Fragrances -Lavanila - vanilla grapefruit
NancyDrew27 9/18/2010 5:48:00 PM
I've had this scent in my collection for a couple of years and eventually, I always come back to it. This is essentially two different perfumes wrapped into one sleek little package. Of course, I realize that scents are constructed of base notes, mid-notes, and top notes, and transform throughout wear, however, this fragrance really changes from a citrusy, fruity-yet-warm composition, into a smoky, creamy vanilla, with no in-between moments of transformation.
The first half-hour or so on my skin is when this scent is most beautiful, most addictive, and most unique. The lime is very present here, and mixed with a splash of grapefruit and laid out on a warm base of vanilla and cedarwood, it's like nothing I've ever smelled before. Even, expertly-blended, intoxicating. As it dries down, it really loses the citrusy feel and becomes very creamy, with a touch of smokiness. Think birthday-cake-candle smoke, not the campfire smoke of say, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille. If you've tried other scents in the LaVanila line, you'll find the drydown quite similar to the drydown of their Pure Vanilla scent - once the patchouli has worn off.
Overall, this remains an HG fragrance, though I wear it mostly for the first half hour of its sillage. The dry-down is still lovely, though far less original than the opening, still - definitely not unpleasant. I seemed to get far more compliments while wearing Pure Vanilla (mostly from men), and I think that's because it's a big stronger and more bourban than Vanilla Grapefruit, which smells less like the actual vanilla extract that goes into a cake and more like the finished product.
Everyone will react differently to Vanilla Grapefruit and I recommend spraying it on the skin and allowing it to go from citrusy to sweet before making a purchase. Gourmand lovers may find the drydown most appealing, but those who prefer light, citrusy scents may be disappointed with what remains after the first moments of wear.
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Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - BADgal Lash
NancyDrew27 9/9/2010 2:20:00 PM
Sorry, Benefit. I love your quirky packaging, and that you're a bay-area company, but this mascara is the worst! I read somewhere that Benefit is owned by Dior, and that the brush in this mascara is identical to the brush in Diorshow, so I thought, "Hey, I could give up the lovely rose-scent of the Dior formula if it means saving a few bucks for the same exact product."
No-go. First of all, the brush is very similar, but feels stiffer, somehow - it doesn't apply enough product to my lashes. This takes several coats before my lashes look full and dries too quickly in between applications so that my lashes get stiffer with each stroke (it's probably drying too quickly because the brush doesn't apply enough product).
My biggest complaint is under-eye smudge. This is one area in which I will not compromise. My lashes are fairly long, but nothing overly dramatic, and I've always been able to apply product to my lower lashes with no smudging from most brands of mascara. With Bad Gal, however, one might think that it's dripping down off my lashes onto my under-eye area. This happens without fail, every day that I apply it, regardless of the weather/my activities.
I purchased the mini version of this for nine dollars at Sephora and will not be re-puchasing the full-sized product. I can definitely say that for a few extra dollars, the DiorShow is a far better mascara and worthy of the additional price. I will not purchase this one again. The only product I've tried which produced worse results was Maybelline's Great Lash, which seemed to do nothing for my lashes except make them stiff and somewhat darker. I gave it one lippie because if I take the time to apply it well, it does look far better than the worst I've tried.
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Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - Lolita Lempicka
NancyDrew27 8/9/2010 2:09:00 PM
I remember the day a former co-worker walked by my desk, trailing Lolita Lempicka in her wake. My nose immediately came to attention and I demanded to know what she was wearing. She gave me the name and begged me not to buy it. We were friends outside of work so I knew it would be difficult to keep my purchase a secret, but I managed to wear this scent for over a year before she finally caught on, wearing it only on dates and spraying before bed and never wearing it anywhere I knew I'd bump into her. She'd discovered it first - it was only fair...
I bought a bottle for my younger sister for Christmas one year after she fell in love with the scent once she'd smelled it on me. I think the nose instantly decides whether or not it loves or hates this fragrance; there's no in-between, no moment of contemplation.
As a couple of previous reviewers have mentioned, this perfume DOES seem as though it could be an object from a Tim Burton movie, and the smell itself is whimsical and mysterious enough to bring to mind associations from several of his films. There is almost a "fog" to this scent that is at once inviting and romantic, yet could easily hint at something darker and mysterious, lying in wait.
