Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - AEDES DE VENUSTAS-Aedes de Venustas
kushka 8/23/2012 11:23:00 AM
This is the second Aedes de Venustas fragrance, released in the spring of 2012 - not to be confused with the L'Artisan Aedes de Venustas recently released. This one is (in my words) the "tomato leaf/rhubarb" one. And it is another winner. It's nearly addictive in nature, even when I don't want to wear the fragrance, I want to smell it. I have a bar of the soap, I cut slivers from the bar with my grater and scatter them: my linen drawers and in saucers throughout the house. It's divine. The tomato leaf is definitely there, sharing stage on a near equal basis with the rhubarb but it's not like any tomato leaf or rhubarb you've ever smelled before. It smells rich, exotic and grand. For lack of anything better to say about it here other than I love it - I would highly recommend anyone to try this fragrance if you're looking to smell unique. Here's an answer to unique if that is your wish!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - CSI Super Hyaluronic Moisturizing Cream
kushka 5/10/2012 8:57:00 AM
I'm surprised this product didn't have five stars (okay, lippies) all the way down the line. It's just the greatest! okay, I've used hyaluronic acid and squalene for my skin for a few years now, however, I've taken it orally, not topically. This is my first experience using an HA-on-the-skin product. Additionally, I've heard that some people get dryness and irritation with squalene and maybe that's what's happening below in some of the reviews. This is my experience: Being a vitacost regular I kept seeing this and finally tried it. I "thought" I noticed something almost as soon as I started using it; within two or three days actually...but, whatever. I really didn't think that was enough time for something to 'show up' However, after only a few days my SO said to me "are you wearing makeup? What's going on with you? You look so....so...I don't know...your skin looks so good!" (I don't wear makeup by the way, heh-heh..he knew better) There was a definite change! My skin started looking smoother, plumper, more even-toned and, well...YOUNGER. (I'm over 55, btw) And yes, I did notice some drying of my skin. I have extremely sensitive skin and it tends to be dry as well and any little change in my skincare routine will show up as drastic. And, I expect this may be the squalene or HA doing whatever it is that they do....I don't know but I do see a similarity in what other reviewers were saying re the dryness, but it's easily overcome. I solve this issue by using my Dessert Essence Daily Essential Moisturizer after a few minutes after the CSI has 'sunk in'. I think this is the greatest stuff in the world for (ahem, older) skin. Not sure how great the results would be for a younger person...but if you're an oldie but goodie like me I cannot recommend this product highly enough! I really do see and feel that it makes my skin look younger, healthier and all around better than it did before I started using it. Do please try!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - Dzongkha
kushka 4/4/2012 10:26:00 AM
okay, when I first put this on my skin it smelled exactly the way air smells that's coming out of a tire. Really. Not all that good. Weird, kind of...not bad, but unless you want to smell like the tire changing store nothing you'd want to wear, trust me on this one. ~THEN~ This. Beautiful Thing. Happens. aedes describes it in part as an introspective and calming fragrance that is delicate and graceful like calligraphy on white silk. Yeah, that captures it pretty well. Sample first and don't make any quick judgments until you experience the dry down!
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Vitriol d'oeillet
kushka 11/15/2011 11:29:00 AM
Uh......huh? This is Serge Lutens? First off, this is one of the weakest fragrances I've tried in a very long time. It's weak. Very. I'll give it credit for having a seamless blend of notes, though. It does not smell like anything in particular to me. If I try really hard I can sort of, almost, maybe get a carnation note, but it's so close to dead it's hard to tell. What part I do smell, identifiable or not is bland. Bland. Like an all over body mist left in a shower somewhere....for years. And years. Thumbs down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Comme des Garcons - Red Series- Sequoia
kushka 8/10/2011 12:18:00 PM
I guess this is about as close to a Holy Grail as I've ever experienced. It's rich, resinous, sticky-sap woody: powerful. This is not a masculine fragrance to me, even though it tends to have the notes/qualities that traditionally go with a masculine scent. I can see it easily being a unisex fragrance, for me and my skin, however, it is all woman. Probably one of the most impressive things about this, other than the fact I adore the smell, is that, although it's a heavy fragrance I feel as comfortable wearing this on an icy, blustering day as I do under sticky-hot humid summer midday sun! It's a true default all-encompassing scent for me.....And do I love it! It's as if, on some higher subconscious level that I smell the way I 'should' smell when I'm wearing this!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Ritz-Pour Madame
kushka 6/1/2011 3:59:00 PM
Let me preface by saying that I absolutely love Acqua di Parma. It is one of my favorites. Now, Ritz Pour Madame smells like Acqua di Parma with another note of something that is almost sandalwood which tries very hard to turn into a 'sweaty' note after about 30 minutes on my skin. If I had no idea what this was I would say it was a dupe of Acqua di Parma that wasn't quite making the grade.
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Conditioner -Dr. Bronner's - Organic Shikakai Conditioning Hair Rinse
kushka 5/22/2011 5:58:00 PM
It smells HORRIBLE. Sour! And it doesn't smell like ACV sour - it smells stale, dirty sour! I just could not handle that no matter how good this product might be - - even the next morning I could still smell sour in my hair. And I have used ACV in my hair many times, this is a different, stinky sour! That said, it's a bit difficult to use this the way it's recommended to use, and since it stinks so bad and I'm in a rush to get rid of it I put the brown, grainy liquid in my palm and work through my hair like regular conditioner. It's a little hard to work through the hair and it's nothing spectacular one way or the other as far as results. I love, absolutely LOVE everything I've ever tried from Dr. Bronner but this one is a loser and I will not be repurchasing.
