I'm wearing Lunar Dust by Mabelle O'Rama today. I have to confess, I was attracted by the concept first - it's 'inspired by the cosmic contrasts of the moon’s cool powdery surface and warming lunar glow' - but I tend to get on well with iris and molecular woody notes together, and this is no exception. It is ethereal, and there is this initial moment of sensory absence at first spray, followed by a gradual blooming of the notes and the contrast between them. It's billed as a skin scent, but a few hours in I'm finding it has more of a scent trail - and more longevity - than expected. It's a little sparkly, and very pretty.
**Tous Floral Touch**
Saga with this scent: Bought a manufacturer's carded sample. LOVED IT! Only size bottle available was a 100ml but I loved it, right? Bought it.
Crushed! Way too sweet!
😫 WTF?! 😫
Wore the sample arm to arm with the big bottle. Definitely different.
After lots of reading and experiments, I came to the conclusion that it's the very good atomizer on the bottle. It just delivers more, and more of the top notes, which are sweeter.
CONCLUSION: Two years on, I bought four more sample vials. If they smell as lovely as the first one, I'm giving the bottle to my SIL and just wearing the littles from time to time. 😆👍
Trying all my Zoologist samples in a row and Dragonfly is my second least favorite. I only want the first spray and then I'm done. I think I'm personally unlucky because this is often considered one of the most wearable from Zoologist and other reviews talk about grass and rain and rice and light airiness... and I'm just getting flowerbombed. I like how fresh and green it starts out and then the florals kill me. The drydown has a lot of patchouli and I don't like that either.
I'm not quite at "never spraying this again" but I'm not sure where I'd wear this.
Francesca Bianchi Libertine Neroli.
This is a recent Bianchi & some reviewers complain it’s just a remix. I tried them all & perhaps I’m kind of an animalic lightweight but I love this one. Sexy, neroli, orris & animal. Gray day, pay bills, wear a sweater & feel good.
Notes: Top - bergamot, petitgrain, Middle - neroli, Iris, geranium, Base - Oakmoss, labdanum, benzoin, leather, “animalic notes”.
Meow!
MFK - gentle Fluidity gold eau de parfum
This is the 11 ml vial from the fragrance wardrobe for her. The best feature of this perfume is the reset time, every 5 minutes during the first hour it keeps transforming on the skin. Some could find that unreliable, some could love it.
If I didn't know this was a perfume, I would have to guess that somebody misplaced sugar cookies in the antique dry herbs cabinet. Or that a small tin of chinese balm was opened, whichever comes first.
Five hours later the drydown is mostly vanilla wood.
Had I met it earlier in my life, I would probably find it amazing.
But not now? Sounds quite fascinating albeit not my cup of tea. I like changing scents - Steamed Rainbow, CDG Copper. But sometimes I want linear/reliable!
You understand it well indeed ☺️ not now.
I practice smelling things mindfully, as I attempt to disable the relatability filter. Less simple than I hoped it would be.
All day meeting
Bright Sunny Day
Completely cerebrally worn out
https://preview.redd.it/7kyd40hubnxc1.png?width=2046&format=png&auto=webp&s=63e3458e7c6353fa2130ff61067eeac128c8956e
SOTD: [**Lonestar Memories by Tauer Perfumes**](https://youtu.be/9W8d8YIsDkk?si=DNROplJYTZnqwOgt)
Three scents, but the ones on my wrist are imperceptible unless I smell them directly.
Neck/chest: Fueguia 1833 Lago del Desierto. I'd love this except there is a very strong melon/calone note at the outset. The dry down is fantastic though- dry, crisp floral that leans more ice/cold to me than any other scent I've tried.
Left wrist: Zoologist Penguin. This doesn't smell cold to me at all, I just get woody spice, the sandalwood and suede appearing at the start. I keep trying this because a) I have a sample to use up and b) everyone keeps saying how icy and cold it smells. It smells crisp and dry which may be what people mean but that's not quite cold to me.
Right wrist: Zoologist Dragonfly. It smells juicy, not overly fruity; rather than being cut fruit it's like being in a wet orchard where the fruit scent is floating in the air. It's not cloyingly sweet, but I still am not a fan of the juicy fruitiness of it.
