Today, our ninth annual Haiku Challenge (if you like, you can check out past years for inspiration). We're also happy to include other forms of poetry if haiku don't inspire you. Have a perfume-related limerick or a sonnet you'd like to share? Please do.
If you're writing a haiku, pick a perfume or a perfume house (or really, anything related to perfume), and write a haiku about it. Use the simplified English form — your haiku should have three lines, the first line with five syllables, the second line with seven syllables and the third line with five syllables. You can put the perfume name in the title if that makes it easier, and at any rate, don’t stress over the rules of traditional haiku — this is just for fun.
Note: top image is detail from Cherry Blossoms at the Ruins of Shirakawa Castle by Hasui Kawase, via the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Too much work of late
Co-workers can be trying
More perfume please, stat!
But seriously, lots of drama at work the past couple weeks. Overall I think I lead a quiet life (albeit not one of quiet desperation thankfully
) but my work has much more stress and drama by far than anything w/ my family, friends or self. Le sigh. I need to be more detached at work and not feed into the energy. Perfume helps quite a bit…also probably better than turning to a neighbor to tell them to f* off. 
Happy almost Mother’s Day to all the mamas of humans, canines, felines and other animals in the kingdom.
Will be doused in various types of vanilla later on today.
Best of luck with work drama – ugh. You’ll be smelling wonderful!
Oy vey about the work drama…I know it too well! Smellin’ good with vanilla. Either the ad bot thinks I’ve been searching for vanilla perfumes or deodorant (no to both), but the ad above the comments for me is Lavanila deodorant.
I’m curious to know what everyone else is seeing, for science.
Movado watches, for me. Why?
Netflix ad for me, which makes total sense as I’m always looking up info on movies. But we already have Netflix, so there’s so need to sell it to me.
I meant to also say that since I haven’t consciously searched for vanilla or deodorant, I wonder if it took Shera’s vanilla comment into consideration?
That’s a scary thought.
Magnolia Home Living Spaces, I assume, furniture. I have not searched for that type of things ever but I think on my phone I chose some option that prevents those bots from “remembering” my preferences – so I cannot complain
Netflix for me. Maybe because I cancelled them?
Clark’s shoes. Which I have not been searching.
Green Cross shoes.Lol.Maybe because my Nurse-feet need something comfortable for theatre.
For me it’s a Fragrance net ad. I haven’t been on their site on my tablet. Weird.. Will keep an eye out if it changes.
The ad above changed to Christy Dawn dresses. I’m not sure what that is, but I have not searched for that specifically. Maybe the ads are all random hoping that you will click on something if it grabs your interest.
I’m seeing a travel ad for Mexico. Clearly my phone knows I’m at the airport.
I’m seeing an ad for AASHNI + Co, then below the name it says “Abhinav Mashra”
No Idea, except I was reading up on Krishi Janani, a farm products collective in Tamil Nadu, recently????
Thanks for replying, everyone. Don’t ask why but I have 3 iPhones and 3 iPads. Two of them seem to be in sync with ads and the other 4, not so. I got ads ranging from Dirty Lemon (I don’t even know what this is), Netflicks, Stitch Fix, Paula’s Choice, Make up tips for older women (!), Macys, an two-fer ad to alleviate bloating, among others. Whatever algorithm is used does not seem to correlate with my searches. In any case, it is a little scary what all the data aggregators collect and sell!
Yeah, makeup tips for older women for me too. I’m offended.
Sotheby’s Masterworks from the collection of Morton and Barbara Mandel.
Fascinating.
If it’s something temporary, just put on an extra spray and wait for it to pass. If it’s a permanent situation, try to think if you can extract yourself from it. If no, add two extra sprays – and repeat the exercise
After my old store closed last year, i realized all the years of drama was for nothing. Try and stay detached. It’s good you have a less dramatic home life.
Perfume does make it better!????????
A scented forcefield
To ward off work-time drama:
Eau de protection?
Double
Sorry about the drama, hope you can remain above the fray. I am joining you in a cloud of vanilla with Xerjoff Lira.
Tuberose Triptych
La Chasse aux Papillons
Airy tuberose,
Fragrant linden trees in bloom…
Butterflies in spring.
Carnal Flower
Green freshness that chills,
White sweetness that seduces –
Breathtaking beauty.
