Happy Almost-Friday! It's also National Candy Corn Day, and don't forget the splitmeet starts on Saturday! Birthdays: Christopher Wren, John Adams, Clifford Brown, Louis Malle, Grace Slick. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm commando (other than my DIY lotion with sweet orange and ylang) for a short out-of-town trip.
Reminder: for Halloween on 10/31, wear your quirkiest or weirdest or spookiest fragrance. (This is a repeat.)
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 Candy Corn [cropped and contrast adjusted] by Andrew Malone at flickr; some rights reserved.
Ohhh, candy corn. We never have it in the house because Mr. G hates it and I can’t leave it alone. 😀 I’m back in Boswellia Scotia because I can’t leave it alone either.
I do love the chocolate candy corn! I can take or leave the regular. I NEVER buy it.
So glad you are loving your new bottle!
Definitely didn’t go for quirky today. Wearing Chanel Egoiste with a dab of vanilla oil.
Oh, I bet that is nice together.
I’m in Coromandel EDT. I really love this scent.
I love candy. Candy corn is a rarity around here. And I never see those funny sticky molasses kisses anymore. We’re getting some epic amounts of rain for halloween-too bad, cause we haven’t had rain in months. We need it-just wish it would come around 8 pm on Friday. I love the cute little kids out at 5-they have no idea what’s going on 🙂
Coromandel is wonderful.
You smell wonderful
Oh, you smell wonderful! Are the molasses kisses wrapped in wax paper? I used to love them but I think they’d pull the fillings out of my teeth now lol
Right, I did not know what Carole meant but I do remember those now!
I got some weird going on with my collection. I pull out my bottle of Serge Lutens Arabie to wear today. I pull off the cap to spray and smelled tons of jasmine. For anyone who knows Arabie, it is definitely not jasmine dominant. It’s nothing but spices and one of my stranger perfumes. I unscrew the sprayer and think that something must have leaked through. So I am looking for another spray bottle. I found a halfway decently priced spray bottle because who has the extra funds for a bell jar? I am off to the shower and will be wearing Lyric instead. I guess that Avignon will have to do for tomorrow.
Avignon’s a good choice!
Jasmine in Arabie even sounds weird.
I never realized I didn’t even want to try candy corn due to the colours, until I saw some much more elegant LE ones one year and yummed them right up – the Autumn edition? No change to flavour, I believe.
Continuing the week in ginger bikkie, very un-bizarre. Poor little ones will be vigourously rained upon tomorrow, it looks.
I’m not sure candy corn has a flavor. I never could pick anything out, just sweet.
Yay for Candy corn day! I’m like SheriG, I can’t have it around because I can’t leave it alone.
Continuing my SL week in Fumerie Turque (yesterday) and Cuir Mauresque today (layered with a spritz of Sa Majesté La Rose to warm it up).
Allo, I think Cuir Mauresque is fantastic. I think it is SL’s favourite, out of all his creations-or I guess he said it is the one he wears, if he’s going to wear anything.
That’s a great piece of intel about SL and CM. There’s nothing like it in colder weather.😊
Cuir Mauresque is wonderful with a dark rose layered over it. You smell divine.
🥰
In laws are departing , my last cuppa of chai this morning.
My FIL is thrilled with how the BlueJays played last night. He stayed up late..we let my oldest watch a view innings before bed.
SOTD Allure
Even I am excited about the World Series, and you smell great 🙂
That young pitcher last night. Nice arm and easy on the eyes
Spoke too soon. Flight is delayed, but no chai as they are departing early tomorrow
Well as a Los Angeleno, I salute the Blue Jays for playing so well. It’s been an exciting playoff season.
Hello.
Sotd is Guerlain Florabloom Forte.
After reading an article here last week about the possible changes of cherry/almond perfume, I picked up a 100ml bottle of Lost Cherry. If TF still made the 250ml flacon, I’d have gotten that. Panic buy is a real thing.
What is the article ?
Robin posted it like a week ago, don’t remember the exact day. Basically once again, the fragrance cabal is banning cherry because of allergy issues. They are bound and determined to ruin the perfume industry. Everything is an allergy issue at high concentrations!
Benzaldehyde Which pretty much means cherry and almond are going to be significantly different.
That article was posted on October 22.
Nothing spooky or strange here, just cracked into Sana Jardin’s 10-ml Revolution de la Fleur, purchased at Credo’s 20% off sale.
Rose, frangipani, orange flower, ylang, jasmine, vanilla & sandalwood. Tropical & luscious.
Your SOTD sounds quite lovely!
