Serge Lutens Santal Majascule. This perfume isn’t getting enough love! By far the most accessible and attractive Lutens. The chocolate note is so beautiful.
Jo Malone Red Roses. Because it’s almost Valentine’s Day, and if you don’t wear a rose perfume on Valentine’s Day then the terrorists win.
Hermes Voyage. Parfumieren and Australian Perfume Junkies both recently did really evocative reviews of Voyage, prompting me to break out my adorable mini from Sniffapalooza. It also gives me the perfect excuse to break out my Star Trek: Voyager jokes! (Said “jokes” mostly consist of making fun of Ensign Harry Kim’s dating life. OR LACK THEREOF! OHHHHHHHH! This joke is a lot funnier if you watch Star Trek: Voyager!)
Taupe Eye Shadows. I haven’t owned an eye shadow since the powder blue monstrosity I wore for my bat mitzvah. (IT MATCHED MY DRESS OKAY) But it turns out that taupe is actually hella flattering on ladies with bizarre Mediterranean coloring! Pictured are Laura Mercier Sugar Frost, Urban Decay YDK, Benefit Birthday Suit, and Dior Beige Print.
Lush Charity Pot. The perfect moisturizer. For $5.95, you get an impossibly rich body lotion (I use it as a facial moisturizer because I am a rebel, and my face has never been clearer) and the satisfaction of knowing that 100% of the selling price goes to Lush’s charitable partners. Charity Pot is also vegan and is not tested on animals. I feel really good about this product, y’all.
Tao Lin’s poetry. My favorite so far is his “February”, which begins: “At the bank I felt like I was in Super Mario World.” There should be more poems about video games, I think.
What have you been obsessing over, perfume-wise and otherwise? Please share your current obsessions with us in the comments!
SCENTS OF SELF 
Oh sooo easily done with both the Serge and the under-rated Hermes.
I have my own rose habit and it’s a costly one the divine Grossmith Saffron Rose – so many hints dropped, but I fear The Dandy will be left empty handed on St V’s.
I wonder what other roses that would bring colour to a gentleman’s cheek.
I’m really not to fussed as to who it’s meant to be for as those who know me will be only too well aware…
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy.
I’ve never tried Saffron Rose, or any other Grossmith, but I love that combination of notes! It’s wonderful in Safran Troublant and OJ Ta’if. I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised on V-day, PD!
I am currently obsessing over Guerlain (those fragrances have been on heavy rotation for a few weeks now), the new Jour d’Hermès, and sweetbreads — which are not a perfume, but delectably squishy organs that taste wonderful deep-fried 🙂 With mayonnaise!
I’m always so happy to hear about someone appreciating Guerlains! Have you tried the new L’Heure de Nuit yet, BB? I’m so curious about it.
I did! It is really blue 🙂
I didn’t try it on skin, so I can’t speak to what it’s like in that regard, but I did side-by-side blotter sniff against L’Heure bleue. L’Heure bleue is much more powdery, but is still the one that I preferred. It just had so much more character in comparison.
Monster!
There is a store in Austin that is carrying some Lutens now, but it’s mostly the big sellers… I don’t think they have
Santal Majuscule, which seems like something I’d like. I so want to try that and the new Fille de Berlin. And a couple of the exports.
My local Lutens carrier (bluemercury) doesn’t have Santal Majascule either, but they’re a little more up to date- I think they have Jeux de Peau. Bois de Jasmin’s review of Fille de Berlin made it sound so tempting! I can’t wait to try it either.
Er, that should have been NON-exports. LOL. I’ve never tried any non-exports!
Lutens didn’t work for me and I didn’t try Jo Malone Red Roses. but your photo composition is 1st class!
Thank you so much, Lucas! I traded my computer in for an ipad, and the camera is really great.
Oh, that’s an iPad photo? Quite impressive. Never had iPad or such a tech-device in my hands.
I’m in a massive totally-lacking-a-base-in-reality luxury appreciation phase. Hermès and Chanel everything to me, please!
Other than that: I love Star Trek Voyager. Ah, Commander Chakotay, it’s been too long…
OMG! Another Voyager fan!! I am personally very upset that Chakotay/Belana never took off. Belana and Tom were just bizarre together.
Tao Lin!
I’m currently obsessing over eye makeup in general. Doing smoky eyes in non-black colors like violets and taupes and chocolate brown, because black stuff all around my eyes looks terrible on me. (Please pronounce terrible the French way.) And someone pleeeeease make me stop buying drugstore lipstick.
