Happy World Snake Day! It's also, unfortunately, Monday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I am still on my lake vacation. It is buggy here, and I am not wearing much fragrance. I may wear a bit of Guerlain Cologne du 68 to bed tonight.
Reminder: on 7/20 we're having a Cocktail Party...tell us about your favorite cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), provide a recipe if you like, and wear a perfume that would complement your choice. It doesn't have to be a boozy fragrance!
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2018, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is n35_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library at flickr; some rights reserved.
I had planned to wear Dior Escale a Portofino today, but my hand headed straight for the bottle of Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile, and who am I to argue?
Nothing you can do about it!
Tuberose Flash
Congrats to France ???????? ⚽️
There is no rejoicing in my house, I’m afraid.
I cheered for Croatia at a party with all French fans. Lucky my Brazilian friend and I exchanged photos of good looking players when the game went south, so I had a nice distraction
Perfect distraction.
I’ll join you in congratulations to France! I loved this young side.
I am sure many of you will understand I have the post World Cup blues today. I am so sad with the season is over and you have to wait for another 4 years ( a little over 4 years since it will be in November in Qatar)
Diorella, vintage eau de toilette.
Tea is the last of my Earl Grey primeur by Damman Frères.
You smell glorious!
2nd that!
And I 3rd that
It is a wonderful scent, and it’s hot in the Low Countries, so Diorella is quite a good antidote against all this heat.
Monday! Why!!! I sure wish I was on a lake vacation …. I’m wearing Cartier L’Envol.
It is a good place to be. Sorry about the Monday.
Good Morning !!
Wearing Miyako by Auphorie today. Moving made me painfully aware of how many unworn decants and samples I own, so it is time to start winnowing them out.
The notes in this sound as if it should be a mirror of Daim Blond, but it is a lighter, less leathery, more fruit forward scent.
Nice blind pick for a summer day
Yay!!! You are joining the Use it Up club ????
Yes. This will not be a short term project though
It is long term for me as well.
Sounds beautiful!
Was hankering for patchouli so i am comparing and contrasting Mistral Patchouli and Deauville today. Mistral is dirtier and Deauville is fresher…someone might call the latter Coco Mademoiselle Fresh…ok, that someone was me.
But I am quite liking this Deauville…especially in the summer heat.
I tried Deuville over the weekend, and quite like it. Longevity isn’t great on me though.
I like the snake illustration up top!
SOTD is Infusion de Vetiver, today’s tea is iced rooibos flavored with coconut and papaya.
I would love to see the Prada Infusions series reimagined as a series of cocktails.
I think vetiver in particular shares some woodsy/herbal characteristics with gin. Add some ginger ale, a twist of bergamot, and a few drops of rosewater and you’ve got an Infusion de Vetiver cocktail!
That sounds delicious!
I love vetiver centric scents but haven’t tried this one! How would it compare to vetiver Tonka or Dyptique’s vetiver if you have tried those?
I haven’t tried the Diptyque, but I think Infusion de Vetiver is a cooler, fresher, and more citrusy/floral take on vetiver, compared to the warmer and nuttier Vetiver Tonka. Infusion de Vetiver feels to me more like a spring/summer scent, compared Vetiver Tonka, which is suited for fall and winter.
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment and will reiterate the citrus (I get lemons) aspect, and will also add that it has the Infusions Prada-ade.
I’m a vetiver wimp but love this one in summer and almost wore it this morning.
That sounds so lovely – going on my to-sniff list!
To my nose the Dyptique is full on vetiver…at least the EDP was to my nose. My favorite vetiver at the moment is Phlur’s Greylocke….I could bathe in that stuff!
Just looked up Phlur – I wasn’t familiar with the brand. I appreciate their transparency about their formulations. If I get a sampler set are there others you recommend from this house?
I have tried them all and like them all. Moab reads sweet on my skin but others experience it as dry. It reminds me of a Tauer. Siano is potent and has a strong honey note. Olmsted and Vaux light and perfect for summer. Hepcat leans masculine and is both boozy and powdery as it dries down and Hanami is sweet and not acquatic to my nose and I definitely pick up the hazelnut note
Thanks! I love Tauer so intrigued to try Moab!
Do go look at that Flickr collection then, it’s pretty cool!
Well, there goes my afternoon…
That collection is really awesome…bookmarking it
Thanks for the find/share!
Bvlgari Green Tea for me today. This one never fails me.
I was not looking forward to a project I needed to tackle this morning, but it is already going better than anticipated. So there’s something!
Very good luck to you then!!
Lush Buck’s Fizz body conditioner for the cocktail party project (though I have never tried the cocktail itself, it sounds good to me) and Guerlain AA Herba Fresca just because I wanted something fresh, light and invigorating today.
You smell great. Herba Fresca was the only scent I wore in university. (I could only afford one!)
It’s a good basic/versatile scent.
This is my favourite AA
It may be my favorite too in this line.
To kick off cocktail week I am wearing Monsieur Balmain in honor of my favorite well drink, the vodka tonic. Cheers!
Good match, and that’s probably my favorite well drink too.
I am wearing Shalimar Initial and drinking a cup of Honeybrush Acai Berry tea.
I finally got a perfume cabinet! It’s a wooden bathroom cabinet from an Etsy shop called IndependentBoxWorks. I had them do a custom size that’s wider on the bottom and I’m very happy with it.
