It's Monday, National Spumoni Day and Count Basie’s birthday. What fragrance are you wearing?
I’m in vintage Dior Eau Sauvage.
Reminder: 8/25 is National Banana Split Day. Do whatever you like with the theme!
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 Thanh Le Studio - BANANA TREE [cropped] by manhhai at flickr; some rights reserved.
Finished my decant of A Taste of Heaven by Kilian. I will miss this green creamy lavender.
I’m not usually a lavender fan, or even a By Killian fan, but you describe it so nicely
That is such a beautiful lavender! Have you ever tried L’Impacte de Pour un Homme by Caron? It’s no longer made but it was essentially an extrait de parfum version of the original Pour un Homme. Currently on the Caron website they sell a Pour un Homme Parfum which is probably pretty similar.
Anyway Puh resembles the Kilian quite bit.
I have not tried L’Impacte, but I have a decant of Pour un Homme. I agree that there are strong similarities between ATOH and PUH, so PUH is a reasonable substitute.
The extrait is closer to the Kilian
Interesting! I am on no buy, but you never know…
Hello!
Sotd is the new TF Café Rose. I smell a lightly spicy rose but no coffee. I have a coffee centered perfume coming though! High hopes on that one. Will update.
I also bought Natasha Denona’s new I Need A Nude palette. From what I saw online, the shades are very usable and pretty.
How do you like Cafe Rose over all?
This one is 85-90% rose and of the dark pink/red variety. The opening cardamom and spices is brief, then it’s roses all the way.
Nothing complex and easy to wear. I love roses so I am really enjoying it!
Glad to read of a different more positive response to that one!
I saw that ND palette on insta! It looks great. I’m glad to see the more natural colors come back in style. Wasn’t really a fan of eyeshadows in the jewel colors. Enjoy your new stuff! 😊
Thank you!😄 Palette is arriving I think next week. Can’t wait.
If you like naturals, look for the new Chanel limited Byzance eye quads. 2 of the 4 are naturals and very pretty. I have 318 Parure Venitienne.
Thanks for the tip! The 318 looks beautiful.
This is the first positive review I have heard for this version of Cafe Rose. So maybe I shouldn’t dismiss it out of hand.
I’m wearing Bill Blass Basic Black.
Nice!
Excellent alliteration!
Ciao a tutti (hello everyone)
Just back from vacation and a bit jet lagged.
No perfume for me today -I just smell like Pre de Provence ocean air soap that lingers for a bit when I get out of the shower.
Catching up on email, and if anyone saw shopfrance newsletter and I am interested in the Shalimar flanker that will be coming out with more iris.
Have a mentioned to anyone that I love to read? (lol) I visited a beautiful bookstore in Brussels -so much so I went back twice. It was hard not to buy a whole stack of books-their English sections was so interested. I ended up picking up one short book: Marie by Madeleine Bourdouxhe
*interesting
I’m already on the waiting list for Shalimar Millésime Iris at Bergdorf Goodman.
How do I get on that waiting list?
Just call the Guerlain counter and speak to an SA.
Calling mine tomorrow for 2 bottles!
Trying to get tonka last year caused me so much angst, of which I’m not proud. First world problems for sure! I was on the waitlist at the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas, but they never called. Then I just started stalking the website, which was most unhealthy. It makes me not want to even try for iris.
I am with you. Do I need another Shalimar bottle??-I keep asking myself this-
I hear you. I feel like they do this intentionally to get people worked up. I’ve got a bottle of the MVP that they released 2 years ago and have decided to be happy with that.
Nice to see you back ltsg!
Thank you ! hugs
Welcome back! Your absence has been noted. 😄
Thank you! Let me know if I missed any perfume news
I’ll see what I can recall….🤔
Which bookstore was it? I love Tropismes in Brussels (in the Galérie des Princes) but their collection of English books is rather limited, I think.
Did you enjoy Brussels?
