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Sandra.
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Hey there dear APJ! How are you all doing? I hope that life is treating you very well.
Autumn has shown its face early here in Rotterdam. Early I say simply because I am not used to it coming this early. Naturally the leaves are changing colour and falling (all in different stages too) but the sun is really low, it is almost blinding. I have only ever experienced this special lighting up in Norway and have found it to be both eerie and alluring. My nose is on high alert here as there are so many new scents that I am taking in this year. It is in part because of the move north but also because we no longer live in a city. We live in a house in a suburb with a garden.
New Autumnal Scents and Amouage Lilac Love
The first smell that comes to mind is the wet damp earth. It is seriously wet here. It was so bad in September for about 10 days that I kept teasing my son that we will need to build ourselves a boat so we can have a ride to school. There is a dampness in the air, especially now in autumn where not only is the asphalt emitting its own scent but so are the fallen leaves.
Some homes are starting to have fires in the fireplaces now and I loooove that smell. Together with the damp earth, the wood and the smoke gives me a sense of calm and a feeling of home. My favorite time of the day is when I walk home with our son after school and all of these homey scents greet my eager nose.
This past weekend we were blessed with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. Saturday we biked for 30km and my son will tell you that we broke his muscles with that ride. It was a gorgeous ride in the greenery and then along the Rotte River. We got to smell chestnuts and leaves, but also the last of the blooming flowers. Have I mentioned of how stunning all of the blooming plants and trees are here in the Netherlands? There is always colour outside even in the dead of winter. Amouage Bracken Woman was the perfect companion for our Saturday bike ride. Bracken Woman is herbal, green and woody. All the elements of autumn in a bottle.
Sunday was another glorious day but our son protested the idea of another bike ride so we took a long walk in our neighborhood. We let him lead the way with no destination in mind and we somehow stumbled upon a city garden called Natuurtalent. The herbs alone were intoxicating to smell. They have a wood work area and the smell of fresh wood shavings surrounded by green herbs and blooming plants will ensure our return. It was a perfect place for our son to explore and he was allowed to smell things too. Since it was such a warm day I wore Amouage Lilac Love which bloomed into a floral powdery slightly spicy perfume. It is a beautiful perfume that I would wear often if I owned a bottle.
Here are a few pictures of our sunny warm weekend. Yes, Rotterdam really is this green. Now the fog has set in this week and I need to make a pumpkin soup to really get into the season.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, rose, gardenia, peony, heliotrope
Heart: Orris, cacao, tonka bean
Base: Sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla
Libertine has $499/1ooml FREE Australian Postage
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4/0.5ml
Do you have a favorite season? Do you like any Amouage perfumes? I would love to hear from you.
Stay safe and healthy. Until next time.
Sandra xoxo
(Ed: All photos taken by Sandra unless specified)
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Hey Sandra,
WOW! Rotterdam is incredibly beautiful. Hopefully one day we’ll get to spend a week there with you all.
Portia xx
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Hi Portia! It really is beautiful. There is a lot tp see and do here as well. We would love to show you around for a week!!! Sandra xoxo
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Great pics and scents, Sandra. I LOVE all the aromas of autumn too. They are so interesting and comforting.
I can’t imagine anything better for a bike ride through the greenery than Bracken Woman and Lilac Love sounds outdoorsy too.
The light is indeed both eerie and alluring. It’s my favourite.
Today I’m wearing Dryad and it works really well for the start of autumn.
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Hi Tara, Autumn is such a treat for my senses. Inam so glad that you understand what I mean about the lighting. I finally understand why painters can be so obsessed with sky scenes spotted with clouds. You certainly make me curious about Dryad. It would be a perfect companion on a bike ride. Sandra xoxo
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Loved to read your piece about Rotterdam and Amouage.
You showed me some places I have never even been here. lol
Oh, Amouage… I’m so in love with several of them (poor, poor wallet).
I thought Bracken was perfect for summer, I’ll definitely try it again now that autumn has set in. Liliac Love is relatively new for me as well. Consider it on my wearlist for this month too!
