New Year, New Smells
2025 needs to turn this car around and start over. It's eerie times right now.
There are devastating wildfires happening in Southern California right now and I am thinking of all of the people impacted. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and far from the fires. I hesitated to send this at all; so many people I love are in LA. It’s heartbreaking. I hope everyone is safe. Here’s a resources doc for those impacted that I’ve seen circulating, and here are some ways you can help. ❤️🩹
I have a very exciting interview ready to go, but it’s been a minute since I have given you the diary portion of Dry Down Diaries. So here’s some of what I have been up to and what I have been smelling, wearing, and coveting. I am sending out test strip book gifts this week, and if you are a newish paying subscriber know that your perfume recs will be emailed by the end of January.
Scents I’ve worn so far in 2025
I am going to keep a better record of what I wear this year. And also try to write down my thoughts on everything I wear and smell, so I have some kind of library for myself. And for you all. Spoiler alert: it’s been winners only in 2025 so far.
Pony Boy by Jorum Studio
I wore this on the first day of the new year. Because this is how I want my year to feel; sparkly, playful, juicy, a big joyful riot. I can’t get enough of this one.
Prolégomènes by Notes De Bas De Paje
When I tell you I am obsessed with Prolégomènes. I picked it up at Stéle last month and it has taken everything I have not to wear it daily. There’s something so familiar and intoxicating about it. It’s jammy, spicy, woody, and just slightly sweet. And she just lasts and lasts on my skin. I want all of my clothes to smell like this all of the time.
01 Float by Gabar
Earlier last year, Phway, one of the founders of Gabar, reached out and we had a lovely call about all things fragrance. We got to meet in person when she was in California last month and she gave me a discovery set. I can not wait to share more about this line and Phway with you all. I wore Float this week, and it is such a beautiful floral, inspired by the still waters of Myanmar's Inle Lake. It’s rich and bright but grounded by amber and white musk and I couldn’t stop smelling my wrists all day. Nicole liked the sillage of this one and it lasted a long time on my skin.
Parisian Musc by Matiere Premiere
This one is just a woody, musky classic. Smelling strongly of fig to me but I don’t think fig is listed anywhere in the notes (that doesn’t mean it’s not in there!). It’s a lovely cloud of sweet musk that goes with any mood and any occasion.
Into the Oud by Astrophil & Stella
I smelled this one and fell for it at Stéle in December and Jake was kind enough to give me a travel size of it. I will definitely need a full bottle soon as I am going to fly through the 10ml. I love a stinky dirty oud but this one is great for people who want to kind of play with oud but not get too deep in it. It’s a pretty oud that just gives the slightest hint of stink to satisfy the weirdos like me. It’s rich and spicy and perfect for winter, much prettier than the name implies.
La Bague D’o by Jouissance
You guys… I can not say enough good things about Jouissance. I am obsessed. The story (all inspired by erotic fiction and women artists and writers), the packaging (SO sexy), the SMELLS. All three of the fragrances in this line are stunners. Each so distinctive and unique. I am so excited to share more about the founder Cherry, and this line here soon. She was kind enough to send me a bottle of my favorite, La Bague D’o and it is floral perfection. Velvety, powdered, lush, heaven. I am just so smitten with this house.
The fragrances I gave as gifts
It’s hard to gift fragrance! Unless you really know a person and their likes, and even then, it’s pretty risky. I usually gift discovery sets. But there were a few people on my list I felt safe gifting scents to this holiday.
Dead Dinosaur by Snif
Jennifer and I were sending each other links to perfumes we wanted, and she sent me some Snif stuff from their weirder line, Nonoses. One was Dead Dinosaur, which I was just really curious about. And so was she. So we ordered it for each other which is so dumb but also made our gift exchange really easy this year. I was sick when it arrived and couldn’t smell so I haven’t worn this one yet. But I love how it comes with a tester so you can smell it and see if you like it before cracking open the bottle, genius! It has a gasoline accord, pink pepper, ginger, magnolia, orris, davana, cedarwood, and amber. I’ll report back when I wear this one. I think André liked this and I’m excited to wear it. I’m also curious about Naughty Nonna and I think Jennifer already ordered Slice Society and Soda Snob. These are all well-priced and just kind of fun. Jennifer shared her thoughts on Dead Dinosaur (I was really proud of my joke here):
Elae by Trudon
Both Antonia and Emma recommended Elae when I asked the very specific question of what to get a mom who wore Youth Dew throughout your childhood and who you gifted Alien (which she loves) last year for Christmas. This was a self-serving question as the mom here is my mom. I sprayed some on before giving it to her, and I may need a full bottle of this myself. It is so beautiful. And weirdly smelled like my mother. She loved it. Thank you for the perfect suggestion, Antonia and Emma!
