Our tenth annual holiday gift poll. Here are the three questions:
What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?
Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
My answers:
Body products from Hermès...maybe some Eau de Néroli Doré shower gel and some Eau des Merveilles lotion? Or vice versa.
Last year I said a bottle of Lush Cardamom Coffee or maybe Dame Perfumery Chocolate Man, and either one would still work for me!
Nope. We have scaled back gift-giving in general, so I don't really buy many presents anyway.
Note: top image is New Christmas cactus leaf buds [cropped] by fishhawk at flickr; some rights reserved.
I would like those insense matches that Robin posted about , Parfum Sacre and Aimez Moi by Caron
Shalimar Soufflé Intense
I bought Oscar de la Renta for my friend in SF for a holiday gift (half off at Clyde’s)
PS
I did zero Black Friday shopping so I full filled my community project.
Earlier in the week was a different story
I managed to buy nothing yesterday too 🙂
Today, buying a new stove so that will cancel my whole week.
Congrats! That is a big purchase!
I failed 🙁
Donatella Forgives!
Lovestosmellgood, if you’ll email me at snchamness at msn dot com, I may be able to help you with your Parfum Sacre holiday wish. (Are you in the US?)
I am! emailed you just now
1. Fragrance gift I’d most like to receive is a large bottle of La Pausa EDP.
2. I’d love, even unsniffed, one of the Memo leather scents because leather scents and I agree.
3. No fragrance related gifts. My hubby hates cologne- he doesn’t own a single bottle!
SOTD- “Sweaty Oranges”- aka Elixir des Merveilles. It’s so salty on me!
I hope everyone gets whatever fragrance is on their holiday wishlist.
I would take a large bottle of La Pausa too 😉
Oooohhhhhhh….yes. I am going to look for a new perfume for myself (hmmm, maybe I will write in to the Monday Mail), but I would love to replace my empty FB of La Pausa. Probably can’t stretch the budget to both. And I miss LP, a lot, even though I cringed when I calculated the cost of a day’s worth (So, so fleeting; so, so beautiful).
Oooh, I’ll play!
1. I asked my husband for some DSH Chinchilla – just a wee 10ml bottle.
2. I haven’t sniffed Bois des Iles but I’d happily take a bottle. If I hated it I could be queen of the next swap meet!
3. I hit up the Pacifica sale yesterday and bought candles for my mom and MIL.
Speaking of candles! I realized on Thanksgiving that I had no room candles at all (aren’t there usually at least 10 at the back of the cupboard? No at my house, apparently) so I told my husband to grab whatever he could at the grocery store when he went on an ice run. He came back with two GIANT (18 oz) “Tuscany Candles” which cost $5 each. Fraser Fir doesn’t smell like anything, but Cinnamon Snow (cinnamon + vanilla) was surprisingly nice, if you happen to run across a Tuscany Candle display this winter . . .
SOTD is Bulgari Black – hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday!
Get it in extrait and you’ll be the empress of the swap meet!
And you do smell great already.
Gift I’d like to receive? this year’s Diptyque holiday candle set. But maybe that counts for #2 as well, because I haven’t smelled them. FWIW, this is the first year that I looked at the pic and read the descriptions and said OOH I WANT THOSE.
I’m giving my mom that bottle of Rose Delight body oil. (And yes, I knew Andy wasn’t running a real %-off sale, but his take on Black Friday charmed me so much that I went ahead and bought it for Mom anyway, because I’d been dithering about it for months now.)
I’m in Parfum Sacre again. Trout for dinner (grilled if it warms up a little outside). We have to take Gaze back to college tomorrow and I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve loved having him home.
We normally do not do ANYTHING Christmas until the second week of December. It’s sort of a principle for me, because I love Thanksgiving and I love decorating with autumny stuff and I don’t want to hurry past it on the way to the whole overwrought, commercial red-and-green-and-sparkle deal.
But this year — maybe it’s because Thanksgiving is so early in the calendar? — I might be ready to start decorating for Christmas next weekend. This is unheard of for me. But I’m already thinking about getting out my nutcracker collection and the AG Noel candles…
You smell great today
Sorry Gaze has to go back so soon, Congratulations to him for getting the Buck the other day!
He was thrilled! Thanks.
Did everyone enjoy their Thanksgiving? Did you survive Black Friday with your credit card safe?
1. I’d love Queen of the Night from Grandiflora. The plan is that I’ll buy it as a gift to myself.
2. That one unsniffed perfume could be Trudon Bruma.
3. Not sure yet since I haven’t gotten around to planning any gifts yet. Once I’ll be more in a Christmas mood when December arrives, I’m sure I’ll come up with something.
Andy Tauer and his Black Friday offer of extra smiles and extra ribbon were mentioned so many times yesterday that I decided I will wear PHI Une Rose de Kandahar today. Mmm… so good!
My credit card was safe!
So did mine! I ordered a few items on sales but non on them was fragrance related.
I changed my mind about Bruma-initially thought it was boring but retested it yesterday ad it’s more interesting than I remembered. It has a slight pepperiness in it and I noticed the earthy notes more this time. It’s lovely-recommend.
I was looking forward to trying it because someone told me it’s a nice iris scent.
I love Bruma. More violet centered on me, but the perfect violet.
Bruma is the most recent scent I have purchased.
1. Most like to receive? I 200ml bottle of 31 Rue Cambon. The EdP is fine with me if it’s free.
2. Tough call! Maybe one of the fancy Muglers. I’ve heard great things about Wonder Bloom. I can’t find testers here, but they all sound good.
3. Probably not. I’m trying to be thrifty this season so my gift giving will be very simple. 🙂
I only bought one thing yesterday, and it was local. My local department store was having a 20% off everything yesterday (and today too!) So I bought a bottle of Lubin’s Vetiver which I’ve wanted to own since it came out. Less 20%, it was almost free!
