#fragrance nerd

[retrofragrances]

[nothing0fnothing]

nobody on here knows this, but I'm actually a massive perfume nerd.

I just get really overwhelmed by random smells and I seek sensory input through smell, so just having a reliable fragrance I like on my body is really soothing. Its an autism thing dw about it.

My problem is sometimes my favorite perfums can attract male attention.

And I don't want male attention.

Does anyone know any perfumes that women love but men hate?

Appreciated

[haveusmelledthisperfume]

Have you smelled this perfume?

Hailing from the storied fragrance house of Guerlain, Mitsouko is a sweet and earthy chypre fragrance. She doesn't look a day over 80, but she is in fact 100 years old! Read more at Fragrantica.

[tiny-elf-of-doom]

Resident Evil Fragrances

I had to do this. What fragrances would Resident Evil characters wear? I did some research and this is what I found! Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas about these picks as well :)

Claire Redfield 

ABBOT Papaya Isla 

-Claire is a very sweet woman. I wanna squeeze her pretty face and give it kisses. In return, she would probably bust my ass. Upon first glance, she has an innocence to her, but that woman can kill without blinking. Therefore, this fragrance of exotic florals, papaya, and ambrox play on both her loving side and a tad bit of her “eat shit and die” side.

Chris Redfield 

Valentino Uomo Intense 

-This man has probably worn the same fragrance for his entire adult life. I can’t imagine he bought this himself. It was likely a partner, or a friend, who got this for him as a gift and he’s worn it ever since. Regardless, they matched him spot-on with mandarin orange, iris, vanilla and leather. This is a sexy, masculine scent that has everyone swooning (including me).

Leon Kennedy

Bleu De Chanel 

-I will die on the “Leon is a clean boy” hill. As soon as he gets back from a mission, the first thing he wants to do is shower. This combination of woody notes, lemon, mint, and pineapple are the ultimate fresh boy experience. After he cleans off the zombie guts, he sprays this and everyone is on him. A clean Leon is a very happy Leon.

Ada Wong

Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac 

-I had to go in for her. She’s a very sexy and mysterious heartbreaker. Girl has her reasons for doing the shit she does and I know she doesn’t care about others opinions. This girl is vanilla with a sharp edge of amber, leather, and musk. A bad girl in a tight, red dress will want some baddie elegance, hence this is her ultimate weapon. 

Ashley Graham 

Jousset Accident À La Vanille 

-Ashley is young, flirty, and clearly the damsel in distress (there, I said it). However, she carries herself well and has some kind of faith in the world. This fragrance is rather pricy, but she’s the president’s daughter, so who cares. She is going to smell like a creme-saver as this fragrance is nothing but vanilla on vanilla on a splash of sandalwood. 

Luis Sera

H Habibi Honeyed Tobacco & Oud

-Luis is a tricky fellow, but I managed to pin down a fragrance I think he’d like. Man oozes sensuality, yet you can also pick up on the levels of distain in his tone at times. Notes of honey, sweet tobacco, and oud combine everything that Luis exudes and at a price everyone can enjoy (wink wink). Tell me you wouldn’t crave his scent and I know you’d be lying.

Merchant (for fun)

Fantomas Nasomatto 

-Okay, this isn’t a conventional fragrance by any means, but Merchant doesn’t seem like the guy to buy into fashionable perfumes. I would imagine his natural scent is similar to this Nasomatto with notes of gunpowder, earth, a few sweet notes, and smoky patchouli. Dude sells weapons and my personal headcanon is that he sucks on candies throughout the day, hence the slight sweetness.   

[russellius]

what's an appropriate way to say thank you to a coworker who brought you a sample of the cologne your blorbo is [most probably] using????????????

it's a super interesting scent btw!!! from the bottle it's very lemony, a lot of cypress, pine(?), and off the bat it almost smelled a bit like honey on my skin?? there is a lot going on in it, and at first it seemed sweet, but once it calms down, most of this early sweetness is gone (there is still a tiny bit that lingers though, which is really nice), and the bitter, fresh parts with the sea vibes take over. it's very elegant, clean, yet unique. there is a vibrant streak to it, but it smells old school, like a classic. after about an hour it got deeper on me, and more spice appeared, which was very lovely. it also has a very prominent layer of that usual masculine scent most male fragrances have, while still being airy, so it's not that in your face feeling, but the one that really draws you in instead. overall the mediterranean description is spot on. a massive W in my eyes

[selkielore]

my campus is trying to be “scent free” and is asking students to not wear perfumes or scented deodorant. i am NOT doing that!

[sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine]

I love my friends that let me geek out over fragrances with them

[websterstylemag]

Getting real on Ren's Red Room

I stopped in recently on Ren’s Red Room to talk about what prompted her to get into YouTubing. During the way we talk about fragrances, love, relationships, polygamy, & Jonathan Majors. For more information on Ren and her Red Room, check her Instagram: https://instagram.com/@renredroom1. Ways To SupportBasil and Sage, visit them at https://basilandsage.com/. Use code WEBSTERSTYLE10Become a…

[churipu]

OK HEAR ME OUT

nerd!nanami x girly!reader pls pls pls

thankss 💗

NANAMI WITH A GIRLY GIRL ૮₍ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა

featuring. nanami kento x fem! reader

warnings. i'm gonna make this a college! au , and a little cursing

note. hi nonnie, sorry that i just got to your request now — but i hope you like this :< uni's already getting real hectic, so updates might be a lil on the slow side.

nanami didn't fall in love with you at first sight — in fact, he finds you quite the nuisance. the way everyone loves you just because of the way you talk, the way you dress, the way you smell, your body language. he thinks it was all a simple act to fool people.

