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Val the Cookie Queen
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How’s it hanging APJ?
It is still too bloody hot to move here. Major heatwave over most Europe and it has been going on for months. Up to 38° on some days. Too damn hot.
CQ’S IT’S TOO DAMN HOT SCENTS
I am so happy that I live in a country with four seasons, and not somewhere permanently hot. Not all fragrances work in the heat. Two of my überfaves, Cuir de Lancôme and Malle’s Dries Van Noten being prime examples. Roll on the cooler weather. I should probably move to Scotland.
So let’s cut the crap and go straight into it. My five most worn in this heatwave are Hermès Cèdre Sambac and Hermès Cuir d’Ange, both worn on top of the Hermès Musc Pallida Oil. I have used about 30mls of the Cèdre Sambac, which says a lot. The combination of the oil and perfume is to die for. The violet and the hawthorn hidden in the Cuir d’Ange are gorgeous in the heat. Galop d’Hermès and Malle’s Le Perfume de Thérèse complete the five. These are followed up by Vero Profumo’s Rubj and Kiki EdPs, Chanel’s Coromandel and Boy, and Malle’s Superstitious. So now you know.
The evenings have started to cool down a little over the last couple of weeks, proving that autumn will turn up sooner or later. I have been able to wear my N°18 EdP after my evening shower. An update here: there are tendrils of incense in the base, wrapped round the iris and ambrette. I didn’t pick up not this before. I cannot wait for cold weather and I am gonna wear this to infinity and beyond.
I had 50mls of Dior’s Mitzah in a Luten’s export rectangular bottle. I took it to the gym last week, and after my workout tipped it out of my gym bag, straight onto the tiled floor. Had.
I met up with Freddie Albrighton, tattoo artist extraordinaire, former blogger, Verophile, and friend in Salzburg last week. He was passing through on his six month traveling through Europe trip. Was brilliant, and damn hot.
Any heatwave faves guys?
Melting Bussis CQ
Nooo – not Mitzah 😦
The locker room will be radioactive for months.
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Hi there tsk 31! I train in two gyms actually and have not been back to the radioactive one yet. Next Tuesday is my next trainings session there. I will be reallyinterested to see if it still smells! I tend to think not, as the floors are regularly washed. But let’s see! I hope it does. 🙂 xxxxx
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Chanel coromandel and boy are some fantastic juices. Here in east europe , Romania, 33+ celsius so it’s quite good for now 🙂 I go very often with guerlain alegoria limon verde and also pomelo paradise from atelier cologne. SOTE is costume national scent intense, some nice tea and amber vibes 🙂✌🏻
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Evening Alen, yeah – the heatwave is as far as Romania and beyond. I am sure you are melting too. I have not tried the Guerlain or the Atelier Cologne, but I really should get outside of my comfort zone and give them a go huh? So cool that you check I from Romania, I love it! Pop in again please. Lots of love, Val xxxx
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Sorry for your loss! I did that once with a purse spray of Kate Walsh’s ‘Boyfriend’. I so hoped it wasn’t a sign. Kitchen floor rather than gym, I should add – the chances of it smashing on a gym floor being just about infinitesimal. Great that you hooked up with Freddie – haven’t seen him in years. Our hot weather is kind of over, so hot weather perfumes are not quite so applicable now. But I did enjoy wearing that Jasmine Wang sample you kindly gave me.
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Hi Ms Bonkers – You comment so fast I can only hang my head …… Hahahahahahaha regarding infinitesimal. Never say never. Kitchen floor is even worse. I mean, I wiped it up and left. You would have still had to live with it. Not that I know the Boyfriend scent ….. It was such a good time with Freddie, I love him. I assure we can dig out some more jasmine 😉 . xxxxxxxxxx
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*am sure
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Fantastic, Val. I bet Galop is at its best in the heat. That makes sense.
Have we discussed how the incense in Corommandel shows up in the heat? Probably 🙂
I tend to wear my cheapies lavishly on hot days, like body sprays. Lots of O de Lancôme and Eau de Rochas but also Penhaligon’s Vaara.
