Thanks for the good wishes for my little finger. I wound up with a little divot taken out of it, but it’s better, though not overly fond of me banging on the keyboard yet.
I will post the recipe for the raw pizza crust for those of you that asked either this weekend or next week. I’m waiting to get it. I sorta know what goes in it, but we cook and make a lot of this up as we go along.
So I’m going through my hits and misses of things I sniffed this week. Some of them I just don’t have much to say about, whether I like them or not, and some other people have reviewed much better, and some I’ve barely had a chance to sniff, enough to get my attention and not enough time yet to go into detail.
Lubin Black Jade – mostly a hit, except the bottle, which is pretty, but they don’t put the name on it except in small print on the bottom. I can’t SEE that, damnit! Smells pretty much how you would guess, big spicy incensey rose, and it has cardamon so you really didn’t think I was gonna hate it, did you? I don’t know about all the Marie Antoinette backstory that comes with it, it just feels a little heavy for summer, but should be a good one for fall.
Watermelon Gazpacho – OMG I amdying this is so gooooooooood. Watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, green or red pepper, olive oil, sherry wine, salt, something else maybe, no recipe right in front of me. I could drink this and probably will, probably with vodka. I am veering off into a raw foodist for the summer, which is easy to do when everything is yummy. Tomorrow I’m making a raw cherry pie. Pie crust is whirred up almonds with Medjool dates and salt for the pie crust, pressed into a tart pan. Then mix the cherries and maybe apricots together with some agave for the filling.
Creed White Flowers – I would have put this squarely in the middle to close to hi, and it will probably stay there. Don’t absolutely love it, don’t hate it, and it probably would have stood up better, except what I smelled after. It’s a nice white floral. It’s got a pretty violet top and nice depth. I probably shouldn’t have smelled it with this batch of things because I feel like I’m giving it short shrift. I’d happily wear this, but I’m not swooning like I am over —
By Kilian Sweet Redemption. This is right there with the the Watermelon Gazpacho. Orange blossom and vanilla, sweet, bitter, warmth, incense, sunshine (orange blossom feeeeels like sunshine for me). It is floral and it is candied warmth. And it smells exactly like the sticky mess warmed by the sun that is the path we all trudge to redemption. Complete hit for me, I neeeeeeeeds a bottle for my personal stock, I just have my teensy sample. Anyone wants to split a bottle, let me know. I only want to split it it with one or two other people so I get enough!
The summer sun. Miss, miss, miss. Feels like last week I was whining about the rain and cool. Oh, wait, it was! From freaky thunderstorms and rain every day to 100 plus. My tomatoes and peppers are loving it, and they need it, but I’m thinking about my electricity bill that I’ll have to pay for the next two months and lining up banks to rob.
Andy Tauer’s Pentachords. Haven’t smelled them in any in-depth yet, except to sneak a little sniff. But It’s Andy, and it’s five notes only in each. For example, Verdant is leaves, leather, tobacco, earth, amber. White is violet, orris, bourbon vanilla, ambergris and warm wood. Auburn is citrus, cinnamon, tobacco, amber, sandalwood. Having these sitting on my desk is like being in the Ferrari showroom. You don’t have to get IN the car and drive it to know it’s gonna be fun, but you greatly anticipate the moment when you do. So it’s just a hit unsniffed because it’s too much fun.
BTW, Anita and I, I think, will be talking about these later, when she gets hers.
Now for the good news, two people will get small samples of all of these after I draw two names out of the commenters on this post. Except the Watermelon Gazpacho, but only because I can’t figure out how to get that in the mail in this blazing summer heat. So drop a comment, tell me your misses and hits this summer – could be a book, a scent, a recipe, a place, and you’ll be entered!
Big hit Cutting for Stone, Big miss Water for elephants. big hit SL iris silver mist, big miss guerlain chamade- don’t shoot me
All the Ateliers seem to be Hits for me this summer~ Hey I’ll take the recipe for watermelon Gazpacho when I can’t get the real thing =)
I’m so ready for fall. another week of this heat might just do me in. I did have a hit this week on the recipe front – made Ratatouille for the first time (watched the movie while we ate it, too!). Who knew that all those vegetables and a little thyme and oregano could turn into something so delectable?
I also thought the watermelon gazpacho was a perfume!
Misses: Hermes Apres La Mousson- I really wanted this to work for me, alas it just doesn’t. Missed out on the sale prices on L’Artisan Parfumuer because I was trying to be a good girl & not go over budget. Regrets!
Hits: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (that’s where the budget was blown). It’s so perfect for Summer and I have some ideas for layering it for the Fall.
At first I thought Watermelon Gazpacho was a perfume you were writing about, I was thinking “it must be a Demeter fragrance.”
The best gazpacho I’ve made was the Cook’s Illustrated version. I gave some to a Spanish friend of mine and she said, in amazement, that it was better than hers.
Love Cook’s Illustrated! Most of their recipes are a bit more time intensive than I can deal with on a weeknight, but if you want the best version of X, they usually deliver!
Agreed, Cook’s Illustrated is the BEST! Their chocolate chip cookie recipe is hands down my favorite…
I miss Summer, It has been rainy and cold all year in the Pacific Northwet. I am still dreaming of fresh tomatoes. The plants are just sitting there sulking. My recent purchase of Chopard Madness; unsniffed, is lovely but a bit too much at times. I think its a dabber.
Please enter me in the draw. I have been dreaming of new scents.
Hits: Smell Bent, TDC Divine Bergamot, Bois 1920 Real Patchouly
Misses: Malle’s Iris Poudre, Parfums d’Empire Ambre Russie
Hits:
scoring a sample of JAR Golconda
sizable decant of I (Heart) Les Carottes
finally, after many months of searching, trying and loving YSL Cinema
discovering Demeter’s Dirt and Grass combined
Le Labo’s Fleur D’Oranger 27
boyfriend sharing a spritz of Philosykos with his dudebro pal, ha!
Misses:
the entire Boadicea the Victorious line
Bond No.9 Hamptons
Miller Harris Figue Amere
stingy salepersons at fancy schmancy $tores
I’m curious about that Lubin. Thanks for sharing this. Can’t decide if it’s worth seeking out a sample. Whaddaya say? Go in search or wait for it to come to me?
