Saturday is National Happiness Happens Day plus International Cat Day, Sunday is National Book Lovers Day, Monday is National S’mores Day and World Lion Day. We're celebrating all the holidays with our same old open thread poll.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the last perfume you wanted to wear but it was too darned hot, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Green White Yellow [cropped] by Joel Olives at flickr; some rights reserved.
Happy Weekend NST!
Paloma Picasso is another chypre I could have worn this past week. Must remedy that this weekend. I mention it because I don’t think it came up in the CP but it was a very popular one at the time that fits the bill! It was also one of my staples in the 80s/90s, along with original Fendi, Private Collection, Cristalle, & Anais Anais. I guess I veered somewhat toward chypres long before I ever heard the term.
I wanted to give a shout-out to another bathroom gel that I probably use multiple times a day – L’Occitane’s marvelous olive oil liquid hand soap. Not sure it’s still made, mine is a bit old, but it’s such a lovely natural smell and has such a pretty botanical illustration of an olive branch & it makes me happy.
Happy weekend back at. you! Yep, I forgot all about PP, and for that matter, don’t hear it about it all that often anymore.
I smelled a current version of PP awhile ago and it had definitely lost a lot of its complexity and richness. Luckily one can still find vintage bottles online.
I didn’t know Anais was a chypre
Same! Was just looking up its notes, and I suppose it is at least chypre-adjacent … but who knew?
Oh, I wasn’t thinking it was a chypre, just mindlessly listing the frags I used to wear. Sorry for the confusion.
I love L’ Occitaine’s products, their wood soaps were wonderful, sandalwood was a favorite!
Happy weekend!
Sotd is Balenciaga 100%. Almost thinked my sample and I am getting a fb because it smells nice and I received quite a handful of compliments so apparently it suits me well!
Came across this song on instagram. I agree with everything!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZdvhAQRzrY/?igsh=MnN3bjB5dGNuM25z
Is that one mostly rose? Or would you call it a mixed floral?
Very mostly rose but not exactly sweet or jammy.
Feels like a rose scent that is perhaps Middle East inspired (I got compliments from my close Saudi Arabian male friend).
Sounds lovely, thanks!
I’ve apologised to our cat for missing International Cat Day yesterday, but she seems unperturbed 🙂 .
Post-shower, I’m thinking about something opulent like Amouage Lyric.
She could be withholding her judgment for later, Gaynor!
Ha, imagine a cat caring about International Cat Day, as if!
I would think cats would think everyday is cat day..it is their world!
I remember when we had our cat I would walk into my apartment and he would look at me as if it was his apartment I was was entering into his space without permission…
Not only did we miss International Cat Day but we left them for the whole weekend with only our neighbor to feed them (which is all they really care about anyway so they didn’t really miss us😾😾😾).
SOTD = Sonoma Scent Studio Amber Incense
As far away as possible from the CP but hey, I smell good!
In other news, here’s a New York Times gift article on conveyor belt cheese! I do love conveyor belt foodie stuff and they are so inexpensive overall.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/dining/reader-questions.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.DSaT.co7zTj5pV4cW&smid=nytcore-ios-share
I once went to a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in Edinburgh, a chain called YO! Sushi, and hidden behind the gimmick is the fact that you don’t really know how much you’re spending until they tot up all the empty plates (colour-coded by price) so you always spend more than you expected to. Still, the food was pretty good, good enough that I ate at another one in London a couple of years later.
I would absolutely do a conveyor-belt cheese experience. I love cheese.
They all sound so novel! My first experience with conveyor belt food was sushi in Koreatown (CA?) and it was delicious.
Back from the land of fragrance fatigue of the past few weeks.
Fitted in with my August ennui.
SOTD is the new G&B Sunset Hour Dark Peach.
I’m not so much a fruity or floral gal but I have worn Ingenious Ginger the past two summers so thought I would try.
My early pronouncement is yay!
Rummy, boozy with a nice spice, vanilla and peach.
Not headache inducing.
Best part I can smell on myself with one/ two sprays.
