It's Monday and International Plastic Bag Free Day. RIP Alan Arkin. Author birthdays today: Franz Kafka, MFK Fisher, Tom Stoppard, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Rohinton Mistry, Dave Barry. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm taking partial credit for Demeter Gingerale (ginger + chocolate is one of my favorites).
Reminder: 7/7 is World Chocolate Day, and shockingly enough, we've never done a chocolate project (I don't think, anyway). Wear a perfume with a chocolate note, with bonus credit if chocolate (or something related to chocolate) is in the name. If you don't have a perfume with a chocolate note, partial credit for wearing something with a note you like to eat with chocolate.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2023, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is Cacao Seeds [cropped] by Giulian Frisoni at flickr; some rights reserved.
Just back from a short vacation. Thunked many samples
Read two books. The Switch and This is where I leave you.
I am volunteering at the library later today. Can’t wait
Welcome back!
Currently in Pillow Talk – gorgeous orange blossom, jasmine and citrus.
However, I had one spritz of Angel Muse early in the morning, when it was cool enough for it. Mugler website says “hazelnut spread”, but Fragrantica says “hazelnut cocoa spread”, and according to Basenotes it is just “cocoa”. Anyway, it smells chocolatey to me, so I claim some CP points.
On Sunday morning for the first time in my life I actually heard a drone. Before that I only heard air defense work (sounds of explosions). The drones were destroyed eventually of course.
Pillow Talk sounds like a dream!
2nd that.
I’m sorry you have to hear drones or explosions. What a nerve wracking thing. Pillow Talk does sound wonderful.
I’ve gotten chocolate out of Angel Muse before, too. I don’t remember if it was the edt or the edp or both, but I’ll be wearing it at some point this week so we shall see.
Ugh, drones. Glannys we are all thinking of you, the stress must be intense.
You smell great!
It must be so unsettling, I bet you smell great.
Wow. Glad to hear that the air defenses did the job.
Terre d’Hermès Eau Givrée today. Its effervescent opening is just the thing to give one a boost on a sluggish Monday.
The only fragrances with a chocolate (or chocolate-adjacent) note that I have are Guerlain Habit Rouge Dress Code (praline) and a sample of Chanel Coromandel (patchouli/white chocolate).
Despite Habit Rouge Dress Code being an exceedingly rare “love at first sniff”, I hardly ever wear it as I feel it demands a special occasion or for the mood to be just right, but I may take it for an outing by the end of this week.
I briefly owned L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) whose greasy cocoa note put me off.
Sluggish Monday here too!
I’m still working on finishing up samples and decants. Today it was a sample of Gold Woman. There wasn’t much left in the sample and it seems to already have faded. Oh well.
Easy come easy go? I can’t remember Gold Woman it’s been so long. IIRC I liked Gold Man better.
I remember liking Gold man better than woman too.
Oh Gold Woman, I live it, but it’s not the loudest of the Amouages. It happens to be my favourite of the line.
It’s Hermes Bel Ami for me this morning. The kids’ wedding was lovely — perfect weather, perfect setting on a friend’s property up in the hills above Forest Park, and the vows and various speeches were beautiful and beyond tear-inducing. Those kids have a vast group of very thoughtful friends.
Glad all was well – I love weddings!
I don’t usually, but this one was delightful.
Jealous of your Bel Ami! That’s one I’m always searching for at resellers.
Me too! What I have are two decants from STC and they’re probably enough for the rest of my life, but I’d still love to stumble across some vintage juice in the shaker-style bottle.
Oh yay! So glad it all went well.
sounds like a perfect day!
Good to hear that the wedding was a wonderful occasion, and that you enjoyed it!
Today I’m in Outremer* Mousse de Chêne, aka Oakmoss, perfume extract (which, the packaging used to helpfully advise, you could disperse into 90 mL of perfumery alcohol to give you an EDT). The top has frankly never been great, a soapy and rather synthetic barbershop thing, but soon enough it becomes a lush forest-floor oakmoss, earthy and sensual.
* Bought long enough ago that the company was still called L’Aromarine: I don’t know when they changed it. Somehow, incomprehensibly, I have never tried any of their other scents, which are still available. You’d think at least I would have tried Rose, and they have a Cola that surely has my name all over it.
Aha, I did not know they’d changed their name either.
Outremer Vanille is very simple and good, cheap too.
One of these days I expect I’m going to discover that I have gone and ordered six or eight of their scents, which are ridiculously inexpensive, in the same general range as Demeter. I’ll definitely try Vanilla if and when that happens. You can never have enough good vanillas (and I should know).
