It's Wednesday and International Men’s Day. What fragrance are you wearing?
Me: same as yesterday. I am still out of town, and commando other than my DIY ylang and sweet orange lotion. The vintage fragrance I was thinking about this morning: a long gone tiny bottle of vintage Patou Joy, which was maybe the best floral I ever smelled.
Reminder: on 11/21, wear a favorite vintage fragrance and tell us why you love it (and if you like, tell us about any memories it might conjure up for you). If you don't have a favorite vintage fragrance, wear something you think you'd still love 20 years from now. (Adapted from a suggestion by DeniseH.)
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 Vintage sewing-machine [cropped] by Anton Vakulenko at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m wearing Fidji today, which is one of my favorite “vintage” fragrances. Since it was originally formulated in 1966, I am counting it as vintage, even though it has almost inevitably gone through multiple reformulations, especially since the full bottle was cheap as chips.
Ohhhhhhhhhh
So beautiful it was.
Wore it when I got married, 1974.
Lovely Fidji, you smell summery.
The court thing went better than expected yesterday and some things got settled but have to go back some time in December. Will be wearing either no 5 edt or eau premiere. I am debating on either vintage Mitsouko or BaV for Friday. I just can’t figure out which one.
So glad Dawn, that’s great news!
Glad that things went well for you yesterday.
I could still smell the incense dry down in the pure parfum of Shalimar this morning. My bottle is a refillable purse spray – that is shaped like a long rectangle.
So I am sticking with Shalimar this week. Today I am in the Tonka version. Not vintage obviously, but the heritage is there 🥰
Hope to have an undramatic commute
🤞for the commute!
The heritage is strong in all the Shalimar flankers.
Now I have Yoda in my head.
😹
I was doing some sewing this morning (I got it into my head to make some Christmas placemats and I’m trying things out) and I wish I had a vintage sewing machine — or at least one that’s more vintage than the Singer I bought new a few years ago. I know it’s going to go kerflooey one of these days and then I’ll have to find a place that does repairs: they’re made very cheaply now, with plastic gears, where the old ones were all metal and lasted forever.
Speaking of things that don’t last long, I’m wearing a favourite Demeter, Waffle Cone, which smells exactly like walking into an ice-cream shop that makes its own cones. It’s heaven (for a short while). I suppose it isn’t truly vintage but it’s probably a quarter of a century old so that will just have to do. They don’t make it any more — they replaced it with Waffles, which is not the same thing.
Not the same thing at all. I guess you could try the Imaginary Authors version but it’s undoubtedly not the same either.
True. I bought the original version as a FB and the new version in a travel spray, and they are markedly different. The original is much better unless you like your waffle cones on the very burnt side.
My grandma’s sewing machine! Truly. I played with it, but the one I actually learned sewing on was my mom’s Elna. Forest green enamel over what feels like cast iron, older than me by a year or so, and I still have it and use it. I hope there are still people who remember how to repair it, just in case it ever needs it.
This morning I’m in vintage Caron Tabac Blond EDC. It’s another tiny decant labeled as being from The Perfumed Court, for which I can find no record of having purchased, but I’m pretty sure I did order this one because there was a time when I was obsessed with Tabac Blond … before I gave up on the House of Caron. What they did to Violette Précieuse was unforgivable.
The photo today reminded me of the same thing, my grandma’s sewing machine and her “sewing room” where she kept all of her fabric, etc. She made each of us multiple Peter Rabbit dolls on that machine – so much nostalgia.
My Mom’s sewing machine weighed a ton! After she passed away, one of my cousins got it. IDK if it was even in working condition at the time.
My mother’s did, too. It was one that stored away upside down in a cabinet, and you had to lift it up and swing it out in order to use it. Definitely needed two hands!
I remember when Tabac Blond was the Big Thing, and I loved it too. I don’t blame you for nixing Caron after they reformulated Violette Precieuse. The new version was execrable. Plus, what they did to the rest of the line was nothing short of a massacre.
