A Tale of Two Things

Darling Posse!  As I write this snow is stomping across the Central IL Valley region, dropping 5-8″ (hopefully that is the most we’ll get).  Well, at least we’re not getting snow/sleet/rain like they are about 40 minutes south.  That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.  I was supposed to go right into that for a race event but the Event Mgr told me to STAY HOME!

So I did.

And whyyy am I telling you all this?  Dunno. Just setting the stage for this post, which is about Two Things – a high ticket ginger and a (very) low-ticket ginger… and how they fell in love.

In the early days (at least to me) of Neela Vermeire’s Creations, I was given a gorgeous Discovery Set of her 4 beautiful perfumes: Trayee, Mohur, Bombay Bling and Ashoka.  Everyone (myself included) expected me to fall for Bombay Bling, with the incandescent tropical notes so dear to my heart) – and I did.  On the coldest nights in Winter, Bling is one of my go-to perfumes, evoking Bombay in all its sultry glory.  But…. despite adoring Bling, I found myself reaching constantly, constantly for Trayee – and not really understanding why.  Those notes (blue ginger/cinnamon bark, cardamom, clove, Japanese vetiver (among a host of other ‘aromatics’) shouldn’t have drawn me in, shouldn’t be so compelling.  And yet.  I have nursed my two 10ml bottles and continue to find it beguiling in the extreme cold and snow (ah!  and now we come to why I chose to give you the weather report!). Something about Trayee is both calming and uplifting  – ginger is the dominant note for my nose but I get hints of jasmine and other white flowers before the pungent base notes come drifting in (they do not stomp, which is lovely, because they are honkin’ BIG! basenotes).  It is unbelievably spectacular! in a quiet, self-assured way.  Portia did a fabulous review of it here

Stolen from Portia’s post. Because I am a SAVAGE!

Pivoting for a minute: you all know that I am Quing of Body Moisturizer.  I sit here, watching some cooking show, rubbing cream and lotion by the bucket! And my tastes are catholic, ranging from standalone luxury brands like Amouage Lyric and FM Carnal Flower that Do Not Play Well With Others, to drugstore brands.  I love Tree Hut, as you know – but there’s another brand, Dr Teal’s, that I really enjoy – and my favorite in that lineup is the Stress Relief.  I started by using the shower/bath gel – and I kept thinking ‘wow!  this smells sooo familiar’ but I couldn’t place it because I am a goober who Does Not Read the NOTES!  Then I started using the Body Oil and Body Lotion.  Ahem:  Ginger.! Cedarwood! a light citrus note that keeps it from crashing into a miasma of heavy aromatics!  In short, a worthy support to the glorious Trayee!  For only $5.97!!

This one – not the green one that is eucalyptus-based (though that’s nice, too)

Now.  I am definitely NOT suggesting that Dr Teal’s is anywhere near the level of the beautiful complexity that is Trayee – but it definitely IS a great supporting player.  I love layering body products with perfume but not all my favorites have matching body products.  So it’s a magical thing when I find a great match.  And at $5.97?  Bliss.

Do you have any high/low perfume/body matches?  Any other ginger perfumes?  I went on Surrender to Chance and there are SCADS!  Weirdly enough, except for 5 o’clock Snooze (h/t March) I haven’t tried a single one!