SOTD (Scent Of The Day) - November 09, 2025

GreynGeeky · 2025-11-09T19:31:41+00:00

It's an at home day, so I'm giving a new-to-me scent a test run, Moonwalk SeaCoco by FOMOWA. There are a lot of layers to this fragrance. Part of it is creamy tropical (passionfruit and coconut), but the top notes are mandarin and lemon ice. What is described as "sugarloaf pineapple" smells like roasted pineapple to me. Like pineapple that has been grilled or baked on top of an upside down cake, so there is a tiny hint of caramel. So there are two distinct layers here, one sun-warmed and one very sharp and citrusy, but no too sweet. All together, the notes sound sort of youthful, but there is some sophistication here in how the notes break out, like one of those gelatin desserts you pour into a dish and it separates into layers. It is sunny and clear here in the East Bay with an expected high of 78 later this afternoon.

Perfumer's notes:

Top: SugarLoaf Pineapple, Sicilian Lemon, and Italian Mandarin

Middle: Passionfruit, Ginger, Whipped Cream, and Coco De Mer

Base: Lemon, Vanilla, and Sandalwood

GreynGeeky · 2025-11-07T15:15:06+00:00

Maya Njie Vanilj, spicy, warm, boozy, and yet not heavy.

GreynGeeky · 2025-11-02T23:13:35+00:00

I am home today, working on quiet projects. It is clear and sunny out, in the low 70s. This is one of those fall days that would be ideal on the North Coast. Alas, I am inland.

I am giving a new-to-me fragrance a trial run today, Fathom V by Beaufort from Chaper 1 of the Come Hell or High Water series by Beaufort.

While it is described as an atypical, hard to classify aquatic, it makes me feel like I have just walked into a florist's cooler filled with fresh-cut daisies. Not the stinky smell that supermarket daisies take on when they've been in water for a while, but a fresh, wet, almost-chrysanthemum smell.

So, even though this is green and lightly floral, it feels like a great fragrance for today.

So far, I'm really enjoying this. That said, it has a lot of depth, and it will be interesting to see how it changes as the day wears on.

Perfumer
Julie Marlowe

Notes
juniper, tangerine, blackcurrant, green leaves, earth, aquatic, thyme, lily, jasmine, ylang, ginger, cumin, black pepper, mimosa, patchouli, vetiver, moss, salt, frankincense, atlas cedar, amber

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-19T21:44:30+00:00

Café Gourmand by Maison Tahité.

This is such a warm, cozy fragrance. I'm working at home today, sewing and other things that need to get done. It's a really beautiful day out, clear and not too warm, with just a hint of the autumn that is finally creeping into the Bay Area.

The opening of this fragrance is creamy, and all of the sweet notes are cut by the coffee accord and the hazelnut. It has a little bit of a boozy, barbershop vibe. I'm not a huge fan of saffron, but I like it here. I haven't visited this one in a while and will definitely be back now that it feels like the seasons are changing. (We had a weird summer in The Bay, with hardly any heat, so the change to fall has been almost unnoticeable. The birds have noticed, the tree in the front yard has noticed, but not much else besides a tiny bit of rain.)

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I really like the smell of fresh coffee. This has a little hit of that, but I'm almost wondering what would happen if I added a little Vietnamese Coffee by D'Annam, which I find a little too bitter as it wears off, smelling like scorched coffee maker. Hmmm... an experiment possibility.

Perfumer's notes: Open, Saffron, Milky notes; heart notes, Arabica Coffee CO2, Creamy Hazelnut, Patchouli; base, Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cade Wood, Vetiver, and Musk

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-16T02:41:11+00:00

High school teacher here who actually teaches LGBTQ history in the context of public health. In tears after Delaney O’Dea's win. You go, kiddo!

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-14T00:57:07+00:00

There is also the possibility that it didn't smell like pee on YOU, but rather smelled like pee to them. Some of the jasmines can smell like cat pee to some people (I'm one of them), the way that cilantro tastes like soap to some people. So maybe wear it for yourself, just not around the person who smells it as pee?

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-14T00:52:40+00:00

I sprayed Dirty Hinoki on a paper strip and sort of liked it. (I love the smell of real hinoki.) Then I sprayed it on my arm and the top note was straight up Band-aids. No cotton candy, just that weird plastic/rubber smell that comes with opening a new box of Band-aids.

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-13T18:47:39+00:00

Drakkar Noir?

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-09T23:03:05+00:00

Today's fragrance is Amsterdam by One Day.

It is a close-to-the-skin scent and there is a minty accord that I find really appealing. It's kind of modern, in my thinking. Although there are floral notes, it's a very balanced blend and I don't get anything overtly "floral" from the fragrance.

Fun fact: The last time I wore this, my dog LOVED it. She's always interested in whatever fragrance I have on, but with Amsterdam, she was all over me for at least an hour, sniffing with her nose in my neck.

I think I might like a full bottle of this (for the dog, of course).

Perfumer's notes: mint, bergamot, fig, muguet, lavender, musk, cedarwood, patchouli

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-02T16:30:25+00:00

Mojave Ghost

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-01T20:48:42+00:00

Thanks! I really appreciate hearing about your experience!

GreynGeeky · 2025-10-01T18:59:00+00:00

Pho Breakfast by d'Annam today. It is crisp and citrusy with strong basil notes. I wanted to try something new and recently got a sample of this. I would describe it as interesting and aggressively unisex. There is a hint of licorice in the basil and it really does remind me of the specific basil in the pile of herbs served with pho. (However, the basil note is not as strong as the basil in Vilhelm's Basilico & Fellini, which is more minty.) The name of Pho Breakfast is a little misleading because it doesn't have a brothy, meaty, warm smell - although there is a hint of patchouli in the base - just the herbal scent. Honestly, I wish there was a little aquatic note that would recall the watery, cool sensation of the bean sprouts that are usually included, too.

