It’s Almost-Friday and Willa Cather’s birthday. Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight. What fragrance are you wearing?
Me: I am on vacation this week, and have been mostly commando, but I've brought along L’Artisan Parfumeur Séville à l’Aube to wear in the evenings.
Reminder: on 12/8, we're off to Spain! Wear a perfume that is named for a place in Spain, or that reminds you of a (real or imaginary) trip to Spain, or that features an Spanish 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 salamanca, 2012 [cropped] by manuel holgado at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hello.
Sotd is Le Lion.
I got up early today because I made plans with a friend for the whole day but now she needs a rain check because her kitchen sink pipe just exploded. My plan now is to get cozy on the sofa with a warm mug of tea and a easy book. My meal is chips.
Enjoy your cozy day!
Happycat, that sounds like an awesome day, and I wore Le Lion yesterday-you smell amazing 🙂
Sounds amazing. I may join you in Le Lion after going to the gym. Commando so far.
Hope that your friend’s kitchen isn’t a complete disaster.
Since Spain also supplies rosemary and oak moss, I choose Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu – moss and rosemary are listed in the pyramid. I have doubts, however, that there are real moss or rosemary in it. So I added a spritz of Lush Tramp body spray (contains both oak moss absolu and oak moss oil).
As a result, today I smell like a damp forest floor!
That sounds delightful!
Agreed! “Damp forest floor” is
…pretty wonderful. (Sorry about the two-part reply!)
Love that smell.
I miss the Tramp shower gel! Although, when I used it, people used to walk into the room and exclaim from ten feet away, “Who smells like *patchouli*?!” So, apparently it had staying power, even in rinse-off form.
Your SOTD combo sounds very soothing.
I chose Sienne l´Hiver today, from a decant. I either need a larger decant or a full bottle. Lovely.
You smell wonderful.
I chose Cartier Baiser du Dragon today because Alberto Morillas is the perfumer, so claiming points.
My big news is that the sun is shining! It’s been gray and damp for days. A dear friend is having a gathering of several other dear friends for tea this afternoon so I am looking forward to that.
Have a great day, all.
Enjoy the get together.
Huzzah for the sun coming out, and a get together!
I’m in Bois d’Hadrien, which I think is an underrated gem. The pine over lime reminds me of some incense so it’s perfect for this time of year.
Tree is up, cat has left it alone. It’s quite big so it’s also held in place by the ceiling 🙂 No plans for tonight, other than restorative yoga in front of the tree. Have to set up separate mat and bolster for the cat. Hope we all have a few moments of mental peace throughout the day.
Your cat does yoga with you? That’s fabulous!
I think the cat doing yoga with you sounds so adorable!
That’s so funny, my dog does yoga with me too. I love her little downward dog. 🙂
I love that the cat gets her own yoga spot!
That’s a smart kitty, doing yoga with her human!
Having a 💩 morning courtesy of the MTA
A zillions sprays of Coco
Like a do over for this morning
Sorry about your morning. Hope you can turn it around. I’m reading a good Japanese novel called The North Light, by Hideo Yokoyama. . It’s about an architect who has designed a beautiful, award winning home for a couple…but then it seems that they never moved in, and disappeared. It’s a bit of a mystery but more of the evocative “ shrouded in mist” kind than a thriller.
https://www.ft.com/content/55d44d4b-0f3a-4ef6-9b1b-7b7c07fbdeab
It’s similar in tone to those Tan Twan Eng novels…quite a few long descriptions ( in this case building and furniture rather than gardens)
Reading House of Doors right now.
And what do you think?
I couldn’t read that link you sent. Sounds like a great book 📖
https://www.readings.com.au/reviews/the-north-light-by-hideo-yokoyama-louise-heal-kawai-trans
This should work
NYPL didn’t have this. I put in a interlibrary loan request and see what they say
I’m wearing Agent Provocateur this morning, a bit of a go-to for colder weather. It’s fantastically grown up.
Yes it is! 🌹
I’m sampling Francesca Bianchi’s Under My Skin this morning. Lovely leather, powerful sillage (I may have over-dabbed), a lemming is born … but somehow it feels like one where owning a bottle would take away the magic. It’s an extrait, so maybe I just order three more sample vials, dab more sparingly, and call it a day?
That’s a clever plan. I may need to adopt it….
Isn’t
ACK. This must be my day of poor typing. I was going to write: Isn’t it odd when the FB just…isn’t as good or as wonderful as the sample?
