Happy Tuesday, and happy Cinco de Mayo. What fragrance are you wearing today?
It's a testing day for me today. I'm wearing Jour d’Hermès Gardénia, plus a few other random samples, plus I have a few scented blotters on my desk. Luckily it is warm enough today to keep the windows open.
Reminder: this Friday, 8 May, will be Bottle Porn Friday: wear something you bought in part or in full because of the bottle, or a fragrance you think has a beautiful (or otherwise perfect) bottle.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2015, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is Puebla, Mexico [cropped] by Russ Bowling at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m wearing Juicy Couture, which has a rather silly bottle!
Yes it does! Fits their style though.
I hope it came in a pink velour bag…
Wearing Eau d’Orange Verte from a sample from an NSTer. Thanks! I like it, but probably not enough for a whole bottle. It is fleeting, but happily I remembered to bring it along for a touch up later today.
Love that one, but yes, it doesn’t last. I would love to have some of the body products.
I had a mini of the soap once–found it for like 50 cents at a rummage sale. It was nice enough, but I don’t think you’re missing much.
Thanks! I’d take one for that price though 🙂
Stopped at Nordstrom last night to drop off alterations, and actually ran into an enterprising SA who made me a (small) sample of Essences
Insensees (comes in a bulb atomizer bottle, so most SAs won’t try). Granted, it’s only filled about a third as much as the sample holds, but enough to spray a few times. Very pretty and very fleeting on me–doubt I’d ever make the purchase.
Saks is having a sale–didn’t know Missoni made candles. They’re really attractive, but I’m not caving to temptation.
Honestly I think Missoni makes everything! All pretty, all expensive.
French Lime Blossom, again.
If it works 😉
I suppose having “lime” in its name (although it is really linden) counts for something.
DelRae Wit, I love it, but it looks like it didn’t survive today’s heat. I still have a little bit of my sample left, after that it’s time for a decant.
Love that one, but yes, it doesn’t do well in really hot or humid weather. I wore it in Florida and it was gone instantly.
I’m wearing Cristalle EdT…again. I’m waiting (impatiently!) for some samples to arrive, so I don’t really have anything new to try.
Can’t wait to hear about JdH Gardenia. I’ve been looking forward to that one!
You smell great! (and better than the Gardenia IMHO)
SOTD is Chanel N. 19, in the edp formulation (which my autocorrecter insists should be “eep formulation”). And a whispered thanks to cazaubon, who reminded me that Byzance could not have been my ’70s fragrance – I associate Byzance with my “young and stoopid” era so naturally it makes me think “ooh, college days” … but no. Apparently I was an idiot for way longer than I thought. 😉 But not about perfume, at least!
Eep! 😀
Hysterical!( on both accounts!)
I’d like to know what an “eep” formulation would be like. Stronger than an extrait?
Much more 80’s!
Tee hee! I was certainly young and stupid past the late 80’s! But we were smart enough to wear Byzance, which I still love today. My vintage is hoarded in the fridge.
Today it’s freaky May weather in north England: flash showers, strong winds and temperatures in the low ‘teens. Comfort and warmth is provided using generous spritzes of Elixir de Merveilles from a FB. I figured if I can trick myself into thinking it is autumn, I won’t be too down and disappointed. It is kinda working, I should say.
Last Friday I bought a pre-owned box of Ann Gerard minis (her four perfumes in 7.5 sprayers, only slightly used). I had tested Rose Cut and Cuir de Nacre late last year so not a total blind buy. Then NST had the other two reviewed, couldn’t be better timed! Excited to be testing them as soon as they arrive in the post!! Yay.
Great buy, I should look for one of those.
Bvlgari Omnia. When you just don’t know what to wear, this one always works.
Second that!
Cinco de Mayo feliz! I’m wearing L’Artisan Mure et Musc Extreme today. I never got to smell the original Mure et Musc in its full glory- I wonder how close the Extreme comes?
The Extreme has more blackberry, the original more musk. I prefer the Extreme, but then I’m a big blackberry fan but musk, not so much.
Just got screamed at on the subway for no good reason, so trying to take comfort in my Cuir de Lancome.
Oh dear, that can be unsettling. I was once taking the train from Brooklyn to Manhattan with my neice and there was a guy on there who was travelling with a full length mirror. The train was crowded and he was trying to hit and push us away with the mirror. When I tried to say something, he just stared at me with rage. My neice later said that we probably looked like a couple of scary ghouls to him.
Sorry to hear that. People can be so nasty on the subway. Morning commute grumps. Take lots of comfort in the fact that you smell wonderful.
I hate when people push their hate on you! At least you smell wonderful!