SOTD: Mugler Cologne
Congratulations on finding the storage you like! Very important with this hobby.
Yay for your cabinet! And you smell great.
Whoo hoo for finding perfume storage!
Wearing Nuit de Bakelite, still indulging in the afterglow of France’s world cup win. France has a special place in my heart because I spent my childhood there.
I have been enjoying (cautious dabs of) modern indolic fragrances in the summer heat. Cedre Sambac and Nuit de Bakelite both bloom beautifully
I have a sample of Nuit de Bakelite I have neglected. That one must be big and beautiful on a warm day. Must revisit it, after putting it in a little ziploc baggie all alone I can still smell it in the perfume closet. Wowza!
Forget perfume… I just visited Aldi’s for the first time…woo hoo ???????????? the prices are amazing and I got three imitation Jo Malone candles for gifts for a fraction of the cost… enabler pins for everyone….
Do you need a membership to shop at Aldi?
No!!! Fair warning… lots of great stuff.. mostly food… I was actually surprised they still have the candles but in my neck of the woods there aren’t any perfumistas.
You do, however, need a quarter.
You do need a quarter to get a cart though. The first time I went there, I stood there for five minutes trying to figure out the cart situation. I finally had to ask someone. My aldi doesn’t have anything cool, but cereal and chips are very cheap.
Regarding the cart- the middle Marzipan looked it up ahead of time so I was prepared….I brought my own bags ( I am fairly certain they charge you for bags) and Mr. CM8 and I loaded them up as we shopped, then unloaded onto the conveyor belt , then reloaded after scanning….therefore, we did not use a cart.
You do get the quarter back ????
Ha! thanks for the tip!
I love Aldi’s! Their selection of fancy cheese and snacks are so reasonable and they have wonderful special buys around the holidays (even more wonderful clearance after the holidays.)
Oh man I would be in big fat trouble during the holidays…I would probably buy out the store!!!! 20 + logs of chocolate covered marzipan
Agreed on the cheese and snacks.
+1 for Aldi! Nice score on the candles.
I am very excited about the candles…my eldest boyfriend’s mother is a candle fiend and she will be getting those for Christmas!
Woo hoo! I’ve never seen the Jo Malone style candles at the Aldi near me. That said, it is s very manageable grocery with a lot of fresh and frozen food choices. Including Organic and/or gluten-free.
hajusuuri- the prices of the organic foods is beyond amazing!!! Mr. CM8 and I were in awe! I was also shocked about those candles…the fact that they were still there…but you know where I live so you know that NO ONE here even knows what Jo Malone is-LOL!!!! and no one has a clue as to the bargain of those candles!!!!!
I love Aldi! Glad you had a good experience.
I think I am in trouble-LOL!!! A new place to spend my money!
Ha! forgot to mention-
SOTD- Montale Soleil de Capri….perfect for this scorcher of a day…it will be hot for the rest of the week so I plan on sticking with this one…no idea yet how to tie it into the CP though.
Is your Melograno finished?
My son confiscated the splash decant I made of the remaining juice…so yeah, for ME it is done
We just got a new Aldi! I haven’t been there yet. I did notice that the one in my hometown did NOT carry any candles. (!!!) I’ll be looking for them when — not if — I drive the half hour to the one close to me.
I hope you can find the candles. For the price they are really nice. I was hoping I might find the fragrances to test but they were not there .
I still haven’t checked out the Aldi near me. It looks like a little one, located in a strip mall.
Mine was fairly small as well but still full of goodies!
I’ve been testing vintage Ultima II Maroc. It occurs to me that it smells something like Jean Couturier Coriandre, but more rose and slightly less natural. My Coriandre samples are vintage but I’m not sure how old they are.
Has anyone tried both of these scents?
I wore them both and drained the bottles many years ago
You must have really like them both! Do you remember if they seemed similar at the time, or not?
I have that push/pull reaction to them. I guess it’s the coriander not that provokes this contradictory response.
I remember the Maroc being a very spicy rose and the Coriandre was a bit more “fresher”…does that make sense? Granted I have not smelled them in maybe 30 some odd years?
That makes sense. Maroc is definitely rosier, and I can see the coriander of Coriandre reading as fresher.
I’m a little surprised how well Maroc holds up to comparison with Coriandre. I wish there was information on who composed it, etc.
I used to wear Maroc. You and CM8 are the only people I know that remember it. I’ve not smelled Coriandre.
I didn’t wear either at the time they prominent in department stores, but I got curious about the Ultima II line recently because a friend loves UII and decided to try Maroc.
I haven’t been able to find anything on who composed the Ultima II perfumes or what fragrance company actually produced them.
I keep thinking the Maroc I had said Revlon. I know they were basically the same company, but maybe you can find more info that way. CM8 might remember more.
Mine was from Revlon too….I might see if I can find out more ….
https://revlonperfumes.blogspot.com/2014/03/maroc-by-ultima-ii-c1985.html
it was Revlon…I guess Ultima II was an offshoot of Revlon? A vintage bottle sells for 194 dollars on ebay…and Long Lost Perfumes redid it and it is listed on fragrantica……
This is what I remember my bottle looking like
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Maroc-Prestige-Fragrances-Cologne/dp/B008HAPNU2
This link has it listed as “Prestige Fragrances” – not sure what that is about….
what I remember now is that it was a POWERHOUSE …even with my scent eating skin I could not go beyond 6-8 sprays….Coriandre was released much earlier if I am not mistaken and I don’t think it was as strong…I think it had a fresher vibe.
