PSA: our next freebiemeet will be a week from today. Meanwhile, we're celebrating the International Day of Acceptance and David Lynch's birthday with our same old open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the fragrance you worked hard to accept, Twin Peaks, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Happy weekend, dear brothers and sisters in l’eau.
Today I’m taking my first attempt to wearing new Iris Rebelle from Atelier Cologne. I’m really into it – kind of reminds me of Aedes Iris Nazarena but lighter on ash facet that is replaced by more powdery/make-up vibe.
Hi Lucasai–powdery/make-up always gets my attention as a fragrance note! I’d be interested to hear about the sillage/longevity of that one, as on me, I haven’t found a single Atelier Cologne I get more than an hour or two out of, and often it’s faint from the start. 🙁
I never had issues with Atelier Cologne. Iris Rebelle maybe doesn’t have big sillage but it lasts on me.
Oh I’m so glad to get your opinion! I have fallen in love with Iris Nazarena, but won’t even pretend that i will ever own it. Iris Rebelle sounds almost better to me, if it’s more powdery.
Crossing fingers it’s the one for you.
Weird that when I tried it in the boutique the 1st time, I had the same impression as you, but subsequent trials from my Sephora sample smelled less powdery and more woody and masculine.
Interesting remark. I will pay attention during next wearings.
Agree with you. It is more masculine and woody. Sillage is very low and longevity is pretty decent. It is very nice, but I need to keep trying it. So far it has not won my heart.
When I smelled it on paper, it reminded me a tiny bit of Silver Iris. Brought home a sample to try!
Oh! To me it smells quite different that Silver Iris (which I love btw)
I smelled this at Sephora last weekend and immediately got a travel spray – can’t go wrong with $26! It is a warm powdery rooty iris and has less of the lipstick vibe than Silver Iris.
I don’t seem to find a cosmetic vibe in Silver Iris. The travel spray you got is that the 7.5 ml little rod?
It is 10 mL in a skinny atomizer. It is a better deal than the 30mL which is $85.
I am hoping to make it Sephora next week to try it. V. Excited
Happy weekend, all!
Milk chocolate search update: This week, I nibbled my way through a Lindt Milk Chocolate bar and a (US version) Cadbury Dairy Milk bar.
Lindt: thinner bar, but does not break cleanly on the lines, making portioning a bit of a challenge. Cocoa-aroma, with hints of fruitiness (that come across a bit like plastic in comparison to the Cadbury). Smooth, firm mouth-feel, that does not melt readily on the tongue, requiring chewing. Good flavor, but not especially chocolate-y.
Cadbury: thicker bar that breaks readily into squares. Less cocoa-aroma, but no hints of plastic. Smells sweeter than the Lindt. Smooth, melty mouth-feel that coats the tongue. Richer flavor than the Lindt, but still could handle more chocolateness.
Found a couple Moonstruck bars at the grocery store yesterday, so those are on the testing list this week, once I finish the Cadbury. 🙂 So far, the things are going as planned–half a serving (occasionally a whole serving) of yummy chocolate seems to be satisfying my sweet-tooth, and looking forward to it keeps me honest earlier in the day. One week is early in a new habit, though. . . 🙂
Cadbury bars have a nice “snap” but it seems they never want to break on the lines.
Enjoy your taste-testing!
Thanks! Funny how a little thing like that can influence the experience of eating a piece of chocolate! I like nice, neat squares of chocolate.
Heh…and I thought I was the only one with that quirk.
I cut my waffles along the lines into squares, too, so it’s possible I’m just a bit compulsive.
Have you tried Galaxy bars? I think they are only readily available in the UK, but if you find a store that sells British imports, they are yummy.
Sadly, they don’t sound familiar. I will keep an eye out, though. Thanks!
Prefer dark, but one of the best milk bars I’ve tried is Green & Black’s organic milk.
They’re on the to-try list, for sure! Ideally, I’d love a bar with the richness of dark chocolate, but without the migraine-inducing qualities. I suspect a mocha-flavored milk chocolate bar might get closer, if such a thing exists. I love chocolate-covered espresso beans.
If you ever want to treat yourself to a high end bar, the Sucré Milk Chocolate Bar w/ Sicilian Pistachio & Rose is pretty darned good. I find them at Whole Foods.
I’m definitely wandering into the fancier groceries in my search! I figure it’s only worth it, if I feel like I’m treating myself. ????
Have you tried LA Burdick chocolates? THey are spendy but their bars are great
No, those don’t sound familiar! I will keep an eye out, thanks!
My husband brought me home a bag of Madelaine milk chocolate hearts which is nearly gone. Beautiful chocolate, very creamy and chocolate-y. There’s an interesting flavor in it I don’t have your skill to make out, but you should try this brand as it’s quite yummy!
Looks like there’s one shop in Portland that carries them . . . will have to bookmark it for when I’m in that part of town. Thanks!
Not a big milk chocolate fan, but the little individually wrapped Dove squares are tasty.
off for hair color and cut
SOTD is Sycomore for a chilly SoCal day
brrr, there is a cold wind blowing in SoCal this morning. I just ate a bowl of oatmeal to warm up.
Hope you enjoy your color and cut, and smelling marvelous all the while. 🙂
I am making a point this year to try to really use and enjoy my collection, including (or perhaps especially) the rare, discontinued, or expensive scents. Yesterdays SOTE (after the daytime application of SDV had faded out) was Nombre Noir EdP from a mini bottle I picked up somewhere.
