It's Wednesday and National Tempura Day. Birthdays: Zora Neale Hurston and Gerald Durrell. What fragrance are you wearing?
I'm copying everyone who wore Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan yesterday.
Reminder: 1/9 is National Apricot Day...wear a fragrance with an apricot note, if you have one.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2026, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: shown is the L'Esprit s'Envole silk twill scarf, $620 at Hermès.
Wearing Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane for the CP.
Back to work and feeling very sleepy. Coffee to the rescue!
Happy Wednesday! ☕️☕️☕️
I have this scent too and I love it-you’ve given me inspiration for Friday!
Nuit de Cellophane is a great scent. You will smell wonderful on Friday!
Triple strength coffee, stat! 😉
I think I’ll be reaching for Fzotic Monserrat for the CP, after I work out and get to showering. It’s Wednesday after break and I’m already thinking about ways to take a day off. 🙂 (I only had one vacation day over the holidays, though.)
Oh, do get a day off then!
I recently bought from Fischersund (an Icelandic company) their number 8 which says
“KEY ELEMENTS: Flower Stalks, Tart Rhubarb, Bergamot, Orange Cake, Asphalt, Sitka Spruce.”
I was tuned into them by Fumerie in Portland when I mentioned I would be traveling their next year and they said they had an Icelnadic perfume house they carried. I like the one I just got in their archive sale. I love rhubarb and bergamot in almost anything. The asphalt part is minor luckily.
Oh, that was going to be my first question–what about that asphalt! Interesting.
I loved Iceland, and am sure you will too! I did try some perfumes there and didn’t find any I had to have. This was a long time ago. What I did buy and loved were various mud products from the Blue Lagoon. They have soaps, lotions, etc., and all had really nice scents. I think the mud itself there smells good too, that kind of salty-mineral-y smell. And oh, it’s white.
Did you have issues with your hair there? Soe sites say it is not great for hair.
My SOTD is Guerlain Fleur de Cedrat. what can I say-I am a sucker for citrus.
Cortisone shot seems to be helping, and I’m so thankful. Thank you to the people who said they had positive reactions to it-I appreciate your insights, and good wishes:)
Sending you well wishes…
Glad cortisone did the trick.
Pleased to hear that you are getting some relief with the shot.
Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite book websites—I went ahead and ordered the first two books in the series, and they’ll be arriving next week. I’m already excited 📚
Urban New York City living is never dull, especially in a big apartment building. Our neighbors upstairs have a baby—bless their hearts—who decided to cry from 4:00 to 5:30 a.m. Which meant I was up too.
Thank goodness for coffee this morning. ☕
Oh, too bad you can hear the baby from upstairs. Too bad for the baby’s parents, as well. :-(.
One time long ago, I had to move away from an upstairs apartment I loved, because it was a duplex and the owner was remodeling it into a one-family home. I learned then that my downstairs neighbors were dying to ask what I did after dinner every night because they heard some pounding noises. They thought it was some kind of exercise equipment. I was quite puzzled about what it was until we finally figured out that it was my dishwasher (quite an old model)! It was mildly embarrassing.
Oh! That is a story!
Wearing Sora Dora Ylop for the CP. It is an interesting take on a fruity theme – a herbal, spicy apricot tea concoction with a creamy base. I rather like it.
What I do not like is the copy on the Sora Dora website. It is a strong contender for “the worst written perfume copy of the year” in my book, which is impressive considering it’s only January. My favourite part is “Ylop oscillates between its inspiration – Poly – and its multiple sprays – polyamorous”.
I know very little French, but it still looks like the English copy is an overly literal translation of the French original, which explains a lot. As a translator, editor and proofreader, I admit I am triggered.
The full copy is below, in a reply to my comment.
Here it is:
“Ylop is the result of a loving process. Its scents can be imagined by touch: it’s right on the skin that water turns our senses upside down. Playing on the echoes between the velvety softness of an apricot and the sensuality of the dermis, this textured fragrance takes on the scents of the nature of flesh. A veritable capture of the beloved body in a bottle, Ylop offers dramatic vision of our romantic stories. Sometimes notes resonating from a single body, sometimes mirrors of millions of other skins, Ylop oscillates between its inspiration – Poly – and its multiple sprays – polyamorous. From osmanthus to black sesame, Ylop promises the caresses of cherished skin.
