Happy Lessons Learned Friday! (And, International Nurses Day.) Our community project for today: wear a fragrance that taught you something you didn't know about yourself, about fragrance, anything! Thanks to Floragal for the suggestion.
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I'm wearing Calvin Klein CK One, the fragrance that helped me figure out (eventually), that I needn't worry about gender in fragrance. I can't remember now if my first masculine purchase was Guerlain Vetiver or Christian Dior Eau Sauvage, but either way, I wouldn't likely have gotten there without good old CK One.
Reminder: 5/19 will be Huesday on Friday, episode 2...wear a fragrance inspired by Pantone's Color of the Year for 2017, Greenery. You do not have to wear a green fragrance — be as creative as you like with the theme! "Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate." (Huesday was originally suggested by TheGoddessRena and Olenska, and you can see episode 1 here.)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2017, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: I'm pretty sure the Calvin Klein Buck Block sneaker is sold out?
Mon Guerlain
I learned that I suffer from suffer from “white musk olfactory fatigue”
Though this one is not popular on this blog (I don’t see it come up as NST SOTD) I happen to like it, even though sometimes I can’t smell it! Maybe that is why I like it? HA!
I meant to write I suffer from “white musk olfactory fatigue”
Mommy brain I typed twice
I think I have the same issue..some of the samples I have tried I can barely smell and my best friend who sent me said samples told me that it could be because of the musk…and then I remember Robin writing that the musk can also drown out other notes as well so you end up smelling very little or nothing at all.
do you like Mon Exclusif?
I have smelled it and liked it
to me Mon Guerlain is just a thinner version of Mon Exclusif with much less white musk.
correction: Mon Guerlain is a thinner version of Mon Exclusif with a massive dose of white musk.
I love Mon Guerlain too, keep going to the mall, wanting to buy and then changing my mind, I finished all my samples. I got the shower gel which is great too.
Scentbird has 8 ml decant for $ 14.95. Just saying… 🙂
I feel very serene when I wear it, probably because I layer it with lavender lotion. Very calming
Which lavender lotion are you using?
From this place called Peace Valley http://peacevalleylavender.com
Thank you
Sotd is Lea. This scent taught me that I am willing to pay more money than I thought I would for a scent that I love that’s been discontinued. I was trying to pace myself, but CM8 told me “if you love it, wear it” so I am! Thank you CM8!????
And woo hoo for nurses everywhere!!
So glad to hear that you are living in the moment, enjoying what you have and not saving any of your favorite fragrances…they are most definitely meant to be enjoyed 🙂
Happy Nurses day to you!
Hear, hear for nurses!
Woo hoo!
TM Over the Musk. This is the first decant I ever got. My lesson was that I don’t always have to have the bottle. The problem, though, is the minute I sprayed, I thought ” I love this so much I should get a bottle” lol. I should have picked a less loved decant.
Decants are the best invention since sliced bread!????
I could not agree with you more.
LOL — so, it taught you that decants lead to bottles 😉
I am wearing P.de. Nicolai Royal Rose today. It was a blind buy that came last night. I have been craving a new scent and saw it mentioned here and on Chemist in a Bottle. It comes in a small size/price and I had an amazon gift card. The coriander is a bit strong at the moment but I have only had it on for 1/2 an hour. The lady who made my chai likes it.
I went to the F. Malle appearance at Barney’s SF Wednesday. It was swamped for a Wednesday at 4 pm. I tried to chat with people several times but it was a very high end crowd and I suppose I had little in common with them. I was told by one clerk that he would only sign full bottles and I was only buying a travel size Parfum de Therese for a friend. The lovely John who rung up may sale, latter came over and told me to get in line anyway. F. Malle did look askance when he saw the tiny box, but I when I told him it was for friends birthday he kindly signed it and drew a smiley face. It looked like he was trying to personalize each signing in some way. I did end up chatting with a few people. I seriously envied the lady near me buying 3 100 ml bottles at once! F. Malle seemed shorter than I expected, but dressed in a very nice suit. The Barney’s staff was wonderful with the crowd and passed out champagne and water to all waiting. I wish comments here came with pictures of people at times like that, maybe I would have run into a few people from here.
Sounds like a wonderful time. I’m glad to hear he was gracious, and signed your bottle.
He was, and it was a huge crowd. I heard that he spoke to a smaller group before hand upstairs, but you had to be a “big” client of Barney’s to get an invitation to that. The one lady I talked with who had heard that enjoyed it.
Fun! I’m glad he signed your purchase anyway, that’s rather silly to make it dependent on how much you spent.
It is that kind of store
What a nice experience…even if you couldn’t buy three 100 ml bottles.
Sigh, there is so much you can get for free when you spend thousands of dollars…
(I feel like the above could be the caption for a New Yorker cartoon!)
Ha! So true.
I wanted to attend it, but there is no way I could make it to SF from South Bay in the middle of the week. ShellyW, I do not think we have met, but glad to see there is another Bay Area local down here. Ping me – marianna_r in the yahooo land, perhaps if you are not too far from me, we could meet up 🙂
Cool I will
I’m glad he conceded to sign it and that’s a lovely gift for your friend! The event I went to was at the Malle boutique in Greenwich Village. Talk about chi-chi crowd. I felt kind of out place myself in the sea of well-dressed-black-wearing crowd. Did ypu get to try Superstitious?
Yes and the sales man gave me a sample for my f I end too. I am not big on white flower so I am safe 🙂
I’ve seen him several times, recently as not riff-raff at the Malle boutique for the launch of Supersticious (I missed ElisaP who was also there) and once maybe 2 years ago when FearsMice was in NY and I said, hey, let’s meet at Barneys, Frederic Malle is there. I ended up buying a shower gel (which he signed) AND got to talk to him briefly to suggest Iris Poudre Shower Gel (but he made the Iris hand cream so I am a happy camper).
He looks taller in pictures but probably due to the angle and we only really get to see his top half. I think I am taller than him and I’m 5′ 6″.
