Top Ten Scents of Spring

(FOLKS —  Let’s try again, with comments working this time.)

It’s hard to believe, particularly after the winter some of us had, but it’s time (almost past time!) for the Top Ten Scents of Spring.   As usual, our peerless pals in the Perfume Posse (say that three times fast) were each asked to contribute their two (s)cents, we are pretty sure that adds up to ten….

Anita:  (taking the contrarian point of view … What Not to Wear in Spring)

These are scents I lovelovelove love ….but Not Right Now.  (and I cheated.  I have THREE!   ow!)

Rose.  Oh, rose.  You are thorny weasels in the cold, wet chilly winds of Spring.  Blooming like, well…a rose, during the heat of summer, you turn all waxy and plastic and skeery in April.  Rose d´Ete, Une Folie du Rose…I´m talkin´ to you!  Une Rose, I fear we may never be friends.  Maybe we can share a lemonade in July.

Cuir Ottoman. In August, this is a thing of sensuous beauty, with that leathery, almost-oudhish vibe….in Spring it makes me want to chew my arm off and throw it out the window.

Vintage Coty(s):  I know.  That tugging sound you hear is a million perfumistas trying to yank my card!  But vintage L´Origan gives me hives of anxiety this time of year and vintage L´Aimant smells like rotting beef.

Nava: My first official Canadian winter wasn’t as bad as I’d feared (no comment from the rest of youse), but things have a way of evening out in the end. I’m sure I’ll be buried up to my eyeballs next year, while the cherry blossoms in DC will start blooming in January. For spring this year, my picks are the new Balenciaga Paris, because all of a sudden, I’m in love with the non-chypre chypreish-ness of it, Tom Ford Private Blend Neroli Portofino; it’s one of the only orange blossom scents that lasts longer than 5 minutes on my skin, and because Anita/Musette got a third, I’m going to go with Kenzo Amour Florale, even though the lasting power stinks, it’s another gorgeous orange blossom with some aromatic cardamom thrown in, that doesn’t get all skanky in the heat. Who cares if we can’t count!

March:  Nava, thanks for all the snow!  We got, what, five feet or more?   Anyhow, putting that behind me, spring to me (or at least this spring) is the perfect time for peculiar scents — scents that match the moody changeable weather, cold and rainy one second, warm and blustery the next.    My first nominee: Niki de Saint Phalle, which I wore in college more for the sophisticated image (in my mind) of what it represented than the smell.   Niki on the wrong day will frown and kick you in the shins before burning a hole in your sofa with her cigarette ash.  On the right day, though, her bracingly strange brew of mint, marigold, vetiver, oakmoss and patchouli (with a sprinkling of florals) seems just the ticket.   Another recent delightfully oddball discovery (let’s Blame Louise, who gave it to me) is Parfums de Nicolai’s Eau Turquoise, which — gag me with a fruity apricot floral.  It sounds like a candied nightmare on paper, but I am head over heels in love with that admittedly pissy/green note of mango dancing around drunkenly in there alongside that tasteful jasmine and rose.  Add some zing (cardamom, pepper, lime) and a woodsy base and watch the sun come out right over my head, with unicorns and rainbows and other goofy stuff busting out.  I can’t stop grinning at this.

Patty: There’s only one thing that’s working for me this spring, and that’s Byredo Tulipe.  I am wearing that pretty much every day now.  It’s matching thing is my Oribe hair care products, which all have the same scent.  It’s a lovely one, too, and I can’t quite place it.  Between the two, I smell amazing and fresh.  And the scent I’ve surrounded myself with that’s natural is my gardenia plant. It’s in bloom and rich and lush and makes me think the hot days of summer are almost here.

