Category: Fragrance

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Part 2 — Fragrances

Kenzo Gift Set — Illusion ($72.00 USD) is a cool way to give her the fabulous gift of Kenzo for Mother’s Day. This set is available in Kenzo’s two most popular fragrances, FlowerbyKenzo and KenzoAmour. The kit includes a 1.7oz eau de parfum and 3.4oz Body Milk housed in a graphic gift box. Which one to choose? FlowerbyKenzo has notes of Bulgarian Rose, Parma Violet and White Musk while KenzoAmour has notes of Gentle Rice, Musk and Frangipani Blossom. Both are soft and pretty! Visit www.kenzousa.com to purchase.

Mother’s Day Fragrance Gift Sets ($15.99 USD) — These limited-edition kits include a  full-size fragrance, a $20 gift certificate for 1-800-Flowers, a decorative gift bag with tissue paper and a giftable pouch with a personable “From-To” card.  Choose from six different scents: Halle by Halle Berry, Halle Pure Orchid, Faith Hill, Celine Dion Sensational, Jovan Musk and Jovan White Musk. Purchase at www.target.com.

Or make your own kit with the Cherry Blossom fragrance collection from Bodycology. All Bodycology products are just $4.99 at mass market retailers nationwide.  Choose from body wash, body lotion, body sprays and other fabulous products.

So buy Mom something to perk up her spirits — fragrance always makes you feel (and smell) good!

Thymes Kimono Rose Rollerball Perfume

Kimono Rose Eau de Parfum Rollerball

I love rollerball perfumes. Not only are they portable and convenient, they are an affordable way to try a new perfume.  

Thymes Kimono Rose Rollerball Perfume ($20.00 USD) is a fresh scent that is perfect for spring. It is a sheer floral with clementine, cassis, rose, peony, jasmine petals and vanilla.

This is a great everyday scent. At first, it is swwet and flowery, but it dries down to a powdery floral. Very pretty.

Thymes has other fragrances in rollerball. Visit www.thymes.com to learn more and to purchase great products! Enjoy!

So Elixir — A New Fragrance by Yves Rocher

Yves Rocher So Elixir

So Elixir by Yves Rocher (as described by the website):  

“The essence of glamour. An elixir of femininity for women who love to attract attention, to feel radiant and oh so feminine… A luminous and carnal fragrance with addictive power that leaves behind an unforgettable trail.”Wow, this description certainly makes you want to try it! The first day I wore this fragrance, a woman stopped me demanding to know what I was wearing! And that wasn’t the only time! I think So Elixir elicits such a strong response because it is a mix of as soft floral with a spicy kick to it.   

The notes are: jasmine and tonka bean absolute; essential oils of bergamot, rose and patchouli; extract of incenseThe scent is strong when I first spray it. The patchouli and incense are the first scents I smell. The floral notes and bergamot start to shine once dry-down begins. Finally, you get the marriage of all of the notes and it is so soft and sexy! So nice!  

You may purchase So Elixir at  www.yvesrocherusa.com. It is usually priced at $58.00 for 1.7 oz, but it is currently on sale for $30.00. Go get it ladies!

CLEAN Outdoor Shower Fresh

CLEAN Outdoor Shower Fresh

Do you love CLEAN fragrances? I do! Why? Because they are always fresh and soft and not strongly perfumey. 

Clean’s new scent, Outdoor Shower Fresh ( $69.00 2.14 oz and $38.00 1 oz) includes extracts of water lily, violet leaves and sparkling bergamot with a hint of tropical rain accord and sandalwood. It is “inspired by the exhilarating experience of al fresco showering, secluded by nature. Heady exuberance and feel-good freedom, captured and bottled in a crisp, clean, leafy-green scent.” 

I really enjoy this scent because it is clean and light and is perfect for spring. It is great for women of all ages, I know that my 14-year-old daughter loves it as much as I do. Plus, I feel better about her using CLEAN instead of heavier perfumes. 

You can learn more about this great scent by visiting www.cleanperfume.com

Kenzo’s Eau De Fleur De Plum

Kenzo Eau De Fluer De Prunier Plum

The latest in Kenzo’s Eau De Fleur collection,  De Plum ($55.00 1.7 oz) is classified as a “powdery almond floral”. The website describes it as: 

Plum blossom emerges from the winter chill, scattering a myriad of dainty petals. The spring then hums its powdery floral note with almond verses. Kenzo flower waters are picked from Japanese trees. 

This fragrance smells so fantastic. It is a bit sweet, and powdery, and very sexy. It is very light so I spray it all over, even in my hair. People have been telling me how great I smell since I have been wearing it! 

