Winner Alert: Cuir Fetich sample winner is……..Mrs Honey!!! drop a line at ‘contact us’ with your deets (and please remind us what you won). thanks!
Unless you live on Jupiter and only get intermittent internet signal, you know that I am still having some issues with living at the back of the back of beyond. This is mitigated, somewhat, by my occasional Saturday forays back to Chicago. Two weeks ago I leapt aboard the train and went to do a Mag Mile stroll with my darling Miss Francine. Lots of stops, including Chanel and over the next couple of posts I will tell you allllll about some new stuff I sampled and sniffed.
The Universe was on my side that Saturday. Starting out frosty, it quickly warmed up to the mid-60s, which made strolling an absolute delight. We met at Nordie’s, where I got to sample the Bottega Veneta everybody’s been raving about (more on that in another post, I have to take my time with that subtle one)…I also sampled Prada Candy and……..I still feel like the Nerd Girl at the Cool Party. I can’t ‘get it’ because I CAN’T SMELL IT! sur-prize! I have yet to find a Prada I can get more than a faint ‘scent-over-alcohol’ smell from.
Prada Hates Me. Who cares? I Love Kilian.
We went to SFA to yakk with Rosie – and smooch the Kilians. Francine hadn’t spent a lot of time with them so it was fun to watch her reactions. I think she fell in love with Straight to Heaven , though knowing her perfume tastes I am thinking it might have been A Taste of Heaven. – it was one of the Heavens, that much I do remember (I’m OLD). I always forget that Kilian has two gorgeous Ouds, confusing them with the Tom Fords which reside cheek by jowl against the Kilian display. Saks’s perfume counter is abysmal, banished to the back of the section like a smelly old dog. Anyway, I stumbled back upon Rose Oud.…I have no idea why I keep glossing over this scent. It combines two of my favorite scent families, rose and a soft, dark oud accord – I don’t know if you remember my summer experiment where I combined Amouage Tribute Attar with Rosine Poussiere de Rosine for the Hog Roast at the nursing home….this is similar, but without the ashy accord (which I love to distraction, btw). This is much lighter and just beautiful. In a ‘pretty’ way. I find myself embarrassed to describe it thus because somehow ‘pretty’ has become almost anathema in the lexicon of Serious Perfumery. It’s okay to be ‘daring’ or ‘challenging’ or ‘intriguing’ – why not ‘pretty’? Tribute is GORGEOUS but it can be challenging and, in some situations, requires some explanation. Sometimes I just want to smell beautiful, in a pretty way. Just like this.
Rose Oud is, by far, my personal win of the Kilians, with Incense Oud in for the place. Both of those gorgeous beauties are done by the ultra-fabulous Calice Becker. I applaud that she didn’t crush the rose notes under a whole lotta lotta, y’know? Rose gets short shrift sometimes, just like ‘pretty’ – for example, the Rosines are often dismissed because of their lack of darkness and complexity – but I am going to come right out and say that I LIKE a sunny rose now and again. Yeah, they’re not over-nuanced but there’s a place for them. Rose Oud isn’t ‘sunny’ by a long shot – rather, it’s a glowing, faceted opal of a scent, with the roses and spices weaving and winkling around each other, forming a shining veil, luminous sunlight through stained glass. It is complex without trumpeting its complexity like a fedora on a 14 yr old boy.
I’m not in the market for a full bottle of Rose Oud because my lottery ticket has not been verified just yet but when I am I won’t be getting it in the justintimefortheholidays glamazon Swarovski crystal limited-edition bottle – as magpie as I am, I can’t love the embellished Kilian bottles. They feel ‘bedazzled’ to me, like someone hung a Juicy Couture charm on a vintage bottle of No 5 perfume. The standard Kilian black bottles are elegant, classic – and good enough for me. You may feel otherwise and that’s okay – diff’rent strokes!
But I thought you might like to see it anyway. That’s it up there.
Notes for Rose Oud are: Turkish rose, oud, saffron, cardamom
Photo courtesy shopstyle.com
SURPRISE!! If you slogged through all that, there is a halfway-decent reward. This charming young man at the Killian counter gave me this charming little box with 5 charming Kilian samples, including Rose Oud. I’m giving it away because I am Just That Kinda Gal. To enter, just let me know which Kilian is your favorite – or which one you have always wanted to try, or how you feel about the LE bottles v. the regular ones, or what you’re having for Thanksgiving dinner, because I am Just That Nosy. Giveaway will be open until Friday, November 25. Winner will be announced next Tuesday.