"hi, nanami!" you greet him, your bright pink colored apron dress flowing against the wind as you walked towards him elegantly — a white cotton cardigan covering your shoulders.

the male arched his brow mutely at your cheery voice, wondering what could someone like you want from him, "do you need anything?" he asks.

initially he thought that you were one of those people who'd woo him and try to get him to do your assignments, but he was proven wrong when you shook your head. giving out the brightest smile, showing off your pearly whites, "no, i was just saying hi."

then you brushed by him, the smell of your sweet fragrance entering his nostrils. sandalwood. you smelt like sandalwood and a hint of vanilla.

though he could then make sure of one thing, what an odd girl.

nanami was a good student. he focuses on his studies, while you try to fit in a bit of everything in your schedule — playing, hanging out, studying. but at the end of the day, nanami finds it shocking that you could pass with flying colors.

from his peripheral vision, nanami could see people crowding around you. he tells himself he didn't care about you, yet here was wondering why they were all over you.

"you told us you didn't study, you liar!" a girl pointed out accusingly at you, a smile pressed onto her lips.

"i just got lucky, i swear."

"that's what you said last time, y/n."

nanami didn't mean to eavesdrop, he knew it was wrong to hear someone else's conversation. but he couldn't help it when these people were speaking loudly — the only thing he could focus on was the fact that you had a perfect score.

call him weird, but he's all in for the brains.

the first time he officially spoke to you — nanami was a mess. he had never been in a proper conversation with most of the people at campus. most he's been in one is when he had to tell his group members off for being useless, but that was about it. and with you, he's a little awkward.

"oh, hi nanami! do you need anything?" you noticed that the male was eyeing you from his seat.

upon realizing what he had done, nanami immediately averted his gaze to the front. ignoring your words, not putting a second thought to it — but you shrugged it off anyways.

and the second time he laid his eyes on you for quite some time, it was in the middle of a lecture. so you slipped a note asking if he needed anything, and he replied with his own handwriting, saying "no".

embarrassed he'd gotten caught again. nanami felt like he was being discreet about his staring when in reality, it wasn't. and it's funny.

nanami didn't really understand why he was feeling like this. and he had nobody to talk to or ask about his feelings — so he made an assumption, it was the flu. coming into the lecture hall with a scarf tucked into his neck, and a white mask covering the lower half of his face.

"nanami, are you sick?" you asked him, and he nodded mutely, "well, it is flu season after all. i hope you get well soon."

nanami felt his heart flutter, and he chewed on his lips in frustration — if the mask had not been on his face, he was sure you'd be able to notice the frustration lingering in his expression.

his fingers frantically typing on the search engine typing out his symptoms, and every one of the choices ended up telling him the same thing.

he's in love.

but the male denied that, talking to himself how the internet was just a waste of time. he's in denial for a bit.

he's in denial of his own feelings. and would constantly turn away whenever you're there, passing by you in a rush as you were greeting him, or moving away to another seat when you sat next to him. forgetting the fact that you were also affected by his actions, wondering what you did wrong to him.

"hi nanami—" you waved your hand as the two of you passed by each other in the hallway.

but the male brushes past you in a flash, not even letting you finish your sentence. and you shrugged thinking that he might be in a rush.

but when it happened, again and again. you could definitely conclude that he is indeed avoiding you — hell, he won't even spare you a glance. and you wondered what you did wrong to him.

"is this seat—" you approached the seat next to him, ready to claim it but he stood up packing his things and moving to a lone seat three rows behind, "taken..?"

ouch.

nanami didn't feel like he did anything wrong until he was met by one of your friends. who — well, said anything but nice things to him. threats. warnings. and questions. even nanami didn't know the answer to.

"what the fuck did you do to y/n?" the female said, eyeing nanami up and down judgmentally.

what did he do to you?

"what?"

"i said, what did you do to her you dipshit?" wow. nanami could only furrow his brows, thinking of a possible answer that he is sure of because of the looks of it — even he didn't know what was going on right now, "why did you make her sad?"

"sad?" nanami questions, "i didn't talk to her."

"exactly. why didn't you? you know she likes you, right?" nanami's breath hitched at the revelation, and he shook his head, "what? are you stupid? and here i thought she was being too fucking obvious, god . . ."

he was too caught up to hear what the angry female in front of him had to say, he just focused on the fact that you— y/n l/n— liked him.

he was stupid with all these new feelings. and nanami wasn't used to being stupid — so for the first time, he had to ask your friend's help. asking guidance for what he should do, what you like, what he needed to say to you.

"just say you're sorry and confess. you like her too don't you?" your friend exasperatedly explained, already feeling a little exhausted from having to tell such a smart but idiotic male about love.

"okay."

your friend was a bit skeptical, so she had to elaborate and make a script for him (which he ended up reading in front of you by the way), "just try to memorize this and go."

nanami in fact, could not memorize the script.

when he knocked on your door, reading off the script in front of you. you find it funny, because you didn't know what was going on or what you expected.

"what are you doing, nanami?" you chuckled, shutting the door behind you as the male stood on your porch, holding the small paper your friend gave to him in his hand.

"apologizing."

"for what?"

"your friend told me i made you sad by avoiding you," you choked on your own breath, a bit embarrassed by your friend — flailing your hands a bit.

"she did? oh my god. i'll tell her to say sorry . . ."

nanami shook his head, "it's alright. and i like you too."

nanami and you made it official that night. and he, oh my god, he spoils you. rotten. despite being a college student — nanami has money. buying you dresses, hair accessories, flowers, anything he thinks reminded him of you, he will buy it for you.