Ah! The subway crazies…
I see some of them every morning and every night. I always assume that they just forgot to take their meds.
🙂
I was craving iris, so Infusion d’Iris Absolue. I love the tiles in that photo!
I love that one!
I am trying to go for some things that I haven’t worn in a long while, so I chose to wear some Lollia Relax, described as Lavender and honey. It also has a large dose of vanilla, which I dislike, so – not loving it.
Sorry! They do such pretty packaging.
SOTD = Seville a l’Aube, in my top 3 or 4 frag’s at the moment…
As it should be 🙂
I just don’t get the love for this. I have ordered samples twice and thrown them out(!) each time because I only get burnt tires…
Warm, humid day and my dousing of Blois Blonde by Atelier is completely gone after 3.5 hours. Usually I wear this to bed (as well as most Atelier colognes because they don’t last on me at all). I kinda wish I’d gone with Jour d’Hermes or Wit instead.
In Luxor oud today by Memo..
oh! I’m thinking about buying the sample set online…do you like Luxor?
Dunno about Luxor but Shams Oud is fabulous.
These days I take a class downtown on Mondays, so afterwards there is sometimes a bit of time to sniff my way around the shops in the pru. I am so impressed with the selection they have at Barneys. I got a chance to sniff Architects club, what a creamy, woody, vanilla beauty that one is! Also the new Byredo Oliver Peoples is quite interesting, although there was a salt butter note in it that I later identified as possibly the dreaded tuberose. The SA’s just kind of left me alone, which is perfect for me.
Today it’s warm and rainy. I woke up thinking about YR Neroli so I think I will take it out of Winter storage and put a little on.
I’m testing Eau de Magnolia today, and so far I think I’m in love! It’s a bit out of my budget, so I kind of wish it’ll take a wrong turn on my skin at some point… Ha!
At least, money saved on En Passant: tested it this weekend and I mostly got aquatic cucumber.
As someone who recently fell hard for Eau de Magnolia, I must point out that Frederic Malle now sells 10 ml bottles for $50…
That might be exactly what the doctor orders! 😉
Eau du Sud today after an early doctor’s appointment. My allergies are killing me! 🙂
I hope you get some relief.
Thanks. I feel better already after a steroid shot and some nasal spray.
Scent twins! Sorry about your allergies!
Thanks. The EdS is sooooo nice, it reminds me of what Eau Sauvage used to smell like, at least from what I remember many many years ago.
Eau de Sud is great stuff. Soon it will be miserable allergy time for me too. It is so hard to deal when sinuses are a mess. I hope you feel better soon.
I really enjoy Eau du Sud, but sometimes I get a hefty dose of cumin from it. So I don’t reach for it regularly.
Every once in a while I’ll get a whiff of cumin too, and I think, wha? When did that happen? And it will only last for a minute – very briefly. Cumin is normally a deal-breaker for me, but since it is so rare that it happens, I decided to deal.
It’s a sneezy time of year.
Carner Barcelona’s lovely D600 for me today. I’m so glad i have a bottle of this one, it just fits any situation and is long lasting.
It is a great scent
My SOTD is Chloe Love. I have a little bit left. I am sorry this one’s been discontinued.
I am wearing the great citrus aromatic Eau du Sud. As Ann described it smells very much like Eau Dynamisante, which I loved, but it is much longer lived. Perfect for the first warm spring day. This evening I think I will succumb to Mon Parfum Cherie Par Camille. Again.
In Tom Ford’s Fleur de Chine from a sample I picked up at Nordies last week. Gorgeous, interesting, modern while paying homage to the classics… but too darn short-lived. I’ve managed to drain the sample–probably 1 ml or more. It goes on with dancing girls and a good horn section… but too quickly becomes a very very luxurious soap…still there, but no sillage whatsoever. For $60, I buy it in a heartbeat. Waiting for the cows to come home….
Kiss Me Tender.
Infusion d’Iris today.
Beautiful weather. Pichola today, and I’m getting plenty of sandalwood out of it.
I am wearing my often neglected Vent Vert on this slightly cooler day.
I needed some chic comfort today so I put on Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere.
Super chic! You smell lovely.
Was thinking of how Natori could be the long lost Chanel, as you mentioned last week sometime.
I see it as fitting in between Coco and Coco Noir, moving Coco Mademoiselle to be after Coco Noir in the flanker line up.
Thoughts?
Contrarian view: Natori smells nothing like a Chanel and more like a cheap shaving cream on me. Very sad…
Tragedy!