I think one thing that tends to keep me from enjoying some of my perfumes more often is that I own quite a few perfumes in small quantities–decants, minis, travel sprays. I tend to look at the small size of the bottle and either decide not to wear it or to apply it too sparingly in an effort to keep from using it up too fast. That might make sense if my collection consisted of only a few small bottles, or if I had one small bottle of a rare, discontinued, or expensive perfume along with several large bottles of other things. When I have several dozen small bottles, though, it still adds up to a lot of perfume. If I am going to wear a perfume, I will wear enough of it so that I can enjoy it.
The other thing that causes me to hold back sometimes is that I think I won’t have it on long enough to make it worthwhile. Either I am planning to take a shower in an hour or two, or I expect to sweat it off, or I am about to go to bed and I think I won’t be awake long enough to enjoy it. I am telling myself that it is OK to put on perfume even if I will only enjoy it for a hour or two. I have plenty of perfume, I won’t run out any time soon.
I can relate to so much of what you are saying! I haven’t purchased hardly anything the past couple years (maybe one bottle everly 6-8 months?), and to keep variety, I’m reaching for my decants and special scents a bit more. Even still, I seem to always be saving it for a better time! Not to hoard, just imagining there will be a *more appropriate* time. I’ve had to put the decants right in front of the bottles in my perfume cabinet, so they’re staring me in the face as I choose and spritz each morning.
I do that “better time”/more appropriate occasion thing too – even though I realize that I have many more great perfumes than possible special occasions. I don’t think I’ll be able to persuade myself to use “special” perfumes on a daily bases but I probably can try to consciously “reclassify” some of them 😉
Or else reclassify more days and events as special occasions.
Every day IS a special occasion. My youngest brother was killed in a work accident last October; I’ve drained several bottles of perfume since then. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, and we need to acknowledge the gift of every single day.
I’ve learned that I enjoy my fragrances more in day-to-day life than at some fancy event or something when I”m distracted by whatever is going on.
And doing housework is soooo much more enjoyable when I”m wearing Jubilation 25!
Sorry for your loss, Scentalicious – very true what you say.
For both classifications I have the same obstacle: meetings in a small office with a couple of people one of whom thinks she’s allergic to perfumes (BS, but I don’t want an open confrontation since she minds only stronger/louder perfumes) and the other one sensitive to stronger scents when he has headaches (which I understand and respect since he doesn’t complain too often – but I try not to push). So I’ll need to find more occasions outside the office to wear my “special occasion” perfumes.
Yes to more! I usually wear just one or two spritzes on my arms. A few weeks ago when I tidied up the perfume shelf I decided to be extra fragrant sometimes. Now I take time to spritz arms then ankles and sometimes shoulders.
Amazing, 50: what you wrote sounds exactly like me!! Thanks for putting in words all the little decisions I make that I didn’t even realize I was making! That last paragraph–yikes, I do that all the time. I will cut it out!
This is a real problem for me too – on all arenas, not just perfume. But perfume-wise I have a NIB bottle of Ne m’Oubliez Pas that I can’t bring myself to actually open, and it’s such a waste! 🙁 I do have a small decant that I occasionally wear, but the bottle is bringing me such guilt. It’s so gorgeous – I wish I could bring myself to use it! Instead, I’ll probably end up selling it so that it can bring joy to someone. 🙁
Omg, open that bottle right now!!!!! It’s so fantastic, please please open it!
I don’t know this perfume, but if you really love it, don’t sell it. Real perfume love is hard to find.
Ohh. Feeling guilt about a purchase is no good. I’ll break from the others and support you in selling it just to get rid of the bad juju.
Open it! Wear it! It’s going to feel luxurious, and smell gorgeous.
Think of it as therapy homework – an exercise in letting go of guilt.
That is my goal also for this year: enjoy my collection, spray enough and avoid or reduce new purchases. I have enough perfumes for 10 more lives. I have been organizing my perfume cabinet since last weekend and it will take me at least 2 more weekends to finish. I am shocked to see how many perfumes that I love have been completely forgotten or neglected. It is really sad that they have been sitting there without any use. I am also putting away perfumes that do not get enough love from me and that will go to the freebiemeets or swapmeets. Like you, I have tons of decants and samples that I save for especial ocassions. That is over. Everyday is a special ocassion from now on and I will use all the beauties I have without any restriccions.
Nearly drained my sample of Hendley Rosenthal today. I’m really loving this deep, spicy rose-chouli. Smells very natural. Glad he makes a 9ml size!
Off to hang out with a few thousand others right now. Glad it warmed up and is sunny. Perfect for spending the day outdoors. Can’t believe a year has gone by…
I’m spending the afternoon at a Bystander Intervention training. Seemed appropriate.
Sounds interesting. What does one learn at a Bystander Intervention training?
Just returned! Basically, it was strategies to intervene and deescalate situations in public. It can include addressing an agressor, but most of the training focussed on helping the target–with their consent–or other ways of shifting the situation, like causing a distraction, bearing witness, recording a situation on your phone, etc. All of this requires the intervener to remain in a mental space that doesn’t contribute to the escalation, and we practiced that quite a bit, too. Lots of grounding exercises!
Those sound like good life skills in general. Cool you did that training!
Made no plans to hang out and am now regretting it. There is zero chance I can talk my sons or husband into hanging out. Feeling irritable about it!
Hate to say there will be other opportunities.
