Happy Friday! It's also Martin Luther King’s birthday and we're about halfway through meteorological winter (we won't be halfway to the spring equinox until February 3, though). Our community project for today: wear a fragrance to match Ultimate Gray and/or Illuminating, Pantone's colors of the year for 2021.
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I went partially with the colors, and partially with Pantone's description (repeated here from the community projects page) of "a message of happiness supported by fortitude"; I'm in vintage Guerlain Jicky.
Reminder: 1/22 will be Fairy Tale Friday. Name a favorite fairy tale or fable, and wear a perfume that fits your choice. Suggested by therabbitsflower.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2021, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Divine “L’homme sage” – been wearing this more and more, it’s just so easy and right. And, erm, it matches the CP because…. ah! because wisdom (sagesse) illuminates the world. [Although not all of it all the time, but I’ll say no more about that here].
Hurray, weekend within reach, just a few more hours to work now.
My brother in Ireland has been diagnosed with Covid, so we are anxiously seeing how he gets on with it.
The Other Mister Koenigsberg is nearly finished his first Spanish course with the EOI (Escuela Oficial de Idiomas) and doing well on continuous assessments; if he keeps it up another 2-3 weeks he’ll go forward to the next level without needing to sit an exam. Which is good as he’s one of those people who don’t do exams well.
Ha, perfect fit. Plus you smell fantastic.
But so sorry about your brother, wishing him a speedy recovery.
Thank you! He is in the very early stages, so far just sniffles and a headache. But he has asthma so I am a little bit worried.
The notes in L’Homme Sage sound great. I hope your brother recovers well and with no side effects.
Thanks PriscillaE. It is a nice perfume that has changed from being ‘one of the crowd’ to ‘a bit of a star’ in my perfume wardrobe.
Speedy recovery to your brother!
Thanks Cazaubon, fingers crossed :^)
Wishing your brother a speedy recovery!
Thank you PL67!
Fingers crossed for your brother!
Thanks @ka_rina. :^)
Best wishes for your brother and well played with the perfume!
Thanks re brother. Re perfume – total blagging :^D
Wishing a quick recovery to your brother. And please wish good luck to to the other Mister Koenigsberg so he can avoid those exams!
Thanks Sistine! He was very relieved to hear there is another way – motivated him to keep up his straight-A record. :^)
Best wishes to your brother and TOMK!
Thanks lillyjo, fingers crossed that for both of them the next 2 weeks go as well as possible, in their different ways.
Hope all goes well for your loved ones.
Thanks Pixel, worrying times but we’ll be through it eventually. :^)
Good luck to your brother! Hope it passes without any horror stories.
Thanks Dorsey, me too. Apart from the asthma he is in good shape…
Also wishing your brother a swift recovery!
Thanks She-ra, appreciate it!
Wishing your brother will only have mild symptoms.
Let us hope so, indeed! Thanks Aurora.
I will be praying for your brother. It remains true that most people recover with no lasting effects.
Thank you Dilana!
Eeek, best wishes to your brother and I hope there are no lasting effects. And the other TOMK sounds like he will sail through – reminds me of required training where I always try to test out of having to go through the course.
Thanks hajusuuri, me too.
Sadly with language courses you really have to put the work in. But – whether you meant it that way or not – you are reminding me of workplace courses like anti-bribery where anyone with two brain cells to rub together could probably pass the test without doing the course. “I’m going to guess that I *shouldn’t* let company X fly me to Vegas before evaluating their bid”. :^D
I’m sorry to read about your brother, Ireland is a scary place at the moment.
Yeah, it’s kind of crazy (and dumb), they came *so* close to eradicating it in Summer. But they would neither close the border nor impose quarantine conditions on those whom crossed it, and here we are.
Best wishes of recovery for your brother! I was taken by surprise by the Irish turn of events and didn’t even believe my husband when he first mentioned it.
Thank you. Yes, from 2nd lowest in the EU to way out in front in 3 weeks. But then… the idiots let 57000 people home to see their families over Christmas, and allowed a lot more hospitality to open, as if 2020 were a normal year.
Sending positive energies your way and adding my wishes for a speedy recovery for your brother ?and good luck to TOMK?!
Thanks Laila! I am pleased for TOMK that he is doing well.
Hope your brother has mild symptoms that are gone in no time!
Thanks Jada, so do I. Although as a family we tend to cherish every cold that comes our way. ;^)
Yikes! Healing thoughts for your brother. And good luck to TOMK in his efforts. ???
Thanks Jalapeno. Crucial days ahead.
Wishing your brother well, I hope he makes a full recovery without lasting side effects.
Hope you brother only experiences mild symptoms or just regular flu-like ones that pass quickly.
I love l’Homme sage, you smell terrific.
Haven’t seen you here in a long time (perhaps I haven’t been reading attentively enough?)—so hello! And wishing your brother a swift recovery.
I hope your brother recovers fully and quickly! One of my young adult children had it this past fall; she felt rotten and slept all the time for a few days, lost taste and smell for about two weeks, but her fever was mild and she recovered quickly (including the taste and smell). I hope for the same for your brother.
I am going the easiest way with the cp wearing Penhaligon’s Ostara. I have forgotten how pretty it is!
