Image: http://www.timessquarenyc.org
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Chanel Spring 2009 And One Good Perennial Lipstick
My expectations from spring makeup collections are always limited. They usually tend to be heavy on pink and other pastels which rarely agree with me. The good news about Chanel Spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy collection is the lack of any Barbieness. It's darker than you'd expect, with the best item in the range being the deep violet nail polish and the chocolaty plum eye shadow in the Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow (the silver gray is also very cute if less useful).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
Chanel Spring 2009 And One Good Perennial Lipstick
My expectations from spring makeup collections are always limited. They usually tend to be heavy on pink and other pastels which rarely agree with me. The good news about Chanel Spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy collection is the lack of any Barbieness. It's darker than you'd expect, with the best item in the range being the deep violet nail polish and the chocolaty plum eye shadow in the Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow (the silver gray is also very cute if less useful).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
Chanel Spring 2009 And One Good Perennial Lipstick
My expectations from spring makeup collections are always limited. They usually tend to be heavy on pink and other pastels which rarely agree with me. The good news about Chanel Spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy collection is the lack of any Barbieness. It's darker than you'd expect, with the best item in the range being the deep violet nail polish and the chocolaty plum eye shadow in the Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow (the silver gray is also very cute if less useful).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
The bad news for me is how most of the colors look on my skin: Not Good.
The collection would probably look best on the cool-toned among us. Even the bold reds are geared for women with rosier complexions who can pull of pink based and beige lip colors. The blush was also too light for me and looked unnatural.
As for the items I liked, I already have very similar colors in my stash (including a violet nail polish. Zoya came out with one several seasons ago), so I don't actually need either. But that eye shadow compact is the one thing worth trying in the collection. The pigments were better than what you usually get in these Chanel quads.
The one thing I just couldn't understand was the lip palette. I looked at it, touched it, circled it, but unless I'm missing something major here, there was never ever so little actual material for so much money. If you think Serge Lutens lipsticks are atrociously priced at $75, this thing with its six tiny droplets of color (almost sample size) goes for $60. Did any of you discover a secret pocket of lip cream anywhere inside the compact?
My advice: skip the limited edition items and go for the regular collection. My latest discovery is Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude. It's a mellow red with a dark rose base. It has more than enough personality to be considered a red, while still being daytime friendly on olive skin. It's a pretty and lively color which would serve you both in the cold months and later on this spring.
Like all Rouge Allure lipstick, it's comfortable to wear, moisturizing and wears for quite a while (unless it meets hot tea first). Definitely my favorite makeup item these days, with the added benefit of not having to hoard several before it goes away forever.
I tried to take a picture (with and without cats), but couldn't capture the exact color. You'll need to see for yourself in person, as the miserable color swatches on Chanel website are crappy (as are most of the images they use. They are rarely true to life. Someone in their marketing department needs to have a chat with the people at Sephora, Benefit Cosmetics, Nars and Bobbi Brown, to name a few companies who usually get it right).
Brandy Loves The 80s
Are we seeing a return of the matchy-matchy style?
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Brandy Loves The 80s
Are we seeing a return of the matchy-matchy style?
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Brandy Loves The 80s
Are we seeing a return of the matchy-matchy style?
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Don't forget to make sure your scrunchy is the same color as your socks (preferably neon pink), though Brandy here is kicking it up a notch by posing as a Louis Vuitton billboard.
Photo: Faded Youth Blog
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sniffed Around Town
(For the 2008 Perfume Retrospective, please see yesterday's post)
I've been revisiting a few previously-sniffed scents at the usual NYC haunts. These are not full reviews as I haven't (yet?) bothered with samples and full wearing under different circumstances, unless noted. Just impressions.
Chanel Beige- (part of the Les Exclusifs range and only available from Saks flagship in the city). The first time I tried it, I commented that it just doesn't go with my hair. It was too floral, too Chanel, too Upper East Side. Totally not me. It's still isn't, but I sort of get it now. Apparently, Muffy Sloan-McPrep has been skipping some Junior League meetings because she's having steamy randezvous with her tennis instructor. And she's invested in some killer shoes.
