SotD Friday 26 February  

My SOTD is Jean Paul Gaultier - Fleur du Male. Happy Friday!

Notes include petitgrain, lavender, orange blossom and coumarin.

Le Parfum de Thérèse by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle (TGIF)

Guerlain's Vol de Nuit EdT...

L'Instant de Guerlain pour homme.

A Travers le Miroir.

Aromatics Elixir- beautiful dry rose herbal dark chypre .

Have a lovely day everyone. My thoughts for 30 Roses and everyone who needs a good thought today.

Dearie me, you all smell extra-good this morning. And thanks so much for posting that ad, Joe - a happy chap in a bath of flowers is just what I needed to see - it's put me in a happy mood for the day.

Which is good because I have a hospital appointment today - nothing serious, just a check-up, but it's with the gynacologist and it's SUCH a faff to have to take your knickers off and show your undercarriage to a total stranger. It's not horrible, just one of those things that makes you think 'hrmmph'. So that handsome, happy chap is much nicer to think about than my knitting.

SOTD will have to be something quiet, due to the hospital appointment - I don't want to go in there and scare the doc with something big and skanky. I'm thinking Miller Harris' Terre de Bois will be ideal - a nice citrus; very polite and socially acceptable. I fall back on this regularly for the school run and can see myself wearing it a lot in the summer.

It's diametrically opposite my sotd from yesterday, which was all Dimitri's fault: Guerlain's Mahora. Dimi swore to me that it was actually pretty good in the winter so I gave it a go and of course he was right. The big white floral top was a bit surprising to start with but like all Guerlains, it has an inner complexity and depth that makes it lovely to wear. I liked it. I think it might be even better with snow on the ground (we're experiencing spring now, though who knows what next week will bring).

Have a good day all. Hugs to those who need or want them. Thinking particularly of 30 Roses, RHM and Chaya. Chins up, girls. You're loved here.

Wearing Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan.
Testing Guerlain Vol de Nuit Evasion (I like it MUCH better than Vol de Nuit) and Kenzo Parfum d'Ete.
A bit too many scents at once - lesson learned...

Fleurs de Sel for me today, it really is my favourite of all time (at the moment ).

Though I do feel cowgirlish and if I'd had a spray of L'air de Rien instead of a sample vial, I would have chosen that today.

Good morning all Today I'm actually in a very god moodIt's a sunny wintherday,and not as cold as of late( -16 the other day!!:O) I have to write the rest of my assignment,though...and have a work weekend. Of some reason it still feels doable. Hope all with a rough time have better days to come soon! Sotd? The gorgeous Cuir de russie (vintage edt)...Hmm...that might be the reason for my good mood,when I think about it

Like Wordbird, I face a doctor today. It is merely an annual physcal, but I feel I must refrain from fragrance until afterward. I light and inoffensive floral won't do when there is a major snowstorm outside. I will leave the office, feel the snow whipping my face, and pull out my small Ambre Narguile atomizer!

Wordie, good luck with the appointment! May it be over and done with before you know it.
Therese, good luck to you, too!
Adding good thoughts for 30Roses, Chaya, and RHM xoxo

It snowed here all day yesterday and all through the night, resulting in an accumulation of over two feet. The NYC public schools are miraculously closed today (they NEVER close) but I'd have kept my son home regardless. The plows and salt trucks can't keep up and the roads are impassable. Impossible. too. Thankfully at least we have power, heat, and food. Nothing for it but to hunker down with coffee and the Times crossword, and noodle around on Basenotes.

Krigler Lovely Patchouli. I've had it less than a week and I'm almost halfway through the bottle! It's a 1.7 oz, but still. This is a record for me.

Happy Friday, all!

SotD is CdG Hinoki from decant received from a fabulous fellow BNer. It's extremely woody, pretty masculine (not that I care) and relaxing. Got to wear it now before it gets too warm as this is definitely a cold weather fragrance.

