It’s Wednesday, plus World Book Day, UN English Language Day and Shakespeare Day. What fragrance are you wearing?
On one arm, Parfums DelRae Panache, which I came across while looking for something else. Unfortunately this very old sample is in less than pristine shape, so this will be its last outing. On the other arm, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Joyous Neroli, which I have not announced yet (next week!) but which so far lives up to its name.
Reminder: on 4/25, wear a lilac fragrance, if you have one. Suggested by chocolatemarzipan8.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2025, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is lilac [cropped] by Martin Fisch at flickr; some rights reserved.
Today, I’m moving from “there’s lilac there, but it’s not very noticeable” (Guilty) and “lilac is prominent but not the main note” (Royal Bain) to true lilac-forward perfumes.
SOTD is Fragonard Lilas. I criticized it back in December, but it’s growing on me! Now I think it really does smell like lilac blossoms – if you bury your nose in the flowers. I still prefer my lilac either greener or headier and sweeter, but this is not bad at all.
Oh glad it has grown on you! Such a pretty bottle.
Hi all 🌹
I am CP compliant today in White Linen, perfume and body powder.
We are going to visit our daughter today and watch Becoming Led Zeppelin on Prime. We are old rockers and she was raised on lots of LZ so we are looking forward to watching it together. It’s always a treat to see her and our granddogs 🐾 and the weather is beautiful to take a drive. Hope everyone has at least one good thing happen today!
Do report back on the movie, I want to see that! And have fun with the family 🙂
Becoming Led Zeppelin is great! If you’re a big fan, I think you are going to love it❤️
Enjoy the movie. I don’t think we have it on Prime UK.
Ooooooh, “Becoming Led Zeppelin” sounds like it’s going to be SO cool!
I’m waiting to see what Lillyjo wears and then will be twinning with her
🙂
Vacances!
Sorry I am late. Hectic work day.
I like this one!
The Jean Patou Classic or another Vacances?
Jean Patou
Twins!!!!!!!!!!! Are you going to do the Pacifica tomorrow or Brigitte? I want to twin with you all week 😂
Hello.
Sotd is Galop d’Hermes. Great scent and great bottle design.
Right hand is still hurting so I am using it as an excuse to order takeaways and deliveries. Same time though, I am kind of missing homecooked meals, which is weird because restaurant-cooked things taste so good!
House cousin, or whatever the actual phrase is!
You smell elegant, sorry about your hand, I think we consider restaurant cooked meals as treats and miss home-cooking in the long run.
Galop d’Hermes has an amazing bottle. Hope your hand heals quickly!
I woke up feeling like a ‘blue’ themed scent, today’s SOTD is Ralph Lauren’s Blue, cool, aquatic, green notes for a day of meetings and work lunch.
Robin, from yesterday’s SOTD, I heard that Tiempe Passate, by Antonia’s Flowers is being re-released. I signed up on the website to be notified.
Also, for folks who wanted the lemon marscapone cake recipe, I put it in yesterday’s comment.
I think Luca Turin mentioned recently that Antonia was going to relaunch her line. That is great perfume news!
it certainly is!
Thank you!!!! I saw the recipe!
🙂 you’re welcome!
Thanks for the recipe!
🙂
That is wonderful! Although if they don’t do a travel size I probably still won’t buy it.
I’m wearing my favorite Parfum d’Empire scent, Corsica Furiosa. I will be doing two days of CP compliance, starting tomorrow, before choosing another fragrance brand to wear for next week.
You smelled great today PriscillaE!
Doing a mini sniff-off with Elixer des Merveilles vs Eau des Merveilles. I will say that Eau will be my favourite, since I have an entire bottle of it and only a little decant to the Elixer.
I will be twins with you today in the Eau!
I love them both but only wear the Elixir one in winter.
Sotd is FB Angels Dust. I don’t have many lilac scents. I do have En Passant which i will save for Friday.
Good, hope it makes a big showing.
Hi fragrant friends,
Had to get some labs this morning so commando so far.
I may stay that way.
Have a big project I have been literally walking around for almost a year.
When I lived in Iran, I bought a Persian baby cradle that is about 90-100 years old now. It has painted wooden dowels and a leather and woven carpet center. It’s meant to hang in a tent or yurt and keep a baby safe. I need to restore it, condition the leather and wood and then sell it. I think I am ready to start the work.
