FIRST. I am placing an order for perfume samples, so if there’s anything that springs to your mind as “OH!! You should try ______!!,” then this is the moment!
SECOND. I finally read A Gentleman in Moscow (Amazon link / Target link), which many of you recommended:
(image from Target.com)
It took me awhile to get to it, because I am not reading many books by men right now, and also because I read another book by this author long ago and it left behind a little spot of Depressed Feeling. But! I very much liked this one. It was right on the line of Too Politically Stressful for me, and it pointed out to me once again that I am not good at History and learn it ONLY if it’s fictionalized (Philippa Gregory taught me everything I know about Henry VIII) (but I still wouldn’t be able to hazard a guess at what century he lived in), so now I know a little more than before about early 1900s Russia. I would say this book was a deceptively quiet read: that is, it feels like you’re reading a sort of mellow book about a man living his life, but there are some very dramatic plot elements—which are also presented in a mellow way, so that sometimes I thought, “Wait, what?” and had to go back and re-read the last couple of paragraphs. I love that kind of book. Also, the author addresses the reader in footnotes several times, in a way I found pleasing. I don’t generally want to be reminded of the author’s existence, but in my opinion this particular author pulled it off and it felt more as if THE BOOK ITSELF was talking to me.
THIRD. I have seen buzz about not buying “corporate Pride,” and also I have seen the counter-buzz which says “Hey, not everyone has the same access to things, and also let Mom be supportive by buying the Pride stuff she sees while she’s at Target”; and I am more aligned with the counter-buzz here, seeing as how I am the mom being supportive while shopping at Target. It was my first time browsing in Target since the pandemic began, and it was a fairly rapid browse as I am still a bit skittish, but being able to buy two bottles of this bubbly was a delight:
(image from Target.com)
Note that if you venture into Target to acquire some: the design VARIES. I did NOT notice, but by chance selected two different designs: one with diagonal stripes as shown above, and the other with more of a sunbeam pattern of stripes. And there may be OTHERS! I am going to have to go back to check, because I also have to buy more bottles, because if I don’t have PLENTY of them I am never going to think an occasion is special enough to open one.
I also bought this mug:
(image from Target.com)
FOURTH. I have found two skin-care items that have made a small but perceptible difference:
(image from Target.com)
(image from Target.com)
The first is CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream. Note that it is a very small quantity: just 1.7 ounces. But I have been using it for almost a month, and NUMEROUS TIMES have looked in the mirror and thought “Oh, my skin doesn’t look as bad as I’d thought! Actually it looks kind of nice today!,” in sharp contrast to BEFORE I started using it, when it was happening regularly that I would look in the mirror and think “BEHOLD THE RAVAGES OF TIME.” So! I recommend waiting until it’s on sale (I got mine when they were doing a “$5 gift card with $20 purchase of beauty stuff” deal), and then trying it to see if your skin likes it too.
The second is Gold Bond Crepe Corrector. It is TEN DOLLARS for that 8-ounce tube. I find it difficult to make myself use it. But I DO use it: I put it on my neck and upper chest, and on my lower arms / elbows / hands. And again, it’s not that I have seen a REVOLUTION, skin-wise, but I went from REGULARLY noticing the impending-crepe levels of my neck/arms back to the blissful days of not really noticing it (it’s still THERE, but not at levels that catch my eye as often), and to me that is a worthwhile difference. But again, I would wait for a sale and/or get it for yourself as a little Ruined Mother’s Day present.
Don’t forget to tell me if there’s a perfume sample I should try!
“A Gentleman in Moscow”! Oh, how I loved that book. Did you find yourself comparing your locked-in plight during the pandemic to his locked-in plight generally? And wondering how he managed life with so much grace and joy? Happy sigh.
Yes! And I wondered if I would have enjoyed it MORE during the more serious pre-vaccination lockdown stage, or if that would have hit too close.
I started A Gentleman in Moscow and was having trouble getting into it before it expired on me, I didn’t get very far though and in fact it seemed to be getting interesting at that point. Will give it another shot!
