Creed Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Spring to Summer Fragrance Edit

June 8, 2018

It feels like we skipped spring this year and went straight to summer here in Florida! Today I have a roundup of spring to summer fragrances that are light and fresh. I’ve been thrilled to find that so many of you are die hard fans of Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and Creed Love in White like me. This year both brands have launched new variations of the classics! I know fragrance is so personal so I’d love to hear about your go-to’s. If you’re looking for something new but don’t know where to start I hope this list will give you some ideas of where to start exploring!

Row 1:

Creed Love In White for Summer ($335 for 75 ml) is a new variation of their classic Love In White. The original is a crisp white floral with a powdery feel. The new version at first spritz smells almost identical but if you let it sit you’ll notice a softer vibe with a fruity touch. They both have that distinct white floral feel, but the new one is really beautiful! Right now Love in White for Summer is only available in the 75 ml form. I have purchased a few of their Leather Atomizers for travel or my purse. My husband also has a couple for his favorite which is Aventus for Men.
- Top Notes: Bulgarian roses, Calabrian bergamot, sweet magnolia
- Middle Notes: Florentine iris, rice, Virginian cedarwood
- Base Notes: Ambergris, sandalwood, apple, jasmine
Louis Vuitton Apogee ($240 for 3.4 ml) is one of the soft earthy florals from Louis Vuitton. To me I notice the magnolia and jasmine notes the most. It’s a natural and earthy kind of floral. One thing I learned at the stores is once you buy the full size bottle you can get them refilled in store for a much lower price than repurchasing another full size bottle. These come in beautiful glass jars. If you cannot decide on one they have a lovely Miniatures Set which contains seven 10 ml bottles.
- Notes: Lily-of-the-valley accord, Jasmine from Grasse, Magnolia from China, Gaiac wood, Sandalwood essence
Byredo La Tulipe ($165 for 50 ml) is another pretty clean floral. It has extremely strong lasting power – even though my nose gets used to it within a few hours, people who walk by notice it many hours later. To me it smells almost like fresh linen + white flowers combined. I also have this in the Hand Cream and Hair Perfume just for fun. In the event you want smaller options, it is available in the La Selection Florale Trio (12 ml vials). Alternatively on the Byredo Website you can order their Discovery Set (they limit 1 per person) and it comes with a voucher that you can use at Byredo Stores on Byredo.com.
- Top Notes: rhubarb, cyclamen, freesia
- Middle: tulip
- Base: blonde woods, vetiver
Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt ($135 for 3.4 oz) is one of the best earthy sea salt scents I’ve tried that is so unique. It’s a great light everyday kind of scent one can wear year round, but it’s not a floral or citrus. It seems like most scents that are light need to be either floral or citrus or beachy. This one is none of the above yet it’s not spicy or heavy. I attribute the hint of bergamot to this fact. It’s one I can wear alone but I received the best tip from one of my favorite Jo Malone associates in San Diego to layer this with Wild Blue Bell. The Wood Sage and Sea Salt notes:
- Top: bergamot, ambrette seeds, buchu leaves
- Middle: sea salt, mineral accord, dry fruits
- Base: driftwood accord, guaiac wood, white musk, sage

Row 2:

Diptyque Eau de Sens ($95 for 1.7 oz, also now available in a Solid Soap, Cleansing Hand and Body Gel and Hair Mist) is my all time favorite orange blossom. It’s not too citrus and it’s not too floral or powdery. It’s the perfect mix to be orange and floral. Lasting power is not as strong as Tom Ford or Creed on me but I don’t mind reapplying after a few hours as it fades nicely. I have the Hair Mist on my wishlist which I hope to pick up soon.
- Top Notes: bitter orange, juniper berry.
- Middle Notes: orange blossom
- Base Notes: angelica, patchouli
Chanel L’Eau No 5 All Over Body Spray ($60 for 150 ml/5 fl oz) is a lighter variation of the L’Eau No. 5 reviewed here. I actually prefer the body spray version because it’s softer and not quite as crisp. It also comes in a Hand Cream option which smells completely different to me but is still lovely.
- Notes: Lemon, Mandarin and Orange, Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Cedar and Musk
- Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Radiant Body Oil ($49 for 100 ml/3.3 fl oz) is such a beautiful dry oil. As you might guess from this roundup I’m obsessed with anything that has bergamot in it! This one is a fresh one that has a blend of orange, bergamot and mandarin. It’s very bright and refreshing. The oil absorbs nicely into the skin and gives the body a luminous glow. Scent is very strong for a body oil, I can wear this alone instead of the perfume version. You can find this in other body products in their entire Orange and Bergamot collection.
  - Top Notes: orange, bergamot and mandarin
  - Heart Notes: neroli, cardamom and galbanum
  - Base Notes: musk, ylang-ylang and cedarwood
Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc ($122 for 1.7 oz) is new this spring. It’s one of my favorites of the season and I did not think it could get better than the original. It’s really close to the original version but this one is lighter in feel and not quite as rich or deep. It’s more green and a tiny bit more citrus with a brighter feel. I do not think you need both if you are already well stocked on one. I used up my original so decided to buy this one and I’m 100% happy I did.
- Notes: Vert de Bergamot, Orange Bitter, Petitgrain Bigarde, Ylang-Ylang, Pistachio Accord, Coco de Mer Accord

