great!
And yummy mummy is a weird name.
Antwerp is just wonderful. Do smell the YM, it smells very good.
Lush Lust is a beauty. And Antwerp! Sounds like the perfect day trip. Hope you had something nice to eat, too.
It’s only 30 km from where I live, so I go there quite regularly.
I had a gaufre liégoise. It was lovely.
What bugs me is that the Yummy Mummy shower gel is just wonderful. I hate the name, plus I’m not a mummy.
No one who is a mummy uses Yummy Mummy shower gel because mummies, by definition, are dead
By the way, I hate the name “Yummy Mummy,” too, regardless of the type of mummy.
Austenfan, no need to apologize for being grumpy. Annoying names like that bring out my inner curmudgeon as well
As for the Python quotes, ooooohhhh, the possibilities are endless. Albatross!!!
Well, maybe the name is a reference to the British variant of “Mommy.” Would Yummy Mommy be a more appealing idea for a shower gel? I dunno…
I know the combination is quite common in the UK, but the whole concept just gets on my nerves. Sorry, I can be quite grumpy about these things.
I would just love if someone started a brand and gave the products really random names, like quotes from Python or something.
Yes it is, English mothers (including me) are ‘mummy’, which is a Name I have a great fondness for, and will be very sad when my kids are older and I’m just ‘mum’ but I agree the term ‘yummy mummy’ is just obnoxious!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who refuses to buy things with stupid names! Generally, it’s microbrews with dumb and/or offensive names/labels.
Mind you if the fragrance is good enough I’ll look the other way about a stupid name. I think the Delrae’s have mostly very cheesy names, but the fragrances are so stunning, that I did buy them anyway.
Some of the beer names bug me, too. And don’t get me started on Urban Decay.
I love Antwerp, but haven’t been since I got the perfume bug. I can’t wait to try Bracken even though the name puts me off. I quite like Vert de Fleur but get its not being for everyone.
I actually find it very accessible, but just not that exciting. It is very pretty though, and if it were an awful lot cheaper I wouldn’t mind a small bottle, but at Ford prices it’s a big No.
Antwerp is wonderful, it was incredibly busy though.
Well yes, it is the price that makes it so hard to take. I bought a small bottle as I liked it so much and had a discount, but the TF prices aren’t warranted, I agree.
In French it’s Mamamiam, does that work better for you? ;-). It happens to be my favourite Lush shower gel.
I’m so glad that everyone is so helpful
!
Have to think about that one.
Well I’ve thought of some random names:
“I want a shrubbery” for a very green showergel
“Your mother was a hamster” a showergel for women
“Your father smelt of elderberries” a showergel for men
“Just a flesh wound” a showergel with skin healing properties.
The options are just endless.
Lush needs to hire you, austenfan!
Well done austenfan!
First thing I thought of was…
“He’s a lumberjack and he’s okay” a log shaped soap for those overly-bearded hipster boys, and for their lady friends “I fart in your general direction”. A bath bomb in a very pretty yet indolic, ironic white floral.
I love your ideas as well! The bath bomb in particular. That phrase is one of my most favourite random phrases in English.
Thanks austenfan! I think we’re on a roll!
Too funny! How about an aquatic called “She Turned Me Into a Newt”?
Brilliant! A few capfuls turns the water into a murky pond?
I would buy all of these. In a heartbeat.
I do worry about the shower gel named “SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM”.
It would be very hearty!
I’d be chased by the dogs in my ‘hood if I used that one!
Ha! I love that idea. What would “Bring Out Your Dead” smell like? I think Death and Decay might have already covered that.
It could have a flanker called “I’m a king, I’m supposed to know these things”. The first one would smell of lilies, as they are so often used in funeral wreaths, the second I have to think about.
Still snickering at Just A Flesh Wound. It could be a bright red pomegranate gel.
Just planted a lilac in my garden so wearing Opardu to celebrate. I really want a bottle of this and Antonia. That lottery win needs to hurry up or I might do something silly with a credit card.
