It's the weekend! Saturday is World Snake Day and Sunday is National Ice Cream Day.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, your favorite ice cream flavor (and the perfume that matches), whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image via Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Facebook.
I’m starting the weekend with Guerlain’s Epices Exquises, from a recent split meet. It wouldn’t go perfectly well with my favorite ice cream flavor, which is rum raisin, but it wouldn’t clash with it, either. I’m a lifelong teetotaler, so rum raisin seems like an odd choice for me, but there’s something about the slight bitterness of the rum flavor combined with the sweetness of the ice cream vehicle that really appeals. And, of course, the raisins. I can eat a pint of rum raisin ice cream in one short sitting with no trouble at all. I’m also a big fan of rum cake — you know, the kind that’s super moist and sticky. Come to think of it, I like any cake that’s infused with liquid or otherwise ultra-moistened, like tres leches, or poke cake.
I love rum raisin ice cream and sticky cake. The Amish around here make a rich raisin cream pie with a meringue topping that’s delicious when I can find it.
Rum raisin! I haven’t had that for a long time. *Adds to shopping list.*
the first time I fell in love with rum raisin was in Jamaica where its’ quite rummy!
I should try rum raisin again…I didn’t like it the only time I tasted it, but that was years ago now.
Hi, NST! Today I’m wearing my long lost Zoologist Cow. To refresh, the PO said it was delivered on June 21st but it wasn’t. Instead it was lost without a trace and my local postmaster was definitely not helpful. I just figured it was delivered to someone else….then Thursday, it was in my mailbox. I’m thrilled! It smells lovely, soft and pastural. Have a lovely weekend, everyone.
Yay for the Cow coming home!
I know! My first thought was Holy cow!
Until!
😆
😂
+1👏🏻
I have a mental image of your package getting hidden under a seat or something in the delivery truck and spending days being driven around, seeing the sights, before finally being discovered and stuffed unwillingly into your mailbox. 😆
It’s a mooving mooment!
So glad your Cow showed up. I still have to sample that one.
W00t w00t w00t for your wayward Cow showing up!
🙂
Happy Saturday! I’m in my 2008 Narciso Musc Oil for Her, long dced. I remember an MUA friend telling me years ago that she was determined to get a bottle of this one day as she thought this was THE ONE. She might be right. I hope she found one. Lots of housework today but still drinking coffee at the moment.
I like most ice cream flavors and recently had one based on a local stout. It was better than it sounds (unless it sounds great). If I’m at Molly Moon (local Seattle chain), my favorite is Yeti – vanilla ice cream with vanilla caramel swirl, chunks of chocolate and granola. If it’s gelato, I often get pistachio or stracciatella.
Yeti sounds delicious! And stout ice cream does sound great to me.
I enjoy that Yeti ice cream too, though I have to be in the mood to stand in line at either Molly Moon’s or Salt & Straw. Lately, if I want to pick up a scoop or two of ice cream from a neighborhood shop, I go to Sweet Alchemy. It’s hidden inside the shops and restaurants of Chophouse Row and I’ve never had to wait behind more than one person. And it’s tasty with a good mix of inventive flavors.
Oh good to know – thx!
Love the Narciso musc oil. I have a bottle from years ago.
❤️
Favorite flavor is a local one called Pavarotti; light banana ice cream with a caramel swirl and dark chocolate chunks. It was originally called something else, but the grand singer himself visited Minneapolis years ago and loved this flavor so the shop renamed it in his honor. I’d pick Banana Vanille by CDP for the matching scent.
Another favorite in my freezer right now is Basil Vanilla, a sweet cream vanilla ice cream with a icy basil granita swirl, it’s very refreshing.
Both of those flavors sound excellent!
Sebastian Joe’s??
YES!
I had no idea that’s where the name of that flavor cane from. How cool!
I used to live about 8 blocks from Sebastian Joe’s. I loved walking over there for a cone on a summer night.
And the Basil Vanilla is LaLa.
That Pavarotti one sounds delicious,
That Pavarotti sounds so good. Jeni’s sells a really good banana custard ice cream with little crunchy caramel bursts. Unfortunately, I can only get it by ordering online, so I don’t get to enjoy it too often.
10.5 hours sleep
Haircut and mani pedi today.
My hair person loves Fenty on me, so that will be the one.
Wow. I got 7 (my usual) and now I feel deprived.
Jealous….I couldn’t get to sleep so had to pull out a book for a couple of hours.
I’m in a teensy spritz of Ellis Brooklyn Bee, from a sample that arrived in a Beauty Habit order yesterday. It’s quite nice, in a boozy, rum-and-honey kind of way. The little booklet that it came in said to spray lavishly — really glad I didn’t, because one tiny spray is plenty noticeable! Honey isn’t usually a note that works for me, but here I guess it’s sufficiently subdued under rum and davana and vanilla and sandalwood that the honey isn’t really prominent. I like it, but Mr. G luuurrrrrves it — loooonnnng sniff of my wrist, eyes rolled back in head. We’re celebrating a family birthday tonight at a fancy restaurant in wine country that does multi-course fixed-menu meals — heavy French fare for which I will wear something much less lush than Bee (and loose clothing!). Perhaps Vol de Nuit EDT, which someone yesterday mentioned as light and elegant.
I got too much honey from Bee, but I am pretty sensitive to honey.
Have a great dinner!
It is funny to include a booklet saying spray lavishly!
Hope the meal tonight is lovely.
Enjoy the celebration!
Have a wonderful time.
Oh my god, folks — the dinner was amazing! Everything was perfect. The portioning, the wines, the before-dinner cocktail, the food itself, the service — oh gosh, it has been SO LONG since I’ve experienced what I consider to be excellent service from a restaurant, and this was beyond beyond. I am Beyond Happy. I did wear VdN EDT after all, and it was perfect too, so thank you to whoever it was who mentioned it yesterday.
That sounds so lovely. I’m glad you had such a nice time!
