Saturday, July 14
Afternoon (because I slept in, ha): Hot. Still waiting on my Aedes order, so I just opted for Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber). Again. Boring to read about, but not to smell! Went to the mall with the boy to do some eyeshadow swatching and managed to fit in some perfume sniffing to boot. Made him smell Dior Poison (Floral: rosewood, anise, coriander, wild berries, plum, opoponax, tuberose, orange flower, jasmine, carnation, honey, rose, incense, cinnamon, amber, cedar, sandalwood, musk, vetiver, heliotrope, vanilla); he commented that it was aptly named, I agreed. Sprayed Dior Dune (Oriental Floral: bergamot, mandarin, palisander, aldehydes, peony, broom, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, lichen, vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, musk) down my dress, but it was a huge spray and it evidently does not smell as appealing in higher doses. Had a bit of a synthetic edge to it. I liked it better than the boy did, but I still wasn't crazy about it. Ah well. Also sprayed Guerlain Mandarine-Basilic (Citrus Aromatic: clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange, peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil, sandalwood, amber) on my arm in Sephora after having read that it's one of Liz's favorite summer scents. I can see why! It smells like mandarin and basil, unsurprisingly, and is very refreshing and crisp. Not as aromatic (=herbalicious) as Eau Sauvage, and sweeter and less complex, but a very pretty, light, fresh-not-"fresh" summer scent.
Night: Debated between Hermès Terre d'Hermès (Woody Spicy: lemon, orange, pelargonium, pepper, benzoin, vetiver, cedar, patchouli), just to see if it sits better with me now that I have more sniffing experience, and By Kilian Incense Oud (Oriental: geranium, cardamom, pink pepper, rose, patchouli, virginia cedar, papyrus, methyl pamplemousse, musk, labdanum, sandalwood, oakmoss, incense). Ended up opting for the latter. Incense and oud, y'all. It's nice enough, but I don't find it terribly compelling. Impressive sillage and longevity, though!
Sunday, July 15
Morning/afternoon: Overcast and cooler. Went for Samsara (Oriental Woody: bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, peach, green notes, jasmine, iris, narcissus, violet, rose, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, musk), which just lasts and lasts. Very pretty scent, though if you're someone who dislikes synthetic sandalwood, you should stay far away. I don't mind it, though, having not smelled real sandalwood for...oh, a decade, maybe more? I used to have a fan made out of sandalwood that I loved to sniff, but I don't know where it went. Alas. But anyways, Samsara is lovely with its mix of jasmine and sandalwood, and it's one of those scents I think you can wear in pretty much any weather, though I like it best in temperate temperatures (between, say, 55 and 70).
Night: Decided to try Serge Lutens Datura Noir (Oriental Vanilla: coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla, apricot) again, this time sprayed, and y'all, it did not make it better (I think I wore this dabbed the week that I didn't post an FF, so it seems I have not talked about it yet!). Still got that nougat/rotten melon scent, which I assume must be from the bitter almond (possibly in combination with coconut), based on other reviews. I am not a fan––too sweet, and I think I pick up on the heliotrope, whose powdery sweetness never sits right with me. Or perhaps I just dislike the smell of datura!
Monday, July 16
Morning: Cooler and overcast again. Decided to wear the always-appropriate Mitsouko (Chypre Fruity: rose, bergamot, jasmine, citrus, ylang-ylang, lilac, peach, vetiver, oakmoss, cinnamon, amber, spices)––I only have one spray left! Ack!––to teach class, which was nice until my body decided it wanted to start sweating, which combined with the perfume into a rather unpleasantly sharp scent. Can't blame Mitsouko, though; if I'd been able to spray more on, I'm sure she could have subdued my sweatscent. Still trying to decide whether I want to buy another little decant, or just spring for the full bottle...self birthday present, maybe?
Afternoon: My Aedes order finally arrived, yippee! Of course, the weather was cool, and I'd ordered a bunch of perfumes for hot weather (because last week it was so effing hot), but I ended up transferring Amouage Honour Woman (Oriental Floral: pepper, rhubarb, coriander, tuberose, jasmine, gardenia, lily of the valley, carnation, frankincense, vetiver, opoponax, amber, leather) and dabbing the vial on my arm. I'm...not sure how I feel about it, honestly. It's a white floral with no orange blossom, so it should be good, but I get some weird dissonance and aquatic notes that just don't work for me. Maybe it would be better in warmer weather?
Night: Chose to wear Narciso Rodriguez For Her (Floral Woody Musk: bergamot, orange flower, osmanthus, amber, musk, vetiver, vanilla) to bed. Simple and pretty, and if you haven't smelled it, you really should.
