Hey, it's the weekend! Quick PSA: the next swapmeet will be two weeks from today, on 16 September.
Today, our standard open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance(s) you'd like to buy in September, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Textured sunflower [cropped] by liz west at flickr; some rights reserved.
My Granny wore White Shoulders…any recommendations for a modern, well made fragrance which might resemble the the sweet memories I have of her?
My grandmother wore it as well! It’ still available, not quite the same, though.
I find Caron’s Pois de Senteur reminds me of it, not sure why. French Can Can, too.
Thanks!
Margiela’s Replica Lazy Sunday Morning reminds me of White Shoulders – it has a similar LOTV note.
I took my daughter to the mall before work today. I sprayed us both down with Gabrielle. It does have a Mademoiselle similarity, but I also got similarities to Allure. I think it smelled very nice, but I so wanted it to be louder. It’s very soft spoken. I also gave TF Velvet Orchid Luminare another try, this one is growing on me. Sotd is Allure.
Maybe there will be an Intense?
One can only hope:)
Triple strength coffee.
Workout.
Went sniffing @ the mall yesterday, (those Star Wars people are scccaaarrrryyyyy, LOLOLOL)
Kanuka, no can duka putting J’Adore In Joy on skin, but I said hello to the SA from y’all. LOL
She was NOT pleased to see me.
Gabrielle, pleasant. First impression I like it better than CM. Started out sugar-dipped Orange blossom, the cards in my kitchen exude Orange blossom, tuberose,jasmine.
It was made to sell. Lots of girls will want it and the Taylor Swift CD for Christmas.
Because It’s You. Armani, raspberry, neroli, musk. Not sweet. Nice.
I think the perfume manufacturers are trying really hard this year for that 4Q profit.
Which leads me to. SOTD….
Jil. Jil Sander 1997, tart raspberry, fir balsam, bitter cocoa. This is not gourmand, despite the notes.
Fantastic!
Carpe Diem.
Peace.
Wow, you liked it better then CM. I will have to try it.
Yes, the patchouli fraction in CM starts iffy and ends mothbally on my skin.
Gabrielle is nice, but unexciting.
We’ve all known people like that, haven’t we ?
Cheers!
Triple strength Dior in Joy, walking on water with Charlize, but tripped over the trailing hem of my gold lame dress….life is tough at at the top. Happy weekend!
Lol! Nice!
Thanks Kanuka !
Charlize, she could almost turn me straight…….
Almost.
LOLOLOL
Saw Atomic Blonde a few weeks ago. She definitely has me on the turn.
Too funny!
Every time I see CM I think y’all are talkin’ about me
LOL, I do see what you mean since most now refer to you as CM8 but some forget the “8”
Hello Bear,
chocolatemarzipan8 mentioned you make a killer coffee: exactly what an academic comme moi requires.
Is it two espressos in a black? Care to share?
Hello Distracted PhD !
It is straightforward and simple, when brewing at home I triple the amount of ground coffee recommended.
At a cafe, I order the largest, darkest roast with two shots of espresso added.
I only eat treats (brownies, doughnuts, cookies) once in a blue moon, but when I do, the contrast with the bitter (black, no cream,no sugar) coffee is delightful.
Cheers!
Hi Bear,
I will take it to the next level and quadruple at home when using a light (more caffeine). My body has grown immune to the effects of caffeine so I may have to withdraw for two weeks first!
Great, now I am craving a doughnut of some sort!
Thanks!
Hi Bear – I have about a third of a bottle of Jil, by Jil Sander… Can’t believe I bought it in San Francisco 20 years ago this month when it debuted. It also has lavender in it. Such an interesting scent and you’re right, it is not a gourmand. If it were released today I think it would do well. Must go have a wee sniff!
Yes, it is unique, viridiaan.
Glad I still have 25ML left, the prices on ebay are unreal.
Enjoy !!!
SOTD Tenue de Soiree
Drinking MF Rouge D’Automne, perfect for this chilly gray morning.
Just finished Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima, a wonderful read.
For those of us stateside, enjoy the 3 day weekend.
Tea sounds nice although I do not know that one.
Its perfect for a chilly morning https://www.mariagefreres.com/UK/2-rouge-d-automne-black-tea-T6200.html
Oh wow! that looks delicious! it would be perfect for any morning
Thank you for mentioning Spring Snow. My library has a copy I will pick up next week.
Lets keep in touch about the book.. if you could let me know when you start reading it and your thoughts, thats if you want to share of course!
Yes, that is a great idea.
I will keep you posted.
Mishima is a new author for me, and over the past few days I’ve been looking for a new series of novels to read. Your mention of Spring Snow was perfectly timed.
In No 22 this evening , from a small decant from the 90’s. Gorgeous and perfect weather for it
No 22 from the 1990s is definitely gorgeous!
We have one too in Canada!
That didn’t make much sense. We have a 3 day weekend in Canada too, is what I meant to say.
enjoy, we just finished “goodnight canada” children story book to my two little rascals. Bonne Nuit!
I just bought “Thank you, Canada” for my grand daughter.
Rainy day..
In the kitchen made scones for a friend that is coming over for tea, chocolate cake for a friend that is coming over later tonight. I think I messed up the cake when I didn’t fold the egg whites properly with the batter. oh well.
SOTD Accordo Viola body cream, a sample I got from L’Erbolario when I visited Holland. The notes are Floral-Powdery: Heliotrope flower, Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Violet leaf Absolute, Violet Flowers, Essential oil of Damask Rose.
Smell Bent Gypsy again. Tried One last night before bed and liked it quite a bit, but 10 minutes into it, my nose failed to detect anything.
A week ago I called EMS when I found a man down in my apartment complex parking lot, and guess who was a member of my patient roster today? Yep.
Apropos of nothing, I have become highly addicted to Trader Joe’s sourdough bread, toasted, with their blueberry jam slathered on top. So good! Everyone should try it????
Also, went down to the gift shop during a brief lull to get a small bag of pick-a-mix for the crew, and observed 2 young, well-dressed young ladies being arrested for shop lifting. Yes, that’s correct- shoplifting in a Hospital gift shop. Tons of stuff shoved everywhere. CRAZY!
Do you like the butter to melt into your toast or do you prefer it to sit on top? One of life’s big questions.
What? Melted into the toast! How is this a question?
Good answer!
Melted butter. Yes.
Not a huge bread fan but if I am going to have toast melted of course. One of my favorite cafes brings it crisp, warm and almost dripping and then you can add stuff in my case either scrambled egg or avocado. Yum!
It’s a good thing the nearest TJ is 2 hrs away. I would have a serious problem if it was near by. ????
Yup! same here! TD is far away …I would be in loads of trouble myself ! It is one of my favorite stores!!!!!!
OOPs! that would be TJ…..
Well, it’s reduced sugar blueberry jam…that makes it ok, right?????
Great life-coming-full-circle moment. I once had a young pt on TB isolation who then took my order at a nearby KFC( don’t judge me
) a month or so later.
Shop-lifting in hospital gift shop. That’s a sad scenario.
Full circle is right! ????
I’m off work for the next week, so I’m doing a grab-bag with decants. I put a lot of decants in a bag and will do a blind grab each morning. Should be interesting. First up today is Dame’s Leather Man. I like but don’t love it
Have a great week off! Is the leather man too masculine?
I enjoy Leather Man layered with soliflores.
I like this idea!
I love Leather Man…it reminded me a lot of Giorgio for Men (which I did not care for) but a much much better version of it…I wore my decant a lot and found it to be unisex….not too masculine for little me!
Enjoy the time off!
It’s been over 100 degrees here for the past few days. I was in Burbank last night for a screening and the wildfire in the Verdugo mountains felt threateningly close. Most days it’s been too hot for perfume–I think I need to invest in some hot weather colognes.
Today I’m trying out a sample of Velvet Lavender from Eric Buterbaugh. Weirdly, I don’t smell any lavender at all. Two hours in and it’s been wearing as a sweet vanilla gourmand this entire time.
soooooooooooooooooo hot Stephanie and that fire sprang up so fast.
hope all is well at your home.
