Happy Almost-Friday! (Birthdays: Rembrandt, Iris Murdoch, Linda Ronstadt.) What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm taking the teensiest fraction of a point for Vilhelm Parfumerie Purple Fig, a fragrance inspired by Paris, developed by a French perfumer based in New York for a brand (also based in New York, I think?) founded by Jan Ahlgren, who was born in Sweden and lived in New York for a time before moving to Paris. Ok? (If I had any of the brand's Stockholm 1978, I would wear it.)
Reminder: 7/16 will be Nordic Friday...wear a fragrance inspired by, or made by a brand from, one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden).
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 is Suur-Saimaa HDRI. Великая Сайма. [cropped] by Andrey Korchagin at flickr; some rights reserved. (This was taken at Saimaa Lake in Finland.)
lovely, calming picture Robin!
Today is not Nordic, it is Paris -Edimbourg.
changed that – SOTD is Angels’ Kiss.
Wouldn’t you love to be on a kayak at that lake right now?? I would.
you can go, I don’t like to be on the water. I like to be near it.
In Love Extreme
Some uplifting news, my in laws are planning to fly down from
Canada within the next few weeks. I already smell my father in laws chai.
Oh that is some uplifting news! Hooray for chai! I can only imagine how thrilled they will be to see your kiddos.☺️(and you and mr. ltsg, of course?)
That is uplifting! So nice to look forward to visits from those we love.
Ohhhhh, how exciting! And hooray for Chai!
Does your FIL know his chai is famous amongst perfumistas?
I love when someone is very famous among a small group of people. Like how JCE is essentially an A-List celebrity among perfumistas, but most people probably haven’t heard of him, and how LTSG’s FIL is famous for chai among NSTers.
Oh how wonderful! To see family again and have tea with them again!
Oh yay. I can smell his chai already too…probably not as accurately as you can.
Excellent news for you and Mr. Lovestosmellgood!
Great news!!! What a lovely thing to look forward to.
Yay! That’s great news on the visit.
I’m in Demeter Tomato, which is a favorite. It’s herbal and a little spicy, and not at all sweet. I’m really into not-sweet right now.
I need to find this one as I really enjoy the smell of tomatoes especially this time of year.
It’s by Christopher Brosius, who also did Memory of Kindness, by CB I Hate Perfume. I believe Robin likes that one also, but I’ve never smelled it. Demeter is having a sale right now, and you can buy a 1/2 oz. splash bottle for $5.95. To me, Tomato smells just like a tomato picked off the vine, with the green of the vine, and the slightly sticky surface of the tomato. Yum. By the way, not affiliated with Demeter, just a good customer.
The MoK emphasizes the vine more, and costs a LOT more.
If you like that, you might like Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche, which has some very tomato-y aspects, and is frankly a little odd. It is not sweet at all.
And Aedes de Venustas Signature fragrance has a lovely tomato leaf accord.
Oh gosh, I loved this one.
Isn’t it interesting, with the rhubarb/tomato leaf combo? I don’t have many BUBs but I had to have one of these.
Miller Harris La Feuille is like standing in a tomato patch. I have not worn it in a while; will have to test it again soon.
Not to mention CBIHP Memory of Kindness. Tomato leaves at their best!
I’m a fail for the cp, but I smell great in 10 Corso Como.
Work was so crazy busy yesterday that I had a terrible time winding down and falling asleep. I woke up early anyway and I imagine I’ll be feeling quite drowsy by the afternoon.?
It’s dreary here and my only pressing matter today is a much needed pedi.
Hopefully you can have a little extra foot & leg massage during your pedi.
I may get one myself today…. That sounds fun!
Yay for pedicures! What color?
For toes, I love a bright coral or opalescent pink! Nicole for OPI has a color called Enchantress that I adore.
OTOH, for hands, I love a Goth color, OPI’s Russian Navy (opalescent cobalt blue/purple) or Lippman’s Dark Side of the Moon (blackened plum).
I love Russian Navy! I do tend to go for pinks/purples on my toes and for what would have been considered “offbeat” colors in my early nail-polish days on my fingers — navy, brown, safety orange, grey, etc. Or else a very pale, super-neutral taupe or beige. Of course it’s been over a year since I’ve painted my fingernails (but my toes are a happy fuchsia).
