What Came In The Mail

A couple of weeks ago I picked eight people as part of my weird bottle swap – my eight unloved bottles went to more deserving homes, and those folks were free to send me, well, whatever they wanted to, and I´d blog on it. (Each box also contained extra samples from my goody bag.) Here´s what I got back thus far. I´ll do another post later with Part II (packages arriving after this post).

I sent Matt a smallish bottle of Estee Lauder Pleasures Delight (he said he´d take whatever bottle nobody else wanted, and that was it.) For the record, it´s a pretty fragrance, it’s just not something I’m going to wear. I got back: an Elvis CD (“Aloha from Hawaii!”), several samples, tea, a yummy-smelling bar of ayurvedic soap, a pack of Post-Its, a postcard, and a fridge magnet with Andy Warhol´s pic that says “I am a deeply superficial person.” I loved the randomness of it — anyone who´ll send me tea and Post-Its is okay in my book. I also love that he gave the Estee to his mom. Regarding the sample he sent me of CB I Hate Perfumes´ new Fire From Heaven, an incense scent I have been anxious to try (notes are frankincense, myrrh, opopanax, cedar, sandalwood, styrax, labdanum) — it starts off medicinal, you get some peat, smoke, woods, and obviously incense. It´s nice – it smells like the base of a great fragrance, but it doesn´t seem …. finished somehow? I’m Christopher Brosius’ number-one fangirl, and I love incense (I’d actually bugged him about doing an incense frag when Patty and I met him in NYC last year), but I feel oddly let down by this thing. If you´d like to read CB´s thoughtful journal entry on what he was after (including his own struggle to come up with a fragrance he considered finished), click here.

I gave Louise a decant off the Floris Malmaison bottle (which got sent elsewhere) since she wanted to try it and it’s a pretty big bottle, along with some other samples, including the SMN Acqua di Cuba, and she gets honey sans manly essence, if you are wondering. I expected a couple samps/decants in return. I got back: a bottle of Montale Jasmin Full (heh heh! a gloriously skanky soliflore, a bottle of which will last me approximately forever) and a bottle of Versace Crystal Noir, both of which she knows I love. And a sample of Guerlain Spiritueuse off her decant. Oh, yeah, and samps of the new Roja Dove scents. I loved all of it, except the nagging guilt involved in publicly mentioning a score on this level, but I´ll make it up to her somehow, I promise. I´m aware there are readers of this blog who undoubtedly view Crystal Noir as beneath them, and, hey – more for me, baby! Now that I have the bottle in my possession, I´m happier than ever with its goofy, giant-sized purply-black plastic gemcap. It precisely and joyously meshes with my perception of Donatella Versace´s concept of classy, if you follow me. I plunked it between two bottles of Serge, and they´re resolutely refusing to acknowledge it.

I gave Sariah the bottle of Diptyque Eau d´Elide, she loves its herbal goodness. I got back: First by Van Cleef and Arpels, housed in a big, gorgeous, gold cocktail-shaker of a bottle that looks sort of like the refillable Guerlain sprays. (And I´m laughing that´s it´s labeled a “purse spray” – you would need a seriously large purse for that thing. How big do they make those Kelly bags?) This floral aldehyde manages to both embrace and transcend its 70s-era provenance (notes are: bergamot, mandarin, blackcurrant, aldehydes, jasmine, rose, ylang, hyacinth, vetiver, vanilla, amber, civet): it is glorious and aloof. Instead of the clean champagne-bubble aldehyde notes of Baghari and Le Labo 44, it´s got a faint smell of cigarettes, which I happen to love in this instance. First smells a little louche to me, like something Jerry Hall might have worn to Studio 54 back in the day. It makes No. 5 smell almost cuddly by comparison. I got a bunch o´ Demeter samps, which are always fun (hey, you´re right – Beetroot is wonderful, a great, earthy scent.) The other bottle was Le Labo Vetiver – an identical bottle of which I gave away recently, and regretted ever since. Le Labo Vetiver is on a short list of fragrances The Big Cheese would prefer I never wear, and so mostly I don´t. Vetiver as a dominant note I don´t care for. Vetiver Tonka, Encre Noir, Sel de Vetiver – no, no, and no. I´m not sure Le Labo even is proper vetiver (Lee says no, it´s incense, and at the end I´m inclined to agree). To me it´s the smell of a tumble in the mud with Mr. Wrong, followed by picking twigs out of your teeth and vows to renounce your evil ways and live a better, cleaner life. I love it. This time I´m keeping it.