Never say never. My husband and I went and hung out! He was sporting a Notorious RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsberg) T, and I’m in a shirt from the UN Women’s Conference in Beijing, 1995. A terrific walk with thousands of friends, followed by steaming pho.
I feel better. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Awesome! Glad you got to hang. Like the shirts. My favorite from today was in a similar vein : The Womb Tang Clan????
My sister and I went to Beijing for that conference. What a great memory. !!
I just bought a kamaboshi string doll of RGB for my laptop bag.
A few touches of SL fumerie turque for this gosh awful early flight to PA.
Rose-chouli! I don’t know that I’ve ever smelled one before. Sounds yummy. I’m spending the day alone and feeling major guilt but had some specific reasons for doing so. Cheers and hurrah to you and the millions of others, though!
I’m sure you’ve smelled a rose/Patchouli combo before: POAL, Agent Provocateur, Rossy de Palma. I’m sure I could name more but can’t think of any right now.
Don’t feel guilty. You gotta take care of yourself first and foremost. It was good energy, though, out there. I was fine until the sun disappeared and I started to freeze.
I’ve worn all those and the Ann Gerard and didn’t register any patch, or at least not enough to think of them as rose-chouli. I barely remember POAL, though.
Ann Gerard Rose Cut is another rose-chouli
Yes, and Gris Montaigne. Both on the pink end of the spectrum.
How was the movie?
I, Tonya? I loved it. I thought the acting was great and a fun, nostalgic soundtrack. The story is a real Greek tragedy.
Needed something soothing and comforting today, so I went with the warm incensey UmmaGumma in effort to get over my disappointment in the state of California. If I never come back, fine by me.
I’m trying to choose between Canada and Mexico as my future country of residence. I’m thinking Canada because the weather suits me more than Mexico and the drug cartels aren’t running the country.
T-Rex is showing signs of depression because she isn’t allowed to go anywhere. We’re headed back to Oregon today.
Bah-humbug. ????
I have family spread out from San Diego to San Francisco to Portland to Seattle and across many of the interior western states. When I was younger I used to think if I ever wanted to “run away” from my big family I would have to go to Canada. 😀
They’d never find you in those endless woods and forests ????
Deva, what happened? What about the redwoods?
We didn’t get to the redwoods, sadly. BS roadblocked us. ????
I’m sorry your trip is disappointing. I hope Ummagumma is easing the pain a bit.
It made me feel safe and cozy, a refuge from an insane world. Kind of like a baby’s binky????
Deva, I am officially inviting you to Michigan. We have what seems to be a million hospital facilities and even better great camping and lakes. Bonus, the Canadian border if you don’t like it. I’m sorry your trip stunk. Wishing you a better day.
Michigan is a great suggestion!
I love Michigan! I’m from Illinois and we vacationed up there a lot! The Midwest is my kinda people????????
Oh no, what happened?!! I’m sorry things didn’t go well in CA. I second Lillyjo’s suggestion of Michigan. Plus in MI, you have the bonus of all four seasons. Guarantee that T-Rex will love the snow!
Snow! That might send her right over the edge into a pure manic state of mind????
California is the best state in the union. Keep trying! 😀
Hear-hear!
I’m so many ways, right now, it is…
????
Aw. That’s a bummer you had a bad experience.
Life is full of bummers. I bi*** about it and move on. Thanks for listening✌????
Oh no, was this because of the casino parking lot debacle?
No, but it was a sign of things to come. An ominous portention, if you will. I’m trying to pull a Taylor Swift and “Shake it Off” ✌????
Aha. Good luck then.
Wearing vintage YSL Y. Makes one feel like wearing a mostly-button white shirt. If the same style I prefer vintage Caleche, but I have room for both in my closet.
I found quite a haul at my not-local antique store, but my most exciting pull was a 75% full bottle of original Poison EdT. What a beast! I wore a drop to bed.
Awesome find!
Dang!
Ooh, nice!
I was a Poison girl back in the late 1980s. It was love at first sniff for me. I was an impecunious grad student at that time, and had no business buying perfume like that, but I HAD to have it. Funny thing is, I still have about 1/4 of the bottle left, and I don’t care for it at all now. I don’t know if it has turned, or if my tastes have just changed.
Happy weekend, dear NSTers! I’m watching the waves of the Pacific crash into the Carmel cliffs as I type this from a friend’s parents’ spectacularly beautiful beach(ish) house. It’s very cold, but terribly beautiful, and I can see grey whales migrating in the distance.
It’s easy to accept both this and my gorgeous SOTD, Lonesome Rider. After the SSS heartbreak, I am feeling some more urgency to buy the perfumes I love. Perhaps I should invest in a FB of this before I finish my decant?
Do it! Life’s short, time’s a-wastin’, and you will always smell great.
Do it! I love my bottle of Lonesome Rider, and if you order directly from Andy you are supporting an artisan.
Can I come to the beach house? I love Carmel, waves and whales!
I wish you could all come!!! This place is amazing.
Laurie’s news are heartbreaking, so I say go for the perfume you love
Your surroundings sound amazing and enviable. The SSS news was stunning and unexpected for me. I was planning some purchases this month (bday) and heard the news too late. I’m trying to remain calm and hopeful that I’ll be able to buy a CdB BUB eventually…
I hear you…I was taken off guard, too. SSS was on my old matrix frequently, but I never pulled the trigger on any samples.
I hope you manage to get back ups of your favorites. ????
