Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Fumerie Turque
Mayra 9/5/2003 9:04:00 PM
Sampled before it was officially launched (wonderful MUA friend generously shared this little gem with me) and now properly erased from my "To Buy While In Paris" list. On my skin this is 100% powdery. Within seconds of application is loses all its beautifully woody and smoky qualities and turns into dusting powder. Old fashioned and unpleasant to my nose. How disappointing. It held so much promise. 0-3 for me from the latest Lutens released fragrances.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Clair De Musc
Mayra 7/17/2003 7:56:00 PM
The latest offering from Serge Lutens Clair De Musc is a gentle white musk that is creamy, understated and subdued. This is not a complex blend by any means. and not Serge Lutens at its best. Not necessarily harsh nor terribly animalistic either.
I would not call it a must buy. Having experienced Un Bois Vanille I must say I do not see myself purchasing a full bottle of Clair De Musc. However, this could be a good option to layer with more complex fragrances or to add depth to osmanthus or orange blossom scents. Lovely layered with Un Bois Vanille. Excellent layered with Douce Amere, Trussardi Skin, SL Fleurs's D'Oranger, Strenesse and Clive Christian X.
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Shampoo -Kiehls - Amino Acid Shampoo
Mayra 7/17/2003 4:51:00 PM
Just picked Kiehls Amino Acid Shampoo the other day at Nordstrom and I must say I am really enjoying it. It contains coconut oil. Has a subtle foodie scent that reminds me of the new L'Artisan JdF. Not only comforting but gentle. The lather is not super foamy but it absolutely cleans the hair and scalp without overstripping it. Leaves my hair very shiny and feels healthy too. Contains Wheat proteins and starches for body and shine. Perfect for all types of hair. Mild and just lovely. I'll repurchase!
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm SPF 15 in Hue 58B
Mayra 7/14/2003 10:03:00 PM
Shade 58B which is a bit warmer, thicker, opaque and much less shiny that shade 30G. I purchased both and out of the two I am not reaching at all for this one. I don't like it as much and have only used it a couple times. I prefer 30G.
SPF 15. 0.5 oz 14g 15 ml $7.50 at Nordstrom
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Lips -Kiehls - Lip Balm SPF15 Hue #30G
Mayra 7/14/2003 10:01:00 PM
Slight hint of color with some moisturizing oils. Its a sheer apple that goes on light and smooth. I keep these in the car and coat just in case...for those moments when I may have forgotten to pack my gloss or lipstick of the day or when all there is time for is a quick balm application. For my money PRADA lip balm #4 is still my favorite when it comes to colored balms plus it stays much longer on the lips.
SPF 15. 0.5 oz 14g 15 ml $7.50 at Nordstrom
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Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Ambre Extreme
Mayra 7/14/2003 8:58:00 PM
Amber Extrême is amber to the 10th power. If you love amber then this is it. If you enjoy amber in the background and a bit more subdued to avoid possible headaches then this might not be your best bet.I found it a bit too masculine. On the right man this might be just right.
Thanks again Andy for the lovely and ever so generous sample!
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Gels/Soaps -Molton Brown - Sensual Foaming Bath
Mayra 7/13/2003 1:39:00 PM
Yet another Molton Brown gel that I love. (thanks again Andrea!)It contains *warm* essential oils that make it a great shower gel to pair up with oriental, florientals, gourmand and spicy/incence fragrances. Thick and luxurious scent. Wonderfully comforting to use at night, before bedtime.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Molton Brown - Rejuvenating Arctic Birch Bath & Shower Gel
Mayra 7/13/2003 1:34:00 PM
Its delightful and invigorating. According to MB it contains a known anti-melanoma agent (betulinic acid because of the Arctic Birch bark). Very pretty to look at (think a couple shades more intense than SL Fleurs D'Oranger). The scent has hints of citrus and orange blossom so its great for citrus/orange blossom scent days. Wonderful in the summer time.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Un Bois Vanille
Mayra 7/11/2003 2:16:00 AM
Vanilla, bitter almond... musk. Wearable (even for daytime, office wear) woody vanilla that is a bit sweet. A very different addition to the Serge Lutens family of fragrances. It is a Lutens fragrance but it strays from the complexity and beauty of its predecessors. Worn alone or layered with Clair De Musc, Douce Amere or Fleurs D'Oranger it improves a bit. Not something I will pay top dollar to purchase while at the Lutens shop.
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Fragrances -J. Lo - Glow
Mayra 7/5/2003 8:15:00 PM
Reviewed by Mayra on 10/7/2002 11:49:00 AM
The following is a review of Glow by J.Lo The scent. NOT the artist/celebrity
Aspires to be a sophisticated fragrance but fails terribly at it. The bottle seems inspired by Dior's J'Adore only with an inner city *jewelry* twist. As far as the scent itself, the notes seemed promising until I applied it on my skin and waited for the dry down. My initial reaction to this scent was the feel one get when entering an 80's big hair, busy hair salon: hair spray, aerosols. Alcoholic and chemical. Within a few minutes it starts becoming a bit sweet, almost spicy. Suddenly a pseudo fruity stage. Then, my oh my! Surprise! Totally soapy. *Bar of soap* soapy. Where did the orange flower, grapefruit, vanilla, jasmine, rose and sandalwood go? I can't recommend this fragrance but...J-Lo Glow lovers looking for similar fragrances or something a bit less hyped and more refined, albeit higher in price, might try Parfums D'Orsay Tilleul, L'Occitane Tilleul, Frederic Malle En Passant, Clean, Trussardi Skin, Costume National or even Allesandro Dell'Acqua.