Ohhh, Pompeii Pink by OPI is a fantastic pink/fuchsia! Have you seen it?
OPI I’m Not Really a Waitress, which is my summer go to.?
That is a great red. I am tempted to try it! I have not (in reply to SmokeyToes) tried Pompeii Pink (Pompeii Purple?) — very bright and summery! I currently have OPI Grapely Admired on my toes. Fingers are bare but now I want to paint them.
It really is, you should try it! Looks really pretty on toes. Another good one that is quite similar is OPI Bogota Blackberry.
Love to be out on a canoe right now on that lake. So beautiful!
SOTD: Montale’s Vanille Absolu
How is it Thursday already and mid-July?! :(((
I said that above (but much later!) substituting a kayak. I would take a paddleboard too. In my imagination it is morning and nobody else is out on the lake yet, and it’s about 68 degrees. Ha!
Morning everyone, my SOTD is Fleur de Figuier by Roger & Gallet, with the matching body oil, my favorite juicy and pulpy fig.
Mr. Smokeytoes has today and tomorrow off, Smokeytoes will enjoy napping with his dad.
That makes a nice picture! (I meant the nap, but the fig does too.)
A for-real, literal cat nap is an underrated pleasure.
Wearing Ombre dans l’Eau.
Cat is out of kitty jail (the bathroom) and was happily curled up on the sofa when I left for work.
Yay for being sprung from kitty jail!
Now I just want him to eat!
Awwwwwwwwwww. Poor kitty and poor you. Hope that he is on the mend now.
You smell marvelous! I hope kitty cat is doing OK! SmokeyToes sends his hellos. >^.^<
In Japanese Cherry Blossom lotion and a few spritzes of Tuberoza. I knew these two would go hand in hand together. Both of them florally delicious!!
Florally delicious sounds nice
Spent time in no 22 extrait this morning and now in Pleasures. Yesterday was a ton of fun. After we got home from the vet, the electricity goes out and doesn’t come back on until some time this morning. We get a call from the vet this morning and we find out Jake’s thyroid quit working. Now we have to order him thyroid meds since no pharmacy carries what he needs. Now if I can stay off of Sephora because they have a double points promo going on.
Oh wow- what a day! Sorry for kitty and their thyroid- that sucks. Ordering meds for any being is a PITA!
Sorry to hear about the kitty cat, I hope they stabilize soon. Ordering meds can definitely be problematic!
Hope the cat is OK. FWIW, mine is on thyroid meds too, and likes to eat them in human baby food as a treat. I hope your cat also eats the medicine easily!
Poor Jake. And thanks for the reminder about the multiple points promotion at Sephora.
Eau de Crypt aka Chypre Mousse for a bike to work through clouds a d a light drizzling of rain. Thankfully the way back was a bit sunny. We had a nice potluck buffet for our colleagues last day and I am still stuffed. I think I will skip dinner.
My other collegue Maurice commented on my scent and thought of ordering it for himself. He has good taste!!!
You smell great!
That’s a lovely compliment!
I’m wearing Penhaligon’s The Ruthless Countess Dorothea today. Laundry, a grocery store run, and watching The Open are on the agenda today.
Just what the ruthless countess would be doing today, I am sure
Trying Korres Vanilla Freesia today which was yet another blind buy. Top notes are Bergamot, Tea and Litchi; middle notes are Jasmine, Peach and Freesia; base notes are Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk.
Notes again are quite accurate and I am enjoying it. I blind bought Midnight Dahlia, Morning Mimosa, Cashmere Kumquat and Vanilla Freesia b/c I am somewhat nuts and there was a good sale.
They are all nicely done but if I had to rank them on preference I’d say Midnight Dahlia, Morning Mimosa, Vanilla Freesia and Cashmere Kumquat. CK had a LOT of almond which I generally like but it was a bit overkill maybe. I also like how accurate the notes are on these…seems like some houses list notes that are nowhere to be found…the notes listed on the bottles for these are all spot on. This 2020 Collection line is good cheap fun…may have to hunt down Black Sugar next…
As I have sniffed Vanilla Freesia, I think the rankings have shifted and it should place higher…will update later if these change…
1. Midnight Dahlia
2. Morning Mimosa/Vanilla Freesia (tie)
3. Cashmere Kumquat
You smell fabulous and I will neither confirm nor deny that you are the recipient of an enabler pin
Trying not to get more showergels from Korres. They have a bunch of new-ish scents for those.