Have to have cataract surgery sooner rather than later. But not today.
Going up to San Francisco for a few days to haunt museums- there’s a new Egyptian exhibit that just opened earlier this month.
Have a good weekend, all!
Oh good, have a great time in San Francisco! The cataract surgery will still be waiting 🙂
Things look a tad wonky, but I am going to go to ZGO or Ministry of Scent and use my nose.
That’s the spirit 🙂
Last year I blind-ordered some vintage fragrances, all of them labelled “chypre” on the website and listed as having oakmoss in Fragrantica. I was hoping for some wonderful discoveries, but not one was a proper chypre as far as I was concerned — the oakmoss wasn’t a significant contributor to the scent in any of them.
But they mostly turned out to be pretty good nonetheless, and today I’m wearing one of them, 1981-vintage Choc de Cardin. (Nothing to do with chocolate: “choc” means “shock” in French.) It’s a honey-glazed woody oriental is what it is, with quite a lot of patchouli and maybe a dribble of oakmoss in the base. Still pretty good.
Sorry you didn’t get your oakmoss fest! Always heard good things about Choc but don’t think I ever smelled it.
A very long travel day today but after 5 hours I made it a bit past my halfway point and am now tucked up under the trees with the A/C blasting! It’ll be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight.
Tomorrow, I will arrive at the campground I worked at all last summer to catch up with appointments and friends, and enjoy a few days stay before I head back to work next week. Several of the camp hosts returned this summer and it’ll be nice to see everyone again. There are two I will NOT seek out because I just can’t love everyone…🙃
Finally! Finally! I boarded the Chypre Train with Au Dela Narcisse today. Have a great weekend, all!
Enjoy the visit with friends! And I hope you won’t have to see the two you don’t want to.
Too late! 🙃
Have a nice getaway Deva!
Thanks, Robin!
You smell(ed) fantastic! I’m wondering if “back” to work means returning to the privately owned hospital that you liked so much — hope so, anyway. 🙂
Yes, I extended my contract at the same hospital, which is pretty rare for me. I think I’ve only done that one or two other times.
Oh good! I hope it continues to be as soul-satisfying as before.
I’m guessing you wanted to get farther from the bike rally this weekend.
That was definitely part of it! 😉
I meant to echo Robin and put on Azemour today, but never got to the perfume drawer…also didn’t do my makeup. Oh well. It’s Saturday.
I think my cat wishes there were fewer cat days. I think this is the third this year? (Thinking the other two were National Cat Day and Hug Your Cat Day, or something?) I have not announced the day to Ockeghem Teen yet, and kitty is desperately hoping I don’t. 😀
At any rate, I’m feeling better about life today because I managed to get some old toys and books out of my office. Kiddie consignment was finally taking toys & books this week. I’m always kind of sad to see them go, but Ockeghem Teen only used that microscope once and has outgrown the puzzles, and as much as I’d like to keep them around for any potential grandchildren someday (Ockeghem Teen informs me this is likely a very long way off), I don’t have space for them.
I’m glad you are feeling a bit better today.
Hey, how is your dad?
Thanks for asking. They finally confirmed what bacterium was causing the bone infection — strep. (This is good — because they had him on TB watch, too, and everyone had to mask and gown up. This is over now.) They’re still doing some blood cultures and giving him antibiotics, but it looks like he’ll be home in the next few days. My sister cleaned his house and left his freezer stocked before flying home tonight. So, fingers crossed.
Oh very good news, thanks!
Glad to hear this, ockeghem. Must have been very scary.
I am supposed to be at work, but my car seems to be having a break or wheel problem. I’m too chicken to risk the drive. I’ve been thinking all day about trying to get a different car. I don’t know.. I’m very stressed.
I put on LVEB Crystal Soliel earlier when I thought I was going to work. I’m glad I didn’t choose something I love, because I feel a bad association coming on.
Sorry to hear about your car! Do you have a trustworthy mechanic you can take it to? I know you mentioned getting some work done on it recently, so I hope it’s an easy and cheap fix. 🤞
Ugh, so sorry lillyjo.
