It's Candlemas / Groundhog Day, and we're marking the occasion with our same old lazy weekend open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you'll buy if spring is early this year, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is early spring [cropped] by Acid Pix at flickr; some rights reserved.
SOTD is Ibitira from a sample vial. I had tried this years ago and liked it a lot but balked at the price. I wanted to see if I still liked it and I do. I no longer am shocked by the price either. The current prices of niche make iXerjoff’s prices seem pretty average.
To me Xerjoff is still on a higher price shelf but you’re right, everything is getting more pricy in the niche.
Oh, the picture has changed! Been a different one just a moment ago.
Today I’m wearing Nishane Ambra Calabria. I think it’s a perfect transitional fragrance. It’s fresh & citrusy but it’s also warm & ambery. It’s somewhere in between a warm and cold season.
Has anyone here tried new Chanel 1957 by now? I bought a decant in a split but it seems to be taking quite long for the host to send it.
I realized I had misread the copyright on the first one…so it is gone
This one is pretty too!
Was just reading about 1957. Doesn’t sound very interesting but of course I’m eager to try it. I think Sycamore and 31 Rue Cambon are still my two favorites.
For me it would be 28 La Pausa (never convinced myself to buy it because it lasts 1 hour on me) and Boy.
LOVE Rue Cambon but so does my son which is why he stole it
I just saw a first impression of it on YouTube from superdacob, he seemed to have a mixed reaction.
Thanks! Don’t like watching video reviews (prefer to read) but I’m getting more curious if I’ll like it or not.
I prefer written also. I just love looking at “live” bottles, though, LOL
I have and it smelled the most generic out of all the Les Exclusifs.
Oops… sounds like my decant might turn into a waste of money.
I’m in Mediterraneo EDT (I think) this morning, and am wondering if any of you have tried the extrait and can tell me how different (or not) it is from the “regular strength”.
I dabbed a little of Gardener’s Glove by St Clair courtesy of recent freebie meet. I liked the flower hothouse evocation but I think it would be too much sprayed. I think mostly I like the perfumer’s own story
Try some of the other ones too, if you can.
Please be early, spring! I am beyond done with winter!
Testing and wearing a whole buncha DSH since last night thanks to the freebiemeet…Antiu, Oude Arabique, Essenza dell’Ibisco, Ma plus Belle Histoire d’Amour, Beach Roses, Musc eau Naturelle, Prana, Epice d’Hiver, Bodhi Sattva, St Valentine and Ashram…thus far the last two are my favorite…they read very powdery on my skin.
I don’t usually put alot of stock in the groundhogs predictions, but this year I am a believer!
We can only hope!!!! xxoo
Supporting your belief strongly. Let’s hope!
I enjoyed hearing about your earworm that popped up late Friday. “Thunkity thunk thunk” is based on an old knock that I did as a kid. It was based on the meter of the lines “Somebody loves you, guess who”.
Ha and my earworm was based on the Frosty the Snowman song-LOL!
Heading to the ballet today for an afternoon performance followed by dinner at our place. One of the dancers will be a guest! Such a treat! #nyclife
SOTD: Jasmins Marzipane— quickly falling for this one
NYC Ballet or ABT?
NYC; Greek trilogy by Balanchine & Stravinsky
Nice!!! enjoy!
I love Stravinsky and ballet, hope the dancers are good.
Sounds fabulous. I would love to see more ballet . I hope you have a good time.
Have a great time!
That sounds so fun, enjoy!
I have decided to have 5 days of Tom Ford – the line I hate to love. Well, I really only love a handful which includes Grey Vetiver, Oud Wood, Tobacco Oud and Noir Anthracite, among a few others. I’m straying with Tobacco Oud. ?
I think Noir Anthracite is really well done. I would love to smell it on a guy.
I really like Grey Vetiver. Seems like the Signature line appeals to me more than the Private Blends.
Agree. Grey Vetiver is my favorite of all
A couple of weeks ago Robin posted soap from Filthy Farm Girl as a Daily Lemming. I bought a few bars and can report on 2 of them.
Filthy Eggnog: an overwhelming spice scent, mostly clove. No milky aspect, no nutmeg? It’s not bad, I like spice, but this is not eggnog. There’s no cloves in eggnog!?
Cardamom Rose: now this ones a winner. Delicate rose, more rose water rather then lush bouquet and mixed with faint cardamom. I think of Swedish pastries when I use this one.
Both are big bars, lots of soft lather and they soften my skin. Shipping was free and the site shows tons of different scents.
I also bought the Orange Cream but that ones on dock for sunnier days.
I was interested in these too, thanks for sharing your reviews! Cardamom Rose sounds lovely.
I was curious as well, thanks for the report. The rose cardamom sounds good.
Kelly Red, thank you so much for reporting back! Does the orange cream one smell good in the package?
Making soup with veggies, chickpeas and Za’atar spice
Frangipani perfume by Lili Bermuda
Lipstick queen lippy
The soup sounds delicious. I love some salted lemons with my chickpea soup, gives a special aroma
Making chicken soup with plenty of ginger and making lots of broth. I am using an entire organic farm raised chicken.
In case you didn’t know, Lipstick Queen is having a nice sale for some of their products: https://m.lipstickqueen.com/sale.html
Happy weekend, friends, and happy Chandeleur! That is not a thing people say, but I am hosting a Chandeleur crêpe party tonight, so it is happy for me. We’ve been preparing crêpe fixings all this week (mostly easy stuff; lots of chopping and sauteing, time consuming tasks but not much real cooking). Hopefully people will bring some hard cider, the traditional crêpcomaniment, but if not, we’ve got plenty of wine to keep things festive (not, of course, that you need poison to keep you festive).
