It's "I really shouldn't have" Friday! Our community project for today: wear a fragrance you shouldn't have bought, you shouldn't wear, or shouldn't ? Thanks go to Katrina for the idea, and I hope I didn't completely mangle her original concept.
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'm in Hermès Jour D'Hermès. I really shouldn't have bought a 50 ml bottle the same day I smelled it. I do like it, very much, and every time I wear it I'm reminded that I ought to wear it more often. But I don't reach for it (or really, any one perfume) often enough to justify more than a 15 ml travel size, and of course just 2 years later they came out with the Jour D'Hermès Absolu, which would have been my preference.
Reminder: on 5/14 we're celebrating Stevie Wonder's birthday (a day late...he turns 71 on Thursday). Tell us your favorite Stevie Wonder song and wear the fragrance to match.
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.
Note: top image shows detail from the Hermès Savana Dance surfboard (yesterday's image was the longboard) which was $9,350 but is out of stock. It came with "an aroma-infused anti-slip wax, developed by Hermès' Artistic Director of Perfumes - Christine Nagel. The scent was inspired by the liveliness of the ocean spray with a note of juniper berry and pear granita"). You can still get the pattern in a scarf or shawl.
I’m wearing the gorgeous Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque, so beautiful, such a mistake.
On May 25th, 2010, I was in Paris for a single day and of course went to the Palais Royale because I had to and had budgeted for two bell jars. The lovely clerk, Sandrine, listened to what I liked and offered me a number of strips to smell. I immediately latched on to Fourreau Noir, and was trying to decide on a second one. She recommended La Myrrhe. And I didn’t listen to her! I love the two I bought, but I really really wish I had bought La Myrrhe instead of Fumerie Turque.
Oh you lucky duck to have wisely budgeted for TWO bell jars! When I was there I only bought one, Raat Loukum. But in all fairness I had the Big Paris Perfume Tour 2009!! SL, Guerlain, Fraganod all got my money heehee. Plus a few bath products and soap which I no longer remember the spots.
Bell jar twins! I got Rahat Loukoum as well. Such a beauty.
Triplet here! I also chose Rahat on my sole visit there and never regretted it. Tried the Fumerie Turque but it was a no-go for me; I don’t like tobacco as a scent note.
Ding ding…we have a winner
Rahat would have been my first choice for a bell jar, followed by Attarine, and then 3rd tier probably Iris Silver Mist or Tubereuse Criminelle. No idea what any of them smell like now or if I’d still want them.
I feel sorry for you and admire your restraint. First time I visited that gorgeous shop I got three, ISM, Sarrasins and Tubéreuse Criminele.
Second time around I hesitated between La Myrrhe, De Profundus and Boxeuses. I ended up getting the bottle you regret not getting. Funnily enough I’ve been this close to getting Fumerie Turque several times but never did and now probably never will. It is beautiful as well, so I hope you do enjoy it.
So, my CP is Grandiflora Saskia, which got so many great comments, that I went looking for a decant (unsniffed). I ended up with three decants, including one of Jungle le Tigre, which I’ve been wanting to try for years. The CP part of it is that I have been trying to curtail my decant buying until I had used all of my decants at least once. Oh, well.
Oh well indeed! The perfumista story
One has only so much willpower; I’m sure you applied yours to better things.
I hope you’ll give us a review when you try le Tigre; I’ve been curious about it forever, too. (I dabbed a little l’Elephant on my ankle, just to remember.)
I’d love if you posted your thoughts on the Grandiflora at some point. I think the line is pretty well done.
Tgif!
Sotd is Black Orchid Parfum.
I shouldn’t have gotten this one because of how similar it is to the edp. It wasn’t exactly a clever purchase but somewhere between the shiny gold bottle, the word parfum and an available gift card, I caved.
I have a bottle of Black Orchid edp and not gonna lie, I was almost seduced by that shiny gold parfum bottle on the Sephora website. You’ve talked me out of an unnecessary purchase, so maybe that’s your good deed for the day.
Glad to help!
shiny gold bottle + parfum + gift card= not your fault!
That could be the subject of a CP: “It Was the Bottle’s Fault!”
Twins with Robin in Hermes Jour D’Hermes.
Nothing really came to mind for the cp. I am in general fine with my purchases. However, I should have bought a back up bottle, when still available, of the now discontinued SL A la Nuit, my favorite jasmine fragrance. I finished my full bottle a while ago and I really miss it. I was surprised to see last night that I have very few jasmine scents in my collection, despite being one of my favorite notes. I need to remedy that.
Nice, sunny, beautiful day. Counting the hours for the day to be over. So glad is Friday! 🌞
I’m the opposite—I just can’t stop trying and buying Jasmine scents!
I think I got distracted with so many perfumes in my collection and I neglected jasmine. I need to focus on that now.
Twins! You smell great!
Yay! We smell awesome!
also a Jasmine lover, and spent years searching for my second bottle of Occitaine’s jasmin…..got lucky and found one, nearly twenty years later!
Very lucky You!!
Wow! You were lucky! Could you please suggest any good jasmine scents I should try.
I am partial to Ineke’s Poet’s Jasmine (a refreshing lemony jasmine), my fave l’Occitaine Jasmin (not sure about the current one, but the vintage is just straight up jasmine), and of course Serge. I also like Hermes/Jardin M. Li and Aerin Ikat Jasmine. Happy sniffing…
Thank you! Great list! I will get samples of all of them!
For an indolic jasmine, vintage Joy is exquisite. AbdesSalaam Attar Tawaf is more feral.
Solar, salty/amber jasmine, Alien by Mugler.
Sultry meditative jasmine, Samsara by Guerlain.
