Saturday is Midsummer 2023, and we're celebrating with our usual open thread poll.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance that says summer to you, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Periwinkle [cropped] by judy dean at flickr; some rights reserved.
Good Morning-
Cassiopea For this mornings farmers market run. Tomato’s are looking good.
Weird summer weather here
Excited to gather with my in-laws soon- I can’t wait to drink some chai
Not quite tomato season here. Maybe next week the local ones will start coming into the farmers markets?
The strawberries have been fabulous this year.
Nice lazy Sat after being out in CA for work for over a week. Coffee, more coffee, light spritz of Diptyque’s Vinagre de Toilette Edition Méditerranée and books.
Met Museum later to see the Karl Lagerfeld exhibit.
Glad to see the rain holding off..
Happy Saturday, all!
That exhibit sounds very fun – hope you see it all!
Please give us a report on the Met!
I really enjoyed the Lagerfeld exhibit
What books are on your pile?
Halfway through The Personal Librarian which I’m enjoying on the tail end of The Marriage Portrait. Next up is Zora Neale Hurston’s Moses, Man of the Mountain an author I’ve wanted to read and finally am!
I loved The Personal Librarian !
Gosh, read Moses so long ago I have nothing to say about it. Two ZNH books lived through my last cull, though, so I still own the paperback.
I enjoyed Marriage Portrait.
I’ve finally put my Osmanthe Yunnan down, in order to wear something else! Today, I’m in Zadig & Voltaire’s Tome 2 La Légèreté (Lightness). Mostly [not quite ripe] pear, iris, and ambrette. Simple, wears close to the skin, and smells great in the heat without being suffocating. This just may be the one I pack for vacation next week!
Yay for vacation packing!
11 hours sweet sleep. This is our coolest June on record. And I am loving it.
87 days to Africa.
I have nothing scheduled for today yipeeeeee!! No where I have to be.
Post shower, I think Box of Eels, edt. If I am going to pick up a new one in Paris, I have to know this one is empty. (fragrance logic, you all get it).
I absolutely understand this logic!
I’m counting down the days with you! I hope you have the trip of lifetime! Iirc, you’re going with your sister? Travel is wonderful, but extra special when you share it! 🌍 Enjoy your day!
Oh yes Deva. We are two halves of a whole. We will arrive on her 72 birthday and celebrate with a late afternoon walking safari and sundowners on the kopjes in Serengeti.
Tanzania first, then more time in Kenya.
That is so exciting!
Amazing. I hope you two have the best time!
Fracas edp. What can I say – it teases me, but has yet to reveal its mystique. Well, my vintage mini of the parfum does have the bombshell quality often mentioned; but not more than some of my own favorites: Estee Super Perfume or Poison. But this edp is beguiling me today, going beyond bubble gum and dryer sheets. Update on my actual potted tuberoses: two have tall bloom stalks with healthy buds. But the other eight just have healthy leaves. Perhaps more bud stalks will grow as the Summer heats up?
I don’t mind bubblegum as a perfume note, but the thought of dryer sheets makes me want to hurl.
Sounds like they might be resting this year, or they might need more Potassium for blooms.
Have you tried Petit Fracas? That one is easier to enjoy–it’s not a bombshell, but very pretty.
Brrrrrrrr… I just turned on the heat. Outside it has eked up to 58 degrees, but is so grey it feels colder.
Summer citrus scents, which I love, just don’t do much for me when the weather does not comply. I’m thinking something dark and resiny post-shower, like Stash or an oud-heavy perfume.
You’re not going to need to put on any heat when you come here this week!
So I have heard! My son and husband both tell me I will be spending very little time actually outside. I just hope the tarmac at the airport isn’t too soft. I have visions of our plane sinking into a bubbling airstrip upon arrival. 🙂
In Saudi that was a daily feature!
The day my shoes melted I was done.