Champaca Absolute (Tom Ford Private Blend)- I didn't expect to like this one. A biggish floral with some fruit in it (plum?) is not my normal thing. But like many of the other ones in the line, it melds with my skin and becomes smooth and musky (in a good way). It doesn't screech or does weird gestures, so while I probably don't need to have it (unlike Tobacco Vanille and Purple Patchouli), I would wear it happily if the stork drops it at my door (what? storks bring the oddest things to this house).
Fleur de Liane (L'Artisan Parfumeur)- I really shouldn't have bothered with this one, as it's everything I hate. A sheer green aquatic with more than a hint of melon. I don't always assign colors to scents, but this one is a poisonous, radioactive aqua. While Fleur de Liane is a Bertrand Duchaufour creation, I can practically hear Jean Claude Ellena cackling behind the scene.
Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (created by L'Artisan)- Another Duchaufour, this time a pretty nice one. On my skin and to my nose it's cool, clean incense, very similar to Heeley Cardinal and CdG Avignon. I liked it better as a room spray or on my husband, though he was not impressed.
Amouage Lyric For Women- Yes, please.
Gorgeous, sexy, rosy, spicy, woodsy. Lasts forever. It's the very late drydown that I'm not yet sure about. It loses some of the mouthwatering quality for more wood. Still beautiful, though.
Carnation (Mona Di Orio)- I think I can live without it, after all. This one must be tested and re-tested on skin, as what you get on a scent strip would lead you to pull a Luca Turin and hate hate hate it. My skin loves it, most of the time. Occasionally it turns into something boring and bland like a low-grade musk. Other times it's lovely.
Dans tes Bras (Frederic Malle)- Either they tinkered with the formula since I first smelled the tester in June (long before it was released, so everything's possible), or my skin really does a number on this. The sprayed card I got in Paris retained its powdery scent for days, while on my skin (and practically everyone else's) things have mellowed down considerably and it's not that heavy on heliotrope, either. I've been known to kill violets, so maybe it was to be expected. In any case, Dans tes Bras is a pleasant skin scents, suffers from longevity issues and a mushroomy accord, and smells a lot better in the open air than indoors. Like, but don't love.
Oriental Brulant (Guerlain)- The only one out of the three Elixirs I like. The problem? My skin makes it very very sweet. Even Isaac, the cutest SA at Saks 5th Avenue had to comment on this. The drydown is so Shalimar-like (just without the interesting parts) when I wear it that it's more than a little redundant, especially at $250 per bottle.
White Patchouli (Tom Ford)- No can do. The rose-jasmine combo in the middle turns sour on my skin every time I try.
Sycomore (Chanel)- The one Exclusif that might just force me to break my resolve against family-sized bottles and actually buy one. It's a beautiful, smoky vetiver with an ethereal quality that keeps it from becoming too butch (not that it ever stopped me before. I can't keep away from the Blond's Vetiver Extraordinaire, Route de Vetiver or his Guerlain). Want.
Photo of Saks 5th Avenue: Voted Off The Island
Sniffed Around Town
(For the 2008 Perfume Retrospective, please see yesterday's post)
I've been revisiting a few previously-sniffed scents at the usual NYC haunts. These are not full reviews as I haven't (yet?) bothered with samples and full wearing under different circumstances, unless noted. Just impressions.
Chanel Beige- (part of the Les Exclusifs range and only available from Saks flagship in the city). The first time I tried it, I commented that it just doesn't go with my hair. It was too floral, too Chanel, too Upper East Side. Totally not me. It's still isn't, but I sort of get it now. Apparently, Muffy Sloan-McPrep has been skipping some Junior League meetings because she's having steamy randezvous with her tennis instructor. And she's invested in some killer shoes.
Champaca Absolute (Tom Ford Private Blend)- I didn't expect to like this one. A biggish floral with some fruit in it (plum?) is not my normal thing. But like many of the other ones in the line, it melds with my skin and becomes smooth and musky (in a good way). It doesn't screech or does weird gestures, so while I probably don't need to have it (unlike Tobacco Vanille and Purple Patchouli), I would wear it happily if the stork drops it at my door (what? storks bring the oddest things to this house).
Fleur de Liane (L'Artisan Parfumeur)- I really shouldn't have bothered with this one, as it's everything I hate. A sheer green aquatic with more than a hint of melon. I don't always assign colors to scents, but this one is a poisonous, radioactive aqua. While Fleur de Liane is a Bertrand Duchaufour creation, I can practically hear Jean Claude Ellena cackling behind the scene.
Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (created by L'Artisan)- Another Duchaufour, this time a pretty nice one. On my skin and to my nose it's cool, clean incense, very similar to Heeley Cardinal and CdG Avignon. I liked it better as a room spray or on my husband, though he was not impressed.
Amouage Lyric For Women- Yes, please.
Gorgeous, sexy, rosy, spicy, woodsy. Lasts forever. It's the very late drydown that I'm not yet sure about. It loses some of the mouthwatering quality for more wood. Still beautiful, though.
Carnation (Mona Di Orio)- I think I can live without it, after all. This one must be tested and re-tested on skin, as what you get on a scent strip would lead you to pull a Luca Turin and hate hate hate it. My skin loves it, most of the time. Occasionally it turns into something boring and bland like a low-grade musk. Other times it's lovely.
Dans tes Bras (Frederic Malle)- Either they tinkered with the formula since I first smelled the tester in June (long before it was released, so everything's possible), or my skin really does a number on this. The sprayed card I got in Paris retained its powdery scent for days, while on my skin (and practically everyone else's) things have mellowed down considerably and it's not that heavy on heliotrope, either. I've been known to kill violets, so maybe it was to be expected. In any case, Dans tes Bras is a pleasant skin scents, suffers from longevity issues and a mushroomy accord, and smells a lot better in the open air than indoors. Like, but don't love.
Oriental Brulant (Guerlain)- The only one out of the three Elixirs I like. The problem? My skin makes it very very sweet. Even Isaac, the cutest SA at Saks 5th Avenue had to comment on this. The drydown is so Shalimar-like (just without the interesting parts) when I wear it that it's more than a little redundant, especially at $250 per bottle.
White Patchouli (Tom Ford)- No can do. The rose-jasmine combo in the middle turns sour on my skin every time I try.
Sycomore (Chanel)- The one Exclusif that might just force me to break my resolve against family-sized bottles and actually buy one. It's a beautiful, smoky vetiver with an ethereal quality that keeps it from becoming too butch (not that it ever stopped me before. I can't keep away from the Blond's Vetiver Extraordinaire, Route de Vetiver or his Guerlain). Want.
Photo of Saks 5th Avenue: Voted Off The Island
Sniffed Around Town
(For the 2008 Perfume Retrospective, please see yesterday's post)
I've been revisiting a few previously-sniffed scents at the usual NYC haunts. These are not full reviews as I haven't (yet?) bothered with samples and full wearing under different circumstances, unless noted. Just impressions.
Chanel Beige- (part of the Les Exclusifs range and only available from Saks flagship in the city). The first time I tried it, I commented that it just doesn't go with my hair. It was too floral, too Chanel, too Upper East Side. Totally not me. It's still isn't, but I sort of get it now. Apparently, Muffy Sloan-McPrep has been skipping some Junior League meetings because she's having steamy randezvous with her tennis instructor. And she's invested in some killer shoes.
Champaca Absolute (Tom Ford Private Blend)- I didn't expect to like this one. A biggish floral with some fruit in it (plum?) is not my normal thing. But like many of the other ones in the line, it melds with my skin and becomes smooth and musky (in a good way). It doesn't screech or does weird gestures, so while I probably don't need to have it (unlike Tobacco Vanille and Purple Patchouli), I would wear it happily if the stork drops it at my door (what? storks bring the oddest things to this house).
Fleur de Liane (L'Artisan Parfumeur)- I really shouldn't have bothered with this one, as it's everything I hate. A sheer green aquatic with more than a hint of melon. I don't always assign colors to scents, but this one is a poisonous, radioactive aqua. While Fleur de Liane is a Bertrand Duchaufour creation, I can practically hear Jean Claude Ellena cackling behind the scene.
Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (created by L'Artisan)- Another Duchaufour, this time a pretty nice one. On my skin and to my nose it's cool, clean incense, very similar to Heeley Cardinal and CdG Avignon. I liked it better as a room spray or on my husband, though he was not impressed.
Amouage Lyric For Women- Yes, please.
Gorgeous, sexy, rosy, spicy, woodsy. Lasts forever. It's the very late drydown that I'm not yet sure about. It loses some of the mouthwatering quality for more wood. Still beautiful, though.