Lee: Good to hear March wearing the heck out of that Eau Turquoise – it is a lovely fruity floral! Strange times, to utter such words. As for me, the world of men’s scents seems to have a limited palate in spring, if you’re going for the spring vibe that is. I know most folk here wear whatever they like whenever they like, however. Good on you all. I’ll go with l’homme de coeur by Divine, which I’ve had to reorder as my bottle is down to its last dregs (great CS by the way – I plan to call in if I ever go to Dinard. The Parisian store is also lovely). It’s subtle, pretty evanescent, and quiet. All the things spring isn’t really – at least round these parts. Yet it fits so well. Whilst all that lime green explosion is shouting out in the hedgerows,, l’homme de coeur is a quiet, refined presence. And sticking with the quiet and refined, Dia Homme by Amouage. It might be a little powdery some days, and I don’t generally do that, but it’s  similarly understated, though maybe more buttoned up than the crisp white shirt casual sigh of the Divine number. It’s a  whisper of suited elegance. Or something. I’m into quiet, it seems. If I want loud, I can go and stand amongst the tulips and chat with Ballerina, Queen of Sheba, and Princess Irene. They’ve all got their gladrags on.

For more Top Ten Scents, please visit:

Bois de Jasmin

Grain de Musc

Now Smell This

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

  • Nava says:

    You’re welcome Ann. Some of TF’s scents send me screaming in the opposite direction of them, but NP is a real beauty.

  • Ann N. says:

    March, glad to see your mention of Ms. Niki — I was captivated by it when it first came out and had to have the parfum mini of it with the intertwined snakes atop it. (BTW, will send out your Cartiers in the next day or two.)
    And Nava, thanks for the love for Neroli Portofino. TF gets dissed a lot but I, too, think the NP is lovely and it’s got pretty nice staying power.

  • mary says:

    I love the Niki, too– I wrote a long, heart felt comment before, so sad it got erased. Sigh. 8-|

  • mals86 says:

    If it’s a green floral, I’m pretty much Wearin’ It: 19, Silences, Chamade, Le Temps d’une Fete, Crown Bouquet, and that tiny sample of lovely Vacances. If I’m not wearing those, I’m wearing Diorissimo or DK Gold, or my violet samples (hey, I LIKE the green beans in Unicorn Spell!), or lilacs (faves? Well, Vacances, of course, but DSH White Lilac was lovely, and although I wish En Passant had even a little more staying power, it’s beautiful).

  • karin says:

    So happy to see PP back up and running…with photos! Hope the switch proves to be a good one.

    I’m very curious about the Tulipe. It’s getting so much mention on the blogs these days. Not an easy one to get a hold of, though. I’ll persist.

    I have a bottle of Eau Turquoise – haven’t worn it yet this season. I will need to dig it out!

    Found a bottle of Marc Jacobs Cucumber at TJ Maxx this weekend for $20. Wearing it today. Very simple, soft watery floral – perfect for a hot summer day, I imagine (so, that’s not really a “spring” endorsement, is it???).

    Here are a couple of my latest finds/inspirations for the season:
    – Amouage Dia Pour Femme – beautiful!!!
    – Sinfonia di Note Saveur d’Artichaut – totally intrigued and entranced by this one
    – Different Company Sublime Balkiss – just tried this one today – sublime drydown!

    • Nava says:

      Thanks Karin. I can’t wait to post a graphic in my next entry. I haven’t sampled any of the Byredos, but Patty is sure smitten with Tulipe. I need to ferret some out PDQ.

      🙂

  • Olfacta says:

    This spring it’s been florals, pretty much, although Ninfeo Mio — got to get that one of these days. And roses are even ok, Rose Diabolo, just not the gothic patch-y ones. I got a mini of Organza Indecence on fleabay and, while it’s not a spring-y scent particularly, must be the older version because it’s so rich. But the hot weather’s coming, tomorrow, arriving on the back end of the rain. So it’ll be greens around here pretty soon.

    • March says:

      Indecence! I lurve it so much… not springy, though, for sure.

      It rained today and I hoped for cooler, but it’s not really. I have all the windows open and am pretending, though!

      • Nava says:

        Never got myself a new supply of Indecence…but it’s there for the buying for sure come fall.

  • Gretchen says:

    May in California: spring has pretty much given way to summer– the nice part of summer, before it gets too exhaustingly hot. So I’m saving most of these spring recs for next March-early April. Meanwhile, SOTD is Chanel No22.