Thanks for making me look at everything with new eyes and for another mindset on my perfumes. 🙂
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Hi Fanny, do you live near Rotterdam? If you are an Amouage fan I finally found a place where they sell it and always have a great discount (better for the wallet). Hudson’s Bay is also carrying Amouage now. I am truly enjoying our new home town – so much to offer! Sandra xoxo
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I’m an Amouage fan, although more the earlier stuff than the more recent ones. I love and own Ubar, Gold, Dia, Jubilation 25, Honour, Lyric, Epic, Memoir and Interlude. Of the current ones, I like Bracken.
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Hey Tara C, what a beautiful Amouage collection you have – we share several favorites. Have you tried their Extraits? I wish they were easier to find. Sandra xoxo
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Hi Sandra,I’m glad you like your new life in the Netherlands. Judging by the pictures it really must be pleasant. Normally I’m not a fan of autumn, especially if it is windy and rainy. I prefer spring/summer and could live in them forever and not miss anything.
Amouage is one of my favourite perfume houses but I have only one full bottle – Epic Woman, which is in my opinion a masterpiece. Bracken Woman is in the second place and I like Jubilation XV and Library collection Opus I very much and wish I had a FB too, but it will have to wait a while…
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Hi Neva, We are loving it here. I understand your dislike of rain and wind – my supposedly rain proof jacket was defeated by the downpour the other day. Have been searching for the proper gear since then. There is no bad weather – just bad clothing – I keep repeating this with a laugh! Epic Woman is gorgeous, and Jubilation XV is one of my favorites. I use mpre samples and decants as a little goes a lo g way. Sandra xoxo
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Hi Sandra, Beautiful photographs! Really enjoyed seeing them and of your son too. The light in The Netherlands can be amazing always reminding me of master painters like Vermeer and others. Love Autumn too, especially Octobre as it can be sunny too with amazing light and colours of trees. XXX Esperanza
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Hi Esperanza, Every day I wake up and my son and I leave the house and say – ooooh – beautiful sky. Especially now. Vermeer got it right! I must come to Amsterdam soon. October will hopefully be sunnier than summer was. 😆 Sandra xoxo
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Great pics , Sandra. I’ve not tried either of the fragrances you mention. Autumn is my favourite season , and would happily live in it all year ,if possible.
Your poor little boy.. I hope his muscles have healed lol.
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Thanks Saffyishere. Autumn is also the start for our fireplace! Can’t wait. Our son protests too much – he actually loves the outdoor life here a lot. We have to leave earlier than normal to go to school because he loves all the wildlife on our walk to the metro. Sandra xoxo
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I enjoyed your pictures and the tales of your adventures so much! Thank you for sharing them with us. I have never been able to wear Amouage until I tried Blossom Love. While the initial scent is rather chemical and off putting, that disappears rather quickly and leaves a wonderful, comforting scent. I love it but my wallet doesn’t appreciate the $360 price point. So I don’t wear it that often and am making do with samples. But it’s nice to know there’s at least one of the line I can wear 🙂 I have been curious about the Lilac, but again due to the price point have stayed away. Thanks for the review. It satisfies my curiosity without the cost!
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Hi Kandice, Thank you. Blossom Love is beautiful – I flew through my sample. But as you say the price point is too high for my wallet. Perhaps I will buy another sample of Blossom Love when I finsih my Lilac Love sample. Glad you found an Amouage to love. Sandra xoxo
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Beautiful photos! but darn it, I have been avoiding Amouage because I know it’s an expensive house, I already have expensive tastes, and nothing sounded perfect. However, I am a major lilac lover, and En Passant never quite seemed compelling to me. Now I have to check it Lilac Love out.
Hope you find the rain jacket you need. It’s hard when rain and wind come together to stay dry.
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Gorgeous pics. Maks me wanna move back to Holland. We probably would if the in laws all died. Hahahahaha. They are indestructable. The Bracken sounds rather enticing. We’ll check it out in Vienna together if I don’t get round to it before! Hugs to all of you. Xxxx
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Beautiful photos Sandra. No wonder the Dutch have so many great painters with the light and beauty all around. The Amouage lilac..mm may have to try it out next time in David Jones.
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