I’m wearing Pierre Guillaume Poudre de Riz, and I’m not sure if I like it. I’m not sure I have any strong feelings about it at all. I sure do get the rice note, but…meh. I’ll put on something more delightful after I work out and shower, I expect.
When will you be able to break your no buy?
Haha
I had made good
Oops! Good progress towards my health goals before the holidays, but I’m afraid I have since regressed and am back to square one >.< so I think it’ll be a little while
Like a lot of people, I eat through my stress, and work has been really stressful lately. But my new decision to make more deliberate choices about how much work I take on might help me control how much sugary, starchy comfort I consume in the coming month!
I hear you on the stress although I am the opposite… I tend to not eat and then lose too much weight….if you want I would be happy to take some of your pounds ???…then you could cease your no buy!!!
CM8, I would LOVE to give you some of my pounds! I’ve been asking my cancer cat if he’d like three of my pounds for months. He insists on being too skinny though
Your crepe party sounds great, have fun
Thank you, it was lovely! Pretty low key, lots of good conversation, and yummy crepes of course!
I’m glad you had a good time.
That sounds like a great party to me. 
A much better idea than getting up early and waiting in the cold for a darned groundhog!
Do you live near Punxatawny(sp?)? I saw the event on TV. I think Pennsylvania will get a few more weeks of winter, much as I hate to say that.
Last year, my folks and I went to Florida near the end of February, saw the first Phillies spring training game in Clearwater, then went to Orlando because Dad wanted to do Disney. For the whole trip, things were harder than they needed to be, as some trips are, but I enjoyed the warm weather. We got back to Philadelphia a couple of weeks later, and it was cold and miserable for the rest of March and into April, if I remember correctly.
No Florida this year, but Mom said she’d like to go to Hawaii with Dad for their 50th anniversary. They’ll have to research when a good time of year would be for that trip.
It’s supposed to get warmer in the Philadelphia area in the next few days. I’m thinking of going to Longwood Gardens for the Orchid Extravaganza on one of the warmer days. At least in the conservatories, it will be warm and lush with growing plants.
I’ll let chocolatemarzipan know if I see a vanilla orchid. 
I know I’ve seen them there before.
yes!!! Please report back if you do indeed see one!!!
There should be pictures of the conservatories on http://www.longwoodgardens.org
No, actually I live very near Longwood Gardens.
I live a bit north of Longwood Gardens.
You could come visit in late May, when my Damask roses are blooming. 
Through much of spring and summer I try to have fragrant flowers blooming.
How lovely! I used to be an avid gardener but have totally given it up.
Some years I have been more ambitious than others, especially when it comes to how many plants I get in the spring and how many of them actually get planted properly once I get them home.
Dad quickly got tired of digging holes in the clay and shale (mostly shale) in our yard to plant roses, especially since he’d need to mow around them as they grew.
For a few years, I experimented with growing a lot of different sorts of flowering plants in pots, with mixed results. In the last couple of years I’ve been concentrating more on planting spring-blooming bulbs. We have daffodils that will survive anything and aren’t appetizing to deer the way roses and lilies and many other garden plants are. And I still grow annuals and tender perennials in pots.
Yep
agreed!
Oh yes, we do in France
Hope you had a wonderful party.
It was great fun! I think everyone had a good time; I certainly did
Half day off today, and grateful for warmer temperatures. Wearing Nahema for the second day in a row; I think I feel a binge coming on. It always makes me feel very grand and beautiful, even if I am just hanging out in the basement dealing with the laundry crisis. Drinking some jasmine green tea.
jasmine green tea is my favorite green tea
Until you try the Sweet Almond Green from Upton’s….
OOO! Need to look that up because I love almond anything!
I haven’t drank too many, but I really like this one. It’s what I think of as medium strength green, not bitter at all when brewed properly. And it smells great. It’s from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas in Perryville, KY. (No affiliation.) I can vouch for their Cherry Rose Green, too.
Cherry Rose Green sounds good too
Laundry crisis! Yes! Like the Farmer’s Insurance ad: We know a thing or two, because we’ve seen a thing or two… Every weekend its laundry mayhem in this household of husband and two teen boys.
Lol so well said
Wow! I’m just a single person with a dirty job. A husband and two teenage boys? I can’t even imagine.?
Thanks for the Milkman tip.
Nahema is my favorite rose. You smell elegant!
It’s so important to treat yourself well when you are doing boring chores. Good scent, good music, it all makes it feel less like drudgery.
Indeed, very grand and opulent in Nahema.
I have seen some snowdrops and the very first cherry blossoms. There’s doubtless a fancy Latin name for early-blooming cherry trees, but I will have to make do with “little twiggy ones”.
Last year, the cherry blossoms bloomed at the end of January because it was so warm!
PSA- Jo Malone now has solid perfumes…in ten of their fragrances.
SO annoying that you have to spend $36 on the empty palette before you can even buy the $20 solid!
I would guess you could just put it in something else, but still, that’s just annoying.
I would see how large they are and try to find my own case… possibly a pill box which is where I put homemade solid perfume.
