It's Friday, National Chocolate Milkshake Day and the National Day of Encouragement. Our community project for today: wear a fragrance that evokes one of Pantone's picks for the Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 NYFW Color Palette (see image at bottom of post, and if you like, click through to the article and pick your fragrance based on the color name or description rather than the color itself, as in "Damson is an intense purple whose contemporary glamour conjures a dramatically vintage feel" or "Cozy and comforting, Hot Chocolate summons thoughts of decadent indulgence and deliciousness", etc.)
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.
I'm in L'Artisan Parfumeur Drôle de Rose for Primrose Pink.
Reminder: 9/19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Get as creative as you like with the theme! Wear a fragrance inspired by a pirate or piracy, wear something you bought so cheap it was a steal, steal an idea from someone else, whatever!
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 images are primrose mirror 7 [cropped] and primrose mirror 9 [cropped] by J E Theriot at flickr; some rights reserved.
Quick psa
The Vacation perfumes are half off today at Ulta.
Back later with my sotd.
And I just got home from getting my bottle of Grand Cuvee and smelling a bunch of other stuff at Ulta. I kind of reek at the moment.
Yay – Grand Cuvee!!
Lol. I did the same thing but didn’t end up buying anything. My store had Grand Cuvee, Vacation and After Sun for 50% off. I was sure I would fall in love with them, but I didn’t. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a bottle of Vacation open, so I wasn’t able to sample that. Money saved, I guess. I ended up going to Victoria Secret to get a few bras and started smelling their fragrances. I have to admit that they have some pretty good ones, but I didn’t buy any.
I have a sample of a Smell Bent perfume that smells just like Vacation. Would you be interested in it?
No, but thanks Jalapeno. I have something else that I believe is similar.
♥
Hello and tgif!
Sotd is Delina Exclusif for Primrose Pink. Matched both colour and the rose. Do I get double points?
It’s my dad’s birthday tomorrow so I will spend the afternoon baking a 4 layers Devil’s Food Cake, extra frosting. Poor doggo can only watch.
Devil’s food cake sounds soo delicious right now!
I love Delina
That cake sounds wonderful and a labor of love.
Your cake sounds wonderful!
Well, at least the dog gets to watch. We can’t even do that-darn!
Ooh, lucky dad to get such a luscious cake. Happy birthday to him!🎂
I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning, so I chose Hermès Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate for Poppy Red (someone had the same idea earlier this week). By the way, there was a lovely rose-oud fragrance in the reception area. It smelled familiar, but I couldn’t identify it.
Back home in the afternoon: Lancôme Oud Bouquet for Hot Chocolate.
Double points Glannys!
I love your SOTD, Glannys, and part of my love is for the colour of the bottle. I have it too and I never get tired of it. I work with my father and sometimes he humours me by letting me test stuff on him-he loves this scent, too, and it smells fantastic on men 🙂
Fingers crossed that your appointment was no big deal.
I’m in a sample of Sisley Soir d’Orient. It’s a beautiful chypre (I think) and has a lot of incense in the base. I’d pair it with a deep green colour.
It’s Friday, and nothing can go wrong-right????
Nothing can go wrong!!!
I’m not doing the cp because I have no imagination. Instead, I’m wearing Archives 69, because I bought a full bottle (unsniffed). It has an incense note so I decided to wear it today.
Are you loving it?
Wearing Les Indemodables Vanille Havane for double chocolate points! Indulgent and delicious indeed.
Chanel Comete would have been a sweet option for Primrose Pink, however I discovered that my decant had a leak and most of the juice was gone, oh well! It’s not a full bottle buy for me so I won’t allow myself to miss it much.
Comete is not a FB purchase for me either-I felt like there was something I didn’t enjoy about it..was it too light? Or too something else…It has that Chanel vibe to it..
Not FBW for me, either-my skin amplified the sweetness, and I didn’t enjoy that. suspect I’d love to smell it on another person. $$ saved.
Yes- that’s it! The sweet note
Hiya, pfsh! Good to see you, and you’re smelling wonderful!
Money saved on Comete, it sounds like.
My favourite colour out of the batch is Lyons Blue, because I *love* French blue — blue with a splash of green, desaturated with a hint of grey. It might actually be my favourite colour in the world: I have a bunch of inks that fall into the general turquoise/aquamarine/French blue category and I make sure there are always a couple of pens inked up with them because just seeing that colour is going to make me happy.