I love Juniper Sling on really hot days. I shy away from colognes that are sweet on scorchers.
Where is everyone? My Sunday morning read is only 8 comments long . Gaynor brought me a sample of Lubin Epi D’or ( epidor?) which is a perfect match for the sunflower image. It’s lovely and warm in a summer meadow way, like a scene from Fellini … A long table set up outside in a field with hay and sunshine . Tomorrow I will be in Auckland testing Sycomore when I should be working. Happy weekend everyone.
Here in the US its a long weekend, so maybe the comments are slower as people are attending parties or still vacationing. This weekend I love it in NYC, because everyone is in the Hamptons.
Not to see that Americans make up most of the comment feed, but just saying that could be a reason
Yes, 3 day weekend, plus I was maybe a little late in the day getting it started.
I thought you were all at the gym
Ugh, gym on Saturday morning? Not for me.
Hahahahahahaaaaa!
I was! Younger family member and I head to the gym every Sat morning before eight for yoga class…how he manages to get out of bed early on a non school day is one of life’s mysteries….
I am feeling exhausted after a very crazy, busy, late day yesterday.
When I got home almost at midnight, I found a package from the always generous Kpaint (thanks a lot!) with some beautiful vintages. I could not wait until today and at that time I sprayed a tiny amount of each. Heavenly!
I woke up to find out soooo many comments about the new TF FF. Reading them and drinking 2 Bear’s triple strength coffees were enough to fully wake me up and start running some many errands that I have in front of me today. I am thankful the this is a long holiday weekend.
Wearing Jo Malone Englisk Oak and Redcurrants from a small sample I received from JM. It opens citrusy (grapefruit?) and it becomes pretty woody after. I did not get any rose note as I was expecting. Nice but very masculine for my taste. Two hours later and it is gone. It was a very small sample that I finished at once and it was not enough for me to have a better idea about it. I will try English Oak and Hazelnut later. I hope it is more appealing.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
I tried both new JMs in the store and asked for a sample of the redcurrents but haven’t spent any more time with it.
I found the hazelnut one disappointing. Oh, Jo. Always hit or miss.
So, no great expectations for those two then. Money saved!
Hi, all. Dashing for a hideously early plane to Adelaide, then a car trip of Rome hours yo my sister’s house. Reading firbthe trip = a thesis I have to mark = EFFICIENCY! Am I clever or what, to pack my Kindle in my suitcase, so that all I have to occupy the flight is the marking. Or sleeping, I suppose. Hmmm, choices.
I’m wearing Dries van Noten for the flight because….because… oh, just because I love it. It’s reasonably discreet,but that’s not why I chose it. Must scuttle now and eject three curious kittens from my suitcase. Pulling folded shirts out as I put them in? Best game evah! Be well.
Well, a big box (aka your suitcase) is fun. Clean laundry is fun. So, it follows that a box filled with clean laundry must be at least double the fun. What kitten could resist?
On the pet games front, and for those in need of some SERIOUS joy, check out these two pit bulls and a balloon:
https://www.rover.com/blog/pitbulls-play-gently-balloon-soothing-little-video/
They should be on a team! Thank you.
Adorable! I’m a huge pit bull lover, adopted one from the same shelter I got T-Rex. She was with me for 11 years and crazily died from a pericardial effusion. Such a gentle soul. Thanks for posting that link ????
Deva, do you ever go to Best Friends on your travels?
Aspara, I have heard of them, I think it was actually on this blog, but I’ve never been. I think they are located in Utah or Colorado?
They are in a Utah.
It’s where the Vicktory dogs went after being rescued from Michael Vicks’ dog fighting mess. And the award winning movie Dogtown about the pitties was filmed.
Many medical folks I know do a locums nearby and then head there.
I guess in my mind I see you and T Rex chilling there.
I’ve just pulled the trigger and bought a bottle of Guerlain Derby. I’m gonna have to stop buying anything at least for the next three months.
Wishing you much luck! ????
I just smelled that for the first time fairly recently and couldn’t stop sniffing myself. Enjoy your new bottle! And good luck with the restraint. I’m trying to exercise some myself.
I’ve been wanting to try Derby. Hope you enjoy it!
Sotd ~ La Cologne du Parfumeur
Citrus+beautiful summer day= happiness ????
Enjoy the weekend!
ooooh yes, that is a great cologne.
I love that one!
I believe you asked about my new job and I apologize for the delay in response and thank you for asking.
It is going very well. There is some dysfunction but I am buffered from much of it as I am an individual contributor in my new position…not managing, as I did in my previous role, which has it’s pros and cons. Here is my long-winded answer…
It seems like when managing/directing etc. some days are all about the politics and people drama. Now that I am an individual contributor again, I do my thing and leave that stress to my boss. Because I am new to the organization, I am not that heavily invested in things yet…essentially I don’t care.
I am sure, with time, I will care more and then things will start to annoy me and I may feel the need to try to regulate the environment as it were. But, for now, ignorance is sort of bliss. I sometimes think I cared too much and was too invested at my last company. My last company was bought out a few times and we were eventually left w/ being managed by some really unprofessional and dysfunctional folk in the end.
Starting a new job at a new company where no one knows you allows you to become a new person in a way. I’m pretty quiet around people I don’t know and it takes me a while to open up. I dare say some friends from last job would not recognize me at my new workplace. Overall it has been a very interesting experience for me…I like to ponder things (and of course sniff things) and it is interesting to observe myself and think about the professional lives of humans and how people change based upon their roles and environments.
Eventually I may develop friendships and become more invested but I am quite enjoying caring less for now…fingers crossed my apathy persists!
Down in the dumps this morning, and in this mood I’m always very hard on myself. BUT pleasantly cool, no flooding or heatwave, no war. So I reached for No. 19 and am soldiering on. Wishing everyone else an excellent weekend.
Sorry to hear you’re visiting the dumps today, but thankfully, it’s just a visit. You’re not moving there permanently! You smell self confident, strong, and certain????
Be kind to yourself, and remember this, too, shall pass.
Sure hope your day gets better!
That happens to all of us. Feel better soon!
hang in there Karen B.
Been there and hope it passes. Perspective and no 19= good medicine.
Seconding the encouragement from other posters; hang in there, and know that you smell fabulous!
You are all so kind. I am touched and grateful.
Love “no flooding or heatwave, no war” — yep, could be worse, right? But that does not always make me feel better in the moment. Hope everything looks brighter soon!
It’s awful feeling that way, I hope it passes quickly. You smell fantastic!
No. 19 for the win!
Hoping everything looks a little brighter for you tomorrow.
I hope things are looking up
I’m mad about spending too much $$ having dinner out with friends seated at a loooooong rectangular table – we should have just gone out on a date – can’t talk to anyone that way – I could have bought a very nice bottle of perfume with the cost of dinner & drinks!!!
I want a bottle of no 19 – sounds like just the medicine I need.
SOTD is a top-up of Rouge Bunny Rouge Embers from last night. Sort of incense/ cherry pipe tobacco.
Love that smell!
SOTM (at least, and maybe OTD) is OJ Woman again. So good. It’s supposed to be blazingly hot here today, so Mr. G and I are hunkering down in the AC, after spending the earlier morning out on the deck with our coffee and crossword puzzling (we do them competitively).
Testing Jo Malone English Oak & Red Currant on this hot morning in San Francisco. It’s a tart and woody rose with the drydown reminding me a bit of Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan. It’s nice and just like OY, disappears quite fast. I ended up buying English Oak & Hazelnut. It’s sexy and classic and smells to me like a sweeter and intense version of Chanel Sycomore.
That sounds way better than what i smelled in a magazine. I wish I had a store around here that sold JM to smell in person.
I am trying hard to look at this Labor Day Weekend as an bookmark ending to my year of mounting misery.
