Fragrance Friday

Yep, it's back! I've got a big jar of perfume samples that I've decided to try and make my way through*. Rather than try and write complete summaries of them, I'm going to restrict myself to no more than a haiku-length review (17 syllables); this may sometimes result in some unusual formatting. I'll also include whether I'll keep the sample or not. It's an exercise in literary restraint! (This is not my forte, nor does it lead to the most informative reviews, but it's a fun new challenge for me, and hopefully entertaining for you to read.)
*yep, ending with a preposition, don't even try to sue me because I will linguistics the shit out of you.

Bond No 9 Hudson Yards

via

Hairsprayed fruit bouquet.

(And that bottle is hi-de-

ous. Two hundred bucks?!)

Judgment: Throw it out.

Tocca Giulietta

via

Another gener-

ic fruity floral, but at

least less synthetic.

Judgment: Pass it on.

LUSH Vanilla Puff Powder Review

I purchased this in New York after reading a post on The Non-Blonde about how she likes to use powders in the summer to keep herself fresh as a daisy. Knowing I was going to a hot and humid land (though not nearly as humid as NYC, contrary to what anyone might tell you), I decided to pick up a jar of LUSH Vanilla Puff Powder and give it a try.

via LUSH

They Know Me So Well

I love the holiday season, even though I loathe Christmas music, because there's an abundance of food and PRESENTS! Gift-giving and -receiving is one of life's pleasures, and something I thoroughly enjoy on both sides. I've been blessed to receive several wonderful gifts from loved ones, including several beauty-related, which I share with you today (which is also the first day of winter term, and passed by without issue, hurray!).

Tauer Perfumes Carillon pour un Ange

I smelled this in New York at Min, and absolutely fell in love. At $140 for an ounce, though, it's way out of my price range. Min had a 20% off sale before the holidays, and I so wanted to purchase it then, but $112 is still, well, too much. The boy knew of my plight, and offered to buy it as my Christmas present. I didn't want him spending $112 on perfume for me, either, but he said he knew I loved it and it was something I wouldn't buy myself otherwise, and therefore made the perfect Christmas gift. Having only smelled it and worn it the one time, I was a little worried that it wouldn't be everything I remembered, but I needn't have feared: Carillon pour un Ange is one of the best things I have ever smelled. Y'all know that I love my woodsy oriental rich scents, which Carillon pour un Ange (literally, Chimes for an Angel) decidedly is not. It's a floral green lily of the valley scent, none of which are things I usually go for, which just goes to show a) how talented Andy Tauer is, and b) how much you shouldn't assume you know what you like. I think the ambergris help anchor the scent and provide contrast, and the woodsy notes add complexity, but it is, through and through, a floral scent. It's also insanely strong and long-lasting; I sprayed my arm and it lasted more than 24 hours, including through a shower. Because it's a floral, and lily of the valley at that, I find it to be more of a warm-weather scent, but even in the gloom and grey, it smells beautiful. I feel so blessed that the boy understands me so well, and is so very generous. Thank you, grapes!
(Samples are available from Luckyscent, $3 for 0.7 ml, should you wish to try it yourself!)

New York Summary Post

I got the chance to go to several stores in New York that I'd not been to before, and sniffed a lot of perfumes. I thought it might be interesting/helpful to share my thoughts with y'all, should you ever be in New York and want to smell perfumes! For a thorough summary of perfume stores in the area, see The Non-Blonde's awesomely helpful post. And, so that you don't get overwhelmed with perfume rambling, I've included random pictures from the trip.

MiN NY
A little boutique on Crosby Street with a truly unbelievable array of perfumes. The boy and I went there and were the only customers, and we felt rather out of place, but the sales people were really nice and patient and let us wander and smell to our heart's content. I highly recommend stopping by there! I already mentioned Tauer Carillon Pour Un Ange as being an absolute gem, but it was far from the only thing we smelled. From Amouage, I liked Lyric, both the men and women's versions, and Dia Woman, and quite disliked Epic Woman. From Parfum d'Empire, I tried and liked Wazamba, Iskander, and Ambre Russe (though I would need to try them on skin to say for sure), and really disliked Aziyadé, which did the Amouage Jubilation thing and smelled like curry to me (and the boy as well). The fruit came out more when sprayed on a blotter than when just sniffing the bottle, but it was still entirely too spicy for me (I like spice, just not cumin and cardamom as a perfume!).

