Happy Friday and happy International Day of Charity! It’s also Freddie Mercury’s birthday (he was born in 1946, and would be 79 if he were still alive today). Our community project: scent a Queen song, or honor Freddie Mercury with your fragrance in any other way you see fit.
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. And a bonus question: suggest an artist, group or theme for a music community project. For reference, I will post a list of what we've done so far in the comments. And remember, you're ALWAYS welcome to suggest a community project on any theme, and you're ALWAYS welcome to ignore community projects ...nobody cares, and you don't ever have to apologize or explain if you don't join in. They're just for fun.
My inspiration today: Somebody to Love, the Aretha-Franklin-inspired, gospel-tinged 1976 song from the album A Day at the Races. It's easily my favorite Queen song (of those I know, which admittedly is a fraction of the band's output). The lyrics are introspective bordering on morose, but the music is soaring, and it always makes me happy when I hear it. I'm in Aftelier Candide.
Reminder: on 9/12, wear a fragrance that evokes one of Pantone's picks for the Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 NYFW Color Palette. (I will get an image of the colors loaded over the weekend.)
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.
More listening: the official band video, Freddie's isolated vocal on Somebody to Love, George Michael singing Somebody to Love at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness in 1992.
Music related community projects we have done so far, in case anyone wants to make suggestions…
Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, David Bowie, Dolly Parton, Gentle On My Mind (the Glenn Campbell song), George Harrison (and the Beatles), Jacques Brel, John Lennon (and the Beatles), International Country Music Day, Lady Gaga, Playlist (pick a favorite song, we did this at least 3 times), Prince, September 23 musical birthdays (John Lomax, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Julio Iglesias, Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco), Stevie Wonder, Queen
Anyone a fan of Kylie Minogue? I love her style and of course, disco-pop. If there’s enough love, can we have a Kylie CP?
How about Leonard Cohen? He comes to mind because I have a two-day ear worm situation going on after having noted a row of mourning doves perched on a wire. So “Like a Bird on the Wire” is repeating itself relentlessly in my head.
Another Leonard Cohen fan here, I would second that (and I happen to have a bottle of the hair oil Mandy Aftelier made for him, called Ancient Resins, which smells exactly the way you would think from that name, and is utterly fantastic and soothing, and I actually put it on my elbows and other dry spots every night at bed time, so I am all set for the scent of the day there. 🙂 )
Ancient Resins smells divine and is so good for elbows and heels, too!
The Rolling Stones, Motown, old blues, Eric Clapton. I’ll have to think about blues artists. Fifties music hits? Pick a favorite song from the 80s? 90s?
👍🤘
Oh yes I could get with the Stones and Motown and blues, too! Clapton yeah but I’d have to add Page (Led Zep) for competition!! 🙂
JONI MITCHELL–how can she be missing?
Exactly! Little Green just begs to be scented. Or Big Yellow Taxi. 🙂
Or Chelsea Morning ☀️
Blue! Both Sides Now!
I concur!
What about George Michael? I just rewatched his brilliant performance at the tribute concert for Freddie Mercury.
Since there are many suggestions, perhaps for a community project we each pick an artist or music genre that appeals to us and wear a related fragrance and do it that way,
Excellent suggestion!
We’ve done that 3 times, we can do it again 🙂
Jam bands, e.g. The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Dave Matthews Band
Instrumental songs
Cover songs
Pick a favorite song done by a female artist or group
Seconding 1980’s and 1990’s songs!!
I like this idea, too.
I’m voting Disco!
Donna Summer, Saturday Fever..
I like that!
Ooh I like this idea! 🕺
Random vote for Radiohead.
Great suggestions! I’d add Abba, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, and James Brown.
How about scenting a Bond theme?
Interesting! I think we did do scent your favorite Bond actor once, but not the theme.
I’m terrible at these association projects. I picked 4160 Tuesdays Shazam for Bohemian Rhapsody. Happy Friday!
That seems spot on to me!
Me too!
Hello and tgif!
Sotd is discontinued Miss Dior ver.269 (who’s counting anymore?) for the fitting song Another One Bites the Dust.
Just saw a youtube recipe for a 2 ingredient ice-cream. It was to mix a jar of Biscoff spread with a box of custard, freeze and served scoopfuls. Oh wait, don’t forget to drizzle more spread on top! I know we all have eaten peanut butter or spreads out of a jar before but this is too much even for a dessert lover like myself.
Sounds terribly sweet, but reminded me of a dessert I encountered at a party 20 or 30 years ago that was amazingly delicious, and simple. Mix equal parts softened cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth, and use as a dip for slices of tart apple. If you like caramel apples, you’ll like this. (I liked it so much that I had to remove it from the menu or I’d be 100 pounds heavier by now.)
