And now it is Tuesday, which Deva described in the comments last week as Monday's ugly little sister. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm starting in on the leather with Serge Lutens Daim Blond.
Reminder: on 2/26, crack that whip! We're wearing leather. If you need some ideas, do check out Angie's Leather fragrances 101! (suggested by thegoddessrena)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2016, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: shown is the Loewe elephant crossbody bag, in pink leather. $1150, if you must know, at Barneys.
Wearing Nirvana Black today, at least in part because I do love that bottle. It still surprises me that the Olsen twins were able to develop something I enjoy this much, but maybe that’s because I’m still stuck on the idea of them as children making direct-to-video movies about going to camp and such.
It wears a bit masculine on me-how about you? I have them in my head as children as well..but they have grown up to be two very ambitious women
Not masculine on me at all, but things often don’t wear the same on me as they do on others.
I don’t quite get masculine, either, but definitely could be unisex, methinks. Maybe woods register as masculine for some people?
I always feel for child stars. Seems like it’s just a setup for later trouble. I think Mary Kate (or Ashley) went over a few bumps, but hope she’s avoided the path of Lindsay Lohan.
It boggles my mind a bit, too, and I’m always surprised by how stylish they are. I guess I’m still expecting ’80s colors and silly sweaters. 🙂 I’ve also really liked some items from their jewelry line. They seem to have really good taste.
I’ll give them credit – they could have been followed the Hilton/Kardashian approach, but they didn’t. Even though I didn’t care for Nirvana White at all, I appreciate the way they approached the whole endeavor.
Have you seen the stuff they’ve done for their luxury label, The Row? Very, very sophisticated (and expensive).
I have a couple of the Olsen items (don’t judge me!) and they are of VERY good quality and very friendly to all body types.
No judgment – wear what you like!
I have, and it’s impressed me. I do have to admit to a slight bias against celebrity lines though for the following reason:
A friend of mine is a designer who trained for five years and has worked since then in the fashion industry for about ten. She doesn’t have her own line, but after knowing her and learning more about the industry (not nearly as glamorous as I might have thought once upon a time), I have become aware of just how large the teams of designers behind celebrity lines like those of the Olsen Twins, and the like, are. My friend has commented on the fact that she knows that while some of these celebrities might have a heavy hand in the design work, not all of them do, and their role might really be one of just signing off on what someone else has created. I’ve admired the Olsen twins’ lines but never been sure exactly how much credit to give them versus the people on their team, but even if it’s just about taste, I will say that theirs is excellent. But really, what do I know? 🙂
All true. But to be fair, all big brands have big teams and not everything (often most things) is designed by the head designer. For me, being a creative director or the equivalent is about having an aesthetic vision, not designing every single detail yourself. (I guess it’s true for every manager or leader.) I’m a compulsive fashion follower and I think it’s clear from the Olsens’ intereviews that they are very involved in the design (the same is true for Victoria Beckham and a few others), but even if they weren’t, I believe they deserve credit for creating a distinct, desirable brand. Lifestyle market is so competitive and so saturated, that even with the advantages of the capital and a name – which might play against them to a certain extent – is an achievement.
Celebrity fashion rant over 🙂
Yes, for two girls who could be spoiled little dillettantes, their focus over time and business sense is impressive.
Absolutely correct. Though he wasn’t a celebrity designer, I always think of Alexander McQueen, and what happened his line after he died is a testament to the power of his creative vision.
(I also think you know more about this topic than I do, so I bow to your superior knowledge. Like I said – what do I know? 🙂 )
It really is gorgeous but painfully expensive!
Nirvana Black is a good one and I’m surprised I like a celebrity made scent as well. It’s very easy to wear and the price point is spot on for it.
When I saw your fragrance choice today I laughed a little. I remember you saying Lyric was like my signature scent and whenever I see you posting about either Natori or Nirvana Black I think, “ah, she’s wearing one of her sigs today”. 😉
Ha! I know. I’m predictable. I’m using Fragrantica to try to keep track of what I wear every day to make sure I mix it up enough. Oddly, I haven’t worn Natori in a while, but I think I have developed a Natori reputation. 🙂
I have been eyeing the Nirvana black as well. I really did not have much respect for the Olsen twins, until by chance I tried some of their clothing and I was very impressed – good quality cuts and materials, and very stylish. Generally the celebrity clothing or frags is a joke, but this seems to be an exception. Even if there is someone else behind the design, they seem to be pretty choosy about what to put their name on (as oppose to Kardashians, Hiltons, etc).
Still sporting leather, although my choice for Monday’s ugly little sister is much more soft spoken; I’m wearing Dzing! I’m always reminded of raisins when I wear this, and I don’t know why.
Raisins! Interesting.
Personally I find it rather disturbing 😉
Ha!
That is so funny as my sister always says Chanel no 19 reminds her of raisins, at least the version she wore 30 or so years ago…I will see if I can find a sample of Dzing for her, as she misses that smell very much.
I’m in Dzing! too. I don’t get raisins but a mix of soft leather, caramel corn and a whiff of someone’s perfume.
Whip by Le Galion for me today. Only the name fits into leather week, but I was short of sleep and needed something lively.
And what a great name it is – what does it actually smell of?
Citrus, lavender and herbs, with some subtle flowers and a galbanum/ oakmoss/ vetiver drydown. It’s a 2014 relaunch of a 1953 scent – I looked into it originally because the name was so great but I do really like it. Looking forward to wearing it in warmer weather.
I got a sample because it sounded like a nice soft leather, but the lavender just kills me. (It’s nice stuff, but I have Lavender Issues.)
About the name – Whip and Cub were both released in ’53, with their names a nod to traditional English foxhunting.
I didn’t know that, interesting! One reviewer I read says there’s leather in the drydown but I can’t really smell it.
I like that it’s citrus but never strays into shampoo (I find some of the Ateliers do after a brilliant start).
Thank you – it sounds like something I should try to find (I think Liberty carries it so will spray next time I am there).
I really love this one!! To me it’s in the same family as AdP Colonia, but extra lively as MrsDalloway said!
SOTD: Untitled (Maison Martin Margiela). Haven’t jumped on the leather bandwagon yet, maybe tomorrow? 🙂
No rush!
Ambre Russe (leathery amber).
love the intensity of that
You smell gorgeous, and a little bit tough. 🙂
My favorite amber! It inspires daydreaming of costume balls in castles with fireplaces large enough to stand in.
This is a leather?! Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten leather in this one. I do love it, and you smell great!
Oh it’s mostly amber for sure, but I do smell the leather note! A little smokiness lurking back there.
Glad you mentioned the leather. I see it now but hadn’t specifically noticed it before. Part of what makes it so rich, I think. Wish the weather would cool off so I could wear it, but if it ain’t cold enough to break out my long coat and ushanka it ain’t cold enough for more than a tiny dab of Ambre Russe
A bag to wear while sporting the Maria Candida Gentile Elephant scent!
A discreet spritz of Carnal Flower to enliven a gloomy Tuesday. It’s supposed to snow a couple of inches tomorrow 🙁
You smell super though – I very nearly went for that today.
Ugh, I’m afraid to look at our forecast. Its rainy & gloomy today.
Today I’m in Chanel “Cuir de Russie”. People, I have to tell you, this perfume is unworthy of the love it gets here! Or maybe I am unworthy of this faint soapy excuse for a leather perfume? Either way, CdR and I won’t be troubling each other again any time soon. :^)
OH!! I am so happy you said that! I thought I was alone ! It doesn’t work for me either..
I couldn’t wear it either and moved my sample along after trying to keep trying.
Snap! Not my fav either.
Tell us how you really feel 😉
I quite like it, but it helps that I don’t really think of it as a leather, rather as a soft, polite Chanel suede-y office scent. The first time I tried it, expecting the kind of leather that is usually meant in perfumes (and often doesn’t smell like real leather to me at all), I was surprised. On me, CdR is a skin scent that’s quite like the mild scent on my hands after I’ve actually worked leather. It helps that the aldehydes rarely smell strongly soapy to me.
I completely agree about it needing a boost though, I would like it much more if the leather was amped up to at least double strength. I love the actual leather accord used in it, but Rien it ain’t.
BTW, I’m not trying to convince you to like it. Your comment just made me stop and wonder what I like about it and I thought I would share. 🙂
Your description is perfect. Even in an office where some people claim to sensitive to scent when I wear CdR those very same people LOVE IT.
I tend to wear CdR in the winter layered over a body cream, and that seems to keep the scent a LOT longer.
Double strength leather – have you ever tried Tauer’s Lonestar Memories?
Yep. On a good day I can stand it, on a bad day it gives me the Youth Dew migraine.
😉
Are you wearing the Les Exclusifs version? I still have never tried that, but promise you that the vintage extrait is not faint.
The current extrait isn’t faint either.
Good to know.
I have the Exclusif and also the extrait (not sure if it’s that vintage but it is wonderful). When I wear it I spritz the Exclusif and dab on a couple of drops of extrait on pulse points.
Perfect! I should admit that Cuir de Russie was never a huge favorite of mine, but the bottle I had was sure not faint, and it was easy to see why people adored it. Smelled like the inside of a purse, just as described, and I wish I had not given it away when I did, I like leather much more now than I did then.
Agreed, the vintage extrait is NSFW, imo. 😛
OOOOOPS! Googled NSFW to see what it stood for… my google search was set on “images.” Well, it gave me a good laugh…but goodness NOT NSFW!!!!!!
Ooooh dear 🙂
Ha!
That’s so funny!
Yes, it’s a modern sample and possibly lacking in vigour. And then there’s my impossible skin, which has seen off mightier invaders than CdR. :^)
Love the vintage extrait. *leaving briefly to put some on*
I’m also on the no team. I wish I could get what the people who love this scent do.