I gave Catherine the S-Perfume 100% Love {MORE}. I got back: three beautiful, handmade bound paper journals, along with a note suggesting that I give two of them to my daughters, which … okay, how lovely a gesture is that? I´m really feeling a little overwhelmed by these goody boxes. Now I´m wanting to save them to open individually on crappy days so I can cheer myself up. That idea would work wonderfully if I had any self restraint, which, sadly, I don´t. I also got some great samples (including a set of the Givenchy reissues, whee!), and a sample of Malle Noir Epices, which thrills me because mine just ran out and now I can stave off buying more temporarily. (Notes of orange, rose, geranium, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, pepper, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood.) It´s more elegant – like something by Guerlain – than the niche spicefest of, say, the original CdG. Noir Epices is not for the faint of heart (you geranium freaks – that note is huge on me in this thing), and I wouldn´t be throwing it on with abandon, either. It´s an odd combo of spicy and sort of sour. But if you´re a fan of spice notes, this is definitely one worth sampling.

I gave Gail a sample of the Diptyque Elide because she wanted to try it, along with a couple other things I owed her. I was expecting nothing in return. I got, out of the blue, her bottle of the original Donna Karan (that great robo-duck black and gold bottle) along with some most-welcome decants – Sushi, Te Nero, and my new BFF, Lostmarc´h Lann-Ael, which I had not tried and I´m wild for and now working into my separate vanilla post – which I know I keep mentioning and which, like Godot, never quite manages to show up. But it will, soon. I can never decide whether I like that Donna Karan, although I´ve always found it interesting. Spraying it on and writing this, it´s definitely growing on me. Apricot, ylang, apricot, cassia, rose, jasmine, Casablanca lilies (of course! I had no idea), sandalwood, patchouli, amber, suede. The opening I´m learning to understand better, and the suede-like drydown is killah.

I sent Rosarita the Prince Jardinier. Her package back was really touching. I got dressups for Hecate and Buckethead; a giant bag of Amish-made cashew crunch — it´s like peanut brittle, only leagues better– that I have hidden and am refusing to share, on the grounds that nobody here would appreciate it as much as I do; a jar of pear butter; an old-fashioned manual fruit/vegetable chopper with Rosarita´s family recipe for apple crisp, which I will most definitely be making; and a small bag for me with chic scarves (I am particularly fond of the large black-and-white check one) and costume jewelry (I have the flowers pinned to my mohair beret because – yes – I am the sort of person who wears berets without irony) and, most unbelievably, a very thin, beautiful pair of navy kidskin gloves that – you guessed it – fit me like a glove. Another great exchange.

I had absolutely no idea how this was going to go. I mean, I figured if I got rid of my unloved bottles and got back a few samps, it was a win-win situation. As a general comment to all the packages I´ve received, I´m interested in the fact that almost all the samples were things that are very much “me” – whether folks are sending me things they think I´d like, or things I´ve said I liked, really — they did a great job hitting the target. As you can imagine, I am pretty blown away by all the thought and care that went into these packages that came back to me, and the extraordinary generosity behind the fragrance gifts. I´ve been having a tough few weeks, to be honest – the Cheese is on an extended trip – and I´ve got my game face on, but still. I actually cried a little over this stuff and the good feelings that came with it. All of you – thanks.

  • Lee says:

    I loved reading this post. It warmed my cockles. Sorry I was sluggish in getting to read it though. Now, what I can I offer up for swapsies….:-?

