Oops, Monday again. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm in good old Kenzo Air.
Reminder: 2/23 will be Library Friday...honor National Library Month with any sort of fragrance association you can think of.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2018, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is from the Kenzo Move campaign for spring/summer 2018; you can see the video here.
SOTD is Tea for Two.
Coffee just for one with a few London Fashion Week videos rolling.
Have a great week.
I’ve got to try that one – I do love Tea fragrances. The universal community of coffee drinkers joins you with a nice hot cuppa coffee – I might even check out some fashion videos. Trying to convince my friends that Fannypack are back.
Have they gone out?!? ????
????
Coin-op, I really think they ARE back! I want one, too.
I think you’re right! at least in high fashion circles – I am trying to convince them of this – we’re going on a trip together – but I think my friends would be mortified if we wore them, even if they were Hermes
Get one from Target and jazz it up with your bedazzler? Heh heh.
You smell great in Tea for Two!
I wore that yesterday! It’s delightful, I felt delicious all day.
Hi everyone,
It’s around 8PM here in India. Just wanted you to know how much I’ve been enjoying the comments here. I haven’t been posting but very much a silent reader. Thank you!
In perfume life, last week I went to Pondicherry and visited a shop that is part of the Aurobindo ashram called Les Senteurs (Laboratoires Senteurs). There I found some very beautiful attars. The one I bought was an attar of rose called “Gul”. It’s kind of a sweet citrus rose, and I have been wearing it every day. There was another that was a pure saffron. And their agarwood attar was really beautiful. I think I’m going to pick those two up next visit. They also offered several one note essential oils where were very high quality. I was interested in some of the “compounds”, perfumes that were formulated from synthetics, and were very well done I thought. I bought a large bottle of one of these called “Sourire”, 30cc of perfume oil in a spray bottle – I had never seen that before – and over the course of a day it just got sweeter and sweeter on my skin so I had to just leave it in the ashram dorm for someone to take. On their website there are photographs of people sorting out the flower petals for their distillation process. I think I will look into whether there is a tour of their lab for next time.
Those attars sound wonderful! How cool that the ashram has this as one of its projects. It reminds me of the Caldey Abbey one. I love hearing about this stuff!
I guess their story is that Aurobindo’s cohort, a French woman who came to be known as “The Mother”, was missing her favorite lotion. Here is the story:
Laboratoires Senteurs was started in a tiny room in 1958, with the sole objective of providing the Mother with ‘Friction de Foucaud’ – a lotion that she preferred using. Post- Independence, importing this perfume from France became highly impossible. The firm which manufactured the lotion suggested that the Ashram import the basic essence and prepare the lotion locally. Thus, the manufacturing of the lotion began in the laboratory and soon other perfumes and toilet products followed.
Welcome back 🙂
those attars sound sublime
Yes, very pure essences straight from the organic source. The Aurobindo people are very big on purity and it shows!
Also Auroshika has a store in Pondicherry and I was able to find some really authentic smelling sandalwood incense – I think it has actual sandalwood in it. There was also an incense called “Durga Rose”, a really beautiful bourbon and spice dark rose, just beautiful. I bought a ton of high quality incense because it was so inexpensive by our standards.
CM8 I LOVE the new avatar!!
Thank you…the eldest painted it for me while away at college and brought it home for me as my Christmas present…I did not have the heart to tell her that the chakra colors are upside down 🙂
How fun, what a cool experience
Yes, super fun. There was a desk with all the samples on it and little stools to sit on while sampling. I took out every single tester in the synthetics section and all of the attars. The perfume oil “compounds” were classified by “woody, fresh, fruity, floral, etc” so you could easily find your way to something appealing.
Would that I could be there! Enjoy it for the rest of us 🙂
Will do and post a little more here if I go back to Pondy
Thanks for posting! That sounds fascinating, and Gaul sounds lovely.
I liked “gul” because it was the most natural smelling to my nose. There was another rose attar that was much more expensive, I wasn’t sure why, but have more questions to ask when I go back. The saffron was really beautiful, I thought about maybe layering it with the rose attar.
Just noticed it auto-corrected Gul. Hate that. It all sounds so interesting…
Saffron attar sounds like my idea of heaven.
I was shocked at how gorgeous it was. It was quite expensive even with India prices, but I think it must have taken a lot of saffron to make it. The color of the oil was….saffron yellow!
Nice to read a post from you Sajini! Sounds like you have a gold mine of gorgeous and unique scents to explore.
Yes indeed. I just heard of another perfume store in Pondicherry that I didn’t know about. It might be because of the French culture that there is a perfume market there. I will be visiting again soon.
Sounds amazing!
Yes. I kind of went bananas in the perfume store because it was pretty high quality perfume oil for very low prices. I got 15cc of high quality rose attar – the Gul- for around $6
Ack! I already wanted some, now I *really* want some! Enjoy your goodies 🙂
What a fun post – thanks. It’s so interesting to read about perfumes (attars) in another country. Gul sounds gorgeous.
The climate in Pondicherry was extremely humid, so Gul smelled like a spicy pepper rose there. But when I got back to Tiruvannamalai which is inland and quite a bit drier, it changed to more of a sharp, citrus rose. It will be interesting to see what it does when I get back to Boston weather in March. The synthetic that I bought was very volatile. It smelled amazing in the coolness of the shop, kind of a clean musky floral. But once I wore it outside in the humidity, it morphed into a sweet fruit bomb. Unfortunately I impulse bought a big bottle of it which only set me back about $5 so left it at the ashram for someone who might appreciate it.
