
Cinnamon spice and everything nice for the holidays. My holidays don’t really smell like baking and apple pie but… they do now. I mean, if I had to pick a Christmassy scent, it would be the smell of turkey in the oven but I don’t need a perfume for that. But Rouge Saray is giving me dried dates of the sweet tray of my youth and it’s immensely nostalgic. Noir Epices is the rose and spices of an Indian breath freshener we ate after meals, and then Ambre Narguile is dessert after the roast dinner. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Christmas Perfumes
Diptyque Feu de Bois Candle
If you’re looking for a new candle this winter season, this one would be my pick. Feu de Bois by Diptyque. It has smoky campfire vibes which pairs nicely with any baking you might be doing for the holiday season. In terms of quality, I find these are pretty strong and more importantly, the hot throw matches the cold throw. I can smell the candle when I walk by it even when it’s not lit so that’s always a good sign.
Kerastase Le Gloss Parfum

I first tried Kerastase Le Gloss Glaze Drops in my sister’s bathroom this past summer, and the scent reminded me of Lancome’s Idole Power, which reminds me of Guidance. Love it or hate it, but Guidance has taken the world by storm, and one day we will talk about it the way we talk about Santal 33… it’ll be duped and everywhere. People will remember where they first smelled it and how they came to love it and in what form. Of course, people loved the Glaze Drops, and especially love how they smell, and a big company like L’Oreal (which owns Kerastase) is quick on its feet and has the data and resources to turn a customer request into a reality – and so we now have the Kerastase Gloss Absolue Le Parfum. It’s a gorgeous little bottle that delivers the scent of the Gloss line so you can extend it. It’s a hair perfume, which makes it safe to spray in your hair, but works equally well on your skin or clothes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The scent? Woody by way of an industrial sandalwood and cosmetic-lab patchouli. The vibe here is confident and powerful, you’re know what you’re doing and will get things done. A couple of sprays and you’ll get whiffs it throughout the day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hermes Ambre Narguile Perfume Review

Christmas in a bottle: Hermes Ambre Narguilé. Apple cinnamon with the apples being a bit tarte and leaking out of the pie plate, sticking to the side so they’re a bit jammy and sticky. Cozy and inviting, the pie sits on the counter and you can’t resist picking at the edges, where the apple is almost a candy, so you can chew it like taffy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Zara Iris Veil Perfume Review

Fun and carefree is underrated. Zara Iris Veil is here to save the day with some powdered marshmallows and warm musk. It’s like giving your favourite niece a hug. All cupcakes and rainbows on top but also clean and comfortable under it all. It’s the smell of being safe recreated in a bottle. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Grand Soir In Times of Trouble
Nothing is scarier than getting your rights taken away by the government, and here’s what I wore and ate the week I lost my right to strike and negotiate a contract, but was happy to be at a job I love. I wore a lot of Soviet brown on my adventures and smelled like a rich auntie. A friend had given me some Grand Soir this summer, and it was finally time to pull it out. I remember it being more dense and heavy, but despite being an amber Grand Soir has an airyness to it that’s almost fizzy. It’s something that Kurdjian does so well that, and every time I’ve worn Grand Soir I’ve felt like I was wearing a masterpiece. I’ve come to realize that sometimes the perfumes that stand the test of time really are well-loved for a reason. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Miu Miu Miutine

Today I smell like I’m off to my first job and I’ve already spent my first paycheck. I’m buoyed by someone in the elevator telling me I smell good but I’ll quickly realize that my workplace is scent-free and a perfume draws more attention to me than I would like, so this will be saved for the weekends in the sunshine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Miu Miu Miutine, strawberry candy, brown sugar, and vanilla. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Lancome Skincare I Love
Here is some space-age packaging from Lancome. They’ve thought about packaging that attracts the eye but also works, and all of these are just glowing. It’s almost as if they’re hinting at the glow you could also have if you use them. We are in the era of chasing glass skin and what you need is products that hydrate and leave a sheen on the skin. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I have the Clarifique serum, the Renerge Triple serum and the UV Expert Supra Screen SPF 50. The sunscreen bottle kind of looks like a phone. It’s smaller but it has the same type of shape, the the dispenser is so clinical looking, as if you need precise application when it comes to sunscreen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
On my fingers is the triple serum – it’s called that because it’s a dose of vitamin C, retinol, and peptides that you mix before you apply. I suppose they want us to think that the ingredients are kept fresher this way, kind of like a cake picked up from the bakery the day of the party. I like that there are so many things together so that I can just use one product and get the benefits of many ingredients. In this way, a more expensive serum might be worth the price of many. The finish is shiny giving your skin that glass skin glow (albeit just for the night because this is a serum you’re meant to use at night time). I will admit that I use my prescription retinoid on top, because I’m not giving that up. This would be great for all kinds of skin but especially dry skin types because it is so moisturizing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Roger & Gallet Verveine Utopie

Crisp days are for you to decide what direction you want to go in: cozy scents or summery scents. I chose vetiver today in the form of Verveine Utopie by Roger and Gallet. The extrait de Cologne reminds me of warmer days so it’s like I’m really extending the summer a bit when I wear it.
Eau d’Hermes – Who is it for?
We know that all perfume is unisex, and masculine and feminine perfumes are just constructs of marking people, but still…

Going old-school today (1951!) with some Eau d’Hermes. Lightly spiced lavender that’s fresh and bright, but on top of a birch tar leather that lends a slight smokiness. This is perfect to wear when the days are getting shorter and there’s a bit of a chill in the air. I’m sure it won’t be around for much longer but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. I thought that this was originally marketed as a masculine scent, but as of right now, it’s listed under the feminine perfumes on the Hermes website… What does it all mean?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀


