A few questions to while away any free moments you might have this weekend. As always, answer as few or as many as you like, or just talk about something else.
1. What fragrance are you wearing today?
2. What's the last (new, or new to you) fragrance you tested, and what did you think of it?
3. What's the next fragrance you'd like to test?
4. What's blooming outside in your part of the world?
5. Share something wonderful with us! It can be anything — the most fun thing you did recently, something delicious you ate, your latest binge-worthy TV series, the last good book you read, any fabulous news you recently received — really, anything…
Note: top image is Summer Poppies [cropped] by tdlucas5000 at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi NST 👋
Happy weekend to you!
1. Sotd Clair de Musc.
2. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc sparkly oil, I’m glad I just got a little bit as there’s a buttery note that I find off-putting.
3. Can’t think of anything. This could change if I start shopping.
4. Hydrangeas! They are gorgeous this year. Which leads to…..
5. There’s a house that I pass at least daily, commuting to my mom’s house. This house has a wall of cone shaped hydrangeas that are pretty year round but especially right now. They are deep pink on the top that turns to a creamy pale yellow at the bottom. Every year I tell myself that I’m going to stop and ask what variety they are and so I finally stopped last week! The lady of the house was so nice, especially when I told her how much I enjoy her flowers. They are called strawberry vanilla large leaf hydrangeas and this woman proceeded to cut me a bunch of them to take to my mom, who loves flowers and drying them. She was thrilled and I made a new friend 👍
Good for you for stopping to ask about the flowers. It’s great she was nice and shared the flowers!
( also thanks for the info on the body oil. I’ve wondered about it)
That is really neat about finding a new friend by asking about flowers. I did a similar thing in the last week and now have a new friend too.
What a great thing to do ringthing! Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful that you stopped and she shared them w/ you! I love hydrangeas too. We had them growing up in CT and they were one of my Dad’s favorite flowers. ❤️
Well, Happy Saturday NST! Hope everyone is extending their Happiness Happens celebration into the weekend.
1. SOTD 4160 Tuesdays The Sexiest Scent on the Planet. Ever. IMHO. (that’s the full title, no commentary on my part.) Second time wearing the sample. I want to use up – can you thunk a tiny sample?- my summer samples while it’s still summer since I didn’t have a spring. I’m a little less meh, this time. It’s a nice scent, but the expectations are way overblown by the tongue-in-cheek title. As my nose gets a tad of experience, I think it’s the middle “woody notes” that are too undefined for me. It’s smelling muddy rather than forest-y.
2. Last fragrance I tried was a sample of Hermes Citron Noir, which I want to retry in the fall.
3. I’m excited to try the new Shalimar L’Essence to launch in September for the 100th anniversary. Some of you may recall that Mom still has the bottle she received from Dad for their first wedding anniversary in February 1956. For their 70th wedding anniversary this February, which we celebrated despite Dad’s passing a while back, I wore it that day. Time did not treat that leftover fragrance well, but I found it exhilarating to take the Llalique stopper and use it.
This new version is supposed to harken back to the original. For those of you following my tales of my aunt, the Duchess of Whimsey… she used to tell the story of babysitting when I was about 2. I got into that very bottle of Shalimar and quite doused myself in it (early signs of perfumista emerging?). When she hugged me to take me to bed, she thought this is one great smelling toddler! I’m laughing as I type this because I can hear her special Pittsburgh, PA cadence as she said it.
4. Blooming outside – our two mimosa trees which are even more resplendent than during Mimosa Adoration & Reverie week, during which every scent had a layering of Prada Infusion de Mimosa from a generous NSTer. Part of the week was taking an outside break to enjoy looking at the trees from a nearby bench. A feast for the eyes and the nose! I’m going to have to take a similar break today, and just glory in all that sunny yellow beauty!
5. Tomorrow’s post since I’ve gone on quite enough.
Again, happy Saturday to all!
For some reason I have never cared for anything from 4160 Tuesdays. Granted, I have only tried a few, but I quit after that. Not sure what it is about their scents that don’t work for me.
I read some about Shalimar L’Essence last night and I want to try it too. It comes out in just a few weeks. I haven’t heard what the price will be.
You could say for #5 that something wonderful will be your sample of POAL that will be coming today🤣 However, you may not like it. Some people don’t.
It’s definitely hit or miss. I quite like Doe in the Snow and SUNPLOSION an aloha state of mind ( especially better than IA Sundrunk). But Malibu Party in the Bay was a ixnay for me.
Yes for #5 tomorrow I shall post about POAL. And my Iris Poudre bottle arrives on Monday.
I cannot WAIT to hear your thoughts on POAL, LesLiesse! (No fragrance pleases everyone, but for the record, I think it’s an absolute masterpiece.❤️)
Will do Daniel! I’m excited to try it tomorrow! Kris, you’re incredible to send me so much!
You can thunk a tiny sample. I think we call it a plink ( because of the softer noise it would make in the garbage bin. Lol)
Lillyjo that’s so adorable – a PLINK!!! I love it!
Gosh, I am not expecting the new Shalimar to “hearken back to the original” any more than any other recent version. Harper’s Bazaar France says it will be a “contemporary and intense variation”…Elle says “reinventing its icon”. Could be great, mind you, but I will be very surprised if it is closer to the original than the current extrait.
ps but always prepared to be surprised! If I even smell it!
I got ahead of myself in my excitement! You’re absolutely right Robin. Still- 🤞
Never hurts to wish! And maybe it will be fantastic.
Robin or anybody else, do you know if this Shalimar is a limited edition?
Pretty sure the new Shalimar is LE.
That is my understanding.
I would call using up a sample a thunk. If it is restricted to bottles only, I may never have another thunk for the rest of my life. 😏 Feel free to call it what you will.
… or a “tink”, just depends on the garbage bin you use
Yeah for mimosas and also excited for the new Shalimar! ❤️
1. I am wearing BBW At the Beach body wash and lotion with Bronze Goddess Nuit. Love the combination!
2. I recently tried a few different fragrances that I liked, but one that I bought a bottle of is Blanc Courreges. A nice, airy iris that I really enjoy and it is very inexpensive.
3. I recently ordered a few samples from Luckyscent and one I am really excited to try is Essential Parfums Rose Magnetic as someone mentioned liking it the other day. Also, Velvet Iris, by this house as well, because I hear it is very nice.
4. I haven’t been noticing anything different blooming than the usual flowers in the Midwest.
5. A good suspense book I recently read was She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena.
I just love the name Rose Magnetic. Report back!
Agreed that is a cool name
Will do!
It was me who mentioned Rose Magnetic, and I’d say don’t let your expectations go too high 🙂It’s a simple, feminine rose scent, IMO well made. Over time it really grew on me (I actually thunked a 10 ml decant pretty quickly). But it’s nothing like our favorite FM Une Rose, that’s a totally different category…
Yes, it was you, Nina. No big expectations, but I know you liked it. It is not very spendy, so I didn’t expect it to compare to FM scents. Still, I have a few other rose fragrances that don’t cost an arm and a leg that I like so we will see😉
Once again, a Gold Medalist in the Layering event!
Not really. I just have a lot of body washes and lotions that go well with some of my perfumes.
That’s a Gold Medalist kind of thing to say imo! 😉
Happy Weekend!
SOTD = vintage Dune, sooo good!
I am waiting for some samples I ordered from some place in Romania or somewhere, on the basis of an alluring review by Luca Turin, but I am continually notified that this package is now in Transit in Romulus, Michigan. I hope it is not squashed flat, or just lost behind, or just so suspicious with an eastern European postmark that it is languishing in the “let’s just leave it here and see if it explodes later” box. Sigh.
I am thinking of getting belated replacement bottles for Hanbury and that Prada Iris scent, was it Jour de Iris? that was so pretty. I need pretty right now for some reason.
There are many wildflowers blooming here in my overgrown sheep pastures that I do not know the names of. I need to go out there with a good Botany book and figure out what some of them are…and plant more! All the little critters needs as much help as possible here.
Adorable bubby and I are going to have dinner tonight with a friend who is increasingly disable with MS, and is pretty well housebound at this point. We are going to pick up some takeout on our way there and just hand out tonight. Should be a nice time.
This morning adorable hubby helped me work on the garden fences a little more, but we got out there too late and it was too hot! Tomorrow I will shoot for 8 oo’clock!
I picked some blueberries – I am not doing a good job of competing with the birds this year – going to France took up all our attention in april and I did not do prep work in the garden! Next spring I will pay more attention. The blueberries I picked are very very good.
All in all a good weekend so far. Hope everyone can chill out and relax…
If you want to use an app, I find PlantNet really helpful for identifying flowers!
Have fun at your dinner tonight, and fingers crossed that your package gets out of limbo 🙂
Thanks for the app suggestion! Easier than a botanical key book!
Vintage Dune! A Top Ten/Desert Island fragrance for me. You smell amazing.
It is my favorite !
What a beautiful weekend in a beautiful scent!
Yes, we are having a very nice time here!
Yay for your blueberries! While I love fruit in general, I think blueberries are my very favorite. I could eat an entire package a day. eheheh
1. Shalimar-I am in the body cream and dusting powder as well
2. I would like to test (again) and buy Galop by Hermes. Also there is a few other Hermes I liked that I tested…one was leathery oud..and another reminded me of Angel’s share …need to find the names!
3. Shalimar L’Essence
4. I have a potted Gardenia, tomato plant ( I love tomato leaf smell)
5. It appears my favorite horse I ride has recovered, which makes me sooo happy. I am watching Yellowstone and need to get in touch with my inner Beth Dutton! We spent last week in lake Muskoka in Canada and it was amazing. I am reading a lot of romantasy books, having lazy mornings drinking tea or coffee. Some quality time with friends and family.
I’m happy to hear your horse has recovered!
That horse is the cream in my coffee…
❤️🏇🏻☕️ Also happy the horse has recovered!
I love that comment and plan to use it someday, LTSG. How wonderful that you have forged such a powerful bond with that horse. And also that he’s feeling better. I bet he loves seeing you as much as you love visiting him.
Another perfumista interested in the new Shalimar! V v happy your horse is recovered (and that coffee cream metaphor put a smile on my face)!
I agree with your #3.
I bet the Hermes you liked that reminds you of Angel’s Share is Amber Narguile.
Yes-how did you know?
Oh, because I’ve worn Ambre Narguile before and it’s the only Hermes I can think of that matches the description of Angel’s Share. I’ve never tried Angel’s Share, but they sound like they’re similar.
1 SOTD is Cheirosa 62 Eau de Parfum. After the initial caramel nuts vanilla blast, It’s not as sweet as I feared. Almost settles down into something chypre-y. Your mileage may vary of course. I’ll prolly give it to a 14 year old girl I know who loves the body mists.