On my second cup of coffee and waiting for the rain to arrive at anytime now. Thanks God is Friday and it is a long holiday weekend. Yay! ?
Be well everyone! ?
Happy Friday to you too!
I’m on cup #2 also. I really want to go back to bed.
Yesterday’s yoga had me feeling relaxed, and my tuchus is tender today.
I also wish I could go to bed after a coworker called me over the phone and woke me up a 6am. I didn’t pick up the phone, of course, but he messed up my last hour of sleep. I was very clear to him later that unless it is an emergency or a scheduled meeting, I will never ever answer to anyone no matter what. Still, people never understand that.
Well, it is Friday and I am very happy about it! ?
Oy, that is an annoyance, isn’t it? I could go right to bed, now. I am so sleepy this week!
Mr. Jalapeno’s alarm clock went off at 6:30 this morning, since he had a 7:30 doctor appointment. Woke both of us up.
?
Looking forward to sleeping in later tomorrow!
Ugh, I have a co-worker who lives on his cellphone and calls outside work hours, just because he’s hyperactive, things occur to him, and he just can’t wait to talk or ask about them, even when it’s nothing urgent. I have (mostly) retrained him by just not answering the phone when I see his name unless I already know there may be an urgent reason. Then I’ll check my email to see if he has sent me any actual information about something that has to be addressed. He can also text me if it’s that important. Most of his calling is just a bad habit.
On my second cup of tea and thinking I might have to pick up a latte when I run to the bank later
I hope you got your latte! I may need another cup of coffee in a while! ☕
I’ve been treating myself and my kids to more lattes lately. It feels like a small concession to being cooped up so much for the last ten months, and most of the Starbucks near us have drive-in windows. I hope yours was yummy! And what a good way to describe Jicky, above.
Enjoy your long weekend!
Thank you! ?
All this coffee/tea talk..going to make one now!
Enjoy! ☕?
Been co soldering Ostara myself. You smell lovely,
Considering.
Thank you! Ostara is very cheerful for the gloomy day outside!
You smell lovely!!!
Thank you, teebear!
I like Ostara on others but it was pond water on me.
I had two cups of coffee too. Not a long weekend for me but I shall work lite on Monday to honor the day too. 
Ostara is not easy to wear and I see many people having issues with it.
Many twin, triplet, quadruple, coffee drinkers today. It looks like the week drained us! Take it easy on Monday! ?
Gloomy weather twins! Phooey! At least the temps are/were pleasant today.
Temps were very pleasant most of the day. Now a cold, uncomfortable wind is blowing with light rain.
Ostara is perfect for the yellow color, as well as being one of my top favorites. You smell great!
Thank you!
Fairy tales as inspiration for scents is a great idea! Very open to personal interpretation. My first thought was an enchanted forest like fragrance- if I don’t care for that genre that much exception being maybe Dryad from Papillon which is a very nice galbanum perfume.
I am wearing Guerlain too- Insolence which my mother in law gave me. It’s a few years old and really intense despite being EDT. I find it suits the cold really well and does not overdose me like in the e heat.
I do like Insolence Cicely, you smell great.
Thanks Robin
I find the EdT more intense than the EdP…it’s less mellow. I like that about it.
You smell wonderful – I love Insolence!
Hi all! My SOTD is Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune by Guerlain, this is such a great citrus scent, and surprisingly long lasting.
I’m SO glad it’s Friday and a three-day weekend. Cup #2 of coffee is nearly done and I’m headed out the door to do stairs in Sutro Park.
I’ll check in later! *meep meep*
What a pretty place to do stairs — have fun SmokeyToes!
Pamplelune, hmmm! I wish I could smell it now as pick me up- falling asleep at work. That and Mandarin Basilic are my favourite allegorias.
Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is a favorite of mine, it’s so fresh and bracing.
Have a great time doing stairs.
If needed, I can take your car for a tune-up while you work out
Happy to lend you the keys, have fun and be careful with that lead foot! ? ?
Enjoy the stairs! And the view.
You smell great. Love Pamplelune too.
You smell great! One of my favorites AA!
Awesome isn’t it? I love Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic also. Those two are my favorites from the AA line.
Great choice! You smell wonderful!
I’m one of those unfortunate people for whom that scent turns into obnoxious B.O.
Oh no, that happens with Fleurs d’Oranger by SL. It just doesn’t work on my skin….
friday!!!
Sorry, but I could not think of scent for the CP ?
So I picked what I craved, L’âme perdue, by Le Galion. ?
You smell lovely. I’ve been wearing L’Âme Perdue at least once a week lately.
Hope your weekend is going well.
Thank you. ?
Im sure l’âme perdue is in my top 3 of most worn fragrances in 2020.
Weekend started out good, a friend visited for dinner.
You smell wonderful!
Thank you, and of course thank you for bringing this beauty to my attention.
My mother complimented me a few months ago when i was wearing it. So i gave here a small decant (i have a fb now).
And when i visited her last week she was wearing it.
?
I love it when that happens!
Purchasing l’Ame was such a happy pre-Covid thing.
I think Vilhelm’s packaging/labeling would be a great match for that yellow. If I had Dear Polly, that’s what I’d be wearing. Unfortunately I don’t, so instead I’m in a newly arrived sample of Chanel no. 18. This, like most Chanel’s, totally agrees with my skin. Even got a sniff of approval from my college daughter, “I like that one.” I think the only other ambrette forward perfume I’ve tried is the one from Le Labo and although I thought it was lovely, it disappeared within minutes.