Hits: Enormous original formula (chock full of oakmoss…yum) bottle of Y by YSL that I found at a charity sale; 10 stress-reduction days in gorgeous Coeur d’Alene, ID; my new sleep number bed- love love love it!
Misses: A scent called, I believe, Tabu Temptation that someone sent me as a gift, it’s awful; having to mow the lawn twice a week (although having a green lawn is rather nice); my Bride-of-Frankenstein humidity hair that has emerged in the recent humid weather.
Teri, I just found a partial bottle of the original version of Y too – wow, is that ever fabulous! Tons of oakmoss and it’s so dirty in a good way! I have a newer bottle that I like a lot but it’s smoother and more “civilized” than the older one. Both are wonderful.
Tabu Temptation? Eek, that sounds kinda scary!
Oh Flora, isn’t that older Y delicious? Now you’ve picqued my interest in the newer version, too. I’ll have to get some for my more civilized days – few though they are. ;)
My big miss was a business trip to Germany. It would have been much better if I could have read “textile-free swimming” in German BEFORE I walked into a mixed gender spa full of very naked, mostly older people. Where were the Abercrombie models when you need them??
OK, that made me LOL…Thanks, brightend up this otherwise boring Friday AM at work.
Glad it helped – believe me, my retinas took awhile to recover!
My latest hit is Monsieur Balmain — but forcing myself to wait to buy a bottle until after I move next month. And I just read a totally riveting book: We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Miss: The “smoothing treatment” that was too much for my sensitive skin and made my face all red and itchy for days on end. Ugh.
Ooh, I hope I’m not too late to play:)
Hits: Caron pour Une Femme. Reminds me somehow of the Boxeuse sample I drained dry, with the sort of stewed fruits roses in the opening, and the woody incense drydown has been perfect. Also loving Chanel Eau Premiere and Balenciaga Paris. More hits: the Huitieme Arte sample pack from Lucky, esp the mango tea one– name escapes me__they are all beauties but that one i huuuufffed. Misses: The late rain has kept my Santa Rosa plums from sweetening . Would love to be in draw. Hope your finger is better. Best to Marchup.
That gazpacho sounds delish — I made some of the traditional kind last week but need to try your version.
Hits: By Killian Incense Oud — absolutely brilliant in the heat, not at all heavy, at least on me. and my all-time summer favourite, Dyptique Virgilio. Not new but always worth a mention since I desperately want them to bring it back. Living Proof No Frizz styling treatment — a godsend! The only thing that has EVER worked on my hair in humidity (I would otherwise look like I had a tumbleweed for hair about now)!
Misses: DC swampy weather right now. Horrible for walking dogs in, poor furry babies.
It’s unbelievable, mariekel: it’s after 11 pm, still around 90 degrees, and the Washington Post indicates that the heat index is 108 AT NIGHT!
Please enter me, I lurve anyhing Andy does and that Lubin sounds amazing too! Thank you!
Hit: Suprisingly, Cartier’s Baiser Vole’ – not fond of most of their regular line but this green lily scent has captivated me.
Food hit: Trader Joe’s new Mango Butter, which I could, and do, put on just about anything, unless I am simple eliminating the middleman and spooning it right from the jar. Divine!
Miss: Summer! Still no real steady hot weather here and my tomatoes need heat! Not looking forward to yet another “year of no summer” dammit!
Dang, I was hoping for a taste of that gazpacho! Not many hits this summer, but I’d have to say that several vegetarian/vegan dishes I’ve made recently actually turned out pretty good! These are hits because I’m not much of a cook. :-) As for misses, I’d have to say this entire past week! Car in the shop (went in on the 13th, MY BIRTHDAY, and is still there), cell phone service issues, and this weather! 95 degrees in northeast Ohio!
Thanks for the draw! :-)
Hits: Lea St. Barth, Fiore di Riso, chalcedony jewelry, family outings and back to school shopping with the kids (I usually enjoy it)
Misses: Iris Pallida (veers too masculine for my taste) and spiders–we have both black widows and brown recluses–one of the kids is just coming off antibiotics for a spider bite, no really good movies or books or new restaurants lately
Hits: Liz Zorn’s Leather Krem (big surprise that I like it); Jasmine Summer (not a surprise I like it); baking bread from scratch; finally selling a condo we’ve had on the market; several wonderful trips for weddings.
Misses: Liz Zorn’s Vanilla OTR (which I wanted to love); Esprit d’Oscar, the 100+ heat index.
Miss: Balenciaga Paris. It reiterates my dislike of chypre-like fragrances.
I wanted to add another hit, Bubble and Bee products. I love their Fresh Orange Organic Shower Gel and their Squeezed Lime Organic Shower Gel. The orange smells exactly like fresh squeezed orange juice. I’ve been on a quest lately to find perfume/bath products that smell like actual oranges and not orange blossoms. I also like their new Cream Pit Putty deodorants.
Misses: SL’s Bas de Soie, Rich Hippie’s Rock Star and DSH’s Lush Honey.
I just made something very similar to your watermelon gazpacho based on a salad I had in a restaurant, minus the tomatoes (they were in original recipe but I don’t like tomatoes – yes , I am a Philistine!) and peppers. Mine is watermelon, cucumbers, feta, pine nuts and a light fruity vinaigrette. YUM!
Been loving my AA Mandarine Basilic and Herba Fresca this summer and looking forward to seeing Harry Potter on Saturday. No misses at the moment! Would love to be in the draw. Thanks!
And another hit – living in San Diego while I hear my friends and family back in MD (where I lived for 26 years, so I did my time with heat and humidity) complain about the disgusting weather.
Hits:
* Hermes Hiris
* My garden, greenhouse and veggie patch exploding with goodies after months of hard work, broken nails, splinters and backache!
* The last instalment of the Harry Potter movies
Misses:
* Scottish Midgies
* The giant plot holes in Harry Potter & TDH Pt2 :(
I would love to be in the draw. Love AT, and can’t wait to try Sweet Redemption too.
First time posting! :)
This summer is a big hit up to now… Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this too early!!
