Saturday is Boxing Day, Candy Cane Day, the first day of Kwanzaa and the second day of Christmas. We're celebrating all of it with our usual open thread poll.
Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, the present you might buy yourself if it goes on sale this weekend, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. [cropped] by m.shattock at flickr; some rights reserved.
FREEBIE!
On the second day of Christmas, I’m offering for free
Two floral perfumes
2. Neela Vermeire Picola 15 mL EdP spray
Borsari Violetta di Parma 50 mL EdP spray
These two do not necessarily have anything in common except that they are both florals and both need a good home, To claim either of both of these, please reply to the email associated with my gravatar. I will split these up if necessary. I would be happy to send them both to the same person, but if nobody wants them both, I will give them away separately.
Forgot to mention—both bottles are essentially full, havi g only been sprayed a few times. And yes, this offer is for the full bottles.
Thank You for this!! Just sent You an email 🙂
I’ll bite ?. Will send you an email. Thanks.
Pichola has been claimed. The Violetta di Parma is pending.
Violetta di Parma is now claimed as well. Another freebie coming tomorrow.
Good morning, and Merry Christmas (some more) all! The 26th of December is not specifically a holiday for me or my family, but I like the post-holiday quiet; expectations and projects are over, and there’s still lights and trees and such to enjoy for a while.
No SOTD, yet, other than whatever bits of OJ Woman lingers on my pajamas. It goes away, to my nose, in a handful of hours except on fabric, so I often intentionally spray it on my clothes! The hemlock note seems especially Christmassy to me.
Yesterday, Mr. Spicebomb and I spent several hours assembling and installing a squat rack into the garage. I can do squats and bench press again!!! I bought the rack mid-year and it arrived a few months later, but then he decided we needed to finish the garage before we installed it (bolted to the studs). All that is finally done, and I’m so happy to have more options for my training again. I’ve become quite a sloth this month especially, mostly out of boredom. Time to rebuild my strength and get back to that deadlift goal!
I’m with you, I like the post holiday quiet. Better than the holiday itself, lol.
I agree that Woman seems Christmassy. That hemlock note reminds me of home.☺️ Congrats on the new squat rack!
Thanks, madtowngirl! I decided to stay in the OJ family and sprayed myself with Tolu after my shower. I think it was the wrong decision. I’m wishing I used more Woman. Oh well, I can reach for it later in the day!
Good for you!
Could use some new exercise motivation myself but I’ve also gotten better at setting expectations that match who I am today.. being more realistic and at peace with that.
Oh, mostly I don’t have to convince myself to workout anymore. It’s the content of the workouts that’s been suffering. Doing a lot of “that’s good enough” instead of pushing myself. I’m ok with placeholder workouts from time to time, but part of what I enjoy about lifting especially is that there’s measurable improvement! So, it becomes sort of a negative feedback loop–I’m not having fun, so I do less, so then I progress less, so I’m not having fun, etc. I’m ready and eager to push myself again!
All that said, I think we have to honor where we’re at, and it won’t always be “moving forward.” I don’t love the “go hard or go home” mentality. Seems like asking to hate your workouts! So, good for you for honoring your limits!
well said, and helpful!
I like the idea of ‘measurable improvements’
Hooray for the squats rack! Make sure you give us updates for your deadlift goal!
Thank you, Sistine! I will do that. I could use the cheerleading. 🙂
A squat rack, awesome! I really miss weightlifting at the gym with friends, which is not possible these days due to the pandemic. Hope to get back into it in 2021.
OJ Woman is amazing all year round, but especially in the winter!
Good morning! Today’s scent is easy going but fleeting in Eau d’Hermes. Yesterday was Elixir des Merveilles for a cocoa gourmand Christmas. (I gifted myself an Hermes sampler pack for Christmas, can you tell? 😉 )
Excellent example of self care!
? Boxing Day Freebie! ?
1.Bath & Body Works Body Creams: Chestnut & Argan and
Amber & Argan. Both lotions are 8oz tubes new, never opened.
Please, please dibs here and email me at monica67 at aol dot com
Happy Boxing day, everyone! ?
Dibs, and I will email later on lunch.
They are yours! No need to email me, unless you changed your address.
Same place!
Thanks pl67!
?
I woke to the distant sounds of the garbage truck. Garbage day is normally Friday, but postponed a day if it lands on a holiday. Raced upstairs in my underwear to pull the bins out, because of course I’d forgotten.
SOTD is Cuir de Russie.
Next year goals (won’t call them resolutions): wear my hoard more, no more blind buys, whittle down the sample collection, no FBs until I’ve thunked the sample, at minimum.
I recently read a (not very enlightening) fragrance article in one of the mainstream fashion mags, one of those articles where a group of regular contributors/editors share a favorite or recently discovered whatsit. One of the contributors was presented as an expert because her collection numbered 30 bottles. Only the dear readers here would understand my reaction: a shrug.
I started watching Bridgerton last night. I’m enjoying it as the ridiculous trifle it is, but I really hate some of the costumes. Totally fine with it being, err, historically inspired rather than historically accurate, but there are some really bad metallic upholstery fabric dresses accessorized with excessive boobage.
My collection is over 100 bottles.
Mine too, plus the gazillion samples
I can always rely on my fellow nst-ers to reassure me I don’t have some perfume pathology! Not at 100 bottles yet. Like Marjorie Rose, though, I haven’t actually counted…
30 bottles? Piker. LOL.
I like your resolutions, plan to hoard less, wear more as well.
Spitting out my water!!!!
Very Funny cazaubon!
I estimate I’m up to about 70 bottles at this point. Haven’t bothered to stand there and count them all, and I don’t see any need to! However my totally snotty comment would be that it isn’t that she had 30 bottles, but I’d need to know WHICH bottles to feel like I could trust her judgement. Of course, “mall scents” can be lovely and wonderful, but if that is the breadth of her experience, I’d be less inclined to listen.
I agree with your comment. I see huge collections on YouTube, but so many of the “reviewers” don’t know what they are talking about. They just regurgitate what they’ve read on fragrantica.
Oh I completely understand your comment. It’s just that I’m sure everyone else at that fashion mag thought that 30 bottles is a huge collection. Most of the people I know probably think 10 bottles is a lot. I don’t dare tell anyone I know in real life just how much perfume I have.
Oh, same. I also hide most of my collection when my parents come to visit, to avoid a difficult conversation.
Yeah, Mr. Jalapeno does not know the extent of my collection, and I am not inclined to let him know. I suspect that he considers it frivolous.
Jeez, I feel like the character who looks normal to everyone else but has a secret stash at home. And I think I am at about 30 bottles, not counting samples and tiny roller bottles. Every year, I update my typed list with the name of the perfumes, arranged by year of acquisition. I like to reflect on what was going on in my life each year. But I do note that the years I bought more perfume – maybe 3-5 bottles – I tended to have fewer long term favorites compared to those years I bought 3 or fewer. I am trying to limit myself to 1-2 bottles each year, as much for environmental reasons as anything else. Also, I find it more difficult to choose unique scents, as I compare to what I already own.
