PSA: The freebiemeet is coming up on Saturday, 28 September.
Meanwhile, this weekend kicks off with International Day of Peace and World Gratitude Day. We're marking the holidays with our usual open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance that makes you glad to be alive, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Lotus July-16-2018-023 4x6 [tripled] by Gary Brownell at flickr; some rights reserved.
UK readers might be interested to know that I saw Theo Fennel’s Scent (edt and edp) in my local TKMaxx at £7.99 a bottle yesterday. Might be worth a look if it’s something you’re after…
Totally random… but I just clicked on your avatar link and thoroughly enjoyed the written signs—especially the turquoise-colored one listing perfume, cologne, aftershave, wtf, etc.
At the risk of sounding like Lady Whatshername in Pride and Prejudice who says something like, ‘If I had ever learnt to play the piano, I should have been a great proficient.” I think had I ever learned any graphic design skills, I would have enjoyed especially working with fonts and letters. I love how different fonts convey different feelings and associations. Anyway, this is a ridiculously long way of saying that that notice, or sign, or poster—whatever it is—is very charming! ☀️
Lady Catherine de Bourgh!
Exactly! She is such a deliciously unpleasant character.
Thanks so much. I did them a few years ago for ‘A perfume evening with Bob’ that I hosted for a few work colleagues.
Yes, very cute signs.
I’d noticed that the one Oakland Fresca specifically pointed out could be used for explanations of the concentration of a fragrance. The “WTF” would be especially useful in some cases I can think of. 
Haha!
So, I had to look too, and liked the signs and the CATS, but I couldn’t get the one of the fat gray cat to come up. I love gray cats! Also loved the photo of all the perfume bottles and was trying to guess what they all were.
I like the signs too……and I LOVE Theo Fennell Scent. That’s a really good buy.
Sunny, warm and absolutely gorgeous summer day today. I am on my way to meet two of my high school friends for lunch. Then tea and pastries in the afternoon. Looking forward to a very nice time with them after a rough week at work. We have a lot to catch up!
Wrapped in a cloud of Chanel La Pausa EdT sprayed on my clothes, so it lasts longer. Happy weekend, everyone!
Have a wonderful time with your friends! Sounds like a perfect day.
Thank you! We had indeed a great time!
Have a wonderful time and you smell amazing!!!!
Thank you! You know how much I LOVE 28 La Pausa! ?
How fun!
Perfect weather today in NYC.
Just gorgeous. Too bad I’m sitting in a hair salon chair.
The weather was amazing yesterday, as well as it is today! Hope you have had some time to enjoy outside!
Oh, have fun – sounds like a perfect Saturday. Here, it’s groceries and housework, but I’m still happy about the weekend. Did you once say LaPausa is perhaps your favorite fragrance?
Thank you! We had a wonderful time! Today, it is my groceries and housework day! Still a long way to go! 28 La Pausa, EdT is indeed my #1 favorite perfume. I have a sample of the new EdP and honestly I have not tried it yet, considering that the reviews say it is totally different.
So glad you had a wonderful day!
Please let us know when you do try the La Pausa edp. I’m curious – I think you might like it although it won’t replace 28 LP edt – I think it will be a different enough.
Enjoy! This all sounds so great ?
Thank you, Lillyjo! It was really fun!
La Pausa + friends + tea + pastry = bliss
Hope your day was lovely!
Thank you! That combo is always PERFECT, without any doubts! ?
Hello all! Celebrating a free (and mostly dry) morning in Houston today. Wearing my beloved Hyacinth and a Mechanic today, perfect for the cloudy cool weather.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
You smell great!
Thank you!
Yay for dry – my husband has family in the Beaumont area and they had 42″ of rain ? Enjoy your free time.
I couldn’t fly home as planned on Thursday due to all the flooding, and then when I got home Friday evening it hardly even looked damp! It comes up fast and goes down fast. In daylight I could see some puddles around, but that’s about it. The pictures of flooded freeways though are quite shocking!
Oh my word, I have always wanted to smell Hyacinth & A Mechanic – the name just resonates! I was reliably informed that this fragrance is only ever available with the man himself at an event of some sort, unfortunately. Currently in our hotel room in Glasgow with my best friend of many years quaffing red wine after a very enjoyable weekend with some great food & cultural activities. Going home to Aberdeen tomorrow, so just about to work on our ‘to do’ list – she is shopping for jewellery (woohoo!) & I may make a return visit to the newly opened Penhaligon’s shop or Frasers department store perfume counters – Karen has also been sniffing Viktor & Rolf & is a bit of a fan, so she may buy both jewellery & fragrance!, while I have spotted a beautiful pair of earrings in the ‘Bluebell’ range in Orkney jeweller Sheila Fleet’s relatively newly opened shop which I think I will go back to purchase – bluebells are my favourite flower, as those of you on this site will know as I have worn Penhaligon’s Bluebell over the years, but the price increase since the Puig takeover is just ridiculous, so perhaps I’ll have the earrings as opposed to the fragrance!!
