Fragrances -Lancome - Magie Noire EDT
reikigoddess 10/26/2009 12:17:00 AM
I used to wear this in high school in the early 80's. I loved it, along w/my Borghese & Raffinee. Anyway, just for fun I tried this at Ulta today. It smells a lot like it did and yet it's definitely missing something. It feels like it's lost its soul. I don't know how else to describe it. Like a facade. However, If you never wore the original and enjoy woody scents you may like this.
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Fragrances -Chanel - 31 Rue Cambon
reikigoddess 10/26/2009 12:03:00 AM
I'm pretty much in love w/Beige yet I need to test it again to make sure as these are huge bottles. Beige feels like it's "me." I think 31 Rue Cambon is quite nice, just not really "me." As others reviewers have noted, it's sophisticated & confident. It's something I'd like a small bottle of for when I'm feeling particularly elegant or need to feel confident for a presentation or something like that. To me this says don't mess with me! I also wouldn't mind a small bottle of 28 La Pausa for the opposite reasons as I find it soft & relaxing, mellow & contemplative.
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Fragrances -Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Perfumes - Soie Rouge
reikigoddess 10/24/2009 12:47:00 AM
Skin chemistry def. comes into play w/this one. On me it's basically a warm, spicy carnation. The male SA loved it on me but did say it doesn't usually smell like that on other people. Sadly, it's just not something I see myself wearing although objectively it was quite nice. Just didn't wow me personally.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Idylle
reikigoddess 10/23/2009 7:55:00 PM
Ok, this is just my quick impression from one spritz on a blotter. To me, this smelled like the newer Narcisso Essence (but toned down) w/a little EL Pleasures thrown in. I actually liked it but didn't have anywhere to spritz on my body & was in a hurry. The drydown on the blotter is smelling more like the original Narcisso but nicer to my nose, less musk maybe. Bottle is much better in person, pretty. BTW, for reference- NR is just ok to me & Essence I liked but it was SO strong. Can't stand SJP lovely. Pleasures I like, just not the EDT!
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Fragrances -Chanel - Beige
reikigoddess 10/22/2009 9:23:00 PM
UPDATE April 2011: Available in smaller bottles! Yeah! $120 for I believe 2.5 oz./////I was finally able to test this at my Nordies today (I think all Nordstroms that have Chanel boutiques will now be carrying the Les Ex. line). They had this one hidden in the back & were not even able to offer me a decant which they are usually so great about doing. This has been out a year & I guess it's still living up to its exclusivity. Anyway, I'm really liking this! It's my fave of the L.Ex. (the only others I really liked were 28 La Pausa & 31 Rue Cambon). It's clean & pretty w/just a bit of aldehydes (thankfully for me). There's also some warmth imo. There was another woman there I was chatting with and w/o knowing what I had on, said it smelled a little spicy & would be good for fall/winter. I wasn't getting any spice but reading up I see there's some anise here. I find this to be more of a spring scent w/the honeyed florals but I actually could see myself wearing this year round. I also detected notes not listed, as others have, esp. lilac. I don't find it boring or overly elegant or austere. I think it smells lovely and soft and clean. It doesn't scream Chanel to me in terms of perfume like Allure, No. 5, and 31 Rue Cambon do. It does say Chanel in terms of it's simple elegance and beauty. I may just *need* a bottle of this.
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Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Passion
reikigoddess 10/21/2009 10:29:00 PM
This was apparently Annick's signature scent. I need to try this one again. While I really did love it in the past when I sampled it, I found it just a bit too sweeet. I think this would be a nice floral for fall/winter as I remember it being pretty full bodied. I just read that there's a little tomato leaf in this...interesting. Composition: Jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, vanilla, tomato leaves, patchouli, oakmoss
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Fragrances -Caron - Violette Precieuse - 2006 Reissue
reikigoddess 10/21/2009 10:22:00 PM
I'd say this is a must try for violet lovers. It's different from most that I've smelled & I really like it. No powder & not a lot of sweetness. Lasted about 3 hours on me.
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Fragrances -Caron - Bellodgia
reikigoddess 10/19/2009 10:33:00 PM
Can anyone comment on the parfum/extrait vs. the EDT & EDP. I've tried both the EDT & EDP and while it's a beautiful scent it's WAY too powdery for me. I'm finding that Carons, like Guerlains, are really worth the investment for the pure perfume. If I smelled Farnesiana in EDT or EDP I would never have wanted to even try the extrait & it's absolutely gorgeous, imo.
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Lip Treatments -Kiehls - Lip Balm #1
reikigoddess 10/16/2009 8:32:00 PM
Kiehl's has some great products & some really mediocre products. This lip balm falls into the mediocre category, imo. For starters, the tube pkg. is a pain in the a@@ & it's really hard to get out the right amt. and to get out any when it starts running low. Most importantly it's sticky, gloppy and does not hydrate my lips-it stays on a long time but when you're not wearing it your lips don't feel any more hydrated. Actually I think this may have even made my lips drier. I've recently found Smith's Rosebud Salve & I love it!
