I've been inspired by the Muse in Wooden Shoes' Scent Diary, and have decided that it may be a suitable compromise for Fragrance Friday: I can talk about perfumes, but I don't have to worry about writing a Real Review for which I am wildly unqualified. Let me know what you think! I'm happy to adjust as is appropriate.
Friday, June 1
Morning: Overcast but warm and humid, my least favorite kind of weather. Transferred Bond No. 9 Washington Square (Floral Woody Musk: rose [um, if you say so], tarragon, leather, vetiver) into a spray vial; dabbed the emptied vial onto my arm and spritzed once down my cleavage. I quite dislike the opening, though it's better dabbed than sprayed; it smells a lot like bug spray, and if I had Clinique Aromatics Elixir, I would compare them. It gets a lot better after ~half an hour, though, and turns into a "floral woody musk" with awesome longevity, managing to survive my sweatiness.
Evening: Finally started raining and cooled down some. Took a shower post-nap, because I felt gross and sticky. Sprayed Guerlain Nahéma (Oriental Floral: rose, peach, bergamot, green, aldehyde, hyacinth, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, lily of the valley, vanilla, passion flower, Peru balsam, vetiver, sandalwood) down my shirt twice (equivalent of one big spray) to wear out to BFL; smells like "virtual rose" (LT, in Perfumes: The Guide), but I apparently do not want to smell like rose, virtual or otherwise. It's fine, it's just not love. Good sillage and longevity, though.
Saturday, June 2
Morning: Cooler and still overcast, had been raining; sprayed Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle (Floral: jasmine, orange blossom [blessedly absent to my nose], hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk, vanilla) down my shirt. Really unpleasant opening that reminds me of L'Heure Bleue (camphor and menthol galore), but after half an hour the tuberose starts to come out to play. Remains somewhat icy, which makes it nice for cool, damp weather, but the tuberose keeps it from being unfriendly (unlike Après l'Ondée, which is an ice queen through-and-through). Weather ended up warming up and the sun came out, and TC remained lovely. Great sillage.
Evening: Wasn't really feeling any of my perfumes, so decided to burn a Pacifica candle instead (Mexican Cocoa [Oriental Spicy: nutmeg, cinnamon, almond, vanilla, mexican chocolate], a chocolate-y, warm oriental). I think the soy candles release more scent than the votives, but it still made my office smell nice. Took MM's advice and picked up a $1 long-handled lighter at the Dollar Tree, which means I can now light candles with impunity! (I am very afraid of fire.)
Sunday, June 3
Morning: Rainy and overcast, and remained so all day. Went for the impeccable Mitsouko, which lasted all day and put a smile on my face every time I smelled it (quite a feat, considering I spent the day grading and writing up my syntax problem set).
Evening: Too lazy to bother deciding on a perfume, so I just burnt Mexican Cocoa again. Yummy.
Monday, June 4
Morning: Last Monday of class! It was once again rainy and bleh outside, so I decided to wear SL Bois de Violette (Woody Floral Musk: violet, violet leaf, cedar). The weather only got worse as the day went on, and I was very glad to have its powdery candied warmth to guard me against the pelting rain.
Evening: I came home to my Surrender to Chance order, which I had placed when I'd thought nice weather was actually planning on hanging around, so it's primarily citruses and florals––not exactly cold rain perfume (for me, at least). I dabbed on Fracas (Floral: bergamot, mandarin, lilac, tuberose, jasmine, white narcissus, gardenia, lily of the valley, white iris, orange blossom violet, sandalwood, vetiver, musk), and was thrilled to discover I love it. Perhaps not as much as Carnal Flower or Beyond Love, but at $45 for an ounce, it's 1/5 the price and is definitely more than 1/5 as awesome. It's got more citrus than either of those, and has some of the menthol of Tubéreuse Criminelle (though in a much milder fashion), but is overall a lovely, plush tuberose. Definitely on my full bottle list. I also dabbed on Chanel 31 Rue Cambon (Woody Chypre: bergamot, patchouli [this notes list is seriously lacking]), since: chypre! It smells quite strongly of anise in its opening, but that fades and it becomes a citrusy, woody chypre (though see my notes for Thursday for how it is sprayed). It's quite lovely indeed––no Mitsouko, but nothing is. It reminds me of Ormonde Woman, not so much in the sense that they smell alike, but rather that they convey similar feelings, of mysterious forests with flowering trees and dappled sunlight. And, at $110 for 2.5 oz, it's less than Fracas per ounce (of course, I would rather just buy a smaller size for less money, since given my burgeoning collection it seems foolhardy to accrue too large a supply of any one scent!). Sniffing my arms helps get me through the last few essays I have to grade, and that, dear readers, is priceless.