Maybe this is the universes’ way of saying I needed to not work this summer, but rather get things in order and take a little break to work through my moms death.
A happy memory, 53 years ago this week, my sister and I saw the Beatles @ Atlantic City. It was my dads’ 40th birthday and every year after his bday cards were marked with the number of years. This year he would have been 93!
So I have not bought much this year, 3 bottles? and have sold a few I don’t love on ebay in time for the fumigation and earlier this week I took a lot of clothes, shoes, work stuff to a great donation place in Orange County that happens to be near South Coast Plaza.
I haven’t been in a store most of the summer, have been downsizing, getting rid off, selling…but I needed to just test something new or never tried. Like a moth to the flame…
So it was 106F and there was a parking spot right in front of Nordstrom. Now, those of you who live in the area probably know that the Beauty and Fragrance area had been completely remodeled, but I did not.
So – JM was at the entry, I scored the 2 English Oak new ones and will try the redcurrant one in a while, post shower.
Then I went to le labo where their shop looks like a meth lab – only thing missing is Walter White and tried a few I hadn’t sampled in the past. I have samples of Rose 31 and something else.
Then I hit Hermes and sprayed on Galop although the pressure was on for trying buying Twilly from the SAs.
I have been wanting to try this since it came out – but have steered clear of the stores. I liked it on and the SA gave me 2 big samples.
Then to F Malle where the West Coast rep had just come back from Paris along with the Killian rep. I tested Musc Ravaguer – the only FM I own is DVN.
Then I hit up Tom Ford, where I leaned there is a new Oud Wood Intense coming out. how much more oud intense could it be?
BTW, there was no mention of the aforementioned FF fragrance.
So, after wearing Galop yesterday, I decided around 4pm that I definitely felt shall we say…horse piss? Money saved.
I am going to break open the piggy bank and get the cloche of Borneo at the Barneys love yourself this upcoming week.
And I am going to wear it to my new project -because I will get one!!!!!!
Enjoyed this little shopping trip with you
I do hope things will start to look up for you! Grief seems to have its own timetable… Can’t be rushed.
Congrats on the great Beatles memory, the awesome parking karma in front of Nordie’s, and all the sniffing! And here’s to the cloche in your near future!
Thanks for your thoughtful reflections and you had a cool dad!
I had the same experience with Galop: liked it in the store, took home a couple of samples, liked it again, but then, cat pee! Borneo is a worthy investment-love that one.
Yes, most unpleasant, Elisa. Although I do love the shape of the bottle.
My dad was so cool that I still have my first editions of Rolling Stone magazine he bought for us.
I will say that he did go to his grave not knowing I went to Woodstock for 3 days with a questionable boyfriend, my mom thought it best at the time.
Was it Woodstock or the questionable boyfriend that would’ve been the problem. Sounds like your mom was pretty cool, too. My folks didn’t listen to rock. My father was all about blue grass, jazz, some classical. Which is cool now, but I didn’t think so then.
Questionable boyfriend, I am certain.
The tincture of time helps us see our parents in so many different ways, doesn’t it?
Do pay attention to what the universe is telling you, which must have included perfume purchases, and honor your mother in your grief for as long as it takes. ????
Good luck aspara, hope you are indeed turning a corner now. Enjoyed reading about your shopping trip, not least because it’s been eons since I forced myself to go to the mall — think I have only been once so far this year. I am thinking maybe mid September.
My travels with family this summer included a visit to that particular Nordstrom. I had not been there in many, many years. The le labo shop seems designed to intimidate. The gentleman SA didn’t smile once when I visited, definitely shades of Walter White.
So glad to read you liked Twilly. It is on my list for a future sniff outing. Hope Borneo and everything on the horizon will lead you to great and happy adventures.
Really enjoyed your shopping post and very special memory! My dad would have been 91, but he really disliked “my” music; he loved opera and classical.
I, too, hope your year now becomes amazingly wonderful. I spent many months culling and downsizing for our recent move to the PNW and it was a difficult time for sure. I had the added worry of my 92 yr old mom taking a turn for the worse but not the added grief of a death. Sending you hugs! There is still time for this year to turn around!
90s are hard, springpansy. From late 80s to 90s there’s so much added frailty.
I loved reading your post. I am pretty sure everything will shine beautiful for you soon. I wish I had been able to take some quiet time to grieve my dad. Sometimes, I feel I really need it, but unfortunately I cannot, no matter how overwhelmed I am. Be in peace, take your time, enjoy the simple pleasures of life and cherish your parents wonderful memories. We will survive!
Hope this month is the turning point for you!
I really hope the year gets better. The combination of the eclipse and labour day and perfume shopping must be good
I truly hope things will be on the upswing for you soon!
It is a truly lazy weekend here. We feel stunned by the hot weather. The air conditioning runs all day. We don’t sleep well. Craving fresh air, I have to open the windows late at night and in the early morning.
Wearing Jour d’Hermes now. Throughout the day I’ll have splashes of 4711 from the bottle in the refrigerator. I’m craving something tuberose but might regret it later. Hope I can hold out.
Be well and be cool, NST.
It feels like autumn in New England. Sending you some crisp chilly air.
Oh, thank you for the autumn air. When I lived in the northeastern US September and October were my favorite months.
We were just now digging out the fleece blankets! On September 2! I am not well pleased.
The only family member who sleeps well in this heat wave is our cat: he seems to be enjoying the temperature rather than suffering from it.
I’m glad we have an A/C in the house but I’m already tired from it.
ha! Good for kitty. Felines are connoisseurs of warm napping spots
I’m thankful for A/C and will be even more grateful for October when it arrives.
Oh dear me I am going to have much to confess to Donatello this quarter. Must put the brakes on!
Wore Shangri La last night for the first time in a while and fell so far back in love with it, and the bottle is getting low, so decided on the spot that I had to buy a second bottle. It might have been a bit rash, considering how much perfume is rattling around my place. ????
Anywho, today I’m feeling serene and taking it easy while enjoying some 31 Rue Cambon. Have a great long weekend for all those to whom it applies.
I haven’t bought anything this quarter Gi – so I can lend you a supportive Donatella credit to even things out!
Thanks Aspara! That will even things out in the universe
Like carbon credits!
Is Donnatella happy when we spend, or the opposite?
Have you ever seen a picture of the woman? What do you think? She’s definitely a more is more kinda lady.
I like to think that NST Donatella is happy when you buy what you want without overspending your budget.
It’s a scorcher, y’all! Yesterday’s high was 107; today’s should be 105. Thank GOODNESS for central air. I now applaud my boyfriend’s refusal to move to an apartment without that.
Day two of wearing 5 O’Clock au Gingembre! So happy I got a decant of this before the SLpocalypse.
As I finished up my morning swim today, I watched a mother fill up a large paper cup with pool water and hand it to her adorable toddler who toddled over to the plants and dumped the water onto them. I then watched as she did it again. I abhor confrontation, but hated to think of a big dead patch of plants, so as I was packing up and leaving, I stopped by the mother and said, “You know that kills the plants, right?” “Oh, I didn’t know,” she replied. “He only did it twice.” Taken aback (I wasn’t expecting her to say she didn’t know!), I mumbled, “It’s…pool water. It’s MEANT to kill things.” “I didn’t know,” she repeated. Now NST, what do you suppose is the probability that she truly didn’t know? Her accent was fully American, so she likely doesn’t have the excuse of cultural difference. She must live in our apartment complex, which puts her at a certain socioeconomic status. It bewilders me that someone with the kind of background I can assume for her might not know that pool water is meant to kill things (or at the very least, that she wouldn’t be able to figure that out using deductive reasoning). Surely she was lying through her teeth to avoid saying, “Oh yes, I do know that; I just thought the plants deserved to die.”
On another note, I’ve enjoyed all the comments the recent TF Fckng Fbls post generated! Super-interesting to read people’s take on it. I guess the name did its job of getting people to talk about it.
