It's (Teapot) Tuesday and International Dance Day. The splitmeet will be open through Sunday! Birthdays: Duke Ellington and Willie Nelson. What fragrance are you wearing?
I seem to have picked up a little head cold (hopefully that's all it is! fingers crossed) over the weekend, so I'm commando, and drinking a cup of Numi Golden Chai.
Reminder: 5/2: is Our Lady Donatella Versace's 70th birthday. Wear the last fragrance you purchased, or anything that you think fits the occasion.
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: the Barocco Haze porcelain teapot from Versace (made by Rosenthal) is $785.
On my birthday week wearing Hermes Orange Verte
Oh, happiest of birthday weeks! Any plans for a new perfume?
I have a new one thanks to a kind NST person and I’ll be wearing it all week.
Sweet!! Enjoy every spritz!
😻❤️😻
Happy birthday week!
Thank you!!!
Perfect start for a birthday week!
I’m trying 😂
Happy Birthday
Thank you!!!!
I like and envy your style with a ‘birthday week.’ I hurry past mine, tiptoe’ing quickly and glancing over my shoulder to make sure it’s gone.
I’m not doing anything special just working like crazy this week but at least I will smell great all week long!
Happy Birthday week!!
Thank you and also for my birthday week scent! It’s definitely going to be a summer staple!!!!
Enjoy every day!
I will have a birthday week next week. 🙂
Well then happy early birthday to you!!!!
Have a wonderful birthday week, you’re smelling terrific!
Thank you!!!!! Agree about smelling good!! I am really loving this one! Definitely has a vintage vibe.
Have a great birthday week!!
Thank you!!!!!
Happy birthday week!
Thank you!!!!
Happy Birthday!!!
Thank you!!!!!
Happy birthday week! A full week really is the proper way to celebrate 😎
Agree!! And thank you!!!
Happy birthday week!
Thank you!!!!!
Happy Birthday Week!
Thank you!!!!!I hope you are feeling better?
Happy birthday week! I’m celebrating you in a different orange scent today! 🥳
Hey there orange twin!!!!
Happy Birthday Week! I am sure you will be super-spritzing every day.
Would you believe this fragrance only requires 2-4 spritzes on my scent devouring skin?
😮😮😮
Happy Birthday Week! Enjoy!
Thank you!!
I’M BACK and on our trip in honour of Our Lady Donatella’s birthday I bought 15 scents, 5 shower gels, and two flavours of Marvis toothpaste. Not as extreme as it sounds! Most of the scents were travel sprays, and most of those were dirt cheap, but more on that in the next few days. (The toothpaste, Robin, since you will want to know, was Black Forest, finally, and one from the Garden Collection, Dreamy Osmanthus: of course I wanted the rose one and of course it is sold out literally everywhere.)
Today I’m wearing Guerlain Mitsouko because it’s the scent I missed the most while I was away. (I brought 18 vials of scents with me, some ancient commercial ones but most of them things I decanted myself.)
Welcome back! Can’t wait to hear about your perfume haul!
Which perfume did you wear the most during your trip?
I wore a different one of my 18 every day entirely at random (except I made sure to wear something French, La Nuit de Paco Rabanne, when I was in La Havre near the end) and then I went back and repeated myself six times. I didn’t wear any of the new things but I did use one of them a lot as a bathroom spray if you know what I mean: Superdrug has a line of shameless ripoffs of Sol de Janeiro fragrances, nearly identical packagaing and everything, and for £7.99 I bought their copy of Cheirosa 71 because the Superdrug name is Caramel Macadamia and Vanilla and there is nothing about that I don’t like (it smells shockingly like macadamia nuts, it really does).
Well done, pyramus!!
Oh I have maaany “bathroom sprays” Gotta use up meh scents somehow! 😉
I can’t really wear things at random. I overthink sometimes and spray the daily choices in the air and sniff before I decide…
Oh yay, you really celebrated her birthday perfectly!
And yes, you know I was going to ask! I love the Black Forest (hope you like it?) but do tell me about the Dreamy Osmanthus, should I try to track down a tube?
To be honest, there’s more mint than osmanthus, which I expect from Marvis anyway so I’m not disappointed. (Their Amarelli Licorice manages to get the balance right, which is probably why it’s my favourite Marvis.) It’s very pleasant, but it won’t leave your breath smelling like a bouquet: if you can get it locally, you definitely should, but otherwise I wouldn’t go to any trouble.