Green/uplifting jasmine, Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint or Honeysuckle & Jasmine.
That’s a great list! Thank you! Taking note right away. Crazy to say I have never tried Alien. 🙈 It is time now!
I also love jasmine. It’s so lovely.
It is! I love the note! ❤
A la Nuit is beautiful! Korres has a new jasmine body milk that might be in your wheelhouse. Their old Jasmine Body Butter was glorious.
I need to look for the Korres right away! Thank you!
I’m wearing Jo Malone Orris abs Sandalwood today, which I like fine but probably not well enough to justify the 50 ml bottle I have. I bought it at a discount when it was being discontinued, a reward for surviving last spring’s pandemic teaching. I should have waited until the end of this year and sprung for something really fantastic!
That is my story with every JM I’ve bought…later I regret it. So I don’t buy them anymore.
Same. The only other I ever bought was mimosa and cardamom, which I also liked fine, but I ended up giving it away to my babysitter.
Thank you for saving me money. While lurking yet again at Plato’s Closet this week, I found a brand new coffret of Jo Malone minis for $30 and I was tempted, but in the back of my mind I too thought, I never quite like the ones I have tried…..so I won’t be led astray if it is still there.
Good morning and happy Friday! I’m with P67 and Robin, wearing Hermes Jour D’Hermes. Nothing came to mind for the CP, I’m pretty satisfied with my purchases. I perhaps regretted purchasing the matching body lotion of Jour D’Hermes – it has a strange saccharine note that eventually goes away.
Enjoying cup #2 of coffee, slowly waking up and getting ready to crack open my work computer.
I have a wicked sweet tooth so will have to head to the gym at lunch and stave it off.
After yesterday’s talk of Persian desserts, I was dreaming of them and woke up craving something sweet.
Happy Friday everyone!
What a shame about the body lotion! The Jardin Sur Le Nil body lotion was so good I regretted ever buying the fragrance…but that was years ago.
I love the body lotion for Sur le Nil! It was far and away longer lasting than the perfume. I’m considering repurchasing the lotion.
Exactly…lasted all day on me.
My mild “I shouldn’t have” was Angel’s Share. Purchased online, unsniffed. What made me buy it? Because I really like Kilian as a perfume house and always think their frags are of high quality. That plus all the raves about it… It seemed like such a “perfumista thing” to do to own a bottle of what everyone is talking about now. It is very nice and I only wore it once or twice and just never… reach for it. If I’m going with a gourmand I go all the way with Sticky Cake. If I want warm or ambery I go for a kick from Tango. And so on and so fourth… I can just name every other perfume I reach for more than I would for Angel’s Share. It smells very pretty but… Just boring to me. Sorry!!
I too own an FB of Angel’s Share—and while I LOVE the bottle, I don’t get all the hype for the fragrance giving the range of amazing boozy, ambery scents out there. Also, on me the scent and sillage are fleeting. I can’t quite say I regret owning it–that bottle! And I do really like it. But like you, I never gravitate to it when choosing a perfume, even when in the mood for a boozy, vanilla sexy something.
Yes exactly how I feel, the bottle – YES. The scent is very nice but I don’t get all the hype about it either…
Angel’s Share does have a Bottle Porn Worthy bottle.
I’m wearing Annick Goutal’s pre-“Les Colognes” Vétiver for “I really should not have sold all those decants before the scent was discontinued”. With its prominent iodine note it’s just such a unique scent and it kind of breaks my heart to know that once my bottle is empty I probably won’t be able to experience it ever again.
Still my favorite vetiver!
Forgive me Donnatella for I have sinned. I bought that 5 ounce bottle of Estee Lauder Pleasures from Ulta. The price came down to something a little bit more reasonable in price. I love the sales from Ulta. On day 6 on my vacation and still in Coco Mademoiselle this morning while catching up on Nightwatch. I don’t know if I should go with Coromandel, Lyric or vintage BaV. Should not have gotten any of those but I love them all.
Five ounces? Respect.
It’s rare to see anyone selling any perfume over 3.4 ounces. Pleasures will always have a special place in my heart. It was my first signature scent.
Respect is right. It’s the Jeroboam of perfume!
I’m also (a little) obsessed with the Estagnon. I find it mesmerizing.
No regrets for a giant bottle – I think they are fun! I have a 6oz Shalimar cologne stopwatch that I “dust and admire,” though the cologne was not stored well (it was $10).
Giant bottles of vintage are pretty awesome. I seem to keep gazing at my two monster bottles of vintage BaV and Jicky.
Wow, five ounces is a lot of juice! Unless it’s vintage Fendi, Bandit, Cristalle, or Magie Noire, then an eight ounce bottle isn’t big enough! Cause I want moar!
The two giant bottles I own are L’ Artisan’s Mure et Musc, which I spray with abandon and vintage Zen by Shiseido.
Happy Friday, y’all! I’m in Imogen Rose solid, which *shouldn’t* smell so good at 10+ years old, but as I’ve mentioned here before, to my nose it’s actually improved considerably with age. I also probably *shouldn’t* wear perfume to go inspect damaged fencelines with contractors, but that’s how I roll.
Good take on the CP, says this vintage lover!
I found my liquid Imogen Rose earlier this week…and Karma. I will have to wear them!
Some of my perfumes have improved with age, too!
What I am *NOT* wearing today is Portrait of a Lady–it is as lovely and wonderful as everyone says, but it is so powerful that you really need an occasion to wear it. I think that I have only busted it out half a dozen times, especially in the past more than year since it is a bit much for a trip to the grocery store or dentist! I don’t really regret the fragrance, but I do regret not wearing it more often.