Happy Almost Friday !
Sotd IA Sundrunk. Trying to plink the sample today. A disappointing scent to my nose despite lovely lovely notes. Somewhere I read « orange pop » and that’s what I’m picking up in an unappealing way. I think orange pop, Halloween, extra sugary- CP compliant (barely).
IA Bulls Blood is still The.Worst. Sundrunk still beats it by a mile (damning with faint praise).
Sundrunk is such a great name. It’s too bad the scent isn’t great.
ITA lillyjo! I e had it on for a few hours and the sillage is poor too, if I used that word properly.
I did see your message about the LV scent you are buying. I am not sure if it’s fortunately or unfortunately, but I have never bought anything on evil bay so I don’t know if people have good luck or not. I would think if the ratings are good it should be okay.
I can honestly say that the only fragrance from IA I really loved was Fox in the Flowerbed. Some people here like several of the other ones.
In addition to Fox in the Flowerbed, I bought a bottle of How to Say Bicycle in French. I also really liked Falling into the Sea. The Cobra and the Canary was another disappointment, but I liked it better than Sundrunk or BB.
I misspoke. I like FITF but don’t own a bottle.
AAAAAAHHHH, Bulls Blood — definitely the worst, and most tenacious. Naturally. 🤢
I shudder even thinking of Bull’s Blood.
Have you tried The Soft Lawn, Yesterday Haze, Slow Explosions? I find them all easy to wear. And A Whiff of Waffle Cone. Memoirs of a Trespasser was in my top 5 until my bottle turned 🙁
No I haven’t tried any of those. But I’ve heard very good things about Waffle Cone and Trespasser.
Saint Julep is very good but vanishes almost instantly, so it’s not for me.
PLINK!!! 🎉
There is a Hungarian red wine called Bull’s Blood.
I posted under jalapeño by mistake. Too turnstiles by scent to drink the wine.
Wish I would have seen this before I ordered a bunch of IA samples earlier this week. But I might have a different experience with Sundrunk.
I did NOT select Bull’s Blood as an option!
Gosh, pass! I’m too traumatized by the scent😆
Oops o posted under you jalapeño. You may find Sundrunk with its lovely notes gives you a different experience!
Candy Corn 🤢. I hate it, sickly sweet. Even as a kid I disliked it so much I actually threw it out if it was in my Trick or Treat bag! What kid willingly throws out candy? It wasn’t even worth trading with my brother because he hated it too.
SOTD is Frapin 1270. I’m feeling cozy on this blustery day. I have the old flat disk style bottle and it’s almost gone. I love this enough to repurchase when it’s empty.
You smell great!
I do like 1270 but don’t reach for it often.
You are smelling great.
Love Frapin 1270. You smell marvelous.
Wearing Dame Chocolate + Milk for the CP.
Happy Thursday! 🍫
I wish he would do discounts on the full bottle chocolate line. I do really like the chocolate +rose.
I love the chocolate+rose, and I have not gotten a full bottle for the same reason.
Perfect perfume match for the Halloween candy! 🍫🌹
Thank you! 🍫
That sounds like a pretty fun fragrance! Great for Halloween too!
The whole Dame chocolate line is very fun! The chocolate+rose is the best one imho.
I love all of Dame’s chocolate line; I think I like the original Chocolate Man cologne the most.
Although the Chocolate Man is part of the Everyman Cologne line, I love it and I have a full bottle that I really enjoy. It is definitely better than the ones from the Chocolate line.
Evil Bay (aka EBay) question.
Is this a good place to buy FB of fragrances that are sold out or discontinued? Are there particular attributes of resellers that you look for ? Would you buy a partial bottle? Only a FB that is still boxed? Other details?
Other advice?
Ebay can be a good place. Look for excellent feedback and reviews. Don’t buy a splash bottle, they are too easily adulterated, go for an atomizer instead. Research what the bottle should look like and compare with the photos the seller is showing. Ask for more photos if there is only one. Look up the batch date on Checkfresh or Checkcosmetic to see if the dates match what the seller is saying. Minis are often a very good way to smell a scent and in my experience are not often faked, there’s no profit in selling such a small amount. Ask about how the fragrance has been stored, cool and in the dark is best. Something on a vanity near a sunny window may have some of the notes degraded.
Foxbins this is great advice! I found one seller in particular with a good rating but less than 200 reviews. Would you say that’s enough of a track record?
Yes, that’s good enough. Does it look like they are selling off some of their perfumes/clothing/household goods? You want someone genuine.
No it’s fragrance only.