Thanks for posting and sharing your fragrance adventures!
Sounds delightful and the Gul sounds right up my alley. I’m a fan of oils. Thanks for sharing this slice of life in India with us and nice to see you!
Great to have an update from you, Sajini!
How cool! Michel Roudnitska, the perfumer, just visited Aurobindo and posted some amazing photos on his facebook page.
Thanks for all the get well wishes. This cold is hanging on..
SOTD Grisette by Lubin
I hope you get well soon!
Hang in there, I hope you’re feeling better soon 🙂
Get well soon!
Yeah the flu / cold thats going around around right now is quite tenacious… 🙁
So sorry you’re still feeling bad! Hope things turn around quick!
Such a bummer to have something that just hangs on like that. One of my friends is going thru that as well.
SOTD is Estee Lauder Knowing for the library community project.
Knowing = knowledge = library.
Perfect!
Perfect!
The winner!
I am wearing Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay and drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea.
I need to replenish my Earl Grey stash. Used the last of it this morning.
I am hanging on to my last little bit of the Mariage Freres Earl Grey French Blue my friend brought me from Paris. I should just enjoy that last pot, but I like occasionally opening up the pretty black tin and taking a deep whiff.
I broke down and ordered some MF from The Cultured Cup last November. They had a 15% off sale, and wow, it is wonderful stuff. I’m not sure how often they run that sale, but it might be worth getting on their mailing list.
I really love Blackberry and Bay….one of the few JM that I do. You smell great.
Anyone here use body oils? I tried the Diptque Huiles Precieuses over the last weekend and love love love the concept (a really moisturizing, luxurious, scented oil that soaks into skin leaving it smooth and moisturized) but the scent isn’t quite right for me. I’m amazed at how much the scent develops over a wearing. Very nice! But not quite what I’m looking for.
I’m thinking of something that would be slightly floral and/or musky and/or aldehydes. Thoughts? Recs? What do you guys use?
I do use oil on my face. I use jojoba oil – I think technically it is a “wax “but it certainly looks like oil – it is supposed to be the closest in make up to oil our skin produces. I add essential oils – but I don’t see why you couldn’t spray perfume onto it – I have a dark blue bottle I bought at wegmans.
I spray a bit of perfume into a handful of oil (jojoba, sweet almond, apricot) and massage that in. It works okay.
I do this, too (in a 1 oz glass jar containing coconut oil.) I like the moisture the oil provides, it’s fun to scent it myself, and it’s also insanely inexpensive. I’ve used up lots of samples this way, and lately have been using my (massive) bottle of TPW Tea Rose.
My bottle of Tea Rose has become a “room scent” when my classroom becomes too stinky. . . 🙂
I wish I had something like that last night when I went to the movies….the lingering smell of humanity mixed with goodness knows what else left over from previous showings (or days and months of showings between a good cleaning) was really off-putting. On the bright side, I was watching Black Panther, which was a treat.
Pretty sure Tea Rose would be up to that challenge! Maybe carry a little spray vial in your purse/coat pocket?
I wonder if I could mix jojoba and argan oil and some perfumes… hmm…
Hey, that’s a great idea!
I love body oils too, my two favorites right now are Libertine Violeta body oil and a local brand LVNEA Rose, sandalwood, pathchouli body serum, these two are to die for and mix well with my other perfumes, they are not overpowering or strong.
LVNEA! I discovered her at a holiday flea market a few years ago. I liked her stuff. I bought an oil that smelled like the ocean.
Me too I discovered the line at a holiday market, they also have some nice perfumes
Oh wow. I wish I could find that local to TN!
Where do you buy these? We need to sniff and discuss when I get back to Montreal!
I’ve been wishing I had Chanel No. 5 as a body oil for some time now. Sounds like notes would fit your needs, too!
Yes! I think that it’s exactly what I want!! But they don’t sell it anymore, right?
Yes! I think that it’s exactly what I want!! But they don’t sell it anymore, right?
Actually, what I really want if we are dreaming is a Cuir de Russie body oil.
No, I don’t think that they do. I keep hoping a bottle will magically arrive at my Goodwill or at an estate sale or something.
Maybe Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia bath oil? I have the perfume and it’s lightly floral and musky. Kind of a scent veil.
I’m fond of Tauer Rose Delight. The Jurlique rose oil is also great, as are pretty much all the l’Occitane oils, especially the almond! I also do what kpaint does and use up samples to fragrance body oils. I usually put 2 ml fragrance into 20 ml avocado oil, 27 ml grapeseed oil, and 1 ml vitamin e oil. The ratio of avocado to grapeseed helps me decide how thick/sticky I want my oil to be!
I should probably start using a more neutral oil or a coconut oil that’s scentless. The ones I’ve been using smell like coconut, which I dislike, so I started adding perfumes to cut the scent. But I love the way the coconut oil moisturizes. On the other hand, it’s solid at cooler temps so kind of a PITA.
Is it the avocado oil that’s thicker? That sounds really luxurious.
The coconut oil I use for cooking/baking is liquid at room temp (which is 75 degrees in my apt. It’s also almost cimpletely tasteless and the scent is negligible.
(Spectrum Culinary expeller pressed organic). Another one I have is solid and smells/tastes more coconutty.
