It's Tuesday, International Children’s Book Day (aka Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday) and World Autism Awareness Day. Donatella will be stopping by tomorrow! What fragrance are you wearing?
I won't manage a whole week of points, but I'm taking one for salty today with Hermès Eau des Merveilles.
Reminder: on 4/5 we're doing salt & pepper...wear a fragrance with salty notes, pepper notes, or both. (Thanks go to Calypso for the suggestion!)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2024, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: the Lily & Lotus Tea Pot in Lilac ("The teapot is decorated with a large fanciful lily, lotus leaves and dandelions in pastel shades. The flowers and graceful ferns are placed symmetrically, giving this teapot a modern twist") is €54.95 at Pip Studio.
What a beautiful teapot! I am going to copy you, Robin, in Eau des Merveilles, once I wake up more and eat breakfast and get showered and dressed. Thanks for the idea.
That is a beautiful scent!
I think I will wear it on Friday.
I want that teapot 🙂
I’m wearing Nocturnes of the Honeysuckle, another of the new spring sample set from Alkemia.
What a great name!
Am in Iris Poudre, for a day of important Business Lady activities.
You smell fabulous!
One of my top five fragrances. Love it ❤️
You smell so good for your day of Important Business Lady activities 🙂
Iris always hits the Important Business Lady spot.
Tea is “cocoa tea” from Grenada-its a a cocoa ball with nutmeg, cinnamon and other spices-maybe bay leaf?
Shalimar Tonka
I am volunteering later today for the first time in a weeks. Missing the library.
My next book is a More, a memoir of an open marriage which I will start later today.
Makeup is Guerlain bee glow lippy and some light pink eye shadow
Any other good books you have read recently?
That cocoa tea is delicious 🙂
Bois d’Arménie for me today as I emerge from my hermit cocoon, just in time to stock up some food for the mini snowstorm coming in tomorrow. It will probably melt pretty much immediately despite their prediction of 10-20 cm.
You smell amazing! Good luck with the mini storm.
you smell great and hopefully our snow melts just as quickly as it falls-very tired of extreme weather.
Oh, you smell fantastic!
Today it’s YR Neonatura Cocoon, just salty cocoa powder, vanilla, and dirty patchouli — simplicity itself, but so good.
Weakened yesterday evening and got a package of cotton candy Peeps (half price), which smell *shockingly* like cotton candy straight out of the machine (I used to make it so I know what it smells like). That’ll probably be my sugar binge for the month.
I have never heard of your perfume before but the description makes me really want to try it!
Keeping things quiet today with Lolita Lempicka’s “Homme.” Licorice, sugar, almond, rum… beautiful, but nicely subdued.
Oh, I do like that one. You smelled great today Daniel!
I chose CdG Sugi this morning, for pepper. Turns out I have lots of scents with pepper, but only a few with salt.
I’m the same, though some scents seem to create a salty air despite not listing it as a note.
Claiming CP points — and anticipating summer — in Neroli Portofino today, with its whiff of salt and sunscreen.
Recovery is an interesting process! During the day when the sun is shining and the birds are singing it’s fairly easy to keep my spirits up, do my PT, take my restorative vitamins, eat nourishing food, rest/ice/elevate, appreciate the daily incremental improvements in mobility, but at night it’s a real shift to glass-half-empty, vulnerability, low morale, and sorrow. Today I’m jumping back into work and grad school (both remotely) and it’s just so daunting — part of me wants to quit both! Or at least quit grad school, and just be content with my B.A. and my garden and my life as it is. Recovery is taking a lot of energy and I guess a big part of that is mental energy, so I shan’t quit, but will do my best to go through the motions until my brain is ready to re-engage. Just hoping I don’t get asked to contribute anything of intellectual value today! 😀
Wishing you continued and uneventful recovery, Isabella!
Thank you! Trajectory good so far!
I agree – things always look better in the daylight. It’s a tough time right now, but I think things will get better as you recover. I hope jumping back in goes better than you are thinking.
I guess my main advice would be: don’t make decisions at night about whether to continue with grad school. At least wait until the morning to think it through. Best of luck, Isabella!!
Haha, yes, I promise not to return my research grant in a fit of despair at 11pm!
