(Monday), and happy birthday Jeff Goldblum! What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm testing Providence Perfume Co Sedona Sweetgrass, thanks to a very kind reader.
Reminder: on 10/26, step out of your comfort zone by wearing a perfume that you find challenging. Suggested by lucasai.
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 Uptown Sedona [cropped] by Norton Gusky at flickr; some rights reserved.
SOTD is This is not a Blue Bottle from my year of Olfactif samples. I loved it when I first tried it, but now several months later, I feel a bit “meh” toward it. For whatever reason, I’m getting a little cat pee from it today whereas I didn’t before. Oh well.
I can never decide if I feel happy (for money saved) or sad when I lose interest in something that I first loved. That happened recently to me with Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena (probably because it’s just not strong enough for me, though very pretty).
Did you buy a bottle? If not, your year of samples saved you!
Serge lutens Le participe passe, smells great!
Yay for anything new from Serge smelling great!
Olympic Orchards Red Cattleya, which I totally thought fit the bill for challenging perfumes; then my husband hugged me goodbye and said “mm, coconutty” and now I realize it is sort of a fruit salad. Apparently I am challenged by peachiness.
LOL — that is funny but in a nice way!
I liked Red and Golden Cattleya, but not enough to own them. Red was more challenging to me, though.
Red was total sugary froot salad on me. Could not deal.
Ah, there you go, it’s challenging after all! I knew it.
I find peach challenging too!
I used to find Dans Tes Bras challenging. I was simultaneously drawn to it and slightly repulsed by it. Now I looooooove it. And today it’s my sotd.
You smell great, I love DTB!
Isn’t it lovely? I’m so glad I stuck with it.
That was my experience of it, too, but I still like it. I think it’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of perfume.
It sure seems like it. I think it’s sort of misunderstood. I wonder if it were taken out of context of the rest of the Malle line, it might have more fans. It just kind of defies the rules a bit. I think I relate to it on a personal level. ????
It’s definitely one of the weirder and more sensual ones of the earlier Malles and suspecting not a huge seller, so kudos to them for keeping it in the lineup!
I feel the same way about it. Finished my sample in May and still cannot get it out of my head. Strange and sensual.
I love Dans tes Bras. However, I absolutely cannot wear it to my job teaching high school students – it is far too “adult”. I love wearing it around the house in the evenings.
Today’s Cheap thrills SOTD is Epygtian Musk by Kuumba Made, layered over the matching body lotion. Happy Monday everyone!
I’m in the mood for musk today too, wearing Kiehl’s.
Kiehl’s musk is another cheap thrill, I love how the body lotion smells heavily of lily of the valley. Do you like the oil or edt spray?
I had a bottle of the oil years ago and now have an older bottle of the edt. I should look into getting the lotion, never would have thought it smells like lotv. I am a fan of Kuumba Made’s amber paste but haven’t tried the musk lotion, need to change that!
Sadly I’m anosmic to Kuumba Made Egyptian Musk, but I’m sure you smell fabulous! I’m joining the musk parade with another cheap thrill – Alyssa Ashley Musk
holyneroli – I love Alyssa Ashley’s Musk! I have the lotion and shower gel, which are pretty nice also. 🙂
Ooh! Too bad I just promised my bf that I would stop crowding our shower with shower gels ????
And you don’t want to know how many bars of soap that I have in the shower!
Have you read this?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/18/t-magazine/subtle-musks-men.html
No, thanks hajusuuri!
It mentions Musc Ravageur, which I’ve never been able to wear (and should love it, but I don’t…).
There’s a few on this list I’ve never heard of, but wow the prices are spectacular, aren’t they? 😀
They have not even listed the big hitters: Areej Le Dore for example commands upward of 300 for a 50 ml bottle. It is higher concentration and absolutely amazing, but the price tag is out of this world
Thanks Clarissa, I’ve never heard of that one. I’ll give it a try ! 🙂
I am starting off the week with a challenging perfume which is a a golden honeyed masterpiece: Mendittorosa Rituale.