Tuesday, June 5
Morning: Woke up to sunshine! But it was quite chilly, and the weather report said to expect rain, so I transferred Chanel Bois des Iles (Oriental Woody: aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris, ylang-ylang, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, musk) and dabbed the empty vial on my forearm and sprayed Hermès Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan (Fruity Floral: orange, tea, osmanthus, freesia, apricot, leather) down my shirt. BdI is pretty aldehyde-y at the start, which I am not a fan of, since aldehydes smell acrid to me, but they fade after awhile and a lovely sandalwood floral oriental tinted with aldehydes reveals itself. Really gorgeous, but the sillage isn't great. OY smells like black tea and osmanthus flowers (surprise!), with the sharp dryness of tea and mild soapy peach of osmanthus. In spite of not being a fan of soapy notes, I quite like it, and find it to be a good scent in both heat and cold (in the heat, because it reminds me of iced tea; in the cold, because it reminds me of hot tea, ha!); unfortunately, it is obscenely expensive, so I shan't be buying a bottle (or probably even a larger decant, since I wear it only occasionally).
Evening: Tried to transfer Cristalle (Chypre Floral: lemon, bergamot, rosewood, hyacinth, oakmoss, vetiver), failed miserably. In spite of my best efforts, I could not get the cap to go on and ended up merely bruising my palm. GREAT. Inspired me to order more plastic sprays from Lotion Crafter, because yes, it will put me over my beauty budget, but damnit, I am tired of having to do battle every time I want to transfer a perfume. Also, L said she would be happy to take the glass vials off my hands, so at least they're not going to waste. /rant Cristalle is very, very green, with a bit of iris peeking through, and a nice chypre base. It reminds me of Black March, as they're both very crisp and green.
Night: Wanted something warm and cozy, so I sprayed on FM Musc Ravageur (Oriental: lavender, bergamot, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, guiac wood, cedar [why isn't musk listed here? I have no idea.]) before bed. Comforting and sexy, and I could still smell it in the morning.
Wednesday, June 6
Morning: SUNSHINE! Not particularly warm (mid-60s), but still, sunshine is great. Carefully sprayed Cristalle down my shirt from the still-not connected glass spray; sprayed two more times when I realized I couldn't really smell it. Small paltry sprays really not sufficient for a light green fragrance like this! Plan to re-transfer this to a plastic atomizer, which yes, will mean even more wasted product, but whatever. Transfered Parfums de Nicolaï Number One (Floral: jasmine, neroli, tuberose, rose, iris, black currant) to a plastic atomizer and dabbed the vial on my forearm. Lovely from a distance, an elegant white floral (though I don't get any tuberose, which is disappointing), but right up close to my nose it smells a little...old. I'm not sure what the note is, but I think it may be in 24, Faubourg as well. Will have to see what it's like sprayed.
Afternoon: Stopped in the Duck Store to try some more Pacifica scents; decided to see what the California Star Jasmine solid perfume (Floral: jasmine, orange, driftwood) was like. Verdict: awesome. It starts out really green, but the floralcy starts to come out after a few minutes, and the result is a happy green jasmine floral. The sillage is just about non-existent, but that's to be expected from a solid perfume. It lasted about 3 hours, and I would definitely consider buying it for myself (at only $9, it would be hard to resist!). I found the spray perfume version to be too green and citrusy, but the solid, while still green, has more jasmine and florals, which makes it (in my opinion) a better-rounded scent.
Evening: Came home to my Sephora order, placed on Monday when they had 10% off. It arrived in 2 business days, y'all. That's ridiculous. I had a $50 gift card that I'd bought 20% off last month, so I used it and the coupon to buy Dior Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber). It's sold under men's fragrance, but I have no problem wearing it myself. It's an awesome summery citrus on a near-chypre base, so it's bright and happy but still interesting, and lasts several hours on me. Even though the weather was chilly, I still sprayed it on; I definitely prefer it in warm weather, but it's still quite nice as a pick-me-up!
Thursday, June 7
Morning: 'Twas chilly and overcast, again, so I decided to wear Bois des Iles, both on my arm and down my shirt. Sprayed, it's pretty much the same as dabbed, but with better sillage (still not great, though). Very aldehyde-heavy opening, and then the sandalwood comes out to play for a couple hours, at which point it smells very similar to Samsara (current version, at least to my untrained nose). After a few hours (3-4), I can smell the gingerbread accord for which it is so well-known, which is quite delightful.
Evening: BdI was pretty much completely gone, so I sprayed 31 Rue Cambon on my arm and down my shirt before meeting with the boy (yes, there's a boy now!). Really reminds me of Ormonde Woman, though I've not worn them side-by-side, and honestly neither smells particularly chypre-ish to me. Good sillage, kept catching whiffs of myself. The boy complimented me, saying "you smell good...like girl", which is apparently a step up from dude and cat, which he said is what he usually smells. I chose not to divulge just how much it costs to smell like girl...