Glad you’re feeling a bit better, Robin; hope you’re much better soon.
I love lilac but, aside from my brown thumb, it’s too warm where I live for this plant. I hope your bush grows quickly and brings you joy!
Antonia is my most favorite from the line. I should probably re-visit Opardo.
sotd = Les Infusions de Prada Amande
I like this one very much, luxe soap with almonds and heliotrope. Sounds simple but it is more than the sum of its parts. Lovely.
I’m procrastinating the things on my to-do list in favor of a handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips + salted almonds and a relaxing think about fragrance.
Thank you to Robin and to everyone who makes NST a wonderful place to be.
I like this one very much, too. You smell wonderful.
Your scent and your snack both sound perfect!
Your scent and snack are well paired. You smell lovely. Procrastinating to enjoy chocolate
is understanble. And the almonds are a superfood.
Glad to hear you are feeling better, Robin. Get all the rest you need, please feel no guilt.
We’ll be sending you all sorts of good vibes.
Favorite smell: tomato leaves, hence my botanics-inspired perfume name.
Tomato leaves are special.
I have a pair of leather garden gloves I wear when I’m working on the tomato vines in my garden. Such a unique smell. Yesterday I picked the first few cherry tomatoes of this season.
I love tomato leaf
My favorite scent is that of daffodils, but I don’t care for daffodil perfume.
I’m testing Mitsouko today. It smells familiar somehow; I feel like one of my Aunts may have worn it long ago. I think I like it, I’m just not sure its for me.
The same thing has been true of lilac for me, but I’m still hoping I’ll eventually come across a lilac perfume I like,
The Pacifica lilac gets mentioned here a lot, and it’s pretty easy to find. Ulta and Whole Foods carry the line.
Pure soap on me, unfortunately.
Have you tried Highland Lilac of Rochester? https://www.highlandlilac.com
SOTD = Guerlain Mon Precieux Nectar
Sniffapalooza Saturday!
– I’m here with wendysue. We reeked up a storm at Bergdorf and stimulated the economy. I bought the presentation version of By Kilian Black Phantom – coffee! rum! caramel!
https://nstperfume.com/2017/03/25/by-kilian-black-phantom-new-fragrance/
– We listened to potty mouth Chandler Burr talk about working with perfumer Caroline Sabas on ELDO You or Someone Like You. We were able to smell 3 mods and the final one. I don’t get it. He seemed overly obsessed and adamant about how silly it is to talk about “notes” – they are RAW MATERIALS goshdarnit. And he thinks people in LA don’t wear perfumes.
– Precious Liquid just launched with “3D” perfume technology. After all that techno-babble hype, all 3D technology is is …. drumroll please … LAYERING! You have got to be kidding me!
To be continued …
–
LOL @ stimulating the economy!
That sort of how I like to ‘explain’ my purchases. “If I dont buy stuff, lots of other people will lose their jobs”
Oh how I wish I was with you at Sniffa, but I am sure you are having a blast without me! Keep reporting back, I want to hear (and smell) everything.
Looking forward to more of your thoughts from Sniffapalooza. Or perhaps a guest post report
Did you go to TL last eve? I went for a bit before a birthday party that was close by. I didn’t see any of the usual suspects but did meet some nice people. I stimulated my sense of smell, but not the economy this time.
Have fun! I’m going vicariously through your report.
You smell great! Interesting Sniffa report, looking forward to smelling Black Phantom. As for “3D perfume” = layering, ha!
Did you have to listen to CB? I mean, I still can’t understand why his approach (no names, no packaging – from his previous project or no notes in this one) is better than the regular approach.
Look forward to more details of your fragrant weekend.
I don’t know what they do now, but they used to do the speeches in a little cafe at BG, and the only way in and out was right in front of the speaker’s nose. The first time I went we were stuck in there at least 40 minutes. I decided next time I would skip the breakfast
Yay for you and Wendysue! I suppose CB believes it is only tourists keeping The Scent Bar afloat?
