What I've Been Wearing So Far in 2025: May through August

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I thought it would be fun (and a little nerdy) to keep track of what I’ve actually been wearing this year. Back in the first few months, I clocked 101 different scents (yes, really). For May through August, things calmed down a bit: just 65 perfumes made it onto my skin.

Some were one-offs or samples (31 of them, to be exact), but a handful of fragrances became steady companions. Two, in fact, I wore ten times each. That's like a long-term relationship for a promiscuous perfumista like me:

• Liis Ethereal Wave--started as a humble sample, graduated to a decant, and finally earned its full-bottle crown.

• 1907 Vanilla Dry--a real plot twist. I didn’t even like it when I first sniffed it last fall. But this spring? Instant love. It’s vanilla cushioned with coconut, though it never tips into “beachy cocktail.” To my nose it’s firmly vanilla, and somehow it never feels cloying, even in hot weather.

Other scents pulled me back again and again: Heeley Palm (nine times—watery, tropical, green, very coconut-forward), Byredo Gypsy Water (eight times—my most-worn of the year so far, with twelve total wears), and Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Mandarin (seven times, easy to wear solo but great for layering).

And because I like to rotate in some old favorites, I reached for Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit (six times, still such a loss that it’s discontinued) and Hermès Jardin Sur le Nil (four times—more love than it’s had in years).

This was also a season of new arrivals. Some snuck in under the wire from Europe before the de minimis exemption disappeared: Vanilla Dry, Palm, Trudon Bruma, and Miller et Bertaux Tulsivivah!. Closer to home, I picked up Molecule 01 + Mandarin, Memo Eau de Memo, Vibiskov Eau Nature Rouge, and Ellis Brooklyn Salt (not worn during the period of study, but worn 2x since).

Now that fall is easing into the mid-Atlantic, I’m still spritzing my summer darlings, but the cozy fragrances are calling. I’m curious to see which bottles I lean on as the weather shifts. Will I keep stretching summer, or finally dive into autumn? Either way, I’ll be counting.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Killer Sillage is Now Available!

I'm so excited! My first work of fiction, a cozy mystery titled Killer Sillage, is now available for purchase on Amazon! It's currently only available as a Kindle ebook, but in the coming months it will be released in paperback format and will be found at other online book shops as well.

Clare Buchowski wanted to be a perfumer when she grew up, but after an accident altered her sense of smell, she did the next best thing: open a perfume shop in her hometown of Baltimore. A death following the launch party for an independent perfumer's latest release has Clare following a trail of secrets, rivalries, and one unforgettable scent. In a city steeped in history and ambition, this fragrance left a killer scent trail, and Clare’s about to track it to the source.

Subscribe to my Substack: LaGue’s Clues, part behind-the-scenes, part fragrance chat. All New Subscribers will receive a FREE bonus origin story. You'll also find out when the next book in the series, Savage Gourmand, will be released.

Visit my new website: katlague.com, where all the book news will live.

And, of course, Killer Sillage! 

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Rosy & Earnest

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Rosy & Earnest is a fragrance brand with a mission: to produce fine perfumes that are as luxurious and complex as traditional scents, but worry-free for your health. The founders started paying attention to ingredient lists and realized that the generic term “fragrance” could hide thousands of chemicals, some linked to hormone disruption, cancer risks, or environmental concerns. 

Determined to bring “cleaner” alternatives to the market, they partnered with an independent lab in France and the award-winning perfumer Nathalie Feistauer to create the first eaux de parfum ever to earn EWG certification in Canada, and the second in the US.

The brand also cares about sustainability, using recyclable, minimalist packaging, and donates 1% of profits to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Personally, I’m a bit skeptical of EWG—they sometimes overstate risks—but I love that Rosy & Earnest is thoughtful about ingredients. IFRA already does a good job regulating allergens, so this isn’t about shaming anyone for their choices. It’s about offering an option for those who want it.

Be Rosy
Clementine, Pear, Carrot, Bergamot, Lemon, Blackberry, Black Tea CO2, Orris Butter, Rose, Osmanthus, Ambrox, Cedar, Musk
The pear in the opening is photorealistic, sparkling and joyful. Light, musky, and happy—like a glass of champagne with a slight sweet lift. The black tea adds a gentle smokiness that keeps it from being one-dimensional. Truly uplifting and perfect for a sunny morning.