Conservatory Garden in Central Park

Hello! And Some Quick Perfume Notes

Greetings, my lovelies! I'm writing from the boy's house in Maryland. The wedding was good (though I was exhausted, as expected [actually even more than I expected, but that's because I always forget how wiped I get after flying]), and I'll have pictures up at some point, and we spent the day today relaxing in his hometown. We did some shopping––picked up a light sweater and thin belt at Marshalls (sales tax sucks, btw––if only Eugene had a better shopping selection!), some tea as a hostess gift for his mother (guys, Teavana is mad expensive, be forewarned), and sniffed a bunch of perfumes at Nordstrom. The boy was a very good sport, and gamely tried everything I stuck under his nose. We agreed on most of them, though I think he was less bothered by the super sweet scents than I was. Some brief notes on what I remember:

Elie Saab: Pleasant! Didn't smell overly soapy, like orange blossom tends to for me. Need to try on skin. Thanks to MM for bringing this one to my attention! Definitely not my kind of perfume, but she loved it so much I had to try it.
Lady Gaga Fame: Exactly as all the reviews said, it smells like generic sweet berry mess. Reminded me of Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire, which was a scrubber on me. How disappointing. Sniffed it right after Nicole by Nicole Richie, which is also exactly like every other celeb fragrance, but I was less offended by it because a) it had less berry (I hate berry!), and b) I was expecting it to be a snore, so there was no major letdown.
Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee: Basil, I think? Unpleasantly herby. And that's coming from me, she who loves Eau Sauvage! And who regularly exclaims "why can't they make a perfume that smells like this" when my mother is chopping basil. Something went wrong here. The boy's opinion: "No person should smell like that." We are, apparently, in the minority, as Fragrantica has it rated very highly (and doesn't mention any basil, go figure).
Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil: Grapefruit hairspray? Or just really, really green grapefruit. Pulled much greener and sharper on my skin than on the blotter. It might be really nice in hot weather, especially if you like crisp citrus scents, but I ended up being not crazy about it.
Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Toit: Grass and apple, which together smelled like green apple (the actual fruit, not the candy flavor). Smelled nice on the blotter, and was the boy's favorite out of all the Jardins. Would like to compare it to DKNY Be Delicious.
Prada Candy, the other scent I ended up deciding was worth trying on my skin. It's more refined than the name would suggest, but still very, very sweet, somewhat like burnt caramel. It's not bad, but I much prefer my gourmands with more of a bite––if I can have Shalimar, why settle for Candy? However, if Shalimar is too much for you, Candy may be a good entry. Infinitely better than most fruity floral messes!
And Givenchy Dahlia Noir, which was the sweetest of them all (though less offensive than Fame).
There were others, but apparently nothing memorable...

We're off to New York tomorrow, via Megabus, which should be fun (fingers crossed that they're not running too behind!). Lots of people to see and perfumes to sniff! I'll keep y'all posted on anything new and exciting :)

Have you tried any of these perfumes? What did you think? Any recommendations for places to eat in New York?

Fragrance Friday

I've been inspired by the Muse in Wooden Shoes' Scent Diary, and have decided that it may be a suitable compromise for Fragrance Friday: I can talk about perfumes, but I don't have to worry about writing a Real Review for which I am wildly unqualified. Let me know what you think! I'm happy to adjust as is appropriate.

Friday, June 1
Morning: Overcast but warm and humid, my least favorite kind of weather. Transferred Bond No. 9 Washington Square (Floral Woody Musk: rose [um, if you say so], tarragon, leather, vetiver) into a spray vial; dabbed the emptied vial onto my arm and spritzed once down my cleavage. I quite dislike the opening, though it's better dabbed than sprayed; it smells a lot like bug spray, and if I had Clinique Aromatics Elixir, I would compare them. It gets a lot better after ~half an hour, though, and turns into a "floral woody musk" with awesome longevity, managing to survive my sweatiness.

Evening: Finally started raining and cooled down some. Took a shower post-nap, because I felt gross and sticky. Sprayed Guerlain Nahéma (Oriental Floral: rose, peach, bergamot, green, aldehyde, hyacinth, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, lily of the valley, vanilla, passion flower, Peru balsam, vetiver, sandalwood) down my shirt twice (equivalent of one big spray) to wear out to BFL; smells like "virtual rose" (LT, in Perfumes: The Guide), but I apparently do not want to smell like rose, virtual or otherwise. It's fine, it's just not love. Good sillage and longevity, though.