Snap! 😉
I think b/c I get so much aldehyde and oriental richness from it, it makes me think of Chanel. If there was less aldehyde, I would probably just think of it as a regular (lovely) patchouli oriental. And, Nebbe, I definitely see it as a more womanly frag between my beloved Coco, and the Coco Mademoiselle, which I like, but never feel the urge to wear. I am at odds with Coco Noir edp b/c I get a lot of grape kool-aid from it, but I’ve not smelled the extrait, which I may like. I’d pick Natori over Coco Noir any day – it’s really what Coco Noir should be IMHO. Just that extra effort at richer more complex development…. Have you ever smelled the Coco Noir extrait?
Have not smelled any extraits!! Ever!
Need to get on that.
The extrait is wonderful!
Grey overcast day here, so I put on some Atelier Oolang Infini, as it seemed to match the weather. Probably should have put something peppier to perk me up, though.
Rose jam in the shower this morning. Then Narciso Rodriguez For Her edt, i think. It’s the musk, rose and berries one.
Discovering I love rose. Particularly jammy, fruity rose. Good stuff.
Have you tried Dame Perfumery’s Cassis, Rose and Sandalwood? I received a free sample not that long ago and to my nose it is definitely a jammy rose with a lovely drydown. My favorite of the three samples I received.
I need to!! Want to try that whole line. Exciting 🙂
Go to the website and follow the directions for the postcard program and you will get a free sample of your choice.
Thanks for the tip!!! My postcard is in the mail!
Yum. You smell great today 🙂
Thank you. I bet you do too!
Trying out Ava Luxe No. 23 today. I like the minty opening, but it quickly becomes a skin scent on me, and I’m not too keen on those.
SOTD = Dior Addict
I’m sure I have the later version.’I like it a lot – one spritz and I smell yummy. I’m wondering if I should attempt to search for the original version from the early 2000s?
I have not tried the recent version (assuming it has been reformulated) but I did have a bottle of it when it first came out and it was as you described “yummy” and addictive.
Mine was a freebie, in a sense, from Nordstrom. I bought a $6 atomizer and the SA filled it up for me. I’m enjoying wearing it.
I have the original, it is wonderful. Will make an effort to try the new edition and report back!
Thanks. Yes, please let me know once you do so.
I think my little 20ml bottle is from 2009 and that there was a reformulation after that. Mine is extremely strong – my skin devours most scent but is totally vanquished by this. It is also quite complex and there is a certain dissonance in it. (Could be more white floral counterpoising the orange/amber)
When I tried the later one I found it to project at a more acceptable level (one spray too many and the earlier one strangles me alive). i also found it smoother and easier, though I could see why some would think it had less character.
The way you describe it, I’m probably better off with the reformulated version. I do prefer my perfumes to be tamer, but not to say I avoid the powerhouses. One spritz has so far lasted over 10 hours and it is still going strong!
Wearing Keiko Mecheri Peau de Peche. I like this one – don’t need a bottle, but it’s nice to have some.
I chose Lanvin Arpege to wear to work today and then caught the corner of the vanity with my back after putting the perfume bottle away. 🙁 Still smells wonderful tho even if I’m wearing it to lay on an ice pack and catch up on my blog reading!
A question on reference scents- I found a bottle of Annick Goutal Passion at a yard sale recently and I think I’m smelling heavy patch in the drydown but the notes list oakmoss too. I don’t think I know what oakmoss smells like tho I do know it’s an ingredient that’s been IFRA’d out of most perfumes. Anyone have a go-to reference scent for this note?
Ooh, good question! You need some vintage chypree’s, of course, but this is a note that seems to lurk in many of the older scents. If you have any older formulation Jolie Madame, Chanel No. 19, or Mitsouko, those seem like good bets.
Kafkaesque just did a great review of La Via del Profumo’s oakmoss.
Libberation, there is definitely oak moss in the older versions, but there is also much sandalwood, and the notes are well-blended into a whole, so it’s not a case study in oak moss. Jacomo Silences has oak moss front and center.
Thank you all for your suggestions, time to update the sample list!
You can also get oakmoss essential oil. I love that smell. Some overlap with patchouli, but danker and inkier.
I’m celebrating Cinco de Mayo and warming up a chilly, stormy day with Pacifica Mexican Cocoa.
Delicious fragrance! I like to spray it over patchouli oil (which serves as an oily base to prolong the scent).
Sounds good! Sometimes in winter I like to spray it over Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple, which has patch in it, too.
thank you for that wonderful suggestion! I am all for experimentation!
A cool, rainy day, so giving Bollywood or Bust a chance to sing and dance about.
SOTD is Sa Majeste La Rose. With a little honey musk body cream. I smell fabulous 😉
I should have consulted you before my layering disaster today!!Lol!!That combo DOES sound awesome!
