Fragrances -Guerlain - Samsara
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 10:09:00 PM
Syrupy, like cough medicine. Sickeningly sweet and heavy, a liquid equivalent of its bright-red bottle.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Safran Troublant
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 9:54:00 PM
Strong saffron top notes, and then it reminds me of baking gingerbread cookies, even though they don't contain saffron. But there's a warm, milky vanilla sweetness in the dry-down that has a homey yet refined feel to it (certainly not "troublesome" or disturbing for me). Even though it's a wonderful gourmand fragrance, I "wouldn't buy it again" only because one 50ml bottle will last me many years. It's definitely not the type of fragrance I would wear every day -- more of a cozy mood enhancer for a rainy or snowy day at home.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Eau des Merveilles
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 9:35:00 PM
Woody, peppery, spicy... almost dusty (but in a good way). Dark, mysterious, elegant, and somewhat aggressive (almost unisex). I really only feel comfortable wearing it in the fall and winter, a few spritzes under layers of clothes. It's quite strong and heavy, although gorgeous. I don't like white florals or girly-girl scents, and this one is definitely not that. It's a perfect balance of feminine and masculine, like a fragrance version of preppy clothes -- classic, outdoorsy, powerful, patrician, and androgynous. The juice is amazing, but I don't like the bottle. I wish it stood up straight; the tilting makes me a little nervous and it looks weird sitting next to all the other bottles -- kind of throws the aesthetics of the collection off balance and it tends to get knocked over.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Prada - Infusion d'iris edp
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 9:19:00 PM
I can definitely understand why this fragrance wouldn't work on everyone, but it totally captivates me. It brings up such positive childhood memories of gardens after the rain. I wasn't sure whether I liked it at first because it has an unusual, medicinal soapiness (maybe Johnson's Baby Shampoo??), but now I'm completely obsessed with it. I recently smelled someone else wearing it and for a moment felt a ridiculous pang of jealousy. That's MINE! (Yikes) :) The bottle is the epitome of understated, dignified elegance. I would have bought it for the bottle alone, as that's what initially attracted me to it. There's a vintage apothecary vibe about this perfume and its bottle which I completely adore.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Mimosa pour Moi
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 9:01:00 PM
Fresh, crisp, and cheerful, like a tropical breeze blowing through the flowering shrubs and grasses (I smell some pineapple). It reminds me of a warm day at the beach, lounging under the shade of palm trees or a yellow-striped cabana, drinking a fruity cocktail.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Kelly Caleche
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 8:49:00 PM
Leather and powdery flowers (mostly rose), with a hint of evergreen boughs. Clean, fresh, calm, comfortable, and elegant. The image it conjures up for me is of slowly walking through a pine forest blanketed with new snow after having just showered and then dressed in a cashmere sweater, thick cotton pants, and fine leather boots, coat, and gloves. It encourages me to slow down and enjoy the natural beauty in the world, and inspires a sense of gratitude for the comforts we sometimes take for granted. I just can't get enough of this scent. It also has an interesting twist-to-reveal-the-spritzer cap atop the beautifully simple bottle. Another masterpiece from Jean-Claude Ellena!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Dzing
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 7:51:00 PM
This fragrance is brilliant in that it faithfully depicts a visit to the circus. It didn't work at all with my chemistry or mood, but I can definitely understand why some people love it. On me, the top notes were of intense leather and smoke, which combined to resemble pleather. As time progessed, it performed mindboggling feats of olfactory acrobatics. It lasted a very long time -- at least 9 hours. The unfortunate thing is that the last few hours depicted what is left on the floor after the circus is over, namely where the horses and elephants had been performing. But, again, this was due to it not being in harmony with my personal chemistry rather than it being a reflection on the composition itself. Dzing! is in no way boring, average, or like anything else I've ever sampled.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Avalon Organics Botanicals - lavender conditoner
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 7:29:00 PM
This line of shampoo and conditioner did NOTHING for my hair. I had to shampoo twice to get it clean, and I may as well have not even used the conditioner because it had absolutely no effect. (I ended up giving it away after a week or so.) I bought it because it was organic and a good price at Trader Joe's.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Passage d-Enfer
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 7:24:00 PM
