Happy Friday and happy Fourth of July! Our community project for today: wear a fragrance with a basil note, if you have one.
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
Me: same as yesterday...I'm commando for a day at the beach, but I'll be in Guerlain Mandarine Basilic this evening.
Reminder: on 7/11, imagine you are an astronaut and you've just returned to earth after nine months in space. What scent did you miss most, and what perfume would you reach for? Suggested by Kanuka.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2025, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is Basil Plant [cropped] by Alexander Baxevanis at flickr; some rights reserved.
Wearing my sample of Vilhelm Parfumerie Basilico & Fellini. Definitely basil forward. Fruity green – more like walking in the fruit garden. Very nice.
And happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate it!
I bet you will not be the only one in the Vilhelm!
Strangely enough, I seem to be the only one for now. Although someone wore it earlier last week. Your SOTE, however, seems quite popular!
Older & cheaper & easier to find at the discounters 🙂
I’m always so glad to see you posting here. I heard there was a bad bombing attack there last night and I’m relieved to see you are apparently ok.🙏
Thank you!
Yes, it was bad last night – very loud and quite frightening. It felt close.
We’re in the middle of another attack right now, but things quieted down about an hour ago, and it looks like all the drones are in another region. So I’m going to bed, hoping the rest of the night will be undisturbed.
Posting really late, but I hope you had some peace last night/this morning.
Thank you – slept well for the past two nights.
Happy July 4th and tgif!
Sotd is the classic basil: JM Lime Basil & Mandarin. This is a funny one because I feel like it’s better as a body wash or room fragrance instead of a proper perfume, maybe because it’s too squeaky clean..?
Maybe you *should* repurpose it as a room spray! When we were on vacation in April I ended up using some of the sample vials and sprays I brought with me as bathroom fresheners, and when I got back I just continued doing that. Among other things, I dug out (from my Can Live Without box) a bottle of Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme, hadn’t worn it for eons, and after realizing that yes, I definitely can live without this, I put it to work as a room spray: it’s much more agreeable as a general vibe that as a scent I’d be lugging around on my person all day.
Yes! It’s actually what I was thinking of doing because I just don’t really enjoy it on me. Currently my bathroom spray is Flowerbomb and because it’s so potent, I can’t seem to make a dent in the bottle! Actually, who says one can only use one perfume at a time? To the bathroom counter it goes!
What I have also done with perfumes in the past is make my own scented hand/body wash by pouring some perfume into an unscented bottle of soap.
I used to do that with St. Ives Vanilla Body Wash, because it was so cheap, and unscented gels were/are really hard to find: I’d buy like a half dozen bottles at a time and scent them with different fragrances, mostly orientals — Angel worked particularly well.
I use fragrances as air fresheners that I like but don’t wear. Sadly, they’re the only bottles I thunk these days. Got to get sprayin!
In addition to other suggestions, if you have a scentless body lotion you can make a DIY scented lotion (just make it in small batches).
Fragrantica swears that Ô de Lancôme has basil in it, and although that list of notes looks suspiciously sixties to me, I’m going to take them at their word, so that’s what I’m wearing — as if I need an excuse to wear this bright, breezy cologne, the very essence of summertime.
Omg, TM season 19 finale is coming and I am NOT ready to let this crazy bunch go! 😫
They were INCREDIBLE, especially Javie Martzoukas. The whole season was pure havoc but the finale was completely off the chain — you’ll see!
I don’t know one single contestant on the upcoming season but I bet I’ll like at least four of them.
Javie Martzoukas will forever be one of my top teams. Their whole energy is just *perfection*.
I know I’ll be rewatching this season again soon. Who cares if I’ll still remember it clearly? It’s too good not to revisit!
I had planned to wear Boucheron today as it’s the only perfume I have with basil, but instead I’m wearing a layering combo that ChatGBT picked: Chanel Egoiste with a drop of vanilla oil on pulse points. I would never have thought of it but it smells fantastic. Anyone else using AI for perfume suggestions?
I was thinking of Boucheron, too.