Carnation (Mona Di Orio)- I think I can live without it, after all. This one must be tested and re-tested on skin, as what you get on a scent strip would lead you to pull a Luca Turin and hate hate hate it. My skin loves it, most of the time. Occasionally it turns into something boring and bland like a low-grade musk. Other times it's lovely.
Dans tes Bras (Frederic Malle)- Either they tinkered with the formula since I first smelled the tester in June (long before it was released, so everything's possible), or my skin really does a number on this. The sprayed card I got in Paris retained its powdery scent for days, while on my skin (and practically everyone else's) things have mellowed down considerably and it's not that heavy on heliotrope, either. I've been known to kill violets, so maybe it was to be expected. In any case, Dans tes Bras is a pleasant skin scents, suffers from longevity issues and a mushroomy accord, and smells a lot better in the open air than indoors. Like, but don't love.
Oriental Brulant (Guerlain)- The only one out of the three Elixirs I like. The problem? My skin makes it very very sweet. Even Isaac, the cutest SA at Saks 5th Avenue had to comment on this. The drydown is so Shalimar-like (just without the interesting parts) when I wear it that it's more than a little redundant, especially at $250 per bottle.
White Patchouli (Tom Ford)- No can do. The rose-jasmine combo in the middle turns sour on my skin every time I try.
Sycomore (Chanel)- The one Exclusif that might just force me to break my resolve against family-sized bottles and actually buy one. It's a beautiful, smoky vetiver with an ethereal quality that keeps it from becoming too butch (not that it ever stopped me before. I can't keep away from the Blond's Vetiver Extraordinaire, Route de Vetiver or his Guerlain). Want.
Photo of Saks 5th Avenue: Voted Off The Island
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A Year Of Perfume: 2008 Retrospective
'Tis the season: Looking back, making lists and trying to summarize the previous twelve months in a way that makes sense. A group of us, bloggers with a serious thing for perfume, is offering a 2008 retrospective of the fragrance world. Each one of us is writing from a different point of view and location (some are based in Europe), and there's no common theme. I chose to look at events and trends that shaped and influenced us as consumers.
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
1000 Fragrances
Ars Aromatica
A Rose Beyond the Thames
Bittergrace Notes
Grain de Musc
I Smell Therefore I Am
Legerdenez
Notes from the Ledge
Olfactarama
Savvy Thinker
Tuilleries
The Perfume Shrine
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
A Year Of Perfume: 2008 Retrospective
'Tis the season: Looking back, making lists and trying to summarize the previous twelve months in a way that makes sense. A group of us, bloggers with a serious thing for perfume, is offering a 2008 retrospective of the fragrance world. Each one of us is writing from a different point of view and location (some are based in Europe), and there's no common theme. I chose to look at events and trends that shaped and influenced us as consumers.
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
1000 Fragrances
Ars Aromatica
A Rose Beyond the Thames
Bittergrace Notes
Grain de Musc
I Smell Therefore I Am
Legerdenez
Notes from the Ledge
Olfactarama
Savvy Thinker
Tuilleries
The Perfume Shrine
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
A Year Of Perfume: 2008 Retrospective
'Tis the season: Looking back, making lists and trying to summarize the previous twelve months in a way that makes sense. A group of us, bloggers with a serious thing for perfume, is offering a 2008 retrospective of the fragrance world. Each one of us is writing from a different point of view and location (some are based in Europe), and there's no common theme. I chose to look at events and trends that shaped and influenced us as consumers.
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
1000 Fragrances
Ars Aromatica
A Rose Beyond the Thames
Bittergrace Notes
Grain de Musc
I Smell Therefore I Am
Legerdenez
Notes from the Ledge
Olfactarama
Savvy Thinker
Tuilleries
The Perfume Shrine
1. Launched in 2007, Tom Ford's Private Blend line was met with quite a bit of groans and growls from many perfume lovers. The twelve scents released at the same time made many doubt the amount of care and thought that went into creating them and accused Ford of trying to become an instant Lutens. Coupled with nose fatigue (who has the attention span for trying 12 new scents from one house at one sitting?), a general annoyance at the limited distribution and Ford's own controversial reputation all caused many to not even try. This year, however, found people giving the scents a chance and finding out they really really like them.