I sprayed what felt like a giant cloud of Wood Sage and Sea Salt and can barely smell it (so much for Sense of Smell day). I was blaming my nose until my husband wandered in and nearly overwhelmed me with his beloved Clubman Special Reserve. I’m going to be peeved if my less-than-a-year-old bottle of WS & SS is going off!
WS&SS was never strong on me to begin with.
I haven’t worn it for a couple of months, but I feel like it used to be a bit stronger, esp. when freshly sprayed. But no staying power, then or now . . .
In Chanel 19 post-shower, going to a ‘ladies who lunch’ kind of place today and it seemed fitting.
Tested out Terry de Gunzburg Ombré Mercure this morning and enjoyed it. The opening brought an old scent memory up, my first thought was Je Reviens which I haven’t smelled in decades. Not sure how accurate the association is but it popped right to mind so I might have to investigate and compare. The TdG morphed into more of an oriental further along and that was very lovely too.
Off to lunch!
Hoping we’ll meet pre-cruise! I can bring a decant of Ombre Mercure for you!
I hope so too!
Robin, I’m glad you are feeling a little better! It sounds like you’re taking care of yourself really well, and that does my heart good.
I’m busy spritzing away today in honor of Sense of Smell Day. Started out with Cartier Santos and Bal a Versailles PdT (from a mini). Santos is spicy, warm and wonderful. I’m confused about the Bal, though. It’s not nearly as assertive as I thought it would be. I get some citrus and creaminess, and it was gone in less than an hour. I’m wondering if it was old stock. Bah.
Took a shower and did away with those two. Added AA Erdenstern and Bohemian Spice, both from a very kind NST fairy godmother. The Bohemian Spice has a bit too much patch for me, but the Erdenstern, oh the Erdenstern. This is lovely. I really need to have some of this wonderfulness.
My favorite smell….right now, it’s Erdenstern ;), but last night it was Vetiver Tonka. Yep, I’m a fragrant flibbertigibbet.
Mmmmm AA Bohemian Spice. I haven’t tried Erdenstern, but I ADORE BS. Unfortunately, my boyfriend agrees with you. Or, perhaps he might say it’s a bit too much everything for him
The Erdenstern is much quieter on me. It’s warm, with cocoa, wood, light tobacco and spice. It might get a good reception from him.
That sounds wonderful, and yeah, I think you’re right!
I had the same experience you did with BaV. I don’t know whether the sample wasn’t good, or I’m just anosmic to something in it.
SOTD Memo Granada left- Memo Eau de Memo right.
Enjoying Sniffapalooza with hajusuuri. She is an amazing
“multitasker”, posting prolific prose during presentations. I’m trying it….
At Bergdorf Goodman, there is a new line that the organizing SA described as a Santa Maria Novella of France, Buly 1803. The packaging is beautiful and there is a variety of scented products. The fragrances are very quiet, and water based.
I liked the Eau Triple English Honey. https://www.buly1803.com/en/
As for Chandler Burr… luckily the lovely representative from Annick Goutal, Francoise, spoke afterward and expressed a much more flexible, nuanced, individual approach to appreciation of perfume.
Stay out of trouble, although with hajusuuri that might be difficult!!
I keep missing you! Hope you’re having a good time and can’t wait to hear about all the spoils.
Buly 1803 looks really interesting! Hope to hear more about this year’s Sniffa sometime after you get back to DC. Enjoy!
That sounds super fun – glad you’re having a great weekend!
Very early summer-like here, so undecided what to wear. Will be at an event tonight that looks to be oversold, so nothing too dramatic. Maybe time to break out Jardin sur le Nil……
Stand firm and don’t allow them to boot you out!
Carnal Flower on this non-lazy Saturday! We are packing/making a giant pile of things to donate, and later today, I’ll have to practice driving a stick shift again. It’s not going ideally…. I’ve stalled on big streets a couple times. Never yet when there was a car behind me, thankfully, but it’s so mentally exhausting.
I don’t really see why tuberose is viewed as such a carnal scent. I read that there are people who spontaneously orgasm at the scent of tuberose, but I have yet to have that experience.