Row 3:

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Oil ($74 for 8.4 fl oz/250 ml) is my favorite scented body oil. I wish it came with a spritzer but it’s so good I can overlook the packaging. It does come in a Dry Oil Spray Version which I personally did not like very much. For some reason the regular Body Oil works much better for my skin and smells better too.
Byredo Mojave Ghost ($165 for 1.7 fl oz) is one of the most unique scents I’ve tried. To me it smells a little fruity and floral with noticeable violet and magnolia notes. There’s a tiny hint of musk and sandalwood with amber to round it out and prevent it from being a full on floral. Lasting power on me is excellent.
- Top Notes: ambrette, Jamaican nesberry
- Middle Notes: violet, sandalwood, magnolia
- Base Notes: chantilly musk, crisp amber, cedarwood
Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino ($230 for 1.7 oz/50 ml, also available in the All Over Body Spray which I’ve tried and loved) is a twist on their classic Neroli Portofino. They have several spinoffs of the classic and to me this one is the best because it mixes in floral making it softer, more feminine and well rounded. It smells like the spring to summer transition with crisp citrus and fresh floral notes.
- Notes: Sicilian Lemon, Bigarade Leaf Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute Orpur, White Acacia Accord, Jasmine Grandiforum Concrete, Acacia Honey Accord
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is another classic that I’ve used up in the full size. The one shown is from a limited-edition Travel Atomizer which has just launched at Nordstrom! So many of you have said this scent is THE ONE for you. I think it’s a classic sunshine vacation scent in a bottle!
- Notes: Bergamot, Cardamom Oil Orpur, Pistachio Accord, Ylang Ylang Comores Islands, Benzoin Extract Orpur, Coco De Mer Accord

_________________________

My top 3: Creed Love in White for Summer, Byredo Mojave Ghost and Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc.

I know perfume is one of those beauty products that is best to shop for in person. I’ve ordered a few blind simply because I did not have a counter near me and it has been both hit or miss. After a couple misses I decided to never do it again. These days I’ve found more and more brands have started to sell sample vials or discovery sets on their websites. You may have to do a bit of searching to find them. Many larger retailers offer samples with beauty purchases, I almost always add one to my cart from Nordstrom. Lucky Scent also sells samples and sample packs of fragrances of their entire store. If you are ever in the Los Angeles area I highly recommend you stop by their store. You can read more in a feature I did here. In some cases you might not find any sample section online even on specific brand websites. I’ve also had luck a couple times e-mailing customer service to see if I could buy or order samples and in two instances they did!

That wraps up my spring to summer perfume favorites. I know it’s quite a lot and some of you stick to 1 or 2 scents but I also know women who rotate on a seasonal basis and like to switch things up like me. As always please share your personal favorites in the comments! I love reading about what you love and wear.

Press samples featured include items from Creed, Molton Brown and Louis Vuitton.

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Fragrance

Creed Les Royales Exclusives White Amber and Coffret

July 10, 2017

For the upcoming fall season Creed has launched two new additions to their line. There’s a new Les Royales Exclusives perfume in White Amber ($545 to $985) and to celebrate this new launch they’ve also released a sampler coffret with 6 vials of each of the Royales Exclusives scents for $70. Both are currently exclusive to the Creed Boutique (online and in stores). The special thing about the coffret is that it comes with a $50 voucher you can use toward a future purchase of any CreedBoutique.com purchase of $215 or greater. If you’ve been curious about the Les Royales Exclusives line but don’t have a store or counter near you or want to take some time with samples to explore or enjoy these this is a great set.

Based on previous posts I’ve been thrilled to find quite a few of you are already devoted fans of Creed. This is one of the most luxurious expensive perfume lines I’ve tried and since perfume is such a personal thing I have been really excited to find quite a few other Creed lovers. For those not familiar with the line, you can take a peek into their beautiful New York Boutique here (you can also read about it on Cafe Makeup here). Creed is a family owned business that has been passed down from father to son for seven generations.

