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Bronzer + Blush Fragrance Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Paradiso Eye and Cheek, Sole di Positano, Soleil Blanc and Fleur de Portofino

April 12, 2017

I have some more Tom Ford Beauty newness to review in makeup and fragrance. I had already featured a large portion of the Summer Soleil collection last month and am still enjoying everything very much. After a bit of browsing online I noticed a few other products pop up called Paradiso in the Cream and Powder Eye Duo, Cream Cheek Color, Moisturecore Lip Color and Lip Color Sheer. Some other new launches includes a new perfume called Sole di Positano (already shown in this roundup here), Private Blend All Over Body Spray extensions to include Fleur de Portofino and an Dry Oil Spray in Soleil Blanc.

Up first are the scent and body extensions. I’m a huge fan of Tom Ford perfumes even though are on the expensive side. The Private Blends are my favorite and the best one I’ve bought include the Soleil Blanc and Fleur de Portofino. The latest is Sole di Positano which I’m obsessed with for spring. It’s fresh, green, bright different from anything I’ve tried before. Of course when I saw the body sprays and a dry oil spray I was intrigued. They are priced significantly lower so I had to investigate. I bought the Fleur de Portofino All Over Body Spray and the Soleil Blanc Dry Oil Spray and I have to say that the perfumes are the better buy for lasting power and strength. The Body Spray lasts a long time on me if I’m indoors but fades quickly on me if I go outside. Something with the Florida air, heat and my body chemistry doesn’t seem to want to hold the scent. The Dry Oil Spray has a very faint Soleil Blanc scent with a raw oil kind of scent if that makes sense. This one was a disappointment to me in terms of smell – I had expected it to be all kinds of amazing as I love the perfume, but I can barely smell it on me. That being said I had it on all over and my husband walked by me and said “wow you smell really good” which surprised me as I feel like the perfume version is more noticeable.

For color there’s a new Paradiso Cream and Powder Eye Duo. The cream side is lighter and more pink compared to Golden Peach while the glitter side is darker than Golden Peach. I love the cream from Paradiso and the powder from Golden Peach (go figure). I do think they’re different enough to justify both but you might disagree. I swatched them side by side so you can decide for yourself in the event you don’t have a counter near you.

Swatched below Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold + Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Opale (also reviewed here) as a reference for what I consider more champagne/neutrals next to Paradiso and Golden Peach.

For the cheeks there’s also a new Paradiso Cream Cheek Color which at first glance I thought was Pink Sand. If you put them side by side you’ll see the difference. Paradiso has the same gorgeous luminous glowy quality that Pink Sand does. Right now that I’ve gotten more color Pink Sand is almost highlighter material for me while Paradiso is more like a blush. I love this. I’ve only had a chance to test it for one day as it’s something I had to put on immediately – lasting power is quite good for a cream blush. I can’t say how it will perform in super hot humid weather yet but will keep testing it in the upcoming months as the season shifts.

Swatch comparisons to MAC Quiktrick Stick in Miss Cupcake/Tomato, Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand, Paradiso and Pieno Sole, Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo in Paradise Lust. The cheek duo has more pigment and is less dewy than the cream cheek color.

A quick look with Tom Ford Cream and Eye Powder Duo in Paradiso, Waterproof Extreme Mascara, MAC Next to Nothing Foundation in Medium Plus (review soon), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus, Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Paradiso, Tom Ford Moisturecore Lip Color in Carriacou (also reviewed here), top by Rag and Bone.

For those curious, I did not buy the Paradiso Lip Color Sheer (I already own it, review here) or the Paradiso Moisturecore Lip Color – they are pretty much identical. I get a quick swatch of them at the counter.

Bottom line, I love the Paradiso eye and cheek items. I do think they’re worth owning even if you have Pink Sand or Golden Peach. For the body and fragrance, I wanted to love the body spray and oil spray – I just think the perfumes are the better buy, although I do like the body spray. I would entirely skip the oil. It added a nice sheen to the skin but I didn’t notice a lot of added hydration my skin other than a light oil. Brands like Caudalie, Moroccanoil or Nuxe have better body oils in my opinion. If you try one new fragrance this spring, I think it should be Soleil Blanc, Fleur de Portofino or Sole di Positano.

You can find all the items at counters now. Available online at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Sole di Positano Provided for review consideration.