It has happened to me fairly often, and it’s annoying. At least I have finally realized the possibility and am beginning to see the potential reasons for it. Sometimes I think maybe the small size of sample vials, coupled with the inevitable slight evaporation in the decanting process, creates a stronger liquid in that sample vial. And sometimes I think it’s mental — having less of something makes it more valuable, and vice versa. But I do kind of like the workaround of multiple vials, especially with an extrait. I might do it!
I can see the sample vial approach, especially with potent scents. I found I prefer certain scents dabbed rather than sprayed, particularly leather scents which can be overwhelming when sprayed.
Wearing the original Coco Mademoiselle today. It has blood orange that grows in Spain.
I am in Coco today so sort of twins
House twins with Robin in L’Artisan Histoire d’Orangers. Seems like a good scent for Spain.
Pouring rain here again today. I was supposed to show an arborist around our development to assess our trees, but he just bailed and will come back on a sunnier day. Off to another long morning of meetings.
CSP Vanille Ambre, a shot of welcome warmth on a cold snowy day. A real crowd-pleaser, this one: even my generally scent-averse co-worker likes it.
CSP makes some of the most easy, comforting scents. Haven’t sampled that one but I’m sure you smell fabulous!
They really do, don’t they? When I don’t know what I want to wear or I’m in one of those moods, I always reach for Vanille Ambre, Vanille Abricot, or Amour de Cacao: they’re always the right answer and they always make me happy.
My day started with making a pour over coffee. Halfway through I realized there was no coffee in the filter. Ended up with a deluxe size warmish filtered water mixed with the cream I already had in the cup. And so it begins….🤪
I don’t know what perfume to wear today. I may just have go with the lingering traces of Safran Troublant on my fleece. Hope everyone has a great day, and even more important, a great cup of coffee, if that’s your jam. ☕️
I feel your pour over pain – I do the same more frequently than I care to admit.
Ugh! And it was my last bit of cream so I couldn’t even toss it and restart…Life is hard sometimes…😞
I am drinking double strength coffee for you because I accidentally put in enough coffee grounds for a full pot ( as I usually make enough for two people) but only poured in enough water for one …. So we are coffee twins, only I am the more awake one now
Double strength envy…happy one of us is having an impressive show of energy. ☕️
Gotta come down eventually, though!
I took most of the week off. Vacation+family visit travel plans turned into staycation, trying to make the most of it.
Meanwhile, am not even remotely CP compliant in Shiseido Inoui, which is currently wending its way through the shampoo stage. I like the top notes and really like the dry down, but get pure shampoo for about an hour, which I do not adore.
Still, I’m pleased to have finally gotten my hands on some – a travel size bottle, part of a pretty set manufactured for the US market which also includes Murasaki and Zen.
I am wearing SL Ambre Sultan for the CP.
I read in Jean Claude Ellena’s book that the Amber note is obtained with Labdanum and Vanilla. I didn’t know that.
I am not working today, instead dealing with health emergencies in the house.
Hope your household health emergencies are not major.
Wishing you well with the emergencies. Hope things are ok
Eek — best wishes for a speedy and positive resolution to the health emergencies.
Hope everything turns out OK.
Best wishes for a good outcome to the health emergencies.
Good luck with health emergencies. Hope it is nothing serious.
Yikes. Hope that the health emergencies resolve favorably and quickly!
SOTD = L’Artisan Parfumeur Seville a l’Aube
🧡💜🩶
I was going to wear this tomorrow and just remembered I need to wear something (a lot) less potent as I will be inside a car with my faux scent-phobe BIL. In any case, I am claiming tomorrow’s points today! I will not judge the Friday weddings although me saying this may be itself a judgement 🤣.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0jvoalO9u7/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
In other news, I decided to return the Bean perfume that had a leakage issue. I provided 3 options and since Ann said I can pick any one, I picked getting Eris Green Spell which always seems to be excluded from her discount codes but maybe I’ll finally get it!
Who gets married on a Friday when everyone is tired from their work week? Glad to hear you got a satisfactory outcome on Bean. I’m still trying to resolve an issue with Maitre Parfumeur & Gantier in France about a lost shipment, they are ignoring me. Last time I order from overseas.
I know, right?
Good luck with your faux-scent-phobe BIL tomorrow.
Thank you!
Enjoy the wedding tomorrow! Maybe Friday was the only day available for the venue?
I always get a chuckle hearing about the Scentphobe BIL.