After a very pointed trip to The City to find new perfume (and go to a show) a couple of years ago, I bought Gucci Bloom and Gucci Bloom Aqua Di Fiori (the second is lighter and I wear it in summer) and I love them. They have notes of tuberose.
I’ve been using the crepe corrector lotion on my aging hands and agree that it works pretty well. I’m going to try it on my neck/chest too since that’s becoming a problem area ugh! If you like citrus-y scents the Atelier perfumes are wonderful, the Bergamote Soleil is my signature scent. I also really like Burberry Brit Sheer, it’s floral but also light and clean, perfect for summer. I love seeing everyone’s recs!
I don’t have any perfume suggestions (though I am charmed by the reminder at the end of your post, I had indeed forgotten), but I do recommend reading this article about the history of perfume from the New York Times. I am sorry to say there is a paywall, but your library may give you access if you are not a subscriber. Anyway, it’s a very compelling piece of writing, and it explains why smell is so evocative- the sense of smell is wired directly into the primitive part of your brain and the memory center. The author describes how in India there used to be perfumer sellers who traveled around and sold you whatever scent was considered appropriate/traditional for the season of the year, and I just I love this idea.
Versace yellow diamond perfume
Ugh, I LOVE that Cerave night cream and it also made my face look amazing even during upper Midwest bone-dry winter… annnnd it also made me break out in tiny comedomes all over my chin and cheeks. Which is apparently a thing that happens to some people when they use ceramides (the thing in the cream that is making the skin look so damn good). I’ve tried several Cerave products now and have been forced to conclude that I may not use ceramides but must always live with the torturous knowledge of how good they make my skin look (if you don’t look too close and don’t touch it). But I am (uncharacteristically) pleased to know that you (Swistle) get to have the nice effects without the breakouts; you deserve it.
(I don’t wear perfume so will be no help there.)
I like Estee Lauder’s Pleasures. Not at all sure if it will be to your liking but that is the inherent problem with perfume suggestions and the beauty of samples, I guess! If I had to categorize my general perfume preferences it would be “LIGHT, fresh floral.”
I look forward to your upcoming report :)
My favourite. I wear it every day. It is *floral* floral iykwim, so not for everyone.
True that! My Dad once banned it from our 20 minute commute to work. But! I still loved it dearly. “Screechy,” I think some people say. Whatever. White flowers are ASSERTIVE, and I’m fine with that. ;)
Pleasures was my scent in college. So pretty!
My two main perfumes are Coco Mademoiselle (by Chanel), and Eclat D’Arpège (by Lanvin).
The former is slightly more intense and I find I use it more in the winter, Eclat D’Arpege I use year-round. Note that while I speak of “my main” perfumes, I still only put any on when I leave the house and only sometimes. I also employ the application method you said you didn’t like by spaying it into the air and walking through it. Iirc, you described it as “walking thorugh it and leaving a Swistle-shaped hole” :) But for me, I found it it leaves me with the perfect amount to be noticeable for others when they are close, but not overpowering. Both are eau de parfum and not eau de toilette, so it may need more if one uses the latter.
For Eclat D’Arpège, I also got a charming and very “teenager” kind compliment a while ago by my 13 year old nephew, who stated “you smell like something that smells good”. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is :)
I tried a perfume sample set from a company called Pinrose, which says their scents are “clean, vegan and cruelty free.” They have a rainbow colored set of 8 trial-size perfume sprays and other sample sets. They also have a “synesthesia”-based quiz to determine what scents you might like; don’t know how accurate it is, but I thought was interesting. The scents seem light and there’s one I especially like in the set called Secret Genius, a vanilla scent.
I’ve had that Gold Bond lotion in my Target cart for months, maybe I’ll try it for summer-clothing weather!
I just bought a bottle of Serge Lutens Sarrassins (it’s purple juice that smells like jasmine)! I think Luckyscent still carries that brand.
