It's our regular open thread poll, between-holidays edition. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the last perfume you almost bought but didn't, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is frost on the holly II [cropped] by liz west at flickr; some rights reserved.
Ten hours sleep
Reading news snuggled on sofa with coffee
Bathrobe wafting what else? Chanel le Lion.
Perfect morning.
Ditto!
I’ve got Le Lion on one arm, Coromandel on the other. We smell great.
Heck yeah!
How do they compare?
Yes which one do you like more? They are so different to me
Very different to me, also.
I agree with yasmina and lillyjo, both very different though clearly Chanel. I read some user review somewhere suggesting if you had one, you didn’t need the other. Disagree! You might not like/want both, but they are different.
I love both. Coromandel is more cosy/sweet to me where I get a lot of smoke and leather from Le Lion (bearing in mind this is Chanel, we’re not talking BBQ scents here!)
I’ll always have both in my collection, but if I were only allowed one bottle between the two, it would be Le Lion for me.
They’re just so good. This has made me realize I need to stop hunting for the next niche discovery, and put some budget to FBs of some of my favorite Chanel LEs… and also get samples of a few I haven’t tried yet that.
I’m agreeing with all of this. Le Lion has become my favorite exclusif. I’m not counting. 22 because it didn’t start out exclusive.
I agree with you about putting the dollars towards this line instead of scattering it around — although my pick would be Coromandel still!
Wow, so much talk about Le Lion and almost all positive. Can’t wait to try it!
What about the Shalimar reference? Is it any resemblence?
In response to Sebastian (your comment is too deep, so can’t comment on it!): I haven’t tried it side by side with Shalimar yet, but for me personally it did not evoke a Shalimar scent memory. My head just didn’t go there. Maybe when I try them together I’ll understand the comparisons other people are making.
Have and love Shalimar, but I’ll reach for Le Lion more.
Wonderful! So happy you get such a restful morning!
8 hrs sleep. Peppermint mocha. ESPN College GameDay. Texting with my niece in Ohio, who is also watching.
Geisha Vanilla Hinoki.
Aww! What a cute way to spend the day.
Mr. Spicebomb was kind enough to watch the Oregon game on delay last night so we could walk and look at lights in the neighborhood.
What a good husband!
He’s a good man, willing to make sacrifices. 😉
Doing a side by side test of BDK Wood Jasmine and Hermès Cèdre Sambac. The Hermès is definitely more woody. The BDK is sweeter and spicier. Husband prefers the BDK. It is reminding me a little bit of Ambre Narguilé,
Wood Jasmine is quite good…I have found the BDK line to be nicely done. I can share some Rouge Smoking w/ you and also have a few more samples from them I haven’t tried yet.
I did like the Tubereuse Imperial but locally it doesn’t seem available in the 10ml unfortunately!
Which other samples do you have? I chatted with Hajusuuri and she also likes Nuit de Sable, as well as Gris Charnel and Rouge Smoking. I’d like to try the Tuberose.
Aftelier Wild Roses, with AG Rose Absolue on my right hand. A FB of the Wild Roses may be in my future. I had misplaced my sample vial, but found it again yesterday. Strangely, although I do not doubt it contains rose, it doesn’t smell like “rose” to me, but there is still something compelling about it.
Rose Absolue, OTOH, is, to my nose at least, a near-perfect rose. It lacks that sour aspect that so many rose scents have, but without smelling overly sweetened. I only wish I had not bought a 100 mL bottle, as I will never use it up. My excuse it that when I discovered it and decided I needed it, it turned out to be possibly discontinued, or at the very least out of stock everywhere I looked. When I finally found it for sale again several years later, they only had the 100 mL size in stock. I am debating whether to decant off a reasonable portion and swap away the bottle, or decant off portions for swap/freebies and keep the bottle (with a reasonable amount left).
This leads me to one of my biggest pet peeves of perfume shopping–deceptive testers. I hate it when I try something in a store and decide I want it, only to be told that it is out of stock, that the tester is in fact the only bottle they have and it is not for sale. I mean, why keep the tester on the counter if you don’t have any of the perfume to sell? As bad, or even worse, is to fall in love with something from a store tester and buy it, only to find that the bottle you bought is a newer and less good reformulation than the tester bottle.
That is super frustrating. It happened to me with L’Eau No. 5 and I was so grumpy – at least mine was with a commonly available scent so I could buy it at another store later that day!
It happened to me with Rose Absolue and also with Guerlain Philtre d’Amour. The same store in both cases–the Neiman Marcus in the Houston Galleria. I looked for the RA in a couple of other stores that day, but nobody had it in stock. In the case of Philtre d’Amour, I think the Galleria NM is the only store I know of in this area that even carries all of those limited edition/limited distribution Guerlains. As for the bait-and-switch testers, it happened to me with Mitsouko. The tester smelled like the last few drops from a bottle of my grandmother’s that I had drained, but the bottle I bought was definitely not the same.
They really should stick a label with the date when it was first opened for testing.
Such a reasonable and rational idea!
50_Roses, you might try Saks at the Houston Galleria. Their Guerlain counter is in a weird place, past most of the rest of the fragrance/cosmetics, and it’s easy to miss. They have some of the older Guerlains, though maybe not as many as NM. Hope this helps. ?
I’ll have to look for that. I’ve been in Saks, of course, but I don’t remember seeing much in the way of Guerlain. It does seem that their fragrance counters are a bit more scattered around. In NM, everything is pretty much in one clearly defined area.
Is it worth trying to call someone there for any of the classics? It seems that L’heurre Blue and a few others are being phased out.