It was Tropismes. I enjoyed their collection actually. For me it doesn’t have to be a lot, but it has to be interesting. It wasn’t all Colleen Hoover, which is what I was finding a lot of in other stores during out travels. I was discovering authors and books I have never heard of in Tropismes, like the one mentioned above.
I am hesitant to give you my opinion about Brussels.
I can tell you that I loved that book store. It’s been around for 40 years the woman told me, and we got to discussing the aesthetics a bit since I loved the ceiling upstairs and I am a fan of bookstores (and libraries)
I won’t be offended either way, I enjoy visiting Brussels but I doubt I would want to live there, mind you I’d rather not live in a big city anyway.
I didn’t warm up to Brussels-we met family there so it was fun for my children to be with their cousins-but other than that I was underwhelmed.
I think maybe if I didn’t visit right after Austria I would have felt different? Who knows..
Or maybe it just isn’t your place and that is fine. I think I like it in part because it offers such a contrast to most Dutch cities that tend to be quite organised. Brussel is completely chaotic and unpredictable. Plus it has some great places for buying tea.
I understand there is a very nice Guerlain boutique in Brussels.
I am glad I didn’t find it lol
Yes, it’s in Ixelles, on or very near Avenue Louise
I have never been inside, but have walked past it multiple times.
I prefer visiting Senteurs d’Ailleurs a large shop that sells an interesting collection of “niche” perfumes and that has quite good staff. I bought most of my Mallets there.
Welcome back!
Anything new in perfume news?
Hiiii!🖐🏻🖐🏻
Hellooooo whats cookin?
Spring is on her merry way!!
My friend Janine is in New York today,making us jealous with her visit to Magnolia Bakery and Central Park for hot dogs and sunshine!🌞😉
I hope she throws a blanket down in Central Park and enjoys the rays.
Hajusuuri mentioned something recently about a few new perfumes from Hermes…
I’m in PdN L’Eau Mixte today. Thinking I’m not going to thunk this bottle before fall temps get here, but you never know.
It is warm here but there is a real “fall” feeling in the morning air.
Doubt I am going to thunk anything this year at all!
I am finishing my sample of Aerin Cedar Violet. Nice and comfy scent, but I do not need more of it.
Here is an article about early holiday items in stores. No matter the reasons, it is very annoying.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/20/business/christmas-products-early-in-stores/index.html
Happy Monday! 🌻
We need to celebrate Fall!😭
I thought only Hallmark does holiday this early (their “Christmas in July” offerings).
I feel autumn is going to be totally forgotten eventually.
Wot, not even a blitz for Hallowe’en/Thanksgiving? You might be right, though
If this tendency continues…
Trying hard not to think about this. 🙉🙈🙊
I know is hard, especially when we are forced to be exposed to it. Personally, I will keep enjoying every season timely. Now, I am just looking forward to the beauty of Fall season. As much as I like cider donuts, I did not grab any when I went to the bakery store yesterday!
Cider donuts, mmm…. I don’t think I could have resisted!
The only good thing is that bargains come earlier. I took advantage of the Target Black Friday sales throughout October 2021.
Home Goods was full blown Halloween!
At least we can get some benefit of it!
I must admit that I appreciated a “Christmas in July” swap this summer, since it allowed us to get rid of a bunch of wrapping paper that we will never use now.
But I am not a fan of seeing Xmas stuff in stores now. It’s bad enough that Halloween things were out at the start of August. Feh!
Trying another one of my new travel sprays, Sous l’Abricotier (under the apricot tree). It also has a coconut note and is reminding me of vacations in Hawaii.
on vacation in Austria I ate some of the best apricots. They were in season and switching their apple strudels for apricot strudels. My mouth is now watering.
That perfume sounds lovely!
Happy spumoni day! There’s a mom and pop Italian restaurant near me that has fabulous homemade spumoni. Now I want some.
For banana split week, I’m CP compliant in just a dab of Angel, for chocolate, vanilla and pineapple according to Fragrantica.