Heading back to work tomorrow after a nice holiday, and NOT looking forward to the long hours.
You are right.
10 bottles would be considered extravagant by most people.
I need to count my bottles. Honestly it’s all the decants that make me dizzy to contemplate!
Thanks for the mini-review of Bridgerton, I had a feeling from the previews it might be a little bit of a disappointment.
I always have a bit of a chuckle on these articles touting the latest fragrance.
It’s best thought of as a sexed-up, CW-style teen melodrama, featuring adults in a 7 year old’s idea of snazzy Regency garb.
I’m enjoying it as a palate cleanser with many eye-roll opportunities.
hahaha! I saw the ad for Bridgerton last night and laughed out loud, thinking it does remind me of a 7 year old’s idea of snazzy Regency garb. 😀
My husband is watching football, and you guys convinced me to give Bridgerton a try.
I am only 15 minutes in, and already surprised there isn’t a Hallmark channel devoted to 24-hours a day of Regency bodice-rippers. It’s yet another show that I never would have watched in 2019 but will eat right up in 2020.
We watched the first episode yesterday (Christmas Day for us). I’d say it’s more Georgette Heyer than Jane Austen, but the dialogue is not nearly as witty. But it is, so far, enjoyable fluff.
I would heartily recommend Boy Meets Girl, which we watched in BritBox (two seasons). It’s beautifully done, with excellent actors, and just…made me feel better.
These days, that’s the best kind of TV. Something that makes you feel better.
We’ve been watching Lucky Dog, about a guy who trains dogs he rescues from the pound and then places them in homes that he screens. It’s very heartwarming. My eyes have leaked a little from time to time, and I’m okay with that. ❤️?❤️
I’ve done some good whittling down of perfumes and especially samples/decants this year. My husband is delighted to say the least. Feels good and hope to keep it up.
I’ve been working on reaching for my discontinued/ very special perfumes more often lately and I am making some progress, but I still keep wanting to save the good stuff for a special occasion. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that the special occasion is now.
There have been increasing nr of perfume related articles around. ‘Scent wardrobe’ has become a term i see often too. I suppose it’s a high margin business – more advertising, more articles, more purchases. In my group of friends everyone has only 1 or 2 perfumes which the re-purchase continuously. I’m not in the industry but I should think the nr of new launches, the nr of ‘exclusive’ lines etc is a good indicator of profitability, which drives more silly advertising and ‘in the media’ articles. Anyhow the articles I see around also make me shrug a lot. I think the best an article can hope to achieve is convince someone to *try* sth new. Scent is so ingrained in our innate sense of likes and dislikes we r not going to re-purchase anything unless we actually really love it. Perfume lovers are probably the worst crowd – we’ll try everything once, and even if we buy a full bottle we’re not likely to repurchase due to an existing overflow of options. (this turned out a bit longer than expected!)
Also watched some Bridgerton, I wish they took some of that cash they spent on costumes and invested it in casting (looking stern does not equate to acting or a personality) and scripting (help those poor actors out won’t you?). Still – someone here described it as a trifle which I think is a perfect description. It’s silly, fun and I’ll still watch all of it as a feast for the eyes if for nothing else. But when it comes to watching something again I will probably choose the BBC version of pride and prejudice or emma productions over this.
30 bottles? Pfffffffffffft. Last time I counted, I had a shock (100+). I don’t know the exact number of bottles that live with me right now.
I love the casual confidence of your statement. I honestly think the brain trust that must accompany that many bottles is a pretty cool thing in and of itself. You should have your own boutique.
Hope everyone is still enjoying their Christmas time to the fullest. I still have one more week of holidays which makes me ultra happy right now.
For Christmas Eve I wore MFK Grand Soir.
1st Day of Christmas was booked for Prada Amber Pour Homme.
Today it is Memo Winter Palace for me.
No perfumed gifts under my tree but I got 2 books, new shirt and a winter cap that matches my new coat. I am happy.
Stay warm, healthy and happy!
So glad you had a great Christmas and have more vacation time!
I am very happy ?
Lovely gifts!
And smelling divine! I wish they made this one in the smaller sized bottles as they do the others. Perhaps they will?
Are you speaking of Grand Soir?
They will probably make it, if not there’s at least a travel set with 11ml vials available.
No, Winter Palace
Ohhh I second Winter Palace. I cant even stop thinking about it ever since I got a sample of it… I’m thinking of buying more samples of it because I am not sure when will I be able to get a FB of it.
I want a small one of that one too ?
I didn’t even know Memo has smaller bottles (except of selection of 10ml travel vials)
Enjoy your holidays! I love Grand Soir.
Thank you
Those sound like very thoughtful and lovely presents. Happy holidays!
Happy holidays lucasai with some great gifts! Enjoy your further week off you lucky thing.
Happy Boxing Day, everyone! My late mother was English, so Boxing Day is a “thing” for us. For several years, we have hosted an open house on Boxing Day, but of course that isn’t happening this year. Anyway, our living room and dining room are still scenes of demolition due to a plumbing mishap and the need to redo the pipes in two upstairs “vintage” bathrooms, so there’s nowhere to host anyone! We barely put up a tree, and it only has lights and bead garlands on it this year, none of our usual ornaments.
Today is bright, clear and sunny, but very cold for us: 21F this morning, now up to 37F. Our dog Lucy is reluctant to go outside, but she’ll do it if we put her sweater on. Here she is in warmer weather: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-p8wt_BAbj/.
So sorry about your plumbing disaster! Lovely dog though. 🙂 Mine is sensitive to cold as well, if I take her out & it’s too cold she will just run back to the door and look at me reproachfully, as if to say, How dare you take me out in this freezing weather! Let me back in now!
Thanks! Yes, Lucy is a cutie-pie. We got her from a rescue group when she was about 9 months old; they had taken her out of a rural shelter the day before she was to be put to sleep as a young abandoned puppy. Her foster “mom” named her after Lucille Ball because of her auburn hair.
Awww! She’s beautiful!
So sorry about the plumbing mishap though.
Thanks! It’s one of the hazards of a charming older house, but we hope to deal with it once and for all this time. We’ve done repairs before but hadn’t just replaced all the plumbing, and it’s time. We’re keeping the vintage fixtures except the toilets, as they are no longer up to code in our city. Luckily I found new ones that look properly old-fashioned.
cute doggie! Ours is built for cold (and thus lives in the wrong climate), but doesn’t love the wet (even though the breed is supposed to come from the marshes of France). But – he would probably hate a sweater more than any cold or wet :)!
We were surprised that Lucy likes hers, we really weren’t sure how she would react. She’s a rescue, and she still has some odd quirks and fears, though she’s a very happy, sweet dog.
Beautiful dog! I love big dogs.
Thanks! The photo makes her look bigger than she is, she’s more mid-size and she weighs about 40 lbs. I love big dogs too, especially Labs and Golden Retrievers, but we live in a city with a smallish fenced back garden, so we looked for a dog to adopt who was a bit smaller than those breeds. My son and I found Lucy on the Petfinder website and drove to another state to meet her and bring her home!
