It's Wednesday and Roald Dahl Day. Also, one of several versions of International Chocolate Day. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm at the beach, I'm still commando, and I'm now very behind on comments, sorry! No points for me.
Reminder: on 9/15, we're off to Italy! Wear a perfume that is named for a place in Italy, or that reminds you of a (real or imaginary) trip to Italy, or that features an Italian ingredient, or ?
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2023, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is Zebra style [cropped] by Hervé Simon at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m wearing the very last of a manufacturer’s sample of THAT Guy, from Gallagher. It was evaporated down the the oil stage, but it smells great. Naturally, its been discontinued.
Isn’t that the way? Sorry.
I am in Acqua di Parma Mirto di Panarea – extra points for two Italian locations.
Glannys, I love your SOTD! I have that in the fragrance, the sugar body scrub, the shower gel-and the room diffuser 🙂 You smell great!
I’m in Grandiflora-Michel, which is a beautiful magnolia scent. I’ve never smelled a real magnolia so whether it’s true to the flower I cannot say-but I love it 🙂
Wow, I love it too, but you are the ultimate fan! ❤
I am not familiar with your SOTD, but I am sure you smell lovely.
Hello.
Sotd is Lost Cherry.
I went to Guerlain and asked when the Shalimar Iris will be in stock, and to my great shock and disbelief, HK won’t be getting any! The disappointment! (I asked my SA why HK won’t get any but he said he didn’t know. Boo.) So when I got home I ordered myself a bottle from the US website asap. Thank goodness it was still available. Now I will maybe have my friend ship it to me or I will get it from her when I see her in Christmas!
What is HK? Sorry I don’t know this store
I think it’s Hong Kong. 🙂
Yep, its Hong Kong. Thank you 😊
That’s surprising as I would have thought there would be a big interest and market in HK, especially as you have a Guerlain store. I hope your ordered bottle comes through.
My thoughts exactly! My SA told me they carried all the previous Millesimes so it was a surprise for them too.
Wait, was already on the US website?! I thought it wouldn’t be out until October.
PSA – Looks like it is available on Guerlain’s Canada website.
Found it. Of course there would be PSAs about how to find in the comments on yesterday’s post about the it. Thank you fragrant friends!
Did you get a bottle? 😏
😎
That’s a big surprise that HK isn’t getting the Shalimar Millesime Iris. I figured that was a given.
I bet there will be many disappointed customers…
🇮🇹 🇮🇹
Omnia for the CP!
Points!
No CP points for me today, just rocking No 5 Eau Premiere as an easy reach. I needed to feel clean and effortless!
The lanternflies have found their way to the front entrance of my building. I get nauseous every time I have to crush one, they are so gross.
I did pull the trigger on Shalimar Millesime Iris unsniffed, trusting that it wouldn’t be awful at the very least. Looking forward to reading all your reactions to it soon!
You smell great, pfsh! I’m looking forward to everyone’s reactions too.
I haven’t handed over my credit card. I am waiting for others opinions first.
a wise decision!
Ew, those spotted lanternflies are nasty, aren’t they?
I consider myself fortunate that I didn’t see a lot of them this summer.
I saw a few, but FAR less than last year.
SO nasty! Hoping it doesn’t get much worse than this!
There have been lots of very positive comments on the FB groups, so I ordered a bottle.
Excellent, hope yours arrives soon so we can compare notes!
CP points with CBIHP Room With a View today. I haven’t worn this one for a while, and always enjoy it when I do.
I did a quick sniffing expedition at lunch yesterday, and got to try Tobacco Honey & Heaven Can Wait, both on paper. I will go back and try Heaven Can Wait on skin. Tobacco Honey was exactly as advertised in the name, but seems like a bit too much of it for me. Of course, I ended up buying the one I couldn’t smell — Millesime Iris. Here’s hoping nothing goes wrong with the shipping.
Looking forward to hearing your description of the Millesime Iris!
Great call!
In Acca Kappa Mimosa for the CP.
Happy Wednesday! 🌻
Happy Wednesday!🌻
👋🏻🌞
Mimosa is another cheerful floral, isn’t it? A good pick to counteract this gloomy weather this morning.