2 Yesterday I tested Vaniglia by Santa Maria Novella and I LOVED it. Glad I procured a bottle. It has that SMN apothecary almost bitter challenging medicinal vibe, a an unsweet woody vanilla bean vibe that also has spice and cocoa. Really surprised at how much I like it. Big keeper.
3 Next up to test is SMN Eva. Supposed to be unisex. We’ll see.
4 Poppies are still blooming in my yard, which is very late for them. They thrive best with benign neglect, I’ve found.
5 Something wonderful is discovering that French iconic actress Simone Signoret wrote a novel! Called Adieu Volodya. Set in 1920s-40s Paris among two Ukrainian and Polish Jewish immigrant families who fled pogroms in their homelands and work in the garment and fur trades and later move into supplying costumes for the French film industry with bit cameos by French actors and directors of the era. Full of wonderful period detail *did you know furs were stored between sheaves of vetiver to keep them dry and smelling good?* and perhaps a bit autobiographical? Her father was a Polish Jew. She was certainly in the movie industry in Paris during that era and had to take her father’s name to avoid being murdered by the Nazis. It feels very authentic Highly recommended!!! And Bravo Simone. It has led me to line up a bunch of movies she starred in.
Look forward to hearing what you think of Eva! I did love it but then again have not smelled a new bottle or sample in years, could have changed in the meantime.
OK, thoughts on SMN Eva are that it’s pretty and elegant and light but penetrating but I’m very sensitive to musks and the musk in this one, while light and clean, grates on my nostrils. Again, I’m very weird about my musks that they can often ruin a perfume for me. YMMV.
The notes per Basenotes are citrus (bergamot and lemon), black pepper, vetiver, woods. (and musks, screamed my nose).
Everything blends seamlessly and it’s not sweet, more like an early spring in nature where the vetiver keeps everything floaty and green and refreshing, if it was a painting it would be a watercolor. Pretty unisex though the name skews feminine. Also, I don’t know how old my sample is (though the scent itself isn’t old; it came out in the 21st century) but SMN was bought by a private equity firm in 2023 which is when the bottles changed to clear glass with paper labels and people started complaining about reformulation, discontinuation, and longevity issues.
I’d be pretty surprised if the musk was the same as when I tried it given how many years it’s been.
Thanks!
Ooh, that Vaniglia by Santa Maria Novella sounds wonderful!
I’m not a huge vanilla fan, but I think it sounds good too.
Your #5 is fascinating!
I’m also looking forward to your thoughts on Eva. It’s my SOTM today, and I think it’s relatively unisex, although probably not all men could rock it. But then, probably not all women could either. 😜
1. None yet, but thinking about Elle L’Aime for this evening; we have a community kickoff event for high school football (team, cheer, band) – usually a fun night.
2. I have been testing the Fulton & Roark fragrances – last one was Hwy 190 – some fragrantica reviews compare to BR540 (I don’t feel that). It’s ok.
3. I don’t have anything specific. I’m always interested in new releases from Nicolaï but not sure about this year’s releases (Crème Ebene has cumin… not my favorite note..)
4. I still have a few day lilies and the hydrangeas look good. My garden doesn’t have a lot of late bloomers but I believe my reblooming daylilies will be back.
I have pink lilies, and hydrangeas too, although some of my hydrangeas are looking very unhappy with the dry weather. I don’t have any crape myrtle in my yard but my neighborhood is full of them at the moment, so pretty…
Also the butterfly weed is blooming bright orange, not my favorite plant but my late husband put them in a few years ago and they are thriving.
Also, 2 gazillion weeds! I have actually hired someone to pull weeds for the first time ever, it makes me feel terribly guilty but I can’t seem to catch up.
Robin what a special remembrance that the flowers your husband planted are thriving!
My weeds are tough. I have a bed that has been infested with thistle, which means very few weeks I have to pull prickly things. Yesterday it was cool enough in the morning so I managed to clear most of it (but it never goes away; I think I would have to kill the entire bed to kill the runners.
My method for thistle and pokeweed, in case you’re as lazy as I am: lop off the top leaving a good 6-12″ stalk. Pour straight vinegar on the stalk. Come back in a week or so, it’s much easier to pull out by the roots.
Ps this also requires being lazy enough that you let it get good and high so there’s a nice thick stalk, LOL..not sure it would work if you were keeping on top of things 😉
I didn’t know there was a fragrance house named Fulton. I went to Fulton Elementary School in Highland Park, and have a happy sentimental weakness for all things named Fulton. Will have to check out the fragrances.
I am also looking forward to trying Crème Ebene and want to try Patchouli Spirit which is not new new but only at Harrods. Did you like And The World Is Yours? That one also has cumin but I love it and didn’t get too much cumin personally.
Have not tried And the World. I’m so leery of cumin although my beloved Jungle l’Elephant has it…
It’s a sad day here for what’s to come. This morning I watched Bertie Wooster walk down the hallway and I saw him as if I were a stranger, and I think it is time to help him cross the rainbow bridge. He has had end stage kidney disease for more than a year and has deteriorated noticeably in the past month. I will miss him terribly.
SOTD is Ineke Poet’s Jasmine, from the Fumerie swap.
I am so sorry to read this, it’s a hard decision.
Sorry to hear this.
Aw, foxbins, I am so very sorry. I’m sure you’re right that it’s time but it’s still not easy.
I’m so sorry foxbins.
So sorry to hear that, foxbins. It’s such a hard decision to make, but I’m sure you’ll make the right one. Sending love to you and Bertie Wooster.
