It's John James Audubon's birthday!
We're holding our usual open thread poll: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the vintage perfume you'd like to find for peanuts at a yard sale, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image by John James Audubon.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Audobon! I feel like I should go tromping off with kindcrow and count something! 🙂
Haven’t settled on a SOTD today. I was hoping to go get my hair done (it takes 5 hours!!!), but Mr. Spicebomb’s roofer friend is gonna come over this morning to fix my loose shingles, so I’m feeling stuck here. I could go after he leaves, but I’d need to pack a lunch! 😉
Discovered a Goodwill in a nearby town (Hood River for you locals) that has an entire perfume case! Mr. Spicebomb and I have been out there a couple of times to take photos of the apple blossoms, and the guy at Goodwill already recognizes me! Bee line for the perfume. . . I’m having fun buying some classics that maybe aren’t entirely my style, but seem like good cheap thrills.
So far I’ve found bottles of Tabu, an 80’s-ish bottle of Shalimar, a small bottle of Cabochard Gres parfum, and a bottle of Kenneth Cole Black that I gave to a friend who likes it. They had a nearly full bottle of Dune, but since I already have one of those, I left it for someone else. . . anyway, might have to make an occasional pilgrimage down the river to see what’s new!
…wow, I want to know what you’re doing that takes five hours! Braids?
Amazing vintage finds. You know, I have also had somewhat better luck in small towns out west than here on the east coast. I wonder if the competition is stiffer in east coast cities, more people hunting for these things?
No braids! Step one is bleaching (my hair is medium brown). Step two is dying it blue–and cooking it for nearly an hour under the heater. Step three is the cut–just a basic layered look, but my hair is on the longer-end of the spectrum (falls around my breasts). The blue isn’t everywhere–there’s a top layer that’s natural and the blue is underneath that so it sort of peeks through as my hair moves. Quite cute, IMO!
Yeah, I think small town + a community with disposable income is a good combination. Hood River is sort of trendy, so there’s gotta be some folks with money who give such things away.
my hair is fire-engine red and it’s a 4 hr process.. but mine is just bleach touch up, colour, shampoo, trim (over 7 years if red it’s gone from short to layered and quite long) and blow dry. And about 4 espressos so I bounce out :-/ I am thinking of going natural again though the high-maintenance is getting tiring
Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it, but I don’t really know what else I would do, and I *do* enjoy the blue!
Ohh, underlayer of blue sounds so awesome!! (And yes, makes sense that it’s a longer process.) Hmmmm! I’ve been getting antsy about my hair ever since I realize I haven’t cut it since September 2012, oy! Kind of want to make a reasonably big change–maybe both ombré and bangs, à la: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/6b/f5/8a/6bf58a7a9db22647bb755b5f4160cf94.jpg ? Right now it’s just really long, straight and light brown-to-blonde, so it seems semi-plausible. On the other hand I am not a model, so there’s that.
Ooh. That’s super-sexy! I have bangs, but I never feel especially glamorous about them!
I went to blue after having the same hairstyle for about a decade and decided I needed to mix things up. Good thing about this look is that it wears well. I only have it done about 3-4x a year. (Cooking in the blue really makes it last!)
A fringe (can’t say bangs, I’m sorry, it sounds ridiculous from me) hides a multitude of sins. I’ve had one for years and will probably die with it – it’s cheaper and less painful than botox!
Ha! And “fringe” to me means those dangling strips of leather on a cowboy jacket!
Go for it! It will grow back if you don’t love it. My hairdresser calls it a fringe and I always think it sounds funny. I am growing my “bangs” out right now, and I agree with 2rista, I do like it covering up my ever more creased forehead. They may end up sticking around, we’ll see.
Ha, too funny about bangs instead of botox. That sounds like a tradeoff that could work for me–I’m sorta scared to cut off my hair, but less scared than I am of shooting poison into my face!
MR, v pleased you approve of this idea! I’m still jealous of your color, though. I have a college reunion next month, so I’m playing it safe for the time being, but after that, I may go all in 🙂
I dyed my hair black for many years (DIY haircolor) and about 12 years ago decided to go back to my natural light brown. I realized I needed to go to a salon for that, and the entire process took 7 hours–two rounds of bleaching, then color–and I had already cut my nearly waistlength hair into a short layered cut to make it easier.
Wow! Did they offer you a sandwich?
They gave me some pizza! I was there from 8 A.M. until 3 P.M.
That’s good! My place offers you a beer when you come in, which seems weird to me (and very Portland).
Went to a salon back in november to get the demi permenant dark red stripped out of my pale blonde hair. They ruined my hair and I was there for 6 hours. They bleached me 3 times (to a cheeto color) then dyed brown over it to try and neutralize the orange. I’m almost back to my natural color now after tons of clarifying shampoo, platinum protein filler, super rich conditioner, and super rich products. Horrible experience.
There are still a lot of limitations to the chemistry of hair color. I really appreciate that my stylist helps me understand the options and limitations of various choices.
That color/style sounds super cute! I always do my own color, and I’m in the midst of changing it this weekend. I keep my hair short-ish (it’s around chin length right now but varies between chin and shoulder), and it’s black with other color in my bangs and around my face. The last color was purple, which faded to a nice orchid-y fuschia color. But I got tired of that, so I’m going blue next (two shades: a light blue and a darker aqua shade). I did the first round of stripping last night, but it didn’t get all the pink pigment out. I’ll probably finish it either tonight or tomorrow.
Now I want a picture of your car and your hairstyle! I always love to see people with those kinds of colors in their hair. Anything to break up the general conformity is wonderful to me – it makes me smile. If I wasn’t quite so lazy I’d do something more exciting with my dark brown, curly dull crop. Sometimes I think of just getting those sprays that wash out!
Anyway, I’m going to be 36 in September, so perhaps I really ought to do it now since I’m not sure I’ll want anything too outrageous in my 40s:)
I don’t really have any good pictures of my hair–sorry! The way we did it, you don’t notice the blue almost at all from the front, the goal being if I had an especially challenging parent meeting or whatever, I could pull my hair back and look more conservative. I *did* post pictures of my car on flicr after many requests. . . did you see it? I could find the link again somewhere if I need to. . .