I love the idea behind the perfume..”Rituals from ancient cultures; myths, symbols and religions in one perfume…etc etc…”
However there is a lot of power and a lot of personality which has been very challenging for me. Beautiful and rough..Sweet and bitter..Honey..beeswax..passion fruit..
The only reason I keep my small sample (from a split meet) is because its one of the few perfumes Mr. L likes to lean in a little closer 😉
I love Rituale and don’t find it challenging, it’s just incense and beeswax on me. Thankfully I don’t get the passionfruit, which often smells funky on me.
Dear Cazaubon..I envy you! When you first apply Rituale, how do you find it?
I find it interesting that scents that are challenging on me like this one, I receive the most compliments!
Challenging or not, I will not be parted from my small decant of this one.
It does have a slightly animalic opening, but only for a few seconds. Then it’s just incense and beeswax. It doesn’t smell like ruit though; not sure what the animalic note is.
I have a hard tine with that one also but I do like it.
I really love this one, but on some days there is something unpleasant. I think you nailed it with the passion fruit
I am in Hermes Caleche EdT. It is a very interesting and original scent, but I do find it challenging.
That one I find challenging too..but oh you smell soooo good!
I love that one, do you get a suede note ?
Thank you.
Sometimes I think of giving it away, since this is not really ‘my’ scent, but it’s so unique and striking, and I do enjoy wearing after it settles on my skin. Plus it’s only a small decant and vintage… So I keep it although I use it rarely.
I love Caleche but find it challenging because it is so much classier than I am 🙂
I feel it is too powerful and complex for the puny me. 😀 There is so much stuff in this scent! Or maybe it just likes outdoors and my apartment is not a good place to wear it.
Just wearing good old Sables, which I don’t find challenging in the least, but opinions on this point differ!
I love Sables.
So do I! I also love Songes which is one of your favourites.
I’m wearing Luctor et Emergo for the first time. I applied it lightly for me, and I do not find it challenging so far. For challenging I have to go for either vanilla, fig, or anise, or something huge like Angel or Alien.
Do you like?
It’s like, not love so far. A little sweet for my taste.
It is sweet. I find it incredibly comforting but know lots of people who hate it 🙂
SOTD is Mohur.
You smell great! ????Did you see that Mohur is on sale at Olfactif for $150?
Actually it’s on sale for $125, plus $10 shipping. Thanks for the hot tip! (regular price is $250)
Even better!
Bond no 9 Eau d’ New York. Robin called it “brash” in her review, but seemed to like it. I should have liked it according to the notes, but find this one challenging, like a too loud companion. Luckily only bought a sample.
I adore Eau de N.Y., it’s green-stemmed neroli and ivy on me. 🙂
“A too loud companion” is a great description!
Gotta get back in the swing of posting my SOTD! 🙂
Today I felt like Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt….soooooo good!
Hope everyone has a great week!
I’m in the vestiges of Taklamakan, dying slowly, and sweetly fading into oblivion. Nice to see your post and your recent Instagram video. I’m sure you smell delightful today!
Oops! Sorry Jada, I’m disoriented this morning!
LOL! I’ve been following you and T-Rex on the road…..you certainly get around to some beautiful places! 🙂 And you smell good doing it…..
You smell gorgeous. I hope you had a great Monday!
Joining Jada in the house, JM Myrrh & Tonka.
I haven’t smelled that one! I need to get myself to a Jo Malone counter and see what’s happening over there. Maybe I’ll wait til Christmas time and see what seasonal goodies show up! 🙂
Myrrh & Tonka is a yummy fall scent! You smell wonderful!
Forgive me, Donnatella, for I have sinned. I have won a bottle of L’Heure Bleue. I didn’t expect to win the auction because prices can be ridiculous for LHB. Spent only $29 including shipping. But I am wearing vintage no 5 in edt form. I will wear LHB on Wednesday when I am not working.
$29 is hardly a sin!
