That's it for June! (And don't forget to say rabbit, rabbit, rabbit tomorrow.) We're getting ready for July with our same old open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the best new (or new to you) fragrance you smelled this month, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees... Rumi [cropped] by Nick Kenrick at flickr; some rights reserved.
Off to a wedding today
Encens Mythique
Let’s go Spain mañana ⚽️❤️????????
A friend is going to Paris and offered to pick up some tea from Mariage Freres, any suggestions ?
I haven’t tasted a very wide range from MF, but I do like Eros quite a lot.
Oh my gosh… I’m not a huge tea person but just surfing their website made me want a lot. I’d go for something that is not available here….
Enjoy the wedding!
Just had a look at their site and boy, has their selection grown. I’ve had and liked the original Marco Polo, if that helps.
I second Marco Polo (only familiar with the black MP), and I can also highly recommend the Earl Grey Provence, which is an EG with lavender. It’s a great combination.
Another slightly more expensive option would be their Jasmin Précieux, which is a lovely, gently oolong jasmin.
Other perfumed green teas of theirs that I love are Festin d’Or, Thé vert Provence, Bel-Ami and Thé des impressionnistes.
I second the Early Grey Provence.
It sounds delicious iced.
Thank you, Marco Polo you can buy here in NY at dean and Deluca
The others seem really lovely , thank you so much for the recommendation!
Enjoy the wedding!! I love the Earl Grey Provence and their Chai tea and Vanilla are also good.
Getting ready for the heat wave….calling all colognes. Dinner and theater later, must be a Cristalle kind of night.
Bear, so glad to see your posts this week.
Stay cool East Coast, stay cool…
Heat wave here in the Midwest too.???? Stay cool!
Darned hot here!! Just back from getting my hair cut and very glad to get rid of it before the worst of the heat.
Good you have your hair cut done right on time. The humidity is increasing very fast here. It will be a nightmare in a couple of hours. However, I will not complain. Thinking about Winter makes me already nervous…. ????
Same! I will complain about the heat, but I don’t really mean it — would much rather have hot than cold.
Same I will take the summer over winter and snow any day…but, yes, extraordinarily hot today…..
I’m already getting nervous for winter. Hoping a hot summer doesn’t bring a horrible winter.
Love Cristalle! You smell great!
Yay for dinner, the theatre and Cristalle…a great evening.
I decided to reach for Perfume Sacree. I need calm and serenity–heading to downtown Portland for the march today, and there have been tensions all week between police and protesters.
Stay safe Marjorie Rose!!
I echo Robin, stay safe!
Thank you for marching!
Stay safe and cool!
Be safe, you guys…
Stay safe! Let us know how you are.
Thank you with all my heart and stay safe.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone! The rally went off without any drama, at least that I could see, and now we are home safe.
And for the record, PS is smelling pretty good in the warm weather. ????
You made a more adventurous choice than I did – Daisy did very well in the 96 degree Philly rally heat!
I’m having a wonderful morning in Chinatown. I’m heavily anosmic to the drydown but on fabric is a fairly sweet and powdery scent. I love this scent and it was my first niche purchase.
I only buy testers of it though, since I try not to patron their brand.
You smell great!
Thank you!
Haha. I thought you were reporting from Chinatown. ???? I imagined a tea shop I used to frequent in New York. The scene was complete and bustling before I got to your second sentence.
I had the same thought
as did I
Same here. Was already buying some imaginary bao to eat when I came to my senses.
Haha, I wish! My favorite breakfast is the fried long bread with brown sauce, wrapped in an omelette. I can only go with my Chinese friend for it, since you can only order in Mandarin.
Bread wrapped in an omelet? Omg that sounds incredible, I love bread so much, I turn everything into a sandwich.
It’s super soft and delicous! I wish I knew the name so I could share it!
I thought you must be in S.F. Chinatown, where it would be early and cool.
I wish! Just sad hot Texas! Houston had a pretty wonderful Chinatown, if anyone wants to come visit!
Wearing a good dose of Guerlain Vetiver. Hot but bearable so far. I am almost finished running errands. No plans for the rest of the weekend. I had a very cold glass of milk with a teaspoon of sandalwood syrup. The flavor is amazing and it smells amazing, but once again I have proved myself that straight sandalwod is not for me. I will finish the syrup bottle in an attempt to understand the note better, since I can smell it and taste it. Let’s see..
Wow! Sandalwood syrup? Where do you get that?
I get them in indian stores. I have also tried saffron, cardamon, incense and rose syrup. The saffron one is amazing as well as the sandalwood.
I need all of those!!!!! I bet they would taste great in tea as well.
Not only with tea, but with coffee and vanilla ice cream!
!!!!!
yes!! with vanilla ice cream
I’d love to try it with the cardamom.
Really good!
Oh. My. Goodness. I need to find several of those. Do you think they’d be good just added to club soda?
For sure! And the prices are are really good. They can be found at any Indian store. 750ml for $7 and they last forever since you only need a small amount to make anything sweet.
Can you add these to food while cooking or only as flavoring after it’s off the heat?
I’ve added them cooking Persian dishes.
Rose syrup over shaved ice is like granita.
My MIL adds them when making her persian dishes and desserts. I add them mostly in coffee, tea, milk, yogurt, ice cream and even to plain water with ice as a refreshment.
Thank you both! I just had Persian food for lunch today. It was soooo good!
This sounds amazing, though Im8not a milk drinker. But sounds like they would be a good complement to coffee!
Sprayed Champagne rather ginormously under my top a few days ago to go to the beach. Still sniffing the drydown a this morning aided by a few sprays of Intimate to add a bit of skank. Champagne isn’t very chyprey-ish on its own on me but oh my the peach-vanilla combo is something else. Wheee. Best dry down in a long while.
Also went to Selfridges and Diptyque to do a quick sniffaroo. Got a sample of Tempo and sprayed on Cuir de Russie which is a barnyard and happened then upon Chamade which is nicely green and then Iris Poudre which I couldn’t smell.
The airconditioning at Selfridges is very good as it sucks away perfume fumes. Each and every time I go to Debenhams perfume dept my poor nose is knocked out within a minute. The strategy then is to walk in and not inhale until you get to the perfume you want to sample, spray, and then walk out as quickly as possible.
