Moisturizers -Simple - Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
elfriede 5/16/2013 9:41:00 AM
"Sensitive skin experts", my butt! I see no red flags in the ingredient list (though my list of red flags is a work-in-progress), but it's a good thing I did a spot test before putting this on my entire face. Very irritating (it burns!), does not spread easily, does not absorb well. Also has a plasticky smell, as others have noted. Should have read the reviews first!
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Fragrances -Rochas - Tocadilly
elfriede 5/9/2013 4:03:00 PM
Because it's lilac season, I remembered my sample vial of Tocadilly. Not my kind of thing as it turns out, but I can see the appeal. Rounded and soft--nearly seamless--no edges, no shifting facets, though it did warm up a bit after the first hour, when slight hints of sandalwood, coconut, and amber emerged. The overall composition is mostly devoted to sweet spring florals (especially lilac and mimosa) and subtly aquatic green notes--alas, this combination reminds me too much of functional scents (laundry detergent, room spray, scented deodorant, etc). That aquatic element is probably what kills it for me--I usually love sweet florals. It is an easy-going, smiling sort of scent; I wouldn't mind smelling it on someone else. Those who love it can still find bottles (full and minis) at online discounters. Next time I want lilacs though, I'll wear Guerlinade.
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Shampoo -Palmers - Olive Oil Formula Smoothing Shampoo
elfriede 4/20/2013 12:08:00 PM
I was looking for a shampoo that was gentle, had some good oil in it (my discontinued favorite had avocado oil), and was free of sulfates and silicones. I have Caucasian hair that is wavy and very frizzy. Sulfates = poofy-fried-witchy-poo hair. Silicones = greasy hair and scalp zits. This is working out well. The first day I noticed some improvement, and my hair is softer, shinier, and stronger than it was a month ago. At first I thought it left my scalp too oily, but so far, no zits--my scalp feels healthy. Not loving the scent, but it is light and clean, and doesn't linger much.
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Fragrances -Floris of London - Floris China Rose
elfriede 12/3/2012 9:32:00 AM
Similar to Caswell-Massey's Damask Rose, only without all the powder and with a lot of sweet fruit, mainly peach. A big, sweet, girly, hot pink rosey rose. Smells mostly synthetic but not "drugstore synthetic." Fairly linear, excellent sillage, little dab'll do ya, lasts all day. Mostly peachy-rose with a hint of vanilla and spice. I don't like my florals this vivid or this sweet--this is not my kind of thing at all, really. It's the kind of scent I might enjoy a quick blast of, briefly, in a shower gel or a bar of soap, but on my skin it gets old fast. Might be fun to layer with, though.
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Fragrances -Kuumba Made - Frankincense/Myrrh
elfriede 4/20/2011 12:02:00 AM
It's lighter and cleaner than I expected. Sometimes myrrh oils have a heavy, almost narcotic, syrupy quality and I'm not getting that here; this has a drier, more peppery myrrh. Altogether it's lemony-peppery-woody-sweet, with a bit of a hippie vibe but not too much. (I doubt it has lemon, but frankincense can have a lemony aspect.) Grounding/centering. Dries down light & sheer on skin (it lasts, but has little sillage) but is tenacious, spicier on fabric.
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Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Poivre Piquant
elfriede 4/11/2011 10:49:00 PM
I enjoy the zippy pepper opening, but then the scent never quite hits its stride. It is as if only half the notes are here--the melody is missing and all that's here is the accompaniment. Some scents are supposed to be simple, but this seems unfinished. Late drydown also includes one of those headachy synthetic wood notes that smell like pencil shavings (at this price point is real cedar too much to ask?).
