We're marking Veteran's Day on Saturday and Diwali on Sunday with our usual open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, your last great fragrance bargain, the veteran you want to honor today, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Nature's saturation slider [cropped] by Sheila Sund at flickr; some rights reserved.
Happy weekend!
Sotd is TF Fleur de Chine. One of the best from TF imo. So beautiful.
I just finished a very, very intense Korean series from Disney+ called The Worst of Evil. I recommend. It’s only 12 episodes so it won’t be a long investment.
You smell lovely. FdC is one that I appreciate very much but can’t wear somehow.
SOTD Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir.
Cold, but beautiful sunny day here. I woke up early and took a long walk in the park. Very invigorating!
Now, back home, having my second cup of coffee, waffles, and scramble eggs for breakfast. Christmas movies for later today.
Happy weekend!
House twins, well at least, for the first part of my day
You smell great in Mimosa & Cardamom, my favorite JM.
My favorite
You always have great breakfasts!
Thank you! They are usually on the heavy side during the weekends 🙈.
That sounds like quite a perfect day, low key in the best possible way. Hope you’re having a good weekend!
Thank you, Tulipani. I am having a very relaxing weekend!
Great weather and walk twins today!
It was really enjoyable outside today. But it willl be in the low 40’s tomorrow, so I will hunker down the whole day.
Mimosa and Cardamon for the market this morning. I bought some Japanese 🍠, purple on the outside white flesh on the inside.
After shower and market Puredistance Opardu
We started celebrating Diwali 🪔 last night and tomorrow I will wear Carnal Flower for the festivities.
Happy Diwali!🪔
Yes! Happy Diwali!
How nice to celebrate, enjoy.
Have fun celebrating 🎉
Happy Diwali!
Happy Diwali ltsg, and you picked a great fragrance.
Happy Diwali to you, LTSG!
Mimosa and Cardamom is probably my favorite JM. At least of the current ones.
Happy Diwali! I was on a zoom class this morning where the teacher was in India, we could hear the booming of fireworks in the background. 🙂
This morning I’m retesting Bottega Veneta Absolue, courtesy of a very generous NSTer. I like it even better than the Eau Légère version, but it still isn’t quite the HG leather that I’ve been seeking for a while now. Post shower I’ll switch to something else for a haircut appointment — maybe 19 EDP, since my hair person likes that one.
Ah! I have not worn my BV (just the eponymous scent) at all this autumn. Maybe a good choice for today.
You smell great!
Thanks! The original BV is another one I should revisit.
I was rather surprised to see a couple of bottles of BV Eau Legere on Amazon earlier today.
Oh, that IS surprising!
Wearing Tobacco Vanille today . Got an email from Luckyscent with a 11% off, the code is Singles. I won’t be biting. Don’t have funds but it’s not good on Tauer, Le Labo and Giardini di Toscana.
I’ll add that the code is only good today 11/11.
Saw a couple other singles sales today…I don’t think I knew that was a thing on 11/11 but makes sense.
Wearing DSH Chinchilla today, which was prophetic as we saw a bunch of furries on our hike this morning.
T-Rex spotted (or smelled them) first and because I was not paying attention to her body language I wasn’t even aware of them until she stopped dead in the middle of the trail. I followed her gaze and saw nothing for about 15 seconds and then, one coyote, two coyote, three! All wandering on the opposite hillside watching us intently. There was a fourth I didn’t even see until I was looking at my video footage. Discretion is the better part of valor so we turned around and headed back because I didn’t have bear spray. Don’t think they would have bothered us but didn’t want to take chances with my snack sized BFF. They’d finish her off quick and then pick their teeth with one of her rib bones.💀Four miles total so not bad for an early morning ramble.
We made it here too late yesterday to make the soup my taste buds were craving. Instead had a bunch of roasted veggies (beet, butternut squash, and red potatoes) with a pork chop. SO good! They’re going have to pry that air fryer out of my cold dead hands! So glad I bought it 😊
Robin, I hope yesterday made made some good memories for you. I can imagine it was a bit emotional. ❤️🩹
What is the soup you’re craving? Since we finally have “cold” weather (60 degrees but very unpleasantly damp and gloomy) I’m thinking of trying to make some kind of pumpkin lentil combination. About to look up recipes. I’m very glad that T Rex didn’t become coyote brunch.
It was sausage, white bean, and kale soup which I’ve made before and absolutely love. Don’t think I’ve made it since I left my sticks and bricks because I just didn’t have a kitchen in the van. Just finished a bowl and YUM! I added some red pepper flakes to add some heat. It’s pretty fast to throw together, which is another reason I like it. The only time commitment is cooking the Italian sausage and chopping veggies. Then bada-bing, bada-boom! Done!
I need to make some soup, too. I’ve been craving cheap packaged ramen and have eaten WAAAYYYY too much of it this week. It’s so nutritionally void, though. I need to satisfy this cold-weather craving for salty, warm, spicy brothy goodness with something that’s actually good for me.
Would love to hear other’s soup inspo
I do like things that come together fast. I’m just not one of those cooks to stand in a kitchen for hours. The good thing about homemade soup is the volume. Just divvy it up in individual portions, throw it in the freezer, and you can have delicious soup at the drop of a hat. 🥣
I know what you mean by nutritionally void! I make mine less void by adding an egg (I don’t eat the soup), green peas and chicken (if I have any).
