Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - JAR Golconda
reikigoddess 5/17/2009 8:12:00 PM
If anyone's interested, the name means a source of great wealth (after Golconda, a ruined city in southern India, once known for its diamond mines in the nearby hills). I do like this yet it doesn't wow me, at least not on my skin. I get mostly a carnation soliflore. JAR's Diamond Water smells very similar on me at the start but dries down quite differently & more interestingly, so I'm going to spend some more time w/that one. *Can get samples from theperfumedcourt.com. UPDATE: Bumping this up a lippie & noting that Diamond Water is quite a different scent altogether. This is a beautiful carnation perfume, definitely the best carnation scent I've smelled w/thankfully no powder.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Jean Patou - Joy
reikigoddess 5/14/2009 12:15:00 AM
I have always wanted to like this scent but never did. It is my name after all. I was at Nordies today and wandered over to the perfume counter & smelling this on paper was again not impressed...actually less impressed than usual as it smelled different. I figured P&G screwed w/the formula but this was the EDT and I think I usually sample the EDP (has been some time though). Anyway, I'm so glad I decided to spritz some on because I'm really liking this! Even the SA loved it on me & she said it's not a fav of hers. I get much more jasmine than rose from this. Apparently the only synthetic ingred. in this is the musk but that may only apply to the pure perfume, which I will be ordering a sample of pronto! NOTE: The Patou website lists different notes than basenotes. I must say that, at least w/the EDT, I get no peach & def. no aldehydes (thankfully!!!) Don't judge this one too quickly...it takes a few minutes to really meld w/your skin & chemistry and if it works for you it is gorgeous!
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Fragrances -Issey Miyake - L'Eau d'Issey
reikigoddess 5/13/2009 4:16:00 PM
I HATED this when it came out & could not understand the popularity. I dubbed it issey miyukki, pissy miyake...you get the idea. Florientals have always been my fav fragrance family but now I like to have/wear scents from all the different categories of scent. I bought this a few summers ago when I was living in a hot, dry place and had a stressful job. The combo of watery florals mixed w/the cedar make this fragrance incredibly relaxing to me. I stopped wearing it after awhile because I felt that it was too strong/sharp. I have since realized that this is really great w/my chemistry if I make sure to spritz very lightly...from a greater distance than usual on my wrists or even spritz & walk through it. The main reason I decided to give this another chance was my newfound appreciation of FM's En Passant which I just bought. There's a bit of a similarity betwen the two, at least to me.
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Fragrances -Antonia's Flowers - Sogni Del Mare
reikigoddess 5/7/2009 2:13:00 PM
This is really horrible w/my chemistry. A scrubber! The musk gets amplified and w/the sickly sweet notes it's just bad. I do love their sampling policy though-what a refreshing change. For what I'm used to spending for 1 sample ($5) I received 7 vials...AF in all 3 forms, this, Tiempe Passate & Floret in both EDT & EDP. And free shipping! If I really start to think about what I've been willing to dish out on samples I want to slap myself!
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Fragrances -Antonia's Flowers - Floret
reikigoddess 5/7/2009 12:21:00 AM
Reminds me so much of Jessica McClintock's fragrance (the one w/the white cap). I have not smelled that in awhile but that's immediately what I thought & thus it reminds me of the 80's. I'm not a real fan of Maybe Baby by Benefit & while I can also see that comparison, I think the Benefit is better. Definitely a fresh & uplifting feel though. Too sweet & too strong for me.
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Fragrances -LUSH - Vanillary
reikigoddess 4/25/2009 9:27:00 PM
Okay, I went to Lush today just to try & probably buy this lotion & walked out w/tons of stuff! Typical of me w/Lush. Anyway, I love this in the lotion. Don't get any of coffee notes as someone described & it's just yummy. It actually reminds me of Hanae Mori which I used to love & just coincidentally tried at Sephora the other day (still nice but way too perfumey for my tastes now). UPDATE: Not reminding me as much of HM on my 2nd try...getting mostly vanilla & tonka and it's still yummy! I think the lotion I sampled may have had a bit more jasmine in the mix & the one I bought doesn't...not as sweet and I detect that kind of burnt sugar smell w/the vanilla. It's a bit addicting! The Vanillary solid perfume is okay but on me, when i smelled it up close, it smelled a bit like pee. Sorry, but it did. I'll have to give that one another go the next time I'm at LUSH and see if it happens again. UPDATE: Yep, the solid still smells a bit like pee on me. The SA agreed. However, she also had it on & it was wonderful on her. The EDP is just super strong, overpowering & feels like it would give you & everyone around you a massive headache. Try before you buy! ANOTHER UPDATE Oct. 2010: TRY THE NEW SOLID! SO MUCH NICER SMELLING THAN THE OLD ONE IN A TIN.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aftelier cacao
reikigoddess 4/21/2009 3:40:00 PM
A bit too much orange in this for my taste. Nice though, especially if you enjoy sweet scents. UPDATE: Just bought a small bottle of this on impulse at a store by me that carries this Aftel (and only this one). If Tango had been available I would have snatched that up and/or if I had the extra money and Parfum Prive had been there I would have bought that. Anyway, it's really hard to find natural perfumes in retail & I didn't want to wait for something to be shipped so I bought Cacao. The 2.2 ml bottle is actually pretty adorable, albeit tiny. I'm enjoying this & am finding that it starts out strong on the orange chocolate notes but mellows nicely w/a small amt. of jasmine playing its part. Upping it a lippie. ***The more I wear this, the more I like it & it's great in cold weather!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Honore des Pres Sexy Angelic
reikigoddess 4/9/2009 9:28:00 PM
Sadly, this is so weak that you just cannot appreciate it. I'm a huge fan of natural, organic perfumes & was so excited to see a new French line (and with 4 of the 5 perfumes formulated by none other than Olivia Giacobetti). However, I was surprised to hear that these would be EDT concentrations-it just doesn't work with Sexy Angelic, Nu Green or Honore's Trip (the only one not by O.G.). They're all nice but so extremely weak that I could never imagine buying a bottle (and I'm someone who is familiar w/natural scents and used to their typical lack of longevity and sillage). However, that being said, there are 2 others that are the stars of the line imho-Bonte's Bloom & Chaman's Party. Both have much more presence & are definitely worth sampling. Would love to see Sexy Angelic in an EDP strength. BTW, it smells to me of almond and anise & a little ambrette. Luckyscent & Beautyhabit are carrying the line.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
reikigoddess 4/9/2009 1:59:00 PM
I know this works for many people & they love it. However, this is not for people w/sensitive skin, imo. I tried not only the sensitive brush but the one for delicate skin too & they were both horrible on my sensitive skin. My skin loves microdermabrasion but not this. Also, I just hated the overall feel of the sonic vibrations...it was unnerving.
