By Tara
Do you own perfumes that seem to suit the weekends best?
Are there perfumes that you like to relax with?
Do you take time out on the weekends to go scentless or maybe test a new sample?
Or is your perfume choice not affected by whether it’s the weekend or not?
My Answer:
During my working week I tend to wear “statement perfumes” which are often deep roses or sophisticated leathers, so on the weekend I regularly go scent-free or sample something new.
Otherwise, I wear a fragrance which is mellow in mood or so light that it is unlikely to be intrusive or stay the day. Some of my favourites for these lazy days are Comme des Garcons Series 3 incense: Kyoto, Atelier Cologne’s Trefle Pur and L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Poivre Piquant.
Which perfumes do you reach for on the weekend?
Olfactoria's Travels 
During the week I try to wear perfumes that aren’t too loud (or apply them lightly). So during weekends I allow myself to spray liberally.
Usually in the morming I would test one or two perfumes on very limited spots of skin – a dabbed dot on the wrist. And later, before leaving the house, I’d spray a perfume I plan to wear that day.
Today (well, technically – yesterday, but I’m still awake so I consider it still Sunday) I wore Love & Tears from By Kilian.
The weekend is a great time for testing new perfumes, isn’t it? We have more time to think about how we feel about them and take note of their development.
Love and Tears is a pretty, summery choice for weekend wear. I know you actually have summer weather where you live, unlike us in the UK 😦
Our summer is really cold but I like it exactly this way. But still, some perfumes just feel like “summer” vs. “winter” – even if the temperature is not that different.
Oh so your summer is not so hot either? I don’t mind if it’s not that hot but it’s rained most days for 3 months now and that’s what’s getting me down.
I know what you mean about summer and winter perfumes. No matter how cool and rainy it is, I still can’t wear my winter perfumes.
Hot or cold, no rains for us in summer.
If to think of it… I like rains. Hm… Am I living in a wrong place?
Yes! Let’s swap 🙂
Hey Birgit,
I can’t stop spraying Wild Ginger Chai by SOIVOHLE, This is day 5 I’ve worn it at some point during the day, so no change for the weekend this week. Next week probably different,
Portia xx
Wow Portia, wearing the same perfume 5 days in a row is a real sign that something is good to people like us! I’m yet to get properly acquainted with Soivohle yet.
It’s pretty much fair game all the time to be honest. I’ve always worn what I fancied when I fancied it, so I don’t really have specific week or weekend fragrances.
Maybe I never relax lol? (OK I totally do, I AM habitually lazy after all)
No one who reads your glorious blog would ever suspect you of being habitually lazy!
Good to know all your perfumes have a fair chance of getting wear time with you. You are clearly an equal opportunity sprintzer 🙂
Nigel may disagree 😛
It’s all about equal opportunities here! I am an HR person after all (albeit one on temporary hiatus).
What? Nigel doesn’t approve of perfume before housework? Shocking 🙂
It’s terrible isn’t it?!
I’m mostly like Thomas, I wear whatever I like whenever I like, as long as it fits the occasion. (I won’t go to a meeting in an enclosed space wafting Carnal Flower or something like that).
Weekends I try to stick with perfume my husband hasn’t expressed outright hate for, which pretty much narrows down the field anyway. 😉
Ha! So lots of Reflection Woman and L’Eau for you on weekends then?
I wouldn’t go that far! There are limits to what I’m prepared to do for love! 😉
Glad to hear it! 🙂
Well, there is not much difference for me between weekday or weekend parfumwise – but I might try some stranger creations rather during the weekend.
It’s nice to be able to please yourself with your perfume choice on the weekend.
I wear strong perfumes during the week but usually just a small amount discretely placed. (I have one spray of Portrait of a Lady on my stomach today. TMI?!).
Unless I am out and about or testing some samples, quiet weekends really are time for my old favourites. I spent most of this weekend painting and decorating while wafting around in a huge cloud of Chergui, my hug of a perfume.
It’s great to have time to wear old favourites, isn’t it?
I love the way you describe Chergui your hug of a perfume. I’m sure it made the painting and decorating much more pleasant.
