It's Hump Day, National Banana Day and International Bat Appreciation Day. What fragrance are you wearing?
Did you know the banana is one of the top 3 fruits eaten in the Netherlands, and the Dutch are trying to save bananas from extinction? Sometimes bananas can even be found on the beaches of Terschelling Island, north of Amsterdam. I'm taking points in Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Banane.
Reminder: on 4/19, we're off to the Netherlands (aka Holland)! (Friday is Dutch-American Friendship Day.) Wear a perfume that is named for a place in the Netherlands, or that reminds you of a (real or imaginary) trip to the Netherlands, or that features a local ingredient, or ?
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: top image is Of Orange [cropped] by Rob Oo at flickr; some rights reserved. [This 1848 statue of William of Orange (aka William III of England) stands outside the parliament building in The Hague, and is shown in 2022 surrounded by "a series of inflatable spikes" in an installation called Oranje by UK Artist Steve Messam. You can see more photos of the installation here, more of Messam's works here and here.]
ELdO day three: Rien, which means “nothing” in French but is definitely not nothing — raunchy patchouli, leather, incense, oakmoss, sexy as blazes.
Also, Vanille Banane is a great choice for Banana Day, and if I weren’t going for a theme I would have worn it — but purely by coincidence I spritzed some on last night before bed.
Close enough!
“Rien” is the winner Most Ironic Perfume Name contest.
Hello.
I love these fun facts!
Sotd is Chanel Beige from a mini. One day I will buy a FB. One day…
Pretty. Better do it soon before they keep raising those crazy prices!😵💫
I have to agree. In the past year, Chanel prices have gotten out of hand but it’s getting worse.
I got to agree. I am gonna buy it!
I agree with buy it now …
Chanel, here I come!
We had a couple of lines of major storms come through last night. Thunder that made my 87 year old windows rattle. The second one came through right when I was going to bed so I had a hard time falling asleep as a result. Stopped at my favorite coffee shop for the best latte in town on the way to work.
I’m in Angélique’s Letters from Beauty Pie. This is the one travel spray I kept from a sample set and sold the remaining on evilbay a few weeks ago. I just so happened to be checking the bay this morning and spotted some travel sprays that looked familiar.👿 Sure enough the buyer has listed them separately and is trying to make a profit. Pathetic. I would call that unsportsmanlike conduct if eBay was a sport lol.
Oh, that is unsportsmanlike!
I have storms coming through today.
Re: unsportsmanlike conduct …
I used to sell on evil-Bay a very long time ago … never samples, just bottles that are used which I got sick of. In any case, I decided that if I sold something I did not want, then whatever the buyer or freebie recipient did with it I don’t even bother to find out. For me, ignorance is bliss.
I’m with you. Once you swap it/gift it, it’s not your call anymore. BUT, I will say people that do this just to make a few bucks off someone else’s generosity is pretty 💩y.
Lots of profiteers on Evil Bay. I can’t remember the last time I bought something there; it’s been several years now.
It’s a gorgeous, sunny but very chilly morning here, and I chose Ambre Narguilé to keep me company until things warm up a bit.
Great choice!
Guerlain Habit Rouge for the most famous Dutch painting – the Night Watch by Rembrandt. I had the privilege of seeing it during my trip to the Netherlands.
There is not much red color in the painting (although the captain’s red sash is quite eye-catching), but I think the opulence and elegant masculinity of HR goes well with all these 17th century guardsmen in rich attires.
Great match! I’m trying to imagine wearing all those clothes and ruffled collars…😳
The silks could be nice. Those collars though… 😐
Just think: maybe 400 years from now people will look at our clothes and wonder what it was like wearing them.
You smell great! An idea for Friday!
Banana, perfect! That decided what I’m wearing today, Sira des Indes for my PT evaluation. I’m pretty sure they will be recommending more therapy.
I’m also driving for the first time today. I drive a manual transmission and pushing in the clutch has been holding me up. My husband will be so glad not to have to drive me around!
Oh yay, another milestone!
I hope all goes well!
It did, yay! No more cane and I can drive at last.
So nice to get more independence. Hope it goes well
Huzzah for being able to drive yourself again!
