product lust......Sephora Scent Samplers

Sephora's Scent Sampler Trendsetters for Her is a dream gift for me. you get a buffet of fragrances to try, and then you can choose which of those you would like a full bottle of.

the gift includes samples sizes of Burberry Brit Sheer, Dior Addict Shine, Emporio Armani Diamonds Intense, Ferragamo Incanto Heaven, Jean Paul Gaultier Ma Dame, Lolita Lempicka Fleur De Corail, Nina Ricci Nina, Prada Infusion D'Iris, and Pucci Vivara. i like 7 of the 9, and that's not a bad ratio!

they have other sampling gifts as well, like the Best Sellers and the New Classics, all coming with sample vials of fragrances so that you can choose a full bottle with the included certificate. Sephora knows a fragrance is a personal choice, so these gifts are perfect for the finicky glamouristas in your life!

they are $50-$70, and available at Sephora and Sephora.com.

mmm the smell of men.......

my favorite smell in the entire world is the smell of freshly washed guy. i love that wonderful, crisp, soapy smell wrapped in freshly laundered clothes. i love walking into a recently exited bathroom that is still foggy with the remnants of a masculine shower.

still, there are bottled smells that do the trick, too. many men's fragrances are too sweet, too immature, too lacking in character to draw me in. i like my guys to smell like men, and that's a hit-or-miss process. some fragrances try so hard to be masculine that they end up reeking like rarely washed red flannel frolicking in an overgrown shrubbery, enshrouded in unkempt facial hair and deer scent.

for better or worse, i can't get past Cool Water for Men. Yes, it's been worn by nearly every guy on the planet, often in appalling excess. in the right amounts, it pelts me with pleasant memories of high school and breathless kisses and laughter. i know you can buy it in any drugstore. i still love it. the notes are: Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, Coriander, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Geranium, Sandalwood, Moss, Ambergris, and Musk.

Burberry for Men is a classic that i adore. it's probably still my favorite fragrance for men, because it's woody and comfortable and irresistibly masculine. it works in a suit and it works in jeans. it's what a knight in shining armor would wear while he rides up on his white horse.the ntoes are: Lavender, Bergamot, Thyme, Mint, Moss, Cedar, Amber, and Tonka Bean.

can i say that i like the Abercrombie colognes without sounding like a pedophile? i know they are worn by the younger crowd. but i swear, when i walk by that store and i see those huge black and white pictures and i smell that vapor that trickles out of it's doors, my heart skips a beat.

Burberry London for Men begs to be worn on crisp fall days. it's like being at a bonfire...with a mix of crackling wood a sweetness hanging in the air. the notes are: Bergamot, Lavender, Cinnamon Leaves, Black Pepper, Mimosa, Leather, Port Wine, Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss, Tobacco, and Opopanax.

you know that any guy of mine will be well-stocked with fragrance if i have anything to do with it....guess i better give Prince Charming's fragrance wardrobe a little kick start!

product test drive at the mall.....Lancome Magnifique and Estee Lauder Sensuous

i went for a little scented indulgence at my local Dillard's. though my main priority was to pay my bill, i also wanted to smell two new scents that i'd been keeping my eye on: Lancome's Magnifique and Estee Lauder's Sensuous. i predicted that i would like Sensuous the most.


Magnifique was a wonderful surprise to my nose. though i didn't love it immediately, i was pleasantly intrigued. it began to unfold on my skin as this warm, woody rose scent. and i don't attach this word to many fragrances, but i can use it here: it's sophisticated. not sophisticated like the fragrance ages you, but that it's so classy and well done. the longer i wear it, the more impressed i am. this is a perfect special occasion scent, perfect for evening. i am glad that it's missing that aldehyde note that so many fragrances out there have-i feel like it can sometimes cloud the fragrance, but this is not powdery. the notes are: nagarmota essential oil, saffron essence, cumin, Bulgarian rose essence, Mai de Grasse rose absolute, jasmine, Australian sandalwood essence and a vetiver note. this is a little black dress scent, and i can't wait to have it! this is what i wish Chanel 5 smelled like, but the aldehydes always turn me off. if you try it, do yourself a favor and put it on your skin. give it a few minutes to warm up, and you'll be glad you did.

