Soon after the blooming mimosa groves turn the hillsides in Provence bright yellow, splashes of color liven up the streets of Brussels and the florist displays. A bouquet of mimosa is like a box of bonbons–the ultimate treat. It smells like violet, cucumber peels and almonds, and although the scent is delicate, it fills the whole apartment. This morning mimosa is my scent of the day.
What fragrance are you wearing? What scents do you notice around you?
More on mimosa and how it’s used in perfumery: Mimosa, Cassie, and Honeyed Almonds
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
171 Comments
sandra: Happy First Day of Spring! The forecast here is some snow. Has anyone seen the solar eclipse today?
I live in NY, NY in Chelsea in case you want to air drop a box of those chocolates down to me Victoria! Thank you!
This morning smells start with the baby head powdery smell from our little bundle of joy. I am taking the day off today because I am working the weekend-so mommy and me day it is.
I made some Christmas Pudding tea from Mariage Freres -it smells like nutmeg and cinnamon.
Body Wash-a sample from Molton Brown-a very strong ylang ylang.
My husbands shaving cream-the bottle was actually picked up at my Dad’s place after he passed away (its been 14 months) so I won’t comment on how it smells for the fear of bursting into tears all over my Macbook.
I have been sampling Sunshine by Amouage these days. Tobacco, berry and creamy honey smell. I am having a hard time separating the perfume from the house, since its not what I am expected..wondering if the house is changing its tune to attract western perfume buyers.
Maple honey yogurt-tart smell of yogurt with a smell of maple syrup. Topped with homemade granola-oats and raisins are the smell that stands out.
Now back to this beautiful coo-ing baby and baby head smell! March 20, 2015 at 7:37am
Heather H: Enjoy your day with baby! March 20, 2015 at 8:20am
sandra: Thank you! I am March 20, 2015 at 11:00am
Magali QUENET: Hello Victoria,
Just reading the title Mimosa and Cocoa, it can only make me think of … Eau de Charlotte of course !!! How is it possible to forget this so beautiful fragrance created by Annick Goutal for her step-daughter at the beginning of the 80’s ? Charlotte was just in love with cocoa, vanilla, blackcurrant jam and this is how that perfume was born. One of the most Goutal fragrance in the feminine collection today. After 30 years, it is still, today, a timeless fragrance, unique, uncomparable, one of the best !
Never forget it ! Try it again 🙂 March 20, 2015 at 10:33am
Victoria: Thank you, Magali. March 20, 2015 at 12:34pm
Hamamelis: Hi Sandra, my mum died 3 years ago (this week), very unexpectedly. Now I can think of her, smell her no 5 eau de toilette (utterly gorgeous) or hear her favourite music and just feel joy, and no more tears.
I am so glad spring has arrived in NY after your horrible winter ordeal. Counting my blessings here, and enjoying spring as well. March 20, 2015 at 11:26am
Heather H: My mom died 12 years ago, and you never get over it, but I know she is watching over me. I feel her spirit:) She is my guardian angel! March 20, 2015 at 12:24pm
Sandra: Thanks! Sorry about your mum-
You truly have to enjoy every minute with your loved ones. March 22, 2015 at 12:34pm
Victoria: Big hugs to you, Sandra. It’s been a few years since my father passed away, but some scents that he wore still make me emotional. March 20, 2015 at 12:16pm
Sandra: Thanks all- Hugs back to everyone March 22, 2015 at 12:35pm
angeldiva: Hey!
I love the Mimosa smell of Kenzo Summer. And, the packaging thrills me. The 1.7 oz of perfume comes in a large leaf shaped bottle. It lies flat, not standing. The edges of the glass are yellow, the cap a neon green. The box is shaped like a box of checks, but opens sideways. It’s graphic white with a large diffused close up photo of a mimosa flower. When you unfold the japanese folded paper the inside is a bright sunny yellow.
I wonder if there were awards for this packaging. I’m a fan.
Visiting Scentbar in Beverly Hills last November helped me to learn the subtleties of Japanese incense and perfumes. The approach is not directly in your face. It sort of creeps around from the side, and it took time to appreciate the stripped down potency.
I’m glad I bought Kenzo Flower. It is a very artistic addition to my collection.
🙂 March 20, 2015 at 7:39am
Victoria: Kenzo Summer was excellent. And it has a nice mimosa note, as you say. I also agree on the bottle, another Kenzo marvel. March 20, 2015 at 12:17pm
angeldiva: Hi!
It’s still readily available on o.co. Today: 1.7 oz eau de parfum
$26.99 US
🙂 March 20, 2015 at 8:25pm
angeldiva: correction: All of the above is pertaining to Kenzo Summer. A discontinued perfume that is still available on O.co.
Thanks! March 21, 2015 at 6:31am
Heather H: Hi Victoria,
Those chocolates look delicious! I just woke up, and I can only smell my coffee. I don’t think I have ever smelled mimosa. Maybe I have, but I don’t remember. Anyway more reason to seek out these flowers and smell them. I think I am going to wear Ann Gerard’s Perle de Mousse for the first day of Spring-my favorite season. March 20, 2015 at 8:27am
Victoria: They’re not as common in the US, although in California mimosa (known also as acacia) grows widely.
Perle de Mousse is one of the perfume spring perfumes. March 20, 2015 at 12:20pm
Elizabeth: I am trying out Divine Spirituelle right now, and I am enjoying it very much. It’s a beautifully smooth, ambery rose.