Lucy is such a great name for a dog.
Retrievers are a fav as are Irish Setters and the Standard Poodle!
Your dog is beautiful! We used to travel between Boxing Day open houses when I was a kid – I loved it and miss that relaxed celebration.
Thanks! I hope we’ll be able to resume the open house when more people are vaccinated and this pandemic lessens. It has always been a great way to wind down from all the Christmas hubbub, and reciprocate hospitality. Here’s to better days in 2021!
Lucy looks like a sweetie!
Pretty girl!
Happy Boxing Day and thank you for all the birthday wishes for my husband. He has already ripped open all his cards & presents. :-). I’m wearing PdE Ambre Russe.
Happy Birthday to your husband!
Happy Birthday to your husband! ?
Happy Birthday to your husband!?
Happy Birthday to your husband! Hope he shares the butter tarts with you!??
Thank you everyone for the birthday greetings! As for the butter tarts, I make a whole batch just for him as his birthday treat. No one else is allowed to eat any. 🙂
Not even you—I mean just to test them to make sure they came out OK? If it were me baking them I would have to test them. I am a QC chemist, so I always have to analyze a sample to make sure it meets the product specs.
I can tell by looking at them they’re okay. Plus he’s already eaten 4 and he’s still alive. 🙂
You smell great in Ambre Russe.
Very happy birthday to your husband! I hope he thoroughly enjoys the butter tarts.
He’s eaten 4 of them. 🙂
Happy Boxing Day! I’m in Chanel 1932.
Today is the first day in over 4 months that I literally have nothing that I *have* to be, or should be doing. It feels weird and also really, really good!
We had a lazy Christmas Day, as many people probably did this year. We FaceTimed with both my son and my parents. Although I missed having my parents here, I can honestly say it was less stressful. Truth be told, I am not a huge fan of Christmas. I find it all very, very stressful. I know much of that is because I put expectations on myself to have everything be perfect: the gifts, the house, the meals, the decorations, etc etc etc. I don’t know why I do this, I try to find ways every year to reduce the stress, but still. Sigh.
Anywho, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, however you spent it!
Yay for having nothing you HAVE to do, and double YAY for less stressful Christmas! Maybe there are some lessons from this year that can inform how you move forward with holidays in the future? There is so little we HAVE to do. I wish you wonderful, less-stressful holidays! Enjoy the day. 🙂
Thanks Marjorie Rose! Yes, those are wise words…I guess I have a whole year to reflect on this Christmas and try to make next years less stressful.?
Yay for a lazy day!
I know! And it was even sunny out!?
Enjoy some well-earned rest! I hear you about the lower stress — when we stopped traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and just celebrated here on our own (our families are/were in New England and we’re not), it did reduce stress a LOT. We still have fancy meals but we don’t get dressed up, for instance, or worry about timing. Have a wonderful time smelling wonderful!
Thanks!
Yay for lazy days! My standards are really low so I don’t find the holidays stressful. I highly recommend this approach. 😉
Lol, that’s sounds like a great approach. Thanks!
I’m glad you have nothing you have to do today and that you’ve had a holiday with much less stress.
You smell so pretty – I drained a decant of 1932 really quickly. It’s a beautiful scent.
Thanks! I agree about 1932, it’s so pretty. I have one of the Chanel minis and I think I have one or two more wears in it.
Isn’t that a lovely feeling? I have given myself the day off, and may do the same tomorrow.
Do it!?
It is! And I think I will!?
We put so much stress on ourselves. This poem by Mary Oliver describes it quite well
https://www.swiss-miss.com/2020/11/i-worried-poem-by-mary-oliver.html
Glad you’re having a christmas ‘off’! I admit as much as I love swing my family I am also enjoying just being and not having to travel, pack, unpack, drive etc as we usually do around xmas time.
Enjoy your free YOU time!
Thanks! And thank you for the poem.?
The Christmas present under my tree is the Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Collection of her 2020 Heirloom Elixir Limited Editions.
Upon its arrival earlier in the week, I tried the November/December edition, A/Embers, which is deliciously toasted resins.
Today I’m testing Snowflakes of Venice from January/February. It reminds me of FM Eau d’Hiver, but more delicate, crystalline, and wintry.
I love Eau d’Hiver, but always found it more like a warm almost almondy cloud than anything wintry. I like Snowflakes of Venice even better.
The descriptions of what DSH was aiming for in these fragrances are really wonderful, and I think the set of six 10-ml sprays, nicely packaged, is a great value.
https://www.dshperfumes.com/shop/heirloom-elixir-limited-editions-the-2020-complete-collection-gift-set/
It also came with lovely samples and a gift of Ritual room spray and Smudge Nebula Clearing Essence that I am saving for year’s end and January. This has to be the most on target gift I have ever received! ?
(No idea they are still doing the GWP — it was a total surprise.)
I’m so glad you got the set! Enjoy it!
Thanks, lillyjo!
Ooh, I got that set too, and the gifts that came with it — so generous! If anyone here is considering it (or any other DSH lovelies) as a post-Christmas treat, see if the code bright20 still works for 20% off.
Which ones did you like best, Old Herbaceous?
Probably Snowflakes of Venice, though I like them all.
It’s lovely and seems versatile, too.
I just read through the descriptions – those scents sound good – I’m especially curious about the elephant one and the prosecco elderflower one…must keep an eye out when you report about those!
Will report back!
Snowflakes sounds wonderful! I don’t find L’Eau d’Hiver wintery either. Need to try my sample of A/Embers asap.
Good to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t find it wintry! I look forward to hearing your take on A/Embers, too.
P.S. Dawn has done a new fragrance for Zoologist, called Snowy Owl. I seriously can’t wait to try it! And the bottle illustration is just perfect.
Thanks, this is a must try!
+1!
Thanks to all who responded to my request for suggestions of cheap thrill vanilla fragrances. I ended up seeing Pacifica Island Vanilla while at the pharmacy. It’s perfectly cozy and light and I find myself wearing it often. After quarantine I think it will continue to be one of those no brainer choices. It’s also a nice after bath/before bedtime scent.
A cozy no-brainer vanilla is an essential item! 😀
I’m in VC&A Bois d’Iris, trying to stay calm. Christmas Day (although special to me in many ways) always ends up being stressful. It just feels like excess to me — Mr SP is all about LOTS of gifts no matter that I ask every year to please just give me less. It should be a nice thing, but it’s hard for me. I don’t want more stuff. I couldn’t go to sleep last night and then had bad dreams. Anyway, moving on!
It’s nice to have a weekend before work next week. I’ll get a 5 mile walk in today.
I wonder if this year, people are overcompensating the fact that life went sideways with extra many gifts? I got a lot of stuff, too – though I think my nightmares were induced by a very strong Manhattan rather than the gifts. Hope you’ll feel more rested tonight!
This seems to be an annual issue for us, but I appreciate your kind thoughts.
Caught this saying on the wall of the Bailey’s Savings & Loan while watching It’s a Wonderful Life this year:
All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.