I have been buying fragrances on evilbay for decades at this point. I agree with much of what foxbins said and there are certainly more fraudsters out there than there used to be, but I also think it totally depends on what you’re buying. I would be verrrry leery of buying a Chanel, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Creeds, or other popular brands on ebay. There are SO MANY fakes. Anything that is hyped is going to be faked. However, if you are trying to source something niche and relatively unknown, or produced in small batches or vintage or d/c, it is often not worth the fakers’ time to fake it because they can’t sell that many units so they don’t even try. I’ve bought some vintage Roger & Gallets and L”occitanes this way. I’ve also seen what have to be Aesop fakes (it’s a cool niche Australian brand that usually retails for $150 plus) – selling for $50. Fakes. There are also fake Frederic Malle, etc. To Foxbins’ notes, I would add: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. It is possible that splashes are adulterated more than spray fragrances, but I’ve never had that problem but again I’ve never bought the super popular brands online. There are a lot of useful youtube videos online about how to spot say, Creed fakes. That is why you see some sellers take the spray button off in photos to show the stem. But some Youtubers also post videos with bad info about how to spot fakes, I have noticed. Be very wary of single photos, or photos that look photoshopped. I used to like to buy partial bottles on ebay, because I’ll never use up a full bottle and the seller would show lots of pics. A pic of a popular frag that only shows the boxed sealed package is suspect. I would also review the seller reviews carefully. You don’t want to buy from a seller with bad feedback, but review the feedback, sometimes grumpy buyers will ding a seller for something out of their control. Also, remember that ebay protects buyers. If you file a complaint and return the fragrance, you will get your money back. I once bought a vintage obscure fragrance that I felt was no longer at full strength. It smelled weak. I offered to send the fragrance back for a refund, as per ebay rules, but the seller told me to just keep it and she refunded me right away. So there are plenty of honest people there too.
Foxbins said everything I would have said, except for “sealed” boxes. I wouldn’t trust them not to have been opened and re-sealed (it’s not that hard to do). I am leery of postings where the only photos are of the box.
These are stock photos in the listing. He says he has 8 bottles. I’m going to ask for photos of the actual boxes and the batch numbers.
if the seller can’t be bothered to take photos, I would avoid.
If it is a spray bottle, you probably would be ok but would avoid splash bottles as others have mentioned
I don’t think the perfumer made splash bottles but will confirm.
Foxbins covered it well and the tip on no splash bottles. I can only add that I have purchased fragrance from ebay many times without a problem. That tip about minis is smart, too. I love minis. Most are around 5ml which is about perfect. If you don’t want to dab, you can pour it in a spray bottle.
yes, hurray for minis. Not worth faking!!!
One more thing–be very careful buying new Chanel, Parfums de Marly, Dior, Louis Vuitton, MFK, or Tom Ford on Ebay. They are frequently faked, and the boxes and bottles look good.
I was going to get a LV fragrance. Wouldn’t the batch number sniff out fakes?
No, batch numbers can be faked easily.
So how do you recommend I figure out that this is a legitimate purchase of an LV fragrance?
If this seller has 8 bottles they’re not a private seller getting rid of a gift or something they’ve outgrown. That type of seller is my preferred type. If they are selling 8 bottles and have less than 200 reviews, then there is not enough history from them as a wholesaler to make me trust them. I would not purchase from them but that’s just my opinion. How about a decant for the same money from somebody trusted, like Surrender to Chance?
LesLiesse, there are some sellers selling LV, Guerlain etc.. for ridiculously good prices. If you look at when they opened their account they are all similar around 2024 or early 2025. They tend to only show boxes. All the reviews tend to be about shipping and not really about product. Example.. I looked at a Guerlain for around $65.00 These people are scammers. I’ve had good and bad luck both. My bad luck being the top notes have gone off. My purchases have been 20+ yrs old though and for not particularly desired perfume.
Lillyjo, thank you! None of sellers qualified based on this criteria, especially when looking for comments that aren’t focused on shipping. I’m going to try visiting some of the stores. If there’s no stock there, then I will check out another LV scent. I did sign up on the U.S. LV website to be notified if they restock. But if they’re not stocked for Christmas I doubt they will be.
I’ve bought a few things on Evil Bay and had only one clinker. The seller had listed it as a limited edition TM perfume and what I received was not. But the seller did take it back and refund my money.
I am wary of sellers that have just recently listed merchandise. Also, if their rating is below 98.5 percent, tread with caution.
I’m definitely passing on this purchase on Evil Bay. If I can’t get in the store, then it wasn’t meant to be.