Agree. Very poor marketing and the squandering of a solid pillar of classic French perfumery. Shame as Caron, in vintage, is probably my favorite house. Well, Lutens is up there too.
Hello.
Sotd is Lush Chelsea Morning. Lemon cream biscuits, mmmm.
I finally caved and ordered a bottle of Borntostandout’s holiday LE Choco Loco. It’s supposed to be a pure chocolate/cocoa overload scent. BTSO does really good gourmands so I am not too worried about blind purchasing from them. Can’t wait till it arrives!
Do report back on Choco Loco! And hope you love it.
House twins with SheriG in vintage Caron Fleurs de Rocaille from the generous DeniseH (fitting for her vintage inspired CP).
Aw, glad you are enjoying it!
House twins and Grandma’s Sewing Machine twins! 👋🏻
Wearing Masque Milano L’Attesa for my birthday. I am sure I will still love it 20 years from now.
I am working late today, so my sister will stop by my place later tonight for tea and cookies. We will have dinner and cake together with her family on Saturday.
Cold, drizzly and gray day today. Having my second cup of coffee and a vanilla eclair.
Happy Wednesday! 🌻
Happy Birthday! Your plans sound fun!
Thank you, Calypso!
Happy birthday!!!!!
Thank you, Happy888cat!
Happy birthday, dear pl67!!
Thank you, Apsara! 🌻
Happy birthday to you! I hope you enjoy your treats later today and this weekend.
Thank you, Tulipani!
Happy Birthday PL67!
Thank you, DeniseH!
Happy birthday !!!
Thank you, Barqs!
I hope you have a great day and a happy evening with your sister. Happy birthday!
Thank you, Kanuka! 🌻
Happy Birthday 🎂! Your plans sound fabulous!
Thank you, Hajusuuri! 🌻
Happy Birthday!
Eat an extra cookie for me!🎂🌻
Thank you, Lillyjo! I will! 🍪
Happy birthday!
Thank you, Gaynor!
Birthday wishes
Thank you, Ltsg!
Wishing you a very happy birthday! You smell great!
Thank you, Gail!
Happy Birthday and yay for a sisterly celebration!
Thank you, MossyBerry! 😊
Happy Birthday, pl67!💐 You smell lovely in L’Attesa on your special day💐
Thank you, Allo! 😊
Happy Birthday🎂, enjoy the time with your sister and the cookies.
Thank you, Aurora! 🌹
Happy Scented Birthday, perfumelover67! Kito kitty will celebrate with you tonight. 😻🎁🎊🎂
Thank you, Jalapeno! Kito had extra treats. He was very happy! 😺
Happiest of Birthdays to you!!!
Thank you, Kris!
Happy Birthday, pl67! 🎂🌟💐 You sure started the day off right.
Thank you, AnnE!🌹
Late, but more birthday wishes!! Enjoy the tea and cookies.
Thank you, Robin!
Happy birthday from one Scorpio to another. There seems to be a lot of us here!
Thank you, Laila! 🌻
Very happy belated birthday, pl67! I hope it was a nice day.
Thank you, Therabbitsflower! We had a nice time together.
I am wearingHermes Violette Volynka today.
My Mom bought me a long sleeved blouse with the Eiffel Tower, brie cheese, croissants, Parisian street lamps and a park bench on it. I am wearing it today and it makes me smile, reminding me of my trip to Paris this past summer. And Violette Volynka was my “prize” I bought on the last day of the trip.
What great memories and treasures.
Smelling great today, Barqs!
Love your fragrance today!
Sounds like a lovely trip. I always bring back physical mementos of a trip so that I can look at, or use, them and replay the memories.
Post shower some 1000 from Patou. I have no memory of when I got it so it must be a long time now.
I start teaching at the public library on Friday afternoons in January. And I am assigned to the library close to where I live. That’s great.
Win-win and you smell great. 1000 doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Joy but it’s so lovely.
How wonderful, congratulations.
Great news about your library assignment!
