Fragrances -Sonia Rykiel - Belle En Rykiel
awesomeness2 8/19/2011 10:58:00 PM
I tried this a while ago and dismissed it. Boy, was I wrong. It's a grower. I like it better each time I wear it. Lovely. Belle is a wonderful coffee fragrance on top of a vanilla & patchouli base. Because of the impression of coffee & patchouli, coupled with the lavendar on top, it has a tendency to go a bit acidic-medicinal at first, maybe even feel masculine. But as the top dissipates, Belle settles into a lovely "your skin but better" fragrance on me. I love how the incense peeks out but never dominates. The powder is soft and somehow feels that it's in the background. There are 2 reasons that this fragrance is highly rated at other perfumista sites: It's excellent for the price (I paid under $20 for 75ml), and it's quite different from the mass market. Also, the bottle is substantial and much more impressive in person than in pictures. Definitely worth a test or two. Take some time to see if it grows on you. You'll be happy that you did.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chloe - Chloe by Chloe
awesomeness2 8/17/2011 7:10:00 PM
This fragrance demands a pretty dress, a classic handbag, and kitten heels. Makes me feel like a lady on those rare occasions when I want to be one. I am NOT a flower girl, and classic chypres drive me batty. But Chloe is so well-done, so well-executed that I can put that all aside. It's lovely. After recently sampling a number of classic florals, including 24 Faubourg & Fracas, vintage Chloe was the fragrance that I decided to add to my collection. Chloe is worth getting if you can find a sufficiently old bottle in good condition on fleabay or at a resale shop. Look for Chloe by Parfums Lagerfeld, Paris. I have a 50ml EdT in a frosted glass bottle with a silver cap. The box is labeled "spray naturel vaporisateur" with an alcohol content of 82%, made in France. The "aorta" looking bottle is the parfum. The clear bottle is also EdT & comes in 60ml, 120ml & 240ml. The newer bottles of the original Chloe can safely be passed up. A vintage bottle stored in box is the only way to go.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -By Kilian - Straight to Heaven
awesomeness2 8/16/2011 11:48:00 PM
Boozy! More like cheap & sweet liquor, or a medicated cough syrup. I suspect the "rum" and sweet patch. At least at the opening doesn't last! The cedar doesn't sit well with me. After an hour or so, it settles into a nice - albeit slightly sweet - skin scent. Maybe an anti-perfume. I'd pass this by at $20. For $200, I just think what-the ?
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Fragrances -Hermes - Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
awesomeness2 8/16/2011 5:58:00 PM
This is a wonderfully fresh cologne & a perfect summertime scent. Best on hot, hot days when nothing else will do. PAMPLEMOUSSE ROSE or PINK GRAPEFRUIT is a unisex citrus scent. It's composed of grapefruit, orange, lemon, rhubarb and vetiver. I don't believer rose is listed in the composition as a note, per se. Instead, the notes mix with the vetiver to leave a floral (rose) impression. As the citrus dries off, the fragrance left behind is a sheer, transparent woods. Also as it dries, the fragrance becomes less unisex and more masculine. Lasting power is not all that great but this is an EdC afterall. I've been very close to purchasing a full bottle but have held back after sampling, each & every time. The citrus in this scent smells exactly the same as the citrus in Clarins Eau Dynamisante, and the Clarins citrus lasts longer and the Clarins scent is more pronounced. The vetiver in this scent is exactly the same as the vetiver in Lalique Encre Noire (femme): Both fragrances have the same rose-vetiver impression on top and the rose-vetiver is longer lasting in the Lalique scent. Maybe one of the 15ml bottles is the way to go if I purchase Pamplemousse Rose, since I am most certain I'd never finish 100ml of it in this decade ... or the next.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - No. 22
awesomeness2 8/15/2011 11:42:00 PM
Oh, how I was convinced I would love this one. Oh, how I was wrong. I acquired a sample, and I've tried relentlessly tried to fall in love. It's of no use. Chanel 22, like her sister No. 5, is too big of an aldehyde for me to love. It's a soap monster. To complicate matters further, Chanel 22 's composition is basically all white florals, which might be wearable, but are not very likable. I was expecting so much more. There are better choices out there in this price range. Heck, there are better fragrances at a third of the price ... and at full retail no less. Try before you buy.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - 24 Faubourg