Hmm, I probably shouldn’t admit this, but now that I think about it, if I’m at home, I usually don’t wear any perfumes. 🙂
If I’m going out, I usually go for sth I don’t wear to work (for whatever reason) – this weekend it was Love Coco.
Oh, me too. If I’m in on the weekend and don’t feel like testing something new, I go often go scentless. Feels like a perfumista sackable offence doesn’t it?!
Love Coco sounds like a fun choice for going out on the weekend.
It does, doesn’t it? 😉
I never ever go unscented even when I am supposed to be relaxed at the weekend (relaxed and children do not usually work in the same sentence) I do what I do throught the week and match fragrances to moods and weather, for example a long bike ride in the sun (yes we actually had some on Sunday) I chose Frangipani which worked very well. I then changed to Dulcis Anima after a shower for going to the supermarket and visiting the outlaws.
I normally end up cleaning at some point over the weekend so test fragrances when I am doing the cleaning (probably in the vain hope that if I don’t like them I can cover the smell up with bleach) 🙂
I’m glad you made the most of the momentary sun yesterday Andrea and wore Frangipani on a bike ride.
I like the idea of testing a new perfume when cleaning. I may borrow that strategy in the hope it will make it more interesting!
Great question, Tara. The weekends are actually when I tend to get out and about more, socially or just to go to a restaurant, whereas during the week I’m mostly at home. So on the weekends is when I’m likely to choose my perfume more carefully and try to match it to my outfit, so to speak. This is probably opposite of what most people do, I imagine.
Also, I do spend one day a week totally scentless because I think it’s good to give both my nose and my body a break. Usually this falls mid-week (Wednesday or Thursday).
Thanks for sharing your weekly perfume routine, Suzanne. I enjoyed reading about it.
It does sound like you are doing more on the weekends than most as you’re at home in the week, so it makes sense your perfume choices are actually more thought through, not less. I also think it’s no bad thing to go scentless on a regular basis in order to sort of regroup and refresh.
I noticed that when it’s weekend time I tend to reach for something easy to wear, often powdery like Prada Infusion d’Homme or something calming like Parfum d’Empire Eau de Gloire. A citrus scent is also a good weekend choice for me.
Great question to start off the week!
Thanks, lucasai!
Yes, I go for easy to wear fragrances too on the weekend. I guess it makes sense if you’re in a relaxed mood you don’t want anything too challenging. Citrus scents fit the bill perfectly and I never thought about it before but powdery scents do too.
nice to see you agree with me 🙂
🙂
I can’t wear perfume to work, since it’s in a hospital. I might wear some perfume in the evenings. Weekends is the time I wear perfume in earnest, especially the heavier ones like PoaL.
Ah, so weekends must be an important time for you to wear whatever perfumes you want, no matter how strong.
You’re a fan of Poal, too? It seems we have a few perfume loves in common, Eva.
Hmm. I definitely wear heavier/sexier orientals if I am going out for a night on the town, and definitely more fresh fragrances if I am doing something out and about during the day. Overall, I guess I pick my fragrance based on mood and activity, not really by day! I think the only time I ever (purposely) go without splashing on some juice is when I am exercising!
It’s nice to break out those more seductive scents on a night out isn’t it? Stuff that just doesn’t seem right for the day, when those fresh perfumes you mention feel more appropriate.
Exercising is a good reason to go scentless, though I guess light fragrances such as colognes could be OK. I’m not exactly big on exercise, lol.
Most of the time I go scentless on the weekends. However, we’ve been having a major heat wave where I live (New York-Metropolitan area), so for relief, even on weekends I’ve spritz myself with colognes I’m keeping in the refrigerator. The other exception is if I happen to be going someplace special on a weekend.
I’ve heard it’s extraordinarily hot in your part of the world at the moment. Keeping cologne in the fridge to help cool down on weekends is the perfect solution.
I tend to also only wear perfume on the weekend if I’m going out, or if I’m testing something new.
