The weekend, at last! Plus, World Health Day (the theme for 2018: Universal Health Coverage) and No Housework Day (I'm in!) and Billie Holiday’s birthday.
We're celebrating everything with our usual open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, your favorite gardenia perfume, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Gardenia with pink [cropped and doubled] by Tripp Robbins at flickr; some rights reserved.
Tea of today; yuzu indigo by marriage freres
Sotd: Safari, parfum
Oh I love this!
Have a great weekend!
Oh first post, yay 😉
Oh, first is a high achievement! Haven’t seen Safari mentioned in a while- you smell great????
I always think of Mals when I see Safari
Same.
I was just coming to say Jiji smells great!
Thank you!
I had this mini lying around for a while, tried it last autumn and liked it, but forgot about it.
But now with the sun out and spring in the air, it works even better!
And I think it’ll be pitch perfect for warm summer evenings.
Yup, makes me think of mals too. I adore safari!
My mint tea has mariage freres Yuzu Temple in it
Good choice 🙂 Yuzu has such an uplifting taste!
Perfect fit for the warm spring weather we are enjoying right now.
While I like the smell of an actual gardenia flower, I have difficulties with gardenia perfumes. Evidently I am hit hard with White Flower Wallop, since it’s the same thing with tuberose. If there is a fellow sufferer from wfw who can suggest a non-punchy yet authentic perfume, do let me know…
I don’t like or wear tuberose perfumes but I have no issues with gardenia. I am not the best person to comment on authenticity since it’s not a flower that I am well familiar with (I smelled it a couple of times). But as far as perfumes go, I like a lot Jo Loves Gardenia.
Oh, and I remembered one more – Hothouse Flower by Ineke.
As for white flowers without a whollop (aka WFWW?), have you tried Neela Vermeire’s Pichola?
Seconding Pichola! I sometimes have trouble with BWFs being a bit much in perfume, but I love Pichola.
I also suffer from wfw (I love that term by the way!) and as a result do not have any in my collection. Olivine perfume oil is one that I have tried that wears close to the skin, so feels like less of a wallop. Or how about Pacifica’s Tahitian Gardenia perfume? I gave that a sniff in Whole Foods the other day and it seems quite lovely- also cheap!
+1 for Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia. Pacifica scents smell very true-to-life and are nearly always on the quieter side, so it’s hard to imagine anyone being walloped by them.
+2
and the hand cream, body cream and solid perfume are also lovely and inexpensive 🙂
You might like this –
https://www.pacificabeauty.com/collections/hydration-mists/products/tahitian-gardenia-perfumed-hair-body-mist
WFW is a great term! I have said before that tuberose hates me and trash talks about me to gardenia. Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile d’Fleur is a unique take on gardenia that I really like, it’s earthy and sultry like Black Orchid but with gardenia. If you are interested in a unique tuberose, Zoologist Civet is the one to try. Hope this helps a little. Personally I have found lily to be a wearable white floral, Donna Karan Gold is my gold standard.
DK Gold is wonderful!
Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I have made a note of them, especially the Pacifica sine I’m reasonably near two places selling it.
When I lived in San Francisco and the fog use to come in, I would light my fireplace, sit on my lazy boy chair and listen to Billie while flipping through vogue. I used those java logs to light a fire and it was such a nice smell.
Happy birthday Billie…
No housework today you say Robin? Ok!
Everyone is resting and I am reading Americanah and just made mint tea. Before I took a shower I was in Songes.
Nothing beats a real fire, watching the flames. Have a lovely weekend.
That is the only apartment I had with a fireplace..during my single years!
Americanah is a wonderful book! Songes is a gorgeous perfume. Happy weekend!
That sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening.
I’m reading Americanah right now too, really enjoying it.
Robin, hope you weekend starts off better than your week!
SOTD is Safran Troublant. It doesn’t really fit my very refined sartorial style today which consists of jeggings, camo t-shirt under a plaid flannel shirt, old beater Arizona Birkenstocks, messy messy-bun, and a red-speckled dog on the end of a leash. In short, I smell better than I look!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!✌????
I need to try that one soon, read/heard so many good things about it!
Deva, your outfit sounds very Oregonian – glad we rubbed off on you a little. 🙂
Yes, or Madisonian. She’d have to trade in her camper for a Prius here though, lol.
Lol, my uncle lives in Madison and drives a Prius. Can confirm this stereotype 😉
Haha, you know it- does he also have chickens in his backyard?
Thank you Deva!
Happy hard-earned Saturday, all!
SOTM: Hiram Green Slowdive.
I went with a lavish spraying this morning–I find that while this starts pretty big, it quiets down pretty quickly on me. Hopefully the extra few spritzes will help it last through brunch with friends this morning. (I wonder if I can talk my buddies into chicken and waffles this morning?! . . . Sounds good!)
Supposed to be a big wind storm on the way in these parts. Hard to say what’s real and what’s fearcasting. The clouds are moving rapidly, but otherwise, just looks like soggy spring out there. I hope it doesn’t knock all the petals off the bulbs and cherries! I’m not done enjoying them.
People have to be talked into chicken & waffles? Something is amiss…
Hermes Hicks for me today, finishing out our spring week.
Ha! Wonder if Nagel moved to the woods and took up the banjo for that one…????
And me taking a risky (for NST) political bent and wondering what Priscilla “hoped” to write 😎
Had to blink a couple of times before I “got” that. I worry about how slow my brain is sometimes.
????
Hiris?
Lol, that was my guess too. Gotta love autocorrect. Maybe “Hicks” will stick…is that how Box of Eels came to be?
No I think it was someone’s husband’s interpretation or lack of hearing properly….
Even better!
I’m gonna go with “Eau des Merveilles Au Bal des Etoiles” and say that her autocorrect decided that was way too many French words to deal with, and called her a Hick in retribution for being anti-Amurrrican.
My favorite autocorrect ever!
Sampling Epic Woman this morning. First impression is love, but I suspect that just one spritz is all you need.
Not my most favorite Amouage but I like it and enjoy wearing from time to time in colder weather. You smell nice!
I love Epic! Most Amouage offerings only need one spritz.
I dab most Amouages, but I’m a bit of a sillage coward.
I love Epic. You smell beautiful!