awesomeness2 8/15/2011 11:37:00 PM
24 Faubourg is a beautiful, well-constructed floral in the classic style by Maurice Roucel. I get honeyed white florals on an amber vanillic base, and Roucel's characteristic magnolia is missing in this composition. It's very similar to the original Boucheron to my nose, although 24 Faubourg seems to be a better quality. Rich, luxorious, classy, moneyed & feminine are all apt descriptions for 24 Faubourg. It's among the most beautiful fragrances that I have every sampled. It's quite lovely, but it's not me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Herve Leger
awesomeness2 8/13/2011 3:14:00 PM
Herve Leger is classy, modern, light, and season-less. I could wear Herve Leger anywhere; It won't wear me. In fact, HL is very close to being a second skin for my chemistry. Very good lasting power, wears close to the skin. Herve Leger is a sweet fragrance which opens a tad spicy & it has some unlisted jasmine, I am most certain. And the base, oh my - an amber & vanilla wonderfulness that remains fairly consistent throughout. For the most part, Herve Leger wears like a light woody on me, not an oriental (except at top). I think part of that comes from the green apple, which is clean & clear, not foodie or delicious-like. There's also the woodiness from the sandalwood. It's gorgeous. Herve Leger was a blind buy based the notes and the nose. I was on the fence for a long time about this one and missed buying a tester at an excellent price. My only regret is that I didn't buy it earlier and buy a bigger bottle! If you like Burberry Classic, Bvlgari Omnia, Paul Smith London and Burberry Brit, I think you could blind buy Herve Leger without any regrets. To me what each of these fumes share is an in-your-own-skin quality that makes them easy-going & easy-wearing, yet modern & classy. Great quality for the price, imo. Unfortunately, it's discontinued and prices have increased recently. :( If you love this and can't find it (or don't want to spend the bucks), Burberry Classic is quite similar - a friendly, fruit-based vanilla. Realities by Liz Claiborne (the new one) is also similar. Avon makes some Herve Leger fragrances. They are not the same and are no where near the quality of Herve Leger by Herve Leger.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Torrente- L'Or de Torrente
awesomeness2 8/13/2011 3:09:00 PM
L'Or de Torrente is an easy to wear oriental that is suitable for adult women of nearly any age. Not too spicy, not too sweet, comforting & warm, unoffensive. Stays close to the skin. In my opinion, it's a nice "mom" scent to wear around teens & other adults. I think the rose in L'Or is pretty darn fabulous & unusual. A real pleaser. If only L'Or was about roses, but it's not. L'Or is all about coffee. Every once & awhile I get a whiff of the coffee, which changes character as it drys. But also, once & awhile I am picking up something just a tad astringent like coffee is, but I think it's the cedar. L'Or develops into something like bourbon or dark rum on me before settling into its base, which is weak & bland. A lackluster ending to a nice start. I like L'Or de Torrente, but not enough to purchase a full bottle or additional products (gels, lotions, etc), which I would need if I decided to add it to my rotation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hanae Mori - Haute Couture EDP
awesomeness2 8/13/2011 2:58:00 PM
Haute Couture is very different from HM's other offerings. There are no butterflies or magical moons in this one! Instead, Haute Couture is a chrysanthemum fragrance, but it wears very differently depending on its concentration. The pink lady (EdT) is dry with a touch of green & spice; perfect for summer & long-lasting for the concentration. The blue lady (EdP) is sweet dried flowers with green; it's a 3-season fragrance. The red lady (parfum) is sweet dried flowers which dry to a syrupy muck; it's a mess on my skin, so I spray it in my hair instead. I adore the EdT and picked up the other two concentrations based on my experience with the EdT. I much prefer the EdT over the EdP and parfum. Moreover, the price of the EdT is hard to beat -- under $20 for 50ml. With the exception of rose, I find floral-dominant fragrances hard-to-wear and hard-to-like. Haute Couture EdT is an exception. It's unique, the price is right, and I love it! Definitely in my top 10.
