It's the first weekend in December. We're enjoying the lull — maybe — between holidays, with our usual open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the fragrance you’re wearing today, any plans you might have for the month of December, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is DSC_0396pic [cropped] by Annelieke B at flickr; some rights reserved.
Forgot to post yesterday. Had to clear out some chicken that was in our freezer. When my dad and I put that chicken in the freezer, it was still well within the expiration date but somehow went bad. Then it was off to the grocery store to get more since my dad really wanted chicken soup. Yesterday, I wore Sycomore edt since it was the only thing that came to mind with the CP.
I don’t know if I mentioned that BBW is having their Candle Day sale. The sale started Thursday at 10pm. I limited myself to 7 candles. They were $9.95 for the 3 wick candles, so it’s a good deal. Couldn’t justify getting the limit of 24 candles per order.
I will be getting in the shower soon and wear Arabie. Arabie is great for cold weather and it’s more Christmas like.
Do you know when Body Care day is? I’m thinking maybe next weekend.
Outside of the candles, I don’t much pay attention to BBW.
I saw that body care day is supposed to be Dec 12, 13 and 14.
Maybe that chicken was off before it got frozen?
I find the expiration dates for poultry are sometimes ambitious.
It would also be worth doublechecking recommended guidelines for thawing frozen poultry.
Also do you have thermometers for frig and refrigerator? I find I have to readjust the setting of my old refrigerator according to the season.
Such a devoted daughter Dawn for your dad’s chicken soup!
Happy weekend!
Sotd is Miss Dior Parfum (ver. 2024).
December is a happy month for me but also a teeny tiny bit annoying because it’s also my birthday month. Don’t get me wrong, birthdays are happy events but boy do I wish the numbers stop climbing! I watched on instagram that some student asked the teacher if he could cite an article from the “late 1900s” and he was referring to 1995! If that doesn’t make you feel ancient, I don’t know what will. 😂
I saw a video where someone said ” back in the 1900s. I thought they meant 1908 or something. Nope they meant the 90’s. Lol.
snort.
SMH!
My birthday month too. I don’t really like it since mine is the day after Christmas. Actually, I should say I didn’t like it when I was little since the holidays/birthdays all ran together.
Mine is on the 21st so that gets mixed in with Christmas too. I don’t like that as well.
*busy scribbling down date on calendar re kind, thoughtful, generous K* 😉
😂
I could say the same about you my dear.
☺️
That’s a hilarious story that I’m definitely repeating at the next holiday gathering I attend h888c! 😆
I saw the most beautiful gray Volkswagon beetle in my neighborhood a couple of years ago and was SHOCKED when I saw it had an antique car license plate. 😹
Second day of icy coldness (-20ishº C) so before heading out I bundled up in a big sweater, a huge scarf, and Givenchy Pi. I bought it the instant I smelled it back in 1998 because it might have been made specifically for me: I’m so glad I have the vintage, because they still sell it but to hear people talk it’s light and thin and barely there. It didn’t used to be! It’s a great big woody amber thing that really gets up in your face, and it’s terrific.
Went in to Lush while I was at the mall and walked out with nothing. The Posh Chocolate scent was appealing but they didn’t have the shower gel or anything else except the 230-mL body butter, which I was afraid would spoil before I could get to the end of it. I was slightly tempted to get a backup of Lust but I saw they’ve stopped colouring it that alarming red and I wondered what other changes they might have made to it.
Sorry they did not have the shower gel, I do love that stuff. Especially mixed with citrus gel…
Pi is so great!
Gosh, now I really want to smell the original!
I am thankfully working the day shift today. It’s not crazy yet. Yesterday 2 customers had their purses stolen out of their carts.
There’s really nothing we can do except help them look. Don’t keep your purse in your cart ( or phone)
I haven’t seen ringthing around lately. Hoping all is well.
My sotd is Prada Candy Night. It’s on my thunk list for the season. I share it with my daughter, so there is only about 5ml left.
Wow, two purse thefts! That’s terrible.
Ringthing commented on Tuesday.
I am paranoid about purse pilferers. That’s why all my purses are crossbody ones. I never take them off when I am shopping.
Hey lillyjo! I’ve had a busy week but I’m still around.
That’s scary about the purse thefts. I probably am not as careful as I should be.
Thank you lillyjo for the reminder! Is a Thunk List for previously departed bottles or ones you’re working on?
