Happy Almost-Friday! It's also World Children’s Day and World Philosophy Day. Birthdays: Nadine Gordimer, June Christy, Dr. John, Duane Allman. What fragrance are you wearing?
Me: I am heading home today after a few days out of town, and commando other than my DIY ylang and sweet orange lotion. The vintage fragrance I was thinking about today: a very old sample of Edmond Roudnitska's lovely Dior-Dior from the 1970s, which I drained in no time and remember wistfully, and which would be a perfect match for Duane Allman playing guitar with Dickey Betts on Blue Sky.
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 Rosalinde: Robe du soir (1922) fashion illustration in high resolution by George Barbier. Original from The Rijksmuseum. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel. [cropped and background extended] by Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hello.
Sotd is Dusita Tonka Latte.
A ridiculous thing just happened. I somehow managed to pull my right thigh muscle just by standing up after eating breakfast. Now it hurts whenever I try to crouch or sit/stand. Aging is really no fun.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that happy888cat. Some age related stuff is definitely ridiculous.
It’s unbelievable how frail one gets!
Ouch, hope you will recover soon.
Thank you. 🙂
How do you like the new Dusita?
I hear you about the aging thing. I hope the pain doesn’t last long.
I really like it. It’s a definite gourmand but not too heavy and very wearable, even in the summer.
Ow ow ow! It’s crazy how easy it is to pull a muscle sometimes.
It is! I have no idea how my pup can be sleeping one second and suddenly jump up and zoom the next. Makes me jealous! 😂
I’m wearing an Alkemia perfume oil called Caffaeum, which smells like a really good coffee shop.
That sounds nice PriscillaE!
I do usually think of “vintage” scents as including early- or pre-1990’s. But Foxbins’ comment yesterday got me thinking about the oldest perfumes I own. SotD is from a Chanel No. 22 dab on bottle and the juice is mahogany brown. According to the ever wonderful Raiders of the Lost Scent blog, the stopper shapes means the bottle is pre-1970. Alas, upon wearing, a dusty woodiness prevails though every now and then a sweet floral wisp happens. I tried both dabbing and spraying. I got the bottle on Ebay with a stuck stopper for not much money so no heartbreak was involved as expectations were about zero.
Glad you didn’t spend too much on that bottle, Mossy. Vintage Chanel No. 22 has been problematic for me too at times. I’ve gotten excellent bottles and I’ve gotten turned bottles. I don’t know what ingredient in No 22 turns or weakens, (perhaps with heat or exposure to light or just age) but there is definitely one. I’d say it’s aldehydes but I rarely have this problem with vintage No. 5 and that is full of aldies. At least your dauber bottle is very pretty. I love those with the long thin crystal glass daubers. You know they have to be quite old!
Maybe people didn’t store 22 as well, because it was never considered as prestigious as No.5?
Good idea for the imagined backstory of vintage bottles. Someone thought they were giving that perfect gift but the polite recipient could only use about half the bottle before putting it away. 😸🫢
Interesting-your report and my experience makes me think I’ll just seek the current version if I ever want more No. 22. It is not a scent with special meanings for me so this bottle was one of my vintage curiosity purchases.
I’m wearing Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois, which is a longtime favorite. I tend to miss it because it’s on a different shelf.
What a lovely perfume, you smell especially wonderful today.
In Tauer Rose Delight body oil. I had not worn it in a very long time and I woke up craving for it.
Happy Thursday!🌹
I love this one as well. I also have and love the amber one.
Tauer does roses so well. 🌹🌹🌹
Gorgeous painting, Robin. Reminds me of Klimt. I had to play the Allman’s Blue Sky just now after reading your post, what a boogie down memory lane, thank you. If I had any Carven Robe d’un Soir, I’d wear that, from the distinctive green and while striped box, but I don’t, so I shall stay scentless for now while I ponder what vintage to wear today. It has to be the *right* one or it will feel all wrong. All day. Also, I think everyone has their own definition of what constitutes vintage. For me it merely means something discontinued or available but so reformulated that it has lost its original essence.
Off to walk the dog before the rain blankets us once more.
Ha…I listened to Blue Sky while driving over the Tappan Zee bridge today, under a blue sky as it turned out. Then listened to Jessica for good measure 🙂
The old Tappan Zee Bridge was kinda scary sometimes. Bet the new span is much nicer.
The old one had nicer views…but the new one is better.
“Jessica” has got to be the All-Time #1 best road trip song! I loved the scene in “Field of Dreams” with Kevin Costner driving with it on the soundtrack.
It’s such a happy song.
Thank you again, DeniseH for this CP inspiration!