30 Roses, my dear.
I'm sending you all my love.

RHM- stones are no joke; but lithotripsy is SO much better than passing 'em
[SMM- you, too ? UGH.
I kiss your kidneys]

Terry- you've been dreadfully snow-spanked, poor dear.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts.
You're a loving bunch, you are;-0

I may rail and curse at steroids- but I would never have survived yesterday at work without them.
I worked 16 hours nonstop, in crisis / trauma mode the whole time.
No comment on how I feel today !

B's taking a 1/2 day so we can attend the memorial service for the sweet gent I cared for all w/e.
I do NOT do this , as a rule- but his sisters were so amazing, I love them dearly.

I'm not sure what to wear; Mitsouko might be comforting to all.
And some lovely soothing color.

Kisses to you angels.

OJ Ta'if for today

Today is my new Habanita de Molinard. First and only blind buy this year, but I am supremely glad I got this.



Top: Vetiver, peach, strawberry, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, ylang-ylang, orris, lilac, heliotrope
Base: Tobacco, leather, vanilla, cedarwood, benzoin, vetiver, oakmoss, amber, musk



Absolutely stunning. Reminds me less of pipe, cigar, or cigarette tobacco and more of a hookha, sheesha, or waterpipe--sweet, fruity vanilla-flavored tobacco richly accenting raw leather and vetiver. An alluring comfort scent.

Thanks BNers for turning me on to this.

May everyone struggling find the strength to keep going and all who are celebrating cherish their happiness. And may we all get better at juggling both.

Chaya, you continue to amaze.
RHM & 30Roses - still pulling for you both ~
Joe, THAT is the cutest pic ever! Bathtub BoyToy, YeeOw! (Even though I detest that scent! )
Glad tdem's got juice, of all sorts! 24 hours from now you'll be back in business! Stay warm!

I'm not even certain what to spritz on today....still wafting remnants of Gucci by Gucci from yesterday...will update later. Toodles!

Sending warm hugs to those who need them.

Tested Laura Mercier's Minuit Enchantee last night and didn't care for it at all.....lots of what smelled like "maraschino cherries" all over my wrist.

Today will finally test Maubaussin!

I'm catching up on the activities--so sorry to hear of the heartaches and troubles. Hugs to 30 Roses and all who need them. RHM, when I read your first post, I thought you meant they were going to blast the stone into next Tuesday, lol. Chaya, what a lovely gesture--on a similar note, although my late kitty was only a pet, I was moved when her veterinarian sent a card and made a memorial donation to a cat charity in her name. I am sure your patient's sisters will be very appreciative! Donna, happy belated birthday--I hope you had a great time yesterday.

Yesterday's SotD was Bois 1920 Sandalo e The. Not sure yet what I will wear today...will report later.

Day six of my 7 days of 5 star frags as judged by moi

Hermes Hiris

Notes: iris, neroli, carrot, coriander, hay, rose, ambrette seed, almond wood, cedar, honey, vanilla

Hermes is one of my favorite houses, and Olivia Giacobetti is one of my favorite perfum artists. In my iris hunt, fairly early in my new found passion for fragrances, I came across this one - influenced by the above two facts.

This is an easy to wear iris. The opening is cold, earthy and true to it's name. As the fragrance moves along, it warms up with some subtle florals, but not well defined - just enough to sweeten it slightly. The base keeps the iris, but adds definite warming sweet notes that drift up almost as a surprise.

I wore this at night quite a bit. But I distinctly remember the first time I wore it to work. I was cruising along enjoying the warm, earthy iris. All of the sudden, I smelled a soft hint of honey in my office. I looked around, wondering what it was. I sniffed my wrist - no, just earthy iris. Then I realised it was drifting up from my shirt - this beautiful, soft, sweet honey. My Hiris had warmed against my chest and was playing peek-a-boo with the earthy iris I smelled on my wrist. This was one of those times when you aren't playing attention to your fragrance, it reaches out and says "hey, smell this!"

Hiris gets my 5 star rating for being true to it's name, but adding a soft warmth. And for playing peek-a-boo to enthral me throughout the day. Lovely rendition of iris.

For those of you interested my Men's Fashion Week piece is up here http://bit.ly/ddQF8l

Finishing my week of designer fragrances with one of my earliest revelation fragrances.