Other smells: Coffee, and my lavender-scented body cream. March 20, 2015 at 9:15am
Victoria: Coffee and lavender sounds like a nice combination. 🙂 March 20, 2015 at 12:30pm
Allison C.: Happy Spring! I am wearing L’Artisan’s Oeillet Sauvage today. You have reminded to dig out a sample of Mimosaique by Parfums Nicolai. They unfortunately discontinued this scent so I will have to enjoy my sample while I can! March 20, 2015 at 9:15am
Victoria: I’m sorry to see that one discontinued. It’s one of the good and true mimosas. March 20, 2015 at 12:30pm
Phyllis Iervello: I am wear Tauerville’s Rose Flash today. It is competing with my cup of chai tea, but Rose Flash wins it hands down! Happy Spring–even though it is snowing here in Baltimore and laying on the ground (but not the streets). It is a Spring wonderland! March 20, 2015 at 9:42am
Karen: What a coincidence! I’m wearing Rose Flash, also. I live not too far from you in Bowie – and can’t say the snow thrilled me this morning…. We’ve got crocus blooming (not today) and daffodils coming up. March 20, 2015 at 12:01pm
Victoria: Stay warm! The winter in your parts has been so rough. March 20, 2015 at 12:31pm
Andy: Lucky you! I tried Rose Flash the other day, and it was gorgeous. I’m similarly looking out the window at this snowfall with La Fille de Berlin on one arm, Une Rose on the other. It’s a War of the Roses! March 20, 2015 at 1:34pm
Karen: That is definitely a war with only winners! La Fille is my most complimented fragrance – it is just gorgeous. March 20, 2015 at 6:03pm
Andy: Yes, it was a war of only winners, though I think La Fille had the upper hand for me this time 🙂 March 21, 2015 at 1:16pm
Karen: At least for me, La Fille is just about always the winner! March 22, 2015 at 4:52pm
angeldiva: * sing to the melody from GYPSY ‘Everythings Coming Up Roses’ :
EVERYONE’S FLASHING
THEIR ROSES
FOR YOU
AND FOR MEEEEE !!!!
🙂
Happy Spring Equinox! March 20, 2015 at 11:43pm
Andy: Same to you! It’s not particularly springlike yet, but that’s what perfume is for: dreams. 🙂 March 21, 2015 at 1:16pm
angeldiva: OMG! I googled the images of Niagra Falls, and it is FROZEN!
The photos are beautiful, but a bit scary! I’ve never heard of this happening before. My prayers are for anyone in this frozen world that is struggling- especially the elderly.
🙂 March 21, 2015 at 6:34am
Ana Maria Andreiu: Coincidentally, I’m wearing Une Fleur de Cassie today from my newly acquired bottle.It’s beautiful,so soft and spring like!Other smells: coffee,coffee,coffee.I’m working with coffee all day long.Looking forward to a respite tomorrow,because I find it easily overpowers my nose and my perfumes and all other smells. March 20, 2015 at 9:47am
Austenfan: Cassie is gorgeous isn’t it? I wear my relatively new bottle a lot. March 20, 2015 at 9:57am
Ana Maria Andreiu: Oh it’s sublime!I got a 100 ml bottle yesterday,I’d been wanting it for a long time.I’d say it’s going to be in heavy rotation,spring is perfect for it. March 20, 2015 at 1:30pm
Victoria: Mmmm, coffee and cassie also sound good. 🙂 March 20, 2015 at 12:31pm
Ana Maria Andreiu: Not that much coffee,believe me.I grind many kilos of it everyday and also make coffee drinks.The smell tires me and dulls my nose. March 20, 2015 at 1:32pm
bregje: I love the smell of coffee.It’s one of my earliest childhood memories.
Very close to my grandparents house was/is a coffeefactory so every time we went to visit them i would smell the scent of fresh coffeebeans in the air.
Now i live in the same city and every once in a while there is that same whif of coffeescent in the air.Sometimes early in the morning after a night out or in the middle of the afternoon.It always makes me stop(and smell the roses 😉 ) whatever i’m doing and breathe in deeply for a moment. March 21, 2015 at 12:14am
Victoria: Hmm, yes, I can see what you mean. Too much of a good thing, in other words. And coffee smell is very persistent. March 23, 2015 at 11:37am
OperaFan: Happy Spring, Victoria!
Your box of truffles is making me yearn for chocolates. The bunch of mimosa serves as a nice reminder that it’s time to bring my Guerlain Champs Elysee back into rotation (though I’ll probably wait until the tree flowers start to bloom in April. For today, I am wearing Gardenia by Floris, to be followed by Cristalle when it fades.
The snow has finally melted in my part of NJ, and (like Sandra above) we have a forecast for snow. 🙁
Wishing everyone a lovely weekend! March 20, 2015 at 9:56am
Victoria: They are hazelnuts covered with chocolate, totally addictive.
Sorry to hear that you have more snow coming! Hope that it won’t be too much this time. March 20, 2015 at 12:33pm
Cornelia Blimber: I bought a mimosa-yellow Guess handbag and am wearing Champs Elysées !
Yellow is a favourite colour, but I am allergic to mimosa flowers. I like it in perfumes. March 20, 2015 at 10:28am
Victoria: A great match! I also love yellow, especially bright saffron yellow. March 20, 2015 at 12:34pm
bregje: I love the scent of mimosa but it’s more a summer-scent for me. I’ve only seen the flowers in Provence and Greece.
I tried to grow them but that didn’t work out.
Recently i’ve noticed that i reach for my baiser vole edt a lot.
I love the fresh green smell the edt has.
But tomorrow-night i’m wearing la fille de Berlin;i’m going to a party and that just gets me in a down and dirty kinda mood 😉 March 21, 2015 at 12:23am
Cornelia Blimber: I see the flowers in Amsterdam, in flowershops!
have a great night! March 21, 2015 at 5:51am
bregje: thanks!
And i guess i need to start paying more attention and look inside every flowershop i see 😉
If they sell them in Amsterdam,then maybe i can get them in Utrecht too.
I did buy some cherryblossom the other day! March 21, 2015 at 11:30pm
Victoria: La Fille de Berlin would be perfect for that! 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 11:56am
Julie: Happy Spring 🙂
Balenciaga Paris, I am smelling it because I
just took out the bottle & adore it.
I am doing a little spring cleaning & laundry.
Also going to make lentil soup along with fresh bread. Still pretty cold today in New England. I love the smell of bread baking.
After seeing that chocolate, I will probably have to make hot cocoa later tonight! March 20, 2015 at 10:41am
Victoria: I love the smell of bread baking, and it was the main reason why I learned to make it. I’m thinking of making manakeesh, Lebanese flatbread with zaatar tomorrow for lunch, so I need to remember to start the dough tonight. March 20, 2015 at 12:36pm
limegreen: Your comment made me smile! Quite by happenstance I discovered that “bread baking” fragrance sprays and diffusers exist just for sake of making a house smell nice and homey (for a house being shown in order to sell). One such bread baking fragrance had it down to the smell of bread with caraway seeds and butter!
