March is flying by! It's Saint Patrick's Day weekend, and we're getting ready for the spring equinox (coming up on Tuesday) with our usual open thread poll.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the perfume that says "spring weekend" to you, your greenest fragrance, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Double Daffodil, Narcissus "Tahiti" Amaryllidaceae [cropped] by Ryan Somma at flickr; some rights reserved.
It’s a gorgeous early-spring day, 4°C going up to 7°, some sun, no wind, perfect walking weather if you’re me, which I am. Someone mentioned SL Douce Amère the other day for vanilla week and so I’m wearing it today. It’s so beautiful — approachable but mysterious. Un Bois Vanille is a golden lab: Douce Amère is a Siamese cat.
We were gorgeous here Thurs & Fri but today was cooler. Still sunny though, and I now have about 7 or 8 varieties of daffodils blooming and the neighbor’s magnolia is out.
You smell great! I like the comparison to a Siamese cat.
Right now I’m wearing Profumum Alba over a dusting of Le Dix powder, and listening to an army of workers in the back yard rebuilding a pathway that leads to our garden shed. There are more of them on the other side of our lot putting in a French drain and a whole bunch of boulders to handle rain runoff. They got here at 7 a.m., and probably woke up the neighbors — would have woken me up if I hadn’t already been awake. Oh well! Later on I may get out there and do some more spring garden cleanup. I planted 8 iris rhizomes (thank you, jalapeño!) yesterday and discovered that a huge swath of some plants that were getting way out of hand apparently didn’t survive our recent cold snap. I had planned to yank them out anyway, so now there’s less guilt over that — yay!
Are you a big gardener? I have a gardening question…I bought some daffodil bulbs last year to plant in the fall and never got around to it…and they’ve been sitting in a window (not direct sun, but still, not in the dark) since then. Are they toast, or can I still plant them, and if so, when would be best?
If SheriG doesn’t know, chime in if you do!
Not sure I’m an expert in this, but from what I know of bulbs and gardening, it’s late if you want them to bloom this spring. You might be able to use them next year, though…this is where I don’t have expertise.
Thanks…I knew it was too late for a spring bloom.
I say give it a try — they might not bloom this year (or ever), but what have you got to lose? 😁 I’m no master gardener, for sure, but I do enjoy getting out there, digging in the dirt, and watching things grow. In college I lived in a dorm-sized room with over a dozen house plants. Crazy, right?
Thanks SheriG!
Try asking the nice people at Old House Gardens. Even if you did not get those bulbs there, you’ve been their customer before, and they love to help and to preserve flower bulbs. My two cents: plant ’em in the coolest, most shaded spot in your yard.
Good idea, thanks MossyBerry.
You’re welcome!
And Robin, if those bulbs aren’t all shriveled up or rotted out, I’d say plant them now and see what happens.
Thanks, I will.
I would say Tobacco Honey is not a spring fragrance, but I am loving it today.
Has anyone tried the Florabloom from Guerlain?
Reading Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
Circle of Women was wonderful.
Good! So far I like it
I am very curious about Florabloom too! Especially the Forte.
Me too!
Loved that book…hope you enjoy it!
Great! The last book I read I didn’t enjoy
Beautiful spring day here. I just came back from running errands and magnolia trees are almost in full bloom. I hope the flowers survive after the temperatures drop again to the 40s next week.
Wearing the last drops of my decant of Neela Vermeire Rahele. Nice scent, but not enough to replace it.
On my third cup of coffee and a slice of Irish soda bread.
Happy weekend, everyone! 🍀🍀🍀
Next week looks disappointing, doesn’t it?
It does! The last 3 days were so gorgeous! I hope warmer temperatures return very soon.
It was lovely today. Korean rhododendrons are out, and star magnolias, and buttercup witchhazel.
SOTD is Jeffrey Dame Cassis, Rose and Sandalwood. (Jalapeno-I still have a lot of the one bottle I have and no, I don’t have a BUB. So sad it is discontinued.)
Reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.
Good book?
Yes. I know it was a favorite in book clubs last year. It has very high ratings.
Thanks Kris!
Still bummed that I didn’t get Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli when it was around. Oh well. It’s not like I am hurting for perfume.
I’m not either🙂
Happy weekend!
Sotd is Harvest Mouse. If I was season appropriate I would probably be in Hummingbird. Maybe I’ll wear it tomorrow.
My local drugstore is having a BOGO on Nuxe body oils. I am thinking about the Neroli one. It does smell amazing, but I have enough creams and lotions to moisturize a desert…
I look at Nuxe oils as fragrances that just happen to double as good moisturizers. I wear the original as a scent whenever I want something beachy and sunshiny. So if you think of it solely as a moisturizer, you probably don’t need it, but if you want a new fragrance, you know what to do.
