PSAs: the freebiemeet is open through the rest of the day, and the next splitmeet will be a week from today, on 14 October.
It's the weekend, and we're celebrating with our same old open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you're falling out of love with, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Autumn Landscape [cropped] by Игорь М at flickr; some rights reserved.
Dame Narcissus…which is making my eyes roll to the back of my head …reminds me so very much of DvF Tatiana which I wore in the late 70s…so beautiful (and thank you, ltsg!!!)
I just got a sample of this and haven’t tried it yet, now I want to wash my arm and spray!
Now keep in mind this is a true narcissus…so you really have to love the note! I hope you like it
your welcome..enjoy!
After I mow the lawn I will take a shower and dive into Eau de Campagne…tomato leaf!!!!
I loved Tatiana
So did I…have you tried the Dame?
Oh so did I! It is a travesty today. Totally unrecognizable. It was the first perfume I found for myself and bought for myself in high school.
oh that is really too bad….well, the Dame seems to be filling my need
I bought my first bottle of Tatiana when I was 12 years old..it was the very first time my best friend and I took NYC public transportation all alone to go to the mall and purchased perfume by ourselves in Abraham and Strauss with our spending money…I bought Tatiana and Bill Blass…does anyone remember that one? It was unique to me at the time with the pineapple note. Back in the day Abraham & Strauss (A & S) and Orbach’s carried great perfumes for very reasonable prices…at least ones that a junior high school kid could afford
I loved those years when my sister and I would walk up 5th ave in our mini skirts and there were so many more years ahead of us.
I have never tried dame.
It might be too bittersweet in my memory.
Oh my! What an adventure for a young girl. Tatiana is awesome. I also had a bottle back in the day. It sounds like I must check out Dame!
My sister had a bottle and I used to sneak spray it (oh I was so naive).
Loved Bill Blass! Wish there were something a little like that one now- maybe a little lighter ;).
Oh, I loved Tatiana.
(And really enjoy the Dame Narcissus.)
I loved Tatiana way back in the day! I remember going through several bottles in jr high. I’ll have to smell the Dame narcissus again. From what I remember, the Dame reminded me of the product we used while mopping the cabin at summer camp. ????????
Oh me too! I am dating myself here. It was my FIRST perfume as well, at the same age and I loved it so!!! I do have a small vintage decant from STC!!! Nice to have such great company!! I must admit though that I always thought it was a Jasmine floral – not Narcissus!!
No scent yet (waiting for morning caffeine to get rid of the headache I woke up with), but can I just say that I want to be where that photo was taken – gorgeous!
Hope the coffee does its job.
Thank you
It’s mostly gone now, and I’m mulling what scent to wear to a haircut appointment. My stylist likes most of my fragrances, and I like to introduce her to new things.
The photo looks like a dream of fall, doesn’t it? And it was nearly 80 degrees here today, which even to a cold-hater like me seems wrong.
Exactly – dreamlike perfection. Cool and crisp and utterly silent. Heaven!
Happy Saturday, all! Before shower I sampled Vilhelm Morning Chess and Smoke Show. Neither was my style. I now have Modest Mimosa (yellow!) on one arm and The Oud Affair (tobacco!) on the other. Better choices, although I find neither swoon-worthy, given the price tag. All good… would have had to save for a long time to spring for a bottle!
I really liked the name of the perfume -Morning Chess…… I tend to eyeball all perfumes that have chess terminology (including En Passant, which is a chess term)….happy to hear you don’t need full bottles of them as they are quite pricey.
I like Modest Mimosa (even if the dry down is unremarkable), but arrived to the same conclusion: not with that price tag (plus, it appears that they don’t make the travel size of that one).
Sunny days
Sweeping the clouds away..
Tresor
Hair cut later on today
French Press coffee with a few cardamon pods
Love coffee with cardamon pods….I added some cardamon pods to my homemade vanilla bean body oil and it is smelling quite good….
Tresor is lovely too….transports me to the 1990s which was when I wore it
I was a Tresor gal in the 90s too. Smelling it now brings back so much.
Tresor is very nice.
On my way
To where the air is sweet (?)
I guess here the air would only be sweet if you were in midtown standing next to the roasting nuts carts or the waffle trucks
Hair color and cut here too
Loved wearing shanghai lily so much yesterday wore it again today
my hair dresser keeps suggesting I do low lights in my hair…I have never colored my hair at all in my life and I am scared to do so.
Don’t do it! It is such a pain to keep up with it. I am so happy I stopped colouring my hair.
Well… depends on what your natural hair is like. Gray hair or salt-and-pepper looks absolutely stunning on a lot of people (especially if their hair was dark to begin with)!
However, IMO, it’s not a great look if your hair was a lighter shade before you began to gray. It can look really ashy and fade-into-the-background when you’ve got gray on light brown hair, for example. If your hair used to be fairish and you’re completely gray now, that looks lovely.
I have 2 or 3 gray hairs that I can see in the mirror..
I think you should do it, SmellGood. Start with the high (low) lights like your hairdresser suggested and build up from there. I was a bit nervous when I colored my hair the first time (the whole shebang) but it turned out quite well.
ok..still thinking about it. Maybe next hear for a new year new hair do?
It can be fun, but you have to be light-hearted about it. I just got mine cut and colored. It was supposed to be lave, not purple! But it’ll gradually fade!
Lavender
I’ve decided that weekends are for samples only, because I have far too many of the little buggers. So today I have worn:
Basilico & Fellini (Vilhelm Parfumerie) – very nice! The basil is a great note. This is my favorite from that sample set so far. However, it only lasted an hour.
Cafe Rose (Tom Ford) – meh. I like roses, but this one left me underwhelmed. The coffee I was looking forward to never showed up. Removed after a boring 2 hours.
Currently wearing Felanilla (PG) – purrrrr! This is excellent. The hay note is just making me swoon when it’s combined with all that other goodness.
Have a great and fragrant weekend everyone!
What a great idea. Also, if the perfume turns out to be a complete brat it’s much easier to scrub off and start over at home. I go with the tried and trued at work, hence my Office Scent try for grab&go.
