It's Monday, plus National DNA Day, World Penguin Day and Ella Fitzgerald’s birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm wearing Guerlain Cologne du 68 for Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 9 and 10, which represent old age (yes, I'm starting at the end).
Reminder: on 4/29 we're doing Picture Challenge, edition 7: Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest. Wear a perfume that matches the picture(s) of your choice from this series that depicts the stages of life. (There is lots more information on this challenge here.)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2022, where I'll try (but obviously sometimes fail) to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
CSP Vanille Ambre. So warm and pleasant, sweet without being cloying.
A classic, at this point. I tend to forget how long CSP has been around.
I’m drawing a blank: What or who is CSP?
Comptoir Sud Pacifique!
Thank you!
for the CP #2
Chanel cologne
chantecaille makeup, spring outfit
Book Vent
I finished Pachinko last night. I loved the book but I have two issues:
1. There are too many characters and it was hard to keep track of who is who.
2. The author should explain what Pachinko is and a little more about how it fits in to society. Of course, the reader could look this up themselves.. but!
Now off to finish the last chapter in To Paradise.
It is no longer easy to google, because now you get the book & series instead of an explanation. Are you going to watch the series?
For anyone else curious,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2065.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-pachinko-gambling-japan-2018-7
https://soranews24.com/2013/03/08/koreas-ban-on-pachinko-pinball-gambling-sees-an-increase-in-gamblers-coming-to-japan/
Also…explains more about her research
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/books/book-pachinko-min-jin-lee-japan-korea.html
(Ha, and now I’ve added this to my reading list)
It’s an excellent book.
Thanks jepster.
I also loved the book, and you are right, the first part is the best. I han no idea about Korean history.
Next on the list is Independent people by an author from Iceland. Has anyone read it?
I’ve not read Independent People, but Mr. Skal just finished it. His comment: [long pause]…”It’s very, very dark. But really beautifully written.”
I added it to my list of books to read!
Oh, yes, years ago! Almost forgot, that’s Halldór Laxness, and I am surprised to see that my paperback made it through my last cull, when I supposedly got rid of everything I did not think I’d read again. I just started leafing through the introduction and who knows, maybe I will read it again.
Thanks Robin for the links.
While I was reading this book I also noted some authors she mentions in Pachinko that one of her characters is reading, none of which I have heard before: Middlemarch, she mentions these authors Flaubert, Zola, Goethe and some others. I wrote them down but I have no idea where to begin..
Oh, Middlemarch is a love-it-or-hate-it, and not my favorite — actually it’s a bit of a slog, to me — but I think it is probably a must read.
Two opposing views:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/aug/04/fiction.asbyatt
https://scroll.in/article/877966/why-im-still-reading-a-fat-novel-middlemarch-two-years-after-i-began-i-may-not-even-finish-it
If you start it and can’t stand it, watch the Masterpiece version with a very young and handsome Rufus Sewell.
Flaubert – have only read 2, Sentimental Education and Madame Bovary. Sadly I barely remember Sentimental Education, but Madame Bovary sticks with you. I would read it, and then if it makes you mad there is plenty more to read on the subject. (If you love it, you can read Anna Karenina if you haven’t already.)
I have never read Zola, I don’t think.
Goethe, I have only read fiction. A relatively easy start is The Sorrows of Young Werther.
Thank you Robin. This is most helpful!
Adding your suggestions to my list
Seconding the suggestion to watch the Masterpiece tv version.
I love Middlemarch, but I also tend to listen to the big fat books like this one as audiobooks rather than read them or I’d never finish. I recommend trying it that way if it starts to become a slog.