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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

Spring Transition Fragrances

March 21, 2017

Happy National Fragrance Day! Spring has just arrived and this is the time of year I start to shift my perfumes to something light or floral. Long-time readers know I love to explore light, clean and modern scents. What I wear changes depending on season, occasion and mood. I try to take my time with testing to see if a scent is something I feel is really me. Perfume is something that smells different on everyone’s skin – there are scents that smell completely different on my friends than it does me. I tend to rotate frequently although I’ve always wanted to have a signature scent. Here in Florida it already feels like spring with warm sunny skies. It’s warmer here than it was all winter long in Southern California. I’ve got spring on my mind and the scents I’ve been reaching for in the past month along with my husband’s go-to scent include:

Creed Virgin Island Water is probably my best fragrance purchase ever. It was on my wishlist for many many months. My friend and I were browsing the Creed counter at Neimans and she handed me a tester and said, “smell this, it’s going to change your life.” It literally did and I could not get it out of my head for months. I was going to wait until late spring to buy it, but the moment we knew we were moving to Florida I splurged on a bottle and have no regrets. I’ve been wearing it a lot here and it’s a scent that lifts my mood like no other. It’s like a vacation in a bottle and it literally gives me life. It smells of sweet coconut and orange with bergamot and a bit of sugar. I wish I had bought the larger size first.
Diptyque Eau de Sens Eau de Toilette is one of the few orange blossom scents I can wear. Orange blossom in general always smells amazing on my friends, and I love it as a home scent, but on me it’s usually too citrus or too floral. This was the first one I tried that I loved 100%. It always smells great on me. It has the perfect mix of sweet and bitter sweet to smell like spring in a soft floral citrus kind of way.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia is the first I’ve played with from his line. I discovered his scents at The Scent Bar in Los Angeles and everything has this next-level kind of sophistication. This one is a fresh mix of two of his scents Aqua Universalis and Aqua Vitae to create a fresh and spicy mix. It has lime, cool mint, blackcurrant, mimosa blossoms and musk. To me it just smells fresh with a hint of floral.
Christian Louboutin makes some beautiful perfumes. I reviewed Tornade Blonde in my Fall Fragrance Lineup and it’s one of the most luxurious smelling perfumes I’ve tried. The Women’s Parfume Collection (miniatures) has each scent in a small version bottle of the full size but without the spritzers. The lasting power is quite amazing on these.
- Tornade Blonde notes include red rose, violet and cassis. It smells like romantic florals and to me this is the best year round kind of scent.
- Bikini Questa Sera contains jasmin and tuberose and makes for another great spring time floral. If you like Frederic Malle Carnal Flower you will really like this one, the Louboutin one has a slightly sweeter feel to it.
- Trouble in Heaven notes include iris, patchouli, tonka absolute and amber. It smells more like a fall or winter scent or possibly a great romantic date night scent.
Replica Glow Filter (reviewed here) is a scented perfume oil designed to be a primer for other Replica perfumes. I love this one for a very soft skin like scent that brightens the mood. It’s definitely hard for me to describe what glowing smells like, but this is pretty much it.
Jo Malone Wild Bluebell is a perfume I had many years ago. I just rediscovered it and love how fresh and light it is. My favorite Jo Malone rep back in California told me her favorite layering combination was this with the Wood Sage and Sea Salt and it’s just incredible. I have that on my list to buy in the next month or so.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum (reviewed here) is one of my favorites from Tom Ford. It’s spring to summer in a bottle but I’ll wear it any time of year. It’s one of the best white florals I’ve tried and it’s pure love. Plus Tom Ford scents last really well all day long.
Hermes Terre D’Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche is what my husband has been wearing. He’s the kind of guy who rotates through 2-3 scents at a given time, I’ve bought him quite a few to try and really anything he wears ends up smelling great. I would say this one could pass as a unisex scent but on him it transforms into an amazing earthy woody manly kind of smell with a fresh aquatic vibe.

That rounds up my current favorites for National Fragrance Day! As we transition to spring I’d love to hear about what you’ve been wearing and whether or not you’re changing scents or keeping the same ones in your daily rotation!

Press samples include scents from Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Christian Louboutin. All others purchased by me.