Love Fellanila! You smell wonderful????
Black Perfecto today!
It is quite nice. I have the original 2009 LPRN before it was reformulated for the big 2012 release and I’d say this is fairly close.
Will have to do a side by side comparison to see what the differences are…but this is exciting. I’m down to 1/2 a bottle of the 2009 and this will be a fine replacement.
I liked Black Perfecto as well. it reminded me a lot of Escada’s Limited Edition Cherries in the Air but it is darker…Cherries in the Air Noir? or Cherries in the Air Extreme?
I’ve never been interested in the LPRN, but “Black Perfecto” may be my tipping point. The positive reviews help, but I think the . . . campiness? of the whole thing also contributes.
Me either, and I’d never actually smelled any version but became totally obsessed with that bottle so I bought one.
the bottle is stunning…do you like the fragrance?
Waaahhh, the original ???? I got some BP in the swap meet and can’t wait to try it! Please post your thoughts when you compare them. I saved some that you sent me, so I’ll compare them too!
I just got a sample of this from a generous Nst’r. Smells really good! It reminded me of those big Bonnie Bell lip smackers from way back in the day. I always wore the bumble gum and strawberry flavors. Maybe there was a black cherry one, I’m not sure. But smelling this new BP took me down memory lane in a good way. ????
I finally got the leather (really more suedy) while decanting. More is more with this one bit I am afraid to asphyxiate myself and others.
You smell gorgeous!
Well, I’m finally feeling something like better from the shingles – although I still can’t do the stuff I really want to do, like drink a glass of wine and spend time with my boyfriend – so I’m celebrating in Fat Electrician. It will be fall one way or another! Whatever the weather says.
Also planning on doing my hand wash only laundry today.
Nice that you are getting better!
My hand wash is also just done so the line drying is next (with the sun we are having today, all should be dry in no more than a couple of hours.)
Thank you! Your sun-warmed laundry sounds lovely – a lot of my stuff is silk, so sunlight is out, but I might put out the other things.
Sun drying is the best little thing we can do, isn’t it?
https://www.thespruce.com/reasons-to-line-dry-laundry-2145997
But I have to admit that I am not brave enough to wash my silk (tried it once and never again); if you have some advice on how to obtain good results, please share.
I hope you’ll recover completely as quickly as possible: it’s a nasty thing you had, makes me think of vaccination (but I’m afraid I’ll keep postponing until it’s too late).
Why can’t you spend time with your boyfriend? Hasn’t he been vaccinated against chickenpox?
I do think people should get the vaccine, mostly because of postherpetic neuralgia – that’s REALLY bad, I think. I mostly found the actual rash just irritating (although compelling/fascinating to watch develop), but the other symptoms/anti-viral side effects really messed me up.
He has not been vaccinated, plus I’ve had some symptoms that preclude comfortable physical contact for most of the week. But the end is in sight.
There’s a very specific age range for populations who should be vaccinated, so it’s not recommended that everyone get one. I happened to hear a long discussion (with 2 MDs) about it the other day on the radio.
I wish you a speedy and pain-free recovery!
Oh, I meant to say eligible people should get it! But of course, I didn’t.
Thank you.
Oh! So sorry to hear about shingles. I got the vaccine after a minor bout. I feel very lucky it was minor…on my face and very little pain or after effects. I know many others who were not so lucky.
Glad you’re feeling better. Perhaps I am just lazy…my “hand wash” clothes also go into the washing machine in the hand wash setting and I make sure it is in gentle cycle. If there is anything with a zipper, I quarantine it in a wash bag. I have a front loader so there is no agitator to snag the clothes.
I am equally as lazy as you and do the same exact thing…I also have a front loader.
and that is probably the only time I do laundry as Mr. CM8 usually does all of our laundry.
and vacuums and cleans the bathrooms …..(it pays to be married to a “neat freak”-LOL!)
I was concerned when we first got our front loader but that concern was unfounded.
Hope you continue to feel better. Shingles doesn’t mess around, does it!
Happy you are feeling better! Shingles can be very demoralizing. What is “handwash only laundry?”????
Things that I take to the drycleaner.
Wearing L’Artisan Mandarine–so perfect for the very warm October!
Ooh, how long does it last?
I can smell it for about 3 hours (maybe longer if I apply lavishly). But I actually appreciate that L’Artisan keeps it that way–it is a gorgeous mandarine fruit, just picked from the tree in November, but nothing more than that. I have a back up bottle of this one
Scary weather has finally given up and it’s all calming down but it has caused severe damage. One of the high schools in my hometown lost all of its roofing. The whole rooftop flew away!
I am wearing Aedes Pelargonium but it feels weirdly off today. I should have chosen something more smooth and mellow.
That sounds awful. I hope they’ll be able to rebuild quickly. Weather is fierce in many areas this year
Pelargonium is nice and I wish they had travel sprays of all their perfumes. I don’r Even mind the higher price but I want a real travel spray, not a twice as expensive per ml plain refill vial.
So you don’t like their travel sprays? I have one of Iris Nazarena. Looks fine with cap on, but when you remove it to spray it’s just a plain glass vial with atomizer cramped on top. Not very elegant.
The problem with their travel sprays is that while it’s expensive ($36/7.5ml) it doesn’t look better than a handmade decant from the big bottle. I’d rather get my 10 ml from a split then – it’ll be still cheaper.
Yeah, right. Decants from 100 ml bottle will be always more cost efficient than a travel spray. You just need a nice atomizer
Yikes! Are such weather events common in your area? Stay safe and warm!
Not at all! Some people say that the climate really has changed in the past decade, as we are getting more and more anomalies that never had place here in central Europe.
Glad you’re safe, sweetie. We are still in hurricane season here and I am tired of it.
Thank you. I hope that the hurricane passes away from you and highly urbanized areas.
I’m glad we don’t have hurricanes here and hope we never will.
Enjoying a day of apple and pumpkin picking in Connecticut. The weather is perfect. Warm, partly sunny and breezy. Wearing just a spritz of I Hate Perfume Gathering Apples, since we are surrounded by a huge cloud of La Vie et Belle from my MIL
Have a nice weekend everyone!