Interesting… thought with the sillage and longevity issues for many of their regular scents it might be a total waste of money in this new format. But I’ll try them once they are released. I read they might do some for their Intense collection too, so it might be a good way of having just a little pod of those more expensive scents.
That would be great if they made some for the intense line!
In Frank Los Angeles No. 3. Sample thunk! Beautiful sweet tobacco, rose and amber perfume. Not sure if it was discontinued, but I will not look for a fb anyway.
Have a wonderful weekend NST!
Luckyscent carries it
No way! ?
DON’T LOOK
Kyoto, in the hopes of finding some serenity today. I’m not betting on it…
Good luck! If necessary, shout “Serenity Now!” in the manner of Frank Costanza.
I love Kyoto! My fave CdG.
I hope you find it, Deva.
Peace to you Deva! Hugs!
Hope you find it too. At the very least, you smell awesome.
I’m going to go put on some Jaisalmer, to support your search for serenity.
Be well, Deva. Hoping you find your peace.
Best of luck in your search for serenity.
Hoped you did get serenity from Kyoto, Deva.
Tam Dao on my right arm, Santal 33 on the left . . . I prefer the Tam Dao at first spray, but as they morph Santal 33 quickly outpaces TD for me.
I know it’s probably heresy to say so here, but I like Santal 33. I got a sample as GWP a while back and I’ll be sad when it’s gone.
I like Santal 33 and some of the other Le Labo fragrances. Yeah, it’s a cliche now, but honestly is a lovely clever fragrance!
No heresy at all! We all have different tastes and I also love Santal 33.
Wearing Musc 25. I adore this stuff, and am trying not to hoard. I should have gone through the wee bottle I bought in 2015 by now – am I saving it to meet Tom Waits or something?
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
Well, at least you’re prepared if you do meet him?
And he will find you intriguing.
Last night low temp -3, which was a great improvement over the -15 of the night before. Now at 1 PM, 43 degrees, and it is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow here. The ponies are delirious with pleasure, which they express by dozing soundly standing up, broadside to the warming sun.
SOTD No 5, as I go in to discuss the unexpected $30.00 increase in my cellphone bill, for no reason at all, unless they are trying to punish me for not immediately buying one of the new ridiculously priced phones as soon as my contract expired last month…always something.
Oh, I’m sure they are punishing you! Same thing happened to me, I wasn’t going to buy a new phone and I got a notice of a thirty dollar increase to come. I caved and got the phone.
Has anyone tried la Chasse Aux Papillons lately???? Wondering if it is still full bottle worthy in current form??
I bought mine in 2015, I love it but I haven’t smelled any easrlier version to compare it to
Thank you!
I bought mine in 2016, and it smells great, but I haven’t smelled any early versions either.
Thank you. Love your name, too
I’m not sure about the scent (you should try it) but new bottles, in my opinion, are not FBW. I saw what happened to testers in a department store: labels were coming off from the frequent handling, and they looked like thin paper stickers pealing off the bottle :(. But there are plenty of older bottles online if you want to be on a safe side.
Thank you!!!!!!
Smelling awesome today in classic Berdoues Violettes de Toulouse.Such a fun scent,and I love the purple juice!
Fitted perfectly with my outfit consisting of a purple golfer-T and my new dungarees.I feel like a Walton(NOT the grandpa!!haha)
Happy Weekend guys!
✌??❤️?
Omg, LOL, I bet you are as cute as JimBob!
Hahaha!!!Wayyy cuter!??♂️??❤️✌?
Well of course ?
I bet xxoo
No doubts about it! ?❤
I always liked John-John although many people made fun of him. He turned up in a serious role in the TV show The Americans and was just excellent, as a straight-arrow government guy who turned out to have a softer side. I highly recommend the entire show, which won some Emmies. Don’t know if you can get it where you are, but it was on Amazon Prime here.
John-Boy?
The actor, Richard Thomas?
Yes, I’m sorry I mixed that up! John-Boy, and yes, Richard Thomas. Silly me.
aw, johanob, you make me smile.
and you smell lovely!
Tested Botrytis in the morning, very nice for a cool day. I always thought i hated sweet scents, but this was not bad at all.
Now testing Reminiscence Vanilla on one arm and Felanilla on the other. I still love the Felanilla more, because of the dry and powdery note (and the band-aid note too).
Tested a new recipe with beets and made a vegetarian Beet Bourgignon from Anna Jones- A new way to eat. It was really good and the boyfriend ate two bowls…so success!
I agree, I think Felanilla is more interesting.
I always appreciate it when you post about what you’re cooking. I used to cook A LOT and from scratch. Then somehow I needed a breather and started to read about perfume. I still like to be inspired, though.
My husband may be going to a business conference in Curitiba, Brazil this summer. First I googled attractions to see if there were things for me to do while he’s busy (if he takes me with him) and then I went on fragrantica to look up perfumes from Brazil. Seriously. That’s how my mind works.
Check Natura, they have lovely products with scents from the Amazon…
Fragrantica listed Natura and O Boticario as having the most scents in their database as far as Brazilian companies go, so I’ll be on the lookout for a scented souvenir if I end up going
Also try all the lovely fruit, papaya, mangos, açaí, jaboticaba.
I hope you get to go to Brazil!
But of course, how else would it work? Those sound like good and logical steps to me.
