SOTD 17.9 – 23.9.2018

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

A SOTD (Scent Of The Day) thread is a really good conversation generator. The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc. and how it makes you feel and/or anything else about it that tickles your fancy.

You can also comment on everyone else choices too. It’s great to tell someone how much you love their choice, ask for more info about it, the house or perfumer. There’s someone here from around the world 24/7 and perfume people love to chat.

SOTD 17.9 – 23.9.2018

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

 

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

604 thoughts on “SOTD 17.9 – 23.9.2018”

    • Orris Noir sounds pretty hard core. Is it a heavy perfume? I’m not famiiar with it. I hope your day will be fine. Of course you’ll survive !!!

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    • You’re armed and dangerous. Survival guaranteed. So you find Orris Noir incensy? I’ve not tried it, but I was blathering elsewhere that I need incense suggestions. Not a note I have much experience with. Tried Passage d’Enfer which was very rude on my skin. Smelled like cheap soap and did not want to leave when I scrubbed it off. Apart from that I’m an incense virgin, I think.

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      • If you are an incense virgin then I am going to suggest that you get your hand on pure frankincense essential oil which can be found at any health food store. For me that is the very best smell in the world and my version of incense. Also, I will second Cardinal and if you can find it at a decant site Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure.

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        • And not sure if you remember my story but I was stopped in my tracks by a Tibetan Buddhist nun when I was wearing Incense Pure because she loved it so much. It was in an Indian restaurant. She made me write down the name on a paper napkin 🙂

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        • Thanks! I will certainly look into the oil. Very cool idea. With Rex’s from both you and Cassie, i’m good to go on my musky/incensey olfactory explorations.
          Do either of you know if the NR musk or Dame New Man have an ambrette note? I took quite a shine to it in Le Labo’s Ambrette No. 9(?), 13(?). Not sure the number. But I fell for the ambrette hook, line and sinker.

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            • Oh. I misunderstood you. But seriously, you are getting me very interested in these essential oils. You’ve mentioned bitter almond, frankincense and now ambrette. I could start concocting my own specialities. That sounds like all kinds of fun. Can you recommend a good site for purchasing these oils? I really don’t know anything about them, but my curiosity has been piqued and I would love to get my hands on some. Do you use them straight up? Mix them together? Dilute them with something. Would love to know more if you are so inclined.

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          • Marcella- I used to buy all of my oils from Eden Botanicals. they have a very large variety of some of the more unusual ones (galbanum, orange blossom, yuzu, osmanthus, ambrette seed, labdanum, orris butter, lavender absolute, etc etc). If you decide to go that route and if they ship to Canada I would recommend that you pick up several samples of things that interest you. For the samples that give you just a few drops in the 1ml vials (like osmanthus) I would add a carrier oil to the vial to dilute so that you can get the oil out and also get more volume and more usage. Technically, all oils with the exception of lavender “should” be diluted before application to skin but I have worn them undiluted. Lately I have been buying less expensive oils. I have bought Vitacost’s own brand during their BOGOs and have been very happy with them. Also, I have purchased NOW Essentials from both Vitacost and All Star Health. I price check and see which one is less expensive at the time. The carrier oils are also very reasonably priced at All Star Health and I use them quite a bit for all over moisturizing. They can be left unscented or you can add some of the essential oils to them to make them scented (lavender, patchouli, rose, etc etc). Let me know if you have anymore questions. I am equally as obsessed about e.o.s as I am about perfume! OH, and Eden also makes “theme” sampler packs which are cheaper than buying the samples separately so you can check those out as well if you are interested.

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  2. Eeee Gads. I’m first! SOT ‘getting dressed to present design package to clients’ discreet dab of Chanel No. 19. Professional stuff. Says take me seriously. Making an effort here folks. High waisted black pencil skirt. Chic length, below knee. Simple sleeveless white silk shirt. Black patent pumps: open toed, chunky heel. Pearl studs in ears. Less is more make-up: eyebrows, bit of mascara, veil of blush, neutral lip. I drank the Kool Aid. Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. And…..I’m off! Laters!

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    • The only Jardin I don’t have. Hope I’m not missing too much. The others are nice, but very soft and fleeting. I can go through bottles really fast. We all know what we’re walking into when we pick a JCE scent.

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        • Please don’t Portia 😀 We have such a beautiful Indian Summer this year but I’m already dreading the gloomy, cool, grey days that are to come… Just joking, of course I love to feel the summer even if it is just on the screen. I literally can feel the warmth every time.

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          • Cool Neva??? You’re whinging about COOL? Oh come here 😈. I’ll give you something to groan about. Montreal. Pick a day between mid-November and mid-March. Any day! Go wild! Guarantee you our temps will be in the -20’s (Celsius) Factor in the searing wind chill and count on minus mid-thirties. So, cool you say? I couldn’t even be arsed to put on long pants for cool. I’d keep my toenails painted year round and wear flip-flops in cool. I’d wear thin cotton and linen in cool. Ha! Cool. As if. Not happening here. This is the city of multi-layering mania. I spend entire months looking like the Michelin Man. Fumbling mail and car keys with down filled ski mitts. Having really bad flat, crushed hair. Every. Single. Day. Because I have to wear a liner hat under a regular hat. And it really messes with my hair! Ugh. Can you tell I’m already pre-winter suffering. Do not. Talk to me about cool Neva. However, if you’re in one of those weird states that doesn’t see the sun for six months we can talk. That is murder. In that case whine and whinge all you like. You will have my ear and you will have my sympathy.

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          • I guess you’ll have to hate me Marcella 😉 It gets quite cold here but usually not for long. I wouldn’t trade for the Canadian (Montreal) winter. My dad’s best friend lives there at a lake and I know the situation in the winter. I like only temperatures of 20 degrees plus, that’s why I’m already getting nervous. This summer is still unusually warm and I try to pretend it’s never going to end.

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  5. It’s the business trip week. I’m off to pick up my colleague at the airport and then visit the first client. The weather is still sunny and warm and I’m wearing VC&A Rose Velours from the Collection Extraordinaire. I like fresh spicy roses and this one feels just right in the heat.

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  7. I’m in Anubis by papillon.. that slightly sweet incense and leather combo is working beautifully on a very chilly morning at the airport here in Jackson Hole, WY.

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  8. I’ve just received a free carded sample of Dior Joy. The spray thingie didn’t work properly and the perfume just ran down the outside !!! managed to wipe it on my arm. I can just about smell it. I don’t think I’ll be buying this.