    • March says:

      I’m pleased as punch (what does that mean, anyway?) you’re back online. I’m sorry you’ve been having trouble. Didn’t you say Virgin Online? Like Richard Branson? Is he a wanker, I wonder?;)

  • Catherine says:

    This was a lot of fun to participate in. Thank you, March!:d The bottle of 100% Love has been decanted and sent out to a number of people who found something splendid in it. That expanded the thrill of receiving it even more. And it’s so much fun reading about all of this. Take care.

    • March says:

      Oh, I am so happy to hear that! BTW regular 100% Love was just featured in my Barneys catalog, so consider yourself part of the cutting edge…;) Thanks again for your gifts, the girls were thrilled.

  • Joan says:

    Every year, I send my sister, a box of cosmetic and perfume samples/items that I purchased but never got around to using. Lotions, skincare, GWP’s of just launched new miraculous wrinkle creams. She’s always excited to receive “the box”. I’m sure she re-gifts to her friends and daughter the ones she doesn’t love herself. She, in return, sends me handmade items and oil paintings (she’s an artist in Denver). I love the handmade items and especially the paintings. We’ve been doing this for years.

    • March says:

      Now that sounds like the perfect gift exchange. I of course can throw all those extras into giveaways. To get some oil paintings and handmade items back sounds wonderful.@};-

  • tmp00 says:

    I am always surprised and pleased at the generosity of people in this ‘fumey world; it’s so much fun to read about this!

  • chayaruchama says:

    I’m so glad that you had the opportunity to feel all that love, right back !

    We give because we want to, and we have to…
    Not because we think it’s coming back.
    That’s what love is !
    [Otherwise, it’s some twisted, clench-fisted aberrant act.]

    I hope BC comes back sooner- rather than later.
    That’s quite the household to keep going- and lil’ terrors don’t make it any easier.
    [Sweeter, YES; easier, NO !!!]

    Kisses to you…

    • March says:

      Chaya — yes, and thanks so much. It’s only hard when … well, when it’s hard, you know? But only because I let myself take things too seriously. Like, after an extended break at home, right now this house is TRASHED./:)

  • Judith says:

    Oh, this sounds like SO much fun! Great swaps! I wanted to say I feel pretty much the same as you about Fire from Heaven. . .which is disappointing.:( Oh, well, I AM trying not to spend so much!

    • March says:

      J — I read the thing CB wrote, and I put some more on and … I am just not getting the buzz I was looking for. It’s very murky on me. I was so excited about an incense scent from him. 🙁

  • Robin says:

    Am I sick that what I envy the most is the Demeter Beetroot and the Aloha From Hawaii cd? What a great post, and will say again that perfume people are the most generous people EVAH.

    • March says:

      R, the problem with me going on the Demeter site is I drop 10 things in my basket, so I haven’t really saved a ton …

      You would like Beetroot.

  • sweetlife says:

    Lovely. And I do agree with whomever said it was simply your generosity coming back to you, March.

    I want to write a post on the pleasure of Packages in the Mail. Sometimes I think I keep ordering/swapping just to keep my mailbox a magic place.

    Hope The Cheese comes back bearing gifts and stories.

    • March says:

      He will undoubtedly come back bearing gifts and stories. And I think there is a package out there in the mail right now — squeeee! As much as I love my orders showing up, these surprise things are great.

  • Christine says:

    Whoa, what great gifts. I’m actually able to say I didn’t win this drawing, because what I would send would not be able to compare. Handmade paper journals! Recipes! Such really thoughtful and lovely exchanges.

    • March says:

      Christine — you’d have come up with something fun hanging out in your house, I am sure of it.

      I didn’t get any shrunken heads, though…;)

  • marina says:

    If I said it once, I said it 1000 times: perfume people are the best 🙂

    Sorry to hear you are having tough couple of weeks, March. Big hugs!!!

    • March says:

      Well, it wasn’t terrible. I feel bad about whining now. I have a pretty good setup, all things considered. When everything’s going fine, it’s fine. But if anything goes wrong (sick kid etc.) it’s hard not to have another adult to fall back on, I have such respect for single parents.