Congrats! That must be so liberating. And it means you are getting better!
I’m in a cloud of SL Fleurs de Citronnier-I really like this scent, and it’s in the small square bottle, with the back part done as sand waves. Completely in love with this presentation, too. I hope the bottle is refillable.
You smell lovely, it’s a good one and very substantial for a citrus.
Thank you, Aurora, and I agree-it has surprising presence.
I think of it as a BWF in citrus disguise.
I don’t know that bottle but you smell lovely, Carole. I very much enjoy that Lutens Citronnier and was surprised to learn the notes included tuberose, which is usually a no go for me. But it’s very well behaved and blended in this one.
Tuberose hates me and I don’t remember it in Citronnier, I should revisit.
Thank you, DeniseH and ringthing-I don’t smell much tuberose, and I love that note. In my opinion the musk in this is like Clair de Musc. I have ‘boosted’ the performance of FdC with Clair de Musc.
I agree the two are similar, and I love both. I will have to try your intriguing combination idea.
Since the Netherlands grows more than their share of flowers, I’m in a lily fragrance this morning and my third ELdO of the week, Charogne.
Do you have a lot of lily perfumes? Or just the Charogne?
My other obvious lilies that come to mind (with fragrantica’s help) are SL Vierge de Fer and L’AP Passage d’Enfer but I’m sure a few others.
How about you?
I am wearing l’Heure Bleue extrait layered with Cartier Baise Vole, it smells amazing, they complement each other perfectly.
I have a busy work week since I was on vacation for two weeks because i was going to travel to Italy but had to cancel last minute. Watching Sex and the City episodes with my daughter , loving it!!! It’s light, the outfits are great, fun conversations!!
Oh that’s so nice you can watch it with your daughter! I feel like I’m the only person my age who never saw it.
The sun is blasting down but there is a cool, brisk breeze, so it’s quite comfortable. We are camping out in the the desert on BLM land. No junipers here, just craggy mountains, scrub, and relentless sun. Can’t imagine being here in summer. Trying to figure out how I will keep my hat on when I go for a hike a bit later…
We went to the Bonnieville Salt Flats yesterday. What an amazing site. Thought about trying to break the land speed record but the wind was against me! 😉 Currently the record is 763 mph set by Brit Andy Green, who was a Royal Air Force Pilot. This was back in 1997, so the record is ripe to be crushed! I think he was in the Black Rock desert area, though. I’m going to put a helmet, flashy scarf, and goggles on T-Rex and see if my lumbering rig can break the record! 😜
Shamelessly copying Robin in CAP Vanille Banane. Smelling like a tropical drink in middle of nowhere.
Here’s a photo for those interested:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C52AkOjuV3B/?igsh=MTRucHhmemEwNHhrdA==
It’s like a lunar landscape.
Just the floor of a huge ancient evaporated lake. The salt is about 5 feet thick in the center and tapers to about an inch around the perimeter. It’s amazing to see in person. Glad I stopped because I was going to pass it by. If you like sunshine, this is the place to be.
That looks pretty bleak. T Rex looks good, though!
I don’t know how she stays in shape..? If only I could say the same for myself. 😉
That is so stunning! I loved the big wide open spaces in Arizona, but this is even emptier.
It really is amazing. There is a paved road that goes out into the flats for about 4 miles, and of course you can walk out onto the flats just about anywhere. The scope of it astounding. The salt, at this time of year, is softer and scoop-able. Really only safe to drive on in the summer when everything is quite dry. People have gotten vehicles stuck out there. Plus, all the salt will wreck your undercarriage, but I can totally understand the temptation! 🏎️
Cool pic! Never made it out to the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Loved the photo! And the walmart photos too 🙂
On my way to Costco to do a big grocery shop. Currently in vintage BaV in edt form.
High-classy – that’s the way to tackle errands, and I don’t do it enough
Dawn you will be the most elegant smelling person in Costco today!
In Cartier Zeste de Soleil. It’s cheery if fleeting, so we’ll see whether it will last as long as my trip does.
That was a good one!
Just sprayed on Blackbird Y06-S for the banana note. A big favorite summer scent.