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  10. Yves Rocher Accord Chic. I really like it and wish it lasted longer, I think I will decant some to carry in my purse. It’s perfect for work- not heavy but has a little spicy kick to it which I love.

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  11. I wore vintage Adieu sagesse by Patou yesterday and a bit of vintage Mitsouko edt since both seem to have something in common (what is it? I detect the same peachy note but there’s that).

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    • Diana, you seem to know a thing or two about vintage. I believe it was you who ‘encouraged’ me to try a vintage Shalimar when I was raving about when I used to wear it back in the early 70’s. Well I bought two small bottles. Because you made me. Well ‘encouraged’ me. I make no distinction between the two. Anyhow. I received one of the bottles today. On first application it did not smell at all as I remembered. After an hour or two it seemed to ring some memory bells. But generally it doesn’t smell as full or big. Having trouble describing what I mean. I know. It smells weak. Like it’s power is gone. Is this normal for a vintage? It’s from the 70’s. It was sealed. No box.
      And finally are there any tricks or tips in finding a really good bottle? One that doesn’t cost the earth and the sky? I’d love to know.

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      • Vintage is tough Marcella, Trial and error. I use http://checkcosmetic.net to see if the code is real. It’s not 100% reliable but it is a good measure. Also you need to find a seller on eBay or in life that you trust. The most trustworthy are elusive but their rating and amount sold are pretty good indicators on eBay. The FB perfume boards also have sale documents. A good place to ask about previous sales is the moderators of any group, they know.
        About 30% of my buys of vintage are fake or turned. It’s par for the course. Mostly there’s no recourse and you have to suck it up. Always destroy a fake, don’t keep it in circulation.
        If it smells like it has gone off, spritz a few times to clear the spray pipe which has all been reacting to oxygen. Many a turned vintage has only gone bad in the 1/2 ml in the pipe.
        Portia xx

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        • Great and thanks so much Portia. Sounds like a bit of a crap shoot, right? Well, you’ve given me lots of information. I’ll read, review then read some more. I am determined to score a Shalimar that does not leave me wanting. I’ll be patient, tho that is hardly my strong suit. Cheers to you, Jin and the pupper-dums. That’s Miller talk for dogs.

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      • I find that when I often revisit my old loves that are vintage I get a bit sad because usually the top notes will be off. This is normal because citrus top notes do not stand up to the ravages of time. Vintage Cristalle(which had a lot of citrus in it and a gorgeous oakmoss drydown) is a good example of this. I remember having bought a vintage in the mid 2000s and thinking to myself “this does not smell the same as what I remembered” but then the drydown was my old friend. I think when we count on remembering the top notes this is what throws our noses off. I am wondering, if your vintage is indeed real and not a fake, if this is what is making it smell different to you. For this reason I haven’t really been seeking out the perfumes I wore in the 1970s or 1980s. And this is also, perhaps why I haven’t saved too much over the years and basically “thunk” most of what I have. I wish that I could have a genie make me from scratch and fresh with all original notes (no reformulations please) some of the beautiful stuff I used to wear…..in fresh and pristine condition.

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        • Oh yes Brigitte. We need the genie. We were so incredibly spoiled with our fragrances back then. And they were cheap as chips!
          The story on my ‘vintage’ Shalimar is sooo embarrassing . Having never bought vintage before I figured I’s go on eBay, hunt down a vintage for a price I was willing to pay, click buy and done is done.
          So I received said vintage yesterday. Disappointed and complained here about it. Portia kindly gave a link to a site where you can enter batch codes to verify authenticity. The result? My bottle is an authentic vintage Shalimar!! Yeah. Vintage 1987. Woopie. I am such a dolt. In my mind (scary place, btw) vintage means 1970. Period. Possibly 1960’s but those were crazy $$$. I mean honest to gawd, since when is 1987 considered vintage??? Maybe to some man bun wearing hipster. To me, that was like a week ago!

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      • Like Portia said, buying vintage is a tricky matter, one should be prepared to be amazed or disgusted. Marvellous Mr. Andre Moreau’s articles are extremely helpful when it comes to dating vintage bottles (Google How to recognize Guerlain/Dior and so on).
        I own a few vintage bottles of Shalimar, they all smell great (the oldest three are approx. 50 y.o.) and their projection is exceptionally powerful. There is, however, a chance that perfume same as wine could be in bottle shock so it might smell a bit off (sometimes it takes a certain bottle a few months or even a year to become its old self again). I can’t imagine Shalimar smelling weak, though. Are those splash bottles, Marcella?

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          • Also, I was expecting to see that pretty tassel around the neck that I remember so vividly. It was only sealed with a stiff clear hard plastic collar. I think that this was entirely down to my own ignorance. I mistakenly (apparently) assumed vintage would be 50 years old. At least 40 anyhow. When I entered the batch code on the bottom of the bottle into the site Portia provided it showed that the bottle was from 1987 or 89. In my mind that is not vintage. But I guess i’m Wrong. My bad. And, in fairness to the seller she sold it as vintage, but without specifying a decade. I should not have assumed a late 60’s early 70’s bottle. Having said that it irks me that a very late 80’s bottle would be considered vintage. Heck! I think I have bras older than that! So the reason it smelled weak and most definitley different although somewhat similar was down to the production date. I guess that post IFFRA (IFRRA? IFRA? Whatever that’s called) some of the notes in Shalimar must have become restricted. We’ll live and learn I guess. Maybe I’ll get lucky on the bottle that is currently in transit. But I doubt it. The bottles of Shalimar I saw on eBay that were specifically detailed as being 60’s vintage were anywhere between $350-$900.00. That’s like a million of my crummy Canadian dollars anyway. But do you actually suppose that is what I can expect to pay? US$350-$900? depending on quantity. If so, I may as well quit now. That’s a rich man’s game, something that I am not.
            Sorry for this verbal outpouring, but you were kind enough to reply so I tried to fill you in as best I could. And enjoy your Shalimar, you lucky devil!

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          • I assume your bottle is eau de cologne, the so called “montre bottle” with the golden cap. What is the batch code (I don’t trust checkcosmetic unless it’s a modern perfume)? Sometimes one can only guess the correct date of production if they take quite a few things into account the batch code AND the box being the most important, but you can guess an approximate date of production looking at the stopper (again, if we’re talking about “watch/montre” bottles. What bothers me is that you say the perfume itself seems weak, – “weak” and Shalimar should never be mentioned in the same sentence. I do hope it’ll come to its senses and you’ll enjoy your purchase.