Thanks sistine! The birthday “boy” had never been to this restaurant before so it was a treat for him too. 🙂
So glad it was this wonderful! What was your pre-dinner cocktail?
It was called a Painted Plane, and I’m fairly sure it’s peculiar to this restaurant. It had Maker’s Mark, aperol, grapefruit juice and an orange peel twist for garnish (and probably some secret ingredient not listed on the menu). Very refreshing, and it looked beautiful in a tall-stemmed coupé glass.
That sounds delicious. I do enjoy an astringent cocktail.
Very happy to hear you had a fantastic time last night at your special occasion dinner!
Thanks jalapeño! (My autocorrect put the tilde in your screen name, and I hope it doesn’t change the meaning somehow!)
Yay, so glad!
Me too!
No perfume yet but I am pondering ways to control my perfume inventory this morning. 😉
I was thinking about picking a number of bottles (like 40 or 60 or 200, etc. 😉 ) and then maintaining it. So if I picked 50 and buy 2 new bottles I would need to get rid of 2 to maintain 50. Basically I need to think about it like a garden plot with only so much room for different veggies or flowers. I just have so many things I want to grow. 🤣 🥒 🥕 🌷 🌼
Does anyone do this and does it work please ?
I found grouping fragrances in scent families helped. How many ambers does one person need? This also helps you to recognize where there is some room. For along time, I tried to distill my perfume collection down to just single entries from brands but this did not work. I cannot pick a single Caron masculine. They are all different and I love and wear them all. I am unapologetically stuck on 1980’s fragrances. I think really understanding your own scent preferences can be helpful.
I like this way of thinking about/organizing a collection. Thank you!
Yay – another good topic for discussion!
Thanks, stinker_kit…this is a good idea. My collection is overridden w/ vanilla and gourmands and it is good to take inventory and see what is redundant.
I need to get better about not buying too many that are similar or in the same scent family. I found a good deal on a jasmine perfume I’ve wanted for years, but I recently realized it’s very similar to another recent jasmine acquisition. I keep telling myself I don’t need it. I hope my willpower holds up!
I watched a youtuber do this. She lasted maybe 2 months. The risk being eventually you might have to get rid of something you really love. Maybe start with a high number.
Yes, I think I would need to take inventory and see how many bottles I have first to see what amount is feasible. A herculean effort! 😉
I’ve been thinking about doing what you’re doing, since I have a fairly large collection and I can’t do them all justice (plus every now and then I do want to add to it, when I find a vintage bottle, and I can’t justify it given how much space they already take up).
My problem is that I don’t know what to do with the bottles I feel have outlived their time with me. I don’t know anybody to give them away to, I obviously don’t want to throw them out, I’d love to make some money back by selling them but I feel as if trying to sell them on eBay or whatever is just wandering into a minefield, and besides, mailing them is very expensive (and also prohibited by Canada Post). I have a box full of can-live-without bottles that’s just sitting there.
I sold about 18 bottles on EvilBay in 2021 and that felt good. As I weed through the rest of mine this year, I plan to donate some to a women’s shelter and give some to my hairdresser’s daughter. I asked her at my last appointment if her daughter was into perfume and she said casually….”yeah she’s into vanilla right now…”😳 Be still my beating heart!😍
I have a very small space so that dictates everything. What I AM having a problem with is storing full bottles and decants/travel sizes because my eye always go to the FB’s first. I need to find a way to see them all at the same time so I don’t overlook smaller bottles…first world problems. 🤷🏻♀️
Picking random numbers wouldn’t work for me as it’s too arbitrary and I would chafe at the restriction. I think putting them in categories and reducing those that are over-represented would work better. I’m just waiting for my housing situation to sort itself out and then I plan to do a massive cull.
Too much work for me to even contemplate this. I have decided not to post anything on the auction sites. I do have an outlet — the cleaning people! I have given a bag of stuff but once I have a good mix of perfumes, they will go as well.
I’m afraid to sell anywhere any more because I heard if you receive over $600 in payments to your Paypal account they file a 1099 with the IRS on you. I have enough tax problems as it is. So I will be reduced to giving them away or selling only in person.
I’m not planning to actively get rid of bottles if I buy new ones. However, I’m trying to adopt an attitude of “finish one before you look for a new one”.
If I did that, I would never buy another bottle (which would be a good thing).
All those newish Mugler colognes are at my Nordstrom rack. Fly Away is excellent with grapefruit/unburnt cannabis notes. And at $26 it is practically free! Also saw Esprit D’Oscar in the bigger bottle for a similar price.
I saw those too the other day. My NR only had the travel sprays. I was definitely tempted.
Wearing my new Jicky parfum. The bottle is gorgeous, but the parfum is only a light skin scent. It is pretty, and I love the scent, but I don’t think it is anything close to the beauty that is my Mitsouko parfum, or my L’heure Bleue parfum. It wears a bit like a cologne. In fact, my edt wears like an edp–so this is a little disappointing.
This crazy weekend includes my son coming home this afternoon, family in from Scotland, family in from Singapore, my best friend in town because her mother is in the hospital, and my husband’s birthday. (I am bowing.)
But last night I had all to myself and I watched the new Netflix version of Persuasion. I thought it was horrible. I struggled to sit through it, and kept pausing it to do chores. I’ve been thinking a lot about why it was so terrible. My theory is that one of the reasons the book is so beloved is that it is a “modern” Cinderella, that is a daughter who is greatly under-estimated by her family, who in the end triumphs through her intelligence, goodness, and eventually recognized beauty. The Netflix version throws all that out the window and makes Anne Elliot smirky, self-pitying, and all-knowing. And Captain Wentworth? Yikes what a bore. Two thumbs down imho!
Pausing to do chores… that is one bad show!
Have a super great time with your guest’s. I hope you will be able to have special one on one time with your Son.
Happy Birthday to your husband!
What exciting times and how wonderful that your son is home today. And birthdays . And friends. I hope you have the best weekend ever.