What a great story! Do you know which brands will be available at the reopening? Ostara perhaps? I know it was discontinued, it was beautiful though! I didn’t get to know it in time. Do let us know.
Good luck with your bluebells.
Angela, it appears to be a bit of a ‘flagship’ store, according to the senior member of staff I spoke to, although how something can be ‘a bit’ of a flagship is a mystery to me! They appear to have what’s available in every other Penhaligon’s shop, & the lady I was chatting to said there has been a bit of a genteel backlash (!) from longtime customers regarding the huge emphasis on the Portraits line to the detriment of their traditional output & longtime (for which read ‘older’!) customers, so the company is trying to redress the balance & wants to be seen to be doing so.
No Ostara, unfortunately! I bought the earrings…no surprise there, & thank you for the good luck message.
Hi! I was able to get a decant of Hyacinth and a Mechanic from Surrender to Chance, but I don’t know if they ship overseas. Maybe someone on the UK sells decants?
Thank you for the info – I may just have to make a point of attending a Tauer event!, as many companies can’t or don’t ship overseas. I may scout around a bit more here in the UK & see what I can find.
Starting my day off with Smell Bent Incensed, which might be in opposition to this International Day of Peace. I smell great, though.
You smell great! I have been hemming and hawing getting another 4ml travel size of that one.
Get it
Well, okay then! ?
And while you’re at it, maybe one of Incensed Short Fuse.
And don’t you wear Gypsy? Probably time for some more. Don’t you love how we help you out?!?
Yes to both recommendations!
Greetings from wet and flooded ND. Vicious storms last night which resulted in widespread flooding here. I’ve been in a motel for the past couple days because it’s too hot to leave doggo in the van while working. Very grateful for a solid structure last night because it was wicked out there!
Had trouble getting to the post office this morning because of flooding, but totally worth the effort, because a package arrived from a lovely NSTer (you know who you are!?). As a result, I’m wearing the stunning Bengale Rouge. What a knockout! Thank you so much to the NST Superhero who sent me this beauty. ?
Happy weekend to all, and especially thinking of the folks in Texas who are experiencing flooding on a much worse level than here.
Sorry about your floods and heat, but woot on Bengal Rouge!
Have you tried it? If so, what do you think?
Still waiting for the sample to arrive…
EEk! But yay for Bengal Rouge
Omg! I’m Loving BR! As far as the storms are concerned, I’m hoping it’s a front that will will be bringing cooler temps??
How’s the longevity of BR on you, if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t get a lot of hang-time as compared to Salome. But I’m also dabbing from a sample. Twisted Lily has BR in stock, so I’m hopeful the place I pre-ordered my bottle gets it in earlier than end of October. I am impatient!
And stay safe where you are!
Nvm, it is sold out ?♀️
They sold out already?? I just got their emails couple of hours ago!
Yes! I just went back to take another look, and saw it was sold out. Hot commodity that Bengale Rouge is! Just finished my sample ?
So here is my BR story, that proves once again, perfume lovers are the BEST.
Mind you, I have stopped buying blind almost 100% BUT last weeks thread about the elusive BR did me in. So, I went to Indigo ( where I have never ordered) and bought a bottle. My credit card was charged.
I thought maybe I got lucky. Well, I didn’t get a shipping confirmation so I emailed Ann.
And I got a wonderful reply! Apparently, she didn’t realize that it showed as available. But, she has a customer who waived her bottle due to traveling and said she would pick one up on the next pre-order. So, I got her bottle! And it will be here today!
And I am hoping it is everything everyone says!!
Holy cow, that one went fast. As far as longevity, I spritzed very lightly this morning, and it’s lasted well so far. I did want another hit of the opening, so I just did spritz number two just for fun. That being said, almost all scents last well on my skin.?
Wow apsara how fabulous for you! I hope that you’ll love BR. I ordered my bottle from Indigo as well last Monday. First time ordering with them also! So I just emailed and asked to confirm I did do a “pre-order”. Glad you posted about your experience.
You smell intoxicating Deva!!
It’s day one of my vacation and making spicy garlic wings for lunch. I still haven’t gotten into the shower yet and wearing vintage L’heure Bleue extrait. After the wings are made, I am taking a shower, switching to vintage BaV and eating lunch. Help me decide please. Ever since Andy Tauer released his new scent, I am having trouble deciding. Do I go to Luckyscent and get Lonestar Memories and get the free mini or do I go over to his website and order Rose Flash and pay for the mini. Price difference is about $40 US dollars.
Enjoy your days off. The wings sound delish!?
Hi Dawn, you smell beautiful. So many mentions of Guerlain scents today. I feel a theme week coming on for me.
I’ve had a number of Guerlain-themed days lately, discovering classics. Very generous NST folks have helped me with that.
Also I’ve been getting Surrender to Chance samples that have included Hermes and Guerlain classics and some of their popular newer perfumes and colognes. Good thing I don’t have to report samples to Donatella! I’ll have a few bottles to confess to, though. Uh-oh.