(they also sell coffee diffusers for the same purpose) March 25, 2015 at 12:57am
Victoria: I also heard that real estate agents use “freshly baked cookie” room sprays in their models (some even bake a batch just before a client shows up). March 25, 2015 at 7:19am
limegreen: how devious! 🙂 March 25, 2015 at 9:39am
Danaki: My scent today is Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio. I bought the FB recently and I’m very very happy with it. I thought it would be a good choice for today, what with the solar eclipse in Manchester, UK. As usual, the sky was cloudy and the haze meant the atmosphere was rather heavy with damp instead of a fresh spring morning. Not much a a sight for the eclipse.
When it happened, the sky acquired an ethereal quality, even bluish – watching all that from my bedroom window felt strange. Hence the choice of perfume.
Later on, I was introducing a work colleague to the Zaatar I keep in the kitchen cupboard at work. The Lebanese variety is greyish-green: zingy from the addition of sumac and earthy. The Jordanian blend was verdant-green: herbal, green smelling and hay-like. The yerba mate leaves smelled woody and dry, the new packet of medium ground coffee (Kenyan, just opened) had chocolate undertones.
Gladly, smelling them made me forget the bland ‘fish’ and chips lunch and synthetic smelling ‘oriental’ soup another colleague and I brought back from the cafeteria.
All in a day’s work, I suppose! March 20, 2015 at 11:28am
Victoria: It was completely overcast here too, and I didn’t notice much difference. This is a pity, because only two days ago we have clear, blue skies.
I was just mentioning to Julie that I’m planning to make manakeesh tomorrow. I have two types of zaatar, Lebanese and Syrian. Syrian has a darker, deeper, most roasted flavor than the Lebanese kind. But I love both. March 20, 2015 at 12:38pm
Danaki: Is the Syrian one you have reddish in colour? This is usually referred to as Aleppo za’atar and has more ingredients (spices and ground chickpeas, is more smokey). I have that one too at home…I always make sure I buy a kilo of each time I’m in Lebanon.
On a trip to Amman years ago, I found the varieties of Za’atar on offer mind-boggling.
Hmm…I’m now thinking I too should make some manakeesh tomorrow for breakfast! March 20, 2015 at 2:09pm
Victoria: Yes, reddish brown. It tastes delicious, but very different from the green and herbal varieties I tried before. There is a good store here in Brussels, which is owned by a Syrian family, and they have great spice blends and other interesting ingredients. March 23, 2015 at 11:38am
Julie: It’s a chilly morning here as well in the Midwest. I picked up a sample of Euphoria by CK, just to put it in it’s place; which of course I just had to give it a whiff. It seemed like just the perfect scent this morning.
So as I sit at my desk I smelling that and my wonderful creme brulee coffee. Yum! March 20, 2015 at 12:06pm
Victoria: I keep returning to Euphoria for something sweet but not cloying. A tiny spritz at the nape is all you need for a longlasting sillage. March 20, 2015 at 12:40pm
Maria B: Mimosa and chocolate–two of my favorite things in one post! As a matter of fact, today I’m wearing Diptyque Essences Insensées, which is based on mimosa. I had considered wearing Caron Farnesiana instead (mimosa). Yesterday I wore Sonoma Scent Studio Nostalgie, which has a mimosa component. The day before I wore Bulgari Pour Femme: ditto. I guess I kind of like the fragrance of mimosa. And I have the darkest chocolate every day. March 20, 2015 at 12:18pm
Figuier: I was very excited to see bunches of mimosa for sale at the local flower market last week – but sadly they had absolutely zero scent. Do you think if I bought some they’d revive at all? I’m tempted to buy anyway, the yellow is so cheerful & pretty. On the other hand, bunches of scented narcissi or hyacinth are also available, and much cheaper…
My scented pleasure of the day was sniffing the tiny violets that have popped up in our apartment block garden. So delicate & low-growing, but gorgeously vibrant in colour and, if you get close enough, with that unmistakeable green-metallic-sugar scent: spring is here! March 20, 2015 at 12:29pm
Victoria: I don’t think they will revive. This is the end of mimosa season, so the flowers are not as strongly scented anymore. The nice aspect of mimosa is that it lasts really well.
At one point, they used to sell little bunches of violets right by London’s Tower Bridge. I’d get a little bouquet wrapped in brown paper and a cup of coffee and walk down the street feeling utterly happy. March 20, 2015 at 12:44pm
Figuier: Violets in brown paper and a cup of coffee sounds like the most luxurious combination! March 22, 2015 at 7:27am
Victoria: It’s such a wonderful memory. March 23, 2015 at 11:57am
Iodine: Mimosa and chocolate have both entered my smell space today- I’m wearing lovely Farnesiana and I’ve just done some chocolate shopping in my local artisanal shop- the blast of dry, powdery, slightly bitter scent of cocoa has filled my nostrils for a while!
So many new fragrances in the air, lately- the first cherry, plum, apricot blossoms, with their honeyed, bitter facets. Happy Spring, Victoria and everybody, March 20, 2015 at 1:27pm
Victoria: Sounds wonderful! I love Farnesiana in all of its versions, and you’re making me crave it. March 23, 2015 at 11:35am
Karen: Just bought a bright yellow bouquet with a few pink carnations, and as mentioned above wearing Rose Flash. Decided since it’s chilly and now raining/freezing rain to add put a touch of my treasured Lanvin Crescendo on with its base of Amber, just to feel a little warmer. Simmering soup scenting up the home with a promise of sun and warmer temps tomorrow! March 20, 2015 at 1:31pm
Hamamelis: So sorry that you are still suffering the cold…it is a persistent and long winter for the US readers. I hope the sun will come soon! March 20, 2015 at 2:29pm
Karen: I know! It has been quite something, especially up in Boston! March 20, 2015 at 6:01pm
Victoria: Crescendo is like a warm blanket, with all of those rich amber notes! March 23, 2015 at 11:36am
Karen: I just love amber, years (and years!) ago I wore Tunisian Amber oil – but honestly had no idea that Tunisian referred to a place, oh dear how my world geography education was lacking! Although the oil straight now doesn’t do it for me (found at Whole Foods or other stores) as a base note it is perfect.