"ken, what's this?" you question him as the male handed you a pink colored plastic bag.

nanami didn't answer you, but beckoned you to open it and to see for yourself. when you did, the sight of two shiny hair accessories made your heart flutter, "you got this for me? thank you so much, kento."

nanami gets very happy when he sees you using the things he buys for you, and he gets pretty upset when you tell him that he shouldn't be spending so much on you.

despite your advice, nanami still buys everything for you. he doesn't regret anything if it's about you.

he's a little tweaky and awkward at first, but as time goes by. he gets the hang of dating and relationships. the most gentle male, holding your hand, he will never let you walk on the outside part of the sidewalk, he stands behind you during an escalator ride up because you love to wear dresses, he will exchange his shoes for you if your feet were paining because of your own shoes (and he will carry your shoes for you), will carry your shopping bags and even your normal bag for you.

"let me carry that," he grabs your bag and carries it before lacing his fingers with yours.

"ken, you don't have to—"

"i insist." he cuts you off, smiling down at you and his hand squeezes yours lightly as if telling you that it was completely okay to rely on him because he loves it when you rely on him.

he absolutely loves going shopping with you. he gets the first look at new outfits, and he absolutely loves when you bring him to shop for new dresses. telling you to do a little twirl before complimenting you and how beautiful you looked. he always, always, ends up buying them all for you.

"so? how do i look?" you opened the door to the fitting room cubicle, showing yourself.

nanami had to hold back a smile from forming on his face, "turn around," he softly said — and when you did as he was told, the hem of your dress fluttering around as your body turns.

he finally broke into the smile, "you look beautiful." nanami compliments, taking your hand in his, "take the dress."

you chuckled, "ken, i already have two others. and you spent a lot on me — i don't want you to spend more on me."

nonsense.

nanami gets it for you unknowingly anyways, giving it to you on the walk back home from the mall. he always does that. always.

© CHURIPU 2024 , DO NOT COPY OR REPOST ANYWHERE

[wroteclassicaly]

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Female Reader

Warnings: Dry humping, Steve comes in his pants, language, overall NSFW, mild mentions of roleplay with Steve’s old highschool title, some touching, & Steve tasting the reader off his fingers.

A/N: I get extremely thirsty for Steve, especially when we get new JK content (we’ve been fed)! This fic was inspired by this post… Hope y’all enjoy?! 🤭❤️

If you ask Steve Harrington what his favorite smell is, he’s always going to have the very same answer. You. Hell, you accumulate all of his senses; taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell. When he isn’t looking at you, doesn’t have his hands on you, isn’t buried with his tongue between your legs or his fingers inside to sample, hear your soft whimpers or pleads, loud yells during your sassier moments, your voice crying out for him, when he can’t smell your perfume on your soft skin, maybe even your body lotion - whatever product you like to lather on — he goes insane. So it’s no surprise that your chlorine soaked skin had driven him to his very brink, causing a defined pout to capture his Cupid’s bow as you slighted his advances to go and take a post-pool bath. No amount of that cute little pearly white smirking that he did, promises that he didn’t mind - none of it worked.

Steve had sulked to the guest shower, retreating after in a new pair of jeans, relaxing on his living room couch, nursing a beer and a sturdy irritation. It wasn’t hot, no, the AC worked fine, but as he ran his hand through his fuzzy sternum-clad mane, his imagination had catapulted beyond reason. He wanted you. His tongue was slick but it wasn’t with you, his fingers dry, his nose inhaling his own apple and cedarwood body wash. He’d looked over and it wasn’t you he saw, just a condensed soaked brown bottle overflowing on the coaster.

“Stevie? Is that the last beer, baby?” He perked immediately, the soft pudge of his stomach squishing against his belt as he leaned up to indulge in two senses; sight and sound.

You’d brought your own toiletry bag, and he was smacked in the face with your delicious fragrance. That, and your baggy t-shirt with a faded logo on it that you had thrifted for lounging purposes, complete with your white cotton panties that had a pink daisy on the crotch.

He needed you.

You barely have time to wash down some sips of your boyfriend’s beer and he’s wrapping his arms around you from behind, letting out a growl in your ear as he falls back onto the couch with you. “Jesus, Steve.”

“I know it’s Sunday, but only King Steve is here, honey.”

“Are you still in your glory years, babe?” You snort softly, even though you are aware of what he’s about to respond with.

“You’re the only one that can call me that now, and, as I recall, “— he cuts himself off, leaning into a sitting position, taking you with him, “— it makes you cum pretty fuckin’ hard, sweetheart,” he rubs a calloused thumb behind your ear, trickling down towards the lobe, before continuing, “and you love how mean I get. Just like highschool, but your pussy is all for me this time.”

You let him maneuver you onto him into a straddle, watching him collapse onto his back, his hands on the fat of your thighs, blown hazel scattering those green specks into the black expanding abyss of his pupils. You don’t bother to deny it, you love playing the nerd that he never looked twice at and he takes on that crowned cocky role, letting your old highschool hierarchies stay in the past, but being able to have fun with them. You take his defined digits as he offers them to you, linking together, pushing them beside his head as you press to him, breasts smashed into his naked chest. Steve expected to take control, ravage you first, however — you shock him. Your teeth nip at his stubble bitten chin, licking your way underneath his jawline and across his jugular, just in time for him to swallow against your kisses. Apparently you’ve needed him just as much, if the newly accumulated warmth in your panties is anything to go by.

Steve can feel it sinking through his denim wash jeans, that sopping wet spot in your cute little panties as you begin to roll your hips back and forth, thighs tightening around his trim waistline. You raise to a height, moving above him, tossing your head back and letting your eyes close. His thick cock swells embarrassingly fast, even for him. You give little mewls in response, taking your still linked hands up and sliding them beneath your shirt, encouraging him, but never letting him get his fill without your guiding hands. Steve surrenders to it, sweat already slicking his chest and matting the hair back, his dick painfully pressing on his zipper.