Have a great weekend y’all!
Nice bargain, congrats!
Thanks! If I can find my sample kit I’ll pass one along; I know I’ve memtioned it quite a bit. It might be my favorite solo vetiver.
I would love to have a hand-built perfume cabinet, designed to my specifications. It would be made of real wood, be tall and wide but not deep, and would have multiple short shelves – and a few tall ones – on the inside. The interior would light up when the doors opened. Perhaps it could sing to me when I opened it, as well.
I wouldn’t say no to a bottle of Tauer’s Au Coeur du Desert parfum extrait.
Most of my friends/family don’t use much fragrance, so any fragrance gifts I buy will likely be for myself (and that bottle of Ciel d’Opale is still waiting in my cart).
I am picturing your cabinet opening with the sound of angels singing!
That was my thought, as well – some sort of heavenly chorus, or maybe a harp strings. 🙂
Love that!
I think Donatalla would be an excellent consult on the design and building of this magical cabinet!
THis is what I want most too – a perfect perfume cabinet.
I want a magical perfume cabinet — like Hermione’s purse; one that will hold an infinite amount of perfume yet always produce exactly the one I’m reaching for.
So much fragrance….so little time.
1. A new bottle of the original Aedes de Venustas, mine is pretty low. But in the original bottle.
2. A bell jar of Sarrasins
3. Probably not, they are all middle of the road when it comes to fragrance. Not that that’s a bad thing…
4. Post shower SOTD will be Beige. Chanel sent me a mini bottle as a gift after I purchased Cuir de Russie. It’s sitting next to my little Tauer tin. They would be cute perfume themed Christmas tree decorations!
I’d happily take a bottle of Sarrasins. The scent and the visual package are all gorgeous.
1. Mx by Eris. Birthday is coming up and this is what my friend is giving me.
2. Unsniffed Fragrance – La Parfumerie Moderne Belle Reeves.
3. None of my friends & family share my fragrance obsession, so none.
I’m with you on #2.
1) a Cire Trudon candle: I’d be happy with Balmoral, Carmelite, Solis Rex, or Spiritus Sancti
2) I’m drawing a blank here
3) Probably none-I did that last year for my SIL with a Rose Jam gift set and she seemed totally disinterested. Though,I gave my other BIL/SIL the Malin +Goetz mojito soap trio and they seemed to like it.
I caved yesterday on the Cire Trudon coffret-went to sniff the candles (because of the Twisted Lily discount which inclufes candles), but decided on the coffret instead-partly from FOMO as the SA said this was a limited-time promo deal.
Also got some SSS samples in the mail: Bee’s Bliss, Winter Woods, and Fireside Intense. Love WW! Reminds me a little of Farmacia SS Annunziata Ambra Nera in atmosphere and I’ve wanted that one, too, so this might be a good sub.
Bee’s Bliss is nice but not my thing. A little too sweet and orangey for me. Reminds me a little of Tauer L’Eau. Both smell a little like citrus PEZ to me.
Your SSS set sounds almost like mine with the difference that I got not samples but travel sprays of Winter Woods and Fireside Intense. Oh, and my package will be waiting for me in the office on Monday, I hope.
I think I’ll have to get a travel spray of WW at some point. Fireside is great, but I think it’s one of those that I’d end wearing only rarely.
Lol at citrus PEZ!
More endearing than baby aspirin ????
I just ordered a 5ml of Bee’s Bliss and a sample of Fireside Intense. I already have and love Winter Woods. Probably my favourite SSS.
I think I like her woodsy/resinous scents best.
Agree…but she is also a master with violets!
I did like Wood Violet and To Dream but didn’t need more beyond the sample.
WW is fantastic! Believe it or not I love it in the summer! the heat amps up the sweetness…it gets very vanilla on me but Laurie says my skin is picking up the amber as there is no vanilla listed as a note…enjoy your samples and do think about a travel spray of WW!
I smell mostly amber with some other woodsy notes. Not sure I could stomach it in the summer, though! I also love Ambre Noire but can only wear it when it’s very cold out since it’s so dark and heavy. My wallet needs a rest for now, but if I finish my sample in a month or 2 it will be high on my list!
Good to know that Bees’s Bliss is similar to Tauer L’Eau. I could not stand another PEZ smelling perfume again. L’Eau is good enough then. Money saved!
That’s just my personal association. I’m sure others will not agree. I think if you like orange blossom it’s worth a try as I also think she’s such a talented perfumer. I’m not really drawn to orange blossom in perfume even though I love it in nature.
Congrats on the Cire Trudon coffret!
Thanks! I think it’ll get some good use since I like all 5 scents. It’s a pretty good deal for 50ml of perfume.
Uh oh. I’ve been thinking of getting a Bee’s Bliss sample. I am not a big fan of Tauer l’Eau, so that’s troubling.
YMMV of course, so it’s worth a try anyway. I’m sure others will totally disagree with me. I actually liked L’Eau- I don’t like anything orangey sweet-including the orangey Ateliers or sweet orange blossom (like Kilian’s Love) so that’s mostly my bias here.
I’m afraid that l’Eau smelled like Tauerade with nothing on top to me :-/ I’ll just have to hope BB doesn’t resemble l’Eau to my nose!
1. Gift I’d like to receive…well, there’s the fantasy gift of a large, sealed bottle of vintage Box of Eels…or a personal Chanel counter, also vintage. IRL I think I want a little bottle of Twilly, but I won’t get it. My friends and family persist in getting me stuff for the house.
2. Unsniffed…The new Unum one with the long Italian name, Io Non Ho Mani, etc.
3. I’m not giving any fragrance items. None of my friends or family is into scent at all, despite my trying to entice them in years past.
I’m wearing Narciso Rodriguez for Her (the pink bottle) this morning and regretting it. I have worn it a couple of times before and not smelled much, so today I sprayed lavishly. It’s giving me a headache and making me a little queasy. I think I’m passing this one on at the next swap/freebiemeet.