I am very much in favor of people expressing themselves, and I am grateful that it seems to be more socially acceptable to show some creativity in your appearance these days. I know it varies a lot from community to community, but overall, my sense is that folks are more open-minded about it than they used to be. In my own experience, negative reactions to my car, hair, tattoos, etc., have been MUCH less common than I feared before I took each step.
Oh please! I didn’t see the pic! Can you repost the link?
Tattoos and piercings are more or less the norm now, they no longer signify the kind of sub-cultures they once did. So I agree, not many raised brows these days. But it does depend on the society and the profession. I don’t think a teacher in South Africa (at least at most schools) would be able to sport blue hair, for instance. Then again, we also have school uniforms here.
Here is the art car pic link that MR shared, Merlin: https://www.flickr.com/photos/123176529@N03/13829310943/player/
Thanks Kindcrow! That is awesome: I particularly like the cameo of vintage roses:)
This has been most enlightening (ha, bad pun) … I just buy the L’Oreal, because I’m worth it — & takes 20 minutes 🙂
LOL! I wait until I’m so sick of my hair I’m ready to hack it away with a scissors on my own before I bother going to a hairdresser. Then I tell them just to cut as much as possible so that it doesn’t form a pyramid when I leave it to dry naturally (if curly hair is not long enough its prone to ‘pyramid’).
Generally I can’t even be bothered to let them blow-dry it. Its cut, and I’m out of there. I think its that my glasses have to be off for a lot of the process and I’m extremely myopic. Its not pleasant sitting in a chair and being unable to see!
Ha…we’re just the same. I only let them dry my hair if it’s freezing out.
Merlin: I also suffer from “triangle head” under the hands of less than talented stylists. You know the Kathy cartoon? Her friend? Yeah, that’s me. (I do now have a great stylist, and I pray nothing ever happens to her b/c it took me 5 years to find her!) I got sick of dealing with my long hair over our miserable winter – too much styling just to have static and hats, etc. So I got it cut into a short bob. I am so glad I did it. It’s slowing coming back in….. it’s given me a good chance to adjust my hair color while it’s shorter….
The last cut I had put in rather extreme layers. This is to give it more bulk around the face so I don’t get the helmet effect (long, therefore weighty, therefore flat at the top). It needs to be long enough to be heavy enough to avoid the triangle effect – and then one is in peril of said helmut effect, lol! The problem now is that the shortest layer actually sticks out and the effect can be quite ridiculous. I should hunt for the perfect hairdresser, or something, but I just can’t be bothered enough!
Yes! I totally understand – there is like this “sweet spot” where it’s just long enough that the weight keeps it “down”, but not too long otherwise it just drags. I always joke that I’m not getting my hair cut, but pruned, like a shrub. There will be this pile of hair on the floor, and my hair is the same length. I wish you the best of luck – few stylists can handle very thick wavy or curly hair. I’ve had some really tragic and expensive disasters from salons that I would have expected more.
I colored my hair for almost 30 years, with short breaks to see if it was silver enough to stop. Finally, when I was about 53 it had enough silver in it so I didn’t look washed out if I leave it uncolored. I understand the “pyramid” hair problem so mine is very short; like Helen Mirren’s. I hope someday my hair turns white like hers-so pretty.
Agreed, her hair is lovely! Also gloriously straight.
Let’s not judge ourselves by pictures of celebrities on the red carpet or movies! She is amazing for sure but I know she has a team of people helping her look that way. We’d all be pretty damned fabulous if it was our job to be!
Point taken, though I think Mirren has an elegance and sophistication that no team of assistants can bequeath:) And there may be something of this charm that a person can have without the said team, as well.
Interesting. On the one hand, Elena I totally agree that having this be your job changes everything–for the team of stylists but also for the time/energy/concern you put into your appearance. It’s like pro athletes being in great shape. A portion of it is natural ability, but another portion is dedicating so many of their waking hours to conditioning their bodies. All of us would look really different if we did that!
At the same time, having recently come into occasional contact with the professionally beautiful in both their on- and off-the-job hours, it’s been really interesting to me to learn how much the movie star look is not just about looking better or worse, but a matter of executing on a particular aesthetic, not so dissimilar from the way one could go for grunge or punk or goth or hippie or preppy. To a significant degree, anyone can get glammed up, if they have the time/inclination to make a study of how that aesthetic is arranged. But one might entirely reasonably decide it’s not worth the effort, or not how you wish to look in the first place (witness all the other, arguably more interesting options available!!)
I really meant not to compare her gloriously straight hair to “normal” hair. It is rainy today, and I am due a shampoo today so I am all too aware of how much effort nicely coiffed hair takes. She certainly is a stunning woman, in such a natural, self assured way.
Ha! Then I probably shouldn’t mention how much it costs to get done, either, huh? Committing to this ‘do definitely put me one more step into the bourgeoisie. 😉
I used to dye my hair blue myself (way back in college), which costs far less in the short term, but it requires being redone every few weeks. The good of sitting in the chair so long, my blue looks lovely for multiple months at a time. Even now, it’s mostly pretty, just sort of uneven.
And I probably shouldn’t mention how little I pay to get my hair cut — I’m sure it’s the more embarrassing of the 2 dollar amounts 🙂
You can’t possibly pay less than I do–I cut my own hair, so it costs me nothing!
Wish I could do that! Hate going to the salon. If you can call the place I go a “salon”.
Actually, if I could do it myself I would probably get interested in the how to and the various possible results. But I’m not very good with my hands – and my judgment of lines is atrocious so I go to inexpensive ‘salons’ in rather derelict areas and don’t get too involved or invested in it all.
Congratulations on finding that Goodwill!
My husband does a monthly bird survey at a Nature Conservancy preserve, and this month it happened to fall on Audubon’s birthday.
In my teens and early twenties, I used to have my hair braided and it took four hours. It took at least 12 hours to take down. My husband (boyfriend at the time) helped me take it down once. Patience like that — that ‘s true love 🙂
I have considered volunteering as a surveyor from time to time. I did census work in Minnesota for a researcher, but I’m not as good with Oregon birds!
Whenever my students get their hair plated, I’m always curious how long it took and who did it for them. Lots of loving and tight-fingered mothers and aunts out there!
Very nice of your husband to help out!
Good morning, Now Smell This! Let’s play Help Ari Finish Her Business Plan! My question for you: why do you buy niche perfumes?