I had read reviews of Persuasion and they all agree with you about the terrible talking to camera, knowing glances, drinking from bottles and lack of chemistry. There is a 1990s version with Ciarin Hinds as Wentworth that is good and it’s in You Tube. It captures the right tone.
I absolutely love that version, and Ciarin Hinds is the main reason why!
Good luck with all those guests and comings and goings!
I watched Persuasion last night too and now I’m taking a beating on Facebook for saying I liked it. How odd. I had read all of the bad reviews and can see the many flaws, but I just found it kind of witty and cute and fun. I called it “Jane Austen Lite.” Maybe it will inspire some very young people to read the actual book. Or maybe my judgment was impaired because of, ummm, HENRY GOLDING. 😉
Thanks Calypso. Between your review and Oakland Fresca’s, now I will decide to watch it some day when I can appreciate it for what it is. If I can enjoy Bridgerton (and for that matter, Sanditon) surely I would enjoy this too so long as I don’t go thinking about the book.
And Golding winds up with Mrs. Clay! (I am glad you posted your positive reaction to the film, because I am sure you have lots of company. I sounded a bit curmudgeony.)
I appreciated the curmudgeony, because I still have not gotten over the Keira Knightley P&P. It is better to know in advance what you are in for, when it is a book you really care about.
Thank you for the Persuasion review! Now I will know what to expect and not waste energy getting mad.
Ha! Thanks for the review, now I know I can skip it.😂 I was intrigued because I thought Dakota Johnson (besides being gorgeous) was great in The Lost Daughter.
Enjoy your busy weekend! Especially your son being home.☺️
In fairness, I think the whole idea for this movie just bugged the stuffing out of me. That said, DK is gorgeous! And she probably would have been a fine Anne Elliot, with a different director.
Jicky parfum dries down to a skin scent on me too, but I like it anyway. Have fun with all those plans!
I like it too! Just wish it had that Guerlain parfum oomph. It is a beautiful scent 🍋🍋🍋
I plan to layer mine over B&BW lavender vanilla lotion.
Wow – full house. Enjoy yourself and the guests!
Sorry your Jicky Parfum isn’t long lasting at all! That would disappoint me too.
And I plan to avoid the Persuasion movie. The trailer had me cringing. It seems they made it to capitalize on the Bridgerton popularity and not to be true to Austen. I’d rather they just changed character names, moved the location, and called it something else.
Have a good time with your son and all the guests!
Wow, sounds like you will be busy, busy, busy this weekend with a lot of socializing.
I hauled out a bag of samples (all vanillas from The Perfumed Court) to get to yesterday’s CP wear, and today from the same bag I wore Montale Vanille Absolu, which is very nice but not something I need to own, since I have a bunch of really good vanillas already. And this is why we buy samples!
Yes it is!
Brrr it’s cold outside. I didn’t want to leave my cosy bed but try explaining that to dogs. At least the stars are twinkling. Yesterday in the Botanic gardens I saw two bright yellow crocus flowers. It was incredible how such small flowers radiated so much colour from their spot under the bushes. The only other colour came from red tobacco pouch fungi. So many of them. Tiny. Later I saw a woman in a strapless wedding dress shivering away for a photographer. She was surrounded by bridesmaids, all in creamy coffee satin gowns. The groom and his mates were huddled together smoking. They were all so young. There were no “adults” ( over 20s) so maybe it was simply a photo session. It really moved me for some reason. They were so young and life is so long ( even when it’s short). Seeing people at the start of a journey …I don’t know. I wanted to rush over and wish them well. Anyway, freezing and off to see a movie about Siegfried Sassoon today, Benediction. Wearing Santal Majuscule.
What an amazing scene! I enjoyed the description. It’s interesting to stumble onto a wedding party. Once a friend in northern Norway took me to visit the ruins of a very old Cistercian Abbey up there (in the Trondheim area). We stumbled onto a wedding party complete with lovely flower girl and ring bearer little boy–everyone blond, of course!–wandering among the crumbled stones and posing for pictures by some still-standing arches. It was nice weather, fortunately. Very memorable.
What great mental pictures you paint. Being at the far end of life gives a different perspective for sure.
I am wearing Kai rose body lotion ( thank you to the person who mentioned it here ) layered with vintage Chanel No.5 edt. I really love the body lotion. Heavenly!
My new favourite ice cream flavour is Honey and Orange Blossom from a local place.
Oh dear, I want that ice cream!
When you come to Montréal , visit the Ice cream place named Kem Coba. They have unusual flavours , another favourite is Rose and Cardamom.
I was sure that’s where you got it! Love Kem Coba.
It was on my list of things to do! (Much of my to do list involved food.)
Slept even later today! Now doing the laundry and making coffee, so exciting! I’ve been texted every single day off asked to work extra, but I just can’t do it. Girding for 3 in a row…😬
I’m wearing Zelda today because it’s cloudy and a smidge cooler than yesterday. Hoping it stays that way! While the heat here is nothing like it is other places, it’s getting a bit too warm for me.
In other news, read an article yesterday about the hospital I was previously contracted at that slashed my (already contracted) pay two days before starting. It seems they have been doing this regularly, with travelers then canceling the contract. They are now so short staffed that staff nurses went before the city council to ask for hazard pay because of the dangerous patient nurse ratios. Meanwhile, I was told the CEO of this hospital group is “Vile!” Can’t confirm or deny that since I’ve never had any interaction but I can confirm he made over 10 million dollars in 2021 because I looked it up.
All this to say, they have the right to pay as much or as little as they like. They DON’T have the right to change those numbers after a contract is signed. So very underhanded! But this is a very cutthroat business all about a select few making millions. I feel bad for staff and patients there. Talk about going down for the third time as your employer walks away.
Happy weekend to all! Hope those who are summer folk are enjoying the sunshine and warmth. I continue to look forward to fall! 🍂🍁
UGH — 10 million dollars and they cut your pay!! Ok, will follow my own comment policy and leave it at that. But very glad I do not need care in that hospital.
