Happy Tuesday and happy Ada Lovelace Day! It's also the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, and a happy 79th to Paul Simon. (More birthdays: Art Tatum, Lenny Bruce.) What fragrance are you wearing?
Yesterday I was in The People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo, and today I'm in its distant cousin and the first fragrance I tried from Uncle Serge, Rahät Loukoum. Tea at the moment is Mariage Frères French Breakfast, which is not a favorite but I am determined to use it up, eventually, some day.
Reminder: on 10/16 we're going back to the beginning...revisit a fragrance you tried in your early days as a perfumista. Suggested by springpansy.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2020, where I'll try (but frequently fail) to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: the green cabbage teapot from Bordallo Pinheiro in Portugal is $116 at Gracious Style.
In the eyes of many academics, [Ada] Lovelace is one of the first computer programmers in history, and is often regarded as the first to recognise the full potential of computers, all the way back in the 1800s. Wow, and wow! Love this!
SOTD: I’m boozing it up with Montale’s Vanille Absolu
That is one of my favorite Vanilla scents! You smell wonderful!
You’re a good influence, Robin. I decided a smidge of Rahät Loukoum wouldn’t do me any harm, either. It doesn’t *smell* like marshmallows, exactly, but it makes me think of them. It’s delightful. I don’t wear it nearly enough.
Same here, although also trying to conserve since it has probably been reformulated — so when I do wear it, I am wearing a dab and no more. Makes me very happy though.
Smelling lovely, Robin. Rahat has been on my wishlist for some time now. Serge did make some great ones at one time.
Made some muffins, so my place smells lovely..and may spritz on more SDV Guerlain from a decant.
SDV is lovely and I don’t wear it often enough.
Oh, fresh muffins is an even better smell than Rahat
I’m wearing Vol de Nuit today. Guerlain was one of the first fragrance houses I loved, and I tend toward their older fragrances.
Guerlain was one of my first fragrant houses I loved too!
I love VdN without end! You smell classic.
You know I have never tried VdN, am I missing something good?
Well, I’m prejudiced, but YES. 😄
Although, tbh, I haven’t tried the version out now. And if the low prices at the discounters are any indication, it doesn’t look good.
I would hate to introduce you to something that you might not be able to get again, but if you’re game, let me know and I’ll send you an EDT sample.
oh, thanks for the offer…
Hmmm..I will have to think hard if I want to open pandoras box and sniff something I can’t find.
I love VdN! It’s a marvelous perfume!
It has so much lovely iris and galbanum, it’s probably in my top five Guerlain scents.
Hmmmm. Another one I tried way back and need to re-try.
Ciao!
Today my youngest was off to school on the west side. He will go just a few days a week. Seeing them both get on the bus and wave was the sweetest moment.
Tea this morning is French press coffee with cream, a bowl of yogurt and figs.
I love figs, I saute them with dried dates in olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt – they are a great combination of sweet/savory topped over Greek yogurt.
Oh wow. I need to try this. Thanks for the idea. I never thought of sauteing figs or dates.
Hi Springpansy! Here’s where I got the idea.
I used dried dates, I didn’t reconstitute them.
Sauteing the dates as-is intensifies the flavor and sweetness, it also creates a nice ‘chew’ which is a great counterpart to the creaminess of yogurt or ricotta.
https://food52.com/recipes/33892-renee-erickson-s-sauteed-dates
Thanks for the recipe. It sounds good! I have all ingredients. I will try tonight!
Thank you!
Yay! Hope he has a good day.
Aww,that’s so sweet!
And what did Mom get up to today?
🌹🤗
Ciao bello-
At this moment I am trying to decide what perfume to wear on this rainy day?
I am thinking Chanel-You can pick for me: Gardenia or Boy. Or should I just stay commando..lol!
Oh definitely Boy,then I can wear it tomorrow myself!
XO
Boy it is!
Great choice!
Thank you, baci xxxooo
With so much going on lately, I wasn’t able to concentrate on anything.