Last night I was smelling my favorite all time fragrance, Miss Dior Originale from 2 houndstooth splash bottles, a pebble bottle and a lovely old “pillar” mini. Mr. allo and I were both blown away by the old stuff, still in good shape and more complex than newer versions.
So wonderful – both the perfume and having the opportunity to smell the old stuff!
I love all the houndstooth Dior bottles!! That was definitely the good stuff. I love smelling this on others (you smell great, allo!) but cannot wear that particular one myself, go figure. At first I thought I’d tried a bad bottle but I’ve tried many different versions now and there is just something that goes sour on my skin, though I appreciate the perfume architecture very much intellectually and the costly natural materials used.
Yes, the old stuff really holds its own over the years. I still have some vintage and it still smells fantastic.
What a coincidence I am wearing it’s vintage esprit de parfum tod\y.
*its
I was going to go with Guerlain’s Sous le Vent, then I put Samsara out, but in the end I feel like Shalimar, again. I am boring this week-maybe I should just post when I change my fragrance lol
I finished by Polo book by Lilly Cooper and really enjoyed all the drama and learned so much about the sport. I have Rivals on my pile next. Reading everything out of order…
Definitely go with what moves you and makes you happy. You will feel the itch for the others down the line and enjoy them at that time.
Nothing wrong with the occasional perfume monogamy streak!
I’m in Private Collection parfum this morning, and enjoying it very much. It’s a fascinating one to observe as it develops — about five minutes ago I definitely noticed linden, but that’s faded now and it’s become a jumble of jasmine, amber and coriander. Lovely.
One of my faves and you smell great, SheriG!
Thank you (and it is thanks TO you too)!
I am wearing Aerin Lauder Wisteria and drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea.
I have missed all my teas while out of town this week and will join you in a cup of Earl Grey tomorrow 🙂
A great duo again today, Barqs! I can just imagine the steam wafting up from your tea mug and blending with your fragrance. Mmm.
Happy Thursday, everyone.
It’s Rochas week for me. Started off with Femme – not the vintage stuff, the modern one with the cumin. Love it, and I’m getting my daughter a bottle for Christmas. (She digs perfume with a cumin note.)
Then came Rochas Man, (Maurice Roucel, 1999,) a delicious coffee, vanilla, lavender, woods blend. (Not quite as gourmand as it sounds – it’s more balanced than that.)
Yesterday, I wore vintage Moustache EdT, (Edmond Roudnitska, 1948.) An old-school citrus/floral/leathery/musky gem. (Kevin’s review here on NST covers it beautifully.)
Today, I’m in Moustache EdP (2018,) a completely different fragrance from the EdT. It’s peppery, with mandarin orange, rose, and woods. Just lovely. And available for a song.😊
I’ll be wearing vintage Madame Rochas (for the first time) tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Love all these descriptions, Daniel.
The only Rochas I’m familiar with is Byzance, the late-80s one, which I wore for several years as a signature scent. It was beautiful in that 80s way that seems so, ummm, excessive now.
Ooh, I like the sound of that!
It was delicious. Fragrantica says “Top notes are Aldehydes, Spices, Carnation, Cardamom, Basil, Mandarin Orange, Lemon and Green Notes; middle notes are Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Turkish Rose, Jasmine, Orris Root, Anise and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Sandalwood, Heliotrope, Amber, Vanilla, Musk and Cedar” and that sounds about right. If I’d kept any from way back when I’d send it to you, but unfortunate associations with it were formed in my head so off the island it went. I moved on to Jil Sander No. 4 after that, and that’s a contender for my choice tomorrow.
The modern Femme is so good, the perfect scent for anyone who enjoys a cumin note!
How coffee-heavy is Rochas Man, to you?
Not heavy. The coffee note is there, but not terribly assertive – it’s a well-balanced perfume. (And underrated!)
I sampled the vintage Femme a while back. It was amazing!
Je Reviens today from a decant of wonderful old stuff, thanks to a super generous perfume friend. My signature scent back in the early 70s.
ah, this was one of my mom’s signature scents and I always keep a bottle around for that reason. Those salicylates that smell like a dissolved aspirin can be an acquired love, but there is just nothing like it. You smell very lovely springpansy.
I’ll always keep some around for the memories! When I was a high school sophomore, the coolest girl in the senior class wore this. I tried it and loved it for many years until it became difficult to find for a while. My parents would give me the little bottle of pure parfum every Christmas.
Yes, one of mine too from the 70’s!👍
❤️
You smell wonderful!