Thank you. My sister came up with her son for a couple days and we had a very nice time and she made us lovely food, and had a nice walk outside in the sun this afternoon, but this evening am feeling a bit down.
My husband was not good at birthdays anyway and as my sister pointed out, now I am deprived even of the opportunity to complain to my family about my husband not doing an adequate birthday for me, which is as much of a yearly tradition as a perfect birthday would be. HA!
Also, in case I ever need to know, does bear spray work on coyotes?!?
Bear spray works on everything, including people, which is why I try to remember to take it with me. It shoots about 30ft, so you don’t have to worry about someone getting in your space and immobilizing you like you do with pepper spray. Just have to make sure you’re upwind so you don’t get blowback. 🐻
Thank you Deva!
Yep, sounds like the same thing my mom said about my dad for every birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day, ad infinitum!
Also meant to say so happy you have your sister. She must be such a great support!
Sending you a big hug, Robin!
More hugs for you, Robin.
Wish there was a hug emoji for you Robin. Sisters can be the best.
Thanks all. Feeling much better today. Need to steel myself for the winter.
Road testing a couple of samples that have been languishing in a drawer. I am determined to work my way through my samples by the end of next year, and weed them down to only those I like enough to use up, and pass on the rest to someone else. On my left wrist is DSH New Hope…Is Where We Dream and on my right wrist is Zoologist Sacred Scarab.
Not liking Sacred Scarab at all. It is supposed to an amber/incense frag, but mostly I get sweet florals with that plasticky feel of so many modern perfumes. None of the smoke or depth or warmth I would have expected. I’m not sure if my nose is wonky, but everything else smells normal to me.
New Hope… seems to be very light, and sweeter than most green florals. Not bad, but not anything I need more of. I think it’s pretty safe to say I don’t need a bottle of either of these.
I am also making a point of writing down my reviews of each sample I try in my spreadsheet. Being the nerd that I am, I have an Excel file for my perfumes. Within it, I have pages for a list of my collection, reviews, purchases, swaps I have made, freebies I have given away, a wish list of things to try or buy (including perfume books), etc. This really does help me to keep track of what I have, what I have tried, what I have gotten rid of, and so on. The “reviews” are not publication worthy, and I don’t worry about that; I simply write down my impressions–what notes are most prominent to my nose, how does it make me feel, what does it remind me of, is it similar to anything else, how long does it last–and assign a rating from 0 (absolutely no way, I never want to smell this again!) to 5 (OMG yes! I NEED a bottle of this or my life will not be complete!) that reflects how much I like it. This has proven to me immensely helpful to me in keeping me from wasting money resampling things I disliked but have forgotten about. I currently have nearly 400 perfumes in my Reviews tab, and there is no way I would remember my impressions of all of them without having written something down.
Great idea! I’m kind of a spreadsheet nerd too, having used them for years at work. They can be so useful and if it’s for perfume reviews and notes it doesn’t necessarily feel like work.
I love making spreadsheets anyway. I know some other NSTers have commented that they keep paper notebooks and such, but paper does not allow you to sort, search, or edit the way you can with a spreadsheet. I have quite a few entries for perfumes I have completely forgotten having tried. Now, if someone mentions a perfume and I find myself wondering “did I ever try that?” I can go to my spreadsheet to check. If there is an entry, then I did try it. If the rating and description indicate I didn’t like it, I can just forget about it. The Swaps and Freebies tabs help me to remember what I have gotten rid of and when. They save me from frantically searching for a perfume I no longer own. My Collection page also includes the size of the bottle and an estimate of how much is left (obviously, I need to update this from time to time). Seeing the total serves as a vivid reminder that I do NOT need more perfume. The only thing I do not have an inventory for is samples; there are just too many of them, and the list changes too easily (a sample gets thunked much faster than a bottle).
Another spreadsheet nerd here! I just recently added a tab for impressions/reviews, and it’s already been helpful. There would be no other way to remember it all!
Wow! That is a lot of reviews. I envy your organization. I am an organized person in general but have never had to use excel in my job, so I don’t really know how to use it.
Do you have Excel (or another spreadsheet program) at all? It is not really hard to learn, at least for basic applications. It does have a lot of advanced features I have never used (and probably never will), but for simple list keeping and calculations, I don’t think it is hard to get the hang of it. There are tutorials available, or you might be able to find a class. Our local community college offers classes in Excel and Word, among other things, so maybe see if there is anything like that in your area. It is useful for so many things.
The advantage of an electronic document over paper, in addition to the sorting, searching, and editing I mentioned already, is that it is not easily lost or corrupted. Back in the 90’s, long before I had a computer at home, I played around a lot with aromatherapy and essential oils, keeping notes and formulas in a paper notebook. The inevitable happened–I spilled one of my mixtures on the notebook, rendering many pages illegible.
I keep a spreadsheet too, but just started a few years back so only have about 200 fragrances listed. I have several columns with the perfume house, name of perfume, type of fragrance, my impressions, if I own it and if I want to purchase in the future. Someone on here mentioned having a spreadsheet years ago and I thought it was a crazy idea. I thought to myself, “Why would someone need a spreadsheet if they only own a few perfumes?” Now I know the reason after falling down the rabbit hole.