I woke up this morning and thought of a perfume review book you might enjoy! Perfumes: The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. They’re a married couple who met online because of their mutual love of perfume!!! There are two or three volumes of this book as of 2018. Their negative reviews are wickedly funny. I think the Perfumed Court used to have sampler kits based on their favorites.
https://en.vogue.me/beauty/fragrance/perfumes-the-guide-luca-turin-tania-sanchez/
https://boisdejasmin.com/2018/12/perfumes-the-guide-by-luca-turin-and-tania-sanchez.html
https://twitter.com/taniasanchez?lang=en
I tried a scent by Filippo Sorcinelli called Contre Bombarde 32, and I didn’t really like it at first, but my lands, it has grown on me. You have to not get bummed out by churchy scents, though, and you have to really let it sit on your skin for a while before giving up. This isn’t the ideal weather for it, but on cooler nights it makes me so happy.
Very much enjoyed Gentleman in Moscow.
“…a little Ruined Mother’s Day present”: mmm yes, you are speaking my language.
Although, I guess I should have asked if you were sampling for the fun of it, or to potentially purchase a bottle. The bottles of that scent are, um, out of *my* range, at least. But, oh, it’s fun to test interesting things!
Sadly, I have no perfume recommendations since I haven’t really worn perfume since the beginning of the pandemic (why?!) – and my tastes are very vanilla, if I’m wearing any, it’s usually Calvin Klein’s Eternity – so I am no help there at all.
Thanks for the book recommendation! Off to find it in a second – I desperately need something new to read.
I am loving the CeraVe facial lotions – but I’ve not seen that one; I’ll have to keep an eye out for it and the Gold Bond. I haven’t reached the stage of spending a $100 on some potion – but am getting close…
If you’re open to indie perfume makers, may I suggest one of my first true perfume loves, Solstice Scents? The talented perfumer only sells online, and she has both oil-based and EDP samples. They’re just reopening after a maternity break, and some items are seasonal, but there is still a lot available for sampling. Some of my favorite SS scents -just naming a few- Blackburn’s Parlor (waffle bowls, vanilla ice cream, and a heavenly banana opening note), Chiffon (vanilla, white musk, and lemon myrtle; nice for hot weather), and Wilcox’s (smells like a good witch’s herbal apothecary shop).
I am now putting both of those skin care items in my cart. I’ve been getting ads for the crepe one, and sure enough my neck is showing some crepe-like wear and tear. There is a funny joke in Girls5Eva (new Tina Fey show on Peacock), where Sara Bareilles says she is getting targeted ads for lotion that keeps your skin from looking like party streamers, and I was like ME TOO! Anyway off to buy it.
My son and I did read that book early in the pandemic April and May of last year and I found it utterly charming.
I am all for more Pride, though the Kellog’s rainbow cereal struck me as funny and perhaps a bit much.
I love and highly recommend Ariana Grande Cloud perfume. It is a little embarassing to be in my late 30s with a popstar perfume on my bedstand, but it smells so incredible that I have started purchasing backup bottles so I don’t run out. It is allegedly a dupe for (the extremely expensive–so I have never smelled it) famous Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume.
I will definitely buy that because it turns out I love popstar perfumes. I love Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck perfume and they discontinued it which is very sad. Even sadder is I ran out of the scented bodywash and lotion from my gift-set. I am considering experimenting with the perfume and some unscented bodywash.
I sent for two perfume samplers last year. One was from an indie perfumer in Los Angeles, Thin Wild Mercury. It had 4 samples and I ended up loving one of them. The other set was from Henry Rose, which is owned by Michelle Pfeiffer. I thought they were all too light for me with sort of a soap fragrance vibe. You never know until you get it on your own skin, though. Perfume samples were a wonderful pandemic purchase because they broke up the sameness of my days.
I am so very basic and am quite happy with Queen Bee by Basic Chemistry that I got in a Target sample box and have now repurchased. I wear it any time I remember, but I used to work in healthcare so I have a habit of not wearing any scent to work. My fancy schmancy rec is Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier. I think it’s a great as a fresh, powdery unisex scent, although according to the website it has “key notes of mint, lavender and vanilla.”
I love Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil–to me it smells fresh and interesting.
Now I want to get another sample of that one. Mmmm. Green mangoes, right?
Yes! There was a long New Yorker article about the development of that perfume that is what persuaded me to first try it. If you like reading about fragrance I highly recommend it: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/03/14/the-scent-of-the-nile
Yes! That’s the article that led me to try it too! How cool.