Couldn’t get my brain to shut off last night (upcoming wedding, mother-in-law as houseguest for several days, still no a/c) so am operating on about 3 hours’ sleep at the moment. Spritzed on some Tam Dao to combat the stress and fatigue, and also because I have a much needed haircut in an hour and my hair person likes it. Hoping to get a nap in later, but we’ll see. 🙄
Still no air conditioner? Ugh. I hope you get a good nap.
Here’s hoping for a good night’s sleep!
Hope that your hair appointment went well today, and that your A/C is fixed soon!
Tam Dao twins. Hope you got that nap, and working ac soon!
Wearing Infusion d’Iris Absolue today for the last graduation party this month. My favorite summer fragrance is L’Artisan Seville l’Aube, as usual.
Last night Mr ringthing was finishing a project in the (only) bathroom in our very old house when I noticed water coming under the door of my closet. The bathtub valve access is in that closet, unbeknownst to us, and the valve got knocked around and broke. All my purses, shoes and a fair amount of my online sales inventory, along with a bunch of hanging clothes, all soaked. Apparently it’s been leaking unnoticed for a time as a few things are moldy, including two nice leather purses and an overnight bag 😭 Can’t find a replacement valve, it’s too old, so we can’t get the needed parts until Monday. We’ve been cleaning up and trying to find room for all my stuff, a lot of which is shoved under the bed now. It could have been a lot worse.
We are showering at my mom’s house.
Oh no! I’m so sorry about your closet flood.
Thank you foxbins
Oh no! I am so sorry. We have an old house too. Our upstairs bathroom has it bathtub valve accessible through a tiny mysterious closet/cabinet door in an odd spot in the playroom. We were living in the house for years before we noticed it!
I hope nothing too personally precious to you was ruined.
Glad we’re not alone in our house’s hidden mysteries! And I didn’t ruin anything really important. Just stuff.
Water damage is no fun, hope everything will dry out.
Sorry to hear that and I do hope some things can be dried and cleaned.
As another old house owner, I feel alerted to keep an eye on hidden corners, etc!
I’m sorry for the water trouble ringthing. I also have an old house. I recently found out they don’t make my pantry door size anymore. Everything is made for the new houses.
We’ve had the door issue, too. Every home repair brings surprises.
Oh no! Water issues are not fun! I hope it gets fixed quickly. Sorry to hear about the damaged things.
Oh NO! 😵🤬
Slow leaks and water damage suck, big time. Been there, done that, and hated it.
Oh, no! Water is so sneaky. Hope your homeowners’ insurance comes through for you.
Aw, man, I’m sorry to hear that, Ring. I hope you were able to save most of your belongings.
What’s up with the mini-indoor floods lately? Are the water sprites mad at everybody or something?
Well, rats.
I’m wearing Bombay Bling on a lovely sunny morning.
You smell wonderful!
You smell fun! I need to get that out.
Currently in the last millidrops of my previously thunked Madie travel spray (I unscrewed the sprayer and thwacked the opening of the bottle against my arm). That’s what I’m wearing as I keep cleaning the house for guests who will arrive next week. Highlight: first use of the dryer-vent cleaning attachment for our upright vac. I suspect that the device will pay for itself (which wasn’t much) just by the improved efficiency of our dryer over the next few weeks.
I ordered myself a Westman Atelier bronzer yesterday. Why? I somehow decided I needed it — this was not an impulse buy, but I’ve never been a fan of bronzer. Has anyone used this product? LTSG? Others? I am intrigued by its promise of non-glitteriness.
And: Mr. Skal and I are going to visit our infant grandson! In Australia. (We are in NY State in the US.) We just bought the tickets on Thursday after a long planning process complicated by several factors beyond our control. We will be there for about two-and-a-half weeks in early August. This is our first and only grandchild, and we are beyond ecstatic to get to see him in person while he is still a baby. 🩷
How wonderful! And a trip “Down Under” to boot! Where in Australia are they? You will love it, and I’m sure the family will be thrilled to have you there, too!
Adelaide. We haven’t been there since 2017. We love Adelaide and we will be meeting our daughter’s partner in person for the first time. (!)
Oh, I have visited there and loved it too! Their zoo is wonderful and the river is so pretty. My friends there also took us out on a tour of wine country around there, and it’s beautiful. What fun!