I will note that the brand used to be fluoride-free but fluoride is in both tubes I bought, which is nice: I can use it without guilt.
Thank you so much!
I did not know they were ever 100% fluoride free…I always read the ingredients since some of mine have fluoride and some don’t. I mostly avoid fluoride so I prefer without, but the right flavor will sway me 🙂
I’m the opposite: my dental hygienist has me use a toothpaste that has about 5 times the normal dosage of fluoride, so I only rarely use the fun toothpastes (it makes them all the more special, and they’ll last me ages).
If you’re mostly avoiding fluoride, rinsing your mouth thoroughly after you brush should remove most of it: the stuff I use says to not rinse your mouth, or eat or drink anything, for 30 minutes after brushing, so I guess that’s how long it takes for the fluoride to really settle in and do its job.
Thanks!
I am using hydroxyapatite toothpaste, mostly, and the fluoride and/or non-fluoride + non-hydroxpatatite ones more rarely. I don’t mind a little fluoride but we have fluoride in our tap water and I’ve got mild thyroid problems already. It’s all a crap shoot but at the moment my thyroid is a bigger problem than my teeth 🙂
There are some fun flavors in hydroxyapatite, but Marvis has *more* fun flavors.
(I have an impressive toothpaste collection, like my shower gel collection and my perfume collection.)
OH! Licorice?? I’m game for that. I think I’ve seen Marvis toothpaste at FragranceNet and SmallFlower. Sprouts has Tom’s, and they have an Anise flavor, which I love…
The Amarelli Licorice flavour is so good you could eat it with a spoon (although you definitely shouldn’t). It’s my all-time favourite toothpaste.
Oooh, eager to hear more on your new acquisitions, and raising my hand and waving wildly in agreement about Marvis toothpaste, I’m a huge fan. Black Forest toothpaste sounds amazing. But then they all do.
Sounds wonderful, you win the prize 🏆! Looking forward to hearing more.
Welcome back!
Welcome back home! Sounds like you found some fun things.
Hi all, my SOTD is Azuree (vintage 1980’s) by Estee Lauder, green mossy leather/chypre. Despite it’s age, it’s still in good shape.
My Grandmother wore Azuree and Aliage quite frequently back in the day, this perfume brings back such lovely memories of summertime in Long Island.
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Old ELs are the best. My grandma also wore Azuree but she was mainly a Youth Dew lady. I am so grateful EL keeps these gems alive.
Me too, so many wonderful family memories are based around EL scents, it’s such a nostalgic feeling. I do feel ‘meh’ about the new bottles though. I miss the old way of things. *grumpy lady rant* over… 🙂
Yes! The old bottles! I miss the old way of things too. Things keep changing and I’m not quite ready…
You smell wonderful! My mom wore Aliage in the 70s and my aunt wore Azuree, I love them both.
beautiful memories
So lovely, Smokey Toes! And a great homage to the ladies in your family.
Ooooo!!!! Two fabulous fragrances! Azuree and Aliage!!! Like your grandmother I wore both back in the day. The vintage versions were powerhouses considering they were labeled as “ cologne”
I remember my grandmother’s hugs, she smelled like EL Aliage, chlorine from the pool, and Ban de Soleil Orange Gelee #4 tanning balm. Talk about memories!
Ahaha!!! I used Bain de Soleil too!!! What a great fragrant memory you have!!!!!
She had impeccable taste😀
I truly believe that EL fragrances brings a lot of good memories for a lot of people. Their fragrances are definitely gems!
Absolutely! I think for the most part, their reformulations survived well.
Totally agree with your grousing about the new EL bottles. Boring!!
Smelling great today!
Hello.
Sotd is Lolita Lempicka L’Eau en Blanc. Powdery violet, gorgeous. One of my favourite LL bottle too, frosted glass with the beautiful pastel purple liquid.
Been marinating some chicken since last night. Will be grilling them tonight and serving them with potato salad. Cake is raspberry chocolate cake, very fudgy.
I love this scent, lovely choice!
2nd! And dinner sounds great!
It was delicious!
Yay.
What are you marinating your chicken in?
I did a Thai style marinade of lemongrass, palm sugar, pepper, fish sauce (doesn’t come out fishy, just more depth) and garlic.
Oh, that sounds very tasty!
I found a large bag of miscellaneous decants in my decant box, and decided to work my way through them. Today is Eau Sans Pareil by Penhaligon’s. This may be one of two Penhaligon’s scents that I have. Any recommendations for others?