Poor Bertie. That is really tough.
So sorry to read this foxbins!
I’m so sorry about sweet Bertie Wooster. It’s the most difficult decision to make. My friend said to me at the time that it’s so hard to be strong for our beloved pets. And it is. Sending you big hugs.
So sorry to hear about Bertie Wooster. I’ve enjoyed your stories about him. But sadly, every companion animal story ends, eventually. Hugs.
I’m so sorry, foxbins. Your stories about Bertie Wooster tell of a great love story💕
Also very sorry, foxbins. Sending you hugs and strength. ♥️
So sorry about Bertie. It is so hard to lose a beloved pet.
So sorry you are dealing with this, Foxbins. It is always so heartwrenching. Many hugs.
I’m very sorry for your heartache for Bertie Wooster. That sounds just awful to deal with.
This is a particularly unkind time of year – one minute spring feels close, the next minute we’re back in the depths of winter. It’s been hailing off and on, and this weekend is some of the coldest weather we’ve had all winter.
1. I’m wearing Guerlain’s Ambre Samar, I pounced on it as a new release when I was travelling in April and it’s turning up at online discounters already.
2. I tried Tropical, the new Arquiste, last weekend. I described it as opening with an amazingly realistic fruit note, but it quickly turns into a less fruity floral. It’s nice, but doesn’t grab me.
3. My mental list of things I’d sniff if I ran across them is very long. I’ve just added the three new Trudons from Robin’s item today!
4 and 5. Early spring flowers are appearing, which is always wonderful, but I will not be venturing out to see what’s happening in the botanic gardens in the hail today!
You have my sympathies Gaynor, hail is always an added misery. I will have these complaints soon enough!
Ambre Samar sounds really nice.
So sorry for the hail stopping your enjoyment of the early spring flowers!
I am looking forward to sampling Ambre Samar too and shall keep my eyes peeled for the discounters. Persolaise has a video review and liked it too. You are in good company. 😉
Happy weekend, all! I’m doing laundry and trying not to buy a bunch of things out of the new LL Bean catalog. Meanwhile …
SOTD is Au Delà Narcisse — sooooo beautiful. Works in heat, and cold, and drizzly, and … well, you get the idea.
Last things I tried were a couple of colognes from Juniper Ridge, and was not all that impressed. I think they do body washes, candles and incense much better.
I don’t have anything front-of-brain to try next; I seem to be in one of those phases where I love all of my collected fragrances equally and have trouble choosing among them.
My roses are blooming reluctantly, even the Hot Cocoa rose that needs fertilizing and cutting back way more often than it should. The hydrangea is about done for the year, the dahlias are between bursts at the moment, and the begonias and geraniums are happily plugging away.
One “something wonderful” is that Mr. G is halfway to meeting his 30 pound weight loss goal — woohoooo! Another is some incredibly delicious peaches he brought home the other day, called Moonlight. They were perfect.
How sad is it that I had the LL Bean website open before I even finished reading your comment? Might as well check out the fall sweaters 🙂
Huge congrats to Mr. G, that’s wonderful.
😆😆😆
I think I may look at those sweaters too.
They’ve got some nice ones! I managed to only order one. There are some very nice plaid flannel shirts too — one of those was in and out of my cart several times, but really, I have too many of those already.
Now I need to go back and look 😉
Moonlight Peaches is such a dreamy name! And what are Cocoa Roses? I drink a super latte from Clevr Brands called Rose Cocoa Latte. I think I need to smell some Cocoa Roses while drinking the latte.
The peaches were heaven! Hot Cocoa roses are a deep dark red, leaning toward burgundy, and the blooms are on the small side with not a ton of petals, but not just one row of petals either. And not much scent. Honestly, they’re lovely for about two days, and then they go to pieces. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong with them, but I don’t know what.
I thought maybe they had bred roses that smelled like chocolate! B
Me too
Hah! Well, AI says these do! Mine do not, sadly. Again, I think I must be failing them somehow.
I bought a pair of the vista slim leg pants for our May trip and just bought another color. So comfortable and light. I’m officially in the stage of “if it’s not super comfy and cooling, I won’t wear it” on these hot days (my shorts days are mostly behind me).
I’ve mostly given up shorts too, much to Mr. G’s disappointment. But really, nobody needs to see that much of these legs. 😜
You made me look at the LLBean website too!
Mwahahaha 😂
Hello NST!
1. FM Eau de Magnolia.
2. VC&A Rose Rouge — a fruity rose scent, nice, but I don’t think it will make it to my “to buy” list.
3. I’d like to try EP Velvet Iris on skin (on a card it was interesting)
5. It’s not new, but I’m reading With Teeth by Zadie Smith for the first time. It took me a while to get interested in the characters, but I think her writing is excellent.
I will be getting your #3 on Tuesday so I will report on it.
👍
1. SOTD is original Lolita Lempicka. I don’t wear it too often, but fun for a change.
2. Too many to count when my husband and I visited The Fragrance Vault in S. Lake Tahoe (highly recommend!).
3. Add me to those waiting for Shalimar L’Essence after being alerted to it today!
4. My husband’s roses are blooming OK, but will take off when the weather cools off. 98 is just too hot for them.
5. Got to go to a good estate sale today. No perfume there, but found some small, vintage Pyrex dishes in pink! They have glass lids. Perfect for single-portion leftovers and apparently can go in the microwave.
I just love a good estate sale!
Nothing like it!
pink Pyrex! What a find!