Wait… You’ve started with attractions and only then went to do perfume research?! I’m not sure if you can still carry your perfumista card ;-p
The picture reminds me of this Album cover https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:YouCanTuneaPianoButYouCantTunaFish.jpg
I’m slow at getting around today, I’m just wearing Korres body lotion in Basil Lemon. I don’t have much citrus in my collection, but I’ve really been craving it.
Question: I read that Montale Gold Flowers smells similar to the Original Gio by Armani. Does anyone know if that’s true?
hahahahaha! good one, lillyjo!
Wow, had forgotten that album!
Been ages since I heard someone mention REO Speedwagon!
Grand Neroli for today’s errands, not sure what I’ll slip into for the evening yet. Me and the Mr have an anniversary tomorrow, so probably something he got for me!
Happy Anniversary! Let us know what he got for you!
Happy anniversary ?
oh, congratulations on your anniversary. Many happy returns!
happy anniversary
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy anniversary!
You smell great and happy anniversary.
Very happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary! ??
I’ve spent a tiring day with people from work at a rather boring symposium so I’m very glad to be back home. To compensate I put one of my favourite Oriza’s, Marions-Nous. Nearly finished my samples and I love it.
Marions-Nous, that’s a beautiful name for a fragrance.
It’s a great name, very much in keeping with Oriza and the bottle has a tassel!
Wearing Aroma M Geisha Noir today, an oldie but goodie in my journey down the rabbit hole. Nothing to add except that an early spring sounds wonderful, we are experiencing that post polar vortex temperature spike, it’s 41F and rain is expected. Hope it melts the big ridge of ice that’s holding my car hostage in the garage, the thought of just getting in and driving on a dry road is pretty heady lol.
My driveway finally melted today
My check engine light came on as I was leaving work yesterday. I pulled over to look under the hood, which was pretty pointless because I didn’t know what I’m looking for. The car wasn’t running any differently, but out of precaution I took the non-highway route home so I could pull over easily if needed. Everything was fine, and it defintely added to my commute time but I’m still glad I did it. Anyway, I made an appointment to get a diagnostic check done and am leaving soon to drop off the car. I think I’ll wear Jo Malone Honey and Crocus. The new collection that Robin posted about yesterday reminded me I haven’t worn it since I first got the decant last winter or spring. Plus I want to see how much I like it since I’ve tried Ariose by Fum. They’ve got similar notes.
Ariose is gorgeous…out of the three that one is my favorite.
Same for me.
Apparently that check engine light can go on without really meaning much. I’ve had it happen a few times and was very nervous but when they ran the computer check the mechanic said sometimes it just happens due to something weird such as your gas cap not being put back on tightly.
Yeah, my car is old enough that I wanted to get it looked at while it was convenient (Saturday). I did check the gas cap last night. Guy I talked to today said it could be a sensor going out.
Mine goes on but I just hit the dash board a few times and that fixes it….probably dust in the light connection in my case
Of course the check engine light wasn’t on when they tried to run the check. Now I just have to keep an eye on it.
When I had my battery problem, the AAA guy asked me to pop the hood and I looked at him blankly. ?
This is totally me.
I’m a high up manager at work, and I’ve always been a person who manages things well. But i decided when I got married that the cars were not going on my to do list. It’s nice to at least have a few things in life that I completely delegate to someone else, without a second thought.
Haha!!I used to not know anything,but after a scary late night,on the back roads back to the farm with a flat tyre and dodgy people all around,I can now change a wheel,do my own oil change and even change a sparkplug!????
I’m wearing Lolita Lempica again today because it was so nice yesterday. I finished my taxes last night, I’m paying more this year because of all the deductions that aren’t available any more. On a more cheerful note, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are in town tonight and I have a ticket I bought more than a year ago. (Bob had back surgery and had to postpone the original tour dates). I have been listening to him since 1971. I’m feeling a bit old!
Lempicka! I knew it looked funny.
Good for you for finishing your taxes!
Enjoy the concert!
Hope you had a great time at the concert.
Hi all!
1) Making chicken soup from a recipe in Canal House Cooks everyday. It has lots of ginger and makes a load of broth- perfect for going into February.
2) Am in Uma Wellness oil Pure Bliss just a couple of drops- going to cardio + Pilates classes and will not want to overwhelm the instructors!
no 1 mmm
no 2 you are thoughtful
Spooky creepy trigger….warning
Wearing Norne (thanks Gaynor!) …it would match the dark and spooky part of the grayeyard, the three unmarked graves beneath a giant macrocarpa ( monterey cypress ) that cuts out all the light from the sun ( but smells divine) . The graves belong to 3 murderers who were hung and originally buried in the gaol but were dug up and moved to the cemetery later when the gaol land was needed. The skull of one of the murderers was stolen and rumour had it that a professor in the university who was interested in phrenology took it. It was never proved but the professor remained the suspect because he had already studied the skull shortly after the hanging. I only found out about this murderer plot because one morning I got a creepy feeling walking alone through this part of the graveyard and it unsettled me …but I put it down to recent sightings of a flasher in the area. But i started googling and got all the info. from early newspapers.
Meanwhile hot and sunny here!
You warned me and I read anyway! Super creepy. Especially how you knew before you knew!
Some days I manage to creep myself out just because I walk alone through forests etc on the hill. But I am old enough to call up old feminist phrases like ‘ turn your fear into anger’ etc. Plus i have a very barky dog….
This is CREEPY!
One of the men – the Chinese goldminer – was most probably ( definitely ) innocent and definitely did not get a fair trial as they didn’t give him a proper translator.