Scentless on the first day of my mini vacation. Spent a day travelling, arrived at the hotel, feeling exhausted. But hunger drove me outside – so here I am, sitting in a Georgian restaurant nearby and waiting for my khinkali.
ooh, I’ve always wanted to go there! Have a great time, Glannys.
To clarify: I am still in Ukraine (not Georgia). It’s just a Georgian cuisine restaurant. I am in Lviv! Thank you!
Wishing you ☮️ and a wonderful mini vacation.
Thank you!
I am not familiar with khinkali but bet it’s delicious.
Big dumplings with different fillings. They are shaped like a bag and you eat them by holding the top part in one hand and biting. I love them!
I’ve heard a little bit about Georgian wines but know nothing about the cuisine.
It’s very flavorful, with herbs and spices. Love it.
Samsara from the little red bottle today.
The correct bottle for Samsara. 😉
I’m wearing another modern incarnation of a vintage, Sortilège from Le Galion.
Nice!
I’m wearing Lou Lou today. I wore this as my signature scent in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I think this is my second bottle. Lou Lou was the perfume that introduced me to flankers, as well. My parents bought me a bottle of Lou Lou Blue for Christmas one year, not realizing it wasn’t what I wore, and the bottle was as different as the smell. I had never known that companies would make an offshoot scent to capitalize on the popularity of the original. Because the bottle is opaque I don’t know how much is left. I still wear it from time to time but not often.
I had no idea there was a Lou Lou flanker. Pretty cool.
I think I saw an ad for LouLou Blue in a magazine back in the day. Was rather surprised by it.
Right now I am in CdG Kyoto for a little extra zen today. Debating on vintage Mitsouko, vintage BaV or vintage no 5 for tomorrow.
You smelled great today! I do love Kyoto.
I settled on vintage Deneuve, the Catherine Deneuve 80s perfume that reminds a lot of people of Chanel No. 5. It has fewer aldehydes to me and is smoother and yet a tad animalic. I forget who initially made this but later I think Avon distributed it.
Deneuve is gorgeous, pity that it was discontinued.
I went with vintage Poison today. Kept it to 2 sprays. I found a bottle online where a daughter was selling her Mom’s fragrances. It smells fantastic (might need 1 more spray!)
Swoon!😍
Lucky find!!
I appreciate vintage Poison (and Opium) so much more now that people don’t bathe in it before going out in public.
I never really smelled them on other people, probably because I was the one bathing in them! Lol. Seriously, I was awful.
SOTD = Slumberhouse Pear & Olive
Nice! I have the version with the little glass balls to displace volume. There’s not much left and whatever is left has turned dark, no worries about the scent though because it is as good as ever. Is it vintage? It’s not old enough yet although it’s been long discontinued. Therefore, I will take credit for the CP 😇.
Today, I went to a Japanese restaurant nearby and woot, such a good lunch although on the expensive side. For what it’s worth, there are hardly any Japanese restaurants in these here parts so when I found out about this one, I decided I have to go! I had a poke bowl (“Bara Chirashi”) lunch special, warm sake and two tempura mochi ice cream. I also had a bowl of miso soup and a plate of edamame. Although this set me back $60 (including tax and tip), I will go back again because it was so authentically good! I even took pictures (!) and posted on Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRSm4w8EZ71/?igsh=bXVhNWd4aXlhbmhl
I have Jeke with the glass balls in the bottle.
I have Norne with the glass balls in the bottle!
oh Norne is so lovely, and definitely a contender for the conifer scent search, though there is so much else going on. It kindof reminds me of a Lutens.
Mine is in the flask bottle so one bottle newer than yours.
As “vintage” as mine 🤣!
You smell so great hajusuuri, that one was discontinued way too soon, meaning before I made up my mind and bought a bottle.
LOL. So true!
Your lunch sounded fantastic!
It was! I may go 2-3 or even 4x a year … maybe more if I don’t get the sake.
Pear and Olive? Come sit by meeeeee, hajusuuri.
I just have to get in a plane!
We were food twins yesterday! I also had a chirashi bowl from a Japanese restaurant, mine of the salmon variety. I also shared a red crab meat sushi roll with my partner. It’s one of my favorite meals.
Yummm 😋! I suppose I could have asked for all salmon although I do like the variety.
The restaurant I go to has a few options for chirashi, and the salmon one has diced Atlantic salmon sashimi, salmon flakes, and salmon caviar. It’s so good!
Same weather here all week, temps in the 40’s, very cloudy and a bit drizzly. A good scent combo to wake up the dreariness is JD Chilihead layered over the original BBW’s Juniper Breeze. Spicy and warm, green and earthy.