Excellent! 😀
Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan today, and I am keeping my 10ml spray close because I am liberally reapplying. I love a fleeting scent for wfh, since spraying is fun, but it is also kinda silly because this one goes so quickly. I don’t think I would repurchase when i get through the travel spray.
Yesterday I was at BlueMercury and since the last time I was in they started carrying Vilhelm Parfumerie. I tried Poets of Berlin on skin, which i both really liked and was lukewarm about. I almost bought the 30ml but then didn’t, and I am glad I didn’t. I have three or four scents I want to purchase and I ended up so on the fence about the drydown of Poets of Berlin. It is a nice scent but it isn’t an improvement on anything I have already.
They also started carrying BDK in store, and I tried Gris Carnel on skin too. I’ve tried it from sample vials before, but not a spray on skin. I liked it, but the ambroxan isn’t my favorite, it always feels scratchy like radio fuzz, and it isn’t pleasant for me. But I might give this another try in colder months.
Don’t make any decisions during your recovery time if you can avoid it, you are so right about recovery sapping even mental energy. Are you sleeping ok? Those night thoughts are the worst!
I’m actually sleeping better than I was before the surgery! I think the dread of the thing was really weighing on me.
Hang in there, Isabella!
Having once also juggled major surgery and grad school, I would encourage you to reach out to your school/advisor and check if you could get some extensions on deadlines or even withdraw for the semester. It might give you enough of a break to then come back and continue with more force. Best of luck!
Thanks, tulipani! They’re actually being really great and flexible, setting up special Zooms so that I can attend seminars and lab meetings and not asking too much of me. I might have to delay graduation by a semester just because this whole adventure has rather delayed me, but that wouldn’t be the worst thing.
It’s amazing how the light of day can improve things.
Healing of any kind takes a tremendous amount of energy. You aren’t imagining it. Hang in there!
Wearing Eau Premiere today. I might want to wear Lyric today but I will be going to work shortly. But I am happy that my Chewy order is arriving today.
Hey Dawn, hope that order arrived!
Wearing my only salty scent – Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt. Very nice on this warm day.
It was warm and sunny all day (22C/72F – just a little cooler than yesterday), but it began pouring rain at around 5 pm. So it looks like the cooler temps will start tomorrow, and as long as they do not drop dramatically, I am glad.
Great scent!
I don’t seem to have any salt/pepper forward fragrances—pepper especially is a note I’m starting to avoid, worrying about its overload. So today I’m in a big dousing of Puredistance Antonia. I lucked into a small bottle for a song, and I’ve found it surprisingly effervescent. I think I don’t particularly like it, then I smell an aura around me and think, “What IS that?” It’s arresting (rather than beautiful), so today I just loaded up on it so that I can think about it more consciously as I work.
I love that teapot. I’m a sucker for porcelain.
Antonia is so beautiful! You smell fabulous.
I just passed through the heightened floral stage. It was gorgeous.
Now, the dry down…
I know pepper is somewhat rare but you could look for pink pepper, if you’re searching, because it seems to be in lots of things, including fruity things–just a thought.
I find pink pepper everywhere!
Hello all!
I’m wearing Timbuktu today. I did not think I was CP compliant until I checked the notes on Fragrantica and I saw pink pepper listed as a top note. I love this one, I have the old iteration and I’m wondering how it compares to the current version.
Smelling great today!
Ooohhh, maybe I’ll do that one tomorrow. Timbuktu is so good.
I’m wearing Reglisse Noire because Gail mentioned it yesterday AND I remembered that it has white pepper, so it works well for the cp. It’s a very airy, herbal, peppery licorice, and it’s been a favorite for a long time.
That’s a nice one. If it would warm up I could wear Brin de Reglisse.
I’m wearing Breath of God for the black pepper notes. Our autumn trees are spectacular at the moment, and driving home the other day the lombardy poplar windbreaks were glowing against the green paddocks and blue sky. There’s a liquid amber down the road that is cadmium yellow.
That sounds so lovely Kanuka! We have beautiful things blooming here but it continues wet and cold.
What a pretty teapot, it almost looks embroidered.
Today I’m wearing Fenty and I have some mini reviews for Hilde Soliani since I ordered samples from that line.