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Boutique California Fragrance Travel

Scent Bar Los Angeles

February 21, 2017

I stopped by the Scent Bar in Los Angeles over the weekend and this store takes the perfume experience to a new level of amazing. It’s been a while since I stopped by the store as I tend to gravitate towards larger retailers for my beauty shopping – but this place is the best I’ve shopped at for perfume. For those in-the-know you are already aware of all the reasons why this place is great: unique selection, relaxing intimate store setting, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and there is absolutely no sales pressure. The store is primarily organized by notes to help you find variations of what you like by mood. There are also a few areas organized by brand. They carry a wide range of brands including Tom Ford, Byredo, Creed, L’Artisan, Cire Trudon, Serge Lutens, and Escentric Molecules to name a few. The experience you’ll have shopping here is going to be different than most other beauty shopping experiences. I think it’s great because it’s suitable for anyone no matter what level of perfume expertise they have. They have a unique selection for those who want something unusual or different. At the same time they carry a good selection of more main stream but still luxurious brands to pick from. If you’re a complete perfume novice I think it’s perfect as they’ll really help you find your perfect scent as well.

On Saturday afternoon I was delighted to find the store wasn’t busy when I stopped by and was lucky to have the whole store to myself for a little while while. It quickly filled up with a lot of customers within the next hour but the staff was still extremely patient, friendly and I was really impressed with how well they were able to meet everyone’s needs even when it became busy. A look at the store for those who haven’t been before:

Everything is organized and sorted by notes, although some brands are grouped together:

Steven at the store helped me and he was amazing to work with. I shared a few of my favorites with him to see what he would recommend. At the top of my list right now included Tom Ford Soleil Blanc, Creed Virgin Island Water, L’Artisan Mure et Musc and L’Artisan L’Ete en Douce. He immediately identified my tastes as liking clean, beachy and fresh scents. I told him I love vanilla but couldn’t find one that I could wear so he pulled an almond option which I fell in love with immediately. He pulled few suggestions for me to smell and it was literally like magic – all of his recommendations were great.

Profumum Confetto is a sugared almond that smells like a delicious sweet scent without the overpowering notes of vanilla that you usually find, they were unfortunately sold out but this was next level delicious
Parfumerie Generale Le Musc and La Peau was recommended as a good skin scent since I loved L’Artisan L’Ete En Douce (once of the few I’ve used up entirely), it has a white musk blend with light florals and smells like skin, but fresh and has a hint of sandalwood, this was at the top of my list and I almost came close to buying it but they urged me to take a sample home and wear it to enjoy it over a few days and take my time deciding
Escentric Molecules was an interesting line try, I smelled a few and they had a small sample pack which they gave me to try, I sprayed one on my hand and I could not smell anything but they did explain it’s something others can smell on you rather than something you can smell on yourself, I’ll report after I’ve had a chance to try them
Maison Francis Kurkdijian is a line that has intrigued me but one I’ve been intimated to try at department stores because of the pressure I experience from pushy sales associates, the Scent Bar is the perfect place to try these as an alternative, Steven patiently went through the line and picked his five favorites that he thought I might enjoy, the top three being the Petite Matin, Aqua Universalis and A La Rose, I am going to try to go back and see if they have the discovery set in store to buy
Byredo Mojave Ghost is one I’ve smelled before, another one that tempted me but I still have Bal D’Afrique and Black Saffron which have a long way to go before being used up, so decided to wait on this one

I left by buying a Cire Trudon candle in Ernesto which is one of the most amazing candles I’ve ever burned (I had a mini from a trio set a few years ago). They will make samples for you so I left with a couple on a card to try at home.

Bottom line perfume heaven and a beauty lover’s dream come true. They have candles and some body products as well, but the primary focus is perfume. These days online shopping has been my go-to for convenience, no pressure and also no attitude, but with scent often times you have to just experience it in person to decide what to buy. Even though I’m a beauty lover, I really don’t like shopping for perfumes in stores because of the pressure to buy. The Scent Bar however offers a really unique experience without the pressure. You can learn about different lines or perfumes at your leisure and take your time to find something you’ll truly love. This place is definitely worth the visit if you’re ever in Los Angeles. They’re located at 7405 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. If I lived closer to this place I know I’d be in here on a regular basis. They do sell items online too on their website Lucky Scent.

Have you been to their store before? If not where do you like to shop for your perfumes?