I’m assuming the Lonestar/Luckyscent option is $40 more based on what Im seeing. The minis cross each other out, so you’re really looking at Lonestar versus Rose Flash which is normally (on US sites) about $130 vs $60, which is a $70 differential that you’re managing to narrow to $40. By this reckoning, the Luckyscent option is the better deal.
Meanwhile, I’m contemplating two different Tauer bottles, so I’m not the person to call on if you’re looking for someone to talk you down from spending money…
I just got a Rose Flash sample from LuckyScent, but the bottle I got was of something relatively cheaper than a Tauer fragrance. Have fun with your Tauer bottles, folks!
A gorgeous sunny day here, heading out to the symphony momentarily, wearing Cuir Beluga. Went to a wonderful Guerlain event yesterday at Holt Renfrew Ogilvy with a friend, put me in the mood to wear one of my top Guerlains. Feeling deliciously elegant.
Well, sounds wonderful all around. Enjoy. ✌?
Cuir Beluga IS both delicious and elegant and not many fragrances can say that! Have a great day.
Last night slept with windows open, cool sweet southern Cali air.
A touch of overlooked Bois d’ Armanie for errands.
Are you are less stressed in this location and with your current contract? Lucky you with cool air AND BdA!
no Deva, I am not. Thanks for asking! it’s about 5.5 hours roundtrip and that’s with the pleasure of paying for one of the HOV lanes in LA.
I think I am going to leave. I have had a couple of other folks reach out to me about projects.
I have lived in my condo for almost 10 years and was planning on staying here until my sister and I came to agreement about living together. She’s in Florida, I am here with my heart in California and we want to try and find somewhere that works for both of us. Less money to live and more trips to Africa. We are both getting so close to retirement, she will be 68 tomorrow.
The woman who lived below me moved to Texas when Toyota HQ moved and there are people below me who will not comply with requests to be quiet. The HOA won’t do anything unless I have evidence. I am supposed to do what…knock on the door and video tape them?
So I am actually looking at condos and townhouses this weekend. I will move. I have to have quiet where I live and work.
Maybe we will look to Scottsdale, or Sandia or maybe Portugal. For discussion when we see each other in November.
How loud is it and what time of day? Most cities have ordinances on peaceful enjoyment and noise levels. Google it for your area and you can call out the police to document for you. There is almost nothing better for legal documentation than a police report.
Any time of day into the night. I do know the ordinances and rules. wonder if I am old and cranky but why should I have to hear someone else’s music any time of day? I was watching Netflix on my iPad with earbuds and I could still hear it. This isn’t a dorm.
I vote for Portugal!
Duly noted, Lisa D.!
That was what I was going to say
Well hell, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you and your sister find a most excellent abode and abide in it like the Dude- completely chilled.
I totally understand the need for peace and quiet. I MUST have on my non-work days to offset the absolute insane and cacophonous racket when at work. People have become so rude and self involved, they can’t consider another soul. I’m voting Portugal, too!
I loved your BR story! So happy you got a bottle- you deserve a special treat for having to put up with a$$hat neighbors✌?
another bottle to pack when I move!
What is an Hov lane, and why do you have to pay for it?
HOV is high occupancy vehicle or carpool lane.
It’s called different things in different states.
In California, if you are a single driver, you have to pay to use the carpool or HOV lane. You pay for a transponder for your car and then pay for use of lane. the cost is higher at peak times.
All of downtown LA exits were closed due to Donald Trump visit the other day plus an accident. I ended up scrambling through the Hollywood Hills.
Hi apsara – I have had the same noise problem but the tenant was above me. It wasn’t music but her walking around in hard-soled shoes, moving what sounded like a safe around at all hours, dropping things, constantly banging around. I have no idea what the hell she was up to. I spoke to my super who had a word with her. This didn’t work so I filed a complaint with the building manager citing the days and times of the noise. She got back to them with a letter from a lawyer denying she had made any of the noise. She’s quite young so I figure she probably told her parents who had a lawyer friend draft something up for her. Well then neighbour, be prepared for all-day heavy metal that I am going to crank up to 11 once I get the speakers positioned high enough and pointed toward the ceiling. I am waaaay older than you and you will never have as good a stereo as mine! ?
No, I did not do this but I can dream can’t I? She has gotten better but the building manager did tell me when asked that yes, I could record the noise on my iPhone using the video camera which would also prove that it had been recorded in my apartment and then submit it for evidence for them to issue a second formal complaint. Fortunately I haven’t had to do so. I still hear the noises from time to time but not as bad as it was.
Sleeping with the windows open is so nice. Enjoy your weekend!
You too, nl!
hi neighbor!
I had my windows open last night, too. I love the smell of cool evening air.
yes, it’s intoxicating to me even after all these years.
Baiser de Russie. Sweet floral, but I love the hint of pine in there that braces it. I find its lasting power to be okay…better than some.
Birthday dinner for a friend tonight. We found out one of our old-time favorite restaurants (Cafe Loup) closed earlier this spring. It wasn’t in our neighborhood, so it wasn’t a regular haunt like it used to be, but we had wonderful times there. We often went for early Christmas dinner and spent Y2K eve there. And I swear, almost every time we went we saw some famous actor or another. I wish one of them had paid the back taxes. ?? A big loss when these mainstays with good food and great atmosphere close.