Wonder if preferences in perfume rest more on affinities to base notes – Amber as opposed to musk, or something along those lines. Of course now Oud sort of captures the “feel” of musk and Amber, at least for me. March 23, 2015 at 1:24pm
Victoria: I suppose, it depends how you want the drydown to feel. Some musks have ambery facets too, and some ambers are dry and crisp, while others are creamy and warm. I like both notes, and it really just depends on what else in the composition. But if I have to pick something, I’d go for ambery notes and a little musk, rather than only musk, because I like the velvety feeling amber gives. March 23, 2015 at 5:40pm
Hamamelis: I am wearing AG Heure Exquise, I love it. I am in a complete AG period, I love Songes, Encens Flamboyant and will try to find a sample of Grand Amour. This house so fits springtime.
I smell the savoury and umami scent of the chicken-beef broth that has been on my stove for a few days…I bought an excellent cookbook all about broths! And I smelled the sweet scent of the back of my dog’s ears, I suppose it is a tiny bit like a baby head smell.
I smell the earth as it is gently warming, and how good it is to be alive! March 20, 2015 at 2:27pm
Figuier: I’ve been wearing AG also – Songes, Neroli, and Grand Amour edp. You’re right – it’s a house for Spring. March 20, 2015 at 5:24pm
Hamamelis: Figuier, did you were the Neroli cologne or the discont. EDT or EdP and how do you like it? March 20, 2015 at 6:16pm
Hamamelis: Sorry, did you wear. March 20, 2015 at 6:17pm
Figuier: Hamamelis, it’s the discontinued Neroli edt – and it’s glorious. It’s actually my sister’s bottle, bought in 2010, which she’s ‘loaned’ me in return for my bottle of Lancome’s Cuir.
What I like about it is how ‘unadulterated’ it feels, the neroli is bitter and woody but also gentle, green and light, with no cologne feel to it at all really. March 22, 2015 at 7:30am
Hamamelis: Thank you Figuier, for describing it so well. I saw a bottle AG Neroli Edt on Ebay, and was in doubt. Now I will reconsider and see if it is still there. I don’t know if I would trade it for Lancome’s Cuir! That is such a firm favourite for me, but may be more appropriate for colder weather. March 22, 2015 at 9:25am
angeldiva: Hi!
I’m totally trying to decide what my next Annick Goutal will be. I passed on a 3.3oz bottle of Grand Amour EDT that would have cost only $34. US! Boy, did that sell out fast! I haven’t sniffed many AG’s.
But, on O.co the opportunities for bargains are so amazing- I would buy unsniffed. I wish they would stock my beloved Le Chevrefuille , but not yet. I love Ninfeo. I think I would like Grand Amour because of the honeysuckle note. But, then I hold out for a price drop on an AG eau de parfum, because they have many..
decisions, decisions…
🙂 March 21, 2015 at 6:42am
Hamamelis: Hi Angeldiva, I recommend, if at all possible, that you don’t buy unsniffed. There is one AG that is a total scrubber for me (but I keep it stored to try it once more and see if I react the same), although it may also have turned. I know…not easy when there are tempting offers….hope your moving house will go well! March 22, 2015 at 9:28am
angeldiva: 🙂 Good Advice ! March 23, 2015 at 1:20am
Victoria: A wonderful list! I forgot, what kind of a dog you have? March 23, 2015 at 11:41am
Hamamelis: A beautiful, intelligent and sweet German Shepherd (female), who sometimes has a wicked sense of humour! March 23, 2015 at 5:30pm
Victoria: Now I recall! She’s the one who likes to give you an occasional shove in the back of the knee with her nose. 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 5:43pm
Kat: To celebrate the arrival of spring I’m wearing ‘Polaire’ by Yardley. It’a floral chypre that at first is rather sweet but never steers into twee territory thanks to some amber and patchouli base notes that keep it elegant. I’m not good at describing scents but the first thing that came to mind when I tried it was ‘This is what you should wear in summer before going outside to blow soap bubbles from the top of a hill’ (which is what you should do at least once every summer). The silage is not impressive but given the price I’m not complaining – especially not since this is a common problem for me. Even heavy hitters like ‘Knowing’ tend to turn into deserters on me. Alas poor ‘Polaire’ had to face quite a challenge once I left the house. For some arcane reason every farmer in the neighborhood had decided that it was liquid manure-time (since it’s illegal to spray manure as long as the ground is frozen this is actually another sign of spring). March 20, 2015 at 3:11pm
angeldiva: Hi Kat,
I’m very curious about Polaire! Is it available in the US? I can’t seem to locate it. I read a review that you could put it next to Penhalians Iris, and save yourself quite a lot of money.
“) March 21, 2015 at 7:04am
Kat: I’ve seen that comparison too. I don’t know Iris Prima but when I look at its perfume pyramid and the listed notes I find it hard to believe the two have much in common. Polaire lacks both leather and wood and is way too soft to work as a unisex scent like Iris Prima. I don’t live in the US but in Europe it’s almost impossible to get your hands on those signature scents (all the classic floral stuff – no problem though). The few on-line shops carrying them would not ship internationally. I finally asked a friend who did her Christmas shopping in London to get me both Polaire and Jade (haven’t sampled that one yet – apparently a dupe for Chanel’s Cristalle) from Boots.
PS: I just checked again with amazon.com. The signature scents are now available but not all ship internationally – though if you’re in the US that should not be a problem. March 21, 2015 at 8:38am
angeldiva: Hey Kat!
Thank-you so much! I did see the listing on Amazon. But, as yet have no way of sniffing. The great thing is how much you are enjoying it. I wonder if there will be a small business in my future where I can send perfumes around the world.
There seems to be a need for it , and I love nothing more than to find perfumes for folks.
I looked on a perfume sight that sells to Amazon, and the cost to ship anything internationally was a staggering $45. uS.
Well, I’m too busy, now. But, after my move I’ll have more time to flesh out this idea.
I just want everyone to get the perfume that they want!
🙂 March 21, 2015 at 9:01pm
Karen: That’s a fun idea! But you’re right about the cost. Hoping your packing and move are going well and not too stressful. March 22, 2015 at 11:25am
angeldiva: 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 1:19am
Victoria: I will have to try it too. My main association with Yardley is their excellent lavender. March 23, 2015 at 11:41am
Liisa: I got the first whiff of spring early this morning; when you can smell spring in the air. Lovely.
Been wearing Knowing by Estée Lauder for the past few days. I find it quite suited for the time of the year.