I use this one (no affiliation) https://www.westman-atelier.com/products/super-loaded?variant=15142217056299
Is this the one you got?
I also use one of the blush sticks and I have about 3 eyeshadow pods
No, I got the Body Butter (?) bronzer. I’ve never even sampled anything from this line but for some reason I succumbed to this one… 🙂
So exciting about your trip and grandson. What joy!
Exciting trip on all fronts.
That trip will be here before you know it, how exciting!
What an amazing trip you have planned! Enjoy!
Will you be doing any touristy stuff there?
Maybe some touristy stuff, certainly lots of walks with the baby if it’s not too cold/rainy. We will probably make time to visit some cellar doors in the Barossa Valley. I’ll likely have to spend a few hours working each day.
How wonderful! Have a great trip!
How exciting!
Oh wonderful!
Oh how exciting!🤩 Baby snuggles, I hope it’s a wonderful trip.
Strawberry and yogurt smoothie
had to do extra housekeeping in preparation of my brother’s visit, I’ll be done tomorrow.
Got gazpacho from the supermarket, they’ve started to carry some recently. Yves Rocher Flower by night, an all botanicals perfume, wathever that means, and tonight Weil Suki Essence, delicious plum and date over incense, and so affordable or at least it was, inflation has affected perfume prices for sure.
Yay for your brothers visit!
Thank you Lillyjo, I’m looking forward to it.
I love gazpacho! This reminds me to make some! I especially like a version done with watermelons too. It’ll be great for our hot weather!
That sounds good.
Definitely the right time of year for gazpacho, especially with all the ingredients at their peak.
Hurray for your brother’s impending arrival!
It’s just from the supermarket but very good.
That’s wonderful. Our tomatoes remain — in the words of a friend earlier this week — “indifferent.” But in the past I’ve made gazpacho starting with bottled tomato juice when tomatoes have been bland, so this thread is reminding me of that possibility. Enjoy the visit with your brother!
Glad it inspired you and thank you.
I’m wearing Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Banana. This might be a banana summer for me. Do any of you have a favorite banana fragrance?
You are wearing my favorite 🙂
But also, Blackbird Y06-S.
I’ve never tried a banana perfume, but I have a banana lip balm that I was surprised to find I really like! It’s by Eco Lips (Mongo Kiss Banana). It looks like it might not be available anymore, so I hope they bring it back. It made me think I might like a banana perfume note too…
I’m wearing Snowy Owl, which I got in Foxbin’s recent split. This is one of those scents that didn’t grab me at first but slowly grew on me. (Elephant was another but I still haven’t acquired it.) Since it’s got an alleged “snow accord,” it works well in hot weather. Mostly that’s down to the mint.
Yesterday I saw the new movie Past Lives. I felt very moved by its story of fate and lost childhood love. I’ve been mulling it ever since.
On a sad note, my mother is going downhill. Alzheimer’s disease is a progression of kicks in the teeth. I know other diseases are terrible, like cancer and ALS. But destroying someone’s personality is just especially awful.
So sorry to hear about your mother’s decline. Seeing a loved one go downhill like that hurts like hell. Hugs.
So sorry to hear about your mom. It’s tough. And there’s no handbook for it.
I’m sorry Calypso.
Calypso, so sorry to hear about your mom’s decline. I hope you have family to help you through this. It’s so absolutely devastating to witness.
Sad times. I wore my Snowy Owl yesterday. My sister sprayed it on herself and it immediately turned to dirt and old garbage smell on her. Whereas mine stayed slightly chill flowers…fascinating. Ellie, the 14 year old, currently 6 ft tall niece, (her 17 year old brother is shooting passed 6 foot, 5 inches, headed who knows where) was fascinated and appalled at the difference between myself, her aunt, and my sister, her grandma. She declined to let me put any on her! This child is diagnosed with celiac disease, eats no wheat, very little sugar and has the skin of an angel.
I’m so sorry, Calypso. I hope your mum is at least comfortable for now, and that you also take some time for yourself, too.
