Our usual lazy weekend open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you're hoping you find in our next splitmeet (coming up on the 23rd), whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
(PSA: I am on vacation, day 2. I will be even slower than usual to catch up on comments. I may not finishing reading yesterday's comments until later tonight.)
Note: top image is Grand Anse Beach Grenada 2 [cropped] by Tony Hisgett at flickr; some rights reserved.
My Nicolai discovery set arrived this morning. What a great way to start off the weekend! I decided to test them in order from left to right and spend a day or so with each. Today’s try is Patcholi Intense. Main notes as written on the box are lavender geranium and patchouli. The packaging by the way is very elegant and Beauty Encounter gets an A plus for care in packing and samples with a hand written note inside❤️On me Patchouli Intense is a dusty dry patch with a slightly fruity cinnamon note (like l’elephant but a lot more refined) and a beautiful oakmoss armature for the whole fragrance that appears like a stealth handsome guy who suddenly shows up at the end of a party. An hour in and all of the notes are present and continuing to develop like a painting or a piece of music that at first seems obvious but then starts to fill into spaces that surprise and delight. I just did one tiny spray from the tester and the sillage is kicking butt. So far so good with the first one!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Patchouli not Patcholi! At least it didn’t say Have a great weekend Antony 😆
😂
but Antony may want to make an appearance, just sayin’
Let’s at least give Antony a signature fragrance so he will feel more at home here.
That sounds like the makings of a community project.
What Robin said 😂
Hahahaha yes! Antony can be whoever you want him to be with any kind of perfume taste you want him to have. I’m sure nsters will be gentle with Antony😆
or maybe not
I love getting perfume in the mail. It’s like a surprise birthday.
Me too. I don’t have anyone to give me perfume for Valentines so I’m getting it for myself❤️
Love your description! Big fan of PdN and patchouli but haven’t tried this yet.
It’s really nice. For me, patchouli can go either way- keeper or scrubber. This one is very well done. The lavender geranium and oakmoss really play well with the nicely dried and declawed patchouli notes.
That sounds great! I hope you enjoy the rest of the set too!
Thanks! I just tried ambre cashmere Intense tonight and it reminds me a lot of KenzoAmour Indian Holi only sweeter and more powdery. On me it has that play doh note that I despise. Strangely that note disappears in the dry down and then the whole thing does a total “Orlando” and morphs into something aquatic with powdered sugar on it. I love amber but this is not my thing.
Aww darn. I’ve never tried Indian Holi, but the name makes it sound intriguing! Though I’m not into powdery scents at all.
Me neither. I almost bought holi at an airport once because I was bored and the bottle is like a Brancusi sculpture. The only thing stopping me was that play doh/crayola note
Excellent description! I love patchouli and am always looking for the one patch to rule them all!
It’s a wonderful refined patchouli, and I’m pretty picky. Well worth a try.
I skipped ahead and trying Fig Tea, the one I thought I’d really love. On me it starts off a lot like Bvlgari au the vert, really fresh sweet and green. Then about a half hour in it starts to transform into eau de highway rest stop washroom soap smell. – that sickly sweet slightly chemical smell designed to cover up….other smells. This is just what happens on my skin. Lucas Turin loves this fragrance and I’m sure other people do better with it.
People complain that Fig Tea is fleeting but in this case it’s working in my favor😄
In Le Labo Iris 33 oil. Very charming and appropriate for a day to start doing taxes. (sigh!)
I would like to find Hyde and Felanilla in the next splitmeet.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Have they demoted Iris 39 when they made it into oil?
Felanilla is good! Maybe I need a bottle?..
Definitely! The oil is nice, but not as good and beautiful as the perfume is. It is very light and fleeting and enjoyable for the time it lasts.
If you can’t find Felanilla at the splitmeet, you can have my sample (from Luckyscent). It was not for me.
Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you Adanst! I will keep it in mind! 😊
Pretty sure I would do a Hyde split with you!
Let’s hope we see it offered. 😀
Nooooooo. If I see Hyde up in a split, it’ll be hard for me to refuse a decant!!!
Oh my! Let’s hope then we don’t find it. Our no-buy will be in serious jeopardy! 😳
Enjoy your vacation Robin! I’m still trying to get my nose back in full working order. I hate not being able to smell. It is particularly irritating because I just recently acquired quite a lot of new samples.
My husband’s birthday is tomorrow. In the afternoon we will be going to a theater where we have a season subscription to see “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. We have seen the movie (with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor) as well as another stage performance of it. We always like to compare the various performances.
I will be giving hubby the bottle of Tempo I bought recently. I just love the idea of giving a musician a perfume named Tempo.
Happy Birthday to your husband! Enjoy the celebration. And it’s a very nice gift (he will share, won’t he?
).
Tempo is a perfect scent for a musician!
Enjoy! Great gift.
Happy birthday to your husband! Great gift.
Happy Birthday to your husband!
What a great idea, hope he loves it!
(And hope your nose recovers soon)
That’s perfect
Hope he enjoys it, and happy birthday to him! What kind of a musician is he?
He is a pianist.
Enjoy your vacation, Robin!
I’m in vintage Ysatis EdT. I’m enjoying it but I prefer Byzance for this sort of experience.
So far, fantastic, thank you Coumarin!
I caught a cold couple of days ago but I’m feeling better now. Sneezing is basically gone but still left with some coughing so I’ll continue to take medicine for a few more days.
Half of next week will be super busy for me at work as we have a visitation so there’s a lot to prepare and many things to talk over.
Today I’m wearing Les Parfums de Rosine Bleu Abysse, it’s my favourite out of the four new ‘Les Extravagants’
I hope you’ll get over it completely soon!
I like de Rosine brand and have a couple of strong favorites but unfortunately it’s almost nonexistent in here after Barney’s dropped them, so anything new I usually get to test years later. I’ll wait to read about them on your blog
I might reserve my samples for you if you’d like
take good care, lucasai
Thanks
Feel better soon!
Already am
Hope you’re all better soon!