Thus far I am scentless after my seven mile walk. I wore Jailia all week long and may continue to wear it for the entire month.
Did you wear Wonder Bouquet yet?
Yes!!!!! And you were spot on in your description!!!! It’s definitely got that Alien vibe with a brioche component. It’s so good!!!!!
I looked up the scent because I’m not familiar with it. Sounds amazing, with an intriguing juxtaposition of notes. Cm8 a month long wear means ♥️♥️♥️ so quite an endorsement!
If you like Angel you would definitely like this one!!!
I’m in “Aoud Cuir d’Arabie,” my favorite from Montale. The listed notes are oud, birch, leather, and tobacco. On paper, that doesn’t seem too intimidating, but the perfume’s got a reputation for smelling of death. I don’t think that’s accurate.
I will say that its immediate opening is its most challenging stage, evoking a barnyard, rough leather, and a whiff of blue cheese. (I happen to love this stage, but I certainly get why others would be seriously put off.) The opening doesn’t last long, though, so don’t despair. A couple of minutes later, the barnyard and blue cheese are gone; the leather softens, the sweet floral notes of the tobacco come through, and the perfume becomes, dare I say, beautiful and sexy.
I bought my bottle, blind, several years ago, based on its terrifying reputation. Risky on my part, to be sure, but I actually find it a joy to wear.
Happy Weekend, everyone.😊
The barnyard and leather are ok with me but the whiff of blue cheese, that I am not sure about. But so glad you love it, blind buys are always iffy.
You’re a brave blind buyer Daniel! I am intrigued by blue cheese, barnyard and leather together (I adore blue cheese w dried fruit on a charcuterie tray). Like tobacco which can smell sweet or like an overnight ashtray full of stubs after a party, for me a barnyard can smell rich and loamy if I hasn’t been baking in the sun too long 😉.
LesLiesse! Always lovely to hear from you.
I think this is a gorgeous fragrance, blue cheese be damned. (I’ve often heard of the blue cheese note in relation to oud – I even get a moment or two of it in Frederic Malle’s, “The Night,” perhaps my favorite of all perfumes.) Happy to send you a sample of both. And I haven’t forgotten my promise to get you some vintage Lagerfeld For Men! Just been crazy busy, but as soon as I have a moment, I’ll be on it.😊
You’re too kind and generous Daniel! I was reading about The Night and there was a related article about Simone Andreoli’s Rose of Dangerous Flamenco,‘which I have an almost empty sample of. I defer to you whether they are similar or not, but it’s heady. The reviewer said RoDF was seductive rather than passionate, more passively responsive than initiating. I was thinking of wearing POAL on my wrist, then RoDF in the crook of my arm, then another rose that has entranced me (and at a very low price) Natura Ilia Plena on the other arm. That way I could experience the nuances over a day as the notes changed. Btw the Natura comes in a bottle inspired by a Rothko!
I am wearing PdE Cuir Ottoman. It’s supposed to rain only intermittently today, so I’ll go do errands before it starts up again. Also I’m waiting for my Black Friday purchase from ILNP (nail polish co.) to arrive. Fall colors before I dive into Christmas.
I have not dived into Christmas on any front…need to get in the mood!
Chilly but gorgeous morning in Los Angeles.
A few sprays of Tobacolor has done the trick.
We had mostly the chilly part here 😉
Glad you had a gorgeous morning!
Ysatis
I am loving opulent florals
Gosh, come to think of it, have not worn an opulent floral in a long time, and I love them too.
Your favorite?
Probably still Fracas! And when I still had some, vintage Joy.
For something modern, Diptyque Olene, although I do wonder if it is still as “opulent” as it used to be.
Oh it is! I tried it in a duty free shop recently, it made me swoon.
Oh thank you NinaV, I will never buy another bottle but that makes me happy to know.
Parle Moi de Parfum Milky Musk today. Back from grocery shopping and working on butternut squash soup for dinner.
I see sunshine out there so we’ll head out for a walk and maybe a little Christmas shopping at some of our local boutiques.
Your soup sounds yummy
I am so glad to be off this weekend after 2 weeks of work.
Last week was chilly and damp and I was pulling out all my winter perfumes. I tried out a sample of Cherry Punk yesterday and liked it, could smell the vestiges on my sweater.