That’s quite an undertaking. I bet it will be beautiful when you are done.
Not to sound like Ms. Streisand, but it holds a lot of memories and the way we were.
Thanks, lillyjo!
I’d love to see a photo of it when you’re done.
Wow, that sounds absolutely fantastic! Truly lucky is the person who will own this historic and beautiful object!
Good luck with your project!
Wow! That sounds like some project.
That sounds like a great job, please report back on your progress, and good luck!
CP comliant in Vacances by Patou, plus I sniffed a couple of lilacs on my way back from work, they had the same colour as the ones in the picture above.
I will have to scout around, I think it is early here for lilacs, but maybe not. My bleeding hearts started blooming today. Camelia on its last legs but still quite pretty.
Going with the CP in Tauer Carillon pour un Ange. I wish I’d gotten an FB of this one, but such is life. At any rate, a text message with a code to validate a purchase at PdN came to the home phone late yesterday, so I’m pretty sure Mr. Ockeghem bought me Muguet for my upcoming birthday and that should cover LotV for me.
Oh yay!! And so much for secrets 🙂
Twins with AnnieA in Hermes Eau de Merveilles. Love this scent.
Since I don’t have any lilac perfumes, I was going to do iris all week, but a few other scents popped out at me instead. Oh, well.
You can’t go wrong with the one that pops out at you.
Gotta wear the perfume that moves you!
I’m wearing Lauren cologne today. There is a note of lilac in the mix so only partial points for me.
I don’t have any lilac-forward scents, but I’m enjoying the Ralph Lauren creation. I had a small bottle which was probably considered a travel spray back in the day. The bottle I have now is definitely vintage with a Warner/Lauren sticker on the bottom.
I had that travel bottle too. You smell wonderful.
Thanks lillyjo! It’s quite amazing how some fragrances are so memorable. Definitely was a fun time in my life.
Lauren brings back wonderful memories for me. You smell amazing
Thank you, cm8! I’m glad it brings you back great memories too! It’s such a classic scent.
Lauren was everywhere when I lived in NYC but I never grew tired of it, you smell lovely, I too have a vintage bottle.
Thank you, Aurora. To me it’s such a special fragrance; it’s haunted me for years so I was thrilled when I secured a vintage bottle. I so glad you also have one; somehow it brings me comfort that it’s such a beloved fragrance here.
I can’t believe I never came across Lauren back in the day. The people I knew who were wearing perfume were few and far between.
Oh too bad! I used to bus it to university, so had a stop/transfer at a department store before my bus home came. I had lots of time to peruse the perfume department!
Can you still find this fragrance?
I think you have to get it second hand and it’s outrageous in price imo.
I think there’s reformulated versions available; vintage versions are quite expensive now on evil bay. Beware that the reformulated ones are not close to the original, sadly.
A couple years ago, I did end up with an airport mini set which contained Lauren; I knew right away it wasn’t the same. The bottle was cute though.
Well that is just 👎🏻!
Money saved …
Happy Hump Day to all!
Sotd a lilac solar! Surprise! A Drop d’Issey which is quite delightfully lilac forward!
I remembered that, right before my darling aunt got sick, I had received a box of 200+ samples from an immensely generous NSTer! Thank you again my Santa of Scent! I knew there had to be a lilac sample in that box, and I found it at last. Many other treasures as well. It’s been a welcome respite from my hospital duties this morning.
Santa of Scent! Great saying!
🤗
Love this! There are many Santas of Scent around here! 😉
Is that ever true!!! Despite fluctuating between the Naughty and Nice list, I’ve been gifted the absolute loveliest scents multiple times. An unexpected but wondrous blessing!!!
Nice alliteration there! 😉
BTW, how is your Aunt doing?
Not well 😢
Damn. I’m sorry.
🤗 thank you!
I’m working by myself today because we had to cut hours. I have to take a vacation day because of it, but at least I get a 3 day weekend out of it.
Sotd is Vacances. It’s very flowery perfumey which I love.
You smell great!!!!!
So do you!
Vacances is a gem, you smell like expensive cosmetic cream imo, I have it but it’s in the balcony chest.
This is my first time trying it and I do get the face cream note in the drydown.
