It's Hump Day, National Zoo Lovers Day, International Romani Day, and Jacques Brel’s birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I don't really have a favorite bird, so I'm going to focus on birds I have seen myself, starting with the Baltimore oriole — the state bird of Maryland. My farfetched match: when I lived in Baltimore, I often wore today's choice, Eau de Givenchy.
Reminder: on 4/10, name your favorite bird, and wear a scent that matches it for whatever reason, no matter how farfetched. Suggested by happy888cat.
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 Baltimore Oriole [cropped] by Rodney Campbell at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hello.
Sotd is Zoologist Hummingbird for, well, the adorable hummingbird! Not my favourite yet but they sure are cute.
On my right arm is a single spritz of Bal d’Afrique Absolu. It is giving BR540 burnt sugar vibes but I like it less. Might scrub soon.
I am planning hummingbird this week too…but you for sure have a better match than I will!
What a perfect match! I don’t thinkI have anything named after a bird.
Currently in Guerlain SDV, but today I also wore Goutal Le Chevrefeuille for the CP. I paired it with a hummingbird.
I have never seen these birds in real life, but I find them fascinating – so small and light, so pretty, and able to feed on nectar. Le Chevrefeuille is a lightweight, lovely floral. I found that hummingbirds feed on honeysuckle, among other flowers. And finally, “honeysuckle derives its name from the edible sweet nectar obtainable from its tubular flowers.”
Bird twin! 🐦
Oh, Glannys-
I hope you get to see one-there’s a wild one that comes to my veranda when the honeysuckle blooms. I hear him before I see him-he makes a substantial humming sound. They’re so small and they dart around like crazy. They’re awesome. I love Le Chevrefeuille, too.
We nicknamed one of our regular hummingbirds George (for George Jetson). I hope yours arrive soon, we had 2 visits yesterday but I’m not sure if it was the same hummingbird.
You smell fantastic!
In SoCal all you had to do to see hummingbirds was to hang a fuchsia plant outside; in PA, putting out a feeder works better.
Oh yes, Robin.
I see them almost every day and I am convinced they are sent by those who are not with me anymore to remind me to hold fast to the beauty of the world.
That’s perfect.
Putting out in the Universe that Glannys and hummingbirds need a marvelous encounter in a fragrant garden. And thank you for all I’ve learned about birds already!
You smell fantastic, Glannys! I hope you see a hummingbird! They are so magical; it’s just mesmerizing seeing them hover.
Thank you guys! I would love to see a hummingbird, but apparently they live only in America. But who knows? Maybe one day.
Putting that out into The Universe as well !
We have hummingbirds here that come not only to our feeders but I see them coming to any of the tubular flowers they can find in our garden.
Supposedly there are hummingbirds here in Colorado. But I have never caught sight of one. Maybe I need to get closer to the mountains?
In Ormonde Jayne Woman. Large decant thunk!
Very cold here today. The commute early this morning was freezing, feeling in the mid 10s. I hope the flowers out there survive. At least, it is another bright and sunny day.
On my second cup of coffee and a raisin bran muffin.
Happy Wednesday! ☕️
Ugh. Supposedly our cold weather is over starting tomorrow…fingers crossed.
Ours on Friday, then we will jump to the upper 80s next week. Crazy!
Wow, it sounds like you are getting some genuine Colorado-type weather!
Brutality cold and windy for the past 3 days.
Ack. That might be closer to Wyoming weather!!
I’m in a sample of Contre Jour and I’ll pair it with crows, because crows are clever and so is this fragrance. I put one spritz on one wrist, shared it with the other wrist and it’s substantial. Immortelle forward with a big big beautiful rose. I get more immortelle in the drydown. I’d buy a ten ml of this.
Dusting of snow here and I am so over snow for the year. Tomorrow and next day are supposed to be much warmer. Right about now I feel like I deserve a few sunny days 🙂
Aha. Maybe I do need to try Contre Jour.
And you do deserve them!
Ooh, I’ve been wanting to try Contre Jour – you make it sound like something I’d really like.