Wonder why she does not let her son drink from the same water then…
Ha! I thought that was where the story was going when I started to read it.
I thought so too!
If I were more clever/aggressive, I would’ve asked her that
Or “I care more about delighting my child than keeping the plant alive.”
Comments were quite interesting, and agree, certainly has done its job in getting people to talk about it.
Actually, if it is safe for people to swim in it and occasionally ingest some, it is possible that she didn’t know. At least you did your part and let her know. If she does it again the next time you see her, well, you can judge her.
If it is not a salt water pool, and it wasn’t freshly chlorinated, it might be not that bad for plants – http://homeguides.sfgate.com/ok-drain-pool-water-yard-53078.html.
And I agree with hajusuuri: since it is safe for kids to swim in a pool, the woman could not have thought about a possible harm to the plants.
First Saturday in quite a while that I’ve not worked and really playing the lazy/do nothing card. No perfume but for a swipe of a strip from a Macy’s circular (do people really still look at these) of Armani’s new It’s You scent. Yawn.
Temps are still cool here in Northeast. Is this it? Summer over?
Just started a new, old book: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Just the word “circular” speaks to a bygone era. Joining you in the laziness today.
Oh my, have not read that in years but still got a feeling as soon as I read the title. Hope you like it.
That’s a wonderful book and if you get the chance do watch the movie after you read it. I think it was an Oscar nominee? So sad.
5 more hours until Albuquerque. I’m road weary. Texas is never-ending y’all…
In Colette again. Like it but can’t wait to get to my other treasures and wear something new.
Almost there. Cheer up!
Yes, it’s a big state. Too big.
Never been to New Mexico and would love to go sometime.
Is Texas the second biggest state? After Alaska? If I drove that long I’d be in Australia
Yes, Texas is the second biggest state in the U.S., at 268,000 square miles (695,000 square kilometers). If you drive across Texas on Interstate 10, it is 881 miles, or about 90 miles further than driving from New York to Chicago. Alaska is the largest state, in fact it is over twice the size of Texas, but it is far less populated and has far fewer roads.
Hope your long haul is done by now!
Albuquerque or bust! hang in there
I finally retrieved the SNM Melograno that I’d loaned a friend to try. It’s the single perfume I’ve actually worn the most over the last year, and I’d missed it.
I’ve been studying reviews on Fragrantica, etc., and marveling over the great difference in perceptions of this simple fragrance. I think part of the confusion results from our lack of vocabulary describe the scents of aldehydes and synthetic musks, which aren’t characteristic of real things in nature. It basically comes down to each individual’s personal associations with specific scented products, such as Ivory soap, or a certain powder one has used. The other factor would be the degree to which each nose is able to smell the specific musks in Melograno.
My personal perception of it differs from Trebor’s as described in the review of Melograno on Scent for Thought, but I reach the same conclusion: it isn’t an outstanding perfume, and yet “one still has an inexplicable soft spot for it…”
http://scentforthought.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-melograno-maria-novella.html
FYI, if you are curious about SNM colognes, 43 (!) of them are reviewed there:
http://scentforthought.blogspot.com/p/index-by-house-sz.html
Isn’t that supposed to be their best seller, or most popular?
There’s no musk listed in the notes?
I think you’re right on both counts. Nonetheless, there’s usually a synthetic musk in fragrances somewhere, and many reviewers of Melograno mention it. For example, here’s Robin’s review from 2006:
https://nstperfume.com/2006/06/15/santa-maria-novella-melograno-pomegranate-fragrance-review/
I wonder how much Melograno has changed over time. The long list of notes on Fragrantica seems unlikely to me, but perhaps it had all of that when it came out in 1965.
Thanks for the link. Interesting.
It’s interesting how we have to fall back on comparisons so often when describing scents. The right words are out of reach. I have been reading the Orwell and Churchill book you mentioned. It is well written and nicely examines the importance of freedom of expression, the importance of questioning authority and also the value of individual thought…especially when it might differ from the mainstream or be ‘uncomfortable’ ( rather than turning away from the difficult). I found the link between Churchill and Orwell a bit thin ( so it’s more of a book of two halves) but it’s a good read despite that.
I’m still less than halfway through Churchill and Orwell. You’re right. Treating them in the same book seems in some ways like a gimmick. And yet, particularly here and now, I feel the resonance of following both of them through momentous times. They and their circumstances were so different, and yet their impact, in both cases, derived from seeing through cant and telling hard truths. Also seeing Churchill as a manager is fascinating to me.
I don’t know how I’d feel about the book if I’d read other books on of either of them, but I’m enjoying it a great deal so far.
It’s both intelligent and entertaining . Thanks for bringing it to my attention
Cherguiiiiii today. An amazing gorgeous day here in the PNW!
you smell great!
Scent twin
Oh, both of those sound fabulous!
Went out to Coney Island last night for the summer’s last fireworks and a nighttime picnic. Good fun! Haven’t been to CI in about 5 years and now I can wait another 5. Wayyyy overstimulating with crowds, bright flashing lights, super loud bass-driven music, and the smell of fried everywhere (which was enticing for a few minutes). We were on the beach most of the time, so it was quieter, fortunately.
) Tried this combo earlier this week. Heavenly!
Overslept this morning and then got news from my MIL that her brother passed away- he was ill for the past year so not unexpected. Super sweet guy, though I only met him once since he lived in Sacramento nd didn’t come out east much. My MIL is very reticent so not sure how or if to reach out to her. My husband, who was saddened, also was unsure how to approach his mother. He texted to ask if she was ok and she said no but thought it was for the best and that was it. I don’t want to intrude on her space but she also is one to not ask for what she needs and expects people to just know or show up and is resentful when that doesn’t happen. People are complicated.
I’m commando after a late shower but will probably wear CdG Ourzazate layered over some Aftelier Ancient Resins body oil (thanks Petunia
I am so sorry about your whole family situation. I have some family members with the same attitude and it is always very diffucult to deal with them. Good luck.
The combo sounds fantastic. I hope it helps you reach patience and comfort. I will try it tonight when I get home.
I usually do not venture further than Brighton Beach. I went there a week ago after a field visit nearby. It was after work, so since the weather was nice I decided to walk all the way to Coney Island. Too crowded and noisy with so many smells around. Overwhelming. I rushed myself to the subway station. I have never been able to take it!
Thank you. I enjoy Brighton Beach and the Russian restaurants. Do try that combo! It’s delish.
And family is especially complicated.
Believe it or not my husband proposed to me in Coney Island. Long story, and it was off season, but we did give out boxes of a famous Coney Is. salt water taffy shop as a wedding favor. We still visit every 2-3 years and also head to Brighton Beach for some always interesting local Russian grocery shopping.
True, true.
Love that! Sweetly romantic. Were you on the Wonder Wheel?
No, the needle! Of course the ride, if you can call it that, was a complete blur. I was just focused on his words and the very special moment.
The first person we told, as we were the only ones in the ride, was the guy operating it when we got off. Thanks for reminding me of such a sweet memory.
That’s awesome! Great memory ????
that is a great memory!
Sorry to hear about your hub’s uncle. Your MIL sounds like a handful. There is really nothing that either of you can do other than spend some time with her. I was very lucky to have a sweet MIL. I still miss her and miss the family closeness since she passed.
I have a bit of my Ourzazate sample left so I will give that combo a whirl. I love Ancient Resins but wish it lasted longer.
Your MIL sounded lovely. Mine actually is sweet and generous, but during an emotional crisis she closes off. I think not talking about it is her way of coping. She went through a severe depression about a year and a half ago and didn’t tell anyone. We did notice that she lost a ton of weight and looked unwell and seemed off, so we finally decided something needed to be done and my husband gently addressed it and it was worse than we thought. She did agree to get help and is fine now, thankfully. Her husband is not helpful at all.
I tried the combo since neither of those lasts that long, but they did stick around for longer when layered.
Poor dear. I didn’t realize the issue behind your concern. I sincerely hope that she will be at peace in time.
