We’re moving into another heatwave, probably be hotter than the last one. Sigh. Towards 30 degrees Celsius with it feeling like 37, according to the weather report. So, around 97 Fahrenheit – and humid.
Last week I had yet another orthodontist appointment. Probably six more months of railroad tracks. March and Tom had birthdays. My son did as well and we celebrated with food to the max (the no sugar was put on hold – back to that today). He said he doesn’t need things right now (‘when I need a new laptop, can you help?’) so I made a meal from recipes he picked from the Nopi cookbook (he did this for my birthday back in the winter). And, we did a nice lunch at the farm shop’s fancier restaurant. Both were wonderful though the cooking I did meant my lower back grumbled a bit. I guess I am at an age when standing in front of the stove stirring something so it will do what the recipe says can be a bit more problematic than it used to be. Anyway, this was dessert (corn bread with grilled peaches in a sauternes syrup with maple cream). Picture doesn’t do it justice. I love Ottolenghi cookbooks and restaurants. If you come to London definitely worth a visit.
The garden has been showing off. The jasmine started to bloom around a week ago and once our cool, wet weather receded the scent has been big. Each year I am so happy when the vine decides to turbo-charge its blooming. It’s a pongy jasmine, but not madly so, which also has a green note to the fragrance. It’s the smell I wake up to (my bedroom window is above the garden) for a month at least.
And, it’s looking like this will be a banner year for the hedgerow fruit (blackberries). I see jam and crumble in the future.
Guerlain Ambre Samar. I was given a sample of this by a friend and ignored it while I was working on something which I then decided no one else needed to know about. Basically, chemical sweet peaches. I tried to spin it as something more but alas no.
So, we have moved along.
This is wonderful. A lovely surprise.
It’s a 2025 release. Nose was Delphine Jelk. Notes include cardamon, almond, frankincense, amber, davana, benzoin, tonka bean and patchouli. It is presented in a sort of bee bottle but red as part of the Absolus Allegoria range.
Fragrantica calls it an oriental spicy and that will do.
It begins as an incensy spicy almond. Big cardamon note. A gourmand but not annoying. And definitely fine for hot weather as the warm just brings out the spice and incense without it being cloying.
A bit later the vanilla aspects show up, interestingly amplifying the almond. So, warm spicy nuts. Delicious without giving you a headache.
The drydown is a good, solid amber modified by spicy nuts. I don’t generally put on perfume before bed but I could see this being a perfect fragrance to send you off to a good night’s sleep as it ends up smelling of ambery almond cookies.
So, the almond is really the star here, with everything else supporting.
Strangely, this is EdP but cheap in the scheme of things: 125ml for £165. And, I see it on sale in places for lower prices.
It’s very nice, as noted, but thankfully my brain doesn’t do the fizz thing (give!!!) like it did with Divine. I’m pleased I don’t need it even though it is quite good.
I will happily use up my sample and that will be that. But, that bottle is really quite fetching.
Familiar with this? How’s your weather?
Pics: mine, WikiParfums, pexels
I haven’t run across an almond scent that I really like (maybe Rahat Loukoum?) but if anyone can do it Guerlain would be the one..
I have never smelled RL. On list for next Paris trip. Our temp is ok so far this morning but the humidity is stupidly high.
Your weather sounds horrendous! In the Midwestern US we’re used to that kind of weather / but you? I don’t think it’s the norm
Our weather took a dive/ from 80-85 and sunny to torrential rains and mid-50s temps! Brrr! Swinging back to normal early Summer temperatures!
I envy you your jasmine!
Well, it started raining about 20 minutes ago, which has the temp down and raised the humidity. Supposed to be much hotter tomorrow and Wednesday though. With bright sun.
We def aren’t used to this like the US Midwest.
The jasmine says thank you for the appreciation.
Also, that weather is terrible. Y’all aren’t set up for heat waves.
No, we’re definitely not a country that manages this kind of heat well. I visited a neighbour who built a new house on a lovely big plot but didn’t think to put in AC and it was not pleasant.
When I lived here in the nineties, nobody had air conditioning. Nobody. A few hot days in June when we wished we did, but that was it. Now? When the property was sold a couple years ago and I realized I was going to have to move out of the casita, Priority 1 was a place with A/C (which the main house has.) Shortest move ever distance-wise lol, about 20 feet across the courtyard.
That bottle is calling my name hard Cinnamon, looks so enticing. I think I smelled it on a card. Need to go back and give it a big whirl.
We are Birthday and Christmas crowd funders if we need something special. It’s such a good way to direct people’s often misaimed generosity.
That corn bread looks delicious!
Portia xx
It is a lovely bottle. Love that ‘misaimed generosity’.
The corn bread was very nice — and relatively easy to make.
oh my LORD look at your jasmine!!!!! And here I am being all smug about my 4′ potted plant hahahaha. That Guerlain sounds absolutely fantastic. Sigh. These moments when I think, if I still lived in the DC area I could just pop over to NM or Saks or what have you.
It’s one of the first things I planted once I had managed to get rid of most of the ground elder.
I think sampling AS is very worthwhile.
Hi Cinnamon,
Our weather in Virginia is hot but not overly humid yet. I love jasmine — your vine is beautiful! I wore Vilhelm Don’t Tell Jasmine yesterday. That Guerlain bottle is so pretty. I like it better than the notes list. I recently did some investigating and realized that every scent of mine that had a lot of patchouli I had given away! There are just a couple exceptions. (Le Labo Iris 39 I’m looking at you.) Your son’s bday celebration sounds delicious! Happy birthday to him.
There’s so much that isn’t happy in my garden but that jasmine has always managed.
It might rain a bit today. I would be very thankful if it did.
This sounds up like something I should get my nose on. Spicy nuts rather than something sweet. Almonds are the only nuts I can tolerate in perfumery.
Debating if we need a Dyson fan. A full scale red heat warning for the second half of the week means the answer is probably yes.
I am not looking forward to the weather tomorrow through Thursday. Have enough food in so no cooking bar the microwave.
I think this is well worth a sniff, particularly due to the almond note.
Alityke-if you have access to purchasing a Vornado brand fan, go for it. I moved back home to the Northeastern U.S. in 2015-after almost 40 years on the West coast. I’d forgotten how utterly HELLISH the Eastern seaboard summers are. I am renting a 96 year old house and don’t have AC. After going through several brands, Dyson included, I love this Vornado fan so much, I’d marry it if I could!
Been straight to look for a Vornado fan. There are so many! Which model would you recommend please?
The Vornado 660 was the winner for me. I am delighting in the breezy output as I type. Well worth the $$$!
Thank you.