Introduced in 1996, dolce vita means "sweet life" in Italian. This feminine scent has a senusal, soft, romantic blend of magnolia, rose, cinnamon, peach, apricot, and luscious bottom notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and heliotrope. Warm, inviting, and sensual!

As anyone who has read many of my reviews knows, I'm not a big fan of sweet fragrances. On me, they tend to become extremely sweet. I wasn't, therefore, expecting to like Dolce Vita, but I tried a sample on a whim and was very taken with it.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Dior Dolce Vita....

Introduced in 2004, Curious is designed on the concept of temptation, thrill, and satisfaction. The temptation is represented in the top notes of magnolia, pear, and lotus, followed by the tuberose, jasmine, and cyclamen "thrill" of the heart notes. The base notes of vanilla, musk, and sandalwood bring the experience to a satisfying conclusion. Fabulous!

First things first. The bottle is fantastic. I have a mini, and it's just absolutely adorable, with little charms hanging from the neck, not unlike the blue silk tassle that used to be on Guerlain's Shalimar all those years ago (except, of course, that the charms on Curious are plastic beads rather than silk).

As for the perfume, it's not as bad as I feared it would be. Well, that's stating it broadly. It's actually very nice, and I'm surprised, because I was really expecting to hate this.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Britney Spears Curious....

I'm not at all sure how I feel about this. I've been shopping at the Body Shop for years now, and I love their attitude and their products. I don't have anything against L'Oreal, particularly (although I will say that I'm not at all keen on animal testing for cosmetics, which they have yet to ban), but I don't like to think how The Body Shop might change for the worse in the hands of a huge cosmetics corporation...

Anyway, read more if you like:

L'Oreal buys Body Shop
ROUNDUP L'Oreal buys Body Shop
L'Oreal buys Body Shop for $1.14B
L'Oreal to buy The Body Shop

I spent some time doing a big update on the Fragrance Facts page. I included a fairly long list of common and traditional perfume ingredients. I owe much of the structure of the list to John Oakes' "All About Perfume" and some of the information, but I also did my own independent research and I did make every effort to put the terms and items in my own words (I'm not a big fan of copyright violation). By the way, I do very highly recommend any and all books by John Oakes. His style of writing is extremely entertaining.

Introduced in 1991, White Diamonds is an elegant, smooth, floral fragrance. It is comprised of notes of neroli, lily and tuberose, with softer heart notes of rose, orris, narcisse and jasmine, with a sensual base of sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, and patchouli. Pure class!

I'll be honest. I wasn't really expecting to like this. I don't know why, really, but I just wasn't expecting to enjoy this perfume much. I'm happy to say I was suprirsed by it (and that's one of the nicest things about perfumes; sometimes they surprise you!).

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds....

Some of France's top perfume makers, from Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, have been fined millions of dollars for allegedly colluding with vendors on prices over a three-year period, the antitrust authority announced Tuesday.
 
The Competition Council said it has imposed $55.1 million in fines to 13 perfume and cosmetic brands and three perfume vendors for price collusion between 1997 and 2000.

ScentedPages is a virtual library catalogue dedicated to the culture of smell. It contains an extensive bibliography on the history and culture of perfume, a dedicated press archive, a miscellaneous collection of articles and literary excerpts related to perfumery, and a compendium with relevant addresses.

Introduced in 1989 by Elizabeth Taylor, Passion is soft, oriental, woody fragrance. This feminine scent blends jasmine, bergamot, and rose, and is accented with tuberose, vanilla and musk. Smouldering!

I hated this in the bottle. I would never have tried it in a shop, but I had a bottle that I got as part of a multi-pack of mini fragrances (yes, me and my minis, again!), and I thought I'd just try it on my skin to be fair. I suspect this may be one that really grows on me after a couple of wearings (like Vivienne Westwood's Boudoir did).

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I finally found some nice, totally unscented lotion. This is great for using on your skin prior to applying fragrance, to make the fragrance last longer (this is a big problem if you have dry skin, as I do). I've seen recommendations for jojoba oil and for almond oil, and even for a light layer of petroleum jelly (ick), and also have seen recommendations for unscented lotion, but try finding it!

Well, today I did, and it was at a shop I frequent anyway, The Body Shop! The lotion is sold with the option (and intention) of letting you choose what scent you'd like put in it from their fragrance oil range, but I wanted it unscented, and that's just what I got.

So if you, like me, have trouble getting fragrance to last on your skin and you've had a hard time finding unscented lotion, drop around The Body Shop and pick up a bottle of the unscented lotion. It's a fabulous "base" for fragrance.

Introduced in 2003 by Givenchy, this feminine fragrance is bursting with roses and spiced with star anise and verbena leaf, a fresh and sensual departure from the traditional floral fragrance. Notes include Centifolia Rose, Peony Rose, Fantasia Rose, Passion Rose, Emotion Rose, Verbena Leaf, Star Anise. Lives up to its name!

I read that this perfume, "is a homage to Givenchy’s early days when fashion and cinema were intertwined," and that it "unites the elegant tradition of French style with the energy and pop-culture pizzazz of American film." Interesting concept, and now that I think of it, the bottle is rather art deco in style (and the box, just as a side note, is extremely cool with raspberry-rose colored iridescent coloring, very pretty).

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Givenchy Very Irresistible....

