Happy Hump Day! It's also Data Privacy Day, International Lego Day and Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette’s birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm in Bvlgari Omnia, the OG, and maybe it works for the community project? Or not, I can't decide.
Reminder: 1/30 will be Play Nice Friday...wear a fragrance which, while it still bears the stamp of the perfumer’s art, is more or less guaranteed to offend no-one. (Suggested by pyramus.)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2026, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is Tokyo Quilt Festival [cropped] by M S at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hello.
Sotd is Cartier La Panthere Parfum.
I love Legos. I made a few of the more challenging ones intended for adults such as Egyptian pyramid and botanic garden and they are on display year-round. Part of the reason why they are permanent residences in my living room is because I can’t take those things apart! I’ll not know how to put them back together should I choose to since the instructions will be useless for a pile of 3000+ mixed and unorganised pieces!
I love legos too…I miss when my son was of the age where he bought sets and asked for help. There is something really meditative about putting them together.
Legos were a nice part of my life, too., due to son’s and grandkids ‘ years long interest in them. I think your keeping them permanently on display is a good reminder of what you can achieve when challenged!
I have a lot of fond childhood memories of playing with Legos.
I am enjoying a warmer day (0°C, 32°F) and more hours with power today. It won’t last – it will get colder tomorrow, and very low temperatures are expected again over the weekend. I’m sure there will be another attack… At least January is almost over.
But for now, I’m relaxing a little during this short reprieve (and trying to get more work done) and preparing for longer outages.
Anyway, SOTD is Versace Versense – a citrus perfume with some woods and musks, and it shouldn’t offend anybody.
Versense was a really decent scent, I am surprised it never got flankers.
(and ps, here’s hoping the reprieve lasts longer, but I’m glad you’re preparing.)
Yes, I think it deserved more attention.
Stay safe, Glannys.
☝️and 🙏 your power stays on and you remain safe and warm.🤗
Versense was good stuff. I had a manufacturer sample of it that I enjoyed quite a bit. But I couldn’t decide on if I wanted a bottle or not until it had disappeared.
Be safe and be well.
I used to enjoy lego, too 🙂
I’m delusional-it’s the dead of winter here, minus 20 C with another 30 cm overnight, and I’m in L’artisan Parfumeur’s L’eau de L’artisan. It’s a cologne with a decent seaweed note! I love this so much especially at this time of year.
Hope everyone is warm and cozy with a good book and a pet.
It’s cold here too. Perfume will keep you cozy
I’m thinking it’s time for Galop soon, and I remember you share my love for it 🙂
Yes-you would be on theme for the year of the horse!
You smell fantastic! And like summer.
I loved your review of this from quite a few years ago.
I have that one! The seaweed note is so interesting. 🌊 You smell great! 😊
I never got to try the OG Omnia and probably never will now since it’s been discontinued.
I’m in LL Musc 25 for a sample thunk. This is the second or third sample of this one I’ve gone through trying to decide if I need it. I think I’ve decided that I don’t. It is nice, but LL city exclusive prices nice? I don’t think so.
I’m in my office with the east facing windows today and the sun is OUT! 🤩🌞
I still vaguely regret not having more Vanille 44 (I am almost out) and Tubereuse 40 (ditto) but yeah, not paying that, and I find the whole city exclusive thing even more annoying now than I did when they started it.
I love your SOTD Robin
For the CP 31 Rue Cambon
Stay warm
My next read is in at the library-there are river in the skies or some title like this. I got this book recommendation off NST. You are all my personal librarians.
Good, reading poll is coming up on Saturday!!
LTSG you smell awesome, and do you like Elizabeth Strout’s writing? I just read her latest, and it ties in all of the fictional characters from all of her books. I highly recommend it.
She came to NYPL and she is very quirky!!! Brilliant writer
Smelling elegant today, LTSG!
Thank you
Good morning all! Trying to stay warm in dior homme.
Does anyone have a good recommendation for a bottom-fill atomizer? I got a bottle from ebay with a broken sprayer (and my entreaties to the seller have gone unanswered!), and I can smell it evaporating. I’m not excited about having to pour the whole bottle out (into a new bottle, not the garbage!) quite yet though.