Bonus question: What perfume would you wear to a cat cafe? I’m going to try to brave the 300-person line today.
… because you can’t find anything like them at Macy’s? (Corollary: Because a good half of the stuff at Macy’s smells *awful*?)
I buy Niche perfumes because they tend to be unique, both in terms of their notes and rarity. I take pride in not smelling like everyone else.
As for the cafe, my cats tend to like sweeter scents. Aqualina Pink Sugar and Moroccan Oil body butter both get licked off my arms. They don’t respond well to anything else, although many scents tend to keep them away.
I read somewhere that Obsession is used to lure large cats like jaguars and tigers closer to cameras. Not sure of its effect on little kitties.
You read it here!! 😀 https://freebox.it.com/2010/05/03/perfume-and-enrichment-not-just-for-tigers/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I buy niche because they feel like real works of art rather than mass-produced mediocrity. I also like some oomph in my scents, and there’s a lot more personality in the niche world than in the mall stuff.
Oh. And my cat tries to lick off PHI: Une Rose de Khandahar whenever I wear it! 😉
Finally, FWIW, Mr. Spicebomb and I decided to institute don’t-wait-more-than-20-minutes-unless-it’s-freaking-amazing rule. Portlanders seem exceptionally willing to stand in line for 2+ hours for a meal. It just enables restaurants to have teeny seating areas! 🙂
I buy niche perfumes because I like to smell different from the rest and because, in general, the progression of these scents is so much more interesting than most mainstream ones. Also, for the childish pleasure of seeing a blank look come over people’s faces when they ask me what I’m wearing. Sometimes it seems as if they’re thinking something like <>.
Oh dear, it got lost…something like “Poor dear, she can’t afford real perfume”.
My motive for buying niche has to do with quality rather than uniqueness. I love the original J’Adore and if I could buy a bottle of it, I would, with nary a thought to the bazillion other people who have it too–but, Dior won’t sell me that J’Adore anymore. Not that there aren’t niche lines that wouldn’t happily sell me (even more expensive) swill, but I feel like it’s a higher-percentage shot that the niche brand will have something really beautiful, whereas large mainstream brands seem to organize their business around minimizing cost of juice and maximizing the potential customer base, which is not really a recipe for very high quality products.
Also, I suppose I do tend to like unexpected combinations, so, things that are unique in that sense (rather than the desire not to smell like anyone else.) Lilacs and bread? Orange blossom and cumin? Sea breeze and cardboard? Leather, toffee, sawdust? I’ll take one of each please! I have the impression that the need to sell widely often (but not always) precludes a lot of mainstream brands from releasing those kinds of oddities, whereas lines that can expect to do a smaller volume of sales can go for things that only appeal to, well, a specific niche of the market.
Lastly, I do enjoy the sense of an artist behind the creation. It’s certainly not lost on me that three of the four scents I mention above come from the same nose! If I were playing sociologist about that, I’m sure I’d have a lot to say about class signifiers & aesthetics (“high art”) involved there. Bourdieu would have to be invoked. But it’s the weekend, I’m off-duty 🙂
I’m curious, Ari, what would you say makes you buy niche?
Haha sorry, didn’t realize how long that had gotten!
Totally with you on mainstream stuff that doesn’t smell the way it was originally released – if the mainstream stuff was good, I’d buy it. It’s not all bad – I really liked, for example, Esprit d’Oscar, and you can still buy No. 5 parfum. If I could buy Le Temps d’une Fete at Macy’s, I’d do it. But niche stuff is typically more interesting, and tends to smell better to ME.
Yup. It’s definitely not that there are no good mainstream scents (I currently own a couple of Hermes scents readily found at Sephora, Tom Ford Violet Blonde, other things I might think of I were more fully caffeinated?), just that they are hidden among a sort of extraordinary volume of less good ones! Also, as Marjorie Rose points out, even the well-crafted mainstream stuff will only appeal if you’re happy to wear stuff that’s pretty sheer. Not much going these days that turns up the volume.
I buy whatever smells good on me regardless of the source. On the other hand, I like shopping at niche perfumeries like MIN and Twisted Lily because I don’t feel like I’m running a gauntlet, the salespeople are knowledgeable and I get free samples (free is good when you’re a grad student.)
Is the cat cafe a place to play with cats? If you want cats all over you, wear something with hyraceum.
Re niche, I agree with others. I’m just sniffing around for the most delicious and intriguing perfumes to enjoy, and that’s where most of the current ones are. I’m simultaneously trawling ebay for mainstream perfumes from previous decades, before mainstream was cheapened and dumbed down.
Already, though, I’m sometimes searching for discontinued niche perfumes (L’AP Tea for Two) or “vintage” niche, such as older Annick Goutal (I think it’s the real sandalwood I’m missing).
I think C.H. pretty much covered it. When you’re not as focused on keeping the cost of the juice as low as possible and spending all your money on marketing, you have more leeway to create something interesting. Which is not to say that niche automatically equals interesting, just that the potential is higher. And niche fragrances aren’t likely to be focus-grouped to death like more mainstream offerings probably are.
HI Ari: I buy niche and indie b/c it seems more creative and interesting (even though I still buy a few department store selections, mostly from the Chanel line.) I like being part of the creative process and the independence of it – there is a lot more thought into the test process and not just some bean counter pushing laundry musks at the end.
Also, for a cat store? I’d wear Lancome Climat b/c it has a lovely, restrained bit of civet in the base that the cats will just love!
SOTD is Chergui, just because I felt like wearing it and smelling it.
I like niche perfumes because there’s so much more variety as far as notes are concerned than what one could find in department store offerings. And I also like to have perfumes that other people may not have.
I once wore Emeraude when I visited a friend who had several cats. Her large male cat (23 pounds) came over and started licking my wrist and then gently rested his teeth against my skin (no biting). I think he was somehow enjoying the scent.
Ah, at least no biting! Great story.
Found out the male Clouded Leopard at the nearest zoo absolutely adores vintage Magie Noir. I was quite flattered by all his attention!
There may be civet in those old perfumes, which is something cats can really identify with.
I’ve noticed that the bigger my perfume collection gets, the harder it is to find a certain perfume in my collection and it’s harder to pick out what I’m going to wear for the day.
I’ve started giving stuff away for just that reason.