    • March says:

      There’s never a bad time for 22! 😡

      • Musette says:

        😕

        I dunno what Joe would say about that…

        Joe?

        A li’l 22 for you?

        8-x

        xoxo >-)

        • Joe says:

          Huh.. Whaa…?

          No… sure… wear all the 22 you want. Anywhere, anytime.

          When I told you I was askeert of it, I meant I had never tried it because the only reaction I have when thinking about something with that many aldehydes is :-ss … or maybe 8-x

          I’m sure it’s beautiful, really. Maybe I can just mix together my samples of Vega and Le Dix and No 5 and come up with something close and pretend like I tried 22, k? b-(

          • Musette says:

            No, baby…I meant YOU.

            As in (cue Jaws music) YOU try No 22.

            It’s actually lovely. But very aldehydic. Uber-aldehydic.

            But lovely.

            Then again, I am biased.

            xo >-) Aldewhore

  • Robin says:

    Great lists all around, and love the idea of what NOT to wear in spring. Makes me think that would be a fun variation one season…just do the “please don’t wear this” scents!

    • Gretchen says:

      I second that idea!

    • Nava says:

      Angel would be atop my personal list. I saw some newspaper ads over the weekend advertising it as a Mother’s Day gift.

      Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Joe says:

        Heh. My mum just bought herself a bottle recently, so at least I don’t have to buy her one. 😮 But I am the one who introduced her to it.

    • March says:

      Angel is seasonless in its inappropriateness. 😉

      Says the gal who was trying out Rush extrait and the Penhaligons gardenia in the 90-degree heat yesterday.

    • carter says:

      Yeah, well the minute someone tells me what not to wear, that’s what I want to wear.

      And looky here! A pretty little decant of Rose Oud smiling up at me from my nightstand…@};-

  • Joe says:

    Aw, man! Your system ate my comment! No, seriously… I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Tech issues are no fun at all (and I’m speaking as someone who works in infosys). I’ll try to recreate my list.

    Shouts to Nava & Lee: I think Balenciaga Paris and L’Homme de Coeur are just great.

    – AG Grand Amour: a spring bouquet that works for me where Chamade is a little too ladylike.
    – Le Labo Fleur d’Oranger: I’d be wearing the hell out of this if I had more than a 10ml decant. Exactly evokes the citrus blossoms I smell on walks in my neighborhood.
    – SL Cuir Mauresque: an unlikely spring choice, but nights here can be darned chilly, and I love the animal warmth of this lately.

    Congrats on the successful migration of the blog, and here’s to no more major hiccups. :d

    • Nava says:

      Joe, if it’s any consolation, I saw your comment shortly after I published the post, but I planned to respond in the morning. The gremlins got busy sometime during the night!

      I absolutely adore Balenciaga, even though it is a scent I didn’t think I’d wear. And orange blossom is my obsession right now. I can’t seem to get enough. Enjoy what’s left of your Le Labo decant! 🙂

    • March says:

      Joe — what Nava said. :d Our new host (for reasons too dire to explain here) had actually grabbed most of our site content the day before — then when the site switched over, everything that hadn’t existed the day before (the Top Ten post, along with Patty’s Winners post, and all the related comments, including some on Dune) disappeared, which was … well, a bit of a bummer. /:)

      And I get on here at midnight and the post is gone and Nava says, but I swear it was there! And it was, briefly.

      Anyhow, here’s hoping for smooth sailing!

  • Shelley says:

    Sorry about the brains. Here, allow me to pass the blame. Maybe we can arrange for a convenient zombie visit DURING finals week? The ultimate excuse. “Erm…sorry…unable to grade papers or evaluate exams…ZOMBIES ate my brains…”.

    I’m liking the Eau de Fleur Neroli as it appears…FROM YOUR BRAIN… 😉

  • Shelley says:

    You know, I was going to say what NOT to wear in spring would be macerated smoky fruit. And the words came out, and an =:) jumped in my body on this beautiful sunny spring morning with just the right amount of chill, and made my brain say “hey, about that…” Brains. They mess with themselves.