My favorite got axed, not sure they currently make anything I want. Hope a Penhaligon’s fan will chime in!
All the ones I like, Violetta, Victorian Posy, Cornubia have been discontinued, there’s still Orange blossom, Hammam Bouquet (rose) and Blenheim Bouquet (a citrussy classic), Vaara, some of the newer ones may be good too but I don’t know them.
Sotd YSL Libre L’Absolu Platine layered w BBW Eucalyptus & Lavender shea butter cream. My most calming combo.
Today is my last day of going to the hospital because the Drs have convinced me finally my darling aunt needs hospice as there’s no more to be done. 😢 She comes home tomorrow and we’ve been running around trying to get her place ready for her and 24 hr caregivers. And so much to do legally and financially to take care of her affairs. I’m hoping the all the lavender will be calming and allow me to do my best reasoned decision-making.
Thanks to all 🤗 for your continuing good wishes and asking how we’re all doing! It’s been a ray of sunshine peeking through the dark grey clouds.
Oh LesLiesse I’m so sorry to hear this. Throughout, you have been the ray of sunshine in *her* life, loving her and trying to make everything easier for her. I wish you strength and fortitude.
🤗
Sending strength and hoping your aunt can be kept as comfortable as possible.
🤗
So sorry to hear this. Sending hugs and prayers your way.
🤗
I hope you can get your aunt settled comfortably back at home with the care she needs and that all the tasks to make that happen go smoothly.
🤗
So sorry to hear this my friend. I can tell you that hospice staff are usually wonderful to work with and will make every effort to make sure your aunt is comfortable. It is a great program.
🤗
I am sure she will be happier at home with hospice, all of the hospice workers I met were angels. Wishing you both peace
Angels is right ! 🤗
I’m so sorry to hear this, I’m sending you both thoughts of peace and comfort. I’m certain she’s grateful that you are there for her in this time of transition.
My mom was a hospice nurse, they are angels on earth, your Aunt will be in good hands.
As I said to Robin, angels is right! 🤗
Sorry about this LesLiesse, you have certainly done all you can. I’m glad she can be at home.
🤗
Wishing you both comfort. You are good niece to take such great care of her.
🤗
I’m so sorry to hear this, sending you thoughts of comfort and peace. You are so wonderful in your caring!🤗
🤗
Ach. Very sorry to hear this news about your Aunt. Hugs.
🤗
Sending you and your aunt best wishes for peace, comfort, and strength.
🤗
Hi all 🌹
I’m wearing Gabrielle Essence today. We are becoming fast friends and this will get lots of wear this summer.
It’s very windy ahead of a cold front and the petals from the neighbor’s fruit trees are blowing like snowflakes, thank goodness they’re not! Balmy 72F this is morning.
It’s good in autumn too. I’ve been wearing it quite often.
That’s a great scent almost anytime. The body cream is great with it too. It makes it last forever.
You smell wonderful! Gabrielle is one scent that surprised me, I didn’t expect to like the white florals so much. Misia, Jersey, and Beige, were also surprises, completely enjoyable and not my usual style. I’m more of a Coco, Cormandel, No. 19, Cristalle gal.
We definitely have the same Chanel taste! Gabrielle is a bit outside of my usual comfort zone but Essence has the citrus I wanted. I do like the original one too, haven’t tried the l’eau version.
Lili Bermuda’s Frangipani
Both Songes and Frangipani heavily feature frangipani but I seem to wear them when I have a different mood..Today I am gardening on my small balcony and I felt that the breezy feeling of Frangipani is good, were is Songes is more complex when I was to feel sensual and dramatic.
Recently tried a sample of OJ’s Frangipani and had so hoped it would work as well as their now-gone Tiare. Alas no…
OJ Tiare is so good. It’s the one that got away for me.
I did manage to buy a bottle, but then failed to get a backup, sigh…
Good Morning NST! I’m sampling the Dior Collection Privee Feve Delicieuse today. Such polar opposite reviews on this one — cheap sugar caramel cherry bomb and also restrained, elegant, not too sweet elixir. Since I am not a fan of overly sweet fragrances or most gourmands, I approached with caution. And yup, my first impression is that it’s too sweet. But every once in a while I do crave a sweet. So I will continue trying. Which others from the ever-expanding Privee line must I try? Thanks to generous NSTers and swaps, I have a big decant of Babycat and also had some of the original Cologne Blanche and Bois d’Argent, which I liked a lot. Cologne Noire too, but I have to be in the mood. And I’m a huge fan of Mitzah and should really hunt down a bottle. But which others are faves here?