I think I’ve reached the point in my collecting that I’m pretty happy with what I have. I *do* forget what I own and get surprised and happily reminded about a scent as I dig around, but I like that! And as CH says, if I don’t appreciate owning it, I’m more than willing to give something away.
My trick: find 3 “all purpose / no brainer” scents, put them in the front off to the side in a little line, then if it takes you more than 5 minutes to pick one of the others, wear the one of the 3 that is off to the side and in front, move it to the back of the line of 3.
Ooh, a system! I like it! Do you mind telling us which are your current three?
Also, this reminds me: I’ve been wondering how many folks with large collections keep any out on a dresser or their bathroom counter or similar. Even with my (for a perfumista?) smallish collection, I feel like it’s going to take me sooo long to go through anything that I’m afraid to leave them exposed to the light lest it make them turn faster. But it’s a bummer not to get to admire the bottles…
I have often wished I could have my bottles out (or a subset of them) but, like you, am not willing to leave them exposed to light. I won’t keep them in the bathroom, but it would be lovely to have a little tray of them on a side table. Maybe if I had one of those fancy walk-in closets, about the size of my bedroom, with only indirect light! A girl can dream. . .
Just months after I was married I was in an earthquake and every dish and crystal vase we had received as a wedding gift broke. Since then, I am extra cautious about where something might fall (no bookshelves over my bed!). Now that I have a small perfume collection I keep it in a drawer. It’s not as fun to keep them tucked away, but I suppose this protects them from light as well as from an earthquake.
Guerlain Cologne du 68 & Hermes Merveilles are often 2 of the 3, although sometimes I do switch out. Right now I’ve got Marni as the 3rd, but not sure it’s such a great fit for this group.
Others often in the trio: Prada Infusion d’Iris, Dior Eau Sauvage, Ormonde Jayne Isfarkand
My patience for staring blankly at my perfume collection is pretty low!
Very nice! And I know just what you mean about the frustration with the blank stare. Feel the same way about getting dressed or putting on makeup. I just want everything queued up so I can get out the door as quickly as possible in something I like! So too with perfume 🙂
Yes, and kind of like Robin is saying (I think), so many of mine are the opposite of “no brainer” scents that they really don’t work for a lot of moods. Right now my favorite easy to wear scents are Jour d’Hermes and Bottega Veneta.
I think Hermes really has some great choices for this purpose.
BV and BV eau Legere have been major go to scents for me this past year! They alwasy smell good and I can have fun applying as they stay close on me.
Dawn: That happens to me all the time! More choice is not necessarily helpful. It draws me into a pattern of kind of being semi-faithful to one scent for a week or two at a time. I will be first to admit that I have too much and not enough brain or skin time to wear it all! We’re having a weird cool spring here so I’m totally infatuated with No 5 in all it’s forms b/c its the only thing that seems right, but I am craving that transition to green warm spring scents…this year I’m feeling all tuberose so I’m going with it. I’ll probably be faithful to a few of those for a few weeks, and then move on.
Hello all of my NST family. I haven’t quite decided on a SOTD yet. But, I do have a dilemma. I am trying to find a new fragrance that is different. I went to Lucky Scent and got 5 samples. I need help because I value your opinions. Out of the 5, which would you purchase?
1. Benevolence by House of Sillage
2. Botrytis by Ginestet
3. Serendipitous by Serendipity 3
4. L’infante
5. Peau de Peche by Keiko Mecheri
Thanks for your help!
Do any of them really make your heart sing? I def run into dilemmas because I share your taste for something “different”, but sometimes stuff that’s fun because it’s weird isn’t the same as what I’d reach for on a daily basis, and then it’s a bummer to have a whole bottle. (I feel that way about much of Serge’s line. Love so many, but almost none of them would I wear regularly.) So I’d def go with whichever you enjoy the most, so that you get good use out of it.
I really enjoy Benevolence, but the smallest bottle costs $320.00. This is a little out of my price range, but I found myself sniffing my arm all day. I liked all of them, but there was something special about that one. I just wanted to see what others thought. I guess I can just start saving my pennies and see what happens. Thanks for your feedback.
I’ve only tried 2 and 5 on this list, but my preference would be 2- Botrytis is a beautiful and very easy-to-love perfume.
Yeah–Botrytis is the only one I know, but I enjoyed the sniff I got of it when I sampled it. It wasn’t total love for me, but I would happily wear it if a bottle fell into my lap!
It sounds like Benevolence is the one for you! I’ve only tried Peau de Peche of the five you listed. I really like it, but I think there are similar perfumes available.
Considering the price, I’ll suggest that you look at the Lucky Scent site and see if one of their picks for ” if you like Benevolence Parfum, you may also like….,” and see if one of their less pricey offerings appeals to you as something to explore as a sample. Basenotes and Fragrantica are also good to check out for comparisons and suggestions for similar perfumes.
I hope this you find this helpful and encouraging as opposed to complicated and overwhelming. 🙂
I’ve been considering Botrytis for years, mainly distracted by other things, perhaps finding it a bit too something. In fact, ordered a new sample recently to see how I like the current version. Not familiar with the others. Maybe you can get decants first and test a bit more before deciding?
I’m not sure if this is helpful, but shouldn’t there also be the option of more sampling, testing and sniffing? It sounds like you like 4 and love one, but that the one is $$$. Perhaps you should wait to find something you adore as much but which doesn’t make you balk at the price. Just a thought!
SOTD IS Épice Marine, which seems to be lasting longer now that the weather is warmer. I’ve just done an online perfume profile on a French website called Nose, which is also an actual shop in Paris. I’ve ordered samples of the five scents suggested, for just 10€. They’re rather a peculiar mix, so we’ll see…
Ooh, I still need to try that one! How does it smell on your skin?
My first impression is gingerbread, but with a light, slightly citrusy spiciness. Later on I get more saltiness and more cardomom, but it’s always fresh. It’s lovely but I don’t think I’d spend my money on a FB, the Hermessences are so expensive. I got a 15ml bottle on eBay quite cheaply and it’s perfect. My one complaint would be that it is quite fleeting, at least on me. But this morning I sprayed it several times and it’s still with me. It seems to work better in Spring weather 🙂
Ahhh, the saltiness. That is why it’s still on my list… 🙂
Me too, I had kind of forgotten that it sounded amaaaaaazing. I really like Apres la Mousson with the cardamom note and freshness, and this sounds like a cousin of sorts.