Today I started out with Youth Dew Amber Nude and then spritzed a sample of DS&Durga Cognac Reign. I got an unpleasant cigarette note at first, now it is a little more likeable.
Anyone else get annoyed that makeup colors online can look so different when one actually gets the product? I splurged on a nice lipstick, spent weeks mulling over the color and went with one that was described as “raspberry”. What I got was a nude brown. This did not look anything like the picture or the shade on the model wearing it. I am not a nude lipstick person, if I am going to wear lipstick, i want a color (otherwise I am in my tinted balms/glosses that I wear most of the time). Later on, I went into the reviews and saw some others had the exact same complaint. Today, I went to the grocery store and got 3 Revlon lipsticks in shades of red, pink and dark cherry for less than half what I paid for the high end product. I guess lesson is, buy in person, but I don’t want to drive to the store at holiday time and get in the crowds just to get a new lipstick.
I’ve had that trouble with foundation and tinted moisturizer shades — they are usually completely different in person than on-screen, maybe because none of our screens are really true-to-life. I did discover that a couple of sites have a shade-finder tool that does work. Merit Beauty in particular (no affiliation, of course) seems to work really well. They rely on you knowing the name of a shade that works for you in another brand, and they’ll tell you what the closest match is in Merit’s line. I didn’t believe them the first time through and ordered one that looked right on the website — bad move. Second time around I trusted their recommendation and it’s perfect.
I’ve had that issue with lipstick before. Ended up returning said lipstick to Nordie’s.
I’m giving JM Amber Labdanum a proper test today. It claims to have a bitter orange note that doesn’t come thru much on my skin, but other than that it lives up to the description: “The fragrance combines bitter orange and amber labdanum, complemented by vanilla and roasted oakwood, resulting in a scent that balances warmth and complexity.” The longevity is decent, at least on me, and it’s fairly linear.
Layer with something orange?
Interesting. I did a “search by notes” on fragrantica and found that I have four scents with a bitter orange note (none of them Azemour, to my surprise), and in none of them have I been able to smell that note (that I’ve noticed). I wonder if I’m anosmic to it? But I think somewhere I have a mini of YSL Homme which features bitter orange quite prominently, so if I can run it down I’ll test the theory.
Wearing Dior Addict today. Can anyone recommend a vanilla lotion that might be a good match, something fairly unobtrusive? (I know BBW has lots of vanilla ones but I’m not sure where to start; maybe there’s another brand?)
The Vanilla in Addict is so creamy and distinct. I think BBW Vanilla Bean Noel would be too spicy. Maybe Philosophy Fresh Cream or Warm Cashmere might work. I will keep thinking on it.
Thank you lillyjo! I will check out the Philisophy lotions; I never would have thought if those.
Maybe Josie Maran Vanilla Vibezzz body butter would work? Get a sample of it if you can.
To me, Dior Addict is quite floral. I’m trying it for the first time today.
Thank you! I’ll have to try it out when I place a Sephora order.
Yes, there’s some florals in Addict, but the vanilla was what stood out for me. I wasn’t a vanilla person (at all) until I bought Addict.
How recent is your bottle?
I’m eyeing a Matiere Première discovery set that includes 6 ml each of Crystal Saffron, Parisian Musk and Radical Rose. I really like Crystal Saffron, but I just can’t justify the price of a full bottle, so this might be the only way to have it. I went to sample the other two today. Radical Rose was nice but nothing extraordinary, and Parisian Musk had a surprisingly strong fig note (at least to my nose).
Do any of you own these perfumes? I’d love to hear how you feel about them.
I tried Radical Rose. I am very sensitive to ambroxan, and that’s all I could smell.
Wearing SL Fumerie Turque w/ a touch of Le Lion. It really makes it roar!
I’m going to a Linda Ronstadt show tonight and looking forward to it. Local musicians perform her music from different eras and a friend of mine is narrating between songs.
The concert sounds fantastic! I just love her songs. I used to sing them into my hairbrush as a kid.
I wish you’d been there with me. I was singing Desperado at the top of my lungs!
Oh I have always loved Linda Ronstadt. Sounds like a great show!
Hope you enjoyed your concert!
Sounds fantastic allô!
Happy Weekend NST!
In honor of the sublime full moon that was still up at 5:45 am, Sotd The Harmonist Moon Glory!
Happy weekend LesLiesse!