TEN million! Maybe he’s willing to come in and answer call lights? That way he can be cursed out by the patient waiting 15 minutes, thus understanding poor patient reviews..?! 😃 Also forgot to add Rocky Road is my all time favorite flavor ice cream these day! 🍦
Rocky Road is so old school now that I see ice cream stores selling it but giving it a new name, which is funny!! Or maybe it is because young people just don’t know what it is.
My husband’s favorite is Butter Pecan, which is so old school it’s getting harder to find.
That should be illegal. There need to be staffing/patient ratios legislated in all 50 states so this cannot happen.
🤭 I’m going to follow Robin’s subtle hint above and zip it, but I feel ya! I think I need a double scoop of Rocky Road today! 🍨 Also, hoping you are feeling better today!!
Oh the stories my brother mentioned – enough to curl my straight hair with no help whatsoever.
I got an email that the Salt and Straw full nary perfumes launch tomorrow. I’m buying the coffret as an early birthday present to myself!
Favorite ice cream flavor: blue moon, which is almost impossible to find outside the Midwest. People disagree on what it’s supposed to taste like, but the most accurate description I’ve seen is Froot Loop milk.
Favorite flavor I can actually get more than, er, once in a blue moon: pistachio. Perfume to go with it: Pistachio Brulee!
Argh…autocorrect strikes again. Full nary = culinary
I understand you can also have one sprayed on your cone in the store…like a sample 🙂
Interesting that you cannot find Blue Moon outside of the Midwest. I guess I didn’t realize it was a Midwest thing, but yes, it is standard in almost every ice cream shop I’ve ever been in.
Whenever I visit my brother in Minnesota, the first stop on the way back from the airport is an ice cream store for blue moon!
We have a grocery store chain here in New Mexico called Smith’s, and it’s part of the Kroger family. I read about a store brand ice cream flavor they have called tie-dye, which is swirls of vanilla, cherry…and blue moon! So I bought some and although it’s definitely blue moon, there’s just barely enough to scratch my blue moon itch. Better than nothing!
I love pistachio too
Absolutio By Navitus
Started reading One Italian Summer – so far I am devouring the book. It’s a light , fun, but also sad read
On my way to eat pizza
Will eat ice cream 🍦 today
I like run raisin, pistachio and rose flavored
LTSG, If you like, you can email me @ username @gee male dotty com
I might have somethings for you.
I’ll be out today, but will check my email by tomorrow.
💜
I have a very nice lazy day and slept in until nearly 11. I had a fun guest this week, but she left yesterday morning. We did some nice things including a very good dinner out at the Bistro Menil across the street from the museum. I had the most delicious crab cakes there! It was my first time going out for dinner in perhaps six weeks, and very special.
Yesterday I discovered a bag of patchouli scents I had ordered to try and am going through them. So far I really dislike Electimuss Patchouli of the Underworld. It’s got a nasty gasoline quality (which I like in LL Patch 24 but not here). I’m undecided about Obvious Un Patchouli. I haven’t looked it up but it smells like leather to me. My favorite from this little batch (I have more to go) is MPG Patchouli 1969. Interesting because they also make my favorite amber and sandalwood. There’s a note in here I really like; from reading reviews, I think it must be the elemi resin. Also it’s a bit floral and sweet, kind of unusual for a patch perfume. (My favorites are still Borneo, Coromandel, and especially CdG Luxe Patchouli). Always open to more suggestions!
On the subject of ice cream, my grandma made a lemon custard ice cream, in the old fashioned metal ice cube trays, when I was a girl, and that can’t be topped. Another best one I had was at a nice restaurant in Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, on the Lake Michigan side of the state, and was just simple lemon thyme ice cream. Absolutely sublime.
In PG Jardins de Kérylos which I intended to wear Friday for the CP but it was the evening I finally reset my sleep pattern so I missed it. Remind myself I already have fig scents I like very much so I really don’t see a bottle in my future.
Favorite ice cream is vanilla and raspberry made with clotted cream, I might buy some tomorrow.
Sorry Calypso for having posted this comment as a reply in error. I’m sure your grandmother’s ice cream was very special.
The MPG amber is probably my favorite too. Will have to try the sandalwood and patchouli now.
Yay on your friend’s visit and mmm on that restaurant. I took the liberty of checking the menu and the crab cakes do look good. I probably would have tried the short ribs. 🙂 I had a yummy crab cake when I was on vacation in CT at a restaurant in Mystic called Red 36. It was delicious. I don’t remember the last time I had a crab cake.
I have a sample of Un Obvious Patchouli that I need to sniff as well.
Yesterday I tried Molinard Vanille Patchouli and loved it. Sweet and smooth vanilla and patch which reminded of Coromandel…something about the sweetness was kind of chocolately.
Most of the time around here, the crab cakes you get are Cajun ones that are about 90% bread and 10% crab, and way too highly seasoned. I much prefer the Maryland type, which are completely full of crabs. These were more like those, and the caper mayonnaise on top was a perfect complement! Mmm!
After several hours I am liking the Un Obvious Patchouli a lot more. What I took to be leather, once I looked up the notes, must be some combination of cedar + cade. It has very good staying power and I’m really loving it as it dries down. Definitely worth trying out.
I just ordered a bunch of stuff from the Menil Collection Bookstore! The Bistro is really nice and well-appointed for an elegant garden party.
They have very nice, and popular, weekend brunches. I like to (or used to) stop in for a late afternoon snack and tea. They make a delightful tray with freshly made crackers, cheeses, and fig jam. Yummy.
Sounds like heaven to me!
Wearing dabs of Tauer Sundowner on the back of my hand and Tauerville Rose Flash dabs on my upper arm. Happy Saturday!
I don’t know Sundowner, but I have and love Rose Flash! I’m sure you smell great. Happy weekend!
Rose Flash is a favorite “pick me up” scent in the middle of winter.