I do 2 spritzes all over, 8 in total!
🙂
8??? That’s EPIC! 😀
I’m in Alabama to see my son and am in a cloud of No. 5….my aunt’s No. 5 lotion I got her for Christmas, body powder, and a spritz of L’eau. I smell great if I do say so myself!
Someone requested I link prom pics of my son if I could (lillyjo maybe?) so here is a link to my Instagram which is public. I almost died he looked sooooo handsome! Man, I love this kid! Made me nostalgic for senior prom too haha!
https://www.instagram.com/kellyac125/
Have a great weekend, friends!
Great pictures! Thank you for sharing, Kelly. Both your son and his girlfriend look very attractive (and I can see from where he takes his beauty 😉 ). Was any of them wearing perfume to go with that wonderful outfit?
He was wearing Prada Luna Rossa! I am unsure what she was wearing although she told me she liked perfume so I sent her a bunch of samples recently so I’d like to think she was wearing something!
Oh what wonderful pictures! I love the one of your mom too. Good looking family. Have a great visit. You smell awesome!
Thank you!
Love the white tux! So retro and he wears it well. Proud Mama ????
Yes, he was rocking the white! He had SO many compliments on it when we were taking pics. When he told me he was going with white I was unsure but I love how it turned out!
Thank you for posting!!! Here’s to boys turning into men (although it is bittersweet)!
It is bittersweet. He also just sent me a bunch of pics of him and his buddies at prom and it’s so hard for me to grasp how old they all looked….I still see them as first graders! They’re all my “babies”.
Your son is so very handsome and you can rock a red lip like nobody’s business! Such a beautiful Instagram feed and you can see that your son has his great looks from you!
Thank you….I live for a red lip haha!
I loved looking at your pics. What a pretty family!
Thank you!!
Aww, look at how cute you guys are! I see where he gets his dimples from.????Have fun!
Also, you are smelling wonderful!
Gosh, what a cutie!
And you smell great.
Thanks for sharing, KellyC. Those dimples!!!
They look amazing. I hope they have a fabulous night.
Gorgeous! Both your son and YOU 🙂
Thank you, everyone! I am one proud mama! I’m on my way to eat dinner with him now, he had to work today. I think they had a wonderful time last night. They went to eat at a “fancy” restaurant after they took pictures and then went to the prom. 🙂
Such a beautiful family, u must be very proud!
Awww, they look so shiny-fresh and beautiful… Great pics!
Awww they’re adorable <3 Thanks for sharing!
Nice pics of the beautiful prom couple! I also loved the one of you dressed up in that big black skirt with all the colored ribbons on it.
Ha! Thanks! That was for a tacky Christmas party! I had so much fun making it and was WAY too excited to wear it! ????
Well, this isn’t Billie Holiday, but I think he’s channeling her, for sure. I saw him (Pinc Louds) perform last week. He’s a real underground talent (literally, since he mostly plays in the subway).
If you appreciate some weirdness, methinks you’ll like!
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyp0QM9P9Gc&feature=share
SOTD is BF Lampblack. Love.
Scent twins! You smell great ????
We do!
I was going to go for the slightly masculine Gold Knight today, in solidarity with crikey, but at the last moment decided on Amouage Journey Woman. I am wearing a reddish-orange shirt today, and the color reminded me of the Journey bottle.
<3
Gorgeous in both!
I’m in Gucci guilty absolute today. I can’t get enough of that weird vetiver/leather/car mechanic shop scent. Working 13 hours day yesterday, today, and tomorrow but will have two months off when the ski resort closes!
Thirteen hour days? Ouch, and I thought my 8 hours at a bakery were bad.
Yeah I work in F and B at a hotel in Teton village and the last week of the season 3/4 of our staff will decide to take off to Belize/Thailand/Bora Bora or some other tropical paradise for the shoulder season so those of us who stay get stuck with all the work lol.
Wow, your lifestyle sounds exotic. Hard work though. ????
I fell hard for that one, too. I bought the smaller bottle, and wish I’d splashed out for the larger one. I get brown liqueur, leather and the best smelling bandaids ever. Yum!
Wow the Gucci sounds amazing – I love Band-Aids!!
The Pour Homme was too masculine for me and the Pour Femme too fruity. I have samples of both and should layer them and see what happens!
That might be fun. Let us know how it goes!
SoTD is No 19 EdT from a flea market in Maine. Perhaps not quite as it should be.
Yesterday was Diorissimo, in honor of the project, and day before was Muguet Porcelaine. Love lily of the valley, even when it’s 30 degrees F outside.
Have a great weekend all.
You smell great!
In Cristalle and hoping it perks me up. Way way too little sleep last night and I am feeling stumbly and fuzzy.
I’m totally lemming the Cristalle! You smell awesome!
Hope you get some rest, you smell great
Parfum de Jeanne. Mandarin, cinnamon, musky woods (Ys-Uzac) . This was a perfume made to raise money for a charity in association with a Swiss TV health show. It’s a good match for a very dark cool morning.
Oh, I read about that one and was very curious. Jeanne looks so cheerful and charming!
It was marketed towards over-50 yr olds and has that “classic” perfume vibe in the drydown
I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve read the phrase “marketed towards over-50 yr olds” on NST (or anywhere that I can think of). ????
Me. Too. *in stunned silence* *considers move to Switzerland*
I am testing Satori by Parfum Satori today. It’s down to a skin scent after only two hours but what a lovely two hours it has been. Wish I had money to burn as it is beautiful.
You smelled amazing even though it lasted not very long.
I am saving the last sprays of my Satori sample for a quiet moment all for myself. 🙂
I think it was your mention that prompted me to test it. Lovely stuff.
I started out in Carner Barcelona Rima XI, but it faded really quickly. Think I’ll take a page from Cody’s book and spray one some GG Absolute.
It’s 49 degrees here in Houston, y’all. This is such so weird for April. I really feel for those of you still in deep winter weather!
Also….many thanks for the shoe suggestions last weekend! I haven’t decided on a purchase yet, but will do so soon! ????
I’m visiting Alabama this weekend and it is 42 degrees today! Which I did NOT pack for! Stay warm!
Enjoying the break from the rain we’ve been getting here wearing L’Ombre dans L’Eau edp. Goes perfectly with the damp soil and wet leaves. Have a lovely weekend all.