I have the opposite gripe – when they tell you they don’t have a tester just because they are out of stock on the product!
The tester horror!!! I find (old) testers that smell bad also irritating. Is the perfume off or just something you don’t like? Often they stand in a bright spotlight, which can’t be good for the juice.
I also didn’t get much rose from Wild Roses. It smelled more earthy hippie to me. It reminds me of the old head shops I went in during the late 90s and early 00s.
My two cents on the Rose Absolute is that if you want to get rid of some, you should give away/sell the decants and hold on to the bottle. Decants are much more likely to have evaporation issues than the original bottle, and you don’t want to be left with only an evaporating decant of a beloved, discontinued perfume.
I luurve Wild Roses, but not as a rose perfume. Its more of a ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ head shop scent to me.
I’ll be first in line for a Rose Absolue swap 🙂 Given your username, you sound like an excellent authority on rose scents. I am surprised and interested to hear that Wild Roses isn’t a very rosy scent.
sampling Henry Rose, the Michele Pfeiffer natural line.
Today I am in Torn
Notes are:
Freesia & Muguet
Rose, Violet & Jasmine
Sandalwood, Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla Bean & Praline
Navy cashmere sweater. Headed to Kalustyans to look for some ingredients to make Persian jeweled rice.
And? How’s the perfume?
When you get time, what do you think of the line? The notes for Torn sound pretty.
That jeweled rice sounds delicious! I have loved the few Persian rice dishes I’ve tried, but my favorite by far is tahdig.
I put up our Christmas tree last evening and I feel a warm tingle in my heart when I look at it and the shining lights it’s wearing.
I’m matching the perfume with this warm feeling by wearing Emeraude Agar from Atelier Cologne.
Happy evening. Christmas trees feel like a “portkeys” to a better time. I totally understand why folks may not have it in them to bother this year, but I really love them when I see them.
Yes indeed!
It didn’t even come to my mind to skip Christmas tree this year. It’s a necessary symbol of Christmas to me, no matter the circumstances.
I had 8 hours of sleep last night. Maybe it was the rain that helped. Still raining out there, but will quit soon, so maybe I can get a walk in today.
Took the first batch of family photos in to the digitizing company yesterday. I only took a very few (50), to ‘test’ the service. They are a short drive away, which is a must for me. I don’t want to ship our precious memories to anyone! They were very professional, family owned and quite organized. Plus, they have a 9 month old Boxer puppy named Groot that I’ll be able to visit when I drop off photos! ❤️?❤️
I’m testing Rogue Chypre-Siam today. Started out with a peach note, plus citrus. Reminded me first of Mitsouko and then No 5 a little. All of the lovely base notes are showing up, but the peach keeps popping in again. This is going to be fun to observe today. ?
*9 month old Boxer puppy named Groot* ?
I know! He’s very mellow for a pup.
I chuckle because “groot” means big or grown-up in my home language that is afrikaans.✌?
Oh, that’s great! It will be a fitting name eventually!
Oh how cute!
Peach! Groot! ?
I’d be dropping off photos every day just to see Groot.
That scent sounds great.
That has definitely crossed my mind!
In case you didn’t know: Rogue is having a 20% off sale right now through his Etsy site. No coupon code needed. Going for another day and a half.
Well, congrats on you new enabler pin, MissGoldsmith, and thank you for the tip! ?
I just ordered the 2ml sample set. I have a few samples left from the swapmeet, but ‘need’ the set. My birthday is in early March, so I’m just pre-planning. ?
Like everyone else, I’m loving the Groot part of the story 🙂
Testing Gabrielle Essence thanks to Lovestosmellgood’s mentioning of peach. I actually do get peach in this, after the initial blast calms down. It’s pretty, and VERY fresh to my nose. This is the sort of perfume I’d be delighted to encounter on someone else near me on the subway. At least that is my early impression. I have a habit of falling in love with mainstream frags that hint at expensive shampoo, purchasing them, and then getting bored and annoyed with them. I tried Gabrielle at some point and it was a definite no for me. This flanker is more fun.
In other news, I join the layabout sisterhood. Am still in bed, drinking coffee and noodling around on my iPad. Cats are alternating between grooming and fighting on my blanket. I’ve thrown every small thing at them in grabbing distance to get them separated. Managed to bop the little one on the nose with my Chanel decant. That seems to have done the trick for the moment.
My husband’s driving down to San Jose (about an hour south of us) with my older son to get him a COVID test. The test centers closer in are overwhelmed. Poor kid’s been quarantining in his room now since he arrived home from school Tuesday night. Hopefully we can spring him soon! My husband is an executive at a hospital, and spent last night helping with the documentation for administering vaccines to frontline workers. He said it was really intense, but also joyful. Here’s to joy! ? ? ?
Amen to that!!
Everyone is having nice, relaxing mornings it seems. I like yours. Kitties on bed is always fun.
I hope you can get a test for your son today. I talked to my daughter yesterday, and she’s holed up in LA, experimenting with essential oils and a diffuser, trying to chill.
I’m wearing Provision Scent’s Resonance perfume over their Manifest body oil, so I’m a labdanum powerhouse. The oil alone has a nice scent strength (and smells like labdanum and vanilla), so topped with the perfume, I’m wafting incense-y goodness.
I was looking at the L’Artisan site to see if the new Passage d’Enfer Extreme was there yet and noticed that they’ve started selling 10 ml travel sprays. Yay!
We finally received a rowing machine after being on a waitlist for 4 months, so I rowed in the garage this morning. It was really nice to exercise hard enough to get my heart rate up and break a sweat – it’s been a while.
Have a fabulous Saturday!