He tries to plead for you to let him get some relief, but you merely shake your head, too caught up to register. He’s so thick and warm beneath you, dragging along your soaking wet cunt just right, his bulge helping stretch your overly damp underwear over your clit on every thrust of your hips.

“Shit, shit… Honey, are you soaked? Feels like — fuck!”

He pushes your hands out of the way and rips your shirt over your head, you helping him discard it with an audible cast off, automatically letting him play with your tits. His thumbs rub, fingertips pinch at your nipples. His tongue is dry, wanting to kiss you, taste the cream from between your thighs, lick your salty skin. Through his quickening pulse that rushes through his ears, the glassy haze in his eyes — Steve looks down between your legs. He whines, giving you a heightened sense of power and pride.

His view is rewarding, aside from his raging need to cum, he sees the saturated, sticky crotch that darkens the daisy decor on your panties. And it’s seeping out all over him. A sudden tightness latches onto his muscles, clings like a vice, tickling him with an electrifying ache. His eyes widen, lips parting, a desperation he wasn’t aware could come from him appears, “Honey, I’m cumming. Baby, please —“

His toes curl, thighs tremble against yours, his back arching into the raw and untouched stimulation, and you push down, rocking in harder, faster. He’s done for. You spread your legs a little wider, right in time to see his orgasm darken his jeans in a rather… large patch. He’s crying out and panting your name, all the veins in his throat tensing and constricting as he rides the last of it out. It beckons you into helping yourself, his combined essence mixing with yours as you pull your underwear to the side and gently rub your clit back and forth across the mess, the scratchy material wet enough to not hurt.

“Good girl, that’s my sweet fuckin’ babygirl..” Steve has found his voice again, releasing one set of laced hands, reaching to spread your lips apart, his other palming your breast, before sliding up your neck to squeeze and letting his thumb press into your mouth. “Yeah, s’ a good sweetheart for me, sucking on my thumb as you rub this little clit in my cum,” he flicks your button with his thumb, “feel powerful making me cum like that, don’t you? Haven’t done that in years, baby. See what you make of me?”

He’s babbling, disbelief that he resorted to being unable to hold it, that fire too strong, his desire too carnal for you.

You lose control now, bowing over and letting his thumb rest at your lips, both hands raising to suction to his wrist. He licks his parched mouth, pushing his hips slightly to tilt you over the edge and into his hold. “That’s it. Fuck, that’s it, honey. Holy-fucking-shit!”

The coil in you snaps and Steve sees that translucent cream pour out of your opening and drip onto his jeans. You moan out his name, thighs quaking beyond your control, and you don’t protest him raising up to steal the last of your orgasm in a kiss, his thumbpad slowly working over to your clit to assist your climactic completion. Your heart is racing, lips parting from his with a smack, his finger stilling, swiping through your drenched seam to sample, bringing it up to finally have his favorite taste. You’re grinning, eager to pounce, knowing this night is not over.

Still, you can’t resist the urge to tease, trying to ease the shaking in your jello-fied limbs. “Mhm, looks like you’re gonna need a shower, King Steve, because the nerd just owned you. Can we time travel into 83 to tell you about that?”

With a still heaving, curly and chestnut colored set of tresses, Steve gets that look in his eyes. “You better get your ass upstairs, little girl. You’re wet enough to take me, so we’ll see who truly owns who.”

Mutual parties that belong to one another, but Steve is ready to play and you’re not ready to playfully argue…

// Eat me paragraph //

[sanjisprincesswifey]

Happy Holidays <3. Can I get Law, Luffy, or Sanji for ur Secret Santa event and for a female reader? That Grinch Law post was too cute :]

Love ur content btw <333

happy holidays to you, sweet love! thank you so much for enjoying my content :)

you’ve received law + christmas lover x grinch character

❆: pushing my nerd law agenda, slightly suggestive, reader is implied female, 1000+ words!

the tinging smell of cinnamon and citrus burned through law’s senses.

when he had adhered to the complaints of his subordinates, agreeing to dock on the wintery island, he quickly came to realize how terrible of an idea that was.

if he could reverse time and punch himself in the face, he would.

the streets and store windows were decorated from floor to ceiling with wreaths, garlands, and so many lights law swore he would go blind.

it’s not that he hated all the extravaganza of this holiday, it just…wasn’t for him. too noisy, fragrances that could cause migraines the second they appeared, and not to mention the affection that he was doomed to receive.

as law rounds the corner of a main street, the band that he previously wasn’t paying any mind to, now boomed off the stone buildings and rattled inside his head.

he finds sanctuary in a small shop that was similarly dressed as the many others he passed by, but was quiet as he stepped inside.

the store contained many items: handmade jewlery, art, postcards, basic touristy crap that wouldn’t interest him any other day. but now that he had you on his mind, consider his interested piqued as he diligently observes the items for something you’d like.

“captain?” you call, tapping his shoulder.

speak of the devil.

when law turns to you, his boiler suit had been discarded for a simple red dress with white frills lining the edges. instead of scolding you for removing your uniform, he was at a loss for words. a lump remaining in his throat as he gives you a once over.

the curves of your body so effortlessly hugged by your outfit, features he has not yet been able to fully appreciate.

“not a fan of all the joy?” you joke, innocently smiling up at him. you bite at your bottom lip so sweetly, he has to fight back a groan.

he awkwardly chuckles, reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “it was just, uh, a bit too loud for me,” he explains, nodding his head as you pass by him. “you know me.”

it’s your turn nod, squeezing his bicep slightly. “yeah, i do,” you hum, taking your own opportunity to look around the store.

his gaze is obligated to follow you and his legs soon join.

should he compliment you? tell you how…pretty…you look today?

wait…how would he even say that?

what is the protocol here? you had only been dating for a couple months.

you’d probably laugh in his face, like the loser he is.