It's light and powdery, yet deep and multi-layered. It brings to mind the innocent fantasies of a young girl, though, make no mistake - this perfume will not hint of subtle dreams and naivitee; to wear it is to openly invite the attention of others, and though it seems to tease as much as smile in a come-hither way, it is unmistakably bold in all its intentions, even if the expression is less than direct. With Lolita Lempicka, you'll turn heads and men will come running just to stand by your side and breathe it in. Truly a fairly tale in a bottle.
If you adore the scent of parma violets, as I do, you may find yourself loving this perfume. Bonus: the smell of licorice is known to entice men and this scent is loaded with the sharp smell of it, and softened with the powdery symphony of violet petals so as to disguise the notes you are actually smelling and present them in the form of a beautiful potion that giggles and sings...
If you're a fan of Flowerbomb or Kenzo Amour, do give this a try...
My only gripe is the bottle itself - lovely as it is; it leaks when transported and I believe the scent evaporated a bit as there is no lid (though I may have displayed my first one on my dresser in full sunlight -- which I've since discovered to be a big no-no...)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Parisienne
NancyDrew27 7/31/2010 1:36:00 PM
I've read so much about this perfume and the hype surrounding its launch really got my hopes up that it would be my next big fragrance love. Sofia Grojsman and rose - it had to be soft, powdery, and a head-turner! What it turned out to be, upon first sniff, was a watery mix of artificial berries and watercolor roses. I applied it only to a test strip and didn't give it another thought. I think my disappontment stemmed from the fact that this was not an in-your-face, sweet, powdery rose as much as it's predecessor, Paris, and I didn't really give it a chance on my skin.
Almost a year later, I stumbled upon another review for Parisienne, which described it as a powdery violet-rose. Powder? Violet? How had I not discerned those aspects when I had sampled it months ago? Intrigued for the second time, I found myself sampling it again, searching the aisles at Sephora (not affiliated) for a gift for a friend. While I found my beloved Flowerbomb might be a bit much for her, and Daisy might be a bit sharp and soapy, I thought Parisienne might just be perfect...sweet and floral, yet slightly woody upon my second test strip sniff.
I purchased a bottle for her and tossed it in a bag along with some other gifts. Later that night, upon opening the bag, I found a wonderful, dusty-violet accord wafting up into the air around me. I tore open the packaging and sprayed it on my skin, my pillows, my hair. I had to purchase another bottle for my friend :)
I've read that French women do not expect their perfumes to last an entire day...they adore cosmetics and perfume, and don't mind re-applying throughout the day. It is only an American expectation that the perfume should provide a lot of bang for the buck when it comes to lasting power. How appropriate, then, that this perfume is a throwback to the French woman. This perfume DOES NOT last for hours. You WILL need to reapply. I could not imagine shelling out what I've paid for higher-end Guerlain perfumes for Parisienne, considering that I expect to go through the bottle so quickly as it just does not last; however I picked up the one ounce bottle for $39 and it's perfect for my purse and (I think), rather a steal at such a price. What I've discovered about Parisienne is that this perfume starts out with a blast of berries and rose - more fruity than floral. But...wait for it...the woody violets bloom within minutes and what you're left with is a sultry, very vintage-feeling, very classic woody-floral, veiled by a touch of powder and a whisper of giggling berries that eventually fades to, well...light pink.
I'll see how I feel after my bottle is depleted, but I can imagine having this in my collection for years to come. It's not a come-hither scent. In fact, I'm going to a masquerade tonight and it would be the last of the perfumes I'd grab to leave an impression. This is a scent that a woman should wear for herself - it's subtle, like carrying around an exciting secret - like that new love affair that's just begun and you're hesitant to speak about because you don't want to jinx it.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kenzo - Amour by Kenzo
NancyDrew27 7/4/2010 3:28:00 PM
I've fallen in love with this scent more than once over the past couple of years, but the samples I've obtained have always been enough to satisfy my cravings until recently. To my surprise, I find myself somewhat anosmic to Amour. The initial burst of creamy rice steam and cherry blossom soon calms down to what I'd initially thought was a barely-there concoction of vanilla pudding and incense on my skin. I was mistaken. What I could barely smell with my nose to my wrist, others could smell from quite a distance away. When a scent is labeled as EDP, I expect sillage, so the fact that I can't smell this constantly on myself was, at first, a turnoff and kept me from buying a full bottle. Recently, however, a trip to Sephora to check out the latest releases (it had been awhile) left me so disappointed (why did I go sniffing during the summer months?) and I found myself drawn, once again, to the original, artistic pull of Amour's lovely opaque bottle. I sprayed it on a card, thought, "Hmm...ho hum," and left the store with a couple of other scents sprayed on my wrist for testing. As I'd occasionally sniff the newbies, I kept getting a whiff of something wonderful and familiar on my fingers. Was it? It couldn't be...IT WAS! I could still smell it and it was such a beautiful, unobtrusive-yet-unmistakably-sexy scent that seemed to hint of unspoken passion and lended a sense of adventure to my otherwise dull Saturday afternoon. I now own a bottle and though I can't always detect it after it's sunken into my skin, the occasional whiff is all I need to be reminded of its beauty and subtlety, and I take confidence in knowing that others around me can enjoy its beauty even more than I can.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Nina Ricci - Nina (New)
NancyDrew27 11/4/2009 5:01:00 PM
Wow...how did I overlook Nina for such a long time? I was drawn to this fragrance because of the bottle, which is undeniably adorable, and then fell in love with the fresh sweetness of the apple-themed scent, itself.