Car problems are the worst. I hope you get it figured out!
Damn.
Darn it, lillyjo. I’m so sorry. Car problems can bring on such dilemmas. I hope it is an easy fix and decision for you.
Sorry you are having a stressful day. 😢
Car troubles are the worst, it’s like dentist-level of woe. I hope it turns out to be less serious than expected.
Our oldest graduated today with a master’s degree! I wore 4160 Tuesdays’ Sonnet No. 1 parfum, which is based on fragrant flowers from Shakespeare. Gorgeous!
Congratulations to the graduate!
Congratulations!💐👏
Oh yay, good for OH Jr!!
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Hurray for your oldest and that’s a lovely name for a perfume, Old Herbaceous.
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations!🎉
Wonderful! What was the degree in?
Many congratulations! You must be a proud mama!
Late but nonetheless sincere, hats off to the graduate🎓! Congrats!
More late congratulations! That accomplishment takes a lot of hard work.
La Panthère Légère-still in a Chypre state of mind
Reading the Shampoo Effect
Off to the horses this morning
Hope you had fun riding yesterday ltsg!
SOTM is the very green and lovely CdG Laurel, composed by the very yummy Antoine Maisondieu. I’m currently trying to suss out the cinnamon note it supposedly has.
I’m back in Jo Malone Wild Fig & Cassis this morning. Can’t stop won’t stop. I will finish my bottle by summer’s end.
I was walking in a park with the dog early the other morning and a familiar smell stopped me in my tracks. I looked around for the source and saw a big fig tree with those huge leaves several feet away.
And then it clicked. The fig tree smelled just like Wild Fig & Cassis, or vice versa really. I don’t get any fruit/cassis in this fragrance, it’s mostly that specific raspy lactonic green note that only fig leaves give off. The sun had just hit the tree and it was exuding tendrils of scent. Kudos to the perfumer who captured this natural smell so perfectly in a bottle.
Update on my Wild Fig & Cassis. Walking in a different park with the dog just now, a lady stopped and said I smelled so good and asked what I was wearing. I told her but added that it’s discontinued but that she could try to look for Premier Figuier by L’Artisan or Philosykos by Diptyque if she wanted a fig scent. She muttered that that was a lot of words but she’d remember and look for them. She then repeated that I smelled amazing. I was a bit appalled, actually, that she could smell me on the trail, and wondered if I had over-applied. Oh well. Glad she liked my SOTD. I don’t usually get perfume compliments in public so it was kind of nice.
I adore Philosykos, but seem to recall that Premier Figuier didn’t work for me. Wish I’d tried the JM, but the word cassis put me off. Just as well since it’s discontinued.
Laurel is so lovely! I love that whole Monocle series.
Going to a pool party this afternoon so will probably wear something light after I do a workout unless something calls out to me before.
I have not posted lately as we had a death in the family so my grandkids were here from North Carolina. Now that it has settled down, I will try to stop in a little more often.
Just curious if any of you have tried any of the INITIO perfumes. I noticed them in Dillard’s the other day but was not familiar with the brand. Nor have I seen it mentioned on here before.
So sorry to hear about your family’s loss and good to see you posting again💕
Thank you, Allo.
I’ve tried one or two but the price point is a turn off for me. I had a little sample or decant of Side Effect and loved it, but not enough to buy any more.
So sorry for your family’s loss!
They are a bit on the spendy side. I never see anyone discuss them here. I was surprised they had a fairly large display.
Thanks. My mother-in-law was 92 but had been in the hospital for the last month with an infection. She also had lots of arthritic pain for many years. She lived a long life and for that I am thankful.
Condolences on the loss of your MIL. 🤗 I learned so very much from my dear late MIL and strive to serve in that same role as she did for me, a quiet but always a strong and supportive presence in my life.
Thanks Laila!
Side Effect gets a lot of love.
I might have tried one or two but I guess they didn’t make that much of an impression.
& yeah, price point turned me off.
Thanks, Denise!
Sorry for your loss Kris. *hugs*
Thanks very much♥️
I’m sorry for your family’s loss.