I didn’t realize Angel had pineapple in it. That’s one I enjoy smelling on others- you smell great!
Boo-hoo I am so jealous of your spumoni! Our stores have it very infrequently, and not at all lately. I will have to look for it next time I travel. I always remember how, after I first tried Spumoni as a kid, tasty Neapolitan ice cream started seeming a teeny bit disappointing.
I need to get some soon.
Love mom-and-pop restaurants! Such a shame that so many have closed in recent years.
ELdO Nombril Immense, one of my favourite patchoulis. I walked past a small group of people in the mall the other day and at least one of them was absolutely saturated with the kind of heavy patchouli people associate with Burning Man types, but this is not that: it’s pleasantly lightweight and inoffensive.
You smell great, so sad that Nombril Immense is discontinued.
We are house twins! I don’t think I have ever tried nombril and I think I might have a sample of it.
Commando today because I caught the cold Ockeghem Teen came back from camp with and I can’t smell anything. Bummer, because I got an IA sample pack over the weekend that I haven’t dug into yet…no point if I’m not going to smell them properly.
The smoke moved in over the weekend but fortunately isn’t really smelly yet. We’re getting the smoke from the Canadian fires mostly, but my dad in Washington has been stuck in the house all weekend due to hazardous air quality conditions. He’s got a fire burning north of his city and a big one burning west of the city that likely incinerated my first home as a baby.
Bummer about the cold. At least she didn’t come back with…head lice. My older daughter working at camp got it when it was going around. Yuck!
I saw footage of Washington on the news last night. I hope your family stays safe!
The smoke is probably from the fires that are in my city. On Thursday night I looked out my office window and the hill behind us was on fire. The embers jumped over the lake and here we are. Luckily somehow we are just beyond the evacuation line but it’s been a stressful few days. We are supposed to get rain tonight or tomorrow.
I hope your childhood home is still standing.
I was thinking of you watching the news last night, hoping you and your home are safe!
Thank you! We are safe so far. The fires are pretty close (within a few blocks) but we got really lucky.
Hope things are OK in California for you guys!
Wow, that’s too close!! San Diego is fine, just some rain & wind. No damage to our house.
I had not heard that – glad that you are safe and I hope that rain comes tonight!
Thank you, MossyBerry.
Fingers crossed, Gail, stay safe!
Thank you, Robin.
You are in Spokane, Gail?
I went to college for a year there in the 1980’s. And my best friend attended Whitworth.
Hope that you stay safe.
No, I’m north of the border. In Kelowna, British Columbia.
I saw the news about Spokane yesterday. We go to Spokane regularly so I’m familiar with the area. It’s so devastating everywhere.
Sorry to hear that you have a summer cold ockeghem. Feel better soon.
I’m in Biarritz again.
Restless night last night, our upstairs was stuffy.
Today is my (our) anniversary. 30 years. We are both at work today, so really it’s just another day lol. I think we’ll walk to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner so neither of us has to cook.
I should have worn Beautiful today as that was my wedding perfume. That marketing campaign of Paulina in a wedding dress totally worked on me! Ironic that todays occasional lemming is Beautiful.🌟
Happy anniversary!!!
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary, Madtowngirl! 🥂
Thanks pl67!
Happy anniversary! Beautiful is, well, beautiful. I haven’t worn it in years.
Thanks!
It really is. I have a vintage mini that I keep for sentimental reasons.☺️
Happy Anniversary! ❤️☀️💐
I remember that ad campaign, just so lovely. PP was stunning. Enjoy your dinner out!
Thanks AnnE!
Happy Anniversary!
Paulina was my favorite model.
Thanks lillyjo!
I miss the days of the supermodel. Can’t wait to watch the show on them this fall.
Oh I was just reading about it. I hope to watch it too.
She is gorgeous in the Beautiful ad for sure! As I often say, those ’80’s and ’90’s EL perfumes are still some of my favorites.