That was eerie! I have seen trees with a similar vibe, although not the same kind, and given them a wide berth. Yeek!
https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/long-read-where-history-lies
There’s a picture of the tree and the story about half way down.
Thanks for the interesting story and the link to the pictures. That really is an amazing tree and I can well imagine it feeling rather creepy there. I always get a kick out of stories where the professor is the villain! I used to say I’d write murder mysteries about universities when I retired, you know, where the student murders the professor, the professor murders the dean, etc.!
You should write that novel. It would be great. University Noir.
Believe me, I have heard some stories! We have had nutty graduate students a few times and one was threatening the university president, so we had to have extra security at graduation. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when that was over. It really might be fun, but I don’t feel all that sure I’ve got the talent to do it.
SotD = Ambre Narguile on arms + Myrrh Englantine accidentally sprayed on hand + wowilla body oil
I smell like something delicious, though I can’t decide what it is. A middle eastern confection conjured by roses + spices + vanilla? hmmm & yummm
It’s almost 2:00 pm. Rain is pounding down. I’m sitting in my kitchen in my bathrobe. Dishwasher and washing machine are running so I’ve been productive, at least a little bit.
I should get dressed but do not want to move. I’ve eaten a little too much chocolate. ODESZA’s remix of One Day They’ll Know is playing. I’m feeling very chill though my life seems about to slip off the rails (again, LOL!).
Speaking of Groundhog Day, yesterday I watched the The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man. His philosophy of life is summed up in these words:
It doesn’t matter.
Bill made me laugh and smile and think. One day at a time, life is short, carpe diem, fugit amor, let it be, let it go
To anyone hanging by a thread, I say hang in there, and I’m cheering for you!
cheering for you too tiff! Hope the chocolate helped a bit
thx, cm8!yeah, the choc always helps. and i’ve got a stash of choc marzipan bars from Aldi stashed away.
ahahaha! Would you believe the Aldi’s near my parents did not have any of the marzipan bars this year! I was so annoyed !
Tiffanie, your posts always make me feel less stressed. Bill Murray too!
yay! Bill Murray is very zen. I admire him.
Hang in there! Bill Murray is indeed very wise.
thanks, NovemberRose, I’m hanging on and trying to be more Bill.
Yes to Hermes! Hang in there my friend!
whoo-hoo! thanks, hajusuuri, I’m wearing Jour d’Hermes this morning and feeling cheered.
Sunday scent twin!!
Cheer up Tiffanie! You are stronger than any life issues!
thank you, pl67, you’re the best! Bend like the willow, that’s my mantra right now.
From time to time everybody has this kind of day. No guilty feeling Tiffanie, enjoy the chocolate.
right on, Aurora! chocolate is my proof that there is an underlying order to the Universe, and everything works out eventually.
Love Bill Murray! He gets better with age. Keep on hangin’ girl!
thanks, Deva! Bill is an icon.
Scritch T-rex’s ears for me please!
Hoping life stays in the rails… You day sounds wonderful, frankly. Smelling good, chocolate…
thanks LizzieB, agree that staying in PJs until after lunch is a good thing!
Hang in there!!
AND !!!I forgot to say THANK YOU!I received your GORGEOUS perfumed letter yesterday!!Yay!!Thank you so so much,and I loved the origami!!Genious to scent the letter with Geisha on a cotton swab,it still smells wonderful!
The origami bird has an honorary place,in a tiny cloche,with some antique perfume bottles and my favorite Fornasetti candle!
Hugs T!??
Genius…its late 23:32 and my eyes are tired!!Haha!
thanks, johano! I emailed ya!
Started the day in Calé “Mistero”, which gave TOMK a headache so I had to walk downwind of him until it faded. :^D The weather was obligingly windy due to the storm a few hundred miles to the North.
I picked up a book about cooking with fish, as there is fantastic seafood here and it frustrates me that I don’t know how to prepare and cook it.
After reading above that it’s Candlemas, I’m now in 4160 Tuesdays “Captured by Candlelight”, one of my favourites from this House.
I’m thrilled to hear that someone else loves Captured by Candlelight. You smell mind-bogglingly awesome!!
I also need to overcome my timidity about cooking fish at home. Cookbooks and practice…
Indeed, it is very nice! We’ll crack this fish thing! ;^D
Monkfish is great for beginners as you can’t mess it up and it’s cheap. Good in a stew with crushed tomatoes and lemongrass ( even the paste rather than fresh) and coriander. Just don’t overcook it…it should be firm and chunky not mushy. No bones either.
https://www.egmontseafoods.co.nz/fijian-coconut-fish-tomato-spinach-rice/
This is basically the Fijian recipe I use. Super easy and quick. I use monkfish cut into chunks and garnish with coriander rather than basil. Sugar is unnecessary.
That recipe looks delicious. Not sure if I can get monkfish here (and man are they ugly!) but I’ll try it with something…
Any firm fish is good. Groper , warehou, snapper ….some of our fish have different names in other countries
Cheers Kanuka! I saw monkfish on the local supermarket fish counter. Recipe looks good and we can get all the ingredients here. :^)
Hello all, I’m late today but enjoy reading everyone else’s plans and weather reports. Also your cooking plans and thoughts! I got a package from Diane St Clair with my (small) FB of Casablanca today plus a nice hand-written note. That always impresses me. (And did you know she is famous for making what many consider the world’s best butter?) So anyway I’m wearing that today and feeling slightly spicy and flowery. It’s such a pretty scent and really not heavy except right at first. Speaking of cooking, tonight I plan to make Spanish rice, with lots of tomatoes and good spices including cumin and real saffron and who knows what else. This dish is always better when it sits for a day so we’ll make sure to leave some for tomorrow too. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
PS I was late but just added a couple of items to the Freebiemeet.
