Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Marcella of Paris - Primeur pour Femme
chattykathy 5/14/2010 9:19:00 PM
I love this fragrance, it is everything I enjoy. Soft, powdery, a little sweet, it has a doughy quality that heliotrope lends to fragrances that makes it snuggle worthy and easy to wear for me. As far as the rose, it perks up a tiny bit for me throughout the midnotes and then fades into obscurity. This fragrance then becomes pure heliotrope, softness, powder and a bit of vanilla. After stumbling upon it for a very good price I picked up a bottle. It is normally pretty pricey, $185 for a 100 ml bottle. It is also impossible to find and at seeing it I felt pretty lucky and didn't want to risk not being able to find it in the future. After wearing it for a while I began to have very strong deja vu moments and I was nearly driven insane by trying to figure out what this reminded me of. It smelled exactly like something I already own and love. I wracked my brain over and over and over until all of a sudden I realized what it was. At the final dry down this scent smells exactly like Flower by Kenzo's Le Parfum version in the gorgoeus all red bottle. I mean it is identical, there is really no difference. I have that fragrance in the "Just a Drop" concentration as well as something called the "satin spray". The satin spray is smoother, more gentle and more well rounded than what they call the "perfume spray" which I believe is their EDP. The notes of the Kenzo scent are almond, violet, rose, vanilla, amber, musk. This is pretty much what Primeur pour femme smells like too. Both scents dry down to a very soft, snugle powdery cozy second skins cent. If you like scents like this you would probably love Primeur pour Femme as well.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Philosophy - Amazing Grace Concentrated Perfume Oil
chattykathy 7/13/2008 4:12:00 AM
I love the regular Amazing Grace spray and this smells exactly like that to me. Normally I like warm scents with a little sweetness and maybe some spcie, amber, vanilla etc. You get the pic. This scent is totally un-me but I really love it. It's one of those that I never would have imagined I would like from the description. It does have a soap and water feeling to it but there is something here that softens that. At first application, I do not like it. It seems too harsh and soapy to me. But then after a short drydown I cannot stop smelling myself. This is one that smells better wafting around me than smelling up close with my nose pressed to my skin. I am always complimented on it whenever I wear it. People tell me it smells "pretty", whatever that means. It's pretty simple, soft floral with soft slightly powdery musk and that's about it. This roll on is wonderful. I always wished they would come out with this. Great to carry around and freshen up with. I don't seem to have an issue with lasting power at all. I spray it right into my hairline at the back of my neck and it lasts there for many hours. I dab the oil there too. If you love the perfume, you will probably also appreciate this roll on.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Cinq Mondes-- Ritual de India
chattykathy 7/10/2008 2:24:00 PM
Also known as Ritual de Bengalore, India this sounded right up my alley. The description touted cardamon and vanilla. Love both of those. Just after application the cardamom was really prominent as well as the vanilla but both had a livliness and freshness about them that made this an interesting perfume. Within about 5 minutes all that wonderfulness was gone and all I could detect was something sharp and floral. It was unpleasant for me and the good part was long gone. The entire scent was nearly gone in an hour. Not for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Tann Rokka - Aki
chattykathy 7/10/2008 1:41:00 PM
This smells like baby power. Ambery baby powder. After drying down for a bit there is some woodiness and the amber becomes stronger. It's nice and worth checking out if you like baby powder-ish scents but it's pretty basic. I much prefer profumum Alba for this type of scent. That one is very rich and has some depth and a little more interest to it. This one is a very nice scent, but it left me feeling...so what?