The hummingbirds in my backyard are so hungry! The level in the feeder drops a lot each day, and yesterday I saw three feeding at the same time. I’ve never seen more than one at the feeder before.
Don’t blind buy the Unum trust me! It is very strange and intense and you could love it or REALLY hate it!
I’m also finding NR for Her (I have the black bottle) too sweet these days and I LOVED it last winter. I put it away for a month to see if my opinion would change again . . .
Foxbins don’t buy the Unum blindly. :). I can send you a sample – I am glad I tried it – I liked it and that is a birthday gift to me from myself, but it was not quite what I expected. Marianna_r in yahooland – I am sure I have your info somewhere but easier if you email ne
Hummingbirds are pure magic. When I am at a particularly low point, I will see hummingbirds outside my windows and find some grace in them that helps me move forward.
Luckily, I have visitors daily.
Happy Thanksgiving, NST! <3
1) I actually just discovered that the last fragrance (well, for now!) on my "waaaant" list is out of my reach!! 🙁 When checking out the Luckyscent 15th Anniversary Tauer exclusives, I looked up one of their Decennial fragrances, Bois Bourbon, which now seems to be sold out! And not a single bottle on eBay or any such place. I know, I know, I had five years to buy it…
2) Maybe the Aftelier Chocolate Saffron oil? A lovely friend has her Saffron Chef's Essence, and it's pretty outstanding.
3) Almost certainly, but no purchases made yet!
So sorry about the Bois Bourbon! I snapped up two bottles of the Tauer Decennial, Lys du Désert, just for this reason. FOMO!
You were smart cazaubon. I regret not doing the same.
Only had 5 years….yep.
Hmmm, kind of tough poll for me. Fragrance-related gift would be some really decadent shower gel, but I have no idea which. Something spicy perhaps – does Frederic Malle do a shower gel in an oriental vein? Unsniffed – I’m afraid I would be wary rather than properly delighted (call me Scrooge). And I don’t think we’ll be gifting anything fragrant – more likely toys (for the wee one who will be joining our clan in a week) and camping-related stuff for the older “kids”.
SOTM is PG Cuir d’Iris, one of my favorite spicy leathers. Happy weekend all!
The Musc Ravageur is the Malle oriental. I think they make a body wash.
Thanks Elisa! Are you familiar with it? I’m wondering how musky it is.
I have a decant- it’s more of a spicy ambery/vanilla. I don’t really think of it as a musk.
Ah, then it’s perfect for my wish list (Santa, are you listening?) 🙂
Noses vary. I find it musky and spicy. It is one I have dithered on for a while.
Neiman Marcus was having this Black Friday deal where you got $50 off if you spent $200 or more. So I bought a bottle of portrait of a lady at the Frederic Malle counter, then went to the Chane counter and got a bottle of boy and got the discount again, and then to Dior where I bought a bottle of Cuir Cannage and got the discount again!! I think I’m set on new perfumes for a while but I wouldn’t turn down a bottle of mon nom eat rouge by majda bekkali or some vintage opium if Santa brought me some!
Excellent shopping day. I love PoaL especially so much!
wow! that Neiman deal is better than the BG beauty card even!!!!
looks like it still going on ..hide my credit card
Morning, all. So, perfume thinking….I would love to receive Pelargonium. It’s currently top of my MUST BUY list for next June. Unsniffed? I think maybe….no, no ideas at all. When I read your posts, I always think you all smell amazing and wish I had access to the perfumes you all do, but after a while, the names blend into one huge gorgeousness, and I don’t remember the individual perfumes. But, perhaps a few from Sonoma Scent Studio. Bees’ Bliss sounds great, and I’ve loved the sound of Pacific Forest and a couple of others. I wish we could get the line in Aotearoa-NewZealand. Giving? Yes. There’s an Australian brand called Ecoya that makes candies and home scents, handwashes, etc. One of my staff commented a week or so back that she liked the Christmas pine scent, so I bought her a small candle, and a fruit-and-something-fresh called Summer Spritz for another team member.
I fell in love with a room scent called Dark Chocolate and Rasberry Meringue— well, you know what I’m like about gourmands! I love its rich sweetness, but what a daft time of year to be selling it In Australasia! I might buy a diffuser and keep it until winter, though.
For today ( more housework chores) Assam of India. Yummy! I smell fresh and clean and, well, actually, fresh and clean, and that’s just perfect. Oh, and the test drive was just fine, so I paid the deposit and our new car (oh my, a NEW car!) will arrive around 15/16 December. Eggzellent.
Congratulations to those of us who kept our credit cards safe and warm in the dark of our wallets; to those who gave their cards some exercise in the fresh bright air of day, enjoy what you bought. Be well, all.
Congrats on the car! Blue/green or red in the end?
I think it will be red, but actually, we said, “That, that, or, if we must, that,” and truly, we will be perfectly happy with any of the three, but happiest with red. Stock is limited, but the nice young man is doing his best for us, anD I think his best might well be very good.
Congratulations on your new car!
Every time I think about getting one, I imagine its price in perfume bottles – and decide to give my current car another year – if it keeps running 🙂
I know what you mean— the total, with on road costs, is eye watering. On the other hand, the difference in comfort is so great that i’m not thinking about the money, just the more pleasurable ride. At least, that’s mostly what I’m doing. Sometimes I think about the cost….
Yay on the new car!!
+1 for Pelargonium. It is calling my name.
Yes, I hear that call too!
I will test in March when I go to nyc and visit Aedes
Assam of India is perfect for household chores..so refreshing and uplifting!
