It’s Wednesday and International Country Music Day (aka Hank Williams’ birthday). More birthdays: Billy the Kid, William Carlos Williams, Ken Kesey. What fragrance are you wearing?
For Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, which I never did read, and which may or may not have been partly inspired by what was then called Isla de Pinos off the coast of Cuba, I'm wearing L'Artisan Havana Vanille.
Reminder: 9/19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Get as creative as you like with the theme! Wear a fragrance inspired by a pirate or piracy, wear something you bought so cheap it was a steal, steal an idea from someone else, whatever!
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 detail from Robert Louis Stevenson and his Wife (1885), John Singer Sargent, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Meant to say…yesterday was very busy and I have not read the comments at all, but I’ll catch up by tonight.
Robin, your SOTD is very piratey. Havana, the Caribbean, rum, etc.
Why thank you 🙂
I’m borrowing DeniseH’s idea about Barbary corsairs and Morocco, so today I’m in Chergui.
I’m wearing both the old version (from my 10+ year-old bottle) and the modern formulation from a decant. While I notice some differences, I’m glad that Chergui is still Chergui.
What was the idea?
Barbary pirates > Morocco > Morocco themed perfumes. Chergui is a wind in Morocco.
Here’s a quote from DeniseH’s yesterday’s comment:
“Also, present-day Morocco was the base of the Barbary corsair pirates that raided the coasts and river towns of France, England, Italy, and Spain (mainly for slaves). A fascinating history of this recounted in White Gold by Giles Milton, about the 1 million Europeans captured and sold in these markets. (A relatively small number compared to enslaved Africans but this was all new to me). Anyway, so anything Moroccan (hello Uncle Serge) would work for the pirate theme. And Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain and Au Coeur du Desert.”
This is fascinating and appalling. Thanks for bringing dh’s comment as I missed it!
Being in California, I think of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast when I hear the term, not the original. Btw, I seem to recall William Shatner starred in a short-lived series called the Barbary Coast where he was a master of disguise detective working in the Bat Area during the late 19th century. But no pirate disguises for him as I recall.
When I think of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast, I think of the Herbert Asbury book The Barbary Coast: an Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld, which true to its name chronicles SF’s early days and is cram-packed with lurid detail about brothels, 49er gold miners on benders, dens of thieves, gangsters, madams, race riots, rich and poor degenerates alike, and shootouts. Asbury also wrote Gangs of New York, which became a movie. Both books were published in the 1920s IIRC when those early days were still in living memory, and they do not stint on the scandal. Fascinating though.
I’m going to put this on our voting list for my alumni book club since we hail from that area. Thanks DeniseH for the extensive and thoughtful explanation.
Interesting. Well, you had your own pirates in North America. Even river pirates, as Wikipedia tells me.
Glannys, I will join you in Chergui today, old from the bell jar.
Nice! A bell jar?! Mine is an older rectangular bottle, with a minimalist white label, as shown on Fragrantica – https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Serge-Lutens/Chergui-2762.html
I found my order confirmation email – I bought it in 2013.
(Which is why I don’t buy FBs anymore. The last sooo long.)
Yes, I have Sarrasins, Borneo & Chergui bell jars all purchased at Barneys.
They will outlive me, of this I am sure.
We smell great!
Do you decant your bell jars or dab the fragrance straight from the bottles?
Barneys- now that was a destination to shop at !
Hello.
Sotd is Guerlain Florabloom Absolu. Coconut-mango-floral parfait, giving me some vacay vibes. Nothing piratey but I’m saving that for tomorrow and Friday.
I looove country music! I’ll make sure to play some today.
Pirates must have eaten coconut! And probably mango too!
They did steal food, and Caribbean is probably the best known place associated with pirates. Points.
Now I want a coconut/mango/jasmine parfait!
Eau de Mervielles again..
Salty waters for the pirates 🏴☠️ and woody notes for those ships..
Rum Raisin Lippy – great fall color.