The Les Royales Exclusives line is their premium line made with the highest quality ingredients – which are handpicked and many are rare or hard to find. Each of the six fragrances are designed, made and filtered by hand. The presentation is just exquisite and a work of art. They are bottled in a hand-crafted glass bottle by centuries-old Parisian glassmaker, Pochet. The newest scent White Amber is described as a fruity floral. On me I love the dry down which has notes of soft amber, jasmine, apple with a tiny bit of sandalwood and a slight powdery feel. It’s a light fresh unique kind of perfume and it’s one I can see myself wearing as a light fall scent or one for spring. The bottles are the prettiest thing I think I’ve ever seen – it looks like something royalty would have on their dressers or bathroom counters.

Top note: Amber, vanilla, blackcurrant and green apple
Middle note: Italian and Moroccan jasmine, benzoin
Base note: Indian sandalwood, jasmine, benzoin

At $500+ per bottle these are quite the splurge. I would personally have put these on my wishlist for a special occasion like an anniversary gift, but I am beyond thankful that Creed offered to send these for a feature. I just took a look at their website though and don’t know if this is new – but some of these are now available in a smaller bottle and lower price point of $250 for 1 oz/30 ml – I’ll note which ones are available below. I already own and love Jardin d’Amalfi. I’ve smelled the rest on a couple other occasions at Lucky Scent and the Creed New York Boutique and they are all beautiful.

The Coffret is a sampler that has all 6 of the Les Royales Exclusives scents for $70. Each purchase will come with a redeemable voucher promo code of $50 you can use exclusively on CreedBoutique.com, valid until 09/30/17. Per their site, “Promo code available in the Coffret must be entered at checkout. Only one redemption per Coffret. Promo codes cannot be combined in the same order. Taxes and shipping fees are excluded from the discount. Not valid for cash.”

Quick note – roses were my hubby’s Valentine’s Day gift to me in February. He bought them from Venus Et Fleur which carries boxed roses that last an entire year. I’ve been documenting how they look each month on Instagram because I was really skeptical that they would last that long. Will be doing a post about them – not sure if I’ll wait for the entire year or do it earlier, but I’m so impressed!

In the set with my thoughts on each one:

Jardin d ‘Amalfi has noticeable notes of mandarin, apple, rose and a hint of cedar mixed with pink pepper
- Top note: Mandarin, bergamot, pink pepper, petit grain
- Middle note: Cedar, apple, rose
- Base note: Vetiver from Haiti, White musk, cinnamon
White Flowers is a beautiful spring fresh scent, it’s a white floral with a green feel
- Top note: Violet leaves, green apple, lemon
- Middle note: Jasmine, geranium, rose
- Base note: Musk, sandalwood, narcissus
Spice and Wood smells just like a natural earthy mix of spice and wood, it has a masculine feel with notes of cedar, this is something I think would be amazing on my husband, but for now his go-to is Aventus for Men
- Top note: Apple, bergamot, lemon
- Middle note: Angelic root, pinkberries, vetiver, patchouli, cloves, pimento (Jamaican pepper), birch
- Base note: Iris, cedarwood, oakmoss, Tonkin Musk
White Amber (described above)
Sublime Vanille is the best vanilla I’ve ever smelled, I’m not one who can wear vanilla easily, I’d rather burn it in a candle than wear it as most are just too sweet, this has a cozy feel with a warm vanilla spice feel and a hint of lemon
- Top note: Vanilla from Comoros (Africa), Tonka bean
- Middle note: White bergamot, lemon
- Base note: Bergamot, Tonkin musk
Pure White Cologne is a clean crisp citrus with lemon, pear and petite grain, it dries down to a soft feel
- Top note: Lemon, bergamot, grapefruit
- Middle note: Galbanum, pear, petite grain
- Base note: Ambergris, White Musk, rice Powder
On Creedboutique.com, the following are available in the 1 oz/30 ml travel size for $250: White Flowers, Sublime Vanille, Pure White and Jardin d’Amalfi

Bottom line the coffret is definitely worth looking into. I wish more perfume brands would do this – even though the $70 seems spendy for tiny vials, the fact that it will come with a $50 voucher makes it more than reasonable (in my opinion). White Amber is a gorgeous addition to the line – I really love the way it dries down. Lasting power in general for Creed is very good for me but your mileage may vary depending on your body chemistry. To date my favorite summer scent is Virgin Island Water reviewed here). It’s literally the best vacation scent and perfect for the Florida weather that I’m living in. I wear it constantly. My husband’s go-to has been Aventus for Men and it’s seduction in a bottle – to me it’s the ultimate hot guy scent.

You can find both White Amber and the Les Royales Exclusives Sampler Coffret exclusively at Creedboutique.com now. White Amber will roll out to Neiman Marcus in early August. Have you tried anything from Creed lately?

Les Royales Exclusives and Coffret provided courtesy of Creed for review.

