I’ve been thinking

How I manage to forget this, I have no idea

I guess it comes down to this: I don’t sample (test) any of the perfumes I have and then, a couple of days goes by, life takes all my energy and I have no more left to use for testing a sample (in order to write about it).

So, after several days pass in such a manner and the only perfume I smell is the one I apply in the morning and then forget about, it somehow slips my mind and I forget how much perfumes help with easing one’s (stressed) mind.
And that is exactly what they do for me. No matter how much I like them or not, the fact is, when I smell a perfume, I can feel my mind easing off the stress and my body relaxing.
I wish I would remember for future stressful times that I don’t need to apply perfume in order to write about it, I could just apply different things to my arm in order to get lost for a bit in this beautiful universe.

Although, honestly, I’m not that surprised that perfumes are the last thing on my mind (for testing and writing purposes) – so far, this has been a very difficult year, for me mostly because of the workload, but also full of bad news not applied to me directly, but hitting very close.

Perfumes and books (and now running) help me deal with all of this, I just wish I wouldn’t keep forgetting how big a role perfume actually has in helping with stress.

Oh well, hopefully now I’ve put it down in writing, I won’t forget it soon. 🙂

How I review

I've been thinking July 18, 2012 Comments: 8

I guess I should have written this long time ago and not after three years of writing a blog (I still can’t believe it’s been so long).
But now at least I can look back and explain how I do it. If you had asked me in the beginning how I decide what to write, I don’t think I could have given a meaningful answer.

This post has mostly been prompted by the stuff happening in the book bloggers community that I managed to almost completely miss but that has been brought to my attention by this post.

So basically this is about books but is also valid for perfumes.

Most of the stuff I read is the books I bought. I probably should mention that in my reviews because if I think a book worth reading, I will buy it.
This is where NetGalley comes in – I get a lot of books for free from there. So far I only reviewed 12 of the 40 I received. Those are the ones that caught my attention amid everything else that I can choose from (and believe me, I can choose from quite a lot).
I don’t have a problem with not finishing a book. There are many out there I won’t have time to read so I don’t get worked up because I stopped reading a book that didn’t interest me. This also means if I reviewed it (even if not in the best of ways), I find it good enough to be read (before everything else I can choose from).
This brings me to the fact that I could put in action my own style of grading the books. There would only be 3 categories: Had to start reading sth else in the middle of the book as it didn’t really hold my attention, Read it without stopping for something else, and Had to force myself to go to sleep because I couldn’t stop reading
As my library (valid for perfumes as well) is rather large, the fact that I haven’t yet reviewed something I received for free doesn’t mean I didn’t find it interesting or good (but it could mean that), it probably means it wasn’t yet time for it to catch my attention – sometimes I’m in the mood for particular things and the rest lingers
I believe in being nice and polite to people – so if I don’t like something, I probably won’t get nasty about it, but then again, the topic probably won’t come up unless I’m provoked
Lately, my tolerance for YA adult novels is diminishing and by that I mean, I look for more than a new type of story
I also believe authors shouldn’t get all worked up over bad reviews – does everyone you meet in real life like you!? Why should then every review be a good one? Not to mention the fact that literary geniuses are rare.
I don’t believe my book reviews are typical – I don’t find it necessary to repeat the basics of the story (as that can be found everywhere), so I just try and go with things I enjoyed about a book (I just wish I was more in the habit of making notes while reading a book)
I’ll finish this list by saying I am always up for reading a genre I haven’t yet – one of those being steampunk novels (I look forward to reading my first one)

And to end with some of my thoughts on reading:

Have you ever noticed how everyone in novels speaks without problems? Usually all the sentences are correct from beginning to end without any hitches. I never talk like that. Then again, it might just be mine particular problem with forming and pronouncing sentences perfectly at all times.
The other thing I noticed from my favourite books, but it also seems books that are usually most loved, and on top of lists, feature difficult, tragic situations where there is a lot of suffering for the main character – Is it just me, or does that sound very Matrix to you too? It wouldn’t be believable or good enough if there wasn’t suffering in it to balance the happiness?