Say what you may about Tom Ford and the soft porn campaign he ran for his (tame, office-friendly) mainstream Tom Ford For Men fragrance. The Private Blend is well-made, interesting and actually worth the hype. 2008 has found the scents (if not the man) getting enough love that the latest release, Champaca Absolute, had people ordering blind. Quite a change from last year.
2. After years of dreaming, pining, hoarding the few precious drops left and paying over $400 on eBay for bottles that may or may not have relatively fresh juice in them, fans of Donna Karan's long-discontinued Chaos finally got their wish with the scent's re-release as a Bergdorf Goodman exclusive. Someone at Lauder (the company that holds the license for the Karan beauty line) has definitely been paying attention, as they created a full line of other discontinued items: Black Cashmere, DK For Men and the Essentials, all in the new black bottles.
As expected with such a project, the controversy hit two seconds after the first bottles were sprayed: Was the scent reformulated? Did they ruin it? Weakened it? No one can tell for sure, as those who still have some of the old juice admit, their bottles have aged (very well, in many cases, even if most of the top notes are no longer there), and it's quite difficult to compare. The new Chaos is lovely, but many of those who ordered unsniffed, based only on the legend, were disappointed to discover it's not an Earth-shattering perfume.
3. Speaking of internet hype, the biggest stampede of the year was probably the Balmain craze. Take a fragrance or two from a classic house, previously only available in Europe for full retail price, no samples to speak of, one name evoking a desired raw materials (Ambre Gris) and the other one named after a classic French icon (La Môme), and all of a sudden release them in the USA through an online discounter for a fraction of the original price. The result is a mass hysteria of blind orders, ending with almost as many disappointed noses. While both scents are pleasant and very wearable, they are not the pinnacle of French perfumery.
4. While Le Labo continued with their (super annoying and totally unjustifiable) marketing gimmick of exclusive city releases (Los Angeles, Tokyo and London, joining the ones in Paris, NYC and Dallas) which you can only buy in person at those specific locations, Serge Lutens has eased his grip just a little and allowed for more of his non-export perfumes to be sold here in the US. You can now get Santal de Mysore, Bois de violette, Bois et Fruits and Un Bois Sepia at Bergdorf Goodman (and even order them by phone). The first three were recently made available at several other locations like Aedes in NYC, Scent Bar (L.A.) and the Canadian Perfume Shoppe. In addition, Chergui seems to have made a semi-permanent migration into the export line and is available wherever Lutens fragrances are sold. While I'm not sure this means you will soon be able to buy Muscs Kublai Khan at your nearest Neiman Marcus, it does seem like Uncle Serge has realized a thing or two about the art of making money.
5. Guerlain have continued the trend of odd marketing decisions. Releasing Habit Rouge in parfum while keeping some beautiful old classics in an EDT form, thus making their performance less than stellar. Combined with the LVMH tendency to cater to Saudi sheikhs more than to genuine perfume lovers (I have no other way to explain that Four Seasons set which contained one former Aqua Alegoria scent or the other four digit items that look more like merchandising than a perfume), it was not the happiest year for Guerlain fans. And I'm not saying a word about the ridiculous soft porn literature that accompanied the release of the Elixirs Charnels.
6. Chanel have expanded their Les Exclusifs line with more jugs of EDT juice while terminating the USA sales of the few formerly-available parfums (Bois de Isles and Cuir de Russie). Apparently, they think we all want to be supersized or go swimming in our bottles. While the new Sycomore is available wherever Les Exclusifs are sold (which means hardly anywhere), Beige is limited to Saks 5th Avenue's NYC flagship. According to a source in Chanel USA, it was never meant to be a major release and they were quite surprised at the internet uproar and downpour of phone orders the store has received. The result of the many blind buys was the usual disappointment, when buyers discovered Beige was a very tame floral and not as interesting as they hoped. What else is new?
7. Perfumes- The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is not the first book about perfumes. It's also a much less definite guide than the publisher would have you believe. Its strength (and also greatest weakness) is making perfume literature into entertainment. It has a somewhat broader appeal than most fragrance-related books (though for the life of me I cannot see the average L'Eau d'Issey one-bottle-a-year customer buying or enjoying this), and provides quite a bit of amusement to those who've sniffed a thing or two. Written by a scientist (Turin)and a former blogger and MakeupAlley popular reviewer (Sanchez), it mixes pop culture, snark and quite a bit of perfume knowledge. Still, at the end of the day, it's a book about the authors' opinions, a fact that seems to have escaped some of the online perfume community, fans and foes alike.