It is a cousin, but less fruity than Mousson – which I also enjoy very much.
SOTD is Nasomatto Absinth. It’s raining today but still quite warm and a bit humid, so I wanted a warm cool scent, if that makes sense. The cool as it’s mostly vetiver, but it has a warm nuttiness to it a bit like Vetiver Tonka does.
AAAND- only one more shift tomorrow night then I’m on leave for 5 glorious weeks. Mostly just enjoying not being at work but I’ll be taking my bf to Bali for a week as he’s not been before
Bali! 5 weeks! I am jealous, hope you guys have a great time.
Happy Saturday!
I love John James Audubon. What absolute gorgeous work! Just an amazing talent & happy you’ve recognized his bday.
I’m excited to be in the Houston Galleria this weekend staying at the Westin. Plan to a lot of perfume shopping!
Obviously sent less so I can try, try, try… 😉
Welcome to Houston, Floragal. There’s good shopping at the Galleria. My favorite store is Neiman Marcus. Their perfume department is fabulous. The SA at Tom Ford are very generous. If you tell them you are curious about a certain fragrance, they will give you a nice size sample. Enjoy your stay and the warm weather.
Thank you!
Just finished breakfast at White Oak kitchen, and getting ready to shop! This is such a phenomenal mall!
NM is my first stop 🙂
Welcome to Houston! If you have transportation, try to stop by Kuhl/Linscomb at W. Alabama & Kirby. It’s just a little ways east of the Galleria. They have a good selection of niche stuff, like CdG and Serge Lutens. And there is Sloan/Hall a couple blocks away, where you can find Etat Libre d’Orange and a few other things. I think they’re closed on Sunday, though. Happy sniffing!
Cool! Thanks!! That’s pretty close to where we’re staying.
Scored a number of samples at Neiman Marcus and Saks,
When we visited our daughter at college last fall, we toured the rare book library and were sort of gobsmacked at the enormous (seriously, it’s huuuuuge) “double elephant folio” book of Audubon originals, Birds of North America.
Loving the weather and some vintage RL Safari today.
Also, after twelve years of living in this house and having an unfinished laundry/mud room – which made sense at first, given that we have all kinds of farm muck coming into that room – we finally, FINALLY, had it finished. Insulated, drywalled, heated, painted, indoor/outdoor carpet added. I’m looking forward to not freezing while doing laundry next February. YAY!
We have seen one of those double elephant folios at the R. W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, and you are right, it is huge. For anyone who is ever in the Shreveport area, the Norton is a wonderful (free!) art museum featuring mostly American art. The grounds around it are stunning as well, with many flowering shrubs, trees, fountains, a stream, etc. It is beautiful any time, but truly jaw-dropping in the spring when the 10,000+ azaleas are in bloom.
Oh gosh, a couple years ago I made several work trips to Shreveport. Sad I missed this!
My laundry is in an unheated basement…I will be jealous of you in February!
I will comPLETEly sympathize.
My husband started doing all the laundry about two years ago, when I complained once too often about how cold it was in there (there wasn’t even any insulation on the walls)… he stopped saying, “Oh, you’re such a princess,” after the first winter and then this winter he started saying, “Wow, it’s cold in there.”
So of course once it inconvenienced HIM…
🙂
Maybe that’s it, I need to make my husband do the laundry. Except he’d ruin all my clothes…
Congrats on the renovation! I am dreaming of small house projects for the future…. The rare book room sounds amazing! My parenst have an Audubon two set volume that is very beautiful, but not enormous. And yeah Safari!! I love how it softens and lasts all day long from one application.
Hello All!
I went testing at the local Sephora (the best option with an 1 1/2hr drive). So, I’ve got Candy Florale on my left arm and Nirvana Black on my right.
So far, the Candy Florale is working better than the other Candy’s on me, but isn’t exactly causing me to swoon.
I do love spicy, so the Nirvana Black is actually going quite well. I’m tempted to pick up the rollerball. Such a nice inexpensive option.
I hope everyone else is having as nice a spring day as we are here.
I need to do a Sephora run myself, glad they’ve got the Prada in.
Good afternoon! I put on Navegar this morning, and it was the perfect choice for today (I’m so happy when I get it right!). Crisp and cool for a spring day that’s warming up a little too quickly for my taste.
Yum, Navegar 🙂
Ooh that’s what I had on yesterday too, with just the same reasoning 🙂
Perfume for today is Nabucco Amytis Parfum Fin. It smells incredibly lovely, lasts forever but stays very close to the skin.
It’s May 1st and May 3rd next week, national celebrations in Poland. My family is going on a trip around Eastern Poland. We’ll be back next Saturday.
Have a lovely time!
My SOTD is A La Nuit, as I just received my decant in the mail, and I adore it! It feels springy to me, even though it’s about 40 degrees in Chicago today (ugh, what else is new?).
I feel that it will pair nicely with my newly discovered BBC melodrama which recently arrived to Netflix, THE PARADISE. It’s so romantic, and will absolutely do until Downton Abbey comes back!
That sounds interesting… I am going to look it up on Netflix. Is it streaming?
Yes, it is!
I liked Season 1, waiting for Season 2!
Yes, well, I tend to get impatient, and I those darn Brits already have season 2. I have found ways to procure season 2 vis a vis technology….. That’s all I’ll admit to!
Yeah. I know it can be done, I’m just lazy. Also at the moment have the latest seasons of Doc Martin, Bletchley Circle, Call The Midwife & Once upon a Time to get through, so not desperate as yet 🙂
I 2nd this recommendation and add North & South
I liked that one too.
SoTD Hove’s Vetivert – reminds me of our vacay in New Orleans… speaking of JJ Audubon…
I believe the exhibition of his original watercolors is still up at the New-York Historical Society. You can see how he made the iridescence on the feathers…
And for those not in the neighbourhood:
http://audubon.nyhistory.org
AnnieA, thank you for the link. I actually had no idea who everyone was talking about… Now I can say, ‘it’s for the birds!’ And beautiful birds they are!
Today was a perfect sunny springday, SOTD Vero Profumo Rubj Voile. I need a FB of that ASAP! We’re starting to have really long days, and soon midnight sun. I love that time of year!