That is an amazing eBay bargain! Wow!
Agree, congrats Dawn!
SOTD is Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess (a blind buy I got to pair with my Halloween costume), which I was also wearing over the weekend when a man walked past me and told me how good I smelled. He guessed it must be “something expensive like Tom Ford.” Oh boy. That’s quite a marketing win for Tom Ford, I guess.
I love that one by auric blends. I had the oil roller ball version and used it up pretty quickly. I may need to head over to their site soon…you do smell great????????
I like a few Auric Blend perfume oils. I like to mix the amber with honey/almond.
Oh my goodness, I haven’t thought of a perfume to go with my costume yet but of course I must have one!
A good Egyptian Musk is a good thing to have, seriously.
Now why haven’t I given any serious thought to perfume for Halloween before? ????
Woke up with a sore throat and congestion. Ugh.. I have a meeting in ten minutes. Sotd is Boucheron Place Vendome. This to me is my prettiest perfume, in a good way. I do find the catogory of pretty, challenging. I tend to feel like a poseur wearing them. This one makes me feel happy.
Enjoy your happiness
Hope it got you through the meeting, Lillyjo!
Feel better lillyjo and I’m sure you smell lovely!
Thanks everyone! The meeting went on way to long. Now for some sitting time, and early to bed!
I hope you feel better soon.
Bleah on the sore throat! Feel better soon!
In Cuir D’Ange, inspired by the splitmeet (those Hermessences are calling to me – but I must remain strong and use my samples up first!). It’s the opposite of challenging – I think most people could wear this happily, and offend nobody.
Happy Monday!
I thought that too once, I underestimated it and massively oversprayed.
Absolutely not challenging myself today – I’m in Hiram Green Arbole Arbole.
A favorite of mine – I do wish it had more sillage though
I’m in my opposite of the challenge today–Coco Chanel. It is my reliable black suit that I can dress up for a gala our down for a busy day at work. The waist sits in a forgiving spot that seems to always accommodate my weight, the neckline and cut of the sleeves are classic, the length works with heels or flats, and best of all, I still get compliments on this old thing after so many years.
Great description! Now I just need that suit….
I love this description.
I sprayed that on at Ulta this weekend…great description.
Eau des Merveilles for me today. I seem to be slightly obsessed with it lately, but it just smells so dang good.
I agree, it does smell so dang good!
I’m wearing Tea for Two today, which is not at all challenging. Today was the first day of early voting here in Texas, so I stopped on my way to work this morning and voted. The line was around the building, which I’d never seen at that polling place before, and which was encouraging. Luckily the line moved quickly.
Good for you! I plan to vote this week too, as the polls are finally open late enough here for me to make it in after work.
Do people vote early because they think the lines will be longer on Election Day (or are they just anxious)? Everyone I know votes by mail–got my ballot in last week. Guess I fall into the ‘anxious’ category.
I’m volunteering with a local political group and we are strongly encouraging people to vote early, either by mail or in person. I believe the purpose is to get more people to vote who might not be able to on election day, and to eliminate the risk of a last-minute reason keeping you from the polls.
There’s a website where you plug in your street address and it gives your block a grade for voter turnout. My block got a “D” in the last election ????
I’d give my whole city an ‘F’ — something like 48% couldn’t be bothered. Disgraceful.
Swap night at Fumerie was amazing. I cannot believe I snagged a Chanel personal perfume counter–the box with perfumes of No. 5, No. 22, CdR, BdI, and Gardenia. I also got Teatro alla Scala, a vintage Diorissimo perfume, Classic Bois 1920, Organza, a Smellbent Frankensmellie, and a giant bottle of Panorama I will offer in the next swapmeet. I swapped away a travel bottle of Incense Rose, a half bottle of Dilettante, Geisha Noire, Lush Lust, and Pacifica Tunisian Jasmine.
Today I’m wearing Onda edp, challenging but so interesting.
WOW! Great haul!!
Sounds like a great swap!
You got some really good ones !!