Which Cuir de Russie? Chanel?
I know there are people who love it. I keep seeing people describe it as “the most luxurious leather car interior” and “a pink suede handbag” and “kidskin gloves,” but for me it’s Virtual-Reality Cattle Working Pens. Old wooden fences, metal gates, dust, dry manure, cattle hair, iodine, and fear.
I have a friend who says that Tom Ford Tuscan Leather smells like cocaine to her and she can’t enjoy it. I don’t have that real-life reference, so I’m safe. Probably few of you have spent enough time around a cattle working pen to garner that real-life experience either, so your Cuir de Russie is safe to love.
Chanel Cuir de Russie. It’s barnyard on me. Not *quite* fecal but pretty much in that ballpark. Very similar to Paloma Picasso in that regard.
Not that there’s anything *wrong* with smelling like a barnyard of course if that’s the way you roll (pun excused).
To which I might add that my grandfather and uncle were small-scale farmers and that I grew up on a large farm so ‘barnyard’ as a smell has a somewhat nostalgic and comforting whiff on me. Not that I’d pay £££ at Chanel to smell like it.
I find myself wondering how your friend knows what cocaine smells like. Perhaps he/she is a vice cop?
I have experience with the cattle pens! Your list of odors is compelling and accurate. Makes me homesick to read, but st the same time you have cured my interest in getting a sample of this particular leather perfume. Been there, done that…
I want a leather perfume that smells like a well oiled saddle sitting in the sun with a big wreath of roses, lilacs, spearmint and sweetgrass draped over it….
I would like that leather too!
Chanel CdR is all barnyard on me too.
Thank you to all who are marching! Stay safe and hydrated in the heat.
I am on-call this weekend and have spent most of the morning on the phone with radiologists. Hopefully all their kinks are worked out and I will be able to do my chores in peace this afternoon.
Hot, muggy, and getting hotter here. I am cheerful in Carthusia Fiori de Capri EDP. I received a partial splash bottle of the EDT in a swap a couple years ago, and used that up and just sprang for a FB of the EDP. More carnations, which I love, a little richer and less cologne-y, but still perfect for this hot hot day.
Have to admit, in my desperation to not spend $$$$$$ on Durga, I have bought enough bottles of other things (the Fiori de Capri, a replacement Diorissimo EDT, a travel bottle of Nest Wisteria Blue, some fabulous goats milk soap with rosemary and calendula in it that is the most soothing stuff I have every found for my sensitive, irritable skin, and happens to smell wonderful under all my perfumes) that I could have just bought the Durga. I will have to have a conversation with Donatella when confession time rolls around.
Ah, following up on the Durga thought, what other tuberose monster perfumes are out there that I should sample?
I am lemming after a sample of Boucheron Tubereuse de Madras. Here’s a lovely “perfume review and musings”:
http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2018/06/boucheron-tubereuse-de-madras-review.html
And another lemming rises from the words on a page.
Nuit de Bakelite is a BIG tuberose perfume. I have a sample all alone in a ziploc baggie, it had to be contained.
Ohh Baby +1!!! As a ‘bikeress’ and a white floral lover you have my attention!
Thanks Tiffanie & Meredifay!
Goong for a sample now, hoping for some discounts!
Chant Wagner’s perfume musings are wonderful. Hope you find you love Tubereuse de Madras.
That soap sounds fabulous!
Got it at goatsmilkstuff.com. No affiliation, just a rave review.
The one I use is the Rosemary Mint Goats milk soap. I ordered one to try and a week later, bought 5 more so I would be sure to always have some on hand. Immediate improvement in my skin everywhere. I use it on my face as well as body. Really great soap from a family operation. Comes in cute little bags, so also perfect for gifting. They have lots of other scents as well. Good vibes all around.
Thanks’for the info. Goats milk body products agree with my skin so I am always on the lookout as well. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend Dionis Goat’s Milk hand Cream. I’ve only ever used the unscented but it comes in a whole bunch of scents. These are available at Ulta.
I have not tried that. The next time I’m at Ulta I will look for it! Thanks…
I just checked out the site and watched the You Tube video when they guested at The Doctors. Oh boy…I will need to place an order bit will wait for a little bit before doing so. I love how the kids participate and have their own side business!
https://www.lasavonneriedenyons.com/corps-et-bain/gamme-au-lait-d-anesse-bio/savon-boite-metal-lait-d-anesse.html
This donkey milk soap is lovely and the tin is so cool …very mild soap
Oh, no afflilation to donkeys etc. except that they might be my spirit animal. Also if Zoologist did ‘Donkey’ it might smell like Cuir de Russie, maybe?
Oddly, I think I might have an allergy to donkey milk. It’s used in a lot of Asian skincare products and they always make my skin itch.
Not that others shouldn’t give it a try. I just think it’s weird that my skin would react to it.
Interesting! How about goat’s milk?
Fine, as far as I know. It’s been a while since I used anything with goat’s milk.
SotM = Kyse Sucre et Fleurs
Wearing a dab on my wrist from a sample. Smells delicious, like honey and flowers and a touch of something yummy . . . baklava! Very very nice. Many thanks to the kind and generous NSTer who shared their Kyse sample set with me. I will enjoy sniffing through the scents all weekend long and beyond.
Love the quote up top today. A few weeks ago I bought a greeting card because I liked the artwork and these words of Rumi:
Somewhere between right and wrong,
there’s a field.
I’ll meet you there.
I have the card propped up on my desk, a reminder to look for that place of peace each day. Have a great weekend, my scented friends. You’re the best!
I love this Rumi quote. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad. I enjoyed the Rumi quote you shared on Thursday.
Thanks for sharing the quote!
you betcha!
Beautiful quote. Thank you!
Happy to know Rumi’s words feel beautiful to you too.
Wearing Manoumalia which manages to smell odd and wonderful at the same time.
Hello on Saturday dear Now Smell This friends.
My scent of the day is Fugit Amor by Jul et Mad. Beautiful gingered carnation that turns into a barbershop soap style fragrance that I really like.
Lately I bought Prada Infusion de Mandarine. It’s the closest perfume to a real deal mandarine I’ve ever smelled.
My blog is turning 6 tomorrow, I think it’s a reason for another perfume purchase. I was thinking Paris-Venise from Chanel but I can’t get it in Poland (wish there were smaller sizes of those too!)