Sampling Delice Amaretti from Sultan Pasha attars. It’s a lovely slightly animalic buttered rum with almond touches. Sample is years old and it doesn’t seem to be in production anymore. Oh well.
At least now you know
Someday I will sample every sample in my possession. (Theoretically achievable!) I assume that there will be things that I will end up wishing I had discovered a decade earlier…. but at least I’ll have the rest of my collection to console me
Frankly I do not think I will ever manage to try all mine!
Last night I sampled two from Scent of Finland and disliked them both so I am back in Byredo with Black Saffron.
Currently preparing for a weekend camping trip while having an issue with my jaw clicking painfully. Might be cooking oatmeal over an open fire tomorrow.
Oh dear, sorry about your jaw Dorsey!
Ugh. TMJ issues really suck.
Testing today Angel Sucre on one arm and Angel Iced Star on the other. I love the descriptions and the bottles and the mythology but have never quite fallen for an Angel. I may however end up with Iced Star due to it’s gorgeous colours – this one is like the Northern lights, though the smell is tropical pineapple cocktail!
I love most things Angel-related but the tropical pineapple cocktail is giving me pause….
Shhhhh! I’m trying hard to like it cos I really want that bottle
I get a pineapple note in the OG Angel. It seems to fit in that formulation rather well. ?
My only pineapple reference is in Jeanne Arthes Perpetual Pearl and I have to say I’ve grown to actively dislike it there.
I’d much rather deal with pineapple in a perfume than melon. Bath & Bodyworks ruined that note for me.
Melon certainly has a worse rap all round!
Another hot & humid day. Today I’m wearing Ormaie 28*, which is roughly the temperature that we’re having today (except it feels as if it were more like 34*C)
Hot & humid here too Lucasai!
Jo Mo peony n blush suede from a samp..not bad..not great. Just like most Jomos to me. Wearable and light..not complicated..I kinda like that part about Jomos of anything
I see it as a scent that you would wear to higher end work offices, and I mean that in a good way!
SOTD = Maya Njie Tobak
I’ve been on CP this entire week of you count the Byredo Hair Perfume going poof rather quickly ?.
Tobak is a lightly spicy, vetiver and green tobacco. Good longevity as we’re now at the 5 hour mark ?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWzuAFhUF1/?utm_medium=copy_link
In other news, I observed yesterday that fewer and fewer people are wearing masks other than where there’s a federal mandate. I still wore mine on my way to the office yesterday but decided to forego it until I was close to NYPenn. I can see how wearing one in the heat can engender anti-masking feelings. I feel for the kids who have to wear a mask and if I have a child in that category, I will move him or her to another educational institution or home school.
Here are some pics I took of my lunch wandering in NYC (well, I didn’t wander but was focused on getting to the Chanel boutique):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRU1oNcBTsa/?utm_medium=copy_link
and a bonus:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRVOaA7hXpA/?utm_medium=copy_link
That was a fun lunch hour!
And so it was. I was surprised it was not too warm at lunch and so the walk was really pleasant.
I would say that maybe 20% of people are wearing masks. Almost every store is still requiring them for employees but not for customers. The signs say fully vaccinated customers can go mask free, but nobody asks. At my store we are not allowed to ask.
I think that blobby purse is super cute!
This is why I was shocked when the guard asked me! I should read up a little bit more about it.
The Kenny Scharf items are quite cute.
Canada, or at least my corner, seems to be different — at least in our reaction to the lifting of mandates. Masks are no longer required, though most businesses require staff to wear them (mine included). But most customers are still wearing masks indoors. Enough people are still only one vaccine in that it’s respectful to keep wearing the mask.
That said, my father in over the border in eastern Washington seems quite happy to have thrown his masks away forever.
I think this is where the level of vaccinations make a difference in mask wearing. NJ lifted the mask mandate in late May but I kept wearing it for about another month before letting go. With this said, I feel like we may be going back to more restrictions due to disease prevalence – sigh.