  • Suzanne says:

    This was so much fun to read about! And I agree with Divalano that this would be a terrific idea for Christmas, as my family always spends too much money on that holiday. I’d much prefer getting some of my mother’s recipes, written in her beautiful handwriting, or some of her old costume jewelry, than the brand-spanking new baubles that she has gone overbudget for simply because “It’s Christmas,” and she feels compelled to keep up with Christmases of old, before she was retired. I think I’ll suggest this idea to her.

    • March says:

      I do think it’s a great idea. How much stuff do we all have sitting around our houses at this point? OK, I’ll speak just for me … I may float this as an idea to a few relatives who I think would be charmed rather than offended by the idea.

      • Bluechile (Cathy) says:

        What we decided to do a couple of years ago — after many years of, er, interesting, gifts — was to give tickets to things that we could all enjoy together as an extended family: dinner at a nice resturant, a concert, a play, something like that. [ My all-time favorite weird gift? The sweater with a sequined depiction of the King and Queen of hearts playing cards that my MIL gave me one year. Why would she give me such a sweater you ask? Because I lived in Las Vegas at the time…..Yeah. ] Sorry – I’ve gone off-topic. Thanks for allowing me to vent a bit:d:d

        I decided this year, after pulling out half a dozen different cookbooks for the different Thanksgiving dishes, that I was going to give each of my daughters a journal/scrapbook of family recipies.

  • Patty says:

    This sounds liek so much fun!

    I think tomorrow’s post needs to be a Decanting 101 thing — where to get supplies, what you need, how to do it, etc. 🙂

    • March says:

      P, that’s a great idea. Can you SMELL THE FEAR when newbies talk about vials and decanting? I still suck at it, but I remember the first few times I was standing there with the 2ml vial and the spray bottle, going, okay …. *now* what?!?

      We did a little in our Perfume 201 up there about where to *get* supplies, but I think some additional guidance from a pro about the best way to actually make them, plus tips and tricks, would be most welcome. You could even put it up there as a permanent link — Decanting 101 (for Amateurs). Also — can you talk about labeling? I know you’re all set up with a laser printer, but what about the rest of us who are working with some combo of scotch tape and ballpoints? I’ve mostly quit using fine-tip markers because if anything gets wet you can’t read them… I have big 1″ dot-shaped labels from the office supply store I write on, and then I tape over them, but it’s not perfect.

    • sweetlife says:

      Hey the more the merrier on decanting tips and advice, but Robin did do a great post on this over at NST, might want to link it.

    • Maria says:

      Patty, it’s great that you’re planning a decanting post. Sweetlife is right that Robin did a decanting post. I printed it out and everything. But I still have The Fear. Perhaps you could address your post in part to the people you know are out there (not mentioning any names, naturally) who have trouble pouring water into a glass without spilling some. Not that I’m that hopeless or anything. :-“

    • MattS says:

      A monthly tutorial for newbies would be wonderful. Decanting, layering scents, how-to’s and what-have-you’s would be most appreciated. Perhaps the occasional history lesson, just to catch up.

      • March says:

        Seriously, I wish I knew half this stuff when I got started. OTOH you just sort of stumble through, and that’s okay too, you know?

        I worry about people taking it too seriously. Example — people emailing us, can’t figure out *where* to start in their sampling. There is no wrong place, in my opinion. I do think that, expense aside, having the Perfumed Court now, with all its categories, which I didn’t have, makes for some excellent sniffage.@};-

  • Divalano says:

    Your packages sound lovely, & your post makes me think that instead of spending gadzooks $$$ on Xmas gifts, maybe we should all be assigned one person to send such a care pkg to, and one to receive one from. I’d so much rather get a package of tea, decants & silk scarves (& kid gloves. I’m a sucker for kid gloves) than another B&N gift card, knit scarf & socks in odd colors from my family.
    But, I’m sad to read the CB Fire was disappointing. I like smoky things & certain select incenses & was hoping this would be another one to love. Piffle! And you’ve reminded me that at some point I must satisfy my curiosity about Demeter Dirt ….