Yes, I’m a perfume spreadsheet believer also. I use it mainly to track my spending (amazing how quickly it all adds up to $$$). I do need to be better at recording my impressions, particularly of samples ordered. I tend to keep a lot of samples as a kind of “library.”
I didn’t like Sacred Scarab at all at first either, but it has grown on me, in part I think because it has a beautiful dry down.
😂 I think we have the same spreadsheet. And the same problem with an excess of samples.
Yeah, I’ve been trying to get everything into a spreadsheet, as well, just to keep track of what I have. I’ve got all the FBs in, but the samples are taking forever, mostly because I’m trying to include the listed notes for each perfume, as well. I’m definitely not as detailed on the reviews — mostly I just note if the sample is FB-worthy. (And I definitely don’t want to track how much the bottles cost!)
I need to do a sample cull after this. I’ve realized I have a whole bunch of Luckyscent samples from houses that I don’t know much about…at some point in time it seems like they were really pushing Oliver & Co, because I have five or six different samples from them that I never requested. (I should probably go back and resample before banishing them.)
I have a bunch of LuckyScent samples from houses I never requested either. On one order, I had carefully selected the samples I wanted (about 5 or 6), and when my order arrived, not a one of the samples I received was one I requested. I also have many samples that were added in as “extras” in swaps.
I don’t bother with including notes lists, partly because what my nose smells doesn’t always match the listed notes. I want to record what I smell, not someone else claims I will smell. I don’t include samples until such a time as I test them out. My reviews are not necessarily very detailed. If I can’t think of much to say, I simply keep it brief. I tend to get more detailed when I really love a perfume. If I love it enough to consider it FBW, I want to make sure I note why it is so good.
Here are a few of examples (and with apologies to fans of Iris Silver Mist or Mythique):
Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist: YUK! HORRIBLE! Bitter, strong, awful. Scrubbed of w/in 2 minutes. 0
Mythique: Supposed to be a skin scent. If my skin smells like this, I am in serious need of a good bath. I don’t like iris, and the feeling is mutual. Improves over time, but only because it fades out. 1
Grossmith Shem-el-Nessim:F Exotic, something of Nag Champa incense there. A little too cloying. Feel as if I am wearing an incense stick. Too thick. 2.5
American Perfumer Desert Flower (Aroma M): WOW!!!! This immediately brings up an almost synesthetic image of golden light. The entire scent smells golden and warm. Incredibly beautiful, rich without being cloying, no harshness or roughness, all smooth edges, and utterly compelling. After 2 or 3 hours, it has subsided to nearly a skin scent, but become even more interesting. It now smells of sand, warmed by the sun but not hot. Flowers are still there, but in the background. Perhaps a whiff of smoke from a campfire. Stunning. 5
You can see that the review for the 5 point perfume is much more detailed. Incidentally, that one is in my collection, as I managed to snag one of the 25 bottles that were made. My bottle, in fact, is the one pictured on the American Perfumer website, number 4/25. The other reviews are much more succinct, but enough to let me know that I need not consider them any further or bother with testing them again.
I have a Word document that I keep for testing notes and all my samples. And another one which lists my full bottles.
I’ve wanted to have either a spreadsheet or a database to organize my info a little better. But that’s for a less hectic time.
You guys! So many spreadsheets! I’m a complete slacker, much to my embarrassment. I meant to keep a “hand written” spreadsheet of every single cent I’m spending during this time off in order to really sit down and see where I’m wasting money. The first day went by and I had ALREADY forgotten! I even put a small notebook and pencil in the cab of the truck and STILL forgot..! I’m a spreadsheet loser. 😭
Spreadsheets? Count me in … except I started and failed a few times over and I said “self, just enjoy your hobby” and that was that.
Exactly the same here.
Hello all!
Hoping not to have to leave the house today. Just cleaning, studying, and walking Jicky. I finished his sweater just in time for a little cold snap and he loves it.
I’m in Coromandel parfum today, which just fit the bill. I’ll be catching hints of it all day.
Have a great day everyone!
You smell wonderful, and how stylish is Jicky in a handmade, custom sweater!
You smell great!
House twins! I almost grabbed that one today.
I’m wearing Clair de Musc today and I smell clean and fluffy lol.
It’s another beautiful fall day, decidedly chilly but wonderful sunshine 😎
Enjoy the sun!😎 Ours was here briefly this morning and is now gone.
A lovely choice.
A sunny day feels so good this time of year.
Had a lovely coffee date this morning with a retired friend/colleague and and alum we both taught who is now a professor, herself. It was a beautiful way to spend the morning.
Commando but SheriG has inspired me to wear original Bottega Veneta today. Am wearing a cashmere pullover I just bought on clearance so soft leather + soft cashmere is sounding good.
Sounds like a great morning. Love a good cashmere sweater.☺️ And even better that you got it on clearance!
Have not worn BV for a long time, but I know you smell wonderful.
I have a few past students who’ve become professors too and it’s always so fun to see them! In fact I’m scheduled to speak at a panel this coming February and another speaker there will be my first thesis student EVER–I literally have not seen her since around 1980 or so. The person who asked us both to speak had no idea we had a connection like that. It’ll be such fun!