Truth.
Funny – I caught that this year also – hadn’t noticed it before.
Great quote!
I assume you’ve discussed this multiple times with no change in behaviour? If so, maybe you can mentally reframe it as accepting that this is his love language and let him do it if it makes him happy. Then later, you can quietly pass on some of the things he gives you that are less loved to friends. That’s what I do and he never notices.
My love language is giving gifts, and I would be so happy for someone to respond in such a kind and practical way if they didn’t view it with the same symbolism that I do.
We have discussed many times. That’s a good solution. Thanks for your thoughtful answer.
I hope your walk helps you relax. As a chronic overgifter, I’m sure he is coming from a good place. My husband asked me to gift his favorite charities instead because he also didn’t want any more things. Maybe you could suggest something like that?
And my husband has a deep phobia about selecting and giving gifts. We’ve been together nearly 20 years and I still haven’t figured out where it came from (probably never will). But it is a real anxiety for him, and I am getting more able to deal with it.
So funny (not haha funny) all the different anxieties we have over what should be a nice thing. I’m trying to just relax about it.
Do you give him a list? My husband only shops from my wish list, no stress.
Nah. We have decided to focus our celebrations on experiences rather than objects. That doesn’t mean we don’t buy things (I am here on NST, after all!), but we are more likely to buy something for ourselves and then plan a nice dinner out or a trip together, or buy something for us both to enjoy. (The lack of spending on those experiences this year may explain why my next quarterly confession to Donatella will make me blush).
I know it comes from a generous place. But no, I don’t think he will give to charities. It’s just not the same for him.
Springpansy, it’s an interesting dilemma.
Would you rather the money be spent on something else (like the house or — someday — travel), or go into savings? Or is it troublesome because it feels smothering or like some kind of power play or insecurity — or ??? Rather than blocking, perhaps there is a way to redirect this gifting urge in a more constructive direction.
Good luck!
I’m not sure. I probably used to feel anxious about it because we didn’t have much money. I think now it just feels like too much. I don’t think its a power play, but yes, it’s a bit smothering. And I’m just so uncomfortable with excess. I was mostly in charge of our move a few years ago from Colorado to Seattle and it was extremely stressful to go through years of accumulated items (3 kids, 25 years in the house). That’s another part of it. As well, I just don’t want to be that person with way too much or trapped by “stuff”. So of course, I can just continue to go through things to regift or recycle, but it would be awesome if I didn’t have to. Anyway, thanks for your kind response.
Oh wow, I hear you! We haven’t moved (yet) but we’ve been in our house for 28 years and have raised three kids in it. I’m afraid to drop dead and end up on an episode of “Hoarders” because I never found time to clear stuff out! I sympathize with both of you, though, because I also love to give gifts to people I love. As cazaubon and sistine have commented, it is a kind of love language. I wonder if he would be willing to give you experiences rather than things, especially experiences you can do together? Like special date night dinners together, or spa days, or a weekend at some lovely resort. He could still put gift cards or notes in a box and wrap them up as a surprise. I take a lot of pleasure in watching my dear ones unwrap gifts.
Oh, gosh. After my father died, my mom sold the house I’d grown up in, where they had lived for almost 30 years. Both of my parents grew up in the Great Depression, so they kept *everything*. It was overwhelming to me, and when I look at my house now, I get panicky about how much stuff we have, even though I have pared down significantly in each of my moves as an adult.
Happy Boxing Day! I’m in Habanita layered with an incense fragrance to deal with the powdery dry down. Sounds like the original wasn’t so powdery.
I have really enjoyed all of the holiday posts and hearing the ways each person celebrates the season.
The discussion re: how many bottles one has leads me to a question. I have read previous threads that touch on this question so forgive me if this is redundant, especially for long time NSTers.
I would love to hear how you all display/store/organize your fragrances so that you can see what you have and get to it when inspired. As my collection grows, I want to find the best way to keep seeing what I have (lest I think I don’t have enough perfume and need more bottles!).
Oh dear, I’m not as well organized as I’d like, but one thing that helps is the kind of tiered mini-shelf that people use for spices, inside a cabinet. I’ve seen some people use spice carousels, which seems like a great idea.
Thank you! I hadn’t thought about using a Lazy Susan of some kind.
I also love hearing about how people organize their collections. This is how I handle mine:
FBs
– I have a narrow cabinet with doors that I use as a vanity. The interior is storage for miscellaneous beauty products, accessories, and a bunch of perfume: BUBs, things not B as heavily in rotation, boxes of samples mentioned below.
– On top of vanity are several lacquered boxes that hold purse sprays, decant and FBs, all of which are not in heavy rotation.
– On top of the lacquer boxes are sample trays mentioned below, plus a decorative tray that holds 15-20 FBs that are in heaviest rotation.
SAMPLES
– I have several acrylic trays from Poppin (acquired from The Container Store) which perfectly fit these silicone “grass” pen holders (https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/poppin/aqua-poppin-silicone-organizers/12d?productId=11003125) that are perfect for holding samples, imperfectly organized by house. I use these for things I need to sample or are in frequent rotation.
– I also reuse these perfect little black boxes that Olfactif send their samples in. I remove the foam insert, and it becomes a flat box that can hold 10-15 samples. They’re sturdy with a hinged magnetic lid. I’ll use these for categories, e.g. leather, incense, oddities, travel (which means: samples of things I have FBs of and gold on to for trips) which I write on the side in chalk pen.
I dream of a climate-controlled wine and perfume closet/cellar.
Thank you for the acrylic tray idea. That’s a great way to hold and organize samples so that I can actually make better use of them
I’m not in the least organised! I like to keep bottles in their packaging if it’s attractive, and I have boxes in several different cupboards. I have to pay attention to how the boxes are arranged if I get something out from the back of a shelf, otherwise I have difficulty getting everything back in!
Bottles without packaging are in an underwear drawer, although it’s fair to say that not much else besides perfume fits in now.
Samples are higgledy piggledy in a wooden box. I’ve never landed on a plan to sort them out.
All of this saves me from really understanding how much perfume I’ve got 🙂
Thank you. Keeping FBs in a drawer could be a great way to increase visibility and access. I’ve definitely got a “higgledy piggledy” thing going on now – bordering on cattywompus!
I keep my perfume in an Amish jelly cupboard. It has solid wood doors and 4 shelves inside. I only roughly organize the bottles by house. So, all the Ormande Jayne are next to each other, all the Amouage, etc. I push them around front to back depending on what I’m reaching for more often. Otherwise, there’s no real rhyme or reason to why one house is on one shelf and not another. One of the glories of having enough room, finally, is I don’t find I desire more organization than this!
Thank you. Having enough room is key!
I store mine in a walk-in closet with shelves, by house.
Wow!!
Allo, I have the same issue with Habanita. Had a sample of the old version and bought a bottle of the new. The bottle is beautiful but this particular powder smothers me… Which incense do you layer it with?