The release of the book was followed by a massive internet uproar from people who found their beloved scents being trashed. It was nearly as entertaining as some of Sanchez's more infamous quips, but not quite.
8. 2008 was the year the online perfume conversation has become even more important than ever before. Blogs and message boards have been spearheading trends for some time now, and this years we have also gotten some exclusive scoops and led important discussions. Denyse from Grain de Musc broke the story about the upcoming new Serge Lutens, Nuit de Cellophane, while I was the first to sniff and write about the latest Frederic Malle, Dans tes Bras. Our growing relevance is equal parts hard work, deep passion for the subject at hand and our loyal readers who make the effort enjoyable and worthwhile. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And a special thank you to Helg of Perfume Shrine for organizing this blogging event.
For more 2008 Retrospective, please visit these blogs:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil
I can't help it. This time of the year I'm on a constant quest for soft and supple skin, and the result is a cornucopia of bottles, tubes and jars popping up on every flat surface in the house waiting to be slathered on skin (or rolled on the floor by a cat).
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil
I can't help it. This time of the year I'm on a constant quest for soft and supple skin, and the result is a cornucopia of bottles, tubes and jars popping up on every flat surface in the house waiting to be slathered on skin (or rolled on the floor by a cat).
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil
I can't help it. This time of the year I'm on a constant quest for soft and supple skin, and the result is a cornucopia of bottles, tubes and jars popping up on every flat surface in the house waiting to be slathered on skin (or rolled on the floor by a cat).
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).
Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).
My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.
Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.
Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.
Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang
The last time I bought an Estee Lauder perfume was in the very early nineties, when I went through a couple of White Linen bottles before suddenly having a complete change of nose on it and not touching the last bottle ever since. Not caring much for assertive chemical florals, I allowed myself to ignore most of their releases, with the occasional sniffing stop at the counter for the sake of shaking my head and wondering "What on earth was Luca Turin sniffing?". Sensuous didn't rock my world, either, though , though at least I could see the appeal (other than Gwyneth Paltrow in only a white shirt and black stockings).
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang
The last time I bought an Estee Lauder perfume was in the very early nineties, when I went through a couple of White Linen bottles before suddenly having a complete change of nose on it and not touching the last bottle ever since. Not caring much for assertive chemical florals, I allowed myself to ignore most of their releases, with the occasional sniffing stop at the counter for the sake of shaking my head and wondering "What on earth was Luca Turin sniffing?". Sensuous didn't rock my world, either, though , though at least I could see the appeal (other than Gwyneth Paltrow in only a white shirt and black stockings).
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang
The last time I bought an Estee Lauder perfume was in the very early nineties, when I went through a couple of White Linen bottles before suddenly having a complete change of nose on it and not touching the last bottle ever since. Not caring much for assertive chemical florals, I allowed myself to ignore most of their releases, with the occasional sniffing stop at the counter for the sake of shaking my head and wondering "What on earth was Luca Turin sniffing?". Sensuous didn't rock my world, either, though , though at least I could see the appeal (other than Gwyneth Paltrow in only a white shirt and black stockings).
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
But the list of notes for the latest Estee Lauder release, Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang (Ylang Absolute, Italian Bergamot, Geranium Oil, Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Cinnamon, Incense, Vanilla Bean, Sandalwood, Amber) sent me straight to the nearest Lauder counter as soon as I got word the bottles have arrived. I sprayed from the tester and continued my merry way to the Bobbi Brown makeup, thinking more about taupe eye shadows than of the happenings on my left wrist.
Ambery perfumes come in many shapes, forms and ideas. It's the ingredients making what we recognize as the "ambery base" (mostly labdanum-tonka-vanilla. More on this in Helg's fascinating article on Perfume Shrine) that determine the actual feel of the perfume. And our skin chemistry. Mine loves amber in almost all forms and makes it radiate and come alive. I get far less powder and much more of the warm glow with some animalic teeth from most amber scents. Amber Ylang Ylang is no exception to this.