I’m wearing Safari for the CP. I believe this is one of the first scents I bought for myself, with money from job I had in the summer after freshman year in college. It came in a set with a larger bottle, smaller bottle and a lotion. I only have the smaller bottle now, the almost empty larger bottle might still be in my parent’s house. Ah, such memories. I was certainly wearing this scent when my husband and I started dating, and now it’s been 30 years, how time flies!
That is a great one. It smells ‘golden green’ to me. Such a complex mix of ingredients. You smell marvelous.
That’s a great description of it! There’s a warmth in the greenness.
I totally missed Safari back in the day. But it was love at first spritz after I bought the two bottles Mr. Mossy spotted at an antique store. You smell wonderful!
Nice spotting, Mr. Mossy! The bottles are gorgeous too.
A bit of Prince Matchabelli Abano, very vintage. I have both the bath oil and some EdT or EdC, the label’s too worn to tell. I absolutely love this stuff. It has the richness of old Weil Secret of Venus with added notes of orange, oakmoss, herbs, and frankincense. It could never be made today. The bath oil is viscous, a drop on each wrist is plenty. Growling with animalics and wafting of a bygone era. Every time I’m in an antique mall or at a flea market and see the distinctive ‘crown’ bottle (or the tall skinny crown) that signals vintage PM, I look hopefully at the label. Usually it’s Windsong or one of the other more popular ones, but a few times I’ve hit paydirt. Maybe this evening in honor of International Men’s Day I’ll switch to vintage Chanel Egoiste Cologne Concentree, received in a recent swap here (thank you!!!). This is the DH’s fave, or as Luca Turin put it, ‘Bois des Iles for boys.’ The lavender makes it skew more masculine, but I love it too and it smells divine.
I’ve never even heard of that Prince Matchabelli!
I have a Wind Song vintage bath powder but I haven’t broken the seal yet.
I don’t know it either!
I’ve never heard of it either. Used to wear Windsong a lot years ago, and I, too, have a vintage bath powder.
I’m wearing Champagne, from an old dabber bottle I found in an op shop so I’m guessing 1993-ish. If that makes it vintage then I guess I must be nearing antique or prehistoric. It’s going to be warm ( for us) today, around 20C so I’m planning on a morning stroll around the cemetery to see what’s blooming. There are a lot of elderflowers at the moment, which smell sweet
I am wearing the same. I love dab bottles. Getting ready for my retirement that’s coming very soon in December.
I have never seen elderflowers blooming and would love to. I have a bottle of the syrup which I bought at IKEA, lovely when mixed into seltzer water.
I’m wearing LouLou today. 2 dabs from the red and blue mini.
A true original imo. We got a new hand soap at work, and it really stinks. I hope it wears off soon so I can continue with smelling great!
Yay, you smell awesome.
I don’t wear it much, but I love it.
Your stinky work soap overpowers LouLou?!? 😮
Indeed it did. It lasted about a half hour!
We need an emoji with a clothespin-wearing nose.
LouLou is lovely and you smell great. Begone foul hand soap! Shoo!
I’m wearing Mitsouko, my bottle isn’t vintage, but I bought it over 10 years ago, so it’s getting older 🙂 .
Smelling fabulous!
I consider vintage fragrances to be from the ’60’s, and before. Before I started wearing perfume, anyway. My bottles of LouLou, Casmir, and Jaipur seem contemporary to me, though I’m sure to someone forty years younger they are vintage. I am not wearing any of those today, I am wearing TF Cherry Smoke because it doesn’t last long and I have to take the cat to the vet.
I am thinking about getting another kitty, too.
Random thought that I am surprised that a TF is fleeting! I hope your kitty is okay and just going for a routine visit. It’s hard to say about adding a second cat. We have not had too much trouble but I’d say our two girls probably each would have been fine as only cats. They never fought but also didn’t play or cuddle, and one was slightly bossy. The boys we have now seem to get along the best and the kitten definitely loves his big “brother.”
Oh yes to another cat! Younger and opposite gender seems to work best. But who knows?