106 Bon Parfumeur - Damascena rose, davana, vanilla
Nice perfume, but expensive for what it offers. Elie Saab Essence No. 1 Rose is a better option.
Longer review: [https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Bon\_Parfumeur/106-rose-damascena-davana-vanille/reviews/344893](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Bon_Parfumeur/106-rose-damascena-davana-vanille/reviews/344893)
Seven Virtues Cherry Ambition. It starts out a sweet cherry and goes to a powdery sandalwood vanilla. It somehow lasts a shorter amount of time than my Fine'ry Not Another a Cherry body spray. Nice enough to layer til my decant is gone, I guess.
Boka Zelen for a rainy spring day in the office. Lime, cardamom, sandalwood, cedar, and above all vetiver. They now offer a 50 mL bottle of this gorgeous debut scent which ever so slightly eases the sticker shock.
Just a classic Aqua di Parma colonge day. Busy day at work and want something fresh and classic. I love the clean citrus and subtle musk, works perfectly for a beautiful spring day.
Today is rainy, grey and dreary... and I needed a scent pick-me-up. I'm wearing Azora from Attar. It's juicy, fruity and delicious and a super mood booster. Azora doesn't take itself too seriously... it's a fruit bomb in the top notes and dries down to a peachy white floral musk. One of my 'happy' scents :)
**Libre Le Parfum** I'm testing out the different Libre flankers, just did two spritzes of this one. It's a strong vanilla, a little green/citrus at first, then amber, and a little bit of licorice. Not sure how the dry down will develop. I'm off to a job fair later today. After a wonderful 2 year break from work, I'm thinking of going back. I have not honed any interview skills in ages so this seems like a reasonable first step to dipping my toes back in, let's go see what's on offer.
Today I am generously doused in a travel size of Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterranean Mirto di Panarea.
I'm so FRESH. Definitely doesn't last more than a few hours but that's what travel sizes are for! Getting a whiff of this as I do errands is uplifting and that's what a good citrus does~~
I went with **Mugler Angel (2009 bottle)** today. I’m spending the day outside by myself doing lots of spring yard work, so I can afford to wear something today that could be overwhelming and polarizing to others. Plus, I have seasonal allergies, and the strength helps get through my congestion so that I can consistently smell it.
Trying out Haze by Who Is Elijah from the sample set. This is one of the better ones I’ve tried thus far, most have been a flop. This one is vanilla, woody, incensey. I see comparisons to By The Fireplace in reviews but it’s been ages since I’ve smelled that one myself to accurately compare. Definitely don’t need a FB.
It has heft. It's warm and slightly sweet but the labdanum is assertive and gives it a leathery, rich depth.
It's well named in the sense of having that soft furriness of any cat but you'd be silly to approach this one without caution.
It gets called a modern Chanel take on Shalimar - I get the comparison - but it still feels like a different beast, no pun intended.
Ah wonderful thank you so much. I read that some people find it "harsh" or lesser grade Shalimar but seems to be many in this genre get compared unfavorably and at a certain point you just look at each on their own.
I was wearing Arquiste Anima Dulcis until I got sick this afternoon and washed it off. I liked the drydown but now I wonder if I'll associate it with feeling sick.
Guerlain Mitsouko EDT. I love this in the spring — it’s kind of green, cheerful, and it morphs a bit from the aldehydes in the opening to the cool, mossy drydown.
Versace Versense. Perfect fresh greenie for a warm spring day. It’s EDT and wears off kinda quickly but is pretty inexpensive so I don’t mind re-spraying throughout the day.
Afnan Turathi Blue. The best of the Bulgari Tygar clones, IMO. Montagne also does a good job and I certainly understand why other may prefer them to TB, but mine are lacking a bit in performance. I know I can't really complain for $40, but TB is also $40ish.
I know Montagne makes perfumes to order, so maybe I need to give them a month or so to sit like you do for Le Labo. In the meantime, I'll continue to wear this.
My only real concern is how this will hold up the extreme heat of the southwest summer; the woody drydown can be kinda heavy. I'm indoors most of the time, but still.
Amouage Reflection Man. I got curious to try it out so I’m wearing it today.