Have you checked in with eBay to help you?
I have sold so many fragrances on eBay over the years.
If the seller did not disclose the broken sprayer, you can ask eBay to get you a refund.
I have not-it was new in box so i don’t think the seller knew it was broken. It may have even broken in transit!
No atomizer recs here, sorry.
If it seems to be leaking from the bottom versus the top there’s always some tape…?
I’m in Idyllwild today. Mr. G isn’t especially fond of my forest scents, but I adore them.
I think this one has a rhubarb note, which would kindof have worked for pomegranate week!
🫨 you’re absolutely right! I hadn’t noticed it (or the grapefruit note) but now I’ll have to pay more attention in the early stages.
I read on Basenotes this morning that Ineke is shutting down her perfume line to focus on the store she co-owns, Ministry of Scent.
I grabbed Gallivant Bukhara this morning and it has already faded into something I can barely even smell. I don’t have an in person client until 11am so I can re-spray with abandon😊
Spray away!
Thank you for all the welcoming comments yesterday. T-Rex and I got the warm fuzzies. ❤️
I did get an early morning laugh at Data Privacy Day! 🤣
Robin, Omnia is absolutely perfect for the CP, not to mention just straight up lovely. Glad I got a BUB when I did.
No surprise here, I’m wearing Shalimar L’Essence from the bottle I keep on the counter next to the salt and pepper. Plus, I’m wearing a scarf I sprayed liberally yesterday, so I’m swathed in beauty.
Finishing coffee, and then a chilly walk in the woods, and may have to make an excursion out into reality for some propane later today. Stay safe, y’all!
Hello Deva!
Sending more warm fuzzies!🥰
I laughed at Data privacy day too!
Be safe going out into reality.
You know what they say…
Reality Bites 😀
Deva two days in a row, how lovely!!
Yeah, it’s a day to celebrate the idea of data privacy, I guess. One can dream?
So lovely to hear from you, Deva. I’m glad you and T-Rex are doing well. Warm fuzzy wuzzies to you and a virtual belly rub for T-Rex.
So glad to see you here, Deva! 🌹
Ooh, I missed your comment yesterday. Welcome back! Hope to see you here more often.
You smell wonderful. I may wear this tomorrow.
Please keep it up, Deva. We love❤️you & T-Rex here.
Always happy to see a T-Rex update!
hope your walk was wonderful! 🐾 👣
Hey Guy’s
I haven’t been posting much because I have not been wearing perfume. The last almost 2 weeks have been super sad and stressful. My dear Aunt passed away. She was 91, but still everything happened so fast, I don’t even understand it. One day I was talking to her just fine and the next her daughter had called hospice and they gave her a bunch of stuff and she just kept sleeping and was out of it. By all accounts she wasn’t in pain so I don’t know why they would do that.
I haven’t been to work in 10 days. I just took vacation time. It’s just as well since this has eclipsed winter 2014 and is now my new winter from he##
School was closed for weather all last week and when my daughter went back on Monday, her bus was in an accident. Nobody was hurt thank goodness but still.. yesterday was a snow day too.
I don’t want to get any bad perfume associations but I might dip into my samples soon.
If spring ever comes I plan on picking out a special perfume.
Oh my gosh lillyjo, I am so so very sorry!! 91 is a good age but it is hard to lose anybody, especially when it’s a surprise like that.
Glad you were able to take time off, and wishing you all good things and an early spring and lovely new bottle.
Thanks Robin. Keep counting the days 🌻
I’m very sorry for your loss, lilyjo.
Thank you Carole.
So sorry to hear all this, lillyjo. Many hugs to you. What a shock it must have been. I hope to get to 91 with all my sass intact.
Thank you DeniseH. She was like a second mom to me, and my son’s Godmother. A wonderful woman. She was still volunteering up until about a year ago.
My condolences, Lillyjo. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Sending hugs.
Thank you pl67.
oh my gosh lillyjo! I am in tears just reading this post. 😢 I am SO sorry- for all of it! Please take care of yourself.