I am trying to stay strong but I feel like I aged 10 years in a couple of months.
I am trying to find comfort in Il Profumo Caramella d’Amore!
I know what you mean Hera — what a year! We will make it through…keep spraying on that Caramella d’Amore.
Thank you Robin, I might need big amounts of the Caramella d’Amore to make it through this year !!
Pretty much feel the same about 2020…not even my potent eye cream can hide the circles anymore!!Haha!
Hang in there!🌹✌🏻
Ha! Agree about the circles! No cream is enough anymore! Do we need surgery now? 😀
Funny you should ask!Lol!
One of the Ophthalmologists I work with,does awesome plastic surgery as well…
It has been suggested to me to get rid of the puffiness under my eyes…lol.
We’ll “see”…🤭🤗🌹
Someday, maybe…….
I’m gonna go for bigger sunglasses! 😎
LOL! I think I will join you on the big sunglasses! 🕶
Totally with you there.
Same here. We will survive!
waving hello Hera! Virtual hugs
waving back, thank you
I feel the same. Such an exhausting year and I’m afraid the next six months don’t look much better.
Work is being a huge pain in the butt. Managers don’t realize that I can’t take my break before a certain time. Between customers and tons of other work, it’s not possible. If comments are made today, questions will be asked and a couple hard ones. My parents went hog wild with Prime Day and I got only one book with my $5 gift card. Woke up in Feminite du Bois and now back in Miss Dior edt. I need a little backbone today.
Good luck with work Dawn!
I adore Feminite du Bois, I hope things get better for you!
Good luck! Hope your day improves!
Morning all! My SOTD is Roger & Gallet’s Fleur de Figuier, layered over the body oil – it’s supposed to be a warm one in SF today.
Enjoying a cup of French Press and ready to head out the door in a moment. I have new sneakers coming any day now, can’t wait for some new kicks!
I love Mariage Frères teas, haven’t tried their French Breakfast though..
I love a number of their teas, but French Breakfast is way too sweet and vanillic for me.
Oh, thanks Robin! I love sweet and vanillic, I might give this one a try!
Do you like oolong? We could do a swap. 😉
Email me!
POTL Luctor et Emergo because Robin made me think of it yesterday. This was all the rage when I first fell down the rabbit hole (I always liked fragrance and wore one or two or three, but then…) way back and I recently split a bottle so I could have some in my life again (thanks to my lovely NST splittees). It always feels like the good part of holidays to me. I think it’s wonderful.
Youngest son coming to share breakfast with me as a work break for both of us – looking forward to seeing him!
Seriously, it was HUGE on MakeupAlley in the early 2000s, as was Rahat. Very rare to see it now in the scent of the day here.
I forgot MUA was heavy into fragrance back in the day!
That’s where I started.
Don’t know POTL at all. But I was huge into SL when I started, back in 2007-8. Funny, I don’t even bother with SL now — so many new fragrances, so few that seemed worth it after a certain point. I’ve got my couple of bell jars from the earlier days that I coveted, then moved on, though I’d still consider a Fille de Berlin if someone wanted to gift it to me.
But yeah, I remember that MUA used to be huge into fragrance. Can’t remember the last time I went to MUA now, though.
I am wearing Bvlgari au The Bleu and drinking a cup of green tea.
Yep, you smell great Barqs!
You smell marvelous!
That’s a lovely warm weather perfume.
In Vivacious from Hiram Green today.
It cheered me up on this cold & foggy Tuesday.
Vivacious is great for that cheering up sensation! You smell wonderful.
SOTD!Thanks to The Guide,I was determined to get ALL the 3* and above Iris perfumes mentioned…
So today I’m rocking Bond No.9 Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory.Beautiful incense perfume,but I could have done with a bit more of an iris kick.Still gorgeous.
Happy Tuesday!
XO
What a great collecting project!
It’s still ongoing…lol.
Do you have them all?
I wish!
No,and probably never will!