Oops. I put your thanks in the wrong place. I will have to tell Robin to remove another of my posts.
Thank you madtowngirl.
Sorry am a day late, but it is gone 🙂
And adding more condolences. Very glad to hear the whole family got to be together!
Thank you Robin.
I’m sorry for your loss Kris.
I have not tried Initio, but often see reviews for the brand on YouTube. They seem to have a lot of offerings.
Yes, they do have a lot of offerings. They are quite expensive though so I kind of walked by them.
And thanks, my friend.
My condolences for your family’s loss, Kris.
Thanks, Denise.
Sending my condolences to you and your family, Kris. It’s nice to have you back.
And thank you my friend.
My sympathies to you and yours, Kris. Sorry to hear that someone close to you recently passed away. Hugs and warm thoughts.
Thank you Jalapeno.
Another travel day, but wearing Fils de Dieu so it’s not all bad.🙂 Saw lots of smoky, hazy skies and field after field of sunflowers in full bloom. Hot and steamy here. I’m so over summer. 🥵
Also, stopped at a truck wash and tipped nicely. Then the checkout lady gave me an entire flat of raspberries for free. I couldn’t say no, but I also don’t want the squirts, so for now they’re sitting on my table watching my every move…👀 Anyone have a quick recipe for a raspberry compote?
yeah, dump em in a pot with sugar and a bit of lemon juice (if you have it. You can go easy on the sugar and add to taste as it cooks. They should dissolve pretty fast as they contain so much
water. Excellent with oatmeal in the morning!
You can put whatever you don’t eat quickly in little jars and store in freezer until you’re ready for the next one. That’s what I do with my apricot jam.
I’m glad the checkout lady appreciated your kindness!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll pick up some lemons tomorrow morning. Do you just add sugar and lemon to taste? Or is there precise measurements needed to obtain the right consistency? No thickening agent needed?
I just do it to taste, but I’ve been making jam a long time. It thickens as it cooks down and the liquid evaporates. Forgot to mention that I cook it on low heat and stir it a lot because it will begin to attach to the bottom of the pan due to the sugar if not. It’s not the type of thing you can put on the stove and walk away from. Let us know how it turns out. You might also want to keep some of it less cooked to spoon over yogurt, ice cream, etc.
The start of another working week! I’m continuing the chypre theme with 31 Rue Cambon.
That’s a good one!
I almost thought of that the other day!
I should say I thought of it but then didn’t wear it.
Oh very nice! Been awhile since I sniffed that one.
Hello.
Just got back from the hairdresser’s. I permed my hair again after a 4 years break, now I have hair so big I’d make RuPaul jealous. Gosh have I missed the volume. She said I can wash my hair tomorrow but I am waiting till Tuesday night just to be safe.
No sotd because I didn’t want to choke my stylist and myself by blending perfume with the harsh smell of perming liquid.
I have not permed my hair in eons, and STILL can smell that liquid in my brain! Ha! Glad you are happy with your new hair.
Happy National Book Lover’s Day. You guys, I read a book. lol. Big deal you say? I know, I know, but hear me out. The last book I bought was in April of 2025 and it took me over a year! to finish. Ugh, it was such a slog. I would pick it up, read a few pages and not pick it up for days or weeks at a time. I seriously thought I had permanently lost my ability or desire to read a book for enjoyment. Well, last week I went into madtowntwenty’s room and perused her massive book collection and randomly picked Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel (who also wrote Station Eleven, which was turned into a mini series I absolutely loved) and I finished that book in 4 days! So, I’ve decided that it wasn’t me, it was the book! and from now on if a book doesn’t suck me in by the end of the first chapter, I’m done. I don’t know why, but I’ve always felt some sort of obligation to finish a book I’ve started. Do any of you do the same? Well, no more, I’ve decided life is too short to read bad books.
As for perfume, I’m in the last of Prada Un Chant d’Amour after a day of teaching at the hospital.
I read all the time and if it doesn’t pull me in fairly quickly, I get rid of it and move on. I have plenty of books on the shelf I can choose from.