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Fragrances -Creed - Citrus Bigarade
Mayra 7/1/2003 9:13:00 PM
Neroli, Hesperides and Petit Grain. Fresh, a bit powdery upon dry down. Refreshing. Unisex but not masculine at all. Almost as wonderful as my beloved Frederic Malle Bigarade Concentreé. Available at Parfumerie Nasreen in Seattle.
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Fragrances -Loewe - Alessandro Dell'Acqua by Alessandro Dell'Acqua EDT
Mayra 6/30/2003 9:54:00 AM
For a fragrance that's classified as a luxurious floriental by some websites Alessandro Dell'Acqua by by Alessandro Dell'Acqua EDT is quite clean and soapy. If you have enjoyed Trussardi Skin, Glow by J.lo, soapy lindens like En Passant or D'Orsay Tilleul then you will like this. Like fresh washed, air dry linens on a summer day. To some it could be quite unisex, even masculine. Nice but not special enough to merit paying the full Nordstrom retail price. As far as I'm concerned Trussardi Skin is the superior scent of the bunch as it is a truly second skin with its subtle musky character but without any over the top soapy characteristics. Let's face it..if we wanted to smell like soap we would not be buying fragrance, now would we? ;-)
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Fragrances -Giorgio Armani - sensi [DISCONTINUED]
Mayra 6/29/2003 11:24:00 PM
Launched by Giorgio Armani in 2002, initially I avoided Sensi because of its name. I thought it silly and it did not motivate me to even try it. Supposedly a woody oriental, it is so subtle that its just like cashmere on the skin (I am NOT talking of DK Cashmere Mist). A bit more intense than expected, even a bit sharp. The Kaffir is ultimately fleeting but the barley note takes it a step ahead to the pseudo-foody realm within minutes. Lovely acacia note. Not really musky. Lasting. Second skin type dry down where the barley then takes center stage. Not as nice as Trussardi Skin.
Available at Nordstrom
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Fragrances -Chopard - Madness
Mayra 6/29/2003 11:10:00 PM
Shame! What a shame! It held so much promise! Having loved Chopard Wish at first sniff I decided I would get a bottle of all of Chopard's range. As I was finding it really difficult to find a bottle of Madness (THAT right there should have been my first clue!) in the US (even sending multiple swap requests to a fellow MUA'er to no avail) I swapped last year with a lovely MUA'er from Singapore for a bottle of Madness. However, upon receipt of my eagerly anticipated bottle (such a cute and colorful one at that) I immediately knew this was NOT for me. Sour, sharp. Fruity but not in a good way. According to Osmoz it contains top notes of Pink Lychee, Kumquat, Pink pepper. Middle notes of Flamboyant, Rose, Hibiscus and Base notes of Palissander, Pao Rosa wood, Cotton Flower.
Carefully, I placed it back in its box where it has remained till this day. I think its even listed on my swap list. No wonder I have not received any requests for it. Its simply awful! Its only redeeming qualities are the bottle color and the box, although the sprayer is a pain in the neck too. I can't recommend this and I really can't say that about too many fragrances. With the exception of Cacao perhaps. Utter disappointment. :-(
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Fragrances -Comme des Garcons - Series 5- Rhubarb
Mayra 6/29/2003 7:43:00 PM
Sherbet, the 5th installement in the series of fragrance collections from Comme des Garçons (Rhubarb, Cinnamon and Peppermint) *Rhubarb* is lovely! Juicy. Tart. Fresh but won't have you smelling like a walking stem of its namesake. ;-) Green with a slightly woody sharpness that gives it depth and lasting power.
Top notes of: vanilla creme wengué
Middle notes of: orchid sap, Congnassier flower
Bottom notes of:
bergamot, rhubard, lychee
Grassy. Hints of kaffir lime and lemongrass. Edgy. True. With a creamy Rhubarb Fool quality upon dry down. However, lasting power is weak. Speaks of walking in a kitchen garden on a summer day. Makes me want to get knee deep in the dirt collecting fresh Rhubarb from Melanie's garden only to rush home and make something, anything with it. Rhubarb crip, Rhubarb Schnapps, Jam and pies. Finally a Rhubarb fragrance that does some justice to its namesake.
I do have 2 complaints about this series. First one is that I wish Rhubarb came in a larger bottle so that I could splash it on! Think L'Artisan's Eau De Carotte. A 30 ml spray is just not large enough. Also, these fragrances come in white matte glass bottles (EDT Spray)and jars (Solid) which in turn come enclosed in an opaque white polyethylene packets (think Zip-lock bags). The packaging of the solid nor the spray are sealed. In transit, the top of the jar comes loose and I'm not very happy about that. White glass is not what I prefer in a fragrance bottle as I enjoy looking at contents, especially to signal me when I must repurchse (or when swap descriptions are of essence). It also make the bottle look like a Biotherm serum bottle with a pump rather than what it actually is: a fragrance that in no way could be displayed with beautiful bottles. Definitely the ugly duckling of my perfume collection.
I ordered both the EDT Spray and the Solid perfume balm from Comme des Garçons boutique in NYC 212 604-9200 Ask for Katarina. She's an absolute doll and knows the line and fragrance very well. We spent quite a long time on the phone talking CdG's. The solid is $26 (12ml) and the 30ml spray $33. (I ordered both) Shipping is $8 UPS ground. (7-10 days)
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