Saturday, June 2
Morning: Cooler and still overcast, had been raining; sprayed Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle (Floral: jasmine, orange blossom [blessedly absent to my nose], hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk, vanilla) down my shirt. Really unpleasant opening that reminds me of L'Heure Bleue (camphor and menthol galore), but after half an hour the tuberose starts to come out to play. Remains somewhat icy, which makes it nice for cool, damp weather, but the tuberose keeps it from being unfriendly (unlike Après l'Ondée, which is an ice queen through-and-through). Weather ended up warming up and the sun came out, and TC remained lovely. Great sillage.

Evening: Wasn't really feeling any of my perfumes, so decided to burn a Pacifica candle instead (Mexican Cocoa [Oriental Spicy: nutmeg, cinnamon, almond, vanilla, mexican chocolate], a chocolate-y, warm oriental). I think the soy candles release more scent than the votives, but it still made my office smell nice. Took MM's advice and picked up a $1 long-handled lighter at the Dollar Tree, which means I can now light candles with impunity! (I am very afraid of fire.)

Fragrance Friday: Some Mini Reviews (Miniviews?)

I've been entirely too busy with life stuff lately and haven't really had the chance to write up full reviews for perfume, not to mention I am so unqualified to do so. And so, I've decided to post "miniviews" of things I've smelled, with links to more substantial reviews from other legit perfume bloggers where warranted. These are basically just the notes I took on my phone when I went perfume hunting with L at the Eugene mall (which has a truly paltry selection of perfume, so don't be expecting anything niche here), so some are very brief and uninformative, though I've added some extra comments in parentheses. Hopefully they're witty enough for you to forgive me their lack of content! (Also, if you haven't already, be sure to enter the giveaway! It closes Monday.)

Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs: Nope, smells outdated. (Classified as a floral by Fragrantica, where it received not great reviews. I think the vintage was better, but am not about to try and hunt it down.)

Chanel No. 5: Yes, aldehydes, but I like it much better in edt than edp form, because the underlying floralcy can come out. Worth smelling, should probably try on skin. (Aldehydes and I don't get along particularly well, so I don't actually plan on getting a sample of this. I know, cue perfumista horror. See Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This's reviews.)

Clinique Aromatics Elixir: L described it as bug spray. I cannot put it better myself. Perhaps it's better when worn, but I don't really feel a burning desire to find out. (This is a classic, polarizing chypre, so I really should try it on skin sometime. Maybe I'll try the next time I'm at the mall. See Bois de Jasmin's review.)

Dior Hypnotic Poison: Okay, smells like vanilla and licorice to me. Maybe the woods come out when you wear it, but I'm not willing to find out. Too strong, too sweet. (See Now Smell This's review for a more flattering opinion.)

Dior Poison: Smelled this years ago and hated it; still holds true today. Way too big, couldn't even try and find the notes. Just no. ("Poison" is an accurate name, at least! This is arguably THE perfume of the 80s, with everything that comes with that. Should stay in the 80s, thank you very much, along with shoulder pads, big perms, and the Berlin Wall.)

Fragrance Friday: Guerlain Mitsouko

I've been battling a cold since last Thursday, and while the sore throat has gone back where it came from (hell), the congestion has been much more tenacious. As such, I haven't been able to smell properly, which makes writing a fragrance review less feasible. Fortunately, I happened to have one already written, which I'm posting today! I was intending to post it with one or two other Guerlain frags, but what with the phlegm and stuff we'll just have to settle for the one. And really, if any fragrance deserves its own post, it's Mitsouko. Beautiful, beautiful Mitsouko...

Mitsouko, image via Fragrantica

Fragrance Friday: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan

I'd thought about ordering samples of "raw" perfume ingredients to familiarize myself with the different notes, but ended up deciding that $80+ could be spent better on perfumes that are known for exemplifying a given note.

image via Fragrantica

Ambre Sultan is such a scent for the note of "amber", which is traditionally characterized by a blend of labdanum, benzoin, and styrax (see Bois de Jasmin's post on amber/ambergris and Perfume Shrine's review of Ambre Sultan for more info). Ambre Sultan was introduced in 1993 by Serge Lutens, one of the most well-known niche perfumers. Lutens lives in Morocco, and many of the scents in his line revolve around exotic/oriental notes like amber, oud, and woods.