SOTD–just a brisk spritz of Ineke’s Idyllwilde, which I do not regret one bit!!
My sister rocks Portrait for everyday activities, and it works on her. On me, it’s a whole lot of patch.
You smell great in Idyllwilde! That might be an “I shouldn’t wait any longer to get a bottle” scent for me.
Not to enable or anything, but get a bottle–I reach for it much more than I even thought I would.
POAL is definitely a statement perfume! Gorgeous though…
Love POAL. I have a vivid memory of having to take the Mr to a clinic to deal with an ear infection while wearing it and feeling absolutely ridiculous in the waiting room.
Love this mental image! POAL is probably my next full-bottle purchase. I secretly love wearing inappropriately grand perfumes with blue jeans and mundane activities — it’s like getting away with wearing a ball gown to do the grocery shopping, but nobody could actually *blame* you for being overdressed…
POAL is a gorgeous powerhouse for sure! 🌹
That’s a perfume that needed to come in an old-fashioned dauber bottle, NOT a sprayer!
Oh. I thought that Hermes image was of a serving platter. So beautiful. But a surf board? I don’t understand. Scented and decorated sports equipment? Maybe it is decoration for a billionaire’s version of a tiki lounge.
Anyhoo, my ‘I really shouldn’t have’ is Montale’s Patchouli Leaves, which I bought blind in a moment of weakness and craving patchouli. It is a dark chocolatey patch perfume, that I now mostly use as a room spray. So, this AM, I spritzed a bit of it in my office, and happily applied the last dregs from my sample of Gris Charnel on my wrists
I’m with you in scratching my head about the surf board. I think it might be a poser–er, poseur–board to bring with you when you go vacationing in the south of France. You know, bringit to the beach but don’t actually use it, that sort of thing. I’d like to smell that surf wax, though.
Gris Charnel is so good — you smell marvelous.
My first thought when I saw that picture was “Hermes does Band-Aids?”
Excellent.
Oooh, that would be amazing! Like superhero bandaids for fashionistas.
Wearing Carner Besos which I really shouldn’t have bought. Several years ago I went to Twisted Lily to go sniffing and was thinking I’d maybe buy D600 but somehow, when I went to go purchase I went for Besos. A couple of days later, I was thinking that I shouldn’t have bought it. If anyone in CONUS wants a mostly full 50ml bottle of Besos, my username is my yahoo address
Aw, that’s a shame it didn’t work out.
I’m not wearing anything yet, but my “I really shouldn’t have” is probably “I really shouldn’t have left my perfume collection in its home in the upstairs washroom while the floors are redone.” I’d assumed I’d be able to get in and snag a couple of bottles to bring back to the place we’re staying, but I’m not sure that’s going to be as easy as I’d thought.
I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll be wearing one of the following: 31, rue Cambon, Saturday, Azemour, or LADDM, since those are the samples that live in my suitcase.
Could be worse. And let’s hope soon I have nice, new floors in my house!
Eek! I hope you can make a stealth visit to liberate some of your collection!
Those are some great fragrances to choose from! I hope the renovation goes smoothly and quickly.
Ooooof. I hope that your floor renovation is finished quickly and done right.
Hello all!
Robin, I totally feel you on Jour, but I will say I like every formulation of it. And my favorite is the parfum, of which I own two back-up bottles!
My shouldn’t-have is the musky pepper incense of L’Orpheline. Who knew I’d love this weird connection as much as I do? I rate it very highly in the New Lutens cannon.
Stay safe everyone.
I adore the parfum as well. It was a spray-sniff-immediate buy for me.
L’Orpheline was a blind-buy, instant love for me. I got it because I thought in giving it that name, M. Lutens would be sure it was one of his best.
Well I do like this one! I just don’t need more than 1, and I do prefer the Absolue.
I’m in Bond NY Loves Marriage Equality. I shouldn’t have blind bought this just because a pack of samples was dirt cheap on Amazon. I usually find that Bond’s bottles are gorgeous, the fragrance names evoke places I love, but the juices are derivative and not as good as the scents they copy.
But Bond really, really shouldn’t have.
The copy on the little sample books says that people of either gender can proudly wear this unisex scent to their wedding.
There is nothing unisex about this pseudo barbershop cologne.
Any any bride or groom would only be depressed by this decidedly unequal, second rate scent.
I am very fond of vetyver colognes and have both basic (Essential Parfums Mon Vetyver) and rarified (Roja), but this stuff smells at best like a template for a scent, and at worse, well like a bad scent for middle schoolers.
I think you just captured my take on Bond completely.
The only Bond I truly love is Park Avenue. And I am not gonna lie when I owned samples/decants of Chinatown I enjoyed sniffing it. But that is about it. Some of their scents seem almost “generic” to me.
Never smelled anything from Bond No. 9. It just hasn’t crossed my path, and I am not going out of my way to pursue it.
Dilana, your review made me laugh, thank you!
Between the comments here over the years and an article by the much-missed Non-Blonde, I have never wanted to bother with Bond, but of course I’d sniff if it was right in front of me. I do like some of the bottles….
My sotd is Alien Essence Absolue because I really shouldn’t have bought so many Alien flankers. No regrets though. It turns out, that I really shouldn’t have sat down in the training room after one of the corporate guys left. I now have mysterious man cologne all over me! I think I smell some citrus and maybe patchouli. Idk.. I smell like one of my middle school teachers from 1982. Ugh.. I will reapply Alien at lunch.
I hate the mysterious man cologne smell. I, of course, wonder if that man would have thought something similar if you were to be there first? 🤔
I thought about that too.
Me and my mysterious super fabulous woman perfume 😂
I love Alien in all it’s forms. Initially I thought it’d be on the “I shouldn’t have purchased list” but then the beautiful dry down arrives….