Congratulations on your swaps, foxbins, especially Teatro a la Scala, such a beautiful scent, I wouldn’t be without it.
Wow, you did quite well! Congrats on your haul.
Wow! Sounds like you scored some great stuff!
Whoa! Well done!
Fantastic!!! I’m amazed.
Seriously NICE goodies!!
I’m wafting Chanel no 22, which I don’t find challenging. Just beautiful ????
COUMARIN: if you’re reading today, I haven’t received an email from you regarding your split claim. Please contact me here if you’re having trouble with my email address (pretsky35 over at hot male). I hope all is ok…Thanks!
You smell heavenly.
Thank you!
Very beautiful 🙂
Agree wholeheartedly ????
That was my one grandmother’s favorite. I still have a soap of it from before she died. Long ago.
Nice memento to have, and just nice to have in general. I’m tempted to get a no 5 soap one of these days.
Nirvana Bourbon today. Certainly not challenging, but at least it smells good.
Not feeling it at work today at all. Just want to go home.
You certainly do smell good. Hope you are already enjoying the comforts of home by now.
You smell great. I hope you poured yourself a bourbon when you got home!
A nice little aged tequila but close enough! 😉
Mondays aren’t the best of days for trying a challenging scent, IMO.
I put in a late entry into the Splitmeet. Enabler husband could not get the SA at Nordstrom to give him a sample of Tom Ford Lost Cherry, so he ordered it from Neiman’s with the 20% off deal.
I have yet to smell it on skin.
Today I am in Dior Ambre Nuit, which I have only recently learned is considered a masculine. Not that it matters; just thought ‘huh!’
I uncharacteristically did not indulge in the NM discount but I did some damage at Nordstrom. ANYWAY, I saw that EBates had 10% Cash Back ????
I’m wearing Dior Ambre Nuit, happy that the weather if finally cool enough to wear fall/winter fragrances.
Here’s an odd little story in today’s paper about perfume preferred at the big cat rescue in my town. Apparently, tigers prefer Obsession while ocelots favor Axe body spray. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/latest-news/article220268695.html
My cat likes them all, as a snack licked directly from the arm.
I wore this too today. First colder day here in Germany
Today I am wearing Phlur Olmstead & Vaux and drinking a cup of blueberry black tea, a gift from a friend.
Olmstead & Vaux is not challenging, just really nice for a Monday.
Monday is already challenging enough as it is 🙂
Happy birthday Jeff! He manages to get cooler and more interesting as he ages….
I’d like to point out that today is also Wombat Day. I note it because I so desperately wanted to have a wombat for a pet when I was a kid (we lived in Tasmania for a year). I settled for a stuffed koala bear.
Am in Geisha Noire today as another scent to keep me cozy. Really like this one.
If you are interested, todays bing photo is a wombat… http://www.bing,com
You smell so good. Geisha Noire is one of my favs.
That is a good cozy scent. You smelled great today! And Yes! to Jeff Goldblum. Totally agree. He’s super funny, too.
Hello from Stockholm, dear friends! We are relaxing in our lovely hotel room before dinner after a long day of adventuring. We have a great view, but sadly, our sleep is rudely interrupted at 8am with construction work 🙁
I come bearing scented stories and food stories! Perfume first. I went to Byredo (I had to!), where the SA started out quite tepid but warmed up to me once she figured out I was a perfume nutso. I tried on a ton of things, including Eleventh Hour (nice; not necessary in my collection). My favorites on paper were Bibliothèque, Black Saffron, Velvet Haze, and 1996. On skin, Velvet Haze turned into a patchouli bomb (nice, but I don’t need another one; Molinard Patchouli, which costs a heck of a lot less, will do just fine). Black Saffron is still nice but not amazing. 1996 smells just like LADDM on me!!! I’m not crazy; the SA agreed (though perhaps she was humoring me). Does this happen to anyone else?
The winner seems to be Bibliothèque, so I got a sample to test it out. It’s a gorgeous smoky leather. I’m not supposed to buy perfume, but this of course would be a souvenir.
