All Autumn in a Day

My Queen!

it’s been stinkin’ hot these past few weeks and it’s  been great because I have been able to fool myself into thinking we’re still in Midsummer, even though the dahlias, those regal harbingers of Autumn, are beginning to bloom and (gasp!) children are Back. In. School. (which just seems weird, btw.  Back in the Jurassic Era, we didn’t go back to school until well after Labor Day annnd…we got our revenge on the pub-lick school kids  who laughed because we were a week behind in Summer closing.  Such sweetness to go hang out in their playground while they were in class  (but careful to skedaddle before they let out for recess).

Of course, it was all a dream.  Autumn is almost here and there’s not a damb thing I can do about it.   Last week it decided to send an emissary, see if I was prepared.  I was not.  In one day, it dropped from 90F to 65F, with a chilly, torrential rain – and stayed cold for 2 days.  LAYERS!  Real Layers, not just a modesty something thrown over a tank top.  Chilly AF!

And then it swung back up to the low 90s.  Alas, the damage had been done.  The light is …different.  Now everything, even the hot, steamy Summer deluges, feels…anticipatory of Autumn.  And I HATES it!  To every Season (turn,turn,turn) and all that  hooey.  But from a perfume perspective it was intriguing.

And…now?  Now I’m in a light jacket.  Chilly post-rain, again.  Greying skies with just a hint of blue.  Alas, a paler blue.  A new clutch of hummingbirds are at the feeders now, with their travel-skinny little bodies, bulking and resting up for the next leg South.  No matter how I try to fake it, Autumn is nearly upon me.  And, Lor’, have I tried to fake it.   I wore Fresh Sugar Lemon in an effort to dispel the chill, to no avail.  Lemon quails before the chill.  So I applied a bit of Agraria Bitter Orange cologne, in an effort to shift into my beloved late-Spring-in NY mode.  Um, no.

I finally gave in to the seasonal shift and spritzed a bit of Amouage Ubar (the current iteration.  My adored vintage is for late October/early November, when the idea of a Saturday morning breakfast of coffee & warm cinnamon rolls is so appealing).  The current iteration is gorgeously spicy but keeps a bit of coolness that works well in this extremely mercurial time/temp.  Contemporary Ubar is a perfect transition scent, as is Neela Vermeire’s Trayee (in my world, Bombay Bling is for those Zero at the bone February nights).  L’Origan.  Jubilation 25 body crème (pair it with Mitsouko.  You’re welcome).

In a few weeks the soft blues of Summer will fade…and they’ll be replaced by that unbelievably brilliant blue that is only found in Autumn.  I’ll trade my light cotton tops for something with a bit more heft to it and the capris will give way to trousers in shades of khaki and grey, presaging the Black of Winter.  I’ll start wearing No5 again.  And Arpege.  Vintage Arpege.  oh, yum.

For now, I’m going to enjoy the chilly mornings that can zoom to inferno-level afternoons, knowing that in due-enough time I will be seeing the shift to Chilly All Day.  The hummingbirds will all be gone and the Season will have ended, turn, turn,turn.  Until then, though, I’ll be in Ubar.  Trayee.  l’Origan.  Jubliation 25.

Any other suggestions for these 50s-80s days?  What do you wear when the mercury swoops & dives?  Tell me – I’ll have The Girl pull a couple of winners for some goodies out of the Messy Amoire!  And how’s your weather where you are?  How’s the light?

 

Oooooh!  And I haven’t forgotten about  Love Tuberose WINNERS!

 

Tami H

Cara Sutcliffe

Maren

 

gmail me (evilauntieanita) and remind me what you’ve won – I’ll get a sample out to you asap!  Two weeks starts:  NOW!!!

 

  • Ingeborg says:

    I don’t care much for autumn, because there’s just not enough days with blue skies and colourful, dry leaves. The light summer nights are definitely over! I find the green scents, such as Untitled, will work well when temperatures fluctuate a lot during the day. Seville à l’Aube is rather intense in warmer weather, but beautiful, and has warm enough notes to fit also on chilly mornings.