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - LT Piver - Heliotrope Blanc
elfriede 4/11/2011 12:17:00 AM
So far this is my favorite heliotrope (I have not tried the Etro). It is not sugary and skirts the edge of baby-powder territory. I think it's the jasmine that makes it a cut above. No one has mentioned musk, but I suspect that there's a bit of clean, soft white musk in the base. This has a light yet perceptible sillage that's perfect for bedtime (and as dancingoutlaw said, occasions where there's hugging). When I'm in the mood for something soft, gentle, and lovely, this is always utterly perfect.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Cher Uninhibited
elfriede 4/7/2011 6:23:00 PM
I can see why the demand is sending the price up. If you don't wear too much of it, it's a beautiful, full-throated-yet-soft floral oriental that isn't over the top and doesn't seem dated. I'm dabbing it on from a vial, though--a full spray might be a bit much. Plenty of vanilla, but it isn't sugary. It has some of the thickness, the richness of a big 80s perfume--sweet floral notes, bit of fruit, poofy vanilla and heliotrope, but it's not so heady, and the soft wood notes, vetiver, and a hint of tobacco keep it from becoming cloying. It is neither girlish nor matronly. It's frankly sexy, and in my opinion, not a diva. Still, at current prices (!!) I'll never be buying a bottle of my own. For those of you who miss this scent--the closest thing to this I've ever smelled is Bourbon French's "Kus Kus." It is more powdery and has more vetiver and fruit (peach and raspberry), but it's in the same vein--if you don't mind powdery scents I highly recommend it. According to the Perfumed Court, the notes include top notes of bergamot, orange oil and aldehydic accords; middle notes of heliotrope, ylang-ylang, geranium, jasmin, rose and tabac; and base notes of cedarwood, musk, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Rive Gauche
elfriede 4/4/2011 11:21:00 PM
Smelled promising at first--I began to see what Luca Turin meant by "the goddess Diana's bath soap." It does evoke a bar of white, rose-scented soap. Accented by a citrusy bite on top, greens, soft white flowers, synth sandalwood and musk, to my nose. And LOTS of aldehydes--soapy, powdery, very clean. Aldehydes diffuse the other notes like frosted glass. But whereas in Chamade, the other "powdery-white" aldehydic Turin compares this to, the drydown eventually reveals the tender charm of real flowers, woods, orris, vanilla--lovely, true naturals, melting into the skin--this smells synthetic throughout. It smells cheap, like a body spray, and gives me a stuffy nose! Ecch. The composition is very fine, but the execution smells cheap--at least in the current formulation.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Bourbon French Parfums KUS KUS
elfriede 4/2/2011 11:15:00 PM
I'd have sworn this was a dupe of Habanita had I not read that Kus Kus was released in 1843 and Molinard's Habanita was released in 1921. Wow. This doesn't have the smokey tobacco or the leather of Habanita, but the base notes...the vetiver, cedar, heliotrope, and that poofy, soft-as-angora vanilla-benzoin accord are here, along with soft peach and raspberry. On top I believe I recognize Bourbon French's luscious sweet orange blossom, and in the heart, their marvelous sweet olive. It is complex, yet woven smoothly together. Powdery, but powder like silk. Softly seductive and compelling, without Habanita's stiletto-heeled brashness. Old-school, yet timeless.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Bourbon French Parfums VIOLET
elfriede 4/2/2011 3:31:00 PM
Bourbon French Violet is deep, green, and smells (I agree with GlamDiva) true to the flower. I consider it a grown up violet--no baby powder, no candied violets, no violet baby cologne, no shampoo, no bubble soap. It is not very powdery, at least not in cologne form. I recommend this to fans of original Caron Violette Precieuse (before the 2006 reformulation). It is far less complex, being more of a solo violet, but both are green, unsweetened violets underscored by a mossy-earthy accord with a hint of clay. There are additional floral notes, but they are minor supporting players. Other than a bit of heliotrope I'm hard-pressed to say what other flowers are here. The heliotrope does not sweeten the fragrance very much; I get a teeny hint of cherry now and then, which adds depth but not much sweetness. The cologne is surprisingly long-lasting; next time I hope to try the parfum....