I’m sorry for your family’s loss. Your MIL is likely an introvert and it can be hard for them (like me!) to let others see our feelings, although they run deep. My own mother died this summer after a long decline, and I so appreciated the handwritten notes I got from several people; Even though she’s family, your MIL might like to get one from you. I also really appreciated getting flowers from a couple of close friends; and donations made to favorite charities in her memory. My mother’s passing was a merciful release; but your MIL’s loss of a sibling is probably more painful. I’d be in shock if one of my sisters died.
Some great advice I got years ago from a coach: a time of great loss is when others need us to approach them. It’s not intrusive. She was encouraging me to go to the memorial service for a colleague’s wife who had died of cancer; I was hesitant because I didn’t want to intrude. I did go, and I’m so glad I did. It clearly meant a lot to him that many of his colleagues were there, although we don’t socialize together outside work; and it made our relationship at work more cordial (it was always fine, but a little distant).
On a more cheerful note, I loved your description of Coney Island — I haven’t been there in over 30 years but it sounds much the same!
Thank you and I’m sorry for your loss. And thank you for your insightful perspective. She actually is quite extroverted and I believe it is more of a learned style of behavior regarding intimacy and may have a cultural/generational aspect as well. Her husband is completely stoic and can appear cold,
/disinterested so that doesn’t help her much. The men’s (my husband has 2 brothers) preferred method of coping is drinking, unfortunately. My husband is the crier in the family and doesn’t drink anymore so he’s the first to break out of that style.
Yes, we usually send her cards and emails and my husband does most of the phone calls. She said she isn’t going to any of the services for him because I think she can’t deal, though from a grieving perspective I worry about how that might effect her later. My husband is planning to bring that up with her. We’ll see how that goes…
You are clearly a kind and caring daughter-in-law! I can understand your MIL’s reluctance to go, given that she has previously suffered from major depression, poor thing. Everyone has to grieve in her own way, in her own time. I hope she accepts the help! Good luck …
Yesterday was back to work for me with a new supervisor and new administrator (no 11 in 10 years) so it was a very hectic day…I wore Phlur Greylocke which was a force field around me keeping nasties at bay (kinda like no 19 for some of you folks)…wow! Greylocke IS THE FRAGRANCE that is changing my mind about vetiver….love love love it….AND at a staff meeting one of my co-workers leaned into me and said “wow, you smell great!”
Now I am testing VS Bombshell on one wrist and Chergui on the other and both are making me happy…..
I’m officially talked in to seeking out some Greylocke!:)
I am shocked that I am loving this one so much….must be more than just the vetiver which makes it so addictive to me. Definitely worthy of a hajusuuri size sample!
How do you handle that much change in leadership? Talk about stressful. I like the force field idea
How do I handle it? I don’t-LOL! and poor Mr. CM8 as well as my best friend have to hear me moan and complain all the time! What irks me the most is that each admin has/had their own way of doing things….and each time one needs to “re-learn” the procedure/protocol….and it is even worse when you are admonished for doing something the wrong way as you were not able to read their minds because they did not tell you how they wanted it to be done to begin with!!! On the positive side, it is helping my sensitive soul to develop a thick skin
I’ve been curious about Phlur; have you tried any others? What did you think?
ha!ha! OH, you should NOT have asked that question! Because like Dame Perfumery and Berdoues Grand Cru Phlur has become the new perfume house I have been obsessed with!
yes, I have tried them all and like/love them all…they have a really nice sampling program…you should check it out…
I will tell you that Hanami is not an aquatic floral to my nose- my wonky nose hones in on the fig, hazelnut and sandalwood
Olmsted and Vaux is very sheer but every single time I wore it someone paid me a compliment….it is a citrus with a creamy vibe
Greylocke is vetiver and apple and some sort of resin…it has made me fall for vetiver (not my most favorite of notes)
Moab is not dry AT ALL on my skin…very sweet and creamy and cinammon-y- akin to how Saffron Troublant plays out on my skin and also has a Tauer vibe but not as harsh/bracing as some of the Tauers can be on me
Hepcat is gorgeous…but uber potent….I was expecting sweet tobacco but there is also some sort of dark vetiver in there which gives it an edge….definitely leans masculine but I will be wearing it to work as the weather gets colder because I am seeing it as a kicka$$$ kinda scent….
Siano is very very strange…but I love it as it comes across to me as a hybrid of Pulp and Calyx (the original before reform which I absolutely love)…it is also potent and borders on the rotting fruit and smells a bit like bananas to me…..
I hope you get to try them and if you do would love to hear your impressions (even if you hate them!)
They sound fascinating! I think I see some samples in my future … And I haven’t tried Dame or Berdoues yet. Any recommendations there?
Well, I love/like most of the Dames…the soliflores are true to their name and some are rather potent (looking at you Narcissus) so you really have to like the note! The artist collection is quite good…we have FB of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla and had a bottle of Dark Horse in our house…I also really like the Mens collection and find them to be quite unisex…I would suggest you participate in his postcard program to score free samples and mention that you review fragrances on your blog.
Berdoues…welp, love them all too!!! Full bottles in my house are Assam (citrus/tea/sandalwood), Arz el Rab (ginger/iris/cedar) Oud al Sahrraa (my nose does not get the oud but rather picks up a jammy/resin/powder vibe) and Vanira Moorea ( I think hajusuuri compared this one to Guerlain Mon Precious Nectar…on my skin it is orange blossom and amber but YMMV)…but I have sampled the others (with the exception of the two newest releases) and find them all to be full bottle worthy…..plus the bottles…..they are gorgeous as far as I am concerned…right now all four are living in younger family member’s room on display….
SOTD was Baruti “Indigo”.
Notes are mastic, hyacinth, rose, frankincense, cedar, Sandalwood, NOOUD (‘fake oud’, I guess) and amber.
I normally like this one more than I did today. Maybe it needs cooler weather?
I went for a haircut today and asked for a shorter style than usual – practically a buzz cut with a little more length on top. I like it. TOMK wryly observed that I’d left my Summer hair cut rather late in the season.
SOTE is Maison Francis Kurkdjian “Absolu pour le Soir” from a decant, following many namechecks here.
Notes are ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedar, incense, benzoin, rose, cumin and honey.
Pretty animalic at first, but now has settled down to a woody honey. I like it. Happy to stick with a decant for now. ;^)
I have a decant of APLS as well and found that how my skin reacted to it was entirely different in the summer (warm sweet honey with a bit of resins) than in cooler spring weather (raunchy sex/dirty underwear-how my skin wears cumin) …I gave it quite a bit of skin time in the summer but do plan on testing it again in the winter to see what appears
Maybe you’ll get THE LOOK
ha! ha! On NO…Mr. CM8 is like your mom…he prefers me “fragrance free”
I haven’t been on here lately, and I was wondering how our other Houston area NSTers were doing. I live in a town south of Houston, near the coast, and so far out town has been spared most of the worst of Harvey, but it is not over yet. Our rainfall totals were much less than Houston–I think our official storm total was around 15″, which was not enough to do any real damage in itself–but we are at the end of the rivers and creeks, so now we are waiting for the rivers to crest and subside to see just how much flooding we will get. The city has issued mandatory evacuations for a couple of neighborhoods, and voluntary evacuations for several others. So far, our neighborhood is dry. I am not sure where people who are evacuating can go except to one of the local shelters, or to friends or family in other parts of town. Right now, most of the possible routes out of the area are shut down due to high water. Ironically, it appears that the only way out right now might be to go through Houston. If the highway maps are to be believed, it appears that most of the freeways there are open., in spite of the extensive flooding that remains. I would be very interested to hear from any fellow NSTers in the Harvey-afflicted ares to know how they are doing.
Good to know you are fine. Hopefully, everything will start getting better soon. Take care!
It’s far from over. Life will not be normal for many for some time. Good to hear you’ve faired well with little major damage. My brothers, both in Houston, escaped major flooding too which we are very surprised by since their block has flooded many times before. Good to see all the financial support pouring into the region.