I have one answer: Smell Fracas
Preferably extrait de parfum.
I’ll keep my eye (and nose) out for it
You might want to read this, as it makes a great comparison between the 3 big tuberoses. I think Vamp à New York is quite a sexy scent, but in a fun way. Plus it’s utterly gorgeous.
https://nstperfume.com/2008/06/05/eau-ditalie-magnolia-romana-ellie-d-ellie-nuit-by-kilian-beyond-love-fragrance-reviews/
Thanks for the link
I would say that Carnal Flower is among the least carnal of tuberoses. I am not a fan of the note in general and my person *hates* it, but I think if you want the va va voom, CF isn’t the one. Fracas, as austenfan suggests, or Moonbloom?
Ooh, I’ve been looking forward to trying Moonbloom! I’ll keep that in mind. I did more mean that tuberoses as flowers aren’t that carnal-smelling to me, but perhaps my nose is just odd.
I like Carnal Flower but I don’t find it sexy either – more of an in-your-face scent.
Exactly how it feels to me!
Robin: I hate to admit it but the old adages “youth is wasted on the young” and “you’ve got nothing, if you don’t have your health” are so true. I started getting migraines 28 years ago and now that my hormones have abated, they are not as debilitating or lengthy but this week I had one for 5 days when it used to be one. Pills help a bit but don’t necessarily knock them out.
I am still hoping for your fast recovery. I applaud you for being able to carry on with the site.
SOTD: Jessica McClintock, my favourite perfume of all time. Need to use it up because husband puts the heat on at night and fries my perfumes in the bathroom.
Recently received a bag of minis bequeathed by a late friend. In it was a mini of Michael Kors Island, which gives me great joy!
Ha, I tell my son all that all the time
And my mother likes to say old age is not for sissies.
Migraines are probably worse than Lyme? I don’t know, I have had all sorts of weird health problems, but most of them relatively minor, and have never had a true migraine. I have passed out a few times from something that might be “silent migraine” but hard to say for sure since so far no doctor has figured it out. Anyway, if you’ve gone through 28 years of migraines, you’ve shown more fortitude than I’ve been called to show, so I applaud you!
A friend had atypical migraines for years and then they decided it was from Lyme disease. Migraines alone are so life changing and take a toll on quality of life.
Robin, I hope you will feel better quickly and side effects of the treatment will wane. Just stay inside and write NST
.
Ha, well then I’ve come full circle!
I am tired today but otherwise a million times better than I was on Tuesday! I made a brief run to the bagel store for my son this morning, otherwise have not left the house since LAST Tuesday other than to pick my son up from school and the one trip to the doctor.
Wore a sample of Black Calamus this morning and decided it just isn’t special enough to warrant the price for me. Now a shower and something new, yet to be determined . . .
And it’s Rahele. Smells lovely on a slightly sweaty day.
I love Rahele. You smell great!
I am wearing the Dame soliflore, Freesia. I have trial size or samples of four of the soliflores and this is my favorite.
Today is the first time I am wearing ‘Songe d’un Bois d’Été’ from Guerlain which I just got and I am enjoying it immensely…
That is such a stunning scent. I’m saving up for it. I’m wearing it’s sibling, Rose Nacrée du Désert.
That is a lovely one. I have a decant which for some reasin I rarely wear, but I better use since it’s evaporating!
You smell wonderful!
Did some gardening/weeding today and wore ELDO Rossy de Palma which I much prefer when it’s warm.
I went to Twisted Lily last night for the Sniffapalooza kick-off, though I’m not going to the other events, and after sniffing and resniffing lots of stuff, only 2 moved me this time: Papillon Tobacco Rose which is *much* better on skin, and Arquiste Ella, but I didn’t buy either.
I love Tobacco Rose. A lot. Ella I either don’t get or haven’t had enough on at one go. I also tried it at Twisted Lily with a sales associate who was decidedly lukewarm about it at the time, which likely didn’t help. Ha! I shouldn’t out anyone.
