Fragrances -Escada - Cherry In the Air
shelju 2/17/2013 9:45:00 PM
I went sniffing today and tried this out. It is very nice on the test strip. VERY cherry but not in an overly sweet but still youthful way, I thought it might make my short list. Then I tested it on my skin, it turned into this plastic, waxy, crayola smelling mess. Even the SA was surprised turned up her nose . . . we got a good laugh though. My skin usually does well with berries, not so well with cherry blossoms so now I assume that goes for cherries and marshmallows b/c I got a similar "uugghhh" with Pink Sugar. This is the first summer Escada that didn't smell as nice on my skin as the strip . . . Oh well, one less fume to add to my "way to big" collection.
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Fragrances -Givenchy - Ange ou Demon Le Secret Elixir
shelju 2/17/2013 9:41:00 PM
Went sniffing today and the SA suggested I try this. I'm not a big Givenchy fan. I haven't had much luck with that house since the 80's early 90's. Anyway, I have not tried any of the previous versions of Ange ou Demons so I can't compare it to those. I was expecting by the name a dark mysterious scent. On the test strip it was fresh and inviting. The white flowers, citrus and tea were quite apparent but grounded. On my skin . . . all I got was green pine needles and cedar forest. About an hour or so later . . . I smelled my wrist and it was lovely. The cedar forest had taken a back seat and allowed the florals, freshened by the citrus and tea come forward and other notes play together in a very cooperative way. It was then that I wished I hadn't decided to used my Sephora gift card for something else. But I REALLY don't need another frag . . . !!! Yeah right . . . LOL
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Fragrances -Prada - Prada EDT
shelju 2/12/2013 12:28:00 PM
Received this from a lovely swapper and it is quite nice. On my skin it smells unisex but also soft and surprisingly sweet (not sugary or vanillic) and even a smidge citrus. Prada amber is not as balmy or spicy as I was expecting which is a nice alternative to the usual spice-bomb amber recipes and a welcome addition to my amber frag collection.The patchouli (probably equal in relevance as the amber) adds an earthy touch, like clean sand (not beach sand) after a light rain. Takes me to a place similar to Montale Patchouli Leaves.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Laurence Dumont--Vanille Noir
shelju 2/12/2013 11:09:00 AM
This has a "boozy" vibe. It is a deeper and darker less sweet version of the deliciously yummy Vanilla Bourbon. It is sweet but not overly and spicy but not overly. It is warm and sensual, very nice but not really "me", I prefer the Vanilla Bourbon. This is my 5th Laurence Dumont LSG fragrance and they do vanilla very well but this one is probably my least favorite so far. If you are a lover of vanilla I highly recommend this house.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Ineke - Poet's Jasmine
shelju 2/12/2013 9:54:00 AM
I received this recently from a lovely swapper. I have been fortunate enough to have tried everything the Ineke Alphabetical Collection but had not tried anything from the Floral Curiosities line. This opened very painful for me . . . I was honestly shocked at the "bathroom stench" if you get what I mean. I went to scrub it off but dinner was starting to burn and . . . . . About 30 mins later I kept getting this waft of absolutely wonderful soft floral, slightly herbal (but not quite green) aroma. This a definitely a jasmine lover's floral but I think that the tea and citrus keep it fresh and not becoming a overwhelming heady floral. I could not stop sniffing my wrist. This was an amazing olfactory journey that lasted all night and the sillage is just enough to leave an impression as you walk by. I do recommend going light with this as it can be strong if one is over zealous and wait out that opening poo smell. What a delight that awaits! I have a BIG bottle no need to buy again . .. :-)
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Fragrances -Montale - Intense Tiare
shelju 2/12/2013 9:47:00 AM
I love everything Montale (even those that don't work for me) They just do what they do very well. This is a lovely tropical scent. As expected of this house, a high quality well blended coconut, tiare flower and vanilla. Ideal for year round use. However, this is an exact but much more expensive COPY of the 1975 Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aloha Tiare! I have the CSP and I'm very happy!! ;-)
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Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Natural Beauty
shelju 1/25/2013 9:51:00 AM
I was perusing Sephora looking for the perfect red blush for my milk chocolate skin (w/ gold undertones) NARS is my HG blush brand so I already had Nars Exhibit A (while lovely) but it is way more orange than red on my skin. I wanted a true red. The SA suggested this . . . well, in the pan it looks pink and obviously not as red as I "thought" i was seeking. After trying it out, it proved to be a lovely pink-red that looks more red than pink giving my skin this subtle reddish glow without looking too intense. And the more I build it the redder it looks, still without becoming "clown-red" . . . not that that is bad if it works for you. But I wanted a red that I could comfortable pull off at work with a red outfit and/or red lipstick. This does it!!! Plus the AC line of Tarte is great for my oily acne-prone skin . . . I've since added a couple other colors to my collection.
