Fragrance Archives - Page 3 of 12 - The Beauty Look Book

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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Beauty

Maison Margiela Replica Filters in Glow and Blur

October 4, 2016

Replica Filter Blur and Glow - The Beauty Look Book

Maison Margiela recently launched two new oil-based fragrance primers designed to nourish skin and layer with the Replica Eau de Toilettes to create your own mix of scents. There is a Replica Filter Glow and Replica Filter Blur ($55 each for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz, made in France). I have been obsessed with both. These launched as an online exclusive to Sephora months ago and I waited patiently for weeks until they were released in store so I could smell in person first. With these two I would have ended up being perfectly happy ordering sight unseen as both are right up my alley. I’ve been wearing them alone for a more natural effect that is like a soft fragrance but one that works really well with your own skin, like you but better. They also do work well layered with the other Replica scents. Many have asked if they extend the wear of perfume as the description “primer” implies that it might. I do find they do as the oil adheres to the skin and although I have no scientific proof or studies to back up this thought I feel like it helps pull the scent from the layered perfume and extend the wear. At any rate, I find Replica fragrances last quite long on me anyways.

Replica Filter in Blur is a described as having Cotton, White Musk Accord, Gray Amber Accord.It does have a slight powder cotton like feel but it’s not too powdery and the musk rounds it out. It has a Byredo Blanche kind of feel with the lightness but sometimes Blanche can feel a bit sharp on me. Replica Filter Blur is softer with a more well rounded feel. Granted it’s an oil-based spray versus a full strength perfume so I don’t know that I should really compare the two. I like layering the Blur one with Replica Beach Walk the most.

Replica Filter Blur - The Beauty Look Book

Replica Filter in Glow has citrus notes and neroli. This one is my favorite of the two (if I had to pick one). It sounds odd to describe this scent as sunshine but it feels like that to me. It’s a bright but mellow citrus that smells like skin to me. I love this one with anything – Replica Beach Walk, Lipstick On (c/o), Flower Market (c/o) and alone.

Replica Filter Glow - The Beauty Look Book

Both are winners and the price points aren’t too bad in my opinion. I think fragrance is so personal – so many factors go into what one thinks smells good. If you ask me what kinds of scents I like I always have a hard time pointing out notes or kinds of scents so I have to simply name a few that I like to give one an idea. I like to switch things up quite frequently – I don’t think I really go more than 2 days wearing the same scent while my husband sticks to 2 or 3 regular colognes in his routine.

A few past rotations by season here:

Fall 2016 for Him and Her

Summer 2016

Spring to Summer Transition 2016

Spring 2016 Rotation for Him and Her

Spring 2015 Rotation

A few of my favorites below, also not shown but Flower Market is love for me – it’s one of the best pure but modern florals that won’t make you smell like potpourri. If you’re one who thinks “I don’t like straight up florals” but have always wanted to try one I think you should give it a spritz the next time you see it at Sephora or Nordstrom.

Replica Fragrances - The Beauty Look Book

Today I’m wearing Filter Glow + Flower Market and it did some serious mood shifting for me by lifting my grumpy morning mood. This morning was one of those times where I simply did not want to get out of bed and thought about staying there for the entire day. I pulled myself together and while fragrance almost always lifts the mood or gives you that finishing polished touch, I am really surprised at how much more awake yet calm I feel with this scent combination.

As you might be able to tell from the rotations linked above there is a lot that I’ve explored. Out of all the scents I’ve tested, I feel like the Replica Filters are the ones that feel most like me. I like that they are softly nourishing on the skin too. Since they are oil-based they will feel emollient and I spray and massage in the skin like you would any other body oil. To date I haven’t really experimented layering these with other perfumes. I’m having a hard time thinking about what I would else I would combine them with because the Replica perfumes are just so perfect with these.

Bottom line is that I highly recommend and I’m very pleased with both. You can find them for $55 each at Sephora and Nordstrom.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Fragrance Men's Grooming

Fall Fragrance Loves for Him and Her

September 30, 2016

There are so many new scents that have launched this season. I usually find one or two new scents each season that I love but this season almost every new fragrance I’ve tested I’ve fallen in love with. I have a roundup of ones I have in rotation right now along with a men’s rotation for my husband. He usually sticks to the same colognes so many of the ones you’ll see here have been featured numerous times. I like to switch things up frequently so some of mine are newer ones.

Up first are my favorites along with thoughts on some others I’ve tested:

The three most exciting fragrance launches this season for me have been from Louis Vuitton, Louboutin and Edward Bess. I will have dedicated reviews coming soon on the launches but wanted to give you a roundup of highlights right now. Shown above:

Chanel N°5 L’Eau (c/o, reviewed here) is a light clean floral that dries down to a slightly powdery musk. Many of you have bought or tried this one too and mentioned that you either love or hate it. I really like it for the clean lively feel. It was a Chanel.com exclusive for a few weeks but you can find it now at all Chanel counters (for those wondering).