Also on the no team.
And I’ve tried, believe you me I’ve TRIED. A couple dozen tests… there was one day it was really wonderful, and every other time a total disaster. Wish I got the Wonderful.
I adore it. It’s not a super strong leather, but it smells great to me, and I love the soapy adpect, too. I will get the extrait at some point, in addition to my EDT.
But people’s mileage varies, obviously.
I’m on the fence with CdR. I feel lke I just don’t get it. I haven’t given up though.
Oh, SNAP. I love the fragrance but it’s always interesting – and fun!- to hear a dissenting opinion! 🙂
I just got a 10ml from the split meet- Blind. Yep, the same scent everyone said not to blind buy. I live in the edge, let me tell you!
Sure hoping I don’t get what Hajusuuri gets- “Poopy leather”!!
I’ve got my finger crossed and it’s only 10ml after all????
Lol! Such the risk taker!
Best of luck, Hon. I got poopy leather too, the 2nd time. 1st time it was great, but it lost me after the 2nd.
Such a rebel you are
Heh, it’s poopy leather hajusuuri chiming in…I also ended up getting 10mL from the Splitmeet eventhough I know I have various formulation in Mount Decant and Mount Sample. The worse that could happen is I may still have the same opinion which means I will be able to give it away for those who want to try it. I will try it again!
That’s very generous of you! I’m not sure I could make a second foray into “poopy” territory, even for fellow perfume lovers. I am tipping my invisible hat to you. You will have to keep us apprised of your results. Hoping you get all kinds of gorgeousness from it the second time around????
I think it’s beautiful, but way too soft, I also have the ‘scent eating’ variety of skin. I would never buy it, unless the volume was amped up to Cuir de Lancôme level at least, then I would jump on it!
Lol. I felt the same way the first time I wore it (I think the word “snore” shows up in my notes.) Then I tried it again a couple of months later, and said, “What was I thinking?” and went through a decant in a matter of days. Then I bought a FB.
In the intervening months between the first and subsequent wears, I fell in love with No 5 and 22, and gained an appreciation for the classic Chanel style, and I’d put Cuir de Russie in that category.
I might also add that it has never really smelled like leather to me, but I’m wearing it today and getting a huge does of leather – the inside of a handbag, like Robin noted above.
My CdR will be up for grabs at the next swapmeet. I think I might like the extrait better, as I adore Box of Eels extrait. The edts are so diluted on me. I’ve never smelled the CdR extrait, and with nowhere to get a sample anymore I may never find any. No Chanel boutiques anywhere near.
I’m not a big fan either, but reading all these comments makes me want to try it again… hehe.
Daim Blonde is delicious.
I am wearing Keiko Mecheri Fleur de Peau. A sweet floral leather, almost a gourmand leather in my opinion.
That one I’ve never tried.
Cute bag-looks like it could be a cute diaper bag or something for a young child to play with. But..ouch! Not at that price!
Inspired by Angela’s post on dressing table perfumes I am in Beloved. Took me a while to find this sample-well worth it!
Ready for the rain and cold-snuggled up today with a pot of MF Vert Provence, a baby and a cat.
Sounds just about perfect at every level – hope you have a lovely day snuggled up.
Your day sounds enviably cozy! And you’re smelling beautiful.
Jealous. Add a book to read and something to snack on and you have a perfect day right there.
I will be snacking for sure
Here hee- snacking much easier with baby than reading, when he snuggles down for his nap tho.. If u can keep you’re eyes open that is!
Twinsies!
Beloved is the ONLY fragrance that I still want. One of these days… it is just so perfectly beautiful and classic.
Really, you have only one fragrance on your To Buy list? Impressive discipline!
Not so impressive when there are 200+ beauties to compete with! I have enough, so something has to be pretty darn good to earn a spot.
one one huh? you are my hero
I guess if I could just put one on my list is would be 31 RC
Good choice too!
The sophisticated and decadent Papillon Anubis for me today.
Love Anubis. I’ve long since drained my sample though so I can’t wear it this week. It’s definitely FB worthy though.
Oh yes, now THAT is A Perfume!
BTW I tried a wrist to wrist comparison of Anubis vs. Nanban over the weekend. There are several similarities in their spices and incense, especially after several hours on the skin when they are both smooth and delicious. Anubis is louder at the start but Nanban retains more presence at the end. Nanban is sweeter all the way through.
Of course the bad news is this means I need both…
I have both of them and each is wonderful in its own way.
The other three perfumes from Papillon (Salome, Angelique and Tobacco Rose are also very good–especially Salome).
Oooh, thanks for letting us know!
Kelly Caleche for me today, a soft leather that’s work appropriate.
You smell great!
You do smell great!
I am going to wear Kelly Caleche on Friday. I neglect it too much these days. When it first came out, I wore it constantly and always got compliments on it.
I probably won’t get around to that one this week – our weather is (IMO!) too warm for February but not warm enough to be comfortable, and I enjoy KC more in summer.
You smell great! This will likely be my Friday scent as well, since I take my leather sueded as a rule.
That is such a lovely happy making bag – sadly really rather expensive when it’s probably not very practical…I am vey excited because I thought I had no leather perfumes but then realised I have Iris Prima, a vintage bottle of Caleche edt and some Traversee du Bosphore. I am wearing the Caleche today and it is just me or does it have a similarity to N19 EDP in the opening?
Also, I somehow think N19 could qualify as a leather but that could just show I know very little about leather?
You are right, No. 19 does have a leather note.
I’ve a vintage edt of No 19 (don’t know age, ebay purchase, but I’m guessing it’s at least 20 yrs old). Definitely get leather–should wear it more often–tend to overlook since it’s a “pour” bottle.
There is definitely a leather accord in No 19, esp. the vintage. I think it’s the type of vetiver they used. Nice!!!
Yes, leather in the vintage stuff.
Thank you all for confirming I am not imagining it about No 19 – I wasn’t sure if it was the strong galbanum that felt like leather.
I wish Iris Prima had had leather rather than iris in the name. They tried to signal it with the packaging but I was still pretty shocked that something called Iris, and with all the balletic imagery around it, ended up being not an airy floral but a suede! Jarring. Which is too bad, since it’s such a lovely suede.
I think you’ve just identified why I never it as much as I should – it’s always a shock – shall think of it as suede form now on as that works much better.
Once I started to look at it that way, the packaging makes way more sense (otherwise: a suede label?? weird), but still, I think the naming and the advertising were a miss for the Penhaligon’s marketing team.
Perhaps as a consequence of this tho, really good price for this one on FragranceNet!
Oh, maybe I’ll wear IP on Friday with this information in mind. I have a mini bottle that I have not delved into yet. Thanks!
Will look forward to hearing how that goes!
My sample box collided with leather week to provide me with Indult Rêve en Cuir, a very nice gourmand leather, light and sweet. I wouldn’t pay $200 for it but I’m enjoying the sample.
One day I will get around to trying those Indults.
I tried Reve en Cuir for the first time this week, and it’s definitely going on my to buy list, ahead of Cuir de Russie.
Impatiently awaiting my bottle of this from First in Fragrance. It is cheaper that way but not good for instant gratification – shipping takes 3 weeks.
today it’s Teo Cabanel Alahiiiiiiiiine
one of these days I need to get to an echo-y canyon just so I can shout Alahiiiine
Right? It sounds both exotic and dangerous to me.
Everyone seems to sing the name of that one – clearly a good review.
Gorgeous! Alahine is superb!
I have you to thank for it. (So: thank you!)
SL Daim Blonde for me today. Soft sweet suede which I don’t wear often enough. It’s very big on me and lasts forever. It doesn’t seem to get much love or attention and I’m not quite sure why because it’s a very classy leather scent.
Tuesday, I’m sorry for calling you names. Very immature on my part ????
PS- that bag is outrageously cute and creative!
I got compliments when I wore Daim Blond as well. Time to find that spray sample…
Always nice to get complimented! I have just realized why I don’t wear it more often- one spritz is very BIG on me. As in HUGE!
Hey twin!
*waves back* I saw that uber cute photo and didn’t even read the rest of the post, so I didn’t realize we were twins until you “twinned” me. We smell great ????
Pfft. I say Tuesday got exactly what she deserved!
????I agree, but I’m keeping it on the down low!
I have the impression people love it! It is very big on me though, so I don’t end up wearing it. I wonder whether the advent of Bottega Veneta gave people a more accessible take on this theme? (And then easier still–and the one I wear–BV Eau Legere.) If mentions of Daim Blonde have fallen off, that could be why.
It’s true for me – Daim Blond doen’t smell that good on me but I love BV.
I think you’re right. When I joined NST seven or eight years ago Daim Blonde got a ton of love. Certainly the scent hasn’t gotten any worse.
Yeah I have def heard a lot of praise for DB but I suppose it hasn’t happened as much recently.
I heard lots about it too, as much as a year ago. DB, Marni and BV all smell awful on me, the BV being the worst offender on my skin. But they are great scents that are off-cycle at the moment.
I think Serge Lutens in general is somewhat less revered than it was.
I think the reformulations of the Serge Lutens line may have something to do with it and also only selling the truly desirable ones, at least to me, in those damn bell jars!
That sounds lovely. On me Daim Blonde was a huge medicinal band-aid mess… oh how I want to love leather!
I’m starting the day in Olfactive Studio Panorama, but since that has zero staying power I’ve brought some samples to work to play with later.
I really like that one, but you’re right. It has zero longevity on me as well.
I like it too and haven’t had issues with logevity. Plus it wears like iron on J. Sorry to hear that it refuses to stay with you 🙁
My skin eats up scent (with a few exceptions–Gris Clair, OJ Woman, Lyric, and Joy parfum all last). Panorama and Chanel No. 19 go especially fast.