New job, torrid heat (which I love, even when it’s too much!), spending days doing nothing, drinking mojito ( I used basil instead of lime(!!)), preparing hummus and baking bread… Oh, and layering premier figuier and Fuel for life -please don’t kill me, for I know it’s a sin… Nevertheless, it was great!
Oh actually, there was one miss: Canada Post going on strike. At least now it’s over and I got my samples! :)
I would love to be in the draw–not sure if I am allowed to be? (Canadian…)
I didn’t understand what I was reading initially and thought the watermelon gazpacho was perfume and the “notes” were inspiring a serious lemming. Wow, need coffee.
Hits: Spraying my forgotten bottle of Tabu on my boyfriend who can’t smell and thnks its cologne as a joke and discovering I like it on him, spraying it on me and realizing I like it on me too, my first swaps, Back to Black and A Taste of Heaven.
Misses: Struggling to finish my thesis, no job, no money.
yes, absolutely on Canadians!
If I liked melon in perfume, I’d go for that as a scent. It smells amazing, honestly, but I’ve never found anyone that could do a melon scent in a perfume that doesn’t make me slighlty nauseous.
The AT Pentachord White sounds great to me. I’ve never sniffed any of Andy’s scents. Please enter me in the drawing.
Hits for me this summer: ice tea made with decaf tea, or with Green Tea & Mint tea bags. Also enjoying the occasional gin & tonic with lime. I love Tex-Mex food in the summer, especially guacamole and black olives.
Misses: Thunderstorms that trigger migraines.
Oooh, I need that sample of Redemption, so I’ll know whether to plead for a share of your split!
Hits: my sample pack from Rosine – twenty scents for a decent price, even shipped all the way to the US. I’ve only tried four so far, and two (Ecume and Folie) are winners for me. Also, in passing an Estee Lauder counter in the mall last month I spotted a tester of Azuree – loved it and will probably end up with a FB.
Misses: can’t afford to travel to Europe as I would like to.
I’ve got two people for the split, but I think three people up above in comments are talking about splitting the travel set and may need a fourth?
Hit: white carnation cocktail, Escada Taj Sunset
Miss: this hot, humid weather in Philadelphia.
Is that a drink? If so, need the recipe!!!!!!!
Patty, here is the recipe.
Interesting side note about this somewhat popular mixed drink. Until it was replaced in 1998 by Dale DeGroff’s variation of it, The Belmont Breeze, the White Carnation was the official drink of the Belmont Stakes. Both drinks are worthy of the status associated with the last leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, it is merely a matter of bourbon or vodka (and a few other ingredients).
Ingredients:
2 oz vodka
1/2 oz peach schnapps
2 oz orange juice
soda water
splash of cream
orange slice for garnish
Preparation:
Pour the vodka, schnapps and orange juice into a mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir well.
Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
Top with soda water and a splash of cream.
Garnish with an orange slice.
I’m in a suburb of Philly, and even though I like the heat (not the frizz, sinus migraine inducing humidity), this is RIDICULOUS!
The cocktail sounds marvelous. White wine sangria’s have been my choice lately. Also, I’m on a new Bombay Sapphire G&T kick of late, introduced to me by boyfriend. He drinks Sapphire straight on the rocks with lime, but suggested I try with tonic. Smells like perfume to me. I have to wonder who(mom, aunt, neighbor?)wore it and what perfume smells like Gin & Tonic????
I think lupin makes. Gin fizz perfume, available from Luckeyscent. There are samples available as well, and I would check the Perfumed Court for gin like samples. I also like Jo Malone’s Sweet Lime and Cedar in the summer.
What’s your Bombay gin recipe?
Sorry-Lubin is the company name, Maureen.
I order it from the bartender at La Cafe Fontana where my friend Kristin entertains on Saturday nights.
I meant an older perfume, probably from the 50’s or 60’s, that I must have smelled as a small child and when I smelled my boyfriend’s(so weird callin him that,we are both widowed) Sapphire Bombay gin, it so reminded me of perfume that I kept smelling and smelling and finally he said try it, and now G&T is my new summer drink. Yeah, I’ve graduated fron Pinot Grigio, which is all I drank for years. Never thought I liked Gin. Who’d thunk it?
Darn, I just ordered from Perfume Court today. Oh Well, I’m sure there will be a next time, and then maybe I’ll try the Lubin (am making sticky note on calendar for next month>)
Misses = Molyneaux Quartz – doesn’t smell like Cristalle like I thought and it is gone in an hour.
“The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.” I really, really wanted to like this but I just didn’t even though it got tremendous reviews.
Hits = The yummy lobster roll I had in Chatham, MA last week. One-third of a pound of lobster goodness.
Plus Que Jamais – Why did I wait so long to try this? It is beautiful!
“Travels in Siberia” by Ian Frazier – love it!
I would love to be in on the drawing. Thanks and keep cool!
Patty, where are you getting these awesome raw recipes?? Is there a cookbook for them? If so, I’d love to know what it is. Thanks!
My big hit for the summer is my Kindle and all of the free classic books available for it.
Lots of places. There are a lot of good raw cookbooks. My CSA had the watermelon Gazpacho recipe. Starla, my personal chef that cooks for us and teaches me stuff while we cook together, has a ton of recipes, vegan, gluten free, raw, all sorts of things.
Live Raw by Mimi Kirk has a lot of good recipes in there, including some raw pie crust recdipes. It also has a pizza recipe in there. It’s not the crust we used exactly, but it’s close.
if I didn’t live in Colorado and lived in a warmer climate, I’d definitely eat raw 80% of the time. As it is, I just enjoy it in the summer/fall.
Thanks! I’ve looked at a lot of raw pizza crust recipes, but so far everything I’ve found calls for the “expensive dehydrator rabbit hole”! Yikes!
HITS = fresh cut grass warmed by the intense heatwave we’re having in NJ…it smells otherworldly delicious!!! Also, in this insane heat, I’ve been sticking to light body sprays. Believe it or not, the Banana Coconut one from Avon is quite a hit on me this summer. Good stuff and cheap-o/free. EL Bronze Goddess Soleil has been yummy too although I have to spray it every 30 seconds. Loving the PAcifica Indian Coconut Nectar as well. The body cream is luscious.