Random perfume (and other) thoughts

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts July 13, 2012 Comments: 12

These are the things that don’t require a post of their own but that keep going through my head lately:

After falling in love with Chypre Palatin, I cannot but think about Denyse’s book The Perfume Lover and what she mentions there of her talks with Bertrand Duchafour – that he would do so many different and strange perfumes but has no financial backing for them (I now wish Mr. Duchafour could win lottery so he can create whatever he pleases and of course make it available)
And speaking of Mr. Duchafour and Denyse, I really want a bottle of Séville à l’Aube

I’m looking forward to reading Alyssa Harrad’s book, Coming to my Senses, I haven’t read any of the reviews as to not influence mine
Then again, I am looking forward to reading many books once my vacation starts (just 2 more weeks to go!) 🙂
While I’m on the subject of books, there is way too much of them I want to read and not enough time in my life to do it

Speaking of reviews, it’s a minefield out there in the perfume community if you want to review a perfume that just came out, and you were lucky to receive a sample, but don’t want to be influenced by what other reviewers wrote (especially if you’re slow like me)
I’m still amazed by the perfume synchronicity happening – a perfume seems to find its way to you at the right moment when you need something exactly like that (latest case, Mito)
Hopefully, with my vacation nearing, I’ll be able to write more perfume reviews as there are many perfumes I’d like to talk about (Chypre Palatin being on top of the list)

I also need to read my posts before I publish them because when I get to them later, I find really stupid mistakes I made while writing them

They might tell you (they being your trainers) that it’s not easy to lose weight while running, but everyone else will think you did – you might lose a little bit but the rest gets re-arranged so everyone will think you actually lost quite a bit (I’m not going to talk about rising energy levels now which you get too)
While I’m on the subject of running, as with everything else in my life, I am slow but I get there in the end – you just need to let me do it in my own rhythm

OK, I’m off to finish the book I’m reading at the moment (re-reading Kresley Cole’s Lothaire).

Need help – with a possibly smelly problem

I've been thinking May 24, 2012 Comments: 26

As a cosmetics addict, it is usual for me to try new things and check how well they work (for me).

Even though some might claim incredible results, using most of them does not have reverse effect than the one stated.

That is, until we come to deodorants.

I used up the Vichy anti-perspirant and rather optimistically, bought some other roll-ons in order to try something else. Plus, the lady who sold me the Vichy told me it’s not supposed to be used all the time (?) as it’s an anti-perspirant, so for some people that obviously means not completely healthy.

The problem I now face is that nothing seems to be working.
For the time being I am pretty sure it’s only me who is bothered by this (careful inquiry with some of my good friends revealed that) but it’s still making me feel uncomfortable and well, smelly.

I know that the most obvious solution is to get another Vichy roll-on (and it’s on its way, Escentuals has them for a great price) but I would still prefer a choice and a change.

So, this is where you come in. 🙂

What is your preferred choice of deodorants (spray, roll-on, stick…) and what is THE deodorant that you cannot live without, one that works incredibly?

P.S. Just to give you a run down of stuff I tried that didn’t work in roll-on variety: Rexona, Dove, Adidas, Nivea, Avon, Biotherm, Balea, Garnier, Neutro Roberts, Rituals, Bourjois, Lancome…

Sprays generally don’t last long enough on me, and I just recently heard some women prefer sticks as those work best for them. I’ll be trying my luck with those next.

Stuck in perfume limbo

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts April 28, 2012 Comments: 13

I’m blaming it on the weather (and possibly fatigue and stress, but mainly weather).

The spring started here even before the calendar said so, and then went back-tracking into something resembling more autumn and now we’re finally getting the sun and warmth, and now we’re hitting almost summer temperatures which is coming as quite a shock to many people (the instant rise from cold into summer).

I had started contemplating spring perfumes sometime in March when the spring first showed its face and then I got stuck, as the temperatures fell and I needed to wear my coat again in order to feel warm enough.

So now it’s very warm, I’ve skipped my spring perfumes and I’m at a loss what to apply each day (like I’ve been for the last month and a half).
I’ve sort of lost my perfume (wearing) thread.

Not to mention the fact that most of my summer perfumes are hidden somewhere in the depths of my closet …

If not sooner, I’m hoping the next trip to Paris will deal with my perfume limbo. After all, Paris helps with any problems you might have. 😉

The unexpected joys of running

I've been thinking April 17, 2012 Comments: 12

As some of you might know, I decided to join a running school this year and it’s been 5 weeks now that I’m going. Albeit not completely regularly but as an Aquarian with so many self-inflicted obligations, the only way I can live with them if I skip them sometimes.

Therefore, it is obvious I am not 100% regular, but I do make it to 2 out of 3 weekly trainings.

I can see the smiles as you read running schoold. 🙂 This is the second year Adidas is organizing this in Zagreb (this time in other Croatian cities as well) in order to promote running as a healthy choice for city people. After initial testing, we were separated into 3 groups and are following a program made for each group. The program is difficult enough that if you skip more than once, you will feel it the next time you’re there (so I try and keep to schedule, but honestly life does interfere).