I’ve always only tried Tobacco Rose on paper, but I tbink it doesn’t do it justice. I actially thought it was a tad masculine. I’ve tried Ella a couple of times but I think it just hit me differently this time. Yeah, those ladies are very honest.
I agree about TR. It smells amazing on in ways that don’t come through with a blotter. And honesty is good! I bought plenty when I was there regardless,. including, as I recall, Anubis.
On paper I get the somewhat fruity rose but on skin, it starts to smolder. I like the slightly bitter edge.
Tobacco Rose is wonderful. Didn’t care for Ella (or El).
I didn’t love El and maybe love is a strong word for the Ella experience. I should’ve asked for a sample since I was all sprayed up and the scent may have been cross-pollinated.
My honey returned home from being gone all week around noon and we spent an afternoon at a concert and craft beer festival. It was rather hot and I’m in L’Ombre Dans L’Eau (thanks, She-ra) for the first time. I’ll admit, that first spray or two of green was a tad overwhelming but out it that heat it was just perfect and not overpowering or stifling ar all. I love catching a whiff of something good and then realizing it’s your own perfume!
Happy Saturday, you great smelling people!
I remember being a little surprised at that burst of green, but now I love it — I think that’s exactly why I like the EdT better than the EdP.
You must have smelled gorgeous! I was dithering between L’Ombre and Jour d’Hermes for an event tomorrow, and had settled on Jd’H, but now I may have to rethink it….
You smelled gorgeous, and I bet that was a super fun day. I love craft beer festivals.
SOTD is Hiram Green Voyage.
It has been a day of sensory experiences – I had a massage this AM for TMJ issues – Nasal passages were involved.
Then, I came home an spent 2 hours cleaning a winter’s worth of doggie deposits from the yard. That really took advantage of those open nasal passages.
Followed that by filling an essential oil atomizer with orange water and made avgolemono: Greek Chicken soup with lemon, eggs and orzo:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-greek-egg-and-lemon-so…
Now, for a hot bath, wine and some delicious SOTN.
A hot bath and wine sounds amazing! Enjoy!
LOL about the open nasal passages. My small dog likes to stick her tongue up my nose and clean it for me, very disconcerting – she is fast and I can’t always dodge it in time. :-0
Right now I am baking chocolate chip cookies … now that’s a good smell! Today I wore Profumum Meringa.
????????
^those emojis are in response to your dog’s predilections, not your sotd!
A few weeks ago, I had to do the winter backyard dog poo cleanup, too. It’s like a minefield if you don’t, lol.
Glad to hear your Lyme symptoms are dropping off, Robin!
Today was so very warm for April — mid 80s for a high! I broke out one of my summertime staples, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. It smells so good on sun-warmed skin.
I’ve been playing with some EOs and absolutes recently, and at the moment my very favorite smell is benzoin resin.
Happy Sense of Smell Day (and Sniffapalooza Day 1 to those of you participating)!
No headache all day! And you smell great.
What are you doing with the benzoin? Or just sniffing?
So far just sniffing and enjoying it, but I might eventually dilute a little in a rectified spirit and use it in my DIY perfume experiments. Ditto for beeswax absolute, which also smells heavenly to me!
Gotcha. I love the smell of plain benzoin too. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled beeswax absolute though.
I received the little roller ball of Tauer’s new Attar in today’s mail. I was on my way out so I put it back in the box and took it with.
It completely replaced the new car smell and carpet bombed my Chanel 5 to smithereens.
My first Attar, and does it pack a punch! The fragrance is wonderful though. I barely dotted my wrists and am going into the evening in a sweet fog.
I am still waiting for my package to arrive!
Please weigh in when you do. The #5 sort of crawled out from underneath it and now I smell like pumpkin pie.
This is why I don’t layer. I always end up with pumpkin pie.
I wore and am still wearing SSS Nostalgie today. I finished off an evaporated small decant and can move on to my travel spray. I’m thinking a sample order is due soon from SSS. I still haven’t tried Pacific Forest or Equestrian. And maybe get a travel spray of Jour Ensoleille or one of the violet or rose scents too.