Wow!
Happy Anniversary!🌹🤗
I know, right?! I was a child bride.😉😂
Thanks JB!
Happy anniversary! Enjoy your dinner tonight!
Thanks tulipani!
It sounds like you two will have a lovely, quiet celebration.
I remember that ad.
It should be. And today is not extremely hot so I’m hoping we can dine outside.
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks hajusuuri!
Happy anniversary!
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary! A walk to a local restaurant is one of our favorite dates, and is usually a good way to let the work world fall away.
Thanks!
30 years is quite an achievement, congrats!
Thanks!
Happy anniversary!
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary! Enjoy your dinner out!
Thanks!
Congratulations on your 30th wedding anniversary! Traditionally that is the Pearl Anniversary.
I hope it was a wonderful anniversary!
Mostly nside today, hiding from horrible air and creepy red sun. Wearing a spritz of elegant, retro Diorling.
Are you having some smoke/fires where you are?
Sadly yes, although at least it was downgraded to Moderate compared to yesterday’s “just please stay inside”
Yuck. I experienced that earlier this summer, and it was horrid.
This is my third day of wearing Fils de Dieu du Riz et des agrumes. Gosh this so nice! I bought this bottle on a whim in the shop on the Rue des Archives just after it came out. I went through the first third of my bottle rather quickly and then for reasons I no longer remember, slowed down a lot. Anyway, I recently bought a BUB at a discount, so I’m back to wearing it. Also vanilla and rice and citrus would smell rather well with banana.
I wonder if the Patou scent would smell like what you’re describing-Sira Des Indes, I think? Readily available at discounters,and I remember lots of positive reviews when it first came out.
Wearing Gris Charnel today. It’s not so much as hot as it is humid. My grandmother’s place called, letting us know her cellulitis is back and she is on antibiotics. They also let us know that she lost her compression socks and needs some new ones. So it looks like a drug store run and taking those to my grandmother. We were hoping to have 2 weeks without a drug store run but that didn’t happen.
Hope she gets better soon Dawn!
In Caleche EDT today, just because. Sharing (reluctantly) the creepy red sun others have mentioned and hoping the various fires can be controlled soon, for so many reasons.
I remember when they sold Caleche at Sephora. What happened to that fragrance
I’ve only had decants from various places, all of them vintage. I’ve been tempted by the current iterations (they’re at fragrancenet now) but haven’t warmed up the credit card for any of them yet.
Ditto on smoky air here in Seattle. Ugh. I grew up in Washington but on the east side. Although I remember forest fires it was never this bad.
I had my first medical exam (since turning 65) this morning. All went well. Will be happily wearing a spritz of Iris Torrefie when I get home to celebrate that it’s done.
Congrats! On a related note, how did the Medicare application go?
HAPPY MONDAY!
Sotd!
Nishane Ambra Calabria.Citrusy amber with a good dose of vanilla and a smidgeon of powder.Good stuff,and very office-friendly!
The next 21(I think!)days will be Nishane every day,I’m working my way through the discovery set I got(2ml/vial,pretty much enough for a good testing!)Yesterday I wore Wulong Cha.It’s on the maybe list for a fb,such a good tea frag!
XO’s🌹🤗
Wow they have 21 perfumes!
They seem to be a favorite on YouTube. I have not tried any Nishane.
I’m wearing Molecule 01 + Iris today, mainly because the sample box is within arms reach at my work desk! I might do a whole week of iris scents.
That’s a happy week 🙂
Frozen red fruits and fresh strawberries smoothie
Compassion to those dealing with forest fires and air quality issue, it’s cool 23C here, there has been no heat spell at all this year while Southern Europe experienced record temperatures.
Yardley Jade which is like Cristalle, Yardley has some gems but a tendency to discontinue and reformulate, two dreaded verbs in the perfumista lexicon. Tonight it’s Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau.
Still enjoying strawberries in season in your area?