Notes include lemon, mandarin, orange, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, cedar and cotton musk.

L’Artisan Mûre et Musc has been a long time favorite. I discovered it thanks to one of my best friends who always smells amazing. L’artisan recently redesigned all their packaging so out of curiosity I ordered one of the new ones and was relieved to find the scent is still the same. Sometimes I worry formulas change when packaging does. In this case it’s the classic berry musk.

Notes include lemon, orange, basil, lavender, blackberry, jasmine, musk, patchouli and oakmoss. It’s one of my husband’s favorites on me.

Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Eau de Toilette is one of my favorite Molton Brown scents, I discovered it in the hand cream and shower gel and loved it so much I bought the perfume. It’s difficult to describe but it has a pink pepper, patchouli and cedarwood mix with a girly zest. They have a Discovery Set online that has 8 small spritzers of their scents you can order.

Pink Pepperpod notes include pink pepper, tangerine, elemi oil, nutmeg, ginger oil, patchouli and cedarwood oil.
This weekend their Friends and Family 20% off sale is happening through October 3 with code USFF20 at checkout. I won’t have a home fragrance roundup in time before the sale ends, but their Coco and Sandalwood Candle is to die for for fall.

Replica Filter in Glow is a new perfume primer designed to layer with your perfume. It’s an oil based spray and scented so it adheres well to the skin. I like using it alone or layering it with Replica Lipstick On afterwards. It’s a soft warm citrus that feels bright but not sharp.

Notes citrus neroli.

Byredo Bal D’Afrique is one of the few sweet scents I find I can wear. It’s one of the most unique fragrances I’ve tried and to me I smell a slight hint of apricot in it but it’s not really like that at all. For me it’s a bright sweet with a hint of musk, amber and cedarwood mixed in. It’s floral but sweet. I find it impossible to describe. I know many of you also love this one. If you can chime in the comments how you’d describe it I would so greatly appreciate your help!

Notes Bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, bucchu, violet, Jasmine petals, cyclamen, black amber, musk, vetiver, Moroccan cedarwood

Byredo Unnamed (not shown) is a new one that I tried at Barneys over the week. It was truly love at first spritz but I decided to wait on this. I cannot find the notes on this one anywhere but if Gypsy Water and Black Saffron had a baby together this would be it. It’s fresh and modern like Gypsy Water and but not as sweet as Black Saffron. I’m seriously tempted.
Edward Bess Spanish Veil (c/o) is one of three new scents launched by Edward. I’ll have a full review on all three very soon. Right now they are exclusive online to his website. I do believe you can call the Bergdorf Goodman counter to order but they should launch online very soon. Spanish Veil is one of my favorites. It has a Byredo Gypsy Water feel but is less sweet and more woodsy. For some reason I detect a hint of licorice.

Notes include Pure Sandalwood, Tonka and Guaiac Wood

Louis Vuitton Apogee is one of seven new perfumes launched. I bought the mini set and owe you a full review. For now my top two include Apogee which is lily of the valley. I normally do not gravitate towards lily of the valley scents but this one is just one of the prettiest florals I’ve ever smelled. It has a powdery feel so if you don’t like powdery scents this may not be for you. It’s fresh and feminine.

Notes include lily of the valley, jasmine, magnolia, rose, guaiac wood, and sandalwood essence.

Louis Vuitton Matiere Noire is my second favorite and is more of an evening night scent. If you like fragrances like L’Artisan Mure et Musc, Byredo Black Saffron or any blackcurrant kinds you will like this one. It’s a woodsy blackcurrant kind of scent that is more of an evening one rather than day to day. There is a floral mix in it which makes it smell rich but feminine.

Notes include blackcurrant, marcissus, jasmine, patchouli, Laos agarwood.

Louboutin Tornade Blonde (c/o) is one of the most luxurious perfumes I own. If you have a current Saks or Neimans catalog you can find a small sampler card inside one of the pages to try. All three are really amazing but I fell in love with Tornade Blonde which is exactly what I think of when I think of a perfume kind of scent. It’s a very strong floral with red rose, violet and cassis along with hints of jasmine. The bottle is just incredible in the design.

Notes Rhubarb, Violet Leaves, Ambrette Signature, Cassis, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmin Sambac Absolut, Orange Flower Petals Firnat, Gardenia from Brazil, Ambregris, Cedarwood, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon (not shown) is one of two new Nirvana additions. As you can see from my list I like soft florals but also fresh scents. Many of you prefer sweeter more gourmand fragrances and unfortunately for me my husband does not like vanilla at all. As I do not want to repulse him I do not wear it. Nirvana Bourbon is a seductive smoky vanilla. If you like vanilla scents this one is perfect for fall. You can also now find all four in this Nirvana Mini Rollerball Set for holiday which is just so cute!