A virtual yoga class this morning, then grocery shopping and other errands, time for a quick supper, then we’re headed to our beloved library for a program I’ve really been looking forward to on Native American Storytelling.
Sending ☮️ to all!
Seeing similar weather out here in Colorado today. Looks like things are going to be unsettled for a while.
Peace to you Laila! Hope the library program was wonderful.
I’m wearing L’Orpheline, it’s not vintage but it’s perfect for a foggy gray day.
Perfect perfume name for a foggy and grey day.
I was reading the comments yesterday but felt tired, no doubt because I had just received the flu jab, so I didn’t report on my SOTD, I wore vintage Jolie Madame EDT which I purchased myself in NYC in the 90s but wasn’t thinking straight because it is so potent and projecting and I had an hygienist appointment. First words I uttered were to apologize for my perfume but the hygienist assured me that she was enjoying it and asked me the name.
Today I wore Truth extrait for Lillyjo and Jalapeno so I opened the packaging, inside was a very tall plastic box. The bottle is all glass and so is the stopper. The scent is green, woody and lovely. Tonight I am wearing vintage Miss Dior esprit de parfum, It is known for being animalic but it has that lotv note I like so much.
I hope you are feeling better and less tired today.
Your CK Truth extrait sounds lovely! Hope your arm is feeling better after the flu shot.
Thank you Jalapeno, the soreness is gone today, Truth extrait is green and in pristine condition. It wears close to the skin, it’s a scent for oneself.
Aurora, you smell fantastic with Jolie Madame. It’s one of my faves.
Oh, thank you Denise, so glad you love JM too. I regretted not having worn the extrait, potent but more intimate, that edt was projecting like crazy. Lesson learned.
Today, I’m twinning with you from yesterday! I didn’t know there was such a thing as Truth extrait, and it sounds right up my alley. Green and woody – sign me up!
I’m intrigued by your Miss Dior Esprit de Parfum. I can only imagine how lovely you smell🌸
I had a short work day today. I’m taking tomorrow off as a personal day to go to the Doctor.
I stopped on my way home and picked up my Thanksgiving turkey. I was happy to find a small one. My plan is to take it out to defrost on Sunday. 🤞
My sotd is thanks to a generous Nster. I am wearing Ma Griffe.
And you smell glorious Lillyjo, have a good day tomorrow. Better today after these two medical appointments, hope yours will go well.
Thank you. It’s a new doctor and I am a little nervous.
Good plan with the turkey. Glad you found a small one! 🦃
Me too! I’m just not good enough with leftovers to have a big turkey.
Oh, yes I remember you had a hard time defrosting big birds on several Thanksgivings. Will your son help again?
I am hoping he helps this year. He really dislikes cooking anything that isn’t frozen pizza.
Ha, are you sure you are not talking about my son?
Although he did make me a burger for dinner since I spent the day on the road.
Hooray for small birds!
Today would have been my Mom’s 95th birthday today. I’ve been thinking of her. I got the sweetest text message from one of my cousins this morning, which said that she was thinking of my Mom and her birthday, too. And that my Mom always remembered hers. 🥲
Had lunch with a different cousin this afternoon. She is able to now walk short distances without her walker, which was wonderful to see.
Got rain in the forecast for later on tonight, with a chance of mixed precipitation. No more summer-ish temperatures for me!
SOTD = commando.
How sweet of your cousin to send that text. Great news for your other cousin.
Sending hugs Jalapeno.
Thank you lillyjo.
Thoughtful cousins are such a blessing, I got together with some of mine while in France, hope you were able to think of lovely times and not sad ones.
Thanks Aurora. Most of my recollections today were sweet, not bitter.
So nice that sharing time with cousins uplifted your day.🤗
Thank you Laila! It did brighten a cloudy day.
May your mom’s memory be a blessing to you today and every day jalapeño!
Thanks LesLiesse. My Mom’s health was pretty good until the last 2 years of her life. I hope I age that well.
Coincidentally, I was just thinking about my Dad. He would have been 94 in January 2026!
That generation did some amazing things, didn’t they?
Was commando for most of the day, since I have been feeling so crummy that I went to urgent care to have my head examined. Ha! Sinusitis. An assistant tried to irrigate my ear but couldn’t get rid of the blockage, and I started to feel so dizzy that he had to stop. Not fun!
I went home feeling worse, with an antibiotic in my future.
Later in the afternoon, however, I did spritz on a bit of Jolie Madame, maybe almost-vintage, and that revived me a bit.
Hello delayed twin. You smell fantastic.
You did, too!
UGH I am so sorry.
Oh ick!!
Hope the antibiotic helps and that you you feel better soon.