    • March says:

      The gift giving thing! I tell you, we could do a three-day post about that. I am so over the whole thing. Adults don’t want/need anything more, and then there’s the whole separate drama with the kids… yeah, wouldn’t you love to have a box of thoughtfully chosen stuff from your sister’s house or whatever, instead of some $$$$ thing.

      I hate gift cards. I appreciate the idea, and they’re useful in some instances (bat/bar mitzvah gifts to kids I don’t know), but I’d rather give or receive something personal.

      Well, don’t take my word on the Fire from Heaven. It is more meditative, I am hoping it will grow on me. Check back next month.:”>

  • sariah says:

    What a bunch of great ideas. Posse readers are the best. I hope the Cheese is back soon.

    Dude, I didn’t know the First was a “Purse Spray”, that’s pretty darn funny for a giant 100ml cannister. The Versace bottle cracks me up, in a pinch you could use the cap as a bike helmut.

    • March says:

      The Cheese is returning next week, I think. I hope.

      Yeah. “Purse Spray.” How hilarious is that? In case you need to hose some on to cover up the vodka smell before you go into Balducci’s to pick up your roast duck or something.

      OMG I will never be able to look at that bottle again without seeing a bike helmet. I might have to try it out on Barbie’s head…

  • Louise says:

    I love the image of Crystal Noir both supporting those skinny SL bottles, and perhaps intervening in their secret niche perfume plots. You have been generous, and it came back. Such creative gifts! The Malmaison has been a real delight for me-thanks=d>

    • March says:

      I dunno, L. You know how pushy that Versace can be. I wouldn’t be surprised to go in there some day and find Clair de Musc shattered on the floor, and Crystal up there all kicked back, reading a book or smoking a cigarette or something, and looking all “I had nothing to do with that, he *wanted* to die.”

  • MattS says:

    This swap was so much fun; it should become an annual tradition, a kick off to the holiday season. Your sample of Santal Blanc you sent helped get me through Thanksgiving Dinner with my entire family and has made me ravenous for more Serge Lutens. Had I known you were into tea, I would have sent even more (my mom owns a tea shop, so I have a hook-up). Keep an eye out in the mail. You probably need to try some of my favorites.:)

    The Fire From Heaven always disappoints me a bit upon first application but opens up as the day progresses. It’s more subtle than I expected and I’ve learned to appreciate that a little more. I wear it on days when I feel I’m going to need a little grounding. It gives me a comforting Zen incense kinda feeling rather than High Church Melodrama. Each has their time and place for me.

    Thanks again for my package and I’m glad you liked yours. Hang in there regarding your husband’s absence and take solace knowing you’ve found a new friend. I’ll email you this week with the story of My Dad Discovers Yatagan. Have a great day!

    • March says:

      Your mom owns a TEA SHOP!?!? Whoops, sorry for shouting. I love tea. Tea loves me. I would drink it in a box, I would share it with a fox,
      I would pour for you and me
      it is so good, so good, you see…

      where were we? Too many days of Dr. Seuss at our house. I love your mom. Want to get married? Maybe we could live in her shop?

      I’m glad Santal Blanc got you through (nobody looked at you and said, WTH is that smell?!?) Ah, the joyz of Thanksgiving meal. For awhile there our meal wasn’t complete without a big, drunken fight… I can’t say I missed that this year. Also the girls had Domino’s. Don’t tell anyone.

      Your dad discovers Yatagan!!!! Excellent!!! I love that dirty ol’ thing. Can’t wait to read about it.

      And yeah, I totally see your point about the Fire From Heaven. You’re right, something less bombastic is worthwhile. I keep reading CB’s comments for inspiration.

      • Divalano says:

        A good cup of tea can fix ANYthing. Even better than good shoes. And that’s saying something. When you get married, will you adopt me? Or at least invite me to tea?