Both avocado & grapeseed oils are almost scentless! I’m surprised that you use coconut oil; working with a solid sounds annoying. Have you tried fractionated coconut oil? (I haven’t.)
The grapeseed oil FEELS thicker. I think it might be because it is slower to absorb into my skin, because I just checked their respective densities online and they appear to be very close.
This is the mixture I settled on back when I was trying out an Etsy store 🙂 It’s the one that made my skin the happiest!
It is kind of a PITA. My SIL gave me a jar of coconut oil a few years ago, so I replaced it once it ran out because I liked it (except the scent.) Maybe I’ll try some avocado oil next time around…
I’m wearing Oriental Express, library association with Murder on the Orient Express. I spent a lot of time this morning searching for a beachy type perfume. Which, is silly, because I don’t like salt, or coconut, or aquatic seaweed smells. In truth, I’m just not a beach person, but sometimes I wish I was.
I am a beach person, unfortunately I’m not a “getting to the beach person” ha ha. Maybe you just wanted to smell the scent but not wear it? When I am in the dry sauna I feel like I am on the beach – now that you mention it – maybe next time I go I will put a little dab of beachy perfume on ????
Not a beach person either. 🙂 On the other hand, I don’t mind smelling like old-school suntan oil on occasion.
You could try Parfums Nicolai Week End (a Deauville) which is a seaside scent, evoking the scent of Normandy. I am not sure how it survived reformulation, but it used to be very nice.
Ooh, this sounds interesting, I might have to check it out!
As a fan of Agatha Christie, I love the name of your scent.
Thank you!
I’m totally a beach person but don’t love beachy perfumes. A little bit a few times a year is enough for me. Speaking of which, an Ulta I visited last week had a bottle of Beach Goddess eau Fraiche, but no tester. Has anyone tried this? I have Beach Goddess in edt or edp, but it’s a bit too much for me. Is the eau fraiche lighter/easier to wear?
Thanks for the idea, lillyjo. Bronze Goddess actually sounds really good this snowy morning 🙂 I’m going to put some on.
I often think of this beach person/beach scent dichotomy myself. I am not a summer beach person at all- I have extremely pale skin, dislike hot weather, and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve felt comfortable enough to appear publicly in swimwear of any kind. However I love a cooler-weather, fully-clothed beach walk, and I also love certain beach scents and get strong cravings for them around this time of year when I can’t take winter for even one more second. This led to me sampling Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc over the weekend- in the end it was not for me, too sweet and smelled a bit like a coconut curry- but I do enjoy Bobbi Brown Beach, CSP Aqua Motu, and MMM Beach Walk on occasion.
I was able to smell the Tom Ford last fall, and thought it was nice, but didn’t get to spend much time with it. Plus that price! I should try Beach Walk again.
I tried the new TF flanker Eau de Soleil Blanc recently. To me, it was a citrusy version of nearly the same scent, though it was a little lighter on the coconut I think. If you really dislike the original then you’ll probably feel the same about this one but if you’re up for a variation then it might be worth it. I would not call it lighter though – I think the “eau” in the name is misplaced.
I am TOTALLY a beach person, which is a bit crazy since I now live in the desert. I’m quite excited that in three weeks I have to go to Florida for work meetings and will be staying on the beach and then will go spend a 3 day weekend with my guy who is working at the beach! However, I usually do not like beachy scents. I do like Bobbi Brown’s on occasion and Beach Walk sometime (like Luscent above). I’d like to try Fire Island sometime as well…
I just read about Fire Island, thought I might have had a sample, but nope it’s Coney Island lol!
Why is it so hard to find samples of Bond No. 9 scents?!
Idk, I got mine through a friend who got them through her old boss. The boss lady bought a ton of Bond’s because she was sold on them being super luxurious. She didn’t even wear them. It was ridiculous.
Wearing the remnants of Serge Lutens Se Majest La Rose from last night, from the freebie meet
This was not at all what I expected – I think my sample will last me a long time – I do appreciate it is a unique take on rose – at least from the roses I have smelled – so rich and syrupy, totally unique and potent
I think it’s a great rose scent (and I agree that it is potent). You smell wonderful.
Thank you!
You smell great! I got some in a swap and liked it much more than I expected too. The wetness of it keeps it from smelling too strong for me, but it does last a really long time on me, too.
Yes, wetness – is a good way to describe it
I love that one! I’ll pick up a bottle if I ever find a cheap one 🙂 I already have enough rose that I can’t justify buying it at retail price. But that rich, syrupy, wet quality that you all have described makes me so happy 🙂
Yes, I know what you mean! I don’t have a huge collection, but I have a little Elizabeth Taylor diamonds in Rubys – and I even really really like that! So if I don’t impose certain “love” standards – I could be swimming in roses 🙂
Our spring-like weather is making me crave spring scents, so that is what I pulled from my stash. First up is My Burberry, using up a sample. I like the subtle citrus note it starts with. I may need a decant or a mini.
You do smell like spring!
Wearing Hiram Green’s Dilettante for a bit of summer in the end of winter. Uplifting and beautiful.
We saw Darkest Hour yesterday evening, and I think it is really good (in spite of mediocre reception especially in the UK). Gary Oldman is a brilliant Churchill.
I’m looking forward to seeing that one.
I would think you would enjoy it Mals, it is in some ways a tribute to the English language, but also to courage and sacrifice. I never knew the English came so close to negotiating a peace deal with the then Nazi’s, and how the doggedness of one man prevented that horror scenario. I personally feel I owe that life a great debt, as well as to the many who gave their lives.