Fragrance Friday: Guerlain Jicky and L'Heure Bleue

There are untold numbers of reviews and articles on Guerlain's classic perfumes, and I really don't have enough to add on the topic to warrant giving each their own post, so I've decided to cover a few of them at a time. I don't yet have all of the Guerlains that I would like to try, but I have several of the classic must-haves, 2 of which are the focus of this post. Before ordering my samples from The Perfumed Court, I had never actually smelled the classic Guerlains, only the newer ones available at department stores (like L'Instant de Guerlain and Insolence, and even those were years ago), but after reading so much about them I knew they had to be featured in my initial forays into the field.

Guerlain as a perfume house has been around since 1828, with the position of head perfumer handed down through the generations until 1994, when the company was sold to Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (MHLV), the luxury conglomerate (and though Jean-Paul Guerlain remained head perfumer until 2002, they brought in other perfumers to compete). Check out other perfume blogs for the general consensus on this (hint: 'fume heads were not, and still are not, pleased with the direction the company has since taken). The classic perfumes have been reformulated, some many, many times, both to make them more profitable and to eliminate ingredients that the perfume self-regulating agency deemed allergens or carcinogenic (nitro musks, for example, are no longer included in perfumes). Most perfume connoisseurs find the older editions superior to the reformulations, but some perfumes have had more successful updates than others (Mitsouko is considered a pretty faithful reformulation, whereas Balmain Vent Vert's new version is quite loathed). I am reviewing, and will probably always review, the new versions, unless the vintages are available from TPC/Surrender to Chance for a comparable price. There's also the matter of different strengths smelling different; the parfum/extrait versions are apparently all superior to the edt/edp versions, but they are also much more expensive, so I will stick with the cheaper, less potent eau de parfum (or eau de toilette, depending on which is the standard).

And now, without further ado, I give you the Guerlains, part 1!

Fragrance Friday: Dior Dune

Dior Dune has been around since 1991, and it's quite beloved by the fragrance community, though less so by the general perfume-buying public. After trying it myself, I can see why: it's really, really weird, a boon for perfumistas and somewhat of a burden for those just wanting to smell pleasant.

image via Dior

Dune is a really complex, intelligent scent. Yeah, I know, "intelligent" applied to a scent? Puhlease. But it's true! It's the kind of fragrance you can't just smell and enjoy; its beauty is in its contradictions, weirdness, and complexity.

Book Review (=Rant): "Smell: The Secret Seducer" by Piet Vroon, Anton van Amerongen and Hans de Vries

If you're interested in the content contained within this book, skip to the "read more" button. If you enjoy reading rants about the quality of the book, read and grumble with me.

image via Amazon

I read this book on the plane on my way to New York. I'd finished writing my term papers the day before, which ended up being about 40 pages (single-spaced) of extremely well-cited research paper. I read no less than 36 articles, thoroughly annotated a bibliography, and thought critically about the contents. SO, going into this book, I had high expectations of academic rigor (CITE EVERYTHING. This is something I have to tell my students all the time. If you don't say where you got it, I think it's from you, and there is no way you knew all that shit to start with, and throughout this book found myself wondering why the editors hadn't done the same for these authors). On a purely impressionistic level (not like I'm going to tally this up or anything, sheesh), only about a third of the statements in this book had footnotes giving their source. Now, I understand it was written by 3 people, and their combined knowledge would undoubtedly account for some of that. But 2/3? Doubtful. 

Also, I read this all in one go (well, okay, I took a break to switch planes, eat, and take a nap), but all the material was pretty fresh in my mind, and I noticed a lot of repetition. Like, did you know that the area in the brain responsible for smell has very few links to the language parts of the brain, which helps account for why we have such trouble describing words? Well, after reading this book, you'll never forget, because it's mentioned so. many. times. There are several other examples like that: women have a better sense of smell than men, smell is very important in the bonding of mother and baby, perfumers can't actually smell that much better than norms. If I were writing this as an actual paper, I would include citations of those, though I would be unsure of which citation to use––the first? The fifth? The last (often, like, 20th)? This should not be an issue! Agh!

More editing complaints (I'm sorry, I'm a linguist and appreciate that everyone speaks differently and those differences should be respected, but the same principle does not apply for writing. There are standards, and if you are writing a mass-market book, you had damn well better follow them! Also, when I was in high school and had to take that PLAN/Pre-ACT test that told you waht you should be when you grow up, they said funeral director or editor. I don't know what those have in common, either, and I find it very puzzling that there's a large enough market for funeral directors and editors for them to be included in a big test like that. Anyways, [this] tangent over): parentheticals (too many! it's like one of my blog posts, gawd), several of which don't have one or the other parenthesis. Do you know how irritating it is to not know when the parenthetical thought is over? Or when it was supposed to have begun? SO IRRITATING. There are certain standards that should be met in a published book, including (but not limited to) spellcheck [didn't notice anything like that in this book, fortunately], correct punctuation (this includes no floating parentheses! Or colons all over the place: it is very annoying), and clearly structured, non-reductionist information, which this book was sadly lacking at times.