Except for the last two, they are all pretty great!
Unidentified Man Scent, aka The Department Store Cologne Waft? Ugh.
I would say drugstore waft.. lol
Wearing the one and only Angel today, because I certainly shouldn’t wear this anywhere that I might encounter another human being, i.e. work. It is SO strong.
But here I am at work, in an otherwise empty office, with just one spritz. I can smell myself, but I think all my coworkers are safe.
Isn’t it lovely to have an office to yourself, where you can smell just as gorgeous as you please?
Don’t knock Angel at the office! I got my first job as a baby lawyer in part *because* one of the people I interviewed with was wearing it! I knew it as soon as she walked in, and after introductions, I said, I don’t mean to be forward but are you wearing Angel perfume? She was surprised that I could recognize it, and I told her it was only because it was my favorite (but really, it’s 👼 how could anyone who wears it *not* recognize it?) That broke the ice, the rest of the interview went well, I got the job, and she and I became good work friends.
My “ I really shouldn’t have” is more along the lines of I really shouldn’t have been so frugal. As mentioned above, I visited a friend in Paris, we toured as many perfume shops and houses as we could. I wish I would have bought more, especially more of what’s not available in the States.
Funny side: returning to the States and going through customs I got a VERY judge-y agent who questioned my purchases. He was astonished that I’d spent several 100 dollars on a single pure perfume from Guerlain. Even more astonished I had made multiple perfume purchases! We’re they gifts? No. Was I going to resell? No. What did one person need with all that perfume.The man was clueless😳
Between perfume and several boxes of chocolate I’m sure I was the strange one for him.
Ugh. Lack of imagination from that fellow. Glad he didn’t decide to confiscate or fine you!
Oh no, it was all under the amount you’re allowed, he was just judge-y. Lol. I still remember him, he had an overall sour attitude. Not the person you want pawing through your personal items after an 8 hr flight.
I figured you were not doing anything wrong, but I thought he might have decided that you were indeed trying to re-sell and slapped a fine or tariff on you. (Or worse.)
I can see that going sideways for me. I tend to get all ‘momma bear’ about my perfumes.
Someone would be sending me a chocolate cake in prison with a file in it.
Actually, that is a good “travel tip” – the agent’s response was probably an interpretation of something that is in there training about unusual quantities.
error: either “their training” or “that there training”
There quite a few on my list I should not have bought: some blind buys from early parfumista days as well as some impulse buys. Jour d’Hermes is the only one that I still have, rest have been re-homed
Discretion makes me reluctant to share my “shouldn’t have” list…but here goes. Chanel No5 Eau Premiere in the column bottle. I know everyone loves it, so let’s just agree that it’s not the perfume, it’s me. I also have No.5 Sensual Elixir, which I used to like more, but now smells pretty soapy. Not wearing either one.
Scents for today: AG Le Chevrefeuille, ElizabethW Te, and a bit of DSH Pamplemousse. I may join in with Jour d’Hermes later. (No regrets on any of these.)
No cow is too sacred here, as people like what they like, or don’t.
Yep!
WHHHHHAAAAATTTT
No, but seriously sometimes what works for some does NOT work for others, and Eau Premiere can be a bit grandma soapy!
Le Chèvrefeuille was an airport impuls buy for me. And I don’t regret that one for a minute as it continues to be one of my most loved spring scents!
No 5, no matter what the concentration, can be funny. Eau Premiere was the 1st no 5 that I actually understood and liked. Will have to look around for my bottle of the elixir.
Your “Shouldn’t” perfumes would be highly desirable swap items, I bet.
You’re not alone: I don’t like any of those No. 5 flankers, either. 😈
Wearing Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue on one arm and Masque Milano L’Attesa. I shouldn’t have bought a back-up bottle of the former, thinking it was the ultimate iris, and I shouldn’t have dithered so much about buying the latter.
Is Masque Milano Attesa a fantastic iris then? Will have to check that out.
I think is fantastic! My second favorite iris and a must have in my collection!
Did you say your first?
My #1 SL Iris Silver Mist! ❤
I’d marry L’Attesa if it asked me…
Aww…🙂
Same here!
Haven’t worn much fragrance at all this week, although I did wear 31RC (for me, a “no qualms, and I’d do it again”) for an Important Event on Monday.
Today I am in my all-time leading “I shouldn’t have,” Aromatics Elixir, full bottle bought unsniffed. And so far, I am liking it this time around. It’s been about an hour, so the dreaded cat-pee note may yet assert itself. But it is so quirky I cannot imagine ever blithely spraying it on and then going out into the world.
AE is a difficult perfume. I adore it, but apply one spritz and walk into the mist. One hour in, after it’s had a chance to evaporate a little, it’s gorgeous.
This may have been what happened with me today — I applied VERY lightly, and six hours in, am still loving it — sniffing my forearm in delight. But even when I opened the box and removed the cap this morning, I thought, “Wow, this is beautiful” — which is not a response I recall from previous wearings. I will keep your approach in mind.
I’ve never smelled the notorious original, but I have a bottle of the Perfumer’s Reserve and it’s one of the most thoroughly “me” fragrances in my collection — just a step behind Sous le Vent. I definitely blithely dab it on and then go out into the world, figuring if it’s not everybody’s cup of tea then neither am I, and so there.
I occasionally get a bit of cat pee from AG Ninfeo Mio, but greatly enjoy that one anyway.
Oh yeah, I often get straight up urine from Ninfeo Mio. But I enjoy its weird beauty, and it has never actively disgusted me as Aromatics Elixir has. But AE continues to smell great to me today. Who’da thunk it?