    So, I’ll stick with things that say “yes” from the start…Hey, Niki, you’re so fine! ♥ me some Saint Phalle. I had to start with the parfum, but have come to like the sharper iterations, too. Most things “green” are go for me, so long as they are not sweet. Or minty. (Yup, that means C&L needs to wait.) But I’ll happily do a Bel Respiro or a No. 19. And when I want it dirtied up, I go to Silences. Or Wild Hunt for some fun.

    And I have to say that Vol de Nuit has felt right a few times, which gets me some cognitive dissonance, because the name is all about dark and spring is all about the sun coming out, but if I shut out knowing the name something about it smells right. I think it’s…narcissus? Which takes me over to hay, which makes me mention PG Bois Blond, which I still enjoy on a spring day that’s sunny and verging on warm.

    Still haven’t tried Ninfeo Mio. Hope to rectify that soon.

    • Shelley says:

      Did you see that, btw? Cognitive dissonance? Again with the brains… /:)

      • maggiecat says:

        Oh gee thanks Shelly – I’m here instead of preparing my lectures and now you have to remind me about brains…some of which i’m supposed to be using here at work, but then again it’s Monday just before finals week… I’m liking Balenciaga’s Paris more than I thought I would – I’m not a huge violet fan. I love the scent, but after a while it becomes…annoying is the best i can come up with. Yet, Paris doesn’t do that to me, and seems interesting, grown up, a “real” perfume, and yet light…even fresh. I’m also enjoying Chloe’s Eau de Fleur Neroli, which doesn’t yell, as so many nerolis do, but speaks softly and soothingly of sunny days soon to come….

    • Musette says:

      It’s chilly here – and a bit damp. And I am thinking Bel Respiro, which is perfect for today – even more perfect than C&L, which is Almost Always Perfect ….but I’ll stop now.

      xoxoxo >-)

      ps. zombies are not out – yet. At least not here. I keep watch, as you know. 8-x

    • March says:

      And thanks for the Hey Nicky earworm!

  • DinaC says:

    I prepped for spring by ordering large decants of my two favorite spring scents: 28 La Pausa and Apres l’Ondee. But I also ordered a boat-load of samples, many suggested by you all, and have tried all kinds of new things this spring.

    My favorite samples: VC&A Bois d’Iris, AG Ninfeo Mio, Byredo La Tulipe, PG Papyrus De Ciane, and Miller et Bertaux #3 Green, Green, Green and Green. I also tried the new Balenciaga Paris yesterday and loved the drydown. The top notes were not particularly arresting, but the lingering violet leaf and spices were amazing. (My skin seemed to pull the spices to the forefront.)

    The samples which were either meh, confusing or overshadowed by far better choices: The Unicorn Spell, TDC Bois d’Iris, AG La Violette, TDC Un Parfum de Charmes et Feuilles (minty?), and (sorry Anita!) Soivohle Violets & Rainwater. I got neither violets nor rainwater, but rather spiced tea??

    It’s been a great spring for sampling. Nothing has been a scrubber either, so Yay! 🙂

    • March says:

      Your favorite-samples list reads like Pure Spring to me. So good job. That Paris … you know, I kind of dissed it as uninteresting, and I don’t think that’s wrong, necessarily. But as a nice background scent it’s kind of winning me over. Tried it again yesterday.

      Unicorn Spell’s a funny one — I like to get it out and smell it, but don’t necessarily want to wear it! It’s quite green-bean on me.

    • Nava says:

      Balenciaga gets all musky on me, and it’s definitely been the stand out so far this spring. I have to try Ninfeo Mio one of these days; it sounds fabulous.