Fraaagola Saalaaata: I don’t know if anyone else remembers those strawberry candies that came in a wrapper printed with a strawberry pattern on it and had a softer core, but this smells exactly like them. I wouldn’t wear it as a perfume but it’s very nostalgic.
Cristina: I tried this one in part because I’m always looking for a perfect patchouli for my Mom. This isn’t quite it, she likes her patchouli rooted and growing and this is more sweet and ambery, but it’s a beautiful perfume, almost glowing and warm.
Hot Milk: this was the most unique of the ones I tried, a burst of savory spices only slightly tempered by cream, nearly a curry. It sweetens as it dries down and becomes something closer to kheer. Definitely worth checking out.
Orgasmo: the most untenable name, but my favorite of the line, all toasted almonds, flaky pastry and rich butter. Seriously, very buttery – and it makes you wonder why more perfumers don’t use that as a note. It’s sexy in a similar way to Lou Lou or Vivienne Westwood’s Boudoir is, though it’s a first date to Lou Lou’s third date and Boudoir’s “let’s just sneak off to the bathroom”.
As for Sale e Pepe, I’m saving that for the Friday project.
These are great reviews, thank you. I love when NSTers post their thoughts! Of those, I’ve only tried Cristina, and would agree with your thoughts on that one. Really beautiful (and definitely a good patchouli for me since I don’t like the kind your mom likes).
I loved those strawberry candies! Thanks for your mini reviews.
I remember those strawberry candies too!
Thank you so much for your reviews. I’ve been wanting to try some samples from her line, and now I know which to order and which to avoid!
That review for Orgasmo is A+. Love your writing!
Another Luckyscent sample. I’m wearing Astier de Villatte Delhi, with notes of champaca, orange blossom, myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, red cedar, bergamot, cardamom, and rose. It’s delightful and I want some. They sell 10ml bottles on the website but don’t ship to the US, and Luckyscent only carries the bigger bottles. Maybe I will get someone to mule it back for me.
It’s the last sunny day here for a while, it clouds over and gets cold tomorrow. I am mowing the lawn before it gets wet.
foxbins – Aedes has the 10 ml size.
Or…if you get the larger one, I’d be in for a split. 😀
Thanks so much! 10ml is on its way to me.
✅ great!
I love how this turned out! ❤️
I have this (the biggest bottle!), and I love it. It’s surprising: I find it invigorating during the day and calming around bedtime. So many of the Astier de Villatte scents are addictive. I have half a dozen and I’m going through them rapidly. This is an underrated brand.
I have another sample called Mantes la Jolie. Do you know it?
I do! I’ve gotten a sample of it a few times because I find it very interesting and even beautiful. But it stays so linear in that super herbal phase that I can’t see having a bottle. In contrast, the herbal quality of Elixir du Docteur Flair is exquisite, and I spray the heck out of it so it lasts all day and grows subtly floral and incensey. So, I have the latter. But maybe when the summer comes, I’ll find Mantes a necessary scent—it certainly smells like a trip to the market during summer in France.
Agree. I have a decant of their Grand Chalet (thanks to AnnE) and it is so, so good.
SOTD = Nez a Nez Marron Chic
So a funny thing happened …
I must have bought this right around the time when Henri Bendel was closing but I really don’t recall for sure. In any case, I FORGOT, I FORGOT, I had this. Seriously….it’s a wonderful fragrance! Iris, violet, chocolate, benzoin.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5RHiVUucRU/?igsh=a3I2OXY1MGMyN3lq
Today’s article is how to keep safe while riding public transportation. It is from about 2 weeks ago but it of course doesn’t hurt to be prepared:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/us/public-transit-safety-subway-guide.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ek0.w_AO.Xz4laLX1_px9&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Your sotd sounds really good.
Glad you found it!
Literally just found it – the inner box was still shrink-wrapped.
That sounds yummy!
It is!
Your sotd sounds fantastic! Glad you “found” it.
It was by chance that I did.
Bronze kitteh is a cutie!
He is! I was hoping to find more of the same.
I had to laugh Robin when I saw you picked your fragrance for the salty notes. I would agree it is salty, but according to Fragrantica it has two pepper notes and no salt. I think I may wear this on Friday. Double points for you!
I wore it too and was also surprised when I looked it up! It does definitely convey a salty aura though.
It does.