S(s)OTD- Les Senteurs Gourmandes Musc Blanc and Hiram Green Moon Bloom
Lesson learned- in my two week adventure of reeking havoc a la Holly and surfing through my massive sea of samples I have both enjoyed the ride and also come to the realization that with the exception of a select few none have moved me enough to desire a full bottle…..and how fortuitous that the two that really struck a chord were sent to me in large decants so I will be satisfied for a while.
I also learned that my wacky nose smells something different from what it should as Moon Bloom is very little tuberose and a whole lot of coconut!!!
I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to sample so many perfumes that all of you rave about as well as some I have never even heard of, but I am also grateful that I don’t feel the need for more of any of these. For now, I will continue to just enjoy exploring my sea of samples!
and yay to International Nurses Day with a big shout out to Holly, Deva, madtowngirl, Elisa and johanob and any other person who is a nurse…you guys are the best!!!!
Happy Friday, y’all!
Keep calm and reek on!
Peace, love, light xxoo
I like the keep calm and reek on 🙂
One more lesson learned…give a perfume time to develop…I applied SSS Equestrian to the tops of my hands about an hour ago…did not like it (shocking, as I am a huge fan of Laurie’s work)…but now I am finding it to be quite pleasant.
YSL Noble Leather
I assumed me that beautiful smooth ‘dainty’ suedey leathers such as Bottega Veneta would be the only types of leathers that were my thing till I idly sprayed this on a card while sampling YSL’s Oriental Collection.
I didn’t spray it on my skin but took the card with me tucking into the top of my open-topped hand bag. I got half a block before I turned around and went back to spray some of this gutsy dark leather on the back of my hand and promptly spent the whole train ride home and the rest of the evening with my nose glued to it. I bought a full bottle the next day.
It taught me to question my assumptions about what I like in a fragrance.
Great story!
I thought I just hated and couldn’t wear heavy-duty patchouli. That was before I tried Michael [Kors] for Men in 2001: I bought it on the spot. It’s a really complex scent with a lot of Lutens-y dried fruit, incense, tobacco, suede, and a big whack of patchouli near the end. I’m still not the über-patchouli fan but now at least I know I can wear it.
I have a few patch lessons in my cabinet too!
Wearing Ostara. This perfume taught me that in very gloomy, stressful days the scent of a flower can bring beauty to my life. Hugs and blessings to all our NST nurses!
😀
Hugs back and beautiful lesson!
I am not participating in the community project, but my SOTD is L’Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine. So unusual – dry, powdery and bitter.
It is unusual and yes, very dry and powdery
When my bottle ran out, I didn’t feel I needed to get another… but a young friend who I introduced to perfume loved it. She passed away Christmas two years ago, and I always regret that I didn’t buy her a bottle. She loved to bake, so it was fitting that she loved that one.
Lovely story. Sorry about your loss.
This perfume indeed smells of flour (and ground nuts, I think) at the beginning, but later turns into dry wood and irises on my skin. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever tried and it definitely grows on me.
Sorry for your loss. Bois Farine is an unusual scent, I love it though.
Could you give me your name on Instagram, I will follow you.
Hi Hera, I wasn’t even thinking of Followers, but I love that I can post pictures and share them now with such ease. When I set up the account I ran outside and took photos of my garden. It was a pretty grey day. All this to say that I haven’t much to share yet, but there is a rather nice picture of our large lug of a tabby… note the freckle on his nose.
This is me trying to figure out the 21st Century!! https://www.instagram.com/nerolimyrrh/
PS I LOVE your perfume bottle pics!!
I love your pics too. I am telling you it is very addictive. I am new to it too, love looking to others pictures and sharing mine. Enjoy the 21st century.
Oakland –
Love the pictures and so nice to put a name to a face 🙂
AND your tabby is adorable!
How pretty – you and your garden!
I am wearing Facconable EDT for men which taught me that fragrance can be gender-blind. If something smells good and you want to wear it, then go ahead! I tell my teenage sons that they’re welcome to peruse my bottles and have a spritz of something if they want, but they have yet to take me up on the offer.
I can’t get my teenage son to spray anything either. Even though I bought him some traditional teenage boy scents, he’s just not interested. On occasion, I do sneak up and spray him with something though:)
Oh, same here. My two will happily sniff anything I’m wearing and have opinions on scents, but they rarely wear even the “good stuff” I’ve bought them. I have half a mind to snitch the Midnight in Paris and the Egoiste back…
Take them back!
I’m laughing at this idea. I should totally try it. Fragrance bombing!
the young male family member in our house already has his own collection :)…my influence prevailed!!!!
I hope I am not repeating myself! But when my 16 year old set off for Jordan (he’s studying there for his fourth quarter) I insisted he take a tiny bit of cologne for himself as I recall so many men in the MENA region really enjoy fragrance. He was stumped by my collection, so I pulled out decants of Timbuktu and Creed’s Royal Scottish Lavender. I think he took them just to be polite to his mum, but I am wondering if he ever ventures to wear either one. (He’s coming home in two weeks!!)
My 5 year old daughter demands that I spray her with my fragrances (we do pretend spray) – when we open the draws she is mesmorized by all the colorful bottles – the MPG bottle with the big red crystal on the top is her favorite. She also wants to be sprayed with fragrances when I take her to department stores with me. One time she got a little decant of some horrific white flower something or rather and kept spraying it at home. I was running out of air
I also love that ridiculous MPG bottle! My husband’s Racine ran out about a year ago and I really miss the bottle. I am so jealous that you have a daughter to do daughtery things with. I tried with my boys, who humored me for a while… but just walking past the entrance to a Sephora gives them the willies.
My 17 year old probably would not spritz from my cabinet (uncool to wear something mom wears), so I buy him “men’s” fragrances and he happily sprays them on and likes it. Of course, I buy him stuff I like and then sneak sprays when he’s not around, ha!
Nice shoes.
I’m in L’orpheline today. During my haitus from here I didn’t wear much perfume at all and when I did wear some, it was always very light. I couldn’t stand anything overly sweet and just wanted light, fresh scents. I’ve been reading for L’orpheline a LOT and while it’s not necessarily “fresh” it’s light and comforting. I never thought I’d be one of those people who always reached for light scents, but that’s changing. Also, I’ll always love incense.
