Happy Almost-Friday and happy Alexander Graham Bell Day! It's also Piet Mondrian’s birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
Me: still on vacation, still commando. I will have to work really hard for points next week.
Reminder: 3/8 is International Women's Day... do what you like with the theme. Wear a perfume in honor of a woman who is important in your life or an important female historical figure, or wear a perfume by a female perfumer, or ? Suggested by Kanuka.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2024, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: image is detail from Piet Mondrian's Victory Boogie Woogie, 1944, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Hello.
Sotd is Spellbound.
Here is my impression of the remaining 3 of Estee Lauder’s Legacy Collection.
White Linen Legacy – Clean, soapy aldehydes. Fresh, like anything called White Linen should. It is simple and very well behaved. There is also this fruitiness in the beginning that makes it more…playful? I’d call this White Linen L’eau. Does it build upon the OG and make this it’s legacy? I doubt. This is White Linen’s little sister, young and still discovering herself. (Side note, please bring back Pure White Linen.)
Azurée Legacy – The OG is a gorgeous chypre adorned by a bouquet of heady white florals. This new version tossed it away without a second thought and exchanged it for beige suede gloves and a handful of musty old spice. Gone are the bright rays of sunshine, birdsong and music, for God forbid should people protest its joyful disposition. So out with cheerfulness and colour and in with muted sepia along with a touch of melancholy. This iteration might share a few notes with the original at the end but entirely, it perhaps appeals to a whole other group of audience.
Estée Legacy – Or should I say 5stee Legacy? I agree with what Sapphire and some others pointed out, that this might be EL’s answer to Chanel’s No.5. Because it resonates another classic, it does smell good. It begins creamy and ever so slightly tropical with the ylang-ylang before introducing us to the familiar soapy musk, while still maintaining a certain heft with the help of carnation and jasmine. Maybe a little “serious” or “boss-lady”, but hey, who wouldn’t want some attention now and then? I may just be the prettiest in the room!
I appreciate your detailed reviews, happy888cat. I’d like to try these because I remember the originals so vividly. Knowing was very special to me, and White Linen is gorgeous. I wonder if this approach will work. Those of us who appreciate the classic scents will miss the oakmoss ect that can no longer be used. Wonder if these will appeal to a whole new group of fragrance lovers. Def not a fan of the new prices.
I definitely miss the oakmoss. It’s what gives the OGs that little bit of magic.
I agree, the new prices are eye-watering.
Your reviews have been super fun to read. Write more?
Yes, please write more!
Thank you for liking my writing!
Thank you for reviewing them all! I’m unsurprised in what you’ve written, but disappointed all the same.
Spellbound is fantastic, one of the best Lauders ever (though it has a lot of competition). My bottle has been going weird for a few years now but it’s still wearable once the top has burned away. Glad you can enjoy yours!
These new ones got nothing on the originals. Now I have to keep my fingers crossed EL doesn’t go crazy and axe them. (I read somewhere that they will be but I hope that’s wrong reporting…)
Thanks for the reviews! I have recently discovered original White Linen and like it a lot. It sounds like the new White Linen lacks its strong personality.
Good news about Estee – I have not tried the original, but I love No. 5.
It is a verrry tamed version. Very timid personality!
Great reviews and saved me from buying the sample set. I do not have an allegiance to any of the OG scents.
If it’s just simple intrigue then totally skippable. 🙂
You write great reviews, thanks!
Thank you!
I also liked both Estee Legacy and White Linen Legacy. Glad I got the sample set to see what all the fuss was about.
I think my favourite is Private Collection Legacy. The green herbs are so refreshing!
Great reviews–even though I came to the opposite conclusions! (Summed up by–Azuree Legacy good, Estee legacy bad–though I was never a big Estee fan.)
It’s nice to know Azurée got some love!