Thank you madtowngirl.
I am so sorry to read this, lillyjo.
Thank you apsara.
My deepest condolences on your loss, lillyjo. I am so sorry.
Thank you foxbins.
So sorry to hear this, lillyjo. May her memory be a blessing.
As to hospice, it’s “end of life” care and not necessarily to ease pain although they do go hand in hand.
Thank you hajusuuri.
I guess I just don’t understand it. Why couldn’t she stay in her “right mind”? She wasn’t anxious or anything. It wasn’t my call, but it didn’t sit right with me.
I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt. It’s hard when things happen so quickly and unexpectedly.
Thank you ockeghem.
So sorry Lillyjo for the loss of your aunt, may the knowledge that she wasn’t in pain and didn’t have to go through a slow deterioration help you to deal with your grief. Hugs.
That bus accident must have scared you retrospectively too, so glad nobody was hurt. It’s good to think you’re not on the road during these treacherous days too.
Thank you Aurora.
She had to stay on the bus for almost 2 hours while they found her another bus. ( this is a special needs bus, so the kid’s don’t do well when problems come up)
Oh no! How sad and terrible, one bad thing after another. I’m very sorry about your aunt, but glad your daughter wasn’t hurt. Take care.
Thank you Calypso.
I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through and my condolences on the sudden loss of your dear aunt. . You are very wise to take as much of a break as you can from ordinary life to give yourself time to process all this. Time will heal and Spring will come.🤗
Thanks Laila. 🌼
I’m so sorry about your aunt, lillyjo. It’s alot to process, especially since it was so unexpected.
Glad your daughter was OK, but what a fright with the accident.
Thank you Gail.
Her bus driver is new this year. I’m not a fan.
Sending you my condolences lillyjo. It sounds like your aunt was a very special lady and the shock of it all must be especially tough.
Thank you tulipani.
Big hugs lillyjo. I know how special your Aunt was to you. I am glad that she didn’t linger in a hospital bed for very long. Cold comfort to you, though. Also relieved to hear that nobody was hurt in that school bus accident.
Don’t rush perfume. It will be waiting for you when you are ready.
Purrs from Teflon kitty.
Thank you Jalapeno and TK .
I am sorry Lillyjo.
I’m so sorry 😞 please take especially good care of yourself while your heart is tender.
Oh lillyjo, I’m so sorry for your painful loss. Your aunt sounds like a wonderful person who had such a positive impact on your life. I am glad that you took time off to let yourself grieve and I hope that your love for each other continues to bring comfort in the days ahead💕
I’m so sorry for your loss, lillyjo.
Heartfelt condolences, Lillyjo. It’s a shock when someone goes downhill really fast, even at an advanced age. Hopefully you have some good pictures and other reminders that can surround you with her presence when you see them.
So very sorry for the loss of your aunt, lillyjo. Sending you hugs and strength. ❤️
It’s raining today. I am wearing Armani Prive Pivoine Suzhou. No one could possibly be offended by this, and it doesn’t last very long. But I like it for what it is–an airy fruity floral.
Perfect pick!
Mendittorosa Sogno Reale today for me. It’s a solid rum scent, but too much like Angel’s Share with a hint of Black, at least on me. So I won’t need a FB since I have those two already. Still have a fair number of perfumes in the Mendittorosa sets to get through.
Definitely having a case of the Wednesday / January blahs. On Monday the city closed one block of a main street close to my house for four months, to cover the road back up over the new subway station. My street is a bike way and “calmed”, and the detour is supposed to be north instead of south of the main street, but tons of cars are detouring on our street instead, ignoring all the “do not enter” signs, doing weird u-turns in our driveway and the next cross street because they can’t get out to the main street that way. The bikes and e-scooters are all diverting onto the sidewalks and menacing the kids walking to the school behind my house. Not to mention that cement trucks have been lined up down our street and they’re now working from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. So…basically, loud chaos. It’s been six years of construction, with a year and half at least to go. Meanwhile I spotted a couple of mature pantry moths in the kitchen this morning, so it seems my cleanup when I saw the larvae a few weeks ago missed something. I’ll have to pull everything out again tonight.