What fun! This student has ended up in a different field, so it’s unlikely we will ever end up presenting together. My (undergraduate) students who have gone on to complete Ph.D.s in my field have now all left it because of the grim employment picture — something I warned them about vociferously while also celebrating their grad-school successes.
Yeah, Mr. Ockeghem is experiencing something similar. He’s at his field’s big conference this weekend and will connect with a couple of former students, but he’s thinking he’ll probably never advise another Ph.D. student again. His university doesn’t have tons of scholarship money and foreign students aren’t eligible for government grants. The job prospects are also terrible. He’d have to find a student who does exactly what he does and who’s also Canadian to make it work. His division hasn’t taken a Ph.D. in some years now.
I went to my old alum where I did my undergrad in nursing the other night. I spoke on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association to pre-med students. Had not been on campus for about 40 years and the building the program was done in is named after my first biology professor. Shows how old I’m getting. Even though I drive by the campus all the time, I never have a reason to stop. It was fun to see all the changes going on.
I’m sampling another Victoria Beckham fragrance today. San Ysidro Drive, which is a big nope for me. Bordering on being a scrubber. Must be the Oud. It’s a big no from my girls too. Unbeknownst to them, I applied just 2 small sprays to my wrists and a short time later (in a different room of the house) I could hear them talking about something that smelled. I had them do the wrist check, and sure enough it was me.😂 You win some, you lose some.
I was up early and got a workout in and a walk to get a latte. It was gorgeous blue sky at the time but now it has clouded over. Glad I got some sun while it was out.
Scratch the “bordering on,” I scrubbed. It was making me queasy AND gave me a headache.🤢🤕 Sorry VB, I like your lipsticks but this one is just not for me.
This brings me to another question for you all, how do you scrub? For this one I made a baking soda paste and rubbed my wrists together, which worked fairly well. The scrubbers are always the ones that don’t want to come off!
The baking soda paste sounds like a great technique. The scrubbers really are tenacious, aren’t they?
I use Dawn liquid dish soap.
Me too.
My method, which doesn’t always work, is to wipe first with an oil cleanser or micellar water, and then wash with soap. I think I need to step it up with cazaubon’s Dawn method!
Wow, that is impressive. In a way I’m also sort of happy that she made something bold enough that somebody hated it? So many celeb fragrances are just too wishy washy to care about either way.
Dawn and/or Tide liquid, those are the best.
I’ve used makeup remover and/or rubbing alcohol after a soapy scrub in the past to attack particularly persistent scrubbers.
I have had good luck scrubbing with a mixture of hand sanitizer (ethanol based, not isopropyl) and plain white soap. I figure since ethyl alcohol is generally the solvent for most perfumes, it should do a good job of dissolving them off the skin, and the soap seems to help. I rub the sanitizer on the skin first, then follow up with the soap.
SOTD is No 5 EdT.
Question of the day-For those of you who wear Mitsouka, do you prefer the perfume or the EdT?
Thanks to a generous NSTer I have been testing several Rogue scents. I love Champs Lunaires and wanted to try some more of them from this house. They have lovely fragrances, but some don’t work for me and some are a little too masculine. I did really like Derviche and Jasmine Antique. Still have a few more to go. Their fragrances are pretty reasonably priced and can be purchased in 30 ml bottles which I like.
I liked Derviche when I tried it too.
I’ve only ever tried the EdP concentration of Mitsouko. So I can’t help with that question, sorry.
Someone told me they had tried all iterations of Mitsouko and thought they were all good so maybe it doesn’t matter. I am thinking about purchasing the EdT.
They are both very good but I prefer the perfume!
Paris-Riviera again..very generous application lol
I think that whole line lends itself well to generous application, I find them pretty airy scents. Plus the bottles have such a nice sprayer!
Cinéma EDT today. I love it. My chicken enchiladas were delicious last night and oof! I ate a little too much because I also “had to” try the pumpkin pie.
Football this afternoon, online shopping this morning and then a short visit to my elderly neighbor who just got a new hip.
Happy Saturday!
So did Allo come over to help you eat it?
Not yet, but I have a place set and wine glasses out … 😉
A big football win today and I’m on my way over to celebrate🥂😀
I knew it!
😀 See you soon!
I’ve been on the Cinema EdT kick of late. Really enjoy it.
Me, too! In my top 10 for sure.
Taking things easy on account of the vaccine yesterday. But I feel fine.
Did some sorting out, mostly clothing, re-arranged in one of the wardrobe. It was Carita this morning to run errands, it’s a great perfume of the cosmetic, lipstiky kind, lots of iris but the powderiness is just right and it’almondy with heliotrope. When I came back it was AdP Vaniglia which is very natural-smelling to my nose.
*wardrobes, *lipsticky
Glad you are feeling fine Aurora!
Thank you, it’s worth it, in order to avoid two viruses.
Nice to hear that you are feeling all right today. But a laid-back day after vaccinations still sounds like an excellent idea.
Thank you, I did things around the house, I feel fine today.
And Robin, belated good wishes for your birthday and for an easier, happier year ahead.
Thank you so much skalolazka!