MISSES = Nothing really, but I’m not venturing out and using anything heavy or non-tropical. lol
Hit – Good old Estee Lauder White Linen! I hated this classic upon first smelling it years ago (before my perfumista days). Now I love aldehydes, and this is the perfect summer fragrance – air conditioning in a bottle.
Miss – The heat! I love summer, but temps in the 90s every day is just too much of it.
Hits: Mandy Aftel’s book Essence and Alchemy, Heeley Iris de nuit, Lutens Cherqui
Misses: Chanel Cristalle EDT: big rash, even when I spray it on clothes, so soo sad!
Hits: Breaking Bad finally coming back. A Game of Thrones (the book, we don’t get HBO). Our crop of hot peppers – don’t know what I’m going to do with so many habaneros. Breathe of God and Honey and the Moon.
Misses: the heat and sinus headaches.
I am so looking forward to trying the new Tauers!
A good friend of mine in Mississippi sends me homemade habanero pepper jelly – YUM!
Okay, this is four of us now just in comments that love Martin. The series was great. I’m sure they’ll release it on DVD soon so you can watch.
I’ve been waiting for that book for so long, I’m just meandering through it slowly since I figure it will be another five years until we see the next one.
Hit for me was discovering a bottle of ‘HARD CANDY’. If your are a lover of sweet perfumes then this will be right up your alley.
Miss–a wasted afternoon in Brooklyn hunting for CB I Hate Perfume while I was recently vacationing in NYC. I found that his supposed gallery and store is not a store ,but a space in a delapidated building in Brooklyn. The solid red steel door and garage opening were closed. No one in the area knew anything about the place, which i found extremely odd.
Please add me in the draw
Hey — CB is behind that red door — it took me a few attempts to figure it out. But it is possible they were closed when you went there — they are not open on Sundays.
Hmm, okay –
Hits: Chloe Eau de Fleurs Neroli (I know it’s not new, but I just got a sample last week and immediately had to stalk Ebay for a bottle), Clinique Simply (again, not new, but I just fell in love with it about a month ago and can’t get enough), Chanel Beige (ditto previous). Oh – watermelon of course! I’m obsessed with it this summer, in my refrigerator, there’s currently the remains of a fruit salad w/watermelon in it, a bowl of cut up watermelon and half of a big watermelon. It’ll probably all be gone by tomorrow :)
Misses: the HEAT!!!! I am sooooo tired of summer, especially with the drought this year here in Texas, BK Sweet Redemption (it’s just too sweet for me), LeLabo Santal33 (no wonder this was a hit as a candle, great room scent, not so much for the body)
I’d love to be entered in the draw, especially if you can figure out how to send along some watermelon gazpacho. WANT!
Hits: Chanel No 22, Pamplemousse Rose, Amaranthine
Misses: Agent Provocateur (love in the fall, but in this heat made me feel like I was suffocating), Apres l’Ondee (flame me if you want, but this one smells like bug spray on me!).
Thanks for another great giveaway
Hit: My garden, in particular my tomatoes, rosemary and thyme. Cherries, which I can’t get enough of this year. SL Fleurs de Citronnier, which I didn’t wear at all last year, and which I recently put back on and fell in love with all over again. The weather in Southern California, which has been sunny, breezy, and not at all too hot.
Miss: I finally got a hold of a sample of Tilda Swinton Like That, fully expecting to absolutely love it, given the reviews and the lists of notes, which sounded absolutely delicious and right up my alley. Guess what? A total scrubber on me.
A Hit: At last the fifth book in the series “A song of Ice and Fire” (Dance with Dragons) has been published! :D I’m looking forward to reading it!
A miss: In june, I had the chance to try TDC De Bachmakov in New York and I did not like it as much as I thought I would :(
Another Martin fan, yeah!!!! I’ve got my copy on my ipad already, and it’s so nice to be back with my favorite characters.
Misses: I was unable to participate in the Swap this time; I am in Arkansas again, and didn’t want to recreate my previous fiasco. I was so hoping to trade my bottle of Archives 69 for Jasmin et Cigarette!
This ungodly heat and humidity is a Miss of Epic Proportions. We have not been out of the high 90s for weeks, and have had multiple days well above 100; the humidity has been oppressive, as well. My ancestry is Scottish and English on one side and Norwegian on the other; I am just not genetically equipped to deal with this! And it has put me right off perfume…..with the notable exception of one glorious HIT, Bvlgari Au The Vert!
I know I’m way late to the party on this, but I hate citrus, and the lime note scared me….turns out it’s the lime note I adore the most. I finally get y’all and your summer colognes! I drained my mini in less than a month, and a FB is on its way to me now. Hope it doesn’t boil in transit. Does anyone know if the more intense version is as good?
Thanks for a chance to get in on the draw!
I am on a By Killian spree this summer. I love Sweet Redemption and when my husband asked me what I wanted to do on vacation this year my answer was go to the Scent Bar in LA. It will be mine. Incense Oad is still my #1.
I went to Nordies last night and gave EL Tuberose & Gardenia another try. I think this may be a hit – want to try just one more time since it’s been a miss for me before. I also tried Love, Chloe which was a complete miss for me. I kept on thinking, “What’s the awful smell?” Also, in my quest for a true gardenia, I tried Marc Jacobs – complete miss.
For me ELPC Tuberose Gardenia is a big hit in summer, but a total miss in winter.
misses: living without a/c during this upper midwest heat wave
hits: biking in spite of the heat, Amouage Lyric, Guerlain AA Lavande Velours, FM Carnal Flower, Raffinee parfum, Givenchy OI, Chanel No. 18, Dzing!
Please enter me in the contest. Thanks!
I feeeeeel your paaaaain on the no a/c! :(( I mostly cannot stand it but even moi could use a little bit o’ the freon during this ridiculous heat. My (home) office is shaded by the rather deep front porch, so it’s usable – until about 1p. Then I shut it down. I put our shop on short first shift 6-11 because after 11 it’s unbearable. I now know what the phrase ‘dropping like flies’ actually looks like, with flies falling right out of the sky, stunned by the heat.