I really liked the first hour, then it kind of fell apart for me. My H referred to it as a “performance” film, which I think is spot-on.
Gary Oldman is just brilliant! Period. ????
I just recently watched him in Immortal Beloved (the Beethoven movie) and I swear I could not recognize him as the same actor from other movies he’s been in. Which is a true compliment!!
I suppose a brilliant actor playing a brilliant man is double bonus ????
Nice to see your posts, Hamamelis!
SotD is Fille en Aiguilles.
Havent thought about scents with a library connection, but library = books right? ???? Hmmm cant be that hard to come up with something….
Planned a short trip to Berlin end of this week.
I dont know of I have time to go on a shopping spree, but if anyone here knows perfume related brands/shops I should look out for, feel free to share them 🙂 thank you!
My sister, who isn’t really a perfumista but she likes perfume, really liked Frau Tonis and bought a few perfumes.
Thank you, looks and sounds interesting!
Fille en Aiguilles = trees = wood = paper = books?
???????? yup
thank you 🙂
Cool and very windy here, I am wearing VCA Bois d’Iris.
Heavens, you smell great!!!! One of my favs.
How do you like that one, please?
It’s quiet but pretty. Good for those times when you don’t feel up to big sillage.
Yes, not unlike Orchidee Vanille. I like them both and get more sillage from B d’I than OV actually. I wish OV had more oomph too.
I have to hand it to Robin. I’m wearing Feu Secret and I think it’s a beautiful scent. I enjoy the entire journey but the dry down is fantastic. I’m wearing this from a dabber sample and can easily smell it. It also lingers beautifully on clothes. I was walking around my house with my nose pinned to my sleeve this morning.. I think that I am in trouble again but am trying to hold off for a decant or at least a sale. ????
Split? I have a little sample but haven’t tried it yet.
I was just thinking that.
Try it and let me know. If you like it enough to move foward, we can discuss details. I thinks it’s very unisex.
Oh, I would be interested in a splint, too!!!! ????????
Will do! I’m still hoping someone will put up Ummagumma…
So glad you like it! But I think you have to hand it to Bruno Fazzolari 😉
Having made up my mind to buy Lubin Epidor and split part of it (just added it to Splitmeet), I’m wearing my sample today in the gray chill. So nice.
Thanks for posting this here because I wouldn’t have thought to go look for additional splits. Count me in! ????????
Going extremely literal today with In the Library by CB I Hate Perfume. This one isn’t a winner on me. It started off as a very pleasant milky vanilla-coconut skin scent, but as it’s dried down the coconut has morphed into an extremely musty paper note. Brings us closer to the title, yes, but in terms of enjoyment I’d have preferred to stick with the first iteration! I have a selection of samples picked out for this week that have a paper note in them, so hopefully one of them will be a greater success on my skin.
I love paper notes. Maybe I’ll come up with a list, too. I’ll be curious to see what you come up with!
Are you familiar with Dior Homme? It begins with a bit of a cardboard note on me.
Not terribly. My H had a decant so I sniffed it when he wore it, but I don’t recall anything cardboardy/papery.
I am still trying to find my sample of that one! Might have used it up.
It snowed here overnight – very pretty, but after last year’s weather horrors makes me a bit nervous. Today is a holiday at my work, so even if I weren’t joining Lovestosmellgood in having The Crud That’s Going Around, I would still be having my coffee in my jammies. Me in jammies; the coffee is in a cup. Just wanted to avoid any confusion on that. I think I can still smell stuff, so thinking about soothing scents – perhaps Diptyque Eau Rose for its bubble-bath vibe. Happy Monday everyone.
*snort* Coffee in jammies. . . 😀
Aww, I hope you feel better soon. Good for you, still keeping your sense of humor!
“Coffee in jammies” made me smile a bit. Hope your crud is a short-lived one!
Wearing last night’s Lyric and just got off the phone with Amazon. I had ordered a back up bottle of OPI’s Turn on the Northern Lights and they sent me I’m Not Really a Waitress instead. I had pointed out that the picture and the title don’t match, which sometimes happens but I’m still aggrivated over it. They are sending me a new bottle and I am hoping the right one. After my shower, I will switch to LADDM.
Very aggravating. Hope they sort it out for you.
Just back from weekend with 1800 or so attendees of meetings/sessions. Hoping no crud suddenly shows up in the next day or so….
Was just catching up on Splitmeet entries and the plum notes mentioned in Baiser du Russie made me decide to spritz on Natori this morning. I was fragrance free this weekend, so today is spray with abandon….
Knock on all the wood you can find!
Olympic Orchids Golden Cattleya today, to combat a dreary rainy day. BTW someone was looking for the scent of wet dirt last week. Yesterday I sampled Mirus silver lining and it smelled exactly like the damp soil smell when I’m doing my spring planting. I’d be happy to share my sample, email in gravatar.
I’ve been curious… how different is this from CBIHP Black March? That’s my gold standard for wet dirt scents.
Never smelled Black March… wet dirt is not my usual testing fodder but I won a sample pack of Mirus from Ave Parfum on a Facebook group.
Black March made me cry. Can’t wear it, but it’s genius.
It is sad. But oh — now I remember it’s inspired by a poem, so I can wear it for library week!
Good morning on yet another rainy, gray Monday morning! This is good sleeping weather, yet here I am, up and at ’em! Kinda….I had to rise, but not necessarily shine just yet… 🙂
Wearing Guerlain Idylle, and wondering why I don’t reach for it more often! Soft and easygoing….