You’re question on T-day dinner was timely — I’m in the post-dining comatose phase, catching up on the Posse I missed while I was in the insane cooking phase earlier this week. My favorite dish this time was roasted butter nut squash cubes tossed with sauteed onions, fresh sage and sweetened dried cranberries. I’ll definitely make this one again.
I’ve only tried two of the Kilians – Rose Oud and Incense Oud – and liked them both. They have a softer touch than many oud scents (*cough*Montale*cough*) with something interesting happening most of the way through. Your comparison to an opal is quite apt. Since I live in the hinterlands, too, it will be awhile before I try the rest of the line.
Kilians: Have not tried (think the closest store to me that might have them is a good half-day’s trip away?), want to try all, think the LE bottles could have been tastefully done but weren’t and cost waaay too much for something that is Swarvoski crystal (then again, I remember when Swarvoski crystals were inexpensive and not considered high fashion; when did that change?).
Thanksgiving: Funny story… As of this morning, my full family Thanksgiving is to be postponed until Saturday, as my MIL is hosting and both she and the FIL are extremely sick right now (looks like they have the flu), one of my nieces-in-law is recovering from a tonsillectomy&adenoidectomy, and the SIL/mom of said niece is too busy celebrating her recent divorce to bother trying to host. My hubby and I celebrated with my parents, who managed to throw together a full meal with the exception of turkey, for which fried chicken was substituted (I chipped in and helped). IMHO, it’s the family time that’s important :)
My favourite Kilian is Incense Oud.
The Killian I’ve tried is Back to Black. Killian Rose Oud sounds very much like Nemer by BTV without the Jasmine and Patchouli. Nemer costs a whopping 495GBP!!
My favorite Killian is Prelude to Love, but I like Liasons Dangereuse too. Taste of Heaven isn’t bad, but Love is too sweet a marshmallow concotion for me.
Back to black. It’s perfect. Not too anything.
Deep. Rich.
Intrigued by the Killians ever since I spritzed Incense Oud a few weeks ago at a fragrance investigation foray to the local Saks. The only thing standing between me and a full bottle purchase is that danged winning lottery ticket. I would love to sample more!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Eat turkey!
Back to Black is my favorite that I have tried, but I would love to try the Rose Oud. I have limited experience with oud, and would like to try more! Thanksgiving will be a long day filled with as much time traveling as spent visiting, but I’m looking forward to it(and the abundant goodies)anyway. Hope yours is lovely!
Safe travels to you – and abundant chowgoodies!
xoxo >-)
I would love to try the Rose Oud! I have tried Black Aoud by Montale, which has rose as well. I like it a lot as nothing gets me going more than a strong scent that not a soul is likely to own in my li’l neck of the woods. I was never a fan of rose scents, to be honest, but Black Aoud has made me realize I might have been missing out on something realllllly nice all these years. Would love to compare it to Killian’s, since, of course, I am not going to buy a full bottle based on my experience with one rose fragrance. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your readers! We have a small family but as I love to cook, I still do it up big every year with enough leftovers for the neighbors or for us for several days.
@};- gets short shrift sometimes – I think it’s the Old Lady connotation. But oud and rose accords seem to have been made for one another!
Enjoy your cooking time. I’m getting some of mine out of the way right now ( well not ‘right’ now. Right now I’m replying to your comment – but you know what I mean! ;))
xo >-)
Oh, wow! I would love to try some of the Kilian scents! Thanks for the chance! Sounds like you had a lot of fun on your trip!
Saturdays with Milady Francine are always fun!!
xo >-)
Oh-h-h-h, thank you, thank you for your review of the Rose Oud. At my first Sniffa event, I fell in love with my first Kilian, Back to Black. It was my first non-mainstream fragrance. My son persuaded a SA to send the sample pouch to me last year, just in time for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, the Ouds were not among them. I managed to get a sample of the Rose Oud and I absolutely love it! Thanks for sharing your goodies!
You are welcome! What a thoughtful son!!! I’m trying to imagine The Cub doing something like that….:-?
=))
xo >-)
I am a sucker for oud scents, but haven’t yet had a chance to try ant of the Killians’. Difficult when you live in the niche desert that is Ireland! Please enter me for the draw.
