Perfume Chat Room, August 7
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Perfume Chat Room, August 7

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 7, and we have been on a rollercoaster of various kinds, which has delayed posting. My apologies!

First, travel. We were in Barcelona, Munich, and Innsbruck for a big chunk of July, which was wonderful. I had joined my husband at the end of a work trip he had to Barcelona, then we spent a day and night in Munich on our way to Innsbruck, where we spent a lovely week. What a great small city!

I even discovered some local perfumeries, the Parfümerie Acqua Alpes, NEO Parfümerie, and Nägele & Strubell Parfumerie. I didn’t go into NEO, but I did go into the other two and was very impressed. The staff at both were very nice and helpful, and spoke fluent English. Nägele & Strubell sells high-end niche fragrances, while Acqua Alpes sells their own fragrances.

I bought a discovery set of travel-sized sprays from Acqua Alpes, they smell great.

As soon as we got back from our trip, though, the emotional rollercoaster began. Our brother-in-law, who had been suffering for four years with Stage 4 cancer, took a sudden turn for the worse and died just days after our return. We scrambled to get ourselves and our young adult children to New England for his funeral, which luckily we were able to manage in spite of awful weather. One brother and his wife never made it from the West Coast, after many delays and flight cancellations.

It was good to be with many of the family in spite of the very sad occasion, and having our kids there to keep their cousins company was truly a godsend for us all. We got back a few days ago, and right away had to pivot to take part in yet another public hearing on the historic district protection we want for our street. That project consumed much of July, as there were earlier meetings and hearings. Fortunately, the proposal has now been approved and advanced at every level of review, so it will go to our city council now. Fingers crossed that it makes it over the finish line!

So that’s how we’ve spent the last several weeks. Whew! I also “created” two wedding fragrances, for my niece and her fiancé, who will get married in September. More travel! We plan to drive instead of flying.

Have you had any recent fragrant adventures?

Perfume Chat Room, June 26
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Perfume Chat Room, June 26

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, June 26 — the last Friday in June! Yesterday I went to Nordstrom to look at floor length dresses to wear at my niece’s wedding, as I was tired of the options I already had at home (it has been YEARS since I bought a formal gown). While there, I stopped by their Jo Malone counter, and was happy to see this summer’s limited release collection, the Veggies collection, which I had seen earlier this month at Heathrow Airport.

I tried them again, and liked them again, so I got the discovery set of three 9 ml bottles. As always, the Nordstrom sales associate was lovely, which also led me to buy something. Good service matters!

Interestingly, the one I like best at first spray is Velvety Butternut, followed by Carrot Blossom, but after dry down the one I like best is Scarlet Beetroot. The scent I really loved, though, was the Green Tomato Vine candle and diffuser!

Of course, I’m an avid gardener and I have my own vegetable garden, so this was destined to appeal to me. The veggie colognes aren’t particularly green, so don’t let that scare you off (I also love strong green fragrances, lol).

Have you tried any of these?

Perfume Chat Room, June 19
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Perfume Chat Room, June 19

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, June 19, and it is Juneteenth in the US. For those who don’t know, June 19, 1865, was the date when Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, after the Civil War had ended, and were able to deliver the news that the Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863, had freed all enslaved persons in the Confederacy. It has been celebrated as a holiday in Texas and then other states for many years, and it is now a national holiday.

We had a wonderful trip to London in late May and the first week of June. A true highlight was the exhibit on Queen Elizabeth II’s fashions throughout her life, at The King’s Gallery. it had been sold out online, but I lucked out and found an open time slot that popped up on the website! It is well worth seeing, the clothes are gorgeous and the exhibit notes are very insightful.

Some of the late Queen’s evening gowns
The Coronation gown

As usual, I visited gardens — so many roses! — and museums and my favorite store, Liberty. This time, I also visited Fortnum & Mason, which I hadn’t visited before, and was very impressed by their fragrance department. London is now truly a fragrance lover’s Mecca.

Fortnum & Mason
Fragrances at Fortnum & Mason

I also saw the Schiaparelli exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum — so much fun! And there was a whole display about her perfumes.

Don’t you love the idea of a perfume named “Zut”? I do! I’m not sure I’ve ever smelled a Schiaparelli perfume, have you?

Perfume Chat Room, May 22
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Perfume Chat Room, May 22

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, May 22, and it is the start of Memorial Day weekend in the US. There will be many sales, and I hope some of you are able to grab some fragrances that may have been on your wish list! I hope we all remember, as well, the many brave men and women, American and otherwise, who have given their lives for our freedom. Two years ago, my family and I were in Normandy over Memorial Day weekend, visiting the D-Day beaches, and we went to the annual ceremony at the American Cemetery that Sunday. It was so moving, and beautiful.

My garden has exploded with blooms and scent. The roses are resting up for their second flush, but the gardenias have more than compensated.

Gardenia shrub in my garden

Every time they bloom and my garden is filled with their scent, I’m reminded of what a gorgeous fragrance they waft, and how hard it is for perfumers to capture it. Do you have a favorite gardenia perfume?

Perfume Chat Room, May 8
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Perfume Chat Room, May 8

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, May 8, and it is both VE Day and David Attenborough’s 100th birthday!