Anyone else buying lipsticks for fall?
Reading the Pursuit of Love and sipping cappuccino
Excellent, I may steal that idea from you this week.
Steal away- that’s the pirates life matey!
Copying you in Rum Raisin lippy.
It’s a great color for fall
It certainly is a fall color. I love it!
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford!!!! One of my faves. I was hooked from the very first page with Uncle Andrew’s ‘entrenching tool.” Such a wicked sense of humor she had. Perfume is mentioned several times in this book, but the U (upper classes) called it ‘scent.’ Perfume was a vulgar term. So were serviette, toilette, & mirror. Such words immediately branded you as ‘non-U, ” or lower class. You were supposed to call a mirror a ‘looking glass.’ This is why Lewis Carroll’s book is Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Which admittedly has a nicer ring. Mitford also wrote a non-fiction book laying out what made people U or non-U – terms she came up with btw. All tongue in cheek of course. But she was definitely U and knew how to satirize her hoity class origins extremely well.
Glad to see that Revlon still makes Rum Raisin!
I confuse Robinson Crusoe with The Swiss Family robinson-I am hopeless lol. the latter was a kids TV show in the 70’s.
Wearing Diptyque Fleur de Peau today. I love this little musc scent-it’s just so happy and sparkling and clean. It has such good connotations for me. I was given a 10 ml and a 5 ml as GWP-the SA was charming and so the whole concept rolls together in my memories as a very happy scent. I was also given a beautiful porcelain, which can be scented with your choice of fragrance. This also makes me happy (I’m not happy by nature-I look around and try to find thigs to elevate my mood sometimes. All the time lol).
That is lovely they gave you one of the porcelain ovals, they are so pretty.
Ahoy, mateys! I’m in Épice Marine this morning for the ocean-going pirate theme, along with my favorite blue tee and white gauze button-up with blue windowpane stripes to match the bottle color.
You both look and smell great-I love that the NST community takes these challenges and runs with them. Epice Marine is a beautiful scent.
It is, and thank you! And many thanks to Robin, who ensures that NST is such a warm, welcoming, engaging site … a refuge, in fact.
A refuge – well said sherrig !
Absolutely! NST helped get me thru some dark times.
Oh, that works perfectly. I’m unscented as of yet, or well smelling strongly of dog, the trail, salt, & sweat. About to shower and then I may follow you in Epice Marine, SheriG.
Hey, welcome aboard! 😆
Ship ahoy me mateys! (I note auto-correct kept changing ship to shop-so no enabling please.). Happy Hump Day!
From an earlier comment from Glannys referencing DeniseH, I do savor being in a community where Barbary Coast corsairs are thrown into the commenting mix!
Sotd- Tom Ford Ombré Leather from a sample from a generous NSTer, in honor of those chic leathers that pirates always wore.
Yesterday’s Downton Abbey The Grand Finale could have shared Spinal Tap’s The End Continues I think. The Big Baddie was played by Alessandro Nivola, who was given far too little to do especially when he gets his comeuppance. (See his film Laurel Canyon where he’s the antagonist between Frances McDormand and Christian Bale – that Alessandro knows how to stir a pot!). Otherwise, a fun trip down memory lane with the characters we all love and enjoy.
After, I picked a bottle of Zara Cocoa Bliss, then we dined on tacos in a parking lot. They were delicious! And my Shalimar L’Essence got compliments from all who hugged me.
Loved hearing about your day-i want to see DA maybe this weekend. But my favourite part is the taco parking lot picnic-spontaneous snacks in unconventional circumstances are the best. We bought a truck for work and the tail gate has different spaces and holders for your picnic. It’s one of our favourite features on that truck lol. I was hungry and so was the driver I was with-we were waiting for a vessel to get to us so we could fuel it. He pulled out his lunchbox and shared whatever he had-it was all Vachon cakes and ketchup chips! But as we all know it’s the company that makes it special. We sat on the tailgate eating chips, watching the sunset and waited for the boat. I’m glad you had such a great day LesLiesse 🙂
It was fun going High/Low after all those sumptuous dining scenes in the film. Food trucks have some excellent food!