I also tried la Selle. I didn’t even know Byredo made extraits de parfum! I love it, but it seems it’s being discontinued and will be brought back in a different form (not reformulated, she insists!) in the near future. Money saved, I guess? I really liked it, though. Also a smoky leather. I am sensing a theme.
Then we walked past Chanel and I was ogling the pretty red bottles when the SA vigorously waved me in. She was the nicest Chanel SA I’ve ever met!!! She led me through the three newish Chanel eaux, the gorgeous huiles, and encouraged me gently to explore the makeups (I declined). I walked out with samples of Paris-Deauville and Paris-Biarritz (Venise, like the city, was not my thing). Those are also in the running for souvenir.
Ok, it’s time to go to dinner now. I’ll get around to food and chocolate tomorrow. Hope you’re all well! Looking forward to reading about your SOTDs later! I smell fabulous in my mixture of nine scents 🙂
Thank you for sharing Koyel, I am enjoying reading about your multi-scented day.
Thanks, Aurora! It was a lovely day 🙂
Oh no, construction after all your careful jet lag precautions! The best laid plans… sounds like you are awake enough to have fun, anyway!
Yeah, I made it! And then passed out at 11. I think I’ll need some catchup sleep when I get back to the US next weekend.
So glad you are having a great time!
Thanks, KellyC! I hope the rest of the week measures up 🙂
It sounds like you’re having fun, Koyel!
La Selle was nose searing. The one I ended up getting was Reine de Nuit – Rose!
Ooh I actually didn’t smell that one (the SA called it floral, which of course it is, but I always forget that roses are floral when trying to decide what’s worth sniffing and what isn’t). But I bet it’s gorgeous!
That sounds fabulous. (Except for the construction.). Thanks for reminding me that I have a sample of 1996 that I wanted to pull out once it cooled down.
Oh yes, and then please tell me if you think it’s just like a slightly sweeter, more vanillic LADDM!
I’m enjoying your travel log very much, Koyel! Good luck deciding what your scented souvenir will be.
Thanks, Jalapeno! (And even if I should get one! As we speak, I’m getting two things from the splitmeet. Shouldn’t that sate my acquisitive heart?)
Sounds like you had a great day sniffing and was lucky with SAs.
I really was! It’s always amazing what a difference a good SA can make.
What fun! And how nice that Stockholm has the nicest Chanel SA in the world.
I know, right?? I sometimes think about the horrible Berlin Chanel SAs. Why would any nice brand hire such dreadful people? Even in Stockholm, the SA who wasn’t helping me looked pretty sour. But mine was just the loveliest.
SotD = Tam Dao
Watched Dr Strange again over the weekend. Tam Dao feels nice in the visual aftermath. Some of that CGI action just gets silly after a while. Loads of fun tho.
I hope Jeff Goldblum lives forever, he’s one of a kind. So are Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, they were an odd and interesting pairing for a Marvel movie. I still can’t decide who is more intriguing. Oh well, hidy-ho, the Monday to do list beckons.
Have a great week my fragrant sisters and brothers.
Hello scent twin! ????????
Snap! We smell(ed) great today 😀
Today my challenging perfume is Montana Parfum de Peau, it is a kitten of a scent on my skin at the end of the day, the stage I like most, on application it was a roaring tiger though.
Celebrating cooling temps with Frederic Malle’s DVN
Another challenge for … I have to pick between smelling good and being able to breathe.
Wow, everyone smells fantastic today! Nice job, NST.
For my sotd, I had intended to repeat the Cuir de Russie that I wore yesterday, but somehow my hand slipped past it to the L’Aimant that I wore last Friday. Sometimes the hand surprises…
Wearing CdR would be a challenge for me as it is all barnyard on me!
My SOTD is Cuir de Lancome which offers me no challenge at all.
That is such a smooth and gorgeous fragrance!
????
Cuir de Lancome is gorgeous! I should pull out my sample from the stash and put it into rotation.