I still mask up in public places, despite the dropping of the mask mandate. It seems that a lot of people are catching colds now, and I don’t want that either!
Same. I don’t want cold germs either. I am still hand sanitizing like crazy.
I hope to not get close enough to people to catch cold germs. I’m thinking ? that the same precautions above and beyond masking that one takes for avoiding Covid will help in that too. With this said, I may go back to masking — will be checking data.
SOTD is Kierin Santal Sky. I get milky sandalwood. It is like a mix of Santal 33 and Tam Dao at a 2:1 ratio, except for the strength of the dill note. With this it is like walking by a dill plant in a garden, whereas to my nose Santal 33 is like rubbing the plant on your wrists. This is quite pretty, and I like that the sandalwood is milky rather than dusty or oily.
Drinking some celestial seasonings teas today because I want to thunk the boxes and take back the cabinet space.
Hahahaha, it’s sooo satisfying to thunk tea boxes!
I have some Raspberry Zinger that’s been hanging around for a while now.
Raspberry Zinger Tea-tinis are surprisingly good.
Good idea! I have 2 boxes of RZ. (My work friend just says “add vodka” to most things).
Thursday!
SOTD: Ambery Saffron (the B540 dupe) Rather nice for the coolish morning going into warm afternoon today. This is very MCU Loki at the end of last’s night’s episode- now in the multiverse of madness!
Are you still doing plumbing?
SotD Dame Wisteria from the July 4th freebie day. I smell wonderful, though it is not a photorealistic wisteria to my nose. Those kind folks at Dame also included generous samples of Singularity, New Musk Perfume Oil, and a postcard to use to gift a friend! I have Labdanum Doux and really enjoy it; also have tried Duality via a sample from an NST’er. All are very wearable and LD is one that checks all my boxes. Looking forward to testing New Musk. I have never really found a musk that is me, though I wear Clair de Musc from time to time.
Oh: and Happy Birthday, Ms. Linda Ronstadt! A smart woman who knows people love her beautiful voice and musicality, not all the fame stuff!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp9G0zkorio
I love her so much.
In Ella by Arquiste. It works well with the electric heat I have pumping out from my space-heater at my feet. It was a balmy 60 outside last time I checked.
When I was 17 I took a trip to your area. I got there and was freezing! Your 60 degrees feels colder than my 60 degrees.
Lazy today in Azemour. Just the simplest thing to put on.
I only have the one perfume for the CP, so that will come tomorrow (one that I see came up in yesterday’s discussion).
So looking forward to vacation — only 9 days left! Still can’t get out of the province, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to in August when I’m supposed to meet family over the border. (I’m one of the people who didn’t realize my US passport expired and now I’m caught up in the maelstrom that is expedited US passport renewal, the disaster documented in the NYT yesterday. I can go anywhere BUT the US on my Canadian passport…dual citizenship is a curse when I want to visit family.) But we have a beautiful province, thankfully.
I missed that in the Times! Looks like getting an appt is like what getting a covid vaccine appt was back in the spring. Good luck!
I didn’t get much sleep last night, it was very windy and all the windows were rattling. Wellington is famously windy, but this was stronger than usual. Not that a slow start matters, I’m having a day off work. I looked ahead in my diary a couple of weeks ago, saw nothing booked for today and pounced
Perfume-free so far as I contemplate the day. Maybe a spray of Arquiste Anima Dulcis, I bought it a year ago, but time has flown by so quickly that it seems I only just bought it.
Hope you are enjoying the day off despite the lack of sleep, Gaynor!
Day off today. It’s on and off gloomy. I picked Mugler Mirror de Joyeax. Think I spelled it wrong but I am not getting up, not even for perfume lol. I am thinking about getting another older Mugler before they are all gone.
Joyaux…you were close
Story of my life!
Good call on getting the older Mugler stuff. The new things don’t seem to be your spritz of perfume…
Sadly they are not.
I nabbed Mirror de Joyaux(thank you, Robin) too and for the same reason. Did your Dame samples come yet, lillyjo? Hope you had a good lazy day off!
My sample hasn’t come yet. Maybe tomorrow. I’m thinking about the majesties Mugler but I don’t know if it’s super close to the Joyaux. Do you know?