Hope the sun comes out soon
Topped off at 82F yesterday! 😅
Still pairing songs and perfumes. Today is easy peasy, with both song and scent being five star favorites. Probably not a wise pick for a hot day but I’m wearing Papillon Salomé and matching it with “The Sins of Salomé” by The Angels of Venice. I love the way the music builds and intensifies and the vocals change throughout the song. It’s a very evocative piece of music and you can really imagine Salomé getting her groove on. 😀 The perfume morphs in a similar way. It never smells exactly the same, a little hip twitch here and head shake there, but it’s always wonderful. ❤️
https://youtu.be/nYnzbcegu7A?si=qO5hTcqVrowRtLyS
82!! Hope to join you in that soon.
And another song I do not know!
It occurred to me last night that, while I don’t think of them as a “favorite” bird, the most fun I’ve had with birds is watching a giant flock of evening grosbeaks feast on sunflower seeds, within ten feet of me. It was when I was in college, and I’d seen the flock on campus so I knew they were passing through, and I also knew that their favorite food is black oil sunflower seeds. We were living in a second story apartment with a window that looked directly on the roof of the downstairs story, so we bought some seeds and threw them onto that rooftop, and then just waited. Sure enough, the grosbeaks discovered the treasure. There must have been a hundred of them, and the noise they made cracking shells was … impressive. The downstairs neighbors were frat bros who had played a really messy prank on us (another tale for another day), so I didn’t feel too bad about the mess on their roof. 😆 I’ll have to consider what my funnest perfume is, to pair with the fun of evening grosbeaks.
I love that story. Evening Grosbeaks are beautiful and wacky birds.
Cool birds. I’ve never heard of them before.
Very fun story, thank you for sharing! We have them here, but only rarely; mostly we get the beautiful rose-breasted grosbeak.
ZOMG! What a hilarious story of revenge!
Another favorite bird is the Chickadee. We get the black-capped and chestnut-backed varieties but they are all named “Chickadee-dee-dee” in my book.
Their songs and the way they flit around is so cheerful so I’m pairing them with AA Pamplelune on this beautiful sunny day🌼
Last summer at my camp hosting job we had feeders right outside the picture windows at the office. Different kinds of seed and also suet. I loved the little chickadees- so petite and adorable! We had everything from wild turkeys to gold finches to scarlet tanagers to woodpeckers. 🐦⬛ Very educational for me because at a distance I can never see well enough to discern species.
What a birdy treat! There’s nothing quite like seeing birds close up, in person or having a good scope.
I have a fondness for birds whose big personalities outmatch their weight😊
twins! though I wasn’t thinking about birds – I just needed something sunny today
Yes, I love their cheery dee-dee-dee’s, too. We often get the black-capped variety here for our sunflower seeds.
Chickadees are adorable! And they are almost everywhere here in the States.
Happy Hump Day!
In honor of Jacques Brel’s birthday, Sotd FM Angeliques Sous La Pluie. In Ne Me Quitte Pas he has line about des perles de pluie.
Vidéo of his singing this song.
https://youtu.be/Vz6r0TP4FBI?si=PGI1nXnIX9ERADOz
That’s a fantastic SOTD. I have it too and I spray it lavishly. Do you like Rose and Cuir, too? They remind me of each other, maybe because I find the opening notes bracing.
I’m not familiar with those Carole. The only other FM’s I have are POAL, The Night (ravishing), and Iris Poudre. All of which are 🩷
You might enjoy trying Rose and Cuir-it’s one fragrance (I totally get why you thought there were two :)). It’s almost bitter in the opening-like a bitter gin and tonic opening. Actually makes my mouth water at the memory of it. I find it beautiful and wearable. If you have a physical store close to you check it out 🙂 You have a beautiful FM collection.
Gin and tonic as well as gin martini’s are a favorite so I will check it out. And thank you for the compliment on my FM !
Elly Stone singing my favorite JB, Marieke…I have posted this here before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0qMaPJwlzQ
This was exquisite snd worth another dreamy listen!