I’ve never tried your sotd but some days “perfumey” is just right. What is your most perfumey scent? I think mine is Esprit d’Oscar.
I think mine is probably Givenchy Ysatis.
I don’t think I ever tried Ysatis for some reason. I’m probably the only one who hasn’t smelled it.
Ugh, had to cut hours? That doesn’t sound good.
Well we used too many last week making the store look good for the visit. Now we are having to even the payroll out.
So you’re getting punished for doing stupid BS work.
Yep!
Shoot. At least it is temporary, I was worried you meant something permanent.
I was curious about that scent you had on yesterday. Sweet Morphine or something like that. I have heard of it, but just curious what it smells like. I see it is quite expensive.
I just sprayed it again to try and give you a good description.
It’s flower powdery as opposed to cosmetic powdery. I mostly get lilac and rose but it could just as well be violet and peony. I’m not sure if it has aldehyde but it’s soapy up close. Someone on Fragrantica said it’s a mix of No.5 and Insolence. I would say that is about 60% true because Sweet Morphine smells more modern. I really like it and would buy it if it weren’t so costly. I hope some of this makes sense.
Thanks Lillyjo. This does make sense.
Day at the office, so it’s Comete for me. My sample of Comete is becoming an office staple. Earlier this week I wore my sample of Universal Flowering Lilac No.4, which turned out to be much more potent than I expected. Almost indolic, but not quite. It’s supposed to resemble En Passant, but I haven’t sniffed that one in many many years.
I’m still recovering from Easter break and house guests. My sister stayed for over a week (a few days longer than my parents), and it was so lovely to have time to hang out with her, laughing and gossiping like we used to. We even called our cousin and chatted for over an hour with her. It felt like we were kids again.
So glad you had great times with your sister.
I love this about your sister. It’s like that with my sister too. We live far apart but it’s a joy when we get together. Laughing is the best thing.
Glad that you had a wonderful Easter with loved ones!
Sounds like you had a great time!
That sounds like nice family time
I have lilacs arranged on my kitchen table, they never last
No 19 Poudre
Did you know you should smash the bottom of the woody stems after you cut them before putting them in water? They last longer that way.
I did no know this
Yes, if you do it gently it helps the water draw up better and hence the flowers last longer.
I did not know this either!
No. 19 Poudre is lovely! I loved it from first sniff.
I had a slow love affair with this one. That ended with a FB!
The world in my neighborhood is suddenly very green – grass and trees – and blooming everywhere, not just the spring bulbs that are fully in bloom, but lots of trees and shrubs – fragrant linden trees and pear trees are loaded with blossoms, forsythias and magnolias are still in full bloom, my viburnums, hydrangeas and lilacs are beginning to leaf out, my redbud tree is beginning to unfurl its deep pink blossoms, and my peony shoots are a foot high already! And the spring veggies we planted are poking up thru the ground.
And our Merlin 🐦 app told us today that in addition to the usual cast of characters, the spring-migrating white throated sparrow, Carolina wren, and rose-breasted grosbeak are finally here. Yay! Haven’t seen them yet but I have heard the soothing 🎶 of the white-throated.
So I still remain gratefully in Earth Day mode with the perfect SOTD to celebrate all this glorious new life, vintage Ted Lapidus Creation (could there be a better name for this?). Creation is a powerhouse floral chypre scent, one I only wear when I won’t be around others. Despite all its notes, it’s very green on me with the carnation, tuberose, oakmoss and patchouli adding a potent punch. I’ve had it a long time and have no idea how or why I do, but it’s a favorite for an April day full of promise. 🤞
Here’s wishing nature somehow blesses you today with hope and promise! 🌳🪻🌹🌷🐧🐤
Below is for you Laila, I failed to press reply.
I had a redwing blackbird buzz me when I was on my deck the other day. So there must be a nest nearby.
Yes, we have those, too. Never did for many years and then a few years ago we started to get a few at our feeders.
They’re pretty common here in Colorado. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen one up close and personal.
I miss the meadowlarks. They have become scarce.
Enjoy the blossoming of everything.
Smoothie is a pear from Belgium. Had a visit from an engineer today for the boiler annual service, it’s over fifteen years old but with proper care it’s never let me down yet, it runs on gas like many UK boilers and no doubt more eco-friendly options lie in my future.