It’s a cold grey freezing rain sort of day here. SOTD is L’artisan Safran Troublant, and it’s a good choice for the weather. I have a sweater on from Banana Republic-it’s brown, and high on the left shoulder there’s a lipstick kiss in vivid red. I really like it and found it super cheap at Winners. Whole effect is a bit cheerful, and that’s necessary since it’s cold and grey out.
Safran Troublant is a great choice for a miserable day — it has a golden glow, like an aureole.
Your sweater sounds super cute! And you smell fabulous.
In Iunx Talc by Olivia Giacobetti for the CP. One of my big favorite perfumes.
Happy almost Friday! 🌻
That’s a fabulous one. If they still made it, I’d be on my second big bottle by now.
It is a gorgeous scent. I regret not getting a big bottle when it was still available.
There’s a bottle now on eBay, please buy it and save me the temptation
Thanks for the info, but I am in a low/no-buy these days. I still think it is a good price for half a bottle of a discontinued and beautiful scent.
sadly, same, which is why the temptation must be avoided!
It really is! My bottle is in storage at the moment, sadly. Enjoy it for both of us!
You smell wonderful 😭 i think ill join you, before my tiny bottle evaporates away
Great! You will smell terrific! Please, do not let Talc evaporate! It would be very painful!
I love Talc. You smell wonderful!
Thank you, Hajusuuri!
Sometimes Perfume Unicorns turn up at the most inopportune times, alas!
Very, very unfortunate!
That sounds good. Too bad it was discontinued.
I still hope it is re-issued in the future
Hello everyone!
Pretty gloomy, overcast day today. I thought some original Dolce Vita would cheer me up and so far it has! The way the scent clings to my shirt is a bit addictive.
My spring break is next week and I just have to get through my Friday Saturday class….
Have a great day, everyone!
You can make it! Hope it’s a relaxing Spring break.
I’m going to copy your sotd.
You smell great!
Are you going anywhere for spring break?
I might drive to Dallas to stay with some friends, but nothing definitive yet.
Almost there! You can do it!
Thank you!
I’m continuing with Guerlain with AA Anisia Bella. This may be the only anise/licorice forward scent I actually like.
Nice choice! It is a terrific licorice scent. I blind-bought it from a discounter years ago and it was a complete success. (Have you tried Lolita Lempicka, though? That’s a really good one. And Demeter Licorice smells exactly, precisely like one of those licorice cigars, simple and single-mindedly delightful. If you like that sort of thing, I mean.)
Today I’m in SL Ambre Sultan, which is not my favourite amber ever — it’s not even in the top five tbh — but it’s very nice, warm and cozy on this miserable rainy-turning-into-snowy day, just what I was in the mood for.
What is your favourite amber?
Yes I’m interested, too! I like amber-Le Lion, Coromandel, and the Goutal Amber Fetiche.
+1 for Ambre Fetiche!
My favourite ever is MPG Ambre Précieuse: I don’t have a bottle any more but I wore it for years. Second is Stetson, of all things. Third is the original Lagerfeld men’s scent. Fourth is YR Voile d’Ambre. Fifth is L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre (which I think is a reworking of the MPG). The rankings may shift around a little but those are definitely the top five.
Interesting. Out of your top 5 I’m only familiar with the MPG (which I love). My favourite is probably Ambre Russe (PdE).
Stetson is a great scent.
It really is! So many cheap thrills are dimissed or treated as jokes because they’re inexpensive, but it used to be that even drugstore scents were well-made — just look at Tabu, Brut, Emeraude, English Leather, and Old Spice, all excellent (once upon a time, at least).
I’m wearing my favourite fragrance by my favourite female perfumer. New York by Patricia de Nicolaï. It’s just wonderful and my small bottle is nearly empty. Fortunately I stocked up on this one years ago.
I love that one, maybe I’ll wear it tomorrow.
En Passant for me today; I need something well behaved to wear to a meeting at Ockeghem Teen’s school.
Did anyone else see this article: https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/06/binance-crypto-perfume/? Apparently the scent of crypto and layoffs is ozone, salt, and moss; who knew?