Argh, “THE gloomy weather this morning.” Sheesh. 🧐
I found mimosa cheerful and delicate at the same time. It is one of my favorite notes.
Inspired by austenfan’s choice yesterday, I’m in Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile. Mine is the edt formulation, which I like better than the edp — it’s brighter and happier, to my mind.
Twins! Actually glad I’ve got a large honking bottle, so I may spray with abandon when the mood strikes.The edt’s my preference as well.
I think we must have twin bottles — mine is the huge one as well. In retrospect, it might have been my best perfume buy ever, perfumath-wise. 😁
I never tried the EDT, I don’t even know whether it was still around when I got my bottle of EDP. It’s supposed to be lighter and sunnier. I know Robin prefers it.
Perfect choice !
Demeter This Is Not A Pipe, which in fact is not a pipe, but the smell of a briar pipe stuffed full of fruit-scented tobacco. It is so realistic and so good!
Wow, this sounds so good, and I love the clever name!!
I’ll stop by my neighborhood perfume shop and spritz some Carthusia for the CP, probably Gelsomini Di Capri because I can’t get enough jasmine these days.
Jasmine is so calming. I was listening to a scientist talking about a study where jasmine is used in dementia units, and the incredible effects on raising memory that it has.
It’s such a powerful and evocative scent.
Wow, that is so interesting to hear. I’ll have to try to find out more about that.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018902417/michael-leon-startling-research-on-scent-and-brain-function
Might have been this one. Not entirely sure.
It’s been a while since I have worn jasmine. I still love it, though. Just hasn’t felt right as of late.
Day 3 of my own Italian week, SOTD is Spezie de Medici by L’ Profumo di Firenze. Spicy orange frag that softens down and is quite wearable. This will probably be more a winter scent for me but it is a nice choice today.
This was a tiny very charming shop near the Ufitzi. They had lots of choices, so many choices! But..besides regular 100m spray bottles, they also offered 10m bottles of perfume with caps at a very good price. Buy 3 and save a few Euros, so of course that made the most sense 😜.
Of course!
Nice that 10mL bottles of perfume were offered!
I can vouch for it in winter 🙂
Accidental points in Etro palais jamias today. So green and good for the end of summer.
Off to investigate Shalimar iris….
Those Etro perfumes are fantastic.
Yesterday when I had Clair de Musc as my sotd I hadn’t applied it yet, and when I got the bottle out I sprayed with wild abandon. It was Gris Clair, which I love but have to be in the mood for, at nuclear strength! I didn’t have time to shower it off so it wore me all day.
So! Today I’m wearing my beloved Wazamba, with the apple water version from CBI Hate Perfumes on top. Much better.
Oh no!
Spritzed on some of the Prada (CP!) iris absolue, but it was too spot-on for the grey day, so on went some Encens Mythique on the other arm. Feeling warmer, as well as a Rich Lady.
Smelling like rich lady is fun 🙂
I’m wearing Bvlgari Omnia, and Italian house and an Italian sounding name. I’ve got a smallish bottle of this, that I’ve had for at least 10 years. I remember that I wanted to get a BUB at the time, but I’m glad I didn’t in the end. I enjoy it, but I really don’t need anymore.
hey twin-we smell good don’t we?
Yes, we definitely do!
No CP points for me today, because my most recent purchase, a partial bottle of Santal Complet by Fragrance du Boise, arrived in the mail today. I’m typically an under sprayer but today I am covered in sandalwood!
Oh I have wondered about this one.
Nice to see you posting.
I was on a sandalwood search, and Santal Complet ended up in the top 5. Thanks for welcoming me back! 🙂
Oooh, what else made your top 5?
Yes, please tell!
I’m trying to match perfumes to my favourite Italian films and one of my favourite films , based on a novel by Alberto Moravia ( also worth reading) , is Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist. It s a film about a damaged man whose need for normality gets twisted , leading him towards a life of ‘conformity’ , fascism and murder. The film takes a very ugly theme ( fascism) but the film making , camera work, lighting, framing, staging are exceptionally beautiful and mesmerising. Beautiful streams of light through a dense winter forest, a tango in a crowded workers dancehall, a lone figure framed within austere architecture. So, to match, a perfume with an “ugly” base made beautiful…so I’ve chosen ambergris ( as a waste product) and am wearing Smoked Ambergris which is wonderful.