It also reminds me of Jack Hanna’s situation.
Damn. They really cannot come up with a cure for this thing fast enough.
Yep. I can still see my Dads crystal blue eyes, knowing he did not know me. Take it one day at a time and be kind to yourself.
I’m sorry about your mother. It is very hard.
I’m so sorry Calypso.😞
Have watched 2 people in my life do this, one from Alzheimers and one from an unusual progression of MS. It is a very different experience than watching someone progress through a disease that wrecks the body rather than the mind, although that’s hard too, just different….but I think it is somehow harder to process the loss of your loved one, which after all is what is happening to you even though they’re still alive.
I finally put on some fragrance, Shalimar Parfum Initial. Also baking a lemon loaf, so I thought the two went together nicely. The lemon loaf is for my mother-in-law (for her birthday). My father-in-law wants to take her out for a birthday celebration at a hotel, but it’s always a possibility that it gets cancelled (by her).
I thought that a lemon loaf would be nice to have at the hotel, and it travels well. Plus if it gets cancelled, then we can still eat it here.
It’s nice that you have a backup plan. I hope it’s a great celebration!
On your sotd… years ago I found Parfum Initial at tj Maxx for under 20 dollars and I talked myself out of it! ( I have too much perfume..blah blah lol) I kick myself every time I see it mentioned. 🤣
Ooh, that was a good price! I’ve talked myself out of bottles too when I had the chance. Plus all the bottles I threw out or gave away! Perfume regrets.
Lemon loaf and Shalimar PI -your kitchen smells great
Thank you! 😊
That lemon loaf sounds delish! 😋🍋
I hope it’s good! It didn’t rise a whole lot. My baking powder might be kaput.
Baking powder doesn’t have much of a shelf life. I think maybe it’s good for a year or so? I do know that humidity lessens the lifespan.
Oh! I did not know this. I was baking at least once a week last summer and fall, but have only made a single batch of cookies since January. Better check the dates.
Nice trip to the farmer’s market this morning. We have a pretty good one. It always inspires me to do better on my veggies. SOTD is Shalimar MVP. Not really summery, but what I felt like wearing. My son is seeing Asteroid City today. Very interested to hear how he liked it.
I am pretty loyal to my farmers market. I go every weekend. Even during the pandemic when the lines reminded me of photos I have seen of people waiting for food during the Great Depression…
How’d he like it? That’s on my to-see list too, big WA fan.📽
Sounded like he liked it pretty well. Very complex with layers upon layers of storyline.
Hotter than heck today. I stopped at Michael’s craft store and walked right into autumn. They had pumpkins and leaves and squirrels all up front.
My sotd is Bbw Coco Paradise because I am being perfume lazy.
Pumpkins at the craft store? Now?
That’s disgusting.
Eww! I would have walked out. lol
I’m moving to Michaels for sure! 😆 Very warm here too, but each day I think Fall! Fall! Shorter days! Fall! FALL! I LOVE YOU!
We ate perfume lazy twins! 🙃
Are* lol! 🤣
I was trying to envision exactly what edible perfume lazy twins would be, and failed miserably!
We crafters have to start early if we’re going to get stuff made by fall. I tend to work about nine months ahead–I’ve already finished a couple of Christmas cross stitch package tags. But I agree that seeing pumpkins in June is a little off-putting.
I’m working on Christmas stockings for the grandbaby and his parents (who do not have them, as they’ve never bothered much with the holiday, given that it’s usually super hot and that they both work in hospitality, so it’s a busy time for them). One is finished except for adding the name; I’m hoping to have all three finished to take when we visit in August and will add the names there once they’ve decided whose is whose.
Our cold front came through last night with just one burst of thunder and a little rain. Today we are at 75, hope you are cooler too!
It’s storming here now and the temperature dropped to 72.
Very warm and unsettled weather here this weekend. Monday is supposed to be ugly and stormy.