Thanks to both of you!
Yes, Charles Revson launched Ultima II as a prestige sub-brand as part of his long-running rivalry with Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, Helena Rubenstein, and anyone else in the field. I am now mixed up about whether the brand was named after his yacht, or vice versa.
I remember it being very spicy, and powerful. Different than anything else.
I’ve worn both in the past but adore Coriandre more, have a vintage bottle which I treasure.
I get more green/moss and patchouli from the Coriandre.
The Ultima II was more floral on me.
Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t focus on Coriandre before the clearly vintage bottles became hard to find. I’d love to have the parfum version!
Vive la France! It was a madhouse in Montreal yesterday, which has a very large French population. Two streets were closed due to the crowds, it was impressive.
Very hot here, but wearing SL Fourreau Noir anyway. I am on a gourmand kick in the middle of summer.
I love a good gourmand in the summer
I hope you enjoyed your camping trip and have returned refreshed and rejuvenated!!!!
I woke up with a serious craving for Bois Farine, so that is what I’m wearing today. Can’t argue with a craving!
Wow I used to have a bottle of this, wonder if I still do? It’s such a pleasant little oddball
It will be very hot and humid for the next couple of days again. Wearing NV Bombay Bling. I dumped on me the 2 samples I had and I am done with them. However, Bombay Bling is the type of perfume than can easily make me break my resolution to not buy anything. I feel like I should grab my wallet and get a full bottle right away. However, I will patiently wait until my birthday to see if I can get the travel size set. I have some perfumes in my birthday list and I will choose only one. Let me control myself now and keep with the “Use it Up Project” that I am really enjoying.
Is your birthday coming up soon?
Until November!
It will be here sooner than you think.
DON’T DO IT DON’T DO IT DON’T DO IT DON’T DO IT
Did that help? LOL
Yes, wait until your birthday…or set a goal as in after I drain x number of samples/decants. My goal is to get down to just five bottles (my own bottles, nothing that we share) before I make a decision to buy something new….but honestly, I truly am in a Robin phase in that nothing has stirred me so much lately that I must whip out my credit card…I like what I smell but I don’t feel as though I need it….which I guess is a blessing in disguise, right?
IT HELPED! :D:D.
I will definitely stick with the Use it Up project. I would not want to buy anything before my birthday in November, if possible, and I am trying my best. Considering the full bottle of Bombay Bling is so expensive, I am considering the travel size set which is more affordable. But anyway, big temptations come and go and this was very big! Thanks for you for coming to the rescue! LOL! My full bottles are not getting any love at all, but my determination to finish decants and samples as quick as possible is the main goal! Hoping for the best! And I am with you that even though some of the samples have made it to my full bottle shopping list, nothing has become a big need or priority so far, Well, Bombay Bling… but I am safe for now!
November will be here before you know it ????
It is so amazingly good.
It is!!!
I know that you can stick to your perfumed resolution until November! Then Bombay Bling will smell all the sweeter.
Thank you! Trying my best! ????
Long time, no post homies! I have been out of circulation for various reasons, and my perfume life has been a bit limited because I’ve had all my fumes in climate controlled storage for the past month or so.
I have unknowningly been participating in Use It Up by keeping a largish decant if Vetiver Oriental on hand. I’ve had a bottle in my fragrancenet cart since forever, but kept waiting and hoping for a larger than 30% discount, but no luck. Finally bought a bottle and it arrived the exact same day my decant spluttered to an end. Great timing! I fully confessed my purchase to Donatella, who was quite understanding. ????
Hope all has been well here in perfumista land, and everyone’s summer is humming right along. I feel out of the loop! Hoping to hop back on the NST Train now and catch up with everyone’s perfumed life and times. Cheers all????
Hi Deva! It’s great to see you here. I’ve been following you on Instagram – your van looks really spiffy with the new top.
Thank you, Sistine! It’s a game changer! Happy to get back in the NST groove, it’s been a busy few weeks. Hope all is well in your world! I see you’re smelling fine in Bois Farine✌????
Good to see you????
Thanks lillyjo! It does my little heart good to see that NSTers are still up to their usual scent shenanigans! Constancy can be a stabilizing force ????
Lol at scent shenanigans!
Deva! Hi, good to see you here again!
Thank You Jiji! Good to see you, too ✌????
Oh, I bet you smell great- and what timing!
Ummm, not so much right now! A shower is in my very near future. Lol! Soon will be packing my perfumes back in the van and hitting the road. Then, I’ll REALLY be smelling good ????
Good to see you! I’ve been enjoying your Instagram very much!
Thanks, KellyC! Right back at you. Happy to see you were all ???????????????????? at your Keith Urban adventure! Looks like you guys had a good time????
Glad to see you back Deva!
Thanks, perfumelover67! Hope things in your neck of the woods are going smoothly✌????
Hey! I’ve been wondering where you were. Good to see you back here. ????
Thanks, nice to be back. ✌????
Hello there Deva! Happy to hear from you! And how has T-Rex been? ????
Hi Jalapeño! T-Rex is up to her usual shenanigans, too, thanks for asking. Hope you are well. ????????
SOTD is Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom, I’m in the mood for something sunny and cheerful ~ wearing my latest steal & deal from H & M, a bright orange linen t-shirt ($5 bucks!). I look like a channel buoy but who cares!