I had a bottle of l’Artisan’s Mimosa Pour Moi years ago. Beautiful golden smell, but not long-lasting unfortunately. March 20, 2015 at 4:02pm
Victoria: I also find it too fleeting. I love it, but really, I get so little sillage out of it. March 23, 2015 at 11:42am
bregje: Just a spray of mimosa pour moi in the air every once in a while is worth it for me!
Yes,it is fleeting on me too…but if i need a pick me up i spray it in my bedroom and it instantly makes me happy 🙂
(or i layer it with other perfumes that have a mimosa note like bvlgari pour femme or rose essentielle) March 23, 2015 at 7:29pm
Victoria: That layering idea sounds great! March 24, 2015 at 1:44pm
Nancy A.: Snowflakes and cold, crisp air are in the Vernal Equinox NYC air! Hah! To compensate – this is supposed to be Macaroon Day at many of the French patisseries around town but I’m rushing home to warmth and a glass of red wine.
Diptique’s recent Mimosa EDT truly captures the heart of mimosa. L’artisan’s Mimosa pour Moi equally good! I ran out with some Jour D’Hermes Absolue (sample). March 20, 2015 at 4:50pm
Victoria: I haven’t tried Diptyque’s Mimosa yet, but I love their mimosa candle. March 23, 2015 at 11:43am
Undina: I’ve just finished a box of truffles from the brand on your picture (a friend brought it back for me from his trip to Belgium) so I was especially pleased to see it.
Everything’s blooming here, there are a lot of Spring smells. As to perfumes, I should start wearing my mimosas, linden and lilacs before it’s too hot. But today I’m wearing Eau de Tommi Sooni II: I don’t think it’s particularly spring-y but I suddenly had an urge. March 20, 2015 at 6:03pm
Victoria: Marcolini’s truffles are my favorites, and I have done some extensive sampling! If you like candied citrus peel, he also has delicious thick cut grapefruit peel coated in milk chocolate. The bitterness of citrus against the creamy, velvety milk chocolate makes for a great combination.
Enjoy your spring blossoms! March 23, 2015 at 11:45am
Annikky: I’m wearing Tom Ford Fleur de Chine, again. I really should diversify, but I’ve been only wanting to wear this and Apres L’Ondee lately.
The other smell from today is entirely different – I made salmon for dinner, flavoured with Viking Smoked Salt and I love the taste and smell of it. It’s more of a spice blend, really, as it contains onion, pepper and curry powder in addition to salt. Intense and interesting. March 20, 2015 at 6:26pm
Victoria: Flavored salts make even the simplest of dishes more interesting. You mentioned Viking Smoked Salt already a few times, and now I think that I need to try it. If only for the name! 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 11:46am
Petunia: I began my day with FM Lipstick Rose. It’s such a happy scent and I am ending it with Theoroma by Fendi. I just received a decant from STC in today’s mail. I think that I am in love. I am completely shocked that this scent was discontinued. It’s so beautifully soft yet spicy. I usually avoid discontinued frags but Robin at NST mentions it so frequently that I was curious. Has anyone else tried Theoroma? If so, what do you think?
I love the picture you chose Victoria. It’s perfect for the first day of spring! Although, as Julie mentioned, it’s snowing for the first day of spring in New England. March 20, 2015 at 7:05pm
Victoria: I love Theorema, and I also can’t believe that Fendi discontinued it. Or rather, I can believe it, but I still can’t accept it. 🙂
Thank you. Glad that you liked the photo! March 23, 2015 at 11:51am
Alicia: I am in Northern California at the moment,for a unique reason: a symposium in my honor. I wore vintage Miss Dior for the ceremony. Today,talking of mimosa, I am celebrating with Caron’s Farnesiana. Beautiful weather. Everything perfect: Omnia vincit amor. March 20, 2015 at 7:54pm
angeldiva: Alicia,
Go Girl!!!!!
Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing your moment of glory with all your friends, here on BDJ.
I lived in Nob Hill for 10 years
🙂 March 20, 2015 at 8:32pm
Cornelia Blimber: Congratulations, enjoy! March 21, 2015 at 5:54am
Karen: How wonderful! Congratulations! March 21, 2015 at 7:44pm
Victoria: Congratulations, Alicia! 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 11:53am
Mel: Here in Venice, CA orange blossoms from my tree in the back, African basil and lavender from the garden. But my beloved grandmother had a few mimosa trees in her yard in Mississippi – how powerfully that scent reminds me of her! Thanks for the memory, Victoria! March 20, 2015 at 7:59pm
angeldiva: Hi Mel!
Greetings from Westchester!
🙂 March 20, 2015 at 8:29pm
Heather H: Angeldiva,
I live in Westchester too. I live in North Kentwood–no way! March 20, 2015 at 9:37pm
angeldiva: Hi neighbor! March 20, 2015 at 11:29pm
JoDee: Mimosa reminds me of my grandmother too! My grandparents had a Mimosa tree in their backyard, but the flowers looked much different than the one in Victoria’s picture. They were pink, white and fuzzy.
Today I went jogging outdoors for the first time in a long while and I smelled a slew of outdoor spring scents. Everyone seemed to be in their yards mowing their lawns or working in their flowerbeds. I smelled grass, earth and potting soil, weed spray and blooming trees. I also smelled my own sunscreen, sweat and shampoo. These smells didn’t bother me but actually made me feel alive and happy because they signaled that warmer weather has arrived! March 22, 2015 at 9:49pm
Victoria: Ah, orange blossom…. This sounds like heaven to me. March 23, 2015 at 11:54am
Neva: The first day of Spring is always the day to start wearing Wrappings by Clinique! It’s been this way since my college days. I’m completely in love with this perfume and I feel so at home when I’m wrapped in it 🙂
I like mimosa very much and I intend to make an Easter wreath with mimosa this year…at least I’ll try to… March 21, 2015 at 5:28am
Victoria: I love Wrappings too–chic and unusual.
Easter wreaths with mimosa would be gorgeous! March 23, 2015 at 11:57am
angeldiva: Question?
Has anyone tried the 2010 version of Zibeline? ( De Weil)
Thank-you! March 21, 2015 at 7:00am
Victoria: I’d be curious too. March 23, 2015 at 11:48am
Hannah: I didn’t really pay attention to smells around me. But today was a hig perfume day.