Good luck if you do decide on another cat. Individual temperament seems to be the biggest factor in how animals will get along (or not).
Robin, I have a 3/4 full bottle of Eau de Joy that is very old. It still smells beautiful.
Might I send it your way?
Apsara, that is so kind of you but honestly I will have to decline. I just have too much perfume and it no longer sparks joy (ha) to look at my full cabinet. There are many things I miss and / or regret, but I am better off not having them. A bit of regret from not having something is better than the massive regret of having too much, does that make sense?
For the CP, Ysatis parfum. Though a perfume from the 1980’s it still has that “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore” sillage that makes me love vintage.
Did you know there was an Ysatis Iris flanker? I have never seen it in person. I bet it’s fabulous.
I’ve not smelled it but I agree it sounds like it would be great.
SOTD = Guerlain Habit Rouge Dress Code
Love! Is it vintage? I don’t think so but it FEELS like it is so I will award myself points. I will see myself out now… 🚪🚪
There’s an article in The New York Times on how to try not to get sick while flying. The summary is:
1) DO NOT FLY WHEN YOU ARE FEELING ILL. Ask me how I know!
2) Book a seat over the wings as that is actually the most stable part of the plane.
3) Keep your medication in your carry-on bag.
4) Avoid carbonated drinks at least an hour before flying. Same holds true for alcoholic beverages (this one’s mine).
5) Move as much as possible.
Happy flying!
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/well/flying-healthy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U8.SIO7.57v9fuTf2shp&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Flying with an ear infection is an experience I do NOT recommend! 0/10.
Kind of surprised that wearing KN-95 masks was not mentioned.
I 110% agree with you on not flying with an ear infection. Ask me how I know!
As to the KN-95, I wondered myself. It may be considered heresy but I have decided not to wear masks anymore…easier said because I don’t commute anymore.
I’m in Rochas Man, which came about in 1999. (I know my bottle isn’t nearly that old.) From Maurice Roucel, no less.
Vanilla, coffee, lavender, woods… a really lovely, (gently) sexy blend. Not exactly groundbreaking, but darn good mainstream stuff, if anyone is looking for such a thing.
It sounds right on trend, actually!
I was vet visit twins with foxbins today. Time for a recheck of Teflon’s ears. Unfortunately, there is still some minor infection left. So yet another new medicine. But! I also got results for Teflon’s allergy panel. She is allergic to dust mites. Which are freaking *everywhere*. Will be doing immumotherapy in the future.
Last day of gorgeous weather with temperatures in the 60’s here. Tomorrow will be cooler and possibly rainy.
SOTD = still in CK Truth.
Is there special medicine or food to do immunotherapy?
Medicine. There are 2 options: one is allergy shots, just like humans. The other is an oral medication that will have to be done every day.
At least Teflon isn’t allergic to perfume!
Goodness, dust mites. Wish it had been something easy. At least you know!
The report was 12 pages long! Some of the allergens listed were rather unusual (to me): grass, cockroaches, and dates.
Ah, wow.
Somehow a cat allergic to dust mites seems an oxymoron; it’s cats who create dust mites that I’m allergic to! Good luck to you both; hopefully those ear infections will be eliminated soon.
Thanks Laila! I am glad to find out that Teflon doesn’t have any food allergies, which I had suspected.
I decided not to participate in the CP this week. Today, I am in Encens Mythique. It smells vintage but of course is not.
That works! It’s a beauty and yes, it’s got that vintage vibe.
Listening to the organ music, waiting for the show to begin. This month’s Classic Film is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, one of my favorite films and one I watch every Thanksgiving. To see it on the big screen will be a real joy!
SOTD is the original L’Occitane Vanille, probably from the 1990’s, so it’s vintage. I get more compliments on this warm caramelly vanilla than any other fragrance I have. I wore the edt earlier and tonight the perfume extrait. It’s hard to find anything about this scent anywhere on the Internet, I don’t know why.
Show’s about to begin!🍿🥤🎥
Mmmm. YOu smell great, Laila. I love those old Occitanes.