Here’s to your love.”
Ha ha hahahahah.
Good one, thanks for sharing!
Yikes…my senses may be upside down but they lost me at “ dermis”.
Is there an ad copy equivalent to the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest? If so, this should definitely be an entry!
Ha. Love that reference. Fraid we’ll be seeing a lot more of it.
Entries to the Bulwer-Lytton are deliberately bad though, and this, I’m afraid, was not intentional.
Argh, that syntax! It’s painful!
Glannys, this copy is quite funny! Seemless use of Notion today. First entered fragrance in library then posted it to usage. Thank you! Still not sure what I’m doing but I’m getting by it done. A few more weeks should make it where i understand the program better.
Glad to hear you are mastering Notion! Write me if you are stuck or have questions.
Will do! Thank you again!
Thank you for the laugh! (The name Ylop is also pretty darned unappealing to my ear. Scent sounds wonderful though.)
Maybe Ylop sounds better with a French accent instead of an American one?
I don’t care for the name either.
I think it’s called Ylop because it’s “poly” backwards – as in “polyamory.” They actually try to explain it: “Ylop oscillates between its inspiration – Poly – and its multiple sprays – polyamorous.” But puns and metaphors really need clear, well-written copy to work.
The scent itself is a bit weird, but mostly in a pleasant way.
Yeah, I did read that, it still is just an “ugly” word in English, too close to “slop” or “plop”.
I looked up scents with an apricot note on Fragrantica, and it gives you other options too, such as dried apricot…. I haven’t tried that yet. I found some I didn’t expect. My SOTD for the CP is Noel au Balcon. I bought it in a state of infatuation and haven’t worn it very much, but I’m feeling infatuated again, luckily! Now why don’t I wear it more? I love the spices in it. Maybe I found it too sweet in the long run? We’ll give it another go today. (It has a very fruit-forward opening but the spices are there too. A lot of honey, which can be a difficult note.)
I’m supposed to be doing some writing this morning but I forgot that our yard guy comes on Wednesdays and spends forever outdoors with one of those blasted leaf blowers. Even though his has a muffler on it of some sort, I kind of mind it more than the louder ones because it has an annoying buzzy-bee quality that seems to make it worse! (Almost.)
By the way, replying to Kanuka from a while back, I finally got to see the latest Park Chan-wook film (No Other Choice), as it opened at a theater nearby, and I loved it! Well of course I would. The guy can do no wrong in my book. It was so hilariously funny, and yet at the same time so dark, I was exchanging somewhat guilty looks of laughter at some scenes with the people sitting near me, who were doing the same. I’ll definitely go again. One thing I haven’t seen discussed much in reviews is how brilliant the music is in the film, from that Mozart opening to the other things like popular songs, samba, and more.
Isn’t it great! There are so many layers to it….the tragedy as well. And the house itself. I loved it too. Sorry about the leaf blower. Why don’t they just use brooms…so much quicker.
I really want to see this but the otherwise sensible and humor-loving husband doesn’t ‘get’ Park Chan-Wook, though our sons and I love him, so I might wait until it streams.
It’s exceptionally funny and, while it has a couple of scenes of violence, there’s nothing at all on the level of Oldboy.
Read this very quickly, thought it was Noel au Bacon!
🤣🤣🤣
I would like to be transported to that room on the silk scarf ( but without the aggressive flying ships coming at me). Instead I’m looking at a grey sky….again. There’s a pair of paradise ducks where I walk that every year lay their eggs by a little stream. Unfortunately that stream runs into a large culvert with concrete walls that are 20 ft high. Once the duckling hatch and swim they all end up in the culvert ( which is about 1km long) and they can’t swim back upstream. If it’s dry they can at least perch on bigs of rubbish that have been thrown in and broken branches from overhanging trees that sit on the ‘ stream ‘ bed. Last year I saw 12 chicks one day but then it rained heavily and they were all ( I presume) washed into the under-road drain at the downstream end and drowned. This year, there were 12 ( again) to start but a month later there are now six, but they’re quite big and healthy ( but unable to get out until they can fly). They’re very beautiful, with grey and white striped backs, so they are camouflaged. I go down every few days , holding my breath until I see them. I hope they make it this year. Wearing La Dolce Vita for the CP
https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/paradise-shelduck
If you scroll down you can see what the adults and ducklings look like.