I haven’t tried AI for perfume suggestions, but it might be fun to see what happens.
I asked Amazon’s Alexa once what her favourite was, I forget what she said, but it was safely mainstream 🙂
This would be a nice community project!
I think Glannys has been using AI for perfume suggestions.
I love basil, and I love the image you chose, Robin.
I’m in Dolce and Gabanna-I think it’s their original scent, with the red cap. It’s made in Italy and you can tell lol. It’s exuberant and sophisticated and glamorous. I feel very Monic Belluci, or Sophia Loren-ish:) I’m not sure I can pull this off but I’ll enjoy it for today.
Very happy July 4th to all who celebrate it 🙂
I love red cap. Wore it in the 1990s. Best marigold ever.
The marigold note is noticeable, and I love it!
D&G Red Cap smells great on others so I bet you smell wonderful, Carole. I’ve tried to wear it because I like the anise note, but my skin amplifies some aromachemical that disagrees with me, alas. I even did a bunch of research on various formulas of it thinking that might be the problem, but nope. However, I did learn that your bottle Made in Italy is the original vintage. Later it was made in Germany and also the UK I think, as the brand changed hands. So the big Red Cap fans seek out the Italian ones.
DeniseH, yes-I get that aromachemical note too, and it does interfere with my enjoyment a bit. It’s still a nice scent. I had heard the Italy version is preferred. Mine came from Winners.
Do you know I am pretty sure I never smelled that one!
SMNVaniglia
You smell marvelous, CM!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh
so wonderful.
I have nothing with basil in it. Going to work today solely for the holiday pay today. Wearing Cheirosa 62 today to get me through.
Hope it helps, Dawn.
Dawn, holiday pay rocks!
Yay holiday pay!
I will be in FM Synthetic Jungle after my shower — one of the few basils I have.
Hope it’s peaceful…?
You smell greeny good!
Hi twin – we smell green and Summery!
Goutal’s Eau du Sud for me today. Very CP compliant and I’m loving this super-medley of green herbs laid over a classic cologne base. I have a very cute vintage 15 ml bottle that I will make a serious dent in this summer when the weather heats up. Here in Los Angeles, July can still be a honeymoon heat period, and the truly awful scorching comes in August and September.
I love Eau de Sud-you smell so good. I really wish people would use more fragrance around me. I do remember smelling this for the first time and recoiled-it was so strange to my nose. Same as Mitsuko-I recoiled, and then learned to love it.
Tiffanie, I was reading Thursday’s comments and your fond memories of an old boyfriend’s fragrance and realized I have a mini of vintage Paco Rabanne Pour Homme for you if you send me your addy. You can reach me at denise at denisehamiltonDAWTTCOMMMM
Hi Denise! You’re so kind. I’ll email you now. 📧😊
Woke up to a cool-ish, cloudy morning, which gave me an opportunity to wear another unexpectedly basil-bearing fragrance — Kerosene Copper Skies. It reminds me a little of Hermes Rocabar, in that it combines typical amber-spice notes with herbal greens. Rocabar is closer to a fougère, though — Copper Skies is very amber-forward, with the basil buried in a heap of tobacco leaves and beeswax. I love it, but I won’t need more than my 8 ml decant.
I could have worn that this week, just never thought to look it up and I kind of forgot about my decant, I haven’t worn CS in years! I think my decant is 8 ml too.
I did not think I had any perfume with basil in my collection but then, while having fresh mango for breakfast, I remembered an intense green and fruity concoction that is Strange Invisible Perfumes Tropical Vial, with mango, jasmine, basil & botanical musk. I love this scent and even though I wear it only in summer heat, I always get a kick out of its dense mash of sharp green and fruity notes that mellows into beautiful, syrupy jasmine tinged skin musk. I’m very much a cold weather person but this is an idea of tropics as they appeal to me: primal, green, furiously buzzing with insect life, hyper-real green foliage and underneath, decay and rebirth. The basil gives it an unexpected twist, like cherishing an idea of tropics from a city build on an edge of a jungle, while enjoying all the urban niceties. I went in a trip to Panama City a little while ago and the hot and humid melange of scents was exactly like this perfume. It has been discontinued but the bottle I have will last me many more summers.