I do not see the point in worrying about listed notes! It is a salty fragrance, and nobody lists all the notes, Hermes least of all (most of their fragrances list fewer than 5 notes, obviously that’s not accurate).
I hope I didn’t offend you. It was not my intent. I was just laughing at what Fragrantica had listed.
Oh, not even slightly! Now I hope I did not appear offended 🙂
I’m wearing Caron’s Parfum Sacré for the pepper.
Beautiful, it’s in my line-up too.
I’m in Amber Iris from Experimental Perfume Club.
Do not love that brand name! Hope it is good though.
I reached for Diorling today, the modern one, and tonight it’s Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater.
Is the current Diorling lovely? I had the vintage cologne once, and I loved it—but I’ve determined I don’t adore the “vintage” overlay of older bottles of scent. I wonder if the newest version feels true enough to the core of old Diorling.
They’re different, I discovered the current one first, it’s a jasmine leather, very linear but I like it very much, it’s one of my floral baby leathers, the vintage edt has a green aspect in the top notes that I enjoy very much, it’s more of a chypre and the modern more of a floral.
Thanks for the detailed rundown! That helps me so much as to what to expect.
A jasmine leather?? Oooooooooooooh.
I’m in another one from Scent Trunk today, this time Marigold for the salt water note. This is a lovely perfume that I find pretty unique. I’ve had this travel spray for a couple years now and love it starts getting warmer out. We’ve got a 65 degree day today (though dropping to 50 tomorrow) so it’s a perfect day for it.
Lucky you, I want 65 degrees! And sun!
In Kyse Frangipane al Pistacchio. A dreamy, gorgeous nutty opening that I loved, but after a couple of minutes, it became sharp, sour, and metalic on my skin. Well, money saved!
Very busy week and it will be raining the whole week. Patience! 😕. Happy Tuesday!
Sharp, sour and metallic?
Money definitely saved!
Very disappointing! As soon as I sprayed on it, I immediately thought about getting a full bottle. Lesson never learned! 😅
Ew, sounds like you had a scrubber today!
It was a scrubber day for sure. It is a very tenacious scent that lasts all day long.
I’m in Hermes Pamplemousse Rose, causeit’s beautiful and I’m in denial about the epic snow forecast for the end of the week. Having snow in spring isn’t unusual but I’m done with epic shovelling for the year. Feel like the weather is all my fauly-I started to repair the damage done from all the snow-had to cut the rosebushes down to the ground, got out a small power saw to trim trees. I just last night took all the snow shovels out of the house and truck to put them away. If I hadn’t we’d have blistering sun. But I’ve brought a third epic weather event 🙂
Aww! I hope it’s better than predicted. April snow just shouldn’t happen.
Oh, I knew someone was to blame! LOL!
It’s raining here and I am wearing Angel Muse for the coziness.
It’s spring break (every year it rains) I went with my daughter to the Big Sephora and tried the new Prada Infusion line. The original D’iris smells like I remembered but softer.
The Vanilla one was not a sweet vanilla. The Ginger one reminded me of the Ginger perfume from Origins. Ylang was the only one I tried on skin, it was pretty sharp at first but quickly became a skin scent. I like it though and might get the 10ml. I am most interested in the Rose but they didn’t have a tester. I didn’t detect any ambroxan or chemical smells.
I didn’t know the Infusion line had been reformulated. I am glad the ones I have are the originals.
It might just be a relaunch with Sephora. I’m not really sure, but I heard it might be reformulated.
Thank you for the mini reviews Lillyjo.
Yes! Thanks for those!
I wish I could be more detailed but I was sniffing quite a bit.
The Sephora Spring Sale is coming up….
Yes!
I’ve been patiently waiting!
Thanks for the mini reviews and updates! I loved Origins ginger perfume, so my ears definitely perked up.
I don’t have much experience with ginger in perfume but Origins definitely came to mind.
I’ll definitely try the ginger one. The Origins ginger is just a little too sweet for me, so we’ll see what Prada has done. Thanks for the reviews!
I’ve also heard that the Infusions series have been reformulated. Based on what you have posted, it sounds like they were done well and not just slapped together.
I’m considering the travel spray of Infusion d’Iris.
I was at Sephora yesterday but did not see the Prada Infusion … will check it out again next time.