You smell great!
Love that one in rainy spring weather, it’s luscious!
SOTM is Thé Pour un Été. Just hanging out doing crosswords and watching The Masters with Mr. G while the power stays on. Wind gusts woke me up early, then we had brilliant sunshine for a while, and now it’s nearly dark with storm clouds. Very exciting!
Hope you did not lose power SheriG! My husband has been likewise watching the Masters off & on today.
So far so good! Keeping fingers crossed for tomorrow – the wind part of the storm is mostly over, but it’s still pretty rainy and nasty out.
Woke up at 11:30 this morning and spent the rest of the morning in Lyric. Since I have eaten lunch and took a shower, I am currently scentless. I am trying to figure out what I should wear. Epic, L’Heure de Nuit or Shalimar. I had forgotten to put my vintage Feminite du Bois in the quarterly damage poll and it just hit me.
My vote is Shalimar
Which one did you end up wearing?
I am in a massive cloud of Mitzah. Was making a decant, so decided to just go with it and add some (lots) extra when I was done.
Felt so glam I was obliged to put the big furry (fake) leopard coat on over ratty old jeans and DM boots when I went swooshing down Leith Walk to post the perfumed parcel. (oh, who am I kidding, that sort of mash up is my favourite outfit.)
You are my hero
You are my hero
You smell great!
🙂
Funny…I wore my leopard skin coat (i have 3) , my Resisters t shirt, blue DMs and jeans and went for a walk along the Leith river yesterday …are you in Edinburgh? I live in a city that was modelled on Edinburgh and shares most street names, place names. Weird.i don’t have Mitzah though.
Antipodean twin (except for the shirt)!
Yes, I’m in Edinburgh, and about five minutes walk from the Water of Leith. You’re in Dunedin?
Vicariously enjoying your leopard skins, Scottish street names, perfumes, and jaunty walks!
Yep! The Leith here runs down a native bush clad valley, then through the botanic gardens and the university and into the harbour. At the moment there are lots of trout , swallows, shags, herons (well, one heron) and a dead octopus
Down from the Pentland Hills, close to the Botanics, but not through them, and out to the docks and port. Lots of brown trout, grey herons, dippers, moorhens, a few woodpeckers and kingfishers, and no octopus, alive or dead. But there are some otters.
What a fun story of place names between Dunedin and Edinburgh, I had no idea but it’s very cool. 🙂 Plus I like your outfits!
I am lovin’ your style!! And thank you for the validation on “phooey”, I wanted to reply to that but the thread had maxed out 🙂
This is so many kinds of awesome.
Chanel 1932 thanks to the generous She-ra. Lovely but so soft. Enjoying my first day without commitments in a couple of months -I worked my way through spring break – sleeping in, reading, relaxing— heaven!!
I love this one so much.
I hope your day is supremely relaxing.
May you have many more such days to come!
Here’s an interview with Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs series, from the New York Times, including the origin story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/books/review/jacqueline-winspear-best-seller.html?mabReward=ART_CBD1&recid=12tReVxnKohGWhXPJsNCZtJ09xU&recp=0&module=WelcomeBackModal&contentCollection=Food®ion=FixedCenter&action=click&src=recg&pgtype=article
How fun, thanks for sharing!! I didn’t realize book 14 was out ????
Thanks for the link, I love Maisie. This also caught my eye at the bottom of the page: “Is your plane about to crash? Write a farewell note and eat it.”
That heading is the hook for another author interview, but I’m amazed by how many “how to” sections the NYT has: tech, wellness, cooking, finances, retirement, real estate, etc.
Whenever I see it, I read the Letter of Recommendation column, which is deliberately idiosyncratic, weird, or whimsical, for example:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-candle-hour.html
Oh, and the Tip column, which tells how to do everything from ice fishing to safe cracking:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/magazine/how-to-be-a-confidant.html
This was a great article about the 1998 Quebec ice storm and switching to only candle light one hour before bedtime to wind down, thanks!
No housework day!? I am definitely in!
SotD is Casmir. Two sprays this morning, one to the tummy and one to the wrists. I keep getting whiffs of something good and then I realize- it’s me! This is definitely one of my “never wear to work” scents so I have to enjoy it on my days off. I’m down to the last few mls of my very old bottle.
psa: Anthropologie has 40% off sale items this weekend, including perfumes, so that brings the Berdoues down to $35.97- a great deal. My store still had a pretty decent stock of three different scents. No affiliation.
You smell gorgeous! Fwiw the current version is still gorgeous but more wearable for work. Less projection, but still great longevity.
Thank you! Yes- I remember asking you about that. Good to know I don’t have to hoard my last drops, but at two sprays a wear it may last me awhile!
I got Berdoues’ Assam of India and Somei Yoshino at the sale! (I already had Vanira Moorea from a similar sale after Christmas). I like them all but Vanira Moorea has really won my heart. Might have to go back for a backup bottle …
I’m still coughing and sneezing but smell good in Aedes de Venustas.
Get well soon!
Sorry you’re sick, but you smell really good!
Feel better soon, you smell like spring!
Morning, all. It’s a chilly 13 degrees C here (yay!) and the cats are snuggling. Their little outfits— short, tight, satiny coats—were designed for warmer weather, and the sudden drop has caught them unaware. I suppose they’ll rug up for winter soon, but today they are in a heap, sharing one another’s body heat and borrowing ours. Collectively, they weigh a lot— I have nearly 15 kilograms of purr over my thighs, and my left foot has gone to sleep.
I’m celebrating the cool turn with the deeply satisfying warm woodiness of Dries van Noten. I think that this, Black Cashmere, and Ambre Narguile are among my top ten perfumes for cooler weather. I’ll add Coromandel, Rahat Loukoum, 1270 and Beloved, and I’m nearly there. BTW, I have no idea what made me burst forth with a list. I’m not much given to doing this, being far too random in my behaviour. It just happened.