Also swam 1/2 mile this morning before work, energy for said workout provided courtesy of a double Cuban coffee and a PB, banana, kale & Cocoa smoothie.
I am seriously impressed with your swimming prowess!
And now I want/need a nap!
You smell and look great! And this is one of the times I regret not living in an apartment- I miss early morning swims!
Orange Blossom was my very first Jo Malone…LOVE it..bet it goes great with your new orange shirt
…please pass me some coffee!
I think my first Jo Malone was Pom Noir or Nectarine Blossom & Honey. I’ve been through a few bottles since, I enjoy the older perfumes a bit more, I think..
Back from vacation. Today it’s PdN Juste un Reve. Managed to snag some samples at the boutique in Paris so I will be doing a week of Nicolai as I try them all!
Nicolai is a wonderful house, looking forward to your thoughts!
I’m wearing Berdoues Vanira Moorea, from the discover set. I’m still looking for a wearable vanilla.
I gather you don’t like it? It reminds me of Bayer Children’s Aspirin…does anyone remember those? I like it anyway and brought it up from the basement in order for it to participate in our USE IT UP CAMPAIGN….but then the middle one saw it in my bathroom, sniffed it, and stole it!!! No complaints here because it smells absolutely amazing on her…she stole my Assam of India as well and I think she is layering the two.
Have you tried Tauerville’s Vanilla Flash? I tried a bunch of vanillas last year and this was the clear winner for me.
I’m wearing Alien eau Sublime layered with EA Green Tea lotion. I smell very refreshing. Today should be the last of the heatwave here. I saw later this week will only be 78, it caused me anxiety.
Sometimes the weather report makes me anxious too.
No break in the weather like that in my forecast. We might see the mid 80’s next week. I’ll try to send the excess heat your way. ????
My hand just keeps reaching for Pomelo Paradis. I want to wear other things, but cannot make myself do it in this hot, humid weather. The 7.5mL sample is nearly halfway gone already.
Oooh, but this would complement a grapefruit wheat beer very nicely for Cocktail Party week.
Ooooh, great pairing between Pomelo Paradis and a grapefruit wheat beer!
Have you ever tried Stiegl Radler? It’s part beer and part grapefruit juice. One of my favorite summer drinks.
Yes, and I love it!
I have never heard of that! Looks like it also comes in lemon & other citrus…
Happy Monday!
1) SOTD: Cap Neroli. We are in the midst of a brutal (for Portland) heat wave right now, and let me tell you how perfect spritzing on Cap Neroli is! 100F (38C) temps marry so well with this fragrance, and in the heat the scent rises off the skin like sunbaked herbs and orange peel.
2) It was so hot that I decided to shower in my back yard last night in the tomato patch. I thought I had plenty of cover but it seems I gave my poor Russian neighbors quite the show. Sorry Russian neighbors!
Lol! ????
What can you do but wave back?
????
I was just in Paris and went to Nicolai twice to try to love Cap Neroli. The opening was wonderful, but then there was something that bloomed and persisted on my skin that was just wrong. I had high hopes for a 30ml bottle, but alas it wasn’t to be!
Hey there!
I know I have hyped it up, so I am sorry that it did not work for you. I have an inkling it was combo of the menthol, musk and other herbal scents, because that combo is what rises HOURS later when I am out and about in the heat. It’s something that is bitterish and would either be wrong or right depending on the person!
I am so happy you got to try it! And what a wonderful place to try it in!
I think it is the mentholated thing that comes forward quickly and then just SITS there, in the front, partially obscuring the loveliness beneath. I tried it on two different days and also nabbed a spray sample to try when it gets a little cooler. I hate how some notes just take over when you love everything else.
Ah, I suspected it was the menthol, which is there for a cool effect! It is bitterish and it does stay there- for me I like this as it makes the floral side less sweet in heat. But I totally get where you are coming from.
Snake day, some Niki de Saint Phalle would be perfect if I had it. I do have a bottle of Roberto Cavalli Oro but the snake broke off and it’s too late anyway, I chose Shalimar edc today.
Oh gosh how i loved Niki…I had the pure perfume in that gorgeous bottle (well, some folks thought it was gaudy) and also had about 6 edts drained in my lifetime….haven’t smelled it since the early 90s…wonder if it held up in reformulation.
I recently bought a bottle of Niki, having adored and worn it in the early 90s, too. I don’t think the reformulation is terrible, but it’s not as vibrant as I remember; the green-chrysanthemum aspect seems subdued. If you’d like to try this current version, I’ll send you some: my avatar at the gee mayle, please.
Thanks for your kind offer and input. Still working on using up what I have ???? It sells for a song online so I could always do a hajusuuri size sample down the road.
Well, shoot, I meant green – tagetes… but you knew what I meant anyway. I think I will wear this version; it just isn’t as glorious as I remember. The offer stands —
Yes I did! The tagetes aspect of Niki is why I loved it so….a very unique fragrance! and thank you for your offer…I know where to find you
I’ve had the pure perfume on my someday list for years, partly because of the bottle but I’ve worn a few edts, too. I have a fondness for so called tacky bottles, they have personality – Rochas Tocade, Absolu, Eau de Rochas, Femme, lots more appealing than fifty shades of Modern Muse but I know such kitsch is not for everyone
I am right there with you on the tacky bottles… years ago that perfume version was dirt cheap online… I don’t see it much anymore and not too many folks mention it these days.
