Fragrances -Prada - L'Eau Ambrée
Mishel63 11/6/2009 11:10:00 AM
I got a generous spray sample at my Nordstrom and was happy to wear it to work yesterday giving it my first test drive. I think Prada did a great job in interpreting an amber based scent to a light non-offensive easy to wear appeal-to-public mainstream scent. However, I felt that there was something 'off' about it. Throughout the day I kept getting whiffs of it (and yes, it IS long lasting on my skin!) and it smelled like something wet. Not necessarily bad or stinky, not at all, just soaking wet. I can't even explain but that's the vibe I got, of something very wet. Maybe wet hair, wet clothes, wet carpet, wet soil, wet towel... you got the idea. The amber was not heavily pronounced but I could detect it well. Too bad it needed swimming goggles, snorkel and flippers to rise up to the surface.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Jo Malone - Pomegranate Noir
Mishel63 5/3/2009 1:35:00 AM
To me Pomegranate Noir is one of those perfumes that smell nice on a paper strip in the mall but horrid on me. Talk about chemistry! As soon as it hits my skin PN takes on a strange metallic vibe. The promised woodsy notes are nothing but damp lawn clips and small twigs that got caught in an over-heated mower’s steel blade and fermented. Sorry but I’ll pass on this one.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Bold & Brazen
Mishel63 8/7/2008 4:40:00 PM
Gorgeous!!! The MAC makeup artist who glanced at me as I was passing by his counter grabbed me and made me sit down for a mini-makeover. "Wait till you see this", he said with confidence.
Boy, was it worth it!
He applied Bold & Brazen on my lids and added a touch of Glamour Check (also from Starflash collection) in the outer V of my eyes. WOW - The result was stunning!
My light blue eyes looked bluer than ever, brighter and shinier, like sparkling blue topaz gems. I kid you not. I have never seen my eyes look like that.
I practiced his technique at home and then wore the above combo to work a few times. I cannot even tell you how many compliments I have received! Both from co-workers and from customers who came to our store. I even had to write down the names of the shadows for one of the customers.
I am sure this shadow would look beautiful on almost anyone, but I especially recommend it to those with blue/green eyes. ♥
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Laura Mercier - Ambre Passion
Mishel63 1/8/2008 11:22:00 AM
Ambre Passion attacked my nose this morning with a harsh blast of patchouli and dry amber. It gave off a strange "muddy" feel.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind patchouli and I do enjoy amber, but the way it came out of Ambre Passion as soon as it hit my skin was quite heavy and unpleasant. I waited with patience, and didn't go to scrub it off.
BUT -- It took only 15 minutes or so for it to soften and settle down. I LOVE the drydown! Love it!
The scent is haunting and I can't stop sniffing my wrist. Delicious, ambery (duh!), soft, warm, creamy, a little powdery. But not dry-powder. Imagine a deliciously warm body-powder that melts into your skin and soaks into it like butter. Beautiful!
I'm taking one lippie off for the harsh opening.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Une Fleur de Cassie
Mishel63 9/28/2007 10:45:00 AM
I have been wearing Une Fleur de Cassie lately and the more I wear it the more I love it. Okay, I agree, it does have a weird opening.
UFdC is one of those perfumes you want to spray about 40 minutes before leaving the house.
Once it hits the skin it changes completely from horrendous to stunning. Just give it some time.
I can see why many people will be turned off by it. It's a very unusual scent, not the type you find at common stores, and definitely not the type of scent the average nose is used to. It's like a whole new set of small particles your brain is trying to "place" somewhere, to connect with something familiar.
Nah ah! It won't work here.
And to my personal experience with UFdC --
I will refrain from sharing details of what it reminds me of upon first spray. Not the nicest mental image, believe me.
But oh my god, the drydown on my skin is so amazing! It smells beautiful, soft, creamy, sweet and a little milky to my nose, a bit powdery, feminine and ohhhh-soooo-sexy. Makes me purrrrrrr......
Giving it only 4 lippies and not 5 due to its strange opening.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Coty - L by L.A.M.B--Gwen Stefani
Mishel63 9/26/2007 8:34:00 AM
I was so excited to get a sample of L.LAMB. Sephora's website describes it as "Unique. Powerful. Cool". "Luscious floral", they promised, "sparkling freshness", "warmth" and "sensual musks". Sadly I didn't get any of these.