There are times in the morning I just want to snuggle down in bed, especially rainy mornings! Good on you for getting UP and AT THEM!
Easygoing is my favourite category of perfume. Nice!
I happen to work at a university library, so could we say that any fragrance I wear this week fits the theme? Today I just needed a good, no-brainer scent, so I picked The Body Shop Shea EDT.
My PSA for the day (which I shout from the rooftops to anyone who’ll listen) is that libraries are about so much more than just books! We’ve got CDs, DVDs, and games, we’ve got reference librarians who can answer any research question you throw at them (seriously, try them), we host events tailored to the community’s interests, we’ve got computers with internet access and printers for people who don’t have those things at home. If you haven’t been inside a library since grade school, stop by! You might just be surprised at all the things we can do for you 🙂
Libraries are so awesome.
Wonderful PSA! I need to find the library closest to me. Haven’t looked since I moved a few months back. Thanks for the reminder!
When I had my videography/film business I used reference librarians a lot- they were able to dig up resources materials that I had serious trouble getting my mitts on!
Great PSA, so true!
I don’t buy books anymore because the stacks take over my house, and buying books cuts into the perfume budget, LOL. But I do visit my library about once a week!
I love my library, always have, always will. 😀
I spent much of my teens and early twenties in libraries. They are are great escape, and much more edifying than the internet. Go library!!
The younger Marzipans do volunteer work in the library twice a week so since i am the chauffeur I get to hang out…the library is one of my favorite places to be.
Will also add that many libraries host United Way volunteers this time of year who will do your taxes for free if your income is under $66k (and some other specs.)
I’m old enough to remember when libraries had paper IRS forms. That’s where I’d pick them up to do my taxes 😉
Mine still does! I was just there yesterday and the table right at the entrance has them stacked up.
I love going to the library. I haven’t done it so much the past number of years, but I used to go all the time. (I tend to mostly download books from the library.) Growing up in CA, I was the kid who came back to school after summer with no tan because I’d be at the library rather than the pool.
Late for the Comment Train! SOTD is SL Vetiver Oriental. Super YUM!
T-Rex goes to the vet for her checkup and shots today. The only dog I’ve ever had who is delighted to go to the vet! After, I’m getting my taxes done. ????
Oh, what a lovely scent! And ugh, doing tax reruns!
Wish my cats had some of T-Rex’s attitude re: going to the vet. They hate it, but at least they get along with the vets and techs.
* . * . * . * . * . Snow Day . * . * . * . * . *
Except, it’s a holiday anyway, poo. The kids are going to be unbearable tomorrow! No SOTD, yet, other than the aforementioned “hoodie melange.” Can’t decide if I want to embrace the climate with some L’eau d’hiver or deny it with some sunny AT Zeta.
If somebody made “hoodie melange,” some of us would probably buy it…
Kinda the perfume equivalent of what we used to call “graveyard” soda–when you mix all the different kinds of pop together in one place. (Our grocery store growing up let us make our own 2-liter of pop, reusing the plastic bottles. Graveyard was our favorite “flavor.” 🙂 )
My brother and I used to do the same thing at 7-11 for Big Gulps as kids. We had a different name for it, but the same concept. Sometimes the results were kind of nasty, and sometimes they were really good. It all depended on what that soda fountain had on a particular day.
There was an art to getting it right. Lots of Dr. Pepper was my secret. 🙂
Vanille Insensee for this back to work Monday.
I had the worst insomnia last night, the kind where I’m just getting back into a nice deep sleep and the alarm goes off. Ugh. This is going to be a looong day. I see more coffee in my future. ☕️
Ugh. That’s the worst. Hope you sleep well tonight.
Greetings from snowy Portland!
1) Everything looks like it was covered in powdered sugar. Spring preview came to an end!
2) Brrr! Am wearing Boucheron and my big cream colored cashmere sweater with jeans and boots!
3) Bought a vintage bar glass set- complete with tongs and an ice bucket this weekend- really perfect for my Oscar party I will be having in a few weeks. Speaking of which, CineMark is doing a special for those of you who did not see Oscar films: for $35, you can see all the nominated films!
Oh that’s a great deal on the Oscar films…thanks!
No snow day, here; the 2-4″ we were supposed to get last night didn’t materialize. At all. Not even a dusting.
Q: How many sprays does it take to decant 100ml of Dior Mitzah?
A: Approximately 820. Yargs.
My SOTD is Nishane Musiqa Oud. My house’s SOTD (probably SOTW) is Mitzah.
Is your spritzing finger sore?
Thankfully, Dior makes an AWESOME sprayer, and even with my small hands, that nice cylindrical 250ml bottle wasn’t hard to hold.
The same cannot be said of the large Diptyque Volutes bottle I decanted from last year. That one was painful.
That is really fortunate about the Dior. Some bottles are SO hard to spray but you wouldn’t know it until it’s in your hands.
My pinky finger goes through phases of going numb easily with tasks like that (the first phase lasted about 6 months!) and is really sensitive right now, so ???? for my decanting.
I’ll say again that I really do wish perfume houses would put more thought into their sprayers. A good one is really a delight to use, and a poor one torturous.
You ARE A TRUE warrior – or rather an ‘AmaZonian’ straight outa wonderwoman Pixel.