You are in! Weirdly, I have never given Irish shopping options a thought…must investigate Because I Am Just That Nosy!
xo >-)
Stephen, have you ever tried Aoud Gourmet, by M. Micallef? It’s what I like to refer to as “food-oud,” with a mix of that deep oud base under layers of marzipan and sugar.
Count me as one of the ” I’ve heard about/read &/or watched reviews -but never smelled a By Kilian in my life”So of course I’d LOVE to get my hands on some free samples.
My Mom will be cooking a Huge (29 pound?) turkey (he’s already thawing out in the fridge),sausage dressing,rolls,mashed potatoes,candied yams(parboiled,peeled,and cut into large chunks,and put in the crockpot overnight with salted butter and one or two bags of brownsugar -properly done these will stick to your back teeth like taffy!)+ the traditional green beans and canned cranberry sauces ( we might have an olive tray and snacks too and possibly a fresh or fruit salad).
Grams will be doing the pies this year (pecan,pumpkin,?)
I will assist as need be (anyone need a taste tester? )and I’ll go get the eggnog, boiled custard and spray heavy whip cream (’cause coolwhip just doesn’t taste the same And because the little kid in me just loves to swamp smother my slice of pumpkin pie with sprayed on whipped cream..I better get the Big can ..or two..)
Sounds like you have your day planned out perfectly! Don’t tell anybody – but I’m one of those people who love to spray heavy whipped cream di-reckerly into mah mouth! 😡 :”>
xo >-)
As for the Kilians, I’ve tried (and loved) the…was it Surrender? The jasmine one? I’m not a tuberose person, so many of these don’t work for me, but you’ve made Rose Oud sound so beautiful. Thanksgiving will be quiet and traditional here, just DH and me, and our pesky boring diets we’ll try to sorta accommodate. Without being too annoying about it, of course :-)
Well, you’re in luck because I don’t get any tuberose in RO – just straight up @};- , albeit in a very luxe form.
xo >-)
I haven’t tried any of the Kilians yet. There’s so much out there to sniff, and I’m so behind already!
I’ll spend Thanksgiving with friends this year. We’re going to have turkey, though I’d love any of the alternatives mentioned above (lobster, enchiladas, lamb — wow!). I don’t know what I’m supposed to bring yet, but I hope it’s dessert. (I hate leaving really important stuff like that in the hands of others… ha!)
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Take your time and enjoy the journey – there’s always fun stuff out there to sniff!
xo >-)
As I wrote yesteray on the Posse, the only By Kilian I smelled was Sweet Redemption, and it was, I think, a good intro to the line.
I’m interested in any of them actually, they all seem so mysterious, just in the way you people talk about the line!!
I’m not having thanksgiving, ’cause in Quebec, we celebrate it in october. But… I started making home made yogourt. I LOVE it. :)
Home made yogurt sounds mouthwateringly good. I love peach yogurt and have a freezer full of peaches….:-?
xo >-)
Definitely drooling over Kilian, especially the last video interview I saw. Oh, you’re talking about the fragrances?
Haven’t tried those — I’m among those who fear falling for the very expensive (although the 30ml refills are more accessible) and the names are confusing.
I wasn’t aware of the Oud line and would love to try the Rose Oud. As for the Noire line the one that most appeals based on the posted formulas on his website is Love and Tears.
Here in Canada, Thanksgiving is but a distant memory (Oct 10) of being a well-fed guest at a family dinner where I had only to bring the wine. A big, moist turkey, mushroom stuffing, sauteed brussels sprouts, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, maple sweet potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce. Then we rested until it was time for coffee and the need to try each of the 3 pumpkin pies (with fresh whipped cream) to assess the differences in filling and crust (one homemade and 2 different bakery pies brought by guests who were worried there might not be enough).
Wishing everyone lots of good food and good memories.
My stomach just growled, reading that !
xo >-)
KH a hottie, even though he isn’t my cuppa (I prefer a guy a little less beautiful…or at least BIGGER…and possibly Not Completely Civilized.
Which would explain a lot, were I willing to explore that further…:”>
Oh yum, yes much better than a mere pretty boy — they are too easily scared.
One of last year’s SF Sniffathons featured a presentation from M. Kilian himself plus a sniffing (on paper) of all the line. I still can’t keep the names straight, even with my notes! But I remember loving the ouds, and the lavender one, and the tuberose one. . . NOT the marshmallow one (though I must admit that it’s the most elegant marshmallow imaginable). Obviously I need to do more testing! Thanks for holding the drawing, and do please put my name in the hat.