As things go, I know it could be much worse, so it’s really nothing huge to complain about. Just a case of the blahs.
I hate noise so feel your pain, ockeghem. We have constant ADUs and home remodels (read: tear down everything but one wall so you won’t have to hold public hearings, cut down all the mature trees, then build a gigantic 2-story palace to every edge of the property). We have an old cheap air filter machine that I turn on when it gets too much. It’s quite noisy.
As for the pantry moths, they are horrible little sneaks. I think they’re the same ones who eat holes in all my woolens, no matter how many cedary things I put in with them.
Oy! Do you own your driveway? If yes, unless prohibited, you can block it off.
Alas, no. It’s the driveway to a communal garage.
Oh my, construction noise AND pantry moths?! You have all my sympathies! I wonder if a pair of noise canceling headphones might bring some relief… but starting at 6am sounds pretty brutal.
I have misophonia. I wear Bose Ultra Quiet Comfort headphones ( no affiliation for much of the day. They were and are worth every penny.
I was reading too fast and thought your post said “manure pantry moths”. Got grossed out by that. Bleah!
Construction starting at 6am is too d@mn early!
I’m wearing Hiram Green’s Shangri-la. It’s powerful but also quite gentle, so I think it fits the CP.
You smell wonderful! I love Shangri-la.
I am wearing Caron Narcisse Noir and drinking a cup of Prince of Wales tea
You are *not* office safe but you smell magnificent, Barqs.
You are right, lol 🙂
What is Prince of Wales tea like?
This is what is on the box. Tea is made by Twinings.
“A light & velvety smooth black tea with a mild taste and transluscent yellow-orange color.
Thank you!
Stealing Daniels’ idea and pulled out my Eau d’Hiver. My bottle is the siny black cap. It smells slightly different now that Lauder owns it. Less heliotrope and airiness in the beginning, a bit more floral/citrus. But I compared it with a friend’s old (matte cap) bottle and within about 10 minutes, the smell the same.
You smell beautiful! 😍 and I wonder what JCE is up to these days. 🤔
In Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant because I was craving for it.
Happy Wednesday! 🌻
You smell good!
How’s Kito doing today? 😿
Thank you, Jalapeno!
Kito is doing better, thanks for asking. He is eating more, but still not drinking water as much as he should. The pain medication was also reduced which is an improvement.
Yay! 🐘🐘🐘 isn’t it lovely to have an itch that that can be so perfectly scratched?! 😁
It is! 😀
I went with SMN Incenso cause I needed it to get through these days.
Ah! Comfort for the soul, that one. 💕
SOTD = 4160 Tuesdays Paris Before Sunrise EDP
Meh…this was #3 in the January 2026 Joy Box. If you were to ask me how it smelled, I couldn’t even tell you. You win some, you lose some.
In other news, we had A LOT OF SNOW in these here parts on Sunday. I could have sworn we got at least 16 inches, if not more. I partially dug out on Monday, nothing yesterday, and finally moved my car today because the HOA is digging us out. I tend to think 3 hours was enough (given the noon start time) but they are still going at it! The little tractor 🚜 driver said it should be done by 5ish? We’ll see.
In other news, those that are taking GLP-1 and its ilk, you may need to taper off AND continue the lifestyle changes or the weight will come back faster than you can say BOO. This is from the Wall Street Journal so it may not be free free …
https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-stop-what-happens-162b6dd2?st=NLeqWg&reflink=article_copyURL_share
You have had more snow in this past weekend than Denver has had this winter. We’d like it back, please.
You can have it back…I’ll keep the cold 🤣!
Hello everyone, I tried logging on earlier by my phone when I was out for a nice Vietnamese lunch (Chicken pho, delicious!), but on my phone for this page I could not escape a giant H&R Block ad, no matter what I tried. It was very frustrating! Now I’m home and on my laptop, to report that I’m still in patchouli mode, given our cold weather (though we are up to 58 this afternoon!). My SOTD is Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be, which is a funny name but a beautiful scent. I must give it the side-by-side test with Borneo 1834, as they seem quite similar with some cacao, labdanum, and a bit of spice. I suppose no one would argue that a patchouli scent could suit our CP this week because it’s just one of those smells that is bound to irritate someone! But this one seems so smooth and beautiful.