Bvlgari Black

When you learn to embrace the odd where do you take your first steps towards that? On a fragrance level it happened the first time I smelled Bvlgari Black in 1998. This odd fragrance wormed its way into my consciousness and made me realize that all fragrances did not have to have classic notes in them and that an unusual mix was a refreshing change of pace.

Annick Menardo made Bulgari Black one of his earliest compositions and for a perfumer at that stage of his career to open a fragrance with a rubber accord that had to be a courageous choice. Since that early success he has gone on to make a number of fragrances with strong notes that many might find unpleasant, most notable the use of birch tar in Le Labo Patchouli 24.

The top of Bulgari Black begins with this troika of listed notes: lapsang souchong tea, bergamot, and jasmine. How those three notes add up to the smell of a new tire to me is quite beyond me. The opening accord in Bulgari Black is that of new rubber and it is, to me, a quite nice smelling accord. The heart goes woody and leathery and this is where the mix of leather and rubber gives Black a bit of a kinky S&M vibe but really it is the refined smell of rubber and leather in complement to each other that elevates the middle part of the development of Black. The base adds in the medicinally edgy amber note along with a healthy dose of animalic musk. There is a tiny hint of vanilla playing about the closing stages of Black but it never gets too intense on my skin.

Bvlgari Black has excellent longevity and modest sillage on me.

Bvlgari Black is a modern fragrance even after more than 10 years on the market. It is my touchstone scent when I want to remind myself there is beauty in things beyond the obvious.

Have a Fantastic Friday everyone.

Wish I could blast everybody's problems to a week from next Tuesday.

DH hasn't noticed yet, I'm wearing Thymes Fig Leaf & Cassis for Five-Star Days.

Adolfo Dominguez today

Hee hee you guys make me laugh! It kinda hurts a little to laugh right now but hey....I'll take it. At least I feel like next Tuesday the doctor will be able to get this d*mn stone out of me. SMM told me lithotripsy is like Star Trek medicine, and that suits me just fine! Perhaps the current day equivalent of "Bones" will pass by me with one of those neck thingies & make me all better. I'd love to be dancing in the hallway.

We have lots & lots & lots of snow. Terry mentioned that the NYC public schools are closed, ours are to in northern NJ. Some trees & power lines are down from the weight of the snow. Our shrubs are buried but we do have power & heat.

My husband is still home. (Thank goodness!) The Canada job is on hold for now, so he will most likely be sent back to Saint Croix to finish up the project there. Hopefully, he'll be able to stay with me until after the surgery on Tuesday. I need a ride to & from the hospital that day. Also, it's just so wonderfully comforting to have him home.

So, I need to get through the next few days with this stint. Then the surgery is on Tuesday. I'm praying that they will be able to take care of the stone at that time AND that there won't be any complications. I've had post operative blood clots in the past, so we need to take precautions with that.

I've decided that growing older really sucks. In my mind, I'm still 24-25 but my body has other ideas. Ratted out by your own body...sucks I tell you!

Wordy, I had a girlfiend who always scheduled her annual gyn appointment together with mine. We went for moral support & always went out for lunch or dinner afterwards. I completely understand how you feel.

As for fragrance, I wore Bond No 9's Lexington Avenue body cream last night. That stuff is lucious!

Today I want to hit my Guerlains. Dimitri's got me thinking about Mahora but I don't have that. I do have Samsara edt from the 90's, so I think that will have to suffice.

Today it's Malle's En Passant, from a sample. Why don't I own this??!

Oh, because it's bloody expensive, that's why. :/

Happy Friday y'all!

I'm about to pour myself a huge gin and tonic while waiting for my hubby who's been working in Croatia most of the week. Started the day really early at 5.30 in Chergui.

When I came home there was a small package waiting for me in the letterbox, containing my new bottle of Poison which I won in an auction the other day. Naturally, I had to wear it straight away. It was like having an old friend over for a glass of wine, someone you always have a good time with but don't see too often, and you always end up laughing the night away; "Hey, nice to see you, long time no seen!"

Hello everybody!