I’m going through a similar phase and have sold/swapped some of my heavier scents. I hope I don’t regret it if the phase passes!
My SOTD is Aphrodite’s Slipper from Demeter’s Orchid Collection. It is beautiful (freshly mown hay, mild cloves, a little honey) and I need to purchase a back-up bottle.
I could not sniff this one in person, so I am grateful that Demeter does not leave their descriptions up to Chandler Burr.
😉
SOTD and 5th re-try of the week is Robert Piguet “Bandit”. Same lesson learned as Robin’s really: Bandit isn’t even seen as unisex, but is perfect for a man.
Top: aldehydes, orange, artemisia, gardenia, galbanum, neroli, ylang-ylang and bergamot;
Mid: carnation, violet root, jasmine, rose and tuberose;
Base: leather, amber, patchouli, musk, coconut, civet, oakmoss, vetiver and myrrh.
Agree! Anybody can wear Bandit.
I am wearing Mitsouko. I learned that a perfume doesn’t need to be pretty to be gorgeous.
Mitsouko was the one that taught me that lesson too. I used to recoil from things that weren’t conventionally acceptable but with MItsouko it was “WHAT IS THIS WIZARDRY?” It changed my life.
Do you prefer the edt or the edp. I have a decant of the edp and find that for some reason, I really don’t like it as much as the edt. The edt seems more THERE.
There are so many iterations and revisions! I have the EDT from 15 or 20 years ago and it is by far my favourite: I’ve worn the vintage(ish) parfum which was too smooth, the modern parfum which was stripped of its oakmoss and therefore its strange beauty, and an undated EDP which wasn’t mean enough. I like my Mitsouko to have talons and fangs, which my oakmossy EDT has, in spades.
This is interesting to me. I have a recent EdP (bought around Christmas 2015) and I enjoy it, but I don’t get a lot of dimension or body out of it, it’s mostly spices. Occasionally I can smell the fruity peach, but I really have to look for it. I’ll have to try the EdT, and maybe order some decants of older versions.
Me three.
Priscilla and Pyramus! Exactly the same taught me the same.
Ha! That’s the difference in our age, I think. I’ve worn Mitsouko since high school (decades that’s all I’m sayin’) and have always thought it was pretty. I realize though that for younger perfumistas it *is* fairly different (especially the older bottles full of oak moss) from the norm out there. But so glad you’ve come to enjoy it! 🙂
I suspect the difference is less our age then your level of sophistication. I was wearing Muguet des Bois by Coty in HS!
But vintage MdB was amazing!!!! In my day drugstore perfumes could rival some of today’s niche.
Agreed!
lol! No one has ever accused me of being sophisticated. 😉
But back when I was in high school, there was a fraction of perfume offerings, and the Guerlains, #5, Youth Dew, White Shoulders, L’Air du Temps, Je Reviens were the standard dept. store fare, and so the only choice. No niche, no blogs, no internet – it was the dark ages! 🙂
My scent of the day was going to be Byredo’s Pulp, which taught me that it is possible to say “it smells like almost rotting fruit, but in a good way” without a trace of sarcasm. But my sample bottle was not only empty, but dry, so. . .
SOTD is No.5 L’Eau, which has taught me that even if you don’t like the pillar, the flanker may be wonderful!
hahaha! scent twin.
(I meant to add scent twin in spirit, and also, you smell lovely! No. 5 L’eau is delightful!)
Agreed on the pillar/flanker thing! And Eau Premiere taught me that. 🙂
Shalimar EDP, which I recoiled from the first time I smelled in when I was a teenager. Now, I love wearing this so much. I’m still learning from Shalimar — the way this beautiful lemon unfolds with the warmth of my skin. Then, the best vanilla in the world. Later on, it smells like the inside of a firecracker (my favorite part).
I guess it taught me that some perfumes are art. Shalimar is beautiful art.
I love your description of the three stages of this perfume–especially #3! It was my grandmother’s scent. I should re-visit it some day.
Twins! We smell so good!
My SOTD is Orchidee Vanille, which is the scent that changed my mind on vanilla. Vanilla, to me, always seemed like a bath product (body lotion) or hippie kind of thing. I kind of sneered at it… (I’ve always been drawn more to florals, especially greener florals.). OV helped expand my horizons to explore deeper, more lush scents.
mmm you smell great!
That’s an interesting observation; yesterday I was wearing Geisha Vanilla Hinoki, a fragrance I have something of a love-hate relationship with. But I was thinking the same thing, “This is a perfume that makes vanilla really interesting.” Another one like that for me is L’Artisan Havana Vanille. It was the first vanilla fragrance I ever bought. That one does tend more toward the sweet side, but it’s still got a lot of dimensions to it.
Geisha Vanilla Hinoki is like that for me too. It’s never a casual spritz. I have to be in just the right mood to really enjoy it. And then it’s marvelous. The dry down gets me every time.
My choice is Gucci EDP, the brown juice in the heavy clear bottle. It taught me many things – that there is life after discontinuation (yay for the discounters I never knew about before) … that cumin can be a gorgeous fragrance note when blended with the right things … that fragrances don’t smell the same on everyone (honestly, I didn’t know before!) … and that I don’t have to wear the same scent every day (I used to be a serial monogamist, perfumewise).
I bought that Gucci when it first came out and drained the bottle quite rapidly. It was the only cumin fragrance I could wear. Now I am learning to tolerate and accept cumin and will venture out a bit with that note.
SOTD is Mitsouko. It took me awhile to learn to love it, but it taught me that I can pull of fancy, complex fragrances. It’s a far departure from my everyday jeans and t-shirt image.
Also, as I feared, my PSA earlier in the week about the Hermes shower gels at Nordstrom was too good to be true. The SA made a mistake and the $22 bottles are travel sized. Luckily they are great about returns so mine are going back. So sorry for getting anyone’s hopes up!
Oh darn! Too good to be true
Drat!!
I’m wearing Taklamakan, which taught me that I can wear vanilla without gagging or getting a migraine. What magic is this?
I still can’t wear most other vanillas or enjoy many gourmands, but this warm, round scent which manages to be both sweet and dry is just an amazing thing.
