It's Friday and National Hot Fudge Sundae Day. Birthdays: Josephine Tey, Elias Canetti, Johnny Hodges, Iman. RIP Chuck Mangione. Our community project for today is Mystery & Crime...honor Josephine Tey's birthday by interpreting the theme any way you like...you can scent your favorite fictional detective (or villain); you can wear something that brings to mind a favorite mystery novel, film or genre; or maybe your perfume name contains a reference to a crime, a criminal, or a crime fighter. Thanks go to Glannys for the suggestion!
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I gave up on scenting Wallander, Nero Wolfe and Jackson Brodie, and went for the Inspector Montalbano television series instead. Thierry Mugler Cologne would be perfect for Salvo Montalbano (even if he'd be more likely to be in something Italian).
Reminder: on 8/1, rabbit rabbit rabbit! It's August. Wear a fragrance that will bring you peace, happiness or good luck for the month.
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 al modo de digitalis [cropped] by m. m. v. at flickr; public domain.
Hello and tgif!
I am scenting Sookie Stackhouse from The Southern Vampire Mysteries. If you haven’t read the series, maybe you have watched the (meh) series True Blood. She is said to smell a little sweet, floral and like sunshine due to her being part fae, so I think she smells like Guerlain AA Flora Nymphea.
Excellent match!
Ohh, I like that. I probably should have read the books – my daughter did. But I liked the series, have some nostalgia about it.
Wearing Jicky today for the Leiberman Papers. Jicky is time appropriate for the books and couldn’t find my decant of Apres L’ondee.
I don’t know the Leiberman Papers but will google later…anything that calls for Jicky & AlO must be good!
If you are in the US and watch PBS, there was a series called Vienna Blood, which is based of of the Leiberman Papers.
Aha, thank you!
In The Maltese Falcon, private detective Sam Spade smirkily notes that Joel Cairo’s calling card smells of gardenia, just part of the movie’s dense subtext and a deft evasion of the Hays code. So I figure, to heck with you, Spade, I’m a man who’s going to wear gardenia today, in the form of vintage Panthère de Cartier extrait. I loved it for ages (rich, plush, complex); then I didn’t love it for a few years and considered swapping it away (actually too rich and plush, how did that happen?), and now I’ve come back around: it’s pure eighties in the best possible way.
I love your reference even though I have never seen The Maltese Falcon or smelled the original La Panthère.
YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THE MALTESE FALCON?!
Nope, I haven’t! 😀
It’s not a waste of your time, austenfan
🙂
I am astonished as well! Yet there are many “important” movies I have not seen.
Remember I am not American, so it’s not as much part of my culture. I know the name and even remembered Peter Lorre is in it.
Fair enough.
I only just watched it this past year and am so glad I did. I’ve been making up for lost time by watching tons of classic films the last few years.
I’ve never seen The Maltese Falcon either.
No CP reference; that required too many brain cells early this morning as we fly to Boston to visit some friends. A light spray of Blue Grotto from Casa Amalfi perfumes, picked up in Positano this past May (because no Europe trip, even a short one, is complete without a perfume purchase).
Have a safe and fun trip!
I second the safe trip recommendations MMKinPA! Have you visited the real Blue Grotto, I believe in Capri?
We did not get to Capri. We were on a tour with my son’s football team so only 1.5 days on the Amalfi coast. Will go back, though!
Sounds like a fabulous football team tour!
I agree on the duty of perfume tourism!
Have a fun visit, and safe travels!
I love the film Double Indemnity, and Fred MacMurray’s character remarks on Barbara Stanwyck’s character’s fragrance-How Could I know murder smells like honeysuckle. So I chose Annick Goutal’s Le Chevrefeuille as my SOTD. It’s a beautiful happy fragrance, about as far away from murder and dark thoughts as you can get.
I’m looking forward to reading what everyone chose, esp Glannys 🙂
What a great choice! And what an amazing thing for him to say!
