The Body Shop’s newest perfume LOVE…ETC ($29.50 1.69 oz, $24.00 1 oz) is a great gift idea because not only does it smell lovely, it is a really great value for a good quality fragrance.
The company’s website states that LOVE…ETC’s fragrance personality is, “A sensuous blend of Egyptian jasmine with warm, radiant notes of vanilla and sandalwood” and it is a floriental.
Notes:
Top notes: pear, neroli, bergamot
Middle notes: jasmine, heliotrope, lily of the valley
Base notes: vanilla, sandalwood, musk cream
I would call it a fruity floriental, because the pear and bergamot are the first notes that you smell and as it dries down, there is still a creamy, fruity scent along with the floral and spice.
I think this is a great scent for all ages. Younger women may be drawn to the fun, zesty top notes and the older ladies might like the spicy base notes. I think it is very complex and pretty!
Perfume is such a fun gift to receive, but it’s hard to know what someone will like. The remedy? The CLEAN Coffret Gift Collection. This set of four of CLEAN’s best-selling scents is sure to have something that will please the giftee! This Eau de Parfum set includes CLEAN’s newest scent Simply Soap, plus Original, Shower Fresh and Warm Cotton, packaged together in a new metallic inspired aquamarine gift box. The recipient (or you) can to try and layer various scents to create a personal scent that works best with a person’s natural essence or mood. Or give the individual 1 oz fragrances as stocking stuffers or small gifts to people your care about!
The Original Clean Perfume — is a fragrance option for those who do not like to smell like a particular perfume, but rather prefer that just-out-of-the-shower fresh smell. CLEAN combines fragrance notes of Litsea Cubeba, Orange, Sweet Lime, Pink Grapefruit, Passion Lily, Rose Geranium and White Musk. Simply Soap — A soft floral fragrance with a harmonious blend of Calabrian orange bergamot, Polynesian frangipani, Japanese lotus blossom, Damask rose oil, sweet violet and soft musk, this scent evokes the spirit of the beautiful necessities in life: a white cashmere bath robe, Egyptian cotton sheets, and of course a sudsy bubble bath with your favorite soap.
Warm Cotton — So pure, so fresh, it captures the feeling of a fluffy, warm towel just pulled from the dryer or slipping into your favorite T-shirt line-dried in the summer sun. CLEAN Warm Cotton wraps you in notes of citrus, lilac and jasmine over a subtle but oh-so-sexy blend of amber and musk. A fresh, comforting, just-laundered scent.
Shower Fresh — This uplifting CLEAN scent opens with crisp, citrus top notes of Lemon, Mandarin, And Orange. The heart of the fragrance is faintly floral, hinting at sweetness with notes of Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, and Jasmine. The drydown is an understated musk and sheer woods base. Not heavy, overwhelming or pretentious, Shower Fresh Perfume is simply sweet and subtly sexy; a revolutionary aroma that leaves one feeling “shower-fresh” from sun up to sun down.
They are all fantastic, but I think my favorite is the Warm Cotton. Very soft, but sexy too!
The collection became available across the country at Sephora, Ulta, Beauty.com, Skinstore.com and HSN.com for $65.00 USD (Value $152.00 USD) in October 2009.
Have you began your holiday shopping yet? I know it is early, but it is time to get started so you don’t wait until last minute (like I do, sometimes)!
Many beauty companies are releasing gifts sets for the holidays. It is sometimes difficult to know what women will like, especially in perfume. A perfect idea for this is Lavanila The Healthy Mini Roller-Ball Gift Set ($28.00).
Fragrances in the Lavanila Healthy Fragrance Mini Roller-Ball Gift Set include:
Vanilla Coconut – top notes: young coconut; mid-notes: Tahitian Tiare flower; base notes: Madagascar vanilla bean
Pure Vanilla – top notes: freesia petals; mid-notes: heliotrope; base notes: Madagascar vanilla and vanilla orchid
Vanilla Grapefruit – top notes: grapefruit, bergamot, lime and orange; mid-notes: patchouli and heliotrope; base notes: Madagascar vanilla
Vanilla Lavender – top notes: Spanish lavender; mid-notes: rose absolute and violet leaf; base notes: Madagascar vanilla
These sweet 100% natural fragrances are made with the finest pure essential oils and plant botanicals and are untouched by harsh chemicals. Lavanila was the first to fuse luxury fragrance with natural science. What’s unique about these fragrances is that they are free of chemically laden alcohol, petrochemicals and phthalates, and they include the following unusual ingredients:
Proprietary Marine Technology: Long-Lasting.Breakthrough marine derived technology creates an invisible filter on the skin that locks in fragrance and potent anti-oxidants while protecting against environmental toxins.