LesLiesse, maybe search on Mercari. A lot of those sellers are just regular people with buyers remorse. I’ve never actually purchased from there though. I heard the fees were high.
This was a good idea. Lots of bottles for sale. I will check it out.
My SOTD is Rosine LeSnob 1 (Black)–I’m catching up with scents I didn’t have with me on my recent northeast US trip. I love this one. We have lovely cool weather and I’m about to go for a little walk.
Enjoy your cool weather when you have it.
Candy corn, ugh! My mother used to eat it around Halloween by the bagful, and those Circus Peanut things too. I’m a chocolate person, through and through. SOTD is Papillion Salome. I am in the mood for animalics now that the weather is getting colder.
I don’t think the perfumer made splash bottles for this scent but I will confirm.
Oops I posted in the wrong place foxbins!
I’m with you about chocolate. Candy isn’t candy to me unless it has chocolate.
I remember eating those Circus Peanuts as a kid. Didn’t know that they were banana flavored until recently.
Made it through Dodger Stadium traffic with ease yesterday.
And they lost!!
A few sprays of the beautiful and for me overlooked too often Cologne Du Magreb.
Sorry if you are a fan. My in-laws are Canadian and we spent last night cheering for the BlueJays while eating Ketchup potato chips
All-dressed chips are another option 🙂
They didn’t bring me those 🙁
I could eat a whole bag of those!
I really should pull out some of my Tauer samples now that the weather is cooling off.
It’s the perfect time for them!🍁
Hurray for threading that needle.
I’m wearing Alien Eau Luminescente. At a stretch, I can relate the name to the movie and get a horror/Halloween connection, but it’s a completely non-spooky mandarin perfume.
Still, I think that warrants a point 🙂
I know I haven’t been around at all for months but life hasn’t been treating me well. This is certainly not my year.
To add even more bitterness I was fired from work last Friday after working as a fragrance evaluator for this company for 11 years.
Now I got to move on and start looking for a new job.
Oh, that’s too bad, lucasai. Hope things start to turn around soon.
I am so sorry about your year, Lucasai. I hope you find a new job quickly.
I hope your year improves soon, Lucasai!
I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope things get better, lucasai!
We don’t know each other but I feel your pain. I’m sorry and hope that your 11 yrs of experience will open up an even better position!
I’m so sorry lucasai. It has been a rough year for you. I wish you the best of luck finding a job you love.
I miss seeing your beautiful perfume pictures.
Sorry to hear this, lucasai. 2025 has not been a nice year for you in the slightest. Bon courage!
Very sorry lucasai.
So sorry about your year, Lucas. Onwards and upwards!
Tendre Poison – witchy and spooky.
The best of the flankers! Imo.
The most elusive and hardest to find of the Poison flankers, even when it was in production.
Midnight Poison seems like a good witchy Halloween scent too.
That one I do have! But I have something that beats even Midnight Poison.
I’m wearing Lutens La Fille de Berlin for the CP. This is not a fragrance I choose often (just not my usual style), yet it draws me in and I find it interesting. I will always keep some on hand. I read somewhere that it’s like a rain-soaked rose on a grave.
Hi almost twin! There’s also a metalic blood note in LFdB so I’m going to wear it tomorrow to cover my SL/Halloween CP🌹
Didn’t wear a scent at work today – the recording studio is a small, windowless space, so rather than wear something “inoffensive,” I went commando. Tonight I’ve got an audition for a play, and it’s probably best that I be fragrance-free. Maybe I’ll spray something calming for the car ride home.
Good luck with the audition!
Thanks! It can be a nerve-wracking experience, but that’s show biz! SO looking forward to this one being over.😳
Report back on how it went 🤞
How exciting Daniel – an audition! Has your other play ended its run? Hope you get the part! I’m confident if you do you will. Hold a backstory that includes your character’s scents..
Hello, LesLiesse! Yes, the other play ended. This one won’t start rehearsing until early January, were I to get it. Thanks for your good wishes.😊
Break a leg!
Best of luck with your audition!
Thanks, Jalapeño!😊
Wishing you very good luck; how exciting!
Break a leg Daniel.
Good things and not so good things happening in my part of the world. The good: today is Teflon kitty’s 14th birthday! She has had extra meals and treats to celebrate, plus snuggles in cozy places.
The not so good: yesterday I was texting with my high school BFF. She hadn’t been able to get in touch with her brother since Sunday. Based on what she has said in the past, he has no business living by himself. Her brother was found alive on his floor Wednesday by a friend. He had fallen, and broken several ribs. He’s currently in hospital, recovering.