We got a dusting of snow overnight. Today we have a 40% chance of the dreaded wintery mix. So glad to read we’re about half way through the meteorological winter. We made it! Spring is coming!?
I think wintry mix is the worst of all.
Worst of all! Snow or nothing!
Me too! I’d rather have either rain or snow. The wintery mix makes walking and driving treacherous and scraping windshields off a pain in the butt because of that thin layer of ice that covers everything.
I really love No. 18 and hate wintry mix.
Ha! Same.
I find wintry mix to be very offensive! It should not exist! ??
Hope that the wintry mix passes you by! Yee-uck.
Spring will be here soon enough! Hang in there!!
No.18 is so beautiful.
I also got and will be getting the dreaded wintery mix. It’s warm enough though that nothing is sticking.
For the CP I picked Santal Massoia.
I was going to go for Songes for the yellow, but changed my mind last minute.
Happy FriYAY
And I did not make up my mind until the last minute! These were not easy colors to fragrance, IMHO.
This was a difficult choice for sure! I had to dig around, for a little bit..
Funny but I always think of Songes, which I love, as “white” for the jasmine, vanilla and tiara, which are dominant to me rather than the frangipani and ylang-ylang. Different noses, different colors ?!
I chose Terre d’Hermes as the ultimate grey. It is very flinty and cool and mirrors the weather we are having in The Netherlands.
house twins
I like that match!
I’m not really doing the CP, but posters above had some great ideas of things I could have worn. Oh well. Anyway I’m in Atelier Mandarine Glaciale from another sample.
That’s my favorite Atelier. You smell great!
Wearing the Zen-like meditative gray Mb03, a cool and light cedary incense.
Now hoping for a leisurely weekend for all of us.
You smell wonderful, my favourite Biehl.
I’ve always been curious about that scent. Putting it on my “test this eventually” list.
I hope you have a restorative weekend!
BDK Gris Charnel for the theme today. Sunny and warm, going out for a bike ride with a friend today.
How lovely, enjoy the bike ride!
It was a real killer! Took a shower and plan to spend the rest of the day on the couch.
I went for a long walk with a friend this afternoon, and I’m exhausted and happy to curl up on the couch now post shower.
OJ Osmanthus for Illuminating yellow (I was also considering my AG Le Chevrefeuille, but that one is a much paler yellow in my imagination)–I have a harder time picking a gray. Yay for a long weekend. Happy FriYAY!
I love the smell of osmanthus
This osmanthus fragrance is very citrussy and cheerful which makes me think of the color yellow, but may not make sense to anyone else!
Anything cheerful ? perfume, books, music.. I will take anything.
Hugs!! Me, too.
Oh, both are excellent choices. I adore AG Le Chevrefeuille…. wish it lasted more than 1/2 hour on me though…
Was going to go for Gris Clair to go with “Ultimate Grey” but I forgot this morning.
Am wearing Tyger Tyger instead, which if you painted it could be done in ultimate grey with sunshine stripes! So I’m claiming CPs anyway.
Maybe double CP, in fact!
Yes! ?
Do you like it? A bottle may be in my future; I currently have a partial bottle.
I do like it! I think a full bottle may be in my future too.
(Especially since I’ve decided Le Lion will *not* be in my future, so that leaves my monthly perfume budget as yet unclaimed)
Hey, I’m convinced at least! :^)
Vintage Montana Parfum d’Elle, in that screaming yellow box and the cellphone-from-the-future bottle. Not quite the right yellow (too orange), but I don’t care. It’s so good that I don’t even mind all that melon in the top: the drydown is spectacular.
It is hard to get me to not mind lots of melon, but it has been done, and more than once
Hello my dear friends, I am finally CP-compliant in Ostara today! Bright and sunny and so very Illuminating Yellow. Today’s high will be 70, and it should get up to 73F in the next few days
I am feeling unnaturally positive this chilly, sunny morning.
Good pick for the CP!
You smell great!
So glad you are finally compliant! ;D
Another Ostara fan! I’ve seen more than one NSTer choosing it for today’s yellow. I love it. I went with Nirvana French Grey myself, though, as I just got a FB for a great clearance price. It and Nirvana Amethyst, which I like very much, are all over the discount stores and online sellers since they’ve been discontinued. Bargain beauties!
I have a hard time matching smells to colors, so I focused on the visuals. I think the grey and yellow would be great colors for the circles on the lid if Arielle Shoshana ever releases a “Monday” perfume – I always feel a combination of optimism (yellow) and blergh (grey) on Monday. My SOTD is her Saturday, which is a great match for this gorgeous sunny day.
Our school district suddenly decided to keep us virtual until mid-February. This is just a year of having to roll with unexpected changes, I guess. Off to redo my lesson plans for next week.
Hang in there, sistine, and all teachers!
chin up!
a positive side to virtual…you can spray your perfume with a heavy hand
I love the Arielle idea for Monday for sure.
Thanks for being a teacher right now – so difficult.
Wow. Well, hope that turns out better for you, even if you now have to redo your plans.