Sniffapalooza Part 2 – highlights
– At lunch, I sat next to Dominique Brunel, one of the co-founders of NEZ: La Revue Olfactive magazine. I have not cracked open the shrink wrap but you can read all about it here:
https://nstperfume.com/2017/02/27/nez-la-revue-olfactive-magazine-review/
They are looking for a distributor. You can subscribe through their website. I have not done it myself so don’t know cost and/or their plans if they don’t find a distributor.
– Ilana Jivago (and I kept thinking of the Hotel Trivago saturating TV right now) presented her latest fragrance “The Gift of Love”. The test strips were feathers (!!!) and what I smelled was a sensual musk. I have to spend more time with it. Since she does not engage in selling on Saturday, she GAVE AWAY 60 full bottles (insert eye popping emoticon). How generous was that? I plan on paying it forward.
– Demeter – Some lucky person got a travel spray of Kitten Fur. Mark Crames said it was so popular they sold out quickly and he is having difficulty sourcing raw materials to make more. If you’ve smelled it, please chime in!
– Abhati Suisse is a body products company that gives its profits to social causes. The current beneficiary of this generosity is Educate Girls Charity. According to the U.S. distributor, Hermes designer donated their time to design the packaging and had a conniption when they found out they were required to slap on a barcode. What planet were the designers on?
– Wendysue and I went back to Bergdorf as Edward Bess was going to be there and he was! I thought he only designed perfumes but noooo, he also has a make-up line. More retail therapy ensued!
– We then parted ways and agreed to meet up at the Madison and 75th Annick Goutal boutique. I stopped by Saks to get a sample of Prada Infusion d’Mimosa and d’Rose. I succeeded with the former. Unbeknownst to me, Saks was having a $20 off purchase of $100, including beauty. More retaiil therapy!
– I Uber’d to the boutique. The boutique was very welcoming and had some limited edition bottles and GWPs. More retail therapy!
That’s it for now. Wendysue will be participating in Day 2 activities and hopefully she will report out!
Wow, that sounds like fun!
Edward Bess makeup has gotten excellent reviews from Gaia on the Non-Blonde. Thanks for these Sniffa posts!
He was there doing make-up for a friend. He has a calm unassuming manner. We watched his artistry for a bit.
Would love to see him in action! He is a true makeup artist.
Wow, what fun!
Wish you could post a pic of all your “retail therapy”????????
Wow! This sounds like an amazing day. Thanks for reporting!
I’m proud of you: you’re singlehandedly support our economy!
Sounds like a fun day. Tell us more after you test whatever new things you’ve got.
Fab report! Thank you, hajusuuri.
I em enjoying the spring edition of Nez. It is beautiful. Alas, my French skills have weakened so much that it is tough reading for me, should have waited for the English edition.
A global shortage of kitten fur? Oh, yikes.
I grew up in a family where one day a week retail activities were verboten. I deeply admire Ilana’s devotion to her personal ethics. Well done.
One of my very favourite smells was the Daphne shrub in my garden, the smell is incredible, creamy, citrusy and indolic! but sadly it died suddenly, after I had been weeding around its roots in a vein attempt to get on top of the mutant buttercups that are taking over my garden. I have since read that Sudden death syndrome is common in Daphne’s, so sad but hopefully will plant another in the same spot in the autumn.
Now I’m curious to smell a Daphne! I’ll have to check and see if they grow in my part of the U.S.
My Daphne is almost dead
It still has some leaves left but it didn’t blossom this winter – and I don’t know why: we had enough rain, I don’t think it was either too warm or too cold – and still… Daphne is my second most favorite nature blossom smell after linden.