I purchased a stationary bike a few months ago, and absolutely love it. I set up my iPad so I can watch movies or tv shows, and peddle away in the evenings (well, a few times a week). With the long days, it is usually too dark for a walk now when I finish work—so I am really grateful for the small bit of exercise.
You smell great
Oooh a PdE extreme!! Can’t wait to try that!
Wearing Tom Ford Noir Extreme on a very cold day where I am planning to stay home and start wrapping my Christmas presents?.
Drinking now a warm cup of eggnog and having a couple of ginger cookies. Yummy!
I am going thru my perfume collection once again and I would like to rehome a couple of things. I may be posting more items during the week, if time allows.
❄Holiday Freebies- US only: ❄
1. A 10ml decant of Caron Parfum Sacre EdT that has 7-8 ml left. I will add some samples to the package.
2. A 10ml decant of Robert Piguet Knightsbridge that has 7-8ml left. I will add some samples to the package.
Please, place dibs here and email me at monica67 at aol dot com
Enjoy the weekend, everyone! ??❄
Dibs on #1 please!
Dibs on Knightsbridge ?
L’air du Desert Marocain today. It’s cold, there’s still snow on the ground. Went for a walk in my old, second-hand raccoon coat, while laundry was drying. Now enjoying the aroma of the tamales my hubby is making!
You smell great
Was just thinking of that scent this morning and need to find my little, wonderful decant,
And the perfume I didn’t buy…but almost did? A full bottle of Bronze Goddess. I’m almost out of my sample and craving it right now as a reminder of the summer that awaits.
I should wear it tomorrow, it is so cold and icy here! And yes, you need a bottle!
No SOTD, yet, except some light wafts of Mitsouko from yesterday. My house smells amazing, though, as I’m boiling orange rinds in heavy syrup to make candied citrus peel for Christmas gift tins. I also baked a few dozen chocolate crinkle cookies and Mexican wedding cakes. I have a strong tendency to go too far. . . I kinda want to make spiced nuts, maybe make some granola, etc, etc. I’m trying to convince myself that fruitcake, three types of cookies, two types of peanut brittle and the candied orange rinds is enough. Seriously, I type it out like that I and I realize how rediculous I am! It’s fun to have an excuse to cook and share it with others, though. And what else am I going to do?! Laundry? Hah!
Candied citrus rinds? Yes please. ?
SO good! I make them any time of year, but it’s really pretty in a cookie tin.
I would love to be your neighbour and get some of your bakings you have left over!!
I would very happily share! Truly, I would bake every weekend, if I had reliable people to help me eat it. I don’t want to eat treats every day, but I want to have the fun of making them and then one or two really wonderful servings. I have SO MUCH baking in my freezer that just sits there waiting for me to want to eat it. (Seriously, two kinds of cake, cinnamon rolls, at least one kind of pie. . . ) Shall I send you some? 😀
Oh, there’s at least one kind of cookie dough in there right now, too!!! I need to stop. I clearly have a problem.
OMG. Why aren’t we besties??
Need some cookies, Koyel? Let me know where to send them!
Oh heaven!!!
That’s an amazing amount of baking mojo!
Did a layering experiment with Lady Rose Lion, which is too fruity for me and Mitsouko, because Tania Sanchez called Lady Rose an inverted Mitsouko. This is a nuce combination, because the dryness of Mitsouko counteracts the fruity peach and roses, so it’s no more cloying.
A bridge near us was blown up today, and they did a livestream, so we watched it and could hear the explosion outside.
Wow. They blew up a dam here in Oregon a few years ago, and it was quite the news story, but it was too far away for me to hear it. Cool, but maybe a bit scary!
Decades ago I watched a downtown Portland building get imploded. It was fascinating, but I don’t remember it being especially loud. I was in the office I worked in at the time, a block and a half away and 16 floors up, so maybe that’s what muffled the sound?
Were you anywhere near the explosion near Nob Hill last year-ish? My BIL is a paramedic and had to respond to that, after the responders to the initial fire got caught in it. . . so scary.
No … I’m struggling to think if I was even aware of it at the time. Sometimes I have a sieve-like memory. ?
I don’t know how much of it was on the news, come to think of it. It may be one of those things that was big news for the first responders involved, but not really part of local conversations.
I bought a bottle of Spice Must Flow from Etat Libre d’Orange earlier this year. A friend had brought back a sample from a trip to Europe, and I pounced when I found it at an online perfumery in Australia.
I had also liked the sample of 500, from the same range. A few months later, the perfumery had Etat Libre d’Orange at half price. My finger hovered over the buy button, but I told myself not to be silly, and 500 was sold out the next day. Still thinking that maybe I should have purchased.
I’m perfume free so far, I think I’ll wander by the local perfumery later this morning. I might need to buy something from them soon – I visit a lot, and the staff are very attentive, so I want to support them (even though the prices are ridiculous).
The name always makes me think of the Dune tv-series.
It’s a line from the 1990 movie, I understand. I didn’t know there was a TV series! I tend to avoid celebrity perfumes, but I’m all in for a science fiction tie-in 🙂
Late 90’s/early 2000’s I believe the series was.I can only remember the giant sandworms and trading in cinnamon nowadays,must rewatch!Lol.
I just got a decant of Spice Must Flow and a sample of 500, planning to get a decant of that one too. There is a third one I haven’t seen show up in the US yet, can’t recall the name, but it’s in a yellow bottle.
It’s called Soul of My Soul, released this year.