Such a great movie! And you smell fantastic.
I feel like Fred MacMurray would wear something cheap, oily, and not altogether good smelling. Or if it was once good smelling, his bottle long ago went bad and he was too cheap to throw it away so he keeps using it.
Anyone watching this season of Grantchester? Am scenting Alphy’s soon-to-be love interest Meg in vintage Chanel No 5 edt. She hasn’t gotten involved in any mystery-solving yet, but I imagine that will
change! The real sandalwood in this iteration is swoon-worthy.
I’m watching it, and it’s good, isn’t it? They can get a tiny bit silly at times but I love this show.
I love that show. I didn’t get into it until about season 3 or 4.
I am! I watched it from the beginning but when the original actor was replaced, I stopped watching it. Then I saw the preview this year of the new vicar replacement and I tuned back in again because of him – I call him Gorgeous Guy! ❤️ I think he’s a fine actor, too, as well as being gorgeous. I really enjoy all of the characters as well and am glad I tuned back in.
Robin, did you know that Lush has a solid shampoo called Montalbano?
I’m trying to rake in CP points.
Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume + Roos & Roos Mentha Religiosa.
Juliette Has a Gun – a reference to a weapon.
Not a Perfume – for Griffin from Wells’s The Invisible Man. It doesn’t match his personality (short fuse!), but it fits the concept of invisibility.
And Mentha Religiosa is my attempt at scenting Father Brown: incense for his role as a Catholic priest, green and earthy notes for his rational, down-to-earth nature. He’s also described as “rustic,” “a bumpkin,” and “a turnip.”
I knew I’d love your response, Glannys-you put a lot of thought into this 😉
Great reasoning Glannys!
Excellent CP creativity Glannys! I haven’t read any Father Brown mysteries but I adore the show! I haven’t firmed the same attachment to Sister Boniface.
I too like Father Brown but Sister Boniface not so much. Maybe because they pronounce it Boney-face and that drives me crazy!
Ha, I did not!! Literally about to get in car to head to beach for a couple nights but going to add that to my “google later” list.
Thank you.
I have never seen Father Brown and don’t know if it is books as well as tv but will goggle that too!
Well, I really wanted to wear Bel Ami today, so I’ve had to retrofit my scented character a bit. My favorite detective types (Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin, Poirot, Marple, Richard Jury, Inspector Lynsey, Gamache, Brunetti, etc, etc) aren’t good fits. I thought about scenting Stephanie Plum’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, policeman Joe Morelli, but I think he probably mostly smells like his awful dog … and her other, uh, “suitor”, Ranger, belongs in something like Aventus. After leafing through the mental card catalog a bit, I’ve finally settled on Melrose Plant, sidekick and amateur sleuth alongside policeman Richard Jury, as my Bel Ami wearing character. Neither is my favorite character from that series, though — crusty Brian Macalvie gets that dubious honor. Couldn’t scent him to save myself, though.
I love that you chose your fragrance and then found a character to fit.
My favourite fictional detective is Commissaire Maigret, who smokes a pipe (sometimes he seems to be doing little else).
So. I am honouring him (and my favourite interpretor of his character, Bruno Crémer) by wearing Chergui, for the tobacco note.
Perfect.
Hi Twin! We share of love of Commissaire Maigret💕
That’s very cool.
I thought Gerard Depardieu did a great Maigret in the recent movie 2022 .
I haven’t seen it, though I think he would probably make a credible Maigret.
He will probably not be making anymore films though. I always find it hard when you have admired someone as an artist to continue doing so once you become aware of their crimes.
At the moment I smell like horse sweat, hay, and my own gross b.o. But after I shower on my dresser is my sample for the CP…
Murder Mystery
Catherine Tramell
Basic Instinct
Scent to match Sycomore by Chanel
It might seem understated for this Femme Fatale, but this is the trap that she lays-her power has never been in her loudness but in her control. Sycamore doesn’t seduce you with any floral or sweetness, but pulls you in its own way….. which made me think of Catharine and how unreadable she is, detached…dry as a bone…she is sits there in that one scene legs crossed, steady gaze all while being interrogated for murder!