In another development, I have bought a posh frock (not very posh, really, but definitely a frock) to wear to awards night next week, and beyond. I have to present all the postgrad prizes, so I wanted to cut a small dash, but I think I’ve made a major mistake. The dress is not fluid at all, being made of a stiff thick fabric so that a very structured silhouette can be maintained. I feel as though I’m wrapped in cardboard when I have it on. The dear man said it looks, “…OK. Quite edgy. Rather a dull colour, though.” It’s a deep grey-blue jacquard and it probably is dull. I think it’s meant to be. I added a scarf and dangled the long ends down my back, which provided some colour, but then that hides the V- neckline which is part of the severe look. Oh dear, I miss my mother on many, many counts, but in this case particularly She would have known immediately exactly what is wrong and would tell me how to fix it. Of course, she might also tell me nothing is wrong, to stop making a fuss and get on with something useful instead of fretting over nothing. Perhaps I’d better do the latter. Maybe if I finish the vacuuming, the dress will come right of it’s own accord…at least I smell delicious while I worry!
Be well, all.
It sounds like the perfect foil for the jewelry.
Is there a reason why you cannot return this dress and try to find another one, about which both you and your husband would feel better? Well, I would have done it in the opposite order – find another one and then return this one, since it’ll do as a Plan B.
The thing is, we can’t return things quite do easily in A-NZ as seems to be the case in the States. Once bought, mistake or not, it’s mine. I might ask—they know me quite well there—but it would have to be an exchange for equal or greater value, not a refund., and what that means is that I have to find something else I like in that shop. The dress I bought is the thing I like best there. Oh dear. It’s a very inconsequential problem, I know. Perhaps I should just stiffen my spine, stick my nose in the air, and wear the damn thing with as much confidence as I can assume.
I see. We got really spoiled here with how easy it is to make returns.
I’m sure you’ll look great in that dress: just think about it as some type of that special occasion uniform. And since you do not have to wear it too often, do not expect it to be comfortable – as long as you can make it look good with the accessories that you love and (important!) your most beautiful perfume.
Red shoes?
You smell wonderful.
Is there any way you could wear a blazer so you can still see the v-neck? Preferably a colorful blazer or jewel-toned leather motorcycle jacket?
“The dress is not fluid at all, being made of a stiff thick fabric so that a very structured silhouette can be maintained” is exactly what I look for in dresses. I’m actually quite uncomfortable in soft, fluid fabrics and silhouettes when it comes to dresses. So I guess I’m no help at all here.
I think some dramatic stunning jewelry would be just the thing to set it off. Or some really fabulous shoes.
Those second-thoughts dilemmas with special clothes are horrid. Sounds like you need to remember why you chose it, and own its edginess rather than try to soften it 🙂
Bright lipstick? Surprisingly coloured shoes or stockings? Something in your hair?
(I love that your chilly 13 degrees is my longed-for spring warmth…)
That was for Waterdragon. In the wrong place.
Yes. I’m going to try all those ideas, except for the hair, which in my case is do short that it looks like a slightly ungroomed soldier. Somewhere about in a drawer, I have some interesting stockings that appear to be made from silver lame. They might work, especially if I layer up some silver bracelets or something. Thank you for the ideas.
You might try this site for styling/accessories advice! I’m not affiliated; it looks like fun: https://snapandstyle.com/
At work, it’s 31 degrees. I’m wearing Black Perfecto and smelling great. So had insomnia last night and started thinking about perfume
My question is this, out of all the 80″s powerhouse perfumes, Giorgio is the only one that never gets any respect that I can see. People seek out the old versions of Poison, Paris, Opium, etc… is it because no one actually liked Giorgio, or bad marketing? Just curious what anyone thought. I was never a fan, but I think it was the marketing after the tides of scent popularity started to turn.
I adored Giorgio when it first came out because I was one of few who was wearing it. In my senior English Literature class in high school there was a model who was wearing it and when she told me what it was I called every exclusive dept store in NYC until I found the only one that was carrying it. I forced my friend to go with me and I spent my hard earned money on the first very expensive perfume I actually bought myself. For quite some time very few were wearing it. Then it became ubiquitous…and everyone was literally dousing themselves in it….and then everyone started to truly dislike it.
and to answer your question in a less long winded way I think it is because it was worn too lavishly and literally made folks sick…and it has negative associations….at least this is what I think….
That’s true, but the same happened to Poison, and it’s become a classic, although they Dior kept up with the times with the flankers, so it stayed in the public eye.
That’s my take on it, too. Once Giorgio came out (I was in middle school), it was all I smelled for years. Girls may have been wearing other perfumes, but you couldn’t smell them because Giorgio drowned them all out. All the classrooms & hallways reeked of Giorgio (I’m assuming most girls were wearing knock-off, though.) So, overkill.
I wore all the other sillage monsters of the 80s in high school – Fendi, Poison, Obsession – but they were not ubiquitous. I didn’t know anyone else who wore them.
All of that said, I’d LOVE to smell some Giorgio. I almost bought a bottle of it at TJMaxx recently. But IDK if I want to smell it badly enough to spend money on it. If anyone wanted to send some my way, I’d happily take it!
I used to like Giorgio, which was the Perfume of Choice for the really popular girls (i.e., the cheerleaders ;)) at my high school. Gigantic clouds of it in the halls. I didn’t feel moved to buy it, but I think that was because a) I didn’t have the cash for it and b) I would have been in for some ridicule, because I wasn’t part of the social group claiming it as theirs. Some of those girls were super-b*tchy, and one of my best friends got teased by them for wearing Giorgio.
I bought a mini at the drugstore a few years ago and was just appalled. It smells considerably harsher than I remember it being, and while that may be partly nostalgia, I think you would be disappointed in the current version. I love white florals in general, but the edt mini I bought in… 2012? I think?… was just horridly chemical. It seems quite clear to me that it’s been messed with.
Yipes. It was 2010:
http://themuseinwoodenshoes.com/tuberose-series-bonus-giorgio-by-giorgio-beverly-hills/
TBH, I’ve never worn the others that you mention, because they are so strong, but I have tried to resniff them in recent years, as I’ve not done with Giorgio.
The ads for the others were amazing, the bottles were beautiful, even iconic, and I think of the fragrances as more complex, interesting, and innovating. I haven’t smelled Giorgio since the 80s, but I think of it as sweeter and simpler. It also suffers from being American rather than French.
But since I haven’t smelled it since the 80s, so I must admit that its neglect could be completely unfair, for all I know.