Boucheron Trouble was a great perfume with a snake cap. I loved that perfume, and Boucheron.
Oh, Boucheron is wonderful, I mainly wear it in the winter. That’s another house with great bottles, forgot all about the snake on Trouble!
SotD is Un jardin en mediterranee.
Weather here in Netherlands is quite Mediterranean right now. Hot, sunny and dry. Forecast says temperatures may rise even more.
I’m actually dying for some rain!
And you smell great. Sadly my bottle of un Jardin en Méditterannée has turned, the second to do so, so I’m not getting anymore of this particular garden. Interestingly both my Nil and Mousson are in excellent shape and are actually older.
Have you tried Ninfeo Mio by Goutal?
Thank you!
No I havent tried Ninfeo Mio yet…i just looked up the notes, sounds perfect for this weather
Yes a day of rain would be nice, especially for the animals and trees and flowers….oh and for washing away the dirt, dust and sand on my windows and balkony
Ninfeo Mio is my favourite “fig” in perfume, haven’t smelled all of them but this one is good. Very crisp and uplifting.
We’ve just had a good shower of rain here, not nearly enough to remedy the damage of the drought but it sure smells good outside!
Ninfeo Mio is on my FB wishlist. It seems that Annick Goutal is phasing out the 50mL bottles, though. At least, that is what I have noticed here in the US.
They are no longer on the French website either, at least not for NM.
Sampling Gardener’s Glove from St Clair Scents. I was smelling it as green on me when my husband walked in the room and commented about how I was wearing something intensely floral, though he agreed that it’s greener on my skin than what was in the air. Interesting.
Boston folk– I will be hosting a live swap this Thursday 7/19 starting at approx 6:30. My screen name is my yahoo address to get more details. If you’re a newbie and don’t have anything to swap, I’d still love to meet you and give you some samples!
What a great name for a summer perfume!
SotM = 34 boulevard Saint Germain
A scent from a French house seems appropriate this morning, and smells a little boozy too. Portia over at Australian Perfume Junkies mentioned wearing it, reminded me how much I love this perfume.
I fell off the Terracotta train after a week. I was growing anosmic, couldn’t really smell it anymore. Time to give it a rest.
New perfume project is sorting and organizing, especially samples and decants. I’d like to give them some love and wear them this week. On deck for later is a sample of Portrait of a Lady which I have never smelled! Wheeeee!
I tried Portrait of a Lady for the first time on Saturday…I can see why it gets so much love….it’s a lovely scent.
Good to know you liked POAL, we seem to click on many occasions. And you tried ALL the wonderful things on Saturday!
Ha! I guess you read my list on APJ!!!
That’s something I worry about with long term wearing of a single scent: becoming anosmic. The other one is not being able to tolerate a given scent after X number of days.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot. When I had just two or three bottles of perfume at a time I wore a scent about three days a week, it was never an every day thing.
Now that perfume is all day/every day I want a lot of variety, and I think that warding off anosmia is part of that. After about a week of the same thing every day, I’m done.
I find PoaL better when it’s cooler out, just sayin’
Good advice! PoaL will be my after-bath scent tonight when the house and I are cooled off.
You smell great!
It was actually kind of a great smelling day.
Wearing Shalimar because it’s familiar and comforting to me. I’ve worn it for 3 straight days. Couldn’t remember what the CP was for the week.
We went to a Keith Urban concert last night and I am so tired. It was sooo much fun but I’m certainly paying for it today.
I try not to have any events on Sunday evening not so much for making sure to get enough sleep but more to be in wind-down mindset to get ready for the week ahead. I hope that makes sense!
My mom’s client’s daughter is Keith Urban’s manager. I think that makes me 4 degrees separated from Keith Urban.
You and I are now best friends. ????
I chose Amouage Ciel Woman, a pretty and not heavy floral to wear on a hot and humid day, though I’ll be in chilling a/c at work until 5. Ciel has good longevity and not much sillage so it’s perfect for work. I feel like it goes well with my palm frond print tank top and long black skirt.
You smell lovely! I enjoyed draining my little decant of Ciel earlithis month.
Love the snake!
SOTD = Kilian Singlr Malt
It is disgustingly hot and humid outside. Blrrgh!
I don’t have a cocktail-making bone in my body; I just drink them. This week, I will participate by wearing boozy scents when I can.
Nordstrom is driving me bananas with their lack of attention to detail. I purposely made a copy of the exact item I wanted but 2 out of the 2 ordered were for the wrong items! Ordering the wrong Jo Malone set was sloppiness by the SA and the wrong Estée Lauder set was due to incorrect Product ID published in the Anniversary Sale catalogue. The only thing good that came out of general sloppiness was all purchases up to last Thursday was 10 points so the equivalent of 10% off already pretty good prices!
Wow, Nordstrom isn’t usually like that, are they? I’ve had good luck maybe.
Not very boozy today–I noticed my De Profundis decant is missing more perfume than I’ve used, so I decided I need to start using it faster. So I smell like the most beautiful chrysanthemums today.
Yesterday I wore Arbole Arbole and nearly died. It was AWFUL. I went back in my notes to see what I thought of it when I wore it before, and my notes read, “Interesting, with many layers; much more complex than the note list might suggest.” What was I thinking?? Maybe the warmer weather makes what should be lovely to my nose into a powder bomb. It’ll take a lot of courage for me to wear it again anytime soon.