That first testing has seen me going back to the mall the following day and buying a bottle. I just had to. That feeling of elegant warmth, rich and luminous is irresistible for me. While its a lot softer than the ultimate amber, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, it's a lot easier to wear because it lacks the edge and punch. I save the Lutens for nights out and knock'em dead occasions, and wear this one whenever the mood strikes. The creamy and pretty facette brought by the ylang ylang is making the scent less formal than Ambre Sultan, but also far less sugary than other ambers I can think of, like Balmain Ambre Gris or Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. I can't say I smell much (or any) incense and even the sandalwood is less woody and more a soft light presence.
It's interesting to note how differently this perfume is perceived by others. Angela on Now Smell This was underwhelmed, while Kristen the Beauty Addict felt it's the scent for a homebody. For me, it's not a fuzzy scent. It glows and pulsates too much to be ignored. Amber Ylang Ylang goes with cashmere, as the others have mentioned, but I pair it with my favorite burgundy cashmere sweater dress, the one that flows close to the skin and shows some cleavage.
Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang is available from Saks, Neiman's and Estee Lauder.com. I got mine at my local Saks. The 1 oz bottle (perfect size) was $65, there's a 2.5 oz available for $120 and a gorgeous pure parfum bottle with semi-precious stones adorning the cap (above) that would cost you $300 for 1 oz. To put things in perspective, it's the price of 1 oz of Mitsouko extrait, which is just a little more on the masterpiece side of things, with all due respect to Erin Lauder and her vision.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
My Little Guilty Pleasure- Sephora Vanilla Cupcake
A recent Sephora order made last month has arrived with something extra: A birthday gift in the form of a mini (2.5 oz) Vanilla Cupcake bath & shower bubbles.
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
My Little Guilty Pleasure- Sephora Vanilla Cupcake
A recent Sephora order made last month has arrived with something extra: A birthday gift in the form of a mini (2.5 oz) Vanilla Cupcake bath & shower bubbles.
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
My Little Guilty Pleasure- Sephora Vanilla Cupcake
A recent Sephora order made last month has arrived with something extra: A birthday gift in the form of a mini (2.5 oz) Vanilla Cupcake bath & shower bubbles.
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
It's cute. It's shimmery. It smells like dreamy buttercream. Not exactly the stuff one is supposed to pursue after a certain age. But I could not help myself and ended up wishing the hot water would never end so I could keep playing with the sugary bubbles.
Vanilla Cupcake is shamelessly foody (I swear I could also smell coconut in the almond-butter-sugar-vanilla mix). It's also addictive for those of us not opposed to the genre, and I had to stop myself from ordering the entire product line. It's a fun scent, but I don't really want to smell like that, and eventually I was happy it didn't linger on my skin once I was all dried up.
Speaking of dry, the fun ends once I'm out of the water. Despite the promises of hydrating ingredients like aloe and jojoba oil, my skin ends up feeling like it has been washed in regular (drying) soap. The gel's strength is not in pampering, that's for sure, but it doesn't stop me from using it again and again (and slathering myself silly with creams and oils once I'm out of the shower and back to my senses after the sugar high).
Bottom line: It's not something I'd buy for myself, but this product is addictive in a guilty pleasure kind of way. It's like wearing a plaid miniskirt and knee high boots. Not very appropriate but a lot of fun.
Sephora Vanilla Cupcake Body Collection ($12-$16) is available online and in store. The one I got was a Beauty Insider perk that came as a GWP during the month of my birthday.
Image: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (it was the most fun image search ever)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
More From OPI La Collection De France
Now that the weather has taken a serious plunge towards the dreary and right before I go back to holiday reds, the mood calls for something different.
Enter OPI's La Collection De France for fall-winter 2008. I've already talked about Tickle Me France-y, an elegant nude which was my transitional color. Now we go for the serious stuff:
Parlez-Vous OPI? and You Don't Know Jacques!
Both looked on the scary side when they first came out several months ago, but even back then their beauty was apparent. Parlez-Vous is a smoky violet, cool and aloof. I can't stop looking at my nails when wearing it because it's just that different from anything else I own and wear. I was worried about the color clashing with my olive skin, but it works surprisingly well. Two coats got me bottle-perfect depth and coverage.