Still wafting quite well in Montalé Arabians Tonka, one spritz of which I applied around the bellybutton area about 14 hours ago. Pretty darn certain if I wear a Montale perfume when I’m buried, they could exhume me 10 years later and I’d still smell fine! 👍🏼
Happay Monday! We are headed to a different hotel today to hole up in the A/C until these temps normalize a bit.
🤣 Does that mean you like Arabians Tonka?
As for the lasting power of some Montales, I agree with you.
Yes, I do like it quite a bit, but it IS big. I was looking at their 3X20ml set and thinking about ordering it, but not sure what else I’d like. I’ll have to see if I have a sample of Chocolate Greedy, because that sounds great! Do you have any recommendations from this line? Ears are open to any opinions. I think Patchouli Leaves has a few fans here. 🙂
Yes, I love Patchouli Leaves. I have that one, along with Sandalsliver, Oud Queen Rose, and Orient Extreme. Oh yes, Jasmin Full is lovely if you like jasmine.
Haven’t tried many of the newer ones.
Intense age seems to be pretty popular.
My fingers are awfully fat today – that last one should have read Intense Cafe.
Hello all!
Final sprint before finals today. I’m planning on working quite a bit today and tomorrow. Feeling confident about the actual finals though.
I’m in Paprika Brasil. We keep getting rumors of Hermessences getting discontinued, including this and another favorite, Brin de Reglisse. I’m having a hard time keeping to my no buy in this emergency situation.
Have a great day everyone!
Keep on hurdling through those finals! How great will it be when it’s all in the rear view mirror?! As for the Hermessences, I’d say got for it if you heard about this discontinuation from a reliable source, otherwise wait it out.
I’m feeling so grateful that the crunch is almost over!!
I have to narrow down which I “need” most but I am allowing myself to pick one. I can’t imagine my summers without Paprika Brasil though.
Good luck on your finals! I’m sure you’ll do great.
Thank you so much! You all have been so encouraging. 🙏🙏🙏
Almost there! You can do it!
And then you have a “Bucket List” worthy trip afterwards.
Yes, so close!!
Thunked my sample of PdE Equistrius for its cocoa powder note (and Letting it Go). Chocolate is not my fave in perfume, so this is it for me this week!
I like chocolate perfume but did not love Equistrius. Good for you for letting it go 🙂
Bringing out EL Intuition for the season. I’m trying to thunk the deodorant spay which came with another bottle. I have never sought any perfume’s deodorant form; I’ve never been sure I could count on it if I needed it. Hajusuuri-level spritzing of the edp is giving me the scent bubble I need. Our neighborhood is doing its 4th of July Parade tonight. Lots of cute kids on decorated bikes, a fire truck and sometimes a visit from a city official or two, especially in an election year. 🙂
I loved the neighborhood 4th of July parade when I was a kid. Decorating our bikes with streamers. The bicentennial was particularly fun.
I have not seen one in years! Our town does lots of parades but not 4th of July.
Good morning all.
Took today off… so four days with no alarm clocks.
Having coffee and my robe smells of Indochine and Ingenious Ginger a delicious mix.
Four pounds lost….slowly. 7-8 more to go before Africa.
So no chocolate on the horizon anytime soon. The good news is my cholesterol will go down and my doc will be happy.
I want to sample Sugar Leather and Click Song soooooo much!
But, travel awaits.
I suppose I could just drive on over to Scent Bar.
Slow and steady wins the race. I wish I could just drive over to scentbar! #jealous
I am sooooooooooo lazy. It’s a no makeup slap on moisturizer day.
Gas is still 5.00 ish range in LA so I plan my trips kind of carefully. and Scent Bar/Luckysent, ahhh it’s kind of near no freeways.
That IG is getting a lot of love! I looked on their website to see what sampler sets they have but none include this scent, or Silky Woods, which is another I’m interested in. So excited for your trip! I wish I could fit in your carry on. ✈️
Theres a 10ml size on Luckyscent website, Deva.
Ohhh, you don’t say..? Will I overcome my dislike of Luckyscent and make a blind buy purchase..?! Only time will tell! 😃
I moved to LA from Northern California – actually I was working in Beaverton at Nike and getting divorced exactly 32 years ago today.
I had no idea what the future held for me at 39. So much I didn’t know that unfolded in so many unexpected ways. That person would have driven over to Luckyscent on a whim.
So I think I will go over on Saturday and check out the Sugar Leather and a few others.
