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 23, and I am LATE! My apologies — I was handling a couple of complex issues at work and lost track of time.
This week marked the Summer Solstice in my part of the world, and the Winter Solstice in Portia’s! Crowds gathered at Stonehenge in England to celebrate — I wonder if there is any similar gathering in Australia? With summer in full swing now, I have summer flowers and scents on my mind. My vegetable garden is flourishing (famous last words — last summer, it became an inedible jungle) and I’ve been making a new recipe that uses up lots of fresh herbs: toasted gnocchi with herb brown butter. It has been fabulous, not least because it smells so good and makes the kitchen so fragrant. I may need to pull out some of my fragrances with strong herb notes like basil and rosemary.
Do you have any beloved fragrances with those kinds of herbal notes?
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 
Hey OH,
Happy solstice. I’m sure there are ritual gatherings for the event but I wouldn’t know where to start to find them. I’ve heard of Australian Wiccan groups but never knowingly interacted.
LOVE a green note, as you know. Especially in a chypre or galbanum rich floral. I’ve been wearing a decant of L’Artisan Sur l’Herbe, so refreshing and sparkly. It’s been perfect for our cool sunshiny winter days here in Sydney.
Portia x
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That sounds gorgeous! Is it an old one?
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From 2017 OH. So not very old and I think still available. Yeah, I think you’d love it. Citrus & greenery.
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Luckily the light at the end of the work tunnel is near!? I don’t tend to wear herbal scents… I got a generous sample of Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne with a purchase and tried it today. Not sure I get a sage note, but the musky ambrette is nice.
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Yes, only a few more weeks!
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I love herbal green scents. My favorites are Hermes Basilic Pourpre and Vilhelm Parfumerie Basilico & Fellini. Mint is a favorite as well, Nuit Etoilee being the cream of the mint crop for me.
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I love fresh herbs, especially basil. I think I’ll wear Chanel Paris-Deauville tomorrow for its basil note. Happy solstice! We are in graduation party season, had one tonight although this year pales compared to the 20 we attended last year when my son graduated. Tomorrow we’re making a quick trip to Cleveland to see Trombone Shorty!
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I enjoy a refreshing herbal perfume but mint is a no go.
I love Sisley’s Eau de Campagne, Eau Dynamisante, all the classic EDCs & Agua de Colonia’s. Most though please throw ALL the verbena fragrances my way. I know they are categorised as citrus but Verbena is a herb.
I miss Isabella Rosselini’s Manifesto, MH Fleurs de Sel & Clinique Wrappings very much too.
That reminds me I must grab some EL Eau de Private Collection whilst I can
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I love all the ones you miss. I still have all three but once they’re gone …
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Alityke,
Have you tried Une Verveine by Obvious. One of the loveliest verbena I ever tried. Not outrageously expensive either.
Portia xx
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Seen it online but not tried it. Been busy with DH & mums house to get to city shops since Obvious came to the UK x
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Of course you have. Hope it’s all going OK.
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Still a bit shitty. Going to try to get a vet’s appointment to get Mr Jarvis’s lumps looked at x
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I’m sorry it has been so tough.
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I don’t like what I think of as herbal notes in perfume. I mean, I don’t mind them as a part of the composition, but I wouldn’t want to smell of any one in particular.
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How do you feel about lavender in fragrance?
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