I used to feel really guilty for starting books and not finishing them, but these days I only really let it get to me if the book was loaned to me by a friend. Library books go right back if they fail to engage me in a chapter or two. It’s a bit harder if I’ve spent money on the book, but not so hard that I guilt myself into slogging through it.
For many years, most of my life really, I read 99.9% of books I started and felt bad if I did not finish one
Now I will give up after a couple chapters. Sometimes if everybody loved it, I will get 1/3 of the way through, still, will give up if I don’t like it. Life is too short!
But I do also have a small pile of books that I did find engaging, but hard for whatever reason…and those I tend to let hang around for years, and every so often I do go back and finish one. Doesn’t work with library books, obviously!
ps
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/books/review/dnf-goodreads-finish-books.html
Starting Creamsicle week off in Cologne of Love by Le Couvent de Maison Parfum layered with Outremer Vanille. Délicieux!😋
Early points!
Yay!!!
BBW Ginger & Orange body cream layered under many sprays of PdE Corsica Furiosa. I have a couple of appointments later but pretty sure I will have sweated most everything off by then. 😅
Keep smelling smashing!
Aha, that sounds like a nice combo!
Over the years there have been a couple of NSTers for whom Chanel 19 suddenly and inexplicably stopped working, and I remember thinking, “how is that possible?” Well, I’m now a victim, at least as to the edt. Blithely spritzed some on over the weekend and immediately felt sort of claustrophobic. The horror. Am now in the EDP formulation and am very happy to say that it’s working as well as ever.
I wore Chanel 19 parfum last night and it was lovely. I haven’t worn EDT for a long time. It’s weird when our reaction to a fragrance changes so drastically.
Wearing Seville a l’Aube for the creamsicle CP. It does not really smell gourmand to me, but it has plenty of juicy orange blossom. And it was mentioned in the comments of Robin’s creamsicle post.
Oh yum. Maybe I will wear that tomorrow, even though I agree it is not really creamsicle. It is working up to it maybe?
I’m back in a winter favourite, Chambre Noire from Olfactive Studio.
Hope it is keeping you warm Gaynor!
I’m wearing what might be the anti-CP or at least the antithesis of a creamsicle: Ormonde Woman. It’s finally cooler temps here and not smoky although I know that it’s miserable for lots of British Columbia, eastern Wash and Oregon folks, which is making me very sad.
In other news, I may make fudgsicles next Friday to sort of celebrate National Creamsicle Day –at least it’s a “sicle” –just because I miss them from summers while growing up.
I think that’s a reasonable substitute…who can argue with a fudgesicle?
☮️ ❤️ and 🎶 and the natural beauty of the driftless area of southwest Wisconsin made this weekend’s White Oak Fest truly memorable. And, luckily, despite the storms brewing all around us, we made it home safely. I’m truly grateful for all that!🙏
Off and on again storms will be with us until Wednesday, and I’ll be so glad when this summer’s over. There have been very few days when you could just open the windows; it’s either constant a/c (which I hate) or suffer extreme heat and humidity (dew point is currently 72), and get ready to take cover in your basement in case of nasty storms. Three tornados touched down last night and equally severe storms are predicted again for tonight.
I’m keeping it simple on this very tropical-feeling day with a tropical-feeling scent, YR Noix de Coco, basically just coconut and vanilla.
Hoping everyone stays safe from all that’s going on!🤞
It feels like I have only had windows open 2-3 days all summer…that can’t be true but gosh, it’s been a long time since it was possible for more than a couple days in a row.
Me, too, I feel the same way. We left the a/c on while we were gone this weekend for the cats. Got back late yesterday and turned it off after the storms subsided but had to turn it back on today due to the high humidity and heat – it got up to 87 degrees with a dew point of 74, ghastly. I don’t ever remember a summer like this one. Or one so stormy.
I’m wearing Shalimar EdT, inspired by Merlin (loved her layering posts) from the NST Creamsicle fragrance link Robin provided. I’m not sure it smells like creamsicle to my nose but it sure smells good.