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Fragrance

Louis Vuitton Les Parfums Miniature Set Review

January 9, 2017

Last fall Louis Vuitton launched perfume consisting of 7 scents in their Les Parfums line. I happened to be browsing the beauty department at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills the day they launched in stores and was able to test all seven in person. The rep who helped me was absolutely charming and friendly. I loved that he was patient and took the time to explain each scent carefully and I was especially appreciative of the fact that there was no pressure to make a purchase even though he took a considerable amount of time assisting me with exploring the new launch. There was a specific order in which he sampled and spritzed them on the cards. He explained that there was a “fragrance journey” and each scent had special meaning. We started with the lightest scent Rose des Vents and ended with a sampling of Mille Feux. After getting a little background on each one, the rep then asked me to pick my top two to spray one on each arm. I fell in love with three of them and since the individual bottles are quite expensive I decided to purchase the Miniature Set ($290 for 7 scents, 10 ml each) so I could try and enjoy each one.

Mirrored Tray from West Elm

The scents are each unique and distinct with a luxurious, refined and sophisticated and classic feel. Anytime I wear one I can’t help but feel like a more put together version of myself – the scents lift the mood and add a touch of luxury without being too strong of feeling overdone. I think the packaging and presentation is absolutely exquisite! The miniatures in the set come boxed in a beautiful white and gold round box, each bottle comes with a removable stopper. The minis do not have spritzers and I wish they did as it makes application so much easier. The bottles however are well designed with a sturdy cap to keep the lids tightly sealed but are still easy to remove with a bit of maneuvering.

A quick look at the miniature size compared to some other items for scale including the Replica Filter in Glow (50 ml), Chanel No 5 L’Eau (50 ml), Jo Malone Mini (9 ml), Chanel Le Vernis and Tom Ford Lipstick. At the time I bought the set the store did not yet have a tester of the miniatures so I did not know they didn’t come with spritzers. The store reps hadn’t seen it in person yet either as the box it comes in (which is a white box shown in the very top photo) is sealed with a clear plastic wrap. After purchasing it, I opened it in the store so we could all see the size and how the minis were bottled (without spritzers).

A quick look at each of the seven Louis Vuitton Perfumes below with a listing of notes and personal thoughts:

Apogee has a light spring time vibe with lily of the valley, jasmine and rose. This was in my top three picks with a light fresh and slightly green everyday kind of feel. Notes include Lily-of-the-valley, jasmine from Grasse, magnolia from China, gaiac wood, sandalwood essence. I cannot detect any wood or sandalwood notes with my nose, but having smelled other lily-of-the-valley scents it makes sense that they are there since this one has a less powdery or floral feel that most lily-of-the-valley fragrances have.

Rose des Vents is a petal rose with a mix of several different rose notes. It’s a sweet and light kind of scent like a sweet garden. There is a very soft and slightly fruity feel to it making it different from most rose scents. Notes include centifolia rose absolute, Turkish rose essence, Bulgarian rose essence, Florentine iris, Virginia cedar. This is very light and feminine.

Contre Moi has a vanilla-ish vibe but not the traditional sweet kind of vanilla scent. The orange blossom notes and magnolia give it an interesting twist. It has a unisex vibe Notes include infusion and essence of vanilla from Madagascar, Tahitensis vanilla, orange blossom, rose centifolia from Grasse, essence of magnolia, ambrette seeds.

Turbulences is one of the ones I did not care for as it smells almost dated with an aged dusty kind of feel. It smells of tuberose with leathery notes. include tuberose, jasmin grandiflorum from Grasse, absolute of jasmine sambac from China, may rose.

Mille Feux notes include leather infusion, raspberry, osmanthus from China, iris from concrete, saffron. This is in my top three – it has a sweet kind of feel without being overly sweet or fruity.

Dans La Peau is a scent described as skin-like. This was also in my top three. It is a difficult one for me to describe but it smells very clean with a mix of floral notes, leather and a slight hint of apricot. It has a raw and earthy feel in the sense it is very natural. Notes include infusion of natural leather, Jasmine from Grasse, absolute of narcissus, musk, Magnolia from China.

Matiere Noire is a darker evening type of scent with blackcurrant and white narcissus. It has a deeper more complex feel compared to other blackcurrant scents like L’Artisan Mure et Musc or Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’eau. With Matiere Noire I smell blackcurrant, musk and patchouli the most. Notes include Laos agarwod, Sambac jasmine, narcissus, rose centifolia, cyclamen, patchouli and incense. I think this one could pass as a unisex kind of scent.

There are several different ways to purchase the scents. Individually they come in a 100 ml size for $240 and 200 ml spray for $350. There are also travel sized sets with four 7.5 ml cartridges and a travel bottle with magnetic closure for $240. I fell in love with the Miniature Set because it allows me to sample each one. Also as I already own a lot of perfumes and it takes me forever to use one up the minis were the way to go.