Notes Vanilla Bourbon. Oakwood. Tuberose.

Viktor and Rolf BonBon (not shown) is one I had high hopes for. As a Flowerbomb fan I thought BonBon could be a great alternative. For me it has a similar vibe but is very very sweet. If you like sweet scents I suspect you might like this. For me it was too sweet, almost like a cookie or dessert.

Notes Tangerine, Blackcurrant, Orange, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Peach, Guaiac Wood, Cedarwood, Caramel.

For a cologne roundup I asked him to pull his favorites for right now. Many of these you’ll recognize from past roundups. For him cologne and scent picks are more a year round kind of thing. He’ll pick one depending on occasion whether he’s looking for an everyday kind of scent or something more dressy for going out:

Chanel Bleu de Chanel is in my husband’s top three favorites. Out of all the colognes he has tried this is probably the one he’s asked me to repurchase for him the most. He prefers using the Refillable Travel Spray version so he can carry it with him in his briefcase or store easily in his desk at his office. It is hard for him to describe scents but he says this is a good everyday cologne that smells clean and modern but a woodsy feel. It’s strong enough without being too strong.

Notes are citrus and wood.

Tom Ford Costa Azzurra is more of a summery kind of cologne. It’s a unisex kind of scent that I adore and would actually wear myself except my husband says it’s too masculine for me. After spritzing it a few times I actually did have to agree it’s clearly more masculine with a woodsy oak with a slight green juniper mix.

Notes Juniper, Herbs, Green Notes, Oak, Warm Woods.

Tom Ford Vert des Bois (c/o) is a new one this season part of the Vert line. This too is another unisex one but still pulls more masculine. I’ve worn this myself this week as my husband has been traveling and it makes me think of him. If you liked Oud Wood you will really like this one. For a more feminine option the Vert Boheme is just lovely. It’s on my wishlist but given my long list for now I’m relying on my mini decant sample.

Notes Poplar Bud. Ouzo. Woods.

Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb is hands down the best hot-guy date night scent I’ve smelled and also is my husband’s favorite. He’s already gone through a few bottles. Since we were such big fans of this I picked up the Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb Fresh thinking it would be a more modern version. We both agree the original is still the best as by comparison the Fresh one almost has a feminine feel which is nice but the original is better.

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

Dior Sauvage (c/o) is the third in the top three colognes for my husband. He believes most men like to stick to one or two colognes versus women who like to try lots of things. For the longest time no matter what I bought him to try he stuck with the Bleu de Chanel which works, but he did get a bit bored using the same one everyday. He says if you like the Bleu de Chanel but want something different to switch things up, the Dior Sauvage is the one to go with. This marks the one year anniversary of Dior Sauvage and they launched a larger 6.8 fl oz version. My husband owns and has already gone through a few of the smaller size. He likes the way the bottle is designed with a round sturdy glass jar and magnetic cap.

Notes Reggio Bergamot, Sichuan Pepper, Ambroxan.

Dior Sauvage Deoderant (c/o) is one I think smells amazing for a men’s deodorant and matches the cologne. My husband has sensitive skin under his arms and many will make his skin peel. This one does not and lasts all day for him so it’s a winner. There’s a Deodorant Spray as well which I’ve been trying to get him to try but he’s a creature of habit and uses the stick.
YSL L’Homme Deodorant is another winning scent for him and he says this is the best scented deoderant he’s ever tried. When I bought it he had very low expectations for this because he’s tried a lot and found they either didn’t last or didn’t smell good. The rep at Sephora swore by this one as his favorite and said “your husband won’t be disappointed, I promise.” So I gave it a go and I’m glad I did.

That rounds up our current scent rotation favorites for fall. I have a few others I’ve kept in rotation but I tried to narrow it down to my absolute favorites for right now. If I had to pick three, they would probably be Replica Filter in Glow, L’Artisan Mure et Musc and Byredo Bal D’Afrique. Out of the ones on my wishlist I’m gravitating most towards the Byredo Unnamed perfume but there are some others I still want to smell before deciding on another one.

As always I’d love to hear what you are wearing for fall. I’m also curious to hear how you buy your perfumes. I always find it overwhelming trying to decide. Do you ever buy perfume sight unseen? I try to at least test in store if I can, although sometimes I will order online after thinking about it for a while if I can’t get to a store or if there are no stores that carry a specific brand. (For me no nearby stores carry Le Labo, Byredo, Frederic Malle, L’Artisan.) Let me know in the comments how you go about trying new perfumes or deciding on a new purchase!

Are there any new ones launching that you’re excited about or have anything on your wishlist?

I will have dedicated reviews on the Louis Vuitton, Replica Filters and Edward Bess perfumes soon. If you want any other detailed posts let me know and I’ll see what I can do to fit them in.

Press samples featured have been indicated with “c/o” next to them.

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