Shampoo -Phyto - Phytojoba Shampoo
msp12 11/13/2004 6:57:00 PM
Lovely scent and lathers nicely in the shower. Nevertheless, my hair felt a tad stripped after rinsing. For moisturising haircare products, I much prefer J.F. Lazartigue products. I recently tried Lazartigue shampoo for colour-treated hair and I almost felt as if I did not need to apply conditioner.
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Shampoo -J.F. Lazartique - Shampoo for Coloured Hair
msp12 11/11/2004 2:21:00 AM
I never want to be without this shampoo. First, the orange blossom scent is extraordinary, neither too sweet nor too 'nutty'. Second, the shampoo takes great care of my colour-treated hair. It seems to strengthen and smooth out the hair shafts, and it is not even necessary to follow with a pricy conditioner (I use L'Oreal Color Vive on a daily basis). I believe the packaging for this line changed recently, and strawberrynet.com and other discount sites are selling the products in the older bottles for a great price.
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Fragrances -Chanel - Cuir de Russie
msp12 11/11/2004 2:13:00 AM
If you find Cuir de Russie EdT even remotely interesting, do try it in parfum form. The beautiful floral notes are so short-lived in EdT and I also find the drydown to be a bit musky. Cuir de Russie parfum is highly concentrated and a bit aldehydic, so a little does go a very long way. For Serge Lutens fans, a lovely leather-floral combination can be achieved by wearing both Cuir Mauresque and Fleurs d'Oranger (courtesy of our innovative victoriaf). I find that combination to be rather 'juicy' in comparison with dry, refined nature of Cuir de Russie, so I suppose I am saying that one could justify having both leathers in the closet!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Santa Maria Novella - Peau d'Espagne
msp12 11/11/2004 1:59:00 AM
I agree with reviewers below that Peau d'Espagne is an unusual, if not thrilling, leather fragrance. The handful of leather fragrances that I have tested tend to combine the leather note with spice, floral (Chanel Cuir de Russie) or even sweet/fruit (Lutens Daim Blond) elements. Peau d'Espagne features an opening blast of aromatics, like lavender with a dash of pepper, which softens up a bit as a well-worked leather note unfolds. The lightest musk is detectable in the base. Lafcony.com writes that the curious leather note of Peau d'Espagne is actually a combination of birch and Linaloe, a Brazilian resin. To my nose, the combination is not excessively 'masculine', and I would highly recommend this fragrance for someone seeking a unique encounter with 'leather'.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -I Coloniali - Thailandese Shower Cream with Hibiscus
msp12 11/8/2004 2:03:00 AM
I love woody scents, heavy florals, the works. That said, it seems that I had a radically different experience with this shower cream than the reviewers below! Breathing in its scent was like getting whacked with a 2 x 4, and the shower cream itself really dried out my skin. Best to sample first, I suppose!
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Fragrances -Guerlain - L'Instant de Guerlain
msp12 11/8/2004 1:41:00 AM
The more recent Guerlain creations certainly have grown on me in the past year or so. It has been worthwhile to revisit them at different times of the year and in different climates, as I have noticed that the newer releases seem to dissipate quickly in the dry northern California climate, at least on my skin. L'Instant failed to move me at the department store when it was first released, but a few months later, it wore like pure sunshine during a late spring downpour. It is early November now, and thanks to a lovely MUAer, I have had the opportunity to compare parfum with EdP. I was troubled on the first sniff, as I could barely detect anything on my wrist dabbed with parfum, not even the citrus-floral blast of the EdP top notes. A few minutes later, I could smell nothing at all. Then after 15 or 20 minutes, a marvelous harmony between a delicate Guerlinade base of parfum and the luminous citrus-floral arrangement most prominent in the EdP. It reminds me of the way that Narciso Rodriguez offers a separate base component for his perfume, the Musc oil. While the arrangement is not terribly complicated, I find it wonderful, uplifting, and very long-lasting, which is all that matters to me. Nevertheless, I am slightly bothered that I enjoy wearing both parfum and EdP together and therefore feel compelled to spend a small fortune on both at some point in the future.
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Candles -Lorenzo Villoresi - Vaniglia
msp12 11/7/2004 9:36:00 AM
In the box, Vaniglia reminds me of a butter cake and vanilla icing. When burned, the scent is more delicate: powdery but not toothache-inducing, at least not to my nose. There is nothing complicated about this vanilla candle, and I am pleased that it is not so suffocatingly sweet and in this sense it may be the perfect vanilla candle in that it will not overwhlem the guests. Still, when I do have cravings for vanilla scents, I long for richness and depth above all, and I feel that Villoresi's candle is a bit too tame for the price. It is much more enjoyable than many grocery store vanilla candles that I have tried, however, and so I would certainly repurchase Villoresi's until I Profumi di Firenze makes a candle based its lovely vanilla perfume.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lorenzo Villoresi - Sandalo
msp12 11/7/2004 9:26:00 AM
Fans of Mysore sandalwood will not wish to miss Villoresi's rendition. I would compare it to Serge Lutens' Santal de Mysore (another favourite of mine), except Villoresi's composition is more robust and rather dry, unlike the earthy and resinous Lutens. The other elements are difficult to sort out from the dominant sandalwood note, but their collective presence smooths out the potentially overwhelming centerpiece of the fragrance. Although I would not use the fragrance myself, I still think it's a devastatingly gorgeous scent for a man.