Slow Explosions by Imaginary Authors
I got this for André, but we had a dollar limit to our gifting this year, and I went way over, so I told him I bought it for us, and it lives at my house. I don’t think he’s worn it yet, which is weird now that I think about it. I really like a dirty leather and gasoline accord. And this one is just the right amount of pretty and weird for me with leather, rose, and saffron. A real rubber meets the road and then crashes into a bed of roses type situation.
Xtra Milk by Dedcool
There are some classics I just stand by. I know we are bored to death of milky lactonic skin scents, but they are popular for a reason! They’re comforting and easy, and Xtra Milk is such a good one. Everyone likes it. Everyone comments on how good you smell when you wear it. It’s one of those “I can’t think too hard about which scent to wear today, so I’ll just go with this one” scents. Josh loves it. And Dedcool was having a sale so I got him a travel size of it. And one for me, too, because you can never have enough of a dependable standby, imho. I also bought Josh this excellent sweatshirt from Smell Ya Later.
All the things I wanted to buy, but did not, buy but will probably buy in February
Like everyone else, I am trying to be better with my money in 2025. This means buying less perfume because, let’s face it, that’s where a lot of my money goes. I went a little crazy in November and December, so I won’t be buying new bottles in January (unless they are gifted, and thank god for your gifts 💕). But here are all the things I will very likely buy on February 1st.
At least one more bottle from Notes De Bas De Paje. Probably Towédé because that’s the one that Chelsea loves, and I listen when she tells me she loves something.
Jasmine Rice by D.Grayi! I regret not buying this one last year. I almost broke my no-buy streak and hit purchase when I got the email from them saying this was back in stock. Call me crazy, but $100 feels like a deal to me, especially for a small indie house. This baby will enter my collection in February.
You know how there are just those bottles you smell and you can’t stop thinking about? That’s 1992 Purple Night by Les Bains Guerbois for me. This one smelled so familiar and reminded me of Youth Dew and all the women I looked up to growing up. Like fancy ladies who knew something. Full-bodied and gorgeous. And I am sorry that I am so predictable but of course it’s full of my siren song of jasmine, tuberose, tobacco, and patchouli. I thought I was taking a photo but it’s a second long video which is kind of fitting because it feels like a memory. I wish this one was already in my collection!
Sublimate by Amphora. I have been coveting this one for a while and smelling Amphora’s new collection in Stéle last month reminded me how much I need this house in my collection. Sublimate is still my favorite but the new ones are so good too.
A full bottle of Into the Oud. See above.
Odette’s Rose Adage - or a discovery set if I’m being responsible. I have heard such good things about this one and I am a total whore for Rose.
Stuff I did that didn’t have anything to do with smelling things
André and I went to the east coast to visit my family for the holiday. Jersey and NYC. My cousins took us to some weird only-in-new-jersey bars inside of liquor stores, and if I lived near them, I would drink there often. We saw a band in the second one they took us to, it was a decent cover band. Here’s a video to give you a flavor. Ignore my giggling. It was a good time.
We ate a lot of good things in New York. I brought André to the Odeon (a NY classic that I love), which he had never been to, and we visited the Italian candy shop my mom’s dad used to take her to in Nolita. I am still eating the hard candy I bought from there and put around my house in little bowls like a good grandma. We went to a DND play and the most special magic show, and Andre ended up on stage for both somehow.
If you are in New York, definitely check out 69 Atlantic, which is a tiny theater hidden behind Art of Play. This is us on stage with the magician, I have just pulled an egg out of a bag that was empty and they captured André in perfect mid-clap with the correct look of surprise on his face:
Smell you soon, friends. Stay safe.
xo
I love the soda snob, it’s so unique
Agree with you, Christina, on this: 2025 needs to turn this car around and start over. It's eerie times right now.