The subject of this CP has made me unreasonably happy this morning. I poked around the perfume cabinet (AKA the extra shelves in the hallway closet), and I went through a few of those regret-tinged moments while looking at all the scents I end up not wearing, but then I broke through. And that’s what I’m calling it — a breakthrough, and I’m feeling quite pleased that I have a hobby/pastime/obsession that brings me such satisfaction, and that y’all are right here with me.
So, in celebration of all those moments that I’ve thought “I really shouldn’t have” I am wearing three hefty spritzes of Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac. I might follow it later on with some Oud for Greatness, just because I can.
Happy Friday, all!
I like that I can wear three or four different scents in one day…everyday, for a month!
Glorious, isn’t it? And you smell so GOOD.
Love it! ♥
I looked at my collection too and thought the same thing. I love my perfumes, even if I don’t wear them all. They make me feel good.
This is such a lovely way to think about the CP, and about your collection.
I just couldn’t with my shouldn’t this morning because I have such a busy work day ahead of me. It’s SL Cedre, my first major major blind buy when it was released. I was such a Lutens fan girl, and also love woods…. how would I know Cedre would be turn out to be tuberose?! Lol. Afterall, Lutens is not Le Labo with their deceptive names. It’s no longer as painfully disappointing as when I first sprayed it, and over the years I’ve enjoyed sharing samples of it with tuberose-lovers.
I’m instead in Diptyque Geranium odorata, which I adore. It smells like the best spa to me. A spa in the English countryside.
How great that we can share our “oopses” with one another (both confessionally, here on the blog, and in real form).
I must be the only person who *does* smell woods in SL Cedre! That was all I got; no flowers in it at all.
Sampling Jimmy Choo Vanilla Love and Kayali Vanilla 28 today…and preferring the former although both are nicely done. 🍨
Thanks for all the well wishes for my sister yesterday.♥️ She is in a regular room now and feeling overall good but sore after the surgery and will FaceTime her later today. Appreciate all the support from this wonderful, fragrant community.🥰
Yay for sis!!
Oohh.. I never heard of this Jimmy Choo.
Wishing a speedy recovery to your sister!
Continued good wishes for your sister being sent your way.🤗
So glad to hear she’s doing well!
SotD for the CP came to my mind quickly. After I had the 100ml of Champs Elysees edt, I did not need the 100ml of edp, nor did I need the 50ml edp that was so cheap on Ebay and in the old bottle but I shouldn’t have. Then I found out there were two flankers, and I saw a 30ml parfum for such a low price, so the collection grew. Today, I smell sweet and springy in “Too Much…Champs Elysees!”
I didn’t know there was 2 flankers. Which do you like best?
The other one is Vital Sensations, which my online research found was sold in airports. I have not worn it lately, but overall the vintage edt smells best to me and has the best sillage. The opening of the edp is my lease favorite part of the CE family. The bottle for Too Much is the prettiest. I just don’t get that white plastic collar on the other bottles!
Do you like everything in your stash of Champs Elysees?
Yes and see above! I have discovered so many other fragrances since falling in love with CE, but I still like it enough to want the variations in collections.
Very pleased with myself that I’m not saying “I shouldn’t have”
a day after doing some sniffing at Bergdorf yesterday. I found two scents to love but the price tag and bottle size are ridiculous. One was Aerin’s Tuberose Le Soir and the other was Dior’s new Eden Roc. Got samples and will enjoy these for now!
SOTD: Eden Roc which is a classic Mediterranean beach scent with wonderful staying power
Yep, you’ve got expensive taste! (As do many of us.)
Gosh, so many shouldn’t haves. I shouldn’t have waffled for so long on a couple that I never bought and are now discontinued. I shouldn’t have spent money on so many decants early on (turns out I much prefer samples or bottles) or buying something because it was cheap (I only want to buy what I love–or at least that’s the goal). I don’t need my bottles of SL 5 o’clock Au Gingembre (love the opening but the drydown turns masculine on me) or Keiko Mecheri Un Jour d’Ete (loved it initially, now not so much) or even maybe my POTL EDP (I love its unique and special scent, but I don’t reach for it much, could probably have been happy with samples). And on and on.
However, look at all the perfume friends I’ve made and things I’ve learned and those are “should haves” for sure!
Ha, and on me 5 o’clock Au Gingembre has too masculine a start for me, then dries down beautifully!
And on me, 5 o’clock is hit or miss; sometimes, it just AMPLIFIES to the point where I need to scrub it. And other times it is perfectly well behaved.
“However, look at all the perfume friends I’ve made and things I’ve learned and those are “should haves” for sure!”
What a great way to look at it!
Perfume FOMO is real!
And so are Perfume Friends! 💕
Friday!
1) SOTD: I am happily wearing Red Apple, Peony and Cashmere Woods fragrance from Beauty Pie. I should not have stayed in that purchasing club as long as I did- the cosmetics at the time were really plush but not worth the subscription money+purchase+shipping. But the fragrances are lovely- light and airy, yet persistent.
2) A coworker is retiring, which is awesome. I get to do her daily tasks, which is less awesome.
#2 – Seriously, where is the breaking point?
I hope you saw my comment yesterday (late comment) re: home office deduction.
I did not see your comment from yesterday I am gonna look for it!
The breaking point is here- I bought a bunch of snack chips, which I have not had in YEARS, due to the anxiety of just too much. This is in conjunction with another bit of news, which I will share at another time.
Ooooh, can’t wait to hear about it!
No CP points for me, I’m in Diptyque Eau Capitale.
You have CP points because you wore what you shouldn’t have in an effort to try to participate in the CP 😆!
LOL!
And this is why hajusuuri is NST’s resident Professor of Perfumath!