That’s one of the few vanillas I love. You’re smelling great!
Byredo Pulp Shower Gel. Chanel Fresh Body Cream. Pulp perfume. Pulp taught me that a juicy perfume exists and can be both mouth-watering without being saccharine.
Agree with you 100%.
Pulp is such a good fragrance, especially for the summer. Good choice!
Now I get it! 🙂
Pulp also taught me about the seasonality of perfume, that some are better for summer and don’t work as well in the winter. . .
The original Calyx (the Prescriptive one, not the re-formulated Clinique one) did that for me….taught me I could love an over the top super tart fruit perfume…in fact, there is something about Pulp that reminds me of the original Calyx (as well as Pacifica’s Hawaiian Ruby Guava).
Today I’m wearing Stephane Humbert Lucas Mortal Skin. I have been on a roll with his fragrances lately (although I have not had the experience yet of sampling O Hira). Wearing the fragrances from this House has made me realize why there is so my buzz about Arabian style perfumes (even though SHL’s are supposedly made in France). Last week I combined an oud perfume with an Arabian oil I’ve had for years. I have never received as many compliments on my fragrance as I did that day.
Mortal Skin is fantastic! I thought the blackberry note would not be for me, but the blend was amazing. You smell great.
Thank you!
Black Gemstone is also awesome.
SOTD Parfums d’Empire Azemour Les Orangers. It taught me I can actually like assertive citrus scents. This would fit next week’s theme too since it’s also green/chypre, and even the label is green 😀
Other candidates:
– FM Lys Mediterrannee: I can love lily!
– Chanel No 5 l’Eau: as Kyril said, I can love a flanker even though I hate the original.
– Guerlain Nahema: Rose can be insanely amazing. (A purchase of vintage Guerlain Samsara then Nahema pushed me towards a fragrance blackhole from which I have yet to emerge)
House cousins!
Howdy cousin! I also love Equistrius 😀
But you have *lots* of company in that vintage Guerlain black hole! 😉
Raising my hand here – “I’m Sheri and I’m a Vol-de-Nuitaholic.” 😀
Heheheeheeee… 😀
Me too! It would be one of my desert island pics.
lol my wallet weeps but it’s not a bad hole to find myself in, I seem to have excellent company down there 🙂
The main lesson I have learned about perfume is not from one particular brand, but the fact that when I feel somewhat down and life is difficult, a spritz of fragrance makes everything seem a little better.
Hear hear! A great perfume makes life more bearable even in difficult moments.
Absolutely! And until I found NST, I thought I was the only one to feel that way.
So true…
Agree. Sometimes perfume is just a part of dressing for the day, but at other times it’s a lifesaver.
Absolutely could not agree more. After a long day of work (“at the mine” a good friend says), my way of decompressing is a few sprays of something fabulous then reading the comments. You all make my day and I look forward to it.
Le Labo Santal 33. Lesson: Though I may swear up and down that I will not buy more perfume, I am not strong enough to resist an impulse buy when on vacation.
Ha!
Lol!
I’m wearing vintage Femme because when I was in Paris on a school trip when I was 18 (my first time on a plane) I spent every last dime of my souvenir money to buy a small bottle. That was 44 years ago and it taught me so much. #1: I love perfume. #2: buy a bottle of perfume on a vacation and its smell will take you back to that place and time forever. #3: It’s better to spend your money on one thing you really love than on a bunch of cheap things that are just “making do”. #4: There is a whole big world out there, don’t miss it because no one you know has ever reached out for it. Carpe diem!
All great points!
Ditto.
Hear! Hear!
Oh I love these lessons!
Hear hear!
I was flipping through a Lands End catalogue last night and found a MUCH cheaper version of the flowered tennis shoe (not quite as cute, but hey, several hundred dollars cheaper!):
https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-slip-on-sneakers/id_306746?sku_0=::3D4
And then came on here to find yet *another* shoe similar to one I also saw in the LE catalogue last night:
https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-dorsay-flats/id_306762?sku_0=::BIV
Hmm.. who’s zoomin’ who? 😉
Wearing PdE Equistrius to venture forth in the pouring rain to meet a good friend for a Mexican lunch. I recently learned that the restaurant made some national list for best burritos! Yum!!
And I see there is F&F sale, code: FRIENDS pin: 5516
Thanks for the PSA. 🙂
Twins! This my first airing of Equistrius, but I’m enjoying it.
We smell gorgeous! And I forgot to say that Equistrius taught me that PdE is one of my favorite newer houses, and that there are still some houses and/or perfumers still composing in the “old style”.
And I’ve learned I’m not (yet) sophisticated enough for their perfumes. The ones I’ve tried I appreciate, but intellectually I’m not quite there. Some day!
Oh, I doubt it has anything to do with sophistication, like you said you appreciate the ones you’ve tried. The house style just might not be “you”.
I love Corsica Furiosa, and the rest of their offerings are on my to-try list. Equistrius is very nice, but not quite my thing. Worth a try for anyone who’s ever wished for a “cleaner” Putain des Palaces, though!
Now that’s one I haven’t tried! They used to have a wonderful sample set, very reasonably priced. I just checked their site and I don’t see it. 🙁
I have learned not to discount a perfume that lists notes I normally hate. Example: cumin in El Attarine, plum in Mon Parfum Chéri par Camille. If it’s well blended with other notes it can be lovely.
Wearing Mon Parfum Chéri today. Finally some sunshine!!
You smell goooood!
MPCPC is stunning!
I’m in Boy again, and if I weren’t living through a no-buy zone, I’d get a bottle of this. . .
Boy taught me that the name, house, bottle, back story, etc. DO influence my pleasure in some perfumes. This fragrance just feels well-kept, exercised, casually elegant, and able to function after a two martini lunch….
If you haven’t had a chance, check out Robin’s excellent review of You or Someone Like You, posted yesterday… It makes you think about all the work your other senses do other than smell, especially your brain and expectations and fantasies, in framing whether you like or dislike a perfume.
I KNOW that if Boy were marketed as a macho cologne by Paco Rabanne, or even a new take on citrus lavender by Annick Goutal called “Oiseaux et graines de citron,” it just wouldn’t be the same 😉 !