It’s weird.
xo >-)
Yhose pentachords do sound wonderful 9as does the gazpacho, and i will be waiting on that recipe! Glad you’re finger is improving – take it easy and let it heal! Yes, we miss you but hey, we can wait. Not patiently, but we can wait :-) This summer has been on the sucky side for me, for a variety of reasons, but I’m having fun exploring variopus jasmine scents (Keiko Mecheri’s jasmine is definitely a hit, as was By Kilian’s Surrender though i’ve misplace my sample fo thelatter :-( We’re on Week 3 on 100+ days with no relief in sight – definitely a miss!
Patty, I would love to split the Kilian Redemption with you if you would like another person. You can use the e-mail provided for the blog. Also very much looking forward to that raw crust recipe – glad your finger is better!
Hits: Finally tried Kenzo Amour, Shiseido Murasaki and Feu d’Issey and love them all. Murasaki reminds me of AG Heure Exquise, one of my favs. Feu d’Issey is weird. It makes me think of Gucci Rush, although it doesn’t smell very much like that, just because it’s so strikingly different. I love it after it settles down and the powdered milk note is no longer separately obvious. Also bought a bottle of my old, discontinued fav Joop! Rococo and still love it.
Misses: The heat wave building up in DC – the heat index will be over 110. I am so moving away from here when I finally really retire.
Stay cool everybody – except the PNWers to whom I wish some of our sun!
Okay, if we split it three ways with Tara? If so, click on the Contact us, and we’ve got three of us to split it, yeah!!!
That would be great! I just sent an e-mail via contact us with my yahoo e-mail. Thanks so much!
My biggest hit thus far is Traversee du Bosphore, I can’t get enough of it this summer.
Biggest miss: Being dive-bombed by huge green-headed flies that seem to have taken over the bay beach. Can’t stand. :/
Okay. I’m now officially an Idiot. 8-|
so…I’m reading your hits and got to the Watermelon Gazpacho and thought ‘huh. that sounds more like a great food dish (that I’ve made before, only with canteloupe) than a perfume’…then I woobled on to the next hit…and so on…
BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME SILLY UBER-NICHE PERFUME!!!! :”>
gah. so dumb.
okay: my hits: like Carol, Diaghilev is still swoonalicious but lately in this heat I’ve been rockin’ the Tribute Attar. At this rate my little 2ml will be gone by September. Ditto Ubar. It gets this funky note in the middle that’s really intriguing (maybe doll-head? must revisit). In fact, ALL the Amouages are kickin’ it in this extreme heat.
Other hits: Neil MOrris’s Leather Garden. Ho, yus. FB in the near future.
Liz Zorn’s Cordovan Rose. The most perfect smoky leather rose on the planet.
Hot Thai Green Curry paste – homemade. Everything from my garden, except the lime and condiments. It is such a pleasure, going out to the kitchen garden and snipping basil, Thai basil, jalapenoes, garlic, etc….
SUPER HIT: my invitation to do a solo show at the Art Guild! Very exciting.
Misses: Can’t get into my studio to work right now. Crammed with crap and it’s going to take two of us to undo it – at midnight, when it cools off (we do not have AC up there)
Can’t wait to review the Tauers with you! take care of that digit, babycakes!!!
xoxox >-)
Super kudos on your art show!
Hooray! Seconding the congrats on the show. You go, girl!
Haha! I figured I’d get not just a few of you with that.
I want some of your green curry paste, really.
Congratulations on your art show!!!
Thank you all so much! I am excited – and a bit nervous.
Will post the curry recipe. So easy-pease it’s not funny. I’ll put it in next week’s post.
xoxo >-)
Musette I did the same thing! I am an idiot too. but I WAS really excited about trying this eau de “watermeolon gazpacho.” Congradulations on your show
Thanks for the recipe for watermelon gazapacho; I had been eyeing the watermelon in my fridge, trying to figure out how to turn into a gazapacho.
Hit: (Alternate watermelon recipe): Peel and puree an”English” cucumber in the blender or a food processor. (or substitute 2 American cukes, but then you should remove the seeds). Add chunks of watermelon from about a quarter of a watermelon and some chili oil. Chill. Drink when the soup is chilled but you are hot.
Miss: I can’t find watermelons with decent rinds. How am I going to make pickled watermelon rind?
Hot weather perfume hits: Au Lac, L’Heure Blue, and when it is really hot and humid (like today), Geranium Pour Monsieur. Sure, you will feel like a burst of spearmint for 30 minutes. On some days, you need that spearmint. Rumba for hot summer weekend days.
Summer Hit: Loose silk skirts; Summer Miss: Those $200-400.00 shorts I see in the catalogues. You got to be kidding me.
The rest of the recipe. Put the watermelon in the blender/vitamix, liquefy. Set aside to cool. Then put in the 1 cucumber and 1/2 of a chopped green or red pepper. Salt, I think. Sherry vinegar, oilive oil. LIquefy. Add back in the watermelon, blend, chill.
Dice up another cucumber and the rest of the pepper and some tomatoes. I put that in a baggie.
Then I put some of the diced ingredients in the bowl, pour the liquid over and then try and prevent myself from just tipping the bowl up and drinking instead of politely spooning it in my mouth like I should
Most of my experience with perfume is the Chanel line, but for some reason, I never tried the Chanel #5 Eau Premier. Last night I was in Ulta and I sprayed #5 on one arm and #5 Eau Premier on the other. I really liked it! And my boyfriend actually noticed and said I smelled good….can’t believe it…all the samples I have tried he never even noticed before, unless I specifically asked him if he liked it. I noticed it does not smell as powdery as #5. Now my problem is I want it…Bad! I don’t know if I can wait for Christmas. So that was definately a hit for me.
Another hit for me is I won an overnight stay and dinner at Bobby Flay’s Steak House at the Borgata from a radio contest. I am tacking it onto a weekend in Stone Harbor, NJ in August. Yeah, something to look forward.
A miss for me is Donna Karan Gold. I really liked it, so pretty, but I got stuffy and a massive headache while wearing it twice. I will try again in October, but I may have to donate this one.