Ha – I had not seen that article. Kind of fun (?) that Binance made a fragrance, although if it was truly meant to woo women in general, I would have thought they’d use different notes. The listed notes sound very niche-y (includes ozone, salt, moss, oud, tangerine, precious woods, amber, etc.).
Interesting! Maybe AI was used to come up with it?
Yes!! My beloved’s world and mine have a connection. He’s an IT guy who has been reading a lot about crypto and here’s a crypto perfume. Hilarious 🙂
I was going to wear En Passant today (Olivia again), but I’m going with 1000 Flowers (Jessica September Buchanan) Reglisse Noire for a super indie take on the CP. I have DSH planned for tomorrow and then En Passant will likely show up this weekend. I love this CP and will definitely be returning to it often.
I was just thinking of Reglisse Noire, which I believe I passed long in the end. It was fun for a licorice, but it turned out that if I wanted to smell like candy I was going to stick to Prada…
Also a great one! But I actually don’t really get candy from Reglisse Noire. I get herbal, minty, airy, more on the anise side of licorice.
Bois et Fruits. I am not following the theme – it is a cold day and I wanted something sweet with dried fruit. It hits the spot!
I had a very minor surgery an hour ago. For years I had a very deep and stubborn closed comedone on my back, and it often itched a lot. Finally I had enough, and today it was removed (with a scalpel, stitches and everything). After doing that, the surgeon commented that, indeed, it was very deep and old and no way I could get to it myself. Now I need to take an antibiotic for a week, and have the bandages changed a few times and, in a week, have the stitches removed. Good thing the clinic is just 15 minutes from home.
You smell great! I had a similar surgery years ago on a painful mole. So nice to have it gone and it healed very nicely. Hope yours does as well!
Hope you heal soon, Glannys!
You’re smelling wonderful! One of my favorite Lutens.
It’s great you got that annoyance removed, I hope it heals with no trouble.
I’ve only smelled the wax sample of Bois et Fruits, and I thought it was fantastic. Glad you had your “friend’ excised, too 🙂
Recover soon.
Glad you got that taken care of and hope healing is quick and painless!
I hope your recovery is quick and easy!
Sending wishes for a complete and uneventful recovery!
I think I will wear Louve today, more rain & clouds. Luca Turin started a new blog on substack, he just posted about his trip to Exsence. Loved this snippet:
First, ignore all the new brands that have a lineup of 12 fragrances in different colors, because they are guaranteed to be routine crap. Second, ignore all the brands that refer to a place, the “Acqua di Firenze” or something-Paris types, they are trading on something they had no part in creating. Third, skip the brands that go heavy on the gold and super-fancy packaging. They’ve spent all the cash on things that don’t smell. Fourth, ignore all the brands that are trying to be edgy and fail miserably, the “I hate x” types (there were several, hating different things).
He said this eliminated 80% of the 400 booths. 🙂
Wow, that’s both funny and wise, I’m sure.
Ha! He’s merciless and I’m here for it! 🙃
So true!
I saw that he is indeed back! I signed up for the free subscription and was disappointed that there are inline ads for the paid version.
Oh, I love that. Will look up his substack.
I’ll check that out, Luca is always good for a witty put-down.
I can’t even begin to imagine how overwhelming an event like that must be.
Joining springpansy in En Passant (from a very generous NSTer💕)
Perfume torture = Ministry of Scent selling 5 bottles of CdG Daphne and seeing the offer too late. A bitter blow indeed😔
I saw that email and really hoped someone from NST who knew the scent from before was able to snag a bottle.
I have a bottle of the original and the new release. Unfortunately they are in two different locations. But having worn both, to me they smell the same.
May I ask, did you get the new release here or overseas? I see it on the Daphne Guinness UK website but they don’t seem to have a US vendor.
Argh.
Rats! 😠
If I’d read more closely, I would have seen that springpansy is wearing Reglisse Noire, not En Passant. TGIT (my Friday)🙃
Yep – but I *was* going to wear En Passant. It will make a showing this weekend. 😀 In the meantime, you are smelling wonderful.