So much unknown, being a teacher and parent has been such a challenge.
Our campus announced they are returning to face-to-face instruction for Fall 2021, I’m keeping my fingers crossed all goes smoothly.
Good luck with the revised lesson plans, so sorry you have to do that! One of my daughters is an elementary school co-teacher; they were virtual last week and back onsite this week. What a rollercoaster. Stay safe and sane!
I am wearing Mitsouko today and drinking my second cup of ginger cardamom tea.
Ooh, you and your house both smell wonderful! I love both ginger and cardamom. Haven’t had that combination in tea, though, it sounds great.
Oh, that tea and perfume combo sounds wonderful!
Jour d’Hermes for Illuminating!
Good call Dorsey.
I checked out that gray/yellow sweater I noticed in the window of a local store. Unfortunately it’s cashmere which I’m not able to wear due to an allergy. Too bad as the colors are perfect.
Wearing again my new love: Encens Divin
3-day weekend here we come! Stay safe, all.
I’ve heard so many good things about that scent, I imagine you smell wonderful!
Thunked a sample of Vilhelm Modest Mimosa to match to the Illuminating Pantone.
Yay for the weekend ahead!
Perfect!
For the CP, I’m in Valentina Myrrh Assoluto. I’m in a sample, but the actual bottle is a gorgeous pale grey.
It’s been fun looking at everyone’s creative CP choices throughout the week! I discovered that, while grey is a color I like a lot, I could hardly think of any scent that “reads” as grey to me. Whereas a lot of perfumes come across as yellow and/or golden.
Same! I tried to do grey yesterday and all I could come up with was an iris…but I just associate florals with whatever color the flower actually is. And chypres just read green! Could have done a whole week in just the yellow.
SOTD: back in St Clair Scents Song of Aubrac for Illuminating.
Did my stretches and home exercise already, two coffees into my day and the sun is out! I’ll take advantage and go for a nice long walk soon.
Sure, we have a snowfall warning, but it won’t start til tonight, so ppppttttt to that! Enjoy your Friday, everyone.
Going for a walk as soon as I finish my awful meeting notes. I’m setting the timer for 15 minutes to finish them so I can’t keep procrastinating!
Wearing Vanille Havane again. Boozy vanilla w/ cocoa and some tobacco/smoke to my nose. So far this is a definite like but not a love for me.
On a Zoom yesterday someone from another company had a 3-tiered placard on the wall where you can swap out words and she had: hungry, humble, smart.
I would have hungry, hungry, hungry it if was me for this week. I have been so damn hungry the past couple days.? I just had cheese and an English muffin which is my usual breakfast of choice but I don’t feel full. It may be partially hormonal too. I will have another cup of coffee instead.
Ordered some beans from Stumptown for Xmas and have really enjoyed them.
I get this way too..
I had two pieces of toast, with with a pico soft goat cheese and apricot jam. Then the second piece a bit later on was peanut butter. Now I just had a bowl of cereal because I am still hungry for breakfast.
I do this, too. I have my muesli and then still want more breakfast. Yesterday I added tortilla, beans and eggs a short while after my muesli!
This is me! I am the same. So is Mr L, he estimated breakfast and when he arrives at work he has a second breakfast
He eats, not estimates.
(smiling) Mr. L. sounds like a hobbit, with his “second breakfast.”
I love muesli, but eating carbs first thing in the morning makes me so hungry the rest of the day. And sleepy also.
I need protein in the morning and carbs at night. It really helps me with sleep.
I add lots of nuts and seeds.
I’ve had a similar experience with Vanille Havane except that on me the tobacco is really front and center. I need to wear it again, I do find it well done.
I hope you’re recovering nicely.
Thank you ? I am healing very nicely. My daughter has had some anxiety and she seems to be doing better since her therapist appointment earlier this week too.
I’m glad to hear you are both improving!
I often have the annoying experience of going to bed and then realizing that I’m hungry. Since I try to do the intermittent fasting thing, I don’t want to eat in the middle of the night, so I’ll try to go to sleep, but inevitably, I’ll have a hard time falling asleep and then usually wake up. But now I am starting to feel paranoid about whether I am hungry or just thinking I’m hungry etc..
Stumptown beans are amazing!! I lived in Portland very briefly and took full advantage. Your coffee taste is excellent!
I am constantly evaluating “hungry or bored/stifled from staying at home?” Not sure I’ve figured out how to differentiate yet…
Havana Vanille has a lot of RUM, which I do not like in drinks, but love in that fragrance. So festive!
Hello, lovely people!
Scent last night/this morning was LUSH Sun. I have the solid perfume, and the color of that is rather similar to the color of Illuminating. (You know I’m so darned literal-minded. lol)
Since I forgot to post on other days, Monday I wore TF Lost Cherry, since we’d discussed it a bit over the weekend. Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning (?) — it’s all Blursday to me anymore — I sprayed on some Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus, which is lovely. Thursday was Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee, which is one of my favorite Atelier Colognes.
By the time I remember to look at the NST site, it’s usually after midnight, and I feel a little silly posting the previous day’s perfume. But there are still people awake at that hour who aren’t night owls, and some getting up in what’s for them the next morning.
I hope all have a nice weekend. I’m hoping for a nice quiet weekend. *pleasantly fragrant virtual hugs*
A lot of love for Lost Cherry on here recently! I might have to try it.