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Boutique New York Travel

Springtime Travels – Three Days in NYC

May 8, 2017

Happy Monday lovelies! As promised I have a NYC post for you from my recent trip last month. I was in NYC for three days at the end of April. One day was for a conference and the other two days were for fun, exploration and a few meet-ups. Now that I’m on the East Coast, travel is a lot easier for me. It’s only a 2 hour flight from Tampa to NYC and I could not be happier! This was a short trip and I wish I could have had more time but I packed in as much as I could. This is Part 1 of 2. In this post I will share about where I stayed, what I saw and where I ate. In Part 2 I’ll share my full packing list and also what I hauled.

I flew into JFK and normally would have taken a taxi to the city, however my husband booked me a NY airport limousine service called Carmel Limousine. It was a bit pricier than a taxi but the fare covered tip and tolls and my husband wanted me to try it out. When it comes to travel and transportation I tend to be on the cheap side when traveling alone, my husband on the other hand always wants the best experience – he’s always really thoughtful when he helps me book my flights etc. When I flew in I was a bit worried about how I would find the car and driver. The way this works is you book your car and provide them your flight information and destination. The cars are usually waiting nearby or in the cell phone lot around the time of your arrival. There’s a number to call as soon as you land and they text you within seconds how soon the car will arrive and what model it is. In the window there will be a sign with your last name so you can tell which car is yours. My total wait time from the time I called was less than 5 minutes.

Cars were very clean, air conditioned and the drive was smooth. NYC taxis can be hit or miss with cleanliness and using this service was definitely a nice experience. If I were traveling with another person I think I would definitely use them again. On my way back my husband was going to book it again for me but since I didn’t know where I would be in the city I told him I’d just take a taxi back to the airport.

I couldn’t resist doing an Eva Chen-inspired shot (minus the fruit lol). Neverfull MM tote with a small Truffle Clarity Clutch mini (c/o) to hold all my travel essentials. Flats by Chloe. Jeans by Frame.

I traveled alone this trip so I decided try a smaller hotel. I had planned everything at the last minute and did not realize that the Tribeca Film Festival was happening the same week I was going to be in NY. In the course of a few days almost every hotel I had on my visit list was booked and almost double in price from their normal rates. Luckily I found one that was affordable with good reviews in Times Square in the theater district called RIU Plaza New York Times Square. I booked a King Size room and was thrilled to find that at check-in they gave me a room on the 26th floor (they have 28 floors). True to NYC style the room was very small, but it was clean, modern and functional. I had a pleasant stay – I would definitely stay here again, the location can’t be beat!

During my stay the weather was cloudy with some rain. I had checked the weather beforehand. Since moving to Florida I feel like I’ve been living in shorts and tanks and I knew the rest of the US was most likely not going to be in the high 80s. I packed an umbrella, several sets of layers, a few jackets and one pair of flats. The only thing I would have done differently for packing would have been to also pack some running shoes for easier walking. My flats were comfortable but there was a point where I wanted to walk through Central Park to find all of the cherry blossom trees (it was my first time seeing them in person!). I only made it about 1/2 a mile before I decided my feet and flats would not make the entire 2.5 mile walk in the rain.

One of the days I spend the entire day attending a conference in Soho. The conference was held by a company called Fohr Card and while I was dying to explore Soho, I was really happy to meet some other bloggers and make a few new friends. I ran into another blogger Kali from In Spades Blog and found out that we were both from San Diego, went to the same college and graduated the same year as me! Such a small world! We grabbed some dinner afterwards at Totto Ramen which I had been dying to try to catch up on life since graduating from business school. It was delicious! A quick snapshot of some other quick eats – on this trip I was on the go most of the day until late evening so relied on places open late. My brother made me promise to try this Indian street food place called Kati Roll and it was pretty close to my hotel so I did. It was also pretty good. One of the nights I grabbed some pizza by the slice near Times Square – I have really high expectations for pizza and even though it had really high ratings on Yelp I thought it was just ok. It hit the spot though – unfortunately I don’t remember the name of it.

The following day was the highlight of my trip. I met up with long-time blogger friend Amy from Cafe Makeup. We’ve been pen pals for years and I’ve followed her blog for as long as I can remember. We spent the day exploring and shopping and had the best time! A look our stops below. We covered a lot of ground in one day: light breakfast at the Palm Court, a trip to B&H Photo (amazing!), a stop at the Creed Boutique, fun at Bergdorf Goodman, search for By Terry at Barneys New York, lunch and a meet up with Edward Bess, and then another trip back to Bergdorfs because we decided we needed more bronzer in our life.

Palm Court breakfast:

Perfume heaven at Creed:

Shopping heaven at Bergdorf Goodman:

Excited to see the entire line of Christian Louboutin Beauty in person!

Walking into the beauty level at Barneys New York, can you spot the By Terry counter?