I’ve been working very hard on my downsizing project by sorting out my overly large collection of clothes, packing them into boxes to donate or possibly re-sell somewhere. I just don’t wear many things now since I’m retired, and some don’t fit (alas). It’s shocking how much I’ve packed up and yet how much I still have in my closets! Yikes! One thing I can use to note my progress at least is the bags and bags of hangers I’ve freed up. I wonder if stores would like my used hangers too?
Since it’s “cold” here now I’m wearing Passage d’Enfer Extrême by L’Artisan. It’s a very good scent for colder weather. As I mentioned above to Deva, I am in the mood to make some sort of pumpkin soup, preferably something savory. I’m about to check out recipes. A long time ago I had a savory pumpkin soup recipe that was from Brazil and I was so delicious, but it’s lost now and I can’t remember much about how it was made, except that it had something crunchy on top, like toasted almonds. (Or maybe pumpkin seeds? But I’m going to do things the easy way and buy pumpkin in a can. After years of making annual pies from scratch with real pumpkins I concluded that the canned kind was every bit as good. It’s sort of like how the best chefs almost all agree that French’s canned fried onion rings are better than what you can make at home!)
I will need to weed out my clothing as well, eventually, but I am putting it off until I determine what I actually do and do not wear now that I am retired. I definitely dress differently than I did when I was working, but not in the way you might expect. I was a chemist in a refinery laboratory, so my daily workwear was jeans and casual tops. Now that I am retired, I am wearing mostly dresses–casual dresses made of cotton or linen. I find dresses and skirts much more comfortable than pants or jeans, especially in hot weather, which is most of the year for us. I have several caftans that I am wearing the heck out of around the house. Some days I do not even leave the house at all, except to walk down to the mailbox or take out the trash. Consequently, I am wearing a lot of things that were nearly unworn before. I also am figuring that I have built up a reserve supply of clothes, so I don’t have to buy so many things now that I am living on a pension and savings. What I plan to do is weed out those things I never wear and likely never will wear, put some of the backup items in a closet in another room, and only keep at hand those in current rotation.
I’m with you regarding dresses and hot weather. I bought a ton of very casual maxi/midi dresses over the past couple of years and wear them whenever it’s too warm for me. And if I’m feeling really lazy around bedtime, I just remove the brassiere and BAM! Nightgown. 🤣
I’ve been downsizing/minimizing too and have had good luck with a nearby consignment store. I’ve managed to sell a couple dozen items over the last year, and 45 over the past 6! ( they have an online system that keeps track). I think it’s worth checking into.
I’m not opposed to just taking things to goodwill or salvation army, but I’ve read that lots of that stuff just ends up in the landfill anyway.☹️
I don’t think we currently have any consignment stores in my area. There are some resale shops that focus on better grade clothing (nice dresses, blouses, or slacks, not fast fashion junk), but they operate by donation only. I’ve taken some of my nicer things to one of them when I was not able to sell them, as I felt more confident that the stuff would actually be sold, not just sent to the landfill. For things that I wanted to actually sell and get some money for, I have had fairly good luck with ebay. So far this year, I have netted a little over $600, which is $600 more than I would have had if I simply donated everything. I’m trying to distinguish between “things I don’t wear because I don’t like them/they don’t fit/aren’t comfortable” and “things I don’t currently wear because I have so many similar items, but which I will probably wear when some things wear out.” The latter group I intend to keep as backups.
Nice! That is- as my dad would say- better than a sharp stick in the eye.😉 I’ve sold many things on eBay too and have made about half that much this year.
Statistics say we wear just a small percentage of what’s in our closets. I know for me that’s true. I reach for my comfy favorites all the time.
We do have consignment stores around here but they’re incredibly fussy and particular about what how when and so on. I can’t seem to get the right things around at the right time and in the right way–seasonal, hanging, freshly dry cleaned, blah blah blah. There is a very good and popular store that is sponsored by the Women’s Shelter and is not that far from where I live, so I’m taking things there. I’m saving out a few of the more high-end items to try to deal with the consignment store folks further down the road.
The clothes have to be dry cleaned? I would think the cost of getting them dry cleaned would negate what you would get from selling them, especially since you would only receive a portion of the selling price with consignment. I seldom dry clean anything–only those things that absolutely have to be. So many “dry clean only” clothes can be safely washed. Have you tried selling on ebay? I was skeptical at first, but I really have unloaded quite a few things that I wasn’t using any more. It is more trouble than taking them to a local shop, since you have to take photos and post them, write a description, etc., but for higher dollar items it is worthwhile.
I’m back after a 2-year hiatus. I began the process of buying a house, and the frag community was too triggering for my budget. 😂 Also just a very busy time
Now I’m rediscovering my love of scent. SOTD is Cuir de Russie, because I just re-organized my perfume collection (it’s been a mess ever since I unpacked) and ran into a nearly thunked decant.
Still need to perfect my perfume organization situation, but at least it’s better. Thinking I’ll get some of those tiered spice shelves
See below for my note.
Welcome back! I take it you did buy a house? Congratulations!
Yes! After many years of thinking I would never achieve home ownership, I finally made it happen. So grateful.
I didn’t make it before prices soared during pandemic, but I did get in before interest rates increased.
I have so much compassion for the people who don’t feel like they’ll be able to buy.
Welcome back!
Hope you have a lovely new home MissGoldsmith! That is very much worth avoiding perfume for.
