Fragrances -Gabriele Strehle - Gabriele Strehle Strenesse EDT
Soie 5/19/2013 3:32:00 AM
Was looking for a soft, smooth, milky almond and vanilla scent. Imagined it would smell like a sweet fluffy cloud. Strenesse, however, is light & somewhat bright, but it's not really what I'd call 'soft'. The citrus and peach combination gives it a bright fruitiness reminiscent of a peach magarita; which is not a particularly soft smell, as it actually lends a distinct sharpness to the scent. I also smell aromas similar to those of Milk of Magnesia, Elmer's glue and chlorine bleach, as well as a somewhat medicinal smell which hints at liniment. All these odors far outweigh any sense of creamy almond milk and vanilla which I might fleetingly pick up from this fragrance. That said, much of these effects are doubtlessly due to my own body chemistry, as it does smell somewhat better when sprayed directly onto my clothing, though still very fruity and not particularly soft or milky in the way I had hoped it would be.
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Conditioner -L'Oreal - Hyaluronic Power Moisture Hydrating Conditioner
Soie 5/17/2013 12:40:00 AM
Good stuff. Got it for $3.99 on sale in the supermarket. It made my dry, brittle, chemically serviced, curly hair much more manageable with just one application left on for an hour before rinsing. I don't know if I'll see continued improvement with continued use; but so far, so good.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Ellen Tracy - Tracy
Soie 5/14/2013 8:19:00 PM
Starts off bright, sharply fruity with the scent of ripe, cut plums, and very floral with notes of peony, waterlily rose & iris the most prominent. Shortly afterwards, the violet and sandalwood become more evident and scent turn softer and slightly powdery. The florals (especially peony, rose and violet) are lovely and, with the exception of the muguet, are amongst my favorite notes. The mouthwatering plum is very nice, and almost true to nature; much moreso than the notes of peaches and plums I smelled in other fragrances. Mostly, though, I purchased this fragrance for the promise of a creamy milk note, and was disappointed when so much time passed after I applied Tracy and I still could not detect any creaminess to the scent -- only its lingering floralcy. After forgetting all about it, I stepped outside finally picking up its beautiful creamy notes on the light breeze that swirled around me -- and this, as it turns out, is one of the better milky scents that I've tried so far: it's a comforting blend of the notes of sweet vanilla, rich almond milk, smooth sandalwood, mild amber and a hint of orris root. None of that low quality / fake coconut aroma which so often passes for milkiness in fragrances these days.
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Fragrances -Victoria's Secret - Coconut Passion EDT
Soie 3/17/2013 10:40:00 PM
A great coconut & vanilla fragrance. I bought it unsampled because I was hoping for a good, creamy milk scent. Well, this smells more like rich, buttery, coconut flavored cookies, and not at all like coconut milk; but it is a good fragrance in and of itself. Good sillage and lasting power, too.
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Fragrances -Coty - Ici
Soie 3/17/2013 10:32:00 PM
Ici, IMO, isn't so much a gourmand as it is a sophisticated, ambery floral fragrance on a background of chocolate. Freshly sprayed, it smells of lots of amber and musk, lots of orchid and mimosa (amongst other fresh floral notes), breezy citrus, a hint of spice, and an undertone of chocolate. There is a candied sweetness to Ici, but at this stage, it is separate from the note of cocoa -- which is more dry, unsweetened powdered cocoa than it is chocolate candy bar. Hours later, after most of the strong note of amber has worn off, is when I really love this fragrance. The dry cocoa has turned into mouth-watering Hershey's Chocolates Kisses, with hints of allspice and the remaining traces of fresh florals... sort of like receiving a gift of a bouquet of fresh flowers and a small heart of chocolate bonbons.
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Fragrances -Aura Cacia - Lavender 100% Pure Essential Oil CALMING
Soie 1/11/2013 11:21:00 PM
Lavender essential oil is not simply a fragrance but is actually a volatile oil extracted from the lavender plant itself, and contains many of its chemical constituents. It is considered to be one of the safer EO's (though it still should be patch tested by individuals who have not used it before) and is mildly antimicrobial. There are two main ways I've used it for years: as a deodorizer and to quickly freshen up in the middle of the day and/or when away from home. As a (boosting) deodorizer: after bathing, sprinkle a couple of drops on a wet washcloth and apply to underarms/intimate areas. After a few seconds blot area(s) and use underarm deodorizer as usual. For mammograms where deodorant and powder are not allowed, (use either clinical strength deodorizer the night before, or) apply water diluted lavender EO (in spray or on wet washcloth) to underarms, and bring along regular deodorant in purse to apply after finishing mammogram. Freshening up can be achieved by applying water diluted lavender EO to (portable) baby wipes, Wet Ones or similar 'wipes'. The wipes can be first moistened a bit more with water from the faucet, and then sprinkled with a drop or two of lavender EO straight from the bottle, or the EO can be premixed with water in a small spray bottle, shakened first, and then liberally spritzed onto the wipe(s) before use. After use, discard wipe(s) in trash as per usual. The above ONLY applies to lavender EO, NOT any other type/kind of essential oil.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Jean-Charles Brosseau Ombre Rose
Soie 11/2/2012 6:44:00 PM
I'm one of the few lovers of rose scent as it seems most people don't care for them -- I like rose fragrances in all forms (soft, fresh, sweet, oriental chypre, arabian, leather, smoky) except camphorous. This, to my nose, is more of an intoxicating, sweet, feminine, powdery, slightly soapy, floral fragrance (the rosewood & geranium lends it a Ivory soap aroma) than it is a true rose fragrance. The rose note is there but it is not very distinct. Rosewood, vetiver, geranium, ylang-ylang, cedar, honey, cinnamon and orris root are more discernible in this perfume than is the note of rose.