Your description of the jungle made me immediately think of Fitzcarraldo.
Ah yes, the ultimate jungle madness movie..! Wasn’t there a Klaus Kinsky perfume? Well, yes, though no basil: https://nstperfume.com/2012/04/18/kinski-fragrance-review/
Perfect reference and who knew there was a Kinski perfume?
I forgot that one, and I bet I still have some somewhere.
Strange Invisible Perfumes is a favorite house of yours, isn’t it?
Another warm-not-hot day, and I’m in the basil-containing AV Mantes-La-Jolie.
Perfect. We had hot-not-warm 🙂
Happy 4th of July!
I am wearing Chanel Cristalle for a nice warm and sunny day here.
The past couple of weeks have been very hectic with work. I am glad this is a long holiday weekend. Today, I am spending the afternoon with my youngest sister and her family out of town at a lavender field. I am looking forward to their delicious honey lavender ice cream. We will have dinner at a nearby restaurant and then go to watch the fireworks by the beach. The rest of the week I will be quietly resting at home.
Having my second cup of coffee and a pistachio croissant.
Hope you are all doing well! 🌞
So nice to see you, pl67. Your lavender afternoon sounds especially wonderful, enjoy 💜
Thank you, Ringthing! 😊
Happy 4th of July Pl67!
Enjoy your day and dessert!
Thank you, Lillyjo! I am sure I will have more than 2 scoops! 🙈
sounds wonderful, pl67!
enjoy!
Thank you, Apsara!
I love Cristalle 🙂
We share the love for Cristalle. It is one of my favorite summer scents!
Have a great holiday today.
Thank you, Aurora!
Sounds like a lovely day. Glad to see you back💕
Thank you, Kris! We had a nice and relaxing day.
Oh gosh this sounds heavenly especially the ice cream! Enjoy!
Thank you, LesLiesse! The ice cream was amazing!
Honey and lavender are a wonderful combination! 😋
It is! 😋
I’m in Capucci Pour Homme (1967,) another herbal, citrus, aromatic, old-school “masculine.” A good dose of basil here.
Hope everyone has a festive and safe 4th of July.☺️
Another one I do not know!
Hope your 4th is festive and safe too. I will miss the fireworks at home since they’re tonight and I’m at the beach, then will miss the fireworks at the beach since they’re tomorrow night and I am leaving in the morning. Oh well, next year!
Boy Daniel you stumped Robin! I was going to say I don’t recognize Capucci. But if you’re wearing it it must be très chic!
In L’Eau de L’Artisan because it’s perfect for a sunny fourth. And it was a surprise to me that this has a basil note.
Loads of good smellin people here today-L’eau de L’Artisan has that seaweed note too-so unique and so refreshing 🙂
My old friend, L’Eau de L’Artisan! I forgot it had basil too.
Post shower a few sprays of AA Mandarine Basilic. I simply cannot smell this at all.
Keeping with my gym time, heading there later. NYT crossword finished.
50 years ago today, I attended the 200th anniversary of the USA at the American Embassy in Teheran.
What a world!
What a world indeed.
I have missed the gym all this week, which I nearly never do, and feel like an absolute slug.
Robin dear you’re the absolute opposite of a slug! Hope your time off at the beach and from the gym recharges you !
Thank you! but trust me I am more sluggish than I appear 🙂
And went to the gym yesterday and *felt* my 5 days off!!
Happy 4th!🇺🇸🎆🎇
I’d have gone with JM lime basil mandarin for the cp, but I thunked my bottle awhile ago. I see the JM website does offer this one in a 9 ml size. Tempting.
Instead I’m in Brandt Summer Street from a sample. This is reminding me of something else, Cheirosa maybe…? It’s teetering on being just a tad too sweet, so hopefully it will settle down a bit. I do appreciate that this brand offers 10 ml travel sprays.