Kenzo’s Eau De Fleur collection includes the Plum as well as the other three that were introduced last year: Eau De Fleur De Silk, Eau De Fleur De Magnolia and Eau De Fleur De Tea — which is the other Eau De Fleur fragrance I own. The Tea is a sultry floral musk. 

Learn more about these fragrances at www.kenzousa.com. Enjoy!

Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio

Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio

Looking for a fresh and sexy new scent? I was lucky to try a sample of the new Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio scent. This fragrance was inspired by the Ninfa Garden in Rome and Camille Goutal has created a beautiful, fresh, woody citrus with hints of lavender, fig, lemon, and bitter orange. 

The website creatively describes the scent as:  

Lively and vivacious, Ninfeo Mio opens with a breathtaking vapor of Italian lemon and citron. The bitter orange tree unveils its leaves (essence of petitgrain), and its fruits (essence of bitter orange). Gradually, the scene begins to unfurl. Galbanum extract and lentisque absolute deliver a sassy verdure full of life. A faintly aromatic undertone places the scene in a landscape garden, in which conifers thrive alongside lavender, and then the warmth and milky softness of the fig leaf rises up, as if brought by a cool breeze to the nose. The tempo slows down, and gently comes to rest on the skin. The woody accord of the lemon tree, just as milky as the fig, then knits a reassuring blanket, capturing the freshness of the citrus fruit in a downy cocoon. 

I LOVE this fragrance it is fresh and sexy and very different! You know how a single note in a perfume can grab you? I really can smell the fig in this scent. It gives all of the fresh citrus and lavender a sexy base that elevates the whole fragrance. I love wearing it on my pulse points, but also in my hair so I can get a hint of the scent when I move around. So wonderful!  

Available in April at Saks for $80.00, 1.7 oz and $115.00, 3.4 oz, I highly recommend this scent. This fragrance is simply fabulous!

Strange Invisible Perfumes

“From the barge a strange invisible perfume hits the sense of the adjacent wharfs” — Antony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. 

In 2000, botanical perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis founded Strange Invisible Perfumes in her native California. She creates luxury botanical perfumes. She states that, “Our perfumes are melded in the fires of three essential components: pure aromatic plants, reverent distillation, and evocative compositions.”     

The website further explains: “A Strange Invisible Perfume is a soulful, dynamic, living creation that fuses with each wearer’s particular body chemistry to create a unique aromatic expression. Immediately after application to the main pulse points—the insides of the wrists and arms, the nape of the neck, and the shoulders—a subtle evolution begins. Within the first three to five minutes, the perfume uncoils, whispering allusions of how it will eventually inhabit the skin. After ten to fifteen minutes, the dry down process, wherein the alcohol vanishes from the surface of the skin and the top notes begin the quiet, is complete and the true nature of the fragrance is revealed. These botanical perfumes are crafted without the aid of synthetic fixatives, therefore the longevity of an application will vary depending on the wearer’s chemistry and environmental influences.”

The following two perfumes are the ones I find most interesting from this line; Aquarian Roses and Fire and Cream.

Aquarian Roses ($175.00 USD 50 ML)  “Crisp, aquatic notes of wild roses brighten a warm sea of marjoram and sandalwood. A floral perfume for both sexes, this Aquarian elixir boasts the relevance of rose in contemporary perfumery and on the skin of men.” 

Most rose perfume are too floral and almost too grandma-like for me. But I really like Aquarian Roses. Its a sexy rose perfume, that holds all of the romantic essence of the flower without seeming too old fashioned. I don’t know about the uni-sex value of it, though. I still think it’s pretty feminine.  

Fire and Cream ($145.00 USD 50 ML) — “A path begins in a warm, earthly setting of vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli. Rising through the delicate light of white lavender and tuberose, this composition quickens toward a blazing glow of top notes. Upon its finish, the perfume’s every nuance smolders in a fiery sky of hydro-distilled oranges and their blossoms.” 

This scent is very smoky and earthy. You can really smell the sandalwood and patchouli. After the dry down, you can kind of smell the orange scent, but it is still pretty heavy. This would be good for winter or evening wear. It’s definitely not an office scent!

Visit www.siperfumes.com to learn more and to purchase these luxurious scents. Enjoy!

Soap and Paper Factory Creates Beautiful Bath Products

The Soap and Paper Company combines natural, handmade products with earth-friendly, beautifully designed packaging. What’s cool is that each pattern and fragrance are created together. The website states that, “each fragrance is designed to stimulate the mind, body and spirit. Each pattern starts as a hand drawing often inspired by nature and finished with a modern flare.”

I sampled the fragrances and they are very natural and fresh smelling. Some of my favorites are Fig, it is deep and sexy, Orange Blossom, because it is so fresh and bright, the Green Tea, which is clean and citrusy and the spicy and sultry Geranium. 