Where to begin? Well, for starters, if you're a fan of sweet scents, but find many of them to be too cloying or headache-inducing (Pink Sugar, Angel, Flowerbomb - all of which I adore but find to be a bit too much at times), and you're looking for a fresher sort of sweet, please, find a tester of Nina and give it a try! Being a fan of the aforementioned fragrances, I passed Nina up several times, thinking it was probably TOO fresh, or too much like the apple-themed DKNY Be Delicious. I was wrong.
Fans of Be Delicious may end up loving Nina, but this is a very different take on the scent of apples. Where Be Delicious has an obvious theme of green apple, Nina blends a sweet, yet crisp red apple into a heart of sugar. But this isn't an artificial-candy-confectioner's sort of sugar that smells of cake or baked goods; it's a rather natural smell that's bursting with fun, flirty tones. The lemon, lime, and red apple mingle so perfectly with the sweeter, woodier accords and the slight hint of delicate florals, that it's hard to say exactly what type of fragrance genre Nina falls into. The most obvious is fruity floral, which I suppose it is, but don't be surprised to find yourself taken aback by the maturity and straightforward attitude of Nina, in a genre so filled with naive and ditzy obliviousness. This is no LE Escada, unremarkable and soon forgotten; this is on par with Miss Dior Cherie - the only other fruity floral I own, these two being exceptions due to a seamless blending on the perfumer's part, and a happy tone that vibrates throughout the fragrance that is unforced and at once, beautiful and contagious.
Alas, the staying power of Nina isn't fantastic, nor is the sillage; however I've found that the longevity is increased tenfold when sprayed on a scarf and in my hair, taking three hours' worth of wear to ten or more. Towards the end of the dry-down, Nina is muskier, with the florals coming through, and becoming more apparent than at any time prior in the scent's duration. At this point, Nina is still sweet and fresh, just a bit more romantic and less enthusiastic than she was upon her arrival. I'd also recommend purchasing the smaller rollerball from Sephora for touch-ups, as I've heard the apple-shaped bottle has a tendency to break easily when transported.
I adore French perfumes for their brave personalities and unique confidence. This has been one of the best-selling perfumes in France since its release a few years ago, and I can certainly see why. Though I adore rich and dramatic orientals, Nina lets me mingle with the fresher, fruitier side of the perfume pallete without feeling like a stranger who doesn't belong. She is a friend to both sides and she sings their praises beautifully and equally.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Twilight Woods
NancyDrew27 10/25/2009 3:09:00 PM
I expected something different from what this product actually smells like, but nevertheless, it's very pleasant, warm, and comforting. Though not extremely woody in the way that Un Bois Vanille, Angel, and others in the woody genre are, TW is woody in its own, subtle way. I think I expected dry woods and was surprised to find quite a bit of wetness and fruit, keeping things sweet and from becoming too incense-y or unisex. Think of ripened fruit growing on trees in an orchard as opposed to the smoky wood of a bonfire. There IS a lot of coconut milk in TW, which adds a bit of interest, but also distracts from the deeper notes. Though pleasant, I could have done without that accord. Also, in the body mist and lotion (not the EDT), I detect a strong apple accord that fades within a few minutes of wear (it ties the fragrance into the autumn-weather-theme, nicely).
Overall, it's a beautiful, comforting scent that will work great during the fall and winter months, for both casual and more elegant occasions. I bought a mini lotion and body mist to sample the scent, and then went back for the body cream and shower cream. The mist seems to have decent staying power when layered with the lotion or sprayed on a scarf, etc., but I think the EDT will be required if you want to keep the scent with you for longer than a half hour and don't want to have to keep reapplying the lotion and mist throughout the day or night.