Glad you’re on the mend, Lucas!
I’m glad you are feeling better. Colds can really drag on and on.
Tried my decant of Timbuktu again in the morning, but there is something about it i am beginning to dislike. I think it is the vetiver note in combination with the sour mango, ugh! So scrubbed it and sprayed Reminiscence Vanilla lavishly.
Lazy day with a bit of shopping, cleaning and vacuuming. The boyfriend is baking soft pretzels with sourdough from scratch, so this will be dinner with a turkish red craut and carrot salad and some french cheese.
Enjoy your vacation, Robin
Big Timbuktu fan here, but only occasionally and usually lightly applied in warm weather.
Anyone else out there who thinks LADDM is basically Timbuktu without the green mango and with ambroxan added in the base?
The smell very different to me
I think I want to have dinner at your house – I was hooked at homemade sourdough.
I think we went in opposite directions…I thought it was weird at first and then grew to love it!
I join ringthing in wanting to come over for dinner
Parfum Sacre by Caron
Chai tea
Listening to the oud being played on Spotify
Farmers markets was a cold one.
Tonight I will see the movie Cold War
Have a fragrant weekend
Sounds like a lovely Saturday you’re having, Loves!
I’ve been waiting for Cold War to come to my area for ages. Hope you like it .
You smell lovely today. I think Cold War is coming soon to Amazon Prime, so I’ll definitely give it a watch once it does.
OMG itinerary twins: farmers then Cold War!
Also you smell beautiful! PS is gorgeous for Winter.
Ok if I do the twin trifecta and get a chai today, you won’t think I’m a borderline personality disorder stalker, will you?😄
Enjoy the movie. My husband said it was very good.
Oud music is the perfect chill out soundtrack
Saturday Librarian here, catching up on NST reading during my lunch break. SOTD is Safran Troublant.
So I was at the salon yesterday getting my nails done, and spied a new solid perfume by Davines. The salon sells their full range of hair care products – which are pretty great IMO. Their OI product line smells AMAZING. Anyone here tried it? They now have the scent as a solid perfume.
Saffron Troublant, yum. You smell great!
Thanks for the Kilian sample.
I’ve been watching for an email from you so I can send you the travel spray. Did I miss it? Just need your mailing address. My email is lunagreen428 at gee mail.
Tried Chanel 1957 for the first time. Quite lovely but only mm’s away from drier sheet. Need to smell it a couple of times to decide whether I’ll love it…
I’m curious to try that one. Notes sound right up my alley.
That sounds too close to dryer sheet for my comfort!
End of the day for me too! Saves me 175 euro’s!!
Currently wearing the orris perfume oil I made not that long ago as I decanted two rollerballs for two great friends..it’s a real root-y smell but I love it…I am essentially wearing a whole buncha essential oils because I also made several blends for the training I am doing this upcoming week at work on the subject of mindfulness as several co-workers specifically requested that I bring some of my essential oil blends when I teach them basic meditation….so I guess I am already on the community project for next week
How cool!
Are you conducting the training or will you be learning about it? We had the head of our Employee Assistance Program conduct a mini version of the training and it really made us all think of being Present.
I am the facilitator. We will be using the book Mindfulness for Beginners….as a training guide. I will teach some simple meditation techniques. And many of my co-workers have already requested that I bring my essential oil blends.
Ah! Super cool! I wish that my company had stuff like that.
That does sound cool. I could use some mindfulness right about now.
I think we all can
Wow. Very cool. I’ll bet your co-workers will get a lot out of the training.
Me as well
How nice for your friends, what do you use to make the orris e.o. please?
The orris e.o. comes directly from Eden Botanicals. I blended it with bergamot, bitter almond, labdanum /vanilla pod blend that I made separately (which becomes amber-y), sandalwood, carrot seed and cedarwood. Thus far it is smelling very good but very iris-y in the dry, root-y sort of way with just a touch of sweetness from the bitter almond. It will change over time as all e.o. blends do and hopefully get better as all the oils amalgamate even more.
Thank you. It sounds dreamy.
I hope my two friends think so
Questions…
Has anyone ordered from Profumomania in Italy? Wondering if they reliably ship to the US.
Also doing a pre-survey for the splitmeet. Heeley is offering worldwide free shipping at the moment, and I was thinking of ordering the discovery set, which is 15ml spray bottles of five of his scents. I want Hippie Rose and St Clements; would anyone in the US want Cardinal, Sel Marin, and/or Menthe Fraiche? The cost would be about $35-40 each.
I would be interested in Cardinal.
I would be interested in Sel Marin.
… and the order is placed! Hopefully someone will want Menthe Fraiche.
It snowed yesterday, and is expected to continue over the next few days. So we will have a nice little trudge over to the coffee shop nearby and back. Then I’ll wash our flannel sheets so they are nice and fresh for sleeping tonight. After that, I’ll tackle the giant pile of laundry. I love little weekend chores.
Been wearing the Diptyque Fleur de Peau to bed, and it’s been a joy.
Next split meet I’m hoping for Chanel Cuir de Russie, Tauer L’ADDM, and/or Hermes Galop.
Are you in the PNW? We’ve had a good amount of snow and it will continue over the next few days, so just curious if we’re in the same area. Laundry is also on the agenda for me this weekend.
I’m in Portland and teach in Gresham. The kids were just about insane all last week with the teasing weather. We better get at least one snow day out of all of this next week, or they’ll be impossible!
I’d put money on at least one snow day. Fingers crossed for the kiddos!
Yep, PNW too. Really pretty snowfall, ugly side street conditions. I was just saying a few weeks ago how it hasn’t felt like winter yet. Welp, i take it back 😂
Loving it, I am an indoor cat and can’t get enough cozy indoor time.
Hope you are enjoying it, too!
I’m also hoping for Cuir de Russie!
I think 100ml are $200 – I didn’t do any detailed searching though.
$200 for 2.5 fl oz on the Chanel website (you inspired me to cheeck 😊)
That’s the 75ml, right? I’m not great at conversions, ha.