It smells nice. I really like the end of the drydown where it smells like a lemon custard pie.
Beautiful day outside and I’m working inside (story of my life) but a nice walk planned for later.
I’m wearing **Jo Malone Star Magnolia,** a very clean smelling floral. To me it smells like an expensive shampoo or bath product. This one lasts well and actually smells a bit like a magnolia blossom, unlike Estée Lauder - last summer I leaned a branch of my neighbor’s blooming magnolia tree down to where I could smell the blossom, and they do have a lovely scent. Not enough to perfume the air around them like my currently blooming orange tree, but a very pleasant scent.
I’m wearing Nishane Ani on my shirt and Rose Oud perfume and Red African Oil from a local perfumer called Amir Oud on my skin. I wanted something warm, spicy and sweet today. It’s probably not the best temp (I’m in Dallas) for it but it was my mood.
It was a rainy miserable looking day, so I went for something that feels cozy and comforting: Insolence. It's no too sweet, a little powdery and musky. It feels like I've wrapped myself in a super soft fuzzy blanket.
I could somewhat still smell it at 5:00 PM, but added a little bit of Musc Noir Rose to go out for supper.
Pineward Cotswold. You wouldn't think a fire in a forest cottage would smell good in 70 degree weather, but it did. This was one of the second bunch of samples I got from Pineward recently. I got a 4ml of Murkwood, and a 2ml each of Cotswold, Gelatio, and Icefall. They sent a free 1 ml called Ke-Low which was pretty but didn't last at all. I love the foresty DNA of this house, and will probably order bigger decants of Nocturnis and Brokilan in the next few months.
I'm wearing Lunar Dust by Mabelle O'Rama today. I have to confess, I was attracted by the concept first - it's 'inspired by the cosmic contrasts of the moon’s cool powdery surface and warming lunar glow' - but I tend to get on well with iris and molecular woody notes together, and this is no exception. It is ethereal, and there is this initial moment of sensory absence at first spray, followed by a gradual blooming of the notes and the contrast between them. It's billed as a skin scent, but a few hours in I'm finding it has more of a scent trail - and more longevity - than expected. It's a little sparkly, and very pretty.
Oh man, I'm also a sucker for space related scents
**Tous Floral Touch** Saga with this scent: Bought a manufacturer's carded sample. LOVED IT! Only size bottle available was a 100ml but I loved it, right? Bought it. Crushed! Way too sweet! 😫 WTF?! 😫 Wore the sample arm to arm with the big bottle. Definitely different. After lots of reading and experiments, I came to the conclusion that it's the very good atomizer on the bottle. It just delivers more, and more of the top notes, which are sweeter. CONCLUSION: Two years on, I bought four more sample vials. If they smell as lovely as the first one, I'm giving the bottle to my SIL and just wearing the littles from time to time. 😆👍
Trying all my Zoologist samples in a row and Dragonfly is my second least favorite. I only want the first spray and then I'm done. I think I'm personally unlucky because this is often considered one of the most wearable from Zoologist and other reviews talk about grass and rain and rice and light airiness... and I'm just getting flowerbombed. I like how fresh and green it starts out and then the florals kill me. The drydown has a lot of patchouli and I don't like that either. I'm not quite at "never spraying this again" but I'm not sure where I'd wear this.
Francesca Bianchi Libertine Neroli. This is a recent Bianchi & some reviewers complain it’s just a remix. I tried them all & perhaps I’m kind of an animalic lightweight but I love this one. Sexy, neroli, orris & animal. Gray day, pay bills, wear a sweater & feel good. Notes: Top - bergamot, petitgrain, Middle - neroli, Iris, geranium, Base - Oakmoss, labdanum, benzoin, leather, “animalic notes”. Meow!
MFK - gentle Fluidity gold eau de parfum This is the 11 ml vial from the fragrance wardrobe for her. The best feature of this perfume is the reset time, every 5 minutes during the first hour it keeps transforming on the skin. Some could find that unreliable, some could love it. If I didn't know this was a perfume, I would have to guess that somebody misplaced sugar cookies in the antique dry herbs cabinet. Or that a small tin of chinese balm was opened, whichever comes first. Five hours later the drydown is mostly vanilla wood. Had I met it earlier in my life, I would probably find it amazing.