Oh oh LTSG and Robin, these are some of my favourite writers, Eliot and Zola – where to begin! I don’t tend to re-read much, but I do with the classics and I take on Middlemarch every decade or so (and oh yes that TV show is fantastic). I started out thinking I was like/wanted to be like one character, when I was 18(Dorothea) then I feared I had actually turned into another (Rosamund) now I don’t read like that any more but I still feel completely absorbed in that world…Eliot had so much sympathy for people and her novels take on so much in terms of society and errors and flaws. Really powerful and moving. The Mill on the Floss is also wonderful, maybe an easier place to start than Romona or Middlemarch or Daniel Deronda? I love them all though. And Zola, well, I’ve only started to read him in the past 2 years and they are so grim, and compelling, but the one about a department store in Paris,
The Ladies’ Paradise (it gets translated variously) was where I started by accident and it’s a terrific novel (it happens to feature a perfume fountain in the store but honestly, it’s worth reading for more than just that!) 😀
Thank you! Adding these to my list
I read increasingly little contemporary fiction, alas. I’m always interested to see recommendations on here, but the past few years have just sent me further and further back into the past – when I was a teenager all I wanted was to be born a hundred years earlier! Now that I know more about history, I no longer want to live in the past, but I still love those old writers (and want to read new ones too, but not just now…).Hope you find some novels that suit your interests!
Thank you DolceV
I am looked up some of the books and Madam Bovery sounds right up my alley..
LTSG-
I loved The Flatshare, by Beth O’Leary, that you recommended last year so tried out her new one The No-Show. It was ok, but not great. I have The Road Trip by her as well, but have not read that one yet. I do like her books as they are fun and easy to read.
I loved the Flat Share. Have your read Beach Read?
Yes, and I really enjoyed that one too. Did you ever get to The Love Hypothesis? That is good.
Not yet!
On my list
I am wearing 1969 Parfum de Revolte, from a Histoires de Parfums discovery set. It is interesting. Not my style, but interesting.
House twins! I (will be) in 1804.
For a cool, rainy day, Insolence edt. It’s always a favorite, but this weather seems to bring its best. Sweet, woody, candied violets. It is one of my comfort scents. I am going to have to delve into the articles cited for the CP – maybe I will be as fascinated as I was about Jacques Brel.
You smell great MossyBerry! Hope you like the articles, I think she was fascinating.
Bottega Veneta for me today, bringing up that age old question, “why don’t I wear this more often?” Of course the answer is that I have too many choices! It’s a cool April day, welcome after the unseasonable heat of the weekend, and BV is perfect.
You smell great
+1 to what Jepster said!
+2 to what jepster said!
You guys are all so nice 😊
I am terrible at pairing fragrance with art. That said, all I can think of when I look at this series of paintings is Bruno Fazzolari’s Fzotic line — somehow it seems appropriate.
I’m wearing Prada L’Eau Ambree this morning, to go with the light rain that fell overnight. Dabbed a bit of Bandit from an old(er) sample last night and was surprised to find it so sweet and mellow and vanilla-y. Has my sample aged into a gentle vanilla-leather, or has my tolerance for sweet just changed over time?
I like that idea of pairing Bruno’s fragrance line with these and think Monserrat will work well. I’ll be wearing it later this week; thanks for the idea!
Great idea to pair BF Fzotic with the art! I was thinking of something from the 1980’s but your idea feels much more complementary.
Hello!
Sotd is Miss Dior Original.
Perfect for a sunny and breezy day like today, not to mention its ability to fight off the Monday blues with its beauty.
I am off to make another mug of coffee.
Can you share your mug of coffee. I am struggling today
You smell wonderfully able to power through!
Almost twin.
Cool rainy day for the drive back to BC. Wearing Spell 125. It was a great weekend!
How lovely
Did you get to meet up with fellow NSTers and go on any sniffing trips?
Yes, I met up with Foxbins Friday morning at Fumerie, it was great!
Wearing Lys Mediterranee, the closest thing to some blooming thing that smells amazing in my area that I can’t identify. I get whiffs of it while walking or driving with the windows open, but I have no idea what it is! It doesn’t smell sweet enough to be honeysuckle, but maybe?
Oh what a joyful fragrance to experience in the world, not just from a bottle! Thank you so much for this little story.
That’s so true! I wanted to identify it to research it and “bottle” it, but perhaps it’s better to simply smell it on the wind.
Hello everyone!