Have you ever watched any of the Taviani films?
Yes! Thanks for the reminder. Padre Padrone, Night of the Shooting Stars and Night Sun, the Tolstoy one with Julian Sands. Will have to think of a perfume. Do you have a favourite? I think we both also like Caro Diaro, from memory.
I have only seen La notte di San Lorenzo and Kaos, which was my favourite of those two.
I loved Caro Diario, such a fun film. My favourite of his was La Stanza del figlio though, which is far less lighthearted.
Same ( The Sons Room) and that was my pick for tomorrow
Now I need to see that movie! Your description brings back memories of all the classic films I saw in college.
Is your scent the one from Smell Bent? I don’t think I’m familiar with it.
Yes, Smell Bent.
I ate something bad a couple nights ago, and while my body and senses recover, I am keeping my perfume very low key. Today is Dame Soliflure Osmanthus. The texture reminds me of a fruit suede, like peach skin.
I hope you feel better soon!
I really like that Dame Osmanthus soliflore!
Ugh, feel better soon! The Dame Osmanthus is so pretty and cheerful.
Wearing italian brand Gucci No3, a *bay find of a used vintage bottle. So sad that they don ´t do those scents any more. Although i did not know it when it was a student, i wore Jil Sander Woman II instead, another lost gem….
Hey, tannina, I don’t think I’ve seen you for a while! 👋🏻
yes, i had too much to do at work lately
Gucci No. 3 is wonderful stuff.
You smell wonderful – I discovered No. 3 in a vintage lot on Ebay. It was love at first sniff.
Gucci No. 3 is phenomenal!
Already started celebrating Chocolate Day!
How long do ‘normal’ people take to clean up someone’s home/belongings after the person has passed?
I know someone who completed this in a week.
More decluttering!
Oh boy! I will have to say the work is never done. That someone must have either been really ruthless or the person whose belongings were cleared must have been a minimalist!
My brother still has some of my Mom’s belongings, and she passed away 2 years ago. He’s finally getting around to donating things this year. He’s been too busy with his own stuff.
It took about five years with my MIL, and she had already downsized her home. We have a spare bedroom and just put everything in there, then gradually worked through it. I am on about the same timeline with my parents’ things, four years on. They had many photographs, slides, books and papers, which we boxed up and stacked up. It is a mess, but I want to do it slowly, and we are fortunate to have an extra room. I would say I am more nostalgic than average, BTW.
I am not nostalgic and a maniacal cleaner, I think I could do it in a month.
SOTD = Francesca. Bianchi Sticky Fingers
I need to wear this more often! I was inspired by tulipani’s wearing yesterday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxJJwyRR87b/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
About Barbie …
I got an email yesterday regarding the availability of renting or buying the Barbie movie via Amazon Prime. I checked out the pricing and Holy Moly for the love of all things @$&#*=<], it would have set me back $24.99 to rent or $29.99 to buy. Seriously? So I will wait it out … or so I thought! 🤔 A friend just texted me and asked if I want to go see it in a movie theater? I pretty much said yes already. What do you think? Is it worth it for a large screen effect (and cheaper) or should I just wait it out until it’s cheaper a year down the road?
I think its worth seeing on the large screen 🙂 It’s a very aesthetically pleasing movie and there are lots of little details on the outfits that I enjoyed viewing.
Oh good, thanks! Let’s see if we actually see it in the movie theater.
I agree with pfsh – the costumes, sets and “look” of the movie are best on the big screen, and were my favorite part. Spend your $24 at the theater (where there may still be the giant Barbie box photo space) and get that giant bucket of popcorn and a Slushie!!
I say go see it at the theater. It will be nice to share the experience with a friend.
I’d say, yes, see the Barbie movie in the theater. If you think you need to mask in there, do that.
I agree. I saw it in the theater over the summer and again last night on a tv. The visuals are such an important aspect of the experience that I’m glad I had seen it on a big screen first.