Aha! I hadn’t thought of the French Connection. Lol, definitely more prestigious. Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klien perfumes have suffered as well in that category.
I was a kid, but I remember it being so so strong, like make me feel nauseated. It made me think, for many years that I did not like perfume!
I do not think it could be worn sparingly. I remember it as being sharp, so it’s funny to see it called “sweet.”
I remember it as sharp also.
Oof, it was sweet tuberose on steroids. I actually sort of liked it until a coworker started dowsing herself daily. It was sickeningly sweet. It should have been sprayed with a light hand back then. Although I have no idea what it smells like today.
This is my recollection as well. I used to be able to conjure up the smell (in my head) on demand. My brain now has too many scent memories to compete with so I can’t. But your description is spot-on. And no one wore it with a light hand! It was nuclear.
It was extraordinarily sweet on my skin as well. I wore it sparingly and it smelled divine…..I can still smell it today in my memory.
SOTD = Frederic Malle Music for a While
Someone wore it yesterday and wanted to know what others thought. I got my sample from the FM boutique on Madison and decided to wear it today. Meh. Meh. Frooty gourmand patchouli. Meh.
PSA – Sephora 15% off – Rouge starts 4/13, VIB 4/20 until 4/23. For some reason, I thought the promotions were 20% off. Anyway, I just checked my purchases from back in November and indeed I got my items for 20% off whereas the purchases from April were 15% off. I wonder if I should just wait to get the higher % off?
Non-perfume questions
– For tinted BB cream users, do you use a moisturizer before using the BB Cream? How about a primer before using the BB cream?
– When would one use CC cream instead of or in addition to BB cream?
– What are your favorite BB and/or CC creams?
I wanted to like that FM after seeing the video on his collaboration with Carlos Benaïm, but I’m pretty sure I won’t like it either.
The drydown was actually pretty nice – sharpish pineapple with powdery sweetish vanilla (although vanilla is not listed as an ingredient the last time I looked).
I use a tinted Clinique City Block cream with SPF. They don’t call it a BB cream, but I think it does basically the same thing. I like it because I have a lot of redness in my face, and the City Block tones it down and evens out my skin tone without really looking like I’m wearing makeup. Since I have combination/dry skin, I use a moisturizer first, but if you have oily skin you probably wouldn’t need to.
I think CC creams give more coverage and sun protection. I think you would only use a moisturizer if you have really dry skin. I’ve only tried the tarte bb cream, but liked it alot.
I’m old and have really dry skin and I put moisturizer and primer under everything. My favorite CC cream is It Cosmetics.
I tend to use moisturizer and primer before any makeup. I’ve used BB creams and CC creams both.
I received a sample of Estee Lauder BB cream and really liked it – good consistency. I have also used It Cosmetics CC cream; I liked It Cosmetics for the product and also the packaging/delivery system. Both are good products; you can’t go wrong with either.
I use Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue with SPF 30. I need a moisturizer underneath but skip the primer.
I do both moisturizer with sunscreen and a primer before any BB, CC imor foundation. I am obsessed about B.B., CC and foundations since it is one of the 2 makeup items I have time to put on.
CC and BB are ptettg much same thing – they both give a very light coverage and provide some sun protection. It is just fancy words for tinted moisturizer!!
It cosmetics makes a really nice B.B. (as mentioned by someone before)
Ester Lauder Creacent White is amazing but it only comes in one shade.
Dr. Jart (both premium and detox) are great but they give a bit more coverage. They feel more like a foundation.
Miracle skin transformer – one of the best!!
Nars Pure Radiance – this one is great but you have to go the store to get color matched.
Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water. I will be buying this one at the Sephora sale.
Both Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier have great products as well. Chanel mashed really well with skin but they use a pretty strong fragrance.
And if you are looking for a new foundation, I have bought Charlotte Tilibury Light Wonder foundation and it is best foundation I have ever bought. Not to mention her blushes – they are the best.
Agree with your assessment – pretty much the same thing.
My fave is the AmorePacific blah blah blah cushion. I use this one in summer and one by Wei in winter but it’s d/c’d.
And yes, the spring sale has always been 15%; fall sale is 20%. I shop both.
Oh, and I always use moisturizer underneath. Sometimes a primer. Sunscreen in summer.
I am waiting for my sample but I was not expecting any WOW factor!!
I may have to eat crow as the drydown was fantastic unless it was the melange of stuff I had decanted during the day. Drydown brought out the sharpest pineapple and sweetish powdery vanilla (maybe musk because vanilla is not listed). I just don’t know if I want to live through hours of frooty blandness before getting to the drydown.
I love BB creams, have not used any CC creams. In general, I have normal-to-dry skin, and do not use a moisturizer under the BB cream. The only exception to this is when I am using Tonymoly’s petite cotton BB cream in winter–then it is a bit too drying for me. However, it’s just fine in summer. I never use primer under BB cream, since my skin is not that oily. Depending on your skin type, you can google best BB/CC creams for (dry, oily, combination, etc.) skin, and see what the internet says.
I like the following:
Missha BB cream (best range of shades) in either the regular formula or in the cushion–the cushion tends to be a bit heavy for me in summer, but I like it better in winter.
Dr. Jart (in the light greenish tube) gives a bit of a dewy/sparkly finish
Skin 79 in both the hot pink and the gold tubes, but I think I slightly preferred the hot pink.
Tonymoly in Petite Cotton is really budget friendly, and I like it, but it can settle into pores/lines in drier winter weather. I think it is formulated for oiler faces.
I’m about to run out of the Tonymoly, and I have some samples of other stuff if I can hunt them down. Otherwise, I think I’ll repurchase the Skin 79 or go to K-town on 33rd street and look around.
Thanks for the recommendations. There’s a Tony Moly at the 99 Ranch near me. My only problem with this particular store is the SAs are not knowledgeable about their products.
All I use is Clinique Moisture Surge CC cream… 30 SPF applied with a sponge or a brush. Looks natural and it still looks good at the end of the day! I go through two tubes a year so it’s not expensive, and it’s unscented so it doesn’t compete with what perfume I’m wearing. I really dislike scented makeup products.
I didn’t care for MFAW, too much masculine-smelling lavender, no pineapple and a bland ambery drydown. I use La Roche-Posay moisturizer under Guerlain BB cream.