Set up my record player last night, after packing it up to move all the way back in January. Thank goodness my floor is relatively flat for such an old building, relatively.
I’m in Chanel Beige EdT today, a new obsession. I love the powdery floral heart and honey base. The Easter Bunny forgot to bring me the Beige parfum I very politely requested. 😇
Stay safe everyone!
That was my wedding perfume. I am happy you have the EdT version!
A fabulous choice for a wedding!
I admit I found a large bottle of the EdT on eBay but I don’t find the EdP lags too far behind. The parfum is incredible though. 😍
Im wearing baccarat rouge 540 actually woooooH
That one is such a shapeshifter on me that I yet remain happy with a sample. I think it must be wonderful on you!
You smell great!
HAPPY MONDAY!
Sotd is Africology Gardenia edp.Pretty straightup gardenia.
The art of this weeks’ cp is unsettling to me,not sure if it’s the shapes/color theme,or the irregular patterns in some.Interested to see the different pairings,but I won’t have a look at the art again.
XO’s!
How odd. I find it challenging and strange but not unsettling. Hmmm. I have seen it reproduced occasionally before but not really paid much attention to it. In reading through some of the links Robin supplied us (thank you!), I was very surprised to see how large the works are. That’s something that gives them a kind of heft and gravity that I wouldn’t have expected. Actually some of them seem very joyous to me, the ones with bright yellows and oranges and playful flower-like forms (Youth, I think)–they conjure up connections to citrusy perfumes for me!
Ack, then don’t look at it!
Stay away from it and enjoy whatever you want to wear! 🌹
SOTD will be Histoires de Parfums 1804, which goes beautiful, IMO, with images 3 and 4 (youth) — it is bright and fruity and optimistic.
“Will be” because we traveled from Galway to Inishbofin today, and went on a nice long walk. The weather is abnormally gorgeous for Ireland: warm, sunny, and dry, so I needed a post-walk shower to cool down! And I only brought 1804 and Infusion d’Iris (Prada) on this little jaunt.
Is that Colette? I can’t think which it is but I know I like it! What a great name, “Inishbofin”! How lucky you’ve had beautiful weather.
George Sand! It is happy sunshiny goodness.
Pineapple twins today! 🍍
Happy Monday! I am more or less CP-compliant in Rose Ikebana, which I am wearing to remind myself of my friends’ beautiful wedding this weekend
Late spring flowers are the best.
Enabler pin to…someone! Who told us about the Bureau, the wood art company in Portland? We dropped some serious money on their website, and hope our house will soon be full of pretty new wood art.
I think that was Foxbins. I loved that site, too. I hope to visit Portland soon and will definitely go see them.
I will definitely let you know how I like the pieces, once I get them!
I stopped by the shop on Saturday to pick up my phases of the moon and met the artist. He’s a super nice guy. He will do commissions, too, a couple in the shop were ordering custom house numbers. I might ask for a tiger piece, I liked his zebras but I like tigers as animals better. Springpansy, the shop is only open Sat & Sun noon to five right now.
Good to know. Can you send the link for the website again? I can’t find it.
https://www.bureaudebureau.com/
Thanks!
Or post the link, I mean.
How lovely! Assuming the pieces are as lovely as they seem online, maybe I could keep him in mind for a future commission
maybe an anniversary present for my husband, if I come up with a design!
Spring seems to be late this year for me….I need to adjust my current fragrance selections. A spritz of Hiris today to reflect a cool mood. Looking forward to my 50th High School Reunion this weekend–actually 52nd, postponements….damn you, Covid!
So friends, what should I pack for the Reunion (Friday night drinks/ Saturday school tour & Party!/Sunday Brunch)????
Let the suggestions begin……
When I think of the ’70’s, I think of Je Reviens. It would be for the Friday night gathering or The Big Party. Diorissimo would be good for Sunday brunch. Hope you have a safe trip and lots of fun!
For the evening drinks maybe wear the scent closest to a signature so you will feel confident, for the party/brunch a citrus scent I think.