By the way, just catching up on some comments from yesterday – I LOVE that the bride at the wedding you attending this weekend wore Feminite du Bois and that the groom wore Bandit. Is it just coincidence that you happen to be friends with these wonderfully fragrant people or did you get them into perfume?
FdB might be my choice too, if I were to ever get married.
I also love Daim Blonde, wore it to bed last night. SOTD is Traversee du Bosphore.
You smell great!
TDB is on my list this week – both leather and IMHO a “boudoir scent” too!
I think its soft enough for the office, too. So beautiful that I am now wondering why I don’t wear it every day! One of the best things about these community projects is how often they encourage me to pull out an unfairly forgotten perfume.
I’m low in leather but have a few options and also was granted a rather large sample of EL Azuree by aMacy’s SA yesterday in a rare showing of generosity over there. So, 1 more option for Friday now.
I do get a leatheresque quality from licorice, though. I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka today.
That’s interesting.. and now I wonder if there are any perfumes that combine licorice and leather. If there aren’t there should be.
I don’t know if there are any either, but they would make a good combo.
SOTD is Amouage Memoir Woman – my start on leather week. This is the fragrance I should hate, but I love.
Gosh, I get almost no leather from Memoir. But if it counts, then I *might* have enough leathers to get me through the week, if I so choose!
Nor I, but any day is a good day for Memoir, in my opinion! 😉
😉
That sounds like an interesting Friday theme…the fragrance I should hate but love!
ps will mail you as soon as I have time to ponder my sample wishes
Yes! Great theme idea.
That is one of the upcoming themes in the next few weeks, so Memoir will have another excuse for an appearance. ;^)
I should hate it too.
In fact, the first seven times I tried it (heh) I was frustrated and puzzled, just trying to figure it out. Like, “What is IN here?” And then I started to enjoy it. By try #12 it was love.
The leather in it is quite soft and sort of buried under everything else, but it’s there. I think I might have to save it for a colder day (we’re supposed to get snow tomorrow).
Reply to all – great idea for a Friday poll! I say it’s the frag that I hate but love b/c when I read the notes list when it came out, I was like: incense, nope. Leather, nope…….. and yet it is just a symphony to my nose. It is one of the only frags that has two accords that I generally do not like, the incense and leather, that just work perfectly to me. Never say never should be the flip side of the hate but love poll!
Yeah, and I think it was described here as “an animalic chypre.” I read that and went Nope nope nope.
And then I tried it anyway. BAM.
No leather, but I too am in a scent I should hate–Mure et Musc Extreme. Began the morning in Rose Musc (SSS), but I have some trouble smelling this one, so later added the MME… but now I can smell the Rose Musc… anyway, I NEVER thought of myself as a musk person at all… but since I fell in love with Sienna Musk I seem to have opened a whole new category of scents to explore, that I errrr really errr shouldn’t like. I thought.
Musks are definitely tricky!
SOTD: Sofia Vergera’s Love
Time for pharmacy inventory…..where we count EVERY SINGLE tablet in the place. Let’s roll! 🙁
????
Be strong!
SOTD is Amouage Epic Woman. Something so weird and medicinal about this. I can’t decide if I like this; it certainly is interesting! I think I will enjoy it till my sample is gone but won’t need to buy more.
The dry down is nice..I would give it a minute
That bag is great! I love things that have some humor or whimsy to them. No SOTD yet. Debating amongst some untested samples. Will be getting out my only two leathers this week–Cuir Beluga and Traversee du Bosphore. I am a bit of a leather wimp. They have to be very soft and sweet for me.
I love that bag too – it makes me think of origami. TdB is a great fragrance. I am a leather wimp too!
I love it, too. So clever! I’ve never gotten leather from Traversee. I pulled it out to try again this week.
Today seemed like a good day for something new, so I’m wearing Lubin Black Jade. Gorgeous rose and cool spices. I admit that the cardamom reminds me of Marni Spice but this feels much more luxurious.
That one’s growing on me and is very pretty. At first I found it underwhelming, possibly because most Lubins I’ve tried have more heft. I’ve not tried Marni Spice, but it reminds me of Marni and Paestum Rose.
I really like Black Jade. You smell lovely.
Oo — Black Jade sounds nice. A cardamom rose? I’ll have to try this one.
A few months ago I picked up some chocolate covered caramels that were flavored with cardamom and rose. It was a wonderful combination.
Chocolate+caramel+cardamom+rose sounds like my dream! Where did you find this heavenly-sounding treat?
Vosges Haut Chocolat. They are a wonderful, local (Chicago) company with unlimited imagination when I comes to flavor combinations. (I think they have stores in Vegas, New York, and LA now too, and of course they have a website.) I also tried the Pecan, Bee Pollen, and Turbinado Sugar caramels, though they didn’t wow me like the C&R did. I didn’t try the Blood Orange & Hibiscus caramels, but I’ve tried that flavor in their liquid filled chocolates and it was wonderful.
Robin has reviewed some of their chocolate bars here, though I get the sense she’s more of a chocolate purist and isn’t quite as big of a fan as I am.
Do check out their website. It’ll make you hungry.
I’m amazed that anybody thinks I am a chocolate purist! I basically only like chocolate bars that are flavored, and preferably w/ some chew or crunch to them. I think to serious chocolate people, that’s the same as preferring Britney Spears to Serge Lutens 😉
And used to eat a lot of Vosges, but admittedly less now…in the stores near me, all I see are their very dark bars or bars with variations on caramel filling. It’s not easy to find the older ones I used to love, although I do come across a Mo’s Bacon every so often.
Robin,
I seem to remember you praising a 99% cacao bar (or something close that which sounded crazy high at the time), which is probably where I got the idea that you’re a chocolate purist.
I tend to give a standing ovation to almost everything Vosges does because, even if I don’t love it, it’s adventurous. (White Chocolate with Kalamata Olive bar, I’m looking at you.) I’m sorry you don’t find many of the older flavors. My favorite bar from them is still the Black Pearl. The kick from the wasabi and the crunch from the black sesame seeds makes it a winner to me. And Mo’s Bacon,…it’s chocolate. And bacon. I don’t see how that ever could go wrong.
If you ever to happen by a boutique, do stop in. Their truffles are worth trying, especially the one with candied lavender on top.
Oh no, I don’t even like chocolate over 70. Even 70 is usually too high for me. 65% is my preference. My son often eats 70 or 80%, but not me!
Loved Black Pearl, loved Calindia — those were fantastic bars. Never see any of those anymore at local stores, just see the bars in their “Super Dark” range and sometimes the bacon ones, don’t know why. And did try one of those and it was too dark for me.
My bad, Robin. It makes sense that it was likely 65 or 70. That probably seemed high to me at the time. I don’t know how any human could handle 99%. My taste buds pucker just thinking about it.
I’m pretty sure the Calindia bar is gone, but I’ll see if I can grab you a Black Pearl the next time I’m in there.
Yes! Do tell. Yum!
Yum! When I lived in Seattle, I used to stop in at Theo Chocolates regularly for their chocolate covered rose caramels. Pure heaven!
I second your comments on the Vosges – delicious + beautuful presentation!
that would be, ‘beautiful’.
No correction needed – they are so beautiful that they are also beautuful. 🙂
Customer service is pretty great too. I bought the aforementioned caramels at one of the O’hare airport shops. I wandered in with a distraught face and said, “We just returned from our first trip with our one year old. The flight didn’t go so well. I think people are still mentally throwing things at us. I need chocolate.” The SA just said, “Oh, honey.” and started giving me samples. He even gave me extras to take to Mr. Lucy who was elsewhere with our son.
I LOVE Black Jade! One of the best!!
Such a pretty one, Black Jade.
I waited a long time to try it because of that flap over on Olfactoria’s Travels, where in her (positive) review she stated her doubt that this could be the original formula, and even her doubt that such a thing actually survived in any case, and Lubin’s owner started insulting her for being arrogant and know-it-all, etc. etc. As it is, I agree with her estimation that it’s not an old formula; it smells entirely modern to me. Whether or not Marie Antoinette smelled like this (and I bet she didn’t), it’s a very nice floral.
Sometimes it is hard not to watch a brawl… so I just read the exchange on Olfactoria’s Travels. So weird that the Lubin exec jumped into the fray in such a defensive manner. Never heard of Black Jade before, but the bottle is GORGEOUS and now I am intrigued, whether Marie Antoinette said, ‘let them eat cake,’ or not! (Or whatever flannel they were hawking vis a vis the perfume 😉 )
It *was* weird, and he didn’t identify himself at first, which I thought was even stranger. I think everything settled out with apologies, but every time I see Black Jade mentioned, that’s what I remember.
It’s a pretty scent.
I have to say I thought the bottle was much less gorgeous in person. I also thought it was gorge in the photos.
Hmm, I hadn’t seen that review until today, and all I can say is that I’m glad I tried the scent first (otherwise, I’m not sure I’d have tried it at all)
Defying everything today (weather, mood, exhaustion… ) and wearing Fiore d’Ulivo by Xerjoff. It’s very cheerful and bright and I think I really like this one. May not be FB worthy since there are plenty of other scents similar to it for much cheaper, but I’m glad I went with this citrus floral today.
Never heard of tis one but cheerful and bright sound great
It smells like a much more expensive and higher quality version of Clinique Happy or Tori Burch (both of those smell almost identical to me). The bright citrus note stays the whole time on me and it’s not sharp or astringent (like Happy/ Tori Burch was on me). The benzoin doesn’t make it over sweet, but mellows it out nicely in the dry down.
I seem to have enough leathers to play along for the rest of the week. Today is for Cuir d’Ange which I like more each time I put it on.