Estee Lauder Sensuous didn't impress me as much. it's notes are: ghost lily accord, magnolia, jasmine petals, molten woods, amber, sandalwood, black pepper, juicy mandarin pulp and honey. though it smells like Bronze Goddess's redneck cousin, though by looking at the notes, they only share magnolia and sandalwood. it's sweet, almost overdone, and i keep waiting for the wood notes to come out, but the magnolia keeps stifling it. it doesn't seamlessly blend for me. it's as though the various notes are fighting each other for stage time.

go give these two newbies a whiff and see if you have found a new fragrance for yourself....

product test drive.....Benefit B Spot

if you know me at all, you know that if you cut me, i bleed perfume. the release of a new fragrance is completely enthralling to me.

i had high hopes for Benefit's B Spot. it advertises itself as being seductive...a fragrance to be put on certain spots of the body (b spots).

to my nose, it's not the least bit sexy. it's notes of mango, freesia, peony, sandalwood, and amber don't do a thing for me. usually adding sandalwood and amber to anything make it a little more suggestive, but those notes are barely noticeable in this fragrance. mainly, i smell an overload of freesia.

it's not a scrubber, but it is a disappointment. it's immature and easily overdosed, surrounding you with shrill giggles. i hope i don't run into anyone who actually puts this juice on all those "b-spots". i'll have to politely walk away coughing!

it smells a bit like hair gel to me....not unpleasant, but not something i want my entire body to smell like. i much prefer their first fragrance, Maybe Baby, to this.

product crush....Nanette Lepore fragrances

for reasons i'll choose not to explain, i was dead set on hating any of Nanette Lepore's fragrances before i ever set eyes on them. and, at first sniff, i didn't love them either.

Her signature scent, simply called "Nanette Lepore", has notes of Moonstone Rose, White Peach, White Cranberry Juices, Magenta Nectar, Black Currant, Orange Jasmine, Persian Lime Juice, Velvet Violet, Amber, and Indian Sandalwood. i swore it would be too "girly" for me, but it's growing on me. it's light and feminine, and although it really has no feisty attitude that i like in a fragrance, it's simple and pretty.


"Shanghai Butterfly" lured me in before NL did. it is so close to Encanto Shine (which i like) that it's unnerving. it has notes of Lemon Slice, Mandarin, Snow Apple, Carnation, Lily of the Valley, Gardenia, Poet's Jasmine, Whisper Rose, Oriental Leaves, Green Cedar, Siberian Musk, Sandalwood. it's a clean, fruity smell that doesn't have the pretty whisper of NL, but more of a fun-loving, almost sporty smell. i don't feel like the name suits the juice, but the juice is good, so we'll leave it alone.

both of these are pretty affordable, with the smallest bottles being just $38.00. they'd make excellent daytime warm-weather scents!

major juice haul....vacation finds, round 1

this trip allowed me to rekindle some old loves. mainly, some fragrances that i had all but written off.

i'd written before that i had been pining away for calvin klein truth. it happily reminds me of my junior year of college. it's a perfect blend of sweet greens and clean earth, not too heavy and so wonderfully breathable. it's not easy to find, but i purchased a HUGE bottle.

my cousin had a small bottle of givenchy extravagance d'amarige, just sitting on her counter, ignored. it was released in 1998, and joined the long list of "things i never bought that i wish i would have". i tried it on every time i went to the store. the top notes are green mandarin, rose, and pink peppercorn (or, depending on which site you ask, taget and violet as well). heart notes are jasmine, violet, and orange blossom (or wisteria, depending again on which site). base notes are sandalwood, cedarwood, black iris, and musk (and wild strawberry, depending). to me, it has a wonderful old-school french quality that doesn't have that stale, mature smell that so many of them can. it feels classy and expensive. put a fragrance like that on a younger generation and lately they've been labelling it as "edgy". i convinced my cousin that i would give it a more appropriate home, since she barely gravitates beyond shower gel. i see myself wearing it on breezy, summery days.

tom ford black orchid finally seduced me, and i bought a bottle. it confused me at first sniff, and i alternated between love and indifference. but it stuck in my head and i pondered it for weeks, and realized how much it intrigued me. that moved it WAY up on my list, and now, i have a bottle of my own. i know i have to be careful with this juice-it can be heavy and it's not for every occasion. this is a dressy smell, not made for a light day of shopping or grilling out with friends. this is "going to dinner and a broadway show" or an "important date with an important guy" in restrained amounts.