There's so much going on here I hardly know where to start. Sending more comforting thoughts to all in need of them - 30 Roses, Chaya, RHM...keep the faith.

Mysticknot - You smell divine and that Aromatics Elixiris is perfect! If you've never tried the cream, do so. And the shower gel. I'd also recommend the Velvet Sheer formulation if you ever run across it - great consistency for roll-on decants. It's just a bit more discrete and not quite as powerful a blast as the perfume...which is perfect anyway, you know.

Wordbird - LOL...you're too funny! I think you're supposed to just lie back, close your eyes and think of England...and slide down a bit.

Roberto - Don't you just love those winsome little drawings? I wish I could join you in Hermes again today, and Parfum D'Hermes is in my current rotation, but I'm already in Flora Danica for another day of cello's 5-Star Fragrance Extravaganza.




Too beautiful and well-crafted for me to dissect, this gorgeous floral chypre from 1980 comes in the exquisite bottle pictured above. It features a reverse-painted floral motif that is intended to be viewed through the bottle - the bottle sits on a slight backward angle which is lovely and unique, but also (I believe) as a hint, or suggestion as to how it should be displayed. Well, it didn't work. I'm constantly annoyed to see it pictured backward, which is awkward and not-so-pretty and just makes no sense what-so-ever. I've even seen it very pointedly described as deliberately tilting forward...sigh.



Y'all have a fabulous day!

Some great smelling people today, as always.

It's a No 5 Eau Premiere day for me. Kumquat, JINX!!

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone.

Pulled out a box of samples this morning, so I am revisiting PotL Luctor et Emergo.

LOL! But before that you have to expose your boobies, silently praying that the cold hands wont make your nipples stiffen.

SotE: Bond No 9 Silver Factory

RHM, Chaya and 30roses; many, many hugs and well wishes. Also, Wordbird, you crack me up...

I am either not wearing any SotD or rather a lot - depending on your viewpoint.

Have spent today in the lab again. Spilled cypress oil on my jeans. Made two tuberose-scents (in my continuing mission to get some tuberose scents into our product line). One became a strange, but pretty creature - tuberose, hints of gardenia and ylang with a kind of cucumbery-kiwi-fruity, juicy and mouthwatering backdrop. Very round, very sweet, yet somehow clear and watery.

The second one became a syrupy tuberose and gardenia monstrosity that would put Keiko Meicheri and Serge Lutens to shame. I might still use it for something, but certainly not on its own. I bet you could get diabetes just from sniffing it.

So I smell to high heavens at the moment, but I smell rather good.

Muscs Koublai Khan

Happy Aloha Friday, Dear BNers!

Love starting my day with you all...Wordbird's adventure (!) for the day and the quips from you clever creatures re: said doctor's appointment...big hugs for RHM (will be thinking good thoughts for you)...taking inspiration from the compassionate Chaya...and one more round of hugs from me for all who are sad or ailing....hope things turn around soon...

No 5-star week (for me, that is) would be right without my

SOTD: Chanel No. 19 parfum

I'm wearing the new stuff today, but I'm wondering -- why on earth I am saving/hoarding the vintage stuff....THAT's the whole point of 5-star week, right?

Have a great day and a great weekend...

Chaya, 30 Roses, and RHM: I have not been keeping up with the threads as well since my struggles of late, but I wanted to pop in and send my very, very best to each of you.

Wore Vol de Nuit yesterday, and thinking of wearing it today, also. Take care, all.

Late posting today, cuz I'm home and lazy as hades.

I began today in the wonderful CdG White, absolutely gaga over the cinnamon-cedar combo.
This afternoon I am testing the new By Kilian Rose Oud. While I do like it, I am not impressed enough to fork over for a FB. Maybe if the priced were drastically reduced with a travel size version...Bottom line for me is that I already have Epic Woman and Montale Black Oud, and those work for me.

Yesterday afternoon I wore a combo of Omnia/Safran Troublant, and SL Muscs Koublai Khan to bed.

RHM, dear, how I know what you mean by "my body rats me out", and I am with you -- feel not a day older than 27, but all them aches and pains tell me that I am somewhere in the 72-ish camp. Working double shifts at work is no help, you know, and then again, housework and stitching, I can't just sit and watch TV with doing nothing else.