I love that too – gorgeous soft leather.
I had the same experience. I liked it at first, then on about the 5th wear, my eyes crossed in rapture and I bought a 15 ml bottle that day.
Does it remind anyone else of Vanderbilt?
I’m wearing Olympic Orchids Salmanica as my leather of the day. I like it, but kind of wish I could find a cross between this almost too-real new car leather and perfume leather. Maybe I’ll layer it with something later on. Actually, I would probably wear it more if I thought of it as a soliflore to be layered. I’ll report back if I’m struck by a good combo.
Petunia, I hope you’re enjoying your enabler pin: I think the Amouage pins are extra sparkly. Can you hear my wallet screaming in pain and loneliness? After being terribly thriftless this week, I’m officially on a buying freeze until Easter. Probably. Unless a bargain mugs me in a dark alley or something. I really need to a new scratching post (for the cats, obviously), and some jewelry components, and I do not need any more perfume.
*Salamanca.
Always glad to enable, I mean help out a fellow perfumista. 🙂 I am curious if you stuck with your original decision and bought Epic?
BTW, thanks for the sparkly pin… A little bling is nice to brighten up this cloudy day in New England.
Found out that my husband doesn’t need the expensive dado blade for his table saw because he bought one for his dad years ago and “borrowed” it back, so bought I both 😳 I’m fully set with perfume for a while, if a bit ashamed at my lack of control. In my defense, the second bottle cost less than the saw blade set, so money saved 😉
Happy day! I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from your new bottles!
The only fb that I own from Amouage is Beloved, because I absolutely love it. I own Lyric too but opted for the travel set. If I hadn’t just bought a fb from Profumi del Forte, I would have totally taken advantage of the discount.
So do you and your husband discuss your hobby expenditures before making purchases? I really admire your approach of the financial fluidity of his and hers spending. If my husband had an expensive hobby, I’d probably be more comfortable discussing the cost of mine :/
That said, in the past I’ve had other obsessions (er, hobbies) I spent lots of money on that had no residual value (skincare, makeup, nail polish: value = zero once opened and used.) At least I know I could recapture part of the investment in my perfume collection should I reach a point where I want to do so.
Sometimes. Usually he doesn’t want to know what I spend. I do my best to keep the expenditures fairly even between our hobbies, so when he thinks he should have a new tool or needs expensive piece of wood for a project or if he finds an amazing antique doodad he can’t live without I curb my spending accordingly so we can both enjoy ourselves. In addition to perfume, I dabble in metalwork, some simple jewelry making, and leatherwork. None of these things are cheap. Oh, and I love to garden and tinker with my truck. My hobby is having hobbies. I’m a chronic dabbler.
I am fascinated by Salamanca as well and I did not find it particularly leathery until you suggested that it is and it definitely is! I went and located my sample and tried some and I get the leather but the thing I smell first is the mitti attar that was used in this. The dry and dusty old city aspect is what I zoom in on first. I get herbs and flowers too. An altogether enthralling perfume if not an easy one to wear. It makes me long for a bit of juiciness or the scent of rain.
I think what inspired me to wear it today is the fact that we got actual rain last night. The contrast is intriguing. I get lots of dry clay with it too, really a fascinating scent and much more multi-faceted than I remember now that I’m wearing it, perhaps because of the weather. I usually reach for it on hot, dry days.
It is cool and damp here today and perhaps that is the perfect weather for Salamanca. The humidity in the air allows it to open up and blossom.
Y’all are really making me want to try this even though you both seem to be saying you’re not terribly fond of it? It sounds intriguing.
It’s not that I’m not fond of it, I just find it…not a daily driver. I can see it being a challenging scent but I think I just find it a bit odd. Good-odd, but not an instant “I want to dive in a vat of it” love.
I find Olympic Orchids perfumes deeply interesting and some are so outside of the tiny box of mainstream perfumery they seem like they come from some strange and beautiful distant planet. Their creator is brilliant and her mind shines through in all her creations. Dev One is one of my favorites but I like the new Woodcut as well. I have sampled nearly everything from this indie house and there is only one that does not agree with my chemistry. Order a sample set. You will not regret it.
SOTD is Cuir Mauresque, layered with a tiny spritz of Rose Anonyme. Still a fabulous combination.
Gah! I love that Serge! I would sell my soul for a bottle???? You smell fab!
Ah, that combo does sound lovely! I love to layer Cuir Beluga with Rose Barbare.
SOTD is Osara…it’s new to me and I’m enjoying it so far.
You smell pretty 🙂
LSOTD (leather sample of the day) is Ann Gerard Cuir de Nacre. Nice and soft aldehydic suede with iris.
I should try that. Rose Cut didn’t work for me but “soft aldehydic suede with iris” sounds dreamy 🙂
I have had a sample of that sitting around for MONTHS. Maybe today would be a good day to try it.
I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka Sweet today. This red bottle caught my attention, and I really enjoy wearing this. I’ve always had a soft spot for sweet perfumes, as long as they don’t give me a headache.
LL Sweet was my first purchase of 2016 🙂
I haven’t smelled LL Sweet, but the bottle is totally adorable. I need to remember to sample that one!
I have this… I love the LL bottles so I got it more for the bottle than the scent. But it’s a nice sweet… Not painfully so.
I love the bottles too (I have a few minis) but after trying L de Lolita last week (which was almost unbearably sweet on me) I’m thinking I should take Sweet off my want list. I do love the original LL and L’Eau en Blanc, though, neither of which smell at all sweet to me.
Have you tried Guerlain’s Petite Robe Noire? I sprayed it yesterday in the shop and it made me think of Sweet, though PRN was slightly watery and flatter as it faded away.
I have tried Guerlain LPRN, and I like the first hour, and then after that it turns really sharp and unsettling on me. One of my best friends bought this when we were on vacation together. She wore it throughout our vacation, and it smelled wonderful on her. It just didn’t work with my chemistry.
I’m wearing Helmut Lang Cuiron for the first time and I like it. The opening was a bit like a more accessible Bandit.
It’s been a hectic, but enjoyable day. I’m in Estonia, mostly for the Independence Day celebrations tomorrow, but gave a talk in the morning to the government comms people about my European experience. Lots of fun. Now it’s preparation time – I’ll get the chance to shake the President’s hand tomorrow.
Super twins! This is also _my_ first try on the scent, which I find really interesting. It’s like smokey leather meets Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom.
What a cool experience you had today! What scent will you wear to shake the president’s hand?
I think I’ll bring out my brand new bottle of Mohur extrait 🙂
Perfect. You smell great!
Wow, sounds like an exciting day for you! It may be hectic, but days like that are definitely memorable. I hope you have a good time there!
I had a sample of Cuiron a while back and wasn’t all that impressed with it. I haven’t tried Bandit so I can’t make any comparisons there, but I remember Cuiron smelling a bit too synthetic and rather weak.
I think I agree with Cuiron being somewhat synthetic and quite weak – it’s mostly faded by now. But I didn’t mind the slight strangeness and found it interesting.
I’m wearing a Smell Bent Frankensmellie, Green Patchouli.
SOTD is Champagne de Bois from Sonoma scent studio.
You smell fab!
Beautiful! This is one of my fav sandalwood fragrances.
SOTD is Vol de Nuit. I received an email from Guerlain this morning showcasing their new La Petite Robe Noir makeup line. Lots of hot pink, neon orange,…and black lipstick. While this is clearly what Guerlain wishes to be, it just feels wrong to me. So I’m wearing a classic in protest.
I got that email, too, and while I LOVE Guerlain lipstick, I was a little confused and underwhelmed by the color selection. Same for the nail polish. But at least the packaging is cute?
The packaging is cute, but their current packaging is beautiful. I just need to come to terms with the fact that they only want the teen to 24 market and no longer care for the business of elderly 38 year olds like myself.
There are some nice colours, I tried what I think was Berry Beret and it looked good and was very comfortable on the lips. But I found the packaging very disappointing in person. I could live with the design, but that plastic looked extremely cheap to me.
Trying to make sense of it, I think they are turning the LPRN into a full-blown young adult line. It probably makes commercial sense, as they need something in that catehory and LPRN has been a success. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll dumb down the rest – it looks more like an addition than a replacement to me. I might be completely wrong of course. And Guerlain is not my favourite brand these days in any case…
Oh, I agree. This LPRN makeup line is clearly an addition targeted at a younger crowd. My problem is that they don’t seem interested in making any new items for their older customers. (Unless it’s a $400 vat of something that used to be reasonably priced but is now in a bee bottle.) Marketing to teens and twenty somethings is fine – It’s where the greatest amount of gettable disposable income lies. But they aren’t marketing anything to, nor developing anything for, customers over 30. All of their recent fragrance offerings smell like cotton candy to me. Now get off my lawn! 🙂
I’ll stand by you in protest. Guerlain is now marketing below the age limit for Forever 21!
It makes me sad. I feel like they are losing their glamour. Pretty soon my brand loyalty will go with it.
I LOVE that bag. Not the price, of course, but the bag is adorable.
SOTD is Dame Perfumeries Dark Horse. Wow. It smells like candied red rose petals taste. Spicy, floral, a hint of earthiness, and sweet. But not plain sugar sweet. Cooked sugar, heated sugar. That darker note that’s brought out as sugar begins to caramelize. It’s also the first perfume that has a very distinct color to me, that dark, dark red that looks black in folds or creases, or around the edges. It’s intense, and beautiful.
I ordered a trial size spray of Dame’s Gardenia Soliflore, which is incredible. The only thing I’ve ever smelled that smells that much like a gardenia is, well, a gardenia. Not only did my package arrive insanely fast, but it included a handwritten note from Mr. Dame, a coupon for a future purchase, and an extremely generous selection of samples, which is where I got Dark Horse from. Absolutely lovely. The spray I ordered was inexpensive, but the customer service and presentation was top notch. I will absolutely order from Dame again.