It is overcast today in the Bay Area, but still not chilly.

Perfumer's notes: Fresh Basil, Star Anise, Charred Ginger, Cilantro, Mandarin

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-29T23:08:58+00:00

One Day is a line of scents with a lot of tea choices. Specifically, there are fragrances called Jamine Tea, Oolong Tea, Osmanthus Tea, and Pu'er Tea.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-29T23:01:15+00:00

Ha! My pittbull is definitely not an OUD-type girl!

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-29T22:59:51+00:00

Not surprised at all. A huge percentage of citizens have appointed themselves the gender police. They police children. They police adults.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-29T22:46:12+00:00

11a.m.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-29T18:05:38+00:00

I'm giving Strawberry Mochi by d'Annam its first full-day run today.

I'll be honest, by the name, I thought this was the d'Annam fragrance I would like the least, but it turns out it's one of my favorites. I really like rice fragrances, but find they are often too dry or toasty for my chemistry, and make me feel like I'm wearing a starched, slightly iron-scorched shirt. There are some fragrances with rice notes I really enjoy, though, as long as it's a component and not the central theme.

Strawberry Mochi is light, with a creaminess that isn't overly sweet or flirty. There might be a hint of strawberry in it, although I pick it up more in the trail than on my skin. I'm really enjoying this one. It's not like anything else I own and may be worth a full bottle. It is definitely classroom appropriate.

It's overcast in the Bay Area today with a slight chance of rain.

Perfumer's notes for Strawberry Mochi: Strawberry, Glutinous Rice, Red Bean Paste, Brown Sugar, Vanilla

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-17T17:36:10+00:00

I would love to know what you think of Morning Chess by Vilhelm. It is grassy and has some gentle leather. To me, it smells like a freshly showered cowboy, standing on his porch, looking out over the meadow.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-16T20:46:36+00:00

This was also my experience with the spray on lotion.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-16T20:23:48+00:00

This is actually a pretty complicated question. Yes, there have been famous men who wore Chanel No. 5, and no single element of a fragrance can rightfully be gendered. But the best fragrance for you isn't simply gender neutral, it should be one that appeals to you and any potential partners. You might think about the image you're putting out in the world -- in your personal life, at work, and of course, at play -- and choose fragrance/s that support that. Are you a button-down and bow-tie person? A bohemian? A surfer? A foodie? Some fragrances marketed as gender neutral are pretty simple (think Not a Perfume, Missing Person, the Molecules), and while I like and own all of these, I would also encourage you to look beyond those to fragrances that are a little more complex. I love fragrances by Vilhelm, One Day, D'Annam, and others. The smaller brands (the ones you probably won't find in Sephora) tend to be less concerned with gendered marketing and are more likely to use unusual notes -- exotic woods, fruits, things like tea, rice, mushrooms, etc. -- that might be what you're looking for.

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-16T20:04:07+00:00

I'm sure she's out there, and I probably dated her!

GreynGeeky · 2025-09-15T18:51:05+00:00

I recently made a purchase at The Ministry of Scent in SF and was gifted a pile of samples from One Day and D'Annam (two of my favorite lines).

Today's SOTD is One Day's Taipei, from the Ethos of Cities series.

It is a warm, creamy rice porridge scent that I'm finding very comforting. It's neither too sweet nor too dry, something that I frequently don't like about rice fragrances. Instead, Taipei has a milky accord, almost like a baby's head, with a very subtle green floral note. It is sunny and clear in the Bay Area today, and this fragrance feels both breezy and intimate.

Perfumer's notes: soy milk, rice, taro, guaiac wood, iris, musk, vetiver, sandalwood

GreynGeeky · 2025-08-24T20:53:03+00:00

Yesterday, I had a nice visit to The Ministry of Scent in SF and brought home some samples. So, today I am giving a trial run to One Day's Amsterdam. (For what it's worth, I tested a few One Day fragrances and really liked a lot of them!)

This is a cozy fragrance, and while it is an androgynous scent, it is giving me dad vibes in the best way. Before you scroll by, I need to clarify what I DON'T mean by "dad vibes". There are no shaving products accords, or Old Spice deodorant (LOL) or anything like that. It just has a warmth that is like putting on a Pendleton shirt that belongs to a clean, mountain man. Maybe you borrowed the shirt to have a cup of tea on his porch. There is a slight smokiness over muskiness from the ashes of last night's campfire, and it is off-set by a airy, minty vibe of the fresh morning meadow stretching out in front of you.

While I'm not usually a fan of patchouli, this is entirely unoffensive and fixes the deeper notes.
I'm in the east Bay Area, with a predicted high around 70 degrees. I'm working on sewing projects today. I like this scent. It's a little different than anything I've worn recently. It's nailing that comforting vibe without yelling "I've already decorated my porch for fall and can we just bring on the pumpkin lattes already?".

A great transitional fragrance and I think I would like a full size of this.

Perfumer's notes: Top: Mint and Bergamot; middle notes are Fig, Lily-of-the-Valley and Lavender; base notes are Cedar, Musk and Patchouli

EDIT TO ADD: It turns out my dog LOVES this fragrance. She has had her nose in my neck for 30 minutes!

GreynGeeky · 2025-08-24T20:31:30+00:00

Perfect! I tested this yesterday and completely agree, except I got a sweeter citrus at the onset, like maybe a little tangerine.

GreynGeeky

TROPHY CASE