First I tried La Religieuse, then after a few hours I washed that off and went to the CDG. I spoke to the guy in the store for a very long time about perfume (CDG and perfume in general) and I tried almost everything on paper and Zagorsk and the one with the really weird bottle on skin. March 21, 2015 at 11:32am
Victoria: How did you like Zagorsk? March 23, 2015 at 11:51am
Hannah: I walked an hour in rain (bus didn’t come due to a demonstration and I love walking, especially in this area. It was lightly raining so it was ok) so I couldn’t smell much of it 🙁 I’ve always liked it but I considered it to be a possible FB and now I don’t think so. I went back and tried Champaca, Patchouli, Guerilla 1 and Kyoto on skin. I like Kyoto more than in the past–perhaps it is better sprayed–but it was either overwhelmed by the others or is too light. I then got a samovar tea and immediately eliminated Patchouli and Guerilla 1. So I scrubbed them off and went back to ask for CDG 5 again. And I left euth it. Champaca vosts quite a bit less to buy here so I might go back for it. The thing is, the CDG boxes often do not match the bottle size and I only have so much space in my suitcase! I should have enough euros left over, so it is an issue of the box XD
Sotd is Bleu Santal because I got 2 samples of it. I enjoy wearing it more than I did when I gave a quick sniff. I think my friend may like it, so I will give him the other sample.
I was told a series will be reissued but idk if I should say because I hate being the messager but it is exciting news for me! March 24, 2015 at 5:42am
Victoria: Very exciting! That series deserve a return. Thank you for the news. March 24, 2015 at 1:49pm
Hannah: I only have my tablet with me do that is why I have do many typos.
Blue Santal kind of reminds me of Trayee? I think I’ve heard Trayee referred to as a green fragrance but it is so blue to me. It is less complex than Trayee but I smell distinct similarities. I kind of want it as my walking perfume. I’ll see after I finish my sample. March 25, 2015 at 6:33am
Victoria: I see what you mean about Trayee and Blue Santal. The woody drydown has some similarity in that both have spicy, dark, mossy finishes. March 25, 2015 at 7:21am
Hannah: Yesterday I went to a Vietnamese restaurant, the best I’ve been to in Berlin. It smelled amazing. So many herbs. My friend had a beef pho and he was given herbs to put in it and he was kind enough to give me a leaf of thai basil and something else (not sure what it was). Of course before putting them in my soup, I savoured the smell. I had a vegan coconut soup which smelled very good, of course.
I must have put cards with perfume in a pocket in my bag because everything, my wallet, notebook, etc has a powdery rose smell?? I think Agent Provocateur must have been the culprit. I’m waiting for the smell to fade but it is persistant.
And it isn’t really a smell (it smelled like water) but yesterday I had a lavender Schorle! I had a lilac Schorle last week. March 26, 2015 at 6:27am
Victoria: What is a lilac Schorle?
I love Vietnamese cuisine for the way it uses herbs. Yesterday, I made a quick salmon saute adding lots of basil at the very end. Such a simple dish, but so much aroma and flavor. March 26, 2015 at 6:53am
rainboweyes: Usually, Schorle is a blend of wine or fruit juice with sparkling mineral water. It’s a very popular beverage in Germany, especially Apfelschorle (apple juice+mineral water, blending proportions may vary from 50:50 to 30:70 – my low calorie version 😉 ). It’s a nice way to get the juice taste without excessive sugar and calorie intake. I’ve no idea what lilac or lavender schorle might be. Lavender or lilac syrup mixed with water? Or just some lavender flowers added for the aroma? March 26, 2015 at 9:38am
Hannah: They used syrup. March 26, 2015 at 9:49am
Victoria: Thank you very much for a thorough explanation. It sounds lovely, and I’m already thinking of experimenting with lilacs when the seasons comes. March 26, 2015 at 12:59pm
Daniel: Hello Victoria,
I grew up in Australia where Acacia grows in abundance. Its delicate pom-poms never fails to make me smile. I like it so much that I have a plant growing indoors to counter late winter early spring blues. When it rests at night, the branches clasp together like praying hands. Very few scents capture the character of scent even though it is so simple and distinc. Fm en fleur was close, yet it has changed and seems so much more dry and modest. March 21, 2015 at 1:00pm
Victoria: True, it’s such a tricky note to capture, and most people find the mimosa accords difficult. But really, nothing comes close to the real blossoms. March 23, 2015 at 11:51am
rainboweyes: I love the colour combination in your picture – the contrast of deep chocolate brown and the bright yellow mimosa flowers!
I’m recovering from a surgery I had last week and Mimosa Pour Moi will be the perfect, uplifting scent for today! Last week was dominated by medicinal scents but now I’m happy to inhale the fresh spring air at home.
I tried to order some mimosa facial toner yesterday but it’s sold out at the moment 🙁 March 23, 2015 at 3:06am
Michaela: Welcome home! Good luck with your recovery! March 23, 2015 at 5:06am
angeldiva: Get Well Soon! March 23, 2015 at 6:33am
Karen: Hope you are feeling ok and healing quickly! March 23, 2015 at 8:28am
Victoria: I wish you the speediest of recoveries! Hope that you’re feeling better and everything will be on the mend soon. Mimosa is among some of my favorite uplifting scents, too, along with orange blossom and basil. Perhaps, it’s its springtime association.
Which mimosa toner were you trying to order? You’re making me curious about it as well. 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 12:01pm
bregje: And basil is amongst my favourites too! I used to have a deodorant from Clarins(ressourcante) with a basil-note in it that i was in love with.
I’m hesitant about the orange-blossom because i suspect that might be the note that i dislike in chasse aux papillons and tuberose-gardenia but i’m not sure yet since i love,love,love Knot! I wear it all the time
Go figure March 23, 2015 at 7:40pm
Victoria: Whenever I said that I didn’t like such and such note, I ended up taking my words back. The truth is that perfume is such a complex blend, and depending on what else is present, everything changes. Knot contains a lot of orange blossom. March 24, 2015 at 1:46pm
bregje: I realize that more and more 😉 . Somehow i’m determined to find out what it is that i don’t like in these two scents.
First i thought it was the tuberose but then i found out there was tuberose in a lot of my favourites. So then i decided that it must be gardenia only to find out that i love the smell of gardenia. So now it’s orangeblossom’s turn,haha
And as you pointed out:that’s not it either 😉
I feel like a detective who can’t put the puzzle together. I do like Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren Blue(one of my favourites for years but unfortunately discontinued in Holland) and i compared all the notes and can’t figure it out.