Desperately wanting to try all three of these new Eaux from Chanel! I, too, wish they came smaller.
Congrats!!!!
Happy 6 years anniversary!
Yay and congrats for 6 years! I am awfully curious about the Venise too. Awfully.
Hey twin! Congratulations. Prada Infusion de Mandarine will join my collection in mid-July as I am consolidating my Nordstrom purchases at the start of the Anniversry sale.
Congrats and many more successful anniversaries to celebrate!
Happy 6th blogiversary to The Chemist in the Bottle and to you, lucasai.
Happy anniversary Lucasai!!
Sick today. Some kind of virus. Bravely soldiering on in a dab of Un Lys as we have guests coming tomorrow. And thinking that I might need Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte for the summer. Yes? No? I love lemony, lightly floral fragrances.
Yes, you need it!! I love Eau Verte. I live in it during summer.
I say yes, even though I have not tried that version. I hope your feeling better soon.
Feel better and get rest.
Yes, you do.
Hope you feel better soon. Having guests while one is sick makes it even worse!
Feel better Springpansy! Get Eau de Verte. It is beautiful and you deserve it!
Hope you are better before they get there!
I’m making a perfume package for a perfumista, wearing a combination of vintage Chanel No. 5 EdC, No. 19 EdP, No. 22 EdC and Coromandel EdT.
Thought I might spritz some vintage Eau de Patou by Patou – a zippy citrus/chypre to offset all this powdery Chanel action going on!
Have a safe and fun holiday weekend everyone!
Wow! that is a lovely gift
I am sure the recipient will be very appreciative.
I think she’ll appreciate it for sure! We both love powdery scents, and No. 22 is a gorgeous white floral over an incense base, soft and meditative.
I do love the newer EdT but it’s effervescent and joyful, one can smell the Chanel lineage but it’s a very different perfume as far as I’m concerned.
I would agree…vintage no 22 is not quite the same as the current formulation…I remember that incense..the current smells more ambery to me…I like and appreciate both though…have you ever smelled Melograno? It reminds me a bit of no 22 but also a bit of Emeraude.
Hi Chocolatemarzipan8,
I haven’t smelled Melograno, the notes sound like something I’d adore and Emeraude is a favorite!
I should swing by Gump’s and give it a try. I’ve also wanted to try both the Patchouli and the Iris.
Let me know what you think if/when you get to try it…not sure if it has been reformulated but my bottle looks quite different from the current bottles.
How kind of you!
Went to a rally for family reunification this morning with my husband — it is his birthday (60!, which I cannot quite wrap my brain around), and I am so happy we could attend together. Wore Infusion d’Iris to the rally (it was HOT). Dinner out this evening, and I am not sure what to wear, scent-wise. Our family members who work in fine-dining restaurants univocally bemoan customers who come to dinner wearing strong scents because of the potential to throw off the flavor profiles. So — either Eau Verte, if I decide to go subtle, or Bandit (in the heat!) if I want to vamp it up.
Happy Birthday to your husband!
Thanks to the birthday boy and you for going to the march.
Oh! Bandit in the heat is Gor-jawus! And dabbed it’s quite close to the skin.
Happy birthday to the hubs and have a fabulous dinner!
Thanks, all, for the good wishes! I wore Bandit around the house in the afternoon, as one does while doing laundry and washing dishes, and ended up in Stella for dinner. My Stella is probably for 2006 (?) — pretty shortly after the launch — and I feel like the bottle has lost some of its oomph. I recall it having respectable sillage for me when I first had it. Now, with seven sprays, it quickly ends up a skin scent. The bottle has never been out of its cardboard case, and although I could have been more fastidious about temperature control, it hasn’t been treated badly in that respect. I don’t think it’s my nose. Thoughts?
Dinner was great. I had a Rainier cherry tart with a coconut crust and honey vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!
I’ve had that experience with some perfumes – one day 2 spritzes is fine; the next I can barely smell 10. Hormones/skin/sinus issues? Who knows? But maybe try it again soon and see what happens.
A Rainier cherry tart sounds delicious. They’re my favorite cherry and one of my favorite fruits but I’ve not had any this year. Better get on it before it’s too late!
I went to London last week and had the most wonderful time, except I packed badly for the weather. I checked before I packed and weather.com said high in the 70’s. Nope, try 80’s and full sun all day. Who goes to London and gets sunburned? I do. I did a mix of cultural and perfume things, got lost everywhere, walked my feet off, ate wonderful things, and sniffed at Harrods, Liberty, Roullier White, Bloom, and a few other places. Only bought four bottles, two at Duty Free. I ended up with Outrageous (the man at Malle on Harrod’s 6th floor is a sweetheart! Loaded me up with fistfuls of samples), Suede Osmanthe, Eau de Citron Noir, and Mandarine Basilic. I sniffed the new Chanels and liked the Venice best, but not enough to buy. I really do prefer Chanel only in vintage or extrait. Now to do laundry, pet the animals, who are carrying on like I abandoned them for months, and try to get over the jet lag as quickly as possible. I’m wearing Mandarine Basilic today.
Sounds like a great trip, despite the heat! I totally got the cold shoulder from my cats when I would travel. The dog was just ecstatic.
Enjoy your loot. Please post your thoughts on the Suede Osmanthe next time you where it I saw it on Luckyscent and am curious.
Mandarins Basilic is sooo good and layers well (e.g. with Terre d’ Hermes).
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Which Malle samples did you get?
He gave me three Outrageous in addition to the bottle I bought, Lys Mediterreanee, Superstitious, Musc Ravageur, Bigarade Concentree, and a tube of Carnal Flower after sun balm that smells divine.
Sounds like a great trip, and you got such nice things.
Trying to find motivation to clean my house but instead may nap. In B Balenciaga with a little Marni Rose. I just finished The Poisonwood Bible (20 years after everyone else read it, I know) and while I enjoyed 3/4 of it I didn’t like the “Where are they now?” ending and I realized many of the books I love have ambiguous or abrupt endings.
Monicoco,
The older I get, the less motivated I am to clean my house.
Naps and reading seem to have all the appeal that scrubbing use to.
I loved Poisonwood Bible but like you, could have gone with a different ending. It did open all of Ms. Kingsolvers books to me, and I have enjoyed them all.