But I don’t have any scent that evokes that colour, so for Hot Chocolate and also National Chocolate Milkshake Day (so specific!), I’m wearing my old standby, CSP Amour de Cacao. It smells like freshly baked brownies or chocolate-chip cookies with salt flakes sprinkled on top (you can smell the salt), the most luscious scent imaginable.
You’re an ink person! A perfume pal is one too, and there seems to be points in common. Lyons Blue was my favourite of the Pantone bunch too, and I am wearing JM Oat & Cornflower, which isn’t a particularly good much, oh well.
I am SUCH an ink person. I have more bottles of ink than bottles of fragrances (because it’s more affordable). There are definitely points in common — small bottles of expensive liquid that make us happy. Good thing I don’t drink or I’m sure I’d have a huge collection of booze as well.
It’s a lovely color, and the Lyons Blue velvet on the Pantone page really caught my eye…would love to have a pair of pants in that fabric.
Today is a vintage Mitsouko day. Last night, I was about to get PHI Rose de Kandahar and my jaw dropped. Andy Tauer offerings used to be pretty reasonable in terms of niche. PHI was a tiny bit over $200 but now it is $300. His whole line has gone up a fair bit.
$340 if you include LADM Noir Elixir …
I saw that and was disappointed in the price. I won’t be making and Tauer purchases any time soon.
Some of that may be currency…USD is weaker now.
After going back and forth about the limited edition Hermes Paddock for $392-I decided not to purchase. Its too risky for a blind buy and no one here has smelled it so…
For Chili Oil color I am in Hermes Barenia and thunked this sample!
With the kids back in school and my library volunteering keeping me busy, I decided to take this Friday just for myself. My barn has closed for the season, and I’m still debating whether I want to keep horseback riding — commuting to another stable feels like a big effort. For now, I’m staying in my pajamas, enjoying a slow day until the kids get home. After such a wonderful summer, I’m hoping to make Fridays my day to recharge — whether that’s doing something just for me or curling up with a book and tea.
Relaxing every Friday sounds like a great idea.
Did you not find any reviews of Paddock?? I am surprised.
In case you are curious what people are saying Robin, there are quite a few people that commented on Fragrantica.
No, I was not curious personally, but thanks!
Persolaise reviewed it last year and loved it..
I was hoping someone here on NST tried it, to push me to buy it LOL!
Aha. It is a cool bottle, there’s that.
It’s a lot for a blind buy. Love that you’re relaxing – it’s essential, I think, for good mental health. I cleaned the living room last night and I’m looking forward to reading on the couch for a few hours this weekend. Hope the cat will join me. she’s a great hunter-keeps bringing me mice, and leaving them outside. If you’re on insta look for fliss_sniffs_stuff she’s reviewed Paddock favourably and recently.
Ok, her account is private but I will see.
You could always buy it and split off some mls to keep the cost down. Cheaper than buying a horse and saddle!
Much cheaper..
Fridays are my day to recharge too. I call them self care Fridays.😂 Its usually when I schedule hair, nails, a massage, or take myself to the movies. Pajamas work too!😁
Today I watched The Girlfriend , first episode, in my PJ’s with a bag of Trader Joes potato chips.
Ha! Ltsg, you are my spirit animal.😉
How was The Girlfriend?! It looks good!
I just watched the first episode and it’s good
Chillaxing on a Friday sounds like a wonderful idea.
After much futile deliberation this morning, I went literal for the CP and spritzed on Nanadebary Bronze. Really wanted to find something clever, and nearly went with Rebecca Minkoff for almost all of the colors at once (its notes: Cardamom, Coriander, Bergamot, Tobacco, Jasmine, Amyl Salicylate, Tonka Bean, Leather, Patchouli and Labdanum; and the juice color is an exact match for Primrose Pink), but I’m in the wrong mood for it — my brain wanted simple. And Bronze does go really well with my coffee, I have to admit. Ah well, better mood on the way, I’m just sure of it!
Sending good mood vibes your way SheriG!
Thank you! Between your kind vibes and the scented retail therapy I just indulged in, I am indeed in a better mood. Yet another Hermes self-selected coffret on its way to me, putting Hermes firmly in place as the most represented house on my shelves.
Which scents did you choose?
I went for Barenia Intense (because ltsg mentioned Barenia, above, but the intense version has leather 💕), Caleche Soie (because I’ve always wanted to compare it to the OG Caleche), Jour d’
Hermes Absolu (because it’s lovely, but I don’t need a FB of it), and Voyage edt (never tried it before, but it sounds gorgeous).
Well then we are twins…they are my most represented too.
I’m wearing Cuir de Russie EdP and picturing Hot Chocolate, though I actually see the color as lighter, but not quite Bronze Brown.