A very happy weekend to you Ms Lillyjo!
I hope you’re feeling better, LesLiesse, and having a good weekend. You smell great.
Still on topical meds, but feeling much better DH! Thank you!
Reading fast again. I read tropical meds! Lol.
😆
Pleased to hear that you are feeling better, LesLiesse!
And I had the same mental “Whoops” that lillyjo did. I saw tropical instead of topical at first. Realized rather quickly that wasn’t right.
We received a fair amount of snow today. I am guessing probably 6-7 inches. It was a good day to stay inside and read though we did get out before the storm to do some errands. If any of you like “feel good stories” about elderly people you should definitely read The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife. It is great! Highly recommend. Of course, me being an old gerontological nurse, I loved it.
SOTD us POAL.
Wow, that is at least 6 inches too many 🙂
Glad you have some good reading!
I am the weirdo who would love to see that much snow in my area.
I know I’m late to say this Kris but you smell gorgeous!
Wore Black Opium to go to the high school Christmas choir concert. Our son was able to introduce his fiancee to his old choir teacher. She was really a good influence on him. He and his older brother are both getting married next year, both to girls (women) we are happy to include in the family.
The younger brother is the one that wants Initio Side Effect. Has anyone bought from MaxAroma? If they aren’t any good, I’ll go with Jomashop as recommended.
Never mind! Jomashop is cheaper tonight!
Just FYI, I think they are both legit sources so you can’t go wrong.
Good to know!
I have bought from both and never had a problem
Congratulations on two weddings in your future!
It’s Sunday evening here, and I’ve had a very pleasant and quiet weekend. I’ve had a Guerlain day. I wore Après L’Ondée today for the first time in ages, and this evening I’m smelling opulent in Nahema.
Après L’Ondée followed by Nahema is a good day 🙂
Guerlain days are the best days.
I love Nahema! 😻
Happy Sunday everyone!
I think this was last weekend’s question, but since I did my Christmas gift shopping yesterday, I’m answering now:
• I bought D&G Devotion for my mum, since that was the perfume she gravitated towards when she was staying at my place 💖
• Essential Parfums Bois Impérial for my dad 🌲
• L’Occitane set from the Lumière d’Hiver limited-edition collection for my eldest sister ❄️
• Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream for my middle sister, who has been complaining about skin dryness recently 🧴
• And finally, a Diptyque Pomander candle for myself 🕯️
Nice list!! Hope everyone will love their gifts.
I am happy with my candle, and I know for sure that mum will love her perfume 😊
Woke up to a winter wonderland outside my window: an additional 4” of very heavy, wet snow coating everything, every branch of every tree; cold, hungry birds scrambling for food buried in the snow and frightened away by several visits from a huge hawk looking for his breakfast, too. No more snow for today but falling temps throughout. I usually don’t mind winter but I’m tired of it already. 🥶
I’m mourning the loss of my sweet canine neighbor who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge yesterday. He was a buddy to me, too, the closest 😻😽😺would allow me to have a dog in recent years. His loss has somehow reminded me of all the furbabies I have lost over the years.😿
SOTD is EL Sensuous Noir, its warmth and comfort perfect for today’s weather and my somewhat sad mood. Today we’re going to the annual It’s a Wonderful Life showing that benefits our local non-profit organizations, and yesterday we went to the annual Empty Bowls event that benefits our local food pantry. Trying to do just a little bit of good for the world during this holiday season.
Happy Sunday!☃️❄️🛷
Sorry for your loss, Laila
Thank you.
Oh no, sorry Laila!
Thank you.
Sorry to hear that your good neighbor doggo has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It’s hard saying a permanent goodbye to companion animals that we are close to.
My long-time neighbors are wonderful people, and though we don’t socialize as ‘friends’ we are close and are always there for each other. The dog was their only pet for more than 12 years, and to lose him, especially during the holidays, is very difficult. I really feel for them.
Laila, I’m sorry for your loss!
Thank you.
All I have to do is get a couple stocking stuffers for my dad and I can call it a day for Christmas shopping but not today. Maybe next week I will do it. Today’s SOTD is Chanel no 5 body products and later on, I might dab on the parfum version.
Right now, with all the points that I have acquired with different places, it’s come to the either use it or lose it and I am using it.
I just have to find a few things for small presents, hoping to do that this week.