1. A bottle of Diptyque’s Philosykos
2. A Cire Trudon candle
3. I’m not sure. I have a few friends who might enjoy fragrant gifts, but I haven’t picked out anything yet.
I do need to find a cologne for my boyfriend. He wears L’eau d’Issey Por Homme, and has for years. I’d like to find something similar but a little deeper and longer-lasting, but I have no idea what to buy.
I’m not familiar with the cologne that your boyfriend wears now, but Atelier Cologne’s perfumes are usually a good choice for those who do not like heavier scents. Have you tried Bois Blonds and Trefle Pur?
Maybe one of the “fancier” flankers?
https://nstperfume.com/2017/10/21/issey-miyake-leau-dissey-pour-homme-or-encens-new-fragrance/
1. I don’t think I’m getting anything perfume-related – unless I come across something while shopping for Christmas gifts and decided to give it to myself.
2. I’m boring: I don’t want any unsniffed perfumes, even if they are free. I would feel too disappointed of wasted possibility if I didn’t like it. And I can’t think even of any such perfume that I would like to have just for the bottle itself (there are several those but I smelled them before).
3. I plan to give as small gifts at least 4 soaps. I hope the recipients don’t take it as a suggestion that they need it 🙂
It’s an unusually warm day for this time – 65F (18C), so I’m a little confused as to what to wear. I’ll probably go with Lyric.
So right about unsniffed perfume. It would be a shame if it turned out you didn’t like it.
I wouldn’t mind if someone gifted me with a soap if it was a good quality one and nicely scented. I once received a soap I didn’t like. It ended in a wardrobe as a moth repellent.
Exactly how I feel about buying unsniffed – it’s not the cost of a purchase I didn’t like, it’s that I could have bought something else!
hee-hee, your comment about the implied need for soap made me smile.
I had a beloved mentor who was infamous for offering someone a mint, then if they refused he would say that the greatest lesson in life was to never refuse a breath mint if offered one. He was charming and could get away with a bit of mischief.
It is probably a wise advice. And now I’ll always think about it when offered a mint 🙂
1. Gift? A bottle of Carnal Flower. I can’t bring myself to buy it for myself, but it sure would make a lovely gift.
2. Unsniffed? Joining Robin in the desire for Lush Cardamom Coffee.
3. Gifts? Yes! I bought these handcremes for my nieces for Christmas, and Robin gets the enabler pin on that one. ;-). https://nstperfume.com/2017/10/28/the-daily-lemming-225/
oooh, lucky nieces. Those hand creams sound great.
Hey, I found you a bargain!
You did! 🙂
I placed an order for Lush Cardamom Coffee earlier this week and a good thing I did — the store at 63rd and Lex didn’t carry it.
Having gone through almost an entire 18ml of Purple Fig, I think I might need a big bottle for Christmas, although I am likely to gift it to myself! I also really like Vilhelm’s Harlem Bloom and wish they had it in the smaller size.
I can’t wait to try Belles Rives and while I’ll no doubt wait to try it first, I’d take bottle if it dropped from the sky. What I should get instead is a BuB of l’Attesa as it is running dangerously low.
I usually give some nice bath products to my stepMIL and would to my SIL too, but her husband is increasingly ‘anti-scent’. And a pretty candle usually makes its way to my MIL. She’d be happy with Yankee Candle Shoppe, but I just can’t! So she gets something the price of which would give her hives – but she doesn’t need to know!
Been an incredibly busy and stressful month. I’m not a fan of ‘the holidays’ but am hoping that things will calm down with at least the work part of my life!
Have you been able to find Belle Reeves at the retailers yet?
Not yet. Waiting not so patiently.
A not-really-perfumista friend of mine came with me to Tigerlily (perfume shop in SF) and saw a $70 candle, and was absolutely shocked and appalled that a normal-sized candle could cost more than $15!! It was pretty cute 🙂 It reminded me of myself a couple years ago.
1. I’d love a bottle of Geisha Hinoki Vanille or Lampblack, but I don’t think it’s happening this year, in spite of the 20% of sale at Tiger Lily. Too many medical bills and expensive home repairs this year. But it’s not like I need any more bottles, and I’m just grateful that my husband is doing well right now. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of his cancer surgery and I remember how scared and heart-broken I was. It’s good to just have a calm and happy holiday.
2. I’m with Mals in wanting the Diptyque holiday candles, even without having sniffed them first. They are gorgeous.
3. No scented holiday gifts planned so far.
SOTD – Ambre Russe. Good for a snuggly day at home, making turkey soup.
Health – our own and the loved ones’ – is the most precious gift we can get. Happy holidays to you and your husband!
Good health is priceless. Have a wonderful holiday with your hubby!
I remember you going through that and so glad to hear he’s doing well a year later. The best gift, really, and throws things into perspective. Thanks for that reminder.
I shouldn’t be an enabler, but Bruno Fazzolari is selling a 9 ml travel size of Lampblack just this weekend, for $27: http://www.brunofazzolari.com/shop/lampblack-9-ml-travel-spray. So maybe you can treat yourself with that, after the tough year you’ve had. So glad your husband is doing well! Cancer is scary, btdt. Happy Thanksgiving!
Glad your husband is doing well. Please email me when you get a chance.
I’m so happy your husband is doing well now 🙂
I’ve already bought my Christmas present to myself – Idole by Lubin, but I won’t open it till Christmas.
I can’t do unsniffed, as I’ve said before, I’m not a risk-taker, maybe I’m also excessively picky. Undina describes it exactly – a wasted possibility if I didn’t like it.
I buy very few presents, except for my mother. I often put a couple of nice soaps with her present, she has no sense of smell, so can’t appreciate the scent, but loves the feel of a luxurious soap.
Nicely scented hand creams might also be an option: the smell will be for you and the feeling for her.
Idole de Lubin is so exquisite. It’s fallen low on my list of things I want, but that’s probably only because I haven’t sniffed it in ages 🙂 Enjoy!
Gift for me? Either Dans tes Bras or Incense Rose or PHI (I love Tauer roses, can you tell?)