SOTD Pierre Guillaume Fareb,nicely done spices and woods!I’m loving the steamy cumin/immortelle combination!It worked beautifully this morning in cool overcast weather,but by midday it was clear:this is a true seasonal(Winter) perfume.On my buy-shortlist(maybe)
Happy 40th Anniversary to the 9 to 5 movie!Planning on watching it tonight,in nostalgic celebration.So fun.
Happy Saturday!
XO
Perfume I almost bought?
Korloff Paris Iris Dorè,beautifully done,but I already have the sexier VC&A Bois d’Iris,in copious amounts.
40 years! How can that be? ?
Yup,Dec 19th 1980!??♂️??
Wow, now I feel reaaaaally old.
Haha!
Well I was barely human when it came out,but it was a favorite of my Mom,and we watched it a couple of times together!
I love cumin in perfume. You can come sit next to me…
Next time,when you make your wonderful persian dish again!
XO
SOTM is Paracelsus from a dabber, as jalapeno and I each contemplate acquiring more (or rather, how MUCH more to acquire ?). It is truly something special.
I had to look at the notes and wow! Paracelsus does sound special. Do you get any nose fatigue from the top notes? There’s alpha ionone in there.
No nose fatigue that I’ve observed. It’s quite a complex scent, with a deep dark rose very front-and-center for the first few hours, but with lots of sweet spices and something almost chocolate-y – actually, now that I look at the description on the website, chocolate is one of the notes listed. Maybe there’s enough else that the alpha ionone doesn’t get a chance to become fatiguing? Now that it’s roughly 12 hours after I dabbed it on, what remains seems to be vanilla and patchouli with a bit of something vaguely sweet-fruity – maybe the ambrette seed?
I’ll say wow again! 😀 thank you for the update on Paracelsus. It sounds like a real winner.
No nose fatigue that I can recall when I tried Paracelsus, either. I’ve found my sample of it for sniffing sometime in the near future.
good to know, jalapeno! thank you, Paracelsus is now on my sampling list. 🙂
Garage bill was much lower than expected (yay) so I invested the difference in Baccarat 540 hairmist. #perfumistastyle
Excellent perfume math.
Ha! Good deal
After my own heart ❤️ ❣️
I am trying out some of the Les Indomenables thanks to HJ. I had already tried Musc de Sable and really liked it and feel the same now about Rose de Jamal. I can see why Persolaise would compare this line to FM. I feel like I can smell the quality.
Like Iris Powder, Iris Perle is also growing on me and I am definitely not an iris lover. In fact, I think they are very similar although the iris lovers among us would know more.
I’m working through some Les Indemodables samples also and really enjoyed Musc des Sables. Tried another I don’t recall (not Rose Jamal) and the others are in the queue.
Very promising, but I don’t know why I keep buying samples from expensive brands! Oh, well. Cannot disappoint Donatella.
Yes I know what you mean – this brand is definitely out of my price range. But all the more reason to enjoy the samples
In the last of a tiny re-gifted sample of Dryad today.
I’m glad I got to test this one a few times: there’s love in the opening, and love again in the dry down, but a centre part of nagging olfactory fatigue because my reaction to galbanum always seems to be 60 seconds of adoration, and then a steep drop-off where I want nothing to do with it anymore… Salome is definitely on my FB wishlist, but this one is a (nonetheless gorgeous) pass for me.
I’ve got adjuruli cheese to make Georgian khachapuri, but am not feeling super motivated. I think it’ll wait til tomorrow and I’ll just roast some veggies to go with the leftover pork roast today.
Oh, I totally get your challenge with galbunum! I wear certain “green” scents sparingly for a similar reason, as I have to be in just the right space for them to be enjoyable and not distracting.
Burning a B&BW Sugared Cherry Crisp candle and listening to the station Jazz Christmas on Amazon but no perfume yet.
Slow-moving this morning though I did walk already. My upper back has been hurting the past couple days due to crappy posture working on my laptop I am sure….using a heating pad which seems to help. Wondering if stress is a factor too. I also have never seen a chiropractor and wondering if that time has come.
And speaking of cherry, a relative sent us the kringle below which we shall dive into tomorrow morning…if not sooner… 😉 ?
https://www.ohdanishbakery.com/seasonal-kringle-flavors/a-very-danish-christmas-kringle
The Kringle looks ?.
My upper back is hurting too. I’m guessing it’s due to too much sitting with bad posture.
I also use a laptop. I simulate a standing desk by using a laptop desk and I try to stand for at least 2 hours a day, if not longer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KX9-mBMj0/?igshid=2cdnn7ji9i2n
A few things have changed since I took the pictures:
1. When we started to use Zoom, an iPad worked better and I had to position it with the home button on the bottom (otherwise, I look like I am doing the side eye at every meeting) and I always sit while on Zoom
2. For audio only calls, I have a WeatherTech phone holder
3. The flower half curtains have been replaced by blackout curtains (best thing ever or it would have been blindingly bright)
I’m in the old standby CSP Vanille Abricot because it was sitting there, because it doesn’t bother anyone, and because I love it. It might be in my all-time top-ten list.
I love that one, it does take the enamel off one’s teeth though. But sometimes an overload of sweet is all you need.
Haha!I love this!And pyramus’ scent of the day even more!
Wearing La Rose de Rosine. It’s lovely and very ambery at the moment. Did a two hour walk today. It’s lovely to have hills to walk in.
Also got my first Covid test done. No symptoms but Luxembourg is doing another round of large scale testing to get a better idea of how many asymptomatic people there are.
Test was a piece of cake and the ladies doing it were very professional and very friendly.
How are they doing the tests? Oral swabs or non-invasive nasal swabs would be OK, but some of the really invasive nasal swab tests sound horrible. One of my coworkers told me she had a friend who got such a test and she had a nosebleed for five days afterward.