SOTD = Zoologist Bee
I shouldn’t have just bought a partial bottle but I did. The good news is it was in special packaging. The other good news is I rectified the shouldn’t with a BUB.
It is down to probably 2 or 3 more wearings and I anticipate I will thunk the bottle before the end of June (2021, to avoid any doubt 😆).
https://www.instagram.com/p/COlDWZ0BmWW/?igshid=12hgcg68oklc7
In other news, my return to the office is likely to be the end of summer, but who really starts stuff in the August heat? Not me! Also, return could mean just one day a week and I will pick Friday. My manager’s only concern is that we may need to show up so we don’t lose our seats but there is absolutely no danger in that for me as I co-locate with another team that uses special equipment and my desk doesn’t have the equipment AND the group is picky about which function they will bring in to co-locate. My team has 5 people and none of us are in the same space.
I’m no too familiar with Zoologist bottles. What is the special packaging?
They usually do a limited edition with a different label…
September can be rather warm in our area, too. Ugh. I’m starting to hear about RTO (return to office) from people I know.
This is impressive! I mean, I know it was a partial bottle to begin with, but to be so close to a total thunk is pretty amazing considering all the choices in your collection.
I’m wearing a tad of Shalimar Light, from my diminishing sample. I sometimes beat on myself a little for not having bought a bottle aeons ago when it was on the market, but I’m not sure it’s a a real “I shouldn’t have” missed it kind of thing…
You have plenty of treasures!
I’m wearing Jeffrey Dame Black Vanilla, which is pretty and easy to wear. But probably a mistake because I already have a 100 ml bottle of Madagascar Vanilla by Monotheme that has sentimental value because I bought it on a trip to Italy. And a half ounce bottle of Vanille edt by Outremer. Three similar vanillas is at least one too many.
Our She-Ra would beg to disagree, I’ll bet. 😆
What SheriG said 😆😆😆
I’m wearing Bottega Veneta today. I shouldn’t have waited so long to try this – it’s gorgeous. (I didn’t try it until 2018 and bought a bottle in 2019.).
You smell marvelous!
Seconding what Vee said!
And thirding!
I chose Santa Maria Novella Eva, and my “shouldn’t haves” are that I shouldn’t have passed on that small bottle I stumbled upon years ago – can’t for the life of me remember where – and I shouldn’t have gone to see if it’s still available – it is, but only in the two ounce size. Sigh. I’m halfway through a 15ml decant now after a few years of doling it out to myself sparingly, and I love it almost enough to justify that big FB … but only almost. What’s a perfume lover to do?
get another decant??
My existing decant is from STC, and they don’t have it in stock anymore. But that’s a good suggestion – I should investigate other decanting services.
Just buy it …. doooo eeet ….. resistance is futile.
😳🤣
Aaaaaaaand another enabler pin goes to hajusuuri. Who among us is surprised? Nobody? I thought not. 😂
LOL!
Eva is one of my regrets too! And it used to be so much more reasonably priced.
Started the day with Perles de Lalique, that I bought because it was sooo cheap. It’s lovely, but not really me. Topped up with Reve d’Ossian, that is much more my style.
I was perfumers workshop Tea Rose for cheap, is this any good???
I love Tea Rose and I am happy to have huge bottle that will last me forever! 🌹
When it comes to perfume I don’t worry about ‘shouldn’t have’. My life is too short to dwell on negative feelings about first world problems. Any perfume I have is a blessing.
Yes, we’re so blessed. Good thought and thanks for that.
So true!
Thanks for the reminder on perfumed abundance.
Happy Friday, NST! I’m getting settled in and acquainted with my new city. Starting work on Monday.
I tested Angel Nova yesterday which would have worked perfectly with the CP – shouldn’t have put it on my skin at all, in fact, shouldn’t have been made – but today I’m wearing Arielle Shoshana Saturday, to fulfill that fruity craving that yesterday’s pink monstrosity didn’t.
Agreed! It’s a terrible perfume. I can’t even make an excuse for it.
It’s just horrible. And the only similarity with the real Angel, of course, is that it refused to leave.
Hah! I was going to post that lillyjo even called it something similar when she tried it.
Part of me wants to have a tiny sniff just to see how horrible it is, though.
HORRIBLE!!!
Remind me, did you transfer within your company or are you starting a new job altogether? And have fun getting to know your new city. It makes me look back fondly on when I first moved to Seattle eight years ago. I can’t believe it’s already been eight years.
Sorry about your nasty Angel Nova experience!
I’m transferring! I’d love some time to relax before then but this whole week has been getting our house in order, pretty much. Ah well. A lazy Sunday is in order!
My ‘shouldn’t’ SOTD is Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant. After reading so much praise and positive reviews a few years ago, I knew as a lover of woods and spices and oriental fragrances I would love it. Although it was a blind buy it was practically free since I used my Walgreens points to pay for it. But I didn’t even like it much, wore it a few times but haven’t worn it in a few years. So I tried it again today and after reading more reviews and its’ long list of notes, I think it’s the combo of cardamom and caraway, and perhaps the licorice note, too, (❤️ to eat it but dislike it as a scent note) that I find disagreeable. Whatever the source of my dislike is, it stays quite prominent through the life of the fragrance, so it might be time to find a better home for it. But I love the bottle!