I used to keep my perfumes by way of genres: amber/vanillas, florals, woods, chypres etc. I had lighter/brighter (summer) on one side and deeper/warmer (winter) on the other. More recently I have re-arranged them by house and finding that better. I suspect it’s not the way they are organized that really matters but rather the act of organizing and re-organizing them. I easily forget about some of what I have if I don’t do this often enough.
I don’t keep them in boxes for a few reasons. One, they are in a mini fridge and I think the temperature would not suit the cardboard. Secondly, opening and closing the box wears out the hinge of the cardboard lid (so were I to sell one or gift one the box would be in worse condition. The third and fourth reason are just time and space. It’s easier and more convenient to grab an unboxed bottle and they take A LOT more space in boxes. So, boxes go at the very top of a wardrobe where theoretically I could find one again if I needed to…
It’s probably perfume layering blasphemy, but I used a Chris Rusak sample of AEOOJ (LBM) on one arm and a sample of Gallivant Bukhara on the other. Both are working pretty well on the dreaded overly powdered dry down.
Have you had any layering success with Habanita?
And your ongoing organizing/reorganizing is a great strategy. Plus it’s so pleasurable to rediscover things I forget I have. And of course NSTers help jog my memory into trying something again.
Your comments are all super helpful!
Unfortunately Iv not tried those two!
I haven’t actually experimented with Habanita…but I obviously need to ?
I seldom get the ‘layering is blasphemy’ response. Then I read some suggestion about what to layer with Chergui and o felt this anger bubble up ?
I enjoy hearing how folks organize their collections. Thanks for sharing. My 75+ bottles are in white plastic bins from Ikea, generally grouped by house. The bins are small enough to move easily when full, and are labeled and stored on shelves in a closet.
I display a “capsule collection” of 12-18 bottles at any given time, on a bureau top. Every three or four weeks, I rotate bottles in/out based upon whim, weather, notes and houses. This system allows me to reach for bottles easily, keep them dust-free and embrace what I have. Do perfumes need one-on-one time? I guess I do. Plus, I love the editorial aspect of curating the collection every few weeks.
Samples I’m testing are in a bowl on the same bureau. Samples waiting for attention are divided up by house in re-purposed Chanel gift boxes, on a bookshelf nearby. I find samples useful but kind of irritating to hang on to, so I pass most of them along as soon as I’ve formed an opinion.
It is fun to scroll through the perfume cabinet posts Angie did for awhile, and you can see at least some reader’s collections…
https://freebox.it.com/tag/inside-the-perfume-cabinet/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Yikes – this link told me I was naughty and did not have permission. Promise, Robin: I am not a hacker!! 😀
SO sorry, and I am so slow to get back here to boot, but fixed now!!
Hi Robin, the link for Angie’s post is not working. It requires permission to have access to it.
See above, fixed!
Yay! Thanks!
Ok, so you inspired me to wear Habanita today and for some reason I’m LOVING the vanilla and vetiver powdery-ness today. It’s summer here, though a cooler and rainy day. However, it was quite hot earlier and I was enjoying it too. Not sure if the weather is dramatically different to the last time I wore it (probably winter) or if my taste has changed.
For the sake of science I sprayed some Khiel’s ‘original musk’ edt under a spray of Habanita on my one arm half an hour ago :p On me this eliminated the whole powdery aromatic nature of it. It’s turned it into a non-specific somewhat peachy boxed fruit juice: do not recommend.
Decanted the 7 scents that I’m bringing to Hawaii–Milk of Flowers, Haie Fleurie, Le Wild, The Bergamot, Manguier Metisse, Freschiiissimo, and Gardenia Batik. Hopefully these will somehow apply to all community projects from January to March. If not, there is a mall a couple of blocks from where we’ll be staying…..
Trying to get in a few wintery scents before I go, so today is J. Crew/ Arquiste No. 57
I love J. Crew/Arquiste No. 57! So sad that they discontinued it.
I love J. Crew/ Arquiste No. 57, I treasure my bottle. 🙂
Enjoy your Hawaii trip!
Would love to go some day.
You will be smelling divine!
I’m envious of your trip, enjoy and tell us all about it so we can enjoy vicariously!
Have a safe and smooth journey and please keep us posted about your stay!
Hawaii!!! So beautiful so relaxing. Have a wonderful time!
Hi all – and happy Boxing day! My SOTD is J. Crew/ Arquiste No. 57. I haven’ worn it in a while. It’s time to give it a little love.
Fortunately I didn’t overindulge during the holiday. I’m a little strange re: holiday food, I find too much food overwhelming. So I go for the veggies and salads instead.
Less to worry about on January 1st.
No. 57 is an absolute favorite! You smell fab!
dear ST-
I am the opposite. I keep eating and eating..cookies..cheese..Prosecco (well that is not a food) and most of all, I love panettone. I eat it for breakfast and then later with Prosecco.
Panettone for breakfast is great – I do this too! ? And having to shop for panettones online instead of my usual haunts this year I discovered Marron Glace Panettone. And every day I exercise restraint to not order another. Haha next year I’m ordering ‘the big one’ of those.
Happy Boxing Day & Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!
My husband dutifully got me a bottle of Le Labo Rose 31 lotion for Christmas which I’m wearing right now. I love this product, not only does it smell just like the fragrance but it’s incredibly moisturizing.
Relaxing and enjoying time off.. working on a new puzzle and reading lots. Simple pleasures.
Miss my family and being together for the holiday but trusting 2021 will be a year of lots of family time & travel.
Enjoy your time off, Floragal and happy holidays to you!
I hope you enjoy the puzzle and books and that you have a fabulous break. I share your hope for travel and family time in 2021!
You smell great.
Happy 2nd Christmas Day as it’s known in Germany, where the 25th and 26th kind of have the same purpose – will check in with my dad today, who is hosting a small (per the rules) gathering at his house. We had a family zoom on the 24th, which was fun and will hopefully become a thing we’ll maintain even after the pandemic as we usually don’t get to see each other in winter.
Christmas was exceedingly generous at our house this year – I got Nuits a Doha from hubby!
Just before the holiday, the sample set I ordered from Olympic Orchards arrived and I’ve been testing my way through – right now, Chevalier Vert on one wrist and Cryptical envelopment on the other. Lovely. Chevalier is green and figgy and rhubarby, and cryptical envelopment – not sure, also green, but I like both! California chocolate was fun, too.
Happy 2nd Christmas Day!
Congratulations on your new bottle of Une Nuit a Doha! I know how much you’ve been wanting it. I wore it yesterday and thought of you ?
Thanks! It’s funny – I had just made the resolution of not getting FB when I still have decants – and I still have your decant! Still, the bottle is lovely to look at and it was on the top of my list…and he got the Neiman deal that you emailed me about, too….:)
Lovely, I’m so excited for you. Here’s hoping it will bring you joy for a long time.
2nd Day of Christmas?! Sounds very reasonable and pragmatic to me. Have a lovely day!
you too!
Congratulations on your new bottle!
thanks!
Frohe Weihnachten Eschmeling!
….und einen guten Rutsch!
Happy Boxing Day!