What a great weekend!
And I meant to say I bet you smell great. I like apple scents, although I don’t think I have any…
What fun!!!
Jolie Laide’s Cleo de 5 a 7. (How do I do French accents on an iPad??). I need to dig into this sample set from JL more often. This is described as lipstick and leather. Gorgeous Jasmine.
In honor of Agnes Varda, who I was blessed to see last night with JR, her partner in the movie Faces Places. (Visages Villages.) An incredibly charming movie- uplifting in our challenging times. What a wonderful duo they are. 34 year old street artist/photographer and 89 year old grande dame of French cinema.
Have you seen The Gleaners and I? It’s one of my favourite documentaries. I haven’t seen Faces Places but will hunt it out. Jolie Laide is a good match.
I haven’t. My husband has, I believe. He’s the one who was in top of this – got the tickets ahead of time and insisted we be there early to get the exact seats he wanted. Small theater.
Do see it. You won’t be disappointed.
OMG, this takes me back to high school French class! I have minimal recollections of this documentary, and had no idea it was famous. Basically, I only think of it anytime I need to use the verb “glaner” or when I am in front of a painting with “glaneur” in the title. Maybe I should watch it again, now that I’m an adult and can maybe care more about the point of this documentary.
Faces Places may be more enjoyable… ????
Wow, I am jealous of your evening!
You can click on the globe button on the bottom left and put the keyboard into French. Then just hold the letter key down until a list of choices pop up and select the à.
Thanks Cazaubon. I hadn’t added that keyboard so the globe didn’t show up. I’ve now added it!
Just out of curiosity, is there anything else that smells like petrol/gasoline like Dior Fahrenheit?
https://nstperfume.com/2012/06/20/histoires-de-parfums-petroleum-fragrance-review/
Maybe this?
I’m not familiar with Fahrenheit, but Kerosene Broken Theories has a bit of a petrol vibe to it.
Comme des Garcons Garage?
Santa Maria Novella’s Nostalgia was the first thing that sprang to mind. Imho it has a much edgier James Dean/Marlon Brando kinda vibe when compared to Fahrenheit.
Have you looked up that note on Fragrantica? I’ve found that to be really helpful.
Shalimar Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique had a definite gasoline accord; however, I sure didn’t like it and now call it the Mexican Shalimar with the suspicion it was a knockoff. Others do like it though…
this will sound odd but I do remember Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels saying that Jo Malone Basil,Lime & Mandarin smelled like gasoline to her….I never noticed it but as soon as she wrote about it I smelled it in there as well …power of suggestion?
Comme de Garcons Serpentine has a car exhaust vibe – like being in a city park with the smell of traffic nearby.
Thank you guys for the suggestions!
I’m wearing a combination of AG’s Eau d’Hadrien and Frapin The Orchid Man, which is nice and cooling for a 90F day.
It’s finally cool enough for Etro’s Messe de Minuit. I usually only wear this in fall and winter, and I always forget how much I like it. The first annual spritz is so enjoyable.
Mmm I love Messe de Minuit. I think it deserves a wearing soon.
Hi there!
Its been a while. I am still in Bretagne, enjoying all the good stuff this region has to offer: beautiful landscape, great food, charming historical towns and castles, mystical menhirs and dolmen, and (lucky me) also great sunny and warm weather!
But the mornings and evenings are chilly autumn-y, so my SotE is Arso, by Profumum Roma.
I was tempted to visit Bretagne after smelling Un Air de Bretagne from L’Artisan.
Oh I still need to smell that one!
Does it smell like seaweed and salt water, pine, and a whole bunch of weeds and wildflowers? Cause thats what the coast smells like, to me.
Yes, it smells of salt and seaweed
and your review has made me want to try it
..oh I remember, you did a review!
I went in search of ylang ylang perfumes yesterday but nothing doing except Chanel No.5 and Chamade from the long list of possibilities.. Christmas decorations are already for sale in some places…crikey. I had a wonderful walk in the botanic gardens where the magnolias, rhododendrums and azaleas are all in bloom and the air was incredibly sweet and lovely. Saw some ducklings, too. Wearing DoTERRA whisper oil again, a cosy light spice. Happy weekend everyone.
Have you tried Lilylang by Sylvaine Delacourte? Not a groundbreaking fragrance, but easy to wear and addictive.
Thanks for the tip!
Kanuka, in case you haven’t read them, I think you might really enjoy reading Neil’s blog posts (The Black Narcissus) about ylang ylang.
Thank you so much. I was about to get out of bed (Sunday morning) but not now.
Le Labo Ylang 49 is great, but not a traditional treatment of the note.
As much as I love that one, I never think “ylang” when I wear it.
Eau de Moheli from Diptyque is a simple but good Ylang-ylang perfume. I have the oil roll on.
I really recommend Perris Monte Carlo Ylang Ylang Nosy Be. It’s potent and amazing stuff.
Thanks for all the suggestions…into my special notebook they go
I saw a listing of new vanilla fragrances from a Luckyscent email today.
Does any know anything of this Morroco one?
Was curious about that one too. Wonder what the surprise scent is!
They look enticing!
Enjoying onion soup in one of my favorite French bistro’s in NYC, Le Bonne Soupe.
Wearing Vetiver Tonka and next stop: home for a nap.
You are eating/wearing/doing all of my favourite things! Perfect Saturday by my book.
Really was a lovely day.
Forgot to mention I stopped in probably one of the only candy shops in the city that sells at least 25 varieties of licorice to pick up some for later. It is after all national licorice month
YUM! and YUM! (both soup and perfume!)
LOVE La Bonne Soupe. It’s one of our go-to places. Sounds like a great day.
Love it!
yum! looking up this place…
SotM = Vol de Nuit edt
VdN feels polished and well-made, a fragrant counterpoint to my 5-minute hair & makeup with jeans & t-shirt.
Fall out of love with a fragrance? It has been months since I could enjoy L’Heure Bleue. For a while it made me quite queasy. It is appealing once again in cooler weather.