Yay for pink Pyrex. I did a GIS and the styles look dreamy!
Score! Vintage Pyrex is always fun.
Excellent find on the vintage Pyrex! That’s the good stuff.
1. My scent of the day is Cologne Indelebile from Frederic Malle. It’s a glorious day in Los Angeles, and this lovely citrus/neroli/light musk cologne feels just right. (And it really does last.)
2. I recently sampled Neela Vermeire’s Eshal. Good lord, it’s gorgeous.
3. I’m kind of curious about Aldebaran from Marc-Antoine Barrois. Two compelling reviews – one from Persolaise, and a more cautionary one from Victoria at Bois de Jasmin – make me want to try it.
4. All sorts of greenery is beginning to grow in the LA River, a half block from me. There’s not much water flowing during the summer, but the ducks and herons are happy, and before long it’ll resemble a sort of urban marsh.
5. I’m getting a visit from my mom and my two sisters next weekend. Can’t wait to see them.😊
Daniel, it was a glorious day in Los Angeles, wasn’t it! I’m unfamiliar with this scent so I looked it up. It sounds perfect for a summer day. One of the articles I read about it contrasted with Neroli Portofino. Do you prefer it to NP?
I have a sample of NP, which I’ve not yet tried. Will report back!
Eshal is really beautiful. I need to revisit my sample again.
I reporter back on POAL near the end of the thread if you’re interested.
Oh, what a treat to read your first impressions! It’s a stunning creation. And does it ever last!
I put it on 10 hrs ago and it still smells divine !
Happy weekend!
1. Sotd is MFK Le Beau Parfum.
2. Zoologist King Cobra. Love the wet soil + thick grass combo. Added to my buy list!
3. Shalimar l’Essence or Miss Dior Essence, depends on which one I see first!
4. I think it might be too hot for flowers, but the greenery is greening. There are loads of clovers popping up and whenever I pass by a patch I’d hunt for a four-leaf, though so far I’ve come up empty.
5. Glad I talked myself into baking this evening. Now there’s a yummy custard pie for tomorrow!
How do you like Le Beau please? I never tried the original to the best of my memory. I will also try Miss Dior Essence when I can and yay for custard pie!
Le Beau I also didn’t try the original since it’s Paris exclusive but this current version is a gentle white floral bouquet. Not too big or heady. I’d say think perfect bride perfume?
Drat, should have gotten here earlier and had you save me a piece of custard pie!
Hello perfume friends! It’s been awhile.
1. Eau de Wisconsin from a local perfumer.
2. Last weekend I got to smell alllll the Le Labo’s, including the city exclusives. Did you know there is a store in minneapolis? They just opened last November and I was up in the twin cities last weekend and stopped in for a visit. I did not buy a full bottle, but came away with a sample of Myhrre 55. Gradtowngirl came along and I got her a handful of samples to try. So far her favorite has been the Lavande.
3. Well, with all the talk about the new Shalimar, I guess I’ll be curious to sniff that one too.
4. I’m at my parents house for the weekend and they have the most beautiful canna lily blooming out on their deck.
5. Today is gradtowngirl’s birthday! My millennium baby is 25.🥹 She is spending the weekend at my parents also, so I’m thrilled we can all be together to celebrate. On the schedule for today is go carts and mini golf, presents and chocolate cake.
Happy Birthday to gradtown!
Thanks ltsg!
Happy Birthday to your daughter! Have a great visit!
Thanks lillyjo!
Happy birthday to GTG! 🎂
Thanks She-ra!
What a fun way to celebrate gradtowngirl’s birthday! Enjoy!
Thanks LL!
You know, for all the criticism of niche brands being acquired by major companies, I wonder if it is making them more accessible. I prefer to vet my perfumes with samples but going to the counter and sniffing is a good way to start finding out what is available. $5 per sample starts to add up a lot.
I don’t have LeLabo locally but I was stunned to find Byredo at local Neiman’s.
Happy Birthday to Gradtowngirl! 🎂🎉
Happy birthday to your millennium baby! Glad you got to spend it all together, those times are fewer and far between the older they get.
1. Shalimar Jasmin
2. I sampled Summer Yummer and it was a foul scrubber to my nose. I have tried a few from Jousset but am now declaring the house officially Poser Niche on this 10th day of August in the Year of our Lord 2025. 😉
3. I am itching to try PdN Patchouli Spirit. Has anyone sniffed it please? Persolaise gave it a good review. Also want to Ambre Samar (which he also liked) and, of course, Shalimar L’Essence. Also want to ask if anyone has sniffed recent Shalimar Parfum/Extrait and if it’s worth seeking please?
4. Indigo Iochroma, Tubeflower, Mini Angel’s Trumpet in my backyard which the hummingbirds love.
5. Had a delicious cheeseburger from In-N-Out yesterday (had not been in a long while) and Mini She-ra got 2 pairs of sneakers. 7th grade starts for her tomorrow. 😅 Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana…as they say. ⏰🍌🪰😆
Also wanted to share this video Fragrance Collecting which the YouTube algorithms fed to me and it resonated. 😅 I have no affiliation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucKVQ6r1QFs
I thought it was funny and actually, it does make some sense.
Did you get a Double-Double at In-N-Out?
It turned out to be a Frederic Malle weekend for me: today I’m wearing Lys Mediterranee, a perfect summer scent.
Visited my favorite contemporary art museum, and now I’m off to protest against our corrupt city government.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
All the bases covered NinaV!