I do a lot of testing on the weekend, but also wear lighter perfumes, like Love Coco or L’eau de Chloe, because I tend to be doing active things and I don’t want to swelter in a heavy perfume while exercising (although I have been known to do it, it’s not a habit!). It’s been especially hot here this summer as well, so I’m sure that influences my choices.
Another mention of Love Coco! It must be a great weekend perfume.
It makes sense to wear lighter perfumes if you are active on the weekend, especially exercising in hot weather. Although I imagine some heavier perfumes really bloom beautifully in the heat (in small amounts anyway!).
During the week I like lighter scents and that is when I also like to test-drive new purchases. The weekend is for my Chanel Cuir de Russie, or Chanel Pour Monsieur, Knize 10. And at night I go to bed with Michael Kors…… for Men that is.
Ah,interesting that you try new things in the week and wear old favourites at the weekend. I love Cuir de Russie and admire Pour Monsieur, and I thought I’d like Knize 10 too but it wasn’t for me, too masculine maybe.
On Saturday morning when I run errands and go grocery shopping I usually wear a crisp/clean scent with lots of iris and green notes. In the afternoon however, I often go wild with sampling new things and try two or four fragrances at same time. On Sunday I don’t wear anything, especially if I go cycling/swimming/hiking etc.
Philipp, it sounds like you fit your fragrance to your weekend activities perfectly. I’d be interested to know what scents your wear that have lots of iris with green notes – sounds great for grocery shopping and more.
Most people do seem to go scentless for exercise, which isn’t easy for people like us!
I admire you being able to test up to 4 different samples at the same time. I can concentrate on 2 max.
On weekends – I match to both weather and activity. For Saturday knocking about/chores/time with family – I typically pick something casual, fresh and green/white. For example, Ael Mat by L’ostmarch works well on an overcast spring day 🙂 I haven’t found my perfect “casual” summer scent. Sometimes I find myself wearing L’Eau d’Hiver though – even in the middle of summer – because it’s so easy to wear, cuddly and friendly – especially if it’s just me and my 2 year old daughter. If we are headed to the pool, I’m all about happy coconut – Bronze Goddess, lol! For Saturday night – I have date night with my husband, so I like to wear something a little more sultry, with vanilla for him (he likes it when I “smell like a cookie”) – though to be honest, I am still looking for something we can agree upon, lol. And then Sunday morning is church – and I am in Chanel 🙂 I go to a relatively formal church with a classically Southern US congregation (the men wear seersucker suits in summer) – so it feels good to wear a dressy perfume, heels and pearls. Though I try not to wear anything loud or disruptive for others. I often enjoy wearing No. 5 Eau Premiere or 31 Rue Cambon.
Oh my goodness, I just love all your weekend choices! The happy coconut of Bronze Goddess is just perfect for the pool (or beach) and Chanels for church make total sense.
Isn’t it funny how men love vanilla perfumes? Anything that reminds them of food I guess! Vanilla is a tricky one for me because it is often cloying. I hope you can find one you both love. Vanille Absolument by L’Artisan Parfumeur and Vanille Insensee by Atelier Cologne are worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Thanks so much for the vanilla recs Tara – I do need them! When my husband and I met (when I was in my 20s) – I used to wear Hanae Mori EDP, which my husband loves. It’s not a vanilla perfume – but actually almond/strawberry. But it still essentially creates the effect of “vanilla pastry.” Very, sweet, rich, creamy and buttery. I no longer feel like Hanae Mori “fits” me – it feels too cookie-sweet and young now that I am 38 (I wore it in my early 20s, mostly – and in a much cooler climate than where I live now). I don’t dislike it – but it just feels “off” to wear. So I’ve been trying to find a date night perfume we both like. I have not tried the two you rec’d – but will check them out! I tried Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale recently – thinking Guerlain might be a good place to look for a gourmandy thing for the husband, but he didn’t like it. I also tried Spiriteuse Double Vanille but it was only “meh” for me. Let me know if you have other ideas!
Interesting question. I am a little set in my ways, and cling to the old favourites. Guerlain ‘Vetiver’ for the Monday to Friday grind. Nuit de l’Homme (YSL) for the weekend!
You smell great in any case!
Thank you!