Oh perfect! 👏
I loved that movie. Excellent choice of fragrance. Do you mind if I ask about your favourite horse’s health? Hope the horse is on the mend.
He is still not up to snuff. Today I was able to groom him a bit and then saw him getting some medicine. I am not sure exactly what is going on with him, as I am only the student and don’t want to seem too nosey. However they did mention I won’t be able to ride him for about 2 more weeks. I am still however allowed to give him his “carrot tax” and give him lots of love.
Different subject, have you ever tried Chanels long wearing lipsticks? I tried one yesterday and almost bought one…
I love that he gets a carrot tax!
Do you mean the matte ones that came out last spring? I do like those. They’re matte so of course a bit drying. Or is there a new line that’s come out?
Great choice of Sycomore.
And fingers crossed for your horse buddy… being able to ride him in about 2 weeks sounds tentatively promising!
I love the dry down of Sycomore.
I will give my horse buddy extra love tomorrow
Glad to hear your horse buddy is making progress towards getting better! 🐴
Me too 💕
Wearing FM Eau de Magnolia again. Oh, and I was in a pen shop yesterday and and two pen dudes and I had a surprising and really nice chat about perfume!
I really enjoy those kinds of encounters with other collectors. They may no little or nothing about perfume and I don’t know much about their passion but there’s definitely shared DNA.
We collectors recognize and appreciate each other!
I read every single one of Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary mysteries in the 90s and 00s. They required no brain engagement whatsoever (I was getting my doctorate in the 90s and needed froth) and they had good recipes included! So today I am scenting Goldy the caterer in Akro Bake.
A mystery with recipes! Can you tell me more?
Culinary mysteries seem to be a sub-genre of cozy mysteries. There’s no graphic detail about injuries. Diane Mott Davidson wrote about Goldy the caterer, who lived in a small Colorado town. Goldy usually catered some event (recipes for items she prepared would be included in the book) and someone would die. Goldy somehow always got involved and started investigating. They were fun, fast reads.
Happy Friday and Hot Fudge Day!
SotCP IA Bull’s Blood sample, which I thought I would never try, but surprise! I’m wearing it for Nero Wolfe’s The Red Bull.
I love watching murder mysteries especially on PBS, but haven’t read any. I do want to say I learned so much today through the birthdays. I was only familiar w Iman. I often fall down the rabbits hole reading about these birthday folks’ main works. It’s humbling. How had I never heard of Elias Canetti or his work on mob psychology during my sociology classes? Anyway, today’s soundtrack is switching between Johnny Hodges and Chuck Mangione. A beautiful day to all!
Update: I had to wash it off. Too pungent and in a bad way. The sillage is insane. Despite washing and dousing with Desertland, I can still smell it.
Oh no! I admit the name alone makes it sound pungent. Hopefully you can wear something more pleasant later.
I tried. It’s 9 hrs later and I can still smell it!
Ack, 9 hours is a lot. But now you know 🙂
Time to keep some micellar water handy for those super stinky scrubbers!
Will have to try this in future.
Canetti is fantastic. If you want a noir, mob psychology movie I would recommend M, the silent movie.
Thanks for recommendation Kanuka!