“law?” you say a bit louder, recollecting his attention.

his steel gray eyes glance over to you and then to the box of coins that are displayed on the table below.

“don’t you collect these?” you smile, holding up a commemorative coin that you were clueless about.

law nods, an uncharacteristically, goofy smile etching his face as he picks up a couple, inspecting them with incredible attention to detail.

“i do, i haven’t seen these before though,” he exasperatingly says, eyeing the item as if he were a kid in the candy store. “you know, they don’t even print this kind anymore.”

you fight back a giggle, “wow, really?”

enthusiastically nodding, he begins to educate you on the history of these specific coins, unraveling long tangents that you couldn’t understand even if you wanted to.

there’s a faint blush in his cheeks as he searches through the box, displaying for you each kind of coin.

you notice a pile set aside; they must’ve been for him to purchase.

“getting those?” you question, putting an abrupt end to his speech.

“think so, don’t have them yet so might as well, right?” he picks them up from the table, observing them in his hand right as you reach up to cup his hand.

by his widened eyes and averting gaze you can tell he doesn’t understand what you’re doing. but he don’t pull away from your touch, just stands there, confused as you snatch the coins and hurry to the register to pay.

his brows furrow as he watches you and the clerk exchange niceties, then berries, and finally he hands you a bag with the goodies inside.

wiggling the bag in his face, you take his hand and lead him out of the store.

“just snagged your christmas present,” you tease, tongue poking from the side of your mouth.

the music from before resumes, but this time law doesn’t mind as much. he feels your fingers entangle with his, guiding him with you as you lead him to a much more private street.

this street had been adorned with icicle lights, a gentle yellow hue coating the area.

you don’t release his hand from your hold and with his tightened grip on you, you figure he doesn’t mind all that much.

taking the opportunity, you lean in closer, resting your head on his arm as the two of you stroll down the narrow path.

a flush colors his face when he stiffens just a bit too much to go unnoticed by you.

“still so nervous,” you coo, the softness in your tone enough melt his heart.

“when you’re wearing that i can’t really help it,” he laughs. “kinda been speechless since i first saw you.”

“ah,” you sigh, leaning up to plant a soft peck on his cheek. “look at me, being wooed by the surgeon of death.”

“not just today,” he interrupts, clearly stuck in his own train of thought. “from the moment i first met you, i couldn’t stop thinking about you and what you do to me.”

you glance down the street, satisfied that the few people who once occupied the area had vacated. the blue feathers of law’s jacket collar ruffle underneath your touch as you drag him with you into a secluded alleyway.

his fingers thread through your hair while his other hand hits the wall to protect you from collision.

“and what do i do to you?” you whisper against his lips, keeping only centimeters between you two.

before he gets the chance to respond either verbally or physically, his transponder snail starts to ring which draws a long exasperated sigh from the both of you.

“i was actually enjoying myself for once,” he grits before the onslaught of cries come from his prone-to-trouble crew members.

“look who loves christmas now,” you joke, pinching his cheek.

though he rolls his eyes, by the smile that perks at the corners of his lips you can tell it’s just for show.

likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated! (✿◠‿◠)

[retrofragrances]

Understanding Perfume Families: A Beginner's Guide (eBook)

Pay What You Want Pricing (PWYW)

When you click here, you’ll see a suggested-price input field. If you can afford the suggested price—great! But if you can’t, just type in a price you can afford. The minimum price for the purchase is 0.99 USD. You can pay with other currencies too. It’s all done with digital magic! Thank you for supporting RetroFragrances.com.

*Written in American English. All sales are final.

What are Perfume Families and Why Should I Care?

Perfume families, also known as fragrance families and olfactory families, are perfume categories based on a fragrance’s most prominent scents.

Knowing how to categorize your fragrances will help you to more easily shop for perfumes you’ll love, spend less time looking for a perfume you’ll love, and prevent you from wearing the wrong perfume at the wrong time.

By knowing a perfume’s olfactory family, you’ll know which perfume family smells best on you, which family you like the best, and which family to wear according to season.

If you have a fragrance that smells great on you, learning which perfume family it belongs to will help you find more perfumes that will smell great on you.

Weather Affects My Perfume’s Smell?

Yes, it does. Have you ever bought a new glorious-smelling perfume for a summer holiday and received loads of compliments, but those compliments stopped coming when you wore the same perfume in autumn? It’s because you wore a perfume that belonged to a fragrance family designed for warm-weather use.

Are You Easily Data-Overwhelmed?

Perfume-family classification is a complex topic. Its complexity is enhanced by the fact that professional perfumers often disagree on which family to place a fragrance. Just to make it more confusing, there are not only families, but subfamilies and sub-subfamilies and more.

Keep It Simple!

Breaking such a complex topic into a fast easy read will give you a solid foundation that can be built upon and expanded. For hobbyists who only want to know the basics, “Understanding Perfume Families: A Beginner’s Guide” is all you need. For those of you who want to expand your knowledge, “Understanding Perfume Families: A Beginner’s Guide” will give you a strong base to build on.