R,I.P. Mitzah. That sucks.
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Galop is absolutely beautiful in the heat, both Hannah and I wear it a lot. Talking of Hannah, Eau de Magnolia would have been on my list had she not stolen the whole damn bottle back in June. I dunno if we have discussed Coromandel, but talking perfume is what we do best. Repeatedly. Yep, there is really a lot of incense in it, and it is what I find so appealing. I don’t wear it in the winter. And Chanel forgot to put any incense in the new EdP. Thanks to a really kind perfumista, I now have a good decant of the EdT and can save what is in my bottle for a little while longer. Hahahaha. Yep. Mitzah does suck totally. xxxx
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I once spent an entire summer in Assam of India…7 weeks straight…nothing like lemon, tea and sandalwood …and I counted the usage by the row of elephants….still have about a row and half left 🙂
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and Val, why do you always look so damn hip 😉 ? I am jealous-LOL!
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Brigitte, that sounds divine. Sandalwood in India … How much is a row and a half?? 7 weeks? Wow.
Hugs, xxxxxxxxx. I have been wearing the same cut off shorts and black t-shirt since I was 15. That is probably the secret. 😉 xxxxx
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Maybe 10ml? It is a 100ml bottle.
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Brigitte – I am laughing my ass of here. I now realize that Assam of India must be a perfume that I have never heard of. I thought you had been in India and been wearing some concoction of lemon, tea and sandalwood, something perhaps you had made yourself. I am hanging my head in ignorance, but still laughing. Hilarious. Sheesh. No way of taking myself out of this one. 🙂
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Val- and now it is ME laughing my a$$ off…because in all likelihood it WOULD be some weird concoction I made with essential oils…you, my dear, are hysterical!!!
anywhoo…here it is…and now the row of elephant will make sense to you-LOL!!!!!
https://berdoues.com/collections/collection-grands-crus
thank you for that wonderful laugh today!!!!
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I thought it was subtle, asking about the row of elephants. And that it might lead me to what it was that you were going on about, without you realising. More laughing. Thanks for the link and what a gorgeous bottle. I sat here for ages pondering what earth a row and a half of bloody elephants could possibly be. / weeks straight sounds like a lot of elephants. I think I need to go to bed. 😉
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and now I am choking on my dinner because I am laughing so hard!!! Because I normally talk/write way too much I tried to be succinct ….what I should have said was Berdoues Grand Cru Collection Assam of India…and just as an aside, I BLIND bought that bottle two years ago with a gift certificate from my childhood friend of 50 years because her “animal” is the elephant…she gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and told me to buy perfume so I bought the bottle that would remind me of her…luckily I adored the scent…
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Gosh – my original answer sounds like a Monty Python script. I will be laughing for weeks to come. x
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Move to Scotland, huh? There are worse places to be. And we have room. And hills.
Because I am a thoughtless hussy, I am mostly not bothered by wearing heat-inappropriate scents that bloom bigger and bigger. Hence I got to discover that things like Rozy VdP and L’Heure Bleue are bloody magnificent in the warmth, and Scent can probably stop traffic. But I do like a vetiver or a mean green on a hot day too: Sycomore, the Guerlain mainstay, Aeon 001, and Bel Respiro all do nicely. The only thing that has been left very much on the shelf is anything tonka-heavy.
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Hi Crikey 🙂 Tonka is a weird one anyway. I can never decide if I like it or not. oh yeah – I have to wear Rozy tomorrow. I skip it a lot because I think it is too much in the gym. But actually, why do I care? I would move to Scotland in a heartbeat of things were different. I am starting to really love vetiver, it has been a long slow process. It still comes and goes in phases but …… Nice to see you, I feel your Mitzah pain. Hahahahahahaha. Bussis. xxxxx
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38 degrees is definitely hot. We had our first proper summer in years, temps in the low 30s. I pretty much wear whatever I like, but I didn’t touch any of the more oriental end of the spectrum. I burn off perfume much more quickly in the heat, so felt like I was reapplying often. But one of my favourite colognes is Fleur D’Osmanthus, I always have a decant to hand.