1. FM Une Rose🌹
2. It wasn’t exactly a test but I blind bought a bottle of AA Nerolia Vetiver for perfumemath free and am loving it in the summer heat.
3. I’m with Daniel on wanting to try Aldebaran and Eshal
4. Star Jasmine is still in bloom and so is my favorite tree, the Harlequin Glorybower with its beautiful flowers and jasmine scent.
5. We went to a garden party yesterday and a local band, Half Brothers, who called themselves Jed Zeppelin for the event played Led Zeppelin songs in a blue grass style. It was amazing.
Jed Zeppelin — That actually sounds like it would be wonderful, allo
I didn’t know what to expect but they were exceptional.
Jed Zeppelin – what a great name! And a Glorybower tree -another poetic moniker!
AA?
I’m having a FM kinda weekend (see below), so I know you smell just marvelous allo!
Aqua Allegoria line.
I know, isn’t that the best name for a tree? And if you look it up, you’ll see that the name matches all of its beautiful and interesting facets.
Absolutely!
You smell great, allo!
Thank you, house Twin!
I love tuberose, but the Aldebaran sound like it is mighty strong. Just going by what I have read on it. However, if I remember correctly, you like SL TC so you may love it!
I do like strong fragrances because my skin seems to absorb everything so quickly. I really enjoy his Ganymede which I know was too much for many people and I like Encelade. I’d like to take in the whole range but it looks like he doesn’t send his discovery sets to the US.
I’ve been lucky enough to smell star jasmine in bloom once. Amazing!
Kindred jasmine spirit!
Speaking of Frederic Malle, here’s my #5.
Last night, I found myself in possession of a beatiful small bottle of POAL – a most thoughtful gift from Kris- , and then, to pile on the happiness, my Jomashop order of a FB of Iris Poudre arrived 2 days early. Fragrance Paradise – here’s my passport to enter!
Gosh, FM has gorgeous boxing. Such heft – no cheap cardboard here. And it’s like a tantalizing series of steps trying to get to the bottle, like russian nesting dolls. I have a deep appreciation of packaging because I once dated an engineer (and proud Michigan State Spartan alum) who specialized in designing packaging. It can be such an artistic process to both protect the product as well as seduce the purchaser. Consider me seduced Frederic!
POAL first caused me to review the novel. This sent me down a rabbit hole talking about Isabel Archer’s life choices, their complexity, blah blah blah – I erased it all. I laughed remembering an entire college hour spent debating A Portrait vs. The Portrait. FM avoided that controversy with the simple Portrait.
I will say that the novel’s complexity is mirrored in the fragrance for me. No solofiore here (sp?). As the fragrance has interacted with my body chemistry, I feel as if I’ve been wearing multiple fragrances. I adore them all! I imagine I will wear this at night and especially in the colder months. If I don’t sound too contradictory, also on a hot muggy night probably in the fall when I’m dangling my feet in the pool to cool off, I could wear this for its langourous notes.
Iris Poudre and Strawberry Fool will have to wait until Tuesday and Wednesday as I’m commando tomorrow for an MRI.
Good luck tomorrow!
Thank you lillyjo! 🤞🤞🤞
Good luck with the MRI tomorrow.
POAL is one of my favorites in the cooler months. Like Daniel said, no fragrance pleases everyone, so you never know if you will like a new scent until you try it. Sound like you did.
I most definitely loved it and it’s got sillage for me. I put it on over 6h ago and can still appreciate it. Looking forward to christening my FB FM Iris Poudre. Thanks for the good wishes! I’m not without concern (how’s that for a poor use of the passive voice 😆)
Hope you get good news from that MRI. 🤞
🤗🤞
Been commando this weekend, for no particular reason. Still wearing various lotions, potions, and body butters in the usual spots, though. Today is a 50-50 mix of Korres Mint Tea and Korres Mastic Elasti-Smooth Body Butter.
Purchased a couple of travel sprays from Imaginary Authors very recently. Haven’t decided which of them I will try first, or if I go with the samples that were included. Someone here at NST gets the Enabler Pin for O, Unknown!
Next fragrance I’d like to test? Not sure.
What’s blooming here? Back to school sales! The school district in my area starts back up on Wednesday.
Our kids here go back next week but another suburban school district actually started today! Crazy!
It seems really early, doesn’t it?
It is. But the one positive (at least for the district my son teaches in) is that the term is finished before the winter holiday break. Previously, finals were not until after they returned from the break – who wants to study for finals when you’re thinking about presents and celebrating ?
Finals after Xmas break? That’s just outright sadistic.
SOTD is Guerlain AA (Aqua Allegoria) Rosa Rossa. It is a very pleasant scent, but I noticed it is quite weak. Out of curiosity, are most of the AA series weak?
Enabler pins to Robin and SheriG as I bought a few LL Bean sweaters. Thanks gals.
IIRC, the Aqua Allegorias were meant to be lighter fragrances compared to the “main” Guerlain scents. Not necessarily weak, though.
Maybe light is a better description.
Yay, you will be warm this winter! I am still vacillating, there are two I want.
1 – I went to the mall today to order eyeglasses but I did buy a bottle of Victoria’s Secret Bare Sueded Vanilla, since I tried it about 2 weeks ago and I am a sucker for vanillas, especially at that price point. I did stop at Neiman’s to sniff and I am wearing a spray of Initio Musk Therapy which was ok, but not something I need to own.
2 – Today I tested Musk Therapy. Yesterday, I tested Vesper Glitz which I quite like. I will have to try that one again.