Be Earnest
Rhubarb, Apple, Hedione, Balsam Fir, Virginia Cedar, Amyris, Musk
The opening is like biting into a tart Granny Smith apple in an herb garden. Realistic, green, and effervescent. Tomato leaves? Basil? Though they're not listed, I smell them or a similar greenness. The woody notes ground the scent beautifully, and the musky drydown adds a creamy, wearable lift. A scent that works all year round—one I bought a full bottle of immediately.

Pistachio Delight
Bergamot, Pink Berries, Roasted Pistachio Chips, Pistacia Lentiscus Oil, Intense Woods, Vanilla, Gourmand Notes, Musk
Bergamot and berries shine at first, and the roasted pistachio is delightful—but the gourmand and woody accords quickly take over. Too much is happening for me; the original nutty charm gets lost in the pastry-like sweetness. Still, your mileage may vary.

Vanilla Rum Royal
Bergamot, Pink Pepper, White Wine Lees, Rum CO2 extract, Oak, Sugar Cane, Vanilla, Labdanum, Musk
Opening is crazy sweet, a mix of vanilla and rum with a dollop of plastic-y weirdness. The rum is surprisingly weak, so it never really becomes a boozy vanilla. It’s certainly different from the more familiar vanilla fragrances, but it's not one I’d reach for.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Confession: I’m Not a Rose Person… Or Am I?

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I’m going to come right out and say it: I am not a fan of rose-based perfumes.

But here’s the twist: I have owned, worn, and genuinely enjoyed rose-based perfumes. So, what gives? It turns out, it’s all about the amount of rose, the type of rose, and what it’s paired with. And really, the same can be said for my favorite notes like sandalwood, vanilla, and iris: too much or the wrong blend, and it can veer from cozy to overwhelming.

Many of the roses in my collection are unapologetically upfront. They dominate the fragrance from the first spritz to the lingering drydown. But when a rose is balanced, say, with peony, vanilla, musk, or amber, it becomes something truly magical.

Take two of my current favorites: Hayley Kiyoko Hue and ELDO Eau de Protection. Both are rose fragrances I love. Hue pairs rose with peony and musk, creating a soft, playful floral. Eau de Protection takes a different approach: no peony, no musk, just a whole lot of patchouli. And somehow, it works beautifully.

Then there’s the brighter, sunshiny side of rose. Stella McCartney (the eponymous fragrance) is full of citrus, peony, and amber. Gorgeous, uplifting, and sadly discontinued. Bond No. 9 West Side follows a similar formula, peony and amber with a hint of vanilla instead of citrus—warm, sexy, slightly sweet, and a touch too loud, but still a favorite. And Giorgio Armani’s Onde Mystere? A rose that leans into vanilla, amber, and incense, creating a mysterious, smoky floral that I miss dearly.

Other roses I adore:

• Les Parfums de Rosine Viva La Mariée – Neroli, litchi, bergamot, rose, peony, jasmine sambac, magnolia, orange blossom, peach, freesia, vanilla, praline, tonka bean, cedar, musk, sandalwood, patchouli. A complex, whimsical floral that never overstays its welcome. Though the rose has a lot of company in this scent, it is still unmistakably a rose fragrance.

• Ormonde Jayne Ta’if – Pink pepper, saffron, dates, Taif rose, freesia, jasmine, orange blossom, amber, broom. A spicy, elegant rose that feels both modern and timeless, with a generous dose of the company's lovely OrmondeJayne-enade.

• Penhaligon’s Elisabethan Rose – Hazelnut, tangerine, almond, cinnamon, May rose, rose oil, black currant, geranium, red lily, plum, musk, woody notes, violet, vetiver, orris root. A beautiful soft rose that has no rough edges.

• Penhaligon's Luna – Lemon, bergamot, bitter orange, rose, juniper berries, jasmine, balsam fir, musk, ambergris. A crisp, green rose that flirts with the forest more than the garden.

• Tokyo Milk Parfumerie Curiositie Gin & Rosewater – Citrus, mimosa, mandarin orange, rosewood. I still don’t understand how this evokes gin and rosewater at the same time, but somehow it does, and I love it. Truly an alchemical miracle.

So, maybe I’m not strictly anti-rose after all. Maybe I’m just a rose snob. Or maybe, like so many fragrances, it’s all about the blend, and knowing when a rose is allowed to shine and when it needs a little company.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.