But that’s ok,pretty happy with a wellrounded Iris collection.Things like Amanda Lepore’s fragrance and Xerjoff’s Irissss are hard to find,even for a sniff!
XO
I love Iris <3
My favorite note in perfumes,followed by Vanilla and cherry!
🌹
Xerjoff’s Irissss was wonderful but very carroty. I used up my decant but didn’t need to repurchase. And the price alone put the breaks on!
I’ve heard Irissss is a great hit or miss,but I’ll always be intrigued.Thanks for the mini-review!
What would be your holy grail iris?
I spritzed on some Absolute Aphrodisiac this morning before checking my email, and now I am a little sad because my sample pack of Kulfi variations is out for delivery, and I wish that I had waited a little bit!
It’s a tough problem to have, I know.
You guys are going to make me order that Kulfi pack!
Still working through my 7 Virtues sample box with Vetiver Elemi. It’s a weightier, slightly spicier Prada Infusion d’Vetiver to my nose. Very pleasant and calming.
Mmm, sounds nice!
Ah, an oldy but goodie week of scents! What fun… Today, SOTD = Chanel 5, something I have worn off and on since I was in college, oh, so long ago… I have an Ava Luxe, and 2 or three Guerlains on the list, so I will just have to root though and see what other old thing I have. Don’t think I have a sample of Arpege laying around – what other candidates are there?
Yesterday was a rescheduled due to COVID routine medical procedure (what my sister calls, “Chassis Maintenance”) which was successful and now can be forgotten about until time to do it again in a few years. I thank my lucky stars for the good health care I have available through my job.
Makes it hard to quit the job, which I realize I was complaining about a few days ago here. There are pros and cons to everything…gotta appreciate each moment, you know?
Yay for chassis maintenance over and done with!
Burning B&BW Hot Cocoa & Scream candle which is burning very evenly and nicely. I haven’t burned a 3 wick candle in a while nor bought any candles from B&BW in recent memory…no complaints on the throw either.
Wearing Vanille de Tahiti by Perris Monte Carlo today from a decant…lots of ylang in this one.
Need more coffee to help deal with work frustrations.☕️
Would not surprise me if BBW was better at making an evenly burning candle than many niche brands.
Another cold, windy and rainy day. It looks like the remnants of Delta don’t want to leave.
Wearing Safran Troublant, having a leftover slice of pizza from last night and my second cup of coffee of the day. If I survived the first two work Zoom meetings of the morning starting at 6am, I will survive the next two in the afternoon. Should I add a shot of alcohol to my next cup of coffee to stay awake? lol!
Any recommendations for a centered vanilla perfume that is powdery or incensy? (not sure if that’s the right word).
Happy Tuesday, everyone! 🌻
Have you already tried Casmir? I think it’s powdery, but woody not incensy.
Yes, I have a bottle of Casmir, but as you said is powdery woody. A very nice one!
Eau Duelle, maybe?
2nd this.
Adding it to my list. Thanks Sapphire!
M, I have a bottle of the edp. I can send you some toward the end of next month, once I can safely drive again. 🙄
Le Labo Vanille 44? It has a smoky incense note.
Another one going to my sample list. Thanks!
Etro Shaal Nur?
I need to revisit Shaal Nur. It’s been a long time since I wore it. Thanks for the reminder!
Oh yay, that’s another I can wear this week — it was in one of my very early sample orders.
SOTD is Tam Dao. Chilly here, and rainy – but we needed rain. Vanilla yogurt with fresh raspberries for breakfast. Yummy, but it needs something … granola perhaps. I have a coworker who makes her own granola and it’s delicious. I think I’ll ask her for the recipe.
Tan Dao was my first bottle purchase after falling down the rabbit hole, but I swapped it away. I like my sandalwood a bit creamier.
And if you get that recipe, do pass it along! Still haven’t found THE granola recipe.