Oh wow! My poorly informed suggestion would be Opium or Poison or something big for the drinks, but whatever you decide, I hope you have a blast!
Chanel No. 19 or YSL Rive Gauche! That’s a blast from the perfumed past.
No suggestions, but have a great time! And do report back on what you wore.😉
Thanks for all of the good ideas!!! I’m looking at you, Chanel No. 19. If only I could find some Love’s Fresh Lemon……
Not sure if they still carry LFL, but I got a bottle at Walmart (a few years ago).
Chanel 19 is a great idea.
Wearing Vilhelm A Lilac a Day. 😍
I took the day off to run the never ending errands. Time is never enough for me to catch up on personal stuff. I will finish the day with a dental cleaning appointment later this afternoon. I wish I could finish everything planned for today, but that is impossible.
It is a cloudy and cool day here, but I have been enjoying the cherry blossoms, magnolias, dogwoods, tulips, azaleas, etc, but especially the lilacs that are all in full bloom. Walking in the streets of my neighborhood now is a delight!
Dame Perfumery is having 50% off in many of its 100mls Soliflore scents. I limited myself this morning to just one bottle of the Honeysuckle EdT, despite having several bottles in the shopping cart. Proud of myself for not succumbing to the temptation.
Happy Monday, everyone! 🌻
I’m swooning at the thought of being surrounded by all of those beautiful flowers! Oooh is that the height of spring! And lilacs to top them off! Enjoy! Can you waft a bit of that perfumed air my way?
Sending you some of that amazing, intoxicating air. It makes me feel calm and happy!
I love Dame. Thanks for the information. (Not that I need to buy more, but will have a look anyway 😂)
Lol!
I should never have looked. Now contemplating which ones.
The price is excellent for 100ml. Very hard to resist. I am thinking about the ones I still have in the cart. Lol!
Did not know Vilhelm had a lilac, thank you so much for mentioning this! And I know that feeling of needing to take time off work to get other things done, which means a day off never feels like a holiday. Hope the rest of your week feels more manageable in some way after today, so that you can feel some benefit from it.
Thank you, DolceVita! Even though I did not accomplish everything I had in mind, at least I am relieved I knocked out some of the most important things on my list. Sometimes, I wish the day had more than 24 hours!
Lilac a Day is a very beautiful perfume, full bottle worthy. I reapply during the day because it becomes a skin scent after two hours. I can never get enough of it! Highly recommended if you love the scent of lilacs!
This sounds wonderful, thank you!
Dangerous info on that Dame Perfumery sale! Tsk, tsk, you enabler!
But very happy to hear you are surrounded by spring flowers. That sounds like a wonderful tonic for the soul. 🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷🌱
Pretend that you never heard about the sale. Lol!
It is indeed a tonic for the soul! I have to figure out where the sweet indolic smell that I get when I walk Yei at night time is coming from. Not sure if it is jasmine or honeysuckle, but it is out of this world!
Dang it pl67! Now I gotta go look lol!
Very dangerous to look! 😄
Made me look too! (It’s probably good they don’t deliver up here). Honeysuckle is such a lovely scent.
Glad you treated yourself, I’d have a hard time stopping at just one.
I think I already overcame the temptation! 😀
It’s raining again and so I’ll stay inside and read. I’m wearing Narciso white cube and enjoying it very much.
If you ever see the shower gel or body cream I highly recommend them. I love White Cube.
Micallef 20 Years, which is a nice, fresh floral. Lasts a long time too. Such a nice, spring scent. Or JFP lol.
Trying a tea with banana. Unfortunately, banana always smells like Laffy Taffy or Now n’ Laters or something. I wish a nice, ripe banana aroma could be captured.
Agree…even banana ice cream doesn’t always work.
Fils de Dieu for a bit of virtual sunshine on a grey and drizzly day. This really lifted my mood.
Spent my weekend sewing some biking clothes for the summer, so i am now the proud owner of a grey and leopard bike set with turquoise cuffs. Much more fun than the store-bought ones and mostly the even don ´t have my size. It seems to have to be super thin to fit into ready to wear bike clothes, its a shame!