So, I chose Rose 4 Reines, vintage and you know I have a current love affair with my Chloe Rose Naturelle Intense but my R4R shouldn’t be neglected like I have, it has both Rosa damascene and Rosa centifollia oil and extract, I wonder if the current one still does.
Tonight for the CP it’s Champs Elysées vintage extrait and Oh the glory and the presentation of my bottle, the same as the Fragrantica image, it was also one of y best deal ten years ago or so, £20 for a pristine 30ml bottle in its box.
I bet your vintage Rose 4 Reines smells so much better than the current one.
You have this uncanny ability to find so many perfume treasures!
I wonder, I would have to go to an Occitane store and check ingredients list but you may well be right.
It’s also the case that great deals were more widely available back then, there are still some but fewer overall.
Queen of the deals!
😀 Thank you Lillijo, I’ve always liked CE although it’s not in the same league as some other Guerlain and this extrait is great.
*Lillyjo
SOTD = Rasei Fort La Whatever
Oy vey! It’s discontinued gem with: woody, fruity, musky, boozy, vanilla!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIzPxOGxafO/?igsh=MTAwMTZ4cjducmF0dA==
Perhaps, continuing on a theme from yesterday’s gift article, here’s another one related to when it’s time to gently take the keys from someone with impaired reflexes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/well/family/seniors-driving.html?unlocked_article_code=1.B08.fPPo.5sQ-qCsb808T&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
We might have to take the keys from my Aunt soon.
Best of luck with that!
That can be a difficult one. My MIL had neuropathy in her feet and didn’t always feel the pedals. One day instead of the brake she hit the accelerator and “took out three cars” in about a half a block. This is how my husband tells it. She just bumped into all of them. She didn’t really want her license taken away and said about five years later she thought she could probably get it. Now she can hardly move her neck and is 92 years old so I don’t think so😉
Yesterday I discovered my car had a flat tire. It had a screw in part of the tread and was flat as a pancake. After discussing with my brother, we formulated a plan.
This morning he was over here with a compressor and a floor jack. If I was lucky, he could simply fill the tire with air, and I could drive over to a tire shop for repairs. He was able to fill the tire, but when he stopped, there was a noticeable hissing sound. No driving on that! Plan B goes into effect: put on the spare “donut” tire, and drive to a tire shop on that. The flat tire went into my trunk.
He was finished in 15 minutes or so. This afternoon I had the tire patched. I was expecting to pay around $20. But I got a bill for $0!
Hopefully I don’t drive over any more screws, nails, or other pointy sharp objects in the near future.
SOTD = commando. Didn’t have time for perfume this morning. But I did manage to slather on some scented lotion.
That’s great your brother could fix it so you could get to the tire place.
I’m forever trying to avoid glass and sharp objects on the roads around here.
Well, he used to work on cars for a living, so he has quite a few tools. And he knows stuff.
There’s lots of construction here, so nails and screws are a potential hazard. At least one apartment complex is being built nearby, plus a Chick-Fil-A and a grocery store.
Glad you got that taken care of! I’m still useless with anything related to cars …
Me too!
Where I live is pretty much car-dependent. So I needed to “Get ‘Er Done!” Very glad it happened on my brother’s days off.
There are a couple of bus stops in the area, but mass transit here isn’t the best.
Good luck avoiding the screws!
My new car has no spare or donut or anything. I guess that is common with hybrids but it sort of freaks me out.
Thanks Robin!
No spare tire for new cars? Yeesh. I wouldn’t have the warm and fuzzies about that either.
Yay for brothers.
Today I’m wearing my sample of Marissa Zappas Dream Sequence. It’s a reformulation and reimagining of her discontinued Lilac Dream. Dream Sequence does have a nice heart once it gets to smelling like lilac, which takes about 10 minutes on skin to get to. But it isn’t a lilac perfume that I need in my collection. I’m going to wear Lilac Dream tomorrow, which I am pretty sure I prefer and still have about half left in my decant.
I wonder why she redid it?
I really can’t remember if it was due to an ingredient being unavailable or if the first version didn’t match her vision for the perfume or what. I’ll see how I feel about the old one again tomorrow.
My lilac for today is sampling Sublime Balkiss from The Different Company. Pretty, delicate and cool up top and warm and spicy below.
I forgot that one had lilac!
Very cool perfume name!