Introduced by Yves St Laurent in 1977, Opium is an exotic blend of lush florals, rich spices, and deep wood notes. This delicious and sensual fragrance has notes of coriander, clove, bayleaf, and sandalwood, and is accented with vetiver, pepper, amber, and patchouli. A real classic!

I've mentioned many times that I tend not be be a big fan of orientals. Many of them have ingredients that I just don't like, or combinations that don't appeal to me at all. Lately, though, I've been wanting to try more orientals, as a break from my usual florals, and so I've been experimenting. Opium is one of the fragrances that was recommended to me time and time again, so I gave it a try at a perfume counter. I was very impressed with it.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Yves Saint Laurent Opium....

Introduced in 1934, Caron Pour Un Homme (also seen as "Caron Pour Homme") is a fresh scent with lavender, bergamot, lemon, cedarwood, rosemary, sage, and vanilla for a delicious concoction that is a masculine fragrance classic. Delightful!

I bought this for myself on recommendations when I was asking about something lavender based. Normally, I don't like to buy any fragrance "unsmelled" (with the exception of minis, which I will sometimes buy that way, particularly in a variety gift pack), but this one was so highly recommended and I got it for a very nice price (less than or the same as I'd pay for a mini!), so I went ahead an ordered it. Oh, yes, it is intended to be a masculine fragrance, but I've never been afraid to "switch sides" where fragrance is concerned.

On me, it's nice. The lavender is a bit strong and it seems a little astringent, but it's nice. It develops into a pleasantly fresh, slightly soapy vanilla base. As I've mentioned, I'm not the biggest fan of vanilla, but this is nice enough.

And then Andrew came home and I thought I'd like to see how it went on him, with his chemistry. And suddenly that pleasant little fragrance turned into a major WOW.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Caron Pour Un Homme....

Boudoir was created by Vivienne Westwood in 1998, and it is a blend of a classic oriental and floral (a "floriental" as they're known). Boudoir is an intimate, luxurious and sensual combination of viburnum and marigold, rose and orange blossom, cinnamon, sandalwood and vanilla. Powerfully feminine!

I have to admit, I didn't like this much at first, but it's grown on me over the course of several wearings. As I've stated, I'm not a huge fan of orientals, although there are a number of floral orientals I like and wear. This one is more oriental than floral in my personal estimation.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Vivienne Westwood Boudoir....

I shan't say what the fragrance was, nor will I divulge the identity of the writer, but how's this for a fragrance description:

it smells like standing in a musty doorway with a green apple lolly-pop, with the wind blowing in some lilly-of-the-valley and fine dirt particles...

Hmmm. I don't think they liked it...

Created in 1981 by Giorgio Beverly Hills, Giorgio is an intoxicating, exotic floral fragrance, glamourous and sophisticated. This feminine scent possesses a blend of mandarin, rose, carnation, orris, and sandalwood blended with notes of jasmine, cedar, and musk. An absolute classic!

My grandmother, always a fan of perfumes, started wearing this in the early-mid 80s (when she was in her late 70s and early 80s!). Now whenever I smell it, I'm reminded of her. The scent therefore has pleasant associations for me, but I normally don't wear it, myself.

Still, today I put some on (borrowed from my mother-in-law, for whom I bought the fragrance) and I'm finding it to be quite pleasant just on its own merit, totally aside from the happy association with my beloved grandmother.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Giorgio Beverly Hills Giorgio....

Created by Chopard in 1997, Wish is a elegant, sweet, oriental fragrance. This feminine scent contains a blend of woodsy and spicy florals, with notes of pear, blackcurrant, Chinese gooseberry, patchouli, incense, sandalwood, toffee, and amber. Elegant and exotic!

I'm going to first say that I don't personally like this. I know people who do, and with all things, I always encourage individual experimentation because there's no accounting for taste (including mine) and what smells icky on me may smell heavenly on someone else (and vice versa).

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Chopard Wish....

I've so far done reviews of fragrances I actually like or can recommend for various reasons (such as Shalimar, which I don't, personally, like, but which I still appreciate and know to be a fine, classic, well-loved fragrance). I haven't done any of perfumes I truly hate and would never recommend.

Part of me says that I should just call 'em as I see 'em (and the fact is, I do tend to like more fragrances than I hate, but there are a few that are, in my estimation, real stinkers and I can't understand how anyone wants to wear them). That's part and parcel of being a "critic" (and I mean that in the sense of "critique", of course). Not all movies get good reviews, not all music gets good reviews, why should all perfumes?

So I'll have to think about this a bit, I guess. I don't actually want to put people off a fragrance that they might actually like (because perfumes are very personal and there's no accounting for taste, including my own)...

Bit of a dilemma, to say the least.

Designed by Lancôme in 2001, Miracle is a fresh, floral fragrance. The refreshing top notes are bright with freesia and lychee, followed by spicy, playful middle notes of ginger and pepper, softened by magnolia, all supported on sensual basenotes of amber and musk, softened with jasmine. Perky, feminine, and fantastic!

There are a number of easy to wear, floral, "pink" fragrances on the market lately (in fact, this one has another version called "Miracle Ultra Pink"). Miracle is, in my opinion, one of the nicest of the "pink" perfumes.

But wait! There's more! Continue reading Miracle by Lancôme....