Yay for your new home – may you enjoy it for many years to come!
Welcome back! You smell wonderful.
Sorry, that was for MissGoldsmith above.
I’ve caught a cold, with the drippy nose and frequent sneezes, so I will stay close to home and have chicken soup. I think I will wear Stash, it feels cozy to me.
Hope it’s short lived!
Feel better soon! I agree, Stash is cozy.
I hope you feel better soon. Soup sounds nice.
That’s a bummer. Hope your cold is short-lived.
Ugh, so sorry foxbins.
Sneezing twins. I can’t stop. I hope you feel better soon.
Get well soon!
Feel better soon!
SOTD = Les Extraits Signature, a Iris Pallida
Oy! I got samples of all six from the SA at Bergdorfs. So far, I have safely eliminated the Jasmin and the Bergamote but there are 4 more from which to choose. Iris Pallida is definitely a contender and for sure, from what I smelled of the tonka, it is worthy but I will need to calibrate with the iris. I am wearing one of them as an expression of gratitude!
Because it is from a decant, the picture is not photo worthy, so what better than to replace it with a Thanksgiving decor post?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzhbLJ0x-uk/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I have good news!
1 – All the splits have been decanted and packaged. I’ve also emailed all participants. I will bring the packages to the post office on Monday since today is a holiday. There’s one more person I’m expecting to hear from but no big deal since I have the bottles anyway.
2 – I was all ready to participate as a petit juror on Monday the 13th. I even tested Zoom as we were all reminded to do 3x in the past 3 weeks. When I have not received the email with the link yesterday, I decided to check email again and lo and behold there was an email from Thursday that said I don’t have to participate AND it will count as completing my jury duty obligation for the next 3 years! Woot!
Jury duty was to by via Zoom? I hadn’t run into that before, but then it’s been a few years since I had jury duty.
I did once get a summons for the the federal district court. That required me to check in online every weekend for several weeks to confirm whether or not I needed to go in person to the district court on Monday; fortunately, I never had to actually go in, and after several weeks, I got a message that I was released from jury duty and no longer needed to check in each week. Good thing too, as the federal district court is in the next county, about an hour’s drive away from where I live, and making that commute every day would have been a pain.
Three years’ exemption, and without actually serving on a jury? That’s much better than what we get. The 3-year exemption for us only applies if you have actually been selected and served as a juror. I’m not sure there is any exemption if you report for jury duty and aren’t selected; if there is, it is much shorter, maybe 1 year rather than 3. I once got summonses for both the federal district court and the municipal court in the same year, just a few months apart. I didn’t get selected for either, and I was hoping that was it for jury duty for that year (it was).
The first day was going to be via Zoom, then we have to check email all day (I want to know if it is every 15, 30 or whatever interval) to find out if we are proceeding on to the next step. I never got the chance!
Congrats on the jury duty outcome!! Couldn’t be better.
I know, right? I was actually looking forward to it though just for the newness of the Zoom jury duty experience.
Congrats on fulfilling your Jury Duty obligation!
Thank you. And seriously, pre-COVID, I could have sworn getting the notice more often than once every 3 years!
I think Iris and Tonka are my two favorites. Vanilla was surprisingly meh. I liked the jasmine, although it sometimes veers indolic on me. Bergamot was a big no as I dislike citrus. Rose was nice but I already have so many rose perfumes I wouldn’t buy it.
Same here! I could have been nose-blind with the vanilla. Rose was good and it may still be a contender. Today’s scent will be the tonka.
Excellent.
Thanks!
Congrats on evading jury duty.
Alas I feel like this convo is like summoning a demon, and I’ll probably get a notice next week or something. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten one
Ha! Evading may not be right word since I was looking forward to experiencing the Zoom jury duty process.
I know you are not in NJ, but I tick all the boxes of who gets included in the jury duty rolls: registered voter, submitted a tax return, has a driver’s license and/or Homestead rebate applicants although the state tries its best to eliminate duplications.
Tried Aedes 16a Orchard this morning, as the A box was at the top of the pile of samples I still need to catalogue. It was…fine…but didn’t have a ton of longevity so I think I’ll look for something else now.
Busy day of orchestra running — kid had regular practice this morning and then has a masterclass this evening. She hasn’t been around much to practice with all the travelling, so we’ll see how she does with her piece she’s playing in the masterclass. (Fortunately we know the professor doing the class, so it should be fine.)
Had a bad storm last night, and then today Ockeghem teen noticed stains on her ceiling. Trying to figure out if those are related to the storm, or to a toilet flood in the master bath a few weeks ago. (I’m really hoping they’re not in any way related to the reno. I want that to stay done.)
Oh no, hope the stain turns out to be something easily fixed!
I didn’t know Diwali was tomorrow. I’ll have to find something suitable to wear, something spicy.
And, just giving a Veteran’s Day shout-out to my grandfather, who was WWII, and my father, who was Vietnam (the latter and I weren’t close, but shoutin’ out any way). RIP.
My father (RIP) was WWII as well. I was thinking of him yesterday when I wasn’t busy feeling sorry for myself.