I read The Poisonwood Bible years ago. I really enjoy Kingsolver’s writing style.
Spent the morning at the farmers market with all three marzipans, the eldest’s boyfriend and my childhood friend of 50 years…we had breakfast at our favorite Guatemalan market and lunch at a taco and ice cream place that just opened up in town….boy was it brutally hot!
And for my perfume story…I wore Jardin Clos which really bloomed in the heat..my friend loved it so much I let her spray some on herself (yes, I carry my bottles with me at all times)…..as great as it smelled on me it smelled beyond fantastic on her…she was huffing her wrist the entire time….well what else could I do but give her the bottle before she boarded the train back to the city? She is like me in that she will use it up and enjoy it…..it will probably end up being HER summer staple
So starting tomorrow I will be wearing Melograno which will now be MY summer staple!
Did you finish NU?
Yes, I finished it yesterday …I thought you “nu”
?
Good one!
Ha!????
Yay! More perfume joy spreading through the world. Melograno should be perfect for the summer, it feels clean and crisp to me.
I could not NOT give it to her given how she reacted to it as we have been friends for literally half a century, she is great to my kids and she always meets me in the city when I feel the need to go sniffing
I am really looking forward to wearing Melograno in warmer weather…I enjoyed it immensely when it was cool but I think the heat will bring out other wonderful facets….it reminds me a bit of a cross between Emeraude and vintage no 22…that clean and powdery vibe with a touch of incense.
It was a lovely gift and also generous spirited to see that it really bloomed on her. I am grateful for my 2 or 3 longest friendships, although life gets in the way so much.
life gets in the way sometimes and can inhibit getting together more often…..but when you get together with your childhood friend it feels like time did not pass by at all, right? I am also quite grateful that we have stayed in touch after so many years…..and I am slowly turning her into a perfumista
Very nice of you to give the bottle to your friend!
She is like a sister to me and my kids call her Aunt….and you already know I share with all of my family members
Beastly hot and humid here, even hotter tomorrow, and hot all week. The AC is going to get a workout. Thought I would wear Bulgari au Thé Bleu, but finally went for Mancera Coco Vanille. I love that one.
Coco Vanille grew on me. I think I found the name incongruent to the juice somehow but once my brain got past that I found the fragrance lovely.
Hope you survived the heat! We are expecting another hot one today.
The heat is crazy! Was lucky enough to get 24 hours at the beach and boy was it hard to leave.
We have a cool and cloudy morning along my stretch of the Pacific.
JM dark amber and ginger lily plus Paris Deauville on my feet.
Mani pedi later today.
My sister caught up in crazy heat wave like so many of you. Take care, please check on pets and elderly neighbors if you are able.
Yes…cool and cloudy sounds not at all bad right now! And boy, have not worn that JM in ages, I should drag mine out.
Wow. That was fast. My Cap Neroli arrived. Uh oh. Hoping my samples are slower, otherwise they will be in a hot mailbox…
I do smell Elisa P.’s parsley a bit, but based on two quick spritzes, I’m happy I have it. Wish I had more time to explore it, but I leave for the airport soon. Don’t want to bring it with me. I have Hajusuuri samples/decant to explore!
Enjoy your trip! All of them should be good in the heat!
For those unaware, VQ ‘18 is still going strong and today I’m wearing CSP Vanille Blackberry and Mancera Roses Vanille.
Not loving either. Berries and roses can be somewhat cloying to my nose. I shall change up the vanilla for tonight.
At some point, I would love to see your list from from love to lackluster!
You must smell delicious.
Heh heh, sitting in a theater today (at my niece’s dance recital) when the vanilla in the sample I’m testing (Kyse Sucre et Fleurs) began to bloom. I kept wondering if someone near me was eating something delicious before I remembered to sniff my own wrist. And then I thought of She-ra’s Vanilla Quest 2018.
Yay! You are on VQ ‘18 too and didn’t even know it. ????
I shall google that fragrance later…I love a perfume that blooms.
In some Il Profumo Vanille Bourbon and SDV tonight.
Reek on, folks.
Ridiculous hot here, 98F. I’m still in Silences pdt, lashings of it.
Hot and 77% humidity here. Kill.Me.Now. I thought you were high enough up in the hills that you didn’t get that kind of heat, but no?
Wearing Fragonard’s Verveine, also lashings of it! Should have put it in the refrigerator last night; that would have been even better.
Boo to 98, yay to lashings!
I must admit, it isn’t as hot here as I expected – although maybe it’s because of the rain (I’m in Miami).
Wore Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Cooling Body Gelee to Cross Fit this morning and I sweat so much I was entirely scent-free in an hour. I splashed on some vintage L’Air du Temps (EdT) by Nina Ricci when I got home. After a shower I”m in No. 19 (vintage EdC) by Chanel – icy cold iris and aldehydes.
I made chili (ground chicken, a tiny amount of dark red kidney beans, green onions and a tiny bit of kale stirred in) and cornbread. OMG it came out so good!
Your chile sounds great. I prefer chicken to beef chille , and yes to cornbread anytime!
How is that cooling body gelee stuff anyway? Nicer than the regular body cream?
Nasomatto China White from a sample. Smoky, spicy incense to start, dries down very nice and cuddly.
Really hot and muggy out there….staying inside to do laundry and plan the meal for July 4th. Lots of family coming over!
That sounds fun — I need to make a plan for July 4, assuming it is not too hot to go outside.
I read the 2018 Perfume guide yesterday. I was curious about the selection…For example, small things like why Tauer and Malle had less than five perfumes reviewed while Perfume Story ( Azzi Glasser) or Goldfields and Banks had more than ten ( esp. As neither came off particularly well). Some of the writing also seemed a bit tired and repetitve…the same observation about Lush/Gorilla perfumes was made several times. There was a bit of a cut and paste feeling overall. Very gushy about Christine Nagel. Kind of grumpy/irritated about others (Arquiste) BUT Remember I don’t know 80% of the perfumes getting reviewed so my main attraction to the book is the writing and if that feels flat to me (or forced) it maybe be more noticeable because I don’t have a ‘scent association ‘ to add the other dimension. Just less witty and more caustic and/ or smug than before.