It’s supposed to be hot again today, so we have no major plans. My barre studio was actually open this morning, so I got a workout in. My 300th class since joining in September 2023! Then my son took me out for a latte to my favorite coffee shop downtown. Not a bad start to the day.😊
Not a bad start at all! Hope the rest of the day was good too.
wonderful start, mtg!
I’m wearing Diptyque Virgilio, which is heavy on the thyme, but apparently also has basil.
I very rarely wear it (got a cheap bottle when I was still collecting more randomly) and the spray mechanism was stuck, but I managed to fix it a short while ago.
This is one of those early Diptyques when they still made wholly original and not universally pleasing scents.
Yes, Virgilio smelled unusual and “niche”, back when that meant something.
Basil is part of the mint family ( Lamiaceae) and so I’m wearing Pohadka which has a herbal, Shiso note that is quite pronounced ( same family) and sage ( also lamiaceae). It is a richer perfume than the more cologne-like/ fresh Basil perfumes in my collection so good for a chilly weekend.
Close enough! Stay warm.
CP compliant today in Chanel Paris-Deauville. Great for another steamy day in the Midwest!
Happy 4th of July to those that celebrate!
Happy 4th Kris!
It is definitely steamy today!
Yes, it is. BTW-I sent you an email just a few minutes ago🤣
Hiya twin! Had a bit of steamy, stormy weather here yesterday. Thankfully it cleared out I went over to my brother’s place.
But I ended up swatting a couple of mosquitoes later on.
Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate !
Sotd w basil IA How to say Bicycle in French
HTSBIF not a scent I was enamoured with initially. Preferred Fox in the Flowerbed. But my Aunt commented on it when I hugged her, and it was one the last things she said to me before she became unresponsive, so I know own a FB. As she adored entertaining for the 4th, we’re cooking at her place for the day.
Happy safe & delicious holiday to all you gorgeously scented perfumistas &!perfumisters!
Have a great day!
You still will have to get Fox in the Flowerbed. That’s a great one.
You as well Kris! You predicted I would like FITF and you were correct again!
That’s a lovely idea to cook at her place 🙂
Thank you Robin! It was very meaningful and I didn’t cry once amazingly. Mr Engineer prepped everything ahead of time for us, then went off to cook for homeless veterans with a Catholic charity down near the Port of Los Angeles. I made one of her recipes for Peach Cobbler for dessert. She would have loved that as the cherry on top.
That is all wonderful, good for you and Mr. Engineer.
Happy 4th LesLiesse!
Happy 4th Lillyjo. Don’t know if you saw but I may rename myself LesMessyiesse until I get all these issues sorted out.
Sounds like you had a lovely Independence Day celebration at your Aunt’s place. A fitting tribute to her.
Jalapeño that hits the nail on the head!
Twins with apsara in Mandarine Basilic! I am staying home today and will probably go to bed early if the local fireworks enthusiasts will let me. The Fourth is not my favorite holiday.
Not mine either. Hate the noise, worry about animals.
Same.
Good luck!
Hope you had a quiet-ish night last night.
I went with Miller Harris Fleur du Matin, which I’ve had and loved for a long time. I hope my bottle isn’t going off because it smells different to me today. Still has the green herbaceousness, but is just different right now. I’ll try it again in a few weeks, as maybe it’s a hormonal thing. I sure hope it isn’t going off because I love it so and it’s hard to find now.
In a little while we’re going to watch our first movie in a movie theater since my boyfriend broke his ankle 5 weeks ago. Fingers crossed all goes well and the elevator in our movie theater is working!
🤞for a great movie night!
Thanks!
Which one? 🍿
28 Years Later
Good news is that I’ve sprayed my perfume a few more times, and it’s definitely not going off in a real bad way. I think the top notes are just getting weaker especially when I smell it up close on my arm, but the wafts I get smell like the same perfume I’m used to. I’ll just have to remember to use it more often so I don’t lose out on it!
Oh, and the movies trip went well. The elevator was working, and we had a good time. 😀
Glad to hear that your perfume is still wearable!
2 nectarines instead of a smoothie. This morning for the CP vintage Diorella which is incredibly long-lasting and tonight for the CP too vintage Jicky extrait.