Unsniffed. Hmmm. I find myself oddly captivated by the description of Sideris by Maria Candida Gentile, so I think that would be my choice.
Gifts for others? I’m giving my sister-in-law a DS & Durga candle. I’m thinking of splitting a Diptyque candle coffret to make gifts for girlfriends.
Sideris is really nice.
I had to look up Sideris. It sounds delightful! How did I miss It?
Oh well, another one for the list…
1. I think scent and body products in Chanel No. 19
2. Likely Arielle Shoshanna or Chanel No. 5 L’Eau, since both have received such love here.
3. Bought a Pacifica candle for a friend and two solid perfumes for her daughters. I’m hoping I can get away with no scents for my husband.
Bit, to be honest, I don’t really want any fragrance-related gifts this year. I have enough for now. And like some others, just more surprise expenses coming my way. I am having a tooth issue so am hanging on till Monday, but my guess is it’ll be pricey, whatever it is. Dentists always are.
No 19 anything is beautiful!
Good luck with the Dentist monday. Tooth problems are even more expensive than car problems. Mechanics will at least give you a break sometimes.
Can’t go wrong with the Pacificas…the girls will love those solid perfumes!
I have to admit, after initially thinking it was boring, I simply adore No 5 L’eau. It’s so pretty, fresh and thirst quenching. I spray it on my bookmark and love smelling it as I read
Did you see the new travel spray set of No. 5 L’eau? Makes a nice stocking stuffer….
Ooh! I will check that out.
I DID NOT SEE THAT. Uh oh, I’m in trouble now.
Happy weekend, NSTers.
Good questions! I’m enjoying everyone’s responses.
Most wished for: I’d like my perfume mojo back after 17 unscented days. Blergh. This too shall pass.
Unsniffed wish: Aedes de Venustus Pelargonium sounds like it smells marvelous. The gorgeous red bottle calls to me, perhaps because it reminds me of the Lauren bottle I had as a teen.
Gift giving: I haven’t started shopping and feel zero motivation. Like many families, my tribe has aged out of the indulgence that little children inspire.
Robin, I like your gift choices. EdM lotion is great. It has a true scent and feels nice. I’m seriously coveting the round jar of EdM body cream but have not tried it.
Oh my lordie! 17 unscented days!!!!!??? Last time that ever happened to me was BEFORE I fell down the fragrant rabbit hole (which was in 1971)….but you know, maybe it is OK to take a fragrance sabbatical every once in a while…I have thought about it myself from time to time…one month off to cleanse the palate , so to speak, and reassess where you want to go and what you want to focus on in your fragrance journey, or not focus on for that matter. Whatever the case, follow your heart (and your nose) and your intuition 🙂
thanks, cm8, that’s good food for thought. Time will tell me when/what/where is next.
Going commando means I am very sensitive to environmental/ambient smells which is nice this time of year.
Happy to read you’re a knitter. Since I’m not thinking much about fragrance, I just last night pulled out some yarn and needles for a scarf. It’s this pattern:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reyna
Wow! Wow! wow! IF you can knit that I am incredibly impressed!!! i am a beginner knitter…my librarian just taught me so I am still in the stages of hats and scarves…I made two sweaters for my yoga teacher without a pattern and they were…mmm…well… interesting to say the least….and I made a blanket for my best friends’ cats…(one of whom is my new avatar)…I still haven’t learned to read patterns..I just fly by the seat of my pants and go with my instincts-LOL!
best friend’s cat….only one but she has two cats 🙂
That round jar is so pretty!
Pelargonium is lovely and the red glass bottle is fab. Wishing you a swift return of your perfume mojo!
Like Tiffanie, I would like my perfume mojo back. After having been so sick for over a month, I just can’t seem to get excited about it lately. I put something on, but mostly out of habit and feeling like I should. The fact that I don’t feel excited tells me that at some level I am still not completely well. I will be working on that with my naturopathic doctor.
In any event, I would love to get a big bottle of Iris Nazarena, my unsniffed purchase would be the re-released Iris Ganache (despite it already being sold out – no risk there) and I bought a bottle of MJ Daisy for my budding perfumista niece.
Aedes de Venustas bottles are beautiful!
Hope you’re feeling better each day.
#1 well, I thought I “needed” a full bottle of LaDDM but then my best friend who is also a perfumista and also my constant voice of reason reminded me that I have that adorable mini which actually has enough juice to last me a long while because my scent eating skin has met its match with this Tauer (I get a good 6-8 hours with 2 swipes) and that full bottle will always be there down the road….
#2 can’t think of anything at the moment
#3 I will be gifting some decants from full bottles in pretty decorative metal travel sprays, made a few essential oil blend perfumes and body oils to gift and also bought a bunch of Pacifica mini candles yesterday for my college kid CM8 but other than that no other fragrant goodies…will be gifting lots of chocolate marzipan logs that my parents picked up for me from Aldis…these will be wrapped and under the Christmas tree…also bought tins of tea from the Republic of Tea sale for the three younger CM8s….and knitting hats and scarves as gifts as well…I could always spray them with perfume to turn them into fragrant gifts 🙂
I NEED a FB of LADDM. I NEED one.
#1: Ormonde Jayne Woman
#2: Absolue pour le soir
#3: None of my inner circle is into perfume except my sister in law who wears only 2 fragrances. So I’m giving her my bottle of Burberry Brit, which is her “winter” perfume.
MMK
About #2 on your list
Email me at vivienneell in the land of aol
I think Brit is good. Nothing extraordinary but I enjoy it!
I like it too— but it is so identified in my mind with my sister in law I can never wear it!! (And truthfully, I have SOOO many bottles that she will actually use it up!)