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Bourbon French Parfums VOODOO LOVE
elfriede 4/1/2011 11:37:00 PM
I expected this to be a strong, heavy oriental, but on me it's more akin to Bal a Versailles, an oriental I can wear year-round--both scents are baroque, softly spicy, resinous, and lightly sweet, and pack a wallop of slightly skanky jasmine, yet wear like sheer silk rather than heavy velvet. I am also reminded of People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo (old wood and cherry-almond). It develops and moves on the skin such that different notes and accords shift to the forefront. There are no listed notes, but I seem to smell mysterious wood notes (is that sassafras?), soft cinnamon, plush vanilla, orris, incense, moss, indolic jasmine, powdery heliotrope, and other soft floral notes that are hard to pin down (violet? rose? sweet olive?). Has an intimate feel to it, yet it seems like I could wear it anywhere.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Bourbon French - Olive Blossom
elfriede 4/1/2011 7:20:00 PM
Olive Blossom, i.e. Sweet Olive or Osmanthus, is a flowering tree that grows in warm climates, notably in the American South. Haven't smelled the actual tree as far as I know--it blooms in cooler months, and my Louisiana visits were during summer vacations. Nonetheless I've smelled this fragrance before, either on my grandmother or in her house. On me, Olive Blossom is a subtle, warm, powdery floral with fruity tones (apricot and plum) and a buttery, almost oily finish. "Oily" makes it sound unpleasant, but I find it to be a subtle skin scent, similar to Madini's Henna perfume oil. My skin but better--not musky--an amplified natural skin scent. I don't like it in my hair--smells like I need a shampoo--but on skin and clothing it's clean and comforting. It has a delicately powdery-poofy sort of layer on top (hard to describe that bit). Underneath it smells rather like apricot liqueur, or Burt's Bees Baby Bee products--an abstract apricot. Over time it becomes less powdery, softer, and more buttery. Stays close to the skin. See additional reviews of this scent here: http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=66147/Bourbon-Fench-Parfums-OLIVE-BLOSSOM/Unlisted-Brand/Fragrances
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Bourbon French Parfums ROSE
elfriede 3/30/2011 2:26:00 PM
I agree with GlamDiva that this is a "medium weight" rose. This is no dark, mysterious rose. This rose is all smiles and sunshine; a pink garden rose with golden pistils and stamens in its center, a fresh uncut flower with bright geranium, citrusy, and subtle green aspects. For all its freshness and floralcy, it's surprisingly wearable. It's not aldehydic, to my nose. Sparkly white musk (hibiscus seed?) keeps it from being heavy. As it dries down, it gradually loses its sparkling aspect and melts into the skin with a soft, powdery finish. Late drydown is light, but I can still smell it on my skin the following day.
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Fragrances -Shiseido - Nombre Noir
elfriede 3/28/2011 4:55:00 PM
Dense, rich, heady 80s floral. Nombre Noir is to rose what Samsara is to jasmine. The "Wall of Sound" production style applied to perfume (Wall of Scent?). Not the kind of thing I wear often--or outside the house. Something I wear for myself, now and then. It evokes deep, wine-colored velvet with a peach lace overlay. I can see what Luca Turin meant about it being girlish and mature at the same time. If I may quote him: "The voice of Nombre Noir was that of a child older than its years, at once fresh, husky, modulated and faintly capricious." There's a compellingly delicate, fresh aspect--I can't think of what it reminds me of except lace and tiny white flowers--atop deep, unctuous rose. There's also a fatty-peachy aspect reminiscent of the smell of a baby's hair. Lasts a day and then some. The very late drydown and following day reveal a marvelous sandalwood note. Takes time to warm up on the skin--apply with care as it gets stronger. I also advise not to apply to fabric unless your bottle is perfectly fresh--the scent seems to show its age more readily on fabric, spoiling the scent with the bitterness of wilted rose petals. Must be that problematic damascone chemical. There's a hint of that on my skin but the scent is still intact enough to be enjoyable. Henceforth I plan to apply to naked skin only and stay out of the sun! TOP NOTES: Aldehydes, Coriander, Bergamot, Marjoram, Rosewood HEART NOTES: Rose, Geranium, Orris, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang, Carnation, Lily of the Valley, Osmanthus BASE NOTES: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Honey, Amber, Musk, Benzoin, Tonka
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