Yes, she has a farm in Vermont and still gets up very early to take care of her cows…the butter making came first and then she segued into perfume…many top restaurants carry her butter.
THAT rice sounds Delicious!! What do you think of Casablanca?
I love Casablanca. It’s kept growing on me each time I’ve worn it. I find it subtle and mildly sexy, also a happy, uplifting scent. The orange blossom dominates but it’s not too sweet and is simply beautiful.
Memo Tigers Nest today – I reallllly like this one. I get incense up front – amber – little floral and a lot of fabulous leather. Oh my, and it lasted for a good 5 hours before I had to search for the dry down (which was great soft amber and sandalwood). I am searching for the review posted earlier this week, I think maybe here (?) and this lived up to the praise. I just reapplied a small amount because I am hoarding my sample. Wow. There’s little reminder of Mem in here somehow and Avignon? It is expensive I know (that part I remembered clearly
) and dangerously delicious.
I think the review was just posted yesterday. It did sound awfully tempting.
Late late late! This morning I sprayed on The Musk from a travel size that’s almost gone. I really like it as an every day kind of no brainer fragrance. There’s a lot to be said for perfumes that aren’t spectacular but that one feels comfortable wearing like a favorite old pair of jeans. For some reason my big bottle of ananas fizz wound up on my drawing table so it was easy to spray a little this afternoon while I was working. It’s pretty but dissipates quickly. Confession: I’ve been using AF as a bathroom air freshener. Lately I’ve been on a reed diffuser kick. Those things are the bomb! I’m wondering if anyone can recommend a reed diffuser that is fairly natural smelling/not too perfume? My clients come into the space and I want something that will freshen the air from cooking and other household smells.
Make your own reed diffuser with thin wooden sticks and essential oils. Lavender would work and probably not be too perfumy..or a grounding oil like cedarwood or patchouli?
Great suggestion. Thank you!
So far the only scent my mom tolerates is Antica Farmacista Vaniglia, Bourbon e Mandarino.
I’m checking that out. Thanks! ?
SOTD = Diana Vreeland Daringly Different
Woody iris tonka…no wonder I couldn’t stop smelling my arm during Sniffa lunch (October 2018), just ask floragal. Looking for a monthly theme and fitting it to the CP on Fridays, I may do a Red Packaging month, i.e. wear a perfume that has red in its packaging which includes the box or the bottle or the label. If I get lazy and don’t plan ahead, a perfume with a red ingredient counts for partial credit. Mmmmkay? OK. Done!
In other news, I got a surprise package from, of all companies, Hermes! It was a box of ten red envelopes celebrating the year of the pig. Each legal-sized envelope is paired with a ribbon. The box came with an instruction card but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Anyway, if you want to see what it looks like, search for me on Instagram.
I wouldn’t have an idea of what to do with those envelopes, either. lol
Red packaging would be an easy one for me. I have an old bottle of Red Door, plus other perfumes with red boxes.
Heh, this is why I qualified it with packaging as I definitely have more red boxes and red on label than actual red bottles. This means all my Frederic Malles count. Plus, I have some attars and such that are in dabbers with a red jeweled top. I may be able to wear a different perfume each day but will probably wear several a few times!
They look pretty though.
and btw, that ceiling in Barcelona was fascinating
Thanks. I need to take another look at some of the pictures from the same series — the light from some of them are other worldly and I want to make sure it’s not because of unsteady hands!
Hi NST,
Wore Jil Sander for a date today, and it was fun! Nice floral to counteract the cold weather.
Yesterday I managed to THUNK Eau d’Ambre Extreme, and I will not be purchasing it. Still just not loving ambers…
By any chance, are there any NST readers near Greenville, SC who’d like to meet up? I will be there for work next week, so if anyone is local, e-mail me at user name at yahooooooooo.
I’m 100 miles away. What days will you be in SC?
Arrive Monday, depart Thursday. Working 9-6, but free in evenings.
PSA: Costco has Serge Lutens’ Arabie on sale to members online for $39.97!
Oh my!
Omg, it was 40 degrees on my drive into work this morning. 40 degrees!! Felt downright balmy.
I’m in the work friendly Fleur de Peau, armed with a Stanley thermos full of coffee.?
You smell too good to be working! Hope your day goes quickly so you can enjoy the weather. Still in the 30s here this morning. But a high in the low 40s is predicted for the day!
Oh, I believe you may need to apply sunscreen! ?
Although sunscreen needs to be applied whether sunny or cloudy, no?
This is a true statement! My rationale was that one is more likely to be outdoors, this exposed to harmful rays, when it’s a balmy 40 rather than -10F…
Trudat!
Wearing Dior Escale a Pondicherry today, a cheerful tea citrus that I would usually wear in warm weather. Today is the opposite. DH & I are spending the week-end at our country house, lots of snow and very chilly here on the Swedish west coast today. I find Pondicherry oddly soothing, the crisp citrus works well with the winter weather today and the tea is delicious.
The Escale collection is so good and it’s cheerful to wear cologne in Winter, enjoy your stay.