$25 to rent it is eye-popping. And I assume they do that to make spending “only $5 more” to buy it seem reasonable and thus they get extra the $. It worked on me! 😂 But I had a bunch of Amazon digital credits that were going to expire this week so it felt “free.”
I was scratching my head about what Italian perfumes I might have and realised I’d forgotten about Theorema, so that’s my choice for the day.
ALWAYS a good choice!
Wearing Yerba Maté from Lorenzo Villoreci. Loving it today – perfect for cool-ish but still humid weather. Green and powdery is a combo that always appeal to me.
I also have come to love the actual tea. I’m hooked on Kusmi’s blend with green tea and grapefruit flavor. I’ve been making a lot of it iced this summer.
Kusmi makes some pretty good tea blends.
They do! What’s your favorite?
I rather liked their Jasmine Green tea. I should try their Green Rose tea one of these days… 🌹
Their almond green tea is nice, too. I usually drink black, and my favorite is St. Petersburg.
Good to know about the Almond Green!
You smell wonderful, I was just thinking that I’ll wear Yerbamate tomorrow. Great stuff.
Thanks, ringthing. The more the merrier!
For breakfast, I had a lemon poppyseed muffin with shredded coconut and blackcurrants. The taste was alright (a bit too sweet and sticky), but the scent left on the plate was the most delicious gourmand fragrance. It makes me curious to see if Akro’s Bake smells anything like that.
Not compliant today in Costes.
That would be a nice gourmand. Heck of a lot going on for one muffin, though!
Somewhat compliant with International Chocolate Day, as I nibbled on a couple of Tootsie Rolls earlier this afternoon. I actually have some “real” chocolate stashed somewhere in the house, too.
Nice temps today, but still rather muggy. I was pleasantly surprised to see the sun this afternoon, since it was raining buckets this morning.
SOTD = commando, except for Korres Guava Body Butter on my shins. It pairs rather nicely with LUSH’s Sticky Dates shower gel, which I have decided to use up after all.
Ooh, I need to eat chocolate! Thanks for the reminder!
Heh, you are welcome! 🍫😋
Jalapeno I know this sounds strange but good for you for deciding to use the sticky dates again!
It smells better to me in the height of summer. But it still makes me a little sad when I use it.
I just broke out my new bottle of Sticky Dates for the fall. Yum.
As I mentioned on another post here, this morning nancyleandros and I met up for a nice brunch and then went sniffing at both Le Labo and Aesop, which are literally across the street from the brunch place and next door to one another. They share the same minimalist, apothecary-style design aesthetic and likely, we speculated, the same hip young clientele (is that Gen X or not? Gen Y? I can’t keep track). We started at Aesop where we tried Ouranon, mentioned in that other article Robin posted today, with myrrh, but it didn’t do a lot for either one of us. I’m afraid that on the whole the Aesop line seems to shine in their body products but not their perfumes, which border (to my nose) on being medicinal. One made me think of Vicks Vap-O-Rub! But Nancy really liked one called, I believe, Karst.)
Anyway, I bought a neat soap and a very buttery geranium-scented body lotion as gifts for some friends when I go back up to Michigan next week. They also had some intriguing incense sticks and gorgeous heavy bronze incense holders.
At Le Labo we sniffed a lot of the city exclusives, which are all on display and available for purchase there this month, particularly the newest one, Myrrhe 55. It’s VERY appealing. It smelled complex on paper and then on my skin it just seemed to float away and be a generic floral at first. By now, several hours later, it is just gorgeous, rich and slightly sweet-spicy with jasmine on top and some patch-oud-musk underneath. I bought a $13 tiny packaged sample of that, plus one of Poivre 26 (?), because I loved that one a lot. (Strangely, the perfume I most liked at Aesop also featured a strong pepper note–it’s called Eidesis). Even a small, I think maybe 5-ml, sample of the city exclusives is, get this, $160! That’s ridiculous. We had fun being helped by their representative, and I promised to name her on the blog (which we mentioned)–so look out if you go to Le Labo on Westheimer @ Dunlavy for TAZ!
After that we also browsed in a nearby thrift store and each found some little item to buy. An excellent outing! I hope she will report in too. Luckily it’s a little bit less cool now than last week.