[a-magpie-in-gravesfield]

Just me nerding out about fragrances

I was asked about the scents I picked for the fragrances I use on my letters/the other sents I came up with, so I decided to make a whole document nerding out about my thought process behind each one XD I might come up with a few more in the future, I'll put a "keep reading" so this post doesn't clog your timeline because it's VERY long XD

EMPEROR'S COVEN

Scent description : 

This is what I imagine the castle/Philip to smell like - it's the scent I use for the first couple letters I send with Etsy orders. It’s not too overpowering, it’s fairly calming and reminds me a little bit of scents from old historical buildings.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

Incense is often used in churches, which I thought would be pretty fitting for the character, especially considering the castle is, well, a coven ahah. The incense scent also has notes of sandalwood, which according to google "Because of sandalwood's purifying properties, it is believed to help clear negative energy from our surroundings. For this reason, spiritual ceremonies often use it to create a sacred space." Considering Belos says he wants to purify the isles from wild magic, this seemed to fit his vibe too (Obviously I don’t agree with this, but I was trying to pick scents that would be fitting the vibes of specific locations, so I tried my best to represent them the way they were intended to be portrayed, if that makes sense !). "Library" scent was because I can see the castle having a lot of these, Philip seems to be the kind to enjoy books a lot. The scent also has undertones of leather, dark musk and teakwood which I thought were scents that could go well with the castle too. For the "sage and cypress" cents, I found on google "Sage is also a symbol of protection, a guardian that stands sentinel against unseen forces that may seek to disrupt one's state of balance.", and that also fits the way Philip portrays his coven, where everything is always in order etc. The cypress tones were mostly because the castle is surrounded by a forest, but cypress also represents "everlasting life" and is also "used in rituals with the dead", also very fitting for the character ! "Golden Santal" had a really fitting name because of the gold part, cedar also represents "protection, wisdom and strength", lavender is told to have calming properties (and Philip often has a calm demeanour), amber and musk also contribute to those castle vibes.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

GRAVESFIELD

Scent description : 

This smells a little like after it rained outside, and has a sort of sad/gloomy vibe to it.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

"Rainy Morning" is a scent I wanted to use because rain seems to have significance to Philip, but also because rain scents can give a kind of sad/gloomy feeling, which I thought would be pretty fitting for 1600s Gravesfield "Noble pine" is a scent I picked because the town was surrounded by a lot of forest areas, Incense was used for the same reason as it was in the Emperor's coven scent, because church was very present in Gravesfield at the time. Sandalwood is "Said to bring people closer to the divine, inciting calmness and clearing the mind, it is the most commonly used incense for meditation, prayer, and other spiritual practices across multiple religions.", which also felt fitting for the town.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PEACEFUL MEMORIES

Scent description : 

It smells really really sweet, it has a very “cheerful” and floral vibe to it.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

This scent isn't something I imagined a specific area to smell like, but was more meant to represent a certain mood, when I made it I was thinking about the good memories Philip and Caleb would have when they used to play as kids. Firewood is a scent I picked because I imagined this is what they used a lot to cook, and the scent also has undertones of sandalwood and incense. Even tho in that case the religious memories aren't the best for him, I thought that since these scents would have been a huge part of their upbringing, it would still bring memories of home. Moonflower is a scent I picked for two reasons, one of them was that during my research, I found "Moonflower is an essence that supports the heart in healing deep wounds of abandonment, rejection or betrayal.", which is probably what both of them felt when they lost their family (parents), but also being outcast by the town, and then how Philip specifically felt like when Caleb left. But the main other thing I found while looking it up was "Since they bloom in the darkness, moonflowers are also symbols of the ability of beauty to emerge in dark times. They can provide hope for people who are going through tough times and encourage them to seek positivity.", and I thought this was extremely fitting regarding the two brothers trying to make the best of their lives in a dark town like Gravesfield. Red roses can have many meanings, but in that specific context, I was thinking of "On a spiritual level, red roses symbolise passion and sacrifice.", so I was thinking about Caleb sacrificing his own childhood to raise his little brother. Red roses are known to represent love, but in that context I was definitely thinking of it in a familial sense. "Noble Pine" was meant to reference their time playing together in the woods.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

LORD BELOS

Scent description : 

It has a strong smell of spices, like if you walked in an old caravan and a lot of spices had been left to dry there.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

This scent was specifically thought of in the context of the caravan I designed for Philip's preacher era, aka what I imagined the inside smelling like. "Mountain Mist" was definitely a reference to the outdoors, him travelling through mountains and snow from town to town. Sage and cypress are there for the same reason as they are in the Emperor's Coven scent, I was thinking of Philip seeing his quest as "bringing order", plus this is a very woodsy scent, and the caravan is mostly made out of wood. For Smoked Oud, I read "Eastern culture often uses Oud during moments of prayer with the aim of getting close to God. The extremely intense smell is linked to the sacred, in fact oud is called “the wood of the Gods” in the Old Testament." I imagined Philip burning a lot of incense-like scents in the caravan as if to remind himself why he was pursuing his "holy quest" as he would see it, the general "Lord Belos" fragrance has a very "spicy" smell which I found fitting for that. "Frosted Juniper" is mostly there because I wanted the woodsy sent to be really present and also have a "winter-y" feel because of the snow we see in the preacher era memory flashback. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREACHER

Scent description : 

It’s definitely not a sweet scent, it’s very citrus-y with a lot of forest type scents (think if you get really close to a pine tree for example)

Thoughts behind the scent : 

This one is more of a "vibe" scent than a location scent, I was trying to think of the mood from his preacher era. "Firewood" definitely had to be in there because of the burning cities, "woodland snow" was there for the snowy landscapes. "White Birch" also has Eucalyptus notes which is often associated with winter, and Pine and Cypress both have the same sylbols as mentioned in previous paragraphs, but Philip seemed to travel through a lot of forest-like areas, so  wanted the woodsy scent to be very present too. Sandalwood as mentioned above was used a lot in religious ceremonies and incense, it also has undertones of "amber" and "dark musk", and I wanted to make sure this scent didn't really smell "sweet" in any way.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAST

Scent description : 

It smells like mossy wet dirt, it doesn’t have any “perfume” type scent to it. It’ll really smell like it just rained and you opened the window very wide.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

I know there are a lot of different interpretations of what Philip's beast form would smell like, some think it would be more like rotting flesh and some think it would be more like moss-type scents.