I freaking LOVE Arbole Arbole – perhaps my favorite discovery this year. But I wore it in late winter and early spring when it was still chilly. I did wear it one day in late spring when temps had risen and decided to put it away until fall.
So maybe you can chalk up your divergent opinions to the change in weather? Or just send me your sample if you really hate it
Haha
the plan is to try it again in the fall, and if I still hate it, I will definitely pass it on! I was just so enraptured by Slowdive that I was sure I’d love everything by HG!
And I tried Slowdive and it wasn’t a love match
I wonder if the sample of Arbole Arbole has gone off? The few samples from that line I’ve tried were great in the beginning, but I think they broke down over time and didn’t smell nice after a time.
Oh no, I hope not! I’ve only had it for a few months (since the last swapmeet), and it’s been stored in good conditions, so it’s not impossible, but also not terribly likely. It didn’t smell awful like it had gone off, though–it smelled horrible like a perfume that I hate.
lolol @ “horrible like a perfume I hate”
I hated AA too, and I am generally a big Hiram Green fan.
Virgin Island Water for a “cooler” day that should only get to 90F. Wishing it would rain, but probably not until September.
Oh, this one is supposed to smell like Pina Colada, I think.
I get creamy coconut and something woody but no fruit.
Interesting. I find the citrus note quite strong (which, I suppose, is meant to act like pineapple in Pina Colada).
I smell creamy pineapple.
I’m trying some Tauer scents today – I’ve ordered the cute sample set that comes in a tin to introduce a friend here to the scents (she’s an artist and will surely appreciate the packaging etc.). This is my 2nd time trying Tauer scents – the first time, I was pretty much scared away (Orange Star – yikes), but this time, I find them all delightful – Rose Chypree, Lonesome rider, Coeur du desert, Phi Rose. I’m not sure which my favorite is, but the Lonesome Rider reminds me of a smoked whiskey cocktail.
I cannot manage Orange Star at all either.
I love Lonesome Rider so much…
I’m a Tauer fan girl, orange star definitely not a favorite but love rose Chypree and coeur. I always wear lonesome rider when I get my hair cut as my stylist loves the smoky scents.
I’m now really curious to try some more of his scents – I got a little card that was scented with l’eau and that smelled really good too.
I’m in Arquiste Ella today which blooms nicely in the heat.
I just pulled out my sample of this yesterday to retry. Will do shortly!
Please share your impressions! I think it’s pretty snd a bit sexy.
I just found my sample of Ella while searching for something else. I’ll have to try it in the heat.
Started the day in Oriza L Legrand Deja Le Printemps, which was all white and green and brought to mind Pastis (I’m speaking visually rather than olfactorily – no anise in the air.)
I have since decided to twin up with holyneroli in Prada Infusion Vetiver. Along with my Amande mini, this one’s about empty, and both situations will need to be rectified.
In other shopping news, I’m ridiculously excited about Prime Day. I’m going to buy one of those robotic vacuum/wet mops, which I’ve been wanting for years. It looks like there have been some design improvements since I first started looking at them, as people seem to be much happier with their units these days.
On the cocktail front, I’m enjoying a quite delicious iced coffee that I’ve been making with a new method. In the mornings I’ve been making a double batch of matcha to refrigerate for iced lattes later in the day. I thought I’d try making coffee with the same temp water (165F) (triple-strength
but mine’s decaf.) It, too, goes straight into the fridge then on ice later in the day. Kind of like the cold brew concept but easier and better tasting!
Ooh. Must try new coffee method. I have been doing decaf cold brew for some months now and enjoying it, but it’s always good to try something new.
Straining cold brew is such a PITA I dread making it. My new variation also provides more immediate gratification. I’m also able to get a stronger, richer coffee.
Oh, I hope the amazon deals are good on those units; I want one, too!
I have been unsuccessful at actually getting into Amazon’s deals. I guess the server is overloaded…. quite inexcusable.
SERIOUSLY.
what is Prime day?
A day when there are so many fantastic deals on amazon that you can’t actually buy anything ????
Ha! ???? Sadly true. Although I have been able to see a lot of their 404 dogs.
Ha! Yeah, I got a couple of dog pages. They are pretty cute, though!
That is possibly my very favorite emoji.
Hooray! I’m thinking about a mini of Infusion d’Oeillet myself.
Strange exciting day ahead of me today. A couple of months ago I bought my teenage son two tickets to a Kendrick Lamar concert. I had never listened to Kendrick but my son is a big fan and I thought he could take one of his friends along for company as most of them wanted to go but couldn’t afford the cost. However, my son insisted that I should go with him. This was incredibly flattering but seemed like a waste of a ticket…also it’s a standing ticket and being on my feet in a crowd for hours made my back ache in anticipation (plus it’s freezing ).Anyway…the concert is tonight! I’ve done my homework…listened to all the albums, read the Vanity Fair article …and I am really excited/curious! I have never been to a loud stadium concert before, ever. So, the plan is to dance my feet off and just take in the atmosphere and see what happens. Perfume!!!???? i need help here.
I’d be way chuffed if a teenager _wanted_ me to go to a concert with him! That said, I imagine you’ll smell better than 99.9% of the attendees in whatever perfume you wear. Have fun dancing!