Oh gosh, those babies are so cute! That’s an unusual looking duck (at least compared to ones I know here). I hope the remaining half dozen babies will make it!
Fingers crossed for the remaining 6!
Trying to cull my herd and wearing Tempo today. I think Tempo is beautiful and well done but I don’t think it’s been that popular or see it mentioned often. 🤷♀️
I decluttered 8 bottles in the last quarter of 2025 and need to keep the momentum going. 😅
Fellow fan of (Diptyque?) Tempo here! I thunked a decant of it from one of hajusuuri’s splits in record time. But I could never justify the expense of a full bottle.
Post shower SOTD will be JM Spiced Sandalwood & Apricot.
This sounds so good, I need to try it before it disappears like so many other Jo Malones.
It has pretty good staying power for a JM.
I am glad I bought the small bottle.
Swanning about today in Boucheron Jaipur, which I love so much I’ve prolly got 3 bottles of it. Does anyone here know it? I rarely see it or the original Boucheron mentioned but they are both masterpieces. Luca Turin described Jaipur as an apricot marzipan tart, which is about right, but in the most old-fashioned and elegant way, and it’s also got some of that Boucheron symphonic floral opulence to it. And I am using the word correctly, as it is opulent on every level, and I picture myself at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna or Cafe Gerbaud in Budapest, sitting at a marble-topped table sipping a cafe and eating a slice of apricot marzipan tart (two of my fave desert ingredients) with a delicately filigreed silver fork as I read the International Herald Tribune and plan my next trip on the Orient Express. Cue the Wes Anderson movie.
I had a bottle and loved it but couldn’t replace it once it was discontinued. It had so many layers in the drydown, beautiful…and not sickly sweet. I still have Boucheron but no other flankers.
You smell wonderful! I love Jaipur for exactly the reasons you and Kanuka mentioned.
Thank you allo!
You smell super good, I have 15ml of the extrait.
that is wonderful, Aurora, wow, quite a rarity, and a luscious scent.
I loved Jaipur. When it came out, I was still trusting sales associates and the one I had talked me out of it. I can’t remember what she steered me to instead.
oh no so sorry lillyjo. Those dang SAs.
Boucheron Jaipur had such a gorgeous bottle. I loved seeing it in the department store perfume sections.
I had a sample once upon a time but I think it was already discontinued then. Agree it is almost never mentioned now, but it did used to get some attention on MakeupAlley back in the day.
Fragrantica tells me that Indigo Smoke has an apricot note. It hasn’t been apparent to me in the past, but I’ll wear it today and see what happens with the power of suggestion 🙂 .
I saw that too on the Fragrantica list and was so surprised! I thought I might save it for Friday. I’ll be interested to hear whether you could detect the apricot note.
I am watching everyone’s apricot picks closely, because as far as I can tell I own nothing with that note. Maybe it’s buried in one of my kitchen sink scents, but I’m not home so I must pick from a very small selection on Friday. Today I am wearing Stash.
If you have Calyx it’s listed in the notes.
Calyx has apricot? I know guava is in there.
Oh! Good to know. I wouldn’t have guessed…
No Calyx! I don’t think I have ever smelled Calyx.
I’m in SL Bois et Fruits which apparently contains an apricot note along with its other fruits. I enjoy its similarity to Féminité du Bois and it lasts longer on me.
Some of the members of the SL “Bois” family are unfortunately underrated.
Totally agree.
Oh! I shall have to get out my bottle of SL Bois et Fruits and see if I can discern it. Thx allo! Agree with Jalapeno that members of the SL “Bois” family are underrated. But then I lurrrvve Uncle Serge.
I share your luuuurve!
Happy Hump Day! First hump of ‘26!
Sotd LV City of Stars. Going to Dr soon want something subtle but happy & sunny.
A beautiful day to all!
Happy Hump Day LesLiesse, and hope your doc appt went well!
It didn’t – back on Friday. 😕 but the receptionist complimented my fragrance when I was bending over to sign some docs for her. Do you ever offer decants to people in your community who compliment your scent?
I wear so little fragrance out and about that it would be startling to say the least if someone complimented me on something! I am usually wearing a drop of something on the back of my hand.