My mouth is watering just imagining it. I need to make this.
Ha, perfect scent match!!!
The 2-ingredient ice cream looks so easy to make that even a non-cook like me can handle! I may have to replace the ingredients with something less sweet …
I chose Fzotic’s Ummagumma for today’s CP. It’s big, bold, spicy and sexy, with Freddie’s beloved carnation note, and if it had existed in the 70s I think Freddie would have given it a whirl. “Ummagumma” was the name Pink Floyd gave to an experimental album recorded in 1969, which Freddie might easily have been aware of at the time. And as the term reportedly was Cambridge slang for sex, I think Freddie would have been, at the very least, intrigued.
Very well thought out!
Excellent SheriG!
I thought about Ummagumma but didn’t have nearly the well-thought-out reasons you did.
Came here to report that I have obtained my annual bottle of Shalimar, the L’Essence this year of course. I just spritzed it on and so far it is giving me a lighter, more diffusive version of Shalimar. Can’t wait for the drydown! I read from y’all that it’s vanilla forward, so I am curious to experience it compared to Shalimar MVP.
Happy Friday everyone!
Congratulations! Looking forward to your thoughts on the drydown.
Thank you! This Shalimar is somewhat light on me, fading into the background much sooner than the others. I’d count it as pleasant and easy to wear but not particularly interesting.
Good to see you!
Good to see you too! Everything going on alright with you in perfumeland?
The Show Must Go On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99KH0TR-J4
I’ve wanted to scent this song ever since I learned about this CP, but I don’t think I own a single fragrance that could do it justice. Time for another layering experiment!
The song is dark, poignant, theatrical, and defiant. To recreate that mood, I focused on these notes: leather, oud, patchouli, incense, rose, violet, and resins.
My final choice: Knize Ten (dark and warm) + John Galliano John Galliano (theatrical and glam) + Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme (romantic with dark undertones).
Ooh, nice. I’m not familiar with the Galliano, but Knize Ten with Rose Anonyme would be lovely. I’ve been known to layer RA with Lutens Cuir Mauresque, another dark-rose/spicy-leather combo that’s really beautiful.
I don’t like to layer but these suggestions spark curiosity even in me!
While I don’t have Cuir Mauresque now, I tried it a long time ago, and it should indeed go very well with a rose oud scent like RA. 👍
John Galliano, to my nose, is rose, violet, incense, iris, and aldehydes — a playful goth vibe.
What I like about this trio is that, despite the “heavy,” rich notes, all three scents also have a bright, almost sparkling side. Even the leathery Knize Ten carries fresh citrus notes. Together, the three don’t feel heavy or overwhelming.
I think if you really simplify it, all three perfumes express these three famous lines of the song:
Inside my heart is breaking – Rose Anonyme
My makeup may be flaking – John Galliano
but my smile still stays on – Knize Ten
It’s my favourite Queen song, Freddy was already pretty sick when they recorded it, apparently. So thank you for scenting it so well.
Mine as well. Thank you. Yes, apparently he recorded it powered by vodka and sheer willpower. Makes it even more special.
Love your trio, perfect!!
Wearing Hypnotic Poison today, just because I haven’t worn it for such a long time.
That one is going to be my scent later today and for the same reason.
Yum. I do miss HP.
SotD is vintage Obsession, and I’m going to pair it with You’re My Best Friend, because it’s my bestest favorite perfume.😅
I’m not necessarily the biggest Queen fan, but my parents had this album when I was a kid and this was my favorite song on it. People can have their Bohemian Rhapsody.
When I was back home the beginning of August, my dad gave me another 2 milk crates full of vinyl albums, as they continue to clear stuff out in preparation for moving. There are some real treasures that I’d forgotten about and some that I remembered and am so happy to have, my mothers copy of Roberta Flack’s First Take among them.🥹
It’s feeling very fall like here, thinking about swapping out my perfume tray soon.
Happy Friday everyone!
Beautiful weather twins 🍁
Gosh I’d love to have my mom’s early albums! That’s so nice they held on to them all these years.
I’m wearing Armani Privé Bois d’Encens in honor of Georgio Armani and Freddie Mercury, two creatives who both had significant cultural impacts that will long outlive them.
Joining you allo in Prive Magenta Tanzanite. That’s for Mr Armani and for Freddies’ homeland.
You smell great!
So do you, house twin!
Great choice. I love Bois d’Encens.
In CdG Kyoto.
Happy Friday! 🌞
Twins!