It’s after midnight here, and I am now officially 49. I am really hoping this year is better than last year, or at least the last two weeks, which have featured two (moderate) allergic reactions and two (unrelated) trips to urgent care. On the other hand, I had a very pleasant first date last week, and, unless something goes wrong (see above), a second date tomorrow. I have been giving a LOT of thought to what perfume to wear to an afternoon concert in a venue I suspect is not air-conditioned, and had settled on Jour d’Hermes, because I haven’t worn L’Ombre dans l’Eau edt on a really hot day, and wasn’t feeling Sage Onyx. But now KellyC’s post has me reconsidering. Sigh. Per Mals’ recent observation, I have definitely spent much more time pondering my perfume choice than my outfit. (For those of you who care: black fitted tee, long white skirt, black flats, peach shawl in case there is air conditioning. And I’d better find a necklace, now that I think of it.)
Happy Walpurgisnacht to all the witches!
Happy Birthday! Hope it’s a great year.
Happy birthday, and best wishes that this year is as wonderful as the last one was unpleasant. Good luck on the second date!
Happy Birthday Laurel! I say wear a scent that makes you happy. If it’s a doozy, then apply discreetly, lol. Have a great second date!
Happy Birthday Laurels! I wish you a lot of pleasant surprises and none of the other kind.
Happy scented Birthday, Laurels! Hope you can wear a little bit of something that makes you smile today.
Happy birthday to you, and hope it is a lovely 2nd date!
Happy birthday! Have a wonderful second date, and stay healthy!
Happy birthday Laurels!
Happy birthday, Laurels, have a great second date and a great year!????
Thank you, everyone! It was a very nice second date, and I think the odds are pretty good for a third. I went with Jour d’Hermes, just because I’ve worn it a lot and always feel comfortable in it. I have leftover cake with vegan chocolate ganache in the fridge, which turned out quite well and didn’t make my stupid stomach feel any worse than it usually does lately. All in all, a well-above average birthday.
PSA for everyone in the DC area: this is the last week for Artomatic in Crystal City. Six floors of art by local artists, much of it AMAZING, plus a “market” with inexpensive small arts and crafts by artists. There was live music last night and there will be other special events today. There will be closing events next weekend. You can easily look up the program online. Admission is FREE.
Prices range from under $50 to $2,000, mostly under $500, I think. And you can easily just enjoy looking.
Nozkoz, wanted to tell you I did some soap shopping! Thanks for your recommendations
Excellent! Which ones did you get?
santa maria novella in Verbena & Claus Porto Ilyria. The woman at the pharmacy told me to cut the Claus Porto soap so it will last longer (i got the big bar)
I also use egg white soap on my face and body.
Are these purchases something you would use for your skin?
Addendum to Sniffapalooza report
– Linger fragrance primer. We didn’t try it, but it sounds promising for those beloved scents that are just too fleeting. http://www.lingerfragranceprimer.com/linger/
hajusuuri and I are probably among the most “well adjusted” people in NY following all the retail and sniffing therapy
.
I remember several years ago another product for the same purpose but I’ve never tried it myself and haven’t read more reports on it since. It would be interesting to see if this one succeeds more.
Concrete primer!
https://nstperfume.com/2014/02/24/canvas-concrete-fragrance-primer-product-review/
I think there was another one too, but now I can’t remember what it was.
Nothing is more important than mental health.
SOTD FM Vetiver Extraordinaire.
You sniffapaoolza people are making my day! Love the whirlwind reports on scents I most likely will never sniff.
Very hot today and this FM is really hitting the spot. I have a busy day of loading the van up and moving to a new apartment just down the road that happens to be a bit cheaper. Cha-Ching! More money in my pocket. Still waiting for the adjuster to evaluate my van.
Supposed to be headed out to Ocracoke on Thursday, but keeping an eye in the weather, which is looking a bit inauspicious. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Robin, hope you are feeling better!
You smell great!
Happy Sunday everyone! I am wafting in a cloud of happiness – my husband surprised me with a bottle of PG Bois Blond for my birthday and I am smelling so good right now. He found my lucky scent wish list and chose it, the sly devil. The coolest thing is that he also bought 10 samples for me of things that he thought sounded cool and wanted to smell on my skin. He’s so awesome.
My favorite smells are unlit cigarettes, the ocean, my cat, jasmine, hot rocks, high altitude pine forests and gasoline. If someone could combine all of those, I would be set for life.