I gave it three lippies but it's closer to three and a half. My guess is that this will be a really popular scent this holiday season - it's a crowd pleaser and though the scent is not supposed to have anything to do with the Stephenie Meyer saga, its (coincidental) association with the book and movie title will catch the attention of teens everywhere (which I suppose is a good thing because this is one of B&BW's more sophisticated scents, which will introduce young women to fragrances that smell of something other than fruit and candy). TW is well-blended and is very unique compared to many of the linear fruit and flower smells wafting out of all Bath & Body Works stores.
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Fragrances -Burberry - Brit
NancyDrew27 10/6/2009 5:18:00 PM
I initially owned Brit in EDT version, which was too light and did not last longer than an hour or two on my skin. I've had the same problem with other Burberry scents, which were EDP's, so I didn't bother trying Brit in EDP form until recently, when a chance encounter with the classic plaid bottle brought back memories and I decided to spritz a couple of times on my skin while browsing new releases. I am very happy to report that Brit, in EDP formulation, lasts for HOURS on my skin, and DAYS on my clothes. I walked for several miles while shopping in the afternoon's summer heat, and Brit was still going strong later that evening.
The scent itself is light enough to wear in an office environment, yet sophisticated and rich enough to garner compliments during an evening out. I've yet to meet anyone who is offended by Brit, or who doesn't at least find it to be pleasant. I've always fallen for rich, oriental fragrances and Brit, while technically a floral oriental, really smells like nothing else on the market today, and manages to straddle the line between fresh and oriental, appealing to nearly everyone.
Brit is soft and sweet, though fresh and modern. To my nose, it is powdery throughout the heart and drydown, where the sandalwood, tonka, and vanilla are most prominent, though still kept fresh by a touch of lime and pear. The sugared almonds, pear, and lime make for a beautiful opening and transition into the heart of this fragrance quite nicely. I have to admit, I have trouble detecting the white peony, but there's something just slightly abstract - another layer I can't quite define - and I'm thinking this could be the peony accord.
This is a classic, sexy, and feminine scent that will win you compliments and make you feel like you're worth a million bucks. It has great sillage and is really worth the (in my opinion, very affordable) price. It's something I plan to have in my collection forever, and one that will get a lot of use in every season.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -BeneFit Cosmetics - Something About Sophia
NancyDrew27 9/10/2009 2:51:00 PM
This is one of those rare fragrances that I sprayed, sniffed, and knew I had to own. It's mango and caramel and vanilla, with just the slightest hint of floral and musk. It's like nothing I've ever smelled before, yet it smells familiar somehow.
This is slightly similar to Dolce & Gabanna's The One, with more vanilla and a mango-guava tropical fruit effect. To my nose, there is a distinct bubble-gum note in The One that I also smell here, but Something About Sophia is lacking in the sour, sulphuric note (most likely the vetiver as I'm not a fan of the accord) that I get from The One.
It starts off smelling like tropical fruit and bubblegum, morphs into something more floral (I definitely smell the freesia and lily), and then gets sweeter again (the white caramel is prominent and divine). The staying power isn't phenomenal, but this IS an EDT and it only costs $36 for 30 ml. It lasts longer on clothing so try to spray it there and in your hair and it will stick around longer. I'm very impressed with this scent and I hope Benefit keeps it around for a long time to come!
P.S. The packaging is sooooo cute!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kenzo - Flower
NancyDrew27 9/9/2009 6:01:00 PM
This was the #5 best-selling perfume in France in 2008 and I can see why. It is subtle and ethereal, yet it has a very flirty and strong presence. I tend to be an extremist when it comes to perfume (and many other things in life, to be honest). When I'm in the mood for a sweet gourmand, I swear off all florals and go for the sweetest, foodiest scent out there. When I get sick of smelling sweet, I search high and low for a floral musk without the slightest trace of vanilla or amber. This creates a problem for me because I very rarely will stick to the same perfume for longer than a couple of days before falling madly in love with another scent in a different genre. Fortunately, though, I've acquired quite a collection with scents in just about every genre so that I can satisfy my craving for floral one day, aquatic the next, and fruity-gourmand another day.
Enter Flower by Kenzo. I've sampled this one and gone back and forth so many times and still, I don't know which genre this perfume belongs in. It is a powdery, sweet, floral breath of heaven, distinct yet familiar. It is classified by many websites as a floral oriental and on some days, it does seem to fall into this category. It's one of the few perfumes I would deem "light" and "airy" with a decent amount of staying power and sillage. It's the type of perfume that I could reach for on any day, no matter what my mood or craving, and be satisfied.