Afternoon dessert with Edward Bess, I look so tan next to him! Thanks Cafe Makeup for the snap 🙂

Beauty playtime with Edward:

Quick snapshots of Soho, Laduree, Repetto, Byredo:

Had to make a stop at the new Away store in Soho. They will deliver anywhere in New York and often have same day delivery which is genius! For those who know they’ll need an extra bag to take home items with them but don’t want to fly into the city with extra luggage this is perfect! They’ll deliver to your hotel 🙂

Bryant Park at night:

Selfie at my happy place Sephora Times Square, short trench by J.Crew (old style, current Icon Style here), denim by Frame, iPhone case by Gray Malin.

I hope you enjoyed this mini travel diary! I had so much fun in the short time I was there. Have you ever been to NYC for a short trip? What recommendations, tips or advice do you have for quick short trips? Give then amount of time I was there I was happy with what I booked in. I did waste some time by getting lost (I did a lot of walking) but sometimes getting lost takes you some fun unexpected places.

Part 2 to follow tomorrow with my packing list and haul!

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Boutique Fragrance New York

Creed + High Camp Gardenias for Mother’s Day

May 1, 2017

For Mother’s Day this year Creed has partnered with High Camp Gardenias to create a special limited-edition gift set available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th. High Camp Supply specializes in fresh gardenia vines and blooms which are cut to order in California and then shipped in a beautiful glossy white box. Together both companies have created a memorable gift with a few options depending on how many flowers and perfume you pick. For this collaboration they have the Vine and Bloom Gift Sets which come with a mix of loose gardenia blooms and gardenias on the vine.

Creed x High Camp Supply Vine and Bloom Gift Set (25 to 30 flowers) $479 to $549
Creed x High Camp Supply Deluxe Vine and Bloom Gift Set (45 to 50 flowers) $539 to $609
Available fragrances for purchase to choose from include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina or Fleurs de Gardenia

I was fortunate to be gifted Spring Flower and the Vine and Bloom Gift Set (bottle is the 2.5 fl oz) and as a lover of flowers and perfumes find this to be unique and simply exquisite. The price of the perfume ($350) and gardenias ($129) individually add up to the same price as the set so there’s no price break.

The gardenias arrive in a white glossy cardboard box that’s sturdy. There is a cold pack inside the box to keep everything temperature controlled and fresh while it’s being shipped. The perfume is wrapped with a plastic sleeve so the box is protected from any condensation that occurs while it’s in transit. There are care instructions for how to unbox and care for the flowers. They arrive closed but open up within a few hours with the most exquisite gardenia scent I’ve ever smelled. I love that there is a mix of blooms and vines.

When we moved we didn’t bring all of our dishes with us (we gifted away a lot of things we couldn’t fit in our moving truck). I only had a West Elm round lacquer tray with handles so I tried using it as a bowl by taping the holes. The lacquer won’t hold up water for an extended period of time around the base so we made a quick trip to Crate and Barrel to pick up a Serving Bowl which worked perfectly. For the vines I placed them in a large recycled ceramic Diptyque Candle jar.

After a few hours the blooms fully open up and the fragrance from these flowers literally filled our entire home. Care instructions that come with the box:

Blooms straight out of the box placed into a vase and bowl:

Fully opened blooms after a few hours:

Shown above: Lip color is Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 728 Rose Pulpe over Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink, top by Paige, nail color is Essie Topless and Barefoot

While in NYC last week I was able to meet up with a long-time blogger friend Cafe Makeup and we made a stop at the Creed Boutique on Madison Avenue. I had the best experience there. The staff there is very knowledgable and friendly. The boutique experience can be hit or miss in my experience and this visit was one of the best ones I’ve had. Even though I only own a few pieces from Creed, the brand has special meaning to me, in particular the scent Spring Flower. While I was in college I went on a study abroad program in Oxford for a summer. My room mate Laura (who became my bestie) and I arrived in the UK a week before classes started so we would have some time to explore London. She was on a mission to find Spring Flower and took me all over London looking for a store that carried Creed because at that time it was not available near us. At that time I was not into perfume at all and I completely credit her for sparking my interest in fragrance. Onto a quick peek at the boutique. I bought one gift for my husband which I’ll share in my NYC post later this week. I now have Aventus for Men on my wishlist to give to him as it’s probably the hottest male scent in a bottle I’ve ever smelled.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup and peek into my recent NYC trip. If you can visit the store while in NY I highly recommend it. I did a sneak peek on Instagram last week and was thrilled to find so many other Creed lovers! You gave me some amazing recommendations which I’ve noted and will be taking with me on my next counter visit (there’s a counter near me in Tampa!).