Worked from home in the morning and about to leave for an afternoon site inspection nearby. I will grab my second cup of coffee later, no time for it right now.
Happy Wednesday! ☕️
You smell great! I love that one.
Thank you, Allo!
Great scent!
IT IS!
Ok, I really need to find mine! Such good stuff, but missing.
It is an unusual and wonderful scent! I hope you find yours soon!
Bought the Le Monde Gourmand discovery set and trying Pistachio Brûlée today…getting a sweet, nutty vanilla as expected from the notes and name.
Some reviews for this line on Fragrantica are positive and others are brutal. ehaeheh 😆I am most definitely not a fragrance snob. I want to get my nose on everything from Guerlain extraits to the Mix:Bar line at Target. I am an equal opportunity perfume lover. ♥️ 👃🏻 😌 would also add that many high-end lines are surprisingly disappointing too…cost isn’t directly correlated with quality or enjoyment. 📈 I don’t always get to use a graph emoji. 😄
I’m not a fragrance snob either, think of all you might miss! 😉
The last time I was at Target the perfume section went poof. Maybe I just have to walk around a little bit more…
Note: I did not check online
Still commando as I have been baking all morning. Trying to motivate myself to make a spinach quiche for which I have no recipe and don’t even really like, because my downstairs neighbor requested it. I can’t eat a whole quiche and need someone to share it with. Unfortunately she is also lactose intolerant so I need to go to the store and buy special butter$$$. I am not feeling inspired…
That all sounds a bit difficult-go easy on yourself, cazaubon. But I bet you smell great from baking already.
I made bread, muffins and quiche – the house is warm and smells goid at least. Hoping the quiche is edible.
Aw that’s kind of you. I love quiche (to eat AND make–so easy!) but probably wouldn’t pick spinach as my ideal filling.
I’m not a fan of spinach either, hope it is not too disgusting. 🤪
I don’t dislike it but we could do better for a quiche! I hope you enjoy it regardless.
I would like to have neighbours like you in my life. My neighbours don’t even say hello and always in a bad mood.
Good luck with the quiche.
I have lovely neighbours. The quiche is in the oven, hoping it comes out okay. I made bread & muffins too so I’ve been very busy all day.
Your cooking and baking marathon all sounds quite tasty!
It was decent, considering I was using an untested recipe. The quiche was too salty, but otherwise good. The bread and muffins were from longtime favorite recipes. 🙂
You have been busy! I bet your quiche will be great. It sounds like it may be similar to spanakopita. Your place smells amazing, I’m sure.
It was good, although too salty, I would definitely cut the salt at least in half. It was made with gruyère cheese.
Having a quiet day at home on a cloudy cool day and testing Vilhelm Poets Of Berlin on one wrist and Dear Polly on the other. No banana, but I guess blueberries, lemon, and apple tea.
I have not tried either…any good?
Frozen mango, pear and yogurt smoothie
Ran errands all afternoon, opened a saving account with Barclays where the interest rates were more attractive than at my bank, the weather this week is cooler 11C, the lilacs are in bloom. I chose vintage Eau de Patou today, I also have the Heritage version, very good,. This one is more citrussy, a great mix, very natural and I detect petitgrain which I adore.
Tonight it’s PdF Hayan, a delicious vanilla, patchouli combo, that’s it, very linear, gourmand.
So nice to have lilacs nearby.
Yes, they’re across the street from me,. I sniffed the white lilac, the purple ones are out of reach.
Aurora, I love Eau de Patou-I get the nasturtium note. You smell great!
Thank you Carole, it is just so bright and refreshing, intrigued by the nasturtium.
I need to check my local lilacs, usually they don’t bloom until May but we are having an early spring.
I was surprised too, didn’t expect them yet, so glad you have access to lilacs too.
Envious of your lilacs! I love the smell of them, but haven’t noticed any in my immediate area.
But things are just now starting to green up and bloom here.
I bet you’re going to discover interesting blooms in your neighborhood.
There were just a few lilacs in bloom over the weekend at Winterthur gardens in Delaware…but most were barely in bud.
They’re definitely early over here.
Hello all!