It’s Molecule 01 Monday. I needed something soft. I am soooo tired today. 🥱 Had the worst insomnia last night. I plan on sleeping like a rock tonight! I hope my brain cooperates and stops going a million miles a minute when I lay down and it’s time to sleep. Ugh.
Good luck tonight! I was awakened at 1:15am by the dog hacking and then a flapping noise that turned out to be a large moth, which I had to evacuate from the house. Wide awake by then, I took one of my CBN gummies and went back to bed for 4 hours. Those things have been a godsend.
That had to be a ginormous moth if you could hear it flying around! Ack!
I thought it might be a bird, from the noise. :-0 I managed to remain calm and quickly slide a piece of stiff paper under it and a plastic bowl over the top and rush it outside to the balcony, slamming the screen door quickly behind me. Whew.
Sending you sweet dream wishes.
No chocolate today, I am working my way through Kerosene samples for the foreseeable future, there are a lot of them. Today is Walk the Sea, because there’s a heat advisory here for tomorrow and Wednesday, but that just means the heat is ramping up today (high of 87F). Walk the Sea is nice, not what I was expecting. It’s salty and breezy with some nice white flowers and not the calone-laden bomb I was anticipating. I’m making a pasta and shrimp salad for dinner while the kitchen is still cool and will probably make salads the rest of the week. I really don’t like hot weather.
Not a fan of hot weather twins! That perfume sounds quite nice. Did you get a sampler set from his website or did you order samples through luckyscent?
I bought the whole line of samples from Luckyscent. It’s out of stock on his website.
Seconding lillyjo! Would love some feedback, good, bad, or meh as you go through them.
Report back on the samples if you can. I am really interested in the summer of 84 and the winter of 99. Mostly because I am nostalgic and I want them to smell good. Lol.
I wore Winter of 99 yesterday. Lots of nutmeg and molasses on a vanilla base. It lasted all day and I smelled like a cookie.
I’m sad to report that longevity for Walk the Sea is very poor. I put it on at 9:30 and it lasted until 11:00.
Thanks for the report! It sounds good.
Winter of 99 is really good. Haven’t had a chance to smell Summer of 84 yet, will wait for foxbins’ report.
It’s the Buck Supermoon tonight!
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/03/1185769181/supermoon-buck-moon-night-sky-monday
Cool! I bought a beautifully decorated poster of 2023 full moons with their names. Gourds I’ll have to put it up before the year is over, lol!
The great procrastinator strikes again. 🙄
“Guess”
Ha, it is time to put it up now AnnE! (And waiting until July sounds just like something I would do.)
Thank the gods I’m not working tonight! Last night was hairy enough and I am so happy I won’t be repeating it! Full moons are lovely, especially with clear skies, but the best environment is viewing while camping with a nice crackling fire. 🔥
Thank you, Robin! I was up at around 12 midnight and thought there was someone with lights on outside, maybe a vehicle. When I looked out, it was the moon shining ever so brightly. It was quite something to see.
Thanks for letting us know!
I don’t have any fragrances with chocolate featuring as a major player, so intead I’m going through an accumulated assortment of vetiver samples.
Up today is PMC Vetiver Java.
It’s definitely vetiver weather in a lot of places right now! 🥵
Happy birthday MFK Fisher, my favorite author of all time!
Was planning to bust out some chocolates for the week, but I’m being stalked by a migraine and honestly, even the thought of the smell makes me wince. Hopefully it’ll stay at bay and not get me; in the meantime, I’m wearing a few splashes of SMN Caprifoglio and smelling like summertime.
Crossing fingers you can dodge the migraine!
I’m still going at it with Tauer Lys du Désert. I’m trying to finish the bottle this summer, a tall order since there are at least 80mls left and husband is complaining when I put on 15 spritzes. 😉
80mls left! Good luck. Why did you pick this one to try and finish?
It smells like it might be on its way towards going off, so I want to finish it quickly.
15 sprays! That’s fantastic! Good luck with finishing the bottle.
🤣 80mL is a tall order!
I am in Dame Perfumery Chocolate Man for the CP.
I can easily do a week of chocolate scents, but it is going to be hot and humid here this week, so I am not sure if I can wear them on such uncomfortable, oppresive weather.
I am working from home today, which I appreciate. Having my third cup of coffee and a slice of cherry chocolate cake that my mother’s aide brought because it was her birthday yesterday. Delish!
Happy Monday! ☕️🍰
Happy Birthday to your Mother!
I just ordered a sample of Chocolate+Milk.