This fragrance powerfully moved me when I first smelled it, so I bought a 50ml bottle. It's a mysterious and intriguing composition that brought back a flood of memories. I definitely should have taken a sample home rather than just smelling it on my skin while I was at the store. It's supposed to be a light incense, but it's very dark, heavy, and sharp on me. The best way to describe it would be smoky soap -- both hazy and violently clean. I'm hoping it'll smell better on me in the fall (maybe now is just the wrong season or mood), and I definitely won't be wearing it to the office any time soon.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -L'Occitane - Shea Butter - Ultra Rich Conditioner
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 7:03:00 PM
This is by far the best conditioner I've ever used on my dry, fine, brittle hair! It provides the shine, softness, and thickness/body I so desperately need and can't get from other conditioners. It makes my scalp feel invigorated and moisturized, too. Provides a great sense of health and relief all around. I also love the dignified silver packaging. Worth every cent of the $17! Warning: It might be too heavy or greasy for someone who doesn't have dry hair. (The sales associate at the store warned me of this, too.)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Jour de Fete
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 6:50:00 PM
Very pretty and gentle, like candied almonds. It's a little too gourmand for me to wear regularly, but it's great for when I want to feel cheered up and comforted.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cacharel - Anais Anais
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 6:43:00 PM
A totally '80s fragrance, but one of my all-time favorites. I normally detest white florals, so it surpises me that I'm so in love with this one. Maybe because it's quite powdery and it contains all my favorite base notes (musk, amber, vetiver, leather, patchouli, sandal, cedar) to calm down the high notes of the many different flowers. I would call this an introspective or introverted white floral. I have such positive memories associated with it from when I was in 8th grade. It remindes me of being in a well-manicured flower garden after a spring rain, maybe alone with a good book or at a garden party with close friends and we're all wearing pastel cotton dresses. Ultra-feminine, gentle, romantic, and exquisitely beautiful! I think the bottle (milky white glass, soft pastel flowers, silver) is an accurate representation of the elixer it contains. A love poem in a bottle.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Dzongkha
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 6:31:00 PM
This fragrance is definitely not for everyone -- please give it a thorough sample before buying! I didn't like it in the first few minutes (the top notes smelled overwhelmingly like Scotch whisky plus leather, and I think Scotch tastes like peat moss and damp soil). But as it developed on my skin, more of the complex woods, incense, spice, and floral notes blossomed and I fell head over heels in love. Despite its complexity, it's very calming, mellow, and deep, like musical notes in the lower octaves or the reassuring breathy male baritone voice of a classical-music radio station DJ who is a smoker. It is by far my most favorite fragrance right now. It's quite a masculine scent, but on my skin the florals really come to the front and are structurally well supported by all the other notes. It gives me a profound sense of hope, inspiration, comfort, and inner peace, which is how I would describe true "wealth". To me, Dzongkha is both sophisticated and serene. The image that springs to mind as I smell this is of sitting the library of a stately manor in the English countryside. There are old leather armchairs, all the walls are lined with wooden shelves of antique leather-bound books, a huge bouquet of flowers blooms on the round hardwood table in the center, fascinating artifacts brought back from exotic travels are cleverly display around the room, crystal decanters of fine whisky sparkle on a table in the corner, and the men of the house have all been pipe smokers throughout the centuries. It's gently raining outside but cozy inside because of the fireplace and I'm nestled into one of the big brown chairs *leafing through a large coffee-table book about Bhutan*, sipping chai with not a care in the world.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Drole de Rose
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 6:21:00 PM
Powdery roses and violets. Very feminine, pretty, light, and sweet -- like the scent of old-fashioned cosmetic products. Gentle, quiet, and stays close to the skin. (A lighter, cleaner version of YSL's Paris.) L'Artisan's Verte Violette smells a lot like this, only it's less sweet and doesn't last as long.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Voleur de Roses
UrbanSkies 1/21/2008 6:18:00 PM
Voleur de Roses is marketed toward men, but it's good for women too. I smell a lot of patchouli in it, but other people say they smell more of the rose. This is a robust, sultry rose rather than a sweet, girly rose. There is also the dark, deep, mysterious aura of damp, mossy earth -- a hidden rose garden after a storm and the sky is still dark grey. Very intriguing and unique! Not at all modern. Reminds me of 19th Century poets: intelligent, passionate, introspective, brooding, and sexy (although often unwashed and disheveled). As with all L'Artisan fragrances, it needs to be sampled for a few days to know whether it'll work with you.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No