Quick recap on the Mother’s Day set. It will be available exclusively online at CreedBoutique.com from May 1st to May 10th, orders must be placed by 12 pm PST. Available scents with this set include Love in White, Royal Princess Oud, Spring Flower, Acqua Fiorentina and Fleurs de Gardenia. Prices vary depending on the scent you pick and which flower box you choose.

Do you have any Creed favorites? I’ve been spritzing Spring Flower since I got back home to Florida every day and am obsessed although I still really love Virgin Island Water.

Many thanks to Creed for gifting this beautiful set and for allowing me to photograph the inside of their NYC store.

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Beauty Favorites Fragrance Home / Interiors Lifestyle

Loving Right Now: Spring Scents

April 10, 2017

Right now I’m obsessed with all kinds of scents that smell like spring. Since moving to Florida I’ve more into scents than I’ve ever been, but there’s something about warm sunny weather that makes me crave something that smells like a tropical vacation. I have a mix of home scents and perfumes I’ve been loving. Some are new launches others have been around for years. I did my spring transition scent post last month and loved hearing about your favorites. Over the years I’ve found a lot of scents I love for spring so this is by no means comprehensive of the best ones out there, but here’s a small selection of what I’ve been loving right now.

For the home I discovered Antica Farmacista last year thanks to the recommendation of Edward Bess. He knew I loved Diptyque and said that Antica Farmacista was a beautiful line with gorgeous diffusers and candles. I fell in love at first sniff and even though I had seen the line for years at Nordstrom I never really paid much attention. I stocked up on a lot of diffusers during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and over the holiday bought a lot of sets as gifts. The line is truly exquisite! Since diffusers do last a lot longer than a candle I’m slowly working my way through trying new scents.

The latest from their line is Lush Palm which is a green floral with Tahitian Gardenia, banana leaf and palm. Notes include Herbaceous Green Accord, Crisp Apple, Pear, Aloe, Grapefruit, Bergamot, White Pepper, Pine, Tahitian Gardenia, Sambac Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Crisp Water Notes, Cedarwood, Mexican Vanilla, Labdanum, and Sweet Amber. It has a lush green floral feel that has an uplifting cooling and relaxing feel. We’ve been using the large diffuser at home and it fills our living room. The candle has pretty good throw. In their catalog they have scent combinations and one of them is the Bergamot and Ocean Aria. I’ve already burned through two of the candles for that one and adore it. They sent the room spray for me to try and as a bergamot lover it’s really lovely. If you’re looking for a nice mother’s day gift they have a Spring Diffuser Trio with minis of Acqua, Lush Palm and Bergamot Ocean Aria – it’s really perfect. Pair it with a nice bouquet of flowers and I think it would look super cute.

For more in the home scent arena, one of my favorite spring time scents (also good for summer) is the Diptyque Tomas Maier Palm Beach (originally reviewed here). It was a limited-edition scent years ago but they keep restocking and you can find it exclusively at Diptyque stores or online at Diptyque. It has jasmine, iris, lemon, lime, salt and grass. It’s got a lovely lush tropical vibe that isn’t overly sweet. I’ve been exploring more in Cire Trudon. One of the cute stores near us is called the Oxford Exchange and they have a mix of things like a cute restaurant, coffee area, tea bar, Aesop Skincare and a shop with Cire Trudon. I spotted a mini duo called the Giambattista Valli and Cire Trudon Duet which has Positano and Rose Poivree ($105). So far I have not spotted the duo anywhere else online except on Cire Trudon’s website and online at Barneys New York. I’m a sucker for minis and even though this was extremely expensive I could not resist the beautiful design and cute box. Positano is a strong bright white floral with gardenia, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, tuberose and lily. Rose Poivree is a strong rose with pepper notes. You can also buy the individual full size at places like Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York or Lucky Scent. Cire Trudon candles are quite the splurge but in my experience the throw and intensity surpasses all other brands.

In perfume long-time readers know I like to switch things up. I finally splurged on a full bottle of the Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt after using up a few minis I had from sets and GWPs. It’s funny because when it first launched I did not like it – but I gave it another chance before I moved and fell in love. I love layering it with the Mimosa and Cardamom and Wild Bluebell both thanks to the rec from one of my favorite Jo Malone reps in San Diego).

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc remains one of my favorites for warm weather but the latest launch Sole Di Positano is just absolutely amazing, especially for bergamot lovers. It an extension of the Neroli Portofino line which gets better with each new launch. This one has Italian bergamot, petitgrain bigrate, lemon and mandarin and shiso leaf. Sole Di Positano is not as citrus or sweet as the Neroli Portofino (one that I find smells great on others but not for me). It’s happiness in a bottle. The All Over Body Sprays have been around for quite some time but I never looked into them. I saw them in person for the first time (I finally discovered a counter near me) and was really surprised by how big the bottles were. They’re aerosol sprays and I decided to try Fleur de Portofino. I have the perfume version which I love for a more floral version of the Neroli Portofino line. I have mixed feelings about the sprays. When I’m indoors the scent lasts a long time on me with good staying power. However if I spray it on me and am outdoors for an extended period of time I find it fades after a few hours. I absolutely love the scent and am going to try layering the spray with the perfume. More thoughts to come soon – but Fleur de Portofino is another spring time favorite.