Hi folks! Thanks so much for all your good luck wishes after my job interview. This will be a weekend of rest.
SOTD is Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black.
**Swap offer!**
I happened upon a set of mini Nirvana rollerballs at Marshall’s today and had to snap them up. I don’t care much for Nirvana White, so I’d like to put it up for swap. It’s a 7ml rollerball (which I only used once to remind myself that I don’t need to own it). I’d like to swap for some other mini bottle/rollerball, or I’m open to bath/body products as well. Try me 🙂
If you’re interested, shoot me an email: shelp216 [at] gmail.
Erm, am I the last person to know that Sephora now carries By Kilian? There are currently 16 perfumes available via online only.
I saw that too. Sorry, I should have mentioned it.
No, I’m pretty sure they only added them recently. And I think they dropped the “by”? So now it’s just Kilian? Or is that a totally different brand?
it does just say Kilian so it looks like they dropped the “by”. The website address still has by.
I recently heard about it, good news for that fall 20% VIB discount.
Wearing Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Inner Sanctum today, dark rose and incense and one of my favorite perfumes ever. She has a gift with rose!
Beautiful sunny day here but still so cold ❄️
I love Inner Sanctum too. You smell great.
This sounds really nice. I’ve been in the mood for something dark and a little moody.
I was impressionable this morning so I wore Arquiste Boutonniere out to brunch and to run errands. Then it had faded quite a bit by the time I got home, so I put on Yves Rocher Desir de Gardenia. They’re two of my favorite gardenia perfumes along with Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia. I’d also like to retry Marc Jacobs because I recall that as a gardenia perfume too.
I have tried Chanel no 19 in Parfum concentration. wow. Simply wow
I didn’t realize that it came in parfum concentration. Is it current or vintage.
I think it exclusive to chanel. It is current formulation but it is amazing.
Crud, I was just congratulating myself on not needing Niral. 19 Parfum sounds wonderful.
I struggle with No 19, but for sure the one I’ve found most approachable is the parfum. Its elbows aren’t as sharp.
Love the idea of perfumes having elbows 🙂 I often have trouble with green perfumes being sharp, but I didn’t realize it was their elbows!
Recently was re-upped in the Midnight in Paris department. I like the start of it so much, and then it quite quiets down. It’s cold and grey out and this is perfect for the moment.
I read this late last night and thought what? You moved tp Paris, and in the middle of the night? Omg, I can see now, I’m just losing it, lol????
My kids go to preschool at a church with a rose garden and we like to stop and smell them. There is a massive white one that has a really interesting fruity smell—like grapefruit and berries mixed together. There is a lavender one that smells very powdery, and a smaller white one with pink edges that smells peachy. My son was smelling a yellow one and said “this smells nice, Mommy, like your perfume.” Awwwwwww!!! That just melted my heart 🙂
Does anyone have a recommendation for a hand cream in a pump bottle, preferably unscented or just lightly scented? I wash my hands a LOT and am suffering from really dry skin. I have a Cetaphil tub next to the kitchen sink but I don’t always like opening the lid and would prefer a pump.
I like the Ceraphil and Eucerin pumps for unscented lotions.
Thanks! I have been hestitant to get the lotion pumps because I perceive the cream as being more moisturizing. But perhaps I’ll try it 🙂
I like the creams more as well, but for pumps, I don’t think you can beat those two. You can also add a touch of grape seed or avacado oil if you really need it, but I am pretty dry and those do the trick.
Oh, great idea adding the oils, thank you!
I also really like Ceraphil for winter dry skin.
Thank you! 🙂
When I was at the Chicago Botanic garden last year, was quite dismayed to find that the roses really didn’t have any scent!
Can’t cope with a tub–fave pump lotion is Eucerin Daily Hydration (no scent). Eucerin has myriad lotion choices, but this one’s by far the most effective for me. It’s not always in-store, so I have it on subscribe & save at Amazon.
Oh no, what a disappointment! Some of the roses in this garden don’t have much scent, either. But then others are WOW!!
Thanks for that rec, looks like I definitely need to investigate Eucerin!
Cerave, the cream, not the lotion. It’s in a tub, but if you shop around you can find it in a tub with a pump. I usually just get it from Amazon.
Oh yeah!! I think I have seen those tubs with a pump somewhere in the past but forgot about it. Thank you!
That Cerave cream has saved my life since moving to NM. Good stuff.
If you’re okay with tubes, I’m partial to Herbacin Kamille hand cream, the Caudalie hand & nail one, and Out of Africa Shea Butter hand cream.
Never tried these—taking notes!!
I really like Everyone Lotion. I buy the unscented but they do have a few that come scented also. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave any greasy residue behind.
I have never heard of this brand—where do you buy yours?
I buy mine at Whole Foods. Target carries some of their products, but I have not seen the large lotion at my store.
https://www.eoproducts.com/everyone-3-in-1-unscented-natural-lotion.html
I use their shower gel and buy it at vitacost.com.
Costco has Cerave crwan with a pump. I believe they keep it behind the pharmacy cash register.
Awesome, thank you!! I’m pretty much at Costco every week so I will look for it!
SOTD- PW Tea Rose. One spray and its definitely been noticed.
Spent some time in Sephora today. I finally tried AC Iris Rebelle, E&J Nirvana French Grey, and Twilly d’Hermes, and I didn’t like any of them! Twilly was the biggest disappointment- maybe it would smell better after some time, but my first impression was of ginger soap.
I couldn’t wear Twilly either, but I tend to not get along with ginger. Iris Rebelle is growing on me though.
What’s the closest eau de cologne to the Chanel Exclusif? It’s the only Excluaif I haven’t smelled somehow. And I love Chanel.
It’s a nice cologne but it disappears in like 5 seconds.
Astier de Villatte Eau Chic is a true cologne with relatively good longevity, and they do other interesting variations. I believe I got my samples from Aedes.
Cool! Maybe I will check that one out instead. I have been loving No 5 L’eau and someone told me that it’s similarish to the edc Excusif.
I think No.5 L’eau smells like No.5 Eau Premiere. Eau de Cologne EDT has a more noticeable lemony top.
Happy weekend, everyone! I am just back fro Mexico City, which is fabulous. If any of you get the chance, do go!
