I am not writing, and not even attempting to write for a week now and I miss it – and I don’t miss it. Clearly I haven’t made up my mind yet… 🙂
I definitely miss you, my dear readers!
My boys have been sick, so the summer fun has a bit of a dampener on it for now, but we try to entertain ourselves at home. I’ve been a lucky mother so far, none of my kids have been seriously sick in their lives, and the past week has been the first time my sons have had a high fever for more than a day. But they are slowly on the mend…
My perfumed life is surprisingly active, despite the blogging hiatus (or maybe because of it?) I’m rediscovering my collection, weeding out a bit, finding treasures I didn’t know I had. For example, I tried my old bottle of Jil Sunder Sun again and it is just as lovely as I remember it, bringing me right back to the summer of my high school graduation oh so long ago… 🙂
I’m also wearing Ramon Monegal Cotton Musk (which was renamed, it was launched under the name White Musk) a very untypical choice for me, but I find myself enjoying the very clean, almost laundry-style musk on a bed of roses and gardenia very appealing in the heat. I’m also guilty of buying not one but two new bottles of perfume for the summer that I intend to take on vacation to Italy when we go in August:
Nuxe Prodigieuse Le Parfum, an EdP modeled on the famous Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, a bargain of a scent that is beachy and carefree. The second one is Nicolai Juste Un Rêve, I finally decided on my ideal lush coconut white floral. Montale Tiaré Intense was in the running for the longest time (I would have bought it years ago if it weren’t for the bottle, that is how shallow I am!), but it was overtaken by Juste un Rêve at the last minute. It seems lesh brash, more refined and sopisticated to me, than the louder, more uncouth Intense Tiaré.
As for the above mentioned shallowness… the new Nicolai bottles are really okay. 😉
How are you doing? How is the weather in your part of the world? What perfume are you crazy about these days? Are you working, on vacation?
I’d love to hear from you!
xoxo, B
Olfactoria's Travels 
Dearest B
I have rediscovered Jil Sander Sun (as well as the real thing that is perched perpetually above London at the moment) this summer… what a clever bit of naming that was.
Hope the boys are better soon and that you’re able to get on with the serious business of summer.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Glad you are enjoying both Jil’s version and the real thing these days, dear Dandy!
With you being on leave, my Manic Cookie Mondays run more smoothly. 😉
Hahaha, that’s a relief then! 😉
Hope the boys get better quickly! I am busy with my parents in town and we are enjoying every minute we have with them. The sun and heat are wonderful after our winter. So nice that you are rediscovering treasures hidden in your closet.
I’m glad the weather is cooperating when your parents are here. Have a great time and see you soon! (If all goes as planned!)
Glad to hear your little guys are doing better! When my girls were young i was told to alternate between tylenol and motrin doses.I myself have been having alot of dental work done uggh-its the cost that gets me most of all. So all i can do is read about all the facinating fragrances and imagine in my minds eye. Good thing your reviews are so descriptive.I am going to click on the links you suggested above as i always do.Keeping you and yours in my prayers for a happy healthy summer.
I’m sorry to hear about your dental woes, I can imagine how painful that is both physically and financially.
Hopefully smelling a beautiful perfume (thank goodness for samples!) here and there helps to distract you.
Thank you for your kind thoughts, Patricia!
Birgit, you have the cutest little boys 🙂
It’s cold here, for Perth anyway. About 2C tonight and that’s about as cold as I ever care to get. The English guys I work with are still in short sleeves and shorts
Today I’m wearing PdEmpire Aziyade. Been working my way through samples I haven’t given much time to and seeing if any are decant/fb worthy. I am liking this the most of the PdE’s so far..
Also rediscovered my love for Nicolai Maharanih Intense. I’d only worn it in warmer weather and liked it enough for a small bottle but am loving it in the cold. Would also like a fb of Mona di Orio Vanille, and Loree Rodkin Gothic II, which smells of nag champa incense but without the share-house student days association 😉
Hope the boys are better soon and you all have time to enjoy your summer while it lasts 🙂
I hope the cold spell is over soon, your perfumed warming strategies sounds great though!