3 – I have a bunch of samples to test. I did visit a Frederic Malle shop on my last trip and was too overwhelmed to test very much. I do want to try POAL, of course. The sales person sprayed it on a card but I need to wear a sample. I should have tried The Moon but when I look at the price, maybe that one is too pricey.
4 – Not much is blooming here. The Pride of Barbados we planted last fall looks good. August in Texas is generally terrible and about the only good aspect is that I know that summer is only another 6 weeks or so. We have been watering plants and trees, hoping they live until the next rain.
5- My son is getting married in January. We wish he and future daughter in law lived closer to us. Weird that I was already married with 2 kids at the age my daughter is now.
I sampled Bare at VS and thought it was very nice too. I haven’t bought it, but for someone who doesn’t do that well with all vanillas, this one I liked.
Congrats to your son (and his mom of course)!
Hi everyone! I’ve had such a nice weekend, despite the high heat and humidity. Sad it’s almost over, but I’ll be on vacation soon and am looking forward to that.
1 and 2. Royal Oeillet, which I think is from Oriza Legrand even though my sample doesn’t have the brand name on it. At first it reminds me of cinnamon gum, but then it calms down and doesn’t last long. A nice change though; I don’t have any carnation scents I don’t think.
3. I’m also curious about the upcoming Shalimar.
4. Well, I haven’t had great luck with my garden so far. My cucumbers and squash are blooming, but no fruit yet. I have a few green tomatoes on one plant, but no blossoms (still!) on the other two. My spinach and lettuce bolted I so pulled them out and planted new ones. Many of the peas and beans I planted never came up, and the ones that did were eaten by rabbits, so I’m trying again with new seeds. The calendula flowers were doing so great they were taking over, so I pulled most of those out. I’m hoping our growing season will extend throughout September and maybe even into October so I have a chance to get some food out of all my efforts!
5. Vacation soon! For two whole weeks. I really need this break.
It’s so nice to have an upcoming vacation to anticipate and look forward to.
It sure is!
Nice to see you, I’ve missed you.! This has been the absolute worst year for our garden – first it was too cold, then too hot. Except for lettuce, our spring veggies didn’t do much of anything. I usually do a repeat for fall, but I didn’t this year, it’s still way too hot. Our green beans did pretty well, and a few tomatoes are ok, but otherwise very disappointing. But the weeds have had a magnificent year! 😡
Aww, thank you, fellow Chicagolander! I’ve missed you too! Glad to hear I’m not alone in the bad garden situation. I really hope the weather improves soon!
Royal Oeillet is from Oriza L. Legrand. It’s a beaut!
Enjoy your vacation! Going someplace special, if you don’t mind me asking?
Thank you! I’ll be spending my vacation at my parents’ house in Minneapolis, hanging out with other relatives and friends too, and I may take a little side trip to Wisconsin :). So nothing exotic this time, but it should be very relaxing!
1. Kenzo Parfum d’Ete for the Go Green CP.
2. Imaginary Authors Saint Julep. I feel a bit meh about it so far. It smells like a lemonade, I suppose, but I expected it to be brighter and greener.
3. I have a few untried samples. The next one I am going to try probably will be Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver Harvest.
I liked Saint Julep but it did not make my buy list.
If the Nerolia Vetiver Harvest makes your buy list, do report back! I have sort of given up on the AAs because they’re all too clean for me these days, but that one did sound good.
Hope everyone had a splendid weekend. Our lovely weather continues, and I’m wearing Cristalle EDT, which feels just right.
Cristalle is also SO elegant!
And once again, it’s Monday.
My mom’s caretaker and I traded days, meaning I have an unexpected day off and an opportunity to waft large amounts of Shalimar edc, as I thunked a bottle and got into my backup. Doing very mundane household chores like laundry & dishes today.
Yesterday we shaved Larry the cat, and gave him a flea bath not once but twice, I’m still exhausted. We need to accept the fact that he has to be shaved every year and do it in May before the mats show up. They are terrible and as he is a cat who is not thrilled with being touched, it was not easy to do any of these things, but my husband had the idea to put him in a box to be shaved, and that helped a lot. He’s an indoor cat and I don’t know how he’s picked up fleas but he’s got them. I’ve tried Frontline but Larry’s fur is so thick that I don’t think I’ve been able to get it into his skin. Hopefully it will work this time.
Wow, I can’t imagine shaving a cat! Mine are indoor cats, too, luckily no sign of fleas thus far.🤞 we have a spray the vet gave us that works when we need it. Hopefully your solution works for poor Larry (and poor you!). WhT kind of cat is he that his fur is so thick?
Just a regular housecat but his fur is fine and soft and abundant, and he weighs about 16 lbs, he’s a big boy and has handsome tuxedo markings. It’s like rabbit fur.
Handsome guy!😻
Aw, poor Larry! He is the second big tuxie boy cat that I know of. Some friends in NJ have one that is around 19 – 20 pounds.
What a time with Larry! Congratulations on your thunk!
Poor Larry! My brother had a cat named Larry. I was joking with a coworker once that my brother kept choosing old man names for his cats, and she said “the next one will be named Norman.” Ha!
Our bout of horrible winter weather continues, I’ll comfort myself today with Tiger By Her Side.
Sorry Gaynor! Spring is coming, the light here is really changing already.
I have been noticing the light change. The temperature says Summer but the light says Fall is coming.