Nope. Me neither. You smell lovely!
SOTD is Civet, but lightly applied. In Michigan now and waiting at the Memory Clinic while they do tests with my mom. It’s cold but sunny and the maples are blazing.
Hope things go well for you and your mom.
Wishing your mom and you well. It must be very difficult.
Wishing your mother well, Calypso. Even I have to admit the fall colors are particularly vibrant this year. I hope you get a peaceful moment to take them in.
Thinking of you and your mom.
Best wishes for you and your mom Calypso.
Sounds challenging. I hope it went ok!
Hugs and best wishes <3
Good morning all. It feels like Monday here, after a long weekend. It was lovely to have an extra day off, and the weather was fabulous.
I’ll save my challenging perfumes for the evening (I don’t want to my colleagues to be taken by surprise!), and will wear Le Galion’s Sortilège today.
No reason for your co-workers to have to do the challenge too 🙂
SOTD = Dior Mitzah
My word. Gorgeousness personified (not me, Mitzah). It was not challenging to wear but I jumped through hoops to get a free sample (back when I did not carry around empty atomizers and when I tried to avoid Large Samples).
For those who have an Apple Watch, if someone asked you What is the top reason why you bought it, what is your answer?
Commuting Woes No. 606:
A guy whose clothes reeked of years worth of food and stale cigarettes AND who has a bad case of halitosis stood behind me today. Thank goodness I wore 2 scarves so I was able to breath with my mouth through it.
Guess it wouldn’t be PC to have areas reserved for the less fortunate. I recent saw two Britts comment about the NYC public trsansport on YouTube. They were really surprised by how outdated and dirty it was, etc.
He did not look like he was less fortunate…quite often, it’s a matter of hygiene or it reflects the type of job the person is in…there are just certain smells that I prefer not to have to smell.
I laughed out loud that you said “not me, Mitzah” ! I’m sure you are both gorgeous ????
OMG… so glad you had scarves for protection from the foul miasma.
How would you describe Mitzah?
I got my Apple Watch so I could track my swimming. Now I use it all the time to make sure I’m moving adequately every day.
In Mohur – I really am liking it! I expected it to be a loud one but it’s actually pretty demure. Makes it a good choice for teaching days. The drydown is so smooth and lovely
Mohur is a beauty.
I’m excited to receive mine from the split!
Busy Monday! I had some cat wrangling earlier today… it was Pixel kitty’s turn to go to the vet for a checkup. Looks like she needs dental surgery for a bad tooth. We’ve known that this particular tooth was not OK for a while, so it wasn’t a total surprise.
SOTD = Diptyque Tam Dao EdT, from the sample stash. This sounded like just the thing to wear to the vet’s office. It also worked rather well over the weekend, when I has no energy whatsoever. Feeling better today, so whatever it was seems to have been a short lived bug.
Glad that you are feeling better jalapeno. I haven’t tried Tam Dao but I’m sure that it is lovely on you.
So sorry for Pixel kitty but she’ll feel better once she has that tooth taken care of. Cats are stoic when they are in pain.
Agree that cats are stoic! Especially Pixel with this tooth. She doesn’t protest or flinch when she is touched in that area.
Awww, poor Pixel. I hope she recovers quickly when it’s done. My last cat had all but 2 teeth pulled by the time she was 17. She was fine after it all was done, but no dry food anymore.
Hopefully it won’t involve her having to wear the Cone of Shame. She didn’t like that one and only time with it in the slightest.
I miss my Tam Dao sample. I guess that means I need a FB. 😉 Hope the kitty is on the mend soon.
Maybe get a decent-sized decent first? Unless you are putting Tam Dao on your Xmas list…
Pixel isn’t having the surgery right away. She tends to get car sick going to the vet, so I am letting her relax from that experience.
“Decent-sized decent?” I swear that I typed “decent-sized decant”!
Glad you are feeling better today. Good luck with the kitty dental surgery.
Thanks lillyjo!