I also tried the following products:

Solid Perfume ($18.00 USD) — Solid perfumes are so great because they contain soft scent in a great, travel-sized container. You can take it anywhere. This solid perfume contains pure jojoba and beeswax blended with fragrance and does not contain parabens, phthalates, or petrochemicals. Available in Rosewood, Verbena, Orange Blossom, Green Tea, Jasmine, Gardenia and Geranium 

Shea Butter Soaps ($9.00 USD) —  This bar soap contains shea butter to soften the skin. This is great for the bath or the sink. It is available in Roland Pine, Geranium, Jasmine and Gardenia.

Check out and purchase these product and more at www.soapandpaperfactory.com. Enjoy!

Safi Fragrance

Safi Fragrance

Safi (which means clean or pure in Swahili) Fragrance is a wonderful, sweetly fresh scent with a bit of a spicy dry down. I don’t usually go for fruity scents, but I really like this. I have been wearing it for a few days and have been complimented on how good I smell! 

The notes are:
Top Notes: lychee, pineapple and black currant
Heart Notes: stargazer lily, fressia and neroli
Base Notes: muhuhu wood, bamboo, crisp papyrus, and vetiver
The fragrance is available in Eau de Perfume ($78.00 USD) or in Perfume Oil Roller Ball ($60.00 USD). Visit www.safifragrance.com to purchase. Enjoy! 

Beauty Stocking Stuffers $10.00 and Under

Looking for affordable stocking stuffers for ladies who like beauty, but you don’t want to shop all over town for them? I have some ideas from three of my favorite brands that I  have tried this year. You can get a variety of fun gifts in one stop! She will be thrilled when she opens her stocking.

The Body Shop — has a large variety of bath, body, perfume and home fragrance products to choose from. You can find these items at www.thebodyshop-usa.com. Some of my favorites for the holidays are:

Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream ($10.00 USD 2.5 oz):  This is a richly moisturizing lotion with a refreshing fragrance. By purchasing this product, you can reach out and show your support for children and young people suffering across the globe, by taking direct and positive action to protect them against sex trafficking. Ingredients include Angelica for its protective and soothing benefits and Community Trade organic olive oil to condition and soften the hands. With a fragrance of fresh citrus aspects in the top, leading to a floral heart on a warm amber background.

Merry Cranberry Lip Balm ($8.00 USD or 2 for $12.00): This festive balm leaves lips soft and shimmering with a fruity cranberry scent. Cranberry seed oil moisturizes skin. Community Trade organic beeswax conditions skin and helps to lock in moisture. Antioxidant vitamin E nourishes and protects the delicate skin on the lips.

Home Fragrance Oil ($7.50 USD on sale for $5.25 USD): You can used this with an oil burner. I just use it the old-fashioned way — a few drops in a pot of water on the stove!  I like the Black Velvet Apricot which has notes of: orange, apricot, redcurrant and orange flower. Other holiday scents are Merry Cranberry, Mandarin Ginger, Nutmeg and Vanilla, Silver Fir, Mulled Berries, Vanilla Spice, Pecan Chestnut, Mexican Cocoa and American Pumpkin.

Sula Beauty — A fragrance and beauty company that make products for women of all ages, Sula’s beauty items that are perfect for giving. Find them at www.sulabeauty.com or Ulta stores.

Shea Butter Balm ($9.00 USD) — Pocket-sized and portable, these Organic Shea Butter tins will soothe and soften cheeks, lips, neck, hands, arms, legs and feet. Works wonders on unruly eyebrows and hair, too! Each balm contains essential oils of fruits or flowers. Scents include Bergamot, Neroli Blossom and Rose Damascena.

Paint and Peel Polish ($9.00 USD for one $14.00 for gift set trios) — This water-based nail color has amazing appeal. The colors apply easily and simply peel off the nail. Touch ups are a snap with the fast drying formula. They come in many different classic and edgy colors.

Hard Candy — The original luxury beauty line is now at Walmart and the prices are fantastic. Great stocking stuffers are:

Kal-eye-descope Baked Shadow Duos ($6.00 USD) are perfect palettes of highly pigmented, wet-dry shadows that instantly bring color and eyes to life. Apply wet for more dramatic color or dry for a softer, more shimmery effect.
 
Just Nails Nail Polish ($5.00 USD) gives you color with a ring to it! Each fun polish comes with the classic ring, so you get quality polish with a little fun, too!
 
Mouthing Off Lip Gloss ($6.00 USD) Sheer, glistening color that comes with a great application wand. Many fun colors to choose from.
 
So, enjoy Christmas shopping for others, and maybe pick up one of these affordable gems for yourself!