So thankful for all our veterans today! Wearing OG Bijan edp, one of my vintage bargains in the wacky “pacifier” bottle. It was a blind buy, 10 or so mls left, $3.50! Wearing it today, I remember smelling it at work or church back in the ’80’s. Bijan has the kitchen sink note list I love, although it is not as smooth as some of its kind. I love this and all sculptural glass bottles; the plastic cap strikes me as corny, but I think this was a “finer department store” offering when it came out. Good lasting power and some scent bubble, with a bit of weirdness from the basil and maybe the honey. Glad I had a chance to try it. BTW, for its age, it does not seem to have any off notes.
You and Aurora both have an impressive collection of vintage and hard-to-find perfumes.
I’m really trying to get with the 21st Century, perfume-wise. BUT I always relapse and go back down the vintage rabbit hole. I mentioned the other day that Le Lion does give me that “eureka” moment and deepens the desert island bench. In addition, of course, to my vintage treasures!
Adding my thanks to everyone who has served in the US Armed Forces.
I have a question for the NST Brain Trust. If you were to pick a concentration of Chanel Coco, which would you get? And why?
Or would you skip over to Egoiste instead?
Right now, this is just an idle question.
Lots of beautiful sunshine today, and relatively mild temps. I spent some time outside soaking it all in.
SOTD = Guerlain Mitsouko EdP. Sample thunked! And no melancholy notes today.
I like the edp, because it seems more spicy. The edt seems to feel more bright.
Second what lillyjo said.
Oh good because I have a hard time trusting my nose.
👏 on the thunk!
My only comment on Coco and Egoiste is that I have no comment.
I prefer the EDT, drier and an easier wear somehow.
That’s so funny you ask this Jalapeno because I was just on the Chanel site yesterday looking at Coco. I’ve actually never smelled the edt, so from a purely aesthetic point of view I’d go with the edp because it comes in the iconic Chanel bottle. And the adorable 1.2 oz size.
I’m loving all the chatter about soup today! I made a cream of broccoli soup last night, so yummy. And I might make more soup this week because I’m slowly emptying the refrigerator in preparation for a trip to SE Asia. I’ve been pretty anxious, it’s my first time flying since the pandemic.
SOTD is Aqua Allegoria Gentiana. I think this is the first full bottle Guerlain I ever purchased, it’s still smelling lovely.
October was my first post-pandemic flight, happened to be international (so a 4-hour flight followed by a 10-hour one). All 3 of us got COVID. Fortunately we all simply had mild cold symptoms (everyone vaxxed and recently boosted). Still sucks to not feel your best during trip, though. Do what you reasonably and comfortably can do to protect yourself. I also recommend packing a “just in case I get COVID kit” (e.g. thermometer, pseudoephedrine, etc)
Another tip: download the “mobile passport control” (MPC) app (official app of homeland security). You can use it to submit your customs documents on re-entry to US. At DFW, ec we’re able to use a special line for folks who had already prepared their docs electronically with the app. Saved us at least 20 minutes in line.
Finally, soup: I make my cream of broccoli soup with cheddar cheese and a dash of vadouvan curry powder. Highly recommend!
Wow, thanks for all the great advice and tips, MissGoldsmith!
I had not heard about MPC, will definitely look into that. And ooh, a dash of curry powder in cream of broccoli sounds brilliant.
I’ve flown about 6 times during the pandemic. Have been lucky enough not to get anything during them. I start wearing a KN-95 mask outside the airport and keep it on during the entire flight.
Good luck on your trip!
Yes, masking and keeping fingers crossed!
I’m also recently boosted and had Covid in the Spring, so if I catch it, hopefully it will be very mild.
Like others, I just spent the afternoon going through my vast excess of shoes. It feels good to weed out, but I also feel sad about no longer having the lifestyle to wear the majority of my beautiful shoes. Pretty much all I do now is go to yoga class, walk the dog or go to the grocery store. But I can’t bear to part with more than half of them. Maybe next year I’ll weed out more. I’m going to go through the clothes tomorrow so I can make a run to the charity donation store Monday. Wearing DVN Soie Malaquais.
Don’t pressure yourself to get rid of stuff you want to keep.
I used to have a ” cool” boot collection. It took me a good long time to admit my poor feet could not wear them anymore, and that I wasn’t that person anymore. I wear New Balance sneakers pretty much everywhere now.
New Balance are the cool boots of 2023, even John Taylor wears them!😆🤘
https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/sj7pz7/john_taylor_party_on_the_top_sensible_comfortable/
Thanks for this! 🤘
This is my reality, too, but I am still resisting getting rid of any of them. I echo lillyjo: don’t force yourself. If the shoes continued presence in your home isn’t harmful, wait until releasing them isn’t painful.
Echoing the other comments here. If it would hurt to much to get rid of something right now, and its presence in your home isn’t causing any problems, just keep it for now. It’s why I’m not in a hurry to get rid of very many of my clothes; I do have more things than I wear, but I also have extra closets. What I DO intend to do is rearrange things and put the extra items in the spare closets, to free up breathing room in my main closet. If the extra clothes are in a closet that would otherwise be empty, what harm are they doing? Mostly now I am down to (1) things I actually wear, and (2) things I am not wearing, but could wear or will wear when some of my currently-worn things wear out. So, in other words, I likely will wear them eventually.