Goji Berries: Nourishes & Protects. An antioxidant-rich berry that is loaded with beta carotene & Vitamins C, E, B1, B2, and B6.
Kakadu Plum: Nourishes & Conditions. A potent antioxidant-rich fruit with a Vitamin C concentration 500 times that of an orange
Canadian Willowherb: Calms & Soothes. A powerful extract with incredible anti-irritant properties
This great gift is available at Sephora, sephora.com, and lavanila.com. With each purchase of a Mini Roller-Ball Set on lavanila.com, Lavanila will plant 4 trees (one for each bottle) through the Nature Conservancy.
Looking for a sultry fragrance to give to the man (or men) in your life this holiday season? Kenzo has released Kenzo Power Cologne ($50.00 2 oz and $68.00 4.2 oz), a woody citrus that smells fantastic. The notes are:
Top: Verbena, Cardamom, Bergamot
Middle: Geranium, Black Pepper, Coriander
Base: Tolu Balm, Vetiver, Cedar.
I think this is an understated, yet sexy fragrance. When I first spray it on my husband, I experience the fresh bergamot and verbena notes. Then the spicy black pepper and coriander kick in, with a final hint of the cedar and vetiver. So nice, and it smells a bit like the holidays with the orangey bergamot and the cedar.
Also, purchase this scent or other great Kenzo products through November 9th at kenzousa.com, and receive 25% off your purchase with the code 09FAMILY. Enjoy your holiday shopping!
Kenzo’s newest take on its classic FLOWERBYKENZO is the sensual and powdery FLOWERBYKENZO ESSENTIELLE (.8 oz $58.00, 1.5 oz $75.00, 2.5 oz 92.00).
This sexy scent is classified as a sensual floral and is perfect for the colder weather of the fall. The scent is described as:
“A tribute to FLOWERBYKENZO, streamlined and presented through its most emblematic notes. Beginning with a floral accord, essence and absolute of rosa damascena and absolute of jasmine unfold into a powdery accord made up of a unique combination of sensual musks and absolute of vanilla. Finally, incense of the purest distinction, black pepper and pink berries complete FLOWERBYKENZO ESSENTIELLE with a vibrant finish.”
I enjoy the bright rose and jasmine top notes and the sultry musk, incense and black pepper that give the powdery finish a kick. This is an unusual fragrance that would be nice for a night out, or in with the right person!
Visit www.kenzousa.comto learn more about this and other Kenzo scents. Enjoy!
Jo Malone launched a brand new cologne on September 1st, 2009 called Vanilla & Anise ($55.00 1 oz, $100.00 3.4 oz). This is described as “a spicy scent inspired by the floral valleys and exotic spices of Madagascar. Vanilla & Anise’s top notes include star anise and wild fennel flower, the full floral heart contains delicate vanilla orchid and fragrant oleander and the base includes the precious, rare vanilla bourbon absolute and Madagascar clove.” The notes are:
Top Notes: Sicilian Bergamot, Tunisian Neroli, W ild Fennel Flower, Star Anise
Middle Notes: Oleander, Tuberose, Frangipani, Purple Vanilla Orchid
Base Notes: Madagascar Clove, White Amber, Vetiver Bourbon, Vanilla Bourbon Absolute, Tonka
I LOVE this scent. Just hearing the description, I though it might be too strong a frangrance for me. But it is so soft and cozy, and not too spicy. The Bergamot and floral notes cut any strong scent that this might have. My only complaint is that it is so subtle and doesn’t last long enough. I have to reapply it often.
Jo Malone has a philosophy of Fragrance Combining™, which is that by blending two scents together, you will become the creator of your own signature scent. They suggest to create a refreshing scent, combine with Grapefruit Cologne, which has notes of mandarin and grapefruit. If you would like a more feminine scent, combine with Orange Blossom Cologne, with notes of water lily, lilac and orange flower petals. To create a sultry scent, combine with Vetyver Cologne, which has notes of white amber and vanilla bourbon.
You can find Vanilla Anise and other Jo Malone fragrances at Jo Malone Shops, www.jomalone.com, Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide. Available exclusively at Holt Renfrew in Canada.
KENZO, one of my favorite perfume companies, has come out with a warm and sensuous new fragrance that is great for the cooler temperatures of the fall.