Thanks ?
A sunny Sunday and the temperature will steadily warm up during the course of the week. I plan for mediterranean pizza this evenin, not made by me but courtesy of the summer market.
I’m wearing Shalimar Parfum Initial l’Eau, probaby my favorite flanker of all flankers.
SOTD SSS Equestrian. Thanks to a very kind NSTer, I know have a back-up travel spray for my travel spray! ?
Yay for backups!
Super! ?
Paprika Brasil all week long for me. I am taking Undina’s challenge of Groundhog day perfume and continuing with my own theme of monogamy. And luckily it kinda ties into the community project.
I’ve almost finished recreating all the 2018 data for my husband’s business. Our computer crashed in December taking everything with it. I’m so glad to finish so we can pass it to our accountant. It sucked up all my free weekend time for the past month.
Celebrating with Lalibela.
Well, that sounds like a real headache! Sorry you lost your weekend to adulting. I hate when that happens?
Thanks Deva. It really does stink.
But now you have a proper back-up solution, don’t you?
Yes, I had it backed up to a thumb drive but my techie BIL couldn’t retrieve the data from the hard drive or the thumb drive. This time around I have two backups! I should have replaced my old computer at least a year before I was forced to by the crash. I learned my lesson. ?
Oh no!!! That’s horrible, losing your data like that! It has to be an incredible relief being able to recreate it.
Sitting here drinking coffee and catching up on NST. Three loads of laundry in downstairs (have I mentioned I love being able to do all laundry at once?)
I think today will be California Rêverie, which I will have to dig out of the cabinet. We have invited friends over to watch the Super Bowl, so I’m going to make a chicken tortilla casserole for dinner. And we need desperately to clean…life got away from us while caring for the kitty.
Wearing CR because I need to cheer on the Rams. I never in my life thought I’d be cheering for a So Cal team, given I’m a Nor Cal gal. But….the QB (Goff) went to my college, so that trumps regional rivalry. Decisions on who to cheer for in sports can sometimes be a complicated algorithm…
I love doing laundry too; 3 loads a week!
Enjoy your Superbowl party. I will have the TV on and drift in and out of the living room.
I am AWOL due to ongoing shoulder pain agony, can’t spend more than a few minutes a day on the computer and don’t feel up to perfume. And I have to make a one week trip to Victoria BC Wednesday, dreading it. Hoping things get better soon…
I hope you can work your way through the pain. Good luck with the trip!!!
Yikes! Sounds horrible! Hoping you have a treatment plan in place…! Feel better??
Right now mt treatment plan is yoga. Apparently there’s not much you can do for frozen shoulder.
Oh no! Feel better soon. I hope your trip goes smooth without much physical efforts. Take care!
So sorry about your shoulder pain. I had a 4-time dislocated shoulder which I finally had to get surgery for, so know what you are talking about. I hope you are getting some physiotherapy; it should help immensely!
Have you seen a doctor about it? I am with you here. I’ve been to an orthopedist and got steroid shots on two occasions, and that did help, but now it is back to hurting a lot again and I have limited movement. I suspect some more joint surgery is in my future, alas.
I did work on the joint a lot back when I was doing Pilates, and it helped, but there are limits to what can be done if it’s really a problem of arthritis, as it is with me.
Hope you feel better soon!❤️?
I hope you feel better soon, and that the trip is more pleasant than you expect. I don’t know if you’re a high tea or formal gardens fan, but I’ve always loved tea at the Empress and wandering the Buchart Gardens.
Healing energy to you!
Thanks, I love both! Also hoping to get to the Westholm tea plantation, the only one in north america!
My cousin lives there! She’s a doctor but not the type anyone living wants to see! I hope your shoulder resolves but definitely get it diagnosed; it sounds very painful.
I hope you are feeling better as soon as possible, and that your trip goes OK.
Trying Kenzo Jungle Elephant today, thanks to a sample sent by Barqs (Thank you!). I found it a bit strong while I was eating breakfast, but I think I’d really like it for the evening.
Others to try over the week.
I’m the odd one out – I did not like the elephant the first time I tried it and have not gone back ever since!
I had to wash it off to go to the movies (matinee). I’ll try it again some evening.
My sense of smell has been coming and going (dry air and/or allergies), so it’s for the best that I’m sticking to samples.
“Mary Poppins Returns” was a darker movie than I’d been expecting. My friend had been wanting to see it, though, and she doesn’t get out much.
I still want to see “Bohemian Rhapsody,” though I’ve read reviews saying it’s not terribly historically accurate as to what events happened in which order or if some of the events portrayed happened at all. I do like Queen’s music, though. I listened to “The Show Must Go On” a lot in college. I know there was a discussion about “Bohemian Rhapsody” on a weekend thread a few weeks ago.
Now that Mom’s seen who the Oscar nominees are, she’s curious to see the films. Not the superhero ones, but some of the more relatively realistic movies.
Robin gets an enabler pin for the Aveeno Shampoos…thus far have tried the Super Greens (reminds me of Herbal Essence a bit) and Blackberry & Quinao (reminds me of Blackberry & Bay and the scent actually stays in my hair!). I also have the rosewater one which I haven’t tried yet but it smells good just from sniffing out of the bottle. I think there are a few others which I will get around to trying eventually…they all smell really really really good :0
So glad! I did not love the smell of the Pantene Rosewater in person so will have to look for those.