Perfume: Hard to choose, because everything smells fantastic lately, but I’m craving dense manly stuff like Third Man and Rose d’Homme.
I was inspired to drop my grudge against Eeee Eee Eeeee after reading your tweet about him curating your tweets (what a weird sentence, again!) It turns out that I like his poetry so much better than his prose. Cautiously excited for Tai Pei, though!
How wonderful to have reached a point where everything is smelling wonderful! I’m not crazy about all of these delicate Spring fragrances coming out right now, sadly.
Jo Malone Red Roses is one of my absolute favourites. It’s one one my go-to fragrances, especially in the summer. And did you really not wear eye shadow for that long? Powder blue is probably the worst eye shadow colour in existence.
As for my obsessions.
Montale Oud Rose Petals. My best friend wears this, and it smells gorgeous on her. So after about a year of agonizing over it, I finally bought a bottle with the Lucky Scent gitfcard she sent me for my birthday. She recently moved to Vegas, and so having this perfume is a nice reminder of her when she’s not around.
My black patent Louboutin Decollette 100s. Got drunk in Vegas middle of the day, and finally bought a pair of Christian Louboutin’s. I can’t even begin to express how obsessed I am w/ these shoes. They’re everything I’ve wanted in a pair of stilettos.
Urban Decay’s Theodora make-up palette. Taupes, you say? Well, if you want to get a little more adventurous, I’d recommend this palette. I’ve never bought Urban Decay because I always considered it overpriced for what it is — and the lipstick is. Sticky, sub-par. Well, I pried myself away from my Dior shadows, and bought this because I’m inexplicably drawn to kitschy themed make-up sets — yes, this girl owns the Sephora Cinderella lipsticks, and buys tokidoki just for the packaging. It’s the most amazing set of shadows. High pigmentation. Perfect for a vintage cat eye.
Geek Chic’s Superneutral eye shadow set. Because, like I said about being inexplicably drawn to kitschy themed make-up sets … how could I resist a neutral eye shadow set inspired by Supernatural? My geek is showing.
Now I have to check it out! My husband started watching Supernatural a few months ago and at first I though it was silly, but now I am totally hooked. I should start from the beginning now, but there are just so many seasons. We are in season 5 now. Every night when it’s time to watch TV, we ask if we should watch some “family business!” Ok, can’t believe how excited i just got, but I don’t know anyone else who watches the show!
I powered through 7 seasons in 3 weeks back in the summer after ignoring my friends telling me I needed to watch it for like 6 years. The first season is so-so, but it’s worth watching for some backstory. I’d say it definitely picks up toward the end S2. And S4 is probably my favourite. But really, it is like my biggest guilty — okay, not even guilty because I openly talk about loving it — pleasure. Two attractive men driving cross country in a classic car listening to classic rock, saving people, hunting things. It’s my go-to thing to watch on Netflix if there’s nothing on TV.
I just googled those Louboutins and when the gay agenda has permeated this country enough that we can all get married to inanimate objects, I will be marrying them. Also, everyone should know that klytaemnestra is SUPER pretty in person. Just the prettiest.
A second obsession – well Dandies have time to ruminate over such things.
I am becoming increasingly obsessed and concerned by the fact that Caron seem (or so I’m told) to be discontinuing many of their perfumes in Eau de Toilette concentration.
What is a lady or gentleman of quality to do?
Whilst the extraits will remain, not only is this a costly habit but the top notes are not so pronounced and the pleasure of layering the lighter formula over the pure parfum is lost to us forever.
A ritual of the levee disappears forever…
As I said… Dandies have much time, perhaps too much time to cogitate their concerns into fully blown paranoia.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Oh, how frustrating! I don’t own any Carons, but I’ve been having my own concerns lately over L’Artisan after learning that they are discontinuing the 50 ml size for all of their fragrances.
I’m boring: I can’t think of a thing I’m obsessing about right now! Well… I do want to try Chanel 1932 and because of that I’m contemplating getting somehow to the Chanel boutique in the city (totally impractical! with the parking prices I can probably order a sample from TPC or STC!) – so let’s call it obsessing 🙂
I liked Santal Majuscule (decant – check!) and I was thinking about that Laura Mercier shadow pencil (even though I do not need it!). Red Roses is just awful on my skin – about which I’m still surprised since I’m a HUGE Jo Malone fan.
I want to try 1932 too, Undina! The reviews are making it sound so lovely. How frustrating about Red Roses- I have only had that happen with one Jo Malone, the Nectarine one.