I had the throat swab. A friend of mine has had both the nasal and the throat swab and was absolutely fine with both. Mind you, we are both doctors and perhaps a little less intimidated by these things than other people might be. I’m not saying it was pleasant, but it was done very swiftly.
I expect it depends to a large extent upon the skill of the person doing the test. I hate having stuff done to me–blood draws, shots, whatever. Sometimes it is OK, but other times I end up incapacitated. One particularly memorable blood draw by the nurse at my workplace left me unable to raise my arm above shoulder height for the rest of the day. It wasn’t just me either–I heard from several coworkers that they had bad experiences with her.
Re: allergy to adhesive bandage – I suggest bringing your own next time and have it out when you’re being prepared to be jabbed.
Fortunately I mostly don’ t mind. Although the nurse who gave me my flu jab was a bit too quick about the injection. Still he was meticulous about desinfecting my skin. You can’t have it all In supposed.
Sometimes they are too meticulous. I have to be prepared to stop them if they try to put an adhesive bandage over the site where I’ve just been jabbed. I’m allergic to the adhesive.
I had the bad nasal swab when I was tested before being admitted to the hospital for my emergency hand surgery (after a freak cat bite). It was so unexpected I didn’t have time to work myself into a tizzy beforehand. The nurse said to take a deep breath and hold it, and it all happened very fast, with just one brief moment of a kind of burning sensation, then it was over. I pass along this advice to take a deep breath if you are going to have one!
Sitting here listening to the torrential rain and not wanting to go out, but I know I need to some time. We are out of a bunch of things so I do need to go to the grocery store. One last gift item arrived yesterday, so now I need to wrap and mail everything. Of course, I can’t find the gift tags that I came across several months ago and put away in a “safe place.” It’s so safe that I can’t remember where it is. Naturally, as soon as I buy more gift tags I will find all the others I have bought over the years and promptly misplaced. If I ever managed to round them all up at once I would probably have enough to last the rest of my life.
Ohmygod this happens to me all the time! I try to be so organized In forget how I organized
So often I know when things are in a mess, I still know where they are. Then after I “organize” everything, I don’t know where anything is. In this case, these were the tags I bought a couple of years ago and couldn’t find last year, so I bought more. This year I couldn’t find any of them, so I just bought some at the grocery store. Now watch–next week or the week after I will find all the missing packs of gift tags.
SotD = au coeur du desert + zum mist frankincense & myrrh
Smells spicy and warm here. au coeur is on my wrists, zum mist is wafting around the house as air freshener. It’s window washing day, the smell of window cleaner is in the mix too.
The day feels quiet and introspective, perfect for thinking about scent. 🙂
You smell wonderful!
thanks, cazaubon! frankincense and myrrh zum mist is really nice in the winter. 🙂
That sounds like a great combo!
it works! 🙂 I’m all about frankincense this time of year.
Wearing Jo Malone Midnight Musk & Amber. Powdery light amber with a slightly masculine laundry musk finish. It’s lovely in cold weather and quiets down after a few hours making it great for office wear ??
My mom got a freebie sample of that one and said she liked it.
Is your mom a perfumista Robin? Inquiring noses want to know!
No, not at all!
Is it anything like the Aerin Amber Musk one?
It is, at least in the beginning. I’m not familiar with Amber Musk’s dry down since I’ve only tested it on a strip
Cuir Cannage today. It’s supposed to rain buckets this weekend, so I walked early and brought in firewood to make the house seem cozy. I might bake some cookies this afternoon too. I binged-watched the first nine episodes of Mozart in the Jungle last night and will continue this evening. Music + NYC = happiness.
I liked that series!
You smell gorgeous – love Cuir Cannage!
I loved the series!
Wearing Miss Dior original right now and waiting for the clock to turn 6. I am a little annoyed with the postal service, apparently my packages are delayed with no known delivery date in sight. Hope they get here by Christmas.
Fingers crossed for you.
There’s stuff I ordered on Black Friday that I haven’t gotten yet. Fortunately it’s all stuff for me or stocking stuffers that won’t make or break the holiday.
Me too! Sounds like delays are everywhere.
Sotd – Rodin, a heavy enough jasmine to match the cold and dreary Seattle day.
Plus, M. allo doesn’t care for jasmine forward fragrances and he’s gone this weekend so I’m applying liberally!
Ahh, I love that Rodin perfume and live in Seattle too. ☺️ It’s one of my top jasmine perfumes.
Hi Neighbor!
Hours of sleep last night: roughly three and a half.
SOTD: Narciso Rodriguez for Her. When I put it on is when I remembered that this is the one that SJP Lovely was supposed to have been modeled after. They are both really nice. I think SJP’s has a few different notes, but I like the ‘girly-ness’ of both.
Weather: too flippin’ cold. Just last week people were traipsing about in light jackets and hiking in the woods, this week we are all eskimos.
Oh gosh. Hoping for more sleep for you tonight.
I don’t know if everyone here is aware that every month Scent Trunk releases a new perfume from a different perfumer. I tend to forget myself and they only started doing it November 2019. Last year they had DSH create their December 2019 perfume that is very well done. I think I’ll give it a wear this week. Anyway, last weekend Scent Trunk was offering 15% off, so I bought four 5ml travel sprays to start to catch up on what’s come out this year. I’ve got November 2020 by Maya Njie on my left arm and July 2020 by Tanäis of Hi Wildflower on my right arm. The Maya Njie is based around tree moss, and the Tanäis is focused on marigold. I like them both. Fans of Dryad should enjoy the Maya Njie creation.
