perfume tourism

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, 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!
Perfume Chat Room, January 2
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Perfume Chat Room, January 2

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, January 2, and we are slowly digging out from the holidays. I wish you all a very happy New Year, full of fragrance, family, friends, and fun! Instead of writing about a particular scent, I’m going to share some photos of some of the fragrant destinations that I was privileged to visit in 2025. I look forward to seeing and smelling more in 2026! How about you?

Luz de Sevilla
Crime Passionel, Copenhagen
Les Senteurs, London
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London
David Austin English Roses at Kew Gardens, London
Liberty London
Barnes Fragrance Fair
Le Parfum, Vienna
Barcelona
Perfume Chat Room, December 27
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Perfume Chat Room, December 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 Saturday, December 27, and we’ve had a lovely Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day! The kids were all home, even the two whose apartments are less than ten minutes away. We hosted our now annual Boxing Day Party and I think about 50 or more people came. It’s a casual open house buffet, and this year it was sort of a potluck, so I didn’t have to cook for that size crowd.

Christmas tree, 2026

The Christmas Eve church service was beautiful, as always, with magnificent flowers and music. Santa, aka my lovely husband, had a few surprises up his sleeve. He gave me the expected Shalimar l’Essence, but also the exhibition book from the Cartier exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum which I saw in London this past spring. He also got various t-shirts for all of us, which were big hits. The kids really liked all their gifts from us, which is always so satisfying, and they did an excellent job choosing gifts for us. We feel very fortunate.

One funny thing: I couldn’t decide which of them should get which perfume from Seville, so I thought I’d wait until later in the day to bring them out and they could try them and choose for themselves. But after we’d opened all their gifts under the tree, they complimented me on NOT giving them perfume this year! So now I’ll keep the Seville perfumes for myself, lol.

I hope everyone who celebrates holidays at this time of year has enjoyed them immensely. Do you any any special plans for New Year’s Eve, fragrance-related or not?

Perfume Chat Room, December 6
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Perfume Chat Room, December 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 Saturday, December 6, and we are just back from several days in Seville, with one overnight in Madrid. I found a lovely small perfumery in Seville, Luz de Sevilla.

Luz de Sevilla perfumery

I bought a few of their perfumes as gifts for family members, and it was hard to choose! The one that is the most unisex, to my nose, is Soleá. It is described as a tribute to the tomato blossom, which is combined with orange blossom, so prevalent in Seville, mint, verbena, black pepper, and sandalwood. Green, herbal, and spicy, with a touch of white flowers, it is very fresh and different. I don’t think I can name anything that smells just like it, and it smells really good. I even pick up a bit of star anise, though it’s not listed.

Luz de Sevilla has 17 fragrances, each one focusing on different aspects of Andalusia, with various blends of florals, spices, citruses, woods, etc.

The perfumes at Luz de Sevilla

It’s also a very pretty boutique, with some accessories, home fragrances, and soaps. (There is a second location elsewhere in the city). In addition to perfume, though, Seville is an ideal city for another of my loves: gardens. We were able to visit the holiday nighttime illuminations within the gardens of the Real Alcázar, a magical experience.

The Real Alcázar at night
More illuminations (play with sound on)

We had visited Seville briefly several years ago, loved it then, and always said we wanted to return for a longer stay. It did not disappoint! I revisited the grand Cathedral, and the Real Alcázar gardens in daytime, both as spectacular as I had remembered. But to see Seville and its lights, street decorations, and Christmas stalls before Christmas was a truly special experience and one I highly recommend! Combining perfume tourism with holiday and garden tourism was a win-win-win!

Perfume Chat Room, November 28
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Perfume Chat Room, November 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 Friday, November 28, and we’ve had a lovely Thanksgiving. I can’t believe November is almost over, since Thanksgiving fell so late this year.

Turkey-shaped bottle of cologne by Avon
Avon Wild Turkey cologne, just for fun!

I was so full after yesterday’s feast that I didn’t feel hungry until this afternoon— and we ate yesterday in the mid-afternoon! The house was fragrant with the scents of herbs, chutney, roast turkey, etc. And I did wear my new Shalimar l’Essence. Tomorrow we fly to Seville, Spain — do you have any recommendations for perfumeries? A little perfume tourism is always fun. I’m looking forward also to the Christmas decorations and markets. We’ve visited Seville once before, but just for two nights, so I’m excited to see more of the city (including, of course, the Real Alcazar, which we visited last time).

I have another new fragrance on my hand, but this one isn’t mine — my daughters went out shopping for Black Friday, and my older daughter (the one who loves Ginger Biscuit) bought herself the recent release from Victoria’s Secret: Bombshell Soirée. It’s very pretty, a fruity floral with a warm, woody base. Nothing earth-shattering, but very nicely done. And she’s delighted with it, which is what really matters! It will smell great on her.

Please share any suggestions for Seville, and anything you’d like to share about Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or November.

Perfume Chat Room, November 22
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Perfume Chat Room, November 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 Saturday, November 22, and it is almost Thanksgiving! I really enjoy Thanksgiving, because I like to cook, I love having my family around, and I enjoy setting a formal dinner table since I do that so rarely! I also love the scents that come with Thanksgiving, mostly from the aforementioned cooking. I grow many of the herbs that I will use: actually parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, as the song says. Their fragrance is alluring even before I start cooking.

I already know what my holiday fragrance will be: this year’s Shalimar flanker, issued in honor of the perfume’s 100th anniversary. Shalimar l’Essence is the first Shalimar I’ve really loved, though there are a couple of other “editions” I have liked very much, such as the eau de cologne formulation. My lovely husband brought me a bottle from his recent trip to Las Vegas, where there is a Guerlain boutique. To my nose, it has all the charm of the current eau de parfum minus the burnt rubber smoke that I always get from that. It’s very vanilla-centric without being sweet; it becomes soft and powdery, and it lasts for hours on skin and days on fabric.

I like it so much that I got the bigger bottle for my own Christmas gift from lovely husband! In fact, when I was picking it up at the big department store in our city’s biggest mall, I even persuaded a much younger woman to try it. She was browsing among the Guerlain scents, and I pointed out the tester and suggested she might like it. Then I moved along. She came rushing up to me a few minutes later, holding out her arm for me to sniff and exclaiming how much she loved it. She was browsing with her fiancé so I’m pretty sure they left the mall with a bottle. Do I get my enabler pin?

Do you have any special traditions, recipes, or scents for Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it? Or for other holidays at this time of year?

P.S. As always, I’m very thankful for all of you who read my musings here and especially those of you who share your own thoughts in the comments. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bottle of fragrance with turkey-shaped top
Golden Turkey Wallflower; Bath & BodyWorks.