SOTD is Lyric layered with the Lyric body stuff. I am a little saddened though, I just used the last of my Lyric body butter.
Quick question, is Parfums Raffy a legit perfume site? They have the Lyric lotion and thinking of getting it.
Dawn, I used to go there, it’s in Los Angeles, and I believe they are legit, though it’s been years and I have no idea if the company has changed hands. They have always stocked a lot of Amouages and Montales, even before they were so popular. The owners might be Middle Eastern, I can’t remember, but they were very nice.
I think some Eau Duelle post shower.
Nothing to do with birds but a lovely spring scent.
Good enough!
I’m wearing SL Tubereuse Criminelle this morning.
That’s a beautiful choice. I wish the top notes lasted a bit longer.
The best of the best!
I tend to only wear lilac scents when lilacs are blooming. I am deeply offended that Denver’s winter was so warm this year that lilacs were blooming in the first week of April–I firmly believe that lilacs are for late April, early May. Anyway, I am sampling Lilac Brulee on one hand and Cruelle on the other. Cruelle is pretty but Desarmant is still my premier lilac. Lilac Brulee doesn’t particularly do anything for me. Maybe I’ll try to get to the botanic garden before class this week or next to go sniff the lilacs (The botanic garden is a few blocks from my school). I graduate in 2 1/2 wks!
I feel envious of your lilacs, even if they appeared too soon, because they just don’t grow here and I miss that smell so much in spring! For me it’s a smell sort of like gardenia that can never quite be captured in a perfume version. And wow, congratulations on your upcoming big event–graduation, Woo-Hoo!
Walt Whitman apparently saw lilacs blooming when Lincoln was assassinated on 14 April ( When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d)
“ I remember where I was stopping at the time, the season being advanced, there were many lilacs in full bloom. By one of those caprices that enter and give tinge to events without being at all a part of them, I find myself always reminded of great tragedy of that day by the sight and odor of these blossoms. It never fails.”
We had lilacs in our yard when we lived in Colorado. So fragrant and gorgeous, but always gone a bit too soon.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!!
Congrats to you!!
I can identify with your post as I too only wear lilac scents when they are blooming. They’re just getting leaves now so I’m hoping they’ll hold out to their usual blooming time, which is around Mother’s Day. And congrats on your upcoming graduation!👏
Congratulations, goddessrena!💐
Congratulations thegoddessrena!
Winter was a big bust all up and down the Front Range. Hope next year is better.
Hi everyone 👋
Yesterday was a bluebird, today is a pair of downy woodpeckers, so small and delicate compared to the much larger redheads. In honor of them I wanted a woodsy perfume so I’m wearing Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser. Wonder what I’ll see tomorrow. I’m waiting for red winged blackbirds to show up, you generally hear them calling each other but it’s still a little early.
Another pretty sunny day but cold still.
Nice pairing! “Woodsy” is a good way to go with birds.
What pretty birds. Good luck for bird spotting tomorrow
Our red-winged blackbirds were here very early this year, have been here a few weeks already. We never had them until just a few years ago, now we have them every year.
Woodpeckers are great for a perfume pairing – so many woody scents.
Red winged blackbirds hang out in marshy areas out here. Does that hold true for you?
Wearing JM Ginger Biscuit as it’s a slightly cooler day, as well as working on finishing the decant. Happily, I also have a bottle, which I bought as soon as it was at long last available again.
Yay for a backup!
I’m wearing Zoologist Cockatiel, which I received as a carded sample along with my bottle of Love Bird that I ordered awhile ago. I find it quite charming and pretty. I looked on Fragrantica and wow, it’s really polarizing, with many people calling it vile, plasticky, just too sour, “like vomit”, rotten, sickening, etc. The combination of raspberry, rhubarb, and champagne notes seems to be at fault; it’s got some mimosa/acacia and vanilla, and to me it’s like a kind of buttery, fizzy sweet/sour mix. I don’t think I’d buy a FB.