Carmel is breathtaking. In my past life I spent time there and pebble beach. My dad played golf there in the 1980s, and brought back a sweater from pebble beach. I still have it!! If you order directly from Andy Tauer, please report back. I tried once to order some samples, and my credit card didn’t work on his site. Not sure what happened, since I’ve ordered from
overseas sites before. Enjoy your time there!
I’ve ordered from his site in the past! The first time, the payment system didn’t work, but I emailed him and sent him cash in the mail (this is when I lived in Europe). After moving back to the US, I’ve successfully used PayPal. Good luck and do contact him if you need to!
PayPal I totally forgot about that. Ok great thank you I’ll try again!
If you’re sure already that you really like this perfume, go for a bottle: not only you’ll get it before it’s reformulated/discontinued/out of stock b/c of some ingredient missing in the market (I’m not talking about any particular perfume but in general), but also heaving a bottle you’ll wear the remaining decant more often or less sparingly and will enjoy your favorite even more.
I’m jealous. Carmel is really beautiful.
That’s what I was going to say.
If you are sure you really love it, you should buy it. Although I do feel some guilt over unworn bottles (usually impulse purchases), I find it is worse to regret something I loved and wanted but didn’t buy–and then couldn’t because it was discontinued or reformulated beyond recognition. Ask yourself how much you would regret not buying it if that should happen.
Happy weekend!
Wearing Chergui today.
Working today…and it’s going to be a mess going back home because a huge march is going on here in Downtown LA.
Have a great weekend!
You smell fantastic! Good luck with the commute.
You smell great!!!
Wearing Bois Farine, a winter favorite.
You smell great!
2nd that.
I needed something to cut through all the sweetness of last week, so I am wearing Jasmin et Cigarette. Have a safe and happy weekend!
Ahhhhh, you brought back my memories of perfume and tobacco. When I was very young there were a few adults in my life who wore fragrance and smoked.
This past week I stumbled on a long ago NST discussion of the topic. The article and comments were interesting.
https://freebox.it.com/2010/05/10/perfume-and-cigarette-smoke/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
SotM = Berdoues Vanira Moorea, with thanks to a fragrance friend for sharing.
Vanilla week continues, and this cologne is so pretty. The citrus is leafy green, the vanilla is comfy without much sweetness. They are lovely together. It reminds me of the citrus and vanilla in Mon Precieux Nectar.
Thank you to everyone for yesterday’s happy birthday wishes to my daughter. She was tickled when I told her NST wished her a happy day.
Now it’s time for yoga. I’ve got a kink in my shoulder that needs working out. Have a great weekend, NSTers!
This sounds lovely. I honeymooned on Moorea almost a million years ago.
I’ve never liked many vanilla fragrances, but you have made this sound intriguing. Thanks for the temptation.
Happy yoga!!
I like that one vanilla too
Happy birthday, David Lynch! I wish I had something that felt appropriate (maybe Isabella Rosellini’s fragrance or something).
Today I’m in some vintage Opium and I’m loving it as always.
You smell great!!!
I think Mr Lynch would be pleased by your choice of SOTD 😉
you smell lovely! Thanks for the inspiration, I’ll dig out my tiny bottle of Opium and wear it today, too
I’m wearing Panda 2017 from Zoologist. So far this is my second Zoologist from my discovery set. I think I need a decant of this.
What’s it like?
It starts out quite fruity but also rather green. Later you get the musk, and in the Dryden there is some vanilla, but it isn’t overwhelming.
That sounds rather nice – and related, but unrelated, I do like pandas which is a factor
You may want to check out travel spray sizes.
I’m working all weekend, but the sun is shining, so yay! I’m wearing Angel Muse. I wore this alot last year, today though, I wish I would have gone with something brighter. I’ve been making a list of FB that I might actually be able to aquire. It’s a much shorter list than my wish list. Lol. But still, a good list????
Waft my way. Angel Muse is really good!
The sun is out and the snow is melting. Yippee! Parfum Sacre is my sotd.
Sun + melting snow always makes me happy! Hope it was a good day.
Thank you, it was! Hope it’s warming up in your parts too!
Felanilla today, and I’m wishing I’d tried this sample sooner – I may have been sitting on it for a year or more, and what a waste! It’s a lovely, woody-powdery, non-foody vanilla, and I’m getting just the tiniest hint of anise at the bottom of it. The overall impression is a sort of “my skin but better,” and I’m digging it.
I really like that one too.
I have a sample of that one on its way to me; can’t wait to try it. The winter vanillas post inspired me (ahem).
Me too! I’m clearly going to need a sample of Tihota.
I have an older and a newer bottle of Tihota. I would love to send you a sample from each bottle if you live in the U.S. and perhaps you can report on a side x side comparison? If interested, please click on my username to get my contact info.
What a generous offer, thank you! Emailing you now.
SOTD is Guerlain Liu EdT, from my mid-1990s bottle. Some of my earliest perfume memories are of the Chanel no. 5 and Arpege on my mother’s dressing table, and ever since I have had a fondness for aldehylic florals.
I like Liu a lot, although my bottle is not that old. I’ll have to remember to get that one out and wear it one day next week.
Beloved today. I felt so glamorous at the grocery store today.
Haha, always a chance of romance as you lean over into the cheese section, or whatever!
Haha that is too cute. I imagine everyone got a whiff of something wonderful as I pushed my cart ????
I feel naughty wearing drippy diamond earrings to the grocery store.