Great musings!
Second this!
It’s one I often think about buying for my H. There’s a certain elegance and smoothness to it that, I agree, is likely almost entirely due to the house and bottle and it being an exclusif. It’s really good stuff, though, and my decant ran out and I might need to smell more of it…
Agree regarding Boy, even though I have not smelled it. I feel likewise about Chanel Eau de Cologne. When I spritz 4711 along with Chanel EdC I enjoy them both equally and think they are not so far apart in appeal as to justify the difference in price. Yet there is something deliciously compelling about the smell of Chanel EdC that goes beyond the price per milliliter per minute of longevity, lol. Someday my little decant will magic itself into a full bottle. 🙂
Happy Friday Everyone! Kind of in a somber mood this morning because my Houston Rockets got slaughtered by San Antonio Spurs last night. So glad I didn’t get tickets for that game! But, it’s Friday, and that’s always a good thing.
My SOTD is Santal Blush by the impeccable Tom Ford. This is the scent that taught me that there are so many unisex fragrances that don’t all smell so masculine. Santal Blush is one that I wear proudly and get so many compliments by both male and female. Have a good weekend everyone! 🙂
Hope you had a nice birthday 🙂
So enjoying reading all the lessons learned!
The lessons I’ve learned through this perfume hobby and this super smart and interesting (and sometimes a little nutty :)) community are really too many to post. But I think the thing that has struck me the most and informs many other areas of my life is that I truly love variety in my life. I can’t imagine living with just one scent and rarely do I even do 3 days in a row with a scent. And there are many other ways that variety comes into play in how I live. I’ve come to understand myself more, and even like myself more! and I would say that perfume has been the catalyst for this greater realization and I’m grateful.
Another lesson… just because a scent has sweet notes (tonka, cacao, licorice) does not mean it will necessarily be a sweet/sugary scent, and for that I’m glad!
SOTD: Fève Délicieuse
you smell wonderful!
Thanks for the project! <3
I also need variety in a lot of areas in my life. Great project idea!
Perfect!
I’m wearing Hermes Un Jardin sur le Toit which taught me today that I need to pay better attention to my stack of samples, because I didn’t realize I had any of this left! 😉
But really, this and a couple of the other “un jardin” scents taught me that I love Hermes and wish I had more money to spend on their scents.
just checking, did you receive the bottle safe and sound?
I did! Thank you so much. I was planning on emailing you tonight since I picked it up pretty late yesterday evening. And let me know in the future if I’m ever offering up something you’re interested in!
You and Le Jardin smell lovely today.
I would always say “yes to Hermes” if I had a bottomless perfume fund. 🙂
Wearing Avignon, which taught me there’s at least one thing I do like about churches.
🙂
Double 🙂
LOL
Cute ????
Gosh, this is a tough but fun challenge. It has my mind humming over all my perfumes (including samples, so a darned big list) and what I’ve learned from them.
Mostly it has made me realize that I spend a lot of time thinking about perfume and that might be a bit nutty…but at least I’m in good company.
After all my pondering I’m going with Prada Candy as it taught me that it was possible to love a sweet, fun little number and I don’t have to be so serious all the time.
Other contenders were Moon Bloom that showed that with tuberose could be my friend; Coromandel showed that patchouli can be refined and beautiful; and Kiste that sometimes dabbing is better than a spray. The list could go on and on…
I love Candy, you smell great!
Uncloaking to say hello all, and cheers to all the nurses in the group.
SoTD is Amouage Lyric. This scent, which is a personal challenge, taught me many things: While I love the way it smells in the bottle, I can’t force ‘like it on me’ by trying it over and over again; I don’t love everything Amouage does; rose perfumes really don’t like my chemistry; either cinnamon or cardamom gives me a splitting headache. The short story: don’t blind buy. As Angela’s review notes, the rose is not the star of Lyric; the spices are. It makes me a bit sad that it doesn’t work, but it will go to a good home.
I’m surprised you could bear to put it on, then!
I had to try one more time before giving up 🙂
I really don’t like it either, so with you there.
The Amouage perfumes give me a splitting headache too – and not just one of them, every one I’ve tried! So it has to be something they use in their base. Like you, it makes me sad that they don’t work for me (I love them in the sample vials), but there are too many perfumes out there to waste time worrying about it.
The new ones – Sunshine, Lilac etc – are deadly. I love Ubar and Fate in small amounts.
Welcome! I love Lyric, but it certainly isn’t about roses to my nose.
SOTD is Comme des Garçons Luxe Patchouli. It taught me (a) that a really dark bold patchouli fragrance could be sublime, and (b) that if you love something, just go for it and wear it proudly, even if other people eye you askance! I got my bottle from a really knowledgeable SA who used to work at the place I often shop, and even she thought it was abominable. But it’s something I really treasure!
I love this one and wish I owned it! You smell gorgeous!
LL Poivre from a decant I used to use more frequently (over a bit of Ancient Resins, always a plus). I’ve probably learned more lessons from LL Patchouli–that I like to smell like a bonfire, or LL Tuberuse–opened the door to orange blossom, but I only have drops left from the latter, and I get to exercise the former frequently. Maybe I need to learn something new.
It sounds like Le Labo is your line!
SOTD is my beloved Shalimar.
Until about a year ago, I just wore whatever I thought was best of the stuff on the counters at local dept. stores. When I couldn’t find anything I loved, I started reading and delving into other stuff online. I had read about Shalimar and ordered a sample of it just for reference purposes, not expecting to like it at all. I expected it to smell like “old lady” perfume and out dated etc. Obviously I fell in love with it and now have it in EdP, EdT, and am about to buy the EdC for summer. I learned that there is no such thing as “old lady” perfume and it doesn’t really matter what reviews say or others think (my guy does NOT like the opening, he says it “it stinks a little”, though he does like it after about an hour) as long as you love it. 🙂
I treated my mom to a concert last night for Nurse’s Day and Mother’s Day- The Four Tops and The Temptations. She bopped around and sang her heart out-as did I- and it was great seeing her have such a good time! And the music was great! Thankful for all the nurses out there!