Like you, I don’t find glitzed-up perfume bottles attractive. The classic Chanel bottle: that’s the best bottle, right there.
I agree. I love the Guerlain bee bottles as well.
Now you have me wondering about the marshmallow one….:-?
xo >-)
Prelude to Love, the first in the Love series, is the marshmallow confection, if I recall correctly. But the Kilian event was this spring, not last year. We had champagne and little cakes to accompany our Kilian sampling – no wonder my memory of it is so inexact!
I really enjoyed by Kilians Love and Back to Black. Beautiful! Looking forwards to the evil mashed potatoes that my sister makes at Thanksgiving (more cream and butter than potato!). Please enter me in the drawing!
I think I love your sister! 😡
xo >-)
I have never tried any of the Kilians (bad perfumista!), probably because I am scared away by the prices. I’m afraid of falling in love with something I can’t afford! However, if a drawing makes some Kilians fall into my lap…well then I can’t avoid trying them out, can I? Thanks for entering me.
:d
We Live to Enable!
;))
xo >-)
I have only tried Back to Black of the Kilians and would love to try them. I also get confused by all the Love and Heaven names.
Having standard Thanksgiving fare, but hosting at our place for the first time. We live in a teeny house so no room for entertaining indoors(I believe you are familiar with SoCal “bungalows”) but decided to have it outside! Of course, there is now a chance of rain. Fingers crossed for good weather!
[-o< on your behalf but you know folks will have a great time no matter what! xo >-)
Pure Oud. I bought it in the travel set and I adore it. Plus, the gold atomizer is brilliant. But for real, this is so often my go-to scent. It’s the bee’s knees to me. I think a second is whichever “Heaven” is the lavender one- I would certainly like owning a bottle of that! And Back to Black – also a super comfort scent but not yet in my budget. I didn’t get to try Rose Oud, though, so neat. I can’t smell the Incense Oud at all, so hey. I bet the Rose Oud is quite doable, considering my complicated relaitonship with rose. PS: Tribute = WANT. Never smelled, but WANT.
Jared,
Trust me. You do NOT want to smell Tribute. You. Do. Not.
Once you do, you won’t sleep at night for The Want.
xo >-)
I smelled the entire line on paper, which was kind of overwhelming (went to a presentation by Killian). The only one I’ve actually been able to try on my skin is Back to Black, which is utterly delicious. I’d love the chance to test some of the others.
I’m wearing Back to Black right now. El O thinks I’m having a torrid affair with a man who smokes a pipe! 8-|
xo>-)
I would die for this! I just love the By Kilian line (Calice Becker is my hero). My favorite is Beyond Love but I like almost all of them.
She is Beyond Fabulous ;)) No, I really mean that. She and the vaunted Mathilde Laurent rock my world! ^:)^
xo>-)
I am a fan of Back to Black and Prelude to Love (and I REALLY want one of the perfume solids!) I need to spend more time with the others to see which might be the best for me :) Happy Thanksgiving all.
oops- I meant I am a fan of Beyond Love (Tuberose)- hah! i am not a fan of the silly names…
I daren’t even eyeball the solids….8-| that would be Prelude to Bankruptcy!
xo >-)
I haven’t tried any of the Kilians and would love to start somewhere. (hint hint)
It’s just me and my husband for Thanksgiving this year, so I told him to decide what he wanted to do. I meant “which restaurant” but I guess I wasn’t real clear, because he went grocery shopping and came home with 2 Hungry Man micro-wave turkey dinners, a carton of chocolate ice cream and champagne! Now I know why I’ve loved him for 26 years – he makes me laugh! A lot.
=))
Bless his HORT! I LOVE THAT!
xo >-)
Fun post! I, too, live out in the sticks, and really look forward to my occasional forays to the bright lights. This is timely because I’ve been sampling a few of the Kilians, and wow, I didn’t expect to like them as much as I do. Faves so far are Back to Black and Taste of Heaven (the one with lavender and vanilla). I wasn’t fond of Straight to Heaven…too sharp, almost after-shavey. Even though I almost never enjoy rose (Amouage Lyric being the one HUGE exception), I’m eager to try the oud series from Kilian. And yeah, the Special Edition bottle is a little much, isn’t it?