Dark Horse sounds great! I’m seriously tempted.
Yeah, LG makes that sound really worthy of a sniff!
It’s amazing. I’m still a newbie, as my name implies, but I’ve never smelled anything quite like it.
I’m also going to point out that you can order a 5ml spray of Dark Horse from his website for $10 shipped, if you’re in the US. I like to enable. 🙂
Jeffrey Dame is a generous and thoughtful person. He has sent me many lovely samples. I am also thinking about ordering the Gardenia Soliflore.
I had heard that about him, but even so, I was surprised by the level of thought and care that went into presenting my order. It wasn’t high dollar by any means, but it was treated as though it was.
The Gardenia Soliflore is truly stunning. I’m a huge gardenia lover, and I’ve never smelled anything so true to the flower before. I want to order a rollerball of the perfume oil for summer. I got a sample of the Osmanthus Soliflore as well, and I’m looking forward to smelling it too. I’m wondering if it, and/or the oil version of it, could be used to prolong the life of Osmanthe Yunnan on the skin.
I was incredibly impressed as well by the presentation and personalized customer service. He has a very cohesive aesthetic that really appeals to me. I also appreciate new companies that understand that generosity is the best way to create loyal customers.
I totally agree. The aesthetic and approach work. I will definitely buy from him again, and I will do so directly. Perfume is art, after all, and dealing directly with the artist is very satisfying.
I second Mr. Dame’s Gardenia soliflore. I am certainly not an expert but in my limited experience, it is really good representation. I bought it in the oil format and the price is amazing. It’s probably my favorite of the soliflores and can stand on it’s own.
I third it! Mr. Dame grows in my esteem with each purchase.
Hey, I ordered the 5 ml Gardenia sample, and it sadly did not work for me at all. I am not sure what is wrong with my nose. I find this gardenia unbearable, I am so ashamed! :-I
I would be happy to pass it along. If you live in the US and would like it, email me at ann dottiness eisenberg attagirl comcast dottiness net.
I agree with everything you’ve said about the Dame perfumery. I’ve only made a few (small) purchases and one FB but have samples of all his fragrances including the new soliliflores and am still working my way through them. Have only tried the rose and osmanthus, both of which are lovely. I’ve saved the gardenia and tuberose for last as they are my least favorite floral notes.
I love Dark Horse but perhaps because I’ve never tasted candied red rose petals, my experience differs from yours. On me it’s mostly spicy/earthy, only a tad sweet and non-floral. I would agree with you somewhat as to its color, I see it as a deep, burnished mahogany. I love it best when the weather finally says, ‘it’s autumn.’
I didn’t get any rose out of Dark Horse, either – nor much “candied.” It’s a woody-spicy-musk. (Not saying there *isn’t* any rose in there, just that I don’t pick up on it.)
Red rose petals don’t actually taste like roses smell. They’re spicy and floral and earthy, but not really rose. Which is to say, I agree with you, I don’t smell rose either. But it smells like those petals taste.
I’ve only had sugared ones – i.e., not cooked – and rose jam.
I love rose jam. Most rose food products I’ve ever encountered use pink roses, which taste very different. I have rosebush that produces lovely pink flowers, and they taste fruity.
I’ve got samples of Dark Horse and Desert Rose on the way, and you’ve made me (somehow!) even more excited to get my hands on them!
Yay! I hope they reach you soon! I might wear Desert Rose tomorrow.
Wearing Beloved, inspired by Angie’s article yesterday. I smell pretty. 🙂
Really a shame about that bag being gawd-awful expensive. It’s really cute!
You smell stunning!
Ditto!
Meant to add–I think I need to buckle down and buy one or two *good* purses. I always wait until the cheap ones are on sale at Pennys or whatever. But they look like garbage so quickly. . . Anyone wanna convince me something more expensive is worth the money?
Well, it depends what price point you’re talking about. $300 bags can be worth it (that’s about where my bag budget taps out). $5,000, well, that’s a different equation. Good Italian leather in a classic shape is “worth it” to me. Classic or even vintage Coach bags (which you can find on ebay if you’re good at avoiding fakes) are solid and easy to care for and hold up forever. I found a Lodis bag at TJ Maxx for about $90 and that was a great purchase. I would spend full price on one of their bags – I am rough on it and it’s held up beautifully.
But it depends on your needs, aesthetic, budget comfort, etc.
Ah, good point. I guess I should give some context!
Usually, I aim to spend less than $50 on a bag. $30 is even better. 🙂 I think I’d be willing to spend $150, but $300 sounds like a lot to me. I *do* use them hard, and I like leather that doesn’t crack and wear thin easily. I’m no fashion maven, but I tend to aim to be a proper lady and match my bag to my shoes/coat.
If you’re willing to double your budget you can get nice quality bags in the $100-150 range if you look for sales, etc. like people are saying below. I carried PVC and pleather bags for years but hit a point where I just couldn’t do *cheap* anymore, and most fake leather bags look and feel and wear *cheap.*
IMO, there’s no need to match – better to have 2 nice, functional, versatile, well-made bags that will hold up to years of use than a rainbow of PVC. That’s what works for me, anyway. And once you start carrying real leather, it’s hard to turn back…
$50 is my limit, too, especially considering what I do to purses. I do buy leather bags and have never had an issue with my ‘cheapies’ falling apart, despite daily (ab)use. Usually I replace a bag when I’m bored with it (once a year or so), and at $50 or less, it’s not heartbreaking to fall out of love. And it’s fun to have a new bag.
TJMaxx is a good source.
Yep I cosign all of this advice, if you can spare the cash. I just passed on a $40 bag that’s exactly what I’m looking for, just lovely (leather substitutes are getting impressive!) but I know it will not stay that way long, and it pains me too much to throw good money after bad. If you are willing to hunt around, I would def check the TJMaxx, Marshall’s, Nordstrom Rack, etc.–or for that matter, things on sale at department stores–and think of spending something in the $100-300 range. Once you are in that range (and focused on looking for good-quality leather and construction–check for details like clean stitching, no loose threads–rather than, say, a Marc Jacobs insignia, for which you’ll pay a substantial premium) I am not sure paying more closely correlates to higher quality–I just mention a range because the specific one you happen to love with may wind up being on the higher end, or the lower end, who knows!
But yeah, if you can afford it, I think it’s an investment that makes sense–as everyone is mentioning, leather can be cared for to look good for many years. Once a synthetic bag starts to fall apart, there’s not much one can do. Actually if anything I’d only caution to think carefully about the style you pick since it’ll be with you for a while! (This can cut either way–sometimes I’ve tried to avoid things that are very trend-influence, lest it go out of style, but on the other hand, picking something that already looks conservative now can seem dated rather quickly. Maybe just get what you like best 😉 )
Vintage Coach bags are a subject near and dear to my heart! Made in the USA and so durable and the leather ages so nicely. I have 3 and did not pay more then 25.00 for any of them. Just remember when purchasing vintage that purses used to be quite a bit smaller then they are now. So check your measurements carefully. Vintage Kate Spade, when they were still made in Italy, might be a hole worth disappearing down.
I own two (relatively) expensive purses that look as good now as the day I got them. They’re the only purses I own, so they get near-daily use. If you’re the sort of person who’ll be happy sticking to the same purse for a long time I absolutely think buying a high quality one is the way to go.
To clarify–my definition of “expensive” is in the $200-300 range. As Squirrely points out above, a $5k purse is a different realm altogether.
Purses are definitely not one of my passions, but because I find so little joy in shopping for new ones, I think it’s absolutely worth it to buy good quality, real leather. I’ve been carrying my favorite purse almost daily for about 5 years, and despite the fact that it’s yellow, it survived a tragic perfume oil spill and whatever magic cleaning the dry cleaner did to get out the stain and smell. Plus, I got it from Nordstrom Rack, so it was cheaper than it could have been.
Purses used to be my thing before I started collecting perfume. I’m not going to tell you to spend $1150 at Barneys, but the quality is usually better when you spend a little more. And if you spend enough, your purse will come with it’s own purse. Well, technically it’s a dust bag to protect it when not in use, but I think it’s funny to phrase it the other way. Beware of designer bags made of coated canvas with logos everywhere. The markup is ridiculous. The quality is fine, but if you spend a little more for the real leather bags, and take care of them (clean and condition, etc.), you’ll end up with a bag that will age beautifully, hold value, and can last a lifetime. Also, look for one with metal feet. I cringe when I walk into restaurants and see gorgeous leather bags on the floor.
Wow, you got a lot of replies while I was working on my comment. I forgot to add, if you’re looking for a mid-range designer like Michael Kors, Coach, etc., the clearance bin at Macy’s often has better prices than outlet malls. (Especially if Macy’s is having one of their sales where clearance items are an extra % off and/or the item is coupon eligible.). After that, T.J. Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and those kind of stores would be the next place to look. Outlet malls rarely have the best prices and some brands design items just for outlet distribution so they are not necessarily the same quality as what regular retailers have.
Outlet malls are my personal outrage!! I once saw a very fancy outlet that was selling a certain very fancy designer ABOVE the listed MSRP on the designer’s tag! And when I pointed it out, they just went around and cut off the MSRP line from the designer’s tag! As I say. I was and remain outraged.
Yes, outlet malls are a scam for the most part. The Le Crueset outlets are worth looking at, though.
Macy’s has great gifts with purchase too!
I love good gear and generally feel it’s worth paying for high quality in the things one uses every day and which become part of one’s person, such as eye glasses, purses, and watches (or cellphones).