Nectarine Blossomdoesn’t work for me as well! I just love it on others (I have three friends who love and wear it often) but on me it’s not good at all.
Most others Jo Malone fragrances play nicely on my skin though – so I cannot complain much 🙂
My current obsessions:
Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Like many others, I have been swept up in Richard III mania.
Diptyque Eau Rose: Yes, there must be a rose for Valentine’s Day! This is mine. I love how luminous and simple it is.
Chanel 31 Rue Cambon: My second decant came in the mail today, just in time for my birthday. I’m wearing it now.
Parfums de Nicolai: I rediscovered this one thanks to your last post. I love its nostalgic fluffiness!
Chanel Rouge Coco Rivoli lipstick: Deep, deep red, also for Valentine’s Day.
Nivea Creme in the blue tin: It’s the only thing that keeps winter itch at bay.
Vivaldi’s Winter concerto from the Four Seasons. An obvious choice, perhaps, but I love it anyway.
I meant Parfums de Nicolai Kiss Me Tender, of course. 🙂
Happy birthday, Liz!!!! I hope your day is as wonderful as your perfume. Eau Rose is such a beautiful fresh rose! I sometimes worry it is TOO simple, but what it does, it does very well.
I love all THREE of those perfumes and have FB of 2. Thanks for the link love beautiful.
Portia xx
My pleasure, Portia! I loved reading your review!
Hi Ari!
I also love Santal Majuscule, and it’s going in my “best of list” of 2012 when I finally write it!
Taupe eyeshadows have been my fave for ever – possibly because I am blessed/cursed with similar inbetween colouring (I call it sallow olive). My two most rotated products are MAC Satin Taupe and the cheap-as-chips cream eyeshadow from Max Factor in Coffee.
I am holding you to this, Vanessa! You have gotten my hopes up, and now I demand a best of 2012 list!!! Satin Taupe is pretty much the ultimate taupe- I bought it when I was sixteen because it was so beautiful, and promptly proceeded to never ever wear it.
I have a sample of Santal Majascule and I agree with you, it’s fabulous. I’m also in love with Revlon Lip Butters right now. Just bought the Fig Jam color and it’s love. May buy a backup because you never know when they’ll discontinue it.
Perfume wise the past day or so I’ve been thinking I need more white flowers in my life. I’m guessing it’s a side effect of the blizzard. I’m also looking for a rose to love with all this talk of roses going on. You’ve also got me interested in finding that Lush Charity Pot because a good moisturizer for $6 is worth obsessing over.
Fig Jam is the best! The color is perfect for me and I so wish I could find something long wearing in that exact shade. The lip butters are great but don’t last long and require too much reapplying for me to use for my “work” makeup.
I just googled it, it looks a fair bit like Clinique Black Honey to me! Which actually isn’t insanely more expensive, either.
Yaaaay, another Santal Majascule fan! The best part about Charity Pot is that (at least in person, I’m not sure about online) you can choose which cause you want on the lid! So I have one with adorable greyhounds and one for the Big Cat Sanctuary.
Remember when Harry Kim got that space STD?
I’m so curious about Santal Majuscule – but nobody in this province even carries Lutens, boo. Lately I have been obsessed with bright pink lipsticks and aldehydic florals. I’m wearing Van Cleef and Arpels First as we speak. I must be longing for spring.
DO I?!?!?! 😉 I would be happy to send you the Santal Majascule sample that convinced me, although it is hardly a “longing for spring” perfume. At least in Maryland, it’s starting to feel like that will never come!
Ari, that is such a sweet offer! What would you like in return? I have a Jour d’Hermes sample – would that work for you?
I’ve been obsessing over Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows. This is just after having spent far too much in the last two months, so I will be obsessing for quite a bit longer before I can actually buy any of them–totally serves me right for overspending LOL! I only very rarely wore eyeshadow until extremely recently, so I will probably obsess for at least several months. I just need to win the lottery now…
Tam Dao’s been my recent perfume obsession; it seems just right for the current winter weather. There is something too strong about the opening blast of Santal Majescule that makes me leery of spraying it, even though once that is over I adore it!
Oooh, the Non-Blonde is always talking about Rouge Bunny! It sounds like a really quality brand. Did you manage to get some Tam Dao in the Diptyque Haute Look sale a few weeks back?
Voyage D’Hermes is getting a lot of love lately. I might have to revisit it at the boutique this summer.
You have access to a Hermes boutique, Rictor?? I’m so jealous! I’ve only tried one or two of the Hermessences.