I am in love with two new perfume names. Le Frenchy from Guerlain and Salle Gosse from FM — both tickle my funny bone.
Also fun, professional social media blunder turns cute:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/03/555316521/that-time-ramona-made-everyone-smile-for-a-few-minutes
VdN, one of the best. You smell great!
aw, thanks!
VdN is a classic in all the right ways.
You smell wonderful. I have found that some of my favorites don’t agree with me when the weather changes. I just try to see it a a great reason to rotate!
Thanks a bunch.
VdN always makes me smile. Agree on rotating scents for the weather, or any reason at all.
It’s a cute story, thank you for sharing.
I cannot do VdN in EDT – it doesn’t smell good on me, but extrait is great in cold weather.
Always happy to share an internet link, especially if it leads to a cute cat’s picture. Hi, Rusty!
VdN edt is an outlier for my nose, but I adore it because it reminds me of perfume I remember adults wearing when I was a child. I can imagine that the extrait must be especially good in winter.
If (when?) I go for a bottle, I promise to show it to Rusty and take pictures of that “meeting”
Thank you, I needed that story tonight!
Thanks for sharing this
Trying out Cuir de Lancôme for the first time, from the swapmeet. I see now why this is so popular! It’s just lovely….now why did they discontinue this??
I almost pulled that out today. Just want it to be a little cooler out. You smell gorgeous. Best blind buy ever for me.
Just beautiful! Enjoy!
Wore CdL the other day! It is so lovely when the air cools off.
I’m in lightly applied Bronze Goddess and it feels perfect for this sunny, cloudless day.
I have a question. Is anyone trying or taking seriously House of Sillage fragrances? On a whim I took home a sample of Love Is in the Air the other day. First I poopooed it as just a musky fruity floral… and then I got a wee bit hooked. Without looking at the notes, I thought it was cherry and rose and powder. Luckyscent says its plum, “green notes,” orange, rose, jasmine, cedarwood, patchouly, and white musk. The bottles, even the none-limited editions, are crazy baroque, and the cost is likewise over the top.
Personally, I can’t get over the prices or the gaudy bottles. I tried one of them, not sure which one, but I remember it being very sweet.
I remember eyeballing them as I was fascinated by the bottles (like Nancy said, the “gaudiness” intrigued me)…but never tried any of the fragrances.
Nothing wrong with getting hooked…I have a feeling they may show up at the online discounters eventually and then you can get yourself a bottle….(no one will judge
)
I can’t imagine that a House of Sillage bottle would ever make it to the front of my priority queue for spending money–but that is because it has a lot of competition. I think it would be fun to own one of those confections however. I always liked the Maitre parfumeur et gantier bottles with the big glass or plastic stone at the top! Classy? Nooooo. Fun? Yup.
hey, nothing wrong with fun
I say if it becomes heavily discounted you should get yourself a bottle.
The bottles are too kitschy and spendy for me to take seriously, but I’ve never smelled them so who knows?
They are really ridiculous. And big. In addition to wanting to spend your disposable income on chrome and crystals, you need the shelf space to store them! And, they are hard to open. The tops are very heavy and have a tight magnetic pull. I nearly dropped one of the “limited” $1500 tops sampling the frags. I made the comment to the clerk that I’d on occasion after sampling perfumes find the cap to some bottle in my hand as I was leaving the shop and have to go back to the counter to return it. I was making the point that it would happen in the case of the House of Sillage bottles, but she gave me a baleful look and then didn’t take her eyes off me.
But still, I wouldn’t mind one of those cupcake sillies!
wouldn’t (I meant) wouldn’t happen!
I disliked bottles so much that I didn’t even sniffed the content when I saw them at the store. Of course, by that time I’ve smelled several hundreds of other perfumes – otherwise I would have anyway
Do the bottles look like giant cupcakes?
Yep. With a lot of swarovski crystals. It reminds me this ad https://youtu.be/CjWYbcbpiWA
Undina you are spot on! One of my favourite ads of all time.
I agree, the bottles are a real turn-off for me …
Hi OF! Thought of you when I wore L’Etrog this week. ☺️
Hi Laura! I still love L’Etrog. I still have some of my decant left, and now am inspired to wear it later today. I’m currently in Unter Den Linden, which was my favorite of the April Aromatics. My 16 year old son, who has inexplicably become interested in rose frags, thinks its smells like a dusty curtain in a theater. Yup. That’s me. A big dusty curtain. So I will changes things up with L’Etrog this afternoon!
It has been my experience that whenever 16 year old boys become interested in anything, there is usually a 16 year old girl involved. Unless said 16 year old is gay, I suppose, but in that case another 16 year old boy would probably be involved. Maybe I’m old and cynical.
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it just takes the potential of romantic interest to make 16 year old boys notice smells.
In my view, that’s a good thing. Taz just turned 17 and we’re still bugging him to remember to take a shower…
Teen boys and their raging hormones???? It’s “buckle your seat belts” time!
A dusty curtain…? Too funny!
Tried out West Third Brand Tobacco 1812 this morning and it is quite lovely. Sweet (but not too much) tobacco, chocolate? I’ll have to check the notes but I like it.
Great bike ride today…one of life’s simple pleasures is riding through patches of fallen leaves.
How nice that the leaves have yet to turn into brown mush. Off to Queen Elizabeth Park this afternoon.
True, riding through wet, mushy leaves is decidedly not one of life’s simple pleasures!
Chocolate? Must seek out.
Agreed, biking in fall leaves is definetly a pleasure.
And I just looked it up and it is practically free! $36 on Indiescent, wow. I feel like I have to buy it on principle alone.
Last night I had an enjoyable evening at the pub. I think why I like this pub in particular is that I get to take a little water taxi to get there. I wore L’ambre des Merveilles, but I oversprayed and found it too sweet.
It must be about the only Hermes where one spritz is plenty!
Nice, were you at the Wick?
Yes, the Wick! I like this time of year when it’s not too busy, and you can still sit outside.
Cool and rainy, I decided on Histoires de Parfums 1969. I can hardly smell it but I got a compliment, so it must smell good.