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      • I buy vintage bottles on ebay every now and then and have the same experience like Portia and Brigitte so I won’t repeat it. By “vintage” I think of 70s ad 80s perfume. That’s when my interest for perfume started and I remember most of the stuff that was released in the European market.
        It’s always a kind of risk although I bought at several shops and I’d buy again at the dealers, rather than from private persons. I never buy splash perfume because they can dillute it easily and I think this happened also with a pump spray of Feminite du Bois, because the pump could be screwed open. I’ve realized that after I noticed the smell was light, weak. And unfortunately I’ve never bought anything cheap or reasonably priced. It was expensive every time, even in auctions.

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        • Hmmm. I hear you. ☹️. I think this was down to my own ignorance. I sssumed vintage to be around 50 years old. 40 minimum. According to the site Portia provided the bottle is from 1987 or 89. Still. I don’t consider that vintage. But the seller did not claim a particular year. I stupidly assumed. My bad.

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          • I think what this comes down to Neva is what one’s interpretation of vintage is, right? You feel 70’s or 80’s. Probably because I’m older (I’m guessing) to me vintage would be 60’s or 70’s. For sure not 80’s. My mother if she were still alive would perhaps consider 30’s, 40’s possibly 50’s vintage. It seems a rather vague and nebulous term. I guess in future if I seriously consider laying down some major cash on a vintage perfume acquisition, I would have to be absolutely certain that when it comes to the term vintage that both the seller and I are in agreement as to what decade the term refers to.

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        • Actually it was not a ‘montre’ bottle with EdC. Rather the ‘souris’ Or bat bottle. Pure perfume. I would guess than even 1989 Shalimar perfume was sold in the bat bottle. I think the clue is the missing tassel. M. Poirot, we need your expertise.

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  12. Wearing Houbigant Iris des Champs because I spent probably about 30 minutes yesterday trying to figure out the mystery of different editions/concentrations for another Houbigant perfume that I smelled at the store the day before and liked. I didn’t succeed but these exercises reminded me about the perfume I have from the brand – and I decided to wear it.
    It doesn’t get much love in blogosphere but I really enjoy it every time I wear it.

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  13. Balmain Ambre Gris for me today. This one sits in the front row but is quite often overlooked – not sure why coz the minute I spray it I’m like where have you been hiding 😆😆

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  14. I am wearing spicebomb. I do feel it will become a classic but I don’t seem to like it as much as many other lovers of spicebomb do.

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  19. Ginger Biscuit…rough night sleeping….and stealing huge spritzes from middle Marzipan’s huge bottle which she left at home…this is a very comforting scent 🙂

    Hope y’all have a great day xxoo

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      • I passed out at 7, woke up at 11 , puttered on the computer, passed out at 3 am and woke up at 5 am. I blame it on middle age. My sleep just isn’t the same anymore.

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        • Yeah, I know exactly what’s happening🙄. I went from that person who slept like the dead to being the walking dead. Falling asleep isn’t a problem. Staying asleep is the problem. I’ve resorted to melatonin, it’s helping. It was either that or some chemical sleep aid, and I don’t fancy that. Sleep deprivation for years takes a toll. But screen time during the night is counterproductive. Get me, doling out advice, 😂

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  20. and can I just say how much i love that we are such a chatty bunch? last week there were over five hundred comments….we sure do love to talk about our perfumes 😉 I love you guys!!!!

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  21. Oh yes our teeny-tiny Mrs. Marzipan (a.k.a) Brigitte is very dear. I would like to shrink her down to Polly Pocket size and carry her around all day. She could wear Secretions Magnifique. And she could replace my imaginary friend.

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  22. Cassie, Brigitte echoing you both on the sleep problems. Apparently we need to implement ‘sleep hygiene’. This is a thing? Do we need to wash our linens before sleepies? Fluff dry our dreams? Gentle cycle our jammies? Another man bun wearing hipster invention no doubt!

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  23. Speaking of man bun wearing hipster creations, the bottle for Lush Twilight Body Spray. The scent is nice. Pleasant, uncomplicated. Wearing it now. Easy going stuff. But…..no bottle porn here! The bottle is a hand held pump spray. Reminds me of some of my kitchen/bathroom cleansing products. Only they are prettier. They have interesting depictions of exploding rocks, skeleton hands and skulls. The bottles are invariably a cheery yellow. The written labels are happily multi-coloured vibrant reds, energetic greens.
    Twilight’s bottle is black. Flat, matte industrial black. Apparently my juice was prepared for me by Steven. On August 2nd. Likely under a full moon. Thank you Lush.

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  25. Portrait of a Lady, to carry me through several hours of data prep so I can do more data crunching. Several hours and several hundred to go of content analysis. Mmm-hmm, PhDing is a glamorous life. That said, I’m at least dressed in real clothes today even though it’s 3pm and I’ve not been outside yet. (Heading to the gym, soon, though bench day is not until tomorrow the daily rehab work must be done.)

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    • I’m sometimes glad that I’m not overly-endowed with grey matter. I know I couldn’t hack it in the world of high academia. But thankfully there are people like you. And you like perfume. Win win.

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        • I’m convinced I can’t hack academia pretty much every other day. Maybe 2 days out of 3 if the wind is in the wrong direction. But on I go anyway.

          eeesh… no, dodginess in those joints probably wouldn’t make benching easy or fun. And the fun is kind of the main point of it for me…

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    • Content analysis, eh? Rather vague term and sounds supremely boring. Don’t know how you do it. I have the attention span of a Rhesus monkey on crack. Couldn’t do it even if I knew what it was.
      Benching with POAL….now you’re talking 💪🏽💪🏽. But yes, can really mess up the shoulders quite easily.

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      • It’s pretty straightforward, honest! I’m doing research on how photographers influence each other…so this part is just churning through lots of posts on online forums, to see what they talk about, and how. Seeing what they get excited about, what they gripe about, how they deal with friction.

        I know you’ve mentioned gyms and dumbbells… are you one of the small but growing coterie of perfumed powerlifters?