I’m also enjoying a quiet sunny and chilly day; took a long walk followed by a warm bath and now wearing Spiritueuse Double Vanille which goes very well with a slice of chocolate babka and a glass of Samuel Smith’s organic chocolate stout, a recent find at my local Whole Foods. I’m a fan ?
Mmm, SDV and babka. :-). I am going to add some SDV to my Ambre Russe before bed tonight.
I love that beer! Of course, you’d have a hard time finding a stout I didn’t love.
Beer and dessert go so well together!
I’m also a fan of the Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout — yum! They carry it also at Fresh Market, at least the one near me.
Need to try that stout! Yum!
What a great day with a perfect ending!
We’re back home after a short trip away for Christmas. We had a small Christmas of 5 people, my mother and me, my beloved and his mother and brother. No rushing about, our mothers are 90 and 85 🙂
I wore Lubin’s Idole. It’s rich and boozy, but also light, so I don’t think I interfered with the food 🙂
We had Boxing Day lunch with my beloved’s wider family, so that was a noisier affair. We were at the beach, but had to stay inside, as it was quite cold. As we drove back south in the afternoon, it got steadily colder and is quite unpleasant today.
I’m testing Hermes Agar Ebene this morning, it’s rather nice.
You smell great, I love Agar Ébène. Stay warm!
Love the beach in winter. A good hat and layers and I can walk forever.
Happy Boxing Day, NST!!! And a belated Merry Christmas, as I never managed to post yesterday.?
SOTD is Lyric Woman, and I’m in my PJs watching all the footy. It’s been really quiet traffic-wise for several days where I am, and the weather is lovely today—all pleasant very much appreciated.
Be well and enjoy your holiday weekend, all you fabulous fragrant friends!
Mmmm. You smell lovely.
Yesterday it was just my parents, dogs and I. Wore Lyric yesterday but in Miss Dior original today. Got a Bath and Body Works gift card and going to see if anything really excites me. A $15 gift card is still awesome.
I stayed in Canada for a few months and one of my regrets is not exploring B&BW more. I did find one I liked – Pear and Toasted Praline but… I think there was none left on the shelf! I think their scents are popular because they are very wearable and immediately likeable. And, those are two great properties!
I was finally able to grab yesterday some of my favorite holiday 3 wick candles at $11. I made the purchase at 6am. I also got some hands soaps at $3.25. I was lucky to check early in the morning when all candles were on sale. Today only selected ones. I am ok now for the rest of the winter season.
I hope you were able to get something exciting for yourself!
I did manage to grab the 4 candles i wanted yesterday morning. Waiting for another good deal to get the Lilac Blossom candles.
Great! I am also looking forward to grab Lilac Blossom when they have another good deal! Waiting patiently and without any rush!
I’ve been on a bit of a blender bend recently. I respect the artistry of individual perfumes, etc etc but I get bored easily and I now have quite a few scents that I don’t reach for much because of some nuance.
Infusion d’Iris edt is a little acidic on my skin (unlike the perfect edp). However I discovered recently that put together with eau des Missiones and Lush’s Calacas, the three form the most glorious sweet green lime-floral. Gorgeously refreshing in the heat and I spent an inappropriate amount of time huffing my arms today 😀
That’s really interesting- I completely lack the confidence to try to blend.
Yes, you do have to be willing to risk catastrophe. There have been instances in the past where I have sped to the adjacent bathroom for an immediate scrub! Most of the time the result is muddled and/or mediocre – but then there is the occasional epiphany which gives a whole new life to an unloved bottle. Lots of things should theoretically work together given the basic combining principles you get online but in my experience they mostly don’t.
Merlin the perfume alchimist! Haha – sounds like a great way of exploring your collection ?
I think an alchemist would have a higher rate of success, but yes, it is a nice way to play – especially when working from home!
I’m wearing Resonance from Provision Scents today. My husband was super sweet and got me full bottles of both Maitri and Resonance from them, so I got some gorgeous perfume gifts this year.
It’s so nice to be home after a quick trip up to Baltimore. I missed our cat and our dog and my space.
I hadn’t heard of that brand, just checked out their web site, looks nice! I love coming home after a trip too. So comforting to be in your own space.
Working tonight. It’s steady but not crazy. I’m wearing Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon, thanks to a generous Nster. I’ve been waiting for the colder weather to give it a full wearing. I like it alot.
Glad to hea4 it’s not crazy. You smell great!
Thank you! Maybe you can give a better description to ltsg?
I have always been curious about that one, especially since the bottle is GORGEOUS too which makes it very desirable.
Ditto
The notes are: Almond,Amaretto,Rose,Iris,Jasmine,Dark Chocolate,Caramel,Amber,Vetiver,Patchouli,Benzoin
But I find it dry rather than sweet. Drydown is woody vetiver on me.
I have a decant, but agree the bottle is very pretty.
tell me more about your SOTD
On me it’s soft and powdery. It smells retro, but not dated. Classy and put together. This is my first all day wearing, and I don’t know the notes so I’m not much help. Knowing what I do of your tastes, I think you would like it. It deserves a much nicer outfit than what I’m wearing.
I looked up the notes and it sound like my cup of tea.
How is the longevity and silage?
Longevity is all day for me, but I feel it sits close to the skin.
I seem to recall Le Baiser du Dragon being a quiet scent on me, but it’s been ages since I’ve worn it.
Hello everyone!! I might as well share 🙂 my bamboo harmony travel spray arrived today (swan princess sample was due to arrive today as well but I guess the postal services are backed up) and I KNEW I loved it before I even sprayed it as I could smell it already upon opening the package. Yes it is green. Very green. But the kind of green I LOVE. Crisp, fresh like… Calamus from CdG. By the way Calamus is a jewel among the green scents as luckyscent says and I have always agreed. But Bamboo has a little more zest to it and definitely the white tea note. First of all I have been VERY lucky with my blind buys this year. But a lot of them were just samples or travel sprays so I could try the scents so I guess they dont count as “blind buys”.
I am still trying to “recover” from how GORGEOUS my Imperial Tea is… so far I tried: Back to Black, Good Girl Gone Bad, Imperial Tea and Bamboo Harmony. That is 4 fragrances from Kilian and EVERY single one was of the best quality and just enjoyable!! Right now I am saving $$$ for bottles of Winter Palace and Imperial Tea. Thanks for reading!!
I love Winter Palace!
I love, love, love Winter Palace too!!! :))
I was so excited to try Back to Black as I love sweet and I love tobacco but I just couldn’t bear it. So…I’ve never tried another Killian. I might need to remedy that!
Believe it or not EVERY Kilian I have tried so far differs greatly from one another. The only common thing I’ve found is that they are all of superb quality. Back to Black is a wholesome fragrance for sure.
We had a quiet Christmas — what was nice was that my husband and I really spent it together, rather than rushing to go on a visit or receive guests. We had a video chat with my 96-year-old father-in-law and a great, more-than-hour-long phone chat with our adult daughter, who loves on the other side of the planet. And cracked open what was the best bottle of wine in our “cellar” — nothing super fancy but an indulgence for us.