Alex is going away for 6 weeks to Melbourne so I hoe he will bring me some Forte and Manle. I am hanging a ‘Kitchen is Closed’ sign.
Is there a review of Portrait of a Lady?Just curious!
I got it last night on Kindle, kind of regretting it because it’s very hard to sift through and find things. I’m still in the “B’s” in my reading. But I tried a search on this and it doesn’t seem to be in there, no.
Thanks Calypso!
No. Monsieur, Superstitious and a Cologne ..
How odd.I know PoaL was released after the previous guide,so it’s weird that it is not included here.Portrait is in my top 2 most fabulous fragrances ever list…sooo….bummer.
I’ve also been working my way through the 2018 guide, and have concluded thus far that my views and those of the authors are increasingly divergent
I’m not really into hierarchical star rating systems ( for anything )I would prefer to read reviews without stars…the writing has to work harder when stars aren’t involved. One of the reasons I like NST is the lack of stars.
Apart from Robin and everyone else…all stars!
Hi, I was reading it last night and today as well. I too do not understand the idea behind their selection. For instance, why would they not include Heeram Green perfumes, LT was mentioning them in his blog, so samples should not be a problem…
Also, I was thinking about the discrepancy between the blog and the book. Some of the reviews were almost a copy paste version of the ones LT gave in his blog, but some were given with much a less conviction that the stuff is good than was indicated before… for instance, Ariel by Sammarco (high praises in the blog, not so much now), one can reconsider, I understand… but reconsider how often and on how many….we are talking about a guide here, i.e., a stabilised notion of good/best and ugly based on the nose of the ‘informed subjectivity’ which appears slightly less stable than I would personally like it to be in order to follow….
anyhow..for me also, they have covered 70-80 % of the perfumes that I did not smell, and here I was thinking I am doing fine
need to keep up.. in this respect book is fun, it will motivate me to start smelling something new
Yes, interesting. Seems less of a guide and more of a selection with lots of filler
He must be all healed up by now from his horrible accident if he is going on a long trip. Hope you get some perfume out of it!
I was thinking the same – hope he’s all mended up!
I’m in a sample of escentric 04, and I’m absolutely obsessed! I was at Barneys in LA the other day and bought a bottle of FM carnal flower and the SA was so kind and generous and not only gave me a huge handful of FM and diptyque samples but threw in a sample discovery set of all the escentric molecules line!
I just got the Escentric Molecule 03 shower gel. Not ready to use it yet as I am trying to finish a creamy whipped soap.
End of June means 5 months till December…and yay I cannot wait!!The first year in ages I am taking the whole December off!Summer Holidays,beach sand between my toes,Cosmo’s and lifeguards…Can.NOT.Wait.Lol.
This Winter is ridiculous.Reading the temps from the US,we are having the same extremes down South.
SOTBedtime Jasmin et Cigarette.Works way better than the other day to work.Still love it,aaaand finished a bottle.Yay me.I’m on a mission this year to finish a couple of bottles(Lush Orange Blossom I AM COMING FOR YOU….lol)
Happy Weekend All!Stay Cool.✌????
Yay to finishing a bottle!! And enjoying the last satisfying drop. I plan on finishing one or two before summer’s end myself
You go girl!We can do it!✌????????????????
Wow, a month long vacation! Enjoy. And you are smelling fabulous!
We were just talking about our winter vacation earlier this week, and a ‘months time’ also came up in conversations. At least I have a several months to butter up my new supervisor before I drop that on him..lol.
Haha!
Well I hope you succeed!
Best Summer Ever. ;^)
Seriously, you’ll be so de-stressed someone will have to pour you into a bucket to carry you home. :^D
Let’s hope so!Haha!I need a good de-stress…on a beach…!
Yay to looking forward to something fabulous! it will be here in no time!
I’m counting weeks hajusuuri!
This December, when I am freezing, I will take comfort in knowing you are enjoying your vacation ????
Haha!I take comfort in knowing your Summer is almost over and mine is almost back!*Hugs*
So glad and jealous you will have such a long vacation. You deserve it!
I do deserve it.We tend to think we don’t deserve such luxury.I do this year.✌????
Month long vacations are so great. After going on one (to South Africa!) in 1990, I made them a condition of all future employment. I remember sitting on the beach in Durban on Christmas day in my bathing suit, thinking how odd it was (for a Canadian girl).
How wonderful!I’ve not been to Durban in ages myself!I’ll be in Cape Town December.Colder water but the beaches are spectacular.Bantry Bay here I come!!✌????
Congrats on your December vacation, and finishing a bottle! It feels so good to eke out that last little spritz. ????
Yes!After years of saving them up in a dark cold drawer/fridge/box/storage,I’ve decided to either use it or lose it.Gratifying.Part of my “Capsule Living”-project.
LOVE THIS!!!
I’m enjoying the weekend after a busy and messy week. Our bathroom is progressing, but still at the stages of preparing the infrastructure. All the wall linings are in place, and the plastering is mostly done. My workplace has good showers, so we used those yesterday. It seemed a bit odd to go into the office early on Saturday morning with shampoo, towels and such. If I didn’t wear so much make-up, a shower before work would be more feasible, I really couldn’t face carrying all that with me
The first Sunday morning task is baking a cake, I’ve got a new person joining my team for a few weeks and I like to make sure new people feel welcome. After that, I’m thinking I might wear something potent and warming like Fate, it’s a cold and wet day here.
That’s so sweet of you to do for your new person! Can you tell me what Fate is like? (The perfume, that is. Lol)
Very nice of you to bake a cake, I’d be thrilled if someone did that for me. And Fate is gorgeous, love that scent.
I’m wearing Hiram Green Moon Bloom, which several people mentioned during this past week. It’s really very beautiful, quite buttery smelling, I think. I was going to various places for errands and didn’t want to overload, but now that I’m back home I might reapply. It was fun though just getting a little waft of it every now and then as I did my errands.
Such a pretty fragrance!
Currently wearing some Chanel No 19 Poudre and also a few sprays of Chanel No 5 l’eau (on my shirt). All courtesy of my local Chanel counter.
Funny story. I approached the counter from the far side (usually unguarded) where they have all the tester bottles out. I sprayed both forearms with No 19 Poudre, then a few sprays of l’eau before the sales rep came over. She asked me what I tried, having told her I then asked her about Chanel No 19 Poudre having more iris? Is this true? Her response was ‘Chanel 19 needs about 20 minutes to smell good’. then she walked away. Umm, what? She didn’t even answer my question..