    I love living in a country with four seasons, but really like spring and summer best.

  • Michelle J Little says:

    The heat finally broke here in western New York, went from 90 to 77…but then the humidity went up to 90%, with no rain! So still feels HOT. I do so love those vintage aldehydes, No 5, Arpege, L’Aimant, love them so much, but usually wear those when it’s super cold here. Lately I’ve been trying ones I missed in the last few years but have been wanting to try. Today tried out Penhaligon’s Levantium, loving that rose saffron wood thing. Even tried My Burberry for the first time, I know, I had never tried it! Surprisingly I kinda liked it. Can’t wait to get back into all my vintages. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Stephanie says:

    It’s been hot and humid the past few days, so I’ve been getting in some extended summer wears of some bright greens (Corsica Furiosa, Zoologist Macaque) and some jasmines (Grandiflora Queen of the Night and Jasmin Sensuelle). I’m typing this as a cold front moves through, and I anticipate wearing some type of oriental tomorrow, or maybe even to bed tonight

  • Portia says:

    Hey Musette,
    We have been getting some longed for rain down here but it’s still not enough. I like a wet spring, fingers crossed.
    Portia x

    • Musette says:

      Spring should be wet, imo. My garden certainly thinks so! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you, sweetie!

      xoxoxo

  • KirstenMarie says:

    I love this post! The light, the shifts, Arpege! Yes! All the above. Citizen Queen by Juliette has a Gun is serving me well during the transition. She’s full bodied enough for chill mornings, but settles out with a good silage that doesn’t over power in the heat. Love sitting down for tea with your posts – either iced or hot!

    • Musette says:

      well and thank you for that! What a lovely thing to say. And…well, these days you don’t know if it’ll be iced tea or hot, do you? It ended up being 93F here today. Like walking on the surface of the sun!

      xoxoxo

  • Jennifer S says:

    Still hot and humid here in the NE. Dare I say I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts? Yep cause even though I’m looking forward to pulling out my cooler scents and I love autumn, I’m just not all that keen about winter and dang it all, time is just going by way too fast!
    Speaking of light, I happened to glance out the window a few weeks ago at work and marveled that it was already dark out at 8 o’clock??

  • Eldarwen22 says:

    Deneuve works pretty well, so does no 19 for heat without being over much. Courtesan is wonderful too.

  • Shiva-woman says:

    I’ve been on a Solstice Scents rampage, and draining my bottle of Chiffon quickly. I alternate with Providence Lemon Liada, and HOM She–a lemon-immortelle combo. Temps in Cali went down a bit to 80’s but are back up to 90’s and we haven’t had any dips into crisp weather and no sight of rain. Another fire broke out here close to us, so I’m still in fresh, citrusy herbal mode. All three “lemon” scents are different, with Chiffon a warm, baked lemon meringue pie in summer quality, and Liada very crisp, cool, a bit “lemon Pledge,” but more bitter, and then a smooth, complex drydown, and She with a lovely lemon top- note, bracing and astringent, but hours later becoming sweet and immortelle-herbal.
    I’m looking forward to hitting my fall- winter scents though!
    This reminds me to sniff my Ubar and see if that might be the ticket.

    • Musette says:

      omg. PLEASE be safe. CA fires terrify me. That’s the thing (besides the outrageous real estate prices) that keeps me from scuttling back there. Oh. Earthquakes. Those terrify me, too. Been in two. Two too many, if you ask me.

      xoxoxo

  • Dina C. says:

    After the rainiest spring and early summer I can remember, it finally finally stopped the deluge and warmed up here in Northern Virginia and acted like real summer. So we’ve been having our usual hot/hazy/humid weather. When it’s like that, I enjoy powdery and soapy scents with that green tinge that’s in almost everything I wear: Chamade, Paris Jardin Romantiques, Narciso, Bas de Soie, Cristalle eau Verte. If and when it cools down, then I’ll be hitting the green chypres like Gucci No. 3, Ormonde Woman, and No 19 edt.