And I’m sharing ShariG’s experience – the combination of CdR and my morning coffee was sublime🥰
Sounds like a nice pairing ☕️
As mentioned above, I just got a bottle of Vacation Grand Cuvee this morning for half off at Ulta and I want that to be my sotd but I don’t know it well enough to color match it. And I made the mistake of spraying the new Miu Miu perfume on my arm and it sprayed a huge cloud, so even after soap and rubbing alcohol I can’t get it off. And it has a note in it that I’ve smelled in other perfumes that reads as cat urine on my skin. I might have to take another shower!
Still want to try both Vacation scents. That’s a shame about Miu Miu–the bottle is appealing.
The bottle is very appealing and you might love it, it just smells bad on me.
I did that with the Miu Miu too and can’t say that I cared for it.
Ew, cat pee is So Not Good! 🤢
Because Aurora mentioned it recently, am in Profumo and matching it to Damson for its autumnal vibe.
Happy Friday! And a big thank you to all the NSTers for embodying National Encouragement Day year-round! I finally de-lurked after many years this past New Years Day, and you made me feel at home. If I take a tone that feels overly familiar, especially when I’m gently kidding, it’s been of all the years I read posts from y’all. The world would be a kinder place if it resembled your community more!
Sota (scent of the afternoon): Zara Gourmand Coffee for Hot Chocolate. I’ve got a medical test today so I’m commando until it’s done.
Good luck with your test!
I lurked for awhile too. It sounds ridiculous now, but I was afraid of being made fun of for not having any “fancy” perfumes. I also had never posted anything anywhere ever. This community was so welcoming though I just had to join. I’m happy we both did!
I was like you Lillyjo. I figured I didn’t have “fancy” enough perfumes either. Over the years though I have slowly been getting some😉 And nobody cares anyway, but me.
This!! Nobody cares!
I’m happy too lillyjo!
I lurked for too many years, too-it became a lot more fun when I participated. Will I learn from this-most likely not lol. But I’m always glad to read your posts 🙂
Thank you Carole! 🤗 Ditto!
Good luck with your test!
Thank you Kris! Glad it’s over.
I also lurked for a long time, NST was the first place I ever posted anything anywhere. I picked a lovely place to start!
Yes Gaynor, such a lovely place! And we have to thank the founder of our feast (to paraphrase Dickens) ROBIN!!! Thank you Robin!!!
Thank you for joining in!
And Gaynor, that’s amazing. I hope you’ve found other fun places to hang out.
After years of scoffing at reddit I now read quite a few boards at reddit and post occasionally, and by and large the boards I look at there are pretty nice too. (I am sure that is not true of all parts of reddit)
In Zara Gourmand Coffee now and loving it! I confess: I forgot who my lovely enabler is? Please come forward and remind me.
It’s me! Glad you are loving it!
H888C! Thank you for the recommendation! Very pleased w scent and price point!
Add me to the long list of long-time-lurkers. Glad I finally got here, and glad you got here, too!
Gosh now I want to know everyone’s story about how they decided to de-lurk.
I lurked for about 6 or years years before I decided to start commenting. So yet another long time lurker.
GAH! That should be “6 or 7 years”. Sheesh.
Me- 9 yrs. I just recently discovered an article from summer 2015 I had copied the fragrance listing.
I’m in my 2025 summer standby – Vacation Grand Cuvee Body Mist. Now ordering the EDT from Ulta thanks to lillyjo’s helpful posts. It matches fairly well with Pantone’s Bronze Brown in my mind, although if I could, I’d pick something a bit more golden brown. It’s a very nostalgic fragrance for me, something about summers in the 70s-80s, but I don’t know what exactly.
I definitely got a 70’s feeling when I tested it. I couldn’t figure out why either.
Drôle de Rose is a great match for that pale pink.
I am wearing another rose, Rose nacrée du Désert, for Damson, which does not seem too purple on my screen.
It is purple on mine, but I am not arguing with anybody’s color choices! It’s all personal.
Taking my kiddo for a minor surgery this afternoon, so I’m in a tiny spritz of Eau Capitale. This scent is just a melange of notes to me, I think it can encompass all the colors today! One of the limited edition bottles even had a colorful, almost-paisley type pattern on the box.
I hope everyone is having a calm Friday!
Working on calm, tulipani. Hope all okay for the kiddo.
Hope the surgery goes well!
I hope that goes well.
I hope he does well!
Hope all goes well for Kiddo today.🤞
Fingers crossed that the surgery went well!