If I decide I need either I will get them at my local Shoppers Drug Mart where they allow you to roam around freely and spray away. Next time I will take an atomizer a’la Hajusurri for making my own sample.
Pretty disgusting really.
I’m only successful part of the time in convincing an SA to use my atomizer to make a sample.
When L’eau came out, I stopped at my Macy’s to test it. The SA said, “why do you want to test that one? It smells like No.5, old lady ” if only the big wigs at Chanel knew!
Oh wow! I guess customer service is pretty bad everywhere. Next time I go I will have my atomizer with me and ask for sample to see what she says; I anticipate getting shut down. The other store will likely let me make a sample on my own as the bottles are out on shelves and sales reps don’t really bother you too much. I will ask beforehand however.
Oh, and more ‘old lady’ for us then! That’s really bad on their part, you almost wish for a ‘body-cam’.
I tested something last week and told the SA I didn’t care for it. She told me that I “sprayed it wrong.”
Were you able to keep a straight face?
Maybe it was meant to be a breath freshner spray?????!!!!! Or pepper spray substitute
Lol!
OMG! I love the responses to this.
Once an SA at a fancy counter in Neiman-Marcus told me I should not rub the fragrance into my skin because it would “crush the molecules.” I almost burst out laughing, as I had an image of myself splitting atoms and bombing out the entire Galleria along with a lot of the rest of Houston.
Love!
One of my favorite quotes is from the film Harold and Maude where Maude says “I feel that much of the world’s sorrow comes from people who are “this”(points to a daisy )yet allow themselves to be treated as “that”.
I’m wearing LUSH What Would Love Do solid perfume today.
Oh. Harold and Maude. Thank you.
You are very welcome!
I’vd been in a fog all day due to sleeping poorly last night. I managed to get my chores done but just barely. I dabbed on some Jaisalmer this morning but it was gone in an hour. Now I’m enjoying Opardu. It’s really beautiful.
Opardu got 4 stars – so happy to see that!
I hope you get good sleep tonight!
I’m excited to read the new guide but I may wait for the paperback version. Someone commented the online version was hard to read. Opardu is one of my top 10 for sure.
Have you tried Puredistance White? I’ve tried M (love, but hard to find places to wear), Black, which I didn’t like at all, Antonia and Sheiduna which are both nice but not enough to to spend the cash. I also haven’t tried Crystal Column, 1, and Warzawa.
LT said on Basenotes that the paperback should be out in a few weeks.
Puredistance White is fantastic! Tonka, sandalwood, Rose and orris (faintly) and it’s sweet. I find it best to wear when the weather is transitioning from warm to cool. It was one of a few perfumes that someone (2 actually) complimented me on but was horrified when they found out the $$$s. I have the 17mL because a little bit goes a long way. Warzsawa was meh when I first tried it but I may have set it aside for further evaluation (hmmm, where is my sample? I may have given it away in a freebie pack, in which case, I won’t be trying it again and it is no big loss). Crystal Column is not a perfume; it’s a holder for the 17mL atomizer.
As to perfumes the Guide, the alphabetical index makes it easy to jump from scent to scent. What I don’t like – the index is only by perfume name; Imwish there was an index by Brand / House. I also would like to understand their reasoning for including THIS set of perfumes.
Mental head slap on Crystal Column. Just ordered a sample of White.
Adding Puredistance White to my “To Try” list.
I was out and about today and it was actually not as hot as I thought it would be! My no brainer go to for HOT is Atelier Cologne Cedrat Enivrant and it was just perfect as I thought it would be!
This morning, I drove up to Morristown NJ to meet up with friends for a Victorian Walking Tour. It was about 30 something miles of mostly highway driving. I was lucky as there was no traffic going north, but yet, as usually happens, I had a hard grip on the steering wheel for just about the entire time. Judging by this, were I to drive like this on a daily basis, I would likely suffer from carpal tunnel in under a month. In any case, the walking tour was a leisurely walk around town with stops along the way looking at architecture and listened to some history of the town. We went to lunch right after and it’s another winning Mediterranean restaurant (2 out of 2 in 2 days) – Marjani Fine Persian Grill. I had the Shirin Polo (rice) with grilled chicken – super good. Highly recommended!
So all my purchases from last weekend arrived before the heatwave. Yay! Since confession is good for the soul, I will rattle off what I got (getting the smaller sizes if available): Diptique Fleur de Peau, Nicolai Cap Neroli, Fragonard Verveine, Parle Moi de Parfum Orris Tattoo, CdG Sticky Cake and Escentric Molecules 03 Shower Gel. My work is done ????????
Imalso should mention I finally used 2 of the scratch and sniff stamps today. I picked the one with chocolate and the one with watermelon as I know what they should smell like. Both smell like generic berry ice pop. The stamps are colorful and fun to use.
Yeah, I suspect it is all one smell despite the different pictures.
I’ve seen alot of people here mention Tempo, but what is Fleur de Peau like?
Fleur de Peau, when worn on skin, smells like soapy, aldehylic, musky powdery Iris. More is more as it is quite light.
I would love to know what you think about Orris Tatoo. I got a very large decant from a friend, tried it just once and I really like it. I need to give it more tries before I decide if I really want a full bottle for my birthday.
I will have to get back to you as it was a VERY LARGE SAMPLE ???? and I have yet to open the bottle.
Nice haul! Orris Tattoo is very nice, as is Cap Neroli and Sticky Cake. You will be smelling mighty fine.
I don’t love driving either, I try to force myself to relax my muscles so I don’t get cramped and exhausted. Google maps has helped immensely with the anxiety of getting lost though.
Thanks. Next week may get expensive as I called the Hermes boutiques to find out if the Musc Pallida tester is available and it is in one of the boutiques. Oh boy.
On the driving, I have GPS in the car so it is not necessarily the getting lost part (even though this does happen quite a bit with me) but having to be on hyper alert 100% of the time. Maybe I need to listen to music instead of news radio?
I’m the same, hyper vigiilent. Driving stresses me out so much. I put on talk radio when I’m being super cautious though, because I can get lost in a song to easily. I just don’t understand how some drivers can be so aggressive.