Thanks for throwing me in the draw!
I’m actually afraid to try Lyric. As it is, I’m figuring I’m paying for at least the stitching on one corner of an arm of one chair of one of His Highness’s Gulfstreams…..not that he would notice. :”>
xo >-)
Oooh the Rose Oud sounds lovely. Please enter me in the draw. We are having salmon and roasted brussel sprouts for thanksgiving. It is a Martha Stewart recipe. You roast the sprouts in melted butter and slivered almonds with a honey lemon dressing. Delicious. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
yum!!!
xo >-)
Straight to Heaven and Sweet Redemption are two that I would love to try. And I think I’d prefer their sleek black bottling of their juice.
Turkey breast and a casserole dressing this year with a sweet balsamic sweet potato dish with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola….salad with fennel and romaine, artichoke hearts, cut carrots and a spritz of grated cheese like a Grana Padano and topped with olive/tuffle oil and lemon….still working on the rest which will be more traditional.
Please count me in on the draw.
Happy Thanksgiving to y’all:x
I…….uh……perscuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard…=p~
xo >-)
You. Are. Just. That. Awesome!
My favourite of the Killian’s I have sniffed is A Taste of Heaven- pure unadulterated love at first sniff!!
Thanks for the chance. And Happy Thanksgiving to all- we are having an expat celebration here in the UK- whoo hoo!
Those are always fun – and what are the chances that you’ll get some cits there as well? I used to get ALL my British friends over for TDay, as they were grumbling about the overabundance of turkey and stuffing…and stuffing their faces, the hypocrites. Gosh, I miss them! =((
xo >-)
Cruel Intentions is my favorite Kilian. Oh how I love that juice! Back to Black, Rose Oud & Pure Oud all being well loved and much desired as well.
We’re doing country ham for Thanksgiving and a appetizer/dessert buffet.
El O is making me do a ham as well – he is not a huge turkey lover. Ours is going to be pretty traditional, though I am making a black walnut pie for him because I Am Just That Nice An >-)
😀
My husband gets a little homesick around the holidays. We try to get down to VA for either Thanksgiving or Christmas most years but he’s starting a new job and we’re moving into a new house so we won’t make it this year. Country Ham is a little bit of VA for him.
Black Walnut pie sounds delish. I think I’m going to attempt a rum pumpkin pie recipe I saw on Paula Deen’s show last week.
What scent will you wear for the big T-day?
Probably eau du Vicks. I’m fighting brochitis, alas. /:) I can barely smell (or taste) anything right now. Alas..
Congrats to your hub on the new job! I didn’t know he was from VA – that’s such a lovely part of the country.
fwiw Black Walnut pie is basically pecan pie with black walnuts. :”>
xo >-)
Im trying a new receipe from Martha: slice up sweet potatoes and pineapple, toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast in hot oven. Rose Oud is my fave.
please let us know how that turns out – it sounds like it will be pretty yummy!
xo >-)
There will be a Thanksgiving dinner at our house in Devon, England, hosted by the ex-pat New Yorker in our extended family. That’s got to count for something! Living in the UK perfume back of beyond I’ve never managed to smell any Killians, so please count me in…
you’re in!
xo >-)
I haven’t tried any of the Kilians but Rose Oud sounds right up my alley…I love all the notes. Prada hates me too. The only one I can kind of smell is the Amber and I do like it but would never buy a bottle of it.
We host Thanksgiving and I’m about to leave work to start my vacation – well…not so much “vacation” but shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. lol I do love the holidays and even all the hustle and bustle of preparations.
Thanks for this amazing drawing and have a very happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, sweetie! You have a great one, too! I’mo clean up a bit around here – but mostly I’m going to make a nice dinner, then get back to doing what I need to do. It’s just me and El O [-o< (those pesky cubs have a way of just 'showing up')....so I don't have a lot of drama. xo >-)
It’s funny that you can’t do Prada Candy. The Infusions, sure, but the Candy seems like it would have some stay. :S I could think of worse things to be excluded from.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to enter, because I am still (figuratively) digesting the sample of DeProfundis from Patty’s draw (thanks!). If it’s not too soon to enter again, please do enter me because I love the little bit of Killians I’ve sampled. My fave is Pure Oud. It keeps changing and becoming something new and complicated — only had a sample vial but would consider it for a future purchase, down the road.