Do use those points 🙂
Etro Patchouly yesterday, Etro Patchouly today, and perhaps Etro Patchouly tomorrow, thanks to a lovely NSTer who sent me some generous decants. Hope everyone is having a good weekend and staying cozy.
Nice!!
Happy Monday!
I don’t crochet much these days, but I’m working on a new headband/ear warmer, since I lost my old one during a trip to Lviv. I’m wearing Tam Dao today to match the calm, meditative mood of crocheting. And there’s another connection: the green yarn I’m using (the shade is called “Antique Green”) echoes the green notes in Tam Dao.
A poetic combo Glannys, fragrantly, visually and creatively!
You smell great Glannys!
I’m wearing Arquiste L’Or de Louis today, I’m in the mood for orange blossom.
Enjoy your orange blossom Gaynor!
Happy Monday! Or as it’s known around here Plink Day!
Sotd Cra-Yon Vanilla CEO from C-Y discovery set.
Normally I’m not a passionate vanilla fan, although I do enjoy the cooking with vanilla bean. This fragrance comes from a vanilla orchid! I didn’t know such flowers existed. I’m enjoying it, but would not go FB. Happy to go for the plink!
Yes, I remember being surprised to learn that vanilla beans come from an orchid. I do like a good vanilla scent, although I am not familiar with yours. Will probably wear something with vanilla this week.
Glannys, well, color me a shocked city girl! I knew vanilla came from flowers but not a vanilla orchid! I’ve got a million questions now, so I’m going to have to do some research.
There are some vanilla orchids at the National Botanic Garden (which is like a giant greenhouse, not a park). I was surprised to see they are basically a vine, which had climbed 20 or 30 feet up the stone walls of the entrance to reach the stronger sunlight at class roof! Hence, I did NOT get to determine whether the small yellow flowers had any scent.
Quick PSA for Tauer fans: Andy is re-releasing 3 scents from his archives for a limited time: When We Cuddle…, He Left His Cologne in My Bedroom, and Hyacinth and A Mechanic.
So if you ever wanted any of these, now is the time!
Cold again today with temps only in the mid-20’s but at least we had some 🌞. Happy to be home all day. Perhaps because I’m dressed in deep green sweats, my hand reached for Coty Emeraude as my SOTD, and I’m really enjoying its powdery warmth. Thinking of my mom today; Emeraude was one of her favorites.
I have seen It’s a Wonderful Life 🎥 countless times and each time I see it in our big-screen theater at the annual benefit, I not only marvel at its powerful impact but I either hear a bit of dialogue or notice another detail I’ve not caught before, thanks to being able to catch all its nuances not easily seen on the TV screen. And I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more powerful acting performance than that of James Stewart. Wow!👏
Hoping you can find something Wonderful in your life today!☮️
I look forward to seeing it again this year! But honestly I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a big screen.
If you ever have that opportunity, I highly recommend it. I’ve noticed so many more details about the film each time I see it on the big screen.
Wearing Lancome Iris Dragees today.
Ooooooh, one of the fancy Lancomes!
My one and only. The bottle is gorgeous!
Temperatures in the low 50’s for me today, with a couple days possibly in the 60’s later on this week. I know that lillyjo would love to have it. Meanwhile, the mountains are finally getting lots of snow.
Did a bit of Xmas shopping over the weekend. I only have a couple of people on my list. Hoping that their gifts ship out and arrive without incident!
SOTD = Belle d’Opium. I seem to be on a bit of a fruitchouli kick right now.
I don’t know if I ever said, but you get an enabler pin for Belle D’Opium.
Cool! The bottle itself is beautiful. How’s your perfume holding up?
I was feeling very nostalgic for the 90’s this morning. I spent an hour listening to grunge music before work. I picked Dune as my sotd.
Some public radio stations will actually play some 90’s music around 9am or 9pm.
Dune is an excellent pick to go along with grunge.
I’ve been feeling a lot of 90s nostalgia in general. I never understood Dune, but most likely it just doesn’t work on my skin.
Was just talking yesterday with a friend about how much better in quality department store clothing was in the 1990s. For example, Eileen Fisher sold beautiful Italian merino wool.
Nonetheless, technical fabrics and athletic clothing are unimaginably better now, and since that’s what I wear a lot of, I really shouldn’t complain.
This is so true…athletic clothing is WAY better. Almost all other clothing is worse.