Yes, thank you Jalapeno, they are at their best right now and very cheap.
SOTD = Molinard Habanita
Continuing with red bottle or juice week!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwNzpirxpLn/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
At the Wegmans parking lot yesterday, I finished loading up my car, sat down and got ready to leave. I happened to notice that the car next to mine was also being loaded and the guy appeared to be done. As I carefully got out of the parking spot, the guy held up a bottle of hand sanitizer. Okaaaaaaay, what the heck does he want me to do? Unroll my window to get a squirt of hand sanitizer? I know people mean well but come on. I ended up just smiling and went on with my business.
Ok… you must have commissioned that kitty to match perfectly ( purrfectly) with that bottle!
Re: the guy.. even in these insane times, I think it’s weird that he did that.
I love the combo for sure. Now I have to find a bottle with red and yellow so I can use the 3rd mini eraser.
The guy was … weird.
You smell wonderful! I couldn’t help but wonder if the guy was making an awkward flirtation attempt, though *my* first thought would have been, oh did that bottle fall out of my car?
Ha! Wild imagination. The bottle was suspiciously full and he held it up like he was holding a torch.
I just had this mental image of the Hand Sanitizer Guy holding up his bottle like Rafiki holds up Simba in “The Lion King”.
Still grinning a bit from that.
That is funny!!
I’m in Hermes Gentiane Blanc. I bought the pamplemousse scent, when these two came out. My brother bought this one and gave me his. It’s really good and crisp and understated. 🙂
That was really nice of him to give you his bottle!
I hope everything is OK for the NST folks who are affected by fires, very frightening.
It’s getting slowly more spring-like here, but taking its time. The magnolia tree next door is flowering, and I can see the blossom trees are coming into bud.
I’m wearing Taklamakan from SHL 777, another warm perfume. I seem to have a lot more things than I used to that I classify as warming, maybe I need more comfort during winter as I get older 🙂
Ah, magnolias! That is a sure sign of spring.
I went with Chanel Boy today since I realized yesterday that I have a spray sample within thunking distance. When the sample is gone, I’ll keep using my mini splash bottle. And when that’s gone, I think I need a full size bottle because I love this stuff. I think fougere is my comfort perfume genre. I always feel right when I’m wearing a fougere.
I did a bunch of sample testing this weekend of D’Orsay and the Claus Porto cologne sample sets. I liked all 4 of the CP colognes I’ve tried so far but only 1 out of 6 of the D’Orsay samples I tried were noteworthy. Another instance of an older perfume brand trying to relaunch for modern times but having mostly unremarkable perfumes.
Good to know, I was curious what D’Orsay was like these days. Which one was noteworthy?
The standout so far has been the one Duchaufour did called Nous sommes amants. M.D. However, I don’t think it’s really for me. I’m trying it again tonight, and I think I’d like it more as a candle rather than a perfume. Or maybe I’d like to smell it on someone else rather than on myself.
But I just now tried the Tilleul revamp, Vouloir être ailleurs. C.G., and it’s wonderful! I’ll have to do a side by side comparison with Tilleul soon.
Thank you so much!
I had heard the Tilleul was still decent, so good to have the corroboration.
Hello fragrant ones,
We seemed to have weathered through Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Hillary here in SoCal.
Just rain all day yesterday, which was not the usual for this time of year. And I slept with the AC off for the first time in a month. Today is mild and sunny. Inland got it all with flash floods and mudslides.
Have lost a total of 13 pounds with four weeks to go to Africa.
Have on a new Chanel eyeshadow and am testing Lorga Parfums Rose d’ Ensens from Luckyscent.
I stopped at Nordstrom to get a gift card and got a sample of TF Cafe Rose when I went to have dinner the other night. I cannot find the sample, so that’s that!
Glad to hear that you didn’t get beat up by the wild weather!
2nd that! And congrats on 13 pounds, apsara.