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Fragrances -Boucheron - Trouble Secret de Seduction Solid Perfume
chattykathy 7/9/2008 6:52:00 PM
WOW! This is the absolutely most luxurious beauty item I have ever owned. I like the parfum version of this even though it's a bit heavy for my taste. It's perfect in winter weather though. I saw this today at Marshalls, of all places, for $14.99. I was curious and grabbed one and boy am I glad I did. I want to stress that this is pure luxury. The compact is extremely heavy and feels wonderful in my hand. I have never enjoyed holding a compact so much! It makes me feel like a very rich, important woman. It comes in a black velvet pouch that is lined with black satin. The compact is gold and the top is shaped like a pyramid with the word BOUCHERON engraved in small capital letters at the front. The perfume itself is very true to the liquid fragrance. It seems a tiny bit more lemony to me but not enough to notice and that smoldering warmth of the jasmine, amber and vanilla is still there. This wears closer to the skin as you would expect of a solid perfume, but it is virtually the same scent after a few minutes and it lasts forever just as the liquid fragrance does. I like this softer version a lot, it's more personal and even sexier to me because you need to get closer to smell it. That said, it is pretty potent and you will definitely smell it wafting around you. If you like the liquid version of this you will absolutely fall in love with this. It is warm ambery goodness and the compact is just stunning.This retailed for $50, which I can easliy see considering the weight and quality of the packaging. ....................... *CLICK CONTINUE for a kinda crappy cell phone pic :) I really want you to get a small idea of how fabulous this compact is, it is 1000x better in person in your hand!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Perfumes - Bois De Turquie Eau De Toilette
chattykathy 7/6/2008 4:01:00 PM
Here is the description of this fragrance taken from the Aedes website:...."Precious woods provide a theme for this smoldering fragrance from Maître Parfumeur et Gantier which would appeal to both men and women alike. The dark sandalwood and patchouli are festooned with the radiance of orange blossom and bergamot. The sheer jasmine notes are juxtaposed with the warm spice of bay leaf and myrrh. The elegance of Bois de Turquie is reinforced by the austere chill of orris root, while the incense which wraps the composition in a delicate veil lends a mysterious aura". ........OK, so where's my incense?? My mystery??? This was unexpectedly sweet and I really didn't like that. It is almost syrupy. It makes me think of a syrup that you would add seltzer to to make a soda or something. It reminds me of coca cola syrup that my parents used to bring home from the candy shop when I was a wee one in the 60's and this was a home remedy that people used for nausea. This might sound crazy but there is something in this that also makes me think of Escada collection. It has that fizzy sweet quality with the woodiness that Collection does but the sweetness is covering up the good stuff underneath. I actually like Collection better. For something called Turkish wood I really imagined something deeper, more earthy and interesting. It's not a bad fragrance at all and it is truly unisex. I was almost thinking that it would be more for a man from those notes but the sweetness definitely makes it cross the line effectively. It just seems to be lacking the depth that I thought it would have.It's pretty linear too. The only thing that changed on me over many hours is that it got quieter and a bit softer but that sweetness was still there and it ruined this one for me. It should be noted that I enjoy sweet scents in general but this one just seemed like the intensity of that sweetness was out of place. Lasting power is admirable for an eau de toilette, it was still going after 8 hours on my skin. Nice effort and concept but the execution fell flat for me personally.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Molinard - Une Histoire de Chypre Eau De Parfum
chattykathy 7/5/2008 11:23:00 PM
I can't believe this hasn't been reviewed before, it is absolutely breathtaking. I am really shocked to have immediately liked this one since I am not a Chypre lover in general. Before you think you have smelled this before and hated it, this is NOT Molinards Chypre D'Orient. That is a much cheaper scent that is nowhere even close to this. I have enjoyed some Chypres in the past but it's really on a case by case basis. This is not a genre of perfume that I like easily. The description from the Aedes website is as follows: ....."Histoire de Chypre is an olfactive ode to chypre in all of her fascinating glory; her aromatic corset unlaced in refreshing notes of Bergamot, Mandarin, Neroli, Jasmine and Galbanum, the vulnerable secrets of her heart expressed in Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose, Osmanthus and precious Iris, the demure tendrils of her timeless spirit resonating in Patchouli, Oakmoss, Musk and Amber. No expense was spared in creating Histoire de Chypre, a fragrance which was fashioned from an original Molinard chypre formula dating back to the twenties". ...... This scent is exclusive to the fragrance specialty shop Aedes De Venustas which is located in NYC. After speaking to Robert, one of Aedes charming proprietors, I learned that this fragrance was created solely for Aedes as limited edition presented in a beautiful Lalique bottle with spray atomizer in collaboration with Molinard’s Dominique Camilli. Msr. Camilli's father, who was also a Grasse perfumer, was an acquaintance of fellow Corsican François Coty, the fragrance arbiter who introduced Chypre as a finished fragrance and genre in 1917. From the minute this hit my skin it was completely smooth and really took me back to another place and time. I immediately thought of Mitsouko. I like Mitsouko well enough, but it is not wearable for me personally. There is something in it that is just too musty and dank for my taste but this, this is Mitsouko totally smoooooothed out and modernized. Make no mistake, this does not smell like anything at all modern but it has a wearability that some classics do not in todays world. This started out as a very fuzzy velvety deep scent with a hint of spiciness to it. When I say a hint I mean a hint, nothing really detectable as spice but there is something there that gives it a little boost. If velvet had a scent, this would be it. It is so well blended that there is absolutely nothing sharp or unpleasant all the way through. It's like a haunting whisper on your skin. It amazes me that there are so many things in this that I do not like notewise but I am totally in love with this perfume. The galbanum, the patchouli, oakmoss, rose and amber completely melt together and form a scent that is so well blended that I really can't distinguish each element. In this way this makes me think of the classic parfum version of Guerlain's Vol De Nuit or even Christian Dior's Dioressence.. This does not smell exactly like Vol De Nuit or Dioressence, but those too are just a blankety haze of beauty. This scent has a very similar feeling to those fragrances as far as a deep, classic softness and earthy complexity with no sharp edges. When I smell Vol De Nuit I don't think of each note and recognize them independantly, I just know that it's Vol De Nuit and it's the result of quality ingredients and superb blending. That is what this scent is to me. I hate to sound poetic and get really cheesy on you here but to sum it up, this fragrance makes me miss someplace I've never been.Lasting power is average. It lasts a lot longer sprayed from the bottle than it does dabbed from a sample vial. I love it and I honestly think it is worth every penny. This was limited to a production of 400 bottles. There are about 300 left at the time of this writing according to Robert of Aedes.