Personally I went with the moss interpretation (I felt like if the smell was as bad as rotting flesh we would have seen characters like Luz react to that when standing close to him, but there was no indication of that), and his curse spreading also seemed very plant/mushroom like. I also didn't want to create a scent that was fully repulsive because no one would want to smell it ahah

But in any case, with that explanation out of the way, the "cut grass" and "rainy morning" scents are there for that exact reason. Cedarwood is there because cedar, at least to me, has a very "dusty" kind of smell - I wanted to have some kind of woodsy scent that wouldn't be too floral in the mix, and Leather is there because I have some leather fragrances of my own, and I wanted something a little stronger that would balance out the other "peaceful" scents like cut grass. (Plus, the leather scent also has undertones of incense, so that was a bonus too ahah)

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The scents after this one are more of "vibe scents" I created that aren't reflective of a specific moment from the show, so you can see those are more of my own things. (I picked the scents for every category, I meant more in the sense that these are my own original scenes/vibes ideas).

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOME

Scent description : 

It has a VERY overpowering smoky scent. Think if you just walked in the old Wittebane house but the window had been left opened and there had been fire outside. If you get it in candle form it won’t come off as strong as in pure fragrance form, but definitely think old medieval type outdoor house instead of modern time house.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

I wanted to have a scent vibe for what I could "home" smelling like for Philip. Library definitely had to be in there because Philip most likely enjoyed books and writing a lot, "Lush Linen" was because of the other fancy clothes he owns, like waistcoat etc, and I find the smell of linen very clean, enjoyable and calming. (Tho the more peaceful scents are first definitely overpowered by the smoky scent, you can only pick up on those when the scent settles a bit, if that makes sense). It also has undertones of white tea in the scent description, and I can definitely see him as a tea person. Lavender embers is a little different from the lavender scent I used in "Peace" later, but lavender is also calming, and "smoke" is a smell I thought would be fairly present in Gravesfield (mostly referring of people cooking over firewood outside). "Redwoods" is a very woodsy scent, and the outdoors would probably be a very home-y feel as well (more in the sense that it would seem familiar to someone from that time period rather than what a current home would smell like).

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FREE

Scent description : 

It has a very floral and outdoors type scent, but it doesn’t smell as overpoweringly sweet the way “peaceful memories” does, it gives me way calmer vibes.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

I was thinking of this as more of an AU type scent of, what if things had never gone bad, the moonflower scent is there for the same reason as it is in "Peaceful Memories" ("Moonflower is an essence that supports the heart in healing deep wounds of abandonment, rejection or betrayal.", which is probably what both of them felt when they lost their family (parents), but also being outcast by the town, and then how Philip specifically felt like when Caleb left. But the main other thing I found while looking it up was "Since they bloom in the darkness, moonflowers are also symbols of the ability of beauty to emerge in dark times. They can provide hope for people who are going through tough times and encourage them to seek positivity.") Incense usually has a church feel to it, but a lot of people also use it for things like meditation, and I find the smell very calming personally. Library definitely had to come back once again ahah

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PEACE

Scent description : 

It’s a very soft and calming scent. When I smell it I really think “peace” ahah. You can definitely smell the lavender, it also has a very clean and fresh type smell.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

That one was more of a vibe scent as well. I'm guessing that back in Gravesfield, Philip had some moments to indulge in his hobbies such as writing, drawing, creating things in general. I was picked a lavender based scent because lavender has calming properties, tho the lavender scent doesn't feel too present to me. Library is there because I definitely picture him as a bookworm. The scent is super calming as a whole and something I love having around when I draw, probably one of my favorites actually ! Cedar and wood are also some undertone scents I could see him have in his old house.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

WITTEBANE

Scent description : 

It has a very soft scent, very outdoors-like. You can smell some floral smells, it has a very mossy undertone.

Thoughts behind the scent : 

I know Violet can seem like a strange choice of scent, but I didn't want to re use too much of the other previous scents, and in my research I found a lot of little facts : Violets have a symbol of "faith and spiritual passion", there are also superstitions that "Carrying violets keep malevolent spirits at bay". Another interesting thing I found was "The ancient Romans gave the violet flower a sombre interpretation. They perceived the deep colour of the flower as an image of spilt blood while its soothing scent lent a peaceful aura to proceedings.".The color of (blue) violets also feels very similar to the Wittebane coat (my interpretation of that is that it belonged to their father, was then passed down to Caleb and then Philip). Saffron was also a scent undertone of the "Violet" fragrance, and saffron has a lot of spiritual meanings such as "being closer to the divine". Another meaning of saffron is "courage and sacrifice", which Caleb would have definitely went through for his brother. But even tho we know Philip didn't make the right choices, he probably saw himself as doing those exact same things for Caleb when he went after him to "save" him (since well, going to the demon realm was probably the same as going to actual Hell to someone from his era). Saffron is also a very expensive spice, and I felt like it was fitting to the vibe the Wittebane statue gives off (considering the clothes they are represented with, even tho we know they had a very difficult upbringing). Leather is another scent that I liked being used as an undertone, because it balances out the floral sweetness a little. "Redwoods" is there mostly because growing up surrounded by the forest is a big part of the characters, so I wanted a woodsy smell to be very present. Cedar, Moss and Embers also balance out the rest of the scents.

[haveusmelledthisperfume]

Do you have a fragrance you'd like to recommend for a future poll?

Please send it to our inbox!

Thank you to everyone who has followed this new blog, we appreciate you so very much.