SOTD = back in Pacifica Spanish Amber and Bum Bum Creme in the usual spots.
Happy birthday, Teflon Kitty!
Sorry for your friend and her brother.
Thank you Glannys!
Now my friend is waiting to see how things will turn out for her brother. She was able to talk with him last night.
Happy Birthday Teflon Kitty!
I hope your friends brother recovers fully and quickly.
Thanks lillyjo!
Not what K’s brother is going to be like after he gets out of hospital. He wasn’t in the best of health beforehand. And he refused going to an assisted living facility a while back.
Insert a “sure” up above. Whoops!
Happy 14th Teflon Kitty! Glad you were treated royally including snuggles! So very sorry about your friend’s brother, but am glad he’s on the mend.
People who see pictures of Tef are often shocked hearing her age. She is still very active, with bright eyes and soft fur.
Glad that I could talk with my friend last night. She’s rather upset over the whole experiencce.
I’m confident you comforted her jalapeño!
Happy Birthday to TK on her 14th birthday and yay for all of the love you lavished on her!💗😋💐
And so sorry to hear about your friend’s brother’s accident. Hopefully he will be open to receiving more help through his recovery and next steps.
Thanks allo!
I hope K’s brother will quit being stubborn and accept what his situation is. He has had a few falls in the past, but nothing this serious.
Happiest of birthdays to Teflon Kitty!
Here’s hoping your friend’s brother has a speedy recovery.❤️🩹
Thank you Daniel!
Happy birthday to Teflon kitty from Kito kitty! 😸🎂
Thanks perfumelover67 (and Kito kitty)! I just gave Tef some extra dental treats as an evening snack.
Happy Birthday to Teflon Kitty! Sounds like a great day for her.
Thank you Gail!
Happy birthday to Teflon Kitty from 😻😽😸! And fingers crossed for your friend’s brother 🤞.
Thanks Laila!
So sorry about your friend and many happy returns to TK.
Thanks DeniseH!
Happy Birthday a day late to the fabulous TK!
I found Pacifica Spanish Amber and will wear that tomorrow.
I’m sorry about your friend’s brother. I hope he heals well and that he will pay attention to advice.
A belated thank you!
You are smelling great in Spanish Amber. No updates on my friend’s brother today.
It’s been a busy week with another busy day today. Started the morning with another book discussion at my library, then a long trip to the carwash, Costco, and Aldi. Finally got home and put it all away and now I’m looking forward to having nowhere to be until Sunday.
In the spirit of Halloween eve👻, I’m wearing PDC Body Fantasies Vampire, another red scent in a red bottle, described as a floral-fruity gourmand with a heart of Mexican chocolate, wisteria and violet. A fun scent and actually quite enjoyable. What amazes me is the price it’s going for on evil-bay compared to what was a very inexpensive drugstore fragrance when I purchased it. Wow!🙀
Happy almost-Halloween!🍁🍂🎃
Sounds like the Evil Bay profiteers have struck again.
So listen to this…
I went to breakfast with my crazy cousin this morning. We went to the place I dislike due to cost and service. I have suggested other places. Anyway I decided I am just going to get a pop and a bagel. My cousin says to the waitress ” she’s just getting a bagel, she’s poor ” I am not kidding. Well when my check came I saw that I had not been charged for the pop. It said water instead ( no charge) I was pretty mortified ( yet grateful) so I tipped 3 dollars on a 3 dollar plain bagel. Lol.
To top it off I don’t really like my sotd. I’m wearing Ameline by Phlur.
Lillyjo, you showed grace by not dropping to your cousin’s level and calling them out on the spot. And I bet the server will tell everyone she got a 100% tip!
Honestly I didn’t really take offense. I knew she meant no harm.
😡🤗
Agree. You are lovely, LillyJo.
Amen!
Holy smoke, your cousin has zero chill and no filter.
Well said J!
Oy about your no-filter cousin!
While searching for my sample of Black Orchid, I came across a long-lost decant if AdV Iris Nazarena. Wow, this is such an amazing, beautiful scent. I’m sorry that I missed the opportunity to get a full bottle but am so thrilled to get able to smell this regal fragrance all day. I find it stunning. Thank you again, allo!
Don’t you just hate it when a sample refuses to be found?
NO SOTD as it’s a mishmash of too many things I sampled today. What stands out 12 hours later on skin is Santa Maria Novella Tuberosa and The Body Shop White Musk perfume oil and Ted Lapidus Homme and I think the TL wins, it’s a powerhouse 1987 kitchen sink beast.