Yes, the recovery will take a long time. When I talk about it being over, I don’t mean the recovery and rebuilding, I am only speaking about the infliction of damage. It will be a relief when the waterways have all crested and receded and no new areas are being flooded. Our last hurricane before this was Ike, and while Ike was certainly bad enough, in many ways Harvey has been worse. Not only is the damage total far higher, but it is being spread out over an agonizingly long time. At least with Ike, you probably knew where you stood once the storm had passed over. and most people were able to return home within a few days, although many of them (ourselves included) did not have power for a couple of weeks. With Harvey, we have people who have been evacuated now for over a week, with no idea when they may be able to return home.
I just got home from Galveston, and my trip was 10E, went through El Campo and through Sugar Land – the roadways were clear on my route. Cannot say how the entire region is, however. Sobering, seeing a lot of cleanup that had taken place/is taking place. On my way home (did a round-trip) went through Houston (45) and that was clear, however 6 by Katy was closed (not too familiar with Houston per se) and 6 was flooded/closed. I spoke with some police officers from Dallas who are in Galveston to assist. Hope you are safe.
So glad you checked in, 50roses. A former co-worker was on the rideout crew at the Texas Zoo in Victoria, so I’ve heard how bad it has been in that area (he spent a night in on the roof of one of the zoo buildings during the worst of the flooding). They have a lot of rebuilding ahead.
I feel a bit guilty responding since I have been up north visiting my mother for almost 3 weeks now, so I missed the storm back home. I had to delay my flight by a week due to the airport being closed. From reports, my neighborhood (Montrose) is quite clear now. My house did not flood but there were roof leaks in my place and also some of my near neighbors (we are in townhouse with the same design). I hope to go in with them on hiring a roofer once things settle down. I’ve had some other friends who lost everything on their first floor and are now hard at work tearing up flooring and taking out sheetrock, sanitizing driveways, etc. I also have a friend in the Oriental rug business who has been driving all over town picking up rugs for cleaning and/or restoration and she reports that some areas are still badly flooded. Several friends have been working at emergency pet shelters and some have taken in shelter pets as fosters in order to free up more space. I would do that if I were home and maybe will start to once I get back later in the week. School has been closed but re-opens Tuesday and many people are wondering how the students and professors can manage life with all the stress (this is university I mean). We have a lot of commuter students and their family’s homes were flooded so they are active in helping clean things up. This semester is going to be a tough one for everyone and I am glad to be on leave. Sorry I don’t know much about the road and freeway situation, but I’m glad you weren’t flooded.
50_Roses, this is perhaps a late reply, but you might want to check drivetexas dot org for road conditions; it gives info on all major roads all over the state. I live on the far NW side and drove to the far SE side of town two days ago on the east beltway, and the info on that site seemed to be accurate to what I saw on my drive.
I’m glad you are okay and I hope this helps.
A lazy start to Sunday, visiting my mother. She is in very good health for her late 80s, but everything happens at a sedate pace – very relaxing.
I had a lovely time with Kanuka yesterday, chatting over coffee followed by a lots of sniffing. I found a couple of likes, but I’m still recovering from a cold, so I got more a watercolour impression of perfume than a full-bodied experience. Further testing is required! Kanuka gave me some samples, but I’ll wait for my cold to fully disappear before trying them.
No perfume yet, but I’ll go with something light, I’m taking my mother to a church lunch, so I don’t want to horrify the congregation with something too powerful. I’ve got a sample of Neroli Outrenoir with me, and that might be appropriate, not too sweet or big.
Neroli Outrenoir is a perfect for the occasion. Enjoy your day with your mom!
I tried Sables. I liked it more as a smell than a perfume, if that makes sense…just a tiny bit too much curry-powder/cumin on my skin…but it has made me curious about immortelle and i liked the depth of its scent. Now wearing the Chanel cologne which I really like. Thank you!
Has anyone sniffed the current bell jar version of SL Fumerie Turque? I loaned my export version to a friend who fell in love with it, but now only the later bell jar version is available.
I’m afraid my friend may be disappointed if he orders the bell jar, and that would be an expensive mistake.
Yes, nozknoz, I have one I purchased a few months ago. It’s fabulous. As it should be.
Just a reminder, Barneys will take fragrance returns. So if the cloche is bought there, they will be very gracious if it’s returned.
Thanks, apsara, all good to know. And congratulations on your wise purchase!
I know that for some of you this is not something unusual, but for the SF Bay Area 100F/38C is really hot (and it is still heating up, the forecast promises 108F/42C). Thankfully, my house has an A/C, so my family, my cat and, what’s important, my perfume cabinet stay relatively cool. But most houses and apartment complexes in the area do not have A/Cs, so I do not know how people deal with it. Still better than a flood.
I’m testing a couple of Floris perfumes but a dab or two is all I can tolerate now because of the weather.
I have been seeing my friends from the bay area post about that.
In Paris, while we were there, it was 42C in the sun, and nothing there has a/c either. Lucky for us, our babies were not phased by it whatsoever. We just kept giving them water and finding places in the shade for a nice ice cream…
Ice cream… That’s a good idea
Those temps are something else. Wow! I’m glad you have A/C, but tough for those without. I bet movie ticket sales are way up, anything to get a few hours of cool temps.
I hope SF gets some relief soon!
yikes!!! hope it cools down soon.
It’s been a great Saturday so far. The weather has been lovely, not too hot yet. Went out for brunch at a restaurant not even a block away and had corn cakes with eggs, bacon, and collard greens. They also serve exceptional coffee. Then my biggest excitement of the day so far was finding a bottle of Diptyque Baies Parfum d’Interior at Goodwill for $3.99! It’s about 80% full and smells like L’Ombre Dans L’Eau.
SOTD is the last of my Eau de Celeri decant. I’ll choose something else after my shower.
Excellent purchase! Enjoy it!
I had a lovely brunch with the family this morning. Autumn is in the air. SOTD is Kiss Me Tender.
AH! I have a sample of the intense version of that one..perfect!
I’ve never tried the intense version. Mine smells like sweet almonds and hay. How is the intense?
I will find my sample and wear it tomorrow and report back
How sweet of you. Thanks!
Sitting up in bed with Sunday morning coffee catching up on all the comments while wearing a sneaky morning spritz of Misia EdP. There is a small black cat comfortably ensconced on my lap and I don’t think she will approve of me moving her to one side just so I can to get a coffee refill…
Post shower I will probably wear Bel Respiro EdP or Sycomore EdP (seens to be a Chanel sort of day). It is Father’s Day here in Australia so Mr Lillibet, Master 6 and I will be going out to lunch later at a local pub with my mum, dad and grandmother which should be nice.
Hope all of you who have a long weekend are making the most of it
SOTD: was Sycomore EdP over the remnants of tea tree oil from the lice shampoo I ended up dousing myself and my son with after noticing some tiny ones in his hair (arrgh!) They’ve had them at school and I treated us all (and the linen etc) earlier in the week but must have missed some eggs… *sigh* Not many insects bother me but lice really squick me out
SOTE: CdG’s Grace by Grace Coddington for some refreshing green roses.
Hope you enjoyed the outing for Father’s Day! Great perfume choices all around. So sorry about the lice — seems unavoidable with school-age children, even though I don’t understand exactly why…
I find myself with a lapful of cat at the most inopportune times, too: needing a bathroom break, a coffee refill, answering the phone or door. I hate to disturb them, though; my two kitties don’t often come for a lap-sit so I savor it when they do.
