Weekly roundup and Le Labo Vetiver 46 and L'Artisan Voleur de Roses

This has been a good week for me perfume-wise. Do you ever have one of those cycles where all the perfume you wear smells good or different to before? It's lovely when it happens.

I started the week by trying the new samples that Frida sent me. Florida Water is a cologne, and quite light, but it smelled good - essentially some citrus and perhaps a touch of cloves. I also wore Cologne du Maghreb by Andy Tauer on the other wrist and you know what? They weren't miles away in feel and smell. Both are fleeting, but being colognes, they are meant to be applied and re-applied generously. I also tried Bond no 9's Washington Square and Creed's Fleurs de Bulgarie. The Bond reminded me freakily of something else I've worn. I know I've never tried another Bond before, so I don't know what it is. Fleurs de Bulgarie is lovely, with a pure and gorgeous rose note, easing into a dry down that reminds me startlingly of La Nuit by Paco Rabanne, which is a dirty green chypre. Very nice.

I mentioned last week how I wore Tabac Aurea and for the first time got what everyone else seems to love about it. This week a similar thing happened with Vetiver 46 by Le Labo. In the past I've worn it and liked it, but not loved it. It smelled like a bog-standard vetiver on me. Today it started with a wonderful smoky, almost beeswax-like blast and then carried on with a great smoky vetiver note that impressed me. So what happened? I'm always fascinated how this can occur with perfume. Is it my skin chemistry, seasons, hormones, the place my mind is at at present, or what?

Today I revisited L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses, after reading Perfume Shrine's lovely post about it a few days ago. She's right too. This must have been one of the first rose and patchouli combinations before it became all the rage. What I love about Voleur de Roses is its heavy shot of patchouli with a sweet, yet pure rose note. While there might or might not be ambroxen in it, it doesn't smell as cliched as some of the more recent rose-patch perfumes that have been released. And it still smells surprisingly distinctive and unique. I love it.

Following receipt of my sample of M from Puredistance a couple of weeks ago, I have tried it a few times and feel ready to write about it. That will most likely be next week. It's very good I might add.

So, this weekend we are off to Cambridge to see some friends whose son is turning four and is having a party. I like going up there. We hardly ever see them anymore. I doubt I will get anywhere near a perfume shop but no doubt I will be wearing something or other.

Have a good weekend all.