Robin, no basking & basking? I’m trying to be more profligate.
Nope, I pretty much wear to amuse myself and no other reason…but people should bask if they like, of course!
SOTD = Jo Malone Sandalwood and Spiced Apricot
So wonderful. NOT my favorite but it is close enough! Plus, it is on theme.
In other news, with the 1st anniversary of the California wildfire (although, although, …), there’s had been a number of articles talking about out the year after. Anyway, without linking to it because there is no gift link, here’s the TL;DR version on how to make the best of the worst. These go for affected people as well.
1. Invest in your community before a disaster
2. Create an easy way to communicate with your neighbors
3. Join a volunteer organization in your community
JM Sandalwood and Spiced Apricot is an outlier for you? I don’t recall you mentioning that house often.
I don’t but it is well represented in my collection. I just bought the bottle < 5-6 weeks ago and I’ve already worn it at least 4x.
As a native Angeleno but not one affected by the fires, it is utterly crazy this evening, a strong dry somewhat warm wind blowing, just as it did a year ago, but not at the same mph level. Still, spooky, and nature for sure playing its karmic tricks. Not anything that people want to revisit. Thank goodness we’ve had almost two weeks of rain, everything is pretty damp still.
I hope you get enough of the good stuff!
Checking in from work, where the only people to show up is me and my son. I’m hoping I don’t get asked to stay late.
My sotd is Alien the leather version. My daughter picked it for school this morning and I copied her.
Smelling fantastic today lillyjo, as does your daughter!
Thanks Jalapeno! When I saw her grab it, I yelled out to her to only do 2 sprays! She tends to to treat all perfume like a body spray.
ZOMG! Hasn’t she learned about gargantuan perfumes yet?!?
I tell her. The only one she remembers is “strong” is Poison. The rest I have to remind her.
Hope you got out of there on time!!
Someone else came in, thank goodness. I left 1 min early! Lol.
Yay!
I don’t even know if I have the leather version! Mine smells like root beer.
I went with Papillon Dryad today.
Hope it was a good day SheriG!
sotd = l’air du desert marocain
I was craving this one when I woke up this morning. 😃 Hope everyone found satisfaction today, 💕
Got the Rolling Stones going thru my head now! 🤘🎶🎸
I was literally 10 minutes ago watching a video of Steve Wonder & The Stones do a medley of Uptight / Alright and Satisfaction back in the 70s 🙂
😀 Fabulous! 💕🎶
👏 👏 👏 👏
😍 love it!
You smell wonderful!
Had lovely weather today for taking down my Christmas lights. It’s going to be rather gloomy without them. Glad I did it this afternoon, though, since a change in the weather is forecast for tomorrow and Friday. Teflon kitty will not be happy about that.
SOTD = Dior Hypnotic Poison EdT. Maybe I should have gotten a bigger bottle than 30mLs? 🤔
Forgot to mention that I have been wearing Dame Perfumery Soliflore Osmanthus Body Butter this week. Not apricot, but smells like it. Partial points?
Oh, I think there is always an apricot note in a fragrance with osmanthus, although really it usually is amped up from peach aldehydes (lactone) or similar compounds. Points!
Agree with Robin. If there is osmanthus and it smells like apricot to you, points.
I must have missed that you got HP. The 30ml looks so cute!
I’m with TK on the weather changing.
(evil grin) Check out the latest damage poll!
Just checked it out.
Good for you!
Thanks!
The next time it’s on sale!
Been stalking Evil Buy for a couple of weeks now. 🤣
It almost felt like spring today – numerous days of quite warm temps have finally melted every little patch of snow and ice and lawns are completely visible + the sky was blue and the 🌞 was bright. This will end soon but I enjoyed it today. Went to the first yoga class since the week before Christmas and it was good to begin to get back into routine.
SOTD is philosophy Fresh Cream edt layered over the matching body products, another of my favorite ‘white’ January fragrances. A soft, powdery, and sweet cream scent, it certainly fits last week’s Cloud Dancer cp.
Happy Wednesday!☮️❤️🤞
The Fresh Cream body products are wonderful!
Been feeling a lot like Spring out here as well!
Between your dreamy layered fragrance and your yoga class, you should make up your own pose called Cloud Dancer.
Chanel Jersey
Happy Wednesday Barqs!