    • Musette says:

      those sound perfect for that weather!!!! Y’all take awhile to cool down, though, right? Here in IL it seems we get 1, maybe 2 weeks of lovely Autumn, then it’s as if someone dropped a freezer on us.

      xoxo

  • Tara C says:

    Still steaming hot here through Thursday, then it will drop down to seasonal average of 22C (72F). I am really looking forward to autumn temps, but I do start to get antsy when the light drops, which it’s starting to do here in Montreal. By October I will be flying south for the winter and back into the sunshine of southern California, which saves my sanity. Right now I’m wearing florals (La Fille de Berlin, Twilly, Blanche Immortelle, AdP Magnolia Nobile) looking forward to incense & amber.

    • Musette says:

      I envy you! I used to do that, in another life. If I can manage it, I’ll be out of here mid-January for LA – even if it’s just a week, it’ll break that Bleak Midwinter grip!

      xoxoxo

  • AnnieA says:

    I go for a perfume with a mind above pedestrian concerns like the weather. Ivoire and other ladylike scents refuse to shiver or sweat.

  • roseyposeyleo says:

    This summer in Ohio has been an inferno. I’m ready to move to Alaska. The humidity is a killer for me. I haven’t worn any scents the past weeks. Hurry Winter. My friend showed up yesterday in a long sleeved shirt. It was 90! Wish I had her body’s thermostat!

  • Brigitte says:

    We are having a heat wave the entire week. But I also am feeling the loss of light and don’t like it. I wear layers all year round because even in the summer I freeze with air conditioning. I am wearing Gap Heaven and SSS Incense Pure these days. Sometimes separately and sometimes layered.

    • Musette says:

      ooooh! I’ll bet that is an AWESOME layer!

      and yes, the loss of light is heartbreaking, innit? But it does pave the way to cozy Saturdays with cinnamon rolls. 😉

      xoxoxo

  • Lynn W says:

    This is a nice piece about the coming of Autumn. But tell me, what is a “pub-lick” school?

    • Musette says:

      lol! That’s a Ron White (comedian) schtick – he talks about being drunk ‘in pub-lick’ (pronunciation) as he’s standing there, swilling Scotch and eating Cheetos . I just find it funny!

      xoxo

  • Neva says:

    The second year in a row fall season starts on the 1st of September with pouring rain and a huge drop in temperature. For me it’s too early and too sudden and I still can’t put up with it and wear my lighter perfumes. Today for the first time I feel like reaching out for my transitional scent – Van Cleef&Arpels’ Rose Velours.

  • hczerwiec says:

    We’re having some swoopy weather here as well — I tried Coromandel, but I don’t think it was the right choice. I’ve been on a kick of wearing vintage Miss Dior or vintage Dioressence, and they’re both fabulous. And Mitsouko is never a bad idea.

    • Musette says:

      The only Diors I’ve ever really clicked with are vintage Diorling and (weirdly) current Diorella!

      And in total agreement re Mitsouko!

      xoxoxo

  • I adore Ubar! I’ve been wearing it as well lately. Fall is my favorite season, I could live in it all year long. And I love fall/winter fragrances best. I’m with you, No5 and Arpege, heaven! I haven’t worn L’Origan, but vintage L’Aimant is another favorite. Have you tried Auphorie Mayura? It will be gorgeous this fall and winter.

    • Musette says:

      LOL! It’s now 92F here and Ubar is back on the tray! Next week, if it drops down to 70, I’ll wear it again!

      L’Aimant was one of my mother’s faves and I have several vintages. It was a precursor to No5 and is nearly as perfect! xoxoxo

      • Kathleen says:

        Your Mother smelled gorgeous! What a special scent memory to have of her and L’Aimant. As a fellow No 5 fan, I also appreciate vintage L’Aimant and have a cute little mini bottle I adore. xoxo