In the November Sephora sale I bought four fragrances: Calyx, an old favorite I hadn’t worn in 20 years, and three that I bought unsniffed: Shalimar EDP, Chanel No. 5 parfum (tiny bottle), and Aromatics Elixir. I have fallen in love with Shalimar — the first time I wore it my husband said it “smelled serious” — and that is what I wore for Christmas Day. Today I unboxed the Aromatics Elixir, with more than a little trepidation. It is interesting, and I am getting none of the objectionable elements that so many people report. It is staying very close to my skin. Oh, and I am also loving the Wrappings I bought after it was a lemming. 🙂 I will wear the No 5 later this week.
Of course our daughter *lives* on the other side of the planet.
Wow, Chanel no. 5 Parfum has to be good!! I am so curious about how it will wear for You… Elixir Aromatics is an old favorite of mine. It has it’s own specific smell that nothing else compares to it. Now I wish I still had some…
A good bottle of wine sounds like a great way to celebrate!
Does the Calyx smell the same to you?
I cannot say with authority. I remember it as much sharper in the opening — almost unpleasantly so — and it no longer makes me sneeze, which was why I stopped wearing it back in the day. To be fair, the sneezing may have been because my bottle had turned. Overall, though, the smell is familiar and one that I like a lot. I do not have many of what I think of as “green” fragrances — really just this and Cristalle Eau Verte, which are utterly different to one another.
There was a note in the original that smelled like black pepper to me, which bothered my nose. I don’t smell it in the new version. Other than that, I find it to be the same.
I have a bottle of the Prescriptives version. I smell guava, grapefruit, rose, and green notes in it. With the new Clinique version, all I got was the grapefruit and the green notes.
Thank you both! I have not smelled a fresh new bottle of Calyx in ages.
Wondered about this too.
I’ve got a few vintage bottles in my eBay cart, eager to give this one a go again. I remember first buying Caylx at Macy’s and loving it.
Ciao!
Coco today
One of the few Chanels I haven’t really tried. Will remedy that when I can access testers myself again rather than having to ask someone in the store to spray it for me.
It’s the best season for Coco!
? Coco!
Ciao – good idea – I’ll join you in Coco!
Ciao house twin. Le Lion for me today,
But I may copy you tomorrow!
I don’t know Coco in the winter very well.
I wore Wrappings again today. Very appropriate for the weather we are having. We dragged ourselves out for a walk in the snow for some fresh air this afternoon. It was nice to get out.
Yesterday I wore La Pausa; all 10 sprays were glorious! Late in the drydown I picked up vibes of Chanel No 19.
Happy weekend all!
Happy weekend Gail!
Thank you lillyjo! I hope you had a nice Christmas celebration with your family. It was just my hubby and I here so it was pretty laid back with the 2 of us.
I love Chanel no. 19 and I just googled “La Pausa” – because I never heard of it before. Ummm… woody musk!! Sounds wonderful! Another thing is lately on NST I have been reading and seeing “wrappings” this and wrappings that… what is this wrappings? I never ever knew it is one of the classic Clinique fragrances!! I have to check it out!! I mentioned somewhere on NST today that Aromatics Elixir is an old favorite of mine but never heard of Wrappings until now…
Wrappings is only available at the holidays. Don’t delay or you’ll need to wait until next year!
I was only vaguely aware of Wrappings until a year or two ago. I’d never had good luck with Clinique products so never paid it much attention (I started wearing Calyx when it was still Prescriptives). It’s really good!
La Pausa is **divine** but fleeting. Ten sprays sounds about right. 🙂 I wish I had another bottle — the price has gone UUUUPPPPP since I got my now-empty FB in 2013.
The Chanel price points have gotten ridiculous in general, not just the Les Exclusifs line. That’s why I don’t really purchase Chanel perfumes so much any more.
And it’s going up again next month!
The 75 ml bottles now sell for the same price as the 200 ml bottles were ~10 years ago.
I guess there are enough one-percenters around to keep the purchases coming! But sad to think that I my never feel comfortable replacing anybody my favorite Chanels.
Wrappings is lovely, a bit like a gentler sister of Aromatics Elixir. I wrote about it at more length here: https://scentsandsensibilities.co/2020/11/22/scent-sample-sunday-clinique-wrappings/. It’s currently on sale on the Clinique website!
Super late post today. I’m in Santal Kardamon thanks to a thoughtful NSTer. This is so perfect for cool weather!
We had a quiet day yesterday and today. I can’t say I missed all of the hubbub, really, and the pared down feast on Christmas Eve was perfect. The bird was the only complicated item, and it was a bone in breast, so there wasn’t much to it. No pile of leftovers to contend with and make space for in the freezer. I’m sure there will be more holiday seasons with a houseful of people, but until then, I’m grateful for the calm.
I’m glad you had a relaxing Christmas. I froze half of my leftover ham yesterday to make potato ham soup at a later date. Thanks for inspiring me to attempt real cooking!?
Oh yum! That soup sounds fantastic!
You are so welcome, lillyjo! Seriously, thanks for asking, because I love talking about cooking and recipes. Glad to hear you have a freezer stash of ham! ?
I was utterly addicted to Santal Kardamom for a while. Now I just can’t seem to get on with it and because it has SILLAGE i tend not to give it just a try every now and again. But your post has motivated me to go back to it again. Maybe try it as scent of the day today pre exercise ?
You smell fabulous!
Just wanted to say that it never occurred to me to celebrate TWELVE days is Christmas until I read the theme for today’s post.
I like it. Did not treat myself to anything on this second day but will make up for it on the third!
Hey, winter needs all the holidays it can get, right?
Had a lovely Christmas break which is still going. Things got really hectic b4 xmas but I finished the year on a high not and generally satisfied after some frustrations during autumn.
My darling gifted me some Coco parfum! And I feel so spoiled. I’m saving it for new year’s eve.
Lovely gift! Enjoy.
Great present! Coco is perfect, especially for the holidays. Enjoy!
Good Girl Gone Bad
Suede dress with a body suit underneath.
Peal earrings
A little good with the bad..match my perfume very nicely.
Love it! Great scent/outfit combo.
Suede dress? Sounds amazing!
I’m now playing with the Jo Malone Christmas Cologne sampler I got for Christmas, with Orange Bitters on one wrist and Ginger Biscuit on the other. I really like them both! The others in the set are: White Moss & Snowdrop; Rose & Magnolia; Green Almond & Redcurrant.
Tempted to get some Orange Bitters. How is the longevity on that one?
Green Almond & Redcurrant sounded appealing but utterly disappointing to me.
Orange bitters longevity is pretty good!
Agree! This one is a sticker.
It lasted pretty well on my skin, several hours although it was faint by the end. I really like it, especially the opening.
I really want Ginger Biscuit. Next time they release it in 100mls I’m on it.
I like it very much! Slight preference for it over Orange Bitters.
Those travel spray/sampler sets look so cute!
It is a very cute set!
FREEBIE LISTING
On the third day of Christmas I’m offering for free
Three Auphorie frags
This freebie is SAMPLES of three Auphorie perfumes. All of them are currently sold out/discontinued.