I used Coach bags for decades, when they were still made in America. I don’t think the current ones measure up, but, as Squirrely notes, you can still find the originals on ebay.
Now I use Kipling bags for their light weight, durability, useful pockets, secure closures, and unique style. It’s a question of what is your job, the image you are trying to project, and the functions that you need (e.g., pockets).
Another Coach carrier here. I have had Coach handbags for 25 years and I’m still carrying them. The last time I was in a store (admittedly a while ago), they had a catalogue and a section called “Classic” which were all-leather bags without the cloth inserts and logos and pastel colors that get dirty fast. They really do last decades and the cost amortized over the years is low compared to buying an inexpensive new bag each season.
I agree that spending $200-$400 on a good quality leather bag will give you more satisfaction over the long run. I also love handbags along with perfume and have spent lots of money on Italian designer bags, but that isn’t necessary to get a good sturdy bag you will enjoy for years.
eBay can be good for bags. I got great Christopher Kane bags there before he was a thing and also a fabulous brand new Furla bag for a song. A little above your price point but with great sales and beautiful US made bags – Clare V. I *wish* I was affiliated. I’d have more of them!
Ooh, shoot. Did you notice there’s a sale at Neiman Marcus today only. . . 35% off any purchase over $200.
This thread has gotten so big that I can’t reply to your comment below — but don’t do it! Until that money/quality balance is understood don’t spend a single penny, sale or not. As others have said, looking for uniform stitching and no loose threads is important, as is checking for sturdy hardware, and being able to spot flaws quickly. (Some minor flaws are okay, but never at full price.)
I wish I lived in Portland so I could take you shopping. If I ever make it out there to visit my brother I’ll be in touch! But since I can’t, maybe it wouldn’t hurt for you to hit a couple of higher end stores when they’re not busy and ask for brief tutorials on what makes designer/more expensive purses worth the money. You’ll eventually find someone who will be passionate enough to share all of his or her knowledge. The stitching will probably be the first thing they jump on. A shop that sells saddles is also a good source for information on quality leatherwork, though those take a little more work to find.
I have a dozen cheap purses sitting in my closet, none quite right, in various states of disrepair, and I am working myself up to get some nice bags. I could easily buy a nice bag or two with the amount of money I have spent on all these rejects.
Right now I am lemming after a couple Brahmin bags, specifically the Paris Business Tote in Black Tuscan, which is huge and just gorgeous for work – I am always schlepping half my life with me, it seems. For summer travel I also want the Elisa Hobo bag in Halo Amado, which really looks like my ideal bag – I like lots of pockets, and it is black, brown, grey and white – it goes with everything in my closet!
One of my friends at work carries a black Willis from Coach that she has had for decades, and it looks brand new. I came close to buying one of those in that goergeous Mahogany color, the last time Coach ran a production line of them, but it is a little small, as someone mentioned.
Sigh. Or, as someone else mentioned, I can get a $40.00 deal from TJMaxx and buy a bottle of Bergamoss and another bottle of Iris Poudre, and some By Killian’s Amber Oud…LOL!
Oh, that hobo bag does look useful for travel! I always need lots of space for my iPad, protein bars, etc., in addition to my wallet. But $450, ouch.
Yes, but I would use it for 20 years-$420/20 = $21/year…. 🙂
Yes – a very good leather bag will last 5-10 years. For the cost of three bottles of fragrance (if you are willing to sacrifice juice for a bag, lol!) you can get a very nice bag. Keep an eye out during big seasonal sales. About every 3 or 4 years I splurge on a bag and other non-liquid style necessities. I only do it for work though. If I am just running around, I only use my large nice (also from sale) wristlet. This past winter I got a good price on a Michael Kors bag that was red-lined at Nordies…. You can also find good deals on gently used/vintage bags through ebay.
I’m quite a fan of good leather purses. Haven’t bought a new one in about five years, but the ones I have are just breaking in nicely. If I had to buy a new bag right now I would probably look at Colonel Littleton or perhaps Coronado. If I had a bigger budget, I would go with Frank Clegg (realistically, I will probably save up for one because they are just so gorgeous and all the leather nuts I know online rave about them), or a custom Norm Cahn.
I discovered years ago that spending a hundred dollars or more a year for a purse that looked like crap after 8 months was a waste. I have a couple of designer bags that aren’t all they should be either, so I found that for about twice what I would pay at a department store I can carry something that I can sell for a good amount if I want to or carry for decades without worrying about it getting ruined by a bit of rain.
Oh Dear God. I just googled Frank Clegg. I swear I could feel the leather under my fingertips as I scrolled along the iPad. I think my heart stopped beating.
Yep. Above my budget but so gorgeous. I’m hoping that by some miracle someone will want to sell a used one.
IMHO – a good bag and good shoes elevate an outfit! I used to buy one good bag a year but haven’t lately because the good ones last longer!! I tend to wear really plain clothes; often from Target but with a good bag and shoes it doesn’t look like it!
Hey Twin! We were thinking the same thing this morning. Great minds think alike..
I am really beginning to believe that the best things in life are not outrageously expensive. You just have to do a little homework. My favorite purses, perfumes, wines, cigars and bourbons are not the most expensive ones…
In this day of excessive consumption it’s easy to be brainwashed into thinking that $$$ means everything. But it’s really the ratio of quality to price that determines true value.
This is precisely why I ask the question! I am trying to figure out the balance between money-spent and quality, and it isn’t obvious to me when it comes to bags. Honestly, I just haven’t given it any serious consideration–but I do feel bad if I have to throw something out too soon and so higher quality can feel like less waste, even if it is more money in the short term.
Well, now we should talk about bourbon! What’s your poison?
I like Elijah Craig and Maker’s Mark. Both of these are a little throaty but I like my bourbon that way.
Maker’s is good, especially in a Manhattan. If I’m sipping straight, I also like Bulleit or Knob Creek.
OMG – my fav type of perfect Manhattan is only made with bourbon. It just makes it a little more special! I like Knob Creek too.
Giving Jo Malone’s Carrot Flower & Fennel a go today. It has the typical JM hallmarks – light, linear, sheer. There’s a note that I’m not loving but I’m not sure what it is. Maybe white musk? Could angelica be the culprit? Not sure. Anyway, I expect it to be mostly gone by lunch time. I will not be purchasing this, despite the awesome bottle.
I had issues with L’Eau d’Hiver yesterday which Petunia and Mals helped me trace to angelica. It smells like vegetables (Mals specifically said celery).
Angelica and celery are close relatives, botanically speaking!
Did not know that! Mals has a good nose.
Maybe it’s the fennel.
I didn’t realize it had fennel in it!
Money saved!
Wearing Dzongkha. I love its spicy cardamony vetiver iris dryness very much, a quality I often crave in perfume. Supposedly it has a leather note, but I failed to notice it, and I don’t get a lot of incense either.
I don’t get leather in Dzongkha, either. I just like how all the iris tickles my nose. I’ve likened it before to the hot dust that comes out of the vents the first time the furnace kicks on in the fall. I know that doesn’t sound like a good perfume quality, but to me it is.
It sounds good to me!
Sampling Rose of No Man’s Land again today. I liked it when I wore one sample vial spray; now wearing two, I’m noticing a whiff of plastic shower curtain in it. I keep finding this note in perfumes I’ve sampled recently — Lonesome Rider has it, Coromandel has it, Memo’s otherwise delectable tomato-leaf-inflected Italian Leather has it… It’s a shrill, vinyl/phthalate note that lurks in the fragrance’s heart and ruins it for me.
I have noticed that a lot of leather fragrances have a note that I can only describe as hospital soap to them. It may be similar to the plastic shower curtain effect you’re mentioning. I tried Cuir d’Ange last night and got a huge whiff of hospital soap from it.
Pleather! 🙂
Sampling Carner Barcelona Cuirs today which seems more woody than leathery on me
Balenciaga Quadrille EdC for me today. At first lemony-mossy, then rosy-fruity-spicy, then an unexpected slap of glove leather.
I love this fragrance and won a vintage sample which I used up in one wearing.
It really is addictive!
I still have a smidge of the 1/4ml smidge that I bought. I don’t remember the leather part. But I also really liked it-fancy fruit! I need to revisit that one.
The leather in mine pops up in the drydown– delicate & almost prim against all the fruit. (Aha– fruit leather!)
🙂 I think I’d need a larger sample or spray to get all of the nuances.
I had a small bottle of this that I bought at a vintage shop–mine was probably from the early 1980s. Loved it while it lasted!
I wish I’d held on to mine, but I consigned it. Not before decanting myself a few ml.s of course, but now the decision haunts me.
SOTD is Rose Boheme from Providence Perfume Company. A beautiful rose/tea scent. It also has great lasting power for a natural perfume. I sprayed it on at 7:30 AM and I can still smell it wafting around me after 4 hours. This is my favorite scent from Providence Perfume Company.
I love Ginger Lily and Moss Gown.
I love Moss Gown too. Also Vine and Branch.
SOTD: Sunny today and in a somewhat warmer, better mood, so am wearing Royal Apothic Dogwood. It smells of carnations and not dogwood! Spicy, clove-y and light. it used to be sold at Anthropologie BUT not anymore; you can get it on the website for Royal Apothic.
OOTD: Black blouse, white high waisted jeans, white floral scarf, leopard pumps, white raincoat over all.
That sounds very nice.
Love the outfit! (Or at least what I’m visualizing from your description.) I’ve been thinking about pulling out my white jeans for a while now. Maybe I will do that today, especially since it’s sunny out (following weeks of rain.)
I will also say I’m THRILLED high-waist pants are available now. After lots of searching and trying-on, I now have high-waist jeans in just about every shape and color. What I need now are some high-waist workout pants. I hope the trend lasts a good long while.