We’re back to hot and humid with another threat of storms, just another typical summer day I guess. I’m as summer as you can get today in the summer classic, Sand & Sable, layered over BBW’s Wild Sand body products, a good combo. The white floral notes of gardenia, jasmine and tuberose are blended well, and fortunately for me the tuberose note is pretty mild.
We had a fantastic weekend at the folkfest, the music and community were outstanding! We also were able to treat our favorite Chicago troubadour/singer/songwriter to lunch at a great local bbq joint, and I got to meet and chat with one of my favorite ex-Chicago Tribune columnists who’s now on substack and is also an accomplished fiddler. 👍
Coming home yesterday I was reminded of my yoga teacher often reminding us to be grateful not only for what we have but also for what we’ve missed or escaped. I’m extremely grateful not only for this lovely weekend but also for the fact that it was near Madison WI and nowhere near Milwaukee WI, which suffered extreme flooding from tremendous downpours. Luckily, although our drive home went thru some rain it didn’t take us anywhere near the Milwaukee flooding. 🙏
Wishing all a grateful week ahead!
Glad that you escaped the nasty weather yesterday. It’s bad enough when you’re hunkered down at home, but worse when you are traveling. 😮
I didn’t realize how badly Milwaukee got hit – some areas received 10-14 inches! Very, very unusual for this area. We’re getting a torrential downpour right now as I type this. Glad I’m home and safe.
Amen to a grateful week! Delighted you had such a marvelous time, and smelled terrific during your fun time away!
Thanks! Special moments to treasure. The camaraderie amongst everyone and beauty of the farm itself in addition to the music – and the opportunity to mingle freely with the talented musicians – make this a highlight of every August for us.
Sounds bucket list worthy for the rest of the community here at NST.
That concert weekend sounds great! Glad you missed the floods too!
Wore Vetyver, and just finished ‘Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies’. Next up is ‘Maureen O’Hara: Tis Herself’. (back to my bios)
Was the Hitchcock book great?
It was..interesting. It was the third installment in the author’s Hitch triology (which I haven’t read) and detailed some of the interactions between Hitch and the lady stars of his films. I wasn’t much aware of the ‘lore’ surrounding him and gals like Bergman, Tippi, Grace Kelly etc. until this book, and, well, some of it was pretty shocking.
Wow, a trilogy. I am interested in Hitchcock but maybe not to that extent. Still, will take a look at my library and see if they have it, thank!
My answer for #5 in the poll: Palisade peaches! I ate one over the sink earlier this afternoon. Sweet and juicy, too. It was perfect. I have 3 more left to enjoy this week, for a taste of summer.
Wonderful weather today with blue skies and temperatures in the mid 80’s after a wild evening last night. There was enough lightning in the area that I wouldn’t charge my laptop for a couple of hours.
SOTD = Korres Sikinos, from The Sample Stash. It’s a pretty floral. OTOH, it’s also very linear and smells mostly of freesia.
Peaches are just a jewel of summer to me! So lovely and fragrant! Glad you enjoyed your palisades peaches!
Local produce is the best, for sure!
Freesia and I don’t usually get along.
It’s a challenging note for me as well.
You’re so lucky to be close to the source for those Palisade peaches!! They are the best type of peaches I’ve ever had, hands down, and I’ve never found them in Chicago. They do have them in Minneapolis though, which is partly why I like going home for a visit in August!
A couple of decades back, I heard somewhere that most Palisade peaches back East are only sold to restaurants. IDK how true that is, but it is a plausible explanation for not being able to find them in Chi-town.
Olathe corn is now coming in as well! And I saw a green chile roaster set up on a street corner during my comings and goings this afternoon.
Sotd Dame Strawberry Fool. I can’t smell any strawberry tbh. I think it’s a pass for me. Looking forward to using my new FB if FM Iris Poudre tomorrow.
Rough day getting an MRI. Took 5 needle sticks to get an IV line in for contrast. Awaiting results.
FIVE needle sticks?!? (Runs and hides)
You poor thing!
I looked like a poster child for that wrap they use now instead of bandaids. But the first coffee of the day which I got to drink at Noon tasted sooo good after fasting overnight. I’m treating myself to fresh peaches for dessert with a topping of frozen mango-passion fruit frozen Greek yoghurt.
Enjoy those peaches!
Ouch, so sorry!
Thanks Robin!
Sorry about the painful sticks and hoping the wait isn’t too long before you receive relieving news🥰
Thank you allô! 🥰 I keep checking the app.
🤞for good results!
Thanks lillyjo! Waiting is never my strong suit.
I know some like Strawberry Fool, but I didn’t either. In fact, I was disappointed as I have loved some of his fragrances.
Let me (us) know how your tests come out. Glad you got in so quickly!
Kris, did you smell any strawberry? I couldn’t make it out. Was disappointed- I wanted to wear Dame Strawberry Fool while preparing the dessert Strawberry Fool! N
Glad that’s over for you, hope the results are good.🤞. One of the most fascinating aspects for me of this perfume hobby we all share is how differently we each perceive a fragrance. I rather liked the Strawberry Fool, got a hint of strawberry from it. Conversely, so many rave about Iris Poudre, yet when I tried it I didn’t like it at all. The same with tuberose, so many love it.I can barely tolerate it, it’s my least favorite note. Very interesting!
I even find that I can spray a fragrance on a paper tester then have a very different experience on my skin. I’m allergic to tuberose, freesia and gardenia, so I always feel a tad left out when other rave about white florals and I can’t wear them. I’m ok with LOTV, which is a happy coincidence because it’s the flower for my birth month.