Reading this week’s posts, I note that some of you have had a tough week so I’m sending you a hug 🤗 and a wish for better things next week. I’ve been fortunate to have had one of my best weeks in a long time: got to visit and hug my grandkids and family for the first time in months and finally meet my new grand😻😻. We also went out with friends to a wonderful outdoor heated pub for pizza (first meal at a restaurant in a year) and then 2 of my 3 cats were treated to a visit from ‘Auntie’ and ‘Grandma’ (from whom we adopted them) and loved every minute. Although most of my spring bulbs have finished blooming, the continued cool dry weather has kept the shrubs in bloom for the longest time I can remember. The migrating birds have begun to arrive, and my favorite house wrens have returned and once again have rediscovered the nesting box just outside my kitchen window; the male sings his uplifting song from dawn to dusk and it never fails to cheer me. I am grateful!🙏
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead and a Happy Mother’s Day!
Reading this made me smile. Thank you for sharing your joy with us
Very uplifting post! Thanks for sharing your beautiful week with us! 💕
Loved reading this moment of gratitude. 🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤
Oh my goodness! What a lovely week for you and yours. Thanks for telling us about it!
I’m in Bal d’Afrique, which is a knotted mess of “shouldn’t have” for me. I’ve tried it so many times while out shopping and from samples. I love it, but I’m always disappointed with how quickly it fades. If get a FB, I’ll end up regretting spending so much on a frag that doesn’t last more than a couple of hours. If I get a decant, I’ll end up thinking “I should have gotten the FB so that I can douse myself to make it last longer.” And if I keep dithering with test sprays, I’ll just continue to torment myself about loving it but not having. No way to win other than to travel back in time and stop myself from ever trying it.
Drinking Georgia Tea Co. Masala Chai with lots of milk.
I had the same issue with En Passant. I ended up with a fb that I used up quickly because I would douse myself in it. I miss it sorely. Foxbins donated a generous decant of the beauty to me–which has been some consolation.
NB I have the BdA in its hair perfume version–it is less expensive and lasts about the same amount of time in my hair.
Hmmmm……….
Hmmmm……….
Hmmmm……….
Not sure how I triple commented!
This is commonly referred to as the chocolate marzipan8 stutter around here. Lol
I could remove the first two, but it kind of just emphasizes the hmmm…. I like it!
Does Bal d’Afrique disappear as quickly for you on clothing as it does on skin?
No. That’s a great idea. I don’t usually spray my clothes, so it hadn’t occurred to me to try. Thanks!
After all these years, I shouldn’t let myself be swayed by the “fragrance of the moment,” but somehow I was, and blind bought a bottle of Memo Tiger’s Nest. From the notes it should have been a safe bet, but it has the same incense note that made me instantly scrub off Pharell’s G.I.R.L. Today is the second time I’ve worn it. I should really rehome the perfumes I don’t wear as they are only taking up space in the perfume cabinet.
Yesterday I went to the nursery and bought three tomato plants, a cucumber and a zucchini. I have some lettuce and herb seeds, and I think that will be it for the garden this year. The raspberry canes and the strawberries are established so need little care other than water.
Altogether, that sounds like the perfect garden for great salads. Mmm, you’ll be eating well!
No real CP points for me, I’m wearing the utterly lovely Eau du Ciel by Goutal. The original that I bought unsniffed from eBay when Goutals could still be bought cheap there. There wasn’t even a proper review of it, so I based my impression on a few comments I found here and there and the fact that I had already become very fond of the house. No regrets, I love it.
You smell lovely! Eau du Ciel was an early perfuming favorite of mine.
Wearing Rituals Rose de Shiraz, so pretty with its rhubarb, but too short-lived, so I shouldn’t have, probably.
That sounds like a perfect scent for a heatwave, so maybe not a “Shouldn’t” after all.
Great idea Jalapeno, I will use it like a body spray and thunk the bottle.
Today‘s shouldn’t have is Coco edt. Because I already have the parfum and the edp (incl a backup bottle). I love love love Coco though. So maybe I should have after all. 😌
My biggest ever shouldn’t have is probably Santal Kardamon. I was obsessed and kept sampling. But after the bottle moved in I just went off something in that scent and can’t bear to wear it anymore.
Never running out of Coco means never having to say you’re sorry!
Sotd is IUNX Talc from a generous swapper. Turns out the decant is a gateway drug and I absolutely should have bought a FB before it was discontinued.
My shouldn’t haves were definitely impulse purchases but I will say that one of the more costly of them, Profumum Roma Patchouly has grown on me and if I’m patient enough to wait through the blasty blast of a beginning, I really enjoy it. And as Oakland Fresca once commented about her husband’s appreciation of PRP, it was always a big definitely should for my husband.
As an aside, I should write a book about the relationship between the illusive discontinued fragrance and grief. More on that later…
Sapphire found one on e Bay…
Thank you. I remember that but when I looked into it, the shipping was a quarter of the cost of the bottle. But then again, if I don’t get it, will I participate in a future “What shouldn’t you have done/not done” NST poll with “I had a chance to buy IUNX Talc and I let the shipping cost get in my way???!
I’d place big money on your response…
And after all, I do have a birthday with a 6 and an 0 coming up……..
See you did not even need me to convince you!
I know. And what’s more, it’s a fait accompli! After all, one only turns 6 and an 0 once.
My shouldn’t have is McQueen Parfum which was an instant live and snap purchase, but was hideously expensive. I’m fine with that. It’s still lovely snd elegant and probably the most beautiful bottle in my collection.
Lots going on here. Sigh. Mom was moved into another wing of her residence today, Memory Care, and I’m just praying it works for her. She has been “combative” lately. It’s so unlike her.