Victoria of Eaumg once described Shalimar’s opening as “lemons, oranges, and motor oil” and I laughed out loud when I read it because it’s EXACTLY true. I can get why your guy isn’t a fan of that opening, but I adore the contrast and I also love Shalimar. I only have the EdT, but I’m planning on getting the EdP and I might even save up for the parfum someday….
I would LOVE the parfum. One day….. 😉
Ha! I don’t quite get lemons, oranges, and motor oil, but I love the Shalimar opening. Every time (and I wear it a lot) I think “lemons, powder, and… what is that, anyway???” 🙂
There is no such thing as old lady perfume 🙂 I wore Shalimar many many years ago in junior high school…..in fact it was the mother of my best friend of 49 years who gave me her unopened bottle of the EDC (that round flat bottle with the stopper) because she knew I was a perfume nutter even back then!
I am happy that you have found your holy grail scent!
Lucky mom! What a great concert!
(and you smell wonderful)
I had a hard time with the opening, myself. Honestly, it smelled like vomit to me. It still sort if does but I like in some perverse sorta way.
And sweet treat for your mom! Thanks for the nurse appreciation ????
This is kind of perverse!
Rats on the shoe sell out. Ridiculously cute.
Oh, look around — I did not spend that much time searching!
Friday!
1) Back to rain and coolish temps, with sunny breaks towards the evening.
2) SOTD: Cuir de Lancome. This taught me to trust online shops, to do blind buys AND that I really do like a leather note in fragrances! Alas, since this is now rare- I am going to have to stock up!
You do smell fab! That ine took me a couple of tries before it clicked. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the smell, but that I imagined a totally different smell
Blind buy for me also. I only wish all blind buys could turn out so wonderfully. You smell lovely.
Me too.
SOTD is Box of Eels. This scent taught me I could still love a chanel perfume while continuing to dislike the entire Chanel ethos.
🙂 yay to your comment and yay to using ethos
Oh, this is brill, and I get this!
Great comment, even though I would be hard put to describe the Chanel ethos myself.
It’s not a brand I’m personally particularly fond of, and I’m only talking fragrance here, but they have done a few that I’m quite fond of. Not Bois des Iles though, but then I’m not that fond of very woody fragrances.
I spent a long time in very busy traffic, that is 3x ‘fond’. Sorry!
I hear you. I had to block out all of my Chanel associations (none perfume-related) to be able to approach the idea of wearing a Chanel perfume. It made me uneasy for a long time. No mas. 😉
I sold my soul to them for a bottle of Cuir de Russie extrait. 🙁
I’m in vintage Shalimar parfum today, which taught me that the reason a certain cohort of perfumes read as “old-lady perfumes” to some folks, the reason for that is that a certain cohort of women wore them in their young, sexy heyday, and that they’re really retro-sexy, rather than old-lady!
LOL! Excellent point 🙂
You smell absolutely fabulous and retro-sexy for sure!
The funny thing is, I get more compliments when I wear Shalimar than anything else I wear. I only wear it once a week or every 10 days or so since I have a little obsession with trying new things. But still, someone always comments when I wear it. Definitely not old lady perfume! 🙂
I am wearing Aromatics Black Cherry today which is the most recent blind/unsniffed bottle I have purchased. I got it around the holidays from Saks b/c I had a gift card I had to use in a certain time period, b/c I liked the color of the bottle and b/c I couldn’t remember the last time I purchased something from Clinique….all compelling reasons. 😉
Over the years I have bought several blind bottles…some of them successful (Bois des Iles) and some of them not (Ostara). I have seen people talk whether they do or do not buy full bottles unsniffed and the reasons therein.
To me it’s a bit like gambling and the excitement of a new love. When a new perfume launches or I discover an interesting old one I have never tried, I love to research the notes, the reviews and pour over all the available info on it and, I wonder, will this perfume be my next great love? It sounds so wonderful…the bottle is pretty…they don’t make it anymore…etc. etc. And when I procure it, I am filled with hope and excitement and can’t wait for it arrive. Sometimes it’s a love, sometimes it’s a like and sometimes it’s a dislike. But the thrill of the hunt, the anticipation of a beautiful new scent and the hope of another love like 31 Rue Cambon (as if such a thing existed 😉 ) keeps me going…somewhat metaphorically and somewhat literally.
I don’t buy many blind full bottles and it is of course far more prudent to get a sample or decant first…but I haven’t sworn off buying things unsniffed nor will I…the hope and excitement of the next great love is too compelling not to keep playing… 🙂
It is such a game, isn’t it. Something new and exciting..
I get a need to purge and get rid of a lot thing (like perfume) and then some days I am like, oh I like this or that I should order a sample.
Somedays I think to myself, maybe I should have a signature scent, I remember what my grandmother and mother wore, should I have something my babies associate with me, this question comes up
I had the same thought process 20 years ago which is why I had an unknown perfumer custom make me a scent…I bought four bottles and then stopped as there were too many other perfumes beckoning me…that unknown perfumer turned out to be Sarah Horowitz Thran!
However, I am wondering, is there a fragrance you wear a lot …much more often than others? I bet when your monkey and little Buddha get older they will sniff said perfume and think of you 🙂
I sometimes wish I had a scent my children associate with me. I asked my son once what he thought I smelled like, his answer was “good” so there you go.
Now that ‘s a GREAT answer!
That is awesome.
You’ve described the thrill so well here! I feel exactly the same way, though my blind buys are always minis (clearly, I’m less adventurous than you are, as part of the beauty of minis is that they’re low-risk 😉 )
Those are cute shoes… speaking of prices on sneakers…. I was on the subway with my husband a few weeks back and saw a young woman sitting across and down from us wearing a pair of ridiculously cute white leather sneakers with stripes and flower embellishment. I took a surreptitious photo and commented to my husband that I bet they were Gucci. Yep. Found them on the website… $600 (or maybe it was $700). And I understood why she got them…they made me smile.
Oh that’s funny! I imagine people with $700 sneakers taking a taxi.
Could be a knock-off!