Yes it is 75 mls and that price seems awfully high
Nothing as nice as freshly laundered sheets – I’m doing ours today too.
Do you ever spray them with scent before you make up the bed?
Yes!!
Sometimes, but not usually in winter. In the summer I often spritz with Balenciaga Paris, or sometimes Grey Flannel.
I’ve used B. Paris that way too! I also like Guerlain Vetiver–but more in summer, as it seems so fresh that time of year.
So satisfying! Mine build up scent over time, my pillow especially.
Lasts seemingly forever on fabric, doesn’t it?
I love Fleur de Peau!
Also, I have a 5 ml of Galop from the last swapmeet I’d be happy to send you to tide you over. It’s pretty, but just not for me. Let me know if you need my email again.
Second the love!
Really? Wow, I’d love that. Thank you! 🌻
I might need your email again, unless you have mine and could shoot me an email?
Nevermind – i found your email!
Will be hunkered down in the apartment all day with the beautiful snow to look at outside. There are some nearby restaurants open, so we may trek to the closest one for brunch tomorrow. My boyfriend and I will likely watch movies for most of the day. I’m also planning to do some reading. I’m currently reading We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Also, I am thinking of organizing my perfume samples, as they definitely need organizing. Haven’t picked out a scent for today yet, but my pj shirt sleeves still smell of yesterday’s Bois d’Ascese. I just burned the last of my D.L. & Co. Smoked Birchwood candle, so it smells cozy and smoky in here. The boyfriend is chopping up fruit for a breakfast of yogurt and granola. Happy to have a nice day indoors!
Enjoy your hunkering
I feel terribly cheated if we don’t get any snow days in the winter but we almost always do. I’ll bet that birchwood candle smelled wonderful.
I’d love to hear a report on that book if you have time. Do you recommend it?
I’d love to give a full report when I finish it. I’m only 75 pages in now but am really enjoying it. I love his writing. It’s just so good. I can highly recommend his Between the World and Me if you haven’t read it. Also, I was lucky to win my copy of Eight Years from a Goodreads giveaway! My first time winning a book from the many giveaways of theirs I enter.
The Portland Snowpocalypse left about an inch at my house. It has already melted on the street so travel isn’t awful, but I made Bo Kho yesterday in case I got snowbound. I even braved the grocery store to get a baguette to go with it, so I will probably stay in, eat, read, and do some little chores. My CO detector died after five years and I have to mount the replacement. Of course, the mounting holes from the old one don’t line up with the new, so the drill and pencil must come out. SOTD is MAAI, so pretty.
Looking forward to hearing about Grenada, Robin. I hope you’re thawing out in sunshine!
I didn’t know it until you said it, but I’d like to make some Bo Kho too. Do you have a recipe you use?
The first couple of times I made it, I used the NY Times recipe, but now I just wing it–I keep tasting and adjusting.
Thank you. Perfect. Now if the deluge lets up I might venture out for lemongrass and star anise–and possibly annatto, which I’ve never cooked with before.
Made your NYT Bo Kho recipe yesterday for dinner. The house smelled amazing and there are still lots of leftovers. I tripled the star anise, and doubled the garIic, lemon grass, and brown sugar. I wound up throwing in an extra pound of root vegetables, and served it with fluffy brown Basmati rice. As you can imagine, with so many vegetable it was a thick stew. I think I’ll thin the leftovers with broth and as you do, serve it with a crusty loaf.
Thanks for the inspiration!
mmmmmmMAAI. So gorgeous.
Grenada is lovely. And it smells nice!
We thawed out and then some…weather here is just perfect. We have not done much of anything yet, which is right on plan
SOTD is Lipstick Rose, layered over Rose Jam shower gel. I think I dreamt about Lipstick Rose last night–I know there was a cosmetic rose scent somewhere in there, at any rate. I smell pretty and light–in contrast with the cold and snow outside!
I made sour cream coffeecake with blueberry conserve for breakfast. I am now getting ready to put some bread in the oven. Baking will be my snow day!
You smell great! I love Lipstick Rose, and baking is a fantastic way to spend a snow day. That coffeecake sounds delicious.
Thanks, NR! The coffeecake is a reliable recipe from Joy of Cooking, but I added swirls of my homemade conserve for some fruity goodness. I always make jams and such in the summer, and then I never eat it. Coffeecake seemed like a good excuse to finally open up a jar and give it a go! (And really, any excuse for cake at breakfast. 😋)
I was your twin tonight!
Hello, twin!
SotD = L’Heure Bleue EdP
oh, how I love this one, like an old friend who makes you smile when they surprise you with a visit.
Rain and sun, rain and sun, the weather is interesting today. I’ve not seen a rainbow yet, but I’m heading to the beach later for a long walk. Might happen then.
Hope your Saturday treats you right, NSTers!
You smell lovely! (And I was wearing L’HB very happily yesterday.)
Me three! I love the drydown. I kept getting these lovely whiffs yesterday afternoon. So cozy and beautiful!
cozy and beautiful are perfect words for L’Heure Bleue. I love that drydown.
thank you, crikey, L’HB makes me happy too!
You smell fantastic. I think this is one of my top five.
thank you, NoRo! it’s a beauty, L’HB is definitely a top shelf perfume.
Sunny and cold here. Planning to go have a big bowl at a favorite Malaysian restaurant downtown. Will clear my sinuses.
Wearing Champaca because I’m pondering doing a split of the travel sprays. Ormonde Jayne will do custom fragrance combinations of the travel sprays but those only ship from London, which adds about $25 or more to total cost for U.S. buyer. A set of just Champaca would be free shipping in U.S.
Hi Lizzy! I was hoping to get OJ Sampaquita travel spray form the upcoming splitmeet. If you decide to get a variety of OJ scents please let me know so I can participate. Here is my e-mail (just in case): lasto4ka5 in the land of geemaile dawt comme.