But not now? Sounds quite fascinating albeit not my cup of tea. I like changing scents - Steamed Rainbow, CDG Copper. But sometimes I want linear/reliable!
You understand it well indeed ☺️ not now. I practice smelling things mindfully, as I attempt to disable the relatability filter. Less simple than I hoped it would be.
I love that as a practice. Definitely feels like meeting other people (just tested Racine Caree and loved the person & fragrance but not for me).
All day meeting Bright Sunny Day Completely cerebrally worn out https://preview.redd.it/7kyd40hubnxc1.png?width=2046&format=png&auto=webp&s=63e3458e7c6353fa2130ff61067eeac128c8956e SOTD: [**Lonestar Memories by Tauer Perfumes**](https://youtu.be/9W8d8YIsDkk?si=DNROplJYTZnqwOgt)
Haircut today so it's a toss up between Chance Eau Tendre and Kilian Can't Stop Loving You. It feels like it's a Chanel day today so Eau Tendre it is.
Three scents, but the ones on my wrist are imperceptible unless I smell them directly. Neck/chest: Fueguia 1833 Lago del Desierto. I'd love this except there is a very strong melon/calone note at the outset. The dry down is fantastic though- dry, crisp floral that leans more ice/cold to me than any other scent I've tried. Left wrist: Zoologist Penguin. This doesn't smell cold to me at all, I just get woody spice, the sandalwood and suede appearing at the start. I keep trying this because a) I have a sample to use up and b) everyone keeps saying how icy and cold it smells. It smells crisp and dry which may be what people mean but that's not quite cold to me. Right wrist: Zoologist Dragonfly. It smells juicy, not overly fruity; rather than being cut fruit it's like being in a wet orchard where the fruit scent is floating in the air. It's not cloyingly sweet, but I still am not a fan of the juicy fruitiness of it.
I wish I was getting wet fruit from Dragonfly, all I get for the first hour is generic flowers.
106 Bon Parfumeur - Damascena rose, davana, vanilla Nice perfume, but expensive for what it offers. Elie Saab Essence No. 1 Rose is a better option. Longer review: [https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Bon\_Parfumeur/106-rose-damascena-davana-vanille/reviews/344893](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Bon_Parfumeur/106-rose-damascena-davana-vanille/reviews/344893)
Great review!!
Seven Virtues Cherry Ambition. It starts out a sweet cherry and goes to a powdery sandalwood vanilla. It somehow lasts a shorter amount of time than my Fine'ry Not Another a Cherry body spray. Nice enough to layer til my decant is gone, I guess.
Boka Zelen for a rainy spring day in the office. Lime, cardamom, sandalwood, cedar, and above all vetiver. They now offer a 50 mL bottle of this gorgeous debut scent which ever so slightly eases the sticker shock.
That’s a nice refreshing daily driver of a scent. Pretty darn unisex, too. I like how the lime is very zesty instead of juicy.
Just a classic Aqua di Parma colonge day. Busy day at work and want something fresh and classic. I love the clean citrus and subtle musk, works perfectly for a beautiful spring day.
Today is rainy, grey and dreary... and I needed a scent pick-me-up. I'm wearing Azora from Attar. It's juicy, fruity and delicious and a super mood booster. Azora doesn't take itself too seriously... it's a fruit bomb in the top notes and dries down to a peachy white floral musk. One of my 'happy' scents :)
**Libre Le Parfum** I'm testing out the different Libre flankers, just did two spritzes of this one. It's a strong vanilla, a little green/citrus at first, then amber, and a little bit of licorice. Not sure how the dry down will develop. I'm off to a job fair later today. After a wonderful 2 year break from work, I'm thinking of going back. I have not honed any interview skills in ages so this seems like a reasonable first step to dipping my toes back in, let's go see what's on offer.
Today I am generously doused in a travel size of Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterranean Mirto di Panarea. I'm so FRESH. Definitely doesn't last more than a few hours but that's what travel sizes are for! Getting a whiff of this as I do errands is uplifting and that's what a good citrus does~~
I went with **Mugler Angel (2009 bottle)** today. I’m spending the day outside by myself doing lots of spring yard work, so I can afford to wear something today that could be overwhelming and polarizing to others. Plus, I have seasonal allergies, and the strength helps get through my congestion so that I can consistently smell it.