Last but not least Creed Virgin Island Water is pure love. It’s more of a summer scent but since it feels like summer where I am this is perfect. I don’t know that I’ve fallen in love with a scent as much as I have this one. I’m trying to ease up on use because I bought the smallest one and an worried I’m going to use it up too fast. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about since perfume is meant to be used – the small bottle was just so expensive!

That rounds up my loving right now spring home and perfume roundup. What are you loving right now? Do you have anything you’ve been obsessed with for the home? This time of year I feel like it’s the best time to makeover one’s home whether it’s updating bedding, home accents or new scents. Since we just moved, we are still in the process of furnishing our home. Going from a small loft to a full size house with a backyard and more bedrooms has been so exciting for us, but our furniture is pretty much swallowed up by the space. The last time we moved it took us about 6 months to fully furnish our loft because we started from scratch. This round I suspect it will also take time to fully furnish the home.

Press samples include Tom Ford Sole di Positano, Antica Farmacista Lush Balm and Bergamot Ocean Aria.

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Fragrance Men's Grooming

Spring Fragrance Rotation for Him and Her

February 12, 2016

When it comes to fragrance, I feel like it takes me forever to pick something new and also forever to use one up. I have a few go-to’s but love trying new things and if you’re like me you will take a long time to build up a fragrance collection. If you’re looking for a new fragrance for spring, here’s what I have in rotation right now. I also have some of my husband’s favorites if you’re looking for gift ideas for any of the special men in your life.

My go-to spring scents are Byredo Black Saffron and Chanel Beige. Even though we have mild somewhat warm weather year round here in Southern California, I still think some fragrances are seasonal. It’s finally that time of year when I feel like I can wear the sweeter florals. Most of these last pretty long on my skin, at least until early afternoon. I do have an extremely sensitive nose though, so what smells strong to me might be non-existent to others. Out of the ones below I would say Byredo, Tom Ford and Creed have the longest lasting power on my skin.

Byredo Black Saffron is a mix of berry and musk, I’ve had this one for like forever, it’s one of the few berry scents I can wear because it’s not too sweet yet not too musky

Top notes: pomelo, saffron, juniper berry
Middle notes: black violet,
accord cuir, cristal rose
Base notes: blonde woods, raspberry, vetiver

Byredo Bal D’Afrique is something I am beyond obsessed with, I have this in the single mini from the holiday Discovery Set, it’s a sweeter scent to me it smells kinda peachy and floral all at the same time, I also have it in the oil rollerball version, if you’re debating between the oil or spray, get the traditional spray version, it has better lasting power

Top notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, bucchu
Middle
notes: violet, jasmine petals, cyclamen
Base notes: black amber, musk,
vetiver, Moroccan cedarwood

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is one of the latest fragrance launches from Tom Ford, it’s a clean white floral that has a summery beachy feel, there’s a hint of amber in it to prevent it from feeling too powdery or too floral (review here)
Chloe Eau de Parfum is one of the most popular fragrances on Sephora’s website, it’s been on my radar for a long time, it’s very soft and girly, for something this strong a floral I’m surprised that I liked it, I decided on the 10th time of trying it in store after spritzing samples on myself to just go ahead and go for it

Notes: Pink Peony, Freesia, Lychee, Magnolia Flower, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Cedarwood, Amber, Honey

Chanel Beige Exclusifs is one of my all time favorites, it’s one of the only Chanel fragrances I’ve liked enough to splurge on, it’s a clean white and warm floral mix that smells very natural and fresh

Notes: Hawthorn, freesia, frangipani, honey

L’Artisan Mure et Musc is one of the fragrances I’ve used for the longest period of time, I discovered this line from one of my long-time friends from college, it’s a blackberry musk described as having notes of lemon, basil, blackberry and musk, I feel like this one is my no-fail everyday, every season kind of fragrance
Maison Martin Margiela Replica Lipstick On is my newest discovery, it’s a soft feminine blush floral kind of scent that smells like makeup, it’s a floral and has powdery notes, so it surprised me how much I like it because powdery scents typically make me gag, there is a very slight hint of vanilla in it which makes it feel warm and well rounded

Notes: Bergamot Oil, Heliotrope Accord, Neroli Oil, Orange Flower Absolute,
Iris Concrete, Galbanum Oil, Tonka Bean Absolute, Vanilla Bourbon
Extract, Patchouli Oil