Congratulations on your new biking clothes, how clever that you made them yourself.
Your bike set sounds fun.
it really is!
Wow, I’m so impressed with your sewing skills. Athletic fabrics seem so difficult to wrangle!
The lilacs are in bloom.
I started the day in Angel Innocent, this evening it’s vintage Miss Dior esprit de parfum, it smells really plush.
Envy! You are ahead of us.
We have had some exceptional good weather, here in London, hope yours bloom soon.
Back to work after a long weekend, the weather was lovely, and today looks pretty good to for late April.
I went to the Hilma af Klint exhibition a few months ago, so must refresh my mind with a view to perfume.
Meanwhile, I’m wearing a blue dress today, so Hiris in the blue bottle seems an appropriate choice.
Twins–we smell terrific!
I missed the exhibits here, in fact, never heard of her until the exhibits here! (And from what I’ve read, I’m not alone.)
Working on my 20+ pile of new perfume samples, and it is teaching me a less about perfume snobbiness, mine I mean. Today I randomly tried on tried on John Varvatos XX and Tom Ford Rose Prick, and JV XX won hands down.
Glad to hear it, I like the JV brand. Do not think I tried XX though.
Hello everyone! I failed at most of what I was supposed to achieve with the day, both at work and everything else, but, I put on some Serge Lutens for the first time in a very long time -Feminité du Bois, plush and joyous – along with a bright pink jersey dress, which also upped the mood, and I ended the day with an hour-long tv documentary from the BBC about Barbra Streisand (she turned 80 yesterday) which has me in so much awe and admiration. So these are all much nicer things to think about than that big pile of failure. Good wishes to you all for the week ahead!
Keep in mind that tomorrow is another day, and a chance to start anew. Hugs!
Thank you Jalapeno, that is very kind and much appreciated. Delighted you had such a fun Saturday!
It felt so very good to get out of the house and socialize with people in person!
You smelled wonderful! Feminite du Bois can make up for a lot! 😉
Oh it certainly can. I will wear more SL today I think, now that I’ve delved back in to his world!
Failure twins! However, let’s consider today’s blessings! One thing achived was better than nothing! At least, we had some enjoyable time!
Triplets! This was nearly a lost day.
Welcome to the club!
Yes! Something enjoyable…that counts for a lot 🤗
Posting a little late today. Getting stuff done! Today was a huge load of laundry that I had been putting off for a while.
I had a fun Saturday, with a live and in-person afternoon of playing a card game with some friends. After we decided it was time to eat, we had dinner at a sit-down restaurant. I was the only person wearing a mask for the first 30 minutes that we were there. Was happily tired by the end of it all. Sunday was recovery day and housework.
SOTD = Colony Heritage Collection by Jean Patou. There is a bit of fresh pineapple (but not sweet) in this at the beginning. The scent is a lot lighter than the notes list of Fragrantica would have one believe. I can easily see wearing this in the height of the summer muggies. Definitely wearable by any gender.
Yay you for having a nice Saturday out!
Thank you lillyjo! 😎
Sounds like a fun Saturday. We got a glimpse of the summer muggies here on Saturday, we hit 80!
Thanks! It was fun. 😁
Your summer muggies missed me on Sunday… I think it was around 70-ish. So, very nice Spring weather instead.
Glad you have a great time with friends on Saturday! 💃
Thank you! Hoping to do it again sometime soon. 🤞
Sounds like a lovely weekend! And you smell great 😊
Thanks ringthing! Another lucky blind buy for me. It makes up for some of the clunkers I have bought in the past (maybe).
It sounds like you had a nice weekend and your fragrance sounds lovely.
I started the day in Glossier You, which has definitely been reformulated. I mean it is 5 years old after all. Lol. I had a decant from STC a couple of years ago and 2 sprays lasted me all day. This new formula is gone within an hour, with six sprays.😏 Luckily it was just a sample included with a recent order and not a full bottle. Money saved!