21 out of 22 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Lumiere - Soft Radiance All Over Face Color
chattykathy 7/1/2008 7:18:00 PM
What a lovely highlighter! It is described as a soft dewy pink and it really is.The shimmer is so subtle, it is more of an opalescent effect. It reminds me of Bare Escentuals clear radiance if it was creamier and less overtly shimmery. This gives a really lovely glow. The texture is so creamy and smooth, it would be hard to over do this.It's nearly fool proof as a highlighter. I am a pale NW15 redhead. If you are darker skinned this may not show up for you.This is a great one though for pale or fair skinned people.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Lumiere - Ditto 'O'
chattykathy 7/1/2008 7:09:00 PM
I really like this. I don't think it's a ringer for the NARS it is mimicking but in itself, it is a very pretty blush! Whereas the NARS is a pinky golden peach, this is more of a peachy golden pink. It is very bright, I wouldn't call it fuschia but it's definitely a warmer pink. You only need the tiniest amount and the shimmer is there but not as prevalent as some other MMU blushes I've tried. This lasts all day long, even in the heat with rubbing my face and perspiring. It does give a very pretty glow but as an NW15 I can only really pull it off if the rest of my face is very understated. I also have to buff it in really well with my NARS botan brush or a dense flat top brush or it can look blotchy. That seems to be the nature of most mineral blushes in all brands for me though. Great quality and consistency and a great price too!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer Eyeshadow in Ditto 05
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:57:00 PM
This is Lumiere's version of MAC naked. I have never tried the MAC version of this so I am unable to compare them for you but I can describe what I am seeing here. This is a very soft creamy ivory beige with a hint of gold and pink. It has small golden and pink shimmer throughout.The shimmer is subtle enough for this to make a very nice all over wash on the lid and browbone. The texture is so smooth and application is a breeze with the great consistency. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer Eyeshadow in Lime
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:51:00 PM
This is not at all lime colored. It's more the color of the juice iof a lime than the actual lime peel.It's a beautiful light sage-y green with a hint of gold. It's very light and would look great on most skintones. This would be beautiful on the lid with a violet based liner! The texture is so smooth and application is a breeze with the great consistency. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Shimmer Eyeshadow in Pink Shimmer
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:45:00 PM
A pink I can wear! As an NW15, most pinks make me look ill. This one is an icy pink, a white-ish pale pink with white and very pale pink shimmer. It is not at all over the top, the shimmer is very low key and it's a very creamy shadow. It is actually paler/whiter than glass Slipper which was described as white with sparkle on the lumiere site. I found that one to have a very slight gray cast to it. This would make an excellent all over lid color for pale people.The texture is so smooth and application is a breeze with the great consistency. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer Eyeshadow in Glass Slipper
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:40:00 PM
This a beautiful, ever so slightly white/gray shadow with lots of white sparkle. I would call it platinum. The gray hint to it is only really obvious when you swatch it next to something pure white. It makes a really pretty all over lid color/brightening wash. If you use it wet is is very dramatic with the white shimmer.The texture is so smooth and application is a breeze with the great consistency. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer Eyeshadow in Cats Eye
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:34:00 PM
The description on the website calls this a deep sage green with yellow sparks. That is pretty close to what I'm seeing. It looks brighter in the swatch on the website. In reality it has a tad of brown in it and it was a deepr color. It is quite beautiful! The texture is so smooth and application is a breeze with the great consistency. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lumiere - Eye Shimmer in Coral Gold
chattykathy 7/1/2008 6:26:00 PM
Gorgeous! I would actually describe this is a vibrant golden peach. There is a tiny bit of pink in there but not enough to really call attention to it. I took a chance with this because ti was on sale and the color called out to me even though I am pretty boring colorwise. This is so wearable, it looks so pretty on my lid and gives my eyes some life. It's not at all too warm, which I was afraid of as an NW15. These shadows last all day on with a primer underneath. I have not tried without a primer but with they are wonderful.The color is very pigmented, the consistency is very smooth and with the amount I have it will last forever!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No