I had a slice of coconut pound cake yesterday and so I am carrying on a tropical theme with Virgin Island Water today. We are supposed to have a few days of warm, sunny weather and I need to take care of some outdoor chores: De-moss the driveway, walks, and patio, cut up the tree branches that fell during the winter storms, and do some touch-up painting on the house.
I bought a painting yesterday when I was at the beach. I turned a corner in the gallery and it made me laugh out loud. It’s mermaid cats–the upper half is cat, and the bottom, a green mermaid tail. The cats are all different, there is a calico, a striped one, and a Himalayan on a rock. One is holding a fish in its paws while swimming. It is so silly and fun and I have the perfect place to hang it. Finding it made my day.
I have a makeup bag with mercats, and I got it for the same reason – it was too funny and cute. Yay! for your find. Also, coconut pound cake sounds yummy.
Coconut pound cake, yum! Enjoy your tropical theme today, mercats and all. 😀
So sweet! I have one from the the jewish quarter in Venice with cats in vaporettos that always makes me smile.
That sounds adorable!
I have a purrmaid stuffie!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRKFqothPJB/?igsh=MXBzbDVxODVta20zaA==
Love her!
Adorable!
cutie kitteh!
I remember when you acquired your sweet little purrmaid.
Happy weekend! Spring seems to have sprung here. Saw some wild daffodils on our walk yesterday and buds busting out all over. Another gorgeous sunny day today and we are going to make the most of it. 🌞
I’m continuing vanilla week with a hefty spritz of CSP Vanille Café. On my second cup of the real stuff, had a home made egg McMuffin this morning for breakfast and now I’m too full to move. Doggo had her breakfast kibble with an egg, minus the rest of the McMuffin ingredients and I’m pretty sure she liked it. 😋
Cheers!!
Can’t go wrong with Vanille Café, perhaps the best coffee scent that ever was, especially good on a gorgeous spring morning.
Deva, I know you love all things Irish, are you familiar with Joe Jencks? An international touring musician with dual American/Irish citizenship, and an award-winning songwriter with an absolutely beautiful voice, he celebrates his Irish working-class roots in music but goes way beyond them. Saw him perform last night for the first time at the Two Way Street Coffee House, a small folk music venue in Downers Grove, and he was just amazing! I thought of you when I watched him – you can catch a replay of last night here; hope you enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/live/cPBh-OAVc-s?si=4z2ThbhP8OA_Ji30
Thanks, I will check that out, I’ve never heard of him but I’m fabulously out of touch these days. When I was 15 or 16, there was a troop of Irish musicians touring (they played traditional Irish music with traditional instruments) the US and while in Chicago, they needed host families. Two of them stayed with us for the week. One older and one quite young. The older one got my bedroom and as they were leaving, gentlemen that he was, he complimented me on my record collection. I never got to see them play because I was too young, but I’ll never forgot them. They were great fun, and it was amazing to me to listen to my dad whose brogue would slip out occasionally when talking with them. I always wondered where life led them..?
Very cool story! Joe’s been around for 25 years but I never heard of him either. I believe he’s originally from Illinois but has traveled to Ireland many times. He plays and composes all kinds of music and is a great storyteller as well. I definitely hope to see him again.
Forgot to post yesterday but I wore Shalimar. Today I am in Estee Lauder Pleasures.
Shalimar is wonderful
Both are good fragrances.
Wearing Dzing! and smelling good! I haven’t worn this recently and I’m falling in love all over again.
of course!!
I spotted my bottle of Shalimar Parfum Initial this morning so that’s what I’m in.
House twins 👯♀️
I’m in Rose Omeyyade today.
You smell fabulous 🙂
Let me share the photo here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4lmk5ookQU/?igsh=MW45aTM5bGJhZzJ4Ng==
How was Esxence 2024?
Prada infusion d’Iris — first time I’ve worn it in a while, and discovered that my little travel spray is now empty! (We are visiting my aunt; I will refill it when we are back home). Had a good long stroll on a park near her house, cool
But sunny, and spring is MUCH farther along than it is where we live, a few hundred miles away (north, to be fair!). Loads of forsythia, daffodils, and even a couple of magnolia trees in almost-full bloom. At home we just have crocus (yay!!!) and the daffodil buds are just starting to form.
We are headed out to dinner and a chamber music concert, so I will sweeten the iris with Iris Ganache.
Hope it was a lovely dinner and concert!