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        • That content analysis sound interesting. I studied Sociology, basically human behaviour, so what you’re doing sounds great-ish.
          I started lifting about 40 years ago to support my strength and fitness in horse training and competition. Although I no longer compete horses and rarely ride now, I am a dedicated gym rat. A bona fide, certified trainer. But powerlifting? Not sure what you mean there. The real powerlifters in my gym are mostly men, enormous hulking brutes that all carry significant body weight (think 275-300 lbs), and generally work mostly deadlifts. One ultra heavy bone crushing lift. Recover for about 10 minutes and then repeat. I don’t do that. But I have followed a classic bodybuilding routine for eons. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, Romanian and Sumo lifts. Lots of compound movements fleshed out with barbell and dumbbell work. And plenty of core work. Hate cardio tho, but love lifting.

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          • Ah ha! That’s some good long term compound lifting there, nice! Powerlifters are those who compete in the three lifts: squat, bench, deadlifts (though I just compete in bench, because of lower body disabilities.) As opposed to the weightlifters who compete with snatch and clean and jerk.

            Powerlifters come in all shapes and sizes, though… I’m more team minibeast than team hulk (I’m a bit bigger than Madame Marzipan, but not by much. I lift in the under 52kg class in able bodied and under 50kg in para, and seriously considering working down to the under 47kg next year…I’m a short arse, so that’s not unreasonable.)

            P.s. I miss riding. Had to stop in my late teens because of my rubbish leg.

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        • Another mini? Teeny Tiny M. Maripan and Mini Beast Crikey! So bench competition! Wow. Great to hear. Are results based strictly what you can push in your weight category? And is it a single monumental effort that gets judged. Or do you get multiple attempts?
          Why are you thinking of lowering your weight category? And by a not insignificant amount either. Do you not worry that you may lose muscle mass? Theoretically you should be able to retain virtually all your muscle, but it’s a dicey proposition and can go wrong quickly. When I used to cut for competitions I generally lost 2ish % MM. now that I’m a pretty old bag I’m having to work super hard to retain mass on my legs. The rest of the body parts seem to be holding. But then legs were always my weak point in competing cuz they’re just naturally very slim. Fun to meet a fellow lifter here. Although I’m sure it bores the bejeepers out of everyone else. Treat those shoulders with kid gloves! And loads of props and encouragement from me! 👏 🏋🏼‍♂️ sorry, no bench emoji, had to settle for C&J. You get the picture.

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            • 93 LBS!??? How do you not get blown out of bed when Mr. Marzipan sneezes? Hopefully you are not a 5’10” giraffe. Eat more protein maybe? Women tend to eat carbs in favour of protein and short change their chances of holding on to muscle mass as they age. I am worried teeny tiny M. 😟. At least reassure me and let me know you’re in good health.

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          • I am short and very small boned and eat like a horse. Old and crotchety at times with aches in the morning but otherwise in good health. I have been thin my entire life and have always had a voracious appetite. Even in middle age my metabolism never slowed down. I guess I am just lucky.

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          • at the risk of boring all/any…

            You mostly compete in weight classes, but there’s also the mystery known as Wilks Points which allows you to compare lifters of different body weights at some degree of fairness–so, overall best lifter is decided on that, above and beyond winners in classes. There are also age classes, and I’ve now joined the Masters 2 crew (50-60).

            You get three attempts, and the highest weight that gets at least two out of three white lights (a “good” lift) counts. 2.5kg increments at a minimum, and, though you can increase the weight, you can’t reduce it if you fail something, only try the same again.

            At the moment, contrary to Madame Marzipan’s comment below, I am *not* in good shape. After 10 months out of the gym and feeling sorry for myself with bad injuries, I look more like over-proved bread dough than the jacked little lifter I was. Right now, I’m working back down to the 52s, so give me three to five months, though to get back in condition, rebuild muscle, and de-lard, and all is good. Last year I was mostly about 48-49kg when competing and walking around just under 50, so shifting down a class wouldn’t be a massive deal, because I wasn’t that lean and still carrying padding on my thighs. I’m just built small. Except for some big old shoulders. Which, oh, I do look after.

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          • crikey- I am in awe of you and wish you were nearby to kick my arse into getting into shape…you may not be in the best form but I still say you are in “good” shape 🙂 Good luck with your goals and I am sure you will get there! We will cheer you on!

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      • thanks! I have more fancy dinner scents than I have fancy dinners…so I wear them anyway 🙂 I’ve always rather liked mixing-and-matching the glam with the mundane, though.

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  26. I can imagine that PhDing is best when it shows on your bank account 😉 I admire you for the time and energy you invest in it Crikey, honestly. I’d never have the nerve to do it although I know people who do it with such ease that I think they’re just born for it.
    Oh yes, and POAL is wonderful! The people in the gym will all wear huge smiles today.

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    • ahaha, the only thing that shows in my bank account is the cost of doing it. Bah! If i do end up with a career change, it’s likely my income will shink massively. But, I’m doing this because there are questions that wouldn’t leave me alone, and no one else had done this research so I figured I should… now I just need to finish the damn thing! (It’s scary. that’s the hardest part of it. I’ve never yet met someone who doesn’t fret that they are not as smart as other doctoral students.)

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      • Self-doubt is a curse of smart people. I admire the fact that you’ve started this work because no one has. Good luck, I’m sure you’re gonna slay it!

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      • Okay now Mini Beast Crikey, I see where you’re headed. Not in peak form but aiming to get back there. Well push forward then. Apart from the physical benefits of lifting I also get superb mental improvement. So your type of competition is a proper quantifiable one. When I competed it was more about posing and presentation. The judges were on the lookout for proportion, so if you had particularly big, cut legs it would behoove you to develop large strong shoulders as visual balance. I did my last competition at age 51. At the time the oldest age division was 28-35. I think. For sure it capped out at 35. I did manage to place a few times against the young ‘uns simply because I knew the judges were looking for a well-developed, symmetrical physique. Many of the younger competitors figured that ample curves in all the right places would earn them a place. Not so, young bucks, you gotta show the muscle! Hahaha! It was fun. Now I lift cuz it’s a habit, I like it and I know it will help me age with more vitality and energy. But ya, Crikey you go! Enjoy those competitions. Give it everything you’ve got. Train hard. Eat to support it and pay attention to recovery. Good luck and keep pushing!

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        • I hear you on the mental side of things–when I started, it realised very quickly how good it was for reducing stress and fretting. You just can’t think about anything else when lifting heavy things. (though when I do fail lifts, it’s usually because of brain blips and doubt rather than lack of strength. Still working on that!)

          I’m far too wonky for any physique type competitions, and I do like the absolutes of a kilo-is-a-kilo rather than the subjective assessments of “good” or “best”. I am impressed by the longevity of your success! that’s a killer achievement.