Fracas
Heady explosion!
What insanity is this?
Tuberose unleashed.
Wow, those are all beautiful, and taken together, really wonderful and impressive. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent!????
Beautiful.
So good!
I like your haiku much more than I like tuberose
Agreed!
Ha ha! Glad it is not the other way around.
Awesome to all of them!
These are great, and you get extra points for use of the word triptych!
Agree with the extra points
Ha! Yes!
Love it!Fracas spot on!????????????????
Beautiful, thank you!
Nailed it! You have quite a talent.
Fabulous!
Thank you everyone for your kind comments. That was my first attempt at haiku, and I am glad you liked it. I had fun writing these little poems.
Senior prom is now
madtownteen looks beautiful
What perfume to wear?
I’ve always told her to help herself to any of my perfumes and I’ve smelled her in Dame BFMV and EdM. They both smell wonderful on her skin. Maybe No 5 L’eau…?
This weather though, ugh. It’s in the 50’s and dreary. The sun is try-ing! At least yesterday’s rain has passed.
Love the haiku, I am curious what perfume she decides to go with!!
Let us know what she picks!
Yes, do!
Armani (vintage)
Trastevere in the night
Fire walk wirh me
Donatella is my pal
Can’t miss haiku challenge.
Have a great weekend, NST!
Hi Solanace!
(Waving!!)
Hi, dear!!
Cool weather favorite: BK Amber Oud
Like liquid satin
Flowing smoothly over skin,
Anointed with golden scent
Warm weather favorite: Profumum Acqua Viva
Fresh woodsy lemon
Cool citrus, warm cypress join
For a summer’s day
Beautiful!
I am not familiar with Amber Oud, but that poetic description is lovely. “Liquid satin”!
And you made me miss Acqua Viva…
I just got my 100ml bottle of Seville a L’Aube from eBay (for about a 7th of the retail price, my lucky day!) so a haiku for it.
Dusky orange blossom
Warm glow against honey, ash
Chiaroscuro
Happy weekend all, and happy mother’s day!
brilliant last line!
Oh thank you! Lucky it fit!
Nice buy, I’m jealous!
Thanks! I found a few bottles on eBay for around $70 but I managed to find one on Tuesday for less than of that! It’s better than I remembered so I feel guilty for being so thrifty.
Gosh, why should that make you guilty?
Anyway, I need to start watching ebay, those are great prices.
No haiku for me today. I will have to work on that.
SOTD is CF for a few days out in he boonies of Yosemite. My shift got cancelled last night so we hit the road. Just leaving Mariposa after the best blueberry turnover ever and headed into the park.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking moms out there! ✌????
The blueberry turnover and boonies of Yosemite? Sounds like a wonderful weekend with plenty of opportunity for haiku inspiration!
I’m drooling at the mention of your blueberry turnover! Sounds delicious. ????
Tauer L’eau
Blossoms bloom in spring
cycle rides through citrus groves
A weekend retreat
Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon
Bold and bright red cheer
earth and dirt, summer is near
Enjoy all the year
Fun stuff, happy weekend all!
I can vouch for the Tauer L’Eau — you hit it right on the nail!
I went with The Soft Lawn today. I’ve discovered that if I just use a few dabs, I don’t get much of a tennis ball smell. If I put more on, then the tennis ball note appears. Either way, I enjoy this one.
Love linden blossom
Not enough scents feature it
Yay for The Soft Lawn
or
Tennis balls new can
Bounce into the linden note
Blend with green notes too
I especially like the second one.
Fifty in four months
Planning a trip to Boulder
Custom scent by Dawn
What a great birthday present to yourself!
I read the first line as the number of samples you had used in 4 months, and I was really impressed!
Awesome!
Congrats!
A 5th Number 5?!
I was already spraying
it all over me!
SOTD is Chanel No 5 L’Eau over a rose and jasmine body oil on a rainy and chilly Boston day. I love all the No 5 versions, so I’ll try the new All Over spray whenever I run across it, but I probably won’t seek it out. But in all fairness, maybe my expectations shouldn’t be so low since the other versions are so well done.
Love the haiku!!
Ode to Zoologist
Bat dankly fruity,
Hyraceum not for me!