I was just going back and reading all the witty pirate comments when I all anew your gem: We all know it’s the company that makes it special. Bravo Carole! Well said!
Smelling great in Ombre Leather LesLiesse!
Arrrrrrrgh thank you Me Matey lillyjo!
win win win. I’m glad you enjoyed your day, LesLiesse.
DeniseH, thar’s valuable booty in yer Barbary Coast comments from yesterdee. Much obliged fer yer win win win!
Yes I’m starting to have way too much fun talking like a pirate 2 days early!
Copying LTSG in Rum Raisin lipstick.
I didn’t really steal Lesliesse’s idea as I was already thinking a pirate in leather so SOTD is Zara Leather Jardin. This really is a steal for the price!
I got the leather idea from someone else Kris. I really want to smell this scent. Will try again later this week.
I have to make it to Zara and smell all these perfume
They discontinue them frequently so better go soon😉 However, they get new ones all the time so you will always have choices.
I wish we had a Zara near me. I never even heard of it until people started mentioning their perfume selection.
Me either and we don’t have one by my place. I have had to just blind buy for the most part. Luckily, most of them are inexpensive for a large amount.
Doesn’t Zara sell a Discovery Set online? If not, they should.
Zara has a crapton of perfumes. There are discovery sets for selected lines, though.
I only saw a discovery set for the nude fragrances. Crapton is the accurate adjective – I’d never been on the website before.
There is a partial discovery set for some of the Jo Malone perfumes as well. Plus a few others.
Organization is not a strong suit for Zara’s website.
Spending the day in no 5 body products. I think when I finish the lotion and bar soap, I will not repurchase. I think it is too strong for me and that is coming from someone who loves the Amouage body products.
Chanel body products often are strong enough skip the perfume itself.
I’m still under the weather today but thankfully have the day off. I have an at home meeting for my daughter this afternoon and am doing some light housekeeping.
My sotd is YSL Libre Platine. This has become my new casual business perfume.
My idea for Friday is to pick something from my treasure chest(box) of samples.
Sorry you’re still not 100% lillyjo. I hope tomorrow brings full recovery. Great idea to make Fridays a sample day.
You smell marrrrrrvelous lillyjo! I like to wear the YSL Libre Platine for business mtgs as well. And just love that Treasure Chest of frrragrrrrrance idea! (I only got 4 hrs of sleep last night and I think it’s making me a wee bit silly in my exhaustion- at least that’s my excuse 😆)
Oh and do feel better lj !
Hope the meeting goes well lillyjo!
I hope you’ll be good as new shortly!
Hope you feel better soon!
Hope that your meeting went well! Sending you more healing vibes.
Sotd Gucci Envy. Bottle thunk! It is one of my favorite scents, but with so many perfumes to wear I will not miss it for too long.
Another busy day. Back to read comments later.
Happy Wednesday! 🌻
*A moment of silence for your Envy*
R.I.P
Congrats on the bottle thunk! Better that than it go bad.
I had to look up my SOTD to find out what it is. I am wearing a sample of Brunello Cucinelli Ombra Liricia parfum that I got from Neiman Marcus. I never heard about it before. I sprayed it on and instantly felt enveloped in a puff of woody smoke. After looking it up I found out it is a fashion house that sells expensive clothes and perfumes. The scent I would say fits the pirate theme, if the wooden ship was on fire.
Ha, which is of course very possible! Points for you.
Wearing the thoroughly unpiratical L’Eau d’Hiver. It’s far from winter over here, but it does feel like summer is well and truly on its way out.
You are stealing a bit of winter early! Anybody can get points given the directions.
Awash in Zara Popeline Blanche today — pirating ocheghem’s idea (“so cheap it’s a steal”). An Olivia Giacobetti fragrance has never been so inexpensive!