Last night I tried December 2020 from Dana El-Masri of Jazmin Sarai based around black frankincense and November 2019 from Tyler Monk of LuVandus Perfumery (hadn’t heard of him or the company prior) based around Spanish pennyroyal. Between those two the November was my obvious favorite, but I’ll defintely give each of these perfumes a full wearing on their own. The November 2019 was nominated for an Art and Olfaction even.
Having a somewhat lazy day at home, currently doing a rewatch of The Karate Kid. It’s been years since I’ve watched it, and my boyfriend and I just finished the first two seasons of Cobra Kai on Netflix. The show is actually a lot better than we were expecting it to be. The third season comes out in January so we’re planning to also rewatch Karate Kid II and III in the meantime.
Work is stressful right now, as I’ve got some big deadlines on the 31st. The extra days off this month for the holidays are both a blessing and a curse. I think I’ll feel pretty darn relieved on New Years Day.
I wasn’t aware of Scent Trunk, thanks for all the details. Will check it out. (Not that I need anymore samples or decant, but…)
I know what you mean about time off being both a blessing and a curse. It’s always a mad stress bomb getting my desk cleared and work transitioned to others, then there’s a ton of stuff when I return. Oh, well. Blessed to have a job at all.
Special attention Robin–L’Artisan has a new Passage d’Enfer Extreme! (I remember you sort-of-wished for this in your original review.) Supposed to be more floral, plus vanilla. Not sure what I think, but sounds worth sampling at least.
Well, I should have checked the thread first–someone already posted about it!
I saw it last week and meant to post about it and forgot…that’s my 2020 perfumistahood in a nutshell, LOL…so thank you for the reminder!
SOTD is Coco Noir parfum, squeezing the dregs from a decant. Nice, but I’m going to save my money for a FB of Le Lion de Chanel. Didn’t get to post yesterday, but Le Lion (many thanks to Hajusuuri for the sample!) is easily my favorite of 2020. But I wound up wearing Iris Torrefie for work yesterday since it’s more office-friendly.
Le Lion would be a nice gift, just sayin’
And you can beat the price increase…
Merry Christmas to me!
Wore Aromatics Elixir today, lots of it. Like a few others here I had very little sleep the last 2 nights. I had a cat-nap this afternoon and will turn in early tonight hopefully.
Happy Saturday everyone!
Sweet dreams, Gail.
Thanks lillyjo; I slept a bit longer than usual. Good thing I can doze off again if I need to since my hubby will be watching golf! That usually puts me to sleep.
I first read “I had catnip this afternoon” and thought well no wonder you can’t sleep!!Haha!
Hope the next sleep cycle was better!
I’m on 6 hours max these days,to bed at midnight and awake around 6,like clockwork,even weekends.
XO
Good catnip can lead to a deep sleep for cats; I’ve seen it first hand!
I think I got about 7 hours last night; that’s a long night of sleep for me. Hope you can get some more rest yourself!
Scent cousins yesterday!
?
Did anyone here anything about Chanel increasing the Les Exclusifs prices in the new year??
Yes, heard it on a youtube video (superdacob). Seems to be the same amount for the 75 and 200, so the 75 will be even more expensive. I think it was $20?
$20 more would be 10% I think for the 75 ml. I should’ve bought from Duty Free when I had the chance!
Always, plus Duty Free.
The ‘last perfume you almost bought but didn’t’ phrase piqued my interest today, for some reason – that would be Muguet Porcelaine, a sample of which I acquired when I last visited the Frasers department store in Glasgow. I really loved it, but couldn’t justify spending that amount of money on it!
Carolyn, I have a bottle from 2015 or 2016. It has a fair amount of melon mixed in with the LOTV. I can make a decant if you’d like. Reach me at ann dot dalrymple at geemail.
That’s a very kind offer, thank you, anngd. Not sure where you are geographically, I’m in Aberdeen, Scotland, which could be problematic for postal service, HM Customs etc! I fully intend to treat myself to a bottle when we’re allowed to travel any distance – the possibility of Hermes no longer having concessions in Frasers as Mr Ashley’s influence grows ever greater being the only issue that will prevent me from doing so!
That may not work then – I am in the US, in Boston. I’ll check at the post office and let you know. Stay safe!
Oh please, please don’t go to the trouble of visiting at the post office. Things here in the different parts of the UK are just a shambles, with huge delays to postal services, severe restrictions, travel bans etc & threats by the UK & devolved powers in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland to bring in further restrictions for all sorts of things. I very much appreciate your kind offer though, but the timing is working against it! You stay safe too.
Ciao a tutti and happy Sunday
I am cooking a Persian/Moroccan feast today. Jeweled rice, lentils with z’atar. Normally its suppose to be with chicken but we are using tempeh instead (Mr L is strict vegetarian). A soup with fennel, artichoke and tarragon herbs.
SOTD, to fit with my lunch theme is Alahiiiiiiiine
Your feast sounds devine!Enjoy!
I will pass you some leftovers!
Sending you kisses! Message me some photos of Africa in the summer when you feel inspired.
Your feast sounds delicious!
Omg that soup… Any chance you have a recipe to share? ?
Hi, guys!
So happy to see you all.
I had difficulties accessing this blog for a very long time – some sort of VPN was necessary, I’m not sure why.
I’ve been enjoying Armani Si for a few days. I know that it’s mainstream and not very artsy, but it is a tasteful crowdpleaser for sure =)
We’re not all niche-exclusive! Loads of us here have and love loads of scents from mainstream brands, including delightful cheapies (not just classy names like Armani). All that matters is that you enjoy it!