Moth flits daintily.
Love it!
Yay!
Lush Rose Jam today
I guess you could say that I
Rose to the challenge
ha!
Extra points for a haiku pun?
Definitely!
*snort*
Perfection!
???? ????
You did! You did!!!
Witty!
I opened a box
with Clinique Wrappings perfume
and body lotion
I don’t use scented
body lotion. If you want
this freebie, dibs here
Using a haiku
Good luck to all and have fun
U.S. only please.
To double the fun
I have two Wrappings lotion
for two NSTrs
Not interested in the lotion, but just curious: do you expect the takers to respond in haiku as well?
I’m not strict but yes, the idea is to leave a dibs comment in haiku ????
Haha!Wonderful!
Thanks!
Don’t want the lotion,
But love the competition.
Fumies for the win!
Yes! A little competition is good!
Rapping for Wrappings?
Wrong side of the Atlantic:
No lotion for me.
LOL. Love the haiku!
I want some Wrappings
Lotion is good for the skin
Dibs, send to me please!
That’s the best I’ve got ????
Wonderful…it’s yours. MPlease send me an email with your address…I don’t have your new one.
No dibs, I have one!
I am always amazed by
your perfumed kindness.
Thanks, tiffanie!
Wrappings lotion:
Curiosity
compels me to ask: any dibs
available still?
Dear jalapeño
The answer to your question
is affirmative!
Another haiku
To rephrase my thoughts and call
Dibs on lotion, too!
I am so happy
That you asked for dibs to be
Written as haikus
(DNEM please!)
Excellent!
White night-scented stocks
And the wing beats of three swans
Closed his bright grey eyes.
I burn frankincense
To embrace the Old-Spiced ghost
of my father.
1983,
My first perfume gift: Miss Dior.
It smells like your laugh.
(I hope you will forgive these rather mournful haiku in an otherwise playful thread. Tomorrow is the first anniversary of my father’s death from Alzheimer’s disease, and he is so very much on my mind. )
(Hugs)
These are beautiful memories, thank you for sharing with us.
thank you x
Well that was lovely!❤️❤️❤️
thank you, johanob.
These are beautiful.
Thank you, missionista. He was a lovely man.
Blessings to you.
I lost both my grandfather and grandmother, my dad’s parents, to Alzheimer’s, but I have fond memories.
thank you, Mals. I don’t think there is any good way to lose someone you love, but I think Alzheimer’s is among the cruellest of diseases. I’m sorry you’ve been there too.
Hugs
Big hugs to you, crikey.
Oh, my heart… sending you a warm hug.
oh, Crikey, thank you.
I lost my grandmother to Alzheimers, it is not the way most of us would choose to go. You never need apologize for sharing your current concerns here, whatever they may be.
(unless they’re politics, in which case you really can’t)
Those haiku are lovely in their melancholy. Hugs, crikey.
Sending you comforting thoughts as you remember your beloved father.
Thanks for sharing these, crikey <3
My husband died last year from that horrible disease. Hard to watch what it does to entire family. Sending good thoughts.
Very moving and lovely tribute.
Wonderful haikus…a big hug to you.
Aedes Musc Encensé
Transparent incense
Mineral magnetic musk
Warm stone of my own.
Nice!
Wonderful
A brand new lemming
from seventeen syllables?
nice work lucasai!
I love this.
bravo! You are the magician of perfumed poetry.
Very evocative. And I loved how you used alliteration.
Thank you everyone
Lost password
Much angry consternation
Peace follows
Im wearing vintage early 90s Coco EDT. I wore Coco EDT/EDP rather exclusively in the mid 90/early00s which were a prelude to my relationship breakdown. I then wore no perfume at all for six years. The first time I tried Coco EDP again was in 2014. It instantly threw me back to the previous me and not in a good way: young, naive, lost, insecure, unhappy. Blegh. So obviously I steered clear of it.
I tried the EDP after the reformulation and found it no longer was the Coco of my younger years which gave me some peace. No memories, no pain. And then I absent-mindedly spayed on some current EDT and though YES this is good maybe I should get a bottle . . . and went to purchase a partial 90s EDT which is the same ‘vintage’ I wore in the mid 90s. (Yeah you’re older when the stuff you wore a few decades back is now ‘vintage’).