Tuesday, July 17
Morning: Warmer but still somewhat overcast; I decided to try Honour Woman down my shirt and transferred Arquiste Flor y Canto (Floral: tagetes, frangipani, magnolia, tuberose) and wore dabs on my forearm. The classroom I taught in was incredibly warm and humid, though, which was really not great. Honour Woman did not survive my sweatiness very well. Flor y Canto, on the other hand, smelled gorgeous all the way through (admittedly, my arm does not get as sweaty as my chest, so that helped). The Non-Blonde's review is great, and is what inspired me to try the perfume in the first place. This may be my favorite white floral yet!
Afternoon: After my nap I decided not to take a shower because my hair still looked pretty good, but my perfume had worn off so I sprayed Flor y Canto down my shirt. Still gorgeous, though I kept getting whiffs of it and thinking it smelled like Amouage Memoir Woman (Chypre: cardamom, mandarin, pink pepper, wormwood, clove, incense, pepper, woods, jasmine, rose, white flowers, musk, labdanum, oak moss, styrax, leather). Weird? Lasted most of the day.
Wednesday, July 18
Morning: Overcast and chilly, though forecast predicted heat later in the day. Wanted something somewhat cozy, so I reached for another Guerlain: Jicky (Oriental Woody: lemon, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, jasmine, basil, orris root, tonka bean, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, leather, spices, rosewood, vanilla). Then proceeded to bounce around the room with happiness at the smell. Definitely need a larger decant, stat. (This also reminds me a bit of Memoir Woman, perhaps because that scent has so much going on that many other perfumes can relate.)
Evening: Went out to dinner with the boy (at Belly, and yes, it was delicious, though our waitress was a little...spacey?), and decided that my continual association of other perfumes with Memoir Woman meant I should just wear it already. So I did! The citrus aspects are coming out more than before, but it was still recognizably Memoir. And it still smelled amazing. My favorite Amouage so far, by far. If only it weren't so painfully expensive ($280 for 3.4 oz), though it is one of the cheaper Amouages. I guess I'll just have to repeatedly order samples...Still need to try Lyric, Dia, and Epic, though––next Aedes order, maybe!
Thursday, July 19
Morning: Sunny when I woke up! Then cloudy when I got out of the shower. Damned PNW weather! Forecast said it was going to get to be mid-80s, though, so I figured I should wear something light and appropriate for hot weather. L'Artisan Thé pour un Eté (Aromatic Green: tea, jasmine, bergamot, lemon, mint, maté, cedar) down my shirt, very refreshing and pretty. I think I should perhaps have gotten a bottle of White Tea & Ginger (which according to Scents of Self smells just like Thé pour un Eté) during the B&BW semi-annual sale, but I didn't want to pay $6 for shipping. Ah well! Transferred Carthusia Fiori di Capri (Chypre Floral: bergamot, orange blossom, gardenia, tuberose, cyclamen, white flowers, rose, orange, ylang-ylang, iris, honey, nutmeg, cloves, carnation, strawberry, plum, violet leaf, hyacinth, incense, musk, oakmoss, patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, labdanum, amber) and wore the vial dabbings on my arm. Quite strong, and very reminiscent of something, but I'm not sure what––though I suspect Parfums de Nicolaï Le Temps d'une Fête (Floral Green: osmanthus, narcissus, hyacinth, oakmoss, styrax). Further sniffing is warranted.
Night: We had an epic thunderstorm, which is extremely rare in Eugene––we get lots of rain, but very few thunderstorms! Pretty exciting. T came over and we made nail polish magnets, and then managed to convince the boy and one of his roommates to make some, too. Very fun! I'll post pictures at some point. After they left, I put on Lolita Lempicka (Floral Fruity Gourmand: anise, pineapple, violet, mahogany, ivy, lemon, lily of the valley, vetiver, jasmine, amaryllis, iris, orris root, licorice, hyacinth, vanilla, almond, tonka bean, praline, tobacco, musk) because it was a little chilly and I figured why not. Somewhat spicy, mostly just sweet and a little peppery. Wasn't wild about it, but I've worn it before and liked it, so it may have had something to do with the weather.
Friday, July 20
Morning: What the heck is the dealio with this weather, y'all? I do not want cloudy! I do not want humid! Make it go away! Opted for Chanel Bois des Iles (Oriental Woody: aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris, ylang-ylang, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, musk) because it was yucky in the morning and its cozy gingerbread is comforting, but it also works well in warmer weather (much like Samsara). Lasted a good 5 hours on me––not very impressive for longevity in general, but pretty good for this particular scent!
Now I have to decide what I want to wear to dinner and the moustache and top hat party I'm going to tonight...probably a men's scent, eh? Maybe I should try Terre d'Hermès or Timbuktu...What have you been wearing this week?