Ah, true. Or, it was their last $700 😉
I’m wearing Un Bois Vanille this morning, my “gateway” Serge Lutens. It’s not a foody vanilla on me, and taught me that a house’s style might fit with my aesthetic (I own a number of SLs) so that if I like one, I might like more. It doesn’t always work, I only really love Box of Eels from Chanel and L’HB from Guerlain, but at least it gives me a direction to pursue. I get along with Francis Kurkdjian, too.
I have my “pet” houses too.
I get on with FK too. But not really Guerlain.
SOTD – Dark Moon by DSH laid over Cocoa Oil by Liz Zorn. Both are amazing and I feel they compliment each other 🙂
So many lessons learnt as a parfumista, not enough time to list them all, but I would say, don’t get carried away by a hype and try first before committing to a full bottle. A good case in point – Roja Dove fragrances – a couple of years ago he was selling off his fragrances for a huge discount, so I got a bunch of them. To say that I was not impressed at the list is an understatement.
Now I’m left wondering what you did with all those unloved bottles…
You know I am too paranoid to sell them on eBay – had a few crappy experiences. So they are still sitting in my drawer, might post them on basenotes just to free up the space
Sounds like a plan.
None of those bottles are Diaghilev, are they?
I was thinking the same! Or maybe Unspoken?
No, he was clearing out the EDPs and some of the extraits. I think even if Diaghilev was on sale, I would not be able to afford it 🙁
I might have unspoken, I need to check.
rappleyea11 at the yahoo addy. Please….. 🙂
I was going to wear Terry de Gunzburg Ombre Mercure, which proved that a sandalwood hater can enjoy this note when it is so nicely blended and not screechy. ( Waving to generous Harajusuuiri for sending me sample 🙂 )
Instead I am in Chanel 19 edt, because I totally forgot today is Friday and had about 5 minutes in the morning to get dressed and prepped myself for busy day.
I probably won’t have time to post over the weekend, so I will say it today :” Happy Mother’s Day to all of the NST moms!”
Ombré Mercure is one that smells like no expense was spared in its making.
Jicky, from which I learned that good perfume works with office casual.
Diorella extrait de parfum, which taught me that being intrigued is often the beginning of olfactory infatuation, at least for me. This stuff is glorious! Even better than Thérèse.
One of my all-time faves. Wish I had the extrait! You smell wonderful.
I forgot all about today’s challenge (was going to wear L’Ombre dans L’Eau, the perfume that taught me I like rose scents) and sprayed some PdE Equistrius from a new decant. I know it’s ridiculous to describe a scent as “classy,” but my first thought was, “Oooh, classy.”
Bon weekend all!
SOTD Comme de Garçons Ouarzazate. This is my newest fb purchase and my most complimented scent, so far. I learned that I really do enjoy compliments despite telling myself that I don’t really care what anyone thinks. It’s nice to be noticed once in a while ????
heh, I really like them, but I also worry that it means my fragrance is too loud/present so my current favourite is the “post hug compliment that includes a little surprise,” which then goes like this–
Person: Oh, you smell great!
Me: Thank you, it’s one of my life goals.
Person: ?
Me: Really.
I am so with you!
My person was at work and someone came up to him and a female colleague and told the female colleague she smelled great. My person smiled to himself and told me later, ‘no, it was me!’
Interesting that the instinct was that it must be the woman. Do you know what he was wearing?
Ha! Yes, apparently I’ve made smelling great a top priority, too. I also get a little self conscious that I oversprayed. This fades pretty fast so I’m heavy handed with it.
Hah! Whenever I’m in a group and there’s a general “mmm… someone smells good” comment, I always think to myself, “Of course that’s me. I always smell good!”
Yes, I’ve had that happen and I come to the same conclusion, but out loud!
You do smell great!
Thanks! I agree ????
I generally just wear whatever I like (not to please others) but I do enjoy when someone notices or compliments my SotD. I leaned over a co-worker’s desk earlier because she wanted to show me something on her computer and she said, “dang, you smell good!” And believe me, she isn’t the type to say it if she didn’t mean it ha!
Because you do smell great!
I think that’s what makes perfume compliments so gratifying. People don’t hand them out unless they really mean it. Whereas a “cute shoes” or “I love your earrings” can be kind of a throwaway line, as it were.
A co-worker wears POAL all day everyday and I space out my compliments because complimenting her everyday would be kind of odd.
Haha!
lolol!
I’m wearing Dior Homme today. The lesson: while this is not necessarily the perfume that taught me (not sure there is one specific one that did), I realize that even if it says “pour homme” on the label, that doesn’t mean it’s not also “pour moi”. I think gender in fragrance is largely nonsense and that I’m going to wear what I like and feel comfortable in.
Mmmmm, you smell great.
I am wearing Beloved today which taught me that I can love animalic florals. My tolerance for skank is still pretty low but It has opened the door to a host of amazing scents.
My tolerance for skank must be high because I always think of Belived as office-friendly. Nevertheless, you smell beautiful!
Portrait of a Lady taught me about the wonderful ways perfumes change and weave back and forth over time, but I need something lighter today.
Misia taught me that I could like – no love – Chanel perfumes. But it’s also not quite the things for the day.
Sel Marin taught me that summer is always only a spritz away. So that is what I’ll wear today.
Ah! Isn’t that true? “Summer in a bottle” perfumes are immediately transportive.
First of all, a big thank you to all of the nurses out there! My sweet mama was a NICU nurse for many years. So many times, when we were out and about, someone would approach us to say hello, and thanks for taking care of their baby. You all really make a difference in people’s lives!
I’m in Shalimar, a vintage EDT sample from The Perfumed Court. I guess I ordered this in some haste, because there were no details on when this particular juice was made. I am certainly loving it, and I know it’s different from what’s at the counters now, but my (very basic) lesson is:
Take time when ordering samples. Don’t get so excited when confronted with a sample sale + a whole list of tasty Guerlains! 🙂
Ha! I usually try to wait until there’s a 20% discount to buy from the discounters. It also helps that the only one I trust is STC. Besides, the mark up on the decants are so high that I am better off buying 100 samples and splitting them.
My dad and one of my uncles looked enough alike that when kids see my dad, they start crying. Why? My uncle was a pediatrician and the kids associated him with shots or feeling sick.