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    • Hey Neva! Sorry for the interruption. Going to keep pestering you. Are you business tripping yet? What fumes did you bring? Got your bikini? Hit the beach yet???? Keep us informed. Please. And thank you.

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  29. Trialling 1740 on left hand and 1826 on right (Histoires de Parfums) while getting ready for work. Leaning towards 1826 right now. Amber, white florals, violets, incense and patchouli. More office friendly than 1740 which is BIG,leather, smoke and spices. A little much first sniff but it’s softening out. This one maybe more of a night out in winter, squashed in some groovy whisky bar. Seeing as I’m only going to work and not a whisky bar I’m going for 1826

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    • Thought: skip work, pretend it’s winter, head straight to the whiskey bar.
      I’ve been meaning to try the HdP line for ages. Do these fragrances tend to run in the high sillage, pronounced phases and great longevity sort of way? Because that is what I imagine them as. If so, my interest is piqued.

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      • Marcella, I didn’t know this house existed until a lovely perfume friend gifted me the sample set. I can still softly smell what’s I sprayed this morning. On my skin it’s sits pretty close, giving wafts during the day but not like a fog following me around. I can though still get a little of the 1740 spicy leather on my wrist. I’ve got a few more to try so will keep you posted.

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        • Thank you Melanie! Your early observations sound very promising. I value good longevity with fairly distinct top, middle and base notes. Though I prefer a bit more sillage I’ll happily crush on a fragrance that sits closely if it gives me a beautiful and interesting ride. I’ll keep my eye on you!

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    • Marcella, if I may, a little piece of advice: don’t raise the bid every time someone overbids you. Go see your item at the very last minute and bid as much as you’re comfortable with, not too much. It’s Shalimar, there will be other bottles (unless it’s a pre-war bottle), you’ll get what you want eventually 🙂

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      • seconding Diana’s advice. Or go further: decide what you want to pay, put the bid in early, and don’t go back until AFTER the deadline. If someone else gets it, someone else gets it. It cost more than you thought it was worth to you. (My ebay mails go to a different address, so I don’t even see the nagging.)

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      • Thanks Diana. After the initial heady rush of bidding wore off I figured that out. I keep my eye on when auctions are getting close to closing. Then I poise myself to leap viciously on any bottles that have slipped under the radar. So far I have noticed that sellers will often end the sale without accepting a lower than they would like bid, but then put the bottle up for auction the following day. Those are the ones I’m watching. I figure if they didn’t get their price first time around the block they may be more willing to parlay.

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      • Diana, I agree with you. In the last few minutes you can always decide if you want to raise the bid or just let it go this time…provided it does not happen in the middle of the night when you don’t feel like waking up just to go bidding for a perfume. Noooo, i’ve never done it in my whole life 😉

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  32. Woweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee… I have just spent a FULL HOUR reading every single post here. And I’m curious has anyone tried my suggestion of the Bailey’s and strawberries, yet? A celebration is taking place today… hubby’s birthday. He didn’t want to go out for dinner, so we are staying in. I have some lamb shanks in the slow cooker which soon will smell yummy[ the slow cooker only been on an hour}. Hubby is wearing Dior Jules today[ my request] and I’ve just found ,in one of my sample boxes ,a 1ml vial of Goutal’s Heure Equise…..

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    • Happy birthday to your hubby, Saffy!! 🎂. Tell him he smells wonderful. I love lamb shanks. Melting tender goodness. Re: strawberries and Bailey’s. I will be having it this weekend along with cake and other yummies as it will be my birthday too! My eldest daughter will be hosting (small party, just my two daughters, husband and one SIL). I told her about your strawberry and Bailey’s recipe. So she will be doing that. Also, if we still have local strawberries a shortcake as well. She does the most brilliant strawberry shortcake. Not the biscuit kind. A proper multi-layered confection if similar-ish to biscuit cake, whipped cream, strawberry coolie and of course strawberries.
      So I will let you know how we get on with the strawberry/Bailey’s combo. It can’t help but be delicious me thinks. I hope you really enjoy your evening together! Give him lots of kisses and tell him how wonderful he is. You, of course, will smell exquisite in Heure Exquisite. Are you also doing the strawberry/Bailey’s for tonight?

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    • happy birthday to your husband! Haven’t tried the Bailey’s and strawberries but it peaked my interest when you wrote about it 😉 And Heure Equise is gorgeous.

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    • I hope you had a nice celebration today. I don’t like strawberries (I’m weird, I know) but I will try Baileys with other berries. I bet it tastes even better.

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  33. What to wear today? Might go with Jo Malone Oak & Hazelnut. Tested it last night on my hand. It reads a bit masculine and I was expecting more of a gourmand. Might pass it on to the youngest Marzipan after I try it a few more times in different weather. He likes the travel size bottles that Jo Malone puts out and that is what this is.

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    • OK so I went with some experimentation-

      Left wrist English Oak & Hazelnut combined with Blackberry & Bay
      Right wrist English Oak & Hazelnut combined with Tonka & Myrrh

      Loving them both.

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  34. A dab of 4160 Tuesdays’ Goodbye Picadilly today–a softened, enveloping violet, iris, vanilla, leather, and patchouli for a rainy blustery day.

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    • That fragrance sounds really good. I haven’t much explored this niche house. I think I sampled Dirty Honey a while back. I know this brand gets a lot of love but I just can’t keep up-LOL!

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      • aye, Sarah is pretty prolific. I’ve sampled maybe half of them, and wear about three or four with great pleasure. (The latest Turin/Sanchez Guide rather slates her for too many “sketches”, but there’s an exuberance to her work that’s hard not to love.)

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        • Yes, she strikes me as a very “passionate” perfumer (in the same vein as a Laurie Erickson or Jessica September Buchanan of 1000 Flowers)

          btw, I just did eight man type push ups….(are they referred to as standard?) I need to take my exercising beyond just yoga….

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          • Yes, I tried to keep my form good in plank…no butt up and no belly down…flat as a board…I am going to do another set now…I also have ten pound weights which I should dig out from the closet and put to good use…..