But Unidentified Fragrance Object ($188.00 1.4 oz) is not your usual perfume. Kenzo has teamed with designer Ron Arad, having Arad design a unique bottle for the fragrance that is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Since each individual bottle is hand-polished, only 1000 units will be produced for the United States. It is only available at Bergdorf Goodman and kenzousa.com starting in August 2009.
The fragrance breaks with industry codes; rejecting the traditional olfactory pyramid and instead balancing between a powerful heart, “the marble accord” and four natural raw ingredients. The ingredients are Bulgarian Rose, Vanilla, Orange Blossom and Frankincense.
This is a very strong scent that would work well for going out. When I spray it on, all of the ingredients meld together to make a spicy and sweet scent. The Frankincense over-powers the other scents, but I can still pick out the Vanilla, Orange Blossom and even a bit of the Rose.
If you would like to purchase this unique scent in this work-of -art bottle, visit www.kenzousa.com. Enjoy!
Apothia is a stylish perfume and home fragrance line that creates high end fresh and luxe scents. They offer four main personal fragrances. Below are the descriptions as posted on the website:
L ($80.00 50 ml) – Precious and perfectly aged Orris is celebrated at the heart of this unique, feminine fragrance, with soft touches of green violet leaf for tingle, sultry Angelica, earthy musks and woods for nuzzle.
IF ($80.00 50 ml) A dazzling bouquet of white flowers, IF blooms with top notes of zesty grapefruit and sparkling yuzu, ending in a deep romantic drydown.
Velvet Rope ($80.00 50 ml) Velvet Rope Eau de Parfum, inspired by an icy cold, dry vanilla martini spiked with absolute jasmine and a twist of grapefruit. Pure white musk heats up the background of this super-sexy scent.
Pearl ($80.00 50 ml) Pearl is a simple, precious, polished work of art with hints of shiso leaf, plum blossom, peony, orris and warm golden amber, parallel to the formation of the pearl – a natural quality gem – small, precious and perfectly polished by nature.
My favorite of these perfumes is pearl, because it dries to a warm, sensual scent. They are all very lovely and boast unusual fragrance combinations.
Apothia also creates home aromatics including candles, diffusers and hand and body wash. They carry eleven scents including Bronzed, Juiced, Verde and Wave, the one I tried that is a blend of white grapefruit, mandarin, yuzu with hints of driftwood and seagrass. It is very light and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Crazylibellule CrazySticks are a really fun and inexpensive way to grow a fragrance wardrobe. The scents are fresh and fun, and are easy to carry along and reapply if need be. Or do as I like to do and layer different CrazySticks to make a personal scent.
Their newest CrazyStick is CrazyStick Cologne ($16.00). It is inspired by L’eau de CrazyCologne. It is packaged like other CrazySticks, in a little ecological cardboard case and is decorated with a sweet landscape garden scenery where words and flowers tangle.
The formula is different in this one. Instead of a creamy white solid, CrazyStick Cologne is formulated has a translucent gel-like consistency and melts on the skin.
The notes are: orange blossom, plum, peach, rose, black pepper, lily of the valley, musk, precious wood, orange, cardamom, vanilla and jasmine.
This is a beautiful floral that is nice for special occasions like a wedding. Or wear it for everyday if a lively floral is your scent of choice. It is not too sweet, and is fairly light.
Penhaligons is a British company that has been making fragrances for over 100 years. Their ladies’ scents are decidedly feminine, with flowers as the stars.
I have recently sampled Penhaligons’ women’s perfumes. My three favorites are:
Elisabethan Rose — Head Notes: Aldehydes and Geranium, Heart Notes: Camomile, Violet and Rose and Base Notes: Musk, Amber and Sandalwood
Lily and Spice — Head Notes: White Madonna Lily and Saffron, Heart Notes: Hot Pepper and Clove, and Base Notes: White Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla, Benzoin and Vanilla
Lavandula — Head Notes: Basil, Canella and Black Pepper, Heart Notes: Lavender, Clary Sage and Lily of the Valley, and Base Notes: Tonka bean, Musk, Vanilla and Amber
The Elisabethan Rose is a very soft rose. I can detect the violet and musk notes, as well as the rose. This is a great day fragrance. The Lavandula is a spicy scent, the basil, black pepper and clary sage as well as the lavender are prevalent notes. My favorite scent is the Lily and Spice. It is so complex with the sweet floral and vanilla notes blended in with the hot pepper and clove. This is a great evening scent.
Visit the Penhaligons website to learn more about the products. If you live in the US or Canada, be sure to click the correct button so you may purchase these fine fragrances. Enjoy!
Forty, Flirty & Fabulous 