Fragrance Friday: Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude and Armani Code

Oh hey there, Fragrance Friday, what's up? I recently placed an order with The Perfumed Court (their sample sets are unbelievable; I suggest not checking them out until you've got a few hours to waste) and thought that I should try and review some of my current perfume samples to make way for the 10 I've got coming. Today's features: Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude and Armani Code.

Image via Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude is a "skin" scent. It's soft, musky, slightly sweet, and subtle. It kind of reminds me of Narciso Rodriguez For Her, in that they both have a pleasant, muted muskiness tempered by sweetness, but where For Her showcases rose, Sensuous Nude displays coconut and mild floral fruitiness (bergamot, jasmine, pepper, and sandalwood are some of the notes). It's not the most interesting or unique scent, but I do find it appealing, and I think it'll be especially wonderful in summer.
$50 for 1 oz, $65 for 1.7 oz, $90 for 3.4 oz, available from department stores and Estee Lauder

Image via Sephora

Armani Code Pour Femme is one of the perfumes I actually have a full bottle of, not just a sample. It's a nice perfume for winter and evening, as it's got a pretty strong woodsy vanilla base, but the bright citrusy notes keep it from being too heavy. It's also not terribly complex, and it doesn't change much over the course of wear, but its darkly citrus notes and not inconsiderable sillage make it a scent that always makes me feel sexier. I also like that it doesn't pull too too sweet on me, as many perfumes do. I don't think it's special enough to warrant a repurchase (and I wouldn't buy a full bottle now, unlike then), but it's nice to have nonetheless. (This opinion reveals me to not be a perfumista, haha! I'm learning, though, or at least trying to!)
$39.50 for 1 oz, $65 for 1.7 oz, $78 for 2.5 oz, available from Sephora and department stores

Currently Coveting: Aftelier Perfumes

Currently Coveting is a semi-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

image from Aftelier Perfumes

Reading Lipstick Musing's post on Cepes & Tuberose perfume from Aftelier piqued my interest in the brand (seriously, go read her review: it's magical, and everything that fragrance reviews should be [and that mine fail to be!]), and browsing the website has only resulted in me wanting at least 6 of the perfumes offered. There's a wide range of scents available in small $6 samples, which is about what a Bond No. 9 perfume sample costs on eBay, and I'm just biding my time until the weather warms up and I can justify trying out new perfumes. Of course, Cacao sounds so delightfully, sinfully decadent that it would be marvelous in the colder winter months, so I may have to make an order sooner rather than later. Secret Garden sounds divine, not least because that was my favorite movie for a couple years (I would go through phases and only rent a particular movie; when I was 5, it was the Lion King, and then I moved on to the Secret Garden, of which there are 3 or so film renditions that I rotated through), and Candide appeals to me because of the name ("the best of all possible worlds!"), even though jasmine hasn't been my favorite scent in the past. But seriously, I pretty much want to try them all, and it's going to be an exercise in restraint when I finally order!

Have you tried anything from Aftelier? What did you think? Which scent appeals most to you? 

Fragrance Friday: Narciso Rodriguez For Her Review

Hey hey, look what's back! Fragrance Friday! Wherein I rant about perfume and nobody cares. Many posts in the series have been...less than flattering, not because I dislike perfume (to the contrary!), but because the random free sample vials I've reviewed are perhaps not the most quality of scents. My skin also reacts really strangely with perfumes, and scents turn dirty (not like, naughty, but actually smelling rotten) on me really easily. There are plenty of perfumes I like, though, and I'm happy to be able to add another to that list: today's featured perfume, Narciso Rodriguez For Her.

narciso rodriguez for her edt

Note: This review is for the eau de toilette version of this scent, but there is also an eau de parfum available. I haven't smelled it, so I don't know if the scent is any different (sometimes edt and edp versions of the same scent don't smell the same, beyond the difference in intensity).