Two great vintage scents, I like it.
Thank you Robin, Diorella still smells incredibly fresh and I don’t wear it enough because for some reason my hand always go to Quartz which is incredibly similar.
Still haven’t seen any Colorado peaches. I forgot to ask my brother yesterday if he has seen any trucks selling them in his comings and goings.
I have plenty of herbal/green scents, Safari, Knowing, Aromatics Elixir but only Mandarine Basilic has basil!
I went with the EDT version of Aromatics Elixir, which is less mossy and more patchouli. I have a pretty good waft going…
Happy 4th to those who celebrate. I finished groceries and laundry, have a fresh cucumber salad with dill in the fridge, and salmon filets marinating on cedar planks for grilling later today.
I’ll finish tidying up, I purchased a new shark vacuum and I can’t wait to break it in and get rid of some dust bunnies…
Wow- your food sounds amazing
I bought a shark a couple years ago and LOVE it.
Sad, to love a vacuum, but it makes a difference 🙂
A certain Miele and I have our special moments…
I guess if I want to impress myself, that will have to be the next step, right? But I am happy for now 🙂
My Miele is one of my favorite purchases of all time.
We’ve had days of rain. Crisp sunny days in winter can be lovely, but this is just horrible! I’m going to cheer myself up with Fêtes Persanes, from MDCI.
Winter rain is the worst, you have my full sympathies.
Eau de Mervielles- no points…
Horse 🐴 lesson, made chocolate chip cookies and dates stuffed with peanut butter, nail salon. Those are my 4th plans!
Sounds perfect! I love dates stuffed with cream cheese and not sure I ever tried peanut butter, will have to do that.
Wow! Lots of things going on for you today.
Who cares about the points. You smell wonderful!
I’m wearing Paris-Deauville for the CP. This is so full of citrus that I’m not really getting much else, not the herbs nor the flowers. It’s very nice even so. Not really planning to do anything to celebrate on the Fourth. But I will make hot dogs later–this is the only time of the whole year when I eat them. There’s been a lot of rain recently and central Texas is having disastrous floods–it’s very concerning. They fear that many people are dead and homes ruined, washed away.
I heard about the floods on the news. It sounds terrible with possible children dying in them at camps.
We are perfume twins today. I agree it is pretty much citrus. Luckily, it is a perfect scent for the Midwest today due to our hot and humid weather.
I heard about those floods this morning. Horrible news.
Perfume triplets with you and Kris yesterday!
https://youtu.be/sjzZh6-h9fM?feature=shared
Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate 🤘
I’m working but we close early tonight at 9pm.
I’m wearing Givenchy Eau de mademoiselle for the cp.
JIMI! Thanks, lillyjo. 👏 And, hope you have a happy holiday!!
Thank you! Same to you!
Don’t work too hard.
Hope you can still enjoy a little of the 4th of July.
I’m happy to be home now, away from the crowds.
Oy! I hope you don’t get too many shoppers!
It was super busy!
Happy Fourth of July Lillyjo, glad the store closes early.
Thank you Aurora.
I wore that one earlier this week. I was surprised by it (in a good way). I hope you had a quiet work day and were able to celebrate.
It was a hectic day, but I am home now and eating brownies.
Glad to hear that you had an early night last night.
The grocery stores here were definitely busy when I went to grab a few things for dinner yesterday.
Posting and running! I’m getting ready to head over to my brother’s with some goodies. I figure I won’t be back until after the fireworks in his town are done.
SOTD = Chanel Paris-Deauville, plus Josie Maran Bohemian Fig body butter in the usual spots. I’m thinking I might have company with the Chanel!
Enjoy the cookout!
Drive safely tonight!
If my brother is off for another holiday, I will go back to the usual side dishes I bring. One of the things I brought was something new, and it was kinda “Meh”. Time to stick with what works!
You do have company. A few of us wearing that today.
Have fun at your brother’s house and stay safe.