All I smell is one of those liquid soaps that come out of a wall-mounted dispenser in a restaurant's bathroom. You know, the kind of soap that really bothers you when you come back to the table to eat and you just can't get rid of it. That's how I'm feeling now.
No offense to those who love it but on me it's an instant scrubber.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Frederic Malle - Outrageous!
Mishel63 9/22/2007 1:05:00 PM
It's been a while since I posted a review. This morning I tested the new FM scent. It was so extremely disappointing to me, I feel that I must share my impression immediately.
I must start and say that I ADORE all of FM's Editions de Parfums scents. Some work better on my skin, some not so much, but nevertheless I appreciate and admire their uniqueness and the talent and creativity that were put into creating each and every one of them.
"Outrageous!" is a completely different animal, and not in a good way.
Sophia Grojsman is the person behind it. She, who created beautiful classics such as Bulgari Pour Femme, YSL Paris and Yvresse, failed to impress me with her new "Outrageous!".
To my nose it smells very generic, very boring. You should have seen my face when I first sniffed "Outrageous!" this morning. I could not believe it's a scent FM had put his name on. I was sure I was sent the wrong vial. Further checking confirmed that was not the case. Really, what was he thinking?
I'm sure I have smelled it before. I'm sure you have, too. It's everywhere in malls and department stores. It just carries different names: Donna Karan Be Delicious, Salvatore Ferregamo Incanto Dream, and perhaps a few of MK Island mutations, just to name a few.
Overall: Huge thumbs down.
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Fragrances -Montale - Soleil de Capri
Mishel63 4/14/2007 9:09:00 PM
Okay, I admit. I got it unsniffed. Never smelled it before. Huge risk. Yes, I know.
I wanted to finally add the first citrus scent to my collection and the reviews were so good.
My! Everyone was right. Soleil de Capri is a FABULOUS scent!
The first time I sprayed it on my skin I felt a little disappointed.
It was too strong, too aggressive, too rich, too powerful, too everything.
But just like every other Montale scent - you just gotta wait a bit.
The initial blast fades and underneath it hides a gorgeous fresh skin scent.
I know it is considered a citrus scent, but this is, by all means - not a usual one.
I smell juicy citrus peel, with a crisp fresh herbal wave running through it. To me SdC is a very happy scent! It sinks beautifully into my skin and makes it smell so nice without screaming 'perfume!'.
I am taking one lippie off because I don't like the metal bottle. It may be cute to some, but to me perfume should come in a nice heavy glass bottle that would hold its content with pride.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Rem de Reminiscence Paris
Mishel63 1/13/2007 10:16:00 AM
Rem de Reminiscence is a fantastic fresh, light airy salty scent.
I typically do not like any aquatic/oceanic scents but this one is different.
It smells like your sun-soaked warm skin after spending a day by the ocean. I have never smelled anything quite like it.
I first smelled this fragrance on a friend of mine, and I could not get over how wonderful it smelled. It was a hot summer afternoon and we were sitting on her porch with cold lemonade and sugar cookies. I kept getting those amazing whiffs. "Have you just been to the beach?", I asked her... "Hmmm, no, why?", she replied.
It was Rem de Reminiscence that she was wearing that took me straight to the ocean. I swear I could "hear" the waves crushing.
On her next trip to Europe, my friend bought me a bottle of Rem. Bliss!
Before I post the notes I must add that had I read the notes before, I would have never ever tried Rem.
Bergamot often bites me, I don't care for oceanic, don't like ozone scents, can never wear honeysuckle, coconut smell is totally not my thing, and the whole "salad" of notes in the base makes it look like there is just too much going on there.
Imagine looking at a cake recipe: "I don't like eggs, I try to stay away from too much sugar, flour is heavy, baking soda can be sour, etc etc".
But the finished cake? Heaven! Same with this perfume. The finished products is a brilliant blend of fresh air in a liquid form.
Okay, now to the notes:
Top notes: Bergamot, cyclamen, oceanic ozone
Middle notes: honeysuckle, geranium, palmarosa
Base notes: musk, vanilla, coconut, patchouli, sandalwood, tonka bean
Bummer: It's almost impossible to find Rem in the USA.