Continuing the CP with the lovely airy Guimauve de Noel—sugary orange blossom and vanilla. But these are somehow delicate sugar crystals, not a dump of sweetener. It’s very attractive.
I meant to try that one, it sounds lovely.
I’m wearing “Music For A While,” by Carlos Benaïm for Frederic Malle. I gather that it’s somewhat polarizing, but I love it. The lavender and unripe pineapple combo (unusual, for sure) is perfect for a sunny, crisp, late winter Saturday in LA.
I know I tried it but I honestly don’t remember it, so I must have come down on the “nay” side 🙂
I’m in Lush Rose Jam. It doesn’t last very long on me but that’s all right, I’ll switch to something else for evening. But right it’s making me happy.
Not perfume but this week I’ve been trying out some Jones Road makeup. It’s made for older skin. I’m not promoting it but I’m really really liking the Miracle Balm. My forever go-to Clinique was just no longer working….i hate change lol.
Bobbi Brown is killing me with her Jones Road advertising. I’m still wondering what led her to sell her original brand, and then start a whole new one..?
I can give you all the deets, Deva, since I spent a year at the house of many cosmetics and fragrances which purchased BB.
Oh, do tell! Whisper in my ear and that’s as far as it will go! 🙃
I really like the miracle balm too, along with several other Jones Road products. But the foundation was a huge miss for me.
Same here. The foundation is a miss, but between the creamy cover pencils and the balm I look better than with my old stuff.
The Miracle Balm looks a little shiny in the ads. How “shiny” is it on skin?
There is definitely a shine to it. It is NOT for younger skin and not for normal skin, it is for dry mature skin. I’m annoyed at the reviews by young influencers then bitching about how “sticky” or “tacky” it is. Oh honey, that’s because it’s not made for you, it sinks into my skin and feels great, but yes, there’s a pearly shine to it. It’s supposed to defuse the light and make your skin sort of soft focus. Theres a colorless balm, but it does have a sheen.
Thank you, Kelly Red. That’s so helpful.
I’m still in the remnants of last night’s Rosae Mundi. Haven’t worn it nearly enough this winter! Later I will be sporting Eau de Tout, since I’ve decided to test all of the used bottles im planning to sell or swap to make sure they’re still good. I’ve already lost a couple due to poor storage, and I’m sure that that pile may have a few more additions. But hey, it’s not as if I won’t have enough left.
Right now I’m off for a nice, long walk before I lose today’s ☀️.
“Eau de Tout” haha I have days like that.
😉
Wearing 4160 Tuesdays Dancing With Strangers and taking care of a few chores. Need to start packing this coming week as D-day is the 25th.
That house does have some fun names.
I’m wearing Alien Eau Luminescente, the mandarin version from 2008. I’ve still got quite a bit left in the bottle, but it’s getting well down.
We enjoyed the nephew’s engagement party last night, it was very nice to catch up with my beloved’s family.
We’ve woken up to a sunny morning and a cloudless blue sky, so we should have a good drive back home.
Oh good, glad it was a fun party! Now hope you get to stay home for a bit 🙂
Has anyone found Prada Infusion de Gingembre in shops yet?
I am watching with bated breath. Pretty much any Nordstrom perfume purchase doesn’t go against my no-buy because gift card…
I’m wearing Osmanthe Yunnan today. It’s a gorgeous sunny day and we’re just relaxing.
Nice!🌞 We are relaxation, but not sun, twins.
Belated 🤞 for your next interview sistine!
I’m in Gypsy Water. Or, at least I was. This one is pretty but does not last long. I’m almost done with my mini.
We are having a lazy Saturday here and I am feeling a little guilty about, but not guilty enough to actually do anything.🤣 I did get a workout in first thing this morning so at least there’s that. The sun came out briefly about 10 am and I thought it was going to turn into a beautiful day after all but it went away quickly and took my motivation with it. I’m enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee, hoping I won’t pay for it later.
Freebie alert: I have a mostly full travel spray of Diptyque Orpheon (sent to me by another NSTer) and a handful of samples I am looking to re-home. Dibs and Email me p k wisdom(one word) in the yahooland.
Dibs please, if it still available.
SOTD is Benjoin Boheme. I am soooooooo glad I bought this.
Plus such a pretty bottle!
SOTD = Tom Ford Vert de Fleur
Green 💚. I wish the bottle was green but I will not complain. Because the juice is fabulous!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4lmo3WRl3r/?igsh=NHZtZXdhZWsyZ2tk
New York Times article on death (how to prepare for). Nothing’s the matter but the reality is everyone ages on the calendar equally and everyone has an expiration date. I just like to share articles that make sense. Same caveats apply re: access.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/business/death-end-of-life-preparation.html
Started today with Puente Medusa, which wasn’t me, as I’m very selective on my big white flowers. I didn’t get much civet. It seemed well made, though.