Sometimes I wear fancy shoes with my jeans to the grocery store. Makes me feel a bit scandalous.
And I wore them with ratty jeans and a hoodie.
The hoodie is a nice touch!
Perfect!
You smell mah-veh-lous!
Am wearing the last few drops of Nobile 1942 Patchouli Nobile to double-check myself before buying a bottle. Thanks, clarissa, for letting me try this!
Question: I bought a decant of Les Couvent Eau de Missions, which arrived yesterday. I sprayed the back of my hand liberally and got lots and lots of wood and virtually no vanilla. It does smell a bit cologne-y to me, which isn’t what I’m looking for in a vanilla. (I like cozy, sweet, warm, smoky.)
As Eau de Missions is frequently compared to Guerlain SDV, is it worth trying the Guerlain if EdM doesn’t work for me as a vanilla? My other faves in this category are Shalimar Mexique, AG Vanille Exquise, Queen, BFMV, Il Profumo Vanille Bourbon, Reminiscence Vanille, Geisha Vanilla Hinoki…
Happy weekend!
I wonder if they gave you the wrong thing? I never found it overly sweet, but it was strongly identifiably vanilla. I actually thought it resembled Eau Duelle in some ways. My husband has a different Les Couvent that is a very woody orange-y.
Maybe I just need to try it again. IIRC I had some competing scents going on so that could have been a factor.
Everyone should try the SDV, IMHO.
Dear kpaint I can send you a sample to compare. There should be vanilla – send me a note marianna_r in the land of yahooooo
SOTD = Hiram Green Slowdive
Animalic, salty beeswax – oh my! And, guess what? It has a strong resemblance to Bee’s Bliss…a feral version of it. YMMV as I know people perceive beeswax/honey differently.
I enjoyed being out and about GROCERY shopping today after working from home 2.5 days (starting early, ending quite late). I really do enjoy working in an office setting – being around people energizes me. I also got my car washed today and it felt good – it was really filthy; however, now that it is quite clean, I noticed more dings on the passenger side that annoyed me. People are so careless about their car doors hitting another car!
I agree with you on the office settings – but man do I hate traffic driving to the office!!!
I wish the commute was easier for me too but most times it is worth the pain to be with others once I get there.
Wearing Tabu today. Not vintage, but it was strong enough for the crowds at Costco.
I tried out my newly acquired vintage Vol de Nuit edt on Thursday for bedtime after a bath. I drifted off to sleep quickly and couldn’t really smell it in the morning. Then when I was working away at my desk on Friday I smelled something wonderful and realized it was me.
Of course it was you!????
Haha.. thanks lillyjo 🙂
I so love it when that happens! VdN is truly wonderful.
Spent most of the day in the office, with loads of Cuir Cannage wafting behind me.
You smelled gorgeous. Hope you get to relax today.
I’m in my new Concrete today, and smelling all light and airy and fun.
Nice 🙂
I am struggling to accept April Atomatics Purple Reign. I should love it on paper, but violet is a different note in my skin – but I love it in theory. This might be the one that would be making its way to the swapmeet
Oh then I should try that one! Any other perfume you can compare it to?
I felt the same way about Purple Reign. Should love it but I don’t.
It is a gorgeous sunny day here. Went for a “walk” with my husband, and with several thousand other people around Lake Merritt and then on to downtown. Wearing Bois de Ascese on this bright, crisp afternoon.
Great job on the import walk! ????????
That important that is.
I’m continuing vanilla week today in Vanilla Flash, from the rollerball. With the news from Andy Tauer about the vanilla shortage, I felt it was only prudent to order a FB of this beauty. ❤️
It reached 70 degrees in Houston today, a big change from the deep freeze this past week. Took the puppygirl for a walk in the perfect weather, as tomorrow it’s supposed to rain most of the day.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Lucky you — I would kill for 70!
Wearing Gucci Guilty.
It was a beautiful day here today compared with the previous freezing days. Hubby and I went out for brunch and after, we took a long walk in the park with our dog. We stayed outside the whole afternoon. Back home we had a beer and will be relaxing for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow, I will keep organizing my fall and winter perfumes. Last weekend, I finished the spring and summer ones. I am determined to concentrate on using my perfume collection and avoid any purchases this year. I already have so much to enjoy!
I need to get cracking on the organizing myself.
Last weekend I got to smell Gucci Guilty Absolue Pour Femme (high hopes because I liked Pour Homme except it leaned too masculine). Anyway, the Pour Femme was a disappointing fruity floral on paper and I typically don’t give any skin space for something I don’t like on paper.
Oh! I was also having hopes for the Absolue Pour Femme, but your description of fruity floral does not appeal to me at all. A fruity floral fragrance has to be really good in order for me to wear it. I bought Gucci Guilty around 6 years ago and it is ok for me when I wear it occasionally. It falls in the “like” category. Nothing that I ever crave for.
I smelled it from a magazine strip the other day. Rubbed it all over my wrist. All I could smell was berries and ambroxon. I was so disappointed, since I really liked the men’s version too.
Sounds absolutely lovely!
I finished off the dregs of my old SDV decant today. I have a travel spray of the current version which I have been lamenting has a sour note at first which is off putting. Well lo and behold my old decant struck me as sour at first too!
What this means is I may get a bottle of the current release. 🙂 (this is not entirely logical but keep reading anyway) I wore it yesterday to work and around 1 pm it was amazing. I sprayed it around 7 am, folks. That is some nice sillage and longevity imho.