Nemer by Boadicea the Victorious today thanks to a sample from a NSTer. I thought it was extremely pretty- possibly enough to purchase at least a decant- until I looked at it on Luckyscent and saw the price!!! HOLY COW! $875 for 100ml! Nope! Will enjoy my day with the sample haha!
Thanks to all of the encouraging yesterday! I took a walk, bird watched, cleaned house, and meal prepped. Made the day go fast! I also got out all of my perfume samples and went through them and picked a few to try this week.
Hi KellyC,
I saw your comment above re. JM Blackberry and Bay and I thought I’d offer you a mini bottle of it. It was gifted to me by the generous Cazaubon and I am not a fan, so why not pass it along… I am sure she will be happy to see it being put to good use.
Plus, I thought you could use some cheering up ????
You can reach me in the land of comcast with arzeznik in front of it if you are interested.
Oh, how kind! Wow, thank you so much. I will email you.
Thanks for sharing it around! 🙂
Happy Monday, all! I’ve got the day off and am using it to hang out with a friend who is moving away from the Bay Area. You’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve been sharing my perfumes with her. She hasn’t fallen down the rabbit hole, but does enjoy her bottle of Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom. I’ve given her samples of a number of scents she liked at first sniff (mostly Hermessences, which have the same transparent quality as Jo Malone), and then some bottles that she liked that I don’t often wear anymore. This is all a plot, you see, to make her think about me every time she perfumes herself. It’ll force her to come see me more often, and to invite me to go see her.
I myself am wearing Guerlain Neroli Outrenoir, which I absolutely adore.
I hope those of you who also have the day off are enjoying yourselves!
How lovely! You’re a good friend!
You smell heavenly!
I am lamenting that Notino doesn’t have a 10% off code for President’s Day or even free shipping today…I have no business buying anything as I have a treasure trove of new stuff enroute from the Splitmeet…but still annoyed in principle. 😉
Going to break into La Maison de la Vanille coffret I just received and will weigh in later…
Trying out Vanille Sauvage de Madagascar and Vanille Fleurie de Tahiti today…
The former is a nice, spicy vanilla and the latter is similar but quite a bit sweeter. My better half said the first smelled like perfume and the second like perfume mixed with bathroom cleaner. 😯
I would characterized both of these as on the lighter side overall.
Yikes ????????
Indeed. Both are fairly indistinguishable now but overall I preferred the less sweet Madagascar. These are EDTs and felt like it but they have decent longevity. I have been wearing vanilla non-stop (almost) for a few weeks and trying out a lot of pricier vanillas which tend to be heavy hitters. I shall just have to douse myself as I try out the other scents in the set.
Strangely, still not tired of vanilla…hopefully it doesn’t end like cilantro did for my brother. 😉 He used to love cilantro…now he can’t stand it. Can’t even eat something w/ it if it is the very last ingredient…tastes like soap he says. Years ago vanilla smelled kind of cheap to me for some reason or perhaps I had a negative association w/ it too that I can’t remember but then in the last few months it is like I had never smelled it before and couldn’t get enough of it. I guess the vanilla receptors in my brain finally came online…I may be a Terminator sent back in time to get all the vanilla…there is supposedly a shortage… 😉
I just wore the Madagascar the other day. It’s my favorite as well, and considering it’s an edt, the longevity is good.
They have completely eliminated free shipping (used to be free over $100). As for the Vanille line, my faves are Madagascar and Mexique. Don’t care for Fleurie. Givrée smells a bit like Angel.
How sad/backwards to not have some form of free shipping…that is the way of online commerce.
Yes, the Maison Vanille line seems to be on quiet side but the two I tried have lasted all day which is nice.
SOTD No 5 edt, just because. My sweater smells like Dries Van Noten which is mostly what I’m smelling. Not a bad thing!
“Just because” is as good a reason as any. 🙂
SOTD is Equipage. I’d planned to wear gallons of Salome, which I love a lot more than my husband does, since I’m home alone for president’s day, but have a headache so went for something light and bracing instead. Alas!
Hope your headache goes away quickly!
Hopefully you are feeling better soon!
Commando as of yet. It is a holiday here, so I slept in with lots of hound cuddles to convince me that was a great idea. I then made bacon jam , and chucked firewood for an hour.
Shower is next, and then seeing Black Panther with a friend. No idea what I will wear, but it will need to be subtle as I expect the theatre to be packed.
Wait! Did you just say bacon jam?!?
I’ve seen recipes for bacon jam and just drool!
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/bacon-bourbon-jam-recipe.html
Bacon jam sounds like a great idea!
SOTD is ELDO’s Yes I Do. This smells like something you’d give to your pre-teen niece because it wouldn’t offend her parents.
PSA for my split of Violette Sacrée by Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger! Its a candied, chewy violet with a dusting of powder–totally addicting.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Okay, you’re going to twist my arm…I’ll hop over to the splitmeet. 😉
Very good morning, all. You all smell wonderful and inspiring, but I am dull, tired and uninspired. I’m in A Mood, clearly. It’s like, “Perfume? How lovely, but no thank you….lipstick? Of course, the one that looks as though it’s not there, please….a well put together outfit? Oh, if I must…but actually, that old thing there is comfortable and it’ll do….”. I have to tell you, NST, that I’ve never before been so disconnected from the small, everyday things that I usually enjoy so much. I’ve never in my memory thought, “ Oh that’ll do,” knowing it won’t really. It’s not that I think appearance and perfume are the most important things in life—that would just be silly— but I usually love the fun of it all. The colours. The slide of a silk shirt. The swish of a pleated skirt. Prowling in very comfortable but snazzy shoes. Today? Nah.