I remember liking it when I smelled it many years ago but I didn’t come across it in several years, so I am reluctant either to pay for another sample or to buy even a small bottle based on the positive recollection.
But if the memory serves me good, you smell nice.
Wore JM Orange Blossom pre-gym, and Amouage Honour post. It’s not cold enough here to bring out the heavy hitters yet, but soon!
Thinking I’m going to pull the plug and get Dusita’s Issara. I doesn’t seem to get as much appreciation as its siblings (Melodie and Infini are also amazing), but it was instant love at first sniff for me
Did you buy?
Wearing Cuir de Lancome on this drizzly,grey afternoon. Heading to the grocery store, then starting beef stroganoff in the crockpot. I shall have a long walk in my forest after. Be well, all.
Nice day…yum. And you smell great!
Twins! I hope you had a lovely walk in the woods. ????
Hi there, sweet girl!
You smell lovely.
Stroganoff and a long walk is a delightful day.
Wearing The Different Company’s Tokyo Bloom today — perfect for running errands on a hot fall day! It was muggier than I expected for October, but not unpleasant. I really like Tokyo Bloom – had recently bought it and am getting to know it.
Wearing the eyebrow raising combo of Superstitious and When We Cuddle and I …. from this morning’s decanting session. Multiple decants plus atomizers that were not conducive to heavy spraying, left me with perfume dripping down both hands. ????
The spillage probably amounts to at least 6 sprays of each one! It might be awhile before I can face either of these again….????
Undina uses gloves when she decants. I don’t…but will need to seriously consider doing so. I nestle the atomizer in a paper napkin so that when I spray into the atomizer any stray droplet gets trapped in the paper and not on my hands (well, most of them anyway).
I went old school with vintage Poison today along with the body cream. It’s alot cooler today so it’s not overpowering!
We are at the folks place for Thanksgiving this weekend. I couldn’t decide what to pack so I brought Mitsouko (and some BBW peach body butter), Tauer Rose oil and Phi (from a sample), Lush Ginger and Dior Addict. Decisions..
I bet that body cream is divine!
That is a lovely assortment of goodies. Happy thanksgiving!
After initially poopooing Chanel No 5 L’eau, I have to admit that I am addicted. And for some reason (maybe the lack of perfumista respect of it), I’m a bit embarassed. So how did the shift happen? I went to the mall with my daughter. We walked through the perfume section on the way to something else, and she asked if she could have a card with perfume on it. I sprayed on the L’eau and we went shopping. It wafted HUGE and just lovely as we shopped. I used the card as my bookmark for a few weeks and it really really grew on me. And then, much to my luck, a lovely nst’er swapped me during the swap meet for a bottle! I love the sparkly aldyhydic sweet citrus and rose opening, the cozy middle, and the base. It’s not groundbreaking or shocking. But it’s lovely.
I love it too! It was one of my vacation perfumes. I bought a 50 mL early on but when I saw the 30 mL, I just had to have it and it is small enough to bring on vacation (it feels luxurious to bring a FB). L’Eau reminds me of a younger version of Eau Premiere.
I bet the 30ml is adorable. The 50ml standard Chanel bottles are just about the perfect bottles, if you ask me (but maybe that’s because I haven’t seen the 30ml). The 100ml is shaped the same but I don’t like it at all. Odd, right?
I think it has to do with proportions vs hand size. And it is actually 35 mLs (an odd amount for sure).
No 19 comes I that rather unique size too— but in a different bottle. I wish everything came I that size instead of 50ml.
I was retesting L’eau tonight at Ulta, it really is quite nice.
It really is!
I also poopooed it at first. Now I love it! I even reach for it more than Premier. My sweet 10 year old son always tells me I smell good when I wear this one. ????
I like Eau Premiere and always intended to get a bottle. I’m not really a No 5 fan— nothing wrong with it, but I wouldn’t want to wear it. I enjoy it on others. But it didn’t create any emotion in me.
Eau Premiere was an elegant veil of cozy “come hither” scent. Still, I’m not sure it elicited emotion.
L’Eau make me HAPPY. That opening! That sparkling citrus! That slightly sweet rose! It practically says “Ta Daaa!!” when you spray it. It’s so happy and content with itself.
If people didn’t judge it as a newer take on No 5 (which surely it is a flanker to, but just put that aside), and instead ask if it’s a good sparkly eau de cologne with a dose of florals, I think people would like it more.
Yes! I absolutely agree. No. 5 was my mother’s perfume; I love Eau Premiere for myself; and while I also love L’Eau, I see it as better suited to my (young adult) daughters. But you’re right — it’s a happy scent! I think it succeeds in Chanel’s goal of staying relevant and appealing to a younger generation while also honoring its heritage.
I totally agree! Eau Premiere is elegant and a beautiful flanker to the original #5. But L’eau is just so bright and happy! You’re right it does say “Ta Daaa! Let’s go have a great day!!!”????
I am reeking havoc a week early. Between yesterday and today:
4160 Tuesday’s Maxed Out – my worst commuting nightmare (full disclosure, I KNEW it contained cumin, and yeah, I almost threw up on first whiff)
4160 Tuesdays Silk, Lace and Chocolate – I have smelled something very similar before
4160 Tuesdays Dirty Honey – was drowned out by Silk, Lace and Chocolate. Will revisit
Byredo LaSelle – it’s supposed to be leather but all I smelled was mahogany. If I want my mahogany fix, I will wear SJP Stash.
Dusita La Douceur de Siam – Nice, but there is something spiky on top. Will need to revisit.
Grandiflora Queen of the Night – Oh YES YES YES. Go read Lucas’ review.
Vero Profumo Naja – First wear was root beer and wet basement; I liked the root beer part, not the wet basement. Second wear was root beer and peach? (just read the notes and it is actually melon; also, osmanthus would explain the wet basement smell) Must revisit because Vero Kern (need PhD to understand her perfume) and limited edition. I would be very happy with a decant but I don’t love it enough to host a bottle just to keep the bottle.
By the way, I am still smelling the dry down of Dune – benzoin!