I’m also loving high-waisted pants and hope they stay trendy for a while. They are so much more comfortable and flattering on me.
SO MUCH more comfortable! I can’t deal even with mid-rise pants anymore – all that adjusting throughout the day drives me crazy.
It’s just a good time for jeans, period. You can get any color, all kinds of fabric blends, all available in skinny, straight, bootleg, kick flare, flare, bell bottom, cropped, ankle, long, low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise. That just wasn’t the case in the past.
And as a woman who’s 5’10” with a 34″ inseam, I can finally find jeans (and pants) that are long enough for me. FINALLY.
Oh Yes! I have a narrow-ish waist but a rounded belly, so low rise-mid rise always made me look like a beer belly or if I was 4 months pregnant. The high rise is SO much more flattering and you can even tuck your shirt in- and it will stay!
I got my white jeans at Old Navy for $30. They fit great and have enough weight to wear now with heavier blouses and will be great going into late spring/ early summer.
Ooh! I love carnations in fragrance. It sounds very pretty.
It really is a lovely fragrance and i am going to get another bottle for spring/summer. I get the small bottle- it’s only $20 and you just need a spritz!
Testing a couple more of the Herb Gardens without much success. The Nasturtium & Clover is nice and I don’t mind wearing it but I certainly will never need to again I don’t think. The Lavender & Coriander… well I am sad because I really love coriander in fragrance, and yet I really do not love this fragrance. I’m sure bigger fans of lavender than I would get on with it better.
For what it’s worth though, the two I tried yesterday lasted pretty well on me–at 2pm I put one on each of the back of my hands (usually a dumb choice since washing hands = washing off the perfume), but despite this, they were still detectable at 8pm when I went to yoga (whereupon they got swamped by the grapefruit essential oil being passed out in a quasi-obligatory fashion.) Admittedly I am kind of a lightweight, and I did have to put nose to hand to smell, but they were def still there. For whatever that data point is worth.
I got a surprising amount of longevity out of them too. The reason I bought the lemon and thyme one is because the lemon was still bright on me after three hours. Of course, I have a super sniffer right now, YMMV.
The L & C was great upon spraying, and I loved the way it smelled after a few hours, but in between something just wasn’t right.
As I said yesterday, I liked all five and found them interesting. But that’s like and appreciation, not love, and I suspect I won’t feel the need to purchase more. Maybe the Nasturtium & Clover, we’ll see. I thought they were fun though, a nice venture for JM, and weren’t as fleeting as other limited editions. And I Love, Love, Love that they used an eccentric grandmotherly model in their ad campaign rather than a 20 year old stick figure.
That grandma + the green bottles does make me want to buy one. I am a sucker!
I think those are legit things to enjoy! I just don’t have enough $$$ to indulge my love of good juice and my somewhat lesser love of good bottles, so, if a bottle doesn’t contain juice I love, it won’t make the cut for me personally. But I see no reason anyone who loves bottles shouldn’t! And plenty of people collect advertising prints, for that matter. Love whatever you love, I say 🙂
Update. I’m scrubbing the Lavender. It’s def the loudest of the four I’ve tried so far, and, while not objectively bad by any means… it’s really grating on me. Sorry Lavender.
(What affection I had for the Nasturtium is also waning but it’s quiet enough that it doesn’t offend.)
I’m planning to wear Nasturtium tomorrow. Will report back.
Oh good, please do!
Nasturtium & Clover smells exactly the way I imagine Diptyque Eau de Lierre smells. If either of you has tried EdL and can compare, please let me know.
MPG Cuir Fetiche, a friendly spicy leather, according to Angie Leather 101. This sample has been my go to leather lately. The CdR discussion makes me feel better about my initial impressions, although I need to revisit it.
Friendly spicy leather – that sounds intriguing.
Like so many of us, I looked in my sample box, and realized I had enough leathers for the week! Hooray!
Today is Bottega Veneta. Love this one.
Twin! I am going whole hog with the shower gel, body cream and edp.
BV is on my list for tomorrow. One of my absolute favs & go to scents.
Triplet. 🙂
Anyone else vaguely grossed out by that purse? Maybe it is cuter in person….
SOTD = Bergamoss. Fabulous stuff. Going on my Buy Soon list, since my sample will be used up very soon. 🙂
Not the least of its many charms (oakmoss!) is the fact that I get no chemical tang from it at all….I am afraid it has reset my tolerance for chemical tang from “as little as possible and does it become unnoticeable fast?” to “Nada, nada, None at all!” Which is a new way to wade through my existing sample box for sure. I also love her Honey Blossom that I wore yesterday, and I will try out Luminiere tomorrow. But I will weigh in on Leather Friday with something leathery, probably one of the Memo Leathers – I think I have Irish and French, if I recall…
I’d be interested in your descriptions of Honey Moss and Luminiere; I also love Bergamoss and curious about other scents. Thanks!
Twin!
Not grossed out – but I would totally avoid talking to anyone over the age of 11 who was carrying it.
LOl!
😉 !!
I loathe that bag…though I might change my mind if it was the size of an actual elephant. Then it would interest me
Leather elephant house! Or at least an office, I guess.
Hahaha!
The bag is…. interesting and could make for some rather lewd humorous comments. I’m not a huge fan of it either. I get that it’s meant to be whimsical and cute, but part of me is saying: why would I want a part of my handbag to look like a pink, uncircumcised…. 😉
I keep hearing a lot about this Bergamoss and may need to hunt down a sample.
Oh, Lordy! I didn’t give too much thought to the bag, but had to go back and revisit because of your comment. Yup. Can’t be unseen now.
Ha! I think the color doesn’t help either ;p
I had to scroll up and look again too. Need to scrub my eyes. I’m never going to be able to look at an elephant again without laughing.
I WANT that bag! But then I think about how many bottles of perfume I could buy for the same amount of money. 🙂
Today I smell like the inside of a leather handbag in vintage Cuir de Russie. My tiny bottle holds just a little bit of dark liquid, and I must remind myself to use it up while it is still good. I tried the Exclusif once and was unimpressed. Glad to hear that the current extrait still smells like leather.
That bag is a lot of bottles!
I am so jealous.
Sounds glorious. Enjoy!
SOTD again is Rien. It lasts forever on me, ironic for a scent named Nothing. It reminds me a little of L’air du desert marocain at a certain point, but I wore that so often I bored myself. This is better.
You smell gorgeous. If you are interested in how Rien was created you might be interested in reading the last 2 paragraphs of the interview in this link.
http://graindemusc.blogspot.nl/2011/05/mechanics-of-internal-fluids-is-beauty.html
That was fabulous, austenfan! It explained a lot and in the process made me smile, nod, and wish I’d been part of that world once upon a time. Thank you very much.
Thanks for posting that – really interesting.
Sampling JHAG Not a Perfume which, despite its name, is quite clearly a perfume…
Not terribly interesting…clean, inoffensive musk…unless you are offended by musk I suppose. A laundry smell of sorts.
Maybe it’s not a perfume in the sense that not all scented products are perfumes? Like an essential oil is not a perfume, though it is a way to scent yourself; maybe likewise wearing a single-ingredient laundry musk is a scent choice one could make, but it’s not “perfumery”? (Don’t hold me to this, I can easily see myself making just the opposite argument.)
That bag. Ha! I’m really curious as to how many people actually buy a bag like that especially with that crazy price tag.
Starting my leather focus for the week.. in Lonesome Ryder and still loving this one.
I love Lonesome Rider so much. It’s fascinating.
Regarding the handbags, I’m going to toss out a recommendation to read Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello. It’s a fun read, and it is INSANE the lengths that people will go to for a really hot handbag.
I probably should read that to see how I can score the Constance handbag. The one I really wanted got away from me because it arrived at the downtown NYC boutique while I was on vacation!
Hey, it might help! And it’s pretty funny anyway. He had a formula for scoring a Birkin, back before Hermes had an online presence. He basically lived off of buying and reselling Hermes products for a while.
I’ve read that if you buy enough scarves, jewelry, and other items you can get them to throw in a Birkin. Not for free, but that they will ignore the waiting list.
Lucy, Planet Money did a piece on Birkins, and that’s just what they said: go in and buy 10 scarves and THEN ask if they have a Birkin available, and likely they will, whereas if you just walk in and ask, they won’t have any for sale.
So, I have to save for the bag and 10 scarves? According to my calculations, if I start now and don’t send my kids to college,…I can buy one as a gift for my 247th birthday. Score!
So, embarrassed that I had to Google “Planet Money.” I’m going to have to tune in, it looks like a great show.
See if you can find the Birkin show online, it was pretty funny! I think what you have to do is know 10 people planning to buy scarves, and pool money…but of course, many of us know 0 people planning to buy scarves 🙂
Yup, that was the formula Michael stumbled on. Essentially. He learned that as he went for the rarer Birkins he had to scale his formula up. For some of them he would buy other bags also, a Kelly or such. But he was reselling, so it wasn’t as big of an investment for him long term.
SOTD is ELDO Putain des Palaces from a sample vial. I like it a lot but I’m disappointed that I don’t get the dirty notes that some other people report.
I wasn’t looking forward to Friday, but I’m finding some soft leathers like this PdP I can wear. It seems there really is a range in this particular genre.
It’s not very dirty on me, either.
Yes mals86 and ajellyfish, it seems that with this particular perfume skin chemistry really does play a role. The reviews on Fragrantica are split down the middle.
I worry, however, that maybe my nose just can’t pick up the dirty notes, that they’re there and other people around me CAN smell them!!!
It’s funny… there are any number of musks that I DO find filthy. But some things that strike other people as naughty or dirty or sweaty don’t appear to me that way. (Amaranthine comes to mind.) It may be perception, background, skin, and/or anosmia at work.