I’m wearing a sample of Malle’s Rose & Cuir. To me it’s more like rose & armpit, but like good armpit somehow? I’m weird.
Today’s brew is the delicious Marco Polo black tea. I thunked my tin. I’m tempted to replace it with the rooibos version so I can drink it at night.
Armpit! Lol! I tried it many times wanting to love it, but every time I ended up with a headache. It might have been the geranium.
“But like good armpit somehow?” is such a perfumista statement. 😉
😂
Didn’t make me think twice. 😊
Armpit? Thanks but no thanks.
Wore Shalimar MVP for work last night and the tech stepped into the patients room to give me a hand and exclaimed, “Hey, it smells like powder in here!”
Stunner of a day here with beaming sunshine and temps in the mid 70’s, so I ended up doing last weeks CP today with AG Ninfeo Mio. I love the gentle green color of the bottle and hoping the bright uplifting notes put a pep in my tired step. I’d love to go for a bike ride but I’m truly knackered. Currently sitting out in the shade of some type of flowering tree that’s about to bust wide open with tiny pink blooms-millions of them! Those tender little petals will get a beating tomorrow because cold and rain are making an encore appearance. You can’t help but feel for those delicate little beings. T-Rex is rolling around in the freshly cut grass like a cat high on catnip. I will make soda bread tomorrow to combat the cold and rain.
Those colored AG bottles were the best. Bummed out that they were 86’ed.
Yes, they were so pretty, although mine is a little beat up from rubbing shoulders with other bottles. Still love her though! ❤️
Ooh, you smelled good yesterday and today!
CP compliant in Boudicca Wode. I start a new woodworking class tonight…we’ll see how that goes.
That class sounds fun, hope you enjoy it.
Cool! Have you taken woodworking classes before?
That is so cool! What kind of projects will you make in class?
Nope, never took a woodworking class before. I am just slightly too old to have been allowed to do so in middle school (as in, when I was in school, girls had to take home ec, but 3 years later when my sister went through, they had a choice). I come from a family of carpenters, though.
We’re making a box with a lid on a hinge. (My kid just came in and said…that’s all you’re making? A box? But it’s a complicated box!)
Today’s teapot looks like something out of a fairytale!
Shingles are being replaced on the roof of my apartment building today. The crew had been at it for around 10 hours. I think it’s over now, since I haven’t heard any noises on the roof for a little while. 🤞 Teflon kitty was surprisingly chill about the whole experience. She’s far more upset about the vacuum cleaner being used.
SOTD = commando again, but this time I have Dionis Goat Milk Hand Cream in Peach Delight on my shins. It’s a pretty, lightweight moisturizer.
That is surprising about Teflon Kitty. I would have thought that hiding somewhere would have happened.
The pounding resumed about 10 minutes after I posted. Figures.
The worst Tef did was give the ceiling a bit of stink eye late this afternoon.
Poor Teflon. I like the Dionis skin cream.
Happy Tuesday *ack, already?* evening! I’m in Akro Dark and thunked the sample. I’ve tried this a couple of times and it’s just not for me.
Busy day….washed bed linens and changed to summer ones. Installed a new shower head to one that’s handheld. I had a lot of help with this one!
Finished organizing my spices on a rack system on the pantry door.
Last but not least, moved a cabinet into my bedroom that will be perfect for my warm weather perfumes. So now I’ll have all of my perfumes on display and available all the time! ❤️
Exciting about the cabinet. I get so much joy looking at, arranging and smelling my perfumes. I find it calming.
Me too, lillyjo. I feel like everything is just a little more in control.
You had a wonderfully productive day!
And now it’s time to unwind!
That teapot is gorgeous! SOTD is Givenchy Organza Indecence for unseasonably cold weather. Yesterday, it was 75 out and today is 45!
That is a serious drop, and the perfect scent for it!
Ughh. Worked 12.5 hours yesterday and 10.5 hours today, all so I can have 6 days of vacation starting Friday. Have to get a handle on my job, this is not sustainable. (I was promoted in November, feels like I got an additional job, not a new one.)
Just 2 more days.
In Chipmunk today, because I knew it would scratch the same itch that Lune Feline sample did yesterday. Both have cardamom and pink pepper top notes.
You definitely need a vacation. Brutal hours!