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Lip Treatments -Smith's Rosebud Salve - Smith's Rosebud Salve
reikigoddess 10/16/2009 8:25:00 PM
HG! Please don't change the packaging or add SPF or change anything else Smith's as I love this just the way it is. Texture is perfect & not sticky yet it wears on and on. It gives a slight rosey tint to my lips & blows away everything else I've tried (which was most recently the infamous Kiehl's lip balm which was very mediocre, imo). This balm actually improves the hydration of my lips.
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Fragrances -Les Parfums de Rosine - Rose D'Ete
reikigoddess 10/16/2009 4:52:00 PM
I've worn this in the past. It's very nice for spring/summer but I did tire of it rather quickly. I think it was a bit too fruity for my personal taste. I much prefer Zeste & Ecume for that time of year. Just wanted to note that I ordered samples yesterday from their official website (there were some scents of theirs I couldn't find elsewhere). To my surprise, it was 18 euros inc. s&h ($27) for all 18 carded samples-works out to about $1.50 each!!! While I love some of these sample sites, I'm getting pretty tired of shelling out so much money on samples. Plus, these are beautiful large carded samples. This is a beautiful line, imo. My recommendation- ORDER SAMPLES DIRECTLY FROM OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.les-parfums-de-rosine.com
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Fragrances -Parfumerie Generale - Tubereuse Couture
reikigoddess 10/11/2009 4:35:00 PM
Wow! This would be a beautiful scent for spring/summer or maybe year round if you live in CA or FL or HI, etc. This reminds me of Hawaii-gorgeous. Words like clear & high (pitched) come to mind & it's not too sweet or strong nor does it have a buttery or aggressive feel. It's also not boring or "ladylike" or stuffy or perfumey. To me this is stunning. PG makes a candle in this scent as well. This is my favorite tuberose scent-above Carnal Flower, Caron, Serge Lutens, etc. UPDATE: The lasting power on this is insane...over 24 hours & still going strong. Some may love that but I think it's a bit scary, really. Still an incredible scent, imo. Also, pretty sure I'm smelling Pikake here so no wonder it reminds me of HI.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Talulah Natural Skincare Calendula Cream
reikigoddess 10/7/2009 10:08:00 PM
5 stars as a cuticle cream. Tried this today & will definitely be buying a jar. Made a huge difference even after just one use. It has the texture & feel of petroleum jelly but is all natural. It sinks in well and is not greasy. I'm fine w/the glass jar too...I prefer glass & it's better for natural products and it's more environmentally friendly.
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Matte Foundation spf 15
reikigoddess 10/5/2009 11:02:00 PM
I'm on the fence about this. Just a few thoughts from my experience so far. To start with the shades are different. I'm normally fairly light but in the matte it's a darker, almost orangey shade. Also, it definitely does not cover as well, not redness anyway. On the plus side it does shrink pore size. I don't have issues w/oiliness so either formula is fine for me in that regard. I actually bought the matte because it apparently has their rare minerals complex in it that's supposed to help w/hydration.
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Fragrances -Chanel - No.5
reikigoddess 10/1/2009 8:53:00 PM
I never liked this but as I've gotten older my tastes have changed a bit & I decided to give it another go. One of the reasons for my strong dislike was probably because the testers are always of the EDT, which I still find pretty foul. The EDP is much nicer imo & I'm sure the pure perfume is beautiful. However, the EDP did give me a big headache. Here's some interesting info. I found on www.profumo.it : The environmental group Greenpeace reports that at least 36 well-known perfume brands contain chemicals that are hazardous to health and the environment. Francis de la Cruz, Greenpeace Southeast Asia toxics campaigner, said that phthalate esters and synthetic musks—two toxic man-made chemicals—are contained in several perfumes. “These chemicals are known to be persistent and they intensify once they enter the body by inhaling or through the skin,” he said. “It’s not acute poisoning but it’s chronic, it stays in our system and accumulates in the fatty tissues of living organisms,” he added. De la Cruz said phthalate has been found to have bad effects on the DNA, male sperm and restricts lung function in men. Synthetic musks can attack living tissues, he said. Two perfumes containing these toxic agents, he said, are Chance and No. 5 of Chanel (for the complete list see www.profumo.it) Greenpeace randomly selected 36 brands of perfume for a quantitative analysis for phthalates and synthetic musks at the Netherlands laboratory, TNO Environment and Geosciences, which conducted the study from 2003 to 2004. De la Cruz said Greenpeace has started meeting the manufacturers of these perfumes to discuss how these hazardous chemicals can be phased out of their products. “Other ingredients that are not harmful can serve as substitutes,” he said.
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