Right now the only issue is clutter, so I’m getting rid of the ones I think I really won’t wear again or are not comfortable. Living in Montréal as a pedestrian, if I can’t walk at least a mile in a pair of shoes, they are useless to me. I used to sit at a desk all day in pretty shoes that weren’t walkable, which wasn’t a problem at that time.
At my age, I won’t live long enough to wear through all these shoes, so I’m facing the hard truth of Swedish death cleaning. Doing it now so it isn’t so overwhelming at the end.
ITA with lillyjo. Don’t pressure yourself to get rid of those shoes yet. You’ll only feel worse if you do.
The process of organising and culling is supposed to make you feel good, so I would say, if you have the space keep them.
I’ve been going through the exact same thing, cazaubon. After three years, I finally sent a box of good shoes to online consignment recently. It feels like mourning my previous life, and I need time to grieve. But I’m hoping to make a few dollars to buy more perfume!
Since I hadn’t showered, I decided to stay with the cherry theme and wore Black Perfecto to a coffee/breakfast date this morning. A new friend mentioned a place in my tiny town that I hadn’t tried….just one of those places that wasn’t on my radar. It was lovely! Good latte, homemade blueberry cornmeal muffin. My friend had a baked egg dish that they were experimenting with that looked wonderful. I was very tempted by the ham and cheese on fresh baguette to take home but will save that for another day. So nice to find a new place. They also have a good selection of wines….
I love Black Perfecto – such a happy perfume. A breakfast get-together is so much fun to go along with BP!
Late posting and starting CP week in NG Nuit de Bakélite, a long lasting tuberose beauty for which I am endlessly grateful. I hadn’t put on perfume this morning and found a sample of it in my pocket today while birding. Trumpeter Swans and Tuberose!
I like that, Trumpeter Swans and Tuberose!
Another lovely day, 100% sunshine and temps warming to low 60’s. T-Rex started her day with kibble and a little bit of yesterday’s zuupa on top. Wearing Kenzo l’Elephant to celebrate a perfect day in the desert. 🏜️
Oh nice…I wish I was in the desert, although weather here not terrible.
Cold but sunny day for my first philharmonic concert of the season. I think I will wear Russian Tea in honor of the pianist who will be performing.
Lovely video about making Bulgarian rose oil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pEG7Ghgpg
Thanks for the link, and enjoy the concert SarahN!
I’m still commando since I slept in this morning and am just getting organized for the day. I’ll be working on another painting for my class his week. But I wanted to report that I made the pumpkin and (red) lentil soup last night and it’s just delicious! I added some chopped carrots, celery, onion and garlic (of course), and tomatoes, and then once it was all cooked, put in shredded dark kale (Locinato kale) to add color and nutrition. The only herb or flavoring I used was a bay leaf. I thought of pureeing it but didn’t want the bother and it’s actually got a pleasant bunch of chunks and colors so I like it “crude”. And I bought a bag of toasted salted pumpkin seeds at the store that I used as a topping. Yummy! I ate too much! Later today I’ll be taking a batch of it over to my friend’s house–the friend who recently lost her cat after he had been so ill. It’s been hard for her. The cat had a kitty buddy he always cuddled with and that guy is also missing him. Cats do have feelings, you know, despite their aloof reputation.
I find that “aloof” reputation to be mostly unmerited. My husband and I have had 15 different cats over the years, and only two of them could potentially be described as aloof. Most of them have been very affectionate, although they do often have a favorite person and will be more attached to that person than to the other. I have seen them grieve and become depressed when another cat that they were close to died.
It is hard losing one of our pets. We lost two of our three kitties last year, just a couple of months apart. Both of them had lived good lifespans–they were 14 and 17 years old–but that does not make the loss any less painful. Your friend is lucky to have a friend like you who understands just how much of a loss it is. So many people don’t get it. It is not “just an animal”–it is a companion, friend, and family member and when they go, they leave a gaping hole that nothing else can fill.
It’s 2PM and I’ve managed to make my bed, clean 1 toilet, and start a load of laundry. Not feeling especially accomplished, but I guess at least I’ve gotten SOMETHING done and there are more hours in the day.
I’d like to set some sample stash busting goals. Need to mull over what that would look like. Anyway, sampled two from Grandiflora today and they were both pleasant but not remarkable. Will go in the giveaway pile. Too many other things to sample.
Last night was Hyram Green Hyde, one of the wilder things I ever FB’d. Since I’ve been almost completely perfume abstinent for 2 years, was curious for my reaction. No regrets!
Now I’m in Luminous Lemurs from Velvet & Sweet Peas. (Hyde is still showing up, too.)
Congrats on the Hyde FB! It’s gorgeous, but too much for me.
I found that making a spreadsheet with my impressions of samples helps me to process them: do I like it enough to try more, could I imagine going through a full bottle, etc.
Not a new bottle, still haven’t bought a new FB of anything for 2+ years. Was just more curious if I’d be like, “Why did I buy that thing?!” If I do the mental math on cost of my perfume collection, it’s truly ridiculous. (I know I’m not alone in that here!)
I’m also a spreadsheet-er! Unfortunately, I’m also an impetuous purchaser (the last 2 years of abstinence notwithstanding). So while it helps me not double buy samples, I can’t say I’ve really used it effectively to make smarter purchases.