Hi twin, we smell great!
YUM.
😊
Happy Fri-YAY!
Thank you, Jalapeno! I made it! 😃
Thought about that for the kimonos!
Happy Friday everyone 🌻
Today I chose We Will Rock You, just because, scented with Chanel 19 edt. The song is from 1977, the same year that I got my first bottle of No. 19 for Christmas.
Nice, I like matching the year!
Cool!
Following Glannys from earlier this week in FM Lipstick Rose.
And you smell lovely 🙂
Thank you, dear Robin.
Mercury was born in Zanzibar, known once upon a time as Spice Island because of all the spices that grew there, including cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, so something spicy was an obvious choice for the day. I decided on Serge Lutens Rousse, which is a massive quantity of cinnamon and cedar, plus dabs of a few other things to give it some shape and texture. It’s terrific.
You smell marvy, Pyramus! Good CP compliance too. Taking my direction from you and with a nod to Giorgio Armani, I’m going to wear Armani Prive Ambre Soie as soon as I get out of the shower. It’s got clove, pepper, cinnamon, & other spices that might come from Zanzibar the spice island and it originally came in a glass bottle encased in an (African Kotibe wood) container, This wood is not found in Zanzibar, but it is from the continent where Freddie Mercury was born. (My bottle is the refill, the one that a lot of MakeUpAlley (RIP) people including me were madly swapping about 15 years ago when this line hit the discounters.
Great association! I knew he was born there but was unaware of its fame as a spice island.
I didn’t realize it either but apsara mentioned it! She has been there!
Nice! I didn’t know about the “spice island” either. I thought of something spicy for this week, but not directly because of Zanzibar – it was because one of Freddie’s favorite dishes was Chicken Dhansak. That made me think of Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant (it shares cumin and cardamom with Chicken Dhansak). In the end, though, I didn’t go with this idea.
Rousse! Mmmm.
Wearing Kyoto today since Freddie Mercury had a love for all things Japan. Listening to A Day at the Races today.
Kyoto is a great pick.
I sort of became a fan of Freddy Mercury after his death.
As I have rather limited access to perfume this week (I’ve been on holiday) I sprayed Songes this morning.
Had I been at home I would probably have picked Fracas, because he was quite a diva on stage, and to me Fracas is the ultimate diva perfume.
I loved his showmanship, his voice and his songs and I think it’s such a shame that he felt forced to hide his illness.
Fracas is almost the same age as Freddie Mercury, too. Only two years younger.
That makes it an even better choice. I will wear Fracas once I get home.
I wore Fracas on Saturday or Sunday, also thinking it is a very “Freddie on stage” perfume.
Happy Friday to all!
CP Sotd FM Portrait of a Lady for its operatic nature in honor of Bohemian Rhapsody. Still haven’t made it to check out L’Essence. 🤞🙏
If you like vanilla, it’s a good one. No Guerlain counters or boutiques where I shop these days. I am treasuring my 30mL, closed enough to to perfumath free. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the threshold – it is not $110!
Thanks for your input hajusuuri!
POAL update: I got a generous small bottle (what do we call this? Not a decant but way more than a sample) of Poetrait in the midst of historic heat and it was wonderful but not an ideal setting temperature wise. Wearing it today for CP and I’m loving the middle and base notes. It’s still very warm outside and the top notes of clove and cinnamon didn’t wear well in the morning, like a favorite cashmere sweater worn in high humidity. Hopefully a cooling trend will come soon!
Actually, due to the size of that one, it is a decant.
Also, since you are probably not going to get a sample at any of the stores of L’Essence from what hajusuuri mentioned, I can send you one. Just let me know.
I think most of us did a “blind buy” thinking we would like it.
POAL is definitely a cool to cold weather perfume! It makes a beautiful Christmas Rose scent…
Happy Friday, all! I’m in YSL’s In Love Again to honor Freddie Mercury’s soaring and uplifting vocals on “Somebody to Love.” It’s the fragrance that I love wearing on an impossibly perfect day like it is in DC, because it seems to capture joy in a bottle. This is also at odds with my rather downbeat personality, which I shall characterize as the dissonance between Mercury’s vocals and the song’s lyrics.
I’ve never seen you post before so you’re either new or have not posted recently (as in a few years). Regardless, welcome (back).