Another miss is the heat & humidity…does not do nice things for my hair(frizz, curl)or my sinuses. When I come out of work at 5, I feel like I am getting into an oven in my car…I have been blasting my A/C, which I never do. My hair goes up immediately, and spritzing O de Lancome just to cool off to get home.
Please enter me in the contest. Thanks.
Congratulations!
Re the hair: have you tried Ouidad’s Climate Control (you can get it online at her site ouidadDOTcom (I think) or at Sephora. My Sephora had this great 3 great products for about $5 more than just the climate control stuff – I use all three in the extreme heat and it keeps the curls intact and the frizz to a serious minimum – I was stunned.
xo >-)
Living Proof No Frizz styling creme (haven’t tried the rest of the line) has been a miracle and I have the kind of finely textured, thick hair that puffs up like a shrubbery. You can get it online or at Sephora.
Thanks for the suggestion, I had just about given up fighting with my hair until it cools off. Blow drying and In Styling my hair in this heat is a chore, and it just does not seem to stay put. I have been using Pantene products for frizz and smoothing. I will try this.
Hey Patty,
I would love to split Sweet Redemtion with you, if don’t have enough people already.
Tara
You’re on! Just click the Contact us over on the left. We may have one other person, if you’re okay splitting it three ways?
I haven’t fallen in love with any new release (that I’ve smelled) recently. But then I haven’t tried the Kilian yet. I even made a special trip to Harvey Nichols but they won’t get it for another couple of weeks yet. Probably now I’ve built my expectations so high it can only disappoint – like Zeta and Candide. My Summer hit at the moment is Eau des Merveilles and the miss is probably Vitriol d’Oeillet. It gets massive credit for being interesting and not containing any stewed fruit but I couldn’t imagine actually spraying it all over unless I wanted to frighten people on Halloween.
Hits: The sample of Diaghilev. Yep, I could use a FB of that one. Am also loving Eau d’Hadrien this summer, although I really didn’t love it when I bought it last year. Another hit is tonic with lime. Delish! even without the gin.
Misses: Gaining 5 lbs while caring for my mother. She fell and broke her pelvis and I went to stay for a bit. My reaction to stress is EATING. Now I gotta get rid of this excess.
Wow, the heat must be frying my brain – took me a while to figure out that Watermelon Gazpacho was actually food, not scent. *Must turn on the AC…*
Hit: Songes EDT – I’ve had the sample for forever, just tried it last night – it’s love… now obsessing about a FB.
Miss: 28 La Pausa – so sad, the notes sounded perfect for me, and it is very pretty on, but it lasts all of 30 seconds – no joke. I thought maybe the first time was a fluke, so tried it again and same result… poof – gone. The third time I pretty much drenched myself in the stuff, and it may have lasted 10 minutes. :((
Willing to help you out with your Songes EDT FB wishes. Reach me at snchamness at msn dot com and we can chat.
Sorry about your finger, Patty! Hope it’s good as new soon.
As to hits: Cartier Baiser Vole, Montale Jasmin Full, The Full Monty play in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Greek salads (my current summer obsession)
Misses: Can’t think of anything off the top of my head! Loving this summer…
Oh, I’d love to try any of these. Especially the watermelon gazpacho. This week I made a mango/arugula/chicken salad with toasted almonds and a curried coconut dressing. It was a hit.
Holy crap, that sounds so good!
Sweet Redemption sounds wonderful! I’ve been impressed with the Killian fragrances I’ve tried.
misses: mosquitoes, veggie sausage, and AA Pamplelune – I got cat pee.
hits: Love Chloe, fresh tomato salad, the pool with my girls.
In the UK, this Summer is a definite Miss at the moment with non-stop rainy days. Perfume-wise L’Artisan’s new Fleur d’Oranger is a big Hit but SL’s Vitriol d’Oeillet was a disappointing Miss.
No watermelon gazpacho?
[-(
ok, I will try to make it myself!
For the rest, I surely want to be in the draw!
HIT: Tubéreuse Criminelle, Tubéreuse Criminelle, Tubéreuse Criminelle, Tubéreuse Criminelle….love love love.
MISSES: l’heure bleue edt. Bought a new bottle, and smells awfully thin compared to the tester. Smells cheap. I am angry. At Guerlain.
Our local raw food restaurant makes excellent corn chips by sprouting the corn and then slowdrying until crisp – like candy !! They serve them with raw hummous made with sprouted cashews ! ( you’d never know it was raw food if I didn’t tell you…)
Lot’s of prep invloved in a raw food diet – take care of your fingers- they make metal mesh gloves…LOL !
HITS : Nothing has topped Roja Dove Diaghilev , but I have a bottle of BUZZ coming , anybody sniffed that ?
Scored some great vintage stuff during Swapmania – Dioressence EDT and Miss Dior EDT . Also loving the skankiness of Fragonard Murmure parfum .
MISSES : won’t be able to go to Barcelona with Sniffa as I’d hoped , nor to my 40th class reunion – gas prices really piss me off …
i’m worried about going down this sprouting rabbit hole because it’s followed by the expensive dehydrator rabbit hole. But it’s been shocking to me how good raw food recipes are. Seriously yum.
too bad on Barcelona!
And then there was an aquaintance of mine — a total raw fooder — who was trying to talk his landlord into taking out the stove/oven so he could have a second fridge in his tiny kitchen.
Hits Esprit d’Oscar, Love, Chloe. Love them both.
Miss This awful heat and humidity, makes me feel like Im in an oven.
Please enter me in this lovely draw, thanks :)
What a nice draw! I’m going to try that gazpacho TODAY!
Hits: The weather. We have had blistering sun since may. Argan oil body products from A l’Olivier. Family. Amouage Ubar, Fracas and Chantecaille Kalimantan. Tabouleh. “Red” the new Bruce Willis movie, I love Bruce…
Miss: I won’t get any vacation until september. Blood-sucking creepy critters. Lack of sleep.
Still getting shivers when I read about your finger. Glad to hear it’s healing (missing divot? — owww!).
Misses: seems unfair to complain when the rest of North America is sweltering and storming, but here it’s not really summer when there haven’t been 2 days in a row of sun or temperatures over 70 degrees. To say nothing of what this does to the local berry, fruit and veggie crops! No ripe tomatoes or cherries for things like Watermelon Gazpacho or raw cherry pie.