Post anyway, if you feel like it. I go back and re-read the previous day’s comments, since I usually miss a few late night comments.
Please do post, I often post a day late myself, but I enjoy the comments here so much that I want to respond to several. The more a day late, the merrier!
I often get here late, too.
I agree with others to post late at night anyway, as I often don’t get around to reading much of the comments until the next morning.
Dear Pantone,
‘Ultimate Gray’ may indeed capture the zeitgeist of the moment but some zeitgeists don’t need capturing. Feels like piling on.
Sincerely, 2021
SOTD is Dior Bois d’Argent. Silver, NOT gray.
Terrific choice! And awesome letter to Pantone.
?
Ha! Capturing the proverbial silver lining in the (grey) cloud. Well done Pixel!
Nice one! I really liked Bois d’Argent and never got around to buying it, but I find my VC&A Bois d’Iris very similar. Have you tried that one and do you agree?
Yes, they are nearly duplicates to my nose. I often see perfume X described as a dupe of perfume Y but when I sniff them, they don’t seem that way to me. But these two really do.
Oh good, I was feeling FOMO about Bois d’Argent, but I do have Bois d’Iris.
Loved your post., and I totally agree!
???!
?? That made me snort my tea, thanks!!
I meant to go for Atelier Lemon Island for Illuminating, but I really wanted Shalimar this morning. Still some lemon, right?
Yep.
How do you like Lemon Island?
I like it very much! Atelier is usually more miss than hit for me, but Lemon Island is delightfully cheerful. I’m also a sucker for salt notes, and I smell the salt pretty clearly against hr lemon and vanilla.
Wearing a spritz of Orange Sanguine on one hand and Cartier Zeste de Soleil on the other.
I thought about that Cartier for today!
Scent: Atelier Lemon Island.
Tea: Upton Lemon Drop
It’s cloudy today, upper 30s. DS lives in San Francisco. Hmm.
Based on their forecast, I’m somehow not properly geographically situated. 30 hour drive. I’ll just go hop in the car.
At any rate, the page title here and my computer agree that today is Friday, so have a great weekend, everyone!
You have a great weekend too!
SOTD is 24, Faubourg. I had forgotten about the CP, but it turns out I’m accidentally participating as the initial stages of 24F always remind me of a rich buttercream frosting. ? Happy Friday, NSTers!
Perfect!
Completely off project with Jacomo Art Collection No. 8, and I’m smelling warm and spicy.
Beautifully illuminating my morning – No 5 L’Eau thanks to a kind NSTer.
Grounding me in the “Ultimate Gray” messiness of life (the relieving aspect) – ISM. I could bathe in it.
I’ve also been enjoying a little “romp” of an iris perfume – Solinotes Iris EdP – and for the low low price of $25 for a 50ml bottle, maybe I actually could afford to bathe in it!
Hello and Happy FriYAY!!!!
Went for the easy pick and wearing Elizabeth and James Nirvana French Grey. According to my Basenotes record, I haven’t worn it since 2017. I need to keep it out and wear it more!
That was my pick too1
I’m CP with Balmain Ambre Gris, which is luminous when first put on, and also reminds me of a New England shoreline, which can be quite grey,
Our place in Maine is so grey! Cape Cod is much sunnier and warm.
Ooh, that is a lovely perfume! You smell great.
Wearing Dioressence which is not particularly grey but it is said to have been Christian Dior’s favourite color. I should use it more often because from my little 30ml bottle it is wonderful.
Those classic Diors are works of art.
It took me by surprise, I had forgotten how beautiful it is.
Yeah, I definitely see Dior as grey, not yellow.
Grey is so elegant, yellow cheerful.
I adore Dioressence. I either swapped for or got the bottle as a freebie from a fellow NSTer a couple years back. Very grateful to have a vintage bottle.
SOTD = Memo Paris Winter Palace
The box looked gray to me this morning ?
Great perfume, so there’s that:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKExCzyhLfA/?igshid=qnt7sl9wwnli
Thanks to your responses to my question regarding Mac laptops. I have narrowed down the one I will purchase to the Pro.
Another question having to do with microwave – I use mine quite often, but only to heat one container or mug of something at any one time. Yesterday, I had the remains of a cup of coffee and one of tea. I was originally tempted to heat them both together at the same time time, but I ultimately chickened out because I was afraid that 2 containers would compete against each other. What say you?
I have no microwave input other than why would you want to drink coffee and tea at the same time?
But – you do smell fab!
I would have nuked both cups at the same time. Just make sure they are balanced on your turntable (if your microwave has one), and add maybe an extra 20 seconds to the time you use for a single cup. If the time is not enough, keep adding 20 seconds increments to avoid boil-over.
I really want to try winter palace! Hear so many people loving this one here on nst.
I have never tried it but don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
I only do one cup at a time, because I feel like it still would take less time than me figuring out the right time for two.
I always think I’m much better at associating perfumes with colours than I am with music or books and such, and yellow is one of my favourite colours, but I haven’t managed any inspiration this week. I keep thinking about Patou’s Sublime because the box is a beautiful yellow, so that might be the choice this morning.
