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 best thing I’ve been able to do in the past week was to visit a botanical garden, suitably masked and socially distancing, where they have an expanded exhibition of gigantic topiaries featuring characters from “Alice in Wonderland”. It was so nice to get outside to an actual destination space, beyond my usual walks around the neighborhood. The topiaries were amazing and I plan to share some photos when I do my overdue review of 4160 Tuesdays’ Red Queen, as she is one of the new topiary pieces.
Have you been able to take part in any new activity this week, within safety parameters? Or have you done or acquired anything new related to fragrance? My SOTD is semi-vintage Coty Emeraude, handed down from my late mother-in-law. It’s not the really old vintage, it’s the tall slender bottle with a green band on the neck and a crown-shaped top. What’s your SOTD?
Coty Emeraude
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 
Topiaries of Alice in wonderland… Funny. I wore Batucada today. It always makes me feel like drinking a caipi at the beach and dancing. Great holiday scent.
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I need to pull that out! Haven’t worn it in too long.
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I loved Emeraude back in the day. The reformulation is a pale imposter.
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Which era was the last version you liked?
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probably the 60’s but can’t really remember. I did buy a bottle about a year ago for old times sake. That’s how I know it’s a pale imposter. I still wear it.
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The biggest excitement here is that my teenage son is back at football practice. Divided into small groups, different start times, social distanced but at least he’s back with friends and what he loves. I’m wearing Nicolaï L’Eau Corail. Never heard of it until visiting a nicolaï boutique in Paris but walked out with the small bottle (in addition to others!). Mango!
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I’m so glad he’s back doing his sport! It is amazing how much it means to them, especially those friendships.
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Here in Norway they have let the under young ones under 19 play football (soccer) for some weeks, practice started earlier. For adults, except the highest division, the authorities are still holding back, so they can only practice (keeping the distance and all that), it is among the restrictions creating a heated debate!
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I had my annual physical appointment and mammogram, it felt like an “outing!” Who knew these would be exciting, I was out (masked of course), and talking to talking to people!
Coty Emeraude is one of my favorite vintage perfumes. I have a mini bottle in the original box from the 1940’s. The small amount of perfume in the bottle is thick like ink and smells amazing, rich and resinous. I also have a couple bottles from the 1960s that smell incredible, and the bottle that you have. My other favorite vintage is Coty L’Aimant.
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Good job! I have to reschedule my mammogram. I’ve never smelled L’Aimant, must seek it out!
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Thank heavens I had my mammogram at the start of the year. Appointments are backed up several months now. A lot of very worried people out there. Hope you don’t have to wait too long.
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Oh, L’Aimant was wonderful. My mum had it in the cream perfume with the little plastic spatula.
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Monday was my vSO’s birthday, so we took a day off and drove to one of the ocean cities in our area. We walked on the marina a little and then had lunch in one of the restaurants that we’ve previously visited and liked. This time it was an outside sitting: they converted a parking lot into the outside area since their original one can sit just 4-5 groups (and they are a big and popular local place, so clearly it wasn’t sufficient for them). It was our first eating out since February, and it was nice, though I realized that I didn’t miss that part of life too much. At least, not yet. I wore Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and loved it.
I look forward to seeing your pictures. Botanical gardens are my week spot: I usually would love to spend there more time than other people in my group – be that my vSO or an extended group on a trip.
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Sounds like a lovely outing, especially with Ta’if. You smelled marvelous!
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Undina,
When you come to Sydney our Botanic Garden is right next to the Opera House on the harbour foreshore. We can picnic and wander to your hearts content through the day and go see a show in the evening.
Portia xx
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Deal! ❤
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YAY!
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No new activities, people aren’t good at following the rules given by the authorities, so I’m not in a hurry to go to the beach or going on a giant shopping spree. The virus situation is getting just a little worse again, nothing totally alarming yet.
I have bought some new tops online and am impatient to get them. Some exercise equipment came in no time, so I’ll be good when the gym room at my physiotherapist’s place shuts down for summer. Still wish I had room for a rowing machine at home!
I’ve used a lot of Escale à Pondichéry this week, it has been really warm and sunny. That bottle will be empty soon, so I need to find out what to buy as a replacement. I’ve also been able to give to charity more than usual, given no big plans for travel.
It’s Pride week here, mostly digital celebration. Only a “secret” (but legal) mini parade on bikes this year. I sure hope they manage the digital celebration better than the annual disability awareness parade (also digital/social media based this year) earlier this month which didn’t get much attention at all. The good thing is intersectionality finally is a topic, also outside academia, given all recent events.
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I’m so surprised at how many people I still see without masks in stores. I basically don’t go to any stores now that don’t require masks on customers.
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How interesting… Here (Northern Bay Area) masks are required everywhere, and all stores enforce it: either you wear it, or you don’t get inside – that simple.
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I think that’s how it should be everywhere.
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Masks are not mandatory here apart from during air travel, so we don’t really use them much. Also, most shops leave it up to the customers to not enter if there’s alredy a lot of people inside, which does make things complicated for those of us wanting to keep a safe distance..
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Hey OH,
I left a comment earlier today that seems to have been eaten by WordPress.
It’s basic tenet, from memory, was how much I love Sydney’s Botanic Garden but it rarely has anything so wild and fun as topiary.
There’s a suburban Botanic Garden near us in Parramatta that has a magnificent cherry blossom walk that one of our BFFs TinaG and I try to get to every year.
Very early on in my perfume collecting I had that same Coty bottle with Muguet de Bois. I loved it but then a friend loved it infinitely more so I passed it on. Haven’t seen those bottles for sale in nearly a decade, only preloved ones on eBay.
Portia xx
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