My Posse Darlings! Like so much of the world right now, my little corner (in Central Midwest) is under an Extreme Heat Advisory. Unlike Europe, which usually doesn’t have to deal with these extremes, we’re pretty used to it and have AC, etc, to see us through. Mostly. I’m not a huge fan of AC myself, except for sleeping , and to be honest, extreme heat and humidity are Just Fine with me, as long as I don’t have to do a lot of manual stuff (yesterday I edged the garden- at 8:30p! Hey, it was still light out and the extreme heat had dried off most of the residual moisture from the FOUR days of unrelenting rain so a Big Fat W for me!).
What to wear, perfume-wise is a whole other story. I promised cinnamon yesterday that I would wear Divine in her honor…but the heat prevented that. Not that Divine couldn’t have handled it- she definitely could’ve – but I always equate Divine with windswept walks along the Brittany coast, in a cableknit sweater…. in mid-Autumn. Absolutely NONE of that is in play, right now. So Divine went back in the drawer.
I then thought about my delight in wearing heavy hitters in weather like this, hitters that were designed for extreme heat. Hitters like Amouage Lyric, Amouage Tribute attar. But those have created some drama at my gym, which is part of our Physical Therapy setup and…. sorry!! PT wins. I do NOT want to be That Girl who causes patients to experience headaches. And it can (and has) happened. Lyric bloooooms in the heat and, combined with the body cream, is overwhelming to anybody Not Posse. Tribute attar? OMG! How gorgeous she is in extreme heat – but folks here don’t really seem to appreciate it and I’m already alien enough, thank you…
So. What am I turning to, these days? Welp! Glad you asked! I’m happily wearing what I call Pretty. Forgettable. perfumes. It started by accident – I got out of the shower a few days ago and put on the White Musk from Tesori (someone online wrote a post about it, calling it the scent of the cleanest bathroom in the world).
Normally I would wear No 5 atop it (rather than the No5 body products that terrify the local populace) but I found that a light (okay – Not So Light) application of the jasmine perfume spray I got at Merz Apothecary is beautiful – and not at all terrifying.
lovely
In heat like this the perfume is quickly eaten but there’s a vague, lingering note of Some Pretty Flower that ‘legitimizes’ the Tesori body wash/body cream (which, interestingly, is not as quickly eaten as the jasmine perfume). Another Pretty. Forgettable. is Maison Margiela’s Never Ending Summer – fwiw, I’m still a bit salty that they chose the name Replica because that, along with the Sephora placement, had me thinking they were dupes. Nothing wrong with dupes (I guess) but I’m not going out of my way for ‘If you like X’. Finding Lazy Sunday Morning (which they’ve changed to Something Not That (sigh) was a revelation! A lot of the MMMs are lovely – but the Summer one is very fleeting. A definite fruity-floral (more floral than fruit, though) it goes on gorgeously and just smells Pretty! Pretty soon, though, you’ve not only forgotten it’s there (it probably isn’t anymore) you’ve also forgotten what the name of it is. Try that with Lyric. Go ‘head. I dare you! 😉
Anyway, with heat indices well into triple digits, it seems I have two choices (none of which are citrus, which (except for Jean Nate’) shrieks, runs and hides back in the Messy Armoire): I can scare everyone, including the horses, with Lyric and Tribute… or… I can go with Pretty. I’m choosing Pretty for now. Bad enough we’re all courting heatstroke. No reason to add a migraine to it.
I’ll be wearing Lyric apres-shower tonight. It’ll be just me and her and I have no problem giving her her due. A LOT of due! During the day I’ll stick with Pretty. Forgettable. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wear Happy! It’s actually very pretty – but it’s another that I quickly forget about once I apply it. Sigh.
Do you shift up perfumes/body creams in this type of weather? I’m surprised to find out how much I really don’t dislike the shift. Maybe I’m just becoming kinder in my advancing years… or maybe it’s just too hot.
I’m lucky that we don’t get the spikes you get in the Midwest (or they do anywhere else, like the Valley) but I still sometimes just go for something easy. Not challenging, just nice.
Nice is… nice! Sometimes.
Right now is that time
I like pretty and forgettable but recently discovered that I do not have as much as I thought. Many perfumes disappear quickly on me anyway in this weather we’re having. I do love pretty and light for normal summer weather when you can also do light and white. Jasmine combos are terrific for that!
I bought a Swiss Arabian Jasmine and Vanilla that ONLY works in the 90s!
Yes ma’am! I hear what you’re saying, and I agree wholeheartedly. My summer scents are the light and pretty ones, too. Lots of citrus, bergamot, and florals — but not big white florals. I put on AG Chevrefuille about 20 minutes ago, and I already have to put nose to skin in order to smell it. Stay cool Posse peeps!
I’m really curious how one of de la Renta’s BWFs might do in this heat. Maybe I’ll try Volupte later. Or… since I’m solo now… maybe bust out Carnal Flower, see if it can beat the 90s temps- at least to a draw
I’m usually guilty of citrussy & green in oppressive heat. Though an astringent chypre is also a default. Mitsy, AE, Azuree, 4160 Lady Rose Lion (Monkey Unicorn) now retired & many more.
Last week I wore Madge’s TorD with 4711 over in the heatwave. Awesome!
Wow! I was just saying to Dina C that I might try CF, now that I’m back home…!
CF should be a huge hit with me. But, well, it just isn’t. I can’t even sell my travel spray. The internal tube has vacuumed itself to the bottom of the glass bottle.
Hmmm… I’ve had an idea. I have a purse spray that can be refilled. Need to try that
It actually might rain today. Currently (8 am) cool and breezy. I might do Ninfeo Meo again — but maybe not.
Hopefully Divine will answer the call fairly soon. I know you all can manage the heat but doesn’t mean it’s entirely comfortable. Pretty but forgettable. Sometimes that just what you need.
Oh, and currently it stays light till almost 10 pm here. Sun’s up around 5 am.
For us, too! I cut the grass as soon ss the sun burned off the dew, so I’m feeling like I have earned the right to relax… until bedtime 😉
Good luck with the heat Musette.
I have a slew of fairly forgettable pretty nothings that I love. Always good if you want to smell nice but nothing to derail your (or others) thoughts.
Portia xx
Yep! We’re all struggling rn – it’s brutal! I do NOT want to be the one to push folks over the olfactory edge
Well, not this week anyway…
Pretty, and light! The kind of days made for Imaginary Authors Soft Lawn, Malle Magnolia, 4711 cologne straight from the fridge, etc.
I wore a sample of Soft Lawn yesterday, March. It was just right!
I’m using up my decant, might need a bigger one … I really want a bottle of Malle Magnolia but am reminding myself I don’t “need” it lol.
That’s another great one! Have you tried Acqua de Parma Magnolia Nobile? I like it a little bit more, but they’re both great in the summer.
It is gorgeous, isn’t it? I have the cream and the perfume!!!
The AdP
AdP Gelsomina cream this morning… a scrab of scent is stiiill hanging on… by a hangnail