What physical Nordstrom locations sell the Matiere line please? If I get a FB I want to use “notes” and I don’t want the dreaded bulb atomizer so I was thinking I’d call a store and verify the sprayer and order it that way vs. the website…though phoning a store seems like madness in today’s day and age. I’m also going to try and wheedle the SA for samples if this not-so-diabolical plan comes to fruition. But damn people…can’t. Stop. With. The. Vanilla.
My guess would be the flagship Seattle store…last time I checked, it was the only one that carried Chanel’s Exclusifs. And ordering over the phone from the store is actually good, because you can specify preferred samples.
Thank you for suggesting Seattle flagship. Clarissa below has already gone down this path and still bulbs aplenty sadly. But very good to know they do carry this line.
Nordies still have all bulb packaging. I have checked last week and had them open every package of SDV (they are not sealed), so it’s OK. I also had them call Seattle flagship store to check the sprayer and it is still a bulb. I think I take the prize for the most difficult customer and Nordies takes the price for the best customer service 🙂
I posted about the bulb atomizer b/c I thought perhaps some wonderful NSTer may have already done the footwork on this not-so-diabolical mission and man, was I right. 😉 Thanks for the intel. I was afraid of this. I shall have to wait longer if I want to use my Nordstrom funny money on this transaction. Thanks so much for letting me know. I appreciate it.
Well that’s a bummer. What about the South Coast Plaza Nordstrom? IIRC there’s also a Guerlain boutique in Vegas?
Check Chicago Oakbrook. Before Christmas, they had a few of the line w/o the bulb, according to the sa. I can’t remember which ones and didn’t ask her to open the boxes to verify.????But worth calling anyway.
I’ve been following your Vanilla Week posts and wondering what the heck “SDV” is … so I finally went and googled. Now I see why everyone just uses the acronym – too hard to spell! Even the Saks web ad spells it wrong. 😀
It warmed up today with a lot of sun so I broke out Tauer L’Eau. And no rehearsals today so I sprayed with abandon!
It was so nice yesterday 🙂
Dh and I went out for a super fancy date night tonight (which we never ever do). I never get cocktails at a restaurant but ordered a Bees Knees: gin, lemon (incl rind) and honey. It’s tasted great but it smelled AMAZING. The gin really cut the sweetness and the honey was very beeswaxy in odor profile. Can you recommend a similar perfume? It’s wasn’t lemonade-ish because it wasn’t sugared.
Ha! A week ago Friday, a colleague and I went out for drinks and I also had the Bee’s Knees – yummm. One of the limited edition By Kilian smells similar. I can’t think of the name but I can picture the bottle with a white background and some splashes of color.
Though that sounds expensive I might look for a decant just to commemorate the experience! The night felt like a week long vacation and was a well-needed break.
All I can think of are some of the regular perfumes in painted bottles, like these:
https://freebox.it.com/2015/02/08/bunch-o-limited-edition-collector-bottles-some-other-stuff-2015-part-4/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
https://freebox.it.com/2008/08/30/limited-editions-from-by-kilian/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Which doesn’t narrow it down a lot. There’s also one in a deep blue bottle, Moonlight in Heaven.
I think, hajusuuri meant one of those “a splash of something” (lemon/lime/etc.) flankers though I’m not sure if they are still in production.
Sounds delicious! I’m certainly no expert – but maybe go for a layering combo – a honey perfume with a gin-lemon perfume. Keep us posted!
I woke up this morning with a craving to wear Black Orchid, which never quite works on me. You know how they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results? Does this apply to perfume? Lol! Today my plan is to dab the back of my knees and maybe stomach. It took me 20 years to be able to spray Angel, I’m bound and determined to one day spray and enjoy Black Orchid. APLS is also on the list, but is on hold until I can replace my sample. ( hint, hint, someone please tell me I’m not insane, at least perfume wise ☺)
No, you are not insane. Perfume tastes change over time, so what doesn’t work for you at one point might work sometime in the future. Weather also makes a difference. If something didn’t work in hot weather, try it again in chilly weather, and vice versa. I think skin chemistry can also change over time, as can your sense of smell. Now, if you were to stubbornly wear the same perfume day after day waiting for it to work for you, even though it never does, then you might be insane. But if you just go back and retry it from time to time, there is nothing wrong with that.
Thanks for the validation. So far, so good with BO, I think I just can’t have it to close to my face.
I gave up on Black Orchid only because my mini went off. I liked this perfume (theoretically) but every time I wore it it felt a little bit off. But I think I would have been coming back to it if I still had it 🙂
Wearing Pinrose by Pinrose, for my rose-chouli weekend. Never paid much attention to this line except for a passing sniff at Sephora. Tested this one at Sephora recently, left and kept wondering why I was smelling POAL? It’s not quite POAL. I’d say it’s somewhere between Agent Provocateur and POAL. Less aggressive than either. I kinda like it!
Oh interesting, I will have to try it!
SOTD is Salomé. Wicked weather where I’m at- afraid to hit the road and afraid to stay put. I NEED coffee!
Stay safe!
Funny how sometimes the places you are desperate to leave have a way of blocking your speedy exit. Sorry to hear about your California trip. It ‘s very hard to travel with dogs here because most walkways, reserves, campsites and parks are not open to dogs. Good luck!
Salomé, YES — although with the blisteringly dry cold Los Angeles day, you’ve now got me thinking about wearing Dryad before heading out to brunch.
