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 18, the end of my third week away from my former workplace! So far, so good — I have so much to keep me busy, and I’m not sad to be missing some of the ongoing turmoil where I used to work. Right now, I’m still available (remotely) to answer questions and help with transition, but my successor will start on August 24, and one week after that is my truly official retirement date. One week from tomorrow, my family is throwing me a “friends and family” retirement party, which is so lovely but it also means I’m doing a LOT of house-cleaning and garden-tidying! Well, it’s good to have a goal and a deadline, and I’m getting a lot done. I’m also enjoying the birds who visit our garden during the daytime, most recently a pair of goldfinches and a very busy hummingbird.
Next Monday I’ll be posting another in the series Portia and I are doing this year, CounterPoint, where we record our responses to a fragrance using the same questions. Please drop by and add your own observations in the comments!
Today’s Community Project at Now Smell This is to wear a scent that has a note of something edible you might grow in a garden — just up my alley! Already this week I’ve worn Un Jardin en Méditerrannèe, Un Jardin sur le Toit, and First Cut. Today’s SOTD will be Sarah McCartney’s Le Jardin de Monsieur McGregor. Love it! I may continue the trend this weekend with St. Clair Scents’ Gardener’s Glove. I haven’t kept pace with Diane St. Clair’s newest releases, have any of you? Thoughts?
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 
I haven’t been up to date with NST, but today I chose Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ginger Piccante. And out for sushi tonight, so I’ll have some pickled ginger to match. I’m sorry that you have to do all of this work for your own party – but fully aware that’s how those things go, that happens in my house too! Enjoy!
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Ooh, you smell lovely! And good sushi is fabulous, enjoy! Yes, party prep is a thing, but it’s keeping me on track with some overdue housekeeping.
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Can those “friends & family” not join your party prep work? Otherwise you’re throwing the party.
NST is one scent forum I just haven’t bonded with. Yet, I see everyone having so much fun & think “I really must try harder”. I try again & still struggle. I really don’t know why.
If I had to choose a scent for the project it would either be Hermes Rhubarbe Ecarlate, Sisley Eau de Campagne or YSL In Love Again as my garden is built around edibles.
Enjoy your party
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Great choices! What do you grow? And you’re right about the party, lol. At least I don’t have to do the food and drink, they have those covered.
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The infamously over productive family apple tree & blackcurrant bush, both green & red gooseberries, cherries, rhubarb, potatoes, sorrel, thyme , lemon thyme, two different rosemarys.
Sometimes odd seeds escape the long composting process & a few years ago two tiny fig saplings emerged. They have been rescued and put in pots to bring in if needed. They have survived the winters by being against a south facing retaining wall.
Nothing looks too pretty but I love it all the more for that
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Goldfield & Banks Ingenious ginger and rhubarb ecarlante from Hermes. Also Vilhelm Basilico et Fellini for great basil notes.
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Hi OH,
I’m back from holidays, they were excellent.
Love that you are doing a full house clean in time for your F&F Retirement Party. You’ll be so house proud for the event.
That Humming Bird! WOW!
Portia xx
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Glad you’re back and had a great time! The house-cleaning continues; one of my daughters is coming over this week to help with the final stages and party prep, thank goodness. The other kids will come on Friday and Saturday to help. Most of the cleaning was stuff I needed to do anyway, but now comes the actual party prep.
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I must try to find my sample of Ginger Piccante.
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