This morning’s priority is a scratching post for the new cats. They’re not too bad with the furniture, but we want to offer the right choice early on
Good call! Scratching posts + catnip/catnip spray on the posts + COPIOUS verbal praise about what good kitties they are when they scratch the posts has been a winning combo in our house!
I’ve had excellent results with corrugated cardboard scratchers for my cats. They will happily tear that to shreds and have left our furniture untouched.
Sublime is a great choice, I hadn’t thought of that but I like it a lot, and the box is the perfect color. So glad to have it now that all the Jean Patou fragrances are going away, which I think is terrible.
Otto Mi Gato and I love this one:
https://smile.amazon.com/4CLAWS-Wall-Mounted-Sisal-Scratching/dp/B01LY5L4ON/ref=pd_sim_3?pd_rd_w=qgn1B&pf_rd_p=52622570-ce87-4046-87cf-402c2bd33577&pf_rd_r=QHDFYQYS8SZGSD9QRVGJ&pd_rd_r=61c3fd1c-c5e3-4788-a72c-9dfa94856f81&pd_rd_wg=WbMdT&pd_rd_i=B01LY5L4ON&psc=1
Most others have stability issues, and aren’t tall enough for a good, full stretch,
Wearing Golden Cattleya by Olympic Orchids. It’s thick with rich pollen and has always smelled very yellow to me.
Nice choice and a beautiful fragrance.
Hi again, unrelated to today’s poll, I have a perfume conundrum and question.
I have a 1/2 fl oz bottle of vintage Diorissimo and the stopper is stuck. I don’t think it’s a “dummy” bottle because there has been some evaporation.
I have tried using a solvent around the top and pliers, both to no avail. It might end up being a decorative bottle, which is fine. But I would like to exhaust all opening options before I give up.
Any ideas?
You could try putting it in the freezer–I have had moderate success with that, alternating with hot compresses around the stopper if the freezer alone doesn’t work. If you absolutely can’t get it open, I’d put it in a fine screen colander and hit it with a hammer. You can get the perfume without glass shards.
Thank you! It’s in the freezer. And I love the back up colander and hammer idea.
Trying to split the CP with Nicolai Eau de Provence. The lavender feels really gray, but it also has a spring-like quality as it progresses that reads yellow. That’s all I’ve got.
Enjoy what’s left of the day. Mentally prepping for a challenging phone call.
Lots of calls seem challenging to me so I wimp out and message ?
Me too, but this one is for a new contract, so I actually have to talk to someone! And she’s late
Hope she turned up and all went well!
You smell amazing, and good luck!
ISM on my upper arms this morning with Etro’s Patchouli on the lower. It was interesting because they are both ‘rooty’ to me. Turns out ISM is sort of high register – like a sweet soprano and E’s Patchouli more baritone but they do have a common feel/tone (not sure what the right word is!)
Tonight it’s Avocado Co-wash which is like a very light lemon cheesecake and a shot of Monsieur Balmain.
In the very yellow Tom Ford Lys Fume, the most golden lily/ylang ever! Even more Illuminating than Donna Karan Gold. ?
I found both grey and yellow Esther hard, plus my mind has been too full of other things, do I’m just doing another Amouage: Gold Man. Beautiful and probably my favourite of the “male” Amouages.
Its been a while since I sampled Gold Man. But I remember liking it a lot, better than most in the ‘Man’ line. It felt a bit like it was carrying me though haha. Will retry it soon.
It is very glamorous, a little less do than Gold Woman which is without a doubt my favourite Amouage. Jub. XXV is good as well. Have you ever tried any of the Opus Amouages? I happen to live Opus III
Love not live
I almost feel like the policeman from Allo Allo
I ve tried one amouage Opus…i think it was VIII.. (argh those numbers).
It was a big like but with that prices more difficult to love
(So far I only bought Amouage discounted ?)
And I love your reminder of the Allo Allo policeman ?
I thought I’d have lots of twins with Le Lion today – strikes me as grey as in a bit severe, and yellow as in lemony.
I keep getting class from an angry, I think perhaps elderly woman who claims that I’ve been calling her. But I haven’t.
Can you block that person’s phone number? That sounds like harassments to me.
It’s super easy to block texts but I have dig around a little to figure out to block class on my android phone.
What is class?
ARghhh! Calls.
I guess I’m ready for the weekend…
Lol! I thought this was yet another form of communication that I was going to hate?
Hello all!
Happy Friday!
1) I went with Terre d’Hermes- clean and bright and lovely- like the piercing ray of sunshine in a steel grey Portland sky.
2) I am going to talk to my insurance agent, since the fencing is covered by insurance HOWEVER I really think I am just gonna use my housing fund. I wanted to do decking and so I will just use this opportunity to do both decking and fencing and put in a couple more garden boxes.
I was all set to go bright and energetic (Illuminating) with Cristalle Eau Verte, but then I put on a pale-blue cashmere sweater from my grad-school days (just finally repaired its moth hole last night) and suddenly felt that it had to be No. 5, instead, which matches neither Pantone color for me. (For those of you thinking that “cashmere” and “grad school” do not usually go together — you are right. I bought very few clothes back then and still have most of them, and this was Lord & Taylor, not Loro Piana.)