Nope; MdJ is the only one I have. It is so fun with that mirror display box, and the scent is a delight.
At least it was a day off!
SOTD is ELDO Like This. I got this with Scentbird and I’ve been enjoying it a lot. It’s not what I expected though, to the point where I wondered if they filled the travel spray with another scent by mistake. Until it struck me that it is very gingery in the opening. It’s a lot less avant-garde or “different” than I would’ve expected with Tilda Swinton. I guess she’s not really pushing boundaries with her olfactory choices like she is in fashion!
You smell nice! From what I recall since I haven’t worn it in a while, it just felt like home with sparkle, foodie without being gourmand, nothing avant-garde.
It surprised me too…I expected something way wackier. But also, that is true for me of most EldOs.
Like This reminded me strongly of pumpkin pie!
I seem alone then in finding it a bit strange. I wish it was more like The Body Shop’s Vanilla & Pumpkin – and sweetly gourmand. I find the savoury gourmand angle that it takes a bit jarring. Her rendition of Rumi’s poem ‘Like This’ is honestly what sold it for me!
I definitely get ginger in this, not enough pumpkin and actually I like it quite a lot in the opening. But as the time goes by it turns into a Werther’s Original hard candy that is just light, gourmand and boring…
Trying to rid myself of a persistent headache so I wore Kyoto early on this morning, and am now in Carthusia 1681. So far, neither has helped much … but they haven’t hurt either, thank goodness, and the 1681 is quite soothing.
Yuck on that headache. Is it weather or allergy related?
Might be both, or neither. I’m prone to sinus headaches, and this one is particularly persistent.
Song of the Day: https://youtu.be/Trggg9HzF7Y
Commando again. Another “not good” day for perfume.
Hope tomorrow is a much better day for you, Jalapeno!
Appreciate the sentiment, FearsMice.
I’m sorry jalapeno.
I was looking at airfares earlier this afternoon, so we know what that means. Another trip out for me, and another move for Mom.
I hope you won’t have any travel woes this time.
Oh gods! I sure don’t want that!
So sorry Jalapeno.
Thanks Gail.
So sorry jalapeño. I hope that whenever the move happens that it will go smoothly.
SOTD is Costume National 21. I love this wood pudding.
It’s not too warm for you to wear a wood pudding?
Oh yum, you smell great FearsMice!
Burren Perfumery Autumn Harvest
I don’t know that one, but can only imagine it is too hot for it here!
I was in Heure Exquise today. Went to get few groceries and was surprised that it was about 50% wearing masks, 50% not wearing them. Definitely wearing one for the foreseeable future!
Yeah, me too. This is not the time to be ditching masks, IMO.
I was disconcerted to see most people suddenly ditching masks in the DC area.
There is a high vaccination rate in Northern Virginia, so perhaps I’m overreacting. OTOH, that Delta variant has multiple bad characteristics. I’m older, and obviously, as a perfumista, I really, really don’t want to lose my sense of smell. So I plan to keep wearing a mask indoors and even get out my N95s.
Hi, may I know in which Heure Exquisite are You? Annick Goutal or Bortnikoff?
It’s the Annick Goutal.
It is a gorgeous perfume. I used to have a bottle and loved it so.
Smelling marvelous, as you know!
Yeah, the mask thing freaks me out. Hardly anyone is wearing them in Colorado around us though luckily I do think vax rate are pretty high. But still…
SOTD was not CP-compliant, I’ll try to do better tomorrow! Today I wore No. 19, as I was feeling contrary. Yesterday was my first full work day back in the office, and it was weird. Very nice to see my colleagues in person instead of onscreen, though. Today I worked from home again since I had to teach a workshop on Zoom. Easier to do it from here.
I suspect tomorrow’s SOTD will be from a Byredo sample, but which one? And where did I put them, lol?
I suspect a large contingent of Byredo tomorrow!
You smell marvelous. Congrats on being in person again!
Patchouli Kozha for me today. I love that stuff soooo much.
Is it bad I went straight from the gym to drink a margarita? In my defense I still stayed under my calorie goal haha. Glad it’s Thriday (my Fridays are Thursdays). It’s been a week.
Smelling so goooood You deserve a lil’ cocktail!!