It's a casual perfume that doesn't try too hard; an honest personality that innocently wears her heart on her sleeve. She will laugh with you and wink at others, all the while holding a steady accord of emotional warmth and seriousness. I can't imagine an occasion or environment where this perfume wouldn't be well-liked and admired.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Calvin Klein - Euphoria
NancyDrew27 8/28/2009 3:37:00 PM
Like a lot of heavy, spicy scents, this is another love-it or hate-it perfume. Because I'm a fan of Angel, perhaps I was pre-programmed to like Euphoria, as the two are often compared to one another. I don't smell the similarities, but I can say that there is definitely a lot of sweet woodiness in Euphoria.
Euphoria smells awful, to my nose, out of the bottle and on a test strip, so it took actually testing it on my skin to realize I enjoy it quite a bit. It's a very unique fragrance - there aren't a lot of pomegranate scents on the market and pomegranate reigns supreme in this perfume. I also get a lot of woods, berries, and cream. This is a gourmand, yet it's not. It's very present and very sexy, yet not as thick as one may imagine it to be. It's almost transparent, but it definitely creates a strong aura.
I don't think this scent would work well in an office environment, but it's perfect for a night out or a weekend in. It's sexy without trying too hard. I can understand why some reviewers may think it's a masculine scent - the woods and spices aren't for everyone, but I would be shocked to smell this one on a man. The sweet accords and fruit temper the masculine woods to create something strong and sensual, yet to my nose, utterly feminine.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - L de Lolita Lempicka
NancyDrew27 8/25/2009 4:18:00 PM
I have purchased three bottles of this perfume and will likely continue to buy it for as long as I can. If I could sum it up in just a few words, it would be: salty ocean breeze, cinnamon incense, and citrus-y vanilla. Those three accords may not sound like an amazing combination, but when I first smelled L on my skin, I immediately understood why it was housed in such a nautical bottle, and immediately fell in love with its unexpected notes.
I grew up near the ocean and I can't ever be too far away from it for very long without the feeling of claustrophia sneaking up on me. Fresh marine air truly smells nothing like the "marine" notes used in so many aquatic perfumes, and once you experience it for a prolonged amount of time, there's no going back. It becomes a part of you, and you'll crave it, forever. On a bad day, the smell of a red tide or rotting fish can send one running for the hills, but on a warm, breezy, sunny day, ocean air is an exalting burst of freshness; the smell of sand and salt water warmed by the sun is unlike anything else. Upon smelling L, I feel as though I'm inhaling a fresh breeze of nautical nature; even if I'm miles away from the crashing waves, when I smell L, I'm near the ocean, and it's a beautiful, sunny day.
The bitter orange and cinnamon make this fragrance unique, and they are present throughout much of the dry-down, though the orange fades a bit more than the cinnamon. The vanilla-incense of the dry-down is very sexy, yet innocent in its purity. It's an idea untampered with; I think Maurice Roucel knew what he wanted in this perfume and went straight for it, with a "less-is-more" attitude, and the result is beautiful, simplistic, incense-orange-salt-and-vanilla.
I was obsessed with incense as a teenager; an obsession possibly fueled by the fact that my mother hated it and forbade me from burning it inside the house. So I would take a stick outside to the deck and sunbathe with a smoky stick of heaven, often with oranges (my then-favorite fruit), and a view of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. If I had been sunbathing closer to the water, with my incense and oranges, I would have almost perfectly created the aroma of L.
Try it if you love incense and vanilla, and if you're a cinnamon fan. It's perfect for a first date or vacation. It's a happy, yet relaxing sort of scent.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Un Bois Vanille
NancyDrew27 8/4/2009 7:19:00 PM
Un Bois Vanille is one of the best vanilla scents I've yet to encounter, as well as one of the best perfumes in any category, in my opinion. I used to be a die-hard vanilla addict and if any line offered a range in a vanilla scent, I'd make a bee-line straight for it. These days, however, I find myself drawn to more complex, though still sweet, scents. I love how the vanilla in Thierry Mugler's Angel mingles with patchouli to create something inedible, yet magical; and how the vanilla in Guerlain's Gourmand Coquin blends with rum, rose and cacoa to create something boozy and unique; and I adore the way that the vanilla in Lolita Lempicka's L takes a backseat to cinnamon and bitter orange, keeping the whole thing sweet, yet interesting. I once fell in love with LaVanila's Pure Vanilla and declared it my holy grail but I soon tired of its linear warmth and found it didn't have much to say beyond, "Hello, I'm Vanilla. I'm sweet," and so it's no longer in my rotation because I want my perfume to say more about me than just that.