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Utsukushii Kare master post

With Utsukushii Kare: Eternal becoming available on streaming in Japan and rumors of international streaming distribution on the horizon, I thought this might be a good time to do a roundup post of all of my meta writing on the series so far. There's quite a bit of it. Between the complexity of the psychological themes in this series and my capacity for hyperfocus, I ended up with a lot to say.

In case it doesn't go without saying, this post is subject to change as I continue to post on this topic.

The psychological paradoxes of Utsukushii Kare

This is a series of posts (the current plan is to write three installments) about what it says on the tin: paradoxical psychological dynamics in Utsukushii Kare. These are things about the characters that may seem contradictory at first but can be accounted for by digging deeper into some psychological concepts. These posts are focused on the series (both seasons) but will draw from the movie and from the novel and related stories when they illustrate points about the series.

Part 1: Covert grandiosity and finding status through idealization - A pretty deep dive into 1) the subtle ways Hira shows that while his self-image can be highly negative in some ways, in other respects he feels superior to others and 2) how by elevating Kiyoi’s status and humbling himself in comparison, Hira attains a different kind of status.

An addendum of sorts to part 1: Hira's parents and his self-defeating tendencies - Some guesswork about how Hira's parents could have contributed to his self-defeating personality, with some further discussion of specific self-defeating strategies he uses in his relationship with Kiyoi and elsewhere.

Utsukushii Kare through the lens of pursuer-distancer dynamics and related psychological concepts:

The pursuer-distancer dyad & how it applies to the world of BL - a primer on this psychological concept and how it applies to BL generally, with a brief reference to how this concept applies to Utsukare (also touches on Semantic Error and talks in detail about an example from To My Star 2). This one isn't super focused on Utsukushii Kare but is pretty de rigeur for understanding my UK posts on this topic.

Paradoxical roles; or, I think I finally figured out the pursuer-distancer dynamic in Utsukushii Kare - This post comes after some of the posts listed below but I recommend reading it first as this is really where (I think) I cracked the code on this aspect of the story.

Pursuer-distancer roles & attachment style in Utsukushii Kare, Part 1: Hira - In-depth discussion of Hira's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Pursuer-distancer roles and attachment style in Utsukushii Kare Part 2: Kiyoi - In-depth discussion of Kiyoi's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Re-evaluating pursuing & distancing in Utsukushii Kare season 1 - super detailed post working out my thoughts about pursuing and distancing in season 1

On the way Sakai Mai (the series' director) uses seme left, uke right framing and its significance in BL and other Japanese media:

Using an example from the s2e1 with the girl who hits on Hira at a party (via a reblog of a gifset from @nanons)

On the way Sakai flips Hira's and Kiyoi's position in the frame in two versions of the same scene and what it tells us about its significance

How the persistent/cute trope plays out in Utsukushii Kare season 2, plus related overanalyses of the big season 2 finale kiss:

The persistent and the cute (how "persistent" and "cute" are code words with specific meanings in BL/yaoi/other drama and manga genres/Japanese culture more broadly)

Analyzing the season 2 finale kiss in light of seme left/uke right framing and the persistent/cute trope (in a reblog of a gif post by @nanons)

Reblogging @bl-bracket to lobby for the season 2 finale kiss, with more overanalysis

Fragrance nerd discussion:

This bittersweet fragrance - on the significance of osmanthus/tea olive in Utsukushii Kare season 2, with additional information on the possible significance of the fragrance of osmanthus and perfumes that are either osmanthus soliflores or feature prominent osmanthus notes

Posts on specific season 2 episodes:

initial thoughts about S2e1

Additional (informal) thoughts on s2e1

S2e1 rundown

Hira's incongruous/misaligned affect at the end of s2e1

S2e2 rundown

on S2e2, including pursuer-distancer dynamics and seme left, uke right

Utsukushii Kare S2E4: “face me straight on” (mostly discussing relationship dynamics pointed out in topic-specific metas)

on Utsukushii Kare: Eternal:

Kiyoi and Anna: on Kiyoi’s friendship with Anna and its significance for his personal growth

[with-a-ghost-mr-holmes]

Fluffbruary: Day 26

Most childhood memories Sherlock has deleted. Some, however, have proven worthy of keeping: fragments he can relive for comfort when things get too overwhelming or bleak.

He's six, at his grandmother's house, helping her cook lunch (or, at least, that's what she lets him believe). The fragrance of thyme arrives from the garden through the kitchen windows, and he breathes in deep, filling his lungs with it.

After lunch, they will spend some time outside, his grandmother doing crochet in the back porch, Sherlock playing fetch with Redbeard. An idle and carefree afternoon ahead, to be spent in good company.

Tags:

@fluffbruary @totallysilvergirl @calaisreno @a-victorian-girl @helloliriels @peanitbear @pressurepoint221 @dubiouslynamed @yellowpamonha @ehuether @lgcgjd @gomielka @kittenmadnessandtea @chriscalledmesweetie @justnerdystuffs @missdeliadili @topsyturvy-turtely @fullyouthwerewolf @chinike @iamjustreading @effulgentcorruptedpov @strawberrywinter4 @seagoing-nerd @annaofthenorthernlights @keirgreeneyes @brightbquirky @naefelldaurk @kettykika78 @whatnext2020 @dinner--starving @under-loch-n-key @inevitably-johnlocked  @safedistancefrombeingsmart @meetinginsamarra @gaylilsherlock @snonkerdoodlefizzy221b @7-percent @discordantwords @221beloved @khorazir @johnlockismyreligion @jolieblack @oetkb12 @ninasnakie

Let me know if you want to be added/removed!

And an immense THANK YOU for reblogging/leaving comments/liking my stuff. It means the world to me, and interacting with the fandom is one of my biggest joys! 🥰