Me too, although we have only really had 1 perfect spring day so far.
SOTD is Goutal Rose Absolute. Chosen for no particular reason.
A perfectly good reason!
We have sunshine! Wearing Bas de Soie, evidently my spring scent this year.
Hey N! Wanna be my travel planner? 🙂 Mr. Spicebomb and I are contemplating a road trip up into Canada over the summer. He’s interested in Victoria and Vancouver (apparently there’s a baseball team. . .). I like seeing historical stuff and natural sites. Any recommendations? Anything off the beaten track that might tempt us?
I am on it! Anon…
Gosh, I don’t mean to give you homework! But if you have some favorite spots or places on your wish list, I’d love to hear about them! 🙂
SOTD = VC&A Orchidee Vanille – I need an FB stat. I may pick one up next week as I will be at Sniffapalooza for Day 1!
I’m off to dinner and a concert with a good friend I’ve known for ::: gasp::: 31 years.
Love Orchidee Vanille, I’m thinking of a FB as well!
Wow! I love having friends who *really* know me, but 31 years! Technically, I have a few in that range, but my closest friends have been around since college–so 17 years so far!
SOTD is Ferragamo pour Femme. I found it at Marshall’s the other day and decided to take a chance. I like it. I think it will be nice for summer, and as hot as it gets around here, I don’t have enough of that.
I also bought a bottle of Cartier Baiser Vole EDT at the same time. Also a blind buy, so obviously self-control was not much in evidence that day. But it’s Marshall’s so the price was pretty good. 😛 Anyway, I’m curious to know if any of you have tried it, and what your experience with it was like. As for me, I like the scent, and I find that it lasts pretty well (8+ hours). But it’s *so light* and has no projection whatsoever. After the first minute or so, I can’t smell it if my nose is more than a millimeter from my skin. For any of you who have tried it, has that been your experience too, or is my skin just eating it?
The Ferragamo! Was this because of me? I take complete responsibility if you don’t like it. 🙂 I can’t remember how BV projected on me, I just remember putting in my mental “buy it if the price is right” column, not immediately FB worthy, but I definitely liked it. Does Ferragamo smell kind of like the nineties to you? It does to me, is it some kind of aquatic thing? Feel free to make fun if that makes little to no sense…
It kinda was..lol. 😀 I do like it, though, so you can take credit rather than responsibility. 🙂 I can see how you might get ’90s from the Ferragamo, but it doesn’t seem overly so to me. When I first tried it, the first comparison I could think of was a toned-down Prescriptives Calyx, which I also own and like.
Its autumn/winter where I live, but my craving for citrus continues… I’m wearing a little of Carthusia’s Ligea which is a vanilla-orange, reminiscent of Shalimar, but less animalic. Unfortunately my boyfriend strongly dislikes this one. So, if there are Ligea lovers out there please speak out. I need the encouragement.
I’m also wearing a little Eau de Rochas – to amp up the citrus, lol!
This is a bit off-topic, but we do sometimes talk about books, and I am at a loss. Amazon has phased out the Listmania feature, which was very useful for finding books. I would look up any book that I really liked and then look at the Listmania lists that it appeared on. If a list had any other books I liked, as well, then it was almost certain that I would enjoy other books on that list.
Amazon reader reviews can be useful, too, but sometimes the fans who gather around a book have different tastes from mine.
I haven’t found any of the newer features such as Editors’ selections and author interviews very useful. I think a lot of that is PR driven – sort of like native advertising.
I’ve tried Goodreads, which has some utility, but also the same limitation as Amazon reader reviews. The volume of reviews is a bit overwhelming, and I’d have to spend a lot of time to figure out who my “book twins” are.
Old standbys like the New York Times Review of Books aren’t great for my main interest, science fiction.
How are fellow fragrant commenters finding books these days?
Try Andy Weir’s The Martian. I have heard nothing but good things from my customers and fellow booksellers. There are many wonderful science fiction/fantasy book blogs out there. Find one written by someone with similar taste to yours. Do you have a favorite bookstore? Barnes and Noble has a wonderful weekly review they drop in my email that has many interesting articles that are definitely not best seller or well known reads. Publishers Weekly is online and an excellent source of reviews. They are very prudent with their starred reviews and I have never been disappointed in any book well reviewed by them. Hugo Award Winners might be another source of good books for you. You are well armed now, go out there and find a good book to read!
Yes, I LOVE Andy Weir’s The Martian! I can’t wait to see what he does next. Great suggestions, thanks!
I swear by Bookpage, which I find at my local library on the first of each month. There are always descriptions of newly released books in all kinds of genres, including science fiction. (BTW, if you have not read The Martian, by Andy Weir, run and get a copy!) It also includes author interviews each month. You can find the website at http://www.bookpage.com; it really is worth a look.
The Martian is such a fun read – I love that character and how he figures out how to survive on Mars. Bookpage looks good. Thanks for the recommendations, foxbins!
I used to subscribe to 3 book reviews, but after my son was born, they piled up so terribly that I gave them all up. Have been thinking of picking 1 of them up again. For now I just live off recommendations from people I know (including the reading polls we do here every so often, next one coming up soon!), but also wanted to say that the Amazon feature where they’ll give you the first chapter to read free has been a huge lifesaver. I use it even if I don’t intend the read the book in the digital edition, or even buy it at all (I do use the library quite a bit). Plus having a bunch of first chapters on my phone & iPad turns out handy anyway…always something to do while waiting for whatever.
Thanks, Robin – being able to read the first chapter online is a great resource!
You should contact your local public library and see if they have a readers guide or one or a few very knowing reference librarians. Sometimes there are even read-alike lists on library web pages.
Thanks, Ann – I do have a good library nearby – Arlington County – I need to reconnect with it now that I have more time.
Good luck! I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you.
QUESTION:
In the fragrance world, how old and/or how much time has to past to be considered, “vintage”?
Reason being, I just purchased a bottle of Bvlgari Blv Notte Pour Homme which came out in 2004…
thanks…
I can’t offer a definitive answer – I think the term means different things to different people. My “vintage” is probably somebody else’s “older bottle.”
For me, though, “vintage” could mean A) “really old,” as in 40+ years old.
Or B) “discontinued.”
Or C) “an older formulation, because it’s been changed since this particular bottle was produced.”