We’re cashmere twins today — I have on an old and cherished light blue cashmere sweater with short sleeves that my late mother bought for me at Lord & Taylor, years ago. It’s like a comfy t-shirt but I can wear it to work or on Zoom (same thing these days).
Comic of the Day: https://www.gocomics.com/thebuckets/2016/07/24
I kept wanting to post this here, and forgetting. Or on days that I did remember, it didn’t feel right. Finally, today, the starts aligned. Enjoy!
So much grey outside today, ugh. Rain is definitely on its way… I can smell it in the air.
Time for me to ‘fess up; I’m not particularly a fan of this year’s Pantone picks. But it beats having them come out with a palette of 5 or 6 colors for any given year.
SOTD = Le Labo Lys 41 EdP, from the sample stash. This is the second Le Labo sample I acquired when I met up with neyronrose. Took me long enough to find & try it. It matches “Illuminating” to me, since I don’t smell any lily in Lys 41, but plenty of ylang ylang and tuberose.
Loved the comic of the day ?
How do you like Lys 41? I love ylang and tuberose. Is it worth seeking out a sample?
Re: Lys 41 and sampling, my answer would be “maybe”. It does resemble Michael Kors EdP to my nose. So if you’ve smelled that, you have a baseline to work with. You might smell something completely different, though…
Thanks Jalapeno. I haven’t smelled the Kors either. Oh, well, too much to keep up with ?
*Love the cartoon* – I wonder if the artist knows a perfumista??
Anything is possible!
I needed that laugh! ? thanks!
You’re welcome! ?
Great choice, ylang and yellow.
I think this is going to be a long post because I’m overdue in reporting on some things.
First, yay thanks Robin for taking up my CP suggestion for next week! I already have one pairing idea that I’ll probably save for Friday, but I’d like to try and participate all week.
SOTD is Mediterraneo to match Illuminating. I’ve thunked the sample that springpansy passed along to me. It’s such a happy perfume. I may eventually need a bottle.
Sampling report from this week:
Frassai Blondine – Absolutely love this and may need more after I finish the sample. Sweet and slightly spicy florals, prominently lily. Reminds me of Shanghai Lily but smoother and less raspy. Oh, and it’s based on a French fairy tale so I could actually wear it again next week!
Perris Monte Carlo Mimosa Tanneron – Gorgeous, long lasting mimosa lifted by rose, hawthorn, and white musk. Has that delightful almond aspect that mimosa often has. Reminds me of the discontinued gem from PdN, Mimosaique.
Les Indemodables Iris Perle – Reminded me of 28 La Pausa and No. 5 L’eau. It was lighter and more radiant than I was expecting. Nice but not a wow for me and short lived for how expensive it is.
Les Indemodables Fougere Emeraude – Herbaceous and green with a tonka base. Nice and enjoyable but probably not one I need more of.
Dusita Le Pavillon d’Or – My favorite from the brand of what I’ve tried so far. Another herbaceous green perfume but more agrestic, like sun warmed sweetgrass and wild flowers. I may consider a travel spray. I could see fans of St. Clair First Cut enjoying this.
And last, my car did indeed get totaled by insurance due to flood damage. They towed it away yesterday. I was a little emotional just having some memories about buying it almost 13 years ago and thinking about driving across the country in it to move from Columbus, Ohio to Seattle. Soon though I just felt relief at not having to worry about it anymore. I’ve barely had to drive during the pandemic, so I always had to go out and check on it since it was always parked on city streets. Anyway, looking forward to (and only slightly anxious about) being carfree for a little while.
What lovely fragrance choices — you’ve smelled great all week! I’m sorry about your car. We had to total out one of ours this week too, an older, small SUV that had a broken axle after a close encounter with a pothole; then the mechanic found other problems, and it just wasn’t worth the cost to repair. There is some relief in just saying goodbye to a car, though. We too drive much less because of pandemic remote work. We’ll replace it eventually but we’re in no hurry, especially as my daughter is living back at home; she has our old minivan and we can use that if necessary.
I got a little sentimental when my Saturn got towed away. It was the first car I ever owned, and I drove it until it fell apart, 202K miles later. But I also felt relief at not having to worry about repairs or insurance for it at that point.
Yes! We too usually drive our cars for years and years, hundreds of thousands of miles. We said goodbye last year to our old Volvo wagon, and there was a certain pleasure in notifying our insurance company to stop the insurance on it.
It’s a beautiful, sunny day here; no clouds in sight. On the gardening front, my daylilies have sprouted up through the ground. Makes me ?
Wafting in Iris Silver Mist!
Envious of your sunny day! Socked in here today.
I will send some sunshine your way!
I will gladly take some, thanks! ??
Me too! Me too!?
You got it! ☀️?
Yay for spring lilies! I am now iris-adjacent with you in Iris Nazarena.
It’s so encouraging to see the flowers starting although there is still some winter ahead (I’m sure of it!)
Iris Nazarena sounds absolutely lovely!
For the past two weeks our weather has been perfectly compliant with today’s cp: very mild temps unchanging from day to day with only a few snow flurries and a bit of rain and a gray, gray, gray sky – one day just blending into the next with no difference and only a very brief occasional illuminating of the sky with ☀️. To counteract that, I chose an old favorite, C.O. Bigelow Winter Lemon No. 1821. The lemon is strong and clear and very bright but not sweet and the base of musk and sandalwood blends softly as the lemon diminishes into what I think of as “gray.” It was the right choice because despite the weather forecast for gray skies again with a few snow flurries, the weather gods followed my lead and the ☀️is winning out. Yes!!!