Here’s Lucas’ review of Grandiflora Queen of the Night:
https://chemistinthebottle.wordpress.com/2017/10/02/grandiflora-queen-of-the-night/
That does sound good!!
Naja lover from the second wear. The first wear was a bit “huh?” Grandiflora sounds like a nightmare (me being a floraphobe and all!). Maxed out was a no go for me too, and I LIKE cumin! I can’t imagine having to commute like you do every day. You’re made of strong stuff, young lady!
I thought I was a floraphobe too until I realized I have more florals in my collection than I thought. I think loving Opardu was my turning point.
Opardu!
Yes!
You? Florafob? It just can’t be judging by the number of our shared “likes” and the fact that I am a floral perfume lover
I know…I had a traumatic association of flowers with my grandmother’s wake and funeral.
Blech… cumin
????
Glad to see your take on 4160 Tuesdays. I don’t see them mentioned much, but they seem really interesting.
I still have most of a sample set to go through. That set ks now 3 years old…maybe they have all evaporated?
Grandiflora, you say… we’ll, between both you and Lukas endorsing it, I don’t stand a chance of disliking it
As to the numbered days of the week brand… Sorry, I haven’t had my coffee yet – so I’m more grumpy than usually – but I don’t think those are real perfumes (based on 6-7 that I tried) but rather some exercises in mixing ingredients. The perfumer might be a nice person but it doesn’t make me to want to wear her creations. Oh, and I don’t believe that even the most talented perfumer in the world can come up with 40+ good perfumes in 5 years, being just a one-person shop, I mean, we know several “masters” who clearly put their final touch to dozens perfumes per year, most likely, created by their “perfume ghost writers” (OK, time to stop and drink coffee
).
I’ve never tried any of them. Now I don’t feel so bad about it:)
I tried a couple of those numbered scents and agree they smell rough and unfinished. Not a house for me.
I was underimpressed by those as well.
Yep, you’re going to be a goner for Queen of the Night. I will be revisiting Siam and I think I will end up loving it too (i had it on the same arm as Silk, Lace and Chocolate so the real scent was obscured).
The next time I’m in London, I do want to try to make it to 4160T’s workshop out of curiosity more than anything else.
Today I’ve gone back to my Zoologist sample set and tried Rhinoceros on my left side and Panda on my right. I recall some people found Panda a bit nasty and had to scrub it. It’s fine as far as I’m concerned, just a rather pleasant and somewhat strong floral, mainly orange blossom. There’s a lot of fruit at the start and it went through a melon phase, though I don’t see that in the notes. Rhinoceros is more challenging, I found. It says at the start is a blast of rum, but I swear it was just plain bug-spray nasty to me! If you can wait it out though it’s rather nice, though still kind of difficult, I guess it has a tough skin as they say–leather and a sort of grassy smell, I’m not sure what. Neither is going to challenge Civet and Bat as my two faves. But I’m going to order a sample of Elephant, which I’m eager to try!
I am going to be the last perfumista to try Zoologist…
Late to the party after a perfectly crappy day that was not even slavageable with Vetiver Tonka.
Tomorrow I’ll wear something really big and blast everyone within a 10 foot radius!! Maybe I’ll go far l’Elephant and trumpet my way through the day before next to the last day????
Oy, sometimes the last days are the worst!
A day that even VT cannot fix is a bad day. Hope tomorrow is better!
Just got my bottle of l’elephant today and I love it!! The actual bottle is gorgeous too, it looks great on my perfume shelf!
Not even salvageable by Vetiver Tonka? That’d a bad day indeed!
You have a vacation coming, right? Hold on to that thought!
I hope today is going a lot better than yesterday!
I am posting quickie freebies here as I am imposing some different rules.
Continental U.S. Only
– I will not replace if the USPS loses the package (haven’t lost one yet but just in case)
– Please include your NST username in the Subject line of your email
– I will mail your package within the next 3 weeks
Who can place dibs?
– If you posted in the Friday Community Project yesterday (OK if you posted in the wee hours of the morning this morning) or in today’s Lazy Weekend Poll with a time stamp before this freebie posting
– You have not placed any dibs in the Freebiemeet
– “Newbie” = Fell into the rabbit hole < 1 year ago and own < 10 full bottles
1. Grab bag of new Gift with Purchase items + 4 new manufacturer's carded samples. GWP items include mostly face care samples made up of a combination of deluxe sized and foil packets.
2. Lot of 15 new and used niche dabber samples.
3. Newbie Surprise – only Newbies per my definition above
4. Live dangerously: Freebie re-gift – do I need to explain this? and a partial bottle from my collection
I forgot to mention
– place dibs as a reply to the freebie comment
– click on my username to get my contact info
Calling dibs on your #2 please.
Not calling any dibs, just replying to say that you are fiendish and wonderful!
No dibs either. Hajusuuri you rock spreading the perfume love!!! So nice!????????
Calling dibs on #4 please – I just can’t resist a mystery!
… or maybe you just want to live dangerously
I like your rules.
:-). Waiting for a newbie to show up.
Just got done with a hellish week at the restaurant, but I got three new bottles in the mail today. Prada infusion d’iris absolue, SL un bois vanille, and kenzo jungle l’elephant. I am obsessing over the kenzo, it’s woodsy/spice perfection. Current samples im thinking about buying full bottles of- Majda Bekkali Mon Nom Est Rouge, SHL 777 Taklamakan, but first place is 1996 Byredo.
Everyone needs a woodsy/spicy perfection for their collection. Congrats!
Look at it this way: the week is over but those perfumes will bring you joy for weeks to come – so the balance is positive!
1996 will certainly help you recover if you have any bad weeks in the future!
I vote for 1996! I haven’t smelled any of others so maybe my vote shouldn’t count…????
I just finished off the weekend at my restaurant, too; now i get to go chill out with a glass of merlot and play with the samples that a lovely NST’r sent from freebiemeet.
SOTD: Eau de Cartier Concentree
D600
Soft and powdery on my skin.
Would love smell this on MR. CM8 (if only he wore more than just soap as a scent!)
Ooh, I love D600!
Is it a nice Atelier Cologne soap, I hope?