Great scent and great match!
https://www.felthamgreen.org/souvenir-shop/
I was in the cemetery yesterday and spotted two baby rabbits sitting next to each other one a grave: one was jet back, the other ‘ rabbit coloured’. They were very small and had enormous ears, and were soaking up the sun. There’s a Freddie Mercury rose ( not growing in the cemetery) – a yellow/ orange tea rose. I’ve read that he liked yellow roses. I was going to wear a rose perfume but I’m sticking with yesterdays’s Shalimar/ Bois de Vanille combo because it was good….a perfume duet so I will match it with the Mercury/ Bowie duet, Under Pressure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCP2-Bfhy04
The Bowie/ Annie Lennox version…chosen because I like her makeup
She does look great, wonderful singer too.
This is from the tribute concert, funnily enough I had forgotten she performed there.
She was so amazing here!
All the bunnies in my neighborhood are ‘rabbit colored’…nearly the same color as the groundhogs.
That bunny description is too precious! Thank you for sharing it!
I didn’t have any inspiration so yielded to the charm of my brand new LL Poivre 23.
A new bottle is good enough inspiration 🙂
My father’s favorite band was Queen, so I heard their music a lot growing up. I’ll mention the song, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, because it brings back a memory of being a very small child and the music video for this song came on while my parents were watching television and my parents kept mentioning how much they liked the song. It was also the first time I saw the band members.
I am just wearing Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis edt from a sample, because I went to a work thing today and my Aqua Universalis Forte, edt my usual work perfume has run out. My SOTD has nothing to do with Freddie Mercury.
I did not see that video until the Bohemian Rhapsody movie came out, so you were way ahead of me 🙂
I wouldn’t describe myself as a Queen fan, although I do like some songs a lot, but Freddie Mercury’s voice! I could listen to him sing anything.
As everyone’s comments show, there are so many ways to connect with this CP. NST folk are so clever! For tonight, I think I still have a few drops of a sample of Tales from Zanzibar, the brand is Memoirs Of A Perfume Collector.
Meanwhile, I’m wearing my latest purchase, Amouage Journey Woman. This is another one that has been on and off my buy list for years, and I decided now was the time. I’m realising how much I like osmanthus.
And reflecting on connection with the CP, Freddie’s life was quite a journey from Zanzibar to the world stage 🙂 .
Perfect! And congrats on finally getting a bottle.
Journey Woman is lovely. Congratulations on the new bottle!
Relaxing in the peace of the forest, listening to Mr. Laila practice his guitar, as we enjoy the incredible beauty of Carter Caves State Resort Park in the far NE corner of KY, in the foothills of Appalachia. The winding roads that lead here force one to drive slowly and absorb the natural beauty of the surrounding forested green hills, with no billboards/advertisements to distract.
We’re here for the annual Fraley Festival of Traditional Music featuring lots of fiddles, dulcimers, banjos, guitars and little else, and mostly mountain music that the hill folk played in each other’s homes and taught each other, as nothing was written down way back then. We discovered this gem purely by accident 30 years ago and have returned whenever we can. The purity of the music coupled with the natural beauty – the park is set deep in the forest and the outdoor amphitheater where most events are held is set even deeper in the forest – makes for an unforgettable out-of-this world experience!
We just returned from an hour-long banjo workshop followed by a dulcimer workshop, will have dinner at the lodge, then an outdoor concert at 7 tonight. When the fest is over, we’ll head to Lexington, tour a couple of bourbon distilleries, get Mr. Laila a souvenir in the form of a new guitar and then return home on Tuesday.
SOTD is Dame Perfumery Chilihead, spicy and aromatic and very green, a good one to wear outdoors, may be too much for inside!
Happy Friday to all! 🎻🪕🎸🎶
Someone here at NST sent me a decant of Chilehead a few years ago. I should pull it out now that the weather is starting to cool down.
Yes, not one I would wear on a hot day.
Sounds like you are having a great time. Enjoy!
Thank you. Yes, Total Immersion!
Carter Caves! My mom took us there for a week when I was a kid, because she’d been there as a kid. We camped and did junior spelunking programs, because my family was really into spelunking. But it also rained most of the week and one of my main memories is of my mom finally throwing in the towel and taking us to a motel. (To be fair, my mom was in fairly late stage cancer at this point, though quite young.) But what you posted reminds me of the fact that she took us into the local town, where lots of the shops had dulcimers.
Your memory is timely! The campground is closed for renovation so this is the first year we’re staying at a motel in a ‘nearby’ town (depends on how you define ‘nearby’ when you’re talking about dark, winding country roads.). Got caught in a nasty thunderstorm with scary lightening at the end of the night on the drive back to the hotel. But we made it back safely. 😅
I chose to wear YSL Libre L’Absolu Platine for the song I want to break free.
I met my new store manager. My first impression is he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Which goes against everyone else’s opinion.