Between the unrelenting Covid crisis and the chaotic vaccine and inoculation process thus far along with the equally unrelenting post-election drama – and the unending grayness of the skies – it’s been a difficult week here. But once again I turn to words of wisdom from one of my yoga teachers – author unknown – for comfort, inspiration, and purposeful direction:
Be careful of your thoughts, for they lead to words.
Be careful of your words, for they lead to actions.
Be careful of your actions, for they lead to habits.
Be careful of your habits, for they lead to character.
Stay safe, stay well, stay hopeful! And have a wonderful weekend!
Oops. Somehow my post ended up imbedded under yours. Sorry about that.
I do love that saying. Wise words indeed.
That’s ok, I enjoyed reading it. And I love Sonoma County. We vacationed once in a friend’s small home there while he was out of town. It came complete with its own cat and a rooster who lived next door. Never having lived next door to a rooster, it will always be one of my fondest – and funniest – memories of that trip. So I think the real reason you posted here was to remind me of that trip!?
I love that saying, thanks for sharing it.
I feel my most successful choice this week was L’Orpheline for gray: calm, incense, musk. I tried Sarah Horowitz Untitled #3 this morning, thinking of it as another “calm” and gray scent. It also has musk, plus sandalwood. But it’s actually rather lively! I looked up reviews and saw that the Non-Blonde (RIP) described it as “a purple and green adventure”! Due to violet plus yuzu. Oh well, the best-laid plans, and all that! In any case I’m enjoying this a lot for its zest and energy! Sometimes an oil hits the spot. Did my second session of therapy on my hand this week and it went better. She says my flexibility is improving. That’s good!
Good news about your PT/OT session!
I’m glad your hand is improving! I wore L’Orpheline earlier this week with the same thought that it would “match” with grey, but I changed my mind and went with Nirvana French Grey for the CP today.
That’s very good news about your physiotherapy!
I stupidly posted my SOTD and adventures of the day under Lakla’s post. So, copying here so any replies don’t muddy hers…
SSS Jour Ensolleille because it is a scent that is bright sunny yellow to me…and it makes me happy. To me, it is California’s Sonoma County in a bottle.
And it was helpful on a rather gray, damp day. We met my husband’s god-daughter for lunch at a Thai restaurant in Soho. The heater could have been better…I was fine, but my husband was not clear for table. And…it was overpriced for what it was. Especially for lunch. But, it was still a good time. She’s back to college for her final semester before graduation. Then she’ll move back home where she has a job already lined up.
Had one of those urban moments where a crazy person gets too close. I was watching the traffic waiting to cross, and a guy came up close behind and sniffed my hair or something. Totally made me jump. He quickly continued on his way, acting out. It’s funny…my reaction was to blurt out, “you scared me!” Which he didn’t, really. It was just startling.
So much love for Jour Ensolleille here at NST!
Ewwww on the “hair sniffer”!
My SOTD for “Ultimate Grey” was Nirvana French Grey, which wasn’t the most original choice but it worked. It was on my mind because I just bought a full bottle on clearance for $18 — a true “bargain beauty”! If I had thought more about the yellow color, I could have done as some others here did, and pulled out my beloved Ostara or even Patou’s Sublime. Maybe I’ll extend the CP through this holiday weekend — I’ll take any excuse to wear Ostara.
I’m so glad for Friday and a three-day weekend, before the semester starts on Tuesday at the university where I work. I’ve been back “at work” (on Zoom) since 1/4, and I already need the short break!
I got a (second hand) bottle of Ostara this year, and its fans here remind me to revisit it soon. It’s been sitting out on my dresser because the box is lovely, but the initial test was not a complete success. I probably oversprayed.
Isn’t the box beautiful? I also keep it out to look at, as daffodils are my favorite flowers with lilies of the valley, followed closely by roses. The paper cutouts on the Ostara box are just lovely.
Olibere Le Jardin d’Amelie today, from a sample thanks to pl67. Lots of rhubarb and fresh greenery with this one. I’m not typically a fan of the green, but this is fun! ?
Azuree d’Or for the CP; it is a lemming from NST. As a EL fangirl, a lover of Azruee, and a completist who likes to have flankers of my special favorites (good thing LPRN is not one of them), I made note of this: https://nstperfume.com/2017/03/08/estee-lauder-azuree-dor-new-fragrance/ and this week my patient little lemming pounced on a good deal. Is is much softer than Azuree, but did some very nice changes and stayed with me all day. Have a good weekend, all.
I’d completely forgotten about that Azuree flanker. 2017 seems like a million years ago…
Sotd is Gucci Memoire. I think it goes well with yellow or grey. I went to pick up my medicine today, and found out that refills are not covered by my new insurance. I will have to call them Monday. My saga of sucko insurance is really getting old. Unfortunately so am I, and I really need good affordable insurance! When I was 19, I paid ten dollars a paycheck, and practically everything was covered.
Sorry to hear about your crappy insurance.
How annoying, good luck with the phone call. Good choice of perfume.