I haven’t smelled that scent by IA before, but I have seen bad reviews. After seeing those, I have never even wanted a sample. Now I know I don’t😂
Great topic and so many cool ideas already! I have just finished watching season 3 of Dark Winds, a detective story set on Navajo reservation in New Mexico, during 1970s. It’s a great show, both for its chief characters, including Navajo Police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, the complex storytelling centered around a series of murders, and all the cultural reverences and incredibly stylish production. One episode, no6, this season, took it to the max with a bonkers, Twin Peaks inspired storyline and production values and earlier on there was a very funny cameo from Robert Redford and George R R Martin, two of the show’s producers. I love this show and I’m happy to hear they are already shooting season 4. I found it because I was looking to fill the void after Reservations Dogs had its final season: several actors are in both shows, in particular Zahn McLarnon who plays Lt Leaphorn. Finding a scent to go with Dark Winds didn’t take long: I wanted something rich but with a dry and almost dusty feel and a touch of mystery. Providence Perfume Co Irisque fits the bill. Later today I will spritz myself with a perfume that reminds me of New Mexico, Strange Invisible Perfumes Prima Ballerina: lime, rose and botanical musk scent with a distinctive sage note. I wore it during a trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe years ago and it was a perfect summer scent for dry desert heat.
I loved the Hillerman books but never saw the series, I should give it a try. Also never saw Reservation Dog and have heard it was great!
Great fragrance picks too!
Commando for now because I have my re-do mammogram later this afternoon.
I’ve been thinking about how I’d scent Rear Window, a movie I enjoy tremedously. Nothing is immediately jumping out, it’s just making me want to rewatch the movie!
I hope the re-do turns out A-ok!
Good luck with your mammogram
🍀for the test.
Thinking about you today and hoping for an all clear test result🌸
Ms Fremont strikes me as a Diorissimo kind of woman. Stella the nurse might well have worn Revlon Intimate.
Good luck with the re-do!
Don’t know about Rear Window but there is Notorious for another Hitchcock movie.
I have to have redo mammo’s a lot! Hope the news is no problem, carry on!
Hope that your mammo re-do went smoothly! What a (literal) pain.
Caleche for Rear Window!
I’m scenting a favorite mystery from Fried Green Tomatoes. The mystery of what happened to Ruth’s Husband. I am wearing Bath and Bodyworks Magnolia Charm.
Looks like a storm is brewing here. It’s not quite as hot but still muggy.
I love Fried Green 🍅
Hope your stormy weather was NBD.
I’m in one of my top fragrant loves, Tubéreuse Criminelle, “a poisonous, carnal and deadly perfume in Serge Lutens’ Gratte Ciel collection.” That says it all😎
Gratte ciel = skyscraper Cool!!! I love learning new words!
It literally means ‘scratch the sky” in French. I love words in any language that describe what the word does figuratively. In Spanish, the word for lizard is ‘lagartija’ which also means ‘push-up’ which is what lizards do.
Not exactly CP compliant, Dune was in my rotation, so that is what I am wearing today. I have been listening to a couple books by a Australian woman about the years she spent on a Greek Island, not really criminals, but beaches, and sand dunes. Course, any time I wear this perfume, I think of the book and movie Dune, the dunes of Arakkis! There were criminals in that story, so it all sort of fits together. Also watching LOTR with adorable hubby, and there are nasty criminals in that story, but also, may be Galadriel smells like Dune? Idk. I started my little pointillist miniature of a setting sun over my mountain ranch, with the moon rising at the same time, peeking out from behind an ancient conifer tree…I call it Sunset/Moonrise. Since it is from a photo my brother in law took, I don’t have to bother with en plein air technique. I put on a layer of dots in basic colors, and tomorrow I will refine the image with smaller dots, in more carefully blended colors. It’s fun, and the stakes are low, but I do enjoy it. I might do a companion piece of some mule deer standing around in the foreground of the same view on a nice sunny day….Have a good weekend, one nd all. Be grateful for whatever you have, and share good feelings with everyone you meet. Quickest way I know of to make the world a little brighter…
Reading about your painting technique and subjects is absolutely fascinating; I have absolutely no talent that way. Thank you for sharing.
Not sure how much talent I have, but from a very early age my mom was all about the “Draw something”! “Write a poem!” Be creative
I always wished I could paint! I cannot paint.