Have a lovely evening! 🙂
Hello Birgit, so nice to see you. I hope your boys feel better soon; they are so sweet 🙂 We have very hot and humid weather right now, a standard July heat wave, and the fields of corn are as tall as walls. I’ve been enjoying some summer staples: Un Jardin Sur le Nil, Eau des Merveilles, Bronze Goddess. New this summer is Estee super cologne, lots of ylang that’s pretty in the heat. Intense Tiare is a scent that I’ve been contemplating for quite a while, so now I want to try Just en Reve. I know I must have sampled it at some point but I don’t remember. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Nice to see you too! 🙂
I wear Bronze Goddess a lot too these days, so gorgeous!
Your boys are gorgeous! Such happy, giggly, carefree, untethered JOY!!! Now, if that could be translated into a perfume we could all wear, it would create World Peace!!!!
Ha, I’m not sure those two pirates would be the ideal peace ambassadors. I should post a photo of them trying to kill each other (lots of opportunities to make such a photo!) 😉
But seriously, thank you, the two sure know how to enjoy life and can teach me a thing or two…
Pirates! too funny!
🙂
Another gorgeously cute pic!
My summer is going to be full of Nuxe Prodigieuse Le Parfum (my SOTD) and Dita Von Teese Parfum. These are the only two bottles I’ve bought all year. Enjoy Juste Un Reve – I’m glad you found your perfect coconut fragrance.
Perfect choices! 😀 You smell fantastic!
Oh Birgit, I hope the boys are feeling better. It’s awful when our little ones are sick. High fevers can really be scary too. Wishing peace and wellness on your house! Such an adorable picture of your darlings!
Now I absolutely must try Juste Un Reve! And I have wanted to try the Jil Sander Sun – I know Portia wrote about it recently too. Somehow that one slipped by me in the 1990s.
It’s VERY hot and humid here, but as I’m mostly inside, the weather hasn’t influenced my perfume choices at all. I’ve been wearing Chanel Jersey, Hermes Elixir de Merv, ELdO Jasmin et Cig, Nicolai Odalisque, No.5, and Piguet’s Futur. I am on the verge of buying a fb of Bond No.9 Chinatown.
We have vacationed too – camping. I was perfumeless for a week! I envy your upcoming trip to Italy! It’s one of the top five on my travel wish-list.
The scentless camping week! I hope you had a fantastic time, Annina!
You must try Juste un Reve, it’s so lovely!
What adorable boys, and I’m glad they’re on the mend! Summer won’t be the same if one is cooped up at home or in bed.
True! Thank you, Patricia! 🙂
Oh my goodness I must try Juste Un Rêve! I’ve been wearing Annick Goutal Folavril, Guerlain Eau de Lit & Chanel Jersey. But L’Artisan L’Ete en Douce and La Chasse aux Papillons have been on steady rotation.
La Chasse is such a pretty scent, it suits you perfectly, Jane!
I hope you enjoy Juste un Reve!
Dear Birgit, I hope your sons fully recover very soon so everyone can get back to enjoying the summer. Speaking of fragrances, I love those times of rediscovery after taking a break (whether from writing about and/or wearing fragrances). Wishing you all a good remainder of the week and weekend.
Thank you, Jim!
I really enjoy the re-discovery of old “perfume friends”. 🙂
OMG, can those boys possibly be any cuter? I hope they are feeling better soon. Not fun to be sick during summer vacation!
It is montstrously hot and humid in the New York-metropolitan area, and I for one have had enough. Trying to stay calm and collected (and wearing citrus, soft floral, and green fragrances), but I get the feeling I may go berserk and start throwing things if the mercury inches up one more degree. Today’s supposed to be the hottest one yet…breathe, breathe…OOOMMMMMMMMM……..
Oh, the heat in NY must be unbearable! Poor you! I hope it gets better soon!
That is the cutest photo ever! Your boys are adorable! Hope they’re back to 100% soon so everyone can enjoy their summer. We had our heat wave several weeks ago, since then it’s moved on to the east coast where it’s been sitting like a massive, hot, wet blanket over everything. My daughter tells me she has no idea how to dress, as the ride to work on the subway is unbearably hot and sticky. At work her desk is situated under the air conditioning vent and she freezes in a cashmere cardigan. Her internship will be over in about two weeks and she’ll be flying home. I hope our weather stays as good as it’s been.
Enjoy your new perfume.
Thank you!
This is the year of extreme heat… 😦
Keep cool!
Hi Birgit! I miss you!
Hopefully, your boys being sick was the lowest point of your summer and from now on it will be getting better.
Before I read your explanation on the new PdN bottles I had that puzzlement in my mind: so Montale’s bottles were ugly and PdN’s not?! (though I wasn’t testing any of the Montale’s perfumes for a while because I was scarred by two of their ouds and I disliked the bottles).