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Fragrances -Hanae Mori - Haute Couture EDT
awesomeness2 8/13/2011 2:57:00 PM
Haute Couture is very different from HM's other offerings. There are no butterflies or magical moons in this one! Instead, Haute Couture is a chrysanthemum fragrance, but it wears very differently depending on its concentration. The pink lady (EdT) is dry with a touch of green & spice; perfect for summer & long-lasting for the concentration. The blue lady (EdP) is sweet dried flowers with green; it's a 3-season fragrance. The red lady (parfum) is sweet dried flowers which dry to a syrupy muck; it's a mess on my skin, so I spray it in my hair instead. I adore the EdT and picked up the other two concentrations based on my experience with the EdT. I much prefer the EdT over the others. Moreover, the price of the EdT is hard to beat -- under $20 for 50ml. With the exception of rose, I find floral-dominant fragrances hard-to-wear and hard-to-like. Haute Couture is an exception. It's unique, the price is right, and I love it! Definitely in my top 10.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lancome - Cuir de Lancome
awesomeness2 8/13/2011 2:07:00 PM
Cuir is a floral leather. It opens as a dark - almost smoky - leather scent that warms, mellows & lightens as it drys. The patch opens with a "slap in the face" or "sit up straight" quality to it. I sense cedar in Cuir, which isn't a listed note, but it could be the astringency of the patch leaving that impression. As it develops, the florals become more noticeable. I don't pick out jasmine & ylang-ylang, but something else. There's a powdery floral, plus a familiar floral from my childhood, but I can't identify either. Perhaps iris or heliotrope and wild rose or violet? The florals are ever so subtle, but extraordinarily beautiful and well-blended. Of all the leathers that I've sampled recently, Cuir is probably most like Heeley's Cuir Pleine Fleur on top, maybe due to the shared Bergamot & Hawthorn. However, it's like nothing else as it drys. I'm growing to love Cuir because of the understated florals which keep Cuir from becoming unisex or masculine imo. I am desperately trying to resist buying a bottle because I already own 4 leather variants, but nothing quite like this. Resistance is futile! Haha. I'm gonna get this beauty, even if it means swapping out some of my favored scents. It's just too gorgeous to ignore. One of the best buys under $40 and sure to keep any fumie hobbyist enthralled!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Badgley Mischka Couture
awesomeness2 7/29/2011 4:37:00 PM
Lovely take on the original fragrance. Not as fruity as the original. It's creamy with a bit more patchouli up front. I love the original, hated fleurs de nuit, and I like this. To me, it's less complicated than the first but just as good. Couture could be a daily scent. I have a mini, and it won't be enough. Just went on my full-bottle want list.
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Fragrances -Rochas - Femme
awesomeness2 7/28/2011 2:24:00 PM
Oh, poor Femme Rochas. It's much maligned for being reformulated (in 1989), and it's under-appreciated for being wearable (today). This reformulated version strikes me as a nice balance between older style fruity chypres and more modern ones. It's also knock-down, drag-out, 10-times better than the reformulated Mitsouko which sells for much more than Femme's discounted price. I appreciate Femme for what it is, and I could careless what it was. It's beautiful, it's wearable, it's comfortable, it's gorgeous.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color
awesomeness2 7/28/2011 9:09:00 AM
Overall, this is an excellent product for the SH line. I have diamond strength in color 05 (Diamonds). By itself, color 05 is a yellow-tinged clear (sheer) with diamond sparkles. However, I use it as a second coat on top of one of my Opi colors, most typically a soft, opalescent neutral. It goes on fabulously over Opi and dries quickly. I use an Opi top coat as well. I use this product to help extend my manicure. I usually get about a week out of a manicure before I need to do something. I stick to neutrals so that chips and cracks are not too noticeable. I add Opi opals and SH diamond on top buys me another week. The combination of the neutral color, the opalescent Opi & SH diamonds deflect light and mask chips, cracks, mistakes. How cool is that? Like most items in the SH line, the brush could be improved. This product is no exception. I really wish that SH would pay attention to the brush. If they did, this product would be competitive with Opi and 5* all the way. I think I paid $6 for the SH, and I usually pay $1.50 more for Opi. I would pay more for a better brush, and I would probably buy more colors too.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - J Del Pozo-In Black
awesomeness2 7/27/2011 9:03:00 PM
Sweet pipe tobacco, maybe a bit of incense, on a patchouli & vanilla base - that's what I get. Many people report cherries & licorice, which I don't get. It's on the femme side of unisex. However, I think some guys would smell fab in this, particularly on warm summer evenings. Yum. Very unique and highly wearable. One of the best buys under $20 imo, and a fragrance that I never want to be without. By Christine Nagel.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No