Un Bois is different, and its complexity is nothing short of a masterpiece. Upon first spray, it's underwhelming; it didn't seem very original and I wasn't sold until several minutes had passed and the freshness of the top notes dissipated, leaving behind a warmth and creamy woodiness that I'd never experienced in a perfume before. Wearing Un Bois is like taking a journey through a multi-faceted world of vanilla and woods, where unexpected notes of coconut and licorice offer new dimension to the already deep and mysterious vanilla that lends its theme to this perfume.
The notes are all well-blended and none stands out more than the other in Un Bois (this, to me, is a signature of a perfumer who knows what he is doing). There is a lot of coconut, but it's tempered by a touch of licorice and a lot of woods and of course, vanilla. This perfume gets creamier as time goes on. The heart of the perfume is smoky, but it's a sweet smoke, and the spices keep it from smelling like a campfire.
Though it is woody and spicy, at times, it's reminiscent of a frosted cupcake and at other times, I smell an iced chai latte made with coconut milk. The drydown is the sweetest, creamiest part of the concoction and it's the most comforting, gourmand part of the scent.
I think that a lot of Serge Lutens' perfumes are made of mostly spices and not much sugar, which leaves them smelling dry and hard to wear (for example, see Arabie and Amber Sultan). Un Bois Vanille is a wet, creamy, woody, sweet joy to wear and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get to know the line but isn't ready to take the leap from comfort scents to scents that offer little more than a very obnoxious statement (most often of, "Hey! Over here! I've got cinnamon and spices up the yin yang!").
Overall, Un Bois Vanille is inviting, warm, and far from artificial. It's the perfect thing to wear on those nights when you want to wrap yourself up in a warm blanket and find a cozy spot on the sofa, with your cat (or your dog) on your lap, and to watch the rain (or snow) fall outside your window. It's the perfect sort of scent to spray on a cozy scarf before wrapping it around your neck - it will allow the scent to stay with you and it will warm you up just as well as a hot cup of tea.
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - The One
NancyDrew27 7/22/2009 2:37:00 PM
I keep coming back to The One and re-testing it; though I initially liked the sweet blast of fruits and bubble-gum, I found it morphed into something sour and almost sulphuric on my skin the first time I tried it. I had sniffed about a dozen other scents that day so I didn't feel as though I'd given it a fair chance. I decided to test it again a couple of times and I've found it to be pleasant, though still sweet and sour, but the sulphuric note (which smells a bit like grapefruit), wasn't there anymore.
While I would happily wear this scent if I owned a bottle, I haven't officially decided to purchase it, just yet. It isn't ground-breaking or original and it doesn't have the best staying power. That said, it isn't something I smell on a lot of other women and there's something upbeat and happy about it that makes me crave it from time to time. As I said, it's not entirely original, but it is unique enough that it keeps me coming back for further consideration. It brings to mind images of Grecian beaches and mediterranian locales; summer sun; fruit; and adventurous escapades.
The plum, litchi and mandarin balance out the vetiver and the whole thing ends up smelling very well-balanced and seamlessly blended. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes fruity, warm scents with a sour kick.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Viktor & Rolf - Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb Bomblicious Body Lotion
NancyDrew27 7/21/2009 5:54:00 PM
This is a decent product, albeit a bit too pricey for what it is, and for how much it dried out my skin. Most perfumed body lotions contain a lot of alcohol and end up leaving you drier - this one seems no different. It goes on a bit greasy and fades quickly, leaving my skin in no better condition than it was before application. That said, it smells divine, like the perfume, and may be a good alternative for one who enjoys the scent of Flowerbomb, but finds the perfume to be too strong. I also had a sample of the shower gel in this series and I found it detestable - it smells absolutely nothing like the perfume and left my skin smelling of patchouli and baby powder; I felt compelled to take another shower, though I was already clean, just to wash off the smell of the body wash. Anyhow, Flowerbomb is a fabulous perfume that is, IMHO, worth the price, but the ancillary products leave something to be desired. I'll continue to moisturize my skin with Kiehl's unscented body lotion before spraying on Flowerbomb, for a fraction of the price and much better moisturization.
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