I believe the vials hold 1 ml of perfume each. These are dabber vials that are somewhat larger than the standard perfume dabber vials that you usually see (The standard vials are nominal 1 ml vials that are typically filled only to 0.7 ml). Each perfume has only been tested a time or two, so there is no more than a few dabs missing from each. The perfumes are:
Miyako — 1 ml
La Lanterne Rouge — 1 ml
Mayura — 1 ml
So three perfumes, 1 ml of each. These three vials are a single lot. I do not wish to split them up and send one each to three different people.
To claim, please contact me at the email address associated with my gravatar.
Wow, sending You an email now.
The Auphorie samples are taken.
The day is nice and sunny, despite being cold. I just came back from running some Sunday errands and now I am ready to clean and organize things at home. I played lazy on Christmas day and yesterday. I slept a lot, watch tv, ate leftovers and made the last of my holiday purchases for myself online taking advantage of the current sales. Back to work tomorrow, but at least I feel very rested.
Wearing Amouage Jubilation 25 because Jalapeno reminded me of it a couple of days ago. I keep forgetting to wear such a gorgeous scent. I am smelling fabulous!
That’s exactly how I’ve spent the past few days, too 🙂
Grabbed the last bottle of P. Generale L’Eau Rare Matale on Luckyscent the other day.. on sale! Should be arriving tomorrow, fingers crossed for the USPS.
And I am planning to do the same for the New Year’s weekend! ?
Enjoy your new bottle! USPS is really behind on deliveries this year. I am still waiting for packages to arrive after they shipped two weeks ago. Fingers crossed you get yours on time! ?
You smell great! I rarely feel dressed up enough to wear Jubilation 25 but it’s gorgeous.
Thank you! It is gorgeous, indeed!
Am I a total wimp for feeling too scrubby to even try Amouage scents? Because I do.
Don’t feel that way, give them a try.
I don’t feel that way either. I wear them with my jeans and t-shirts, with my pajamas, when I am dressed up, etc. I just love to enjoy them no matter what. Give them a try!
I tried my first Amouage sample wearing sweats and a T-shirt. Do check them out!
You are indeed smelling fabulous! ?
Thank you! ?
Resting at home right no before I start cleaning up the kitchen and dining area for our dinner tonight. We didn’t have our traditional Christmas dinner on Friday, as I had originally planned. I just decided to give myself the day off and rest. Instead, we will have it tonight.
Yesterday we enjoyed the zoo in Houston. We got the VIP combo tickets, which allowed us to visit the zoo in the daytime, then stay over in the cafe area and have a meal and play a trivia game until the Zoo Lights display started at 5:30 P.M. With just regular tickets, we would have had to leave the park at 4 PM and wait around somewhere before coming in again at 5:30. We did quite a bit of walking, so we are both a little sore this morning, but we had a good time.
That sounds like a wonderful day. I was married at a zoo 15 years ago and miss the chance to stroll the gardens and conservatories. (And to see the monkeys and the owls.).
My favorite thing to see in a zoo is the cats. Yesterday was really a perfect day for it. Sunny, clear, and with daytime temps ]in the 60’s, cooling down only a little after sunset, into the high 50’s. We’ve had so many overcast, rainy, drizzly days recently that it was nice to have a really pretty day to be outdoors.
Texas is not as locked down as some other states. Many indoor events such as plays and concerts have been cancelled, but indoor dining is allowed with restrictions on capacity and spacing, most of the museums are open, and outdoor events are more or less up to the discretion of whoever is in charge. Some things have been closed or cancelled if it would not be possible or practical to enforce social distancing, but those that do allow for spacing (such as a zoo) can be open. They have gone to timed entry, online ticket sales only, and limited numbers of tickets, in order to maintain social distance.
I think you’re the first person I have heard of who was married at a zoo. How did you decide on that for a venue? Are/were either you or your spouse a zookeeper? I honestly didn’t even know that having a wedding in one was a possibility.
I had a couple of acquaintances get married at an aquarium on Long Island. They wanted an unusual venue.
Honestly, we originally planned to get married in a destination wedding at a small hotel on Vancouver Island. I won’t name them, because their event coordinator didn’t know how to use a calendar and allowed us to book our wedding on the one weekend per year they usually gave their staff off. When she told us we could either rebook for another weekend 4 months later or force the staff to come in, we said eff it, and my mom chose our venue in my hometown based on the weddings she’d attended for her friends’ kids. It was absolutely fantastic. I do have a masters degree in Zoology, but the venue was chosen just because it’s a great event space and was available the weekend we wanted.
Grey and cool here today, feeling cozy in SL Fourreau Noir. I got a new iPad from my step-son yesterday, it is so much nicer than my six year old one, better resolution and faster. Yay!!! Totally unexpected and super happy.
Yay! for a new iPad! Enjoy!
That’s a great gift. Current electronics are so nice.
What a great gift! I love my iPad, though it’s a few years old now. But it was such a leap up from the first one I had!
Wearing Dame Perfumery’s Earth Mother and smelling ridiculously good. I hope everyone has had a relaxing Sunday.
My day was very relaxing — did manage to put the house back in order, but did that very slowly and didn’t do much else.
And like you, I was smelling ridiculously good! Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue.
Today I’m giving Cassili by PdM a full work wearing. This smells very peachy, sunny and casual. I will have to pick up a peach lotion to go with it in the spring. It’s cool and gloomy today, with rain on it’s way.
SotD = Tauer Vanilla Flash
hi friends! popping in to say I hope everyone has enjoyed a lovely and long weekend, however you chose to celebrate (or not!). 😀
My choice was to go mostly offline since Wednesday. Time to give my eyes a much needed break from screens, though I did watch a few movies. The Midnight Sky was pretty good. Prom didn’t last more than 15 minutes for me. Oh well, I’ll try again when I’m in a different mood. I usually enjoy musicals, but Prom felt like a Glee rehash. Love watching Meryl Street do anything at all though.
I missed y’all and look forward to lazily reading the comments. 😀
SOTD = April Aromatics Lotus Rising
So good ?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJUU-HPh7ay/?igshid=2g8vw53h8ulc
I was a slug this long weekend and it’s back to work for the next 2 days and then off again for 5!
One of my cousins sent a text mentioning that one of our other cousins wants to organize a Cousins’ Zoom call. Great, love to connect. I gave my input which a good number said works for them as well, and this same cousin is asking for confirmation again and again. I’m done with the confirmations and will join at the appointed time (as long as the Zoom number is published).
Hope everyone has a great week coming up!
A mostly laid back weekend for me, except for a lot more dishes in the dishwasher! But the tasty eats were worth it. ?
SOTWeekend = Oriza L. Legrand Reve d’Ossian for Saturday, and Wrappings for today. They play well with each other’s far, far drydowns…
Scents of the weekend: Orange Bitters, Ginger Biscuit, Vert de Bois, Bapteme du Feu. A friend reminded me that today was the last Monday morning of 2020 — I’ll raise a glass to that!