I guess it might be time to let it go… 😉 March 24, 2015 at 3:22pm
rainboweyes: I love Mimosa Pour Moi, I wish it was less fleeting on me…
The mimosa toner is from Maienfelser Naturkosmetik – a regional manufacturer of skincare products. They have plenty of hydrolates, not all of them are good but mimosa and linden flowers are outstanding!
Another flower water I love to use in spring is Eau Extraordinaire Narcisse by Melvita (I think it should be available in Belgium too): http://fr.melvita.com/eau-florale-soin-visage,2,2,7761,71666.htm March 24, 2015 at 4:02am
Victoria: I have seen Melvita around here, but the other brand really interests me. Of course, I now need the mimosa toner. 🙂 March 24, 2015 at 1:48pm
bregje: Get well soon! Hope you’re feeling better already.
I just wrote about the uplifting qualities of mimosa pour moi 2 posts above you when i saw you wrote the same 😉 March 23, 2015 at 7:35pm
rainboweyes: Thank you for all the good wishes! I’m getting better every day and hope to be back to work next week. The good thing about staying at home is, I have plenty of time for sorting and organising my samples. I’m actually thinking of giving some of them away to a good home, maybe to a BdJ reader? March 24, 2015 at 3:49am
Michaela: What a beautiful scent to fill the house!
This weekend I smelled some essential oils: earthy and nutty vetiver, wood shavings of patchouli and Virginia cedarwood, sheer but penetrating neroli, soft and kind lavender, hot cloves, spicy cinnamon, herbal rosemary, lemongrass (warmer, toned-down lemon scent) and fresh mint.
Today I’m wearing Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel, on a cold cloudy, windy day. It feels soft, comforting though refreshing, speaking spring to me, when the forest is full of wild violets. March 23, 2015 at 7:07am
Victoria: Are you blending anything with your oils or just enjoying scents on their own? March 23, 2015 at 12:01pm
Michaela: I make my own soap, and I was trying some combos. I wouldn’t use them all, anyway. I have to keep in mind the safety for the skin and the possible changes if the reaction with the lye occurs (there are only a few which do not react with the lye). I find essential oils scents very rewarding. March 24, 2015 at 4:33am
Michaela: In the end, I made a batch of soap with lavender, patchouli and cedarwood, and another one with lemongrass and cedarwood. March 24, 2015 at 4:47am
Victoria: This sounds amazing! I love the idea of lavender and patchouli and lemongrass with cedar. March 24, 2015 at 1:48pm
Michaela: I’m happy you find these combinations interesting 🙂 March 25, 2015 at 7:40am
Karen: Some samples arrived on Saturday, and I am (once again) stumped as to what I love love love. My goal was to only get samples of those on the seriously considering a FB list – but at the prices of FB, it gets tricky figuring out which I can’t do without.
4160 Tuesdays’ Tart’s Knicker Drawer (almost worth getting simply for the name) is a very pretty, sweet yummy one that I don’t have anything like. Bogue’s Maai is old-school, evening gown glamour – definitely not an everyday scent, but wowzer! something an old film star siren might wear. SL Feminité Du Bois is rich and light at the same time… And I am contemplating a blind buy of the 10ml Lipstick Rose just cause it sounds like me…
There are just too many gorgeous fragrances!!! March 23, 2015 at 8:37am
Victoria: I would be a bit cautious about buying Lipstick Rose blindly, because it’s such a big perfume. It’s not a typical mild, vintage rose, and some people find it aggressive. But it’s definitely beautiful. March 23, 2015 at 12:03pm
Karen: I know, and doubt that I will – a small decant should give me enough to go on. It’s the temptation that drives me a little crazy! My sample of Carnal Flower is just about gone, and that is such a lush gorgeous scent – one I now do not want to be without. March 23, 2015 at 1:30pm
Victoria: Yes, that one is a beauty! Another dramatic perfume but the one that doesn’t feel too challenging. March 23, 2015 at 5:40pm
angeldiva: Hi Karen,
I’ve never heard of these perfumes- thanks for the info. My neighbor is testing out the Ma Griffe, don’t know if it works on her, yet. I did some research on scents she wears. They all had two common notes! Jasmine and musk!
So, I layered Mure et Musk with A La Nuit, and the result smells nice. I can make her a decant of A La Nuit.
She also asked me about an old perfume she loved, ” Blue Waltz,” and I found it!
I had no idea that the Wallgreens website carries fine perfumes not sold in their stores. But , this little bottle of .63 oz. of Blue Waltz is only $2.73 US!
Can’t wait to tell her.
🙂
… on a personal note- I cancelled my follow up med test. I just have too much on my plate. I’m going to go to 6:30 am mass- then take a walk on the beach. The (good?*&^%$#@) news is that my toilet finally became too dysfunctional to rebuild, so I’ll get to see (and enjoy the pleasant scent of) my plumber, again! March 24, 2015 at 7:03am
Karen: Hi Angeldiva! Somehow Bogue Maai ended up on my Luckyscent list, I have no idea how though – although it’s been mentioned here in past comments a few times. I * think* you might enjoy it as its old school Glamour – nothing new, clean or fleeting about it.
Use common sense with your health! Postpone but don’t put off any tests, believe me. Email me when you have time.
You are so crazy creative with your layering! March 24, 2015 at 3:11pm
angeldiva: Bogue Maai? Wow, sounds exotic. I just ordered Annick Goutal Grand Amour, today. (boy, the deal I got 🙂
Thanks for your kind advice, I’m feeling a bit stronger today.
Layering rocks! March 24, 2015 at 6:52pm
Anne-Catherine: Hi Victoria, what a wonderful description of the mimosa! I find iT very hard to describing, but indeed this is the sensation it gives.
I would like to share my scentexperiences of the last few weeks.
Last weekI was in a nostalgic mood longing for the Sindy toys my sister and I used to play with. I googled sindy, apparently they lost a trial against Barbie because at THE beginning of THE 90s they looked too much like Barbie. I Wondered if they still existed, and there are new sindy’s since 2013. I shared this with my sister because i’m the godmother of her daughter ( I have 2 sons) . She replied telling that she remembered the smell of all the furniture and stuff we had. Even if it was plastic in all iTS varieties, I find this magical. My sister doen’t care about perfumes as much as I do, but still she first mentioned the smell.