Frozen mango and yogurt smoothie
I chose Sherlock Homes and immediately thought of Floris, Penhaligons could have been a contender too. One of Conan Doyle’s greatest stories is the one he wrote in The Sign of the four and continued in The Valley of fear, the former was published in 1890 and I have Special No 27 from the same year (on Fragrantica the No was forgotten), it is a wondrous masculine which can cross the gender divide easily and is right up there in my small, Floris collection with Malmaison and Stephanotis. It’s a pristine vintage bottle but not from the Nineteenth century, most probably from the eighties.
You have some Osmotheque worthy goodies in your collection.
😀. Oops, it’s Special No 127 not 27, what I meant to write is that Fragrantica list it as ‘Special 127’. It’s still in production to this day, Foris has kept more of its classics than Penhaligon’s.
*Floris
Glad to see Sherlock Holmes represented today! And I totally forgot to consider what I could pick for the Cumberbatch version of Holmes.
He had to make an appearance in this CP. I even considered Poe murders in the rue Morgue’s Auguste Dupin😀
I’m in perhaps the ultimate noir scent, Narcisse Noir, which also comes in a bottle that could be found on a femme fatale’s nightstand.
Yes, perfect! Black Narcissus!
I agree that’s a perfect choice!
Winner winner!
SOTD = Eris Parfums Green Spell
Green! And Spell, which to me signifies Mystery! It is so good and this bottle will pretty much last me forever! 💚
A question for those who love / like Old Spice — is there a particular scent, body product you enjoy the most? I haven’t really looked other than at Wegmans. I saw trial sizes of body wash and deodorant (I am pretty picky and won’t use so did not buy), and large sizes of shampoo and / or conditioner. None of these grabbed me but perhaps I need to be looking at a particular scent. Thanks.
Old Spice Classic cologne or aftershave. Love the carnation and spices!
No Old Spice advice from me, sorry!
I have never tried any of the modern products other than the cologne.
No CP points for me, I’m afraid! I’m wearing Arpège, due to a visit earlier this week to the first American exhibition of the couture of Mme. Jeanne Lanvin. I suppose Arpège might have been worn by Josephine Tey, since it launched in 1927. I think it would have suited her! I loved her books when I first read them decades ago. If you like mysteries, I highly recommend them!
Happy weekend, everyone!
A period appropriate perfume that Josephine Tey might have worn sounds like it fits the CP to me!
lol, thank you!
SotD Helena Rubinstein Herbessence – very lovely with Lady-like green notes, spices and a bit of rose! My CP connection is with Shirl in “Soylent Green,” which Mr. Mossy and I rewatched this week. No spoilers in case you’ve not seen the movie (and you should). A perfume bottle is brought out in one scene and I got a good look but I don’t recognize it. Maybe some NST sleuths can ID it – it rang a bell?! Anyway, I started thinking about what perfumes Shirl and her friends might be wearing in the party scene and Herbessence and EL Azuree came to mind. I decided Shirl would like a softer chypre-variation.
Haven’t seen Helena Rubinstein mentioned in ages!
Or Soylent Green, for that matter…have not seen that in eons!
It’s another nippy start to the day, which means blue sky and sunshine – lovely after a lot of dull and damp weather. I’m wearing Fragonard’s Billet Doux for the name, love letters play a role in many mystery and crime stories.
And it’s a carnation scent, it’s not an old perfume, but carnations have a vintage feel.
Nice choice. Hope you have a happy Saturday
My favorite mystery writers are William Kent Krueger and Louise Penny, and because I just happen to be reading her ‘The Grey Wolf’ (to satisfy the ‘read a book with the name of a color in the title’ requirement in our library’s summer reading program), my SOTD for today’s cp honors Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, whose scent is that of sandalwood with an undercurrent of rosewater. I’m enjoying YR Ode au Reve, with its prominent yet light and soft sandalwood note, layered over BBW’s Rose Water and Ivy body lotion. It’s perfect!❤️
In her eighth book, ‘The Beautiful Mystery ‘ Louise Penny writes, in the words of Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Inspector Gamache’s second in command and soon to be son-in-law:
“He also realized for the first time in more than a decade together, why the chief smelled of sandalwood and rosewater. The sandalwood was his own cologne. The rosewater came from Madame Gamache, as they pressed together. The chief carried her scent like an aura, mixed with his own.”
