(*Shameless ripoff of Crosby, Stills and Nash song I don’t like.)
We had a named storm last week and what appears to be an unnamed one moving through today and tomorrow. Gales and heavy rain. I wish it would blow itself to California, which actually needs it. Which we don’t. And I’m now concerned my television aerial is loose, so will have to call service to have it removed and replaced.
Anyway, onward to perfume. I’m wearing Perfumer H Smoke today because it’s been disgusting out and it makes me feel warm and cosy.
An idea has been floating around my brain over January as a result of experiences during my first year (2024) of retirement and managing (sometimes not so neatly) on a ‘fixed’ income. Plus, I’m balancing paying for a number of house fixes this year (not on the scale of Musette’s stuff but not minor) and I will be paying for a ‘significant’ trip in 2026 (ever heard of Stolpersteines? No? Try a google search).
Portia’s new project also turned my head.
And I’ve been thinking on commenters’ posts about spending a year ‘shopping’ their own perfume stash.
The result of all of this is an attempt, on my part, to do my weekly post on the Posse this year via either 1) what I already own or can find in a charity shop or 2) from visits to our local department store’s perfume section (which is not a bad place) and our new SpaceNK beauty shop (good perfume offer) to do sampling. The point is there will be no new bottle purchases this year (ie, if I find something for £10 in a charity shop that’s fair game, but I am not allowed that £50 Balenciaga Quadrille mini I’ve been drooling over on etsy and I’m going to manage on the 10ml decant of Victoria’s Beckham’s 21:50 Reverie).
One of my actions last year was to weed out and build up a wardrobe that actually works so I didn’t stand stupidly in front of my closet/dresser blinded by all the things that didn’t work together. That got done and I now can get dressed without having a hissy fit. And while I still peruse Who What Wear etc and get the want monster, it’s easy to put him back in his box now.
This is very much an experiment which I hope will work. I am one of those people whose mind is easily turned by pretties. I used to think I had strong self-control but it’s really not true. I did a load of retail damage in November/December last year, and I’m sure some of that was purely for the rush.
So, that’s where I am. I hope (fervently) that I will still come up with interesting and readable content. Please tell me if I’m veering into the serious meh territory.
Oh, I do have a couple of samples from last year which will be a February post. So, fear not – all is not lost.
Pics: Pexels
GAH! For having house issues Cinnamon. It seems never ending with a single dwelling, and always so bloody expensive. Good luck with it all.
LOVE that I’ve inspired you and that you’ve made it your own. Keeping it about what you have outlined will be excellent. I don’t come here to read perfume anymore (though when I get to it’s nice) what really interests me is the people we all are. Both writers and commenters. We are the interest, perfume is just our common interest.
Portia xx
It is one of the negative issues with owning a single family dwelling. I like the idea of weaving perfume commentary into life commentary. It sort of gives some context to our obsession 🙂
Agreed, both counts.
This is such an amazing plan – I may need to steal it. We’re trying to downsize, and I have more than enough pretties to keep me for a while. I stress shop – knee surgery next week? Surrender to Chance order ( small one, but still..) I need to work on this…
I’d come to realise that I wasn’t really looking at and taking in what I have. My brain wasn’t engaging fully — for whatever reasons. I now make myself stop and really absorb. I totally get the small rewards for difficult circumstances though…
I am definitely trying not to be lemming about the next new thing “smells like caramel, swamp gas, yak armpit, and calla lily? I’ll take the large bottle, please!” I’m also going through old clothes that I haven’t worn in eons and don’t fit. Maybe the idea of having to evacuate is making me pare down. (Yeah, sure)
We’re actually getting some rain finally. It may to be too late to mitigate the worst of the fires (that ship sailed) but it will help. The big issue is that we can’t get the usual SoCal winter deluge or all those fire-scarred hills will come down. So far the rain has been pretty gentle, even with that we’ve had some mudslides. I’m spritzing myself with the new SL rose, which I think I’m reviewing this week.
A mixed blessing. I hope the rain comes slowly and gently. We sometimes get periods of very dry weather and then deluges which cause floods — the rain running over the hard ground without penetrating where they are really needed.
I’m sure someone has done a PhD thesis on why we want things even when we have them. We’ll see how my plans play out…
I decided, after looking at my lovely collection that could last two lifetimes, that there would be no more perfume purchases until next Christmas. Of course I just saw a blip about Bertrand Duchaufour’s new perfumes. I am trying to tell myself that samples don’t count!
My thing with samples is a lot of the time once of tested once or twice if I feel meh or negative I don’t use them. Which is why I have decided testing in person is now necessary to curb silly spending. I’m pretty sure the two shops I mentioned will have a lot of interesting things and most of the rest can be procured on trips to London. The internet has sure enabled pointless spending for me.
I applaud you and think it sound like a great idea, Cinnamon! My way forward in the last year has been to shop for minis or samples of things that pique my interest. The cost is much more manageable, and if the dry down isn’t thrilling all is not lost. When it comes to pretty clothes, more of a weakness, I try hard to be content with what I already own. Not that it’s easy, or that I’m successful! I’m sorry for all the rain storms in your area. Our weather is finally warming up enough for the snow to thaw a bit.
Glad to hear the snow is starting to recede a bit. We’re now in day 2 of gales and heavy periods of rain, after a few days of respite after the last storm. I forget every year that this is what it’s like. Fingers crossed the plans will play out in a successful (for me) and interesting way.
Looks like this next storm was named by the Spanish Met Office, Storm Herminia.
Like you I went nuts at the end of last year. I’ve publicly announced I won’t be buying anything after my birthday purchases for 12 months. I have more scent than I’ll ever need or use. DH is not now earning so we are dependant on my pension. Frivolities other than UK travel is off the menu.
Now I’m off to research your travel destination
It’s not a destination—rather, a plan for where my mother and her parents lived in Germany.
I looked after I read your comment and indeed the ‘thing’ moving through here has a name. My self birthday gift this year is going to be a dwarf weeping cherry tree. It’s actually less expensive than most bottles of perfume. If VB offers a 25% off code at Xmas time this year I may do 21:50 then. But, maybe not. I really do have enough perfume. With books I have a one in/one out (to charity shops) thing going. Maybe that should be applied to perfume bottles as well — I only get to buy a bottle if I’ve used up a bottle (decants don’t count).
I really liked this post. I am attempting all that you mentioned. Partly this is because I sometimes am ashamed of the glut of perfumes and “pretties”– the frivolity of it all. But also, as a Californian (we got a sprinkle last night in Nor-Cal), I’m concerned about coming years and just feel like battening down the hatches and enjoying– really enjoying what I have. But saving time, money, resources and mentally preparing for the years ahead is on my mind. I’m “perfume rich” and have enough for lifetimes. I think back now on my mother with her two or three bottles gracing her dresser that lasted years. My grandmother was a little more excessive, having gone gone through an Avon phase. So I’m off to squeeze those lifetimes’ scents into one.
Sigh, yeah, the looking forward in an uncertain world. We don’t get fires (at least not yet) but as I’ve noted way too many times it floods here. What used to be once-in-50-years events now happen multiple times every autumn/winter. Indeed, I do feel ‘perfume rich’ and while I’m sure I’ll continue to buy over time, I really do need to consider other things and stop even keeping a want list.