I’m wearing Bengale Rouge today. I love this CP, and I also have a few cold-weather scents that I need to get to before it warms up! Bengale Rouge is perfect.
It IS perfect! You’re leaving a delightful molecular trail!
Thank you for all the well wishes and good luck yesterday! The BIG audit yesterday went very well. Today is the smaller audit and I am wearing lashings of Shalimar MI for it. 😁
Hooray for the big audit success! Best wishes that the little audit is also successful.
Yay! I’m sure it will go well with MI at your back.
Waft on, She-ra! Glad the big audit went well! I hope the little audit went OK.
Glad to hear the big audit is safely behind you. One down, one to go!
Just about to pour my second cuppa. SOTD is on point with Tabac Aurea by Laurie Erickson (I hope I’m remembering her last name correctly!) of Sonoma Scent Studios. I have a small 15 ml bottle that I treasure.
Started a new book called “Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History” by Phillipa Gregory. I guess she’s better known for her historical fiction romances although I’ve never read one. THIS is a horse of a different color for sure. Interesting, astounding, enraging, funny and all the things. Nonfiction, focused on the Average Josephine in Britain over the last 900 years. She must have dug through some pretty gnarly stuff, and apparently 10 years of research.
I’ll catch up with comments later. I’m off to the post office to figure out WHY the overnight mail sent from Floria on Monday is still showing it’s in Jacksonville…really, I couldn’t make this stuff up. 🤯
Fun book title!
The book does has some fun parts but really it’s a very long look at how women were completely disenfranchised, disregarded, and demeaned in the UK since to arrival of William in 1066. Some of these women were made of tough stuff, including a woman who was burned alive at the stake for pilfering some bread for her child. According to the annals it took three hours for her to finally die. This was not an unusual punishment at the time.
Wow, that is a great book recommendation! Thanks!
Did I mention the audiobook is 27 (TWENTY-SEVEN) hours long?! 🤓
No, but I have already obtained it as a book on tape, and I see that the author has been thorough! I have heard just enough to be more interested in my Anglo Saxon ancestors, and distressed at the Norman ones who landed in England with William!
I think her research is pretty meticulous and no wonder it took her 10 years to write. I hope you (not necessarily enjoy it because it’s pretty disturbing in areas, but) find it a worthwhile read.
Oy about the overnight package. They really should just digitize the whole thing. In The NY Times article related to the hacking of an insurer’s site, someone pregnant mentioned having to fill out the same 7-page form every time she visited the doctor. I would go nuts!
You know, I don’t even have the energy to still be upset about this. I feel like I should get a partial refund since overnight delivery is “guaranteed” but I just want my tag and to never speak with another person at the USPS.
Sending my best wishes that the postal situation gets cleared up soon!
Sistine, you are powerful indeed!! Drove to the post office, was told to wait 1/2 hour as a truck was due to deliver, and then 25 minutes later I got inundated with email alerts (total of 11) to tell me it had arrived. It wasn’t scanned when it left Jacksonville or any point after until it actually arrived at the destination. Sheesh! So happy to be legal! 🙂
Yay!
Huzzah for FINALLY getting your tag! And thanks for the book rec; sounds really interesting.
In Amouage Dia aka fanciest office scent ever…
Commando for a doctor appointment, but will be reading everyone’s comments looking for inspiration for later.
Good luck at your appointment!
Thank you! All good here. 🙂
Hope that everything went well at your appointment.
It did! This is a doctor I’ve been seeing for about 30 years and I adore her.
The sun is out today! I think I could count the sunny days we’ve had since November on one hand. That said, I’ve been awake since 3am and lots of tears from both me and my son this morning. I was going to be commando, but decided on a spritz of Safran Troublant for comfort, which is lovely layered on top of the last drops of my Aftelier chocolate saffron body oil and the lingering whiffs of Lush Posh White Chocolate and Rose from my morning shower. I wish they’d make this one a permanent offering!