Anyway, today’s training was a bit eye-opening in the manner that I enjoyed the running for the first time. Up to now, it’s been a constant battle with my body over the fact that my lungs seemed to have a problem with oxygen. 🙂 And then, my stiff shoulders protested and tended to constrict even more so I was leading a battle between my mind and my body.
My shoulders are finally easing down (and my pilates instructor can’t believe that running is helping me after all the effort she put into that) and my breathing is getting a rhythm my body can follow and now to the joys.

Well, there are the obvious joys of meeting new people, doing something good for your body, feeling your levels of fitness actually rising (I find it incredible how fast you can the signs of improvement, little, but they’re there), enjoying the fresh air (as we are running alongside the river running across Zagreb), releasing stress…

The unexpected joy happened today – someone in front of me was it seems wearing a tuberose perfume – which wafted in front of my nose for the duration of our running stretch. A good tuberose perfume I should add. 🙂

The other unexpected joy was meeting a friend from my university rowing days running in the opposite direction.

And the third unexpected joy is realizing you can actually do it (I’ll see if I’ll get into enough shape to run the half-marathon they are certain they can shape us up for) – and coming home realizing you keep smiling for no reason, but out of sheer joy. 🙂

Before you all go thinking it’s all fun and joy, I should add there are some unexpected problems as well.

Like, realizing your feet aren’t used to running so they ache during and after (it passes quickly). The same goes for your legs – it’s not your muscles which get overworked but some strange aches appear in tendons and parts I don’t know how to name.
Not to mention the fact that 3 times a week gets your body exhausted and you don’t have time to recuperate completely (hence me skipping some – and that helps me a lot).

But the basic line is, it’s a great body-mind exercise and if you listen to your body – it becomes joyful and fun fast. 🙂

P.S. Of course I’m using it as a way to lose a bit weight as well (as the pics of me from the school demonstrate I’m in dire need of that, even though they are a bit exaggerated, I hope) so it came as a great coincidence that I was pointed to this site yesterday in order to finally be able to count what I eat and its exact contents. So Slim Kicker, I hope it works as a diet tool for me.

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts March 28, 2012 Comments: 13

As the title says, I’ve been thinking about discontinued perfumes all day today, prompted by Birgit’s find of a perfume shop with vintage treasures.

My mind went mostly the way of discontinued Guerlains but it could be applicable to any company still in existence and producing perfumes.

The way I figure it, it all revolves around money and economy. Economy being the operative word here. One I hate sincerely. Because you cannot possibly convince me it’s in my best interest to follow economic principles that can’t be understood through common sense (which is most today). And honestly, the banking and economic systems in effect today seem very far away from common sense to me. That especially includes banks. Basically, any institution that makes you pay for the mess they made of the world we live in today.

Ok, I’ll stop with the rant – this really is about perfume. 🙂

So, I was thinking, most discontinued perfumes went that way because of lack of sales (making enough money as the company deems profitable). I say most, I’m aware some can no longer be produced due to unavailable ingredients.
But basically, the perfume goes into alcohol so you don’t need that much of the original formula to make several hundred bottles.

What I’ve been thinking is, many discontinued perfumes have fans that would love to get access to bottles of their favourite perfumes.
So, why not make smaller batches of those perfumes and not place them into boutiques but make them available at order? You wouldn’t need to ship them to boutiques and basically, only hardcore fans would buy them straight from your headquarters. I’m pretty sure you could even put those in simple bottles, just as long as fans would get the juice they wanted.

And I believe even eBay wouldn’t be a problem because anyone could order a bottle for themselves and those that went on eBay would mean that the seller would have to go below the original price, otherwise anyone could get a bottle for the usual price from the company. So, I don’t think many of those bottles would appear on ebay.

Basically, this sounds sensible to me (bear in mind I have no economic knowledge).

What do you think? Are there huge holes in my idea I can’t see?

Spring is here (and hopefully, so am I)

I've been thinking March 6, 2012 Comments: 20

Ok, so spring might not be exactly here, but it’s definitely coming (the sunny day today is rather cold and biting).