There’s an interesting twist here, namely, that this was independently created, and taken over by Zoologist, then given the name and “identity” of a cockatiel, based (I guess) on its notes. That’s the opposite of their usual method, which is to give a perfumer an animal to work for or design to suit.
That’s interesting about how the perfume led to the bird, rather than the other way around.
I put out honey water which attracts a big swarm of bees, especially on sunnier days. They are amazing creatures but irritate the nectar eating birds and sparrows which are the real targets of the food. Though the sparrows tank up on the water, the native tui and bellbirds take turns flying in. When they arrive they take a moment to sing ( both have beautiful ringing songs, and then they hope down the branches of the small tree and feed, hanging upside down ( often) as they negotiate a spot beside the bees. It seems to work out okay and the birds also get the early and late shifts, once it starts getting darker when the bees disappear for the night. So, I’m wearing Lush Bees Knees which is a wonderful smoky honey and hay perfume. So good for the price. I can also recommend the peach jelly lip balm which has a nice pink flush, part of the Mario Galaxy range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0K1q9JriDE
Short video of the tui. It was named the parsons bird by the early colonists
My goodness! So different from bird song here, a tree full of those might sort of freak me out.
Not sure if the LUSH stores here in the US have Bees Knees perfume. But the Mario Galaxy goodies have been tempting…
I’m wearing the churchy incense of Armani Privé Bois d’Encens for the tui. It’s a black bird with a white tuft under its chin, which is why it’s been called the parson bird. We see a lot of them around our place.
Great pairing and I love the idea of the parson bird.
Kanuka posted a video of the tui just above!
I really do like watching birds, but I am having trouble relating them to perfume. I said I wasn’t going to do the CP this week however, I am doing a far fetched one today. Since the robins are out for the spring with their orange breasts, I am wearing an orange perfume Eau des Merveilles.
I think that works perfectly, Kris. And you smell great. I love the orange note in Merveilles.
Thank you. It was a long shot!
My State bird! Great match!
Honestly, anything is farfetched, just go with it! I think your match is great.
Another pear today, too lazy to make a smoothie. This morning white cube, I remember getting a bottle because Lillyjo liked it so much and tonight A sweet pastry in Paris, rather a lemony version of Devotion, it should smell budget but with the Nathalie Lorson’s magic it really doesn’t.
I still love White Cube. The sprayer isn’t working so well. I think it’s almost empty.
Hope you can get more when you run out, still grateful that your example made me get my only NR.
White cube is my plan for tomorrow 🙂
Excited to see what you will pair it with.
Completely agree on A Sweet Pastry…it’s excellent and magic!🪄
So glad you like it too, it really is a gem
I’m thinking of the great horned owl family I saw once near where we lived in Colorado (which was a while ago). I asked them to please come and eat any mice in my yard that were trying to get into my house!
Wearing Byredo Gypsy Water which was a favorite of mine during the Colorado years.
The last year I was at Colorado State, a family of owlets was fledging in a huge conifer tree by the Administration Building. Watching them run along the branches while wildly flapping their wings was an excellent study break.
My SOTD is Fendi Theorema again, and I’m pairing it with the dodo, as both are sadly extinct.
Also, dodos lived on Mauritius, an island nation off the east coast of Africa that is known for its spices, including cinnamon and cardamom, both notes to be found in Theorema.
A perfect but sad pairing!
😬😢😵
Good connection.
Excellent!!!
SOTD = Chanel Allure Homme EDP
Lovely. I got it in Barcelona in my frenzy looking for the EDT. This is still very good!
I was wondering why people were talking about birds yesterday…and then looked at the CP! My favorite is owl 🦉 and I have a goodly (good?) number of owls, mostly smallish. I haven’t thought of a pairing as yet and may or may not have one. Nevertheless, I do like this CP!
In other news, I read somewhere that one of the “latest” trends is to end a sentence with … nothing. I’ve only seen this with comments, especially in the New York Post. Maybe I am the only one who usually clicks on the comments link 🤷🏻♀️ to read the first few comments? In any case, if you do tend to read comments, have you noticed this trend?