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Fragrances -Giorgio Armani - Emporio Armani Diamonds
shelju 1/21/2013 8:42:00 AM
I recieved a sample of this from a lovely MUAer and I immediately knew this was fb worthy. I love berries in a fragrance and the litchi and raspberries open the sweet, fresh and crisp, but not too much so. The vanilla, patch, and amber add a warming balance to keep the fruity top notes from being "childish". EAD is sparkely and fun, sophisticated and sexy (just like diamonds). Love it!!
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Fragrances -Cartier - Le Baiser du Dragon
shelju 1/21/2013 1:24:00 AM
I really wanting this based on all the glowing reviews and the fact that I really like sweet, gently spicy, incense, and balmy frags. . . oh yea and its a discontinued Cartier so it must be good and I must have it. Right? This is opens very promising with the sweet Amaretto and almond and all that other good stuff . . . but on my skin it QUICKLY dissolves into nothing more than a whimper. I can only assume that the glowing reviews and cult following is for the pure perfume b/c my skin ate the EDT.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Laurence Dumont > Vanille Bourbon
shelju 1/18/2013 6:44:00 PM
As many before me have already said, this a very boozy vanilla as the name implies. On my skin it is not a "deliciously edible" holiday cookie vanilla but the imagine a vanilla flavored rum from St Marteen. I prefer this to Vanilla Noir from the same house which is a bit deeper and darker.
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Fragrances -Tom Ford - Black Orchid EDP
shelju 1/18/2013 6:36:00 PM
I wanted to give this a try because I really like unique sensual fragrances (usually woody florientals). Well this is indeed unique and in some ways sensual. It really does need to be sampled on the skin and not a paper strip. It changes ALOT. Starts out kinda strong, for me it was an instant turn off . . .then it settled into this really warm sensual sweetness. Then just as I was about to put this on my short list of "gotta gets". . . all I could smell was DIRT, TREE BARK, all those woody things that I DO NOT want to smell like. Very disappointing because I actually thought i may have found "my scent" but in the end there is just too much woods in the soul for me. Same thing happend with Lolita Lempicka. . . HEAVEN then DIRT . . . .*clears throat*. . . I mean earth! ;-)
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Fragrances -LaLique - LE PARFUM edp
shelju 1/18/2013 6:32:00 PM
OMG! I absolutely LOVE this frag! On my skin it opens with this intoxicating and lucious almost fruity sweetness that quickly dissolves, then this spicy balmy amber emerges(reminded me of amber gris) then the sweetness from the beginning returns but more creamy and nutty this time balanced by the spicy. It is rich (def cooler weather) and sexy. Eventually Im left with something gentle powdery slightly sweet and feminine. Simply lovely journey. This has been added to my favs. I've never paid much attention to the nose behind my fragrances but coincidentally this is the 13th fragrance that I've had and enjoyed created by Dominique Ropion. And contrary to popular belief . . . . 13 is NOT unlucky as the winning streak continues. :-) Mr Ropion and I are kindred spirits!!!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Balmy Days and Sundays
shelju 1/18/2013 6:29:00 PM
My skin radiates earthy notes (to my chagrin). If it smells like soil, mulch, roots, leaves, leaves, branches for some reason these notes linger and overpower anything else in the fragrance so I usually avoid anything described as "green". I tried this as part of the INEKE sampler and OMG on my skin it is EXACTLY as described in the liner notes above . . . Fresh cut grass, flowers and stems on a dewy morning. Amazingly realistic olfactory experience and I actually enjoyed it, but it is indeed "green" and not my cup of tea for a perfume. But if you are a fan of nature scents I highly recommend as it is a lovely compilation.
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Fragrances -Paco Rabanne - Lady Million
shelju 1/18/2013 6:28:00 PM
FINALLY a white flower frag that I can wear. I love gardenia, but in perfume, it doesn't love me back. At first sniff "the Lady" seemed a bit strong maybe even sharp but very quickly it became this lovely floral with a bit of sweetened citrus and spice. I don't get much from the raspberry but on my skin its the gardenia (supported by the other lucious white floral notes) grounded with spicy amber make this really work for me. This is not the usual fruity floral that we think about when we hear the genre. . . . It's def more floral than fruit. Its a modern, grownup and sophisticated "Lady" fragrance that is just simply lovely . . . .
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Fragrances -Clean - Shower Fresh
shelju 1/18/2013 6:27:00 PM
The name says it all . . . this is bubble-bath, fresh out the shower, soap and water clean. It is not offensive at all but it is not anything else either. I gave it as a gift to a friend who does not generally do "fragrance" and she loved it. I don't see any reason to pay for a perfume that gives the same effect as a bath with ivory or camay soap and Jergen's body lotion.
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