of course, i picked up some samples along the way, which creates more product lust. i can't wait to see how the new Versace warms up on me. it's note are: Living Dew Drops, Icy Black Currant, Purple Wisteria, White Lilac, Lotus Flower, Living Orchid, Angel White Jasmine, White Lights Azalea, Snowbird Azalea, Musks, Cedar, Cashmirwood, and Amberwoods. what interests me most about this smell is that it reminds me of a past smell that i used to love, and i can't say if it's Kenzo Parfum d'ete (which seems to have changed for me over the years) or Fred Hayman Touch (which they no longer make). it's unmistakably floral and feminine, a definite departure from my collection of woodsy/musky/herby favorites.

surprisingly, prada parfum d'iris has creeped into my soul. i haven't sprayed it on my skin, and i actually don't have a sample to take for a test drive, but on the strip....i keep going back. i cannot be appeased until i have worn it. The top notes are orange blossom and mandarin, and base notes of galbanum, lentisc, benzoin, incense, vetiver and cedarwood. it's not nearly as floral as the name would have you believe, but there is something so..husky about it. it's a throaty, robust flower that cannot be taken lightly. it says, "i'm feminine, but not giggly".

i'll let you know as i try my other samples, too....all these new fragrances are sufficient fuel for awhile.

product test drive...mall run!!

i was in a department store looking for a mother's day gift. what kind of glamourista would i be if i didn't stop by the fragrance counter and sniff a few things??

first, Lacoste Dream of Pink. the notes are: ice tea, red berries, lotus, rose, sandalwood and musk. it's definitely related to Touch of Pink, and although i have to give props for the ice tea note, it's not enough to make this fragrance memorable. it lacks depth, and to me, that makes a fragrance smell "thin". it sits on your skin pleasantly enough, but washing your hands with a nice soap will do the same thing. it's not a bad smell, it's just typical.

then, Sean John Unforgivable Woman Black. i don't make a secret of my loathing for celebrity fragrances. they are usually so predictable and on the neck of every teenage girl...blech. the notes of this fragrance are: piña colada, sheer jasmine, ylang ylang, bergamot, fresh apple skin, dewy white cyclamen petals, cassis, pomarose, iris, coconut milk and Seychelles coco de mer. i'm just glad it doesn't reek of overly ripe fruit. actually, i don't hate this one, and i think it settles into the skin nicely. i don't see it as a dressy fragrance, but would probably suit for a lazy evening indoors. it's warm and breatheable, pleasantly sweet and light but has good staying power. however, if i ever buy this, i don't think i'd admit it.

Bath and Body Works now has a way to roll your stress away-Instant Aromatherapy Stress Relief. as you might expect, it's heavy on the eucalyptus, but when it dries, it's a crisp, clean smell that i really liked. i can't say that my stress lessened, but i did smell good all through my chemistry test.

product crush.....burberry brit red

lately i've been exploring older scents, because none of the new releases have blown me away.

i have a respect for scents that intrigue me. i like a fragrance that makes a statement, but i also like when they aren't straightforward with their intent. i have this issue with tom ford's black orchid, but i also have this puzzlement with burberry brit red. it's a floral, but it's not. it's a gourmand, but it's not. it's a...flourmand? so many things about the notes of this fragrance surprise me. you never know what to expect when you smell it.

Top Notes:
Fresh jasmine (i whole-heartedly admit i don't care for jasmine AT ALL), Mandarin orange, Rhubarb (uh...what??)
Middle Notes:
Intense red rose (there's your floral), Gingerbread (who knew you could mix gingerbread with roses?!), Patchouli (i like a well done patchouli, it dirties things up and keeps them from being sickly sweet)
Base Notes:
Benzoin, Sandalwood (i'm a fan of the woodsy fragrances anyway), Vanilla bean

what ends up happening (on me, at least) is that is wears all day long and it's a spicy, sweet smell. and it changes on me throughout the day, so i'll smell something and think, "somebody or something smells good!" and realize that it's me.

to my knowledge, there isn't anything else out there that smells remotely like this, which totally feeds my desire not to smell like anybody else.

fragrances: second chances and breakups

it's so disappointing when you are convinced you are going to love a fragrance and then you don't. it can smell awesome on another person and get great reviews, but when you put it on yourself, it loses it's magic. sometimes it even becomes repulsive!