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          • I’m liking what I hear there Mrs. Marzipan. Do give it an effort. You seem to understand good form so that’s great. You may find that you feel less creaky in the morning when you get up (after initial muscle soreness passes) . Try to make a concerted effort to do some work 3-4 times a week. Doesn’t have to be long at first. If you can maintain consistency for a few weeks you stand a better chance turning it in to a habit. I workout 4-5 times a week. There are times when I would rather not, but I view it the same way as I view brushing my teeth. It’s self care. It has to be done. It’s preventative maintenance as we age. Full disclosure, I’ll be 62 this weekend. I work out in order to optimize my chances of ageing with health, strength and vigour. I’m aiming for quality of life later on not necessarily quantity. I want to be able to remain independent and capable.
            Granted I’ve been lifting weights for eons now, but I’m still stronger than my clients in their mid to late 40’s. It’s an investment in your future quality of life.
            Okay, I’ll get off my pulpit now. Sorry, but I have rather strong feelings about this. Uh, can you tell? ☺️

            Liked by 1 person

          • Yes, Marcella, this is what I tell myself every morning …I do need to exercise so that I can ease into old age gracefully….but somehow I just can’t get myself motivated anymore. Most of the time it’s fatigue but also I can be lazy 🙂

            OK off to do my eight push ups!

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    • Only tried one of 4160 Tuesdays. What I did on my Holidays. I was more than a little impressed. I enjoy the occasional beach scent in the summer and this one really nailed it for me. A little touch of salty, a tickle of seaweed and nicely balanced out by the ever so slight hint of sun cream. Best of all it gave me that ‘big air’ feeling I get at a northern beach. Think Maine in the USA, the North Sea in Holland. That sort of thing. It really surprised me.

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  35. Cannot keep up at the beginning of the school year. I only teach part time but since it’s preschoolers I’m exhausted every day until I get my feet back under me again. Today I spritzed AG Mandragore. Can still smell it, faintly, after a couple of hours.

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  37. Inspired by Diana’s Hypnotic Poison yesterday. I’m wearing more spritzes of it than I counted. Mine is only about 10 years old I think.

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    • Cassie, you smell terrific! I can still smell the HP remnants in my room. This Poison went south a few years ago, the last reformulation I’ve tried (and hated) was the 2013 batch: it smelled like wet cardboard, or wet newspaper. I get this “note” from quite a few perfumes produced in the 2010-es, must be some weird musk or some other molecule. Cartier Goutte de Rose had it, too. While I loved the composition, I just couldn’t stand wearing it.

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  38. Fighting the grumpies in a healthy dose of Musc Ravageur.
    Cloudy dark skies and 16 C today. Contrasting with yesterday’s sunny skies and temperature of 29 C. Summer is gone. This is what is causing the grumpies. 😒

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  39. heading to bed now wearing Incense Pure (gosh how I love this stuff!!!).

    cassieflower, I took my melatonin ’cause I really do need a full night’s sleep.

    tomorrow morning I will rummage down in the basement to see if I can find my Hermessence samples floating around somewhere…..Cookie queen’s post has made me want to experiment to see if massive sprays on my clothes will make these fragrances last a bit longer.

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    • Do let us know Brigitte. I’m toying with the idea of buying a Hermessence for ages but the longevity issue is bothering me extremely. I haven’t tried all of them but so far Agar Ebene and Osmanthe Yunnan have shown a slightly better performance.
      Sleep well.

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    • Hope you have a restful sleep. Mine was going great until the alarm went off just before 4 a.m. What the hell?😡 Himself knocked it off and then sat up and asked why he had to get up so early. Well I dunnooo because I didn’t set it! So he just lay down and fell instantly asleep and I’m still awake at 6.26. Gonna be a great day methinks.
      Rant over.

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      • Sorry to hear that 😦
        I did my usual pass out around 7 ,wake up at midnight…putter about and watch a show..pass out at 3am and wake up around 5am.

        Let’s hope you and I can get through our day…lots of tea!!!!

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        • On my fourth cup of coffee, and doing ok so far, haha. You have some hours to catch up with me and hope you’re doing well too (I cannot even contemplate going to sleep at 7pm, am sorta more of a night owl, I have to tell myself to get to bed by 11.30 or so – and that’s during the week when I’m working next morning).

          Liked by 1 person

  41. Second day of the business trip. I took some samples for testing with me. This morning I made a wrong choice and I had to live with it because I had no time to wash it off completely. Nobile 1942 – Cafe Chantat. As the name suggests it’s about coffee, then lots of vanilla and a sour cherry note in the beginning. Don’t you like your coffee with vanilla and sour cherry? Me neither! But I had to live with it through the meetings and the long drive. A dip in the sea in the afternoon finally washed it away and in the evening I wore a sample of Nobile 1942 – Vespri Aromatico. Now that’s much better. It smells aquatic, salty and herbal, slightly dry and bitter. Just the right company on a mild evening at the Adriatic coast. I’ll wear it again tomorrow.

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  43. Musc Ravageur today. Went to the Art Gallery and had some lunch, then did a tour. It was very cool when I left home but the day took a turn for the warm. Suddenly my MR was blooming like crazy. There were moments when I could only concentrate on how freaking amazing I smelled. WOW! Quite decadent.
    Portia x

    Liked by 1 person

    • Brigitte, this is the sample I have, and I love it. It is certainly near the top of my wish list. I ended up wearing Miss Dior to work, and received a compliment from a co- worker. When I got home ,after my shower, I have now applied Petit et Mammas.

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    • So you need like one decant for one wearing, right? 😀 I hope you’ve sprayed on your clothes and you could feel it after a few hours.

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      • That’s about right! I can’t smell it on my shirt either….and neither can Mr. Marzipan so I know it isn’t just my nose. But the bathrobe I am wearing now smells amazing…an amalgamation of all sorts of scents from body creams, essential oils and perfumes 🙂

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        • That bathrobe sounds like it smells super! That happens to me as well from time to time. A fortuitous mix of lotions, potions and perfumes that just nail it!
          Essential oils Mrs. Marzipan! I am poised to purchase! Question: differences in price across the sites you mentioned. Is that a reflection of quality, do you feel? My perfume habit is an expensive enough luxury for me, but I would like my first essential oil experience to be positive. Do I go high-end or slide down the scale a bit? Would love your advice.

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          • Eden Botanicals has the more high end exotic types of oils that aren’t usually found within the NOW Essentials or Vitacost brands. If you are looking to explore florals of just want sampler packs I would go with Eden. Once you decide you enjoy a certain oil you can get the larger (and less expensive) bottles from Vitacost or Now Essentials (Now Essentials are sold on both Vitacost and All Star Health and I am fairly certain that they ship to Canada). You can slide down the scale after you decide which oils resonate with you. I would recommend you first try some of the Eden Sampler packs. Or just go for a bunch of samples that intrigue you. A good friend of mine uses the oils as bases for her conventional perfumes. For example O de Lancolme on a base of patchouli oil. and the difference in price is not necessarily a reflection in quality to me….I am equally as happy with the Eden offerings as I am with Vitacost…YMMV….