The air conditioning got fixed at work today, yay! I had planned on wearing Chance eau Vive today, for the citrus, but I’m down to about 10 ml, and it’s my daughter’s favorite one to sneak sprays of. I ended up going and just putting it in her room for her to use up. My sotd was MK Sexy Rio Dajenero. It smells like island type flowers but clean and happy smelling.
You are a great mom!
Air conditioning is necessary on days like today. So glad it was fixed. I can’t imagine that the customers would spend much time in the store in this heat without it.
Thanks Petunia! I really try to be a good mom. Like my own mother, I can’t give them much in the way of tangebles, but I can give them infinite love and support. Yesterday, we did lose quite a bit of buisness due to the oppressive air. People came in, but left quickly.
You are a great Mom; they are very lucky to have you! I tried to reply to a post (mentioning that) on your birthday, but for some reason it didn’t go through.
Love and support is so much more relevant than tangibles…..I second what Petunia and Gail said
You guys are making me cry! Thank you ❤
Was protesting this morning, will be partying this evening. It is at least 7,000 degrees here today, and Jardin Sur le Nil is carrying me through all of it. Talk about a workhorse of a summer staple–with reapplications of course.
Yes, perfect choice in the heat! Glad all went well and hope your partying last night was fun
PSA: fragrancebuy.ca has a 10%off, no charge shipping sale. They now ship to the US as well as Canada. (No affiliation) They have some really expensive scents seriously discounted (Clive Christian, Memo, Amouage), and if you are buying with Eagle dollars rather than Beaver dollars, you would do very well. I sent some Memo leather decants to someone here and they loved them, but I can’t remember who it was…Coin-Op maybe? Click on the “Search Rare Gems”tab.
Many enabler pins in advance-I’ve not heard of that site, so thank you for the PSA!
???????????????? It was a very expensive weekend last week so I need to sit on my hands this weekend (except for checking out meredifay’s goats milk soap).
I’m gonna take a peek, didn’t know about this site. It took me a minute to figure out what the heck eagle dollars were, LOL, all I could think of was boy scout money? Sometimes I’m a little slow…
Ooh, good to know! Do we need a coupon code?
I’m not sure, but here they are:
For Canada, thankscanada gives you free shipping; if you spend more than $151 use canadaday151 to get an additional 10% and a free 20 ml of Calvin Klein to go.
For US, use redwhiteblue and spend over $51 to get free shipping, use the same canadaday151 code for the same offer you spend over $151.
Oh golly. I am on the site now and was ready to push the button for Amouage Interlude Woman when I realised they also sell MFK scents and now I’ve got both that and APOM Woman in my cart and am trying to decide if I deserve both or should try to restrain myself to one. But if just one, which one? I’m going to let that cart sit and rest for a few minutes. THANK YOU! (I guess….. ha ha.)
APOM is in my cart too and I seem to be visiting it every hour or so.
So maybe to take you off the ledge here, when Twisted Lily had their 20% off coupon code, MFK was eligible. Of course we don’t know when the next code will be but there are many occasions (real or made up ones) that are good excuses for a sale. They are very quick too with fulfill,eat or at least this had been my experience. (And I will gladly unpin an enabler’s pin for this.)
Had a pretty relaxed day. Hung around home in the morning and went out for brunch later than usual. Biggest bummer is that our go-to Saturday brunch spot, a casual burger spot/diner/bar took chicken and waffles off the menu, and that is what my boyfriend gets every time we eat brunch there. He is a creature of routine and habit, so it really threw him off. We went to Goodwill afterwards and I had some great clothes and books scores. I got a vintage shirt with a beautiful print and a pair of printed pants that fit perfectly and still had original tags. I wore SSS Wood Violet for the first half of the day. After my shower, I’m now in Boxeuses, which I finished off a sample of and am enjoying more than I remember previously. Getting the oven heated up for turkey pot pie and about to start a Korean thriller on Netflix.
Why would any brunch place take chicken and waffles off the menu?!? That’s just heinous. ????
I know, isn’t it?!
Please share the Korean thriller…I am always on the lookout for a good show
We watched Memories of Murder last night directed by Bong Joon-ho. I think it was actually on Amazon Prime, not Netflix. He is the same director who did Snowpiercer and The Host. If you haven’t seen The Host, I highly recommend it. It’s a not-too-scary creature that goes between serious and heart wrenching and hilarious. Memories of Murder was very good.
I loved The Host! — and so am glad for these other recommendations.
Thank you ????
Congrats on the vintage finds! I’m always jealous of people with decent secondhand places near them. Soooo not the case over here.
Thank you! I’m so spoiled for great vintage and secondhand finds in Seattle! Only thing is it’s all pricier here than the finds I used to have in Ohio. Stores really know what they have here and know what they can charge people for it.
RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT
MELOGRANO
Yay! for another bottle to be finished! I thought about your mini marzipans today. Hope they enjoyed the day in the city and are fine after a day out in such a brutal heat.
It was brutal but they took a cab from GCT to Koreatown and basically spent the afternoon there eating up a storm and visiting the K beauty stores. They were exhausted though when they came home.
And I totally forgot this morning!!
LOL ????
I spent the second half of yesterday surrounded by a disgusting fug of bad-eggy-sulphur as I stripped the last bits of added colour out of my hair. And even after 45 minutes of rinsing, there’s still a ghost of that stink today. What a palaver! But it’s worth getting ready for a fresh round of colouring in later in the week (no idea which colours we’ll use this time around, still pondering. My hairdresser and I have way too much fun with this–he doesn’t often get to paint such long hair.)
Before that, there was the sample of Mohur. Nope. For all the loveliness, NVC perfumes really aren’t me.
Are you taking permanent dye out of your hair? I didn’t know you could do that?
Yep! I don’t think it works on things like henna, but, allegedly it “shrinks the dye molecules” that you then wash out. Part of my gives the box serious side eye, but it does work. It’s called “colour B4” in the uk, but I know there are a few others along the sames lines.
Interesting, will see what I can find here. Thanks!
Beastly hot and humid here, wearing Le Labo Ylang 49 which blooms beautifully in the tropical heat.
Beautiful!
It does! I’ll have to wear that soon.
Hot here and loving it! Finally! No need for a sweater in my bag, or jacket. Especially love sunset in this heat.. just beautiful.