i want to like "clean". it's all over hollywood. however, on my skin, it turns sharp and almost sour...and i'm left more with the chemical smell of a cleaning agent than a fresh out-of-the-shower smell. i tried "sweet layer" and when i asked someone else's opinion, i was told i smelled like pledge (the spray you dust with!).

a lot of florals turn sharp on me, which is why i usually steer away. any significant amount gardenia or jasmine makes my nose burn in disapproval...you have no idea how many fragrances that rules out! versace's "crystal noir" is an exception, being mainly gardenia and amber. i don't know how it made it past my gate, but it's gorgeous.


lately i've been reminiscing about old fragrances. nothing recently released is grabbing my attention, and so i start reflecting and revisiting some old familiars. it's interesting how one's taste can change...i'm finding that some scents i used to be wary of are catching my interest. if i had a magic wand, i would give myself the following three fragrances right this minute:

-chic by carolina herrera. i actually have a small bottle of this that i'm trying to ration. (mandarin flower, orange flower, absolute, Bulgarian rose petals, red freesia, sandalwood, vanilla absolUte, white musk).

-ck be. it used to be worn by a friend of mine and i didn't like it then. i just tried it on this weekend and rather enjoyed it. it's deep and husky and a little masculine, but it's a fabulous clean skin smell. (Bergamot, Juniper Berry, Mandarin, Mint, Magnolia, Peach, Sandalwood, Opoponax, Tonka Bean).

-truth by calvin klein. i stopped wearing it because it left all the department stores. you can still get it online, and i should buy it. i got a ton of compliments with it. it's this fabulous herb-y, wet woods scent that they also sold in an oil, which was a little sweeter. cocktail the two and i can't stop smelling myself!(Bamboo, patchouli, vetyver, wet woods, white peony, white clover and sapling, bio vanilla, white amber, silk tree flower, acacia flower, woods and musk).

product test drive.....reluctantly, armani diamonds

i try to stay away from celebrity-endorsed fragrances. more often than not, the chosen celeb doesn't reflect my personal style. it's an ingenius marketing ploy to use celebs, since many people see them as familiar and think that they relate even further if they are doused with britney spear's "fantasy" or hilary duff's "with love".

i have enjoyed lots of armani's fragrances. without a doubt, "mania" is among my favorites ever...it's this gorgeous, warm blend of citrus and woods, and there is an element in it that makes me want to wear sweaters and walk in the forest. sensi was fabulous as well....a sultry, mature vanilla that was sweet enough to draw you in, but not so sweet that you felt like a high-schooler. "she" always went too powdery on me, but i had a friend who wore it and it smelled amazing on her. i didn't care much for "code", but i was excited when i heard about the release of "diamonds", until....

beyonce headlined it.

i have no problem with beyonce, she's just not my style. too much bling and extravagant bodaciousness, rhinestone encrusted and frivolous. she wears me out, god bless her. she made me turn up my nose at diamonds from the start, and i was determined not to like it. somehow, putting certain celebrities as the face of a fragrance cheapens it for me. i almost can't get past it.

i got a sample of it, and the sample and i have been exchanging glances from across the room.

"wear me, just once", says the sample.

"nope. i don't like beyonce".

"i have patchouli and cedar wood and vanilla. you like those things."

"i sniffed you. you weren't that great."

"you didn't even give me a chance to dry down!! put me on."

i wore it while i packed up boxes. and i regret to inform you that i don't hate it. the dry down is rather pleasant, and cedar is one of my favorite components of a fragrance. i'm not running out to buy a bottle (the beyonce thing throws me off still), but i may take the sample out for a better test drive this week.

the smell of famous

would you like to smell like a star? this is the best list i've ever found, and it gets updated frequently. check it out here.

product test drive....kenzo amour indian holi

i got a sample of Kenzo Amour Indian Holi last week.

it's not what i expected-i thought it would be a heavy, thick, wooded smell. at first sniff, it's all berries and floral. but just when you want a break from it's perkiness, the musk sweeps in and quiets it down. it's feminine and youthful, but manages to have this dark mystery underneath it. but for my taste, not enough mystery. i'd like to see more of the dark side of this fragrance.

it's pleasant enough, but not as interesting as you want it to be.

some say that indian holi didn't last well on them...i found it's staying power to be acceptable. i expect that this one, while an improvement on lots of the new releases out there, won't endure on the shelves too long.