The beautiful place across the street closed recently too, after five years.
We have a neighborhood restaurant, easy to walk to from our house, that closed a few years ago. Great cocktails, brick oven pizzas, good comfort food. It was always hopping but somehow the hosts could always find a way to fit you in. And because it was a neighborhood joint, I would frequently run into friends there. Anyway, I was totally bummed when it closed, replaced by a pretentious and expensive gastropub. But, about two years ago, after the fancy pub went out of business, the original restaurant owners reopened the original restaurant. They said they just needed a break. The neighborhood rejoiced ??? Funny how restaurants can be extensions of “home” in our psyches.
So glad they re-opened for you! Yes, I think in urban places the local place plays a very important role in being connected. The ones I mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg on local places we loved but have closed. It’s very disconcerting. Especially when you’ve gotten to know the people.
HA — they wanted to be sure you all appreciated them! That is excellent.
I got a decant of BdR from a split meet a while back and I really enjoy it. It is sweet but not done in a flower sugar bomb way
Started out in Assam of India. Nice!
Added Tea for Two. Hmmmm, great together.
Added Black Cashmere. Oh yeah, that’s what I needed!
Y’all have a fabulous Saturday! ? ?
Black Cashmere – so lucky you are!!
I lurked on eBay a long time, looking for it!
I can send you some if you’re interested. Drop me a line…
Nancysfrags at geemail dot com.
That is so kind of you!
layering bliss!
you smell like heaven.
Thank you tiffanie! I’m writing this one down. ?
Sounds like a yummy mix.
I spritzed on some vintage Chanel 5 edt for my grocery shopping trip earlier. I go back and forth on this one.
I’m feeling stressed about the amount of housework I never get done. Which is kind of silly, because 1) I’m fortunate that I have a house and 2) I should stop stressing and get busy doing it.
Happy Saturday all.
I feel the same way about my housework. Mostly the basement which just has so much stuff in it. I go through little area’s at a time, but most days off, I just don’t want to do it. 3 years ago we had a tornado hit about 5 miles from me, and all I could think was, if it hits my house, all my crap will be on the street and on the news! That was a pretty big motivator lol!
This made me laugh. It’s sort of like running your underwear up the flagpole.
u smell fab! My mum wore No 5 EdT when I was a child. When I smell the sprayer of her empty vintage bottle, it makes me so happy that she never throws things away, LOL. I adore modern No 5 for that reason.
My two little ones love to help with house chores..I will send them over. Chubby Buddha is good with a vacuum and can make you a coffee or a matcha latte (supervised) My older Monkey likes to water plants and crack eggs if you need something for a recipe.
Oh yes, please! And besides all the help, they would keep me smiling. You’re invited, too, but I won’t make you work. ;D
Somebody here once said something to the effect of ‘you’re not going to be sitting on your deathbed wishing you’d done more housework’ — so also, you should stop stressing whether you do the housework or not! Stress is bad for you.
:D. Yep! I just need to get some done without the stress.
Nearly bit my husband’s head off this AM when he told me he is taking the hard to use, bantamweight laptop I have been struggling to work on while my computer either gets fixed or replaced (after a harrowing week spent recovery 20 years of files) to the shop to move additional files on to it from yet another computer. Gah. I am so reliant on technology and so do not understand it!
Anyway, to make myself stop obsessing on human and computer frailty this AM, I’ve decided to try out a new recipe to me, apple skillet cake with salted caramel frosting
(here’s a pic: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019536-apple-skillet-cake-with-salted-caramel-frosting?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo7_NuL7i5AIVAtRkCh22Ig8kEAAYASAAEgLqifD_BwE)
As for perfume, maybe Pichola or Bracken.
Now to enjoy the day, which is sunny and breezy!
I vote for Bracken
I think you have developed a bit of a stutter this morning?
I am correcting the stutter as fast as I can!
Thank you,Robin! And I am sorry! Both you and Deva know what I do for a living so it’s almost befitting.
It’s my computer!!! It doesn’t do it on my phone!
Whoa, that cake looks delicious. Report back on how it came out if you don’t mind!
Well, it turned out looking like it should, and the apple cake was moist and full of apple flavor. The verdict is still out for me though on the recipe. My husband, who is not a super sweet tooth really liked it. I am a real sweet tooth, but it may be too sweet for me. Will taste it again today when I am not hung over with all the frosting testing I may have done while baking ? ? ?. Here’s a link to my Instagram pics— the most recent pic is of the cake I baked: https://www.instagram.com/nerolimyrrh/
Ohhhhhh my gosh does that look good! My husband would love that one, I may save it for his birthday. Please let us know if you liked it?
That cake looks absolutely divine! I’m sure it was very well received. ?