I do love Tobacolor and Ambre Nuit.
I am a big fan of Jasmin des anges, nobody seemed interested when it was released but it’s a fruity jasmine with no indole with excellent longevity, I got a bottle last quarter, I also like Vanilla Diorama a great deal as a bed scent.
I love Granville and La Colle Noire
Thank you everyone for the Dior Privee reccies! I will try them.
Yesterday was new brakes for car!
SO MUCH MONEY that could have been spent on botox.
Doctor appointment today so going with a few sprays of Gypsy Water.
Sorry apsara!!
Glad you got those brakes fixed ASAP despite the scary hit to the wallet.
In the faithful Bulgari blue tea.
🙂
Hello to all my scented friends!
Robin, I hope you get to feeling better soon. There’s a nasty little bug making its way around. Listen to your body and do what it needs for you to do.
My SOTD is a fragrance that I stumbled across from a friend. She thought it was my signature scent. I had to tell her I never heard of it. Needless to say, it smells divine. It is “All of Me” by Narciso Rodriguez.
Hope everyone has a fabulous day!
I’ve never heard of it either, but after looking it up, it sounds very nice.
Is there? I have heard nothing about a nasty bug, but thank you. Planning to test tomorrow for flu & covid.
Adding, but pretty sure this is just a head cold!
Hiya scentfromabove!
I’m wearing Baladin (Nicolaï, discontinued) that I bought unsniffed, together with at least 15 other 30 ml Nicolaï bottles (unsniffed as well). I think Donatella would have been proud. So this week I will wear unsniffed buys that were successfull.
I think you’ve earned a gold star from Donatella
She is beaming with pride!
Ooooh! A Nicolai haul like that is bound to have several gems! Estate sale? At a Nicolai shop? How did you happen upon them?
What really triggered me about the house were a couple of 5 star reviews in the first Sanchez~Turin perfume guide. I then started reading reviews about her work on NST and a couple of other blogs and placed a big online order. As I mentioned above I ordered some 15 small bottles (and one of her colognes) unsniffed, and was smitten. By New York and Sacrebleu in particular.
Wow! That’s a treasure hoard, not just a haul!
Sorry about your cold, Robin. Hope you can take it easy today. I’ve been thinking a bit about nut perfume notes: almond, hazelnut, pistachio, macadamia etc. but have only a few in my collection so I didn’t get far with that thought. Never mind, wearing Grand Chalet before I head out in the drizzle for a walk.
I am taking it VERY easy, thanks, and lay in bed last night binge watching on the laptop…suspect I will be doing that again soon.
Just posted below a link to Jane Gardam’s obit, pretty sure I remember correctly that you had read more of her work than I had:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/29/jane-gardam-author-of-old-filth-and-the-hollow-land-dies-aged-96
And should have said, you smell great today!
Seconding Robin — you smell marvelous today!
Started the day in a dab of Tauer’s Incense Rosé but now I’ve got a few other scents in the mix, after making some samples that will go in the mail today.
Forgot to say, hope you feel better soon, Robin. And what a glamorous teapot selection for today, most befitting for Donatella week!
That Incense Rose might be with you tomorrow morning!
RIP Jane Gardam. Not well known probably but a wonderful writer.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/29/jane-gardam-author-of-old-filth-and-the-hollow-land-dies-aged-96
A great writer. I hadn’t realised she was still alive, but R.I.P
Lots of hot liquid, Robin and vitamin C, hope you can nip the virus in the bud.
I selected a sample, Mon Paris today from my newly bought Victorian tea caddy where I have put all my samples, not so many, just the content of a small bag. MP is not terrible, there’s a nice patchouli but it’s very forgettable. Tonight I am in Shalimar souffle which I adore, I never wear the intense.
Good advice, thanks Aurora!
What a great storage idea, I bet that’s adorable.
They fitted in like a glove, it’s quite big with two compartments and it’s made of solid mahogany, pleased as punch with it but now I keep checking for more tea caddies😉
Down the rabbit hole!
Another Shalimar Souffle lover! I slightly favor the Intense version but it is a little ‘much’ at times…
So I’m in good company😀
Yep! Absolutely! I don’t know about you, but I see a similarity with Dior’s Addict, another winter favorite.