Nope! He likes everything plain and simple including the soap! Right now the only thing I can get him to wear on rare occasion is Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt (one small spray on the abdomen)….I put my tiny decant of D600 next to the Jo Malone travel spray in hopes that he will let me test it on him. Will keep you updated
Love D600. I got a little spray decant from the ever-generous Hajusuuri and it is on its way to becoming a staple.
For the first time in a very long time, I’m wearing the same perfume two days in a row. Alien eau Sublime. I am just in love with this flanker. A happy fun Alien, but not watered down at all.
It is a happy Alien. And a cuddly one!
I haven’t tried this perfume but it must be nice (I too almost never wear the same perfume twice in a row so I understand the significance).
SOTM is Naomi Goodsir Or du Serail. Something in it is enhancing the aroma from my morning coffee in a really good way.
I love wearing perfume while making coffee. I always find the mingling of the two smells swoon worthy. And those OdS would compliment a coffee aroma perfectly!
I woke up at 11:30 this morning-haven’t done that since I was in my 20s, I think! A little disorienting. Fortunately not much on my agenda today except for laundry and dinner later this evening.
I spent the day yesterday ripping out weeds and cutting off the blood supply to the overgrowth of morning glory. How does one prevent the seeds from getting back into the ground? They’re very pretty but they tend to take over and strangle everything in sight.
For the occasion I wore Idylle EDP which I got in a swap. It’s actually quite pretty and lasts about 4 hours which is perfect because it seems pretty linear and I think I’d get bored if it lasted all day.
Wore Ancient Resins body oil with Jaisalmer last night. Yum.
Today I think I’ll wear Iris Nazarena, also swap spoils.
, since it seems to fit the grey, rainy day. I really love it. It’s much warmer than I remember it and reminds me a smidge of Cuir de Lancôme in its midsection.
The music school where I take ukulele lessons is having a recital for the adult students in 2 weeks at a bar/performance space in the city. I haven’t practiced much and have now been practicing feverishly though I still haven’t committed to participating. I was traumatized as a kid by piano recitals and had one of those mind-erasing anxiety experiences and couldn’t remember my piece and was mortified(Mozart Rondo a la Turca)! Anyway, it’s a low commitment endeavor so he said I could decide last minute-my teacher would accompany on guitar. The song is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” Bob Dylan. Love the song, though!
I understand your hesitation about performing blut I bet you will be great!
Love morning glories. I let them have their way in my yard.
Iris Nazarena is so pretty! I also buy the blue but they naturalize in the ensuing years and come back smaller and purple. ☺
They’re a combo of pink, purple and blue this year. The purple is especially rich and stunning. I only have a patch of dirt that is about 2 feet wide and 10 feet long and part of that was a pre existing rose bush. I couldn’t really grow much else in the patch because of the morning glories. If I had a lot more space or wasn’t interested in cultivating anything else, I’d let them go nuts(which they do anyway despite my efforts)!
And thanks for your encouragement???? I’m not naturally musically gifted, or gifted with anything that requires coordination and rhythm. But nothing is riding on it since I have a day job, so there’s that perspective…
Hey, the ukulele is a fun instrument. It makes people smile. I remember my hubs uncle Sammy playing “Let Me Call Sweetheart” at family parties. If you decide to play, people will love it!
Call YOU sweetheart…seriously stink at typing on the phone…
It is a fun one. And Uncle Sammy sounds like he was a hoot!
Most vines plants tend to take over. I usually plant them by themselves…at the base of the pole lamp in my yard or the trellis on the side of our shed.
So do bulbs. I had a patch of day-glo orange day lilies, once, that I tried to remove. Very silly of me. “I say we take off, and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”
Don’t think twice – it’s alright!
I mean, it’s not a Carnegie Hall concert, you’ll be fine with your teacher’s help, and you’ll be glad you overcame that childhood trauma.
I tend to sleep late on weekends but 11:30 doesn’t happen often even for me. Be watchful for tonight: not only it might be harder to fall asleep because you slept longer but also because you’ll have more energy later today and might not to start slowing down at the time you normally would with your regular sleep pattern.
Yes, that’s true. Like I said above to Petunia, nothing is riding in this. I’m aiming for Carnegie Hall, in my mind ????
I know, I’ll definitely have to set my alarm for a little earlier tomorrow since I’m already thinking it’ll be harder to fall asleep tonight.
Ha! And I just caught the song title. Good advice ????
That’s one of my favorite songs! I’m sure you will do really well if you decide to perform. And if you decide you don’t want to this time, you can always perform at the next recital. Hobbies shouldn’t be too stressful!
Such a great song, though I’ve been playing along with the Peter, Paul, and Mary version because it’s a tad slower and a more even tempo. True and it’s a lot of fun otherwise. I also play with a monthly meetup which is a bunch of geeks picking songs and playing and singing together. Warm and supportive environment. They also have open mike at the end and I keep saying “next time” to that, lol. I can very easily keep saying “next time”, so maybe it’s good to just bite the bullet for either venture.
Break a leg, ElisaP! I am SURE you will rock it. My younger self had no fear, just procrastinated enough to turn my teacher into a nut case. When I was all of 6, my homeroom teacher picked me to represent her section in a declamation contest. The other kids were all prepared while I was still struggling. The day of the contest, in front of 200 kids and teachers, I declamed my little heart out and won first place. The lesson I learned unintentionally was preparation is over-rated.
Thanka! Haha! I got away with that in school with tests, but anything involved with public speaking or performance was a different bird altogether.
Totally understand your hesitation. I was traumatized at age 5 by flower girl duty. I was quite the smart*** during “practice” sessions, whipping those flower petals all over, having a grand old time. On “The Day” I was horrified to see the pews full of people, all of whom turned around to look at me as my mother gave me the boot to get me started up the aisle. Total catastrophe! I turned around and ran like the hounds of hell were after me, crying at the top of my lungs, ditching the flowers as I went. My uncle never failed to remind me of this as I was growing up. ????
Oh, no! Tose things stick with us, don’t they. And if not, yoyr uncle was helpful inthat respect ????That sounds about right, though. That easily could’ve been me.