Oh, good luck when the wee laptop gets more files on it. At least your husband took it to the professionals to do. Tell him — if the people at the shop haven’t already — to get a backup drive. Meanwhile, you can get thumb drives (also known as USB drives or flash drives) to save work onto. They’re probably cheapest at Walmart, and likely not too expensive at Best Buy. They’d be more expensive at Staples. You should be able to drag and drop files onto one. Otherwise, you can copy files off your computer and paste them onto the thumb drive.
This!
My back up drives have back up drives—because I write for a living I live in terror of this eventuality. The external back- up drive I had been using failed however. I am still not sure why — may need a professional to extract the files. But, my cloud back-up system worked great, except that it failed to capture the work done the day before. In the scheme of the disaster, hardly worth mentioning. I do feel I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the cloud back-up system I use. Absolutely no affiliation, but if you are in the market, I highly recommend Carbonite!
Well, it’s good that you have back-ups, and that the cloud back-up worked for you. But gosh, it still seemed like quite the ordeal. I hope this coming week is better for you.
Nocturnes de Caron (vintage mini) in the morning – aldehydic classic.
Currently testing BDK Crème de Cuir. A musky suede with a hint of something citrussy. No bad but not exciting.
You smell amazing. Vintage Nocturnes has been with me since 1983.
That is high praise indeed! many marriages don’t last that long!
Received a sample of Rose 31 when I ordered skincare online. I’m a cumin phobe so I’ve wondered about this one but never sought it out. I am dabbing it but REALLY intrigued. REALLY REALLY intrigued.
I need a decant!
Is this way more sweaty when sprayed? Because it’s soooo nice– cozy and fresh and slightly (very slightly) animalic or dirty. It’s not at all what I expected. I know that it’s not an iris, but there’s something almost rooty in there to my nose.
It’s beeeaaaautiful here today. I hope everyone is enjoying a happy and pleasant weekend.
I have a spray decant of Rose 31, and I notice the cumin, but it’s not too much for me. I’ve never dabbed it, so I guess this comment isn’t so helpful. It’s probably my favorite Le Labo. ❤️
This gives me hope!
I think you must live in the same gville my sister does. big football game today!
Very big game today!
I actually split my time between Knoxville and Gainesville. So it’s a particularly big game for us since it’s the two cities we live in!
oh my a big rivalry! my sis and I both were undergrads at OU so when it’s Gators v Sooners:)
I have my Gator shirt for today gratis my sister
Lyric
You smell great today!
Thank you!
Scent of the morning: vintage Apres l’Ondee. (Thank you, Katsura!) I found it strong, but not unpleasantly so. Perhaps with the older types of Guerlain perfume, what I need a few minutes to get used to is the “Guerlainade.” I think of those Mediterranean herbs as culinary herbs, so that could be why it takes me a little while to switch gears.
Tea this morning: Trader Joe’s Jasmine Green. I thought it was quite a nice jasmine green. Yesterday was Numi Jasmine Green. (Thanks, Elisa P.!) That happens to be one of my favorite kinds of tea, so Trader Joe’s had stiff competition, and did decently in comparison.
I read this really fast and my first thought was TJ has a green tea fragrance??? duh.
gosh, if TJ’s had a green tea fragrance I would buy it in a heartbeat!
Agreed.
I’ve seen several people lately mentioning various flankers of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. I would have been confused, too. I was seeing a lot of those Elizabeth Arden Green Tea flankers at the local Marshall’s in the spring. I think I’ll pick up the Mimosa one if I see it on my next trip, since that got some praise here.
you smell fantastic! I adore Apres l’Ondee. The vintage must make it extra special.
Thank you.
It’s been a while since I tried the more modern version (that also thanks to Katsura), but I’m pretty sure the newer one wasn’t as strong. The Perfume Guide A-Z describes it as heliotrope, almonds and iris, plus the Guerlain Mediterranean herb combination put in to cheer it all up. (paraphrasing) I can smell the perfume version of heliotrope, and what I think is the iris, and definitely a strong dose of the herbs.
Theorizing again…the perfumes I would have smelled as a child in the 1970s may have had more of a notable “perfume” sort of scent than some of the modern fragrances I’ve been trying, and were probably more complex than some of them, too. Mom’s mother, Nana A., and Nana’s friends would have had perfumes from the 1950s and 1960s, and likely also used perfumes that were popular when they were children in the 1920s.
SotD = Iris Ukiyoe
Hiya, fragrance friends! Beautiful photo up top, Robin, a perfect match for today.
As I woke up this morning I thought about Peace Day and the way Iris Ukiyoe always makes me feel calm. I often wear a spritz when I do yoga, even wearing it to class sometimes. It’s so lovely and also fleeting, it’s a perfect reminder to be present in every moment.
I’ve been mostly offline lately but have still made time each day to check in at NST to read what everyone is up to. I’ve been wearing fragrance every day and loving it. All of you are my inspiration, my reminder to enjoy beautiful things, especially those things that are ephemeral.
I’m off to the beach for one last blast of summer perhaps.
Hope everyone has a fantastic and fragrant day.
have a great day at the beach!