Oh, and right on about the LE bottles. Just because it’s limited doesn’t mean it’s good.
There is no waiting period on entering, sweetie. You’re in. If you win, you can :”> and say ‘thank you’. I remember a Tauer advent event where someone one twice – maybe three times! That’s the beauty of random.org
Candy just ………well, I sort of knew it was there (unlike the infusions, which I can’t tell from water)…but I didn’t know ‘what’ was there…and, then, in the blink of an eye, even that was gone!
xo >-)
My favorite Kilian hands down is Pure Oud. It makes me want to lie down and roll in it…which is why I seldom wear it out of the house!
I have been eager to try Rose Oud, as rose is my favorite note.
Thanks for a chance to win!
I am ;)) at the idea of you rolling around in Pure Oud, like a cat in catnip!
xo >-)
I’ve tried Beyond Love and did find it lovely, but I’d really like to try Back to Black for its honey and tobacco. Thanksgiving is at my house, so I’ll be doing all the mains – the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, traditional green bean casserole (that I must have once a year), sweet potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and brie. It’s a starchilicious holiday! We’re having 12 over and others are bringing desserts, drinks, and green salad. We frequently have turkey, however, so it’s not a big deal to cook it. We even made a whole ‘Thanksgiving’ meal in the spring for our exchange student from Japan, so he could experience a uniquely American meal.
Oooh! that must’ve been so cool – what did he think?
btw – your dinner sounds divine. I love brussels sprouts. El O, not so much. I lightly saute them with hot pickled garlic and lemon zest. I like the teeny tiny ones, just barely cooked!
xo >-)
He loved the mashed potatoes best. I don’t think they eat much turkey in Japan, so he was a little scared of that. What he loved best was to get American snacks from every outlet possible – Target, 7-11, etc. I want to get together a Xmas care package of American snacks to send to him and his family.
I can imagine that your exchange student might have found a Thanksgiving turkey slightly intimidating – it’s analogous to us going to dinner at a friend’s house, and being confronted by a whole cooked, um, ostrich, or something of that size. :)
I really like brussels sprouts, too. Deep fried is my favorite preparation, though your addition of brie sounds marvelous.
My favorite Kilian is Back to Black. It’s on my wishlist and I’m craving it right now! Someday I’ll have it, sooner or later.
Straight to Heaven is my second favorite. I would wear it in fall and winter days, if we had some of that this year in my part of the world (SE of Spain).
Thanks for the drawing! :)
Isa, I will trade weather with you RIGHT NOW! It’s 40F, raining…and it’s only heading further down the temperature scale.
xo >-)
Don’t enter me in the drawing, I just wanted to say that Beyond Love is my favourite, followed by liasons dangereuses and that I deeply covet the black travelling mini-spayers, I don’t know how long I’ll resist before buying one.
Oh, go ahead. Give in. ;))
xo >-)
Some Killians I like a lot, which is sort of frustrating because I really hate the packaging, presentation, and general air of “you can’t afford me” of the line. Also, I get the names of the perfumes in their first series all confused: is the one I smelled “beyond” or “prelude”? Taste of heaven or straight to heaven? And then I end up with “beyond heaven”, which turns in my head into “beyond paradise”, which is another company altogether…
Favorites so far are the one whose subtitle is “Absynthe Verte” (maybe “Taste of Heaven”?) and the Rose Oud. I haven’t smelled the Incense Oud yet.
Oh, Fernando. I am SO with you on the packaging. :-< You know what I like about the Old School frags? They don't try Quite. So. Hard. Chanel, Guerlain, Dior - a lovely bottle in a lovely box (we're talking the classics here). KH could've put those bottles in a matte black box and it would've been way 'more' elegant, imo. Maybe he got the idea from the eponymous liquor line - don't they always show that stuff wrapped in satin or something? :-? xo >-)
I always hear people say this about By Kilian but not Frederic Malle, which strikes me as just as exclusive and expensive? Why is that I wonder?
It’s the black boxes with silver keyes, those little barrels for refills, all these extra bits that are not about the quality of the juice. Malle is expensive, but not as expensive as Kilian, especially the Ouds.
Ah, I wouldn’t know anything about the keys as I don’t own an FB of any of these. I do like the travel refills option (I just pour into my own spray bottle).
(FWIW, several of the Malles are in the same price tier, $200+ for 50 ml — see Carnal Flower, Portrait of a Lady, Une Rose. Sadly.)