Allô, I misread the name as PopelineN Blanche and thought, « Zara is making a fragrance inspired by the Pope’s vestal white garments? » 😆. Amazing what one letter can do!
SOTD = Chanel Comete
… from a decant. Plenty for me for now … still “counting penny’s” (just kidding 😂). It’s a lovely fragrance!
Maybe I just never paid attention but lately there has been a flood (if you count 2 as a flood) of invitations to a dinner within the next 3 weeks or so. I signed up for both because 1) it’s free food; 2) I’ve been to the restaurants; 3) I am in the process of determining what to do with my assets. I have no interest in purchasing any life insurance policy, nor buying an annuity (I have “enough”), have social security coming (will probably wait until my full retirement age). I suppose I may need to decide what to do with my other investment assets. Pondering …
Mixed opinions here about Comete. I think a lot of it has to do with personal chemistry, or lack thereof.
Trudat! I may have skipped one of the Les Exclusifs but I say the less I know, the better for my wallet…
Hah!
Bit confused…so the dinner is to provide financial advice?
They are for “group financial advice”. I hesitate to call it this only because I think financial advice should be 1:1 and the 1 could be for a singleton, a couple, a family, and/or a lawyer (although I wouldn’t just let a lawyer go on his/her own).
Well at least you’ll get the free dinner 🙂
Another warm, sunny summer day here. I enjoy honey notes in the fall and was planning on wearing L’Occitane Miel & Citron, honey & lemon, but I put it away and took out its summer shimmer version, much lighter than the original minus the cinnamon note and with added green notes and am enjoying it as my SOTD. No pirate connections for me today.
Yesterday I wore a sample of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain to remind me of a favorite place we almost got to when we were in Kentucky recently but didn’t. Love the Smokies and Dolly. ❤️ Don’t think there were pirates in the Smokies but it sure works for Country Music Day🎶
Went to yoga earlier, then ran some errands, and since we hadn’t had any lunch treated ourselves to burgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes at a favorite place we hadn’t been to in awhile. Justified all that because it’s both lunch & dinner.
Happy Hump Day to all!🍔🥤🍟
Well that sounds like an ideal day Laila!
Not being very pirate-y this week. I was unscented for the morning when hubby and I took down a cedar tree to add to our brush pile that ended up getting picked up today. The tree was nearly horizontal to begin with, so it was too back. I love how cedar smells.
After cleaning up a bit, I am in sample of Byredo Young Rose. I quite like this but seems quite overpriced. This is a light, musky rose which I think is what I have been looking for and I actually expected VS Bare Rose to be this – but it wasn’t. Henry and Rose Sheep’s Clothing is VERY similar to Young Rose but the Sheep’s Clothing is so fleeting, I really have to overspray – and in that respect, the Byredo could end up a better deal, ironically.
Maybe look for Young Rose at the discounters?
Late again!
Teflon kitty had her vet appointment this afternoon. No more ear infection. But she is still itchy and has fluid in her ears, so I need to start the drying ear drops tonight. Plus the other medicine, which is an oral one. Haven’t had much luck with those in the past.
Lovely temps here in the mid to upper 60’s today. It’s not going to last, though. The warmup starts tomorrow.
SOTD = ETRO Ambra. I’d had this in the cellophane in my closet ever since I bought it. Dug it out for today, so that makes it fit for the CP. It’s a lovely summer weight amber on the sweet side. Worth looking for.
Well I hope this time the ear infection stays gone!!
Teflon and I both thank you for the well wishes!
One step at a time, I guess. Hopefully soon the fluid and itchiness will cease, too 🤞. 😻😽😸all send healing wishes to Teflon kitty..
Thank you Laila! The drying drops do work. Just not as fast as either one of us would like.
Poor Teflon! I hope kitteh heals up soon!
Thanks hajusuuri! She’s tired of being medicated, for sure.