I couldn’t do any perfume shopping (traveling as the solo adult with a child, and child was being very good about going to lots of stuff, I couldn’t ask for a sniffing trip too), but noticed lots of little perfume boutiques. Seemed interesting. Didn’t notice anyone who was very heavily perfumed in the metro, on busses, etc.
While I was there, I wore (and finished) two samples from a generous NST-er: Tiare Mimosa, which was a meh, acceptable if somewhat dull floral that lasted for abut 5 minutes; and Caswell Massey’s Honeysuckle, which was nice but not inspiring. They turned out to be great travel scents though, since they both just faded into the background, and let the places I visited make the impressions.
I think the perfect travel scents are the ones that don’t overwhelm the travel experience itself. I’m glad you had a great time! I’ll have to add Mexico City to my bucket list!
Hooray for World Health Day! I guess I’m de facto celebrating No Housework Day by not doing any housework.
My SOTD was Annick Goutal Vetiver, from a kind swapper! It smells deeeeliciously dirty. Quite the archetypical vetiver scent.
Thanks to a suggestion from Undina on her blog, I went on an Edgewood wildflower tour this morning! It was great fun; we saw all kinds of happy little flowers. The most exciting were the smelly kind. There was one pearly white flower whose name escapes me that smelled like maple syrup curry. Another, the pineapple weed, smelled EXACTLY like pineapples when their chamomile-like blossoms were squeezed. And the sagebrush smelled wonderfully citrusy, while another plant smelled exactly like cilantro. All kinds of great smells.
Reminder of my impromptu split: 10 mL Vétiver Oriental from Serge Lutens for $29 ($119 for a 50-mL bottle from fragrancenet); still have a few decants remaining. Bottle has been ordered but hasn’t arrived yet. If you’re interested, please e-mail me at ko bhatta at jiemayle!
During that hike my back hurt so all my concentration went into walking and taking pictures. Now I need to go back and do some sniffing – thank you for the nudge.
I read that post and desperately wished for a park full of wildflowers. But I contented myself by going for a walk and looking at my neighbors’ azaleas.
Maple syrup curry? Intriguing!
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for the smelly flower descriptions, love that 🙂
Koyel, why must you tempt me so? I’ve never smell the “real” Vetiver Oriental, so it’d be a blind split for me, but it’s calling my name. Loudly.
Ahaha 🙂 Giiiive iiiiiin! (Terrible influence, I know.) Well, drop me a line if the name-calling gets aggressive! I think this is going to be a summer of vetiver.
Had to come back to say: SOTD is Rose de Petra from the swapmeet, and omg this is soooooo beauuuuutifulllllllll. I fear that I may need more when I finish with my 4-mL decant. Maybe I just need to chill out and wear it a few more times before making such rash decisions. But YUM.
SOTN is Montale Intense Cafe for dinner out with husband. SOTM was Berdoues’ Vanira Moorea. Both lovely! Speaking of roses (thread above), I’ve recently planted several new David Austin English roses and have three more to go in the ground. They are hybrids selected for strong, true rose fragrance as well as old-fashioned form; Mr. Austin says he started to create them because so many modern roses lack scent. They’re so beautiful!
How fun!! Roses certainly are a delight in so many ways!
Had I land enough and time, I’d plant gazillions of the David Austen roses. Enjoy!
Can’t decide between Journey woman, DK Gold or Safari.. choices choices!
I’m spending the weekend in Caligna. It’s so gorgeous – I’d forgotten how much I like its version of jasmine.
Yesterday at the Volvo Car Open tennis tournament I was sitting next to a woman wearing Beige. She smelled beautiful.
I love tennis! And also sniffing others who smell great ha!
Always love a perfume in the wild story! Did you ask what she was wearing or id it on your own?
I identified it immediately (it’s one of my favorite perfumes), complimented her and we had a lovely discussion of perfume. Section 203 smelled amazing!
She has 3 of the ginormous EDT bottles, purchased when the reformulation rumors started. She thinks it will be enough to last her lifetime (she’s in her late 60s.).
Wonderful!
Resplendent in Zoologist Civet–and plenty of it, as I’m at home and shut away in my study for the rest of the day, trying to get a paper proposal finished, and bash on with some dissertation writing. A complex, rich perfume to remind me that I’m a grown up who can do all the things (however tempting it is to curl up in my PJs and watch the new episodes of Drag Race instead.)
Went sniffing with my fiance yesterday for the essential oils for our wedding perfume which will consist of rose, sandalwood, frankincense and jasmine. This meant we smelled 5 roses, 2 sandalwoods, 2 frankincenses and 3 jasmines. Towards the end he was wondering about combining the mountain mint with the pink jasmine for incense or something. Yes! I got him thinking about scents! Woot!
Will be going to Sniffapalooza this year. Can’t wait to be overwhelmed by the experience
Read on fragrantica that Fath has remade Iris Gris though it will be called something else. High priced and limited number of bottles per year but hopefully one of the decanters will get some so I can at least get a sniff
It’s so fun sniffing with my fiancé too! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself!
Oh good. I think I will sign up for Saturday!
Oooh that sounds so wonderful! What a romantic errand.
I cannot remember who was looking for a straight up orange blossom fragrance but I just sampled Commodity’s new Nectar and it smells exactly like orange blossom absolute essential oil.
I also sampled the new Velvet from Commodity and rather like it.
Agreeing with Jessica that Maya from Tocca is a dupe for LL.
I’m going to have to try Maya again because I didn’t pick up the LL connection, but I just quickly sprayed a strip.
I think that was me!? I sniffed Nectar too the last time I was in Sephora and thought it smelled delicious. I’ve sampled a few so far and I think I like Dame the best, I may have to order a “sample”(5ml decant) or rollerball of the oil for summer.
Gonna have to sniff the newer Commodity stuff. There were a few of them that I really like (Whiskey, Wool, Book, and Gold I’m particular).
2nd day in a row with Guerlain SDV as my SOTM. Yum.
I woke up yesterday with violent nausea and dizziness (from sinuses) that waned throughout the day but I still felt awful by the time I fell asleep. Today I awoke feeling fine. I have no idea how my sinuses repaired themselves overnight, but yay!
Last week I asked if anyone had used a TENS unit and said I’d report back if it rocked my world. It does. It’s right up there with my epilator and digital tea kettle as life-changing purchases.