You’ve reminded me I’ve got a purse spray of Si around here somewhere that needs some attention. I did not care for Si Passione though. They added something to that one—I’m thinking some synthetic wood note—that doesn’t agree with me.
I love what you said,some of my favorite perfumes are drugstore cheapies!
Hey there! Hope you are well!
Hi! Hope you are well! I had a similar issue last year when I tried to access NST from Italy. I emailed Robin and it got fixed pretty quickly.
Hello! Nothing wrong with liking what you like in perfume!
So sorry about that Veronika!
a Sunday spent well.
Did early Summer cleaning,did the neccesary shopping for the week(on standby every day this coming week,we only have a theatre list scheduled for Tues so far),and now just relaxed on the balcony.It’s 17:27,at 18:30 I’m off for a much needed stroll on the estate with my neighbor.
SOTD the delectable Black Lapsang,I think from Bodidharma?It was part of my lovely freebie package.LOVELOVE!
Happy Sunday!
XO
The package that keeps on giving! Enjoy your stroll.
Hope that your week is a good one!
Jeleaous about your summer! ?
I hope you enjoyed your stroll! ?
I can’t wait to do early summer cleaning! Even spring cleaning! Anything but winter cleaning would be just fine 😉
Wearing Sycomore today. I love it since a couple of years but recently is becoming one of my favorites ever. It’s such a beauty…I’m lost for words.
I hope the kids will go to bed earlier so I’ll have time to watch the latest episode of a Spanish limited series on Netflix, translated as “The mess you leave behind”. I really enjoy it!
“The mess you leave behind” could be a story about a few people I know. LOL (ok.. and sometimes me)
Haha, I think we all now people like that. Hopefully not like in this movie, though.
Ack, that mess comment is so true lillyjo! Yes, I know a couple of people like that.
Enjoying the sample of Aftelier Parfum Privee I found in an old purse. Also in the purse: a Sisley lippy I love and have been hunting for. Moving is such a trial.
Any ideas from the group on this: DH used Brut deodorant and aftershave when I met him years ago. It disappeared, and has apparently been sold from Faberge to another manufacturer with less than stellar results. I really dislike the drugstore versions of stuff he’s using Right Guard (ugh), Nivea (musk bomb), Old Spice body wash (Ick, nothing like my dad’s Old Spice). Any ideas for replacements? Thanks, and happy Sunday all!
I tried Tom Ford’s Eau des Beau recently and really liked the barbershop vibe.
Not like any you mentioned but I think Aramis Tobacco Reserve is gorgeous (a mix of green tobacco and cassis). Its discontinued already so very good price from discounters.
From Bodyshop there is Kistna (I used to like it for myself – and an ex of mine bought it independantly too!)
I like Lush’s Dirty very much but said ex disliked it…
Thanks for the great suggestions, Merlin and Jalapeno. Going on my annual pre-Christmas panic shop later and will hunt for L’Occitane and TF. Then online to the discounters.
anngd, Parfum Privee smelled great for the short time I wore it. IIRC the sample was $20 (most expensive) and came in a rollerball. One swipe was all it took for my skin to well up in a rash ?. I emailed Mandy but never found out whether it was the rollerball (nickel is no bueno for me) or an ingredient in the perfume. I got my money back.
Oh, that’s a shame. I got the solid. It lasts about an hour, unlike almost everything else. No allergic reaction, and my skin is super-reactive. Maybe it was the nickel?
Maybe some of the Eau des Baux EdT from l’Occitane? They also have a stick deodorant in that scent.
Drinking my late morning coffee before I summon the will to go do a few more hours work in advance of taking the week off. Couldn’t clear the desk by end of business Friday, alas.
Wearing Neroli Outrenoir courtesy of an nst fairy godmother. Oh, this one is lovely. Very, very tempting.
On back of my hand I have a small dab of Bon Monsieur from Rogue. This one immediately evoked the memory of my very suave and handsome grandfather. It’s lovely, but too personally nostalgic to require more than my small sample.
I did click the buy button on 30ml of Rogue Derviche, while his 20% of sale is on. Come 2021, I really need to go into a strict no/low buy.
TV/Movie news: Recently finished Sharp Objects (HBO limited series came out a few years ago.) I thought it was great. You need to pay attention, though. We’ve been working through The Crown (very late to the party). Last night watched the new movie “Run.” with Sarah Paulson on Hulu. Recommend if you like suspense. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.
I LOVED Sharp Objects as a book but only liked the TV series. Could be in part because I saw the series on a long plane trip and the quality was pretty bad – flickering and faded colours. Also, I just imagined the characters quite differently which is obviously inevitable. Still…read the book!
Haven’t read the book. I’m rarely satisfied with an adaptation if I’ve read the book first. Is Sharp Objects still worth the read even if you already know the ending?
On the topic of adaptations, not sure how many sci-fi fans are on here, but I’m very eager for the new Dune. It looks good. With Villaneuve as director, I am optimistic. Not sure where the release date stands now, but it’s one I’d love to see in theater. ? vaccinations
I was mostly amazed at the book’s representation of psychopathology, it’s origins and evolution… The series got the plot with the whodunnit mystery but for me it left out the dimension that was the most interesting. Not to mention that Flynn’s writing is taut and precise to a T so I don’t mean long meandering ruminative asides.
Oooh! Sounds good. Going to check it out.
Went to a small gathering outside today and wore Diva layered with Eau des Missions – a favourite combo 🙂 Relaxing now in Fig & Cassis.
How nice! It is too cold here for any sort of gathering, so I am jealous.
Well, I’ll meet your summer jealousy with some intense snow jealousy of my own! 😀
?❄️
SOTD is Red Door EDT . A nice honey, but too light, at least in the winter weather.