Hope it is a good beach trip! I came home from a week at the beach yesterday, and was feeling very sad about the end of summer but now it’s hot and humid at home.
Yes, we’ll have some more very warm days here. It sounded like you had a good trip to the beach.
If it was the Atlantic shore, you would have had fairly decent beach weather. A couple of those days were cooler, which I enjoyed here at home. But you would have had some warm days there, too.
At Untermyer Park today
I still smell Houbigant OeF from yesterday so I just added a little more
I don’t know if it’s the change of season, but I am so hungry these days
Today is Guerlain’s BdR, mentioned by an NSTer I dug out my decant.
Ah, that must be why I am eating so much ice cream!
I’ve been testing my sample of Serge Lutens’ latest, La Couche du Diable. I’m not sure I’d want a FB, but it’s much more what I think of as Serge Lutens than most of his latest. I’ve bought quite a few older SLs over the last few years, and the most recent is De Profundis, which came out in 2011.
The forecast is for a nice day, and we’re planning to go to Tulip Day at the botanic gardens. It’s only a 15 minute walk from home, so we have no excuse for not getting there.
I’m wearing a dab of Thameen’s latest, Royal Sapphire, for the morning’s housework. It seems a bit sweet so far. You can probably tell from this that my latest package of samples from Luckyscent arrived a couple of days ago
I want to love a new SL so much. Your note gives me hope.
Sunny autumn day, first a visit to the hairdresser for a cut and color, wearing Batucada. Got new windows installed yesterday, so spent the day cleaning and washing clothes.
The boyfriend spent the day canning beets, homemade y duck paté and homegrown tomatosauce. We will have lots to eat over the winter
Yummy! Beets are under-appreciated.
I so agree with you there.
Another fan of canned beets here! They are a lot of work and messy to make, but I love them. Having a pantry full of homemade food is wonderful.
Cool and overcast this morning, and I can’t seem to summon the motivation to do anything but read today. Bertie Wooster is sleeping on my left leg and occasionally wakes up and paws the book when he wants to be petted. I’m wearing Stash.
is Bertie Wooster a doggo or a kitty?
I have zero motivation too. I didn’t screw the cap on tight when I went to make a protein drink and now the kitchen has lumps of wet chocolate protein powder all over it.
maybe I should just take a nap.
Bertie’s a kitty. Sorry about your kitchen mess. Maybe clean it first before it starts to dry and then take a nap? Wash. Post had an article today saying people who nap 2x/week have a lower risk of cardiac illness.
It’s all cleaned up.
you and Bertie have a nap!
It’s good to have a low-key day every so often.
I know many people find their cats to be good company, and I often read to relax. Usually I’ll feel a lot more ambitious the next day. 
Bought some new shampoo and conditioner at the drugstore last night. Scent: Turmeric & Tonka. So interesting and different for hair care products! Brand is Beauty & Planet, which I’d never seen or heard of before.
Today I’ve been lounging around the house, playing with a bunch of samples. Just showered using my Rituals Ayurveda shower gel (sweet rose and almond). Will use LADDM (FB arrived yesterday!) before I head into the city for dinner with an old coworker.
Looking forward to dinner with my former minion. Haven’t seen him in a year and a half; this after nearly daily lunches and coffee breaks for more than two years. Been 3+ years now since we stopped working with each other. I also moved 1.5 hours away, so it’s hard to keep in touch. Tapas for dinner. Yum!
I believe it’s a Canadian company since I have bought shampoo there, I use the Rose one and love it
Enjoy!
Try a big grocery chain if you are looking for Beauty & Planet.
Spent the day outside in the glorious sunshine cleaning up the garden and summer flower pots. I was mostly commando except for the spray of Nuxe perfume from Shoppers Drug Mart this morning.
Last year I was able to save my geranium basket for this summer, so I put it to bed again today to overwinter in the garage. It was so spectacular this year that I decided to repot it again for next year, and as another experiment I am also trying to overwinter a couple carnations; not sure if they will turn out. We also harvested the last of the grape tomatoes from the ONE crazy plant, plus we should have about 2 pounds of green ones ready to ripen up in the next couple months in the crawlspace. Seriously, it was all from 1 plant! Fresh garden fruits and veggies are as good as it gets.
And my co-worker friend is bringing me fresh apples picked from her tree.
Wow, your plants did well! I’m debating what to try to overwinter. I’ll be bringing the jasmines back inside. They were clearly happier out in the very hot and humid weather and frequent rain this summer than they are inside where it’s dry, but they’re not hardy.
And I have a *lot* of geraniums in pots. I’ll see what I can try to nurse through the winter. The scented-leaf geraniums tend to lose lots of leaves from the bottom up when I bring them inside, but I love to rub the leaves for the fragrances. I overwintered a potted crinum in the garage last year. I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that that will work again.
I just trim everything back, and put the pots in front of the window in the garage. They get watered lightly maybe once a month or so (or when I remember). Fingers crossed for Spring!