I’m pleased. I’m a very different person from then young unhappy lonely woman. I’ve managed to let go of the past. The past no longer haunts me. I can see Coco for what it is: a very elegant, perfume-y, smooth lovely perfume and I love it for what it is. Excellente.
On another note, I tooka a break from reading perfume blogs and actually empty my collection. Obviously some bottles go a lot faster than others which really makes see what you *do* want and what not.
So far I’ve drained AND repurchased Yves Rocher Neroli (50mls and a travel spray – this is really good), Pomegranate Noir, and Agent Provocateur.
Other than that I’ve made a massive dent in modern Ivoire and come to an understanding with LouLou. LouLou no longer smells like bug spary which means I’ve gone anosmic and am probably gassing everyone around me
Wonderful.
I’m retaining a mini of KL Chloe because I used to love it so, and because I still think it’s beautiful — waiting for the day when I don’t smell teenage angst when I put it on.
Well I was far beyond a teenager by then . . .
but the feeling you get from a fragrance or an smell that instantly throws you back to being someone and someplace you have very painful assocations with is very confronting. It’s very emotional. When I last met my mother I cried for hours afterward and it was not because of *her* but because the of the *smell* of her that did it. It’s not something you can control.
I’d be happy to get gassed with LouLou!
I reckon it’s getting better with the spring coming up. In the colder months one spray would give me this whiff of loud burned plastic that I had to scrub off. But now I get a bit of loud white flowers followed by play-do vanilla which can be very good. But we’ll see given how temperatures will go. It’s def not a cold weather fragrance though.
Idk if you have current or vintage, but the current version is much easier to wear and still gorgeous.
Opera tonight
A “No scent please” theater
En Passant it is.
I figure En Passant will be gone by 7:30 pm but in the meantime I get to enjoy it. It’s a lovely day here and I’m making cookies before it gets too warm to put the oven on. Have a good day, everyone!
Enjoy the opera!
What cookies are you making?
Walnut chocolate chip without eggs. Without egg they spread a lot and get crispy. I like crispy cookies.
Wide-eyed innocence:
“I smell this good naturally!”
(hides the En Passant)
have fun at the opera! What are you seeing?
Excellent haiku! It’s Rigoletto tonight.
Parfums de Rosine
Poussiere de Rose tonight it will be
I smell my Mom through the petals of a dusky white Rose.
Not a haiku.Not anything,really.I was just struck how this perfume reminded me tonight of Mom.
Wonderful.
Loving the haikus!❤️
It’s perfect, johanob. ❤️
Beautiful ❤
That is just lovely!
A lovely tribute to your mother.
You feel sick today?
Aroma of chicken soup,
spiced love in a bowl.
Weekend in D.C.
Fresh lily of the valley
growing in the shade.
Missing last weekend
No fresh flowers left – alas.
Diorissimo!
yummy, now I want to make soup and wear Diorissimo.
Love your story and hope that the soup healed whoever wasn’t feeling well yesterday.
Angel started it.
Several gourmands followed.
We’re inundated.
Ha, and that can be easily adapted to any overcollected category!
Friends want to go dance
More coffee to the rescue
Sexy scent required
Seriously y’all, I feel old. A good friend wants to go dancing tonight to celebrate her semester being over (she’s in grad school after getting both of her kids in elementary school). We aren’t even meeting for drinks until 8, dancing won’t commence until 10 or so. I’m sure it will be fun but since my old a** got up early to go to the farmer’s market, a nap and afternoon coffee will surely be required!
I love everyone’s poems! Blessed by you all!
Did you survive the dancing?
Barely! Didn’t come home until 3 AM and I am DRAINED today! Was a blast though! And today is Mother’s Day so I can totally lounge around and rest.
If you did indeed manage to dance until 3 I feel even older than you felt before it all started, ha!
Miss Grace Coddington
Hot day needs an airy rose
Thanks Comme des Garçons
I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday. ????
Perfect! Grace is lovely.
Perfume thrills today
Rosewater meets frankincense haze
Velvet smooth finish
Lunch done, now much work to do.. ugh. Wait, what, isn’t this Sat.? Yes.
Fun to stop in and read such well done haiku poems.