I do too🤣
Looking forward to your report back on the event.
I was aimlessly roaming around, filling in time in town yesterday and ended up in The Body Shop, which ( down here) has an Uncle Scrooge selection of Christmas specials i.e. almost zero. No pine scents. Anyway, they had cherries and cheer which I bought. It’s really “ charming”. The spray opens with the smell of a black cherry lipgloss ( maybe Bonne Belle, circa 1980) with a hint of almond and dries down to the smell of cherry candle wax ( like an unlit candle). It last about 15 seconds, so it’s a fairly quick process but works in the cuff of my jumper. But, those 15 seconds are great if you want an edible cherry that isn’t too sickly sweet. So, a good perfume to wear while you brush your teeth. Town was full of cruise ship passengers who, like me, seemed somewhat at a loss at what they were doing in such an uninspiring Main Street. Still waking up but wearing A La Nuit as it would be heading that way in the antipode of NZ, Spain.
That cherry scent sounds appealing to me other than that it doesn’t last long. I’ll have to see if they make it in a shower gel too.
Apples, banana and yogurt smoothie
A mild day but blustery in the afternoon.
I picked Bellodgia EDT, my vintage is actually Au Bellodgia, it’s kept me happy all day. Tonight it’s Noa for coziness.
I’m back with my orange blossom theme, and I’m wearing one of the limited editions of Kingdom. It doesn’t have the cumin of the original, so it’s less dramatic, but better for the office.
I’ve been browsing my little book of Garcia Lorca’s poetry, and orange blossom is mentioned there more than one. I totally see Spanish connection.
Love Garcia Lorca
I’ve just so much been in the mood for Rahat Loukoum lately, so that’s the SOTD again today. It’s cold and another rain system is rolling in — the sky is getting darker by the minute. But I have cozy clothes and a cozy scent to wrap myself up in.
Sounds like you have the perfect setup to make it thru a cold, rainy day.
Also gin.
🤣🤣🤣🍸
Home at last from our trip to Florida, which was supposed to be leisurely but seemed a constant hurry up we are late for something or other sprint.
SOTD = POAL over Casmir, for no good reason but they are blending and I smell slightly exotic and flowery… LOL.
I bet you smell wonderful!
Welcome back!
I’m wearing Jo Malone Orange Bitters, a GWP when I bought Ginger Biscuit. It was orange for about two seconds and now it’s bitter. Not my thing at all.
Thanks for the report. I’m glad now that I didn’t blind buy it.
Yeah, never sampled it but there nothing about “bitters” I find remotely enticing. Hope you can switch it up for something more enjoyable. Shame to waste a good afternoon on an unpleasant perfume.
Spritzed Alahine for the cp this morning and this afternoon I’m gravitating toward Encre Noire again. I’m so taken by the vetiver!
Alahiiiiiine – great idea for tomorrow.
I should have spelled it the correct way!😁
I think of mals whenever someone types Alahiiiiiine!
Many moons ago I jetted off to Ibiza for a whirlwind of trance music,too much booze and some debauchery….oh to be young!Haha!
Sol de Janeiro has become easily available over here.I’ve been slathering myself with every body cream and SOTD(week basically)has been Cheirosa ‘62 edp.Definitely reminds me of the Ibiza days and nights.
Hope everyone is doing OK?
This has been a landslide of a December for me so far.
XO’s
Sounds like a great trip…yeah, oh to be young! I hope December gets better for you.
Thank you L!I hope December bring joy to you as well!
What’s next on your travel schedule,by the way!🤗
Nothing big until a potential short-term move to Europe next year, but there are so many logistical issues at this point that I’m not sure it will happen.
How about you?
I had a long time friend who, back in the day (I want to say late 90’s early 2000’s..?), jetted off to Ibiza at the drop of a hat. Didn’t hurt that his partner worked for a major airline. There were stories…!😂
Hope you are keeping well on the other side of the world! That Bum Bum stuff, in every iteration, is very popular here, too.
I’m doing “okay” thanks.how are you doing?(in my best Joey-impression I ask!haha!)
The bum-bum body scrub is really great too.
Sounds like me and you friend were there around the same time!Haha!✌🏻🤗
Your impression was great!😊
Sometimes “okay” is the best there is…I hope the holidays are good to you. 😊
That Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum cream is a good one for wickedly cold weather.
Wearing Atélier Matéri Narcisse Taiji and enjoying the bit of weak sunshine filtering through the fog. It could be worse – it’s -8C and snowing in Montréal!