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Fragrances -Demeter - Condensed Milk Pick Me Up Spray
Soie 9/6/2012 2:53:00 AM
At first all I was really smelling was coconut, but I've had a little while to test this and I still do detect the notes of sweetened, moist coconut, but also roasted almond, a bit of chocolate, and a hint of...plastic . It smells quite a bit like an Almond Joy or Mounds candy bar (minus the note of plastic). No milk. The drydown is very sweet and much more vanillic, like coconut cookies. Well, this pretty much ends my hope of finding a milk fragrance that actually smells like milk -- as opposed to popcorn, cookies, melted butter, vanilla, coconut, almonds and /or plastic. No repurchase
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Styling Products -Redken - Real Control Crema Care
Soie 8/2/2012 10:27:00 PM
I was using this as a direct leave-in after shampooing, and used that way, I find that it leaves my hair dry, dull and stiff. It's not poufy, but it not pretty either. My supercurly hair is naturally dry and, as I've relaxed it to loosen the curl a bit, it's even drier still. The only way this works for me is to use it after I'm sure that my hair is well moisturized with products I use specifically to add moisture. At the point (which is usually the morning after a shampoo) I apply a little of the Crema to dampened hair (either from water or another application of moisturizers, if necessary), and few drops of Monoi Tiki au Tiare (coconut oil scented with gardenia flowers) on my hair for shine and moisture retention. This routine leaves my curls sleek, glossy and health-looking.
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Treatments -TRESemme - nourishing rituals LIQUID GOLD SHINE THERAPY
Soie 7/3/2012 12:03:00 AM
My hair is naturally very curly and very dry. To loosen the curl a bit I used a mild relaxer creme on it. It worked but, of course, it also left my hair a bit drier and more fragile. I had given up hope of ever finding a rinse out treatment/conditioner that had any effect on my hair after the product had been rinsed down the drain, and I only purchased this product because I thought it was a moisturizing lotion for curly hair (it left my hair too soft & very puffy when used in this way). After realizing my error, I used it tonight for the first time as a rinse out, and my curls turned out very nicely: they're smoother, glossier and more moisturized than I've seen them in a longtime. Gonna try this a few times more before I decide whether or not to stock up on it.
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Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner
Soie 3/16/2012 6:58:00 PM
My hair is naturally a super dry, super curly 3b. I 've been using a relaxer to loosen the curl which helps quite a bit but leaves my hair fragile and even drier. This products works great for me. After using it my hair feels cleansed AND conditioned and isn't all tangly like it is after use of a conventional shampoo. My biggest grievance with this product is that it is so thick only a thin sliver of product pumps out at one time, and so I have pump severals time just to get enough product to cover my hair.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -The Body Shop - White Musk Libertine edp
Soie 11/17/2011 8:43:00 PM
I got a sample of this with an order. It's a bright, floral white musk; very sweet, but also with an air of freshness. I would rate it higher but it has a bitter synthethic undertone to it when first applied. Also, I must warn anyone intent on purchasing this without sampling it first: within an hour of applying it, I could just barely smell it, and even then it was only the fresh note that was able to pick up. It's one of those white musk scents that might be difficult to detect (i.e.,anosmia, IIRC) a few mintes after spraying. I had the same problem with Anna Sui Dreams only I couldn't smell that one at all!
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Fragrances -Hermes - 24 Faubourg
Soie 7/22/2011 11:39:00 PM
A beautiful & rich fragrance; similar to the ones on the vanities of the older ladies in my family during the late 60s to mid 70s. My nose detects orange blossom, tuberose, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, patchouli (I'm not a fan of patch, but in this it is serene rather than pungent) and a hint of spice. Tabu, Youth Dew, White Shoulders, Je Reviens, Vivara -- all these came to mind upon my first sniff of 24 Faubourg. I'd classify the scent as a Floral Oriental. Its drydown is a soft soapy floral. The fragrance overall is elegant and very feminine. My only issue with it is that it smells very formal, and I'm ultra casual these days. Will have to spray a bit on every now and again just for my own sniffing pleasure I guess....
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Gels/Soaps -Caress - Daily Silkening bar
Soie 4/30/2011 9:47:00 PM
I never paid any mind to this soap before but after sampling a fragrance oil knock-off the Daily Silkening scent (white peach and silk blossoms) I just had to go out and buy the Caress bar soap, as well as the body wash. I've tried a lot of soap in my time (I prefer bar soap; I just feel cleaner after using it as opposed to body wash) but, I must say, this one is just perfect: it doesn't dry out my skin, it sudses up easily/rinses easily, and last --but not least-- it smells really, really good!
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Fragrances -Ava Luxe - Cashmere Musk
Soie 4/1/2011 5:42:00 PM
Smells like spice, woods & leather, along with some sharp/fresh notes. Kind of peaceful and calming, like temple incense, I suppose. As I don't care for notes of spice/incense in a personal fragrance, I wouldn't order a full bottle of this, but wouldn't mind it in candle-form, or as a room freshener for a den, library or man's bedroom.
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