I would blame smartphones for the punctuation trend (or lack thereof). I’ve noticed that sometimes mine won’t add a period on to the end of a sentence.
Did you remove the “grammar” detector? I haven’t as I have to read more about it.
Nope. I ignore it most of the time.
I read comments all the time. I have noticed the trend. I have also noticed that people no longer care about spelling correctly. For example.. rite instead of right. It makes me crazy.
Oh, don’t get me started on spelling or punctuation!
Like Gail said, don’t get ME started!
One of my favourite birds is the lilac-breasted roller, which we saw a ton of when we were on safari in Zambia. So colourful and beautiful! I should have worn a lilac perfume today, but instead I’m going for the overall colour through Meo Fusciuni Viole Nere, which I wanted to try again. FB is tempting, though the price is not. And I have some nice violets, so…hmm.
Photo of the roller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilac-breasted_roller#/media/File:149_Lilac-breasted_roller_eating_in_Etosha_National_Park_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg
The Roller is stunning! Thank you for sharing a photo.
Beautiful bird!
He/she is beyooootiful!
Wow! What a gorgeous bird!
Wow!
That’s such a beautiful bird!
Gosh…such a beauty!
Thank you, Robin, for posting today’s photo, another favorite bird of mine. They come to my nectar feeder as well as to the fresh oranges and grape jelly just for them. I think a bright orange scent to harmonize with them would be perfect!
Windy and very warm today – temps got up to 70! – clear sky and bright 🌞. A rare day w/o any rain this month but it returns tonight. Someone mentioned Dame’s Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood the other day and that’s what my hand reached for today. I understand it’s been d/c, sure am glad I have a large bottle of this pretty rose scent, a little jammy, a little green.
Yoga earlier than a trip to our favorite garden center for pansies for my window boxes. It’s finally that time! Mr. Laila’s getting our veggie garden ready to plant Spring veggies soon!🥕🥬🥦
🌺🌺🌺🌺
I think you were warmer in Chi-town than I was along the Front Range!
It was me that mentioned your scent. I am glad of the larger bottle too since it was a favorite of mine. I am not sure why he discontinued the entire series of these. Every time I go to his site, I see less and less of what he used to sell.
No birds for me today. Instead, I am hearing the dulcet tones of construction equipment outside. Oh joy. The lilac bushes on the edge of my parking lot were torn out last week, right as they were budding up and getting ready to bloom. I was not happy about that. Hopefully they were saved instead of being tossed onto a trash heap. Grump.
SOTD = back in Jour d’Hermes Absolu EdP again, paired with Korres Jasmine Body Butter.
I’m sorry about the noisy construction and your lilac bushes. I’d be grumpy too☹️
I think the dust from the construction equipment is going to be worse than the noise, TBH. At least they don’t start at the crack of dawn.
I appreciate the grouchy solidarity. 😉😵😠
Smelling fabulous! That sounds like a good combination.
It’s lovely! If you have a jasmine lotion, try it with Jd’H.
Oh that’s sad about the lilac bushes.
Why couldn’t they have removed them before they woke up?
I did see what was left of a pine tree sitting in a rubbish heap. I had been a nice tree, too.
Ugh, late night posting does my reading comprehension no favors. Should be “IT had been a nice tree, too.”
The sentence above is rather morbid.
That’s disgusting about the lilacs. I doubt if they would survive if they’re dug up just at the point of blooming. Aargh!
I almost cried when I saw that. Most everything around me is concrete, stones and dirt now.
Aww. I hope they put in something else if the lilacs aren’t being replanted.
Unfortunately, I think concrete might be the replacement. 😡
Criminal about the lilacs.
Major bummer, for sure.
Late again. I don’t know why my life just seems so busy right now.
I’m wearing BBW Pink Pineapple Sunrise today. I’m matching it with Flamingos. They are a favorite at the Zoo.
Great match! And hope things settle down for you lillyjo.
That’s sounds like such a fun BBW scent. Great association with flamingos!
Geez, you are posting rather late!
Sounds like a cocktail, perfect pairing.