Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Fille en Aiguilles 
bellydancer 10/22/2009 10:03:00 AM
It opens with kind of a Miel de Bois turpentine type smell-- which leads into the really lovely fresh pine needles, kind of astringent, and then you get the usual Serge Bois type woodiness and some of the complicated fruitiness that he uses to punch that up in so many fragrances. Later on, there is some lovely pine mixed with a gorgeous evergreen type fragrance-- spruce or something. Just gorgeous. So, it is very multi-faceted and interesting. Mr. BD tried it and said it is so much more complex on my skin than it was on his. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say it was remnescent of Neil Morris' Dark Season and North Woods. It has that yummy evergreen. It is vaguely similar to Clinique Wrappings-- but oh so much darker and more complex than that-- nevertheless, if you liked Wrappings, you would probably like this. The only thing that is a little off putting is that camphoric turpentine blast at the beginning-- but Serge never makes anything that is too pretty, if you know what I mean-- it always has a challenge to your thinking to it. And in the end, I think that note plays up the others in a very interesting way-- it makes it not so predictable, and yet, in every way, more itself.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Clothes -Victoria's Secret - The One Bra
bellydancer 7/20/2009 5:08:00 PM
Oops-- this bra is called The Perfect One, not the One. Anyway, this is a great bra-- it fits sort of like an Ipex (which has been my go-to bra since they came out), but it's up-lift-ier and has a tad more padding. But it doesn't *feel* padded at all. It gives a great shape, is super-comfortable (more comfortable than the Ipex or any of the Body By products) and guess what? It goes through the wash just fine. I wash mine in the machine (gasp all you want) on cold and then I punch out the cups and hang them to dry. No problem with this bra. It still looks brand new. I liked it so much, I took my little $10 coupon and bought another one. Which was on sale for $29-- and so I paid about $20 for my second one! The salesperson told me it has a bit of padding at the top of the cup to prevent that "cup gap" that happens if you move around certain ways. It works. Yay. Highly recommended.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Hilde Soliani Bell'Antonio
bellydancer 5/1/2009 12:17:00 PM
Pretty-- sweet spices and smoke, woody drydown which lasts a long time. Tried from a sample and enjoyed it, but would not buy.
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Fragrances -Amouage - Dia for women
bellydancer 4/28/2009 12:51:00 PM
This fragrance REALLY reminds me of Tubereuse Criminelle-- even to the camphoric silvery note that runs through its beginning. It is like the pale reflection of TC to me. I much prefer TC for its even more oddly brilliant camphoric note and its pure beam of light of tuberose.
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Fragrances -Amouage - Reflection
bellydancer 4/28/2009 12:48:00 PM
I enjoyed the watery start to this fragrance, but shortly after I was thinking things like reflecting pool in the forest, definitely not swimming pool or ocean, it began to change on me. It became melony, kind of remniscent of New West and at that point I began to wonder if I had a scrubber on my-- well, on my wrists, not on my hands. Fortunately, it morphed some more and then finally kind of disappeared. Several hours later, I kind of vaguely smell its musky base. Not for me.
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Fragrances -Fresh - Wisteria EDT
bellydancer 4/22/2009 5:46:00 PM
This smells the most like real wisteria blossoms of any fragrance I can think of, including some called "Wisteria". It is creamy, nearly narcotic, beautifully fresh smelling. It is in a word: perfect. Fairly long lasting for a Fresh EDT. It is worth the hunt to find it.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Nasomatto-Narcotic Venus 
bellydancer 4/22/2009 5:32:00 PM
I can smell my sample of this from ACROSS the room and it's tightly sealed. This is strong stuff. It is Fracas Squared. And yet it is wildly more alluring (to me) than Fracas. Fracas comes across kind of flat in some ways. Narcotic Venus seems alive-- and not just that it is seeping its way towards me from across the room. I would never wear this. It is too too much. But I can appreciate it from afar. ;)
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Fragrances -Ormonde Jayne - Ta'if
bellydancer 4/22/2009 5:28:00 PM
I did not get much rose in this-- only passing through in the darkest shadows. I got leather, tobacco and a bit of saffron. It was lovely-- not at all what I expected. Maybe it's my own weird chemistry.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Andy Tauer - Vetiver Dance
bellydancer 4/22/2009 5:25:00 PM
Vetiver and sunshine with a touch of smoke. Eventually this dries down to soft cumin on my skin-- which does not appeal to me.
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Fragrances -C.O. Bigelow - lemon no.1999
bellydancer 4/22/2009 5:16:00 PM
Pretty authentic fresh lemon fragrance upon first spritz that within a few moments dries down into a flowery musk base which fortunately does not linger long. Not for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lorenzo Villoresi - Dilmun
bellydancer 4/22/2009 4:53:00 PM
Lovely neroli scent bolstered by some citrus notes and a bit of greenery on a soapy musky base which helps to elongate the neroli a bit. I don't mind the soapiness-- I kind of like it. And the musk is inoffensive (sometimes I don't like musks) and never really lets go of the neroli. A very pleasant scent that lasts about four hours-- again, with never really letting go of the orange flower/neroli fragrance. That's an accomplishment! Way to go, LV! It's not as soapy or as long lasting as the new Prada Orange Flower Infusion-- but the neroli is nicer smelling, more citrussy and flowery. It's not as sharp and well defined as Neroli Portofino or AG's Neroli-- but it does last longer. Although not as long as the Prada. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums M.Micallef - Printemps (Spring)
bellydancer 4/22/2009 4:23:00 PM
Lovely bottle! But the juice had a kind of terrible plastic fruitiness to it that grew after I spritzed. After I washed about half of it off, it was not so bad. Nevertheless, this was a scrubber for me.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Un Bois Sepia
bellydancer 4/22/2009 4:15:00 PM
My first impression was "Men's Cologne". I don't know what the note is, but I associated it with some kind of aoud-like smell. It also has an uncomfortable type of eucalyptic note (like in Tubereuse Crim?), that lingers for the first 10-15 minutes or so. After that, the "Men's Cologne" type smell softens considerably into a warm, not-excessively-dry, powdery wood fragrance that could be wearable by either sex really. Surprising, considering the initial blast of "Men's Cologne" scent! :)
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Liquid -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20
bellydancer 4/20/2009 12:33:00 PM
Seems to sit on my skin and streaks. Is a little on the dry side. I would prefer a more moist product that really sinks in a little. Also, the shade closest to my skin is a little chalky looking on me. I wish I hadn't bought this-- now I feel like I have to use it up, but honestly, I may toss it instead.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Santal de Mysore
bellydancer 4/8/2009 11:44:00 AM
I am late to review this one-- I can't believe I had never tried it before. I'm a big fan of the dry chippy quality of Santal Blanc-- but this is an entirely different sandalwood. An almost edible sandalwood! I don't smell any obviously foody smells, but the sandalwood itself has an almost gourmand quality! Sort of fruity wood! I do get a bit of cumin, but it stays fairly subtle. I kept sniffing my wrist. Definitely FBW. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No