You should wear whatever makes you feel as though your [censored] is as big as the Eiffel Tower, of course.
lol
That sounds like a great experience — I hope you have fun and will report back!
Have fun! Wear Queen!
Take earplugs, just in case.
OMG, yes!!! I forgot about this!
Strongly seconded!
Enjoy the concert! As for perfume, wear something BIG!!! I remember a lot of smoke at the concerts I went to in my early 20’s, and not all of it was from cigarettes of pyrotechnics.
GAH! That should be “or pyrotechnics”!
I also second this. Something BIG. If you want to fit in with a younger crowd, you could go with something fruity floral, or a cheap thrill scent. There’s always someone wafting patchouli at these arena things, so you could be that someone if you wanted to.
I am so jealous! Report back!
Yes, please do!
SNEK!!
(Me no like sneks. Fun fact: when Bookworm was a toddler, she was OBSESSSSSED with this nonfiction snake book, with facts and many many pictures, that my brother had owned as a child, and insisted that we read it to her every. single. night before bedtime. Ooked me out completely.)
It is hot here and I hope it will rain this afternoon. The grass is a bit crunchy. Wearing Hanae Mori Haute Couture, which makes me think of a white wine sangria… yum.
Bookworm is after my very own heart! When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a herpatologist and had snakes off and on throughout my teenage years. If any of my friends found an injured snake, they brought it to me, I took them to the vet, and kept them until they were fat, healthy, and sassy, then released them in a safe habitat. In the Chinese zodiac, I’m a Wood Snake sign, so maybe that’s why the affinity? Is bookworm a snake sign too?
Ooh, I don’t know! Lemme go look it up… nope, not a Snake.
She spent about 8 months fascinated by snakes, and then SNAP the obsession was gone. Shrug. I dunno. As for my feeling about snakes, I’ll put it this way: in theory I don’t mind them, so long as they are outside. And far away from me.
Yes, the discrepancy between theory and practice is an entertaining thing to examine.
I understand their ecological value, I understand that many people find them beautiful – nonetheless, I’m …. not a fan. Which was a problem when I worked at a zoo. Fortunately, the zookeepers would warn me: “Aparatchick, we’re coming through with a python!” **shudder**
Oh, I feel ya. *shudders in sympathy*
Ha! Mine (although older than a toddler) is like that about spiders and tarantulas. She completely horrified her teacher at school this year by doing report after report about arachnids. I feel for you on the snake book.
Luckily, the snake book fell apart (BOO HOO SO SAD!… no, literally it did fall apart and I taped it together once with packaging tape, but then it disintegrated again), so I didn’t have to deal with my other two kids wanting me to read that particular book.
But to this day I can tell the difference between a pit viper and an elapid.
That is funny, I was just realizing the other day that I (happily) no longer remember the name of every dinosaur that ever walked the face of the earth! So that tells you what my son’s obsession was.
Am wearing SL Fleurs D’Oranger and it was a good choice, I think, for a warm, but not too humid day.
Think I will wear that one today and pretend it’s summer.
You smell gorgeous!
I like this week’s theme. SOTD – last spray of Bombay Bling from a decant (finished it!!!). Beverage to go with it – Mango Infused Vodka.
Perfect pairing. ????????
I’m wearing Le Labo Tubereuse 40 from my city sampler set. This perfume is a joke especially at the price it costs! It goes on as a bland citrus and no tuberose at all. After a couple of hours, all I can smell is a very faint tuberose. Geez Louise! It did put me in mind of my nice travel size bottle of Tubereuse 2 Virginale, and I think I’ll apply some of that a bit later. It’s a non-scary tuberose.
Thanks for the honesty, scratched off the tuberoses to try list!
I’m also underwhelmed by that LL and sad NY got such a dullard to represent. BUT, there’s a woman at work who always smells great and that’s what she wears, turns out!
Started this week with Bogue MEM. Wow, what a lovely sweet-ish lavender!
You smell great!
Thanks Jiji
You smell amazing. I’ve been wearing it a lot this summer.
Fat Electrician…sample again. Vetiver…what’s not to like?
Nice weekend. Drove up to have lunch in wine country with a friend for her birthday. Nice and relaxing but quite a bit of driving…about 4.5 total (hour to her place, hour to wine town). Got home late and then joined another friend at a sports bar at 7:45 am for WC. I was for Croatia, but happy for my French friends. I did nap in the couch for about an hour in the afternoon with one of the Harry Potter movies on in the background….
Sister from So Cal plans to drive up tomorrow… Weather in Central Valley is expected to be very hot, so she’s planning to leave at 4 am to catch the coolest hour rather than risk overheating her car.
Do you notice any of the other listed notes with Fat Electrician?
Not the OP but I’m wearing it right now and do pick up the chestnut cream.
Just curiosity on my part. I definitely get the yuzu in addition to the vetiver.
I’m terrible at picking out notes. I got vetiver mostly.
World Snake Day – I didn’t know there was such a thing! There are no snakes in New Zealand, and they’re not even permitted in zoos, so I’m excited to visit zoos overseas and see snakes in safety – especially in Australia, there are some strange creatures in that country
Perfume-wise, I’m in a celebratory mood. It’s going to be a nice day, and the bathroom is nearly finished. I think Trayee will fit the bill.
Congrats on seeing the near completion of your bathroom project! Extra bonus points if it came in on time and on budget.