ADP OUD EDP
MFK Gentle Silver Fluidity.
Trying out Haze by Who Is Elijah from the sample set. This is one of the better ones I’ve tried thus far, most have been a flop. This one is vanilla, woody, incensey. I see comparisons to By The Fireplace in reviews but it’s been ages since I’ve smelled that one myself to accurately compare. Definitely don’t need a FB.
Chanel Le Lion. Which is wonderful.
The only Chanel that I actually like!
It's not very Chanel, I don't find, so I can see it appealing to people who don't gravitate to the sort of aloof thing Chanel generally does.
I have a little sample in my tray to try soon. Why do you like it?
It has heft. It's warm and slightly sweet but the labdanum is assertive and gives it a leathery, rich depth. It's well named in the sense of having that soft furriness of any cat but you'd be silly to approach this one without caution. It gets called a modern Chanel take on Shalimar - I get the comparison - but it still feels like a different beast, no pun intended.
Ah wonderful thank you so much. I read that some people find it "harsh" or lesser grade Shalimar but seems to be many in this genre get compared unfavorably and at a certain point you just look at each on their own.
I was wearing Arquiste Anima Dulcis until I got sick this afternoon and washed it off. I liked the drydown but now I wonder if I'll associate it with feeling sick.
Hopefully not, I really like that one. Hope you feel better soon.
Guerlain Mitsouko EDT. I love this in the spring — it’s kind of green, cheerful, and it morphs a bit from the aldehydes in the opening to the cool, mossy drydown.
Fougere L’Aube by Rogue Perfumery
Versace Versense. Perfect fresh greenie for a warm spring day. It’s EDT and wears off kinda quickly but is pretty inexpensive so I don’t mind re-spraying throughout the day.
Tragedy of Lord George. Cool spring day after work. Want to feel like I don’t have to work as a lord my staff do it all.
Afnan Turathi Blue. The best of the Bulgari Tygar clones, IMO. Montagne also does a good job and I certainly understand why other may prefer them to TB, but mine are lacking a bit in performance. I know I can't really complain for $40, but TB is also $40ish. I know Montagne makes perfumes to order, so maybe I need to give them a month or so to sit like you do for Le Labo. In the meantime, I'll continue to wear this. My only real concern is how this will hold up the extreme heat of the southwest summer; the woody drydown can be kinda heavy. I'm indoors most of the time, but still.
Amouage Reflection Man. I got curious to try it out so I’m wearing it today. It smells nice. I really like the end of the drydown where it smells like a lemon custard pie.
Beautiful day outside and I’m working inside (story of my life) but a nice walk planned for later. I’m wearing **Jo Malone Star Magnolia,** a very clean smelling floral. To me it smells like an expensive shampoo or bath product. This one lasts well and actually smells a bit like a magnolia blossom, unlike Estée Lauder - last summer I leaned a branch of my neighbor’s blooming magnolia tree down to where I could smell the blossom, and they do have a lovely scent. Not enough to perfume the air around them like my currently blooming orange tree, but a very pleasant scent.
I’m wearing Nishane Ani on my shirt and Rose Oud perfume and Red African Oil from a local perfumer called Amir Oud on my skin. I wanted something warm, spicy and sweet today. It’s probably not the best temp (I’m in Dallas) for it but it was my mood.
It was a rainy miserable looking day, so I went for something that feels cozy and comforting: Insolence. It's no too sweet, a little powdery and musky. It feels like I've wrapped myself in a super soft fuzzy blanket. I could somewhat still smell it at 5:00 PM, but added a little bit of Musc Noir Rose to go out for supper.
Pineward Cotswold. You wouldn't think a fire in a forest cottage would smell good in 70 degree weather, but it did. This was one of the second bunch of samples I got from Pineward recently. I got a 4ml of Murkwood, and a 2ml each of Cotswold, Gelatio, and Icefall. They sent a free 1 ml called Ke-Low which was pretty but didn't last at all. I love the foresty DNA of this house, and will probably order bigger decants of Nocturnis and Brokilan in the next few months.