Oh, those poor kids!
Oh, man, that would be enough to give anyone a complex!
SOTD =. Chanel No. 19 EDP
Wear what you love; love what you wear. Simplify. If I. can only. bring one and only one perfume with me on a year-long journey with no access to other perfumes, this would be it.
Even though we’ve never met in person, when I sniff my decant of No. 19, I always think… this is what Hajusuuri loves… the perfume is totally connected to you in my mind.
Isn’t that wonderful?
Yep 🙂
Thank you, my dear. Some people associate me with “Oh crap, she needs something from me.”
Hello. I’ve slept late again, and I’m feeling lazy. Dakkie is shouting his victory over the fiercest of his knitted mice: the one with the long blue tail fights back with great cunning, but the Dak has prevailed! Woe to the defeated!
It’s cold again: I’m wearing the instant warmth of Black Cashmere. What has this perfume taught me? When you love something deeply and immediately , don’t hesitate: trust your instincts, and buy it. Also, that if you love it as much as all that, you should buy a back up bottle. What else? That there’s a world –no worlds and worlds –of perfumes other than “floral” or “oriental”, which is about all I knew when I started down the rabbit hole. These are all good lessons, but I think the best one has been to wear what I love, let it contribute to the sum of my happiness for the day, and enjoy using my senses to build outfits where the perfume fits the colours and textures of my clothes,
and the flow and texture of the day’s activities.
Best of all, it wasn’t only the perfume that taught me these things: thank you, Robin, Angela, Jessica, Kevin, and all NST-tites everywhere.
Great, great lessons…
I’m wearing Lonesome Rider today. It, and Carillon Pour un Ange both taught me that perfume can not only smell wonderful, but can sucker punch you in your emotions when you aren’t expecting it. I started to cry immediately after spritzing Carillon for the first time – it took me back so vividly to my parents backyard. And Lonesome Rider conjures up such a complicated emotional response that there are some days when it would be impossible to wear because I would be lost in thought for hours.
So big thanks to Andy Tauer for moving me way past “Ooooh, that smells pretty!”.
And even bigger thanks to all the nurses – you have such a demanding and important job, and every nurse who has ever helped me, a family member or a friend has brought so much ease and grace into our lives.
Well said. The one that brings an emotional response for me is Cuir Beluga. I love it on its own merits and it gave me comfort during the days leading up to dad’s passing and for a few months thereafter. It also just happened to be weather-appropriate.
Wearing CD J’adore In Joy. This starts with salty melon and then softens to a jasmine floral. It’s got that CK aquatic thing going on.
I want to explore salty scents as I like the way salt sits on the skin. Robin’s review of Epice Marine and the comments following ( a discussion of favourite sea and salt perfumes) has been really helpful in identifying scents with a salt note. As usual none of them are available where I live and shipping of samples is US $40. Lesson learned: Get a job!
Maybe your job should be to bring more fragrances to your part of the world 😉
I’ve learnt lots of things in the 8 or 9 years since I got seriously addicted to perfume. The first is that I shouldn’t draw any conclusions from lists of notes, notes that I like don’t mean that I’ll necessarily a perfume, and vice versa. The lesson from that is that I should try anything once.
I’ve also learnt that an interest in perfume is something that I share with a fabulous group of people here on NST – this is a wonderful place 🙂
Gaynor, great to see you back! Was your trip marvellous? We’re the sights of Parus in spring totally enchanting? Was the food in Prague OK? Did you buy everything you wanted? I’m dying to know what perfumes you got. You’re a sort of trailblazer for me: because of you, I bought my FB of Maharani, and I’ve already put Fetes Persannes on my list to try st Fumerie when I’m in Portland. I’m watching Luckyscent like a hawk for Rose de Petra to be back in stock, because I loved the sample you sent.
I am wearing Strange Invisible Perfumes Black Rosette, again, third or fourth day in a row. It feels like an armor to me, tough but beautiful. Need that a lot these days.
So many contenders for this Friday project! However, the one that called out to me today for SOTD honors was AG Nuit Etoilee EdT. This is the perfume that told me I can wear immortelle after all. Usually on me, immortelle blows up to a ginormous, syrup-y beast. I figured it was one of those infamous “exploding” notes, and I should give it a wide berth from here on out. But the Nuit Etoilee has just a hint of that maple-y sweetness, tempered by wonderful outdoorsy notes. It’s lovely stuff. And the bigger take-away is that I shouldn’t say “Nope” to a scent simply because it has something in its note list that raises a flag. Try it anyway… there might be a surprise in store!
oh I was SMITTEN with Nuit Etoilee when I tried it in the boutique two weeks ago….have you tried the EdP yet? Equally as stunning as the EdT and longer lasting on my skin. I too love the juxtaposition of the immortelle with the fir balsam/pine/resin notes…I happen to like both notes but would not have thought to pair them.
And great point on being open to exploring notes that one assumes one does not care for…this is my new attitude about cumin 🙂
I haven’t tried the EdP yet of Nuit Etoilee… it missed getting placed on my latest sample order. I ought to write it on the new list ASAP so I don’t get distracted by the next shiny to cross my path.
Ooh, don’t buy because I have 2 bottles of the EDP! I know where you live 🙂
Hey, if that is a sample offer, then you bet I am interested!!
Got your email and yes on sample offer 🙂
Hey NST, hope your Friday has been grand.
I’m wearing Dzing! which taught me to Try Everything!
And a corollary to that lesson is Sniff the Classics.
This week I’m smitten with L’Heure Blue edt.
Looking forward to reading all the comments today and learning even more.
Yes to “sniff the classics”! I’m working on that one myself.
Yay! We should start a classic scents club, lol.
This week I’ve been savoring Angela’s “26 Vintage Fragrances Every Perfumista Should Try”. Although as far as vintage goes, the lesson learned is “this way lies heartbreak.”
Sometimes, yes, vintage is heartbreak and tears. Other times, I get lucky. I don’t think I have ever said “Meh” about anything vintage I have tried, though.
Desarmant for me today and the lesson is to not buy the expensive perfume to celebrate a new job until you have the first paycheck in hand
Yikes