It’s a little device that looks like a cell phone with wires coming out of it that attach to pads that you stick to your body. It sends out electrical pulses that mimic a massage and is used for pain relief. I’ve been using it to work out the knots all over my back, and to massage my glutes and hips that are always super tight and tense and lead to sciatica.
It feels a little weird at first, but now that I’m getting used to the way it feels I jack that mofo up and let it go to town. It’s very similar to getting a targeted deep tissue massage, but in a lot of ways better and more effective. Not only has it provided really effective pain relief for my back (and legs and feet) but it also puts me into a state of deep relaxation, which is not something I have ever really experienced. Highly recommended if you suffer from chronic pain or muscular pain of any kind. I paid $35 at amazon, so not much of a layout if you just want to experiment with one.
Giving you a virtual high five on the tens unit! Those things rock! I didn’t see your original post about them but I’m in violent agreement with everything you said!
I got it when I saw it was recommended for pain from endometriosis. Fortunately, I haven’t used it to treat cramps yet, but I have all kinds of referred pain and a f*ed up back (plus very tight and tense muscles) from endo. I wish I’d had one of these years ago.
Mmm, SDV.
Hmm. TENS unit. $35. Hmmm.
Agree 100% on the TENS units. A physiotherapist used one on my shoulder as part of my recovery from a 4x dislocated shoulder and subsequent surgery. It encourages blood flow and oxygen to the area according to my physio guy.
I ended up purchasing a Dr. Ho unit for at home.
TENS units are awesome!
Also love TENs.
SOTD is SB Bolshevixen perfume oil. Hanging out at the park on a beautiful sunny day, but there was so much rain recently the ground is like a marsh. I may get motivated and walk, but so far have just been working out my arm with the Chuck-it. Sunday is a day of rest, right?????
Morning, all. Monday, sweet Monday…. I ‘m trying to be more positive than I feel. Some idiots on a nearby building site began doing something that involved clanging pipes together at about 4.30. Grump! I teach only once today, though, so I will survive.
My perfume today is Charlatan, from the Fort and Manle sample box. I love this one too. It’s a soft floral gourmand, very rounded and gentle, but somehow compelling. I’m not sure I buy the back story of thwarted passion and disappointed love, though. I wear it more as a reminiscence of passion, a floating, drifting memory of intensity, rather than the experience itself. For me, there’s no anger or immediate reaction in it, just some rather lovely moments recalled nostalgically. Now I don’t know which to buy first. I still love Fatih Sultan Mehmed. What a terrible thing, to have to make a decision such as this!
BTW, I gave up on the blue dress, and exchanged it for a red one, different style, very much more wearable. Perversely, I now feel as though I sold out, and the dear man said nervously, “It’s very….red….for you, isn’t it?” Sigh. Do, I dunno. I think it’s a better wardrobe piece than the blue one, though. Whatever. It’s done.
And on that determined note, I shall get myself off to work. Be well, all.
Red? Perfect! So, now you’ll need to think of how to tone it down? :))
When you said 4:30, you didn’t mean in the morning, did you?.. (in horror)
The red one will be great. I love that it’s “Very red for you.” We all need to be a bit more red now and then. Don’t be afraid to take up a little space!
I’m glad you found something you could live with, and red is always good. Rock it!
We had snow yesterday! It was still on the ground when I left the house this morning, but when we got home it was all gone. I was helping in the church nursery today and wanted to smell cozy, so I’m wearing that SDV dupe oil from CocoaPink. I think I’m going to buy a small bottle of it.
Also tested DSH Vanille Botanique, which is lovely but sadly short-lived on me. Frankly, I don’t want to smell like vanilla very often, and when I do I don’t need to smell like expensive vanilla. The SDV dupe is perfect.
I’ve only worn SDV a few times, and only the newest version, but I actually don’t get that much vanilla from it. It makes me feel like I’m in an exclusive cigar bar, relaxing in a leather club chair with a snifter of cognac, sniffing an occasional trail of vanilla-scented tobacco. So I guess I need to smell like expensive vanilla every now and then 😉 Otherwise, I like the straight-up vanilla and smoke from the not-at-all expensive Dame Perfumery.
What I don’t feel the need for is a large bottle of anything vanilla. I feel the same way about roses, and I’m not sure why…
I wasn’t all that taken with the real thing, actually. Nice, but I couldn’t spend that much on it, and it’s not very boozy on me anyway.
The Dame one is too powdery for me. I don’t mind powder in general, but apparently I don’t like vanilla powder. Shrug. Who knows?
The real thing was so boozy on me that I decided it is NSFW.
I’m at the airport on a layover headed back to NM. I’ve had two glasses of wine and am headed to the duty free shop. Let’s all take a moment to hope my self-control holds!
Crisis averted. They didn’t have either the Cristalle edt I wanted or the Hermes mini set. Oh well, money saved I suppose…
Crisis averted for now…when is your next trip?
Nice visit at my sister’s yesterday for my nephew’s birthday. He cooked…short ribs on polenta. So yummy.
I tried the Insolence EdP versus the sample of EdT (only had a tiny bit of that left.) In many ways the EdP is nicer – really nice drydown. But there’s something about the crazy blast of the EdT that I prefer. It may be it has more violet. It’s sharper, which generally would put me off… Strange that I prefer the sharp/loud one.
I’m rocking the Allure EdP that my sister brought over. Yep, it’s going in the box I’m shipping home. Because after a month here out of carry on…a box is necessary. Some new tennies, a wrap from my sis, a pair of white jeans that I was on the fence about keeping until, as I was wearing them around the house to test them, I spilled on them. Oops.
You smell great in your Allure.
Finally arrived in Montreal and had a moment to sit down and catch my breath after shopping, cooking, unpacking and cleaning. I wore MdO Vanille today and JM Myrrh & Tonka yesterday.
Smellin’ great! I’m amazed at your energy. I would have just collapsed into a heap upon arriving.
I am a compulsive neat freak, I have to immediately unpack and make everything organized and tidy when I get home, visible clutter makes me twitch. I was up until midnight.
Glad you arrived safely and got sorted out to your satisfaction.
I do wish I was a neat freak, or at least had some of those tendencies.