I didn't disappear, I'm here and I smell great

(at least I believe I do). ;)

It's been a hectic few weeks and there are still some things I need to finish before I can say I finally closed several of my projects (some extremely long-term).
But the greater part of work is done and the things I have left to do are those that will bring me a feeling of strength, inner peace and fulfillment.

Before the race

Most if it will become apparent if I'm successful at it, after the next weekend when for the first time in my life I plan to run the half-marathon in Zagreb.
What worries me about that is that the last two weeks, due to many obligations I had (from the beginning sentence) stopped me from attending the trainings regularly. Out trainer told me that I shouldn't worry, we did run 20km once already, just to take it slowly - I mean, I will not be racing anyone, I'm a complete beginner and for me the biggest success is actually finishing. But, still, I worry.

Well, you'll know soon enough how well I did as I plan letting everyone know about the enthusiasm I will feel after running for so long (here we're talking about more than 2 hours as I'm a really slow runner). :)
And I know there will be enthusiasm as that is exactly what I felt after running 20km for the first time and how I felt after finishing my first ever race of 12,4 km - the photos are from that day.

To get back to smelling great. :)
I attended an ISO education this whole week and as I was around new people in a relatively small room, I took more care than usual to what I was going to apply.


Just before the finish line

I can say that Cruel Gardenia always works for me as a great choice when around people in a work setting. It has a mellowness to it that makes anyone who comes close to you consider you less serious than you might appear.
As I was told by one of the attendees on the last day, I completely changed everyone's initial thoughts about me being very strict and serious and looking like I'm going to only work and not have any fun at it.
So, in cases like that, a mellow perfume that is so easily liked seems like a good strategy.
The other perfume of my strategy was Iris Nobile by Acqua di Parma. Similar in the effect as Cruel Gardenia, only iris based.
I'm still wondering how different people perceive me from how I think of myself.

And as the nights are getting colder and colder, I'm finally again wearing Shalimar to bed. :)



P.S. I firmly believe the camere used for taking some of these photos adds weight. ;)

Thriving niche sub-culture in Zagreb

And I wasn't even aware of it until now! :)

I mean, I knew there must be people in Croatia who loved niche perfume as there are 3 perfumeries in Zagreb carrying niche perfumes but I never met those people who shop there and love those perfumes.
Until now.

As I'm not really a strong character, saving money is not something I am good at. Or at all. So, after spending way too much money on perfume in the last 3 months (I can't even bear to count how many bottles I acquired during that time), I figured it was time to get some of it back.

Therefore, I decided to sell off some decants from my bottles as there is no way I can possibly use up all of them, and I listed them on a Croatian forum.

What can I say?! I learned there are people here who can't wait to get their hands on some of the things I have. :) Which is a sentiment I can relate to.

Not to mention that they have some things I'd love to have so I predict some swapping in the cards as well.

Perfumes forever!



P.S. We really should come up with a good catch-phrase or a slogan for our fragrant community. ;)

Winners of Santal Majuscule samples...

Are Joan and Irina! :)

Please contact me with your addresses and I'll get these off to you as soon as possible.

Thanks everyone for playing!

Santal Majuscule (and a minuscule draw)

There is a reason why I don't review Serge Lutens perfumes often even though I wear many and like many of them (wouldn't mind owning practically the whole line).
I just never seem to be able to find the words to describe exactly what I smell - that happens with other perfumes as well, but nowhere am I so strongly aware of it as with SL perfumes.

So, I'll try and do my best ut in the end, as is always the case with Uncle Serge perfumes, the reviews won't really prepare you for what you smell in the end. :) (I find that a great thing myself)

Notes: sandalwood, cocoa, Arabian attar rose, honey, spices

I've sampled and worn Santal Majuscule many times over the weeks I have it and still, each time I smell it, I find another facet of it to be revealed. I went through so many ideas of what this perfume smells like and each time I smell it again, half of the stuff I thought it smelled like aren't there but there are new things I smell.

Until I saw the notes, cocoa and rose never entered my mind  but once I saw them, I knew they were in there, I even remembered exactly at what point the cocoa comes to play.

Before I start describing what it smells like to  me, I should say that the most obvious thing I get from it is that it is a combination of perfumes that already exist in the line. I don't mean to say by that that I think it's not good or smelling differently, it's just that there are familiar accords jumping out at you at different times.

Sometimes it's the idea of sweet, sticky, spiced (and even boozy) fruit of what I'd like to think as Arabian market variety the first thing you smell, soon to be followed by the teasing wafts of how Jeux de Peau starts, following with opening of Santal Blanc until sometimes you come across barest hints of Ambre Sultan hidden in the murky depths of this perfume.
Because there ARE depths to it, you can smell them from the start. But try as you might, sniffing at close proximity won't get you anywhere near those depths.

So, what I smell in the beginning is described in the previous paragraph, warm, spicy, boozy fruit with the general feeling of seriousness and darkness (there's not frivolity to this fruit as the feeling is dry and not sparkling and happy) with cocoa underscoring the darkness and warmth and sandalwood making you swoon.
Now I know it's there, I can smell the rose appear and the fruitiness slowly disappear. At this point is where I feel a smile blossoming on my face. It is also where I feel the resemblance to Santal Blanc is most prominent.

Being true to my smelling practices, after enjoying this phase for quite a while, all I can say about the drydown, is, it continues to dry in the vein it smells.

Honestly, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm really not a drydown person.  My attention dissipates by that time.

So, for the minuscule draw I have two samples from my bottle, tell me why you think you might like/love this or why not? Both will work. :)