I made it through yesterday and today unscathed at work. Honestly, it really wasn’t bad, except for the crazy parking lot drivers, but that’s everyday! My sotd was Alien, leather version. I walked by a coworker who said I smelled good, and a second coworker said she always smells good! Ha! On to the questions.. 1. Forever on my perfume Christmas wish list is a Mugler exclusive, Cuir Impertinent, Over the Musk being consistently on the list. I recently got to smell Tuscan Leather, and on the list it went. 2. Unsmelled would be Coramandel and Jasmine Rouge, they both seem very me like, description wise. 3. I used my Sephora points and got my son a mini Dylan Blue, I think it smells good for a teenage boy.
What I am actually going to ask Santa for is a new Kindle, because typing through this cracked screen is getting pretty old.
🙂
Hi lillyjo, please email me at cazaubon at me dawttt comm, I have a question for you. 🙂
My fiancé wears Tuscan Leather and I love it. I sometimes spritz one little spray of Noir de Noir and one of Tuscan Leather and it’s so good!
1. The Christmas present I will get from my hubby will be a fb of Corsica Furiosa. But if I were given the choice of choosing another pefume that would be a fb of Chanel Bel Respiro EdT.
2. I buy most of my perfumes unsniffed, so anything from my long perfume shopping list will fall into that category.
3. My family and friends do not show most interest at all in perfumes. They are more into soaps, candles and incense. Yesterday I bought some Pacifica candles that I am sure they will love.
Wearing Bulgari Black. I had a crazy day today running errands and taking my MIL to do some holiday shopping. I have few presents to buy, so I will finish that, without any rush by the 2nd week of December.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Hubby has great taste!????
Ha! He dislikes perfumes. I kind of blackmailed him ????. It was his Christmas present to me or I was going to buy it as a present to myself ????. This is a blind buy thanks to you.Your love for it, Robin’s liking it so much and me being crazy for green scents was more than enough not to give it a second thought. Enabler pin to you. Thank you Deva! ????
I hope you are going to love it!
Smelling great in Black!
Hi everyone, I’m late to the party but enjoyed reading all of the above. I did the community project OK yesterday vis-a-vis fragrance but confess that my card came into use at the 20% off sale at the local artisan jewelry store.
My answers to Robin’s questions are these:
1. Would love to get one of the Maison Francis Kurdjians, especially Ciel de Gum. I may buy it for myself since no other donor is likely to appear!
2. I’d love either Camel or Elephant (Zoologist).
3. I do give some old college friends (male) Penhaligon gifts for Christmas, sometimes little bottles, sometimes soap sets. One of them adores Blenheim Bouquet.
I’m fighting depression tonight because my last two foster kittens went to their new home today. I’ve had them an unusually long time because they just didn’t do well at adoption events. Luckily, they went together as they are very bonded sisters. But I just miss them a lot now and my house seems quiet. Kittens bring such joy to a house. I’ll comfort myself with my other (big) cats, who probably are glad the little monsters are out of here.
that is such a kind thing to do! Enjoy your “big” cats
Up until now, I have not been interested in the Zoologist line. Camel has really caught my interest though.
Bless you for fostering! It is hard to see them go, isn’t it.
Thank you for fostering! I’ve done that before, and know it can be difficult to let them go. In fact, I’m a ‘failed’ fosterer, having adopted one of the kittens I was fostering.
You have such a good heart.
What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?
A FULL BOTTLE of Naja or Onda VdE.
Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma. It’s not even out yet, but I already know I want it.
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
I may give myself a little somethin’ somethin’ fragrance related. It’s all about the finances… no one else I know is into this little game.
Hey Diva, please drop me a line at cazaubon at me dawttt comm for a quick question. 🙂
I ran across a boxed set of SJP Stash today, and since it was in the bargain basement realm, I bought it.
Wow, it’s good! A very successful blind buy, and now I have it in a spray, a rollerball, and a body oil. I’m quite pleased.
Have any of you tried Stash?
I like it a lot! I smelled it in the store and didn’t understand it. I sprayed some on a paper strip and took that home with me. Over the next week, I kept getting wafts of some oddly appealing smell in my bedroom, and finally traced it to the test strip of Stash! So I went back to the store and got the smaller boxed set on sale (smaller size of the spray and body oil). It has really grown on me — so unusual for a mainstream fragrance!
I like it a lot also. It is an unusual fragrance, strange, but very appealing. I got the small set last year (spray and oil) and I wear both in cold temperatures.
Enjoy your new purchase!
I love Stash! I have a decent and love it in cold weather.
Poll answers:
1. What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?
Well, if we’re fantasizing here, I’d like a trip to Paris to visit the many fragrance emporia and the Osmotheque, and an unlimited budget to buy perfume souvenirs! In real life, I think I’d like another scent subscription. I’m really enjoying the one I have now.
2. Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
I think it would be Papillon’s Angelique. It sounds lovely! Have any of you tried it?
3. Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
Yes! I’m giving my husband a fragrance I think I’ll like on him. He doesn’t normally wear anything but aftershave, so this is an experiment (and a surprise). But he buys me fragrances often, so I thought I’d try giving him one. Last year, my teenaged son asked me to choose something for him; I gave him a set of Cool Water but I don’t know if he wants that again. I have another bottle of Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet for one of my daughters, as she chose that for herself last year. I probably won’t get a fragrance gift for my oldest; she has asked for a portfolio of headshots done by a professional photographer.
I tried Angelique, it was lovely but not for me. I saw it on sale yesterday, at Twisted Lily I think?
What did you like or not like about it? I have tried and liked Papillon’s Tobacco Rose. Salome and Anubis were stunning but not me.
It was very light and just didn’t grab me the way Tobacco Rose and Anubis did.
I’ve tried Angelique, love it and have a FB. I would be happy to send you some to try as long as you are in the U.S. Please email me.
Thank you, I will! I love your avatar, btw.
1. I wouldnt say know to another Sauf. But really someone plonking me in a nice perfume store and saying go ahead you can buy one would be the biscuit. Id happily browse for an hour or so ????