In Fragonard Lune de Miel for a day of housework. Another sample thunk. Mostly tuberose, gardenia sandalwood and vanilla. Very similar to Hypnotic Poison, which I find more complex and interesting and I have an almost unused full bottle to enjoy. It is nice anyway to try it.
I went through a bottle of Hypnotic Poison in no time…and then forgot about it for years!Such a cool perfume,I should wear it ASAP.
Oh! Do not delay revisiting Hypnotic Poison! It is such an addictive, gorgeous perfume!
Wearing some Chergui and a few sprays of Lush Sunny Day in my hair. The cold weather has drifted west so I may crank up the oven this afternoon to bake some cookies.
You smell fantastic! This morning, I was looking at my bottle to see if I can get away with wearing it in February for a personal challenge of wearing perfumes in red packaging (box or bottle or label that is red or has anything red on it).
Tester day at Skins was fun!I tried Tiger’s nest after Jessica’s review(Love it,loathe the pricing and size(200ml!))
Re-tested Iris 39 just to make sure my impressions of last time were still the same.Yup!Beautiful blast of Iris in the top.It’s cold,earthy and wonderful.Not long after that the soapy bothersome drydown kicks in.Something in it screams expired barbershop lotions and potions at me.Not fun.Scrubber.
Confession of 2019:I have become obsessed with travel spray cases!!Luckily most of my favorite brands do really cool cases,like Kilian,Byredo,JHAG,Frederic Malle…
I bought the Kilian one today as part of the Floral Harmony set.Love the perfumes and the case in black is gorgeous and heavy!
Satisfied.
Hope everyone has a peaceful Sunday!
❤️✌??
My bottle of Tiger’s Nest is 75mls. They also have a 10 ml travel spray. Haven’t seen 200 mls!
That’s too bad about Iris 39. I love it!
Second the Iris 39 love!
Third it
Inspired by NovemberRose, I wore Jour d’Hermes this morning to do laundry and play fetch with the dog. Post-shower, I chose EB Florals Celestial Jasmine. Fancy scents for a not-so-fancy Sunday.
I need to wear Jour d’Hermes soon…
Yesterday I had quite a lot of drainage and was sneezing, which I was hoping was due to the weather (whenever we get this warm-cold-warm-cold sort of thing it usually doesn’t bode well for my sinuses). This morning, though, I woke up with a pain in the back of my throat,achy joints, and a light-headed feeling. I don’t think it can be flu, as I don’t feel nearly sick enough for that. I sprayed some myrrh tincture in the back of my throat. I would recommend that anyone who doesn’t have myrrh tincture to acquire some. If you can’t locate a source to buy it, it is very easy to make if you can get the myrrh resin. I find that if I spray some in the back of my throat as soon as I realize I am getting sick, it can stop the illness from progressing or at least reduce the severity.
I have also been taking a lot of hot showers, followed by Aftelier Ancient Resins body oil, drinking hot tea (Kusmi Tsarevna), and taking a lot of naps in between. I think it’s all helping. The pain in my throat seems to have subsided rather than intensifying, and the body oil and the showers are helping to soothe the achy joints. I am hoping that the spices in the tea will help as well. In any case, hot tea is never a bad idea.
Hope the illness is short-lived! Gargling with warm salty water helps as well.
Hope you feel better soon, thanks for the myrrh tip!
In case you do want to try putting it in your mouth or throat, just be advised that it tastes terrible! It is about the bitterest thing I have ever tasted. It works wonders though on sore throats and canker sores. It is also good for burns, blisters, rashes, what have you.
I make myrrh tincture by using a ratio of 1 tablespoon ground up myrrh resin to each 2 ounces of food grade (NOT denatured) alcohol. I use Everclear, but you could use a high proof vodka instead. I put it in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and let it steep for 2 weeks, shaking it a couple of times per day, then filter it through a coffee filter and discard the solids. I find that it keep for years without losing its potency.
Day: 4160 Tuesdays “Urura’s Tokyo Cafe” for powdery violets.
Eve: Hermès “Cuir d’Ange”, as someone here mentioned it yesterday.
I am reading “L’Allée du Roi” by Françoise Chandernagor (very slowly as to be honest it’s a bit beyond my level of French), and today got through half a chapter down on the beach, tucked in between some rocks, in the sun but out of the wind. It’s the story of Madame de Montespan, mistress and later wife of Louis XIV. For some reason – maybe the mental effort – reading in a foreign language often makes me sleepy, and I tried to doze but those rocks aren’t all that soft y’know… :^D
LOL! It is hard to read in another language. I had high hopes of reading books in Spanish but alas, that desire went poof given the frustrating difficulty!
Today’s red package perfume is Chopard Casmir in its very red box and squat turtle scale bottle. I dirtied it up with Hiram Green Hyde!
It was a bright sunny day today, with temps in the 40’s (Fahrenheit)! I took full advantage by getting a good walk in. ???
Watched the Kitten Bowl earlier, for all the cute and the fact that all the animals are from shelters and adoptable. Not adding any more cats to my little clowder, though. Three is plenty!
SOTD = CK Euphoria for both today and Saturday. CM8 was right, it is nice rediscovering old perfume loves. I will keep wearing this one until it’s time to wear something else. ?
Yay! So glad to hear that you are “shopping your collection” ( I just stole that quote from Portia of Australian Perfume Junkies)… it’s so nice to revisit and spend some time with old loves…I will be doing that this week with Paprika Brasil