Have you tried the Nekisia Davis recipe? It uses olive oil in addition to the maple syrup, so it’s less sweet. It’s my go to. It kinda shatters when chewed, and when that happens, I’m just gone.
http://orangette.net/2012/01/i-am-here-to-tell-you/
I haven’t, thank you!
I will! 🍩 Oops, that’s a donut, isn’t it. 🍷 No, wine is another favorite, but it’s still not granola. 🥣? How would one make a granola emoji anyway? 😆
😅
Jasmins Marzipane because I wanted cozy almonds.
Surfed for Prime Day. Didn’t actually see much of interest. Decided to go for a small Instant Pot as a toe in the water. And, as usual, looked for good savings on at-home teeth whitening. Then I mostly surfed around looking at Audible books to use up credits. I need to cancel and want to use up the credits I have.
Back to cleaning….
PSA: Brooklyn Candle has some fall scents at 20% off with code.
I never find anything I need on Prime Day, ever!
I bought my Dyson on Prime Day a few years back, but that’s really the only thing that was exciting.
OH, so went to look but no luck on Dysons today.
MM Untitled, I got a sample of this when I began a a perfumista, found it interesting and bought a decant. It was nice for a cool and sunny autumn day., it was a joy to bike back home with all the leaves coloring…
Was not so lovely here today but we did do a nice long walk before dinner, and the leaves are really starting to change here too.
Good afternoon Y’all….
Started the day in Kiehl’s Musk, but it fades super fast on my skin. By lunch it was long gone. So I reloaded with 2 sprays of Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton, and it’s nice and crisp and clean…..
Wow, I always think of Kiehl’s as a powerhouse!
Wearing Guerlain l’Instant Magique, I refuse to write Magic as I dislike the mix of French and English in this perfume’s name. I’ve enjoyed this flanker since its release.
What’s the difference between the words Magique and Magie (as in Magie Noire)? Are they used interchangeably for magic?
Magique would be the adjective form and Magie is the noun.
And in English the noun and the adjective have identic spelling while in French the spelling is different.
Wearing copper on a blustery day…equinox winds in NZ are a thing. there was an interesting Covid item in the news at the weekend. We had lock down from autumn through early winter, with many rest homes etc. staying in lock down through winter. One result is that our winter flu rate dropped by 99.5% . So flu practically became extinct, and around 1500 people who would have died from flu and complications were “saved” and survived.
Read another good book this week Red Pill by Hari Kunzru…novel, surveillance in computer age, alt-right etc etc
The leaves on the silver birch are just opening. They and the elm are the last in spring.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/books/review/hari-kunzru-red-pill.html
I was trying to read the article but then the ny times said I had to create an account to continue. pretty ironic, lol.
NYT is annoying that way. I think Mr. G said we have a subscription tied to his Amazon Prime membership, but I’ve never investigated fully and may be misremembering anyway.
Strange, I don’t have an account. The review just outlines the plot and then says it is an okay, not stunning, book, with an obvious ending.
I think they let you read a certain number of free articles per month.
I saw this while surfing the Internet earlier today, and thought about you, Kanuka:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/13/jet-fighter-godwit-breaks-world-record-for-non-stop-bird-flight
That is lovely. In my old home town they ring the church bells when the godwits arrive after their long flight
So interesting about the flu. I wonder if that will be true here too…(by here, I mean in the areas where people are behaving, that is).
I’ve heard people speculate it will be less severe, if only because of increased hand washing.
I stopped into LUSH today to sniff the Christmas offerings. A couple of observations, they’ve changed my 2 favorite soaps. Golden Pear is no longer a pear, it’s just a sliced soap and it doesn’t smell like pear! Very disappointing. No Butterbear soap this year, now he’s a bath bomb only. And Snowcake wasn’t an almond bomb like past years. It may have been because the mask police wouldn’t let me actually SMELL the soap and it was hard to discern with my mask.
They didn’t have Roasting Chestnuts in stock yet and YogNog still seems to have it’s separation issue. I ended up not buying a thing.
I don’t know if that makes me happy ($$ saved) or super sad (mostly over Golden Pear).