Currently Coveting: Chanel Chance Twist & Spray Perfumes

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

Hey, look! It's a Fragrance Friday-related Wanted! I'd like to say I planned it that way, but...oh, heck, it's my blog, I can lie if I want ;-)

Chance eau fraîche, Chance eau tendre, images via Chanel

Chanel has released two limited edition purse sprays in two of my very favorite scents: Chance eau fraîche, and Chance eau tendre (the former was my signature scent for a couple of years, and I plan on picking it up again when summer rolls around; the latter is a lovely fruity floral that works great in the colder weather, too). The convenience and cuteness is just too much! These are available from Chanel.com and select stores, and at $72 for 0.7 oz, are more expensive than the bottled perfumes (eau fraîche: $65/1.7 oz, eau tendre: $68/1.7 oz), but if you feel like splurging, they're definitely something to keep in mind!
$72 for 0.7 oz, available from Chanel

Fragrance Friday: Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense and Saffron James Le'a Reviews

After the past couple FFs, I was beginning to think I was a miserly shrew who turned everything she smelled rancid. Then I remembered that I still have perfumes I wear and love, so threw that theory on the backburner and tried another couple perfumes from my sample collection. And, what do you know, I actually found one I like!

Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense, via Sephora

But first, the one I'm less crazy about. Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense is supposedly Very Irresistible on steroids, but having not smelled VI in a very long time, I can't really attest for or against that. Regardless, I can give you my (completely non-professional) impressions of the scent. 1) It smells like baby powder, which diminishes over time, but is definitely underlying all the way through. Now, I love babies (not in a creepy way! Unless you find strange women in grocery stores making faces at your baby to be creepy, that is), but I do not want to smell like one's butt, even if it is clean. There are also some fruity (plum) and floral (rose) notes, as well as a healthy dash of patchouli, but nothing can really conquer baby powder. This one is a pass for me, BUT, unlike some other perfumes I've "reviewed" (read: ranted about), I didn't feel the need to wash this one off.
$56.50 for 1 oz, $80.50 for 1.7 oz, available from Sephora

Fragrance Friday: Bond No. 9 West Side Review and Pictures

After trying Bond No. 9's Andy Warhol Lexington Ave. thanks to a friend, I was hooked.  Yes, the perfumes are obscenely expensive, and the scent-associated-with-a-New-York-neighborhood/landmark theme is a little kitschy, but after discovering that there are 0.057 oz vials of perfume on eBay for ~$6, I can discount the first issue (and I personally like the themed perfumes!).  After many hours of research and reading too many reviews (there may have been a spreadsheet or two, no judging), I decided to order West Side.

Image from Bond No. 9

Bond's description of West Side is full of fluff and sparse on content: "a melodious full-bodied coloratura perfume, with dark-light, high-low, sweet-sharp floral and woody notes".  That's great, guys, thanks for nothing.  They list the notes, though, which is more helpful; rose, ylang ylang, peony, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, and musk are all in the perfume, which I thought sounded nice for colder weather.  Users on Fragrantica and Basenotes classify it is a (floral) oriental, and give overwhelmingly positive reviews, which is another reason I chose to try this one first.  Herewith, my thoughts (and some rambling other information):

Fragrance Friday: Juicy Couture Peace, Love & Juicy and Paco Rabanne Lady Million Mini Reviews

Fragrance Friday is back!  Sorry for the long wait between posts; I've been swamped with school starting and hadn't bothered to try any perfumes besides my usual.  I had some free time earlier this week, though, and no place to be, so I sprayed on some perfume and sniffed away.  The contenders: On the right arm, Juicy Couture Peace, Love & Juicy; it's hard to get past the fact that a company that sells $200 velour sweatsuits is trying to appeal to hippie types, but I'll do what I can.  On the left arm, Paco Rabanne Lady Million, which seems to be aimed at Kim Kardashian types.  Who will emerge triumphant?!

Juicy Couture Peace, Love & Juicy, Paco Rabanne Lady Million, images from Sephora

Fragrance Friday: Dolce & Gabbana L'Eau The One and DKNY Women Mini Reviews

For a summary of Fragrance Friday and an introduction to the basics of perfume, see here.


DKNY Women

image from DKNY

This opens with vibrant citrus, and dries down to about the same, but with more grassy, green notes (I can definitely smell the vine-ripe tomato leaves), which makes it smell like a freshly-cut bouquet with lots of leafy greens.  Since so many of the notes are light citrus, the scent does not last very long, only a couple of hours.  If you like bright citrus and fresh greens and don't mind the hassle of reapplying, consider checking out DKNY Women at Sephora (they have the current exclusive).
$36 for 1 oz, $50 for 1.7 oz, $68 for 3.4 oz, available at Sephora