Wanted to let you know I have not tried all the vanilla perfumes you mentioned so ordered some more samples from your list yesterday.
Chergui today – lots of rain outside so I’m cozy and warm inside and about to do a bit of cleaning and organizing before decorating for the holidays.
Smelling great! I wore that yesterday. We’re also rain twins.
After several people mentioned it, I tried Akro Bake. To me it smells like a nice lemony pastry or cake. I like it, but not enough for the price tag.
Just got back from the optometrist and my eyes stay dilated forever. I have heard blue eyed people have more problems with it than others. I believe it!
Decided to wear an easy scent for the doctor so went with VCA Bois d ‘Iris.
Have others had trouble with the post office lately? I sent out a decant to someone that is delayed and I am expecting something from Jomashop that is delayed.
Funny you should mention the post office. I swear that our mailperson skips a day or two every month, specially when the weather is bad!
No, this isn’t our mailperson because it is stuck in different cities.
Hardly ever get mail, but I will say that the few places I’ve ordered on-line have emailed me within 24 hours saying merchandise has been sent, so that’s a very quick turn around. Mail forwarded to me from mail service usually comes “first class” or some such…Honestly, I forget the nomenclature they use, but I generally get it within 3-4 days reliably.
I had a delay recently. I also had a package come early with no notice.
Then it’s not just me.
Yes, I have had issues with the Post Office that began in October.
I have had it about three or four times in the last few months too.
I’m with you on Akro Bake. It was nice to smell, but I’m not sure how much I want to smell like a lemon tart all day. (Mind you, I love lemon tarts! Just don’t want to smell like one.)
Looking for CP points in Katy Perry Meow. I saw it and remembered a children’s song we used to sing about a Spanish cat named Senor Don Gato. The chorus was “meow, meow, meow,” and the perfume is much more syrupy-sweet than the song. 😀
Were the “meows” in that song in English or Spanish?
We only learned the English version of the song, so yes, just meow!
I remember that song!
I started off in Myrurgia Nueva Maja (not the regular version of Maja that I thought I had) but unfortunately had to wash it off because the soapy aldehydes were bothering me. I’m dealing with my stupid sinus issues again. I finally ended up putting on my sample of Carner Barcelona Botafumeiro, which ticks the labdanum and Spanish perfume company boxes. It’s quite a nice one.
Lots of phone calls made today. Most of them were productive. But I did spend a fair amount of time on hold this afternoon.
Seriously yucky weather this morning into lunchtime. A rain/snow mix. Bletch! I should have worn a pair of my ski socks.
SOTD = commando, except for Korres Grecian Gardenia body butter.
Jalapeno, I had such a nice visit with my college roomie in Denver last weekend. Yes, a couple of cold days and one day an icy wind but it calmed, and there was lots of blue sky and then warmed up after a couple of days! So beautiful. And lots of fun things to do in the city.
I wonder if part of the reason I feel so cold lately is the lack of sun here in NJ. It tends to disappear for the winter.
I really believe the sunlight helps even when the temp is cold! And you’ll get lots of sunlight in CO.
Good for you for making the phone calls. I have a few to make myself. Knowing I will be on hold or transfered keeps me procrastinating.
Did a bunch of packing yesterday, so I figured today was phone call day. I do not like making them; they are a necessary evil.
I think it is going to be a mild winter in the Midwest this year. It was 60 in South Dakota today and the next few weeks are going to stay in the 40’s. I think we will have a brown Christmas.
Mild weather will definitely be helpful for my upcoming move. But I have become a bit of a cold weather weenie living on the East Cost. Subzero temps are a rare occurrence in the mid-Atlantic region, thanks to that big tub of salty water.
I’m tired tonight and will be going to bed early.
Thanks to a generous Nster I wore Cristalle edp today. Unfortunately, I stopped at Sephora and stunk myself up with some new releases. Nest has a new one called Lychee Rose and it is so nice in the beginning. It smells like rose candy. The drydown, of course is ambroxan. It’s such a waste.
I hope you get a very good night’s sleep tonight, then.
Hope you get a nice rest, Lillyjo, as for me I can’t sleep.
Wearing Lush Celebration lotion and Space Girl fragrance.
Both items were in the December Kitchen box. I’m getting some citruses and the specific black currant note from their Comforter scent in Space Girl; I don’t think SG will last too long on my skin though. I may pass the perfume on to my niece (who’s a budding perfumista).