I am waiting for more opinions on Roasting Chestnuts since so far, seems mixed.
Balmain Jolie Madame for me today. I bought a cheap bottle from Fragancenet in 2014, so reasonably early in my perfume adventures. I don’t wear it very often, but it popped into my head this morning.
Out of my embarrassingly large perfume collection I only have back-ups for 2 perfumes. Jolie Madame is one!
Sotd is L’ombre dans L’eau. My fragrant friend at work was wearing Banana Republic Tobacco and Tonka. I am reporting that there is zero tobacco in it. I am not good at recognizing Tonka, but will say that all I could smell was extreme sweetness.
It’s very windy today but the sun is out in full force 🌞
Hi there, I hope your week is an improvement on last week…no snow!
To me tonka is sweet vanilla (coumarin) with either a hint of tobacco or a white flower. It is kind of pink.
To me, tonka smells like vanilla + hay or dried grass + something creamy. YMMV, of course.
SOTD = Chanel No.19 EDP
My armor and many wore it yesterday!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGSoHFgBYtm/?igshid=1qwvzx6nrmjs2
Will read the comments later!
You smell fabulous! 🤩
Thank you!
Been one of those weeks already, huh?
Yeah, despite the time off, there’s a lot of work (or maybe because of 🤔).
Hope tommorow is less hectic for you!
Nope, this week is crazeeeee 🤪
No time to read the comments atm, I’ll come back for them later. I’m wearing Chergui today, which I didn’t like at all in the early days, but as I got to know perfume people online, so many with similar tastes loved it that I didn’t give up. A couple years ago the penny dropped and Chergui smelled wonderful! It’s perfect for fall.
House twin in Fille de Berlin–we smell great!
Playing along today in Fifi Chachnil. Who remembers this one?
I never loved it enough to buy a full bottle, but wearing it again makes me think my little decant won’t last long. 🤔
Remember it, bought it, sold it on eBay and probably now regret it b/c I think my current more refined
and vanilla-centric nose might like it more now…
YES…another big favorite on MakeupAlley!
Showered with Kissmyface Peaceful Patchouli, a shower gel that pulls to the woody end of the patch spectrum, followed by the aforementioned body lotion and it is just that forest floor, dry tobacco leaf patch. Honestly, reminiscent of the dry down of Angel. I can still smell it a bit almost 12 hours later but it makes me want to apply a lovely bit of patchouli perfume. I will poke about a bit. Thinking some Davidoff Zino might be just the thing.
Wow, a 12 hour shower gel!! That’s amazing.
That teapot is adorable! I could picture someone using it in an “Alice In Wonderland” tableau.
More grey clouds today, but a lot less rain. I guess that’s an improvement. Still no chance for stargazing tonight, though.
SOTD = back in L’Artisan Voleur de Roses.
I don’t know why, but I do not love that teapot. BUT, the plates for this set are perfect, and they make some fantastic leaf platters, and a whole bunch of other things (artichoke bowls!) that I would love to own.
Exhausted by move preparations, I am busy using up all my Lush bath bombs and shower gels. Scent of the day is assorted Abel samples. None of them are doing anything for me. On to the next bath bomb and early to bed…
Sleep well, it will all be over soon!
I needed a couple of days to hibernate and get my head back in the right place. A little time in front of the stove and with my nose in a book, and I’m doing better today. I made some chili that’s more Cincinnati than Texas, so the house smells fab. Feed your freezers, folks! It’s a gift to yourself for later. 😋
I’ve been working through the Delacourte sample set, a freebie from a kind NSTer. Really like Florentina.
Oh, chili of any kind sounds great right now!
It’s the first pot of chili of the season!
Good to see you tonight! Do you have any suggestions for feeding a freezer for a non-cook like me?
Well, if you really don’t cook, that’s a tough question. If you’re willing, I’d suggest finding a basic recipe for chili, spaghetti sauce, oven baked chicken and taco filling. If you can find go to recipes for those and make rice and pasta to go with them, you have lots of options.