As for your Blv Notte ph, I don’t think I’d say it was “vintage” unless I felt that the formula had changed definitively since 2004. (Not familiar with the frag, so I don’t know. 🙂 )
Ditto to all this.
I agree with mals. Nonetheless, you are probably aware that some perfumistas insist on a strict definition, reserving the term vintage for really old perfumes, such as pre-1950. I guess it makes sense for perfumes created in the 1920s or 1930s. OTOH, it’s not very useful since we’re unlikely to encounter such old examples.
In addition, perfumes are reformulated continually, so there are really many vintages.
In the case of something like 2004 Blv Notte, or 1999 J’Adore, for example, I’d probably use “original formula” or “pre-reformulation.” In any case, congratulations on finding it!
I think its complicated by the evaluative sense of the word. Calling a perfume ‘vintage’ confers a kind of value on it, makes it sound rare and special etc. An old bottle of perfume does not have the same status.
Technically vintage seems to refer to the 20s or 30s, but personally I’m ok with the word being used in reference even to perfume from the 70 or 80s. When people use the word for products produced in the 21st century I personally feel like its an outright misrepresentation. I’m aware though that my distinctions are a little arbitrary!
I basically agree. At the same time, the pace of change has sped up in this millennium. Who would have dreamed of the ingredients that have been lost to IFRA and the cheapening of brands like Dior, or the loss of sandalwood? I wonder if more has been lost in the last 14 years than in the preceding 80.
Hear, hear!
SOTD: A heavy application of Egoiste.
After 3 days of giving up fragrances cold turkey (as a result of the new now fragrance policy at work-yuck) I needed something powerful and indulgent.
I survived 3 days but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to go on!
Platinum14, how can your workplace possibly enforce that policy? Is it fragrance only, or is hairspray, body lotion, scented deodorant, and scented body wash also prohibited?
I also would have a hard time going unscented for five out of seven days.
Precisely my question! I find this sort of policy baffling and cranky-making!
I’ve become a lot more sympathetic since I developed a food allergy that lots of people assume I avoid merely because it’s “fashionable”. I’ve had people simply ignore and even lie to me about what food contains, with real health consequences. I imagine the equivalent happens constantly to someone with a serious perfume allergy–and for me it’s just difficult to eat at restaurants, whereas for that person, it’s actually a matter of whether they can go to their workplace! And of course, a good HR team would not divulge someone’s medical concerns without their consent, so you may never get an explanation, but it could still be entirely valid!
The difference, to me, is there’s very little evidence of a true allergic reaction to smells. It can be irritating, it can cause migraines, and it can be annoying, but life-threatening doesn’t have a lot of scientific evidence to support it. I know I may be opening myself up to criticism for saying it, but the word “allergic” is misused a lot.
Food allergies are real and can be supported by direct testing. I know what you mean about people being fashionable, and I’ve definitely seen a rise of that, but it doesn’t change real allergies from being dangerous. OTOH, having been a waitress in a previous period in my life, it can be really annoying to have people make uber-specific requests when you know it’s just a preference and not a danger. Not every chef or line cook is willing to be flexible!
At the end of the day, my real complaint is the preponderance of bad information and pseudoscience, and I wish we had a more scientifically literate society to combat it!
Does it really make a difference what they call it? If a person says, “I’m allergic to perfume” when they mean “Perfume can trigger migraines that seriously impair my work”, it seems pretty unreasonable to say, “Too bad for you, you used the wrong term and now we refuse to make the workplace safe for you.”
(I will say, I have my own ax to grind with people who go into restaurants, say they have the same food issue I do, and then promptly order a bunch of stuff containing the problem ingredient, because indeed they’re just doing it because it’s fashionable. I definitely think that is part of why restaurant staff/management frequently assume the issue isn’t serious for me. So on that score I guess I do care what people call their problem.)
The difference, to me, is that without the right name for it, we don’t have a clear way forward. Allergies tend to be very specific–this thing causes this reaction. And they can be life-threatening or just annoying and can be managed with some Claritin. My good friend who gets scent-related migraines is most sensitive to certain classes of scents or flavors. But how sensitive she is varies from day to day and how the migraine develops can vary, too.
I don’t like the broad brushstroke–all scents should be avoided because someone might have a problem with one of them some of the time. And maybe my real issue is the sense that we have to sanitize our world because a few people are at risk. I, for one, am considered immuno-compromised. I live my life with the assumption that I am at higher risk of infections, and illnesses can develop into more serious conditions for me than for other people. However, I enter the world knowing the risk is mine. I do not expect people to go out of their way to protect me. It is my challenge and mine to manage. I’d be upset if we started instituting an everyone must use hand sanitizer rule at work just because I have this condition. People have to live their lives.
Huh, I guess I just feel really differently. I enjoy perfume (now there is an understatement!), but I don’t really see how my entirely cosmetic, elective preference should outweigh someone else’s unavoidable health issue.
Fair enough. I’m ok agreeing to disagree on this one. Your perspective is very compassionate, and I respect that! I hope I’m not lacking in compassion, either! 🙂
I get it that fragrance is a totally elective, cosmetic choice (and perhaps especially frivolous!). I also see it as part of the bigger issue of personal rights and responsibilities–I’d much rather be informed, “Hey, so-and-so has a sensitivity to tuberose, so she’d really appreciate it if you avoided it at work” and make it my decision–than a top-down, all-or-nothing ban.
I’m also quite sympathetic because most perfume does enter other people’s space. If I work closely with people, then they are going to be breathing in what I decide to spray on myself. I can see this problem – especially if what I spray may be causing migraines or respiratory problems to others.
On the other hand, loving perfume, I absolutely sympathize with Platinum14 as well. Life has a certain amount of pleasures, and being deprived of ones very favorite is obviously a misfortune.
I’m glad I don’t have to set policy!
Try a light application of something with tiny sillage. If no one complains, keep wearing it and other similar things. Not the most exciting options, perhaps, but better than nothing.
I like your suggestion. If I am going to be in a meeting or close quarters with people I only apply a dab in the cleavage to keep things close and under my nose. Or I keep some vials handy in my bag to apply afterward and enjoy in the car. I think the problem is really that most people are unhappy when there is just too much fragrance. I have begun to appreciate the modern trend in fragrances that have very little sillage. I can think of Bottega Veneta or the Prada eau d’Iris that hardly have any projection at all. It is no wonder these types of fragrances are so popular.