For Friday, I’m thinking of wearing a rose. Surely no one would object to a gentle rose–or would they?
Take care, all of you dealing with extreme weather. My poor friends in Nashville finally got their power restored this noon. The city truly looks like a disaster zone, and I have watched video that depict exploding trees there–it’s a real thing, folks, and very scary!
I saw some news footage from Nashville earlier today. What an ungodly mess!! And yeah, part of that footage showed a tree just crumpling down to Earth in a heap.
Oh my, what a mess in Nashville.
58 and pho is a good day!
Another repeat – blue skies and bright 🌞 but bitter cold. When I awoke this morning it was 1 degree with a real-feel temp of -12; now the temps have reached the mid-teens with a real feel of 2. We won’t go above freezing for the next 7-9 days. Wake me up in April!😴🛏️
The good news is that I didn’t have to go outside today. A virtual yoga class and getting ready for grocery shopping and other errands tomorrow occupied my day (another round of that ‘lake effect’ snow they can never quite predict accurately is on tap for Friday & Saturday). Several mentions of Elixir Des Merveilles this week had me choose that as my SOTD, layered over BBW’s Snowy Citrus Swirl made it a great winter 🍊.
Happy Hump Day!
Glad that you at least had the sun out today. It was gloomy and cloudy until around 3:30 this afternoon here.
SOTD is Prada Candy. This seems to be a good people-pleaser; I don’t think anyone could be offended with this fragrance.
Prada Candy is such a well made gourmand.
I’m wearing 34 Blvd Saint Germain, which is not a quiet perfume, but it’s supposed to smell like the interior of Diptyque’s flagship store and who could object to that, right?!
Gorgeous! I’ve got a much loved sample of 34 blvd that I just went and sniffed. I would be so happy to visit that store. 😁
Data Privacy Day? (snorts) I guess it makes sense that it’s in January because this is at least the second January in a row that I have received a data breach letter. My brother also got it. Neither one of us are amused.
Count me in as another Lego fan! I have one of the Lego Botanical Orchids on display in my living room. Enjoyed putting it together.
Posting later than usual because I had a belated birthday lunch with one of my cousins this afternoon. She was so apologetic about missing the actual date. But I know she has had a lot to deal with in the past year. So better late than never.
SOTD = still in CK Euphoria, but changed to Sol de Janeiro’s Delicia Drench body butter for my shins. This scent works better with the current temps out here.
Holy mucking mother of god — my ad on the bottom of my screen is for Sol de Janeiro rose … I mean seriously?
Anyway, I have received the data privacy breach letters in the past and I decided not to do anything about them. If it was < 100,000, then maybe I’ll do something?
Creepy Internet trackers are watching!
My data breach was about insurance. Again.
Those botanical Lego sets look so fun. Some of my neighbors have them displayed in their yard! 🌷💕
They have some adorable mini versions of botanical Legos, too.
Birthday wishes
sotd = carillon pour un ange
Wore just two tiny drops from the bottom of an almost empty decant. Can still smell it late this evening.
If I had been buying perfume when this was available I would have wanted a bottle for sure. So Tauer-ish – densely fragrant – but so very un-Tauerish too.
The florals are achingly beautiful to my nose. It’s right up there with Amoureuse, another one that got away from me. Ah, well. I’m grateful for the generous NSTer who sent Ange to me. 😇
I chose it today because my heart feels tender and sore while the world feels so heavy. My heart aches for everyone here who is in difficult times. Take good care, NST friends! You are beautiful. ❤️
Andy Tauer did bring back Hyacinth and A Mechanic earlier this year, so maybe Carillon Pour un Ange could return again?
Omnia is absolutely a winner for the CP. My SOTD was No 19 Poudree, but had considered Omnia. I am happy I got a couple of BUB’s.