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Fragrances -Nanadebary - Bronze
reikigoddess 3/21/2009 5:37:00 PM
The Nanadebary scents have been reformulated into EDP concentrations. I tried Bronze once years ago & kind of liked it. Just ordered a luckyscent sample and this is making me sick to my stomach! I don't smell much spice or any of the layers, just a strong "perfumey" smell. On the other hand I'm loving the Pink. I recommend sampling the new Nana's before buying.
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Fragrances -Andy Tauer - Reverie au Jardin
reikigoddess 3/20/2009 2:32:00 AM
Chemistry definitely plays a role, especially w/this one. On me I get a lot of rose from this-a sweet and jammy rose. I couldn't wait to get home and check the notes to make sure I wasn't losing it & there is indeed rose absolute in this. I also get some lavender but it's not a particularly nice lavender. Overall this is VERY sweet and cheap smelling on my skin. It dries down to lavender and vanilla & is still a bit sickeningly sweet. Another pass for me...next.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Sea Flora Laminaria Facial Moisturizer
reikigoddess 2/15/2009 2:31:00 PM
I am loving this whole line. It's doing wonders for my sensitive skin, including redness issues. The body products are great too. I just ordered the rich version of this cream. While I really like this product-the feel, the smell, no break-outs, etc.- I need something richer (especially in winter). I would definitely say that this is for oily and normal to oily skin types only.
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Sunscreen -Epicuren Discovery - Zinc Block SPF 20
reikigoddess 2/15/2009 2:09:00 AM
The BEST sunscreen for my sensitive skin. No chemicals, no white cast, no greasy feeling at all & zero breakouts. I put this on after my moisturizer and it feels soothing and I swear it helps lock some moisture into my skin. I decided to order the larger 8 oz. size since I go though the 2.5 oz. tubes pretty fast. It's not cheap ($34 for the small tube & $80 for the 8 oz. tub) yet it works and to me it's completely worth it. They always say sunscreen is the most important thing for preserving your face. I can't use chemical sunscreens and I'd caution others who can & do to be wary...they're now coming out w/some findings that suggest that some chemical sunscreens can be potentially harmful. UPDATE 8/2011: THIS HAS BEEN REFORMULATED! Just bought another tube- same pkg., no mention on the tube of any reformulation but when I used it I knew immediately. It is richer and has more of a lotion feel vs. the whipped like texture before. There's beeswax as an ingredient that I'm pretty sure was not in there before (and no I didn't get their other sunscreen that has beeswax-that one also has chemicals). There's no mention of the zinc being micronized so I'm assuming they made the reformulation based on issues w/micronized zinc. I don't like this new formulation as much & I really think they should have some notation on the tube that the product has been reformulated. Dropping a lippie.
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Fragrances -Shiseido - Zen
reikigoddess 1/30/2009 3:21:00 PM
I see from Kayraven's review that there's apple in this so I'm not losing it...something in this reminded me a bit of FM's Outrageous (granted I've only tried each of these scents once). It's okay for a casual, sort of uplifting scent but it's not wowing me. Also, for something that starts out strong, the drydown is pretty weak and it doesn't last that long.
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Fragrances -The Body Shop - White Musk EDT
reikigoddess 1/26/2009 2:59:00 PM
Been looking for a musk scent. I've tried Narcisso, Les Nereides, Musc Ravageur (that's a whole different animal) and some others and then this. This is my fav. I'm shocked at how much I really like this! As far as staying power...no problem for me...it lasts all day and into the night. The price is ridiculously low but the packaging sucks. I was never a big TBS shopper but I do recall better pkg. in the past. All the products in the line look really cheap. I'm planning on buying the EDT (I like it a lot better than the EDP) and putting it in a spray atomizer. UPDATE: check out profumo.it re: toxic perfumes. Greenpeace apparently did a big scientific study & this was on their list of 36 most toxic perfumes. There's a chance it's been reformulated since then though (2004 study).
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