Snake day I’ll pass on, but ice cream day? Sign me up. I have recently discovered Kemp’s Caribou Coffee Java chunk. I have no idea if they’ve been making this for long, or why I hadn’t discovered it earlier, because it is DElicious! Coffee flavored ice cream with some form of chocolate is my fav.😋
I’m in SOL Cheirosa ‘62 edp. I think I will thunk my sample this weekend. It’s a nice beachy scent, but when it’s gone I don’t need more because I have Eau de Soleil Blanc and Terracotta that check that box.
After a day of mostly rain yesterday, the sun is back out today and it’s beautiful. Happy weekend!🌞
Caribou Coffee Java Chunk sounds like my kind of flavor! I love both coffee and dark chocolate, in ice cream and other offerings. I’ll have to look for this flavor!
Give it try if you find it, it is tasty!
Cheirosa is one I can only wear once and awhile. It smells great but it’s not a favorite.
I think this is my second favorite of that Sephora sampler set you posted about…last summer? After the Tom Ford, that was a good deal for the travel spray.👍🌞
That sounds delicious. Will look for that ice cream.
Do report back if you find it! I have no idea if Kemps is just a Midwest thing?
Oh my.
I have been reading this blog for about a week straight, and I am so, so happy!
I am not wearing any perfume because (gasp!) I have not owned any perfume since BVLGARI gave me the single finger salute and discontinued their eponymous fragrance.
I have many, many questions, but I’ll only ask three in this comment. Please know I’m in a rural area, I’m basically stuck at home due my community’s Covid merry go round, and I have horrific seasonal allergies (read: I’m sniffing Flonase everyday of every year).
1. What do you think about subscription boxes? I checked out two and settled on scent box. Using NST’s reviews and lists for reference, I spent enjoyable hours lining up 24 fragrances to try over the next month, but I fell into their (possible) bait-and-switch issue of upping my subscription from the basic to the premium and from one to two fragrances a month. Still. I need more perfume…and faster!
2. I have long crazy hair, and the hair products I use are non-negotiable. Shu Uemura oil and Cotton Uzu have staying power. How do you balance fragrance on your skin with that in your hair?
3. For those of you with stuffy noses on the regular, are you able to smell notes of this and that? I don’t care how many times someone tells me that a wine tastes like chocolate. It doesn’t. Ever. To me… 😁
Bonus Question (yes, I’m cheating): I have seven ducks who need names. Drawing from your knowledge and love of fragrance, do you have any name suggestions?
Ack. Typo! W/r/t scent box, I have 24 lined up for the next 12 months, not one month. Although that would be okay.
Hi and welcome!
I use smelly Aveda products in my hair, and just don’t worry about whether or not it matches my perfume. Probably helps that I have short hair.
Guerlain duck names: Jicky, Mitsouko, Chamade, Shalimar, Nahema, Samsara and Vega.
Ha! Love the names!
I have a cat named Samsara inspired by a song by Janelle Monae! My other cat is named Ventress after a Star Wars sith lord (blame my kid for that one). The vet folks give us the stink eye. Always.
Thanks for letting me join!
Hi there, and welcome!
I have year-round allergies. Mostly sneezing and itchy eyes if things get really bad. If I come across chocolate notes in wine, it smells like very dark, unsweetened cocoa, not a chocolate confection.
My hair products don’t compete at all with perfume, but my hair has been shoulder-length for ages.
No experience at all with subscription services, sorry.
Maybe pick 7 perfume houses that you aren’t ticked off at and use those as duck names? E.g. Chanel, diptyque, Patou, Tauer, Lauder, Shiseido, and Hermes.
Thanks for the kind welcome and awesome answers!
My new quest is to sample all the wines that supposedly have a hint of chocolate. Who knows what I’ll find after several glasses? Bacon!
A Duck on Fire! Not literally, but maybe Chaudette!
I will butcher any language that comes my way!
After a shower with BBW Pink Pineapple Sunrise shower gel, I lavishly applied the matching body lotion and body mist. What a fun scent! I feel like a walking pina colada! 🍹😄. The body lotion becomes a skin scent after an hour, but it lasts almost the whole day. I have been wearing it during the weekends and I like a lot!
I do not have a favorite ice cream flavor. I like all of them, but sometimes I prefer just plain vanilla because I can add any toppings, from fruits to liqueurs without the taste being so sweet and overwhelming.
I have been trying to catch on the daily comments. I missed Donatella this quarter, but there wasn’t much to confess to make her proud. I only purchased full bottles of Honore des Pres I Love Les Carottes and Dame Perfumery Honeysuckle. Few perfume purchases for me this year so far. That wasn’t planned, but I feel good about it. I am enjoying my collection more than ever.
Ready to go outside to run some errands after unexpected heavy rain and winds. It poured like crazy for almost an hour. Now the sun is out and the humidity very high. Next week, we will face the first heat wave of the summer. No complaints about it!
Happy weekend, everyone! 🌞
I have that lotion. It is super fun! I don’t have the mist but sprayed the Raspberry Tangerine over it.
I got a mini mist, since I am not so fond of the initial blast of alcohol smell from all the BBW mists. But the lotion is very, very nice, as well as the shower gel. I have never tried Raspberry Tangerine, but it sounds like a fun great combo!
I can imagine how nice you smell! It rained on my way to Wegmans and waited in the car for a good 5 minutes before the rain let up a little for me to dash in!
I will, however, complain about the heat next week! 🥵
Ahhhh..Wegman’s….
I may eventually complain. Not sure for how long I can tolerate the heat this year while working outside. 🥵
In the meantime, I will try to enjoy it! 🌞
The heavy rain missed me yesterday. I guess that folks to the north of me got hit pretty good with it.
It rained cats and dogs in my area yesterday for almost an hour. The humidity has been overwhelming since then. We have now a rough week in front of us 🥵. Stay hydrated!
I’m having a slow start to Subday morning, and I can still smell the last traces of kadt night’s dab of Nightingale. I like it, but would never wear it often enough to warrant a FB.