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Fragrance -Chanel - Pour Monsieur Eau de Toilette Concentree
msp12 10/27/2004 11:34:00 AM
Lemon and Mysore sandalwood notes were most prominent to me when I first applied Pour Monsieur, however, perhaps I am off the mark? Per osmoz.com, notes include mandarin, petit grain, lavender, cardamom, nutmeg, oakmoss, vetiver, vanilla. The arrangement is pleasant enough and well-blended, however, it is far too subdued for my taste and everything except the oakmoss has zero lasting power at the moment. Perhaps it is best suited for warmer days.
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Fragrances -Les Parfums de Rosine - Rosa Flamenca
msp12 10/23/2004 11:58:00 AM
AEDES notes that Rogeon's inspiration for Rosa Flamenca was the rose gardens of Andalucia. The adjective 'flamenca/o' in this case appears to be a broad regional reference rather than any particular evocation of the dance or 'gypsy' culture. 'Flamenca' also can mean 'Flemish', but as I have never been to rose gardens in Belgium or experienced Andalucian gardens in full bloom, I'll just move on to give my brief impressions of Rosine's most recent offering. On my skin, it is a lovely, green and leafy rose, more lively and light than I expected it to be. Unfortunately, the green notes become mildly soapy on my skin, a feature which some may enjoy. Although I would not purchase a bottle for myself, I would not hesitate to recommend sampling it along with Rogeon's other lovely creations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Aqua Allegoria Mentafollia
msp12 10/23/2004 11:28:00 AM
I purchased my bottle of Mentafollia over the summer at the Tokyo airport Duty Free, and at the time, it was just what the doctor ordered: a cool, refreshing tonic that seemed to keep the Tokyo humidity at bay. I re-tested Herba Fresca at the same time, and it struck me as overly woodsy and sharp. Now that I am back in northern California, where the weather is cooling off and the air is significantly drier, I notice that my Mentafollia just does not 'behave' as it used to. Like Foliflora, the fragrance seems to quickly dissipate in the air, leaving nothing on my skin but the harshest, oddest elements of the fragrance. The sweet robustness of Herba Fresca, in turn, has become more pleasant to my nose. In the end, I think that having bottles of both are worthwhile, and I will just set aside Mentafollia for sunnier, tropical days.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Santa Maria Novella - Violetta
msp12 10/23/2004 11:19:00 AM
Santa Maria Novella's Violetta puts me in such good spirits. The violet essence is not overly candy-sweet, and I also detect a twist of bitter citrus peel and perhaps sweet thyme or mint. On my skin, a lime-like element becomes more distinct over time. I do wish these sweet herbal and citrus elements served as more of a backdrop to the violet, but overall I enjoy the arrangement, which is delightfully clean from start to finish.
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Fragrances -Santa Maria Novella - Frangipani
msp12 10/8/2004 2:38:00 PM
Although SMN Frangipani did not work at all with my chemistry, I do not attribute it to any artificial quality of the fragrance. Frangipani, or plumeria, like many tropical flowers, emits a heady bouquet which is nothing like the transparent, fruity-floral renditions of the flower which are popular today. To each her own, for certain, however, I find SMN Frangipani to be dreadfully real, although it appears to be in a browning, decaying state once it hits my skin. There is also an odd component in the fragrance that reminds me of Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle, something like menthol, however in SMN Frangipani this oddity renders a musty, rather than vivacious, floral. Despite this, my deepest thanks go to our rosie00000 for sharing her precious collection with me throughout the years.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Santa Maria Novella - Rose
msp12 10/8/2004 2:28:00 PM
At first whiff, Santa Maria Novella Rose appears to be the rose soliflore of yesteryear: an old-fashioned foil to modern, transparent renditions of a classic floral. Like the reviewer below, I also pick up on a touch of powdery violet, but it does not suffocate the rose in sweetness or talc. Rather, the rose accord takes an astonishly sexy turn, dark, velvety and surrounded by a forest of foliage. Truly unlike any rose fragrance that I have in my collection, I should be delighted to acquire a bottle of SMN Rose in the future.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - The Different Company - Rose Poivree
msp12 10/4/2004 4:45:00 PM
TDC's Rose Poivree is an incredible and unusual rose fragrance for me, and like The Divine Bergamote, I only wish the fragrance had more strength on my skin! After dabbing the fragrance onto the back of my hand, my first thought was of L'Artisan's Voleur des Roses, minus the patchouli note (very disagreeable on my skin) and with all of the wrinkles ironed out. The pepper note settles quickly into the background, and a gentle combination of coriander and cumin warm the fragrance ever so slightly. Now the roses are dark, luscious blossoms surrounded by a thick tangle of foliage, and rising above the profound floral note is an intriguing combination of sourness and sweetness not unlike tamarind with a touch of ripe melon. But do not look to Voleur des Roses, MPG Rose Muskissime or even a Caron for comparison. TDC's Rose Poivree is indeed different and well worth sampling.
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