How much do the sets run? I was considering hosting a split for OJ woman – but a travel spray might be a great way to go, too! Although I would also happily have a Champaca travel spray – so perhaps you can find 4 champaca people (or do two sets and convince them to ship free for both…)
I thought about that split too. If you decide to do it, consider me in!
I would be up for a spray of Champaca if you can find enough takers.
I’d take a Champaca vial
Scent of the day is an odd one–I can resist. AA’s Irisitible goes on like fresh cut veggies–carrots, parsnips, and peppers, and has now morphed into butternut squash. It is a ‘no’ for me, which is good as I love everything about it except the smell, and the price.
😂
Oh my! I thought it was going to be better. Money saved then!
I bought two daubers from Luckyscent and decanted them into a spray. The first time I tried it was at night–and I was at the end of the day tired–and its rootiness was intriguing. Today, fresh and alert I applied it again, generously but not over the top. And, welp, just, nope. Nopity nope. No siree.
I’m with you on this one. Really didn’t like it at all.
Iris Poudre for me today, from a sample. I have been wearing it in the evenings, and am growing fond of it. This is bad because 1. Expensive, and 2. Don’t need more perfume. But have a big sample, so decision can be postponed indefinitely.
I love that one, but it only lasts a few hours for me. So far, that’s been enough to keep me from ordering a bottle from Barney’s, but sometimes, I notice my resolve wavering . . .
Steady on, Marjorie Rose!
big samples are a lifesaver!
I’ve fallen victim to the occasional 3.4 oz sample. . .
8 sprays is perfect and the drydown is fabulous!
I took a decongestant, which seems to be doing some good, so I am trying to test some of my new samples. I really wanted to love l’Anima Della Rosa because the bottle has one of my favorite paintings on it. I know, that is probably a silly reason to want a perfume. In any case, I don’t think I do love it. It smells to me like rosy leather. I find the opening a little challenging as well.
I dabbed some Tiger’s Nest on one arm, and I think this one may grow on me. Yesterday, all I could get from it was some amber, but today I am getting the incense as well. It is reassuring to know that if I do fall for it, Memo has those nice 10 ml travel sprays.
I loved the review of Tigers Nest – let us know how it continues to go for you
I adore that painting!
Commando – we’ re headed for toddler birthday party later, so maybe a scent that 3 year olds like :).
In the split meet, I was hoping to host or find Cuir de Russie and Oj Woman, and would also keep an eye out for Miyako.
I’m planning to sample a bunch of perfumes in San Francisco next weekend and so I might come up with new hosting plans (I will try Neroli Intense for sure). I hope my conference won’t be getting too much in the way of my sampling plans!
I’d love some CdR.
I’m in Feu Secret for laundry-doing and other little chores this morning. Need to water plants, and don’t know why I feel so resistant to it. The house plants are all looking at me reproachfully. Hmm.
The only way I’ve managed to “trick” myself into watering the plants regularly is by keeping the watering can full. Then, when it occurs to me, all I have to do is water them. I fill the can up afterwards, and somehow, that seems less laborious than filling it beforehand, when an empty watering can may be enough of a hurdle to keep me from doing the watering. Stupid, but it works!
I have to put watering the plants on my to-do lists. My secret is that I start a weeks worth at once, so I can put on the tasks I know need to be done on certain days.
Laundry done, beds remade, and plants watered! I rewarded myself with a long hot shower and am now wafting Dior Homme. Mr. G is making steaks and brussels sprouts for dinner, and just brought me a glass of wine to sip pre-dinner. Yum.
Full on iris for me today! Wearing Iris Silver Mist along with generous amounts of carrot seed oil mixed into my lotion as a base. It’s good in this windy, cold weather we are having. I didn’t even get any comments from my hubby that it’s too much!
Wow, that sounds incredible!
Note twins! There is both Orris butter and carrot seed in my blend.🥕🥕🥕
That sounds absolutely divine!
Is the orris butter easy to work with? Asking for a friend..lol😊
Not really because it’s kind of a waxy solid. I dig it out with a tiny metal scoop and add it to the oil blend. It looks like little white blobs in there. But after about a week or daily rigorous shakings eventually it becomes one with the oil blend.
Thank you. I bet your blend is just out of this world!
I hope the recipients think so
I wore ISM this week from a decant and remembered, alas, how much I love it.
I am in the remains of Portrait of a Lady shower cream. The scent lingers on skin and it was helped by applying Cetaphil cream which had the effect of sealing in the scent. I will be in close quarters with someone who is scent-sensitive (scentsitive?) so this will be it for SOTD. Fortunately, POAL fits in with my Red Package challenge!
PSA, just in time for the splitmeet:
I prepared 5 packages this morning and noticed that the same weight packages going to different zones in the U.S. cost different now (used to be the same). For example, a 2 oz. package going to the same zone as where I’m at cost $2.66 whereas another one going to Zone 8 cost $3.09. All these to say that when you’re pricing your splits, you should give yourself a range and finalize the cost for each person customized by where they live relative to where you live.
I’m not planning on hosting any splits unless people are interested in Hermes travel sprays. It is easy enough for me to purchase them and mailing them is pretty easy since there is no decanting to do!
I am off to a party later…good company, good food, much laughter. We were told to bring desserts so I got a small plain cheesecake and some rugelah from Wegmans.
How interesting about the postal zones! I hope you have a great time at the party, and that your weekend helps make up for all the bleep the transit system has put you through lately.
Thank you. I had a wonderful time. I got home after midnight!
Rugelah! Heaven.
Yes they are!
scentsitive! hahahaha, I like that. Enjoy your party and cheesecake.
Thank you. Now I have to be on a diet with all the dood!
Hope you have fun at your party!
I did, thanks. It was the right number and mix of people.
Glad the party was fun – im an extrovert and love good socializing.
If you do an Hermes split i think i would be in again – those travel sprays are so handy and reasonably priced
In Perris (Monte Carlo) Absolue d’Osmanthe from a small sample. Quite nice, actually.
I wore Santal Massoia this morning to doggy class and switched to Eau des Merveilles afterwards. This may be my idea of perfume heaven.