Hope: As far as I know there are 2 boutiques here that carry it.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Etro - Messe De Minuit
Mishel63 1/5/2007 6:10:00 PM
I am in an very old wooden building. A place that used to be an old library, Victorian style. High ceiling, crystal chandelier. Large windows that are rounded at the top. Some of the wooden shutters on the outside are shut close and its quite dark inside.
The heavy wooden floor makes the sound of each of my steps echo. Occasional squeaks of the floor beams.
I walk towards one big heavy teakwood bookcase, dusty books are neatly arranged, crammed tight close to one another. I can tell they have not been touched in years. The book titles are printed in faded gold letters, hard to read.
I struggle to pull out a book, I blow on it to get the dust off. The binding is falling apart and I need to be super careful.
I open the book... and THAT -- RIGHT THERE! THAT is the scent!!!
That is exactly what I smell!!!!
That's 'Messe de Minuit'!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Salvatore Ferragamo - F
Mishel63 12/21/2006 1:34:00 PM
This is bad. Oy, this is so bad!
Smells like an over-sweetened artificially fruit flavored dry candy. The type that crumbles in your mouth to a thick chalky lumpy powder and you just want to spit it out.
The worst thing is that this perfume does not change or develop on my skin. From first spray till dry down it remains the same over-sweet, flat boring scent. Almost as if there were no top/middle/base notes.
Sephora mentions Jasmine, Rose, and Orange Flower as notes, but Sephora also classifies this as "A truly sensual floral bouquet". "Truly sensual"? Huh?
Interesting that Ferragamo decided to name this perfume "F". I'm gonna play along: What the "F" is that smell???
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Fragrances -Burberry - Brit
Mishel63 12/6/2006 2:26:00 PM
This review is for the EdP. I did not like the EdT, it had a very prominent lime note which I felt was actually clashing with the smooth vanilla instead of complementing it.
The result was somewhat tart and pungent.
I love Brit EdP. I find it to be a very soft and comforting scent. It envelopes me and keeps me warm like a cashmere wrap. There is a hint of sweet lime upon spraying but it goes away in no time. It dries down to a beautiful smooth blend of smoky vanilla, sweet almonds and amber.
The only thing I hate about Brit is the ugly bottle it comes in. Other than that - Perfect winter scent! ♥
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kenzo - Flower by Kenzo Oriental
Mishel63 12/5/2006 11:44:00 AM
In the past I've tested Kenzo Flower Oriental but the tester bottle in the store was rancid, no wonder I hated it.
I am now testing a fresh decant that a friend shared with me, and I like it a lot.
Let me start by saying that I am very fond Kenzo Flower and Flower Le Parfum.
Flower Oriental starts out as powdery roses and violets, soft like the original Kenzo Flower, but has a bit dusty/smoky tone to it.
Once the dusty note fades (10 minutes) a beautiful warm incense comes to life and gives the fragrance a new deep and warm dimension.
I love the woodsy incensy dry-down. The incense really gives it a good kick. Can't stop smelling my wrist.
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Fragrances -Jean Paul Gaultier - Gaultier2
Mishel63 11/27/2006 3:46:00 PM
I was very impressed with the scent strip I found in a catalog. Didn't expect to like it.
After testing G2 in a store I knew right away that sooner or later I will add this bottle to my collection.
This is a gorgeous and sexy deep woody scent.
I smell amber, I smell sweet pipe tobacco, I smell smoky vanilla in the background. All perfectly balanced to create a soft and creamy scent, with no sharp edges.
G2 is being marketed for both men and women but in my opinion it's more of a feminine scent.
Highly recommended for the colder months.
Must be sprayed with a light hand!
EDIT: Okay, can be a little cloying, I admit. Removed one lippie.
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Fragrances -La Maison de la Vanille - Vanille Noire du Mexique
Mishel63 11/25/2006 12:06:00 PM
This is a nice fragrance and the price is just right.
It's a rich sweet and smoky blend of dark spicy vanilla, some top floral notes and patchouli in the base. Kind of vanilla for grown ups.
However, I will not be purchasing a bottle, because unfortunately the dry down on my skin was somewhat synthetic/plasticky/cheap smelling.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No