I have no explanation of this state of mind, but I’m forcing myself to wear Ambre Narguile, because my memory tells me that I love it. I’m pottering off to work in a skirt that the dear man likes and a top that one of my younger colleagues has admired with it. It looks OK. Boring but OK.
Thank you all for your kind words yesterday when I began to address this emerging mood, and for your inspired suggestion, Kanuka. It had the merit of making me laugh out loud, but honestly, if this continues, you may well receive a large crate of STUFF. I promise that if I don’t snap out of my funk, I won’t keep wittering on about it. In the meantime, I hope you are all bouncingly well. You certainly smell gorgeous.
Go and treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of flowers for your office. Select each stem for fragrance, texture and colour …that will do the trick!
I’m not sure if it helps Waterdragon but I have had a long period of How lovely but not thank you with regards to perfume, and it slowly begins to pass…Apparently this kind of falling out of love with perfume happens to many perfumista’s ;-). Sometimes boring but ok is ok.
I have gone thru a couple bouts of what I call “Perfume Meh”. Nothing is interesting, and nothing seems like it will fit the mood. Those moods have passed after a while, thankfully.
You’ve had so much going on lately, that maybe you just need a break from the senses. I’ve also gone through similar ” no thank you” times, even with chocolate, and music. I think it just needs time to work itself out.
SotM = Une Amourette from a sample, with thanks to a fabulous perfumista!
I love Une Amourette! It’s pepper and neroli, then floral iris, with a mild rosy-woody-patchouli at the end. This would have been a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, a couple could wear it together. Anybody could wear it quite happily and smell great. I think it would get lots of compliments.
The drydown is familiar, like Voleur de Roses? something from Tauer? hmmmm, very nice in any case, though after reading through some reviews last night I have to say the all the “sexy times” hype seems a little much.
Cute name though. I have a Kindergarten music student named Amourette. I would LOVE to know how she got her name.
Have a marvelous Monday, NST, you smell great!
Une Amourette sounds lovely!
Snow on the ground but the sun has come out. I’m making plans to ski two days this week, the mountain has two feet of new, fluffy snow after a disappointing season thus far. However, my SOTD Desarmant isn’t celebrating winter but late spring, when lilacs bloom here. Have a great day, everyone!
A bit jealous of your snow. We haven’t gotten nearly enough this winter.
Feel free to come to my house…I woke up to 7 inches on Sunday morning……I will be happy to let you shovel my driveway 😉
Now that I no longer live in the midwest and shoveling has become a novelty, I kinda miss it. I like accomplishing something, albeit temporarily.
🙂
You are welcome at my house too…I will gladly let you shovel…my body is too old and I end up rather sore the next day…
Dark, grey and wet here and I’m doing a week of Hermes starting with the quiet, library appropriate Paprika Brasil…thanks Waterdragon. Later, because I lack discipline and tend to wander off topic, I will join Mals in Epidor….thanks Gaynor! Epidor and Superstitious are two perfumes I really like and I doubt I would ever have tried them if it wasn’t for Gaynor.
You smell wonderful! I ❤️ PB.
I read from bottom up and thought you meant Peanut Butter ????
I think we might be weather twins right now.
SOTD = Houbigant Iris des Champs
..from a metal travel atomizer generously provided by a Bergdorf SA. Powdery, musky iris, just right for a low key day not wanting to be called out by the perfume phobe.
I need to think of which iris to wear that will fit the Community Project!
Lots of split work and I am determined to get all done in the next 2 weeks. I have 20 mLs left of Guerlain Baiser de Russie from my split – go check it out!
We are scent twins 2nd time in this Month of Irises project
It’s overcast and warm here, and it looks like it will rain all week long. ???? I’m in Samsara, from a great swap with a lovely NSTer.
Hey all, I posted my split of MCG Rrose Selavy over at the splitmeet, in case anyone is interested. It’s my maiden voyage as a split host, so please be gentle. ????
Y’all have a wonderful day!
Love your SOTD! Samsara is one of my desert island scents.
Samsara is in my top ten winter scents. You smell beautiful today!
Thank you, Petunia!
Thanks, Jalapeno!
Sotd: Roads Past/Presence
I love the lime/tea combo. I consider this to be my zen scent. Fragrant relaxation! It shares the lime note found in Eau de Gaga. EdG goes barbershop whereas PP goes zen with tea. But warning~it’s got some noticeable silage.
Oh, that sounds interesting — will have to see if I can find a tester. Plus, there aren’t that many citrus tea scents with serious sillage.
I would be thrilled to send you a sample. I’d love to hear your take on it. My email:
laugsb at sbcglobal dot net
You are so kind Laura! I think Neiman Marcus just got this line, so let me see if I can try it there and save you the hassle of mailing.
Started this week with Iris des Champs from Houbigant
I’m still in my Iris fragrances mode. Today I’m wearing Miller Harris’ Terre d’Iris.
Hi all, I don’t have any scent on today. 🙁 I don’t have doldrums, I just have exhaustion. I spent the weekend in Galveston with my mom and visiting aunt. I will confide in y’all here, and only here, that being with elderly relatives must be like being with toddlers. Short attention spans, small episodes of high activity followed by lengthy napping, lots of fussing about food, quickly passing stomach upsets, on and on. I am so worn out. (Yes yes sorry for myself.) I am lying in bed and have five cats on the bed with me and three others close by. They will help me heal and now I will nap. Later on I’ll arise, buck up, and choose a fragrance. Thanks for being there.