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  47. Bois d’Iris by TDC. I’m an iris gal. Still need to get that Iris des Champs we were talking about the other day, and Iris Silver Mist.

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  49. Uh oh! It’s raining perfume here because my Le Labo sample set, Parfums de Luxe order and my STC samples all arrived today! So exciting! I won’t list them all but will post reviews/notes as I try them. Full bottles purchased were L’artisan Al Oudh and Perry Ellis Vetiver Oud. Right now trying Al Haramain Oudh, Liz Claiborne Curve Soul vintage, Commes des G Luxe Patchouli, and Le Labo Oud. Doing my little happy dance 💃😆💃 and to think this morning I nearly ordered some Adam Levine and Queen Latifah – it’s all happening here 🤪😂😆

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    • Oh, gotta try this one too. I think I should be ordering a Papillon perfume set. Luckily there aren’t too many perfumes so far. Is it more of a rose or more tobacco?

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        • That’s just what I admire 🙂
          Hmmm…I’ve just checked and they are only shipping in the UK but luckily First in Fragrance from Germany have the complete line so I will order samples from there. Here we go again… 😀

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            • I received my sample set from 1000 Flowers yesterday. I tested both Rose Cassis Paradis and Narcotic Flowers yesterday evening.
              Rose Cassis was unnervingly similar to Lush’s Rose Jam shower gel. A really fresh jammy rose with fruity undercurrents. Narcotic Flowers was not at all narcotic on my skin. A very realistic orange blossom, slightly sweet with a clean jasmine weaving in and out. Both scents were very pretty and easy to wear. They are shown to be unisex, but to me, lean more feminine. Definitely quality raw ingredients with expert execution. They will not make my FB List though. They were simply too pretty for my tastes. I’m left searching for a hook to grab me. A unique twist. Something quirky, odd, memorable and I am left wanting.

              Liked by 1 person

        • Narcotic Flowers was Jessica’s very first perfume and is 100 percent natural. She started out wanting to make only natural perfumes but then segued into mixed media (the opposite of Laurie Erickson of Sonoma Scent Studio who started with mixed media and then segued into all naturals). I like Narcotics but I don’t love it….it reminds me a bit of the original Chloe (circa 1978….a tuberose/white flower bomb) but if I had to choose I would pick the Chloe. Those from the Blue Collection (including this rose one) are all new and I have not tried any of them. she did have one in the blue collection with carrot seed oil but I think that one was discontinued. My favorites are Reglisse Noire, Ode for Him and Fleur no 1 ( a younger more subdued sister to Chanel no 19 but sadly d/c)…Love is Sweet was a sweet violet/rose but is also d/c.

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      • Has it been reformulated? Ugh. That’s a shame. Mine is an old bottle. Can’t remember when I bought it. At least 20 years ago. I rarely wear it, obviously. It’s beautiful but terribly haughty.

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      • Home from work,….exhausted, and just a little teary. I had such a busy day I became overwhelmed at the end of the shift. Lucky hubby was home for 5 minutes to give me a couple of big hugs and reassurance before he went off to work [ wearing Sartorial ]. I jumped into a hot steamy shower and let the tears flow. Now I’m in my jammies sitting at my laptop, looking at my ‘sea’ of sample vials and decants. I’ve chosen Bracken Woman.

        Thunk ,and goodnight.

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  52. Hi all.11.35 pm. been home from work for nearly 2 hours. I received a compliment on my Blue Grass from 2 separate residents, one of them recalling how she once had owned a bottle ‘maybe 20 years ago’ I told her I’d bring my bottle in and spray her tomorrow! I’ve now showered and sprayed myself silly with Lou Lou. I’m off to bed soon.

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  53. Sublime Balkiss (The Different Company again!). Black currant would win an award at my personal FiFi Awards as “Note of the Year”: I love all my newcomers with this note: SB, In Love Again and a cheap but-oh-so-good cologne from a Russian perfume brand “Black currant and mint”. I even found a shower gel to match them 🙂

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    • I’m so flattered, Portia! You keep inspiring us to try new perfumes and sharing them, it’s so nice to be able to return a favour :). I’d really love to read your thoughts on some of their other perfumes (particularly After Midnight, Sens et Bois and Osmanthus): each would be a blind-buy and I need an opinion from someone I actually have something in common to take this leap of faith.

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  56. Hermessence Iris Iyokoe…..this one has better traction…..but not my favorite of the ones I have tried thus far. It’s lovely though, but not lovely enough to crave a full bottle for me.

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    • and inspired by crikey and Marcella I am doing eight push ups and one set of eight reps of various exercices with my 10 pound weights every morning…it’s a start..let’s hope I can stick with it.

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      • go Brigitte, go!

        One fun thing to do, to balance out the push with a pull is “inverted rows” or “body rows”. They are basically upside down push ups, that you can do under a table. (lots of videos on youtube).

        re: Hermessences. They trick me–I kept thinking I didn’t like them, but some have taken real hold of my favour. Some are gone in moments like the Iris, and sometimes they stick around nearly all day (I do go for at least 10+ spritzes from the travel sprays though. I once got 9 hours from OY!!) I think my skin is getting stickier though, for scent.

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      • 🤗🤗🤗🤗💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 I suppose you have a SOT training arms, SOT training pecs, SOT….. and they’re all Hermés, but the special ones that somehow now magically last on you. Are you doing this in your basement? Is Tony Soprano, your workout buddy there?

        Liked by 1 person

    • Oh. My. Gawd. Has the Hermés train just de-railed in your town??? You’re hilarious! The stuff you pull out of that ‘basement’. Come on. Give it up. You’re ‘connected’ right? It all ‘fell off the back of a truck’ eh?