Maison Martin Margiela Replica Beach Walk in the rollerball is the prettiest relaxing soothing beachy scents I’ve ever tried, if you’ve smelled the Henri Bendel Beach Candle, this is similar in fragrance form that’s wearable, it smells like a fresh mix of musk and coconut with peppery notes, it’s a beachy scent without the floral notes many others have

Notes: Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, Coconut Milk, Heliotrope, Musk, Cedarwood, Benzoin

Creed Royal Princess Oud is the most exquisite and most expensive perfume I have ever owned, the Creed team kindly sent me a sample to try – I love Oud fragrances but my husband always says they are too masculine for me (even though I disagree and think they are unisex), this one has a distinct feminine touch to it, this is a lovely mix of violet, iris and sandalwood, lasting power is extremely good, one of the longest lasting fragrances I’ve ever tried

Top notes: bitter Sicilian bergamot, rose, sweet violet
Middle notes: jasmine, vanilla, patchouli, iris from Tuscany
Base: benzoin from Thailand, Mysore sandalwood, styrax

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb is a classic favorite, this one is my special occasion or date night kind of scent to wear, it’s too strong to wear everyday for me, but I know many other women have told me this is their all time favorite, the notes of patchouli are dominant in this one, noticeable floral notes are rose and freesia

Notes: Sambac Jasmine, Centifolia Rose, Cattleya Orchid, Ballerina Freesia, Patchouli

My husband is the kind of guy who wants to use 2 colognes at most. I think he smells amazing no matter what he has on so I don’t mind if he wears the same scent on a regular basis, but I’ve been trying to get him to explore more which is where the little mini samples come in. Every time I order something online and they have the option to pick samples I try to find men’s skincare or fragrance minis. If he has a mini sitting on his counter, he will try it. He’s discovered a few new loves this way. Right now here is what he has in rotation:

Hermes fragrances can be found at a wide range of retailers, but at the Hermes Boutiques and online they have a Pocket Fragrance Set where you can customize your own travel set of 4 fragrances. You can mix and match any ones they have available, pricing varies depend on what you select, but it’s around the $125ish range, I picked four for him:

Voyage d’Hermes Eau de Toilette smells of citrus, musk and leather
Voyage d’Hermes Eau de Parfum smells of amber and citrus with a hint of floral, this is more masculine compared to the Eau de Toilette version
Terre d’Hermes Eau de Toilette smells like a mix of wood, bitter citrus, spice and vetiver
Terre d’Hermes Eau de Parfum is a more masculine, woody, stronger version of the Eau de Toilette

Chanel Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette is his favorite fragrance of all time, he’s gone through at least a dozen of the travel size versions and multiples of the full size bottles, every so often they will have gift sets with aftershave or showergel travel size minis that he likes to try, this one is a clean masculine woody scent
Dior Sauvage is a lightweight clean masculine scent, it has notes of citrus mixed in with pepper, in terms of everyday scents, he says this is one of them, but he prefers the Chanel Bleu de Chanel, he wanted me to mention that if the man in your life likes something simple but polished and new from his everyday cologne, the Dior is a good one to try

Notes: Reggio Bergamot, Sichuan Pepper, Ambroxan

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb comes in a limited-edition gift set trio for Valentine’s Day, this is one of the most peppery fragrances I’ve smelled for men, I thought it might be too strong or peppery for my husband, but for some reason everything transform into an amazing kind of smell on his skin, this one according to him is more for a date night or special occasion kind of fragrance, not for everyday, you can really smell the saffron, vetiver and pink pepper notes

Notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Cinnamon Leaf, Pink
Pepper, Lavandin, Chilli, Saffron, Elemi, Vetiver, Balsam Fir, Tobacco Accord, White
Leather Accord

One last men’s fragrance of special note, he also really likes Tom Ford Azure Lime which he is currently out of, I will be getting this for him for Valentine’s Day, it’s a clean fresh masculine scent, for something so clean and simple smelling the notes are really complex

Notes: bergamot, lemon, Valencia orange, Thai basil, mint, rosemary,
lime tonic accord, juniper berry, fennel, iris, jasmine, neroli, orange
blossom, pittosporum, bucchu leaves, violet leaves, black currant buds,
cypress, oak, patchouli, sandalwood, moss, skin accord, tonka bean

I always get the best recommendations from my readers of what to try. I’m pretty set on a lot right now, but it’s always nice to explore and add things to the fragrance wishlist. If you have anything you love right now please share. Also if there are any new discoveries for you or the men in your life – let me know in the comments!

Press samples include the Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, Spicebomb, Maison Margiela Lipstick On and Creed Royal Princess Oud.

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Creed