What have you worn this past week? Have you tried any of these perfumes? Which ones do you like?
Friday, June 1
Morning: Overcast but warm and humid, my least favorite kind of weather. Transferred Bond No. 9 Washington Square (Floral Woody Musk: rose [um, if you say so], tarragon, leather, vetiver) into a spray vial; dabbed the emptied vial onto my arm and spritzed once down my cleavage. I quite dislike the opening, though it's better dabbed than sprayed; it smells a lot like bug spray, and if I had Clinique Aromatics Elixir, I would compare them. It gets a lot better after ~half an hour, though, and turns into a "floral woody musk" with awesome longevity, managing to survive my sweatiness.
Evening: Finally started raining and cooled down some. Took a shower post-nap, because I felt gross and sticky. Sprayed Guerlain Nahéma (Oriental Floral: rose, peach, bergamot, green, aldehyde, hyacinth, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, lily of the valley, vanilla, passion flower, Peru balsam, vetiver, sandalwood) down my shirt twice (equivalent of one big spray) to wear out to BFL; smells like "virtual rose" (LT, in Perfumes: The Guide), but I apparently do not want to smell like rose, virtual or otherwise. It's fine, it's just not love. Good sillage and longevity, though.
Saturday, June 2
Morning: Cooler and still overcast, had been raining; sprayed Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle (Floral: jasmine, orange blossom [blessedly absent to my nose], hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk, vanilla) down my shirt. Really unpleasant opening that reminds me of L'Heure Bleue (camphor and menthol galore), but after half an hour the tuberose starts to come out to play. Remains somewhat icy, which makes it nice for cool, damp weather, but the tuberose keeps it from being unfriendly (unlike Après l'Ondée, which is an ice queen through-and-through). Weather ended up warming up and the sun came out, and TC remained lovely. Great sillage.
Evening: Wasn't really feeling any of my perfumes, so decided to burn a Pacifica candle instead (Mexican Cocoa [Oriental Spicy: nutmeg, cinnamon, almond, vanilla, mexican chocolate], a chocolate-y, warm oriental). I think the soy candles release more scent than the votives, but it still made my office smell nice. Took MM's advice and picked up a $1 long-handled lighter at the Dollar Tree, which means I can now light candles with impunity! (I am very afraid of fire.)
Sunday, June 3
Morning: Rainy and overcast, and remained so all day. Went for the impeccable Mitsouko, which lasted all day and put a smile on my face every time I smelled it (quite a feat, considering I spent the day grading and writing up my syntax problem set).
Evening: Too lazy to bother deciding on a perfume, so I just burnt Mexican Cocoa again. Yummy.
Monday, June 4
Morning: Last Monday of class! It was once again rainy and bleh outside, so I decided to wear SL Bois de Violette (Woody Floral Musk: violet, violet leaf, cedar). The weather only got worse as the day went on, and I was very glad to have its powdery candied warmth to guard me against the pelting rain.
Evening: I came home to my Surrender to Chance order, which I had placed when I'd thought nice weather was actually planning on hanging around, so it's primarily citruses and florals––not exactly cold rain perfume (for me, at least). I dabbed on Fracas (Floral: bergamot, mandarin, lilac, tuberose, jasmine, white narcissus, gardenia, lily of the valley, white iris, orange blossom violet, sandalwood, vetiver, musk), and was thrilled to discover I love it. Perhaps not as much as Carnal Flower or Beyond Love, but at $45 for an ounce, it's 1/5 the price and is definitely more than 1/5 as awesome. It's got more citrus than either of those, and has some of the menthol of Tubéreuse Criminelle (though in a much milder fashion), but is overall a lovely, plush tuberose. Definitely on my full bottle list. I also dabbed on Chanel 31 Rue Cambon (Woody Chypre: bergamot, patchouli [this notes list is seriously lacking]), since: chypre! It smells quite strongly of anise in its opening, but that fades and it becomes a citrusy, woody chypre (though see my notes for Thursday for how it is sprayed). It's quite lovely indeed––no Mitsouko, but nothing is. It reminds me of Ormonde Woman, not so much in the sense that they smell alike, but rather that they convey similar feelings, of mysterious forests with flowering trees and dappled sunlight. And, at $110 for 2.5 oz, it's less than Fracas per ounce (of course, I would rather just buy a smaller size for less money, since given my burgeoning collection it seems foolhardy to accrue too large a supply of any one scent!). Sniffing my arms helps get me through the last few essays I have to grade, and that, dear readers, is priceless.