It was the aide’s birthday. Mom’s is in 3 weeks. But thank you in advance! 🌻🍰
I didn’t find much difference between Chocolate Man and Chocolate+Milk, but I love all the Dame chocolate line. With the samples I am covered for the week.
I like the chocolate + rose the best so far. I’m really interested in the Strawberry Fool that’s coming out too.
I love Chocolate+Rose too. I was not aware of the Strawberry Fool. I will keep a eye on the release.
Oh yum!! Cherries and chocolate are so good together.
The perfect match!.
Yay for WFH today, and a delicious snack to cap it all off!
I am so happy I didn’t have to commute today on such hot, humid day!
And with chocolate cake! No complaints! 😀
Going out with a friend for ice cream in a little but and wearing copious amounts of Nuda right now.
Enjoy the ice cream! I just polished off a bowl.
I’m wearing Angel Muse today. Delicious.
I’m being lazy again. I need to go through the mail pile, and clean out the hall closet.
I have to pay my bills, been putting it off but it has to be done! You smell great!
Ugh to bill paying, but I always feel better once it’s done.
It isn’t too warm for Angel Muse?
I did 2 half sprays, plus I was mostly in A/C
You smell great!
Thank you!
Sampling Beauty and the Beast from Areej le Dore since it has a cocoa note in with the rose and oud
That sounds lovely.
I was a bit surprised to realise that I’ve got a few things that fit the CP. My first thought was that I’m not a fan of chocolate notes in perfume, bu that’s not as true as it used to be. I’m wearing the warming Anima Dulcis from Arquiste on a cold day today.
Love Anima Dulcis. If it wasn’t so hot and humid here I’d wear that too.
Oh, thanks, you’ve just given me an idea. I have a bottle of that but didn’t know that it had chocolate! They have a new scent with chocolate in its name, and I tried it last Thursday when Nancy and Oakland Fresca and I met up and went sniffing, but it didn’t make much of an impression on me. I swear it was there but am not finding it on Fragrantica. Now I’m baffled and might have to go back to find out if my memory is that bad and if so what I got it confused with, because there was definitely some sort of Mexican chocolate scent around there.
I have only one perfume that fits this weeks community project and will wear that on Friday. I will be doing vanillas the rest of the week, starting in Vanille Tonka today.
Perfect, and it would go nicely with chocolate.
Taking points in a sample of VC&A Orchidee Vanille which includes a dark chocolate note. It’s quite light, but very lovely. I do love chocolate. This should be an easy and enjoyable CP for me.
We have guests for most of July starting Wednesday. I’m looking forward to all the fun, but maybe not all the cooking/meal planning (even though I like to cook).
When I tried a sample of Orchidee Vanille, I thought that it was a cold-weather perfume for sure.
Good luck making it thru the gauntlet of guests this month!
I’ve never sniffed that one, but I bet it smells very nice on you. Wishing you luck with all the house guests! Maybe some of them will pitch in with meals, or take you out. 🤗
I too have just one scent with chocolate to wear Friday.
Not having the best early summer with the plumbing problems etc. Today I left my (stick shift) car in neutral and it rolled across the (narrow) street into my neighbor’s open garage and hit their car. Can you believe it? And their car has a small dent. And my car is really dented! It still feels surreal. So after dealing with the insurance company and the neighbor, I’m wearing big sprays of Tempo and watching an old movie. A very Mondayish Monday.
Oh ugh!! That is crazy. So sorry, ringthing.
OMG! You’re having a bad run. Hoping things get better for you asap.
Ouch! I hope things look better for you soon!
Oh no, as someone with an ongoing plumbing problem and previous car dent problems, I definitely feel your pain, and send you sympathetic hugs.
That’s terrible! I’m sorry to hear about your car.
If I were to get a Diptyque perfume, Tempo would be my first choice.
Oh ringthing that’s a lot in short order. Sending you strength and a hug.
That is some serious meddling from Mercury, I’d say. I’m so sorry you’ve been stressed this summer. Your solution sounds almost perfect, because I would have to add ice cream, lol!
I hope you have a good night’s sleep and feel better tomorrow. Sending hugs.
Oh my goodness; that is definitely something you can’t make up. I hope the repairs go smoothly.
Oh no. I’m so sorry ringthing.
Another week, another home improvement project.
Today the plumbers came to take out the kitchen sink. We will reuse it when the new countertops are put in. However, those aren’t showing up until Wednesday. And the plumbers aren’t scheduled to return until Friday. If we get really lucky, they might have an opening on Thursday. But I’m not betting on it.
Can’t run the dishwasher until everything is put back into place. Glad I did dishes the other day.