  • Melissa says:

    Once again, like clockwork, the cravings for florals begin, at least on warm days. Orange blossom, gardenia, tuberose and tropicals. Amaranthine, Penhaligon’s Gardenia, VC&A Gardénia Pétale, Carnal Flower and I can’t wait for my bottle of Tubéreuse de Nuit. Or for Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom to reach the US. Wait, there seems to be a pattern here. Stealing my picks from CC’s blog? Duchaufour fangirl? Both?
    :d

  • Catherine says:

    Now that spring has come, I’ve put the bottles of La Pausa and Bel Respiro front and center. I spray myself silly with them, then sit by a window to work or go out for a walk. I feel as regal as a solitary iris stalk! And to celebrate the return of sun and warmth, I finally indulged in a big, big bottle of Eau Premier. A month of spring, and I’ve gone through about an eighth of it. All feel like different angles of sunlight onto an austere garden: Eau Premier, the morning light; Bel Respiro, the noon light; La Pausa, the evening.

    • March says:

      That Eau Premiere, that was kind of a stealthy one, wasn’t it? I thought, nice, but not for ME. Too rose-y. Gosh it’s pretty though. Your set all together sounds like the perfect rotation!

      • Musette says:

        I actually like Eau Premier – somewhat. There is a little 😕 in there that isn’t sitting exactly as I would like it – but it’s def worth a revisit.

        xo >-)

        Bel Respiro is gorgeous! La Pausa not so much (on me).

        xo >-)

        • Catherine says:

          I’ll be honest–I don’t think I smell rose very well. I have no idea what you, March, speak of! But for me, it’s a yummie tonic. There’s maybe something a little “mineral-like”, like with No. 18, my favorite Chanel fragrance.

          But really, I feel in love with it because I took it and No. 5 body cream on a camping trip last summer with my boyfriend. Everytime I put either on, I feel like I’ve taken a fresh shower (after a lot of time in mud and other icky things)! Fragrance is memory.

  • Isa says:

    I’m enjoying lilacs fragrances this spring, En Passant and After my own heart being my favourites.
    Lys Méditerranée is another lovely perfume for spring (I love the wet earth starting phase).
    And the one I’m always recommending: Yves Rocher Comme une évidence EDP.

    Oh, and some days ago I gave a try to Givenchy Very Irresistible Summer Vibrations and I liked it. It smells like a soft rose hands cream.

    • Musette says:

      I like that Lys M, too (the Malle one, right?) except for that blasted musk drydown. b-( Then again, I sampled it in very hot weather – maybe now, in the coolness of spring, it might not grab me by the throat and shake me like a rat terrier!

      😕

      xoxoxo >-)

    • March says:

      I am enjoying the actual lilacs, they are incredible this year!

      • Musette says:

        I Know!!! They were, here, too! I kept thinking: there is NO way any perfume on earth can beat this! So lovely.

        xoxo >-)

        • maidenbliss says:

          It just rained all over my lilacs-I’m going outside now to plunge my face into the blossoms that are dripping droplets of rainy lilac gorgeousness. 😡

          • Shelley says:

            Do you have any dough? ‘Cause you can let some rise on the far side of the hedge…and as it wafts your way…PRESTO! echoes of En Passant. 🙂

          • maidenbliss says:

            lol!:d/ I love fresh real lilacs but alas, En Passant was just passed to someone who
            appreciates it. I felt a sensation of smothering when I wore it-maybe it has some
            weird connection to reincarnation? :d Speaking of carnations I need to find the perfect
            carnation scent.
            Flower emoticans are needed here!
            Did u see 60 Minutes last
            night? They were interviewing an amazing chef (sorry, can’t remember name) and all
            I kept thinking is what this man would do with flowers. He said fruits and veggies
            are very sexy – he wasn’t bad either.:-? His food is genius. Maybe you can Hulu it.

          • Shelley says:

            Found it! CBS website. Okay, now I’m thinking about how people make fun of perfume folk for talking about experiencing a perfume beyond “what it smells like.” Talking about the air above the dish he’s serving as part of the experience? And how about that molecular gastronomy…mashing up the unmarriable…I think the first dish invented in this discipline was called “Bulgari Black”….

            It’s the accent. That eeez sexy, no? And the way he talks about food…it’s like 9 1/2 Weeks in Kitchen Stadium.