Hoping that the surgery went well, and everyone is back home either relaxing or recovering!
Calm to you and kiddo tonight! Hope all went well.
I am late, but I hope the surgery went well.
Going with Dzing! today because I love it so.
I loved going to all the L’artisan boutiques when travel would take me to NYC. They were little jewel boxes to step into and leave with delicious packages.
Dzing! is gorgeous. Can’t believe it, and all the other charming LAP scents are no more. Also not a fan o their price increases. You smell great!
Thank you, carole!
I miss their old fragrances, too.
Me, too!
Not sure about the CP today. I am wearing Courreges Blanc and guessing it could be Primrose Pink since it has roses, pink pepper and litchi. Plus, I don’t see an iris color in the Pantone picks so had to choose something else.
I really like this fragrance and it is so inexpensive. I think it would be an office appropriate scent as it is not strong, but lighter and powderier.
“Cheap and good” would be a fun CP idea.
I would have a couple that work for that one. I like that CP idea.
We did that one too – it was called “Cheap and cheerful”, if I remember correctly.
Kris, you smell marvelous! Delighted you found a Courreges you like. I’m finding I quite like litchi. It’s prominent in Moon Glory.
Btw dies 30ml count as a FB? If not does 50 ml or only 100ml?
I just read that anything up to 30 ml is considered a travel spray. Both 50 ml and 100 ml would be a full bottle.
I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita. Wasn’t thinking about colors but it feels the most like poppy red to me. Currently driving to Indiana for tomorrow’s football game. After this weekend we return to our usual max 2 1/2 hour driving distance for the rest of the season. Echo the sentiment about every day being Day of Encouragment around here. Thankful for that.
Si Lolita was really good!
Enjoy the game!! Hope you guys have some good podcasts or audio books for all the driving.
Enjoy the drive and the game! Hope you have ideal weather!
Today I’m layering Shalimar with A La Nuit to bring out the jasmine of the former. It’s unexpectedly okay…though I wouldn’t want too much A La Nuit in the mix. It’s been a bit cold here the past few days but there are clear skies this morning so at least there will be sun later. Have a happy weekend!
Sun here too🌞, happy weekend!
Happy weekend! You smell marvelous in your Shalimar! (But I’m unfamiliar either A la nuit…)
A La Nuit is by Serge Lutens that is a great jasmine! I like it, but it is pretty strong so if you don’t like jasmine, you would want to pass on it.
I really savor Jasmine! It’s divine!
A la Nuit is rather imdolic, as is Sarrasins. Serge Lutens packs a punch with their jasmine scents.
My guess is you didn’t use the Shalimar MJ for your layering, or you would have had a double dose of jasmine😊
I’m in Rania J Musc Moschus and thinking I’ll pair it with Bronze Brown? Idk
You guys, this month we have been having the summer I wanted instead of the one we got. It was way too hot imo. Currently 79 with low humidity and blue skies.😎❤️
This morning after my barre class I got madtownteen out of bed and we went down to the capitol square and had lattes outside. She has decided to take a gap year. Turns out she was quite unhappy at school but “soldiered through”, as she put it, anyway. Having 2 roommates I suspect was the straw that broke her. She is my most introverted kid. She’s also social but recharges through alone time, which she never got. She can and will gladly spend an entire day in her room reading.☺️ Anyway, I’m not sad to have her around, I’m just hoping that this is the time she needs to figure out what she’d like to do next.
Also, it’s her birthday Sunday! She’ll be 20! My baby.🥹 I can hardly believe it.
Happy birthday to madtownteen!
Thanks Gaynor!
Happy birthday to madtownteen! Ockeghemteen also wants to take a gap year, likely before she starts university, which I think is a good idea. But have to figure out what she’d do.
Also, just about no longer madtownteen! 😀
Yes!😆
Thanks!
I think a gap year is good for a lot of people. I took one between my second and third year of college and it did me a world of good, I went back more focused and did better academically.
Happy birthday Madtowntwenty!
Thanks Kanuka!
Happy Birthday wishes to madtownteen! 🎂💐🎈
And time for a new handle for her, maybe?
Thanks Jalapeno! Ha, yes, although I can remember when she was madtownkid.🥺
Same here, we are finally having decent summer weather…
I begged my son to do a gap year, to no avail. Good for her!
Thanks Robin, I’ll admit I do love having her around.😊
A barre class! I’m impressed mtg! Enjoy the entire birthday weekend w madtownteennomore
Thanks LL!