I am hoping to have a slow start to my Sunday morning Gaynor! Already looking forward to it.
Worked briefly in my garden this morning but had to retreat due to heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. Now I smell wonderful in Aquaflor Firenze’s Rosae, which I applied liberally, contrary to my own past advice: https://scentsandsensibilities.co/2019/09/01/scent-sample-sunday-aquaflor-rosae/. It is the perfect refreshing rose for this hot, muggy weather. I’m so glad I got it when we visited Florence! Perfume tourism at its finest!
It is Sunday night and was just helping my husband trim bushes and drag the refuse down to the pile out back. Feels like near 100% humidity…
I just had Haagen Dazs Triple Chocolate Cookie ice cream, very good stuff, first time I tried it.
Still languishing on the couch, no energy or motivation. Trying to cheer myself up somehow but skies are gray and news is not good. Mom fell again at rehab center this morning after breaking her leg 10 days ago. The last few years of life are so hard for everyone.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this! Just got done commenting to you above hoping today is an improvement for you, but that’s not likely considering that horrible news. I’m wishing her (and you!) a speedy recovery!
Oh cazaubon I am so sorry!
I am sorry to hear this, Caz. I wish I had a magic wand to make everything better for you.
So sorry for the anxiety you’re going through.
So many things wrong all at the same time, it’s difficult to bear, but I know others are having just as bad or worse difficulties. The world is not fixable but somehow we need to use good coping strategies to survive. Mine are not very good unfortunately.
I am so sorry to hear about it Cazaubon. Hope things improve for you and you mom soon. Sending hugs!
Oh boy, so sorry to hear this, cazaubon. I’m sending healing vibes.
Oh gosh cazaubon, this is so much going on at once, I’m so sorry! Sending all the positive vibes I can!
Thank you for your kind thoughts, aging is tough.
I’m sorry to hear it’s a bad time for you, and I completely empathize with your mom and her fall, and her previous one with a broken leg. Falling just undermines your confidence in the world so much. I hope she’ll be OK.
I love Haagen Dazs Tres Leches ice cream! Also their mango sherbert.
I like Tres Leches too. My mom falls on a regular basis for the past year and the injuries keep getting worse and more frequent. We don’t know what to do as unless someone is standing next to her at all times holding her hand she can go down at any moment. It’s sad and frustrating and scary.
Are you thinking of the Dulce de Leche ice cream, Calypso? Cuz that one is absolutely delicious. If there is a Tres Leches flavor, I’ll need to go hunt it down…..
Yes, I think it’s Dulce de Leche in fact.
I am sorry about your mom. I hope you will get your energy back soon.
Aging is tough and scary.
Falls are scary AF for older folks. I’m so sorry to hear about your Mom, cazaubon.
I’m very sorry to hear about your mother’s accident. It sounds like you have a lot of stress coming at you from different directions. Sending peaceful vibes your way, and I hope things settle in a calmer way soon.
Ugh, so sorry to hear about your mom’s fall. I hope you can have at least one really nice day soon. You’re overdue for one.
Wearing Vetyver today from a sample that did way too much evaporating since I received it in a freebiemeet. Also just started a new book, Lauren Graham’s ‘Talking As Fast As I Can’.
Sorry about your sample GateGirl!
SOTD = Sonoma Scent Studio Bee’s Bliss
So wonderful!
I had lunch with my sister at Nordstrom Cafe. We used to be able to get lunch and a drink for < $36 and today it was $46! I used a $40 Anniversary Sale coupon so it did not “hurt” as much. This is inflation!
Yesterday, I left work an hour early as part of my summer hours. I stopped by Kinokuniya Bookstore which is across the street from the SW corner of Bryant Park. I swear they now have way more cat stuff than they’ve ever had before! Here’s one of the items (did not buy):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgFrPaIO22B/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I satisfied this quarter’s worth of owls (plus a squirrel) today 🤑. Will feature them once I get them sometime next week!
I saw a piece on the news this week talking about groceries and “shrinkflation.” We noticed it last week when we picked up a frozen pizza for the teenager which was very obviously no longer a 12 inch pizza but more like a 10 inch pizza with cardboard showing all the way around the perimeter.
I’m sure it’s happening at restaurants too. At least you had the coupon.👍
The coupon definitely helped!
The worst would be making the package bigger AND shrinking the food.
On the dual subjects of shrinkage and ice cream, Häagen-dazs now sells its ice cream in what looks like a pint, but is in actuality only 14 oz., with the smaller size hidden behind a cardboard lip at the bottom of the container. Dastardly.
Yes! They highlighted Breyers ice cream which has also gotten noticeably smaller and smaller over the last few years. Yet the price stays the same.😏 Or goes up!
I only noticed that 14oz container size on my Haagen Dazs after you mentioned it.
My “shrinkflation” story involves paper towels. We’ve been going thru more rolls of paper towels lately, and the cats have been making fewer messes. I’d bet that there are fewer towels per roll now.
I have pandemic paper towels so I have not experienced shrinkflation yet as it relates to paper products. The TP may be a different story although it’s the pricing that went up almost 20% and they don’t go on sale anymore other than having to buy $100 worth of a specific set of stuff and I can’t just get there with the limited choices.
I’m wearing a smidge of Tobacolor today, and I’m glad I didn’t buy the big bottle. It only comes in 200 or 400 ml and I don’t need that much of anything. My little 10 ml decant should last a while.
Ice cream! I love ice cream. Salt and Straw has unique flavors that I like to try. Most recently I had Pear and Bleu Cheese. It was yummy.
Pear and Bleu Cheese sounds fantastic!
Forgot to chime in with my own fave ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. One of the markets I go to sells them in the tinier cups so that I don’t get tempted to gorge on the whole darned pint. Perfect little dessert.
I am usually good about making a pint last 4 nights, but just polished off half a pint of McConnells Salted Caramel Chip, oops!! So you are smart to get the little cups.