The oldest Gen Xers are now in their mid to late 50’s. So we aren’t considered young & hip anymore. And it doesn’t bother me. 😉
It’s probably Millennials/Gen Z that you are thinking of.
Well I should have known this better but get mixed up. The other customers we saw were definitely more like in their 20s and the staff people were nicely gender fluid, in a very chic way of course!
No worries!
Thanks for sharing your day, how fun! And I think I know the thrift store you went to, I loved that place.
Sounds like a fun day!
Thanks for the report! Have given up following the Le Labo city exclusives.
Have you ever had anything from Michigan’s Cherry Republic stores?
Used to dislike chocolate-covered cherries, until I tried these:
https://cherryrepublic.com/dark-chocolate-covered-cherries/
So yum.
Oh yes indeed, I have BEEN to some of those stores “up North,” as we say. Excellent jams too and I also love their chocolate covered cherries. I’ll probably be going to one next week when I’m back up there!
Thanks for the report, Calypso! I know what you mean about the Aesop frags. I’m a big fan of their rose hair mask.
Le Labo is charging $160 for 5 mls?!? 🤬
It sounds like you had a fun day! Especially the last stop. I bet you could have got more for your $160 in there! 😆
No kidding! Lol! I definitely could have spent more in the thrift store but at this point in my life I’m aiming to give or consign things TO such stores rather than drag home more cute items FROM the stores to my home. (But I did find a beautiful real Orrefors Swedish crystal vase in a pretty aqua blue for $24.)
I know what you mean. Excellent find, nonetheless. And small! 😁
Even if you buy one of their pre-packaged samples they are $13/apiece. I bought two, Myrrhe 55 and Poivre 23. I wanted to be able to experience them for a bit longer.
I can talk myself into $13 a sample on occasion. But $160? Forget it!
Such a great report. There is a herbal woody sameness to a lot of the Aesops, in my opinion. From Tacit onwards they all blur with the exception of the rose one, which was pricey. Hope you are keeping warm in those sub-100 Fall temps.
I had so much fun reading this and living vicariously!
CP compliant today in D.S. Durga’s Italian Citrus. I want to love this one. I love chinotto so much, and there are so few perfumes that list it as a note — it would be fun to have a chinotto collection. But I get a strong violet candy note that, for me, doesn’t mesh well with the citrus. Oh well. $$ saved.
Today’s tea was several cups of Tazo Joy, but I’m thinking about moving on to a negroni soon, since I’m in a chinotto mood already. 😊 Hope to see some of you soon on the Beauty Habit zoom.
Hope you enjoyed that negroni!
Ha! Yes! The benefit (problem?) of hanging out with an old friend is that the negronis are so good you have to got for round two!
OK. Just shoot me. I said I wasn’t going to fall for all the hype on the new Shalimar, but I ended up pulling the plug. If I don’t like it, it will be up on the swapmeet. I can’t stand it if there is a good iris out there I may be missing. We will see. Today wearing my Splendiris again.
“I can resist anything, except temptation.” Oscar Wilde is commiserating with you!
I like this. I take it you didn’t go for it.
Nope. Shalimar and I have never gotten along.
I really hope we all like it!
I flipped a coin and bought it because I was sad when the coin came up on the don’t buy it side. Lol!
Too funny😂
That is such a good test. Sad means you definitely should buy, and relief is confirmation you shouldn’t.
That is an excellent test – I can relate. And, my bottle is on the way, too.
I sure had FOMO; I haven’t sniffed MVP or the Tonka version so here’s hoping. (Plus the iris aspect got me too!)
Smelling great in your Splendiris!
I haven’t sniffed those either, but wish I would have at some point. Like I said, if it ends up a scrubber for me, I will gladly put it up in the swapmeet. I do have plenty of iris scents.
The day got away from me and I am doing late laundry.
I wore Shalimar edp for work today. We seemed to have an abundance of male shoppers today, so mostly I smelled Sauvage like cologne. It was a bit overwhelming.
House twin with you in our Shalimar!
ACK! Too much Eau de Dude!
After all the Shalimar talk yesterday, I wore Parfum Initial on one wrist and the eau de cologne on the other. PI won out for lasting on my skin the longest.