Use the chili as a stand alone meal and for chili dogs.
Use spaghetti sauce with pasta, or layer it with cooked macaroni/ricotta/mozzarella for a casserole. Also good on spaghetti squash, which can be split and zapped in the microwave.
Baked chicken can be shredded and loaded on buns with barbecue sauce.
The taco filling can be rolled up in tortillas, covered with jarred enchilada sauce or green sauce and baked. I’ve also just crumbled tortilla chips in a bowl, topped it with filling + cheese + Greek yogurt and called it good.
My slow cooker was my best friend when I was a working mom.
Once you find recipes you and your kids like, double them, load them in zip bags and lay them flat to freeze. Then, you can arrange them vertically and thumb through them like a file cabinet! Or, get square containers of consistent size to save space. And if it sounds like too much, you can start with just one or two recipes a week.
I’ve probably completely overwhelmed you and bored everyone else. If I haven’t, and you’re interested, I can send you some recipes that might work for you. 😊
Thanks! These are great idea’s. I honestly didn’t know that I could freeze baked chicken or taco filling. I’m kinda excited now to do it😀
You’re most welcome! One last tip…recipes on product labels are almost always pretty good. The baked chicken recipe on the Hellman’s mayo container is golden. 👍🏻
Meatloaf is easy, then freeze in slices — that’s my emergency freezer meal.
Also pulled pork, one of the easiest things on earth to make, freezes perfectly, and then you can do just about anything with it (sandwiches, on rice, on tacos, whatever).
Thanks Robin! Meatloaf is one of the few things I make pretty well. Although I never knew I could freeze that either!
Culinary building blocks … not sure if hidden behind a pay wall but basically you make and freeze a bunch of hearty vegetables like peppers and onions and season it well so you can add it to meat and / or vegan proteins.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/dining/cooking-foundations.html
And here’s the recipe for braised peppers and onions:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021461-braised-peppers-and-onions
I adore Cincinnati chili! Do you eat it on spaghetti with cheese?
I crumble soda or oyster crackers on top, mix them in and then add cheese. Once I’ve made the chili, I get a little lazy! I do love to talk about food. ❤️
Hey, the chili is plenty of work already. Crumbled crackers sounds good to me.
😄
Oops this was meant for She-ra, up above.
I wore L’Ame Perdue this morning and now after a shower I’m wearing Le Lion. My small supply is getting low and I’m trying to make it last but there is no way it will last ‘till next year (or next month for that matter).
In other news, I stopped by NM to smell Bitter Peach today and, like many of you who reported your first impressions, I was totally underwhelmed. All I got was some sweet peach for the first 30 minutes or so, followed by a nondescript sweetness on a generic and persistent woody base (ISO E?) for the next few hours. I had to wash it off eventually. I would not wear this if it were free. Which it’s not.
Yay, I am saving up these impressions since I am not going to smell it.
Vick’s vaporub. I’m not sick but a little conjested from allergies. I love the smell of this stuff. A little pomegranate noir, and it’s just spectacular together.
I found my cheap green tea/violet perfume, coming this week. Eau de Gaga, 2.5 oz for 17 bucks. I’ll be set for life with it.
Glad you are not sick, but hope the allergies get better!
Thanks Robin. I spent the weekend chasing down osmanthus, and smelled a bunch of bushes. That stuffs me up, but yay Vick’s!
Oh, and what fun to smell osmanthus
I have a solid of Lush’s ginger at find it quite nice when I have hayfever! I wouldn’t have thought of trying Pomegranate Noir but I have a mini somewhere so I will give it a shot.
Wearing Halston today. I had a bottle of this many years ago, originally
being intrigued by the bottle shape. My current bottle is an evil bay purchase and was marked as vintage. It’s rainy and cold today so this is smelling pretty good to my nose!
I always liked Halston.
You smell like my mom, which is high praise!
I do appreciate the vintage Halston I have in her honour.