Hugs, Calypso! Enjoy the cuddle time with your cats. ???? ????
So true….Thank goodness it’s only cats that have nine lives.
It is true. Hope you had a nice refreshing nap with the kitties.
Sorry you are worn out Calypso!
I have a very good idea of what you’re going through with your mom. I’m so sorry, but glad you have the kitties to help you regroup.
Hugs. Hope you got some rest and peace!
4160 Tuesday’s Midnight in the Palace Garden. Instant love. From a sample from a generous NSTer last year. Now to find a bottle! Cheers to a great week ????
What’s it like, flopper?
Have you smelled Miriam the tableau series from Andy Tauer? That’s what I immediately thought of – and maybe side-by-side wouldn’t smell the same. Just a nice jasmine very sultry.
Moody weather in my part of the world… grey, a little humid, and cool. I had what I consider the perfect snow for this time of year this past Saturday: almost 3 inches of rather wet snow that disappeared on Sunday. It’s like it shoveled itself! ❄
Almost no one I know has today off as a holiday. Maybe the one friend who is a state employee does, not quite sure.
SOTD = Youth Dew Amber Nude, from the decant stash. Too bad I did not like this at all when it came out. Now I do. It’s one of the few perfumes that I have done a 180 degree reversal on.
You smell wonderful!
Thank you! I’ve been enjoying it.
Yes! The absolute perfect snow: pretty for a few hours, then gone.
SOTD is Montal “Aoud Ever”.
Top: oud, citron, bergamot and mandarin;
Mid: vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli and black pepper;
Base: leather, ambergris and tonka.
On the plus side, it’s long-lasting… ;^)
Ha! The Montales generally are not wimpy.
Hi All I’m working in the shop today. It’s cold here in San Francisco. So I’m wearing Spice Bazar by Nishane Istanbul to add a little heat without the calories of a café mocha from Cafex (the new all AI coffee place down the street: single origin joe, a hot cup, sans bad barrista attitude). The robot arm waved at me the other day…. I had a weird sense of kindness towards it.
This is my first experience with the Nishane line… I was drawn to scent of Spice Bazar as I walked past the store display. Three spritz’ under my sweater on warm skin…. I like it even more now, hours later! Keep it warm under clothes, and it opens up into delicious ginger tea, with a interesting blast of light cumin. A hint of raisins drying in the sun. I wouldn’t call it a “gourmand” scent…. no sweetness. Just warmth.
There is an ancient Native American saying that goes like this:
Those who learn from those who are learning, drink from a flowing river [of perfume]. I enjoy having you with me on this trip to becoming knowledgeable about perfume. XOX ff
Ha, I’m not too keen on AI making coffee (or anything else) for me. Attitude is just one of the many imperfections that make us human and fallible. I had a serious moment at one hospital when I learned robots were watching patients…
HAven’t smelled that one but I do like spice!
The bright (perfume) spot in my day was Champagne by Germaine Monteil, thanks to the amazingly wonderful stupendous 50_Roses!! 🙂 So, so happy to be reunited with this beauty again.
Happy National Library Week to all my fellow librarians and library lovers!
Not familiar with the Germaine Monteil Champagne. What’s it like?
I’m curious too. ????
Ah, this one was available briefly in the early-to-mid 1980s. I’ve always assumed it was discontinued because of the name (YSL probably had deeper pockets to fight for their version named Champagne, but in the end they lost, too, of course). I used up a couple of bottles of the edt back then; there was a parfum version of it, too, but I never smelled that.
So what was the edt like? I recall it having a peachy-apricot top note, with I assume lots of aldehydes — it was sparkling, like real Champagne! — and just a hint of citrus–bergamot?–to give it further lift. I remember a little spice — ginger — and tobacco, too. Overall, it was light and effervescent, not a lot of heft or staying power, but I loved it.
I assumed that the partial bottle that 50_Roses just sent me was a different concentration — edp — because it smells much richer and deeper and lasts much longer. I think I smell rose and carnation in it, too, although I don’t remember that from the bottles of edt that I had years ago. However, I just did a little research, and it doesn’t look like an edp version was ever made.
I do love what 50_Roses sent me, even if it doesn’t quite match my memory. It doesn’t smell at all modern and undoubtedly wouldn’t sell in today’s market. Which is just one of the reasons I like it! 😀
Ah, well — thanks for letting this old lady reminisce…
Luckily my sinus infection has been short lived so I felt well enough to go shopping today. I made out pretty well with two new pairs of jeans, two shirts, and a couple DW Home candles. In keeping with wearing iris perfumes all month I wore my favorite and sadly, discontinued, Ava Luxe perfume, Hong Kong Garden. Such a pity when lovely scents go away.
Sounds like a nice shopping day for sure. 🙂
Late to the party, how’s a girl supposed to keep her splitmeet purchases straight with the Women’s ski Half Pipe on TV????
SOTD is Naja, which is really much more full bodied in the colder weather! Last I tested it was the June, humid DC weather. This iris – to my nose and light incense is WONDERFUL!
An NST’er above chose it and I followed her lead! Now I can’t find her name!
I find the Olympics so engrossing…
A splitmeet with a bunch of perfumistas sounds like an Olympic event!! 🙂