Afternoon (because I slept in, ha): Hot. Still waiting on my Aedes order, so I just opted for Eau Sauvage (Citrus Aromatic: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit, jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber). Again. Boring to read about, but not to smell! Went to the mall with the boy to do some eyeshadow swatching and managed to fit in some perfume sniffing to boot. Made him smell Dior Poison (Floral: rosewood, anise, coriander, wild berries, plum, opoponax, tuberose, orange flower, jasmine, carnation, honey, rose, incense, cinnamon, amber, cedar, sandalwood, musk, vetiver, heliotrope, vanilla); he commented that it was aptly named, I agreed. Sprayed Dior Dune (Oriental Floral: bergamot, mandarin, palisander, aldehydes, peony, broom, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, lichen, vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, musk) down my dress, but it was a huge spray and it evidently does not smell as appealing in higher doses. Had a bit of a synthetic edge to it. I liked it better than the boy did, but I still wasn't crazy about it. Ah well. Also sprayed Guerlain Mandarine-Basilic (Citrus Aromatic: clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange, peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil, sandalwood, amber) on my arm in Sephora after having read that it's one of Liz's favorite summer scents. I can see why! It smells like mandarin and basil, unsurprisingly, and is very refreshing and crisp. Not as aromatic (=herbalicious) as Eau Sauvage, and sweeter and less complex, but a very pretty, light, fresh-not-"fresh" summer scent.
Night: Debated between Hermès Terre d'Hermès (Woody Spicy: lemon, orange, pelargonium, pepper, benzoin, vetiver, cedar, patchouli), just to see if it sits better with me now that I have more sniffing experience, and By Kilian Incense Oud (Oriental: geranium, cardamom, pink pepper, rose, patchouli, virginia cedar, papyrus, methyl pamplemousse, musk, labdanum, sandalwood, oakmoss, incense). Ended up opting for the latter. Incense and oud, y'all. It's nice enough, but I don't find it terribly compelling. Impressive sillage and longevity, though!
Sunday, July 15
Morning/afternoon: Overcast and cooler. Went for Samsara (Oriental Woody: bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, peach, green notes, jasmine, iris, narcissus, violet, rose, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, musk), which just lasts and lasts. Very pretty scent, though if you're someone who dislikes synthetic sandalwood, you should stay far away. I don't mind it, though, having not smelled real sandalwood for...oh, a decade, maybe more? I used to have a fan made out of sandalwood that I loved to sniff, but I don't know where it went. Alas. But anyways, Samsara is lovely with its mix of jasmine and sandalwood, and it's one of those scents I think you can wear in pretty much any weather, though I like it best in temperate temperatures (between, say, 55 and 70).
Night: Decided to try Serge Lutens Datura Noir (Oriental Vanilla: coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla, apricot) again, this time sprayed, and y'all, it did not make it better (I think I wore this dabbed the week that I didn't post an FF, so it seems I have not talked about it yet!). Still got that nougat/rotten melon scent, which I assume must be from the bitter almond (possibly in combination with coconut), based on other reviews. I am not a fan––too sweet, and I think I pick up on the heliotrope, whose powdery sweetness never sits right with me. Or perhaps I just dislike the smell of datura!
Monday, July 16
Morning: Cooler and overcast again. Decided to wear the always-appropriate Mitsouko (Chypre Fruity: rose, bergamot, jasmine, citrus, ylang-ylang, lilac, peach, vetiver, oakmoss, cinnamon, amber, spices)––I only have one spray left! Ack!––to teach class, which was nice until my body decided it wanted to start sweating, which combined with the perfume into a rather unpleasantly sharp scent. Can't blame Mitsouko, though; if I'd been able to spray more on, I'm sure she could have subdued my sweatscent. Still trying to decide whether I want to buy another little decant, or just spring for the full bottle...self birthday present, maybe?
Afternoon: My Aedes order finally arrived, yippee! Of course, the weather was cool, and I'd ordered a bunch of perfumes for hot weather (because last week it was so effing hot), but I ended up transferring Amouage Honour Woman (Oriental Floral: pepper, rhubarb, coriander, tuberose, jasmine, gardenia, lily of the valley, carnation, frankincense, vetiver, opoponax, amber, leather) and dabbing the vial on my arm. I'm...not sure how I feel about it, honestly. It's a white floral with no orange blossom, so it should be good, but I get some weird dissonance and aquatic notes that just don't work for me. Maybe it would be better in warmer weather?
Night: Chose to wear Narciso Rodriguez For Her (Floral Woody Musk: bergamot, orange flower, osmanthus, amber, musk, vetiver, vanilla) to bed. Simple and pretty, and if you haven't smelled it, you really should.