I’ve been playing with these for several months now and while I’ve found three that I really like although due the high price I haven’t felt compelled to buy the full size in any particular option. On me the strength of each scent is just perfect – not too strong but still strong enough to last all day without fading. A few dabs on the wrist is all I need. I do wish the Miniature Set had spritzers on the top for easier application like the full size bottles which are just absolutely beautiful in design, but I have no regrets splurging on the minis.

My top favorites are Apogee, Dans la Peau and Mille Feux. You can find Louis Vuitton Perfumes in stores and online. If you are able to visit a store I highly recommend you give them a try in person! The Miniature Set retails for $290.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Fragrance Lips MAC

MAC Shadescents Review and Swatches

January 5, 2017

Over the holiday season MAC launched a Shadescents Collection with six perfumes inspired by six of their most iconic lip colors. They re-launched the lipsticks with special limited-edition packaging in tinted caps to match the lipsticks themselves along with color-coordinated fragrances. The concept is just genius and as soon as I opened up the package I just couldn’t wait to see what Crème d’ Nude or Velvet Teddy would smell like in perfume form. The scents are all Eau de Parfums and run at $57 each for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz. The Lipsticks are $17 each for 3 g / 0.1 oz with special edition packaging.

The six options include Heroine (purple, matte), Ruby Woo (deep red, retro matte), Lady Danger (bright coral red, matte), Candy Yum-Yum (bright neon pink,matte), Velvet Teddy (neutral nude, matte) and Crème d’Nude (pale beige, cremesheen).

Crème d’Nude Lipstick is one I could never wear alone and still can’t. It’s more of a layering color for me whether I mix it with another deeper lipstick, gloss or liner. The Crème d’Nude Scent is described as an amber velvet musk which I find accurate. This one is my favorite and the only one I can see myself wearing on a regular basis. It’s almost like a daytime version of Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black. The throw is extremely strong and lasts all day from morning to late afternoon without fading.

Velvet Teddy is a classic nude lip color. I was interested to see what it would smell like in perfume form. The scent is described as oriental amber with wild honey and creamy musk. This is definitely a sweet honey like scent with a bit of spice. If you like honey scents this will be right up your alley. The spice notes are prominent giving it a velvety feel. On my skin it pulls very strong and very rich. This is my second favorite.

Candy Yum-Yum is a neon pink in color, bright and vibrant. The scent is extremely sweet described as fruity floral gourmand with pink guava. It’s distinctly sweet and when I spritzed it I was 100% sure I would not be able to wear it. Surprisingly on my skin it works for a fun and pretty scent. I still don’t think it’s really my cup of tea due to the sweetness but the times I wore it I was pleasantly surprised.

Lady Danger is a bright coral red. The scent is described as a woody oriental floral with patchouli. It’s very spicy and masculine with a strong incense kind of vibe. It’s too dramatic and rich for my taste. The scent is definitely a head-turner as described.

Ruby Woo is described as a woody floral. This has leather notes that makes it even deeper and more dramatic than Lady Danger. It’s rich, dark and deep – not something I would wear although I do think it could make an interesting home scent in candle form.

Left is Ruby Woo (darker shade), right is Lady Danger:

Lady Danger Lipstick worn below on a full look, foundation shade worn is Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 which is just the slighted bit too dark on my skin as it pulls really olive but many of you have asked to see my MAC shade on my face. On the cheeks is Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish, on the eyes is Honeylust Eyeshadow. You can see swatches and comparisons of NC25, 30, 35 and 37 to other foundation brands for reference in this Tom Ford Face Collection post here:

Heroine is a purple cream lipstick. It’s not one I had ever looked at before as it’s more dramatic and purples really aren’t my thing. The scent is described as woody leather with a primal feel. It’s the most masculine scent out of the lineup, definitely not something I would wear. Although after spritzing it in our house as a room spray in a small area the dry down is interesting and actually pleasant.

Overall a really interesting concept. I do think the creators of this collection managed to capture the lipstick in a scent that made sense. Scents are so personal and everyone has different tastes so I do not think these will be everyone’s cup of tea. My favorite is Crème d’Nude but my husband is not a fan of it on me. If you’re near a MAC Store I’d recommend you definitely give these a look. They’re worth checking out and it’s always fun to play at the freestanding stores. If anything I love the special edition packaging of the lip colors – I’m tempted to buy another Velvet Teddy although I will probably resist because the lipsticks usually last a very long time. The color-coordinated caps and black base are so sleek and pretty!