Is that a current version? I remember Red Door being a powerhouse.
I doubt it is current, since it is a bottle from around the house, but exactly when it was obtained I do no know.
Hi Dilana, we ran out of thread room above. I certainly think it’s worth it to call Saks and inquire about their Guerlain inventory. The SA’s I’ve talked with have all been kind and knowledgeable. Good luck!
Drenched in Rahat Loukhoum. Trying unsuccessfully so far to get off the couch.
It’s probably best to not fight the couch ?
ha, your couch needs you! 🙂
I’m at work and a little grumpy. I finally got the Christmas tree up. Looks like a good chance for a white Christmas.. yay.. lol
Sotd is vanilla flash.
It will go fast! You smell nice!
yay for you on getting the tree up. We’re at a holiday stalemate at my house. I asked my college-age daughter to help me carry the holiday boxes out of the garage and into the house a week ago. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow . . .
either way, we’re smelling pretty. I’m joining you in vanilla flash today. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Good for you on getting your Xmas tree up! You’re making up for all the years I haven’t had a tree, because cats.
SOTD = 4160Tuesdays Clouds EDP
cazaubon clued me in to this and She-ra mentioned Krystal Fragrance and the rest was history. And now I understand why this is hoard-worthy but I will try not to because life is too short! 8 sprays and my head is in the clouds, pun intended ?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJCIOaaB4fH/?igshid=8rjfucclzzbg
In other news, 2 more days of work this week before a very long weekend (love it when a holiday falls on a Friday), then back to work again for 2 days the following week and then another long weekend. I do have a lot of work to accomplish but I will power through!
go, hajusuuri, your powering through effort gives me inspiration to get! things! done!
and Clouds sounds fantastic. 🙂
Hello everyone!! My Imperial Tea that was supposed to arrive yesterday, got the delivery date changed to Monday, ended up arriving today on a Sunday in an overloaded postal car with an overworked, super nice mail lady that even had cookies for our doggies:) ahhhhh… Imperial Tea… my travel spray is so precious to me, very precious few mls!! Ahhhhhh and ohhh… this I would call a true anti- perfume. It’s so subtle and delicate like this perfume does NOT care about its appearance. It is indeed a jasmine tea fragrance. Smells hyper realistic, undeniably green tea with jasmine… so beautiful in this form and its simplicity I would not change anything in it. Meaning I have to save some $$$ and own a whole 50ml of it… also ordered a bamboo harmony travel spray and will see what happens!! P.S. I’m still sniffing Imperial Tea and I can NOT believe how accurate it is… it smells JUST and only like jasmine tea smoke and aroma coming out of a hot cup!! Unbelieveable.
Ah! I was hoping I’d hear about your Imperial Tea experience. It sounds lovely.
Awww thank You so much for waiting for me to report back!!
So glad you love it after the wait!
Thank You!! And one more (the last, I promise) thought on this perfume.. this is the one I would truly wear for myself, to myself and from myself.. now if anyone else gets close to me and likes it, well great too but truly… I just want to buy a wooden box, a large bottle of IT and hide it in that box.. and keep it as my own, personal secret fragrance
You have found a holy grail 🙂
Scent today: Nectarine Blossom and Honey.
SOTWeekend = Wrappings EdP. Maybe I should get a backup bottle? ??
Might as well. You never know when it will get hard to find.
Would be nice if they had a 40mL bottle! But the 20mL is so cute!
Why not? ?
Maybe I’ll see what the price is after Xmas…
Yup, get it. It’s nearly impossible to find after Christmas (for me, anyways)!
And oh my gosh, oh my gosh… my heart is beating so fast, I am speechless, breathless… why did I do this to myself?! I need a HUGE bottle of Imperial Tea ASAP. The more I keep sniffing this “anti-perfume, most beautiful perfume” the more I cant get over how much I adore the way it smells!! The MOST delicate scent I ever smelled in my life. Just like the hot steam coming from a hot cup of jasmine tea. Discreet and delicate, floral but subtle, jasmine smells very delicate in tea. Unlike night blooming jasmine bush or a white, heady floral. Jasmine in tea is much more subtle and Imperial Tea, I keep wanting to say “tastes” like the real deal… it smells like a sip of jasmine tea!! I am so in!! To me this perfume really has so much soul… for a real tea connoisseur… thanks anyone for reading this and thanks for letting me share my thoughts on this!!
Get the biggest bottle and enjoy it! ?
Oh I am saving my $$$ for sure!!
It sounds like you’ve fallen hard for this perfume.
Way harder than I thought. I knew I would most likely enjoy it and might put it on my wishlist for a FB, but I had no idea it will become all I can think about right now!! To get that full bottle but ASAP like the whole world is on fire:) IT even has a tiny touch of this specific, subtle, tiny bitterness of like when You really open a tin can with jasmine tea and the tea leaves are a little dry… I noticed some people said it has undertones of grapes or other fruit… but really these “undertones” might seem fruity but that’s just the melody between tea and jasmine… some people said it’s all jasmine overpowering the tea… these people sound to me like they haven’t “really” drank a real cup of jasmine tea… if You ever love a cup of green jasmine tea You will know IT smells just like it…
I am trying to test-drive DSH Lili- a Linden scent. Last time I wore it, the melon note predominated, and I could detect a touch of the apple note for which I blind bought it. Today, I had to reapply it mid morning.
I miss being able to apply a single dose to an inner wrist and then doing the inverted wrist sniff throughout the day. I am now scrubbing my hands and wrists so throughly that I seem wipe off most scent, and applying on my neck area just isn’t the same.