SOTD = Bliss’ Lemon and Sage Body Butter. This is one of my summer staples.
I dread home renovations. Today was not so bad, just installing a dimmer switch on dining room light and replacing broken cabinet hinges. My husband is getting really grumpy about the home repairs. I’m going to handle the next three to give him a break (sanding & repainting the bathroom door frame, staining some boards and fixing the grout in the shower.) Hoping the AC repair guy will be able to repair my unit this week. It seems like it never ends.
I am heartily sick of the projects.
Ooh I love Bliss Lemon! Have you tried their shower gels? I haven’t.
Never tried the Bliss shower gels, either.
But I love the Bliss Grapefruit and Aloe Body Butter in addition to the Lemon.
I have! Just the lemon and sage, it’s excellent. And I like the pump bottle.
Take Out! I hope you get an earlier opening.
I do have some leftovers in the fridge. But I should get paper plates to keep the volume of dirty dishes down.
Oh no, another plumbing problem person, we are not having a good week are we, among us NST’ers? Best of luck!
Not a plumbing problem per se in the kitchen. Just making sure we are able to reuse that sink in the new counters. So it’s more of a “pain in the butt timing issue”.
But we did discover that the powder room sink was leaking while the painters were here. The fittings on it have corroded and need to be replaced. Haven’t done that yet. It was just easier to turn off the water valve to that sink.
That’s no fun, you must be thoroughly done with all the projects. Hope the plumbers can come early. At least you smell good! I love that lotion.
There will be at least one more, since we have to put carpet in the upstairs hallway.
But that’s for later on, thank God.
Sorry you are having to endure more reno issues this week. I hope things go smoothly and you are able to get an earlier opening. Sending you a few more hugs!
That’s a fantastic body butter!
SOTD = Serge Lutens Chergui
Love! ❤️ Did I say Love? Credit for the CP for sure!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuQOqKrRcHh/?igshid=Y2I2MzMwZWM3ZA==
I have a subscription to NY Times online and occasionally see special interest articles. I will post links to it which may or may not hit your personal paywall. Hopefully, someone can repeat how to get around paywalls. Anyway, today’s article is on Dementia villages where Dementia care facilities are integrated into a special purpose town. These villages have a combination of residents who may or may not have dementia (or other memory-related concerns). None in the U.S. so far but one is being built in NJ.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/03/realestate/dementia-villages-senior-living.html
Wow look at the color of that juice!😍
That Chergui looks like balsamic vinegar, the really good stuff!
I don’t get the NYT but have read about those villages before and found it interesting to learn about them. I have a lot of reasons for doubting that they would work here, but who knows? I’ve recently heard of two friends who either have been diagnosed with dementia or have a spouse who has. I have tried to be sympathetic but honestly it is the worst thing and there is just no way they can be prepared for what is to come. Sometimes I get so angry because positive pictures of how to interact with dementia patients are sugar-coating something that reaches an absolute level of dreadfulness that no one who has not been through it can imagine.
By coincidence I just read that article, and found it fascinating.
I’m not on the CP because I’m wearing Harvest Mouse which I’ve been enjoying now for two days. It goes to hay and spice on me. I was surprised when Gaynor found it too sweet. In recent months I seem to have gravitated to sweet scents that I personally don’t experience as sweet, such as Ex Nihilo and MDCI La Ravissante. If someone calls them “too sweet” I can acknowledge well, yes, I guess they really are pretty sweet, but that’s just. not what I notice about them. Maybe I have a high sugar tolerance! I just notice the other notes like the wonderful pomegranate in the MDCI and spice in Harvest Mouse and rosy peach in Devil. Maybe it’s just a phase, who knows?
On another note, I’m still trying to deal with workmen from HVAC, plumbing, and water damage mitigation firms, plus my insurance adjustor, and isn’t it just so true that these problems happen over the holidays? It’s like when I got excruciating dental pains over the Memorial Day weekend. Anyway I send sympathy and best wishes to everyone who is having plumbing or other house problems. For tomorrow I will abandon hope and eat some hot dogs and corn on the cob. 🙂
Home remediation projects are a bigger PITA than home improvement projects by orders of magnitude!
SOTDS had nothing to do with chocolate — Portia and I posted for our collaboration “Notes on Notes”, and thus month’s note was rose, so I was covered in rose scents!
I’m looking forward to World Chocolate Day and have laid in a supply of 70% cacao truffles. If I eat them all week, will that earn CP points?
They will be so delicious you won’t care about cp points 😉