I blasted myself with AA Pamplelune today and ventured out to test the new Hermès Eau de Basilic Pourpre at Holt Renfrew. They had a display on the counter but no bottle so I asked the saleswoman if she had a tester and she handed me a carded sample. Score! Initially it is a very green, sweet, snappy basil and after a minute or two it reminded me of the scent you smell walking by a LUSH store… maybe it’s the patchouli. This could easily be one of the Acqua di Parma scents in the Blu Mediterraneo line. I really like this a lot after not loving much of Nagel’s work so far with Hermès. If you like the Goutal Mandragore scents, particularly the Pourpre version you would probably enjoy this. Also, if you are familiar with the Jack line by Richard E. Grant this also brings to mind his first release “Jack”. Nicely done Hermès!
So nice to just get handed a sample, and even better that you’re liking the perfume!
I thought that too, but some of the Hermès SAs in Toronto I have met over the years have been really generous with samples.
I wonder if they hid the tester and if anyone asked for it specifically, gave them a sample since they were in the know 😉.
Great job by that SA!
Yes, she was very nice! They’re probably delighted when a super fan like me comes to the counter! Haha!
PdN L’Eau d’Ete, as I headed to work. Busy day. I got a kick out of a couple who had just arrived – big smiles as they ordered their cherry and apple turnovers.
Still love Haagen Dazs Coffee ice cream. Rarely buy it but still love it. And am also like Deva…Rocky Road is a close second.
Yum for Haagen Dazs of any kind!
Current favorite ice cream is Haagen Dazs Green Tea ice cream. I used to enjoy Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia every so often, too.
Today Mr. Jalapeno and I threw out our couch. It had been used as a litterbox by a couple of cats: Spooky and the dearly departed Pixel kitty. Pixel had had kidney issues before she passed, and sometimes didn’t make it to the litterbox in time. I couldn’t stand the smell anymore, and all the support in said couch had been destroyed years ago. We have a loveseat that is almost new despite being around 10 years old, and are using that now.
SOTD = back to Wrappings today.
Will you be replacing the couch eventually?
Nope. I should say, that I have no plans to put another couch in my living room. It’s rather small, and having both a couch and a loveseat in it was making things feel kind of claustrophobic. The room feels much brighter and airier now. Maybe eventually a nice, plush chair can be added.
That’s a great idea. Win-win!
That must be a relief. Do you have large item pick up days or did you have to go to the town dump?
Every so often a dedicated dump truck comes to take away large items, so we don’t have to lug that couch to the dump. Thank goodness!
My arms are really sore again today. 🤣
Mr. allo and I got rid of our couch a few years ago by driving slowly through “Greek Row” at the University of Washington, spying some frat boys lounging outside and asking them if they wanted to take it off our hands. And they did!
I’m working tonight, and wearing TM Over the Musk.
Living in this city is really starting to bring me down. It just gets worse every day. This song keeps running through my head.
https://youtu.be/wv2zWgD5Yec
Favorite ice cream is almost anything involving chocolate (I do not like chocolate cherry!) I love to hot fudge on top too.
Great song!🤘She’s so awesome.
I feel ya lillyjo, in the 16 years that we have lived here there have been countless high rise apartment buildings put up, and because we are on an isthmus there is no where for the traffic to go. It just keeps getting worse and worse. We have talked about moving after madtownteen graduates.🤷♀️ Who knows, we’ll see I guess.
They keep fixing and widening roads here but the traffic is never ending. It’s always rush hour now.
The Pretenders!! So fabulous. I’m sorry you’re feeling down about your hometown.
What really brings me down is the crime. The last 2 years it has just relentless. Yesterday my coworkers sister was shot in a road rage incident not far from me. ( she will be ok) and it appears that the city has no plans for changing the situation.
That’s really disturbing, I’m so sorry to hear that. Traffic is bad but crime is really scary.
Oh wow, that’s horrible! I’m glad she’ll be ok, but what a terrible experience. Big hugs to you, lillyjo.
Ugh. I hope she’ll be okay.
I am also very sorry to hear this and hope she recovers quickly. Sending you big hugs, lillyjo.
Yikes. That’s scary on a whole ‘nuther level.
Oh that’s terrible Lillyjo. I’m so sorry.
Happy Sunday!
SOTD is Diptyque Oyedo – yum! And since it’s National Ice Cream Day I might get one later 😋
Oyedo is a nice one! Happy Sunday to you too!
Well, being the rocket scientist that I am, I somehow ended up going into the men’s shower at the hospital this morning. I thought it looked different, but then thought I was maybe thinking of the shower by the OR. Too much thinking apparently! I started to get suspicious while sudsing up when I heard a throat clearing episode outside the door, and thought “Hmmm, that sounds like a man. Do they have unisex showers here?” No, they do not! Luckily, I did not catch anyone with their pants down, apologized profusely, and skedaddled!
Now for a soothing bedtime scent like SSS Tabac Aurea…😴
😳. Now that’s a work story!!
So many stories, 99% of which annihilate the comment policy! 😃
Deva this gave me a much needed laugh! With you not at you.
Sleep well.
Oh feel free to laugh AT me! I do all the time! 😜
Rotfl! Only you Deva. 🙂
Right?! What is WRONG with me?! So focused on a shower and bed I wasn’t even paying attention. It could have been worse. Much worse! 😬
Just like the reels: Oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no. Yesterday, I used the Nordstrom restroom. On the men’s room door there was a big blue circle that had to be 10” diameter; it sure made me read the sign carefully.
More like oh 💩! I dislike the showers here so much I only use them if I’m desperate for sleep and consequently in a big rush. Not very familiar with them, obviously. There are 3 or 4 here and I can never remember which one is which…
Oh my gosh! So glad you were able to get out of there without too much incident.