Please enter me in the drawing, Anita. I haven’t sniffed any of the Killians yet, but I went over to Basenotes and read reviews and descriptions of all of them. I think Love & Tears, Surrender sounds like the one that I would like the best — it’s supposed to be a light jasmine floral. I love the smell of jasmine, especially in jasmine green tea. (The non-indolic jasmines are good with me.)
As for Thanksgiving, here’s what I’m cookin’ up for my family: turkey (14 lbs.), a simple stuffing made with bread crumbs, broth, onions and celery, white potatoes and homemade gravy, butternut and yellow squash, creamed corn, a relish tray featuring celery, black and green olives (my favorites!), canned cranberry sauce and homemade cranberry relish, and three from scratch pies: blueberry, apple and pumpkin. Whew! There are only four of us, so we’ll have lots of leftovers to share with family the day after.
I totally relate to your need to escape the day-to-day drudgery and go have a fun day of sniffing once in a while. So glad that you were able to escape and have a blast! I hope your Turkey Day is a great one. (((Musette)))
Sweetie, you just took me back 40 years! That dinner sounds persackly like my mom’s (except you forgot the green beans) – and I LOVED IT! Still do. March and I were talking about our love of canned cranberry sauce. I make homemade – and make everybody else eat it! =))
xo >-)
It was way too hazardous to try the Killians in the past so pick me, pick me! As for pretty, I just ordered #22, convinced I can now get the incense note. DH is in charge of dessert to bring to friend’s; but I’ve no clue what we’ll have, although we are always served something from weight watchers. DH and I could care less about counting ‘points’. Love reading the variety of eats everyone is having, invite me, invite me!
Wait. People invite people over and count points? At Thanksgiving? Bless their hearts – that must be……:-?
Wait. they don’t make YOU counts ‘points’ right? That’s the part that’s confusing to me. But it’s lovely that your friends invite you over, no matter the points (I’m still trying to figure that out). You can always come over here, though – we don’t got no steeenkin’ points – and it shows! ;))
xo >-)
I would love to explore his scents more… I would love to try Straight to Heaven by Killian and Love by Killian.
Thanks for giveaway.:)
You are welcome!
xo >-)
I’m going out of town for a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know what that means, which makes it tricky picky what kind of wine to take!
I’m curious about the By Killian ouds.
Solution: take what wine YOU like to drink. Works for me every time!
xo >-)
I have never tried the Kilians but would like to. I was assigned the desserts for this year, so i will be making New York cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, pumpkin bread, and a sweet potato souffle. I will still make my hot and spicy spinach-cheese balls and my sausage-cheddar cheese bisquit rolls. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
And I will be at your table at what time? ;))
xo >-)
I fell in love with a sample of Back to Black and it is the only one I have tried.
The whole line is lovely – and spans a range of styles, I think. Much to love there.
xo >-)
Haven’t tried a one except Beyond Love. Which I liked and was happy to wear but did not, actually, love.
I am thinking there are a couple in the line you would really like! But I’m not sure which ones…:-?
xo >-)
My favorite ouds are–and always will be, gosh darn it–Cruel Intentions and Liaisons Dangereuses. When they first came out, I about died with joy and love and yearning and considered myself lucky to get them soon enough. Not many rose-scents move me, so when those did, I moved heaven and earth to get them. Like you, like many, I love rose. It’s so romantic!
I’ll make sure to test Killian’s newer scents as soon as I hit the big city. You’ve made me all excited!
xo
Me, too! and you are going to let me know when you’re coming in…right?
xo >-)
@};-
My favorite Kilian is a toss between Cruel Intentions and Pure Oud. I really love Pure Oud but sometimes it’s just too Oud-y, if you know what I mean. I always get compliments on Cruel Intentions. I find it very wearable. lthough I smell oud in it, I don’t think it’s listed as a note. I recently tried Rose Oud and really liked it, but I think it’s the kind of fragrance that requires more than a casual sniff to appreciate (at least for me).
You don’t have to enter me in the draw. Have a great Thanksgiving…
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!!!
xo >-)
Beyond Love & Tears or was that Love & Tears Surrender or Beyond Love & Tears Surrender? I forget. Anyway, I love myself when wearing this. Sweet Redemption, too.
=))
I know. They could’ve worked a little harder on those names…
xo >-)