Stopped in Frederic Malle yesterday and tried the new Music for a While — it’s a weird one.. loved the opening with a beautiful lavender but the pineapple accord turned it into a hot mess of a scent. If you do love it you’re in luck because it stays around for a long time.
Ooooh what smells like rosewater and frankincense? That sounds wonderful!
What Koyel asked! Haiku riddle ????
That Malle was weird, though it sort of grew on me for the 12 hours that it lingered. A little too sweet and syrupy-smelled like canned, dried pineapple juice.
The pineapple is intense! That’s really all I could smell after an hour or so.
The fragrance is actually Velvet as Night but for some reason I got Velvet Haze, which is a Byredo scent, in my head.
It’s created by Lollia, an Anthropologie brand. It’s very pretty, a tad sweeter than I like, but still sampling.
I’m working and was unprepared for Haiku, but I might try something later. When I was young(ger) I was really into confessional poetry. Now I’m old(er) and know not to confess to anything! Lol! Hey Deva, it’s a great FALL day here in Michigan, im wearing a coat and Pomegranate Noir.
I almost made it to Michigan, too, but Napa offered first. Enjoy your FALL day!! PN has a lot of fans????????
You smelled great!
SotD = Geisha Vanilla Hinoki because haiku!
Happy Mother’s Day
to everyone who nurtures.
You are my heroes.
Haiku reminds me of a particularly patient elementary school teacher. She loved poetry and took time to help me appreciate it and write my own. Here are two haiku that came to mind when I thought about perfume.
Hiris
An iris rises,
it quiets troubled thoughts with
a fragrance of calm.
Abundance
Too many perfumes
let heart and nose revel while
the thin wallet weeps
These 3 verses use words I took from the marvelously poetic perfume reviews of The Chemist in the Bottle, they are a tribute and thank you to lucasai.
Cornaline
A shy girl blushes
when she sees that boy, her cheeks
rosy like a peach.
Niral
Imagine the notes
are the warp and weft that weave
scented silk on skin.
Agar Ebene
Perfume unfolds like
a piece of origami
you try to undo.
And at last, a gift
for you, my favorite haiku
from Master Basho:
Ah, how glorious!
green leaves, young leaves and through them
the rays of the sun
Beautiful job! I’ve been counting syllables all morning but not sure I’m ready to enter the haiku thread just yet!
thanks, E! Counting syllables is good for my ODC, lol.
The abundance one! Perfect!
thanks, lillyjo. Too much is never enough, amirite?
Nice ones! Espeially liked Hiris and Agar Bene haiku.
aw, thank you! The Agar Ebene haiku was the first one of this bunch, and truthfully, it sprung to mind almost instantly after reading lucasai’s poetic review of the perfume. His writing charms me every time.
Your teacher did a good job!
Thanks, Undina. I will always be grateful to the kind and persevering Ms. Crane.
Wow, thanks Tiffanie — you outdid yourself! And nice to see a Mother’s Day tribute.
Thank you, Robin! I hope Mother’s day was good to everyone.
Eau de Merveilles:
Your sexy amber –
“MOMMY, CAN YOU DO MY HAIR?”
sigh. Another day.
ha! you go, Mommy!
LOL!!
On warm concrete a
busy honeybee gathers pollen
from fallen cherry blossoms.
This came to mind as I stopped to watch said bee work while going to get my mail the other day.
SOTD was Berdoues Selva Do Brazil EdP from the sample stash. I say “was” since this lasted maybe 4 hours on my scent glue skin. It was rather nice while it lasted, though… green lemons and a hint of wood.
Oh I love your haiku!
You, blue eyed and slick
Doesn’t matter what I wear
Perfume casts no spell
Inspired by the elusive perfumed love potion.
This is great!
I am in Aromatics Elixir, which feels just right today, but not inspiring haikus. Here’s my whirl:
TOMORROW
Love Mother’s Day!
Hunch is I’ll brunch with my bunch
Food, laughter, perfume?
NST
You never promised
Me a rose garden, but you are
Scents and friends fulfilled.
Aww, I love both of your haiku!
Fantastic! Hope you did indeed get that brunch.
If you love the smell
Of spring – crisp brisk galbanum
Go get Green Viper
It’s amazing!
Oops that’s Viper Green!
Great haiku either way! And glad to hear Viper Green is worth a shot.