Happy birthday, and congratulations on having such a brilliant husband! I raised my eyebrows at your mention of gasoline until I remembered that one of my favorite scents is how marinas smell – a combination of diesel fumes, slightly kelpy water, and sweaty men. And sometimes (if I’m lucky) pipe tobacco.
Happy Birthday! What a great gift. And a great hubby too!
Happy birthday, sistine! Enjoy your perfumes! While it is sweet that your husband bought you a bottle of something that you like, it is just amazing that he went further and got you samples of his own choice. Not only he did something great for you but he also made me (and probably some other readers) smile when I read about it.
Happy birthday!
Love your favorite smell list
What a great birthday surprise from your husband! Many happy returns!
What a wonderful present
Happy birthday!
Sounds like something from House of Matriarch!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday to you, too, and congratulations on the Bois Blond and the thoughtful husband.
Robin, hope that each morning you wake up feeling better and better! Lyme is serious business.
Sampled Outrageous today. Loved the crisp opening of apples and a little citrus. It starts fresh, modern, and office appropriate. But….then an awful synthetic wood (maybe ISO Super E?) reared its ugly head about 15 minutes in. I tried to ride it out, but had to scrub it after 20 min. What a shame because the opening is great. Currently basking in the wonderful Black Jade. Hope everyone has a restful Sunday!
So far, that’s just what is happening, thanks!
I like iso e super so did not mind Outrageous, except that it wasn’t outrageous and wasn’t any more interesting than much cheaper iso e super fragrances. It upsets me mostly because it was a waste of Sophia Grojsman.
Good morning, all. It’s freezing here: I’m wearing proper winter clothes for the first time. And Black Cashmere, because it’s Best Beloved day in my perfume regime, and this is one of the bestliest loved of all. Teaching resumes today. Erk. On the other hand, I am buoyed up by BC and a pretty velvet shift dress, so there’s innocent pleasure to be found everywhere. But still, erk.
Robin, I was terribly sorry to read of your illness. I do hope you are taking great care of yourself, or better still, letting other people take good care of you. I had no idea that ticks carry Lyme’s Disease: I suppose we have ticks in A-NZ, but I’ve never heard of them
transmitting disease to humans like this. My ignorance on some topics is vast and unplumbed, I can see that. Anyway, please do feel better
And in a complete up-ending of what passes for my thought processes, I have decided to listen to my inner Waterdragon (and the dear man) and stop feeling I should punish myself for the expensive but accidental flood I caused. Although I still don’t know the full cost of the damage that occurred, a small package from Luckyscent is making its way to Foxbin’s house even as I write these words. Exciting! And, if Rose de Petra comes into stick before 4 June, the package will get bigger. What fun!
Be well, all, and most particularly, a steady recovery to you, Robin.
I know there is Lyme in the UK, but honestly don’t know where else. If you are lucky it will never get to A/NZ!
And good, no sense feeling guilty forever.
Waterdragon, it looks like most of your insect-borne diseases are carried by mosquitoes, but you do have a tick-borne encephalitis. It doesn’t sound as bad as Lyme’s, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/cd-manual-arboviral-diseases-may2012.pdf
Drinking Illy Italian coffee and wearing Tiziana Terenzi Arethusa.
Egads and little fishes. I’ve just spent the better part of the weekend organizing my stash, both on a spreadsheet and bottles/decants/samples. I had bottles pretty much in one drawer in my dresser, but the samples had gotten way out of hand.
Everything is nicely organized alphabetically, sort of, and my FBs are arranged by season. In Texas, that is summer and (ahem) 63 degrees.
I feel so much better now!! ????
Excellent! I’m two or three years behind and really need to follow your example.
Now if I can only maintain it, I’ll be fine.
Good for you! I set up a spreadsheet a couple of years ago, and never touched it again.
I know it’s not the weekend but it feels like one since it’s a Bank Holiday. I am wearing Datura Noir by SL. My favourite smell of all time is a new born baby’s head.