Tonight I decided to try my sample of Demeter Frozen Margarita from Arielle Shoshana and it went directly into the “no” bag. Lime Pinesol, but fortunately it had typical Demeter lasting power and was gone in 5 minutes. One slight gripe: I ordered a few unsniffed but potentially fun scents from AS since they’ve started carrying Demeter. I requested 3 samples of different (more expensive) houses, and they sent six Demeter samples, some of which were the scents I bought. ???? Pretty sure I’m never going to need another $24 bottle of Kitten Fur…definitely don’t need multiple samples of it, too.
I thought maybe they were sending all the Demeter samples because I’d ordered cheap scents, but then my sister independently ordered the sample set of AS scents, because she loves Sunday but isn’t ready to shell out $200, and they sent her a bunch of Demeter samples. AS has been good with samples in the past, so I didn’t know what to tell her…or me.
Leading to price point / lack of small bottles gripe: I know my sister loves Sunday (from a sample I left her), but $200 is 2x what we generally spend on each other for a gift, so I haven’t bought it for her (and she knows what it costs, so I can’t get away with it). I so want to enable her on this, as she’s not generally a perfumista but she fell in love with it…but as a non-perfumista she won’t buy it for herself. I wish they still had the travel sprays, or anything smaller. And that said, I’d spend the $ on Saturday or Sunday for myself, but their bottle caps seem huge and I don’t think they’ll fit in my perfume drawer? So why would you do that?
Anyway. Beautiful day here. Looking forward to trying some of the other Puentes tomorrow. Ockeghem Teen has had two playdates (can I call them that when she’s a teen?) with her friends over the last two days and is very happy. Looking forward to getting out of here, if only for three days, over spring break. (Thanks, school, for having a two week spring break that does not line up with the university spring break so it’s not the case that at least 2 of us have spring break at the same time.)
@Deva: Looking at a prehistory theme for our summer vacation this year — so Dordogne and northern Spain (and Portugal). Thought you’d appreciate that (and thank you for the Cafe Neandertal recommendation).
How cool! Is the kid excited about it? And your welcome re: book recommendation.
She is!
I think nothing says more spring than smell of mimosa. Unfortunately I haven’t found a real true to nature mimosa in perfumery. Could you suggest some options to try?
Have you tried Vilhelm’s Modest Mimosa? I like that one a lot.
L’Artisan Mimosa pour moi is my favourite.
Perris Monte Carlo Mimosa Tanneron is lovely too.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m celebrating in a green shirt, green grippy-socks, and Chanel Bel Respiro.
You did better than I did! But I did get outside and see lots of green 🙂
I’m in vintage Chanel No. 19 edt today. The juice is the perfect green color. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those celebrating! 🍀
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Gail!
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Wearing Frederic Malle Synthetic Jungle to celebrate the day! 🍀🍀
Perfect!
I am wearing Houbigant Quelques fleurs, sometimes I am asking myself why am I bothering to try and find new perfumes since there are some vintages in my collection that are beyond perfect, the new version of Quelques fleurs is great too and not expensive.
It smells like a spring garden, all the flowers in harmony with each other.
I ask myself that same question.
Hello NST friends. My funds have been low lately, but always trying to keep a good amount of bottles in my rotation. Lately I have been waering some old classics like Giorgio and Sung. I also have been wearing some dupes from Oakcha and Dossier. Anyone here ever do the same? Let me know!!
Sung is beautiful. I pretty much like the whole brand. Forever Sung was my favorite.
I do not buy dupes but I don’t really buy new perfumes either, I just “shop” in my own collection 🙂
In the easy to wear Divine Vanilla today. The sun is struggling but I think it’ll make a showing soon. ⛅️
You really like Divine Vanilla, don’t you? I didn’t have that love like others have expressed.
I like it, it’s quite inoffensive and politically correct, but I wouldn’t say I love it. It was with all my travel sprays which are handily next to my kitchen sink. So really, I was too lazy to hunt through my full bottle storage, plus I was in a rush because the sun came out and I had to “git” 🙃
😊
Are you working these days or still looking into contracts?
Long story short: Worked for 2 weeks, documented everything I experienced, presented it to the clinical manager at my agency and said I’m not going back. They backed me and found a short contract in Oregon that I starts the 25th. After that will be working all summer for the USFS. Did you hear the FTC has opened an investigation into private equity corporations buying up hospitals, clinics, and MD companies because of the practice of “strip and flip” and resulting decline in patient/staff outcomes? I’m waiting to see what comes of it. I hope the whole can of worms gets opened up.