        • March says:

          Absolutely! You can move in with me, Matt, our mother-in-law … my other husband … the kids … \:d/

          • MattS says:

            One big happy family, great-smelling, tea-sipping superstars. Maybe a sophisticated Partridge Family…hmmm…throw in some good wine and we’ll get happy indeed.

            I think my dad may be a budding perfumista, which kills me because he’s an aging Southern Baptist minister. I keep spritzing him with skank, just for fun. Yesterday, I hosed him down with MKK and as a result, I think I’m getting a bell jar for Christmas through a missionary friend in Europe. Oh the irony…

            Don’t sweat the Domino’s Thanksgiving; one of my favorite Thanksgivings we said to hell with turkey and just had an oyster roast. It was fantastic. Family events that thumb their noses at tradition make great memories.

            So hang tight, my tea drinking friend. You need another Box of Happiness…

          • March says:

            Matt! You can’t be corrupting your sweet father … although MKK is probably some sort of a really minor sin, yes?

            Will he find our living arrangements problematic, I wonder?;)

          • MattS says:

            I think at this point, he would be thrilled I was living with a woman, married or otherwise. 😉

            Yes, surely MKK is a minor sin, but just wait until I layer it on him with CB Musk…diabolical. He’s so funny. He said he was feeling wild today, he wanted to wear some more of that Yatagan stuff.

  • Maria says:

    March, the Big Cheese was away on Thanksgiving?! 😮 Wear that Le Labo Vetiver with abandon while he’s gone.

    I owe fragrant packages, but here’s my problem: I have intense Fear of Decanting. The reason for this is that I am the World’s Biggest Klutz. I’m not being grandiose. I think when the Lord was giving out coordination, I must have had my nose stuck in a perfume bottle. I need pipettes and funnels and other such tools that helped me in Sister Theophane’s chemistry class. I know some companies carry them. But then I’m afraid that the companies that carry the tools won’t be the best ones for the vials. I promise I’ll do research into this as soon as the semester is over. @-)

    • March says:

      Yeah. He’s gone for a month, mas o menos. Singapore, Burma, Bangkok. He collects Asian art (mostly Burmese and Vietnamese), then takes it to BKK for framing. The Burma trip was actually pretty cool; the art community there is thriving, but due to conditions right now they’re having a hard time getting basices — stuff like paint and canvas. So we loaded him up with canvas and other stuff for his trip over, rolled into these giant carriers we’d fashioned out of PVC pipe from the plumbing supply store. They looked like some terrorist device, we tried to cute them up with stickers, but seriously — like homemade rocket launchers or something. I was worried they wouldn’t let him take them, but apparently there was no problem. With any luck he comes home next week.

      Honey, you should email Patty and/or Nancy at TPC. I bet they can tell you where the best supplies are, they’re the experts, I know they both have a ton of pipettes, etc. Patty knows all my amateur decanting stories. I regularly get these vials where the *bottom* is missing (she says this never happens to her) and it takes me awhile to figure out why it’s running out the bottom, or I hold the vial upside down, or I spray myself in the face…:-j

    • Divalano says:

      I’m with you on the decanting fear. Every now & then I look at my bottle of L’A Figuere Extreme & think “I will never use you up; you, you I should start decanting & swapping.” And then I envision myself standing at the kitchen counter with most of the bottle’s contents wetting my face, dripping down my arms & into the cat’s water dish & say nahhhhh, maybe not.

  • Camille says:

    This is such a fun post to read. Sounds like a whole bunch of sharing and thoughtfulness on all parts, and so nice of you to share with us, too.

    Hope this week is a better one for you, March.

    • March says:

      Well, the kids are back in school today after their Thanksgiving break, so it’s certainly off to a good start!:d

      I have to do something about my mommyvan. The dog got into something and got really sick in there. I will spare you further horrifying details. 8-x I did my best, then called the two guys my husband uses for car detailing, and left messages explaining my problem and asking for an appt. Oddly enough, they have not called me back. 😕

      • Camille says:

        Sound like smart men, those detail guys. 😉

        Perhaps The Big Cheese owes you a new car for the extended absence…:d

        • March says:

          Twenty bucks says they don’t call back.