            Yeah, hey March, more flowers. And don’t forget the cocktails. Let’s go all crazy on you and start an emoticon wishlist now that you’ve proved you can move mountains by dealing with the blog craziness last week.. :d >:d<

          • mals86 says:

            “9 1/2 Weeks in Kitchen Stadium”!

          • March says:

            Now I’m thinking about AC and Jose Andres cuddling… :”>

          • March says:

            Wait — you need that wet macadam nearby, though… or some chain link fence…

          • Shelley says:

            Ah, ha ha…yes!

          • maidenbliss says:

            Did ya catch the look on Anderson Cooper’s face when the mojito exploded in his mouth?
            ahhh, what a sensation no?:x 9 1/2 Weeks in Kitchen Stadium:d
            Good point about experiencing perfume beyone ‘what it smells like.’
            eeze very sexy, no? yes! yes! (*)(*) he needs more than 2 stars, tho.

          • Musette says:

            AC looked totally gobsmacked through the whole interview!

            I agree, though, Chef is Hawt! I think love/passion is always thus – Stephen Hawking has that (and apparently other(s) think so as he has – what? eleventy-hundred kids?)

            xo >-)

          • carter says:

            For the love of God, who was the chef?

          • maidenbliss says:

            http://www.examiner.com/x-32787-DC-Travel-Examiner~y2010m5d3-Chef-Jose-Andres-DC-restaurants-featured-on-CBS-60-Minutes-VIDEO

            He eeeeeeze soooo sensual, shall I say? AC looked a little ‘smitten’ IMHO:x He is hawt hawt.
            I would hold my breath if I was ingesting air in his presence? >:)

          • maidenbliss says:

            But did you attempt to read his book? Pretty weighty indeed! I will ^:)^ to him.

          • Shelley says:

            That book. Do you know there is a whole subculture of science folk who finally came out and said “you know what? I don’t get it.” He’s also taking on communication with aliens now. So I think I’ll let him and his brood have their privacy, and stick with the molecular gourmands. They trifle with my fancies with fancy trifles. 😉

          • maidenbliss says:

            Shelley, had to reply to meself since there is no reply available under your
            name. As to the book, I really wanted to understand it, but it’s light years
            beyond my comprehension. My BIL is a doctor and raved about it. Yea, right.
            I don’t doubt the subculture of science not comprehending it.
            Aliens? Probably tuned into Coast to Coast:d

          • March says:

            You folks are confusing me, I thought you were talking about Hawking’s hotness (and cooking.) But I’m with you now. I’ve eaten at three of his DC restaurants, not the minibar one. They’re okay. About Jaleo and Zaytinya I’d use the word LOUD. DEAFENING. Also I have a funny (?) Zaytinya story but not sure it’s funny typed in here.

    • Nava says:

      I got a sample of Givenchy Eaudemoiselle the other day and I really like it. I was never a fan of all those Very Irresistables, but there’s a whole stable of them now! Might be worth a re-sniff.

  • Anita: Une Rose doesn’t have friends. She eats them.

    Nava: oh, Canadian winters… I’ve been out of them for over two decades now. But they *do* make spring more intense. Need to try that Kenzo, OB + cardamom sounds lovely.

    March, chuckling over what you wrote about wearing Niki for the sophistication rather than for the smell — I guess we all had that phase at some point in our olfactorily mis-spent youth, didn’t we? Mine was First: I must’ve been seventeen.

    Patty, Byredo is *so* not on my radar… Pulp trauma. But the smell of tulips is really fascinating and interesting in it is stirring in the labs, so I’ll need to investigate.

    Lee, a few of my own French male readers have mentioned wearing L’Homme de Coeur right now too: clearly, somewhere in your heart, you’re in Paris!

    As for myself… I am wearing a new leather-iris with a drop of fruitiness that brings to mind Iris Gris, to come out in May, and it’s a beauty. More soon!