2. LAP Mirabilis, Eris Mx, Parfum de Hermes
3. Havent thought about it yet.
Oh, that would be the most fun — to get to go to a great store and choose on the spot!
Good morning everyone! Day off today, woo hoo! Going to brave the mall with the kids. My son is suppose to be giving me gift ideas. He really wants a guitar but doesn’t think he will get one ( he is though!, don’t tell him:)) shopped my perfume collection and pulled out MK Sexy Rio de Janeiro. A very happy fun scent, but also has a good depth to it. I think I will start wearing it more, it’s just the silly name…. Hope everyone has a great day!
Hope the mall was not too crowded! And it makes me happy already that he is getting the guitar.
1. Fragrance related gift I’d like to receive? A sniffing trip to London, please! Or Paris. Not picky 😉
2. Unsniffed gift… I have such poor luck I think I’ll pass on that. Well maybe the new Aftel Frankincense rub. Considering how much I like her Ancient Resins, that’s probably a pretty good bet.
3. Might give MIL the No 5 gold body gel. Sparkly! She loves No 5.
I didn’t buy any perfume in the black friday sales (yet) but I did buy Stuff… replaced my old kindle, and my home computer which died this week. Not looking forward to setting everything up on the new computer, but it will be nice once that’s done.
I should ask: has anyone tried the No 5 gold body gel? Any feedback on it?
Yes, I tried it at a local department store! It’s really nice; the sparkles are light and tasteful, it’s not like wearing glitter gel or anything like that! But they’re very pretty, and they really do stay on your skin, which would be fun for a dress-up evening or holiday event. The scent is light but unmistakably No. 5. The lotion feels very silky, and it would layer beautifully with any of the No. 5 scents or flankers. Actually, I think it would be particularly nice with Eau Premiere or L’Eau.
I am getting my aunt the No. 5 body cream!
Best of good mornings, NST. I’m working at home today on some research. One of my team is joining me as we analyse some raw data, then two more are coming to meet the kittens, after which I’m taking everyone to lunch. It will be the greatest fun, including the research project. My SOTD for these varied activities is 1270, applied lavishly and extravagantly, with a generous hand and no trepidation. Well, wouldn’t you, if you were working at home?
Titus jumped up at me straight after I had sprayed and he must have caught a tiny bit of airborne residue, because he smells as beautiful as he looks. I hope he doesn’t have one of his (moderately rare) fits of cleanliness before the perfume evaporates, because it’s bound to taste nasty and maybe it will be bad for his little inside. This jumping up thing is a new game. He weaves himself around my feet in a sort of frenzy of love, then suddenly launches himself upward. He gets to chest height, and I sort of catch him with my forearms and support him, but he’s silky and heavy and he slithers back down a bit before we get organised. His purr of blissful achievement after this manoeuvre is deafening, but the whole thing is fraught with peril, because he leaps upward regardless of what I’m doing: drinking tea, talking on the phone, cleaning things. You can’t imagine how sweet this little guy is.
Well, onwards into my day. I have an early doctor’s appointment because I had one of those fainting turns last week. I don’t think there’s much wrong, and soon, with any luck, that opinion will be backed up by science. Be well, all.
That sounds like a wonderful day! I can just imagine how cute Titus is. (But maybe not good if he does it to unsuspecting visitors?) I’m worried about your having a fainting turn, that does not sound good at all. Good thing you’re getting it looked into. I so miss my sweet tortie foster kittens this morning. No bustling play activity or loud mews to request early breakfast. 🙁
I don’t know if I could give fosterlings back, once I had come to love them, which would take, oh all of about three minutes. I suppose I would comply, but oh my! It would be hard. I think you’re wonderful to take them on with such love, and even more wonderful to let other people take the results of your lavish care.
Hopefully, no unpleasant surprises from the doctor.
My cat Rusty used to do the same and sometimes he even tried to do it while my back was turned to him. Over years we turned it into a trick where I tell him “Jump!” and he, after some gathering thoughts together, jumps – and I reward him with a treat.
You smell great! When I work from home, I usually use that time to test multiple perfumes in parallel. But if I were expecting a company, I would have probably went your route with using favorite perfume with less restraint than I do to the office.
Oh Titus…what a little dear. Hope he never changes. Must smell this 1270 at some point.
I get very few gifts of any kind let alone perfume. However, I did get a bottle of Velvet Orchid from one of my sons for my birthday last year (at my request when he asked me what I wanted). I have no husband nor significant other so if I want a new perfume I will have to purchase it myself. The only fragrance I have been wanting and perhaps will purchase is Dusita’s La Douceur de Siam.
I have a husband but he is hopeless at gift-giving. Gets utterly paralytic. Couldn’t catch a hint if it bounced off his forehead.
Approximately once a decade he does surprise me with something wonderful, but generally speaking, my gifts come from me. Well that way I get exactly what I wanted 🙂
Yes, Pixel, if we want something or something done, we must do it ourselves!
I give mine a list. 🙂
Hello NST people, hope you’re enjoying/ have enjoyed your weekends.
SOTD is Majda Bekkali “Mon Nom est Rouge” – great stuff. Yesterday was Jul et Mad “Nin-Shar”, a sort of rose-oud jelly baby of a scent.
On Friday I missed posting but was on-topic, with a sample of D S & Durga “Spirit of the Glen”, which I covet. Nevertheless, I am not really thinking of giving or receiving perfume presents this Christmas. The cost of buying and refurbishing a new home in Malaga is sobering – I have spent the weekend emptying out savings accounts where over the years we have stashed money away for this and that. I really hope we’re doing the right thing! :^D
Congratulations on finding and buying the right place. I think your plans sounds marvellous, but if, you know, they turn out not to be, well, you can always sell up. You two are in charge.