I’m glad today is sunny for you after a rough night. You smell great.
Sending you hugs.
More hugs for you and Biscuit.
SOTD = Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka
Did I ever mention that I may thunk it this year? Love it. And I do have a BUB!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ONUX1OREM/?igsh=MXY4aHo0YjQzaDU1dg==
Dinner was very nice last night. It took every ounce of white knuckling for me to get there because it was just pouring buckets of rain, but since I had the wiper blades replaced the last time I had an oil change, I was well prepared. We had dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. I had my “usual” fare (2nd time there) of chicken kebab over rice which also came with a side salad. Ginger Biscuit worked nicely to complement the flavor profile.
My mediation course was rescheduled to start TBD. I was so looking forward to it but I know things happen. Maybe there wasn’t enough interest? Who knows? I was telling my dinner companions about mediation and they both thought you have to be a lawyer to do it. They were just as surprised that, at least in NJ, the first 2 hours of a case is pro bono. I’m not looking to get rich but more fulfillment if I end up qualifying … but I may just be a little bit ahead of myself! I’m at the crawling stage at this point.
Glad you enjoyed your dinner out. I miss getting together with friends for that sort of thing. And that’s really strange that the first two hours are pro bono..?! After paying (a lot) money for classes and to become certified, that seems ridiculous. Maybe look into it a bit further. Is there a way to contact people who are already doing this to get some feedback from them?
I’m glad you had a nice dinner. It’s strange how it was not ideal weather both times it was scheduled.
ZOMG, we are scent twins today!
Happy to hear you enjoyed your dinner last night. But bummed to hear it was a white knuckle drive to get there.
I’d gladly take some of that moisture you are getting inundated with!
I’m in the gorgeous Eve by Diane St. Clair today for the CP. My sample is getting close to being gone, and I do think I’ll buy a small bottle to level up. I like it a lot upon first spray and the first 10 minutes, but then it keeps developing so beautifully and has me huffing my wrists all morning.
That’s a beauty!
Eve is a beauty! I have a tiny bit left.
I’m wearing Angélique from Papillon Perfumes.
Frozen mango and yogurt smoothie
I’ve spent the day in Voyage, the parfum version, my EDT is for summer. Tonight it’s AdP Profumo, a favorite.
Have you ever tried pomegranate arils in your smoothies? Or is it something you don’t care for?
Never tried pomegranate in smoothie. That’s a good idea, thank you.
For CP points, I’m wearing For You, my Love by Pomare’s Stolen Perfume by Rachel Binder. Her background is in wine, and she makes all the tinctures she uses in her perfumes herself. It’s gorgeous stuff!
I recently unearthed a quite venerable vial of Ava Luxe Moksha oil that I didn’t even know I had, so I went with that for CP points and fit with the gray chilliness of the day.
I smell rather like a freshly sawn log with some burnt edges and I mean that in a positive way. Extra points to Sr Spiderplant saying “You smell good!”
That sounds like a great scent! Nice find.
Black cashmere sweater and DKNY Black Cashmere to pair with it.
Perfect! I’ve been neglecting Black Cashmere this chilly season — thanks for the reminder to put it in rotation!
Oh, you smell wonderful. That’s a great choice for the CP.
Thank you!
Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe
Philosykos for me today. I am smelling amazing if I do say so myself.
Definitely!
Continuing with Germaine Cellier fragrances.
Today I am wearing Jolie Madame perfume. It comes in a very beautiful purse spray.
That’s such a good one😊
I’m wearing Nishane Hundred Silent Ways from a tiny decant someone sent me. Fruit and vanilla are what I get. It smells awfully juvenile to me, but the price isn’t targeted at a youth market. I have about one more wearing and I’ll use it up but I don’t need more.
I couldn’t get behind it either, Foxbins.
Money saved.
SOTD is L’Artisan Mure et Musk Extreme. It’s fruity but not too sweet, an upbeat sort of scent for a gray day with not much going on here.
I had an old sample of that once and found it pretty fun!