Hits: reconnecting with a friend I’d lost touch with for over 10 years; becoming “auntie”/catsitter to two feral cats rescued from a cat hoarder and helping them learn to be comfortable with being petted.
Scent hit: sniffs of vintage Eau de Rochas to convince myself that summer exists.
Very curious about the Tauer Pentachords.
Thanks for the generous draw opportunity.
Good for you on taking in the cats! A friend of mind had a bunch of feral cats around her house when they started demolishing a lot of properties to build bigger high rises. She fostered a bunch, many of them pregnant or just had kittens, and then she worked with the alley Cat foundation (not sure that’s the name) to get them all homes. She wound up keeping two.
Hits: Getting hitched to my boyfriend in front of family and friends and dancing the night away; The honeymoon in Lana’i amongst the plumeria, tuberose, orchids, tiare and all the oceanic smells; Killian’s Sweet Redemption…I’d split it, but I want it all to myself. : ); The final Harry Potter film…LOVE; George RR Martin’s saga, including the HBO adaptation of Game of Thrones.
Miss: Gaining 7 pounds from the wedding and honeymoon…give or take 10; Electricity bill since the heat index is 110; all the colognes that last about 30 seconds; my car cooling off as I pull up to my destination….it’s better than winter though.
Congratulations!
Thank you so much Tammy
Congrats again, Bryan!
Martin’s HBO stuff, that was so great, wasn’t it? Then for him to *finally* put out the next book now, I’m in heaven reading about Tyrion and Jon Snow and Danearys, etc. ::: sigh:::: That makes it a great summer.
I agree. I hope it doesn’t take forever to get “The Winds of Winter”.
And thank you, Patty.
That Kilian is really calling my name!
My hits are being away from work for six weeks, eating lots of fresh fruits’n berries (apricots, strawberries and gooseberries are my faves) and spending time with friends and family. Scentwise, anything with a prominent orange blossom note is a hit for me nowdays.
Miss: they have been putting up scaffolding on our building this week. Now we’re ( really not) looking forward for them to renovate our facade. Noisy, dust eveywhere and oh, did I mention we can’t open our windows? That would be fine if we had central AC but alas, that’s unheard of in this country. Sigh.
Hits:Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic, a bottle of orange sunshine.
And, Santa Rosa plums. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Misses: a teenage boy who needs to get a job, for both our sakes!!
I have the Mandarine-Basilic, too, and it really is a bottle of sunshine! Surprisingly long-lasting, as well.
Yum, it is great stuff! Got some in a swap (thanks, Estelle) and have been enjoying the heck out of it!
Hits:
Heeley Figuer, Smellbent Debonaire, Eau Savage.
Watermelon, feta, and mint salad
Homemade sweet tea
Sunsets after 8 pm
Misses:
Lush flying fox shower gel
Mosquitoes
dry cleaning bill due to the heat
I can’t wait to try the new Tauer drags.
Hits: beach time in Carlsbad Cali, a trip to a u pick it strawberry farm, ordering Hearts and Daggers on someone on here’s rec and loving it.
Misses: vacation almost over.
Delightful article and accompanying posts, as always. Whimsically written and so thoroughly engaging:)
My summer hits list include dinners of seafood (I’m in the Greater New Orleans area and our local food is non-pariel, I hope you all have the chance to partake of it at some time), especially crawfish boiled in Zatarain’s Crab Boil and garlic cloves; a cruise to Freeport and Nassau; a visit to Central Florida; lots of reading; planting zinnia seeds that have grown into colorful, splashy blooms that attract lovely butterflies and hummingbirds: and I must mention the proliferation of mushroom rings after this week’s full moon…hmmmmm *.*
Also, loved Jo Malone’s Limited Edition Sakura Cherry Blossom fragrance as well as her New Fresh Mint scent from the Tea Collection. Graceful,enticing fragrances for the season…
Misses: the intense Deep South heat and humidity and that we’re heading into hurricane season :(
Creed’s White Flowers and Lubin Black Jade have me intrigued…
Thanks so much for sharing your fragrance samples, and for such a charming writing style!!
Miss: The weather here in British Columbia. It’s cool, wet, and nasty. We haven’t had any summer to speak of, and it’s just no fun.
Hit: Living room walls newly painted Benjamin Moore Vermilion. So cheery!
Hey Daniele,
I am also in BC. WTF is going on??? This is horrible!
Hits: Carnal Flower (finally!), Noir Epices, Aftelier Tango, Shiso, Cepes and Tuberose..actually quite a few hits this summer/late spring
Misses: i can’t think of any recent misses.there may have been a few mehs..oh- definitely the heat- big miss!
Parfum de Therese oscillates between hit and miss depending on the weather..
love the sound of black jade, the pentachords and sweet redemption (oh and the gazpacho-yum!!)
hits: nuxe huile prodigieuse–i love this dry oil for summer! it smells beachy and feels grand.
misses: fruit flies! get out of here, you tiny creeps.
another hit has definitely been my tiny sweet redemption sample, already nearly drained. i’m hooked and would definitely be interested in a split, in particular if a third signed on (those bk bottles don’t come cheap, but man am i nuts for the line).
I’d love to split a travel refill set four ways , if it’s available yet …jus sayin’…
I’ll play! rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com.
Hi waftbycarol and Rappleyea; I’m still interested in this Sweet Redemption split if you all are. I’ll buy two bottles if you are each only interested in one each (of the travel set). Let me know! I’m at: thenosygirl at gmail dot com.
Thank you!
I’ll let you guys work out that split. I’ve got a couple of other takers elsewhere!
Hits- a project getting another year’s funding
misses- it’s not realy summer, just hints of it;not winning any of the draws I tried( and so much lemming..); health problems
please, enter me the draw and many thanks
Congratulations, Irina, on your project’s funding! That can be stressful, so I’m so glad for you. Hope you win, and feel better soon.