Since Robin posted about the revamped Atelier Cologne line yesterday, I decided to put on my favorite (which of course was discontinued way before the line restructured): Mistral Patchouli. A star anise and clean patchouli pas de deux that radiates chic to me. I wish I had a bit more, if I’m honest….
Have a great day everyone!
Mistral Patchouli is also my favorite Atelier. It was reissued under the name Patchouli Riviera, but I don’t know if it has been reformulated.
aw, ‘mistral’ is so much more evocative and lovely.
I remember Frederic Malle saying they wanted to call Rose & Cuir something like Mistral Rose but there was already a trademark. Maybe AC had the same problem?
Oh, I remember them releasing a new patchouli scent but didn’t realize that it might just be a renaming…. I really forgot how much I like this one.
I am lazing about this morning, babying my knee because apparently “active rest” i.e. walking, made it worse. So I will take the day off and read inside. Maybe I’ll mop the floors, they are kind of grubby. SOTD is Zoologist Hummingbird.
Knee pain is awful so take it easy out there!
Be careful and take it slow, mopping and vacuuming can both put pressure on your knees. You smell great!
I’m not the boss of you, but I’d suggest skipping the floors and RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevate. Not that I’d ever give any kind of simple medical device to ANYONE! 😉Hummingbird sounds like a great spring fragrance.
I forgot all about RICE! I did that. And you’re advising a friend right now.
Hummingbird is lovely, but a bit sweet. I thought it was too sweet and gave my bottle away but I find myself wearing my sample quite often. I might have to get more!
I hope that you skipped mopping the floors today. They can wait a little longer.
Bats and bananas…a cool wee video from a Queensland bat rescue centre of an injured flying fox ( bat) eating a banana. Such cool creatures ( so cool that we named our dog, Bat, cause she has the same eyes).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgMseckYGtE.
Matching with Datura Noir
That first chomp of banana was huge!
Adorable! He goes after that banana just like T-Rex does! And his little wiggly ears and bulging cheeks..! 🥰
Too cute.
I’ve never seen flying foxes up close – wow, he loves banana!
Who knew that bats could blep?
No scent yet this morning, but still wafting the remains of the decant of CdG Marseille that I thunked last night. It was like sailing inside a floating irridescent neroli soap bubble drifting through the stars. Not sure how CdG did it, and I loathe ‘clean’ detergenty frags, but this one has a mix of sparkling white musk, aldehydes? and neroli that make me swoon.
Someone who can make a “clean” perfume for people who hate those is very talented indeed!
My second day in a Hiram Green fragrance that does nothing for me. Dilettante is the SOTD. I usually love orange blossom, but this one is sharp and unpleasant to my nose/brain.
Thanks for the fun banana facts Robin, it’s interesting to pick up bits of information about my own country reading an American blog!
I was very curious of this one, especially since it was discontinued. Glad to know it might not be worth losing sleep over!
Thanks for the names of Dutch artists yesterday. I have another one for tomorrow.
Oh, good, curious to see what you have chosen.
You are welcome 🙂
You need to find out how to get that startup’s produce, they are growing Gros Michel bananas. Or maybe you can already get lots of good varieties in markets there, how would I know? Here, most regular supermarkets still sell mainly Cavendish, which are pretty tasteless. Some have more varieties, just depends. But Gros Michel are hard to find here.
Daisy Wild today – banana leaf is in there and plays really well with the jasmine.
How do you like Daisy Wild?
I’ve abandoned all thought of the CP in the interests of colour. I’m wearing a purple dress, so I’m wearing my recent purchase of Indigo Smoke. The name matches and so does the bottle 🙂
You smell great!
I can’t imagine the banana going extinct! Idk what I would do! That would be very tragic lol
Chanel 1957, again lol
Well strictly speaking even the Gros Michel is not extinct…it is just no longer widely grown 🙂
Temps d’une Fete for fields of daffodils. Still trying to keep my head above water during this crazy week. We finally got the assessment from the car insurance, and it wasn’t the lowball figure I was expecting. Still no cars to be had, though, and the insurance money for the rental ran out today, so they called it back in and we’re having to get a new rental car.
Our daffodils are out and looking very pretty!
Gosh, what a struggle! Glad they are giving you enough money though.