I’m now braising lamb shanks and avoiding all grading.
Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!!
You smelled great today and I am drooling thinking about your braised lamb shanks.
Love Santal Massoia!
Going to a cocktail party/benefit auction tonight! Any suggestions re fragrances? I’ll probably wear either a black velvet dress with tiny sequins or a navy blue lace top with a dark blue sequined skirt. I like florals but am open to suggestions!
Tiffany!!!!
Ooh, good idea, I can wear the Intense I got for Christmas! Other options are Amouage Gold, or Alaia parfum. Also, the party is in an old distillery renovated as event space, so I might wear something like Whisky and Cedarwood or Arquiste for J. Crew No. 57.
What did you pick, both outfit and fragrance?
The short black velvet dress with the tiny sequins, with Vol de Nuit extrait de parfum and VdN “shimmer powder”! Makeup done by my theater artist daughter. I may never reach these heights of glamor again, lol!
Nice!!!!
Wearing Memo Kedu courtesy of floragal from the freebiemeet!
I’m thinking of doing a 7 Virtues split if anyone is interested? It looks like their original line is being discontinued and the 50ml bottles are on sale, so it’s a great chance for anyone who is on the fence! I am also desperate to get my hands on a Zoologist mix and match 5 piece travel set, but can only think of 4 of them that I would really wear. If anyone wants to pitch in for 1 travel spray, it’s a done deal!
Which 4 would you wear out of curiosity? I may be interested in picking that 1 travel spray!
I am head over heels for the damp dirt/cave vibe of Bat and love the delicious dried fruit opening of Camel. Elephant layers well with my other frags, and I’m going to go out on a limb for the 2014 Panda. The new one has way to much ozone for me, and the older formulation sounds like it might be a winner.
Oh no, that’s a shame about 7 Virtues!
Right? Their new contemporary line equivalent is has more neroli to my nose, and just isn’t the same.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes yesterday. Today I went to Ulta to exchange my Coco Mademoiselle Intense, it just reminded me to much of a different time in my life. My daughter was having an off day, so I just returned it, and got my points back. I sprayed some Poison Girl edt, I just love the opening so much, very Orange creamsicle on me. Maybe I will spend my points when the twenty percent off comes around again. This is the last of my doctor approved day off, I’m actually looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
Take good care lillyjo!
I’m trying! Thank you!
I hope your health issues improve, lillyjo.
Thank you, Bear.
Glad you are well enough to get back to your normal life!
Thanks Robin!, I am looking forward to boring!
You and me both. Raising my coffee cup to you this AM. Good health, happy kids, and all the boring in the world. ☕️☕️☕️
Raising my diet coke right back at ya!
I’ve been MIA so missed this but glad it is improving.
Thank you. Glad you are back😀
Happy weekend NST! I am in Mohur over Virgile. A really nice combo.
I am thinking of hosting a Lubin Kismet split. This one has been on my radar for a long time and I missed out of it on the last splitmeet.
I would love to see an Aedes travel spray split. Although the only one i have tried repeatedly is the Afrique.
if you want a 3mL decant each of AdV Pallisandre d’Or and Copal Azur from my bottles you can message me at kgoodw2 at hotmayl dot com. They’re both really nice, just REEEALLLy big bottles lol. I have atomizers ready!
Oh that’s incredibly generous of you – thank you!!
Took my mother for a cold drive in the country this morning to celebrate a sunny day at last! and dry roads. Wearing Angel Muse today, it smells so cosy and delicious.
Speaking of Angel, has anyone tried the new Angel Eau Croisièr? I’m not a huge Angel fan but I really like a couple of flankers, and this new one sounds opulent and gorgeous and the bottle is a stunner. Anyone interested in a split?
You smell great! So nice to take your mom on a ride in the sunshine!
Which is the one you perfumistas love? Angel Muse? I’m sure I would go in for one.
Lol wow totally missed you already specified which one, sorry!
No problem
do try Angel Muse sometime, it has a creamy hazelnut base that’s not overly sweet.
Found a lovely vat of Mugler Alien body cream at Marshalls for $20.00. Usually retails for $87! Practically free. I used Alien soap, Alien body cream and then the perfume! The perfect trifecta of Alieness. I then put three layers of clothing on top of all this so I can safely be around others and stay warm.
You smell divine! I’m on the last of my alien lotion minis, it’s so true to the fragrance that you don’t even need to spray, but I do anyway too!
I am glad there is another Alien lover in the house! Thank you! Take care of yourself, lovely smelling friend!
Thank you. I really never tire of Alien.
Mmmmm. A fellow Alien fan here, but I’ve never tried the body products. They sound fabulous.
They are very nice. Mugler revamped them recently, so the older packaging has been showing up at discounters lately.
I’m wearing MFK APOM again for its beautiful soft rose notes. I’m in quite a rose mood lately, spurred on perhaps by the giant displays and offerings in the local grocery stores all geared up already for Valentine’s Day. I bought a lovely bright pink bouquet and I could swear these roses smell “pink,” ha ha! I’ll have to dig out my OJ Taif for tomorrow. In upbeat news, I splurged on some beautiful rhodolite garnet earrings today! (Rhodolites are more pink than other garnets and I particularly like them.) My excuse: I’m going to a special fancy dinner on Monday night, a fundraiser, and will wear them then with a new deep rose-colored cut-velvet top. Grenada looks lovely–I remember my grandmother visiting there a few times and she loved it. She used to go to Barbados often, partly because my uncle did some sort of weather research down there a number of times as a summer job (he was a high school science teacher). I’ve never been but would like to visit sometime.
I love garnets! And roses! Your top sounds wonderful as well.
Your outfit and earrings sound wonderful…I like garnets too.
Rhodolite garnets, velvet, pink roses and sunshine, your post is full of happiness.
Today is National Pizza Day and my grocery store had pizza samples around every corner. I was able to have a pre lunch snack while I did my shopping.
Yesterday was one of those days where life throws you a curve ball and I never even got to perfume. Never even got to a shower actually.lol. Today is much better and this morning I reached for Lea. Revisiting my Tempo sample this afternoon.