One of my kitties has reached a stage of emancipation and I’ve arranged for the pet hospice doctor to come tomorrow. She’s 15 and has been a favorite,
After I posted on my death threat phone scam in my neighborhood group, a reporter contacted me and I was on local TV news yesterday. It went ok I thought. I’ve now talked to a nice detective on the “Swindle Squad” who is investigating my case. He said there were five previous complaints about the same number, but the perpetrators are probably in India.
https://abc13.com/phone-scam-houston-woman-police-federal-trade-commission-scams-texas-better-business-bureau/10590114/?fbclid=IwAR2rvPmNHokLmGVpsDah39QI4gOnXPuu1VCSGkad-xqOdWE9lLLsnZ4JmM8
So sorry to hear about your sweet kitty’s decline. It’s probably even more upsetting due to all the stress you have been experiencing.
Best wishes for your mom in her new environs!
I’m so sorry for all you’re going through. Sending hugs, and I hope that you have some significant sources of comfort and strength at hand!
Hope the move for your mom will be a good one. Will be thinking of you and your sweet kitty tomorrow…
So much to deal with Calypso! Hope you are finding a way to stay calm.
And very best wishes for your mom, hope the new wing turns out to be a good change.
Oh, I’m so very sorry to hear all you’ve been dealing with. Sending you a big 🤗 and a wish for fortitude and strength to carry you through. And good thoughts for your mom and your kitty.
Emaciation not emancipation! Sorry for all the typos!
I actually liked emancipation as that has an element of choice. Thinking of you as you navigate this.
Thank you. It is oddly difficult to have an elderly mom and elderly cat in precipitous decline.
Sending virtual hugs, Calypso.
I liked it too!
I was having such a hard time thinking of a “really shouldn’t have” fragrance I own, and then it hit me: the vintage Parure I bought in 2020. No regrets at all, it’s gorgeous, but some of it leaked into the package I got (the seller kindly made good on that, no worries) and I was determined not to let it go to waste. We were going out for a rare family celebration dinner for a pandemic-delayed graduation and I wanted to wear my new precious. So of course, I grabbed the damp packaging and rubbed as much as I could onto my wrists and neck.
I really shouldn’t have, lol! I reeked, but in a good way. My poor family isn’t used to me applying fragrance heavily and they were stunned.
Oooh! I once got a teensy sample of Parure parfum from TPC and it is gorgeous! I would love to be stunned sitting next to you.
Parure really is so beautiful. I wish they’d bring back a version of it, except that they might get it wrong. The original crystal bottle may be the most beautiful perfume flacon ever made for the general public (as opposed to the Faberge creations for individual royals, for example).
Late again today, but at least I got a few things accomplished.
SOTD = back in Angel’s Share today. I shouldn’t have worn it despite the far drydown of this being so good, because today’s weather was a little too warm for it. So I have this feeling of being vaguely uncomfortable in my scent. Like wearing wool socks in the height of summer’s heat and humidity.
Ok, that doesn’t feel good but you certainly smell good!
Thank you!
Today I learned that Angel’s Share is definitely a cool to cold weather perfume for me. If it’s above 62 degrees, nope, don’t do it!
I hate being uncomfortable in scent. It hasn’t really warmed up here yet. Expecting frost tomorrow morning.
Today was a skoosh warmer than I expected, so I was wearing heavier wool socks as I was running around, doing errands. Tomorrow I get your cooler weather.
My “shouldn’t have” is Hermes Hiris. As in, I shouldn’t have left it in the store, but rather should have purchased it (even though I just bought 2 other bottles 5 minutes prior). I thought about that bottle for a solid year until we went on holidays and I was able to get back to that store. Thankfully it was still there! It’s now my SOTD.
I have a few “shouldn’t haves”; I’m looking at you, Pharrell Girl (the notes should have worked, but it went very wrong on my skin). Thankfully its only a travel size. Another one is Ostara; sadly waay to sweet and swampy on my skin. These and a few others have been set aside; I’m hoping to rehome them once we are able to travel again!
Yeah. I loved everything about Ostara, except the scent.
😀😄
My “shouldn’t have” is Lush Karma. Was not a big investment but smells exactly like chapstick to me.
I wore Narciso Rodriguez Musc (white bottle with black top). I really debated buying this because I already have the For Her EDT and EDP but I actually like and wear all the iterations, just depending on my mood.
Chapstick, how funny!
I loved the pattern on the longboard and looked it up in scarves on the Hermes website. OMG, they are so gorgeous! speaking of “shouldn’t have,” I found myself thinking “Well, getting a real Hermes scarf for under $1000 is a steal!” However, I restrained myself (taxes are coming due soon!). Besides, I would have a really difficult time trying to make up my mind among all the fabulous color options. Thanks, Robin, for leading me astray into fun dreams!
https://www.hermes.com/us/en/search/?s=savana#||Category,Material,Color
I had fun looking at those too
You guys wouldn’t believe what happened to mr today… So after I talked about Angel’s Share as my “shouldn’t have” I was organizing my perfume bottles, samples etc. Because my shelf is close to my bed I put some of my perfume stash on the bed. Later I picked them all up and arranged them on the shelf. Little did I know is I didn’t notice I forgot about the Angel’s Share on my bed. I guess my blanket was covering it partially. Well later on my two year old daughter jumped on my bed and seconds later I heard something smashed on the wall and immediately smelled a strong odor of a perfume!! Guess what?! Karma or something!! Now the whole room smells like that perfume no matter how much I kept wiping the floor. Honestly it was a costly bottle this is what makes it a little sad but I got to know for sure it wasn’t a perfume for me. The more I smell that corner of my room the more I am very sure of it. I was lucky it wasn’t any other perfume bottles at the hands of my gorgeous toddler…
OH no! Hope you can get the room aired out. Also you could try some baking soda?
Sending you waves of unscented sympathy – I’ve had two near misses!
Everything from The Different Company after the original Osmanthus. Something in the musks they use just doesn’t work for me. 😢