SOTD is once again Kopari Body Glow SPF 50. I’m really enjoying the light scent of this product and it lasts fairly well, staying close to the body. It’s a warm summery floral/amber. If it was available in a straight up EDT or EDP or even a body spray I might seriously consider picking up a bottle.
Dumped a bit of change yesterday when I made my annual skin care purchases over at Paula’s Choice. I bought the usual suspects and I’m trying a couple of new items. I ended up getting SIX FREE FULL SIZE items with that order. 😬 Everything was 20% off and then, depending on how much you spent, you get a number of free full size items. No affiliation, just a fan because Miss Paula has taken very good care of my skin for years. I love the brand for its no nonsense straightforward science based approach to skincare.
Tonight is my last night of this contract and while it wasn’t the worst, it wasn’t the best. Unfortunately, I seemed to be on the same schedule as someone whose name I won’t mention. The non-stop YapYapYap in this high pitched childish voice grates on me to no end. The voice gets higher and screechier if a man happens to be around. I always go to the opposite end of the unit, and yet she searches me out to yap in my ear!! WTF?! I could walk away mid sentence and she would follow me YapYapYapping the whole way. I go to great lengths to avoid any eye contact whatsoever, because I know she’ll see some unpleasantness in my mild blue eyes! 😅
And to end with some good news, at least to those in the nursing profession, Oregon had just passed a bill that sets standard limits for nurse/patient ratios!! The ratios are excellent so this is a realistic and well thought out change. Big win for Oregon nurses and the patients they care for. Oregon also included CNA’s in this legislation, as well as demanding hospital systems develop a system where staff can report complaints and violations to the state without fear of retribution and retaliation by the hospital. Go Oregon! 🦫 🥰
Thanks for letting me unload and thanks for the return to good health wishes over the past few days! Have a great weekend all!
I almost spit out my Diet Dr. Pepper when you said her voice gets higher and screechier when a man comes around 🤣
I hope you have a quiet night.
That’s good news Deva. My sister is so short staffed.
The Oregon news is indeed good. And six full-size products free is amazing! Yay!
That is good news for nurses!👏
Oofta. Is it really almost July? June just flew by. While May kinda crawled.
Soup of the Day: Cocobello
June really did seem to fly by.
Wearing a sample of Obvious Parfum Une Vanille. Very linear, as expected but was perfect for this very hot day doing grocery shopping and cleaning. This one reminds me of “new doll smell”. When I would get a new doll as a child, it always seemed that the plastic – or whatever it was the doll was made of – smelled a little like vanilla. Weird how these associations stay with us for decades.
I am reading Shantarum by Gregory David Roberts about an escaped convict from Australia who flees to India. I brought it with me on vacation earlier this month and I typically finish books on the plane rides but not this one since it is 800+ pages. I am not good at reading books in my everyday (non-vacation) life so it is slow going. I am going to try to get through as much as I can on the weekend because weekdays are hopeless for reading.
I read that book a long time ago. I liked it at the time, I don’t know if I would today.
I didn’t have time to post yesterday, but I participated in wearing Fendi Theorema. I bought a mini of it on ebay just to know what all the fuss was about, and I transferred the liquid to a sprayer so I could get the full effect. Well, knowing it’s so precious, I’ve hardly ever worn it, so for the CP I dug in! Good thing too because I think it’s evaporating.
Then, today, I wondered if Theorema was similar to Safran Troublant, another discontinued perfume people seem to love (and which I got a decant of recently from a lovely NSTer), so tonight I sprayed more Theorema on one arm, and ST on the other. They do have similarities (sandalwood and spices), and I’d think of them as being close cousins. Neither one is really “me,” but I appreciate them.
Finally, a shoutout (or curses!) to those who told of the Bruno Fazzolari discount: I went to the website to check out the soaps, and then saw the throws, and fell hard for the white lilac one. It’s so beautiful! So, what was going to be a purchase of just the box of gift soaps (I’m most curious about the toasted lilac one) plus maybe the limonata one morphed into something much bigger. Whoopsie daisy!
I had the same Fzotic experience… two new bottles! LOL
Haha! Hooray for us!