I’m wearing Chanel Gardenia today. I will have to think about Banana Split week. Didn’t Blackbird have a banana perfume?
Yes, Y06-S – a very banana jasmine. I really like it in small doses.
Me too…maybe I will wear that.
SotD the very enjoyable Heretic Blood Cedar, from a batch of samples from a kind NST’er. The word “cedar” in perfume usually scares me, and also makes me smell hamster cages. (And somehow I’d heard blood cedar was a type of wood ’cause “blood” in a perfume would be pass.) I like it so well that I wondered if I’m smelling something similar to the piney-ness that makes its fans revel in their cloud of Fille en aiguilles? It does keep suggesting a room or candle scent, but I keep enjoying getting whiffs of it on me.
I can’t do cedar in perfume either. It becomes one of those notorious “exploding” notes on me and just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
No thanks!
Since I detest bananas and dislike their scent I am inclined to pass on this week’s CP. But I did think of an alternative that might qualify: Perris Monte Carlo’s Ylang Ylang Nosy Be. It’s very luscious. Ylang ylang is sometimes said to have a banana smell (though I don’t get this), so perhaps this one can count, plus it almost also provides that delightful smell of the whipped cream on top! Now that makes me wonder, is there a whipped cream perfume? There must be but nothing is coming to mind.
How absurd of me to wonder. Just did a brief perusal on Fragrantica and that new puffy Ariana Grande white bottle perfume came up (Cloud) as having a whipped cream note. Of course. It’s supposedly also in Amouage Love Tuberose, which I own, and now I”ll have an option for another CP contribution this week. Banana splits always have to be topped by whipped cream and a cherry, right? (At least they did back when I worked at the Dairy Queen during summers in high school.)
Yes, whipped cream and at least 1 cherry are must haves for a proper banana split. Bonus points if each scoop of ice cream has a cherry on top!
Plus you could wear anything with vanilla, chocolate, nuts, strawberries, pineapple…it’s a pretty wide field.
Shalimar Eau de Cologne. It feels a bit chilly today after yesterday’s heat.
Mundane day. Work, then ironing and tidying up.
Your cooler weather is headed my way later on this week. Not sure how I feel about that.
I don’t think this summer has been particularly hot where I am at.
Ours has been quite mild. We had warm/dry June…drought conditions. We’ve gotten rain in July and August such that the wildflowers bloomed later, and the bees started producing honey later.
Shout out to Robin: fresh lima beans with dinner tonight – too bad I can’t overnight you a bag!
Lucky you!! They had fresh limas at the farm stand I went to last week but I did not have time over the weekend to shell & cook, so did not buy. We’ll see if they still have them next time I go.
Late today!
Found a box of things this afternoon that we never unpacked from our previous move. Almost everything in it is going to Goodwill. Guess we didn’t need the contents this whole time.
SOTD = Paris-Deauville EdT.
It’s funny the stuff we box up thinking we might use it again.
Not long ago I found wrapping paper that I clearly remember buying around 1996. It went through 2 moves! I am determined to use it up for Christmas.
It was mostly coffee mugs and Mason jars. I have my coffee mugs that I use for tea. All the others are going to or have been given to Goodwill.
You smell great, and your box reminds me that I have one like that under the bed and I moved 11 years ago.
Mine had been sitting for 23 years! Time to check out the contents in yours, I think. 😉
Santa Maria Novella Marescialla
I know Kevin likes that one but can’t remember if I have tried it.
Scent of the late afternoon – FM Le Parfum de Thérèse
Oh yum!
My daughter was so nervous about going back to school that she had insomnia the whole night. She was ready on time and ended up having a great day. Now that she got today over with she should sleep well tonight. I hope I do too.
My sotd was Fidji.
First day jitters; I remember that! Glad she had a great day today. Fidji is a classic; you smelled wonderful.
Glad to hear that your daughter had a good first day despite the jitters!
Glad she had a good first day and glad that both of you will sleep better tonight because of it 😴