Since I bought Misia, i have been wearing it more than a whole week.First I thought of it as just a more sophisticated version of Balenciaga Paris ( which I had a couple of years Ago) because of the violet. Still I was intrigued by iT. The more I wore it, the more I appreciated the complexity and the brilliant way how the smell of make-up is imitated. I also detect the other notes better enjoying the drydown combined with refreshment. It’s an example of real craftmanship! You have to wear it as an eau de toilette ( cloud) to enjoy, sillage is rather modest.
This weekend I finished my sample of 1996 byredo. the byredo fragrances are rather boring to me, but this one is absolutely fabulous! At the end of last year I was looking for a scent with the muddyness of patchouli, a bit like Coromandel but coromandel is too chic in a way. This one does the job, together with Amber and a wonderful powderyness in THE drydown. Worth a try!
Victoria, did you get my email with my mail for organizing the Antwerp and place vendome trip? I sent it through your contactpage, maybe a technical problem? March 23, 2015 at 8:38am
Victoria: My apologies, Anne-Catherine, work has been completely overwhelming lately, and I’m behind on my emails. It would be best to post something separately to gauge interest and make a mailing list this way. Once I unearth myself from under the mounds of work and can tackle something requiring logistics, I will do it. March 23, 2015 at 12:06pm
Anne-Catherine: No worries! Hope I didn’t stress you up.
Beautiful picture of the mimosa with the chocolates btw March 23, 2015 at 2:40pm
Victoria: Not at all! No worries about that!
Thank you. Those mimosas and chocolates are so photogenic. 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 5:42pm
~Kat: Scents from the garden this week include:
Meyer lemon tree in full bloom (a very sweet grape note in there!)
Double Delight roses, which remind me of the yard where I lived as a child…and
Veitchii Gardenia, which is creamy, earthy and sweet.
The honeysuckle is growing well and giving me something else to look forward to! 🙂 It’s truly a lovely time of year…Happy Spring!! March 23, 2015 at 1:50pm
Victoria: Your garden sounds like my ideal place–lemon blossoms, gardenia, roses, honeysuckle! 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 5:41pm
~Kat: Thank you, Victoria!
I did notice, though, that my apple and pear blossoms had very little odor. The same goes for the blossoms on my apricot and pluot trees…so when I see these notes listed in perfumes, I wonder if it’s just the varieties I am growing that don’t produce much scent or if “apricot blossom”, for example, is just a lab.-made, chemical compound used in the perfume industry. hmm….
I also have a few Star (confederate) jasmine bushes. They do well, here, and fill the yard with a unique fragrance. Crumpled fig leaves are fun to sniff in Fall, but even better to eat the fruit that’s now forming.
Admittedly, it’s not all an Eden. My delicious smelling loquat died (flowers like anise cookies!), among several other “experiments”. We fight ants and other pests almost constantly, it seems. At any rate, it was tending to the yard which led me toward an interest in perfumes…I love how so many posts on your site intermingle the two. 🙂 March 23, 2015 at 6:36pm
Michaela: I think you are right, the true perfume is only in your blossoms, everything man-made is different.
This is not necessarily bad. Many perfumes I love usually have not real flowers scents, but they are suggestions, impressions, dreams.
I admire you for taking care of such a beautiful garden. It’s not easy at all, but I think it’s rewarding. March 24, 2015 at 4:54am
angeldiva: Michaela-
I mis- read your post in a funny way:
“I think you are right, the true perfume is only in your bosoms, everything man -made is different.”
I need new glasses!
🙂 March 24, 2015 at 6:48am
Michaela: Oh, no! :)) March 24, 2015 at 7:42am
~Kat: LOL!… :”> March 24, 2015 at 11:24am
Victoria: Some apricot and apple trees have highly scented blossoms, but not all. The newer hybrids are almost unscented, while some pears have a fishy, metallic odor. But you’re right, in perfumery, those notes are mostly man-made accords. Apricot blossom accord might have a touch of almond.
Your garden does sound like an Eden to me. 🙂 March 24, 2015 at 1:42pm
Karen: Before our apricot tree died, it’s flowers were one of the highlights of the day! Very fragrant and intoxicating, but with an edge that kept them from being overly sweet. March 24, 2015 at 3:13pm
~Kat: Do you know the variety, Karen? I have a Royal/Blenheim apricot…and although the fruit is deep, rich and tasty, the blossoms are not very fragrant. Thank you… March 24, 2015 at 7:12pm
Karen: Hi Kat – I’m sorry I don’t remember the variety! It was from a local garden store, and one of my (many) faults as a gardener is that I don’t keep track of plant varieties/names. Some of my friends have things labeled and maps, so I feel a bit of a slacker. March 25, 2015 at 6:13am
~Kat: Thank you for the explanation, Victoria…it makes perfect sense. For those without a garden, I recommend a trip to a local nursery when things are in bloom, esp the citrus trees. 🙂 There, one can really find what a wide range of odors there are among the rose varieties, as well… March 24, 2015 at 7:10pm
angeldiva: Today I am wearing Wild Meadows by Kate Moss. It reminds me of the british scents that were marketed to American drugstores in the 1960’s-70’s. I’m really enjoying it! The green grass note is nostalgically reminiscent of Mountain Greenery (Yardley d.).
It also smells like YLS’s Y. In my quest to find a similar scent to Mountain Greenery ( a hunt that I gave up on last year) I have had a light bulb moment!
It isn’t just the smell of the mountains that I want. It must be the smell of the mountains in The United Kingdom! Having never visited, I can only compare to scents that are supposed to smell this way. Although it’s hard to achieve without oak moss, which I used to wear in it’s pure form as a young girl.
Wild Meadows is supposed to smell very English, and I love this aspect of it. So, I layered it with Balmain Vent Vert, and this is the closest I have come to recreating or finding something similar to Mountain Greenery. So, this is satisfying! But, I would love some suggestions from any of our BDJ community from England 🙂
The box for this Kate Moss release is pretty. But, the bottle looks like a large nail polish bottle. They missed the marketing mark, there. It is also VERY inexpensive.
🙂 March 26, 2015 at 10:43am
angeldiva: correction: British March 26, 2015 at 10:44am