The collection is available at MAC Cosmetics. Have you checked it out yet? What did you think?

Many thanks to MAC for sending these for review!

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Fragrance

His and Hers Fragrance with Dior Sauvage and J’adore Eau de Toilette

December 8, 2016

I’ve been thrilled to work with Dior Beauty more these past few months as I’ve been a long time fan of their makeup. Today I have collaboration to share with you featuring pieces from their fragrance selections. My husband and I are almost opposites when it comes to testing fragrances – I love to switch things up on a regular basis, often changing scents each season. My husband on the other hand prefers to keep things simple and streamlined and sticks with a select handful of 2-3 staples. Dior Sauvage is one I bought him a little over a year ago when it launched as something new for him to try, he fell in love and it’s been one of his everyday staples. For me I’ve never quite found “the one” from Dior until I smelled their J’adore Eau de Toilette the “New Eau Lumiere” which is exactly what I like: fresh, clean, modern, feminine, bright with a hint of rose but not too sweet. It’s rare that both my husband and I like the scents from the same brand and I was thrilled when I asked my husband to smell the J’adore Eau de Toilette on me and he gave it a thumbs up.

The J’adore Eau de Toilette is clean, feminine with a modern twist. It has a lighter feel compared to the J’adore Eau de Parfum which is also lovely but a tad bit too rich for my taste with stronger floral notes. The Eau de Toilette version (one featured in this review) has a brighter feel with top notes of citrus blood orange, and a slight hint of magnolia, vanilla and lemon to round out the floral feel making it fresh and lively but not too floral and not too sweet. It’s soft enough to wear during the day but also great for date nights on occasions where you want to smell nice but don’t want something overpowering or too strong. Lasting power is very good on my skin – a few spritzes will last from early morning until late afternoon without any touch ups needed. The strength is just right for me so when you spray it on the skin, it melds well with my natural body chemistry and doesn’t turn like some florals do.

Shown above, Tra-La-La Le Vernis

The J’adore Eau de Toilette currently comes in one size in a 3.4 oz spray – the bottle as expected with all Dior products is beautifully designed with a distinct look. It’s elegant and fits nicely into the hand for spritzing. I hope they will introduce smaller sizes of this one for travel as I’d love to be able to carry one in my purse for pre-date night touch ups on days I don’t have time to go home and freshen up.

My husband has used up several bottles of Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette and by now has tested out the entire line of products. Being able to use an entire line from head to toe of the same scent is the best thing he can think of when it comes to men’s grooming. This scent is one of the few he likes enough to repurchase after using up – the Sauvage Solid Deodorant is in his top two favorites of all men’s deodorant.

Sauvage is one that makes his top shelf list and it works for him because it’s fresh, clean and modern. The bergamot notes combined with a hint of wood and pepper give it that masculine feel with a raw edgy kind of vibe. My husband likes strong scents and this one has a good balance of strong yet subtle so that it’s conservative enough to wear to work or for daytime but lasts all day. Out of the entire scented line his favorite items are the Shower Gel and Deodorant Solid (he wants to specify that the solid is better than the spray version). He has sensitive skin under the arms and there are few deodorants he can use that won’t irritate his skin. This one also works really well to cover body odor and a plus for him is that it without fail lasts all day.

Finding “the one” for fragrance can take quite a bit of time. So much depends on mood, season, occasion and scents often smell different depending on your skin type and chemistry. When testing scents I often have to spritz samples on and let them sit for a day before deciding whether or not I like it. For my husband the Dior Sauvage is one of his staples (to be exact he has 3 right now, two he switches out for day, and one he uses for night). For me I love rotating on a weekly basis because I’m more complicated and finicky with beauty products so I change them a lot. I do think the J’adore Eau de Toilette is one that I’ll be able to wear for years to come. It’s a timeless kind of scent that is both modern and classic, plus it’s suitable for any occasion. Scent can often be a good mood changer and this one has a bright vibrant feel with a feminine touch that lifts my mood and gives me a brighter outlook on the day.

You can find both the J’adore Eau de Toilette and Sauvage at Dior.com.

Do you have a signature scent right now? If you have a husband or boyfriend what are his go-to’s?

Many thanks to Dior for partnering to sponsor this post.

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