We’ve been having sunny days and some rather high temperatures for this time of year but mostly, it’s a slow rise of temperature into real spring.
But spring is definitely here as evidenced by the photo my boyfriend sent me the other day from a large park (partly woods) in Zagreb (Maksimir):

Anyway, I have big plans for this spring and I do hope I make some of them come true (knowing me, some is fine as I tend to plan for more than is actually possible).
One of the plans is another trip to Paris in very late spring (probably summer weather by then) as Suzanne already announced on her site. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to meeting Suzanne and having fun with her and Asali in Paris. 🙂

I also hope, now that the hectic period is over at work, I’ll be able to write more regularly and sniff more regularly as for the past few weeks all this was on hold.

Happy spring time everyone!

Hoarding

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts February 16, 2012 Comments: 18

Sometimes the most unexpected things occur to me.
Although, I probably shouldn’t call them unexpected. It’s just the fact that they haven’t occurred before that makes them unexpected but then again, every idea anyone has could be called that. 🙂

Basically, I realized I hoard my samples and decants.

Especially decants.
They are rather small to begin with (compared to bottles) and are either 5 or 10 ml of perfumes I like, and would like to know better (so I can review them).
But that same size makes them rather fleeting, when compared to bottles, so I’m scared of using them, in order not to use them up before I get the chance to write about them.
I realize it’s rather stupid, because if I wore them, I’d have a better chance of actually talking about them than now, when I’m hesitating of wearing them in order not to use all of what I have.

That is also why this winter I’ve been rotating 5 bottles I have in order not to spend any of the decants I have. Which I guess contributes to the winter blues I’m experiencing, but hopefully, now I’m aware of my perfume hoarding tendencies, I’ll be able to combat them with spraying decants with abandon. 🙂
After all, they are a legion. 🙂

Does this happen to anyone else?

What I expect in the year 2012.

I've been thinking December 28, 2011 Comments: 22

I don’t think I should name my post New Year’s resolutions even though they might appear as such.
I’m hoping they become a longer fixation in my life.
Of course, not as strictly inforced as what I’m planning for the next year but hopefully some of that strictness will remain forever.
Some thing are just general ideas I have about life I would like to keep living and possibly deepen.

1. I’m following Birgit’s path next year and I am not buying any bottles of perfume* (the most important word here being bottle – decants don’t count). I really need to start wearing and enjoying all the perfumes I have and actually talk about those and not be on a constant quest for new. I have more than enough to last me for ymore than a year if I were to talk about one each day (this includes samples of course!).

2. Which brings me to point number 2. I need to enjoy the things I already have. (this goes for both perfume and books)
I have so much of both that I haven’t given any attention to, and I believe it is causing some underlying stress that more accumulate and I haven’t even started with those I have.
In case of books, not buying doesn’t count for the series I’m following. Everything else will wait.

3. Point number 3 would be, I will try and enjoy the bounty of my life. As shown by previous too, I obviously don’t lack in life’s leisurely pursuits and honestly, this recession has demonstrated very clearly to me that I have more than enough and don’t lack for anything.
Yes, I’d love to be rich but if I weren’t happy as the person I am, money wouldn’t be able to change that (just make it more difficult for me to understand that happiness doesn’t come from it).

4. This brings me to number 4. I will seriously try to save a little bit of money. The key thing here is starting with little as I’m not prone to saving or sticking to any such plan (made by myself). I really need to learn to not spend all the money I earn. It’s starting to make me feel materialistic (which I know I am) but also, lacking in strength of character.
I really, really have enough of stuff in my life and don’t lack for anything. Now I need to start enjoying the things I have and taking good care that the new things that arrive are really those I need.

5. And speaking of character strength, I sincerely hope I’ll have enough to enroll in a 2-month program here that teaches people how to run effectively and prepares you for a half-marathon (I do think I’ll skip that part).

Running on a beach like this would never be a problem

But I would really love to do something for my body (and its health) and I always thought running was beyond me (I’m just not such a person).

So, I hope I’ll win against myself (and that will probably be a good opportunity to present myself with an iPod as I have nothing for music if I decide to do it).

Feel free to show your support in this because I am pretty sure I will be needing it. 🙂

6. I also hope I will write more (often). 🙂 I want to, I just need to work more on making my wishes into reality (especially those that are only dependent on me).

7. And last but not least, I hope I finish my thesis (unless it all comes down to nothing as the university is no longer inclined to extend the deadline for quite many of us left) but in any case, I hope it gets finished in any way, and then I hope I’ll have more time to spend with family and friends and finally restore the feeling I have all the time I need to enjoy the little things in life, instead of the opposite.

It all basically comes to the fact that I want to enjoy the life I have and not the one I need to pay for.

* I am pretty sure an exception or two to the rule of non-buying will appear but I can’t say in advance what they might be.