I’ve mostly enjoyed a fragranced weekend so far. Spent yesterday organizing my clothes closet while wearing one spritz of PG Cuir d’Iris, which I’ve discovered really is best in small doses (helps avoid the dreaded pickle undertone). Retried Bobbi Brown’s Bobbi’s Party at bedtime and was reminded yet again that I cannot stand it (plastic doll head – I’m not a fan). Waited 15 minutes to see if it would settle into something more (nope), then scrubbed and replaced it with TF Noir Pour Femme (ahhhhh). And now I’m spending this morning in Tam Dao, my favorite sandalwood, while waiting for Mr. G to go out and nab some chocolate donut holes to go with our coffee. I love lazy Sundays.
Hope you enjoyed your chocolate donut holes! That sounds like a great Sunday morning treat.
I came across Olfactive Studio Close Up recently, thanks to Ari and a guy I introduced to perfume who likes Bulgari Black. The connection is that Close Up is also by Annick Menardo. I don’t care for the blue-gray color, so I wouldn’t have spent time with it without this introduction. Also, it has an unusual morello cherry note that I probably would have turned away from before discovering its deeper animalic musk. This strange scent would be a good match for Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet. Rather than unisex, I would call it pansexual.
I’m testing a layering experiment today: Bill Blass Nude, which I find slightly too sweet, wooded up with Demeter Myrrh. Not quite what I was hoping for but not bad. I might substitute a touch of Kiehl’s Original Musk for Myrrh next time.
I love hearing about layering combos – keep us posted!
Love your avatar!
Thank you!
Close Up was reviewed a few months back here (by Jessica?) and it’s been on my to-try list since. Your mini review makes me want to try it even more!
You’re right, Jessica quite liked it. And the Candy Perfume Boy loved it:
https://thecandyperfumeboy.com/2017/05/09/perfume-review-close-up-by-olfactive-studio/
Spent the morning in vintage Bal and since I am post shower, I am wearing Shalimar Ode a la Vanille (Mexican version). I spent yesterday at work and then spent time getting dog food. It’s hard having a dog with food and seasonal allergies a and most places don’t carry his dog food and the flavor that won’t give him tummy troubles.
Have you tried making it yourself? That would be one approach, though not an easy one.
I do sympathize. I have a Shih Tzu with food allergies, and we’re still trying to find the dry dog food that won’t make her scratch. I’m starting to think that making her food, like kpaint suggested, is something i’d be willing to try.
Until recently I got my dog’s food (Acana limited ingredient) from Mr Chewy. Very convenient to have it delivered. They had to stop carrying it because they were acquired by Petco and the manufacturer wouldn’t sell to them as they limit distribution to “specialty” pet stores. I have enough difficulty making my family dinner, I just can’t go there with making dog food!
I saw Three Billboards at the movies yesterday. I started off really enjoying it ( the acting, the characters) but got increasingly irritated by the director/ writer’s too obvious manipulation of audience emotional response. You could begin to anticipate the twist of sympathies…so I felt he was showing too much of the workings which interfered with me just being able to watch and come to my own moral conclusions. Just a bit heavy handed and not trusting the audience enough. Good though. Raining and luminous green here. I dug over our monster veggie patch yesterday ( it smelled like earth, carrots, celery seed and fennel bulbs) and will plant it out in lupins soon for a nitrogen hit. Jm Tuberose Angelica and Bas de Soie. And back to work!
Have that on my “to see” list, so good to know. I do love Frances McDormand.
Just came back from Trader Joe’s – 2nd grocery trip this weekend, this time with mom because she was not up to going out yesterday. This store in North Brunswick feels slightly bigger than the one in Westfield and the parking is plentiful. Although the one in North Brunswick is slightly further away, the way to get there is straightforward all highway whereas the other one is a combo of highway and local roads. Now I know which one I will never go to again.
Looks like I can start a Shopping Woes series —
1. It was crowded today and there was a mishap. Not sure why there was no thought about avoiding glass jars at the end caps near the cash registers where human and cart traffic are the worst. You guessed it — a cart bumped into the corner of the display and I saw a jar of tomato fly off in slo-mo, hit the floor, glass shattered with tomato sauce splashed all over. It’s a miracle that no one was hurt as some shoppers thought it was summer and wore shorts and flip-flops.
2. The bagger we had was no genius. She put the Pound Plus chocolate bars at the bottom of the bag and was going to pile on the rest of the groceries on top of them. I asked her to take them out of the bag and I will bag the snacks / more delicate items and she should do the rest. I didn’t pay attention afterwards. When I got to my car, the bag she packed must have weighed 30 pounds! I had to remove 5 items or the bag (even double-bagged) would have ripped!
3. I curse the person who mentioned dark chocolate peanut butter cups by the cash register.
SOTD = By Kilian Single Malt
Noooooo! To the incident at traders! I had an incident at Wegmans with their specialty cookies – I bought eight special treats for the weekend and most of them were smashed !$&@?
Do wish I had a traders closer to me tho
Can you bring them back or at least take a picture of it and go to Customer Service the next time you’re there – you may be able to get your money back.
Speaking of Wegmans, my dad used to go twice a day, then once a day when he stopped driving (bad car accident which was not his fault) but he kept up his friendships there even when he didn’t go there as frequently as he used to. At his memorial service in July 2015 (it was held 7 months after he passed), 4 Wegmans employees attended. There was a light-hearted moment during the eulogy when my brother held up a Wegmans coffee cup and said he knows my dad didn’t go there for the coffee. Anyway…memories…he would have been 86 yesterday.