Yes it was a nice lunch. Miss Lilly is the total opposite of your kitties being an enthusiastic lap sitter. Nice to have an excuse not to move sometimes though
What perfume do you wear for complete frustration? We’ve been having problems with our air conditioning (a necessity in Florida). But this isn’t some normal problem, no indeed. Every time we get a severe thunderstorm (thunder, lightning, heavy rain), the thermostat stops working. And not in a normal way, no indeed. The air conditioner keeps working and working and it can’t be stopped. Seriously, it would run for hours straight and can’t be controlled from the thermostat. We have to turn it off at the breaker (before the continuous running destroys the motor). We’re on our second air conditioning repair company trying to figure out why this happens and how to fix it. As it is now, we have to turn the system off completely if we’re going to be away from the house for more than a few hours. **pounds head against brick wall.**
Urgh, that is a totally frustrating situation. Hope they will find a fix soon!
What to wear…i really dont know, i guess it depends on what you need right now. Do you need a scent that comforts and calms you, or one that makes you feel ‘in control’ and powerful like a superhero that beats unwilling airconditioners in submission?
Wow, that’s an a/c problem I have never heard of! Good luck.
Exhausted – had a decant of Bond Nuits de Noho waiting for me. Very nice and satisfies my Angel obsession. Also had a bottle of 1950s Youth Dew that I’ve not tried yet.
I’m glad you got home safely, and that you had new things to try!
SOTD is Eau de Protection, since it is rainy and cold, which to many would be misery, but to me, it is the herald of fall around the corner, which is totally fine with me.
I had to go in Sephora for makeup today and spent a good 20 minutes poking my nose into whatever new-ish release they had on hand:
– Nirvana Amethyst and French Grey: I smelled both of these a few weeks ago and was haunted by the memory of French Grey, until my memory-ruining sister said recently that it just smelled like sunscreen to her, and dang it, she’s right. >:( Will prob still pick up the updated coffret with all six if E + J comes out with one for the holiday season anyway.
– Atelier Cafe Tuberosa: I didn’t try this on my own living skin, but just off of the paper, I got purely coffee and zero tuberose (and not really straight coffee beans as much as walking into a kitchen where coffee had been brewed within the past few hours.) Would love to take this one for a road test though, so hoping to pick up a sample sooner or later.
Lol at memory ruining sister!
Someone at work once told me that Lieu de Reves smelled like a clean baby diaper….and another person told me that my patchouli oil smelled like mushrooms…..it’s hard when folks make negative associations with some of your favorite fragrances
next time you are in Sephora ask the SA to make you a sample of Cafe Tuberosa..you are entitled to three free samples per person… I rather liked CT…I got straight up coffee with a dash of tuberose…..the coffee wasn’t overly sweet which was nice.
Thanks, I will! I probably would have asked yesterday, but they were slammed.
My sister doesn’t mean to put down my frags, we just end up trying a lot of the same things and then reporting back to each other. And it’s not that I’m necessarily sensitive about others liking/disliking the scents I wear; it’s more like she brings up an association and then I can’t UN-smell it once it’s in my mind. For example, I’ve been trying my hardest to warm up to at least one of the NEST perfumes, because those bottles, man. I was almost there with Indigo, and mentioned it to my sister, and she said, “Yeah, I tried that one, but it just smelled like grape juice on me.” Sure enough, I go back to it, and dang it, now that’s all I can smell, too!
My best friend described Dame New Musk as smelling like an urinal deodoriser cube in a mens public toilet. It was such a powerful image reminding me of when I used to do cleaning that the perfume never recovered.
Oh NO!!! and I love New Musk!!! Must get that image out of my brain…pronto!!!
Scent of my day yesterday: Isabella Rossellini’s Manifesto. Love that green! Very refreshing. We are having gorgeous weather after our own horrible heat wave. It’s still hot, but cooler and much less humid.
Spent most of yesterday working on clutter (essential since I just got a shipment of things from my late mother’s home, which we had to clear out this summer). My DH put together two glass-front bookcases for me, so I am reorganizing books and craft supplies in a small study that had become Clutter Central. It will look great when I’m done!
Wow! Never see anyone mention Manifesto these days. I had a full bottle of Manifesto when it first came out and drained it rather quickly….loved the basil note in that one. I remember reading somewhere that Isabella insisted basil be part of the perfume composition as it was one of her favorite scents.
I love the basil note too. I got my one bottle when it was discontinued and showed up at places like TJ Maxx. I love green fragrances, and it’s a very nice one. Have you found any other scents with basil that you like?
I do like the two Jo Malones with basil…there are two travel sprays of them in my home….
I’ve never sniffed this one, but Isabella Rossellini makes everything more interesting!
Good luck with your project. It sounds like you have a very satisfying, beautiful-smelling weekend ahead of you.
Thanks! I got a lot of de-cluttering done earlier today, then went to a writing workshop, so it has been a good weekend! And still a whole day left, thanks to Labor Day! I hope you’ve had a good one too.
My weekend is pretty awesome so far. Weather is splendid, sunny and not too hot, so perfect for activities.
On friday I had a day off (compensating for overtime)
I visited FOAM, a photography museum in Amsterdam. Saw work by Gordon Parks (nowadays more relevant than ever, unfortunately), and was impressed by the work of a young french (?) Vasantha Yogananthan.
Yesterday I went for a 3 hour walk in one of our most beautiful national parks: Veluwezoom.
We started out very late in the afternoon so we had the best light ever: the sun slowly setting and casting long shadows over the grass.
I am starting today with coffee (3 lungo sized cups) annnnd…..Bal a Versailles (vintage, perfume, from a tiny decant, 0,25 ml). Woa, this is potent but amaaazing stuff!
I love autumn afternoon light. At no other time is the light ever so golden. (And Bal a Versailles! that’s golden, too.)
SOTD Pepper Ylang by Smell Bent. Totally impressed, another winner for me and a floral to boot! This is my Friday and I’m THRILLED! Hope everyone in the US has a great holiday tomorrow.
Wow Deva!!! i think you have found your perfume house!!! i have sampled many from Smell Bent, including Peppered Ylang…they are most definitely fun and quirky and different….and for a niche, really affordable! I rather liked Green Patchouli but then again I am a patch-nut
Have you tried Hungry Hungry hippies? I have a 4ml of that too, but from a brief sniff of the cap, it may be patch on steroids. I’m a bit afraid to try a full spritz…
No..but sounds like my kinda thing….patch on steroids!!! Bring it on
SOTD is Assam of India, as a kind of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” to summer.
Have a long day of grocery shopping, re-organizing the pantry, cleaning the aquariums, and lots more planned ahead of me. I love a long weekend! I’ve worked plenty of jobs where celebrating holidays like Labor Day just wasn’t an option, either from working in retail, or security, or vet-med, so now that I have them, I definitely don’t take them for granted. And I definitely try to make a point of remembering that there are many, many people for whom a busy holiday weekend like this one is more of a dread than something to look forward to. I used to get a lot of frustrating comments when I still worked in retail along the lines of “Enjoy your long weekend! Oh, wait, you’re working all weekend? That’s too bad.”
So if any of you are reading this and are in a career where nights and holidays and weekends off aren’t an option, just know that I see you, and I appreciate the work you do, and I hope at the very least you can get off work at a reasonable hour one day this weekend and can enjoy some time with your friends and families.
ASSAM!!!!! love it! Please don’t relegate it to the summer, however! i wore it several times last winter and my skin really amped up the sandalwood…plus the citrus massively elevated my mood (as I really hate cold weather which puts a damper on my spirits)
Oh, definitely! I am really looking forward to getting back to my cold weather scents, but the great thing about Assam is that 1. it’s not strictly a warm-weather scent (although it is perfect for it), and 2. Berdoues doles out such a generous amount for such a reasonable price that I don’t need to carefully ration it!
Oh yes, this is true! We can spray with reckless abandonment!
I feel that way about summer, too.
And I’ve worked those “WHAT-holiday?-I’m-working” jobs, as well.
I really appreciated this post!
Ditto. Well stated.
As a life long retail employee, thank you. I will add, that we also do not share the”thank goodness it’s Friday ” concept. Enjoy the rest of the long holiday!