Tuesday, July 17
Morning: Warmer but still somewhat overcast; I decided to try Honour Woman down my shirt and transferred Arquiste Flor y Canto (Floral: tagetes, frangipani, magnolia, tuberose) and wore dabs on my forearm. The classroom I taught in was incredibly warm and humid, though, which was really not great. Honour Woman did not survive my sweatiness very well. Flor y Canto, on the other hand, smelled gorgeous all the way through (admittedly, my arm does not get as sweaty as my chest, so that helped). The Non-Blonde's review is great, and is what inspired me to try the perfume in the first place. This may be my favorite white floral yet!
Afternoon: After my nap I decided not to take a shower because my hair still looked pretty good, but my perfume had worn off so I sprayed Flor y Canto down my shirt. Still gorgeous, though I kept getting whiffs of it and thinking it smelled like Amouage Memoir Woman (Chypre: cardamom, mandarin, pink pepper, wormwood, clove, incense, pepper, woods, jasmine, rose, white flowers, musk, labdanum, oak moss, styrax, leather). Weird? Lasted most of the day.
Wednesday, July 18
Morning: Overcast and chilly, though forecast predicted heat later in the day. Wanted something somewhat cozy, so I reached for another Guerlain: Jicky (Oriental Woody: lemon, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, jasmine, basil, orris root, tonka bean, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, leather, spices, rosewood, vanilla). Then proceeded to bounce around the room with happiness at the smell. Definitely need a larger decant, stat. (This also reminds me a bit of Memoir Woman, perhaps because that scent has so much going on that many other perfumes can relate.)
Evening: Went out to dinner with the boy (at Belly, and yes, it was delicious, though our waitress was a little...spacey?), and decided that my continual association of other perfumes with Memoir Woman meant I should just wear it already. So I did! The citrus aspects are coming out more than before, but it was still recognizably Memoir. And it still smelled amazing. My favorite Amouage so far, by far. If only it weren't so painfully expensive ($280 for 3.4 oz), though it is one of the cheaper Amouages. I guess I'll just have to repeatedly order samples...Still need to try Lyric, Dia, and Epic, though––next Aedes order, maybe!
Thursday, July 19
Morning: Sunny when I woke up! Then cloudy when I got out of the shower. Damned PNW weather! Forecast said it was going to get to be mid-80s, though, so I figured I should wear something light and appropriate for hot weather. L'Artisan Thé pour un Eté (Aromatic Green: tea, jasmine, bergamot, lemon, mint, maté, cedar) down my shirt, very refreshing and pretty. I think I should perhaps have gotten a bottle of White Tea & Ginger (which according to Scents of Self smells just like Thé pour un Eté) during the B&BW semi-annual sale, but I didn't want to pay $6 for shipping. Ah well! Transferred Carthusia Fiori di Capri (Chypre Floral: bergamot, orange blossom, gardenia, tuberose, cyclamen, white flowers, rose, orange, ylang-ylang, iris, honey, nutmeg, cloves, carnation, strawberry, plum, violet leaf, hyacinth, incense, musk, oakmoss, patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, labdanum, amber) and wore the vial dabbings on my arm. Quite strong, and very reminiscent of something, but I'm not sure what––though I suspect Parfums de Nicolaï Le Temps d'une Fête (Floral Green: osmanthus, narcissus, hyacinth, oakmoss, styrax). Further sniffing is warranted.
Night: We had an epic thunderstorm, which is extremely rare in Eugene––we get lots of rain, but very few thunderstorms! Pretty exciting. T came over and we made nail polish magnets, and then managed to convince the boy and one of his roommates to make some, too. Very fun! I'll post pictures at some point. After they left, I put on Lolita Lempicka (Floral Fruity Gourmand: anise, pineapple, violet, mahogany, ivy, lemon, lily of the valley, vetiver, jasmine, amaryllis, iris, orris root, licorice, hyacinth, vanilla, almond, tonka bean, praline, tobacco, musk) because it was a little chilly and I figured why not. Somewhat spicy, mostly just sweet and a little peppery. Wasn't wild about it, but I've worn it before and liked it, so it may have had something to do with the weather.
Friday, July 20
Morning: What the heck is the dealio with this weather, y'all? I do not want cloudy! I do not want humid! Make it go away! Opted for Chanel Bois des Iles (Oriental Woody: aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris, ylang-ylang, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, musk) because it was yucky in the morning and its cozy gingerbread is comforting, but it also works well in warmer weather (much like Samsara). Lasted a good 5 hours on me––not very impressive for longevity in general, but pretty good for this particular scent!
Now I have to decide what I want to wear to dinner and the moustache and top hat party I'm going to tonight...probably a men's scent, eh? Maybe I should try Terre d'Hermès or Timbuktu...What have you been wearing this week?