I’ll sit out this draw. . .though I’m dying to try Mr. Tauer’s new pentachords. I’ve been so blessed in these drawings, it feels rude to enter :D
Summer hits for me–FINALLY, the smell of rain on hot asphalt, in a very, very dry summer. I wish I could bottle that smell; I think I get hints of it in TF’s Urban Musk. Orange blossom has been a revelation in all its forms, most recently in Atelier’s Grand Neroli, SL’s Fleur d’Oranger and in Diptyque’s Lait Frais. Last week I had a whole orange blossom/neroli theme, and smiled the whole time. Be well.
That watermelon gazpacho is coming with me to the family picnic…not calling it “raw” though. As for the missing ingredient, could it be a jalapeno pepper?
Hits: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune (it makes me feel five pounds lighter.) and air conditioning, anywhere. And my doofus cat Oliver, flat on his back, legs splayed, front legs crossed, in front of the fan.
Misses: My favorite Chinese restaurant closed. Oh, Borders book store is closing as well. :( I must be the only person who disliked the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series. Blech.
Hits: Discovering that my new cat likes to eat vegetables and fruits – it’s a hoot watching him nom a tiny tomato.
Misses: Not having enough budget to buy all the perfumes I want.
Ooh, I love the cooking adventures and scent snippets! The watermelon gazpacho sounds amazing!
Hits: Summer classical concerts, Mille et Une Rose (like drinking rose lemonade in an exotic Moroccan tent under the moonlight), swimming, prosecco with fresh blueberries (smooshed a bit to release the goodness), and Ethiopian food – spices, deliciousness, and it’s vegan!
Misses: Back problems – no fun to watch summer go by from inside!
Thanks for the draw and for sharing your summer! :)
The watermelon anything is amazing. Once the watermelons start coming in sweeet, I truly just founder on them for a few weeks, happily peeing every hour on the hour while I munch down watermelon and cataloupe and any other watery fruit I can find.
Sorry to hear about your back, that really does suck.
Misses:
Our nonsummer in Seattle. Finally saw some sun this afternoon!
Hits:
Pimms cups -yum
I Profumi di Firenze Limone di Sicilia – smells bright and
sparkly.
Hits: Coeur de Vétiver Sacré, L’oiseau de Nuit, Lann Ael and Mon Parfum.
Misses: Bas de Soie, Un Crime Exotique, Piment Brulant, and a flurry of samples that I just can’t recall with any clarity right now.
On the food front, I’ve discovered coconut butter. BIG hit.
I’m really dying to sniff the Mon Parfum ( you mean AG Mon Parfum Cherie , right ? )
One of the few things I’d buy unsniffed if I could !
Nope, it was the Micallef Mon Parfum (thanks to Tamara, btw, for the decant). Oddly, I didn’t love it when I smelled the bottle after uncapping, but decided to give it a try anyway, and it turned out to be lovely on me. A nice surprise.
Coconut butter/oil is my moisturizer. A tiny bit goes a long way and it works wonderfully! My skin is dry, but I’ve read several sources that say it is wonderful for acne and is a natural sunscreen.
Rappleya, I use coconut oil as a moisturizer (and hair treatment) sometimes, too, but the coconut butter is for eating! There’s a company called Artisana that makes organic nut butters and other kinds of spreads, and they have a coconut butter that rarely makes it onto any kind of toast vehicle – I eat it right out of the jar. It’s made from the flesh of the coconut, so it’s not the same thing as coconut oil (though it has a high percentage of coconut oil in it).
Ahhh… I understand. You’re talking about butter made from coconut oil, correct? I eat coconut oil too though!
No, the butter is made from whole coconut flesh, so it’s essentially “pureed” coconut.
The biggest hit for me this year is Mona di Orio Vanille. The biggest miss is the whole Illuminum line. My most anticipated is Honour Man by Amouage.
Hits: Eau Claire des Merveilles and Lostmarch Aod – LOVE
Also a hit: a riff on a salmon dish we had at a seafood restaurant in Seattle: tasty, pretty and simple – can’t beat it.
Ingredients: fresh salmon, orzo pasta, field greens, fresh cherries, bacon, feta, capers, lemon vinaigrette.
1) Cook fresh salmon – we grill it, you can bake or whatever you like.
2) Meanwhile cook orzo pasta.
3) While pasta and salmon are cooking, toss field greens with a simple lemon vinaigrette (go easy on the dressing – you want a light touch here) and make a bed of the greens on your plate.
4) To cooked orzo, add crumbled feta, capers, and chopped bacon and dress this lightly with the lemon vinaigrette.
5) Spoon orzo mixture on top of field greens on the plate. Sprinkle with fresh cherries cut in quarters, top with salmon.
Wonderful!
Drooling. I swear, one of these days I’m going to collect recipes from you guys and put them somewhere!
Hits: Dzing!, Ninféo Mio, Un Jardin en Méditerranée.
Misses: the 4-5 tuberose fragrances I tested last month…
Hits: Muscs Kublai Khan, Terre d’Hermes, Bas de Soie, Monsieur Balmain
Misses: everything else! That’s why I’m dying to smell the new By Kilian–he’s usually a winner for me.
A miss – Agent Provocateur’s L’Agent. Two hits – AP’s Eau Emotionnelle and Hermes Un Jardin sur le Toit. And this summer heat is definitely a miss. Arghh, I’m wilting! ;)
I’ve gotta get in on this – I’m DYING for the pentachords! The others sound wonderful, too, and I’m needing a pick-me-up.
Hits – An amazing Chicken Salad recipe that sounds like slumgullion when you list the ingredients (chicken, bacon, water chestnuts, apples, celery, green onions, mayo, lemon juice, parsley, ginger, and worcestershire) but is sooooooo good. I could eat it every meal, every day.
Misses – Everything else in life. :( Unemployment, broken car, kids who have been out of school too long… bleh.
Major suckage. My mom says it is brutally hot there, which means hotter than here. And here is close to Hell Temps.
oh, that chicken salad sounds delish!!!
108, 109… Yeah, it’s Little Dubai here now.
That salad sounds really good, minus the water chestnuts – I often add almonds to my chicken salad for some crunch.
Almonds would be awesome! Time to make some more! :D
The sample of Creed’s Royal Oud you sent me is certainly a HIT! Not so much for now in this scorching heat but I’d happily bathe in this all fall and winter long.