Speaking of Montale… Since this brand isn’t available where I live I finally broke my rule of not buying any samples and bought several of Montale’s samples. In my defence I should say that I thought that blue bottle was kind of cute… 😉 So now I need to test the perfume. And I wanted to test on skin the perfume that you (!) made me smell. Well, you suggested I tried the brand not available elsewhere – Shaik Perfumes… The more I smelled the blotter the SA gave me at the store the more I liked it. So before it became an obsession I just had to buy a sample and test it on skin. But then, you cannot buy just one sample – right? Here came Montales… So, you see – all your fault.
I miss you too! ❤
And I take full responsibility for your absolutely necessary sample buys. I'm an evil enabler. 😉
Hope your kids are better and that you are enjoying your blog-free life for a while 🙂
Have a great week .-)
Thank you, dear happyface! 🙂
Hi B,
Checking in is writing, for sure it is! 🙂
Joining the others in wishing the boys a speedy recovery so you can carry on enjoying the holidays.
I don’t believe I have ever tried Juste Un Reve, so thanks for the tip off. The weather here is an amber alert heatwave, so am finding work a struggle. There’s no air con in Bonkers Towers, and most of the windows upstairs are painted shut, though I am addressing that soon with any luck!
It is, just a little bit… 😀
It is hard working in the heat, I hope it gets better soon!
Saying a prayer that your babies get better soon!
Hmmm, I must add Juste Un Reve to my ever growing “to try” list. I so agree about those Montale bottles. Hideous. I do love the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. I use it in my hair and body and sometimes around my eyes when I run out of eye cream. I also like Roger & Gallets Bois d’Orange oil, but it’s the one product in that line that they don’t sell in the States. I’ve settled with using the Bois d’Orange shower gel, but I think the oil smells much better. I only use that one on my hair and body, though. I think the orange in it is too harsh and it irritates my face.
I’ve been in a bit of a white musk mood lately. For me, white musks act as an olfactory palate cleanser after I’ve been wearing some heavy perfumes and they also make breathing a bit easier on hot, humid days like today. I started with Clair de Musc and ended the day with Fleurs de Citronnier. They’re like a breath of fresh air.
Thank you Lila!!!
Funny that you are in a white musk mood too. It is strangely refreshing, palate cleanser is a good word for the sensation.
Oh lord, those cheeky boys didn’t push that basket over did they, the instant you had taken the picture!? I see a disaster waiting to happen … 🙂
Just un Reve is a mess of mush on me. Can’t think of any other way to describe it, but I will try it again in the summer. Glad to see the Nicolai bottles have improved. Here today is raining steadily and has been for hours (relatively rare for us). So it’s a good day for Theorema, and yesterday it was Cuir de Lancome.
Hope you get a chance to relax!
Lol, no, strangely enough they didn’t although I ended the fun before they had the chance. 😉
Now that the bottles are better, I will explore Nicolai in earnest, (so shallow, I know!!!), I know you have many favorites in the line, Annemarie.
Wishing the boys speedy recovery!
Thank you so much, Ayotunde!
I hope the little ones are feeling better.
I love the summer, life seems to be much easier – somehow there is a holiday feeling in the town. Haven’t bought any FB for a while, but there are some serious plans in the bush (like Hedonist, like Nabucco Amytis, like Coccobello….)
And I have to check out that Juste Un Reve thing !
Those are very good fragrant plans! I can’t wait to try your Coccobello! 😉
Me either ! – that beast Coccobello is in delay …
Oh, too bad!!! 😦
Hello gorgeous!
Jil Sander Sun will always remind me of you and your lovely husband. Do you remember I wore it to dinner and M remembered you wearing it? It has not left the dresser since our return home in Feb and gets plenty of use.
Portia xx
Your review was fabulous! I sent Daisy a bottle to NY and she is fan too now. 🙂
It’s so cool to see my old faithful worn all over the world. 🙂
You are Inspiration, Muse and Mother. Thanks for being my friend.
Portia x
Aww, Portia! You make me cry…
Big hug, my dear! xxxx
Lots of love for PdN today! I’ve been obsessed with my latest purchase, PdN L’Eau Mixte, which I’ve now convinced is the greatest grapefruit of all time.
Okay, that’s it: I need to try them all! Took me long enough! 😉