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    • I’m with you Brigitte, the Iris Ukiyoe (haven’t checked the spelling) is not among my favorites either. I’m happy that you discovered some of the Hermessence that last a bit longer 😉

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      • Iris reminds me vaguely of several other fragrances I have sampled along the way so I don’t really find it original. the Paprika Brasil was different to my nose which is why I like it

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  57. Cuir d’Ange today–though I might still go for a swim in which case it will get swapped out later. I’m quite enjoying these two-scents-a-day switches. Yesterday started with Caron Pour un Homme which was from a wee decant in a swap–never worn it before and I really enjoyed it. Though perhaps a touch too much vanilla to turn into the One True Lavender for me (MEM still holding strong in that spot, with Fourreau Noir as the second.) And Slumberhouse Kiste in the evening. I may or may not have annoyed my husband by repeatedly noting how good I smelled, even though he agreed with me.

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    • I have heard good things about Caron Pour un Homme and it is cheap as chips online! I think you can get a huge 8 0z bottle for next to nothing…I could be bathing in it 🙂

      Maybe I will join you in two scents a day…although I usually add something at night anyway…lately it has been essential oils or soothing,calming, spiritual fragrances.

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      • Mrs. M, very pleased about your strength training. I’ll let Crikey handle upper body cuz clearly she’s the Queen. I’ll be your lower body coach. That’s legs. And walking from your ‘basement’ to the living room is not gonna cut it.
        Yup. I think it’s time for us to take a page out of Portia’s playbook. We need to ‘chop and change’! That’s Portia’s brilliantly clever description (which I wish I invented) of wearing multiple scents per day. I’m not talking one or two. We’re going big here. Four, even five. And that’s all before essential oil experimentation time. We gotta roll with the times, girl!

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      • That’s one advantage of your scent-eating skin–you can choose to be consistent or utterly fickle throughout the day!

        Switched to Box of Eels when I got home. EDT and extrait. How madly lush for an afternoon pottering and reading, huh?

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    • Hey Crikey! Cuir d’ange. Is that the one you say sticks on you? Or does it only stick cuz you’re skin is getting stickier? I’ve got sticky fingers. Wanna break into Mrs. Marzipan’s basement with me? I’ll lift the stuff. You can juggle her weights while I ‘shop’.

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    • Crikey, I feel the same about PUH: I love it a lot, but I’d really love more lavender. Even Jicky betrays me sometimes and morphs quickly into the vanillic amber.

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  58. Back from the business trip, unpacking my things and mostly relaxing at home. SOT morning is Santal from Fragonard. It’s a lovely balsamic sandalwood and just right for the first cooler day this fall. I think I’ll be wearing it a lot in the next months.

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  59. Yikes 😲. I posted my opinions on two perfumes from my sample pack of 1000 Flowers which arrived yesterday in the wrong place! My thoughts, for what they’re worth are, up there ⤴️ if anyone is curious enough to hunt for it.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. NVC Pichola today. The more I smell it the more I want it. I will try really really hard to be a good girl and maybe Santa will take pity on me, fingers crossed 🤞. Santa, you know I love you.❤️😘

    Liked by 1 person

  61. I tested Reglisse Noire this morning. 1000 Flowers. The villagers will be coming after me with torches and pitchforks. Mrs. Marzipan will be leading the charge.
    I don’t dislike it and I can see why it gets a lot of love. The licorice note is certainly of interest. It reminds me of something my mother or grand mother used to wear. On me it has a rather old-fashioned feel. The problem lies in the fact that the licorice note comes off as too sugary on my skin. Soft and almost powdered. Unlike the back draft of zingy licorice I get hiding behind the neon violet of Dans Tes Bras. Again, like the other two I described from my sample pack, too polite, too lady-like on my skin. Guess I’m just a boorish lout!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks for the reviews Marcella. I think I prefer licorice with citrus, not sweet and powdery. My favorite licorice so far is Etra Etro.

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    • No worries, love…we can’t all adore the same things…and more for me 🙂

      I guess I prefer lady like…

      and thank you for that good laugh….I promise no pitchforks!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Actually Brigitte, my opinion on Reglisse Noire has taken a drastic turn. It’s not just pretty and lady-like it’s stunningly beautiful. And I will never be able to wear it. This is a scent that brings me right back to when I was a young child in Holland. My mother must have worn something like it. She suffered terribly from depression in most of her later years after we had emigrated to Canada. This tear provoking fragrance has brought to life a distant memory of my mother as a young, happy woman and me as a little toddler. How incredible and what an experience!!! But it just feels too melancholy to revisit. I will keep my tiny sample for when I feel the need to miss my mother deeply. So, hopefully not too often as it was overwhelmingly sad. Rest in peace Mummy ❤️

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  64. I’ve just read a thread on Instagram where people who don’t like Guerlain (the pre-LVMH creations) are trashing it (someone called them “spineless”. Spineless, FFS!), and I wanted to say to you all that I greatly appreciate the way you talk about scents. Even when you have something nasty to say about a certain fragrance, you do it in an inoffensive way. I love that APJ is neither a “ponies, rainbows and every-single-perfume-is-a-masterpiece” land nor a minefield with thingly veiled insults. Hope this makes sense, I really should hit the hay.

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      • Guerlain with extra spine. A good blast of Mahora. My whole body is hanging off her spine. Take that, silly Instagrammers 👊🏻💥 . And yeah, she’s pre 2010, she’s 18 years old, in fact. Fancy taking her on in an arm-wrestle? Thought not!😾

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          • I may have to eat crow😹 I don’t know why I thought that LVMH took over Guerlain in 2010??? I just read that it was 1994. Oopsie. Don’t have any Guerlain from before then. Not sure how old my Samsara is, but all the others are from the 2000s.

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          • Cassie, I find that LVMH started to act most unreasonably since Jean-Paul Guerlain left the company. I mean no disrespect to Thierry Wasser, in fact, I admire what he has done with the current reformulations of Guerlain’s classics, and it’s not his fault that his greedy bosses want more money than they could ever count. It’s a brand new world, not everyone’s supposed to like it 😦

            PS I can’t believe I’m whining about vintage perfumes again. Sorry!

            Liked by 1 person

          • Woohoo, you’ve given her some serious skin time then. I’m minding my bottle like a baby. It doesn’t take many spritzes to get the wow effect.

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  66. Brin de Reglisse…it reads very sweet on my skin but chewy too (if that makes any sense???)…and I can kinda smell it if I shove my nose up against my wrist.

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      • It’s good and when it wore off I gave myself a spritz of Hermessences Ambre Nargille (which is extraordinarily sweet although my skin amps up sweet notes pretty regularly …must be all the chocolate covered marzipan I consume ) I wanted to test it before sending it to a dear friend of mine who really wants to try it…she told me NOT to thunk this one …so I did one spray instead of 50.

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