Home now and I sprayed on Love, by Killian don’t be shy, also from a sample. This smells a LOT like my Art Meets Art Like a Virgin LE, must be the orange blossom.
In non perfume related news, we got upgraded to fiber internet today. Finally! Very exciting.😀
Did you need a new modem to go with your fiber Internet?
We did! The old one was at least 8 years old, which in the technology world is more like 100.😂
Yeah, that’s the annoying thing I have noticed with tech upgrades. If your ISP does something, it usually means that you, the consumer, have to get the latest shiny new to make it work right. 🙄
YR My Vanilla Garden today.
My March was relatively funk-free (after I adopted No Funk February as you may recall) but I have felt some funk creeping in this past week. Maybe I need to sprint the rest of this week and outrun it until I get to May…”You Shall Not Pass!”🧙🏻♂️
I remember no funk February, you go girl!🏃♀️
Whoo hoo for a funk-free March!
No Funk February helped me get through March! Do you listen to music to fight back the funk? Sometimes it helps.
I’m still wearing my winter coat here. I won’t complain though after seeing what North Dakota and Montana are dealing with.
Sotd is Narciso for her L’absolu.
Ha! Yeah, as I walked out of work today I thought “I could easily still be wearing my down parka” but I refuse! (Also, I washed it and packed away on Saturday when we were at 80😬😂)
Ha back! I was 80 too but I knew better. It was allegedly 49 degrees today but the wind! I’m freezing.
Not quite parka weather here, but definitely still time for long sleeves and sweatpants. I can put away the heavy wool socks now, though!
I have put away the wool socks also.
I still have the thin wool socks out. Not quite time for the cotton socks yet.
I was just wondering what I’m going to wear when it’s too warm for sweatshirts, which will hopefully be soon
I do have a spring jacket. Hopefully I will get to wear it by summer. Lol
No spring temps this year. It looks like we will jump from winter to summer! 🥶🥵
In a cloud of No 19 today at the office. The plan was to wear enough that people would want to put their mask on around me even if the office rules say they don’ t have too.
But I didn’t need to because it ended up being just four of us here in my department today. I guess Monday is not a popular day to come in to the office. Fine by me.
Tea was Clipper Ship Burnt Sugar which is quite delicious with milk.
Yay for social distancing at the office! And for No. 19!
Today was Bois d’Iris by The Different Company. It was a warm day – we got into the 80s. We’ll go back to the 60s/ low 70s on Wednesday.
80s! Lucky you, I am in flannel shirt & warm socks again.
I wore Nightingale today. For some reason, it evokes the same colors in my mind as one of the blue Af Klint painting from the childhood group.
We dropped my son off at the movies this weekend and I got a chance to go to the mall for some sniffing! I was excited to sniff Lush’s Sticky Dates (yum!) and some of the new rose scents (Tom Ford and Diptyque). From the blotters, I think the only one of the roses I want to sample is Rose Amalfi.
Sounds like I need to get over to LUSH soon!
Me three!!
SotD = Tam Dao edt
Wearing a bit from my never ending sample vial.
As with most perfumes, a little dab is enough to make me happy.
Robin, I adore your choice of Cdu68 paired with the artwork. It’s a perfectly lovely scent match for that beautiful image.
And it’s hot today, so thank you for the timely reminder to haul out my favorite colognes.
Those never-ending sample vials can be both frustrating and fun!
Very glad you approve!
Weather was wonderful this morning, now it’s done a 180* but that’s ok, we had a great day meeting people and touring their rigs.
SOTD is: https://instagram.com/stories/vantasticviews/2824536168270475474?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Cheers! Have a warm cuppa whatever to keep toasty! ☕️
Drinking my ginger tea right now
Late to the party!
SOTD = YSL La Nuit De L’Homme L’Intense
My latest purchase and actually already 7 years old since launch! Per Fragrantica: Top notes are iris and Violet; middle notes are Vanilla and Sage; base notes are Tonka Bean and Patchouli. What’s not to love? 🥰
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccy6QhtOJvK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Will be back again tomorrow!