OK, my all time fave, sent here by a dear BNer with 30R's assistance -- Couturier Coriandre. This one is for her and her family today.

It is my 5th BN anniversary. No, not 5,000 posts yet and in the last 5 years I quit twice -- once as caused by family circumstances and another time as caused by too much pride, or prejudice, I have not figured it out. Yet. But I am still here, enjoying your alls' company and thanking you all for being my refuge from everyday life's crazyness. Thanks for being gentle on me.

Congrats Twolf! Hope you stick around for a few more!

Bois d'Armenie today. Big hugs to all those in need of them.

Today I am wearing Miller et Bertaux Shanti Shanti...stunning sandalwood and roses. I never want to run out of this frag. Ever.

Congrats, Twolf!

(((RHM))), (((Chaya)))


For the 5 star week:
Boucheron by Boucheron

L de Lolita Lempicka - a sweet, immortelle-based fragrance. I love it!

Morning: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP
Evening: Caron Yatagan
Late night: God-only-knows-what odd accord mixture! White grapefruit 12 parts, bergamot 8 parts, lavender 4 parts, rosemary 2 parts, white musk 4 parts, amber 4 parts, oakmoss ... um... N parts.. Unbalanced... heavy on the oakmoss. In FCO carrier oil. Not an anywhere-near-completed or balanced scent for sure. (but loads of fun for the experimenting hobby perfumist!) ... The oakmoss is compelling but overstrong.

Vintage Vent Vert

Monsieur Musk tonight. Inexpensive and nice

I'm wearing Chergui today.

*Bloomy*, I don't think I've said my welcome to you yet! You smell wonderful I love that fragrance.


Happy anniversary to you, Twolf, and thank you for all that you bring to this wonderful place!


*Dora*, you smell terrific, too! That is a favorite of mine, and I'm always forgetting to wear it.

I'm still participating in Cello's five-star week. Today I chose Shaal Nur. I just love this one, as many of you know. ;-)

Dans Tes Bras

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 5 star fragrance week!!!!!! It has been a pleasure, for myself and my scents, and also to see what each of you brought out.

I slipped tonight and sprayed Paestum Rose, thinking it was a 5 star, but then found it was a 4 star for me. Well, yes, it still stays 4 star - but is still a beautiful rose and incense frag, with a hint of wood to boot.

Oh well - I'm still smelling good!!!

I am still doing the big ones of the week; today I am wearing Balenciaga Rumba -- love it!

Delicious Night...DKNY

Sending thoughts, prayers and hugs to all in need.....Barney's Route Du The'
Gary

I started out this a.m. in Prado Infusion D'Iris.

Went up to Santa Barbara where I hit macy's Nordie's Sephora, Lush and a local place, Pierre La Fond. Sniffed a LOT.

The Tesla Wore Prada Ambre Pour Homme.

Congrats, Twolf! To five more years.

Day 6 of five-star week is Hypnotic Poison.



This one has been with me the longest. It was the first true fume love of my 'grown-up' life. I owned it, loved it, and threw it out because of associations with the time, about nine years ago. So many times during the following years I regretted tossing it! I didn't regret anything else I got rid of, only this. I can't believe there was ever a time when I thought fume was inaccessible, but at some point over the course of the following years I got it in my head that fume was a gift from one lover to another, so I never thought of buying it for myself again. I'd stick the tester bottle under my DH's nose countless times, but he wasn't too keen on it, so mostly I just hoped he'd cave and gift me with a fume he didn't like. Well, I got tired of waiting and took some early Christmas cash down to Nordstrom one snowy night in December 2008 and took matters into my own hands. And again, the rest is history!

Hi all!

Hugs and welcomes and best wishes as appropriate - and happy 5 years to Twolf!

Today at work I tested Cereus Pour Homme No. 4 (a fruity floral made slightly more masculine with vetiver - kind of meh)

For 5-star week, I'll be falling asleep in waves of tobacco and honey in By Kilian Back To Black.