SOTM was PG Cuir d’Iris for coffee and crossword puzzles, followed by some intensive weeding and yard cleanup. I was so filthy from crawling around under lavender fronds and Japanese maples to get at the forest of thistles nearly as tall as me that came out of nowhere this year, that I had to undress at the back door so I didn’t track in the half of the yard that was still clinging to me. Post-shower switched to Azemour in the hope that it would re-energize me long enough to get through putting fresh sheets on the beds – I managed, but barely. SO tired, but I love the feeling of accomplishment.
I just finished the New Yorker crossword and was trying to decide if I should do another…which does sound more appealing than weeding, but good for you! Plus, now you smell great.
I doctored up some La Fille de Berlin by adding vanilla and bitter almond oil (which actually smells like marzipan). I am really loving this…might wear it all week. It will fill the sweet part of Regina’s CP theme.
I think I have finally replicated the Original Jergens lOtion smell I was looking for in perfume. Only problem is the vanilla beans clog up the sprayer so I have to splash it on.
Oh how clever though!
I was a walking scent sampler yesterday — went to a pop up store for a new retailer of niche fragrances and tried Anat Fritz’ Tzora and Goldfield and Banks’ Southern Bloom. Both very nice! Then went to Dillard’s to try on some Liberty London items, and tried some more scents: YSL Libre, Gucci Memoire d’Une Odeur, Tom Ford Metallique, Chloe Nomade, Dior Sauvage, Armani Si Fiore, Lancôme Idole, Gucci Bloom Gocce di Fiori. We are hosting two choristers from Cambridge’s Gonville and Caius’ College this weekend; the choir is singing at our church today.
On a less cheerful note, I am weighing my complaint options against Fragrancenet, which advertised testers of Dior fragrances at a good price, which I ordered and they confirmed. Two days later, they cancelled my order, saying they were all out of stock. But their website still shows at least one of those fragrances still in stock, still as a tester, but now for double the price! They have refused to honor their original confirmation of my order and suggested I reorder it at the new price. As if! I’m quite disappointed, as I’ve placed many orders with them before and have been pleased. Looks like I’ll be shifting my business elsewhere. Any suggestions?
That’s awful!!! I never had an issue with fragrancenet. If you are looking to shift your business elsewhere there are plenty of other online discounters such as fragrancex . perfume.com (which has a nice selection of Miller Harris), beauty habit, beautyencounter, overstock.com, etc , etc
*hiccup!* lol! ?
???
It gets worse! I’ve done more research, and they are selling the testers barely below the full retail price of the same scents, boxed and sealed, at Neiman Marcus! And they have in stock all three of the ones I originally ordered, and they have at least doubled all the prices FOR THE TESTERS. They are selling the boxed fragrances for more than Neiman Marcus. This does not seem like a recipe for online sales success.
Thanks for the heads-up. Let the buyers beware.
This is common for Fragrancenet. They often price over retail.
That’s awful!!! I never had an issue with fragrancenet. If you are looking to shift your business elsewhere there are plenty of other online discounters such as fragrancex . perfume.com (which has a nice selection of Miller Harris), beauty habit, beautyencounter, overstock.com, etc , etc
Gosh, you got to try a lot of different fragrances on that day out. That part sounded like it was fun for you.
Thanks for the information about those prices. I’ll have to really watch that.
It hasn’t happened to me personally but I have seen this same complaint on Basenotes a few times. All you can do is shop elsewhere.
Wearing my sample of le labo tubereuse 40. I was expecting a stronger perfume. It’s a quiet one this.
Got a lovely email reply from the store I pre-ordered Bengale Rouge. I dumped the remaining half of my sample, and it does indeed last.
Glad it’s working well for you. I’m living vicariously through you and I’m super excited about your new bottle! Lol
Aw thanks! I’ll be more than happy to make a decant for you Deva once my bottle arrives. Will update when it is delivered!
Oh my goodness, thanks, but I’m good. I’m just enjoying your enjoyment and anticipation of the arrival of your new bottle✌?
Another gorgeous day. W’ere having extended summer in New England. I am celebrating with Cologne du 68.
Even though the temps were high yesterday when I mowed the lawn the air smelled like autumn to me.
We’ve had some very cold nights but our days have either been warm or gray and humid. I’m ready for some crisp fall air. Maybe October will bring fall temps?
Are you feeling better?
Yes! Much better. ?
Happy Sunday! I caught a light chill this morning when I stepped out! So excited! ??
I’m in the gorgeous Casmir courtesy of an NST superhero, and loving it! So beautiful, snuggly, and happy. Thanks to all who have been talking about this one lately. Another beautiful fragrance has entered my life thanks to NST peeps. ?
You smell beautiful! I love that one year round because it has a coconut vibe to me. Sprayed or dabbed judiciously it works in the summer too.
Very easy scent to wear anywhere. I have a sizable decant and can see myself going through it fairly quickly. Thankfully, FB’s are very available and not OTT expensive. ??