Wearing AG Heure Exquise today. I oversprayed myself and my shirt for cleaning and organizing the garage. It sure was cold in there! Glad to be back inside.
There can never be too much Heure Exquise, I’m sure you smell stunning
Thank you! I think overspraying is key! Glad I have a backup of this one.
I remember thunking the decant I had of Heure Exquise rather quickly…
I’m wearing En Voyage Captured in Amber. Sounds like a lot of us are having gray, chilly weather today. Originally I thought I would do a week of Shelley Waddington and I didn’t get to her until now, this is a fun CP. Still undecided about tomorrow.
SOTD is Scents of Wood Mycelium in Chestnut by Mackenzie Reilly, for CP points. The minute they sell this in 75ml, I’m getting a bottle.
Otherwise I’m on an official No Buy, including samples, unless there’s a 20% or more off deal on something that’s been on my FB wishlist for more than 60 days. Really, there’s only one bottle that could meet this criteria, because I don’t think any of the Chanel extraits ever go on sale.
No Buy through end of Q2, then will re-assess.
And yes, I’ve already broken my Q1 goal which was to not exceed my 2023 Q4 spend. 😂😵💫
Grey gloomy skies all day today. Still waiting for the promised (threatened?) precipitation. Nothing at all has showed up yet. Looks like it will be nuisance snow again: about an inch in total, coming during the morning rush. Ugh.
SOTD = back in JM Myrrh & Tonka, for temps in the mid 30’s F. Have not thunked the Boyfriend Body Creme yet… was saving the last bit for Friday.
We are gloomy sky twins today.
Seems like lots of NSTers are in the same situation, weather-wise.
I hope the sunshine returns to you soon!
I need to know more of the perfumers for my perfumes and I plan to work on this in coming year. My deficiency became clear when I had to think of women perfumers.
I am concentrating on women owned/founded companies for perfumes for the community project. Today it is Michelle Pfeiffer for Henry Rose and I am wearing Sheep’s Clothing. I have a travel spray of this. Nice musky/rose skin scent, could not smell it much at all when I first tried it, now I can, still haven’t decided if I need larger bottle but definitely growing on me. Lovely, if subtle.
I always have to look up who did what perfume.
I had my daughter’s IEP at school today. Every year I have to fight to keep her on with certain services and goals. This year some new social work guy really had me fighting mad on the inside. He was so pretentious… I will stop at that.
Anyway… I went to tjmaxx to check on the Aura body cream I have been stalking and guess what!? It was marked down to 6 dollars! No disputing perfume math free! Woo-hoo!
I wore Dolce Vita today.
Great deal on the Aura! Sorry you have to fight every year for your daughter; it shouldn’t be so difficult. Boo to that social worker!
Thanks Gail.
My 6 dollar find definitely put me in a better mood.
Yay for a $6 spend! You did get it, right? 🤣
I sure did!
Sorry to hear that your daughter’s IEP folks are not good advocates for her. My son’s team are a dream, but he’s going to high school next year and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the new team will be good too. Keep up the fight!! I’m glad that the universe has rewarded you with a perfumed bargain of the year!
Makes me wonder–what would be a Mondrian fragrance?
Hi everyone! Chiming in late with a funny story. I put on some Le Labo Iris 39 this morning from a sample from a fellow NSTer, and I accidentally dumped a bit too much of it on my chest. Oh well, I thought, it will probably fade. When I got to work, after a few minutes, someone came in and said “something smells good!” and I said it was probably my perfume, I put on too much. Then another coworker said I smelled like a church lady 😂! I went into the bathroom and rubbed some wet paper towels on myself, thereby reduced the potency to an acceptable level. I want to be able to smell my perfume myself, but not have it fill the whole room when I’m at work. So I usually apply it very sparingly!
I have the day off tomorrow, so I’ll wear something by a female perfumer and spray with abandon!
Every time someone says “church lady”, I think of Dana Carvey and his skits on SNL.
Haha, I remember those! Isn’t that spyeshul!