Oh no! I hope you remain “tasty” although not tasty enough to be eaten!
Lol! Me too!
Uh oh. That’s a bummer about the new boss. Trust your gut and CYA!
Exactly! I’m not saying anything except to you all here. Keeping my head down and doing my job.
Oh, no! I was just thinking of you and was hoping the new manager was a hit.
Oh he was very nice and polite. Everyone seems to like him. I just felt like he was insincere and maybe a little sneaky in the way he was talking. Like a politician or car salesman. I will have to update in a month or so.
Very very happy to see you wear this lillyjo! I hope you felt Absolutely Platinum Level regardless of the wolf/sheep!
SOTD = Zoologist Bee
Shall I say it is now “vintage” since it’s in the old bottle? Lovely as usual. I did not get to post yesterday and I wore Profumum Dulcis en Fundo.
I decided to depart from my usual Whole Foods hot bar chicken because I got sick of it, not physically sick but I’ve had enough for a while. Anyway, I went to a chicken place and looked at the menu. If you know me, you KNOW I don’t like spicy. I was perusing the menu and the only flavor I liked was the Original, but it had a fire 🔥 symbol next to it. I decided to order that and asked for it to not be spicy. The cashier said it was not spicy at all. I asked her to come out and look at the posted menu and she acknowledged that there was a 🔥 symbol which meant it was somewhat spicy. She explained that it was more black pepper spicy than SPICY SPICY. Heh, what can I lose? I ended up ordering it and declare it good enough. I will buy it again at some point although I may try some other items!
The original Zoologist bottles were so nice! I imagine they were more costly to make.
I know what you mean by sick of a certain food. It’s like you’ve got the “Bleahs” about it. Been there!
Heh, saying that you don’t like spicy food is an understatement!
I’m in vintage Diva, even though it seems like Freddie was only a diva on stage and not in real life.
A once-in-a-lifetime voice!
His singing voice was amazing…I listened to lots of isolated vocal tracks this week.
Songs of the Day: “Radio Ga Ga” (1984), which to me is an answer and/or retort to The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” (1979). The video has a lot of references to the black and white movie “Metropolis”.
SOTD = Opium Orchidee de Chine Eau d’Orient EdT. I figure some version of Opium suits Freddy Mercury’s onstage persona rather well.
And I should have added “Duets” as a suggestion for music CP ideas!
I bet that Lady Gaga and Freddy would have done a duet at some point.
Interesting idea to ponder!
SOTD: Rouge Saray.
Fleetwood Mac. That band is rife for inspiration.
Also James Taylor. You can scent one of his songs, there’s so many great ones to choose from.
Also also, I thought it could be fun to do a zodiac-theme CP. Something like scent the sign for that month. Ex., a Libra theme could be a fragrance that brings to mind Libran characteristics, or a scent fronted/developed/created by a Libra (Ralph Lauren) or a scent that has to do with the air element, etc. etc. The possibilities are endless.
I like the zodiac idea!
MCMC is doing zodiac scents, so that could make it easy.
Mom and I are zodiacal enthusiasts! I really like this idea as it could be very fun!
So I haven’t had time to do much in the way of scent lately, but today I put on Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte lotion. I feel like there is something of a Freddy association here, because I got this lotion in minis from a very high end French hotel, of the sort I imagine he liked. (It’s the sort I only can afford to visit every 10 years, unlike Freddy.) Otherwise my associations with him are a) Weird Al, Bohemian Polka, and b) Montreux, where there’s a statue of him and I have a picture of Mr. Ockeghem standing in front of the statue, cleaned up after our 18-day trek across Switzerland. Also I do love Queen’s aesthetic and a number of their very tongue-in-cheek “sports intimidation” songs.
I had a day off and went to have lunch in the park on a blanket with a podcast and a book so I was more focused on a perfume that would be a good companion for the outing than a song match. So I went with Nerola by Fūm, which unsurprisingly is predominantly a neroli perfume. It’s a very nice one and very much unisex so I bet it would smell marvelous on Freddie too. 😉
Somebody to Love is a top favorite Queen song of mine too, Robin. I’ll add one even higher than that for me, Under Pressure, the wonderful collab with David Bowie. I mean, Queen and Bowie in one song – yes, please! If the weather was cooler, I’d consider pairing it with Tabu since I have a decant that seemed to come from a pressurized bottle. Or at least the kind of decant bottle that was used, a kind of fancy little bottle with a screw top, once de-pressurized and made a hissing sound when the top was unscrewed and then fizzed out perfume at me!
Lunch in the park with a podcast sounds perfect, and neroli is (nearly) always perfect!