I’m about to enter a serious Dior phase, because our local fashion museum has just opened an amazing exhibit of Dior’s fashions. This is the same place that hosted a wonderful exhibit devoted to Madame Grés. I may have to wear Miss Dior all weekend, in honor of Christian Dior’s very brave sister Catherine, who was a Resistance agent during the Nazi occupation of France. If you haven’t seen the TV mini-series “The New Look”, about the siblings’ experiences during WW2, I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite fragrances, that contributed to my falling down the fragrance rabbit hole, is Diorissimo. As longtime readers here know, I love lily of the valley flowers and fragrances, and I have many of the latter! In past years, I’ve written about some of them in a “May Muguet Marathon”. My latest favorite of that genre is Parfums Dusita’s Cavatina. Have you discovered any new ones recently?

Perfume Chat Room, April 28
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Perfume Chat Room, April 28

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Tuesday, April 28, and May is almost upon us! I’ve been remiss bout posting here because I’ve been spending hours every day in our garden, tending to my many roses.

Portia asked for more photos of said roses, so here’s a gallery! I wish you could lol smell them through the screen, their scents are wonderful. One of the lovely aspects of having so many roses is that one can actually detect how different many of them smell. Fruity, musky, old-rose, lemony, tea-like — so many variations on the “rose” theme!

Do you grow any roses? Do you pick up on different scents from them?

Brother Cadfael
Eden
Moonlight in Paris
Boscobel
The Lady Gardener
Vanessa Bell
Scepter’d Isle
Perfume Chat Room, April 12
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Perfume Chat Room, April 12

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Sunday, April 12, and we had a lovely Easter weekend, filled with flowers, family, and food. I’ve been very occupied with my garden, even more than usual, planting new roses and companion plants in our new front flower bed. It looks great! Most of my roses in pots have started to bloom, and they’re so fragrant. Usually I wear a lot of green scents at this time of year, especially ones with lily of the valley notes, but my own garden is pushing me back to the rose scents I also love.

I’ve been enjoying Parfums Dusita’s Cavatina, a muguet scent, and will probably start wearing Rosarine soon. Do you have any favorites from this house?

Bliss Parfuma rose
Perfume Chat Room, March 20
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Perfume Chat Room, March 20

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, March 20, and we are on our way home from Athens! We’ve had a great trip to Barcelona then Greece, but we’ll be glad to get home. Meanwhile, I hit the airport duty-free store to investigate new-to-me fragrances, and tried Lefko by Korres. Its dominant notes are lily of the valley, peony, and rose, so — surprise! I like it very much, lol. Other notes include musk, powdery notes, and white sandalwood.

Some comments on Fragrantica compare it to Byredo’s Blanche, but I haven’t sampled that recently enough to know. Lefko is soft, floral, and pleasant, well suited to spring. Since today is the vernal equinox in this hemisphere, that feels right.

Have you tried any new-to-you spring fragrances lately?

Spring in Greece
Perfume Chat Room, March 6
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Perfume Chat Room, March 6

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, March 6, and I have good news and bad news, based on my recent visit to the many perfume offerings in the city-free store at the Barcelona airport. The bad news first. I tried several new offerings, and for most, the consensus is “meh.” Not worth your money. First, Le Labo’s Eucalyptus 20. It’s fine, but for that kind of money, you could buy several equally (or more) appealing aromatic fragrances. First, it really smells much more masculine than unisex to my nose. Second, one commenter on Fragrantica really captured my reaction: “uninspired woody green men’s cologne.” Seriously, save your money and buy gallons of Brut or Skin Bracer. Or maybe quarts of Bleu de Chanel.

I love Hermés’ Jardin fragrances and I have them all. I tried the newest, Un Jardin Sous La Mer, and I’m sad to say that to me, it’s also a “meh.” Again, it’s fine, but it’s nothing like the quality of my cherished Un Jardin Après La Mousson, which I’ve read has been discontinued (?). I would be perfectly happy to wear this, but I’m not about to pay the full retail price it currently sports.

Okay, some good news. Lumière d’Issey, which just came out, is terrific. From Fragrantica:

“Lumière d’Issey by Issey Miyake is a new pillar fragrance for women introduced in 2026 and conceived around the idea of “wearing light.” The composition opens with bright, sparkling green mandarin and neroli, leading into a white-floral heart where orange blossom and freesia are softened by a touch of white musk. In the base, a pistachio wood accord and sandalwood create a creamy, woody foundation that underpins the luminous, sunlit character of the fragrance.”

I think they’ve left some notes off the list, because I definitely smelled star anise in the opening, which I liked very much. Launched in 2026, it was created by Fabrice Pellegrin and Marie Salamagne. Per Fragrantica, top notes are Neroli and Green Mandarin; middle notes are Orange Blossom, Freesia and White Musk; base notes are Pistachio, Woody Notes and Sandalwood. It lasted several hours on my skin, and dried down to a very appealing warm, nutty base.

Have you been able to try any of these? Thoughts? Or have you tried any other newish fragrances you liked or disliked?

Barcelona 2026
Perfume Chat Room, February 27
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Perfume Chat Room, February 27

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, February 27, and we are on our way to Barcelona! I don’t have much to report, except that I did so much gardening before our departure that I got a very stiff neck and had to go get a massage before I spend a night squished up in a coach economy seat. Do you have any upcoming travel plans?

Just for fun!