As for barre, I’m addicted! I joined the barre3 studio in my neighborhood 2 years ago and I have 325 classes under my belt!😀💪
I’m very very impressed and inspired! 💪💪💪🥇🥇🥇
Aww, thank you. 🙏🤗
Happy Birthday to your Daughter!
Thanks lillyjo!
SOTD = Chanel Coromandel EDT
Vintage! And nice! No issues even if I running out because I have a BUB and all other iterations, including the EDP. Not for color of the juice but rather my association of Coromandel with an antique wooden storage box 🗃️ that has a Hot Chocolate finish.
I will confess to purchasing the Tauer LADDM Noir Elixir because limited edition. ALSO, I recently bought the red crystal studded Labubu ala whatever Naomi Osaki was carrying. Neither are here yet but they will arrive at some point…
Excited to hear what you think when they arrive!
Ooooooooh, I really want to hear your thoughts on LAdDM Noir!
Smelling fabulous!
I think I might go for an easy match – Mary Greenwell’s Plum for Damson!
I’m very glad it’s the weekend, the week was frantic. I’m acting for my manager who is on a family holiday in Europe for five weeks. There’s nothing I can’t deal with, but it’s on top of everything else – one week down, four to go.
Hey, that’s perfect!
And ack, four to go…hope all goes smoothly and quickly.
That’s only 28 days-you’ll do great!
SOTD for today’s cp is my favorite fall fragrance, YR Nature Millenaire, a warm scent with lots of woodsy notes including Virginia cedar and benzoin. The beautiful leaf-shaped 🍂bronze bottle and the scent itself is closest to the Brandied Melon color with maybe a hint of the Bronze Brown. I remember that Pyramus really liked the men’s version of this scent.
Summer continues here, with Jalapeño’s 90 degrees headed here next week. But it must be fall, I bought mums today while grocery and pet food shopping after this morning’s yoga class.
Happy Friday and Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day!🥤
Those 90’s are gone and definitely headed your way. But 80 degrees ain’t bad at all. Seeing lots of mini pumpkins and apples at the grocery stores now.
I totes forgot it was National Chocolste Milkshake Day, but will rectify with a mini- at dinner.
Shalimar MI for me today. Does it pair with any of the colours? Only at a stretch, I think? Lyons Blue for “bygone eras” and a slightly muted version of the bottle cap?
Oh, that’s creative thinking!
I’m working tonight. Thanks to a generous Nster I am trying out Shalimar L’Essence. It starts out very Shalimar on me but turns into a not too sweet vanilla with a hint of Shalimar. I’m really liking it.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Have a great weekend lillyjo! Hope your shift tonight is uneventful.
So far so good 🤞
I kind of like it. It does have that Shalimar vibe, but it is a toned-down version to me.
It’s definitely toned down. I wonder if it will change over time like MJ did?
Never thought about that. I guess it might. Maybe the vanilla will ramp up.
You smell absolutely marvelous Lillyjo!
Thanks LesLiesse!
Crazy Friday here, both weather-wise and with errands. I thought for sure those gnarly dark clouds were going to unleash a torrent of Biblical proportions when I was out and about. Trying to avoid road construction this afternoon led me into a heavily congested section of Interstate that I usually avoid. Glad that the person driving the Very Large Camper was paying attention when I had to make an abrupt stop!!
Home now with a contented Teflon kitty dozing on my lap.
Virtual Scent of the Day: Dior Poison for Damson. Too warm for it today. Could have also worn AG Nuit Etoilee for Lyons Blue.
Actual SOTD = back in Smell Bent TEN. Needed an incense perfume for calm and centering.
Glad you made it safely home thru scary weather! We had 2 nights like that in KY leaving the state park around 10 at nite after the events were over. To get to the main road to our hotel, it was about 10 miles from where we were in the park down twisty-turny very dark narrow roads between hills – 1 night there was a thunderstorm with lots of lightening and the next night there was dense fog. Once on the main road we still had another 9 miles back to the hotel, only slightly less scary. But fortunately we made it, and that was the only bad weather we had on the whole trip.
Thanks! Funny thing is, I didn’t see a drop of rain with those clouds! No lightning either, which is a little unusual with storms that brew up in the afternoon. Plenty of wind shoving my car around, though. Glad to get home for sure.
Glad your home safe and sound Jalapeno!
Thank you lillyjo! Next time, I try yet another route home. But avoiding road construction out here might be a fool’s errand.
Home safe w Teflon kitty dozing sounds lovely! Enjoy!
Teflon has been a Velcro lap cat this afternoon/evening. She was willing to put off her dinner for a bit of extra snuggle time.
Teflon -> Velcro ♥️