Interesting, I do like Addict but haven’t worn it in ages.
A mahogany tea caddy? That could easily cost and arm and a leg for high quality wood.
£39 which I think is not too bad but then there are a lot of tea caddies in England.
Why do you never wear the intense, Aurora?
I find it a little dense and what I love is precisely the airiness of the OG.
We never had any strong storms but the weather turned much cooler with little humidity. Because of the cool weather, I decided to get another day in of Encens Mythique before it heats up.
Glad to hear that last night’s weather was uneventful for you.
SOTD is a sample of SMN’s Muschio, which I quite like. Fluffy cloud of four-parts vanilla, one-part iris, and a dash of parma violets.
Tea today is F&M Albion.
I was a careless gardener this weekend and am suffering the consequences with poison ivy. My own darn fault because I was overconfident in my ability to weed it while wearing short sleeves.
Ooooo! That sounds yummy!! I really like the offerings of SMN!!
I have been very impressed with the SMNs that I’ve tried over the past couple of weeks. Each was “beautiful and I really like it” or “beautiful but just not my jam”. There was only one that I truly disliked.
Ouch! Hope the ‘consequences’ ease quickly! 🤞
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww. Poison ivy.
Oh, 100% 😂
I had an in person department meeting yesterday and had to start it off by saying I know I look disgusting but I promise it’s not contagious!
Your sotd sounds fantastic. I’m a gardening warrior twin with you. I’m so sore and stiff though, I can barely walk! You’d think all the walking, stretching and yoga I do would help. Apparently not!
I hope your poison ivy encounter calms down soon.
I know, right!? I twist myself into such odd contortions while gardening that it seems like I should have developed super flexibility, but nope.
A surprise visit to our bird feeders this morning from 3 Baltimore Orioles, so handsome in their black and bright orange plumage, inspired my SOTD. To celebrate their ‘orange,’ I chose vintage Nina Ricci Bigarade, one of my top 5, only available for a short time in the early 1970’s.
It’s the scent that introduced me to the bitter orange note, which quickly became a favorite of mine. In combination with oakmoss and some aldehydes, there is nothing else like this Bigarade. Fortunately, I stocked up on it in various forms when it was still available from private sellers, so I have a good supply and, despite its age, it still smells wonderful. It also holds special meaning for me: As a young bride years ago I spent the first 1-1/2 years of marriage as an Army wife living in rural Kansas, a far cry from my urban life. (Didn’t appreciate it then, but I sure would now!). Joyfully returning to city life afterwards and a new job in my beloved downtown, I discovered Bigarade, and so wearing it always reminds me of those halcyon days!
Happy Tuesday!
Robin, hope you feel better soon and that your headcold is just that and nothing more. 🤞
Thank you! And what a great backstory. That’s a perfume I never smelled, I bet it is lovely.
Happy to see some of my picks made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025! Yay for Bad Company, Chubby Checker, and Soundgarden!
Took care of a task I had been procrastinating this afternoon, and finally dropped off some stuff at a Goodwill-like store. There’s a little less junk in the apartment now. Someday I will get over to a local library and see if they accept hardback books.
SOTD = back to wearing perfume again today. Enjoying BV Knot, and looking for samples on the Internets, since bottles are nowhere to be had. Also switched out my scented lotions for something more warm-weather appropriate.
PS. Robin, I hope that you do NOT have the flu or COVID, and it is “just” a cold.
I am feeling a bit better tonight so I sure think so, but I’ll test tomorrow anyway. Thanks!
And Yay, too to Cyndi Lauper and Joe Cocker! 👏 Hope your library will take your books. Our library book sale is this weekend, and we take lots of donated books for the sale.
I donated a lot of books before I moved. But I moved some that I wasn’t sure about either.
I really liked Knot but don’t see many others mention it anymore.
And Knot wasn’t around for very long either, IIRC. It’s such a pretty floral without being dumb or sickly sweet.
Knot is one of those that I regret not owning. I just thought it would be around and not disappear. You smell great! 😀
Same. I’ve always enjoyed wearing my sample of Knot. Should have looked for it on the discount sites sooner.
Thanks for the perfume compliment!
Well done about Goodwill, and I always thought Knot was pretty.
Today I took advantage of the cooler temps and cloudy/rainy morning and finished off my decant of SL Rousse. I always enjoy this one and will miss it, but I have some 5 O’clock au Gingembre still that should fill this space.
Aw, goodbye Rousse!