Not being able to get to a shower, really is a rough day! Glad today is better 🌞
Yay for pizza samples and also for better days.
Samples came in today’s mail so I cleaned house while wearing A Ce Soir by Pont des Arts. It is everything that Angela mentioned in her recent review. The sample was carded but, unfortunately, tiny. I really need a decant. It is lovely. Shout out to Indigo for their excellent sampling program. No affiliation.
Glad to hear this one worked out! I might get a sample myself
Have you tried A Chaque Instant yet? It’s mossy goodness on me. I am very tempted by the small bottles.
Hi Amy, I did try A Chaque last evening. I loved the opening but am not sure about the far dry down since I fell asleep. It lasted really well for me, at least on clothes. What I remember was lovely. I need to test it again during daytime. I am also tempted by the 30 ml bottles but need to test it a little further. If you buy and are interested in splitting off 10ish mls, let me know.
Trying Dryad today. My husband complained so probably a no. I’m getting me of bitter green tea with hay but haven’t checked the notes.
Oh I love Dryad too. Too bad your husband doesn’t! I find it pretty quiet, so he must have a sharp nose. It’s hay and moss and galbanum on me, but not sharp.
A Chaque Instant is continuing to please me today.
I think that I over sprayed and then we got into the car together right after so… 😊
Finally got my last package of the Freebiemeet sent out today. Including the freebies I posted in December and earlier in January, that makes 26 packages sent out. I have re-homed 15 full-size bottles (some only partially full), 9 minis, 2 solids, and several dozen samples. I now have a little more storage space and a lot less perfume guilt.
Well done!
Congratulations! It’s a bit liberating to free up some space, that’s for sure. I
Last summer I sold a bunch of bottles at a garage sale (we had at my in-laws house before they moved to a retirement home) to a budding perfumista. I gave her a great deal as she wanted all of them. However I probably added a few more back into the fold since then.
That is so generous of you! Kiss that guilt goodbye!
Picked up a small bottle of Angel on a whim at Marshall’s today – it cost as much as what I’d pay through the discounters, only without the shipping cost. I haven’t worn Angel in almost eight years – I got tired of its too-much-ness, and gave away my old bottle – but I’ve been hit by random cravings for it lately, and decided what the hell. I don’t know if the formula has been tweaked or my nose has changed, but the old girl is striking me as shockingly cuddly and wearable as I sniff it now. I remember my 2011 bottle being almost stridently sweet, with a subdued patchouli note, but this new one is all rounded edges and a nice, plush patchouli bottom. The signature fruity candy/caramel/vanilla notes are still there, but they’re less oversaturated and just plain nicer to smell. Again, this could all be in my head, but needless to say I’m pleasantly surprised and delighted with this purchase. A successful reunion! Here’s hoping I don’t get sick of her again!
I used to think Angel was too much but my “too much” meter had lowered and I think it’s great now haha. Although I do tend to go easy with it!
My bottle is from 2015, I think,and it is much easier to wear than my mini, which is a few years older.
I don’t wear it often but I completely understand the craving! Sometimes nothing but Angel will do. Glad you found a bargain.
Whew. Took forever to log in. Lol.
Question: has anyone tried 4711 Acqua Colonia white peach and coriander? Or Outramer peche? Are they very peachy? I’m looking for a nice easy spring/summer scent that is inexpensive, so I won’t be afraid to travel with it. And doesn’t have florals, so my husband doesn’t run away screaming “Sanctuary!”. Lol. 😊
I’ve only ever seen the original around here. The white peach sounds intriguing.
Fragrance . Net carries it. And smallflower apothecary hase some of the others. I got the lime set there a while back. 😊
Gallivant Berlin on one arm and London on the other. I like both a lot. So far Tokyo and Berlin are my favs of this line but still have a few others to try.
An easy Saturday straightening up and cleaning the house. Organized some clothes and ordered a new organizer for perfume samples. I can’t wait to get it. Also made some amazing meatballs and sauce for dinner! I love when I cook and it turns out so well.
I love organizing on the weekend
What kind of organizer did you buy?
Spent yesterday and today in Lonestar Memories. I initially didn’t care for it but now it’s love. When I do my taxes, I will get a full bottle. The price for Lonestar Memories is heaps more reasonable than a bottle of SDV. I am also going to get a bottle of Honour woman for my Mother’s birthday, if the price stays reasonable.
Grenada beach looks so inviting, make the most of it, Robin.
A mild, partly sunny, windy day yesterday. I am expecting 2 friends for lunch today and decided on pizza instead of cauliflower cheese, so I’ll just have to prepare the cucumber lettuce and the fruit salad.
I was wearing Bronze Goddess on one wrist (latest purchase, Donatella will have to forgive) and after checking the editions on Fragrantica, mine is the 2008 one, it is very radiant.
On the other wrist was Carven Robe d’un Soir I was testing to see if I need a bottle currently listed on eBay, and I’m almost sorry it’s a yes.
Hope it was a lovely lunch, and hope you won that Carven!
Thank you Robin, lunch was great, I didn’t win the Carven as I was distracted, oh well happy for the person who got it and I have vintage Ma Griffe which I love so much.
A decent consolation prize then!
I’ve been so busy these past few months I haven’t really participated in any of the community projects and just wore Le Labo Thé Noir nonstop.
Hopefully my olfactif samples with let me try a bit more though. I brought them to my office and have converted at least two of my colleagues into perfumistas! Scents are so fun with friends!
Olfactif is fun – introduced me to so many things
Sunday morning and I’m back in Málaga Airport waiting to board for Düsseldorf. As I write, the incoming plane is just taxiing to the air bridge.
At the end of 2017 I was very sad to see SAC Perfumes (of Málaga and Marbella) shut down. I learned this weekend that they still have a Facebook shop (SAC Parfums Paris, I think) where they are selling off unsold stock at trade prices, so great bargains in Amouage, Marly, Clive Christian and other niche marques.