I will probably be kicking myself for passing up the BF/Fzotic sale, but I can’t justify the expense right now.
There will always be other sales in the future, so no need for FOMO.
Smoky, hot and humid here. Had to run the AC last night to sleep. Rain expected for the next week, so it will be hot and damp. Ugh.
I’m wearing Andy Tauer’s Lys du Désert pretty much every day now, as I feel like it might be getting ready to go bad, and I don’t want to waste it.
Ugh. I like cool and breezy in the summer.😎
Additional thanks for the Fzotic code! After one too many bourbons the other night, bottles of Unsettled and Au Dela will be on their way 😉
Wearing a very un-summery sample of Ummagumma. I know many love this, but the chocolate-incense combo is too strange for me. I won’t be late-night ordering this one!
Yeah, Ummagumma was too much for me too. Glad I tried it though!
Ummagumma was probably the heaviest-bodied perfume I have tried. I felt a little smothered by it. Glad to pass on my samples to someone who enjoyed them!
I am wearing last drops of a sample vial of Musc Bleue.
I am in the Laurentians, woke up to a terrible smoky air and there are alerts not to go out without a mask. That is great excuse to stay in and listen to Nez la Revue Smell Talks podcast. The one about Santal is really interesting.
Oh no, Hera you are in Canada? My daughter is headed to Saskatchewan with her summer camp.
I am in Montréal, I hope it will get better soon and your daughter could enjoy the camp. They are announcing rain which is good.
Yes, really nasty here in Montréal – I’m hoping the rain will help. We are inside with the windows closed and the fan running.
I’m in Tam Dao, it’s been my scent of the week, and my cute little 30 ml bottle is down to the last couple of sprays. I have needed a comfort scent this last week, big time.
Today is my last day of “vacation,” and it’s been a helluva week. Not one I want to repeat anytime soon. I did get to travel up to the twin cities area to visit with my maternal auntie, but it ended up being the type of visit neither one of us would have expected in a million years and were not prepared for. The Friday prior to my visit, my uncle suffered a stroke- multiple strokes we later ended up learning. I will spare you the play by play, but suffice it to say the damage was severe and extensive. By the time I made it up there on Tuesday the decision was made to transition to hospice care. He was transferred from the hospital to the same care center where my beloved granny was 4 years ago. I stayed with my aunt the better part of the week and did my best to try and provide her with some emotional and physical support. Being back where my granny passed was….a lot. I returned home yesterday. It was hard to leave and a part of me wanted to stay, but the bigger part of me just could not stay and watch another family member die. I know she is surrounded by her children and in-laws. I got word this morning that he passed. My heart is heavy today.💔 Along with the heaviness does come a mixed feeling of relief. He has been released from any pain and suffering.😓
Oh dear, that is very tough news. I know it was really hard but I’m sure your aunt appreciated you being there. I’m glad your uncle is free from suffering. My heartfelt condolences to you.
Thank you cazaubon.
Hey madtowngirl, I am really sorry for your family’s loss.
Thanks lillyjo.
My deepest sympathies about your Uncle’s unexpected passing, madtowngirl. I am so sorry.
Thanks Jalapeño.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Thanks hajusuuri.
Very sorry for you and your family. It sounds like you will have good memories.
Thanks SarahN.
Oh my goodness, you have been through the wringer. Condolences to all of you.
Thanks Robin. It was a difficult week for sure.
I’m so sorry for your loss, and that that happened on your vacation too.
Thanks socks.
Yes, I think that I was meant to have the week off to spend with my aunt though. I was glad I could be there for her.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s tough, being back in the same hospital where you had already experienced a great loss-please look after yourself. And how kind to spend your vacation with your aunt-she will appreciate it, I’m sure.
Thanks carole, although it was tough, I was glad to be there for her. She is my very special aunt.
I’m so sorry for the loss to your family, madtowngirl. Your presence meant a lot to your aunt, I’m sure.
Thanks ringthing, I do hope so.
So very sorry for your loss, MTG…sending you hugs and strength.
Thanks She-ra.