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Hi Cassieflower. I have been wearing Portrait of a Lady too, but not enough to make my list. I need to get into some colognes. I have Shalimar EdC and uhm, samples of the new Chanel Eauxs. Oh my gosh yes, it burns off so much faster in the heat. And I think it smells a little different too. First time I noticed that was in LA a couple of years ago. AS I said in the post, I would not wanna live in a permanently hot country. No way. Hugs, Val. xxxxxx
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I wore lashings of POAL to a wedding on Saturday. It was perfection.
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PoaL in the heat is the way it is meant to be worn. IMO. xxxx
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Guerlain Limon Verde and Vetiver for me in the hot weather.
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Ok Ok Matty! I gotta change my style a bit. Next time I am in Vienna I will grab samples of both of these. I know the Guerlain is kind of a gold standard vetiver, or was? Anyway it is time. xxxxxx
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I find most of the Guerlain Allegra Allegoria range are nice and light in the hot weather. Nice bottles as well
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Guerlain Allegoria line juices are just perfect for summer . Nice, light and refreshing smooth blend from the house of Guerlain ✌🏻
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I’ve never thought of wearing Cuir d’Ange in the heat. I’ll try wearing that tomorrow. Heatwave faves include Basil and Neroli, and Eau des Merveilles Bleu. I also like MFK Aqua Vitae edt, but don’t own that one, yet.
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Hey SunnyDay! I got a load of samples of Cuir d’Ange when it was first launched, and took them to Greece with me. So it was in the heat that I first fell I love with it. And I have remained so. My husband liked it so much he bought me a bottle soon afterwards. I don’t wear it in the winter, it seems to just sit there. I would be interested to see if you like it or not in warm weather, drop back!! Good to hear from you. 🙂 Lotsof love, Val xxxxx
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swear to god, you and I are scent twins. (but you already knew that). and how great to see a photo of Freddie! I never realized he was quite so tall!! I miss his wit. xoxo
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Whoa!!! Nice to see you Herr R. Brilliant. Yep – we do share a lot of similar tastes I know. Cool. Freddie is pretty tall I guess. I never really thought about it. He is lovely, and the wit still there. Mwah. xxxxxxxxxx
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As much as I love perfumes, I’m not sure I’d be able to wear any in 38C heat… Maybe my favorite tropical treat Bronze Goddess straight from the fridge.
I’m sorry for your loss of Mitzah. I think I can help you with 10 ml of it. And I could also spare a row or so of elephants 😉
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You knew what I was talking about-LOL!
Val, here is a great post of mini reviews so you can get to know the brand-
https://undina.com/2017/10/08/second-sunday-samples-berdoues-collection-grands-crus/
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Thanks Brigitte! Now I know where I am. Whew! xxxxx
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NOOOO! Undina, send me nothing, I am suffering enough from not having got a package off to you. I keep putting off getting vials, and that is a pathetic excuse. I will have to do it in a brown brown lab bottle from the chemist. This is a public apology. I wonder if it will help me? 😉 Great link from Brigitte, I am now much better informed. Bronze Goddess from the fridge sounds gorgeous, although I guess the coldness little short-lived. A row of elephants. I am never gonna live this down. Thanks for your kindness and dropping by. xxxxxx 🙂
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You know that I’m barely surviving here, right? I mean, I have absolutely nothing to wear (perfume-wise)! 😉
Jokes aside, if anything, you’ve done me a favor not making it to sit in hot weather in transit. Fall is a much better time for sending perfumes.
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Of course, a favour is what I had in mind all the time. Perhaps you are right, I once saner perfume to the States (also took me 6 months to get together) and it took about 5 weeks to get there. Ridiculous. But thanks. Mwah xxxxxx
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Now I want it to be Summer to see what I’ll be wearing.
Your poor Mitzah. The good news is now you can go to Paris and get a BOTTLE!