Perfumes this weekend:
Friday for the CP, Czech & Speake “Cuba”.
Saturday for the usual beachfront stroll and lunch at a new vegan restaurant, Caron “Le 3e homme”.
Today for travel and comfort, Amouage “Sunshine Man”.
Tomorrow will be my last working day in Dusseldorf and my 1 day a week contract there won’t be extended past February. It was originally a way of de-risking my contract in The Hague and an experiment to see if I could manage 2 clients simultaneously. I could say, it succeeded in point 1 and failed in point 2. That said, DUS client is happy, just has no reason to keep me on after I solved their problem. From my POV, frustrating to try to make something happen in a large organisation when it takes more than a month duration to do a week’s work. If I do it again, it’ll be an assurance or coaching role where the outcome doesn’t depend on my individual work alone. “Try again, fail again, fail better” ;^)
I am not down about this BTW, working 4 days a week will be a luxury for the next 3 months and the learning from what I (and I alone) perceive as a partial failure will be useful.
In a way, how unfair is it that you worked yourself out of a (part-time) job because of your success?
As to managing 2 clients, I suppose because you’re an independent contaractor (I’m assuming), there’s no conflict of interest.
Yes, I’m an independent contractor, and there is no conflict of interest in this case. It could be tricker if it were 2 Oil & Gas companies, or 2 insurers, but one of each is pretty safe. :^)
That’s good. There’s more leeway then for independent contractors.
Hajusuuri, I should also have said, for your benefit, that C&S Cuba is gloriously red. :^D
Good to know!
Starting next week’s CP project early (thanks to a kind NSTer who sent me these) in the all natural brand Fum Perfumery’s Winter Crocus. I believe it was the rabbitsflower who first put this brand on my radar. Yes, they are pricy but oh so very well done
I will probably vacillate between two all natural brands that are new to me all week…Fum Perfumery and Boyds of Texas…..
What is Boyd’s of Texas? (Where?) As a (naturalized) Texan, I feel I ought to know. Any good ones?
Here you go-
https://boydsoftexas.com/
I have tried all three of the ones featured ..they definitely smell natural so you have to enjoy that…..
You smell very good! I really like Winter Crocus and Ariose and may wear one of the. For the CP too. Nerola didn’t do anything for me, but I’ll give it another try in warmer weather.
I’ve never heard of Boyd’s but will look them up. I’m awash in choices for this week’s CP. thanks for thinking it up. Off the top of my head, I have something to wear from these brands: Aftelier, Strange Invisible Perfumes, Hiram Green, Providence Perfume Company, April Aromatics, Ayala Moriel, Pirouette Essentials (they’re a Seattle brand and I bet you’d like them cm8), some DSH, some Olympic Orchids, Fum like you mentioned, Abel Perfumes. I’m pretty sure St. Clair Perfumes are natural?
I tried all three of them and like them all but my favorite is definitely Ariose. Abel has been on my radar too but I haven’t sampled yet. Diane St Clair uses a very high percentage of naturals so I would count those too. and Pacifica which we have in our house by the boatload so that is another option. Phlur is also supposed to be relatively natural as well. Also, Laurie informed me that Incense Pure is high natural (if I am remembering correctly something like 80 or 87 percent natural?) so I would count that also. Then there are a few LArtisans that are natural (Cote DAmour and Jailasmer or whatever the name is). And then there is also good old fashioned essential oils! To me they are perfume and about as natural as you can get. oh and Rosie Jane is also a natural brand (I have a sampler floating around the basement somewhere…I think there are six scents in all). And I think the Fiele brand also claims to be natural.
and 1000 Flowers also has three all naturals
Ahh yes, I only have one Pacifica (should have bought more before they were discontinued), and I doubt I’ll be in the mood for French Lilac on this cold week. I do have some Fiele, so that’s another possibility for me.
Pulled out an old one this morning – Kenzo Amour Le Parfum. It’s the one in the gold bottle, and all you need is a tiny dab to be wafting all morning. I’ve tried the original, but I like the parfum much better.
I like Kenzo Amour – reminds me of Hypnotic Poison but softer
I like it, too – but I have to be careful with the parfum version. If I spritz, I’m wafting like a big ’80s dame.
Heading into work. Wearing the best of the best.. Coco edp😀
SOTD is A.A. Rosenlust. I’m pretty well set up for this week’s CP. I have enough natural perfumes, including samples as well as FBs, to last about three weeks without any repetition.
Same as you, I have a lot to choose from. I have honestly never cared if a perfume is natural or not, but I have fallen for some natural brands’ style. I have a lot especially from the Strange Invisible Perfumes catalog circa 2010-2013. I had some very good luck finding deals on eBay, perfumista forums like Basenotes, and swaps.
I have a couple A.A. options, though there are still so many of theirs I haven’t tried, including Rosenlust.
I got the discovery set with samples of 10 fragrances. I find it is often best to sample an entire line of I can (say, not more than about 10 or 15 scents). It’s always hard to chose just 2 or 3 to try and often my favorites end up not being what I expect them to be.
I hear you on that. I just can’t fathom spending the $120 for a discovery set of AA. That’s the price of a nice bottle!
I hear you. Although considering they are 2.5 ml samples, you get a total of 25 ml of perfume in the set, which is almost as much as a FB, and for only about 2/3 the price, so at least you don’t get soaked on the price of the samples on a per ml basis, as is so often the case with samples. Of course, if you only like a few of them, it is not a bargain. I’ve ended up liking, if not loving, just about all of them, so I expect to eventually use them all up. When I bought the set, I also got sample vials of the two (at that time) that were not in the set, Rose l”Orange and Liquid Dreams, and was sorry that they were only dabber vials. Naturally, my favorite, and the one I got a FB of, was one not in the Discovery Set, i.e., Liquid Dreams. The only ones I have disliked so far are two more recent additions, Purple Reign and Agartha. Agartha in particular was awful on me. I haven’t tried Irissistible, and probably won’t, as I don’t do well with strong iris notes.