Ukulele is so happy that anyone at the recital will just be smiling, no matter what you do! Give them the smiles!
I think it is a very under appreciated instrument! It adds such wonderful flavor. ????
I think it’s great. And these guys…
https://youtu.be/dKpzCCuHDVY
Well, maybe if I were playing at a senior center, lol. I’ll definitely be the senior citizen at this shindig (which is at Bowery Electric).
Amouage Fate – way too heavy for today’s temps, much prefer it during the colder weather. I ordered two House of Silliage samples due to the above mention, but idk if I’ll pursue any FBs; Notino has some in stock so we will see.
Another new beautiful avatar. yes, Notino has them in stock…I looked too after the above conversation.
Thank you! Which, if any, are you interested in trying? I ordered samples of Tiara and Love is in the Air. Really wanted to try Emerald Reign, but LuckyScent didn’t have samples in stock.
One the reviewers for Emerald Reign said it smells almost identical to Chergui, which is a third of the price.
Nice – Chergui is one I always see mentioned. I’ll order a sample and try it out. ????
Flopper, I have a mostly full sample of Chergui I can send you, I knew at first sniff I would want at least a decant. It’s good stuff! My email is p k wisdom (one word) in the land of yahooooo.
Sitting in my favorite pizza place having lunch with the hubs and my father-in-law. Wearing Puredistance M on thus humid, rainy day. It’s a gorgeous soft leather. Almost wish I hadn’t tested it because I don’t need lust after another expensive perfume. Way to elegant for pizza.
BTW, who is hiding fall because I’d really like it back? Warm and humid weather during October just seems wrong .
Pizza sounds good. We were with a group last night for dinner and I was craving pizza but Thai won out. Have some for me! I wouldn’t mind the rainy day, but it is humid and still warm and feels all wrong, is right! I think I’ve only ever tried Puredistance Black from a freebie lot. Fortunately, I didn’t love that one. I’m afraid to try the others.
I”ve only tested Opardu & M. I’m afraid to try any others. ????
I tried White. From the reviews I expected a chorus of angels, but I must not be able to smell one or several ingredients, because I couldn’t smell it at all! My friend said it smelled great, so I gave her the sample.
(She yelled at me later for giving her a sample of something “so nice and so darn expensive!”.)
I wore White to the office one day and two co-workers kept following me around to sniff the air around me. I gave them the info and they cringed at the price.
I’m with you on the weather. So very irritating to resort to AC just to pull out humidity.
I think I have an extra 2 ml sample of M that I do not need – if you want it, just get my e-mail from About Me on my site and send me your shipping address. I might find 1-2 partial samples of their other perfumes. I love Antonia and White.
Hi all. I’m intrigued by all I’ve read about Atelier Cologne Café Tuberosa. I wrote to them to ask when they’ll have samples available, but never received a reply.
Does anyone know where I can order a sample? I’m in the Netherlands.
You’ll probably get more satisfaction out of:
http://www.lipsmacker.com/lip-cafe-mocha-chip-frappe-lip-balm.html
Coincidentally, I am wearing Cafe Tuberosa today from a Sephora sample. After the initial blast of coffee, it immediately went into generic minty anyflower musk. This one will not join my collection and it is too boring for me to even seek out a decant. I will just keep getting a sample from Sephora every so often.
That’s what my sample did, too. But I do wish to try their other ones, particularly Wildflower.
Cafe Tuberose actually worked really well on me, I got several compliments on the floral drydown. It’s worth a try.
Windy, damp and warm here. I’m wearing L’Heure de Nuit and doing a bunch of baking: bread, rhubarb pie and chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
Oooh rhubarb pie – so delicious!
Yum!
You, your kitchen and probably your entire home smell wonderful! Baking really makes a house smell homey…especially in cooler weather.
It’s Thanksgiving here tomorrow, we’ll be having a nice feast.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cool spring Monday that promises rain. Feeling a bit stressed about stuff so wearing Bogue MEM in the hope the spicy lavender works its calming magic for me. Hope everyone has a good day.
Good luck with whatever is happening in your life!
Was just decanting some juice for a lovely and generous NSTer who is particularly prolific on this thread…
My fingers smell amazing from the mix of scents. I know some people wear gloves but I don’t mind scented hands.
I am now wearing almost the last of my What We Do In Paris Is Secret sample and debating buying a FB. The first time I smelled this I thought..hmm…sweet, clean diapers
but it has grown on me and the only place I see it is Luckyscent which is so stingy w/ codes. They have a bunch of codes listed under their GWP section but they’re all unavailable/out of stock. And I’m wondering if Lab on Fire stuff is truly a limited run…I think I read that they produce a scent and then stop but not sure if it so or clever and effective marketing. I also want the Luckyscent Fall sample pack. I am particularly full of perfume desire this weekend.
Have you checked out Twisted Lily?
Yes, they’re out…they have a couple others from the line. Makes me think they may really just do a production run for a period time and then no more. Not just clever and effective marketing perhaps. ????
Write to Luckyscent, they will tell you what the situation is.
Cross country meet for Taz yesterday, followed by his birthday dinner with my parents. We stopped by Virginia Tech this morning and swooped Gaze up for a lightning-quick birthday visit home (his 19th is this coming Friday, but he will be busy allll weekend with Army ROTC field exercises). So good to have my boys eat cake with me today!
SOTD is extravagant lashings of Safari. I smell like grass, polished furniture, and vanilla.
Long weekend here (Canada), and a few family birthdays and family events… I seem to either be in the studio (SOTD: turpentine) or putting on a suit (Eau Sauvage Parfum, dabbed sparingly, as that notorious myrrh note seems to have only gotten stronger over time!) We are still in the golden, dewy moment of the fall here. Part of me is already provisioning for winter and hungrily eying Antaeus (the edt, the aftershave, the deodorant) online, as if it were some kind of highly caloric substance one imbibed to survive the cold. It’s supposed to be a heavy winter this year… I’d better start saving up.
It’s been so cool when it should have been hot and hot when it should have been cool this year in Montreal. Who knows what winter will bring.