The above is just a brief excerpt from Cynthia’s fascinating (but lengthy) post of an interview with Louise Penny, all about scenting Gamache, on The Fragrant Journey :
https://thefragrantjourney.blogspot.com/2018/05/scenting-inspector-gamache-interview.html?m=1
Enjoy! 🪵🌹💧
Aw, that’s sweet and I had totally forgotten it!
Points ! 🥂
https://www.japansociety.org.uk/review?review=501
I’m scenting A Quiet Place by Seicho Matsumoto, set in Kobe about a husband investigating the death ( from natural causes) of his 30 year old wife. The mystery is trying to understand who his wife really was, and also the expectation on him to maintain ‘ face’ …respectability in society and career…during the unfolding events. It’s not a detective novel, and is slow moving so more of a character study and insight into Japanese society. Wearing Gris Clair.
That book looks fascinating.
I love when you recommend books
Wearing Lutens Rousse, which means redhead in French and has notes of woody cinnamon that always make me think of red-hots (the candy). Raymond Chandler’s wife Cissy Pascal was a beautiful pale-skinned redhead, (who was much older than him but she lied about her age) and he apparently modeled some of his femme fatales on her and she was the reason he was mostly sober during the years they were together and those were the years when he wrote most of his books. So that’s my CP sorted. However, I could easily have worn Blonde by Versace if I had any. Which reminds me of the Chandler line: She was a blonde to make an archbishop kick in a stained glass window.”
Word for word, metaphor for metaphor, Chandler was the best, and such a pleasure to read even today. If you want more about Chandler and Cissy, the non-fiction book The Long Embrace by Judith Freeman is an excellent one and focuses on them as a couple. Freeman visits all the more than 30 places across Southern California the Chandlers lived in through the years (they moved every 6 months or so). It is not a straight bio, Freeman talks about walking the L.A. streets that Chandler did and doing research and how the city has changed. And how heavily Cissy influenced Chandler. Older bios kind of dismissed Chandler’s wife. But he really fell apart after she died.
Thank you, have read all of Chandler but know nothing about him and will take a look at that book.
Song of the Day:
https://youtu.be/CK3C9XZcTbM?list=RDCK3C9XZcTbM
The lyrics to this could be the plot of a detective story.
SOTD = Calvin Klein Truth. After all, the concept of truth is central to a crime or detective story. One party is trying to conceal it, while another one is trying to uncover it.
Besides, I smell great.
Great cp match!
Thank you!
Good one! Points for you!
Thanks Old Herbaceous!
Clever take on the CP, yes, you smell marvelous.
Thank you! Had to spray again today.
Our family loved watching the Bosch series. I have never been to Los Angeles and seeing the series has really made me want to visit. I am wearing Le Labo Musc 25 (Los Angeles) for that. I guess I could extend the connection to some of the classic film noir. I think The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler was one of my early “adult” books. When I was a teenager, I used to read the thriller/crime books my father had finished. He also liked Stieg Larson and Henning Mankell. My father is dead for more than a decade now and when I go through his old books, I look for the crime/detective ones.
I started reading mystery novels because of my dad too…he was probably much older than your dad and had all the old hardboiled detectives 🙂
I so want to watch Bosch. I love series shot in LA. I try to recognize the streets and landmarks!
No CP points. Just grabbed Hiris today.
And you smelled great!
I’ve been thinking about this CP some more, and remembered that one of my favorite detective TV series was “Foyle’s War”, set in the UK in WW2. I think the best scent for that would be Yardley’s English Lavender, which apparently was popular and available during the war (though not as available as before). It was considered patriotic as a quintessentially English fragrance.
I remember seeing listings for “Foyle’s War” on PBS ages ago.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of Foyle! Good call.