Ruined Mothers’ Day present :D
I also clicked post haste on both of those lotion recs because both of these are Very Timely, and ugh is “crepey” not just the WORST word? “82% had improvement in crepey skin!” Yay but also… blargh?
I just found a vintage (aka ANCIENT) bottle of Revlon’s Fire & Ice in my archives. 1994 in a bottle. It made me inordinately happy.
My perfume tastes aren’t very exotic/expensive. I wore Bath & Body works White Tea & Ginger for literally years until either the formula changed or my smeller changed. Maybe both. I like tea scents; I still miss Green Tea Theraphy :(
Now I wear whatever makes me feel good in the moment. This is after some scent searching and regifting of blind buys and scents that just don’t work for me anymore. I’ve been finding that actual perfume or scents with alcohol are too strong for me now and give me a headache, so lighter scents/mists are where it’s at.
I really like Pacifica mists for this. The rollerballs/perfume are too strong/different from the mists/weird/questionable on me. I don’t think they have samples because you can buy them at Target but maybe they have little testers back in the store now? My favorites are Island Vanilla, Indian Coconut Nectar, Hardcore Happy & Silver Moon. I also bought Flower Moon & Cosmosis during lockdown and those are in the regift/donate pile; Flower Moon was too sweet and Cosmosis was interesting but weird.
I got a sample of Marc Jacobs Perfect with an Ulta order recently and it was really pretty and interesting (rhubarb is a scent profile now?) but after wearing it for like an hour I got a headache. :(
Speaking of vintage perfume…
I still have a bottle of Calvin Klein Escape (c 1991) and a bottle of Paul Sebastian Design (also likely c 1991). I just don’t wear perfume much, but will try those body mists from bath and body works (and those tall bottles they sell, or used to sell, will likely last until 2050 for someone like me).
Just last week, I dabbed on some Calvin Klein Escape for my daughter’s HS graduation, and the deja vu hit like a ton of bricks, as I recalled using the same perfume (quite likely from the same bottle) for my own HS graduation in 1992. Knowing it’s discontinued makes me very careful about using the little I have left. Meanwhile I’m sure there’s another very similar scent by another perfume manufacturer.
I’m clearly no help with suggestions, Swistle!
I love perfumes, and they’re really the only makeup I wear consistently. My tried and true classic (since high school) is Amarige by Givenchy. It’s a floral bomb. It is screamingly dated to the 1990’s (which makes sense since I fell in love with it in the mid 90’s). There is a certain percentage of the male population who will stop dead in their tracks and tell you that you smell like their high school girlfriend if you wear it.
I used to love vanilla based smells on my skin, but as soon as I got pregnant the first time, they no longer worked with my skin. Like, they almost smell curdled.
This comment is so funny and paints such a picture that I have to see what your perfume smells like. Off to try some new scents!
Sephora sells a kit of perfume samples and if you like one and want the full size, they have a coupon in the kit.
Oh I just reread the first sentence and maybe you are doing this! I like Victoria’s Secret “Tease”
I am very fussy about scents but I alternate between 2 perfumes. The heavier of the two, which is my signature scent and what I wore for my wedding, is Euphoria by Calvin Klein (hubby tells me it smells ‘like you in a bottle’, which I take to mean it suits me). It has some deep exotic floral in the top notes (so not too sweet), but there are some heady, wood base notes too which give it a lot of depth and warmth and make it great for colder days. My go-to scent in summer is 212 for Women by Carolina Herrera – it’s light, crisp and clean with some citrus flower top notes and the scent, to me at least, is reminiscent of that clean, freshly showered smell. Love it.
I’m still searching for an everyday perfume, but my mom’s is 4711 Eau de Cologne and I would 100% co-opt it for myself if it wouldn’t be too strange to always smell like my mother. I’ve been trying to find something similar but not the same for years. From the web: “Top notes are Lemon, Bergamot, Orange Oil, Basil and Peach; middle notes are Jasmine, Lily, Bulgarian Rose, Cyclamen and Melon; base notes are Oakmoss, Tahitian Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli, Musk and Sandalwood.” It’s such an interesting mix.