Just the fact that you two have savings to be emptied, tells me your pretty good at doing the right thing. Congratulations!
Hey Santa! I’d love a bottle of Caron Farnesiana extrait. I wouldn’t mind a bottle of TF Plum Japonais as well.
Unsniffed? What the heck… Hermes Twilly’s notes appeal to me. I need to get myself to the mall.
I don’t have plans to gift fragrance because I must mail everything overseas, and it can be problematic to send volatile liquids.
I’m enjoying Twilly. And I cannot get over how cute the 30 ml bottle is.
Started out the morning in OJ Vanille d’Iris as we headed downtown for a matinee of the original That Darn Cat with Hayley Mills on the big screen. I feel blessed that I grew up with Hayley movies. And the Siamese in this movie is a full on star. Tough, muscular and a bundle of tomcat personality. We followed the movie with an excellent carnitas taco for a quick nosh.
I’m now wafting Twilly as we head to evening church. I was decanting a sample for my sister and was fumble fingers. Our apartment still has a bit of turkey smell, a frasier fir candle going and me. Quite the cozy and fragrant place.
That sounds like such a wonderful day!
The cost of a home in urban or suburban USA is staggering and with certain exceptions, the atmosphere would be nothing like Malaga.
Q: What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year? A: I’d be pleased if the post office would find and deliver the soaps I ordered from Andy Tauer because I’d really like to receive them. This year.
Q: Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be? A: How about an unopened bottle of the original Chanel Pour Monsieur. Based on what I’ve read about it that might be interesting, at the very least.
Q: Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what? A: Yes; I bought a bottle of Rose Flash for my mom. Total shot in the dark, but I’m prepared to accept the consequences. At least I’ll be able to say I tried.
I have no idea why this reply popped up in response to this comment.
My soaps ordered 3 weeks ago have not arrived yet either! Most annoying.
Late to the party, but:
1. I’d love to receive a bottle of Bois des Iles extrait! Mmmmmmmm.
2. Sarrasins, as someone else said! Or Fumerie Turque. Mmmm. Or Cardamom Coffee. Lots of wonderful things.
3. I’ve bought a number of candles for friends, as well as the l’Occitane holiday baubles. I’ll probably also look into some scented soaps. No perfumes, though; I’ve learned my lesson!
SOTD is Mohur. Yum yum.
Those are all wonderful gifts! And you can’t go wrong with Bois des Iles!
You know, I do give and receive candles as presents, but I’ve never bought a candle for myself 🙂 I just can’t really get into them! That’s ok; I don’t need another rabbit hole!
I highly recommend the Cologne Atelier Soaps (Grand Neroli is my favorite) and Hermes Jardin sur le Nil soaps.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve actually used and really enjoyed Orange Sanguine soap, so I’ll have to give Grand Neroli a sniff. Those Hermès soaps sure are expensive; I haven’t used one since I started paying attention to such things. Are they worth the cost?
Oy, a full week off went by quickly and it is back to the grind tomorrow!
1. Mugler Aura – I got a sample from a kind NSTer and wow!
2. I’ll go with Belle Rives
3. Yes. Bath and Body Works shower gel and hand cream. Last year I gave scented candles so I am mixing it up this year. Everyone will also get a bottle of wine in the $8-$12 range.
I witnessed some atrocious driving this weekend:
– a driver trying to make a left to the mall from the far right lane of a 4-lane highway
– a driver not stopping at a 4-way stop even though she was the 3rd to arrive at the intersection. I leaned on my horn for a good 10
seconds and gave the driver the evil eye
Onwards!
So you like Aura, huh? And you’re incredibly kind, those are wonderful gifts!
I like assembling the gift bags!
How do you pick your wines?
I usually go for NJ wines in the price range. Some years, I’ve also limited the gifts to organic / so sulfate (sulfite) added wines.
I’m surprised you love Aura. It was rather meh to me. Everybody talked about the vanilla but there wasn’t enough of it for me.
I got the vanilla in the end. I swore I was smelling Knightsbridge (no vanilla in the notes but I got copious amounts of creamy vanilla – go figure). Also, Aura reads to me as sharing the same DNA as Alien.
Late to the party as well. My son surprised me (with help from my guy) and flew out here Friday! I didn’t think I’d see him until Christmas. One of the best surprises ever! We had a wonderful weekend.
1) No. 19 or Ormonde Woman are on the top of the gifts I’d like to receive.
2) I’d like Kyoto. One of the incense ones I’ve never sniffed but I love Avignon.
3) I will probably give my favorite aunt and my mother some Chanel body lotion- Allure for mom and No. 5 for my aunt. It’s extravagant but they do a lot for me and they’re worth it.
What a lovely surprise!
My mother surveyed her <10 bottles of perfume and declared she had enough perfume to last several lifetimes and that I should never give her another bottle again. I thought guiltily of my own collection and wondered what she would do if she saw it o.o
Ha! Piker. She would recoil in horror if she saw my collection.
Great poll!
1. I’d ask Santa for a bottle Antaeus EDT and aftershave… I am a big fan of this fragrance (especially the most recent formulation, which seems to have brought back some of the ‘oomph’ of the vintage), and love the regime of an aftershave. I was planning on asking my wife for these, but as things always get a little tight this time of year, I am more likely directing my wishes to mythological men from the North Pole.
2. (Dior) Jules. It is one of my wife’s nicknames, I love old school fragrances like this, and even getting my nose on a sample here in Canada is well nigh impossible. Well, OK, that or Knize Ten (similar situation.)
3. I found a big bottle of Narciso Rodriguez EDT for my son. I bought him a 50 OZ bottle a couple of years ago when he was just starting his collection he is 21 now), and he has carefully nursed it since Sephora stopped carrying it last year. I was delighted to find a 100 ml bottle from a Canadian supplier. It should be in the mail any day now! It is a wonderful scent that reminds me of his personality.