Fragrances -Etro - Messe De Minuit
silvestris 5/20/2009 10:48:00 PM
I swapped for a decant and wonder if something's wrong with this, or with my nose. To me, it smells rather like a flat Coke, with a heaping of ordinary dust. I do like Coke, but this isn't what I was expecting. I thought that as an incense fragrance, this would be more Tauer's Incense Extreme, or Heeley's Cardinal, but nope. Flat Coke.
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Conditioner -Aubrey Organics - Honeysuckle Rose
silvestris 12/28/2008 1:52:00 AM
I'm very grateful to MUA for helping me find this! I have eczema and my scalp itches a lot. It doesn't irritate my scalp, and it's not as good as 'cones for making your hair soft and shiny, but it does a pretty good job for having all natural ingredients. It is a bit hard to get out, since the texture's more like toothpaste than like your average liquid-like shampoo or conditioner, and the smell can be slightly cloying, and it's a bit pricey for the amount you get, but it's a decent conditioner that doesn't bother my skin.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sonoma Scent Studio Voile de Violette
silvestris 11/24/2008 10:23:00 PM
A soft, pretty violet with just a bit of greenness. There might be a touch of cedar and other flowers, but all I smell is violets. I don't find it too sweet, and I have a strong distaste for sweet perfumes. For example, I find Opal, another perfume from this brand, to be far too sweet for me. It's a very charming soliflore, and I can't stop sniffing when I have it on.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - sonoma scent studio ambre noir
silvestris 8/30/2008 2:25:00 AM
For the first six hours or so, it smells like rotting carrots. Ever had a bag of baby carrots and accidentally bit down on one that was rotting, and the sour, putrified, yet still-sweet juice squirted out? That's what applying this out of the sample vial was like. It calms (after six ungodly hours) into a tolerable incense fragrance, but it's not worth waiting for. I'm amazed that this is from the same perfumer that made Jour Ensoleille, which I love.
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Fragrances -Estee Lauder - Sensuous
silvestris 7/20/2008 3:45:00 AM
It starts out as an incredibly kind of sweet plastic. After a couple hours, it turns into a lightly sweet woods scent. I wouldn't say that it has amber, because it's not powdery at all. I imagine a hard wooden coffee table when I smell this. The beginning is so disgustingly sweet and artificial that I just cannot tolerate this. Also, it irritates my skin.
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Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Songes
silvestris 6/30/2008 4:54:00 PM
I thought something was wrong with my nose, or that I had picked up the wrong tester to try, but Songes smelled nothing like a floral. Instead, it smelled like Rice Krispie cereal. I went back to a different department store, made very, very certain that the tester said "Songes," and discovered I had not been wrong that first time. I gave it a few more sprays, and there was that Rice Krispie scent again! It's a very nice, smooth, very well-done Rice Krispie. It's like someone got a box, poured a little vanilla-flavored milk into it, and threw on a couple flowers they pulled from their garden a couple days ago, but goddamn, it still smells overwhelmingly like cereal. I am mystified as to how anyone could smell anything but cereal and vanilla. This smells nothing like a floral. I fear for my nose. Anyway, if you have a poor sense of smell as I apparently do, stay the hell away from this one.
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Fragrances -L'Artisan Fragrances - The Pour un Ete
silvestris 6/17/2008 7:08:00 PM
It's a glass of iced jasmine tea with a slice of lemon! Wonderful! It doesn't last too long--a couple hours, and it is rather light, but I can't stop sniffing myself.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends Chinese Rain
silvestris 6/17/2008 7:06:00 PM
At first, it's a slightly soapy, rather sharp, green floral. It dries down into a sweet, faintly floral musk. I got a compliment on how fresh I smelled, but I'm not really in love with this. The initial notes are like someone squirted the juice of a Granny Smith apple in my face. Perhaps I'll be able to bring myself to use it up, but I've got a lot of samples to get through and a full bottle of a L'artisan to get through...
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends - Black Opium
silvestris 6/2/2008 3:23:00 AM
By "would you buy this product again," I mean that I don't regret buying it. Black Opium is a very nice scent, spicy without being overly warm. I just smell cinnamon and clove, but it's not a gourmand scent. This is very much an evening scent, and rather strong. Smells great though!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends-Jasmine
silvestris 6/1/2008 6:46:00 PM
Some pink jasmine grows in the courtyard outside my dorm, and this fragrance doesn't really capture the live flower. Smelling this is like eating jasmine gummy bears or drinking jasmine syrup. It's lovely, but a little too sweet and thick for me.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Revlon - Super Lustrous lipgloss in Glossy Rose [DISCONTINUED]
silvestris 5/27/2008 5:04:00 AM
Pretty, shimmery YLBB gloss that doesn't have much flavor or taste. I have fairly pigmented lips and this shows up a little--it's good for making you look a little more polished but not really made up. I have a lot of lip stuff and don't wear it much, but of all the stuff I have, I'm probably closest to using up this one. The packaging is nice--it looks classy and the gloss tube is well put together, so you don't have to worry about the lid coming off. The fine glitter makes it slightly gritty, though.
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Blush -Rimmel - Apricot [DISCONTINUED]
silvestris 5/27/2008 4:27:00 AM
Looks good on my yellowish Asian skin when applied lightly. It's slightly sparkly, but not overly so. Have experienced no skin reactions.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Auric Blends - Lovers Moon perfume oil
silvestris 5/27/2008 4:25:00 AM
The notes are supposed to be gardenia, rose, heliotrope, sandalwood, and musk, according to the Auric Blends site. I can't really pick out anything except for the dominant floral note, which I guess must be the gardenia. I can't say if it smells like the real flower, but it does smell real. It smells sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and there's something that makes it smell a little green, like the stem and leaves are present, and there's something that roughens it and adds a touch of pollen. It's like all the components of the entire plant are present, not just the concentrated essence of the flower. Edit: smells gorgeous on the bottle, but it turns sour and sharp on me. What a damn shame.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic
silvestris 5/25/2008 11:56:00 PM
I tried this in Sephora today. It's a very fresh, realistic orange; it's been a couple hours and to me, it still smells just like oranges, with a little bit of spice and greens thrown in. It's not perfumey; it's almost mouthwatering. I think anyone who likes citrus will love this. Once I can justify it to myself, I'm going to get the mini. I would get the full bottle, but I'm already buying a full L'artisan and I can't justify getting another full bottle of anything right now.
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Fragrances -Chanel - Cristalle
silvestris 5/24/2008 9:17:00 PM
The top notes were wonderfully sparking but lasted for maybe 10 seconds. After that, it smelled sort of old and musty...I guess that must be the vetiver and oakmoss? It does smell green, but a very old green, like old dried vegetables. Edit: after reading the notes, I'm even more confused. This fragrance is supposed to have citrus and white florals in it, but it doesn't smell sweet or floral at all--just green. At its best, it's like freshly cut bok choy. Edit again: I must've had some bad testers. I tried it again with a different tester and now the white florals and melon register. I wouldn't call it crisp and sparkling, but it's definitely light. The white florals are sheer, and Cristalle has something dewy from the melon, which is just the right sweetness and ripeness. The oakmoss comes and goes, but it adds a little sharp edge to make things interesting. I have a half ounce of this now and I'm very happy.
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No