Oh, this is interesting. I did not know that.
Hey Guys. I’m feeling a little better today and took my daughter to the mall. I tried the re-release of TF Vanille Fatale. At first I liked it but now it’s irritating me.
Anyway… sad news in my family, last week my brother in-law was rushed to the hospital. It turns out he had flesh eating facitis (sp?) And has since had one leg amputated and put on dialysis. They are deciding today about the other leg. This has just been devastating news for my sister and niece. My sister really needs help navigating all of the paperwork and stuff and if he gets out of the hospital, he will need aftercare. Is there such a thing still as a patient advocate or something similar? Any advice and prayers are welcome.
I am so sorry about your brother-in-law, Lillyjo. I hope his health situation improves soon. He will be in my prayers. Hugs.
Thank you friend. It’s just been such a shock.
Yes, I’ve had patients before with this diagnosis when I worked ICU. It’s absolutely horrible, and I’m so sorry your family is going through this. If aftercare is your sisters biggest concern, she would want to speak with someone in case management. They are the ones who will arrange discharge to a rehab facility. The hitch in the giddy up is always insurance- where they will approve, how much time they will approve, etc. Case management is probably already following him but are still in the background because his discharge date is still up in the air. I hope that he doesn’t lose his other leg, the dialysis is short term, and he’s at a very large teaching hospital. Are they near you?
Oh, so sorry to hear this. I think many hospitals still have Patient Advocates, but I am sure Deva or others would know. Since I retired from nursing, I don’t keep up on all those things.
I know I had one for my mom but that was a long time ago.
I am so sorry for that news. I will keep you in my thoughts.
Thanks Hera.
How devastating, so sorry that such a freak illness befell him. Not familiar with the US health system, here there are health NGOs right inside the hospital. Hope your sister can get the support she needs and that others will chime in.
Thank you Aurora. It’s just so crazy how this is happening.
OMG lillyjo. So sad to hear about your BIL. All positive vibes and thoughts of strength for your family are heading your way.
It’s been a few years since my brother and I had to deal with Patient Advocates, but they were around back when we were dealing with my Mom’s situation. This was circa 2021.
Good to know Jalapeno.
Thank you. I kind of have to push my sister on some stuff because she won’t seek help on her own.
Oh, that is tragic! I’m so sorry to hear it. You can have your sister ask your BIL’s nurse or the charge nurse, that would be quickest way. Not all hospitals have patient advocates, and most that do are not medical people so if the issues are medical, I would suggest talking directly to his care team.
There isn’t much for her to do atm except approve the surgeries. I think it’s been 3 already. She will mostly need help when/if the time comes for any aftercare treatment and of course stupid insurance stuff. I told her to ask. Have you seen this before? It’s awful how fast it came on and ravaged him.
Sorry, I answered above in the wrong place…🤦🏻♀️ See under PL67’s response. ☝🏼
Thanks Deva. I will be passing along your information.
The hospital he is in is affiliated with a university. We’ve become quite the medical city here over the past 2 decades.
I’m so very sorry about your brother-in-law, lillyjo! Sending out positive thoughts and you will all be in my prayers.
Thank you Gail.
Lillyjo, I’m so sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. Such a terrible diagnosis, I hope they are keeping him as comfortable as possible. Sending hugs to you and your sister.
Thank you Foxbins. He’s pretty much been unconscious most of this time.
Sorry to hear that. I hope your brother in law can recover with as much remaining limbs as possible.
Sadly I have treated this disorder before from medical but not surgical standpoint. Dialysis may be temporary for him I hope.
I second the charge nurse idea. If there are concerns he or she cannot address, perhaps a meeting with the physicians can be arranged.
Thank you. I will be passing along the information.
I’m joining in sending prayers and thoughts for him.
Thank you MossyBerry.
Oh my goodness lillyjo, I am so sorry.
Omg, I am so sorry to read this. I will definitely keep him and his family in my prayers.
Exhausted and about halfway through a 12 day stint. I keep asking myself if I was this tired working these hours in my 30’s (20+ years ago) and then I am reminded I did not work this many hours at a stretch back then.
Been a rough week with end of life care and critical decisions with one patient. Time consuming and emotionally draining but needed to be done.
Wearing a sample of Room 1015. Sandalwood. Reminds me of Heretic Scandalwood which I like but is already under worn in my collection.
If there is some perfume equivalent of RedBull I need to be wearing that.
Wow Zephyr2, that sounds really tough, I don’t know how you do it and I’m sorry I can’t think of any perfume strong or bright enough to help you…. How long do you get off after your 12 days?