Portia xx
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I need 250mls like I need a hole in the head. But you never know what the future holds. xxxxx
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Hey Val! The heat this summer has been my saving grace. But it has already cooled down a lot here. I have been wearing Mohur, TDC I Miss Violet and Hermes Myrrh Egalatine. Poor poor Mitzah. Sandra xo
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Hi Sandra! I know how much you love the heat. So does Chris. It can never be hot enough for him. The Hermès Myrrh is so l lovely. I have worn it a fair bit too. Yep. Mitzah. I owned it for just over three months. 🙂 Big hugs. xxxx
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Hey Val, when we are in one season, we always want the other! We’re so hard to please 😂
Scents that come to mind for our Aussie summer for me – L’artisan Mure et Musc, Guerlains Vol de Nuit, and I used to love wear All about Eve, by Joop in the heat. Oh, Cielo by Byblos is another.
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That is true Melanie. We are so lucky to have seasonal changes of scent.s. It keeps the excitement going year round. I must try VdN before the heatwave ends, which in theory is tomorrow. Thanks for the tip. xxxxxx
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Hi Val! While I haven’t tried any of your top-five choices having read enough on them I’m pretty sure your summer was uber-fragrant, and that gym floor is, as well (massive suckage!).
I share your love for Cuir de Lancome, wore it a few times this summer but mostly my old and new favourites: Shalimar, Rose Poivree & Bois d’iris, Samsara. I can’t remember, really, should’ve kept a diary like Portia!
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whoops ….
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Hi Diana! I adore Samsara, but it definitely a clod weather scent for me, same as CdL. And Shalimar – how could I forget? I have worn the EdC several times and love it – to the extent it maybe being my favorite versions of Shalimar. Perhaps with a few drops of the Parfum ……. Mwah. xxxxxx
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I agree, Shalimar (the vintage cologne) is second only to the extrait.
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Hi Val! I have been wearing mostly my vintage No.19 EdeT since I moved, a few weeks ago, into a house with no air-conditioning in hot, steamy/humid summer (and I’m in full-blown menopause hot flash hell). Somehow the EdeT is just perfect. Parfum can wait till it cools off…
On a completely different subject, you did a post about the perfect red lipstick. What was it? I always meant to try it, and I’ve lost the name.
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Good Evening Emlpiau. 🙂
Oh yes, that is so gorgeous, all the vintage N°19s are. The current EdT is nice too. I’m post menopause, shit that makes men sound old. And I kill myself in the gym, with the theory that it prevents hot flashes. So far so good, I have not had any. Anyway – to the point. http://www.ellisfass.com And the colour is the Ellis Red. Gorgeous red. Hope that helps! Hugs. Val xxxxx
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Hi Val,
As you may know (or not!) we have had a summer up here which could nearly match the heat in Austria, highly unusal! It’s over now, but we nearly broke the heat record from 1901 for Oslo in July (officially we had 34.6C on a Friday in July and I’m sure if the measuring point was still in the centre of town the record would have been broken). I found I used mainly my citrus scents and Dior Escale à Podichery, which has a light tea note. Also enjoyed very much some Guerlain samples sent to me by Sandra (Cherry Blossom and Les Voyages Olfactifs Paris-London) and a sample of Amouage Ciel.
Wow, I know Coromandel EdT (which is what I own) blooms in dry heat, but I would find very few occasions for wearing it, with people being a bit scent phobic and all that. You must really challenge people at times (even if you say you don’t like to spritz too heavily and walk around in a scent cloud)! In fact ambers and the few florientals I own are the ones I did not reach for in the heat. I was sad not to have Eau de Patou or Ô de Lancôme in my collection this summer, they are perfect in really warm weather.
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I don‘t think I challenge anyone much as I am alone most of the time. Coromandel is gorgeous in the hot weather. I work alone, deliver cookies alone ….. I am more careful when I know I‘m going in the gym. Then I wear perfume on my left arm only. Hahahaha. Idiosyncratic perfumista behaviour. Hmmmmm. Perhaps I‘ll do a post on that. It has cooled down here too, but next week will be hot again. Will keep waiting for Dries ….. hugs. Xxxxxx
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