In amouage fate for a work session at the local library – and wishing i was in grenada too!
I am hoping to find very little to tempt me at the splitmeet, as I’m not allowed to buy anything
This started as a way to motivate me to get healthier, but with all the health problems suffered by my father and my cat, it’s turned into just a smart way to not hemorrhage money frivolously, and to save it for those big health expenditures.
I’m wearing 1000 Flowers Rose Cassis Paradis, from a sample sent by the ever-generous therabbitsflower. It’s nice enough, but it smells mostly like a body product, like a lovely shampoo. Like a lot of Dames. Which is fine; I had just gotten my hopes up. Sadly nothing like Rose Jam on me.
Speaking of LUSH, I’m watching Brooklyn 99 nowadays, and Sarge (Terry Crews, who seems like a really good person!) gets his soap from LUSH
It’s especially funny/cute because he’s this giant beefcake of a man.
The home-visit vet came and talked to us about Mayhem’s future, and we feel SO MUCH better about everything. Our vet oncologist is really just terrible. We should’ve changed from her ~two years ago, when she first started being all doom-and-gloom and not at all helpful. It’s a long and annoying story, but it sounds like we didn’t get anywhere near the amount of information/guidance we should have gotten, and we didn’t even know it, as first time pet owners. Really upsetting, and makes us wonder if Mayhem would have been better off if we had had a different oncologist. No use worrying too much about that, though; we just need to keep him comfortable and happy.
I had about the same impressions of RCP that you did. I’m glad I tried it though and am now confident in how much I love Rose Jam perfume!
Hehe I don’t watch that show but like Terry Crews and love that his character uses Lush soaps.
I’m glad you’re feeling better about Mayhem’s future and that you got a good home-visit vet. It’s hard to know what you don’t know, if that makes sense. All you can do is move forward now.
Thanks, trf
You’re right.
Also, glad I’m not the only one whose nose is bored by RCP. Do you have the Rose Jam body spray or whatever in the funny house cleaner-style spray bottle? I tried it on in a LUSH shop and found it way more potent than the concentration and price suggested it would be. That’s on my list of perfumes I want!
I have the perfume that Lush sold in the UK in 2013. I think I got it in a swap. I can’t remember if they sold it in the US too. I’m glad to hear the body spray is potent. Have you tried the Dad’s Lemon Tree body spray? I’ve been curious about that one.
I found the body spray to be not as potent as EDT or EDP. Which is why I prefer the Rose Cassis Pardadis…plus, the RCP has that tangy cassis note which I love (not boring at all to my nose
!!!!)…however, the eldest of the mini marzipan loved both my decant of Rose Jam body spray and the traveler size of RCP enough to take those along with my decant of Rose All Dae and she took all three with her when she went back to university…I guess she is on a rose kick!
Oh interesting! I’d love to compare the body spray to the UK perfume. (I didn’t realize there were so many versions and am kind of annoyed that you can’t get the perfume in the US.) I did try Dad’s Lemon Tree and liked it more than I expected. It was really lovely
Also very potent.
Koyel:
Try to not focus on “what if” thoughts. You are giving Mayhem a good, loving home, and taking care of him. That is, in an absolute sense, REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Lisa D! Mayhem is quite thoroughly spoiled and loved, that’s for sure
I’ve been out of touch but really sad to hear about Mayhem. I second Lisa D. on the no what ifs! And I hope you dad is doing ok with the chemo.
Thank you, Amy, for your kind thoughts <3 He starts his second round of three days of chemo tomorrow (ie, day 4); we're optimistic!
Hi NSTers!
I have not posted in a while, but still managed to read the blog everyday- too busy with my beautiful baby girl, who will be 3 month old soon.
SOTD- Chanel №5 L’Eau- light, easy to wear and elegant.
I look forward to upcoming splitmeet and hope someone will host a split for Teo Cabanel Barkhane- finally found my perfect amber, but have no funds atm to buy FB.
Well, of course you’ve been busy – how is your little one?
Hi Lisa! My daughter is so beautiful I could stare at her for hours (I am pretty sure every mom feels the same about her precious child). She smiles a lot and giggles when we do excercises. Her siblings love her, take turns to hold her and even change her diaper
I can’t complain 
We named her Elizaveta ( would be Elizabeth in English) and call her Liza for short.
That’s so sweet
Nope – I bet Elizaveta is the most precious of all the babies in the entire world.
Does anyone know if the Diptyque EDP atomizer comes off if you twist it, or is it firmly on? I’m trying to decide whether I may want to host a split.
They’re stuck on. I’ve had varying success with spray decanting. Fleur de Peau was really smooth and easy whereas Volutes was a nightmare. I should probably take notes but 3 brands I recall that I will never do a split of are Jo Malone. SHL 777 and Tauer – they all have lovely bottlesnbur the spray mechanism are not made for decanting – more ended up leaking out than into the atomizer vials.
Thank you! It’s Volutes I was considering splitting, so that’s a big no. I’ll have to figure out what to do when the ~2ml that’s left in my decant is gone.
I also wish I’d taken notes on which bottles are hardest to make decants from. Sometimes I forget how bad some sprayers are and end up making a decant to swap someome and have to lament how much juice gets wasted.
I sometimes use a small funnel, which can help. I’ve got a couple of metal ones that clean up pretty well, and thus are re-usable.
There are some perfume bottles, though, that simply do not spray well into any opening.
I have plastic funnels which I toss after each use. That said, the leaky atomizer issue seem to linger despite the use of funnels. I am thinking it’s the angle one has to hold the bottle that may be contributing to it.
Travel spray?
I don’t think they make them for Volutes. My search hasn’t turned one up yet.
Yep Tauer is a b&@“h to decant. Lutens is the most considerate, offering both splash and spray with each bottle.
Yes, I love that about the classic Lutens bottle.
All the Different Company bottles I’ve split have also had twist tops!
OMG I sent someone a 5-mL split of a Tauer and decided NEVER AGAIN. Oh that was awful.
Like you. I learned the hard way!