I agree as well. I’d try to wear something that stays close to the skin. I wonder if the concern is more from restroom air fresheners, desk cleaners and plug ins – all which flow into the environment and can be asthma triggers.
SOTD is LUSH Flowers Barrow. Tomorrow I’m going to a sheep shearing festival–no idea what to wear for that one. Thoughts?
Something with green notes of clover or grass.
I’ve been wearing Fox by Sweet Anthem Perfumes all week. The notes are ginger lily, peach, gardenia, beeswax, and black tea. It dries down to a nice honey and beeswax scent, and I can’t stop sniffing my arms. A little goes a long way. I like the fact that her perfume oils are made with coconut oil, and not dipropylene glycol, which HATES (i.e., removes) my skin.
I’ve got a sample of Sweet Anthem’s Poppy (notes: clove bud, cocoa, red flowers (including carnation), opium, Turkish musk). I love it until the drydown. I assume that it’s the opium note in it that comes across as too heavy and perfumey for my taste.
Today I purchased a bunch of Pré de Provence soaps, including linden bar soap and shower gel. I have a bottle of their Linden EDT that is pretty old but still in good shape.
Love those soaps, although haven’t had one in a long while.
Oooh. Fox sounds nice… I haven’t been tempted by another Sweet Anthem scents, though, and I doubt it would be worthwhile to order only one sample.
I love linden in the spring!
My ALL TIME Favorite perfume is Chanel 22. They don’t make it anymore and haven’t for quite a while. A few years ago when it started getting really hard to find I bought several bottles of it to hoard. I recently found a bottle of it on EBay that was new and sealed in the box and they were asking $350.00 for it. I was very tempted but just couldn’t justify it. I use mine only on very very special occasions but it smells soooo delicious. Someone always asks what I’m wearing because they want to buy it for themselves and I have to tell them they can’t get it anymore. Has anyone here ever used it or had it? Now if I found a bottle of it at a garage sale or estate sale I would be in heaven. I doubt if anyone would be silly enough to sell it unless they didn’t know what they had.
Oh man, I’m almost reluctant to do this because I have no idea what condition it’s now in, but just to have the facts on the table:
http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Fragrance-LES-EXCLUSIFS-DE-CHANEL-88474
Can someone else speak to how the current formulation compares to the vintage? Although, candeeKis, you could also get a sample of the current version on Ebay for a few dollars, to see how it compares to your stash. But maybe you’d really rather not! 🙂
Hi – Chanel 22 is still made but can only be bought in a Chanel boutique. I live in the UK and I know that Selfridges in Manchester and Harrods in London still sell Chanel 22 in the boutique BUT I remember the original 22 and it was glorious – I still have the bottle of the 7ml perfume with a very yellowing label on the front. When I obtained a sample from selfridges in Manchester I was so excited to have it again but I was so disappointed. Its not the same – even tho its Chanel its lost that deep sweetness that resonated at the back of your brain….sad but true. Its nearly the same but for the price – no – its not worth it but you could try it and maybe it could be ok.
CandeeKis: Please contact me about No 22 directly on my email anneroosie at hotmail dot com . I have a No 22 bargain if you are interested ….
Wearing the last of my sample of Huitieme Art’s Aube Pashmina today. I adore this stuff! Reminds me a bit of 1970s-era Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo — except way better. I almost never buy a full bottle of anything these days, but this one is sooo tempting. And my birthday’s coming up in June… Happy Sunday, everyone!
Wow, I used to love Herbal Essence. Must sample! 🙂
Forgot to say – I hope you get it for your birthday!
I am going to Paris in a few weeks and would love to hear ideas about Must Sniff destinations. I’m going with a group of sewists and I will have limited time to strike out on my own, so I need to decide my top three perfumeries. Suggestions?
I would put Serge Lutens on the list: so you can sniff the exclusives and see the fancy salon – and also Jovoy which stocks their own brand (Jovoy) as well as a wide selection of others. I’m not sure about the third, but Caron may be an option?
I haven’t been myself but I did a fair amount of research when a friend went and agreed to be my mule last year:)
I think it I were going to Paris – and that is just totally wonderful for you! – I would spend an entire afternoon in the Annick Goutal boutique and sniff all the things that are hard to find or no longer available in the US… body products, soaps, concentrations, special whatevers that we have no idea about…. Bon voyage!
Try this store if you have time. It’s a new concept perfume store with fragrance profiling and excellent service
http://nose.fr/en/
Bois de Jasmin has a Paris shopping guide. I guess it also depends a bit which brands you love, whether you are searching for something in particular to buy, or want to make a pilgrimage to the source. I think it would be amazing to visit the SL boutique and Guerlain’s newly renovated their flagship store, as a devotee of those brands. There are brands like Iunx that one can’t buy anywhere else. There are flea markets and antique shops where vintage bottle can be found (Gaia mentioned visiting one on The Non-Blonde). At the reasonable end of the spectrum, there are Parfums de Nicolai boutiques, and Bois de Jasmin also did a post on wonderful products in French pharmacies. It sounds like a wonderful trip – have fun!
I have two SOTD: this morning for chores Lancome Magie, and this afternoon I’m testing some Oscar/Oscar de la Renta. I’ve avoided this for decades b/c of my old tuberose problem, even though I find the Esprit d’Oscar very wearable and nice and soft. I am very happy that after the bulk of my adult life I can finally wear tuberose without getting a headache.
My vintage dream would be to find an unused (unloved) stash of 1980s era Chanel No 5 *or* Coco parfum, edt, whatever in some cute old lady’s house… and she’d give it all to me just because I shoveled her driveway or something like that.
I was lucky to get a mini of Cacharel Noa in a swap recently. After sampling it a few times I wonder why I don’t hear about it more. I like the interesting combination of an herb-y blast with some smoky incense. It’s sunny today…but still cold, so this felt perfect for the day.
You don’t hear much about Noa anymore, but that and Eden were real perfumes. Probably still are.
A review by Victoria on BdeJ tempted me to get Noa (edt and the rarer edp) and I am really impressed with it. So different from current mainstream offerings. As Nozknoz says, a real perfume – not sugared fruit juice!
Totally agree – so different than from the mainstream. And…the price can’t be beat!