I loved Amaranthine and was disappointed that they discontinued it out but then I tried Ostara and found a lot of similarities to the two scents.
Does anyone else think so?
Me, I liked it UNTIL it got diapery. I’d trade you skin chemistry, if I could! (At least for PdP.)
I find it very dirty but I suspect it’s more about the way I perceive the mixture of the musk, leather and powdery notes combined than about skin chemistry. It smells filthy to me in the bottle too.
Not dirty for me either, just cherry cough drops.
Bright sunshine before tomorrow’s predicted snowstorm had me reaching for Hermes Elixir des Merveilles for one more winter wearing before it’s taken out of the rotation. It’s all sunshine and warm comfort! Spring is just around the corner anyway snow or no snow . . .
That’s a good one! You smell good!
Naomi Goodsir Cuir Velours. It is very soft and buttery.
Leather is one of my favorite things – if all I could wear was leather pants, leather jackets and leather boots, I would be a very happy camper. Alas, leather pants are not the most practical/comfortable thing to wear, so I am sticking with leather jackets and boots (and bags).
Sounds lovely!
I love this one and really need a bottle. I already have two Naomi Goodsir perfumes and worry I’m addicted.
Daim Blond today….the lederhosen children from The Sound of Music are in the room!
Oh dear…not warbling, I hope! Or worse, not squeaking? A bloke at work sometimes wears his lederhosen (yes, really!) and they squeak. It’s oddly disconcerting when a new-leather squeak issues forth from round and about a chap’s nether tripes, as it were, and it’s hard to receive his disquisitions on social issues seriously. Fortunately for his self esteem, he’s so pleased with being him that he is unaware of the giggle-inducing effect produced by his trousers.
🙂
This is hysterical!
That is one of the funniest descriptions I’ve read here. I’m tempted to copy it and send it hither and yon to others whose sense of humor will be attracted like a magnet. I am picturing a character like Dwight on the American version of The Office. Gak. Thanks for the jolt of laughter, waterdragon!
A grown man in lederhosen. At work. I am experiencing a moment of stunned silence here.
Wow, now there’s a man who is secure in his manliness. Or, simply utterly clueless 😉
I’m guessing clueless but acutely aware of the giggle-producing effect…
Just watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gla5kA1w7bE
OH MY WORD. (I’m eating my lunch here, trying not to spew sandwich bits on my keyboard, you wicked person you!)
“Good girl legs” and “naughty girl legs” made me spit out my coffee!
Now I know how to make the most of those spare minutes while waiting to collect my teenage son from the school car park…genius.
Kanuka, if you do the car wash exercises, your son will never again ask you to pick him up from *anywhere* 😉
Oh my word, watching this video has already made my day! Hilarious 🙂
I promise he does, and he has a particularly pompous manner. Every utterance is as though to a lecture theatre of enthralled students. I used to meet him mostly at faculty-level postgrad meetings, and I fear that my behaviour was disgraceful on lederhosen days. BTW, the squeak seemed worse in winter–even my husband remarked on it once. And in fairness, he didn’t wear the embroidered braces. Not to work, anyway…
Bwahahahaha!!!
Good to know that Auckland fashion had come a long way since the days of Short Stubbies.
Yep–all the way to leather stubbies…
Continuing Leather week —
SOTD = Guerlain Cuir Beluga
Cuir Beluga is one of my all time favorite perfumes! It is fluffy cozy amber-vanillic powdery suede.
Like SuzyQ said, this genre could be interpreted so many ways!
That sounds really good. Normally I avoid trying perfumes with “Cuir” in the name. This week’s emphasis on leathers could change that.
You may like Cuir Gardenia, specially if you are looking for some naughty (animalic) bits.
That is such a wonderful fragrance!
Amen!
Still no leather for me yet, it’s day 3 of soft florals and I’m wearing MFK Amyris femme. So pretty. I’m not usually one for “pretty” perfumes, but this and California Reverie make me feel as if I’ve discarded my tailored clothes for something pastel and ruffled.
MFK makes some truly pretty perfumes!
Hello, NST. I’ve decided to work at home for a couple of days, which gives me the opportunity to apply huuuuuge amounts if anything I jolly well please, ‘cos Isabella sleeps through the enveloping fog and Dakkie–well, I don’t think Dakkie notices very much, to be honest. Keen environmental awareness is not one of his distinguishing characteristics. Anyway, with all this freedom to do exactly what I please, I was rather conservative: Cuir de Russie (extrait), inspired by all the comments above. I’m a lover: I do get leather –just sniffed my leather jacket; yep, CdR smells like real leather to me, but not like it remembers the beast– and miscellaneous garden flowers. I like it, even in this heat, but it’s not my favourite exclusif: I should think Rue Cambon is that. Or Coromandel. Unless it’s Bel Respiro…but I wander off the point. I find CdeR delicious, but by lunchtime, even my heavy-handed application will be fading into a soft memory, and I might wander across the road to World and try Nanban, also inspired by comments today. How I love and appreciate NST. Be gloriously scents and well, everyone.
Enjoy your time at home working and spraying lavishly
Continuing leather week with Le Labo Cuir. I forgot that I got a little sample of this when Nordstrom’s first opened here and was briefly carrying the exclusives. It’s pretty strident and manly for my quiet morning, but let’s see how it evolves?
If I have a butch leather day, Cuir 28 is what I would wear.
Yeah, it’s too much for me, alas.
One dab will do ya…it’s conducive to layering although I think it will clobber the companion in the same vein as Amber Absolute. Now these two would be a pow-pow combination. I wonder who will win?
SOTD = Jour d’ Hermes l’Absolue. Sunshine in a bottle if ever there was. 🙂
Lovely!
Yep!
Today I’m wearing the green and slightly spicy Italian Leather. I really do love all of Memo’s leathers. If I could, I would own them all!
I think they sell a coffret of minis. Hmmm, actually, IIRC, they do although I think one is stuck with the manufacturer’s choice.
Down the rabbit hole for me. 😉
Wearing my strangest leather today: Etro Gomma. Starts out like a pink eraser (that’s the ‘gomma’) then settles into a really nice leather dry-down.
I have to be in the mood for Gomma, but when I want a black leather nothing else will do. You smell great!
Gomma definitely requires the proper mood. Definitely.
I’m jealous everyone who gets to do a leather week – I have the kind of job where you must wear something that stays close to the skin and won’t be noticeable (careful readers will notice that I’ve laxed up from my original plan to wear no fragrance at all to this job!) So today I’m wearing a thin smear of Ivoire body cream, and I’ll join you all in probably Cabochard when I get home 🙂
Today I put on Korrigan. I get a lot of leather from this one. I really enjoy it and the sillage is just right. I can smell it, but even if I put a lot on, it doesn’t seem to choke anyone near by. At least no one has ever said anything!
You smell great.
I dithered all day, and suddenly remembered ah! Iris Nazarena. It’s incredible how fickle I am, as this was my next-to-last love that was only recently rudely displaced by my new love, Spiriteuse Double Vanille. Chivalry is dead, and I am a callous wretch. 😉
I almost spewed my afternoon coffee.
🙂
Wore Bvlgari Black to bed last night following the day’s Cuir d’Ange. I think I can actually do a full week of day and night leathers if I stretch the category a bit. Reading comments here really helps and I keep pulling more and more bottles out for the week.
Am in Cuir de Russie and after reading the No 19 discussion above, put some vintage EDC on one hand to see if I could pick out any leather. (I don’t think I would had I not been pointed in that direction.) I put some current EDT on the other hand to compare and they’re remarkably different.
The EDT has a lot of lift and a sparkling quality that makes me think of a faceted peridot. It’s “green” in a springy sense of new shoots and budding leaves and a glass of chartreuse. The EDC is rich and velvety and its deep green is that of a big emerald pendant, encrusted royal jewels, a brocade gown.
Wearing Chanel no 19 right now and thinking about what my next SOTD will be.
Super gorgeous day today! I can’t believe we are expecting a snow storm mid week. Wearing probably way to much MJ Decadence. When I am in the mood for it, I just love it.
Lonestar Memories, like 8 sprays of it! I wonder if that’s why my boss kept his window rolled down when we drove to lunch?!
You are my hero! If I was driving, I would not have rolled the window down, but gloried in your leather-creosote-green jasmine bad self!
The creosote is the best part!
For day 2 of Leather Week, I’m wearing PG Cuir Venenum. I had almost forgotten I had a small decant until I remembered it last night and found it this morning.
It’s so rainy and dreary, so I’m in some pre-reform Douce Amere. I reality love this one.
Day 2 of vintage Samsara. Forget how much I loved it (wore it regularly in its heyday) and needed another day of it today. Might even be tomorrow’s SOTD too. Works for our dry 90 degree days, and every stage is lovely. Particularly the waft off one’s clothes 24 hours later.
You smell wonderful.
Monday’s ugly little sister! I love that. Wearing Bornéo in a futile attempt to enhance her a bit.
Leather week! Perfect 😀 Will try to keep up, so many comments today!
Leather was one of those first notes I got a thing for back when all was new. The butch, rugged, smoky, black. Birchtar, boots and gasoline.
But lately I’ve been dabbling around with soft leathers, vegetal, suede and find the just as exciting and satisfactory.
My new crave is Cuir d’Ange, just a bit smitten with TDC I miss violet, and bought just a little bottle of Bottega Veneta EDP on sale. Daim blond lurks in the back of my perfume-closet, gotta be the perfect time to dig it out this week 🙂
SOTD is Anubis. There is some leather i think, but so much more to it than just leather. Lovely!
Scent twins, as I am enjoying Anubis as well.