Thanks Kris! Got home no problem last night. But then some folks in my apartment complex started lighting off fireworks. It was loud enough that poor Teflon kitty ran for one of her hiding spots. It finally stopped after midnight.
Enjoy! Hope it was good!
The steak was big enough that I brought half of it home! Had some of it for lunch today (Saturday) in a salad. There’s enough left for one more meal, I think.
Have a great evening.
Thanks Aurora!
I hope you had a nice dinner and celebration!
I did! The steak was very tasty. My brother has been grilling meats for long enough that he has it down pat.
After I left his house, I found a spot where I could watch several fireworks displays at once. And I missed almost all the traffic jams on the way home, which was a nice bonus.
sotd = L’Eau de L’Artisan
Beautiful lemon basil herbally and tiny bit minty cologne! 💚💛
I like this a lot! But Eau de Guerlain beats by a nose. 🥸
You are a Guerlie girl, IIRC.
Guerlie girl, through and through! 😁 Guerlains often become favorites, and I even enjoy sniffing many of the ones I can’t wear.
For the CP, Synthetic Jungle. Yet again, a CP helped me appreciate a note that I usually don’t care about. I enjoy SJ, but I think I usually took the basil note as part of the “modern” use of galbanum. Today’s heat and humidity helped me distinguish the basil, and it was nice and refreshing. SJ is a child of EL Private Collection and No. 19. It has good lasting power but lacks the va-va-vooom long drydown of its foremothers! 🙂 Did most of my Independence Day celebrations at our neighborhood parade yesterday (actually sweated off Coco Mademoiselle BTW). Lots of cute kids with streamers on their bikes, homemade floats (i.e. kids in a baby pool on the back of a truck with long-suffering father), and good visiting with neighbors new and old.
Kid’s with streamers on their bikes makes me smile 😀
They did me, too!
Sounds like a fun neighborhood parade.
There were a couple of people from out of town with their own families who grew up here and they came – one wore a funny “Cat in the Hat” hat that I remember him wearing as a kid!!
That’s funny 😆
Sounds like you had a nice celebration!
I missed out on the fun parades again this year. Someday I will get it in gear and attend one.
My choice for this week’s cp and my SOTD is one of my July favorites to wear in mid-summer when my herb garden is redolent with scent, Isabella Rossellini Manifesto. It’s an inexpensive purchase from years ago composed by another favorite perfumer of mine, Alberto Morillas. With its leading basil note, I enjoy it layered over BBW’s Cool Citrus Basil body products to heighten the basil effect.❤️
Some rain this morning, now the heat and humidity have returned. Forced myself to do some gardening today, and since we had a really nice time at our community fireworks event last night – and the rain stayed away 🙏 – we’re skipping any further fireworks attendance tonight and just going to relax and enjoy PBS’ A Capitol Fourth.
Wishing all a wonderful – and safe – night ahead 🧨!
Very nice layering Laila!
Happy 4th to those who celebrate! 🎊
SOTD = Theodoros Kalotinis Coffee Addict and Vanilla (layered)
The layering was quite nice, as usual. I rode with family to a 4th of July celebration. It turned out that I did not have to hold back because the scent-phobe poseur did not even make it for GLP-1 / GIP – related side effects, the details of which will remain unsaid.
The July 4th celebration was at a friend’s house and we had our usual boiled hotdogs (I take mine with ketchup only, thank you very much) and had food ordered from a nearby deli. The conversation was flowing and it was a wonderful get-together!
I suspect you smelled wonderful in coffee + vanilla. And, I like a hot dog any old way. Mine today was pan browned with relish and mustard. 🙂 Glad you had a good visit, and Happy 4th!
Scent-phobe poseur.. lol 🤣
Glad it was a good time!
I love your poseur stories! Woo hoo for having a nice visit.
Ew, I can imagine what those GLP-1/GIP side effects are! Not Good.
Glad to hear that you had a great time at your 4th of July get together!
So glad you had a good family gathering. I never tried any Kalotinis.
Manifesto for me! Another great discontinued classic. Happy weekend, everyone!
Hope your weekend was wonderful, Old Herbaceous!