Tuesday, June 5
Morning: Woke up to sunshine! But it was quite chilly, and the weather report said to expect rain, so I transferred Chanel Bois des Iles (Oriental Woody: aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris, ylang-ylang, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, musk) and dabbed the empty vial on my forearm and sprayed Hermès Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan (Fruity Floral: orange, tea, osmanthus, freesia, apricot, leather) down my shirt. BdI is pretty aldehyde-y at the start, which I am not a fan of, since aldehydes smell acrid to me, but they fade after awhile and a lovely sandalwood floral oriental tinted with aldehydes reveals itself. Really gorgeous, but the sillage isn't great. OY smells like black tea and osmanthus flowers (surprise!), with the sharp dryness of tea and mild soapy peach of osmanthus. In spite of not being a fan of soapy notes, I quite like it, and find it to be a good scent in both heat and cold (in the heat, because it reminds me of iced tea; in the cold, because it reminds me of hot tea, ha!); unfortunately, it is obscenely expensive, so I shan't be buying a bottle (or probably even a larger decant, since I wear it only occasionally).
Evening: Tried to transfer Cristalle (Chypre Floral: lemon, bergamot, rosewood, hyacinth, oakmoss, vetiver), failed miserably. In spite of my best efforts, I could not get the cap to go on and ended up merely bruising my palm. GREAT. Inspired me to order more plastic sprays from Lotion Crafter, because yes, it will put me over my beauty budget, but damnit, I am tired of having to do battle every time I want to transfer a perfume. Also, L said she would be happy to take the glass vials off my hands, so at least they're not going to waste. /rant Cristalle is very, very green, with a bit of iris peeking through, and a nice chypre base. It reminds me of Black March, as they're both very crisp and green.
Night: Wanted something warm and cozy, so I sprayed on FM Musc Ravageur (Oriental: lavender, bergamot, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, guiac wood, cedar [why isn't musk listed here? I have no idea.]) before bed. Comforting and sexy, and I could still smell it in the morning.
Wednesday, June 6
Morning: SUNSHINE! Not particularly warm (mid-60s), but still, sunshine is great. Carefully sprayed Cristalle down my shirt from the still-not connected glass spray; sprayed two more times when I realized I couldn't really smell it. Small paltry sprays really not sufficient for a light green fragrance like this! Plan to re-transfer this to a plastic atomizer, which yes, will mean even more wasted product, but whatever. Transfered Parfums de Nicolaï Number One (Floral: jasmine, neroli, tuberose, rose, iris, black currant) to a plastic atomizer and dabbed the vial on my forearm. Lovely from a distance, an elegant white floral (though I don't get any tuberose, which is disappointing), but right up close to my nose it smells a little...old. I'm not sure what the note is, but I think it may be in 24, Faubourg as well. Will have to see what it's like sprayed.
Afternoon: Stopped in the Duck Store to try some more Pacifica scents; decided to see what the California Star Jasmine solid perfume (Floral: jasmine, orange, driftwood) was like. Verdict: awesome. It starts out really green, but the floralcy starts to come out after a few minutes, and the result is a happy green jasmine floral. The sillage is just about non-existent, but that's to be expected from a solid perfume. It lasted about 3 hours, and I would definitely consider buying it for myself (at only $9, it would be hard to resist!). I found the spray perfume version to be too green and citrusy, but the solid, while still green, has more jasmine and florals, which makes it (in my opinion) a better-rounded scent.
Evening: Came home to my Sephora order, placed on Monday when they had 10% off. It arrived in 2 business days, y'all. That's ridiculous. I had a $50 gift card that I'd bought 20% off last month, so I used it and the coupon to buy Dior Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber). It's sold under men's fragrance, but I have no problem wearing it myself. It's an awesome summery citrus on a near-chypre base, so it's bright and happy but still interesting, and lasts several hours on me. Even though the weather was chilly, I still sprayed it on; I definitely prefer it in warm weather, but it's still quite nice as a pick-me-up!
Thursday, June 7
Morning: 'Twas chilly and overcast, again, so I decided to wear Bois des Iles, both on my arm and down my shirt. Sprayed, it's pretty much the same as dabbed, but with better sillage (still not great, though). Very aldehyde-heavy opening, and then the sandalwood comes out to play for a couple hours, at which point it smells very similar to Samsara (current version, at least to my untrained nose). After a few hours (3-4), I can smell the gingerbread accord for which it is so well-known, which is quite delightful.
Evening: BdI was pretty much completely gone, so I sprayed 31 Rue Cambon on my arm and down my shirt before meeting with the boy (yes, there's a boy now!). Really reminds me of Ormonde Woman, though I've not worn them side-by-side, and honestly neither smells particularly chypre-ish to me. Good sillage, kept catching whiffs of myself. The boy complimented me, saying "you smell good...like girl", which is apparently a step up from dude and cat, which he said is what he usually smells. I chose not to divulge just how much it costs to smell like girl...
What have you worn this past week? Have you tried any of these perfumes? Which ones do you like?