Sensual Orchid –
Perfume true to its name…
His heartbeat agrees
A big thank you to hajusuuri: if it weren’t for her split, I wouldn’t have tried, liked and bought a bottle of this beautiful perfume.
Happy Mother’s Day to all NST moms in the U.S.!
Oh, a sexy haiku!
I wasn’ t sure if it was appropriate (I mean, for the form) but decided to go for it.
oooh, perfect, I love it when the last line of a haiku has power.
Thank you. It was my first haiku ever, so I tried to follow some formal rules.
Dawn in the graveyard
Fern unfurls through ancient cracks
Life returns today
Love the mood that this one sets!
Excellent. It makes me think of De Profundis.
I got one!
From the back of the
Cupboard, on a green spring day
Silences shines once more
Nice one Gi!
Happy Mothers Day to all. I’m wearing sample of number 5 l’eau. Lots of samples to try from my Fri. shopping trip. Have to smell good for my granddaughters! They will be the next perfumistas.
You smell beautiful! Happy mothers day to you.
Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Homme
Showered, perfumed,
He enters the body shop.
Forgot his keys…
That’s a great perfume. Nice haiku ????
Thanks!
You smell wonderful!
I got to try it, I might get a FB!
Bought a new car.
Purchase long overdue, however.
Less perfume for me!
I’m happy to have a new car but it is going to put a serious crimp in my perfume budget. ????
SOTD is Lumiere Blanche over PP Amber Cream body oil.
Enjoy your new ride and the ‘new car perfume’!
Thanks Nancy!
New car twins! Congrats! What’d you get? We got a new one last week, but I’m sort of unphased since I never drive. But, yes, need to curb the perfume spending.
Enjoy the new car smell ????
Hey Elisa, I bought another Honda CRV. I’ve had one for the last 12 years and just started putting money into it within the last 6 mths. My husband is going to keep it as a second car as he drives a large truck. They are great cars and I need AWD during winter.
What type of car did you two get?
Nice!
We got a Mazda 3 to replace our 20 yo Mazda Protege which hasn’t passed inspections for the last 4 years and we’ve been spending more than it’s value fix.
Wow! Twenty years is impressive. Enjoy your new car!
Congratulations on the car!, but yeah… those payments frankly suck.
Thanks lillyjo! They surely do! I put it off for as long as I could.
Congrats on getting a new car! ???? Yeah, the payments are a pain, but so are repair bills for old cars that keep breaking down.
So true Jalapeno. Honda makes an awesome car. The engines are unbelievably reliable as long as they are maintained. I never even had to put a new muffler on my CRV. It just started to cost me some money recently but even with that, the car doesn’t owe me a penny.
Woot, congrats on the new car, Petunia! Long and reliably may it roll down the road!????
I’ll have to come up with something myself, but here’s my husband’s kind contribution:
He doesn’t like it
I wear scent for myself
It is just his loss
Diorissimo yesterday, topped off with CdG Lily last night (got a compliment!) Unscented so far today.
Happy Mother’s Day to all who identify with that title!
Your husband’s haiku made me smile!
Ha! Love this! Your hubby is clever. Enjoy your new car!
Marshall’s, I love ya
Alas, I bargain myself
Into the poorhouse
????????
Sounds like your Marshall’s is a lot better than the ones by me. A blessing and a curse, IMO.
My Marshalls and TJ Maxx have mostly celeb scents. Lucky you.
clapclapclapclapclap!
I force myself to stay out of Marshall’s!
I think I need to do that as well.
I just need to say how WONDERFUL it is to come to NST and read Haikus,after visiting another perfume review site,and witnessing frenzied attacks on each other via comments.Over the new Kim K fragrance,of all things….
Now Smell This,R says
Whether Iris,Rose or weed
Happy place,this is….
a Haiku on NST.
❤️
Hmm, I could grab some popcorn and head on over to that comments section. Sounds entertaining.???????? But, yes, NST and the people here are the best.❤️
Lovely, thanks Johanob!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there in NST Land!
SOTD is 31RC.
Sorry, guys, I didn’t manage to come up with a haiku this weekend. ????
That’s okay because you smell great today!
Thanks! I keep getting whiffs and thinking, “Good Lord, something smells good!”????