I am apparently quite poor at participating in the community projects. Today I am wearing Chanel 28 La Pausa and its elegant dry iris is perfect for the office and the heat.
I wouldn’t want a snake as a pet, but I’m happy for them to go about their business outside as long as we don’t meet. Anything that eats mice and rats gets a thumbs up from me.
I feel the same way about spiders. They are very welcome outside, eating insect pets! Not so much indoors (aka at all!) with me.
*nods*
I have the same weather as Hajusuuri…stinking hot and humid! Heat indexes are between 97 and 108, depending on location and which weather forecaster I check out. Ugh! ????
And as an added bonus, we have our grill and smoker in our kitchen right now. We got word from our HOA that the outsides of our buildings were being power washed this week. So we removed everything from our front steps and patio. It didn’t happen today. I’m hoping that tomorrow is the day, and that everything can go back into its rightful spot ASAP.
SOTD = Alaia EdP, from that gorgeous black bottle. Third day of wearing it. I fell off the “Use It UP!” wagon for a bit. But this steamy weather practically demands that I wear the Alaia. I won’t argue. ????
Mmm you smell gooood
Thank you!
The steamy weather dictated for me today too.
I totally understand that. I sniffed TM Aura over the weekend, and although I liked it at first, it got cloying really quickly. I think the hot weather had at least a partial hand in that, so I will re-sniff in cooler weather.
My weather is usually similar to yours. We’re expecting isolated thunderstorms and the humidity is ridiculous.
I may join you tomorrow wearing Alaia. We’ll see what the morning brings.
Some places near me had rather impressive thunderstorms this afternoon. Not a fan of the predicted weather for tomorrow… but all I can do is try to wear the right perfume for it.
Using up lingering samples. Today Ombre Rose. Quite pretty but it fades..
That could be a good thing if you are sweltering in summer heat!
Ombré Rose was a big scent back in the day. I used to have a bottle but my mother complained about it so much that I stopped wearing it. She said it gave her a headache. ????
Joining the Monday Use It Up! folks and have finished…a bee bottle! Sorta: I decanted the last of Vetiver Pour Elle into a 10 ml spray and will pass the fancy bottle on to a friend who loves fancy bottles, possibly even more than fancy perfumes themselves…
That’s so nice! And I think it definitely counts as finishing the bottle.
Left arm = Gingerbread + Eggnog
Right arm = Rain + Wet Garden
Big fan of my left arm today!
Hey, I’m participating in the project and didn’t know it! I’ll rejoin the Use It Up club tomorrow. I ordered an assortment of Demeter travel sprays, which I didn’t need, so I will continue to be distracted. ????
Literally laughed out loud at the left arm comment ????
Fleur de Lalita today. Sweeter than I normally do, but it’s lovely and I was in the mood.
I got a sample of Zoologist Civet a while back… couldn’t remember what I’d done with it… encountered it by accident this morning… put on a light application, so as not to injure my co-workers (hey, it’s only Monday; I might change my mind about that later in the week
). To my nose, this is a pretty tame kitty. I’m trying to come up with some civet-bombs from the past, but so far memory isn’t cooperating. Any suggestions?
Vintage Ysatis, off the top of my head. Not actually sure if it had civet, or just smelled like it did.
Oh, I went through a couple of bottles of Ysatis in the 80s; didn’t know it was civet-y, though.
Vintage Femme, before its cumin-y reformulation. And vintage Sheherazade.
Ah, I don’t know how “vintage” my Femme is… I seem to have a pretty high tolerance for cumin, I think mine might be reformulated. Think I’ve got a vintage sample of Sheherazade somewhere…
I forgot to mention vintage Bal a Versailles, too! I’ve never actually smelled it, but it is supposed to be a reference scent for civet.
The very first Carolina Hererra, Paco Rabanne La Nuit, SL MKK, Revlon Intimate, Avon Occur, DSH Mirabella, vintage No. 5, and Panthere de Cartier. Those are the ones I own. Can you tell I like civet?
Amouage Beloved!
Ummm, umm, good!
Good ones; of those, I’ve smelled MKK, Occur and vintage No. 5. I’ve always wanted to try DSH but get overwhelmed easily by all the choices and don’t know where to jump in. Mirabella might be a good start.
Lanvin My Sin..
Another vintage sample that I ordered and _must_ locate!!!
My sister loved it many years ago, and I’d like to get a scent-memory of it again.
Thanks so much for the suggestions, everyone.
Super hot out so I reached for a nearly empty bottle of Lemoncello (the perfume, not the delicious liquer) by Royal Apothic. I tried to drain it but there’s a bit left. It’s a really fresh lemon fragrance, linear but great for this heat.
In an effort to ‘use it up’ I’m hoping that tomorrow I will hear the satisfying ‘thunk’ in the garbage can a’la hajusurri.
Lemoncello the liqueur sounds great for sticky summer weather! ????
It’s almost too late to post. I wore EB Apollo Hyacinth today. Funny, the first few times I wore it, I thought it was just okay. A little too high pitched. Today it smells gorgeous. I don’t know if my decant improved with age or has my sense of smell has changed? It’s strange but I don’t need another expensive lemming. Crud.
Someone will still be reading! ????
Maybe there was a big change in the weather this time? Some scents are very responsive to heat and humidity, or the lack thereof.
Must be. It smells so different to the first few times I wore it.
I think that one’s gorgeous. Too bad I can’t afford a bottle.
Me neither. ????