    • Musette says:

      D –

      That cold, dank, mushroomy thing that works so well with violets (for me, anyway) seems to kill the deal for me in UR. I get it intellectually, though wearing it is another think altogether.

      xo >-)

    • Melissa says:

      Leather-iris with a drop of fruitiness that brings to mind Iris Gris? The anticipation is killing me! 😮

    • March says:

      Denyse, the part I find amusing(and you’d know much more about Niki than I do): back then I just thought, artist. French. Woo-woo. Now, I look at her art, they just did a big install here and I saw it at the Pompidou — it’s wonderful and whimsical, but I’m not sure it’s “sophisticated.” It is French, though. 🙂

    • mals86 says:

      Une Rose eats *everything*.

      When I tested it – and mind you, I really like Dark Roses and would probably live in L’Arte if I weren’t sure of offending half the planet – I found myself trying to escape Une Rose, staggering from room to room with my hands over my head… I really did feel hunted. Managed not to scrub it off, but whew.

  • Suzy Q says:

    I’m on the fence about Le Tulipe, Patty. Too bad I didn’t spring for the spray sample because it seems like a walk-through fragrance to me.

    I’ve been wearing Calandre a lot and also Vetiver Tonka, not because it’s spring-like exactly but because I just bought the travel size bottle. Love it.

  • carter says:

    I posted this before (into the deep dark void that was the comments section for this post in its previous incarnation) but I’m with March and peculiarity.

    Spring is moody, quirky: light and shadow and sudden cool breezes. To me, nothing captures that in a bottle better than vintage Caron Violette Precieuse. It is violets in cool, loamy forest soil with sunlight playing peek-a-boo through the trees.

    • maidenbliss says:

      Chiaroscuro. No better word fits.

    • Musette says:

      And I replied to you that I am in total agreement – I was ordered to Cease and Desist on the Violets and Rainwater, already! 😮 because we all know I can yark on about it for days….[-(

      but on the What TO Wear this time of year, nothing beats a violet, sho’ nuff! I have you to thank for the intro to Violette Precieuse. And it is exactly as you say!

      Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go spray on some VIOLETS AND RAINWATER! >:p (looks around furtively)

      #:-s

      xoxoxo >-)

      • Ari says:

        Musette, I agree completely! VIOLETS AND RAINWATER all the way, baby. 😉 I’m headed to NYC later this month and a bottle of Apres L’Ondee WILL be mine. I’ve never even tried it before, but everyone makes it sound so beautiful, and I do love L’Heure Bleue…

      • Shelley says:

        Oh, c’mon, I saw you. You KNOW you’ve been seen.

    • Nava says:

      Winter jacket one day, shorts and a t-shirt the next…ya gotta love it.

    • mary says:

      Carter–you inspired me to take out my beloved Caron Infini today– and it was perfect. I have been having so much fun checking out all the new different perfumes there are to discover, that I had neglected my little bottle of Infini. Spritzed it, then sprayed a little more, then kept sniffing it– there is lov in there, which I never really noticed. And violet, I would swear. And something green. And some very graceful rose. It doesn’t get much love on the internetz, but it is really fine, in my book. Thanks for the Caron nudge–

  • maidenbliss says:

    I’m wearing Cuir Ottoman and my arm is never far from my nose tonight-the window is open, but Cuir isn’t going anywhere-yet. Erotix. Waiting for my l’homme de coeur and Dia samples, thank you, Lee. The PdN Eau Turquoise sounds interesting ..unicorns and rainbows? hmmmm:-? I’ll pour a glass of Chardonnay and think about that one. And I wont’ go on ebeejeebiebay cause when one is imbibing it is dangerous and I am being very good w my consumerism. Balenciaga Paris seems to be getting raves so I must try it.

    • March says:

      Okay, TECHNICALLY not unicorns and rainbows. /:) But … it’s a mood fragrance? On the one hand, it’s very cheerful and candied-sweet, very PdN. And I wouldn’t like it at all, except that mango twists it into something odder. And I’ll admit right here that I personally have come around to what I perceive as a “pissy” note, whether from mango or galbanum or cassis…