Just a few dabs of Sycamore yesterday (craving Vetiver) and today is LOTV day for hubby and so I’ll be wearing Jessica McClintock.
Oh, forgot!
???? ???? ????
Rabbit rabbit rabbit! I woke up at 130 am, sweating to death, so I got up and ate a Klondike bar. I have today off, and will be taking my daughter to the big Sephora today. I really really want to buy a bottle of perfume, I’ve been looking for deals the last few days but haven’t found anything great. You know as much as we can be enablers here, I think NSTers have taught me to wait for something you love. But, I will be stopping by Marshalls, just in case what I love is hiding there ???? I’m currently wearing Sensual Orchid, from last night, I think it will be perfect this fall , thank you to a magical and generous Nster.
Enjoy your day off and stay cool! Let us know what perfume you bought!
Thanks! Marshalls didn’t work out. I’m at Sephora now, and they have the new Nest Cocoa Woods. It’s really nice, opens up with a blast of cocoa baking powder. It reminds me of cafe tuberosa in feel. Gonna wait for the drydown, and get a sample.
Mmmmm, I need to try that one. Thanks for the description!
Just keep going back to Sephora and get samples…then you don’t have to buy a bottle ????
Klondike bar! Excellent middle of the night choice!
It did the trick!
Not to enable – oh, heavens, no! But Osswald is having a sale: “code STARSPANGLEDSCENT to take 15% off all purchases over $100 (as always, excluding sample-only orders or bookings for the Facial Lounge) from now through 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 4th.”
Slept 10 straight.
Getting a facial today. Going with Paris Biarritz. Love it.
Oh, that’s a GOOD night’s sleep. Well done, you.
I just watched a video about Liev Schreiber’s renovated apartment, noticed a couple of fragrance bottles he had in places you wouldn’t usually see them, and I’ve decided I like him more than I already did.
May I ask where you saw it? Netflix maybe?
I’m a huge fan of him on ‘Ray Donovan’. And I’ve seen him do a few funny things so I’d like to think he’s got a great sense of humor.
It was a YT video from Architectural Digest.
Just looked it up, and watched it on YouTube. There was a Diptyque, and a niche looking bottle on a shelf near his Tony Award.
And some Black Orchid in the bathroom. Maybe its all from a lady friend, but I like to imagine he chose them all himself.
Thank you! Just watched it a few times. It’s fun to spot things in the background!
Happy Sunday and Happy July, and stay cool everyone else, seems to be stifling most places in the northern Hemisphere now–my friends in England are suffering too. Today I’m wearing Histoire de Parfums 1873, Colette. Citrus galore and caramel too, refreshing and tasty for a summer day!
I like that one — I think it’s my favorite of that series.
Rabbit rabbit rabbit! Yesterday was 24 Faubourg for a marathon of weed-pulling and miscellaneous pruning, and this morning I’m in Eau des Merveilles/Eau Claire des Merveilles to accompany my coffee and the muscle aches from the marathon. Mr. G beat me at both the Friday and Saturday crossword puzzles this weekend, so he’s trying not to gloat too much. Planning a lazy Sunday, but the yard is beckoning again … there are a LOT of empty pots out there wishing they had something planted in them. Are there geraniums that are mauve-colored? I kind of have a pink-burgundy-mauve thing going on out there this year.
Have a look at:
https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/geranium-phaeum
Ah! Those are beautiful – thank you! I’ll see if I can find them locally.
You’ve smelled great all weekend!
Also marched yesterday and aside from the heat, it was amazing energy, especially while going over the Brooklyn Bridge with all the cars slowing and honking in support.
I wore Cire Trudon Mortel since its frankincense is cooling.
Today is beastly hot and I have a headache and the nearest-to-me(the dreaded G train) subway is not running this weekend: all making me very unmotivated to go into Manhattan for a book club I was planning to attend. I’m wearing a light spritz of Carnal Flower and enjoying just being in the air con right now. Stay cool or warm wherever you are!
Hope your headache goes away soon. Maybe you should just stay home, rest, and stay cool.
I also stayed home in the ac today. Not even my dog wants to go outside. Stay cool! We have a super hot week in front uf us to face.
I’m glad you had a good march. Sorry about your headache, hope it eases soon.
It was 102 when I landed in Sacramento last night. Not enough sleep and too warm for comfort. But at least sis said I smelled good after hugging me at the airport – guess the Cap Neroli hung around (either that or it was the lilac body lotion from the morning…)
Sprayed her Dame Lime, Gadenia and Benzoin with abandon as we headed out to sit outside and eat breakfast burritos. Cooler (low 90s) and very pleasant in the shade. Wish I could steal her kitty cat….so beautiful and soft. She’s part Bengal.
102!!
Sorry it’s so hot but sister time and breakfast burritos sound nice!
Rabbit rabbit rabbit! It’s stinking hot here today, and sketchy air quality for the next 24 hours to boot. I’m hunkering down in the AC and doing laundry. ????????
BIG thanks to the folks who marched yesterday! Glad to hear that everyone was safe afterwards, since I heard that things in Portland were not so quiet today.
SOTD = Tauer Veitver Dance, from the sample stash. ZOMG, so very good in the heat! SOYesterday = the very last of that tenacious Byredo Gypsy Water sample! Yes, I finished it!
Hajusuuri, I have been to the same Persian restaurant in Morristown about a dozen times. I about fell off the couch when I saw you had mentioned it. I would also recommend it highly, and have enjoyed the Shirin Polo several times. Yummy!
ARGH! “Vetiver Dance”! Not whatever that messy typo is!
Finally!!!!! Thank you! ????????????
I’m still thinking about the Persian restaurant – it was soooo good!
In Velvet Lavender this evening. Tidied up my disorganized stash a bit today. Wow, I think I’m a perfumista, and I think I’m in the right place. ????
I hope y’all have had a safe and fun weekend!
Ha! Organizing the sample stash is always a fun and a bit of an eye opener for me and my “habit” lol
So late I doubt anyone will read this haha.. Was a super busy weekend. Had some of my best friends of 30 years visiting from Tennessee on their way to Utah. Was such a great visit. I wore Neroli Blanc yesterday and Avignon today. No rhyme or reason, I just wanted to wear them.