Ooh! SMLR is a great layering fragrance!
Jo Malone Geranium & Verbena to keep me awake today. Forgot about Cinco de Mayo, now I’m craving tacos!
I have a bit of a crush on JM’s G&V!
Totally forgot that today is Cinco de Mayo. I went with Si Lolita today.
I finally started to use my big collection of samples – today I’m wearing Miller Harris La Pluie! a rainy scent for a sunny day
Love that one!
I discovered today that yes,there is such a thing as TOO MUCH OF A GOOD(GREAT) THING!In this case:Rose.I started the day with Lush Rose Jam showergel,followed by the bodyshop White Musk Smoky Rose body lotion,and finally way too many generous spritzes of FM Lipstick Rose.I did smell fantastically yummy yes,but the Smoky Rose lotion and Lipstick Rose stayed strong the whole day!By this afternoon I was kinda sick of smelling like Rosewater Turkish Delight!Lol!Lesson learned though.It’s just like with accesories:don’t overdo it!Happy Week peeps!xo
Thanks for today’s smile. :-). Hope you had time to go outside for a bit and breathe deeply . . .
Haha!Glad that I could make you smile!Fresh air was really helpful yup!:-))
The only way you can cut all those roses is with a massive dose of amber or incense, lol! You may as well pour it on and enjoy!!
Hopefully I won’t need that sort of “antidote” for future experiments!Lol!
Testing 31 Rue Cambon today for the first time. Very interesting as it develops. Got to test Guerlain Eau de Cashmere while in Boston, but was unable to get a sample. It’s the one you are supposed to spray on sweaters and scarves, but I would probably spray on skin. Toying with ordering it, but was wondering if anyone else had had a chance to try it and what they thought.
Random purse sample today is Playing With The Devil. Lovely day to be near the water. Will overnight again here in Boston since that should be enough for me to be convinced that my cat has settled in nicely and then back to NJ tomorrow to finish packing
Are you moving back for good or for the summer? You may have mentioned it but I missed it.
I thought it was going the be cloudy all day but once the rain cleared this morning it turned out rather nice. Sadly I’m not near any water unless the garden hose counts.
Probably for good. I’m hopefully never moving back to NJ and if I am, it won’t be to East Orange
Hey there, I never did get my lazy bum down to the city, but since you are moving here, would you like to go sniffing sometime? I was in Barney’s the other day thinking how much more fun it would be to go there with some perfume friends.
Sure. My screen name is my yahoo address and my move date is 5/13
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo today with the only fragrance I have that fits: Dame Perfumery’s Black Flower Mexican Vanilla. I’m a fan.
Trying this for the first time, and I am surprised how lovely it is. Reminds me of PdN Vanilla Tonka, but this is more complex.
That is brilliant.
I am in a Chanel mood. Wore Coromandel this morning. I wear this so much, my husband has taken to calling me Cora. I have just coated myself in 31 Rue Cambon because the sprayer on my decant is wonky. But I smell glorious!
Cora! Super cute – love it.
You do indeed.
After many years of declaring myself NOT a Guerlain fan, I seem to have entered into the Great Guerlain Fanhood 🙂 I probably still don’t like Mitsouko, but wonder of wonders, I’v done a violent U-turn on Shalimar… I discovered Eau de Shalimar in the summer and loved it. And – it seems to have acted as a good pair of training wheels because now, come winter, and I that skunky Shalimar Edp is becoming necessary to my survival!
It’s funny how that works. I hated Shalimar when I tried it in my teens. Actually, in retrospect, I think it shocked me, which both repelled and attracted me so that I kept coming back to it. A few decades older and wiser, the nose found love. 😉
I’ve been wearing AG Folavril, which I had thought I did not like. When I first tried it in the 1990s, I found it intriguing at first, but the part I liked faded away quickly. However, Robin commented that Folavril lasted well for her, so I decided to try a more recent version.
I find it much sharper than I recall, but that works well in this unusually warm spring weather. The interesting, complex figgy part is less prominent at the beginning, which is a loss, but there is a hint of it throughout, so it’s working for me as a casual day perfume. 🙂
Woo hoo….I think my internet is finally back on for good and just in time —- OMG! Amouage Sunshine is probably mispriced at Fragrancenet to begin with, so not only does it start at $160 less than list price, it is 18% off that and there is a 25% off coupon. Granted, it says picture coming soon but I could not believe my eyes so I just went ahead and ordered it.
…and since confession is good for the soul, I also ended up getting Dior Addict since I am now addicted despite only having worn it once.
Wow, fantastic score Hajusuuri!
I started off with FM Une Rose and am switching to Vanitas for bedtime.