I had such a wonderful time up in Michigan where the weather was gorgeous Indian summer, with clear blue skies and fresh air, and blue lakes and lots of fresh fruit–the peaches were divine! I also visited the Meijer Art and Sculpture Gardens in Grand Rapids–if you’re anywhere near there I highly recommend it. A beautiful place, especially their Japanese garden. It’s got something for all the senses, smells, views, waterfalls, textures, and many birds and little creatures twittering and cheeping away. Plus well-placed art, little bridges, temples, tea-houses, etc. So beautiful! Today I am wearing Koh-i-Noor. At first I felt this was just too over-the-top and now I just put it on and drink it in. Wish I could afford more than a tiny decant. Hope everyone has a good Sunday. It’s sunny here in Houston and things are drying out.
Happy to hear things are drying out. What a deluge you guys got!
Scent of the morning: Farmacia Ss. Annunziata Vaniglia del Madagascar from a sample from the last freebiemeet. (Thank you!) I find it very nice, and a very comforting scent. I almost got a bottle at LuckyScent, but decided to try Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Extreme.
I was *so* bad on Thursday and Friday with shopping. I also got a bottle of Fresh Sugar Lychee at Sephora. They were sold out of the 30 ml spray bottles of Hesperides Grapefruit and Sugar Lemon, but I tried the Sugar Lemon lotion, which was very nice. I had gotten a travel spray of the Hesperides Grapefruit a few months ago.
I also found out at Sephora that Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale is finally available in bottles less than 3 oz. in size, but all the Sephoras around were sold out of the smaller sizes.
I had fun at Fragrance X, too. There were good sales. If I don’t make a note of it here in the near future, look for it in my confessions to Donatella. By my standards, there will be a pretty good amount to confess.
Love that Farmacia vanilla! Would totally scoop up a bottle except who needs a gallon of it? I’ve tried some of the CSP vanillas, which are nice, but not as refined and smooth as the farmacia, IMO.
Yes, it’s yummy.
I don’t expect the CSP vanillas to be as refined, but they’re inexpensive.
I tried the Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Extreme this evening, and found it quite nice. However, I decided to order the Farmacia Vaniglia one also, so that’s another thing to confess to Donatella. This was my weekend of being very, very bad with the shopping. I’ll have to reform my ways for at least October and November, and probably December, too.
I’ll keep in mind that this September I’ve gotten three months worth of bottles of perfume, and I shouldn’t get any more in the next two or three months. I understand now why folks impose “no-buys” on themselves after a month or quarter of excess.
On Friday, the YMCA group I’m in made pumpkin pie spice sugar scrub. (2 cups of brown sugar, a cup of white sugar, a cup of vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice makes enough for a dozen people to each have a small jar.) I used that during my shower this evening, and now I smell like sugar and spice and everything nice. lol!
Ditto that! It’s a beauty.
Yesterday morning I kayaked for the first time in a double kayak with my friend. This was kayaking in the city, so we had the added pressure of dealing with lots of other boats in large bodies of water. It was slightly terrifying at first as I figured out how to kayak, but then it was exhilarating. We took the nature route instead of the city route, which meant we went through the route of lily pads and little islands of the nearby arboretum. That part was peaceful except when we went to the right of a log instate of left and ended up getting stuck on the shallow log. I had to reach my arm in to shove us back. Oh, and I was in the front of the kayak. I am pretty in love with the whole experience and plan to kayak through this place again. I’d like to take the city route too. It seems the earlier the better to avoid lots of other boats in the water with you. I can’t imagine doing it in the summer when there are 2-3x the amount of boats in the water.
I wore Jo Loves Green Orange and Coriander for kayaking and Memo Irish Leather in the evening after my shower. No SOTD yet. Oh, and I’m quite sore in my shoulders and the insides of my biceps.
Oh yay!! So glad you liked it.
I have never kayaked in those conditions, really only on mostly uncrowded lakes. My son has been white water kayaking & ocean kayaking, but I have not tried either.
Kyaking in the ocean sounds like it would require a lot of skill and strength. I’ve only paddled on rivers.
Glad you had fun rabbitsflower! Sounds like you’re a pro already!
Kayaking…
Speaking of World Gratitude Day, I am grateful about being part of the perfume community, both locally and virtually. A nice bunch of people, I find…
The nicest!
Going to the movies to see Downton Abbey. Wearing Panthere de Cartier.
Ahhh I’m going to see Downton this week when the hubs is at work. Will probably just go by myself! I hope it’s great! Also you smell super good.
Earlier I wore Eau de Cologne from a non-descript brand to volunteer at the museum, but now I’ve applied lavish lashes of Rochas Femme Parfum de Toilette, the early formulation with no cumin and it is blissfully fruity.
Whirlwind trip to Alabama this weekend. I stayed in my aunt’s No. 5 body products most of the time, with an occasional spray of the edt. I really enjoyed it! For my cousin’s wedding yesterday I wore Paris-Riviera. I respirated last night for dinner. It was perfect!
Had a 6 AM flight back to LA, an hour drive home, and then immediately showered and went to look at 5 houses. I’m beat! I loved my Chanel this weekend so much I continued it in Paris-Venise for the evening.
Hope you all have a great week! Hugs!