          Well, yeah. If I don’t figure out something, we definitely need a new car. It’s pretty awful.b-(

  • Gail S says:

    Ah March, I’m sorry things have been tough lately. You’d never know it to read your posts:x I’m glad your readers have been able to cheer you up in some small way.

    I absolutely love your description of Crystal Noir! Hilarious :d
    I’m a big fan of the Noir Epices (and spicy scents in general). I’m sooooo glad you liked the Lann-Ael, I was really hoping you would, as I find it to be a comfort scent extraordinaire. I hope your packages continue to arrive, you certainly deserve it!

    • March says:

      My readers always cheer me up. And you are a love, you didn’t owe me anything at all. I don’t think that bottle of DK is off — I smelled it at nordie recently — I think it just takes a little getting used to.:)

      That Lann-Ael. Wow. It’s going to be in Thursday’s post, assuming I finish writing it, along with the vanillas. I’d say maybe one thing in 50 samps I try really moves me, and that was one. Beautiful, beautiful scent. Have you tried any of the rest of the Lostmarc’h line? One of the others sounded really appealing to me. I’m tempted to order samps from TPC, but I am buried in samples right now… (fragrance freak)

      • Lee says:

        A lemming is born…

        Off to check FIF for prices now my internet is fixed up. Oh, it says feminine there… true?

        • March says:

          The Lann-Ael? Well … primarily it’s vanilla. But the opening is (I swear) very immortelle-ish, I can’t remember, do you love that note as much as I do? I’m blogging on it on Thursday. I’d say it’s no more feminine than Sushi.

    • Gail S says:

      But you see, “owing” and “deserving” are two completely different things.:d I do hope Cheese gets home on schedule!

      I have actually tried all of the other Lostmarc’h scents because I was so inspired by the Lann-Ael. They were somewhat disappointing to me. They all smell perfectly nice, but not “OMG, I must have that!!!”. The Ael-Mat (I think) is the floral one, and the other three Din-Dan, Aod and Atao are all citrus scents. Din-Dan is really pretty yummy, but not quite yummy enough to pay international shipping fees.

      Looking forward to hearing about the next batch!

      • March says:

        Well, the pressure’s off a bit, then. I like citrus, but I’m unlikely to feel the earth move. (Although I have to go look, I find all those names so goofy I can’t remember what I was interested in.):d

        Thanks again!

  • Elle says:

    Once again, it just makes me happy knowing there are such great people out there in the perfume loving world. And I’m very glad all this came to you while the Big Cheese is away. Hope he will be returning soon!
    I *need* to go try Crystal Noir. And I’m still grinning over it being placed between the two SLs – how absolutely perfect! 🙂
    Whispering…I agree w/ you about Fire From Heaven. I need to continue sampling it, however. Love CB and very much want to love everything in the Archetype series.

    • March says:

      Those two SLs — I swear they’re going to throw themselves over the cliff in horror. :d I have no idea whether you’d like Crystal Noir. It’s not a wardrobe staple. It’s just a big, bold sexx-ay type of thing that I find weirdly comforting, and assuming you don’t hate it, it’s got that friendly hi-I’m-a-mainstream scent vibe that provides a little levity to my fragrance lineup.

      • March says:

        PS. Fire from Heaven. You made me feel better. I felt terrible, not loving it. There are a couple others (CB93 is one) I’m not wild for, but maybe Matt down there is right and it will grow on me.

  • ReneeM says:

    Sounds like early Christmas! I’m glad your weird swap is going so well and you are being surprised and pleased with your goodies. This is so much fun reading about it and enjoying it with you!

    • March says:

      This was so much fun. Really, my expectations were pretty minimal. And I certainly wasn’t expecting anyone to *buy* anything for the swap, or remember my kids. Opening those packages was the highlight of the day, several times.<:-p