Me too! 😬
Read this in George Takei’s voice: “Oh my!” 😳
See my response above to hajusuuri! 😜
😳😄
😵💫
Yesterday I wore Eau des Merveilles. I’m glad my perfume was great, because I got a very unsatisfactory haircut. She just wouldn’t be daring enough to cut it as short as I wanted and so even though I wanted a short late 90s style messy do I ended up with a slightly shorter version of my original haircut. I’m actually going somewhere else on Thursday to get it cut shorter and the way I want it.
Today is a sample day.
1) Iris Nazarena. Gosh, it’s beautiful but it made me feel so sad. Like, I’m Axl Rose in the November Rain video levels of sad.
2) Sloth. Oh no no no. Just no. The dog ran away from me. Scrubbed within 5 minutes.
Currently, I’m trying Smoked Jasmine Black Tea by Marissa Zappas. I wish I had a spray sample instead of a little dabber, but so far it’s very pleasant.
My local ice cream shop makes a rose and pistachio flavor that is fabulous, as well as a crazy good baklava flavor. I may need to head over there in the next few days…
I felt the same about Iris Nazarina. I could never find a good time to wear it, because of the sadness.
Wow, if the dog runs away that must be one heck of a perfume! 😆
I bet you smell nice today! Yesterday, too; I’m wearing that one today. ❤️ And thanks for the mini-review on Sloth. I will take it off my sample list, lol!
I want to try those ice creams! Where do you get them?!?
I’ve been trying to eat less ice cream lately, but I might make an exception for today. 😉 I’ll see what they have at my local shop. My usual go-to is Trader Joe’s Mint Chocolate Chip. They make a great French Vanilla, too.
Hot here today. Not doing much. Wishing everyone a serene Sunday. ☀️
If you’re ever in the Raleigh area, Andia’s Ice Cream is the store!
Thanks, sistine! 🍨
Boo for a timid hairstylist and that you have to spend money again to get what you want.
I get what you’re saying abou IN being a sad perfume. Definitely has that melancholy vibe.
Sloth was a scrubber on me too. It was one of those perfumes where I thought, “why would anyone want to smell like this?” While that was my initial thought, I have no doubt that it does have fans, and I’m sure it smells better on them. If I remember correctly, it reminded me of wet dog smell.
Would love to hear more of your thoughts on that Marissa Zappas. I’ve tried quite a few of them now but not yet that one.
I had to laugh about the perfume sample that made your dog run away!
Boo hiss phooey on the timid hairstylist! Hope you get the cut you want second time around.
I am happy to report that I am feeling almost back to normal today. Last night I had a hideous tension headache, but took a sleeping pill and woke up feeling more like myself. I tidied the house and will next attack a big perfume mess in the bedroom. Need to take inventory of my 4160 Tuesdays collection as I have another big load of stuff showing up next week, one from 4160 Tuesdays and another from Teone Reinthal in Australia.
I have reached the end of my perfume road I think, as I feel disgusted and overwhelmed at the amount I own. As I mentioned earlier, once my housing situation has settled down, I will be doing a massive cull. But I am going to start clearing out duplicates and backup bottles first.
I’m glad to hear you’re feeling more like yourself! I hope you have an excellent Sunday.
Glad you’re feeling almost back to normal!
Happy you are starting to feel back to normal!
Yay for turning the corner on feeling better! I hear ya on having those thoughts about the size of your perfume collection. I have them often too as my perfume spills into my living room and hallway for lack of good storage in the bedroom. Or rather, the bedroom storage is decent but maxed out and I need more spots to display perfume so I can easily get to it and not dig in boxes for all of them. I just try to take it day by day with making better choices on not buying so much and try to not be too hard on myself when I make impulse purchases. Good luck on paring down!
That’s great news that you are starting to feel better!
Sorry about your Mom. We are visiting my hubby’s parents now; yesterday his Dad said getting old isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s very difficult seeing your parents age.
Glad you are feeling a little better today! 🙂 Sorry to hear about your mom. The last few years are hard and it’s very tough seeing our parents age and their health decline. Sending you more hugs and hope you feel even better tomorrow though it will be Monday. 😉
Excellent news! So happy to hear that you are feeling much more like yourself today.
Great news! Wishing you better days come!
I’m so glad you are feeling better cazaubon!
I have hardly bought perfume in years now, and I don’t even try all that many new scents. Just “shopping” in my collection is interesting enough now.
Unscented so far today but will probably wear something slightly rich or resinous since we’re having a cooler and cloudy day. Maybe La Myrrhe? Yesterday I thunked a sample of Stephen B. Perfume from the 70s and then at night wore Flamenco, a spicy red rose carnation oil from one of Liz Zorn of Soivohle’s previous off-shoot lines.
Even though I didn’t really comment all week, I participated in the CP with Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche, Diptyque Essences Insencees Jasmin 2015 (realized this is VERY similar to PMC Jasmin de Pays of which I recently bought a bottle so am trying to resist also buying the Diptyque), Hendley Bourbon Extrait, St. Clair Eve, and PG Arabian Horse. Smelled really great all week if I do say so myself!
Picking a favorite ice cream flavor sounds like the impossible task of picking a favorite child, but my current addiction is Milk Bar’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Crush. My grocery has kept it in stock for the last 6 or so weeks, and I just keep buying it and eating it.
You did smell great all week!!
I love peanut butter in ice cream.
Thanks, and same re: peanut butter in ice cream.
Me three! Have you had the peanut butter shake from Kidd Valley? It’s so good!
I haven’t, but now I want to!
I think it was last summer that I discovered pistachio ice cream at my local grocery store. It’s pretty good for a store brand. In fact, there’s another 2 litres of it in my freezer from a recent shopping trip.
I do have the Demeter pistachio scent and also a pistachio body butter; a nice combo to wear when it’s hot out since it’s not too perfumey!
Ah, layering body products, perfume and ice cream 🙂
Ended up wearing Bas de Soie for the cool upper 60s weather, and picked up a pint of Hagan Dazs Pistachio while doing my shopping. I’ve never tried theirs so I figured it’s time.