SOTD = Prada Infusion d’Ylang
Meh. Floral, and that’s about it. Like the others (Vanille, Gingembre and Ylang), this is easy to wear, “nice”. A travel spray of each is just enough.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C54D0CARiDi/?igsh=Z2N6aTJuNXcxMGpq
I got a phone call earlier today and the person asked me how I was. I said it depends on what the call was about. Then he launched into we’re investigating a package with cash in it. I just said that it’s a scam and then hung up. I should have said they really should find another way to scam people but of course they already know this. 🤦🏻♀️
Yesterday, I dropped off a big bag of items to donate (yay me). I asked if they accept perfumes and other liquids, because you never know and it doesn’t hurt to ask. Surprisingly, the answer was yes! And there’s not even a need to separate them! I don’t currently have any specific perfumes to donate but it is an alternative. You may ask why I wouldn’t sell or mail them (to fellow NSTers). I don’t have an answer other than lately I haven’t been motivated to mail things; this could change of course.
Did you report that phone number to law enforcement?
I tried the ylang and liked it pretty well. Then I realized it reminded me of Demeter Ultimate Beach Day. Which I like but already have so money saved!
I had my eye on the Ylang, but decided that I didn’t really need it even in a travel spray.
Shame about the ylang! I bought a bottle of ylang oil and mixed it into some unscented lotion…it actually smells better than any ylang perfume I’ve tried yet.
SotD Lilac Love, and I did see and smell some lilacs blooming on my Monday walk. My scented moment today occurred at the end of today’s walk. The wind has been blowing and gusting all day. I noticed my large patch of lilies of the valley is filled with blooms. I stood down wind and was catching good whiffs. I thought, gosh, the wind had been blowing through them all day – just imagine all the fragrance they have inside!
Oh, wow already! My patch is up and hugely spread this year…they have actually escaped way out into the lawn. But no blooms yet.
We’ve had several warm days and nights in a row and they bloomed right out.
Very productive day today, whoo hoo! I am currently listening to the dishwasher as it runs the second load of the day, and dinner is cooking in the oven as I type.
SOTD = commando, with Josie Maran body butter on my shins. The vanilla one. I didn’t skip perfume due to pollen counts or allergies. Just not feeling it today.
I’m cooking and running the dishwasher too. Glad you had a productive day 🌞
I couldn’t fit everything into the dishwasher for this round, so I will be putting more things in when this cycle ends.
Glad you had a productive day. It sure feels good to get things done.
Yep! Glad I cooked up some of those fridge contents while they were still good.
Thanks to the inspiration of others earlier this week, I am fully CP compliant in a great dosing of Hiram Green Moon Bloom. When I dove back into perfume last fall, I told myself I could have one big tuberose. This is my *one*. (Shhh, don’t tell La Chasse aux Papillons)
It is so lovely!
Here’s the middle of a story that takes too long to tell.
My brother’s wife is once again trying to stir the pot within the family. I am supposed to text her back but honestly whatever I say will be taken the wrong way. .. I am just venting a little.
Anyway, today I wore Coco Noir. It seemed good for a stormy day.
Your day was stormy in more way than one, alas.
And not texting your brother’s wife back at all wouldn’t work, either. Ugh.
Jalapeno she is something else. Ugh.
Oy vey! 😧
Oh, dear, let her stew.
That’s why I said it’s the middle of the story. I’m hoping she simmers down and it ends up well. I feel really bad for my brother right now.
Also.. go to sleep!😊
😀 Thank you very much Lillyjo, yes it’s more than time.
Oh no! We have a family member like that too! It’s hard not to engage but sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do.
Sorry lillyjo!!
I started out the day 4160 Tuesdays, Clouds on one wrist, Both Sides of Clouds on the other. I’m trying to decide which one to bring with me on a trip next week.
Currently I’m in Kenzo Amour on top of Dove Macadamia and Rice Milk whipped body creme after my shower. (Thanks to PL67 for the great combination suggestion!)
You reminded me to look for that body cream. I didn’t see it last time.
The only place I found it was on Amazon.
Love a good body creme or body butter!
It’s a nice one. Very subtle scent to me so it’s great for layering; I’ve been looking for rice notes in things lately.