After all the extreme overstimulation of the last few weeks, I am ready for a bit of downtime and quiet. The new term has begun, and that is my focus. I feel like calm. No music. A lot of sleep.
And yet I am not quite ready for something as anodyne as L’Eau Papier.
A nutty ‘rice-steam’ fragrance with musk, sesame, and mimosa essence from Grasse, this is a gentle, skin-warm whisper of mid-tempo olfaction that will work for those who like ‘peau’ perfumes; but which for me just isn’t sufficiently silent and papery.
The Black Narcissus 
Agree about this fragrance. There’s been a lot of hype about it, so I went to Space NK to give it a try. It’s quite nice, but nothing more. Liked the mimosa. A little dull. Not complex enough. Sweet, sugary ending (to me anyway). My son thought it was gorgeous, which shows you the age bracket it appeals to. Hope you’re ok at the beginning of term. I was in a sulk at mine, and felt like stamping my feet (I don’t want to go back! Want to be off work forever!) but it’s ok. Quick London trip today for some stimulation. Xx
Great – hope it does the trick.
And the generation thing… (weeps)…it just shows you.
I hope HE wears it rather than Chanel fckng B L E U GH
Haha! He’s discovered Penhaligons recently (hence the Mother’s Day gift set) and currently drowns himself on alternate days on Halfeti and Sartorial. He reeks of the stuff. It could be a lot (lot) worse
D had Sartorial as well.
Dandy Central !
I haven’t tried it and probably never will as now I am only wearing fragrances from my own collection. As for not going to work any more, I was forced to retire several months ago and the only thing good about it is sleeping in during the morning. I do not have a partner and now I do not have a salary, and it is tough making ends meet. However, I do have a very large perfume collection, which I could never live long enough to deplete, thus my days of perfume buying are over, at least for now. I do like quite a lot of Diptyque fragrances, but from all the reviews I have read, this one does not spark any interest for me.
You don’t need it: revel in the ones you have, and I really hope you find a way into these new circumstances that works.
Must try it. I have yet to find a Diptyque other than Olene I like. I wonder if it’s anything like J-Scent Paper and Soap; too sweet, too bland but with a drydown that was too lingering, and also a little sickly, the wrong side (end??) of “baby”; like a pale blush net curtain. A bout of playing with J-Scent is what brought on my most recent hankering for old Caron, Guerlain, etc.
I almost bought Paper Soap and still might : this is dull pleasant banality itself – but I wouldn’t write it off as being nice on some people
I actually got a sniff of this recently as I was quite excited for it—waking up to the smell of jasmine rice cooking is one of my favortie things—but on first sniff, a faint memory was triggered. I KNEW this smell, but it took me a few hours before I identified it: This is the fragrance of Diptyque’s short-lived skincare line! I believe it was their cleansing balm. It was fine, but underwhelming, both the skin care and this scent.
Yes! It is definitely fine. Quite pleasant. But dull AF !!!
Actual jasmine rice cooking is a million times better – I adore it as well. Now to watch a Thai cooking drama on TV!
(how was John Wick 4 by the way?)
John Wick 4 was amazing if only just a little long and leaning a bit into stereotypes when in Osaka. Still loads of fun and a must watch with an audience!
The numbing neon of it all! I do want to go and see it and marvel at the Japanese tropes. In the wrong mood I find the shallowness of it all and the body counts quite depressing – in the right mood totally exhilarating.
Thanks for your review of this one. I’ve been moderately excited to try it sometime. Sounds incredibly milquetoast, but somehow I’m not entirely put off by the idea of it. Yet.
If it tunes into your frequency, the moderation of the blend could work. Gentle. I just don’t like nutty facets particularly in fragrance, with the exception of Vetiver Tonka and its superbly clever hazelnut. I prefer sesame as a cooking oil.