That’s a lovely memory of your Dad. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Gail.
A wonderful memory. Your dad was the kind of customer, us store workers love to see come through the door. The people that restore our faith.
Thank you for your comment, lilyjo. It means a lot to me.
What a lovely story.
I may try that! Thank you for sharing this story about your Dad 🙂 he sounds like a person who brought out the best in people.
Lovely memory of your dad. I always bag all of my own groceries. In stores that have baggers, I put them on the belt as I want them bagged and then hover . I’m sure they think I’m nuts.
Wait, did somebody say dark chocolate?
???? and at $0.11 per piece, the dark chocolate peanut butter cup tastes even better!
I insist on doing the bagging. Most clerks would pile heavy things on top of the avocados. ????
I don’t get it — they probably think they are helping you along with the guacamole!
Don’t even start me on bagging groceries! I’m irked almost weekly by mindless drones who don’t think twice before putting something fragile under a bag of apples or some cans.
Just sprayed 15 sprays of Coco on and bringing my family and my crabby snacks to an eagles playoff game…. hope the combination is a winning one ????
15 sprays! You smell glorious!
Winning all around!
You smell fabulous!
Was at a local writers’ conference yesterday and wore 31 Rue Cambon edp, which I actually think I like better than the original edt. Not to the point of wanting a full bottle, but it’s really good. (Conference was good too.)
I have one of my (many) TJ Maxx candle finds sitting on my desk right now. It’s Black Tuxedo, from the “Manly Indulgence” line, and its notes are lavender, white musk and cedarwood. Which is all nonsense, because what it smells like is Shalimar. Seriously.
Well, okay, if I put my nose right ON it, I can smell the white musk, but mostly? Citrus vanilla. I mean, to the point where I sat down and said to myself, “Wow, did I accidentally spritz my desk last time I put on Shalimar?? Oh. No, it’s the candle.”
A little late to this because I was marching yesterday, but a short quote Lynch includes in his book “Catching the Big Fish” from Ramayana:
“The Truth upholds the fragrant earth and makes the living water wet. Truth makes fire burn and the air move, makes the sun shine and all life grow. A hidden truth supports everything. Find it and win.”
Hi all. 🙂
Hi????
Word!
Hello lillyjo & nozknoz. Thanks for the welcome.
Feeling out of sorts today. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go anywhere, so I am resting at home, petting the cat, and wearing Roja Parfums A Goodnight Kiss. No, I didn’t spring for the 100 ml bottle–I got the 7.5 ml “Discovery Atomiser”. It is parfum strength, and with the size of my collection, 7.5 ml is probably all I will ever need anyway. I don’t know whether the discovery atomizers are available at any stores in the U.S. I think all NM had was the 100 ml size, so I ordered directly from the Roja Parfums website.
That’s a good one; I’ve only tried it. I have the Haute Luxe travel spray which I also ordered directly from the Roja Dove website, paid $15 for shipping and was really upset for having been charged that amount for something that ended up being sent to me from NJ and which was severely delayed to boot. I ended up getting the $15 back after complaining.
The Roja website that has pricing in £? I wanted to order the smaller size of Diaghilev but didn’t want to pay the shipping – and it ships from NJ?! Hmm not sure if I want to do that. I wish the discovery sizes were sold in stores here in the US.
I complained to atom at Bergdorf. He spoke to the US rep. I also emailed the US rep and said I will dispute the charge.
Eek, that would be “Tom”, not atom!
It’s about d*mned time the did some smaller sizes!
I’ve seen some of them on ebay, I think.
Weird accidental layering… I applied Lumiere Noire this morning. Then about an hour later while tidying our bedroom I applied Lolita Lempicka. It actually took me a couple of minutes to realize what I had done. It wasn’t horrible. In fact, it made me curious about a rose licorice combo–or a rose, licorice, cherry, patchouli, vanilla combo. Sounds sweet. Anyway, anyone ever hear of a rose licorice perfume?
Can’t help with rose and licorice combos but it sounds good. It sounds like something smell bent would do – a bit like their Dead of Winter.
I tried some Fiele perfumes the other day and thought of you.
Were there any you liked?
They on,y had viola , cedrus and boswellia and I tried them all and I liked them . I need to go back and test them properly though and will report back. Viola might have been my favourite. They didn’t have blotters so I am not certain.
I don’t recall any rose/licorice perfumes, but it makes me think of Yohji Homme, a licorice fougere, and imagine adding a touch of rose to it. Probably gorgeous.
Just looked that one up. There are two listed on Fragrantica, 1999 and 2013. Both sound terrific. Love the idea of licorice and coffee in a scent.
Tried Tea for Two again; for some reason, I could smell it better today (maybe because of warmer weather?), but I still think it’s a shadow of itself…
Spend an interesting afternoon at an exhibit of miniature crime scenes, painstaking built in the 1940s by Frances Glessner Lee, the first female police captain in the US.
Apparently the miniatures are still used in forensic training today.
Not gruesome at all; just fascinating!
https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells
I saw that exhibit at the Renwick on Wednesday with a friend and noticed that most of the tiny ladies’ dressers have perfume bottles or atomizers. ????
It’s a fascinating exhibit and it’s ending soon, definitely worth seeing — if the shutdown ends in time. ????