I feel your pain! I remember once when I had my first scheduled weekend off coming up for the first time in almost a year. My boyfriend (now husband) and I planned a weekend trip to DC and I was soooo excited…until the morning we were supposed to leave when I came down with the flu and had to cancel it. -_- Talk about heartbreaking. And of course, I magically got better on the last evening and was well enough to go to work the next day. What a rip-off.
I will also add that I hope that everyone who is working this weekend at least has either a good management/scheduling team that will ensure you will get alternating holidays off, or a holiday pay differential to make it a little more bearable.
Happy to be reunited with my bottles and samples that didn’t make the “wedding appropriate” travel cut, but I am feeling slightly ill so I’m not sure what to wear today. Yesterday, I wore Dzing! to a very successful date and since it also doubles as my comfort scent I might give it a go this morning.
Very bored with feeling sick. I got a mild flu earlier this week and had to stay two extra days with my family before coming home. It was nice to spend time with them, but it was expensive! And I couldn’t even enjoy the perks from having to buy the expensive ticket (well, except the accelerated TSA line – that was niiiiiice). Hope this week is better.
Tell more about the very successful date!
Nothing special about the date itself, I guess, except for how much we enjoyed it. We’re stupidly into each other right now – it better calm down soon or we’ll keel over from nervous exhaustion!
Yay! I’m excited for you!
Thank you!
I hope your next week is better too, and so happy you’re stupidly into someone, that’s fun!
Thank you, Robin!
I am on my way to the Geauga County Fair right now. I was going to wear LADDM but wasn’t willing to lug around a full bottle in my purse. I went with Noontide Petals which is similar but I have a decant.
Have great fun!
I want a bell jar of Borneo 1834 for this fall so bad! Even considering picking up some extra shifts at work to pay for it!!
I hope you get your bell jar Cody.
I hope we each get our bell jar!
Bell jars for all!
I’m going out soon to find things that are scarce around here…bleach, vinegar, paper towels/plates and fresh eggs. The garbage got picked up yesterday!! Yaaay!! It’s the little things.
I’m in Cuir de Russie edt, thanks to a generous NSTer. Lovely suede and sandalwood. I may not look like a suit-wearing dame playing cards at midnight, but I’m good with just smelling like one. ????
Y’all have a great rest of the weekend!
Oooooh was dithering over what to wear this morning and you may just have picked for me…only its the EdP I will be wearing to work for a cold wet windy Monday morning
Aww, nice choice for a Monday! I hope it sustains you today. ????
Hi everyone, I’m definitely enjoying gorgeous weather in northern Indiana. It’s clear and cool at about 75 which is so nice compared to hot humid Houston. (Not to mention I am missing all the trauma of cleanup, which I feel guilty about, and the apparent horror of the mosquitoes plaguing everyone now.) I went to a farmers market yesterday and got the most delicious peaches and sweet corn! Yum! Plus my brother brings over his home-grown tomatoes. I’m in heaven. And I’m enjoying being lazy (too lazy as I have writing deadlines!). SOTD is Mousse de Chene. I’m definitely going to buy at least the small vial of this when I get back to Houston. I love how it smells after it’s been on for a few hours. It’s grounded and a bit sweet.
I hope your friends and family in Houston are coming through this okay. Your Indiana trip sounds great!
SOTD is Salvatore Ferragamo “Vendemmia”, from the Tuscan Soul series.
Top: citron and peach;
Mid: jasmine and fig leaf;
Base: sandalwood and tonka.
Nice stuff – on my skin, sandalwood plays the starring role. It suited a cool-ish rainy day. Thank goodness I finished hedge trimming yesterday evening, although I was eaten alive by flying and crawling things by the end of it.
Went for a Sunday Vegan Roast with TOMK. Food was good (well, good enough – I am not vegan myself, and a Sunday roast without meat is an odd concept for me). There was a young black woman playing guitar and singing, and although I was over female-singer-songwriters-with-guitars before the nineties were out, she was pretty good. Kind of Indie/ jazz-inflected stuff; see what you think on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tehillahhenry.
From this week I switch to Monday morning flights to DUS, so I’ll have to put up with the madness of Monday morning check-in and security queues after months of relatively unstressed Sunday night flights. Wish me luck!
Wishing you luck and a stress free flight!
In the 80s today after a few days of over 100 in San Diego.
As a reward for enduring the heat and an epic tantrum last night via my 4 year old year, I purchased the Prada Infusion mini set w/ Amande and Oeillet, etc. and a full bottle of VCA Bois d’Iris today while listening to the GOT S7 soundtrack which is excellent music to shop to.
Good things come to those who endure heat and irrational anger. ❄️????
That is indeed a fantastic reward.
Enjoy, you deserve it.
Nice haul, She-ra!
SOTD = SSS Equistrius
I was hoping to channel Fall but we are currently in warm humid conditions from the remnants of Harvey, here in the northeast.
My uncle’s memorial service yesterday was literally Standing Room Only. The church was on the smallish side (normally can fit around 260) and with extra chairs and people standing at the small entryway and outside, there were well over 400 people. The eulogies were equally sad, poignant, humorous but overall were a celebration of his life and the joy he brought to so many and a testimony to the difference he made.
You didn’t think I would escape drama, did you? At the repast lunch, there was no room at the table where my sister and family sat because there were 3 other strangers to us but certainly had every right to be there and she wanted to keep a dear friend and her family together. I decided to go find another family member to sit with and voila, there was room at a table where a cousin (“T”), his wife and stepson sat. Now, I had to make a quick decision because this cousin is normally persona non grata because of some financial shenanigans against my dad, uncles and aunts, but I figured, what the heck. T’s brother/family were sitting at an adjacent table with other cousins we have not seen in a while and not once did anyone get up to speak to the other. The kicker? My aunt (my uncle’s widow) made a beeline for T right before the buffet opened up and said “Pay attention and learn from how your uncle lived his life” and walked away. I just raised my eyebrows.
We were invited back to dinner at my aunt’s house and we reminisced and gossiped about T and his errant ways. We also spoke about T’s wife and how she was trying to flash her jewelry (which I thought were fake…but apparently not) and how she must have had work done (or Botox) because her face was a frozen mask with a permanent smile. Anyway, now I am just being catty so I’ll stop
Oh and I wore AG Heure Exquise EDP yesterday and it was just right!
Your Aunt sounds like a pretty great and classy lady. And your Uncle like a truly great man. Again, my condolences.
Thank you. He really was a wonderful man and meant so much to so many. My aunt is pretty classy.
I’m sorry to hear about your uncles passing. I think I may have missed that post. He must’ve had quite an influence for good in his life with over 400 in attendance.
May he Rest In Peace.
Thank you. He actually planted that church with the pastor of a much larger church. When I was in college, I used to go to the church where the service was held. Weekly attendance was in the 20 – 25 range and I taught Sunday School! Considering he was a practicing medical doctor, it’s amazing how he found the time to help grow the church!
Hajusuuri, I’m sorry to hear of your uncle’s passing; my condolences to you and your family. It sounds as though you and many others have wonderful memories of him.
SOTD- TF Sahara Noir. YUM!
Project of the day- making peach preserves. DOUBLE YUM!!!
SOTD is Route de The. I didn’t even know I still had some left until the great pre-fumigation cleanout.
AND you know, it smells wonderful. I remember I first starting buying and wearing it when I moved from No Cal to So Cal when Barneys didn’t have a whole lot of fragrances and it seemed very expensive and special at the time. I had been wearing Ysatis and Vivre and Sherrer – ones my ex-husband who must not be named gave to me. Clearly, I needed a clean break.
I went for Assam and the elephants this morning but thought -no, let me see how this has held up. and you know, it has!
I smell great!
So today when I got in the shower, I realized my Rose Jam shower gel was finished to I decided to use the Alien shower gel that my mother had given me several years ago, but I never used because, you know, Alien (!!!). To my great surprise it was lovely. Really, really nice. I am totally shocked. I thought it would be loud and over the top, but it is subtle and pleasant. I might have to purchase when my mother’s gift runs out. My surprise of the day.