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Shampoo -Beauty Without Cruelty - moisture plus shampoo
kushka 5/22/2011 5:47:00 PM
This is just some of the best shampoo I've ever used! I can't comment on the buildup as I've not used it that long but so far I'm absolutely sold on this. Now, this is labeled for "dry/treated hair" my hair is neither dry or treated. On the good side my hair is extremely thick, and baby fine textured, very silky - however on the down side it's as limp as a dishrag...top that off with the fact that I have well water, thankfully, I won't complain, but it's extremely hard water and full of iron! When I stepped in the shower with this the first time I knew right out of the gate I was probably going to have a winner here, though! It did not take much of the product at all to get me full of a heavy lather and the fragrance was average, natural smelling...but very minimal. When I rinsed I was squeaky clean - I didn't use any conditioner - I only use conditioner every now and then - and it combed out fairly okay - a wee bit tangled but it was a 'squeaky clean tangle' if you know what I mean. Unless it's very cold weather I let my hair air dry and use no styling products whatsoever. As soon as my hair started drying, again, I knew I had a winner. Bouncy, shiny, very clean and light feeling! The price was good (vitacost.com) and I'm as pleased with this as I've been with any shampoo I've tried in many years! I'll be checking out all of the BWC line!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chanel - Beige
kushka 4/17/2011 12:01:00 PM
I guess I'm just lost as to what everyone else is getting here! I was so anxious to try this after hearing so much good about it. I am sorry to say that it was, to my nose, about as generic and regular every day run of the mill department store/drug store/any store smelling as they come. Unexceptional and very much everyday what I'd expect to smell or not to smell on anyone, any place....bland, generic...that's it.
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Fragrances -I Profumi di Firenze - Iris di Firenze
kushka 4/17/2011 11:19:00 AM
heh, well, once again I'm one of the lone dissenters here. This is without question the most beautiful iris fragrance I've ever encountered. For one reason: Most iris fragrances I've smelled contain the iris root note; this fragrance is the actual iris flower! I smell that Blue Flag Iris itself, standing in the dew drenched morning air ~ almost a perfectly exact rendition of what you'd smell when kneeling down to to press your nose into that flower to try to catch that vague but distinct iris flower fragrance! When I smell my wrists I can almost feel the dewy iris petals touch my nose. An absolute joy to behold!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Aedes de Venustas/L'Artisan Eau de Parfum
kushka 3/12/2011 2:00:00 PM
I'll say this: I had been thinking on writing a review for this product for many days now, and simply could not figure out how to do it. For me, a soapy clean out of the shower type fragrance lover to read about this dark, mysterious world full of: (Aedes goes on to describe the fragrance notes as including) bright orange oil, spicy pink pepper, aromatic cardamom, luxurious incense essential oil, black pepper, rose, iris cedarwood and incense resinoid, patchouli, coffee, opoponax, benzoin, treemoss....Everlasting flower, white musk and a hint of vanilla..........I would think that there's not much there for me - - except that - - - I LOVE THIS FRAGRANCE PASSIONATELY! Yes, it is strong, powerful, dark, spicy and intense - but it has a naturally pure, organic clean vibration to it - so completely natural smelling as to define it as purity. I am at a loss to describe it, at a loss to define it - it is absolutely stunning and may well be one of the top five favorite fragrances of my entire life. I'm almost addicted to this fragrance, it is truly a masterpiece and completely flawlessly beautiful. There, I said it.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Frapin Terre de Sarment
kushka 3/12/2011 10:28:00 AM
The notes blend seamlessly, I certainly do not pull orange blossom from this, or anything else, even. But I have never claimed to have a great nose for identification of notes. I have a great sniffer as far as detection; it's just not as well trained as many here when it comes to actually identifying what is I'm smelling. What I do get vintage fragrance here. It has the vibe on my skin of Tabu, Arpege and pure one hundred percent 1960s in a bottle.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Jeux de Peau
kushka 3/12/2011 10:22:00 AM
hmmmm....well, what I get it this: Serge Lutens Santal Blanc mixed with warm milk, brown sugar and a hint of pencil shavings. I'll stick with the Santal Blanc alone: however anyone who wanted to love Santal Blanc and found it missing something or having too much of something might find a sure winner here!
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Olivier Durbano-Amethyst
kushka 3/10/2011 3:38:00 PM
In my opinion this is the perfect scent for a young lady of about eighteen years who loves spun sugar type scents but wants to smell like "Old Money". It smells expensive. But it's sugary sweet. To me a more apt name may have been "Spun Sugar and Brocade" It carries a bit of both moods. Per the luckyscent.com website Olivier Durbano Amethyst notes are: bergamot, pepper, grape, raspberry, incense, palisander wood, jasmine, orris, vegetable amber, sandalwood, musk, vanilla. It goes through some interesting changes and it does smell somewhat ...unusual.....but not really unique.
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Fragrances -Coach - Perfume
kushka 2/17/2011 2:28:00 PM
It's your standard everyday run-of-the-mill department store type fragrance. It smells like a department store. That mainstream and likely to be a crowd pleaser fragrance.... But OH, MY GOODNESS - it does what it does so seamlessly and smooth and just right that it succeeds so much better than most!
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