You Don't Know Jacques looked even more intimidating. In the bottle it is a dark taupe with strong gray roots, but on the nail (mine, at least), it actually has more brown and is a lot easier to wear than I ever expected. It's a melancholy color and works best on those days the sun is nowhere to be found. The look is elegant and not goth at all, quite suitable for most workplaces, as long as you keep your nails short and oblong, to avoid the Morticia vibe.
The quality is what you expect from OPI. A good brush, great coverage, easy to apply and lasts (with the aid of base and top coats) five to six days before the first crack appears.
OPI La Collection De France is available at decent nail salons and from various online sources. I'm pretty sure I got mine through Amazon for about $8.50 each.
Photo: Winter Evening at the Louvre by Rita Crane Photography on flickr
Enter OPI's La Collection De France for fall-winter 2008. I've already talked about Tickle Me France-y, an elegant nude which was my transitional color. Now we go for the serious stuff:
Parlez-Vous OPI? and You Don't Know Jacques!
Both looked on the scary side when they first came out several months ago, but even back then their beauty was apparent. Parlez-Vous is a smoky violet, cool and aloof. I can't stop looking at my nails when wearing it because it's just that different from anything else I own and wear. I was worried about the color clashing with my olive skin, but it works surprisingly well. Two coats got me bottle-perfect depth and coverage.
You Don't Know Jacques looked even more intimidating. In the bottle it is a dark taupe with strong gray roots, but on the nail (mine, at least), it actually has more brown and is a lot easier to wear than I ever expected. It's a melancholy color and works best on those days the sun is nowhere to be found. The look is elegant and not goth at all, quite suitable for most workplaces, as long as you keep your nails short and oblong, to avoid the Morticia vibe.
The quality is what you expect from OPI. A good brush, great coverage, easy to apply and lasts (with the aid of base and top coats) five to six days before the first crack appears.
OPI La Collection De France is available at decent nail salons and from various online sources. I'm pretty sure I got mine through Amazon for about $8.50 each.
Photo: Winter Evening at the Louvre by Rita Crane Photography on flickr
More From OPI La Collection De France
Now that the weather has taken a serious plunge towards the dreary and right before I go back to holiday reds, the mood calls for something different.
Enter OPI's La Collection De France for fall-winter 2008. I've already talked about Tickle Me France-y, an elegant nude which was my transitional color. Now we go for the serious stuff:
Parlez-Vous OPI? and You Don't Know Jacques!
Both looked on the scary side when they first came out several months ago, but even back then their beauty was apparent. Parlez-Vous is a smoky violet, cool and aloof. I can't stop looking at my nails when wearing it because it's just that different from anything else I own and wear. I was worried about the color clashing with my olive skin, but it works surprisingly well. Two coats got me bottle-perfect depth and coverage.
You Don't Know Jacques looked even more intimidating. In the bottle it is a dark taupe with strong gray roots, but on the nail (mine, at least), it actually has more brown and is a lot easier to wear than I ever expected. It's a melancholy color and works best on those days the sun is nowhere to be found. The look is elegant and not goth at all, quite suitable for most workplaces, as long as you keep your nails short and oblong, to avoid the Morticia vibe.
The quality is what you expect from OPI. A good brush, great coverage, easy to apply and lasts (with the aid of base and top coats) five to six days before the first crack appears.
OPI La Collection De France is available at decent nail salons and from various online sources. I'm pretty sure I got mine through Amazon for about $8.50 each.
Photo: Winter Evening at the Louvre by Rita Crane Photography on flickr
Enter OPI's La Collection De France for fall-winter 2008. I've already talked about Tickle Me France-y, an elegant nude which was my transitional color. Now we go for the serious stuff:
Parlez-Vous OPI? and You Don't Know Jacques!
Both looked on the scary side when they first came out several months ago, but even back then their beauty was apparent. Parlez-Vous is a smoky violet, cool and aloof. I can't stop looking at my nails when wearing it because it's just that different from anything else I own and wear. I was worried about the color clashing with my olive skin, but it works surprisingly well. Two coats got me bottle-perfect depth and coverage.
You Don't Know Jacques looked even more intimidating. In the bottle it is a dark taupe with strong gray roots, but on the nail (mine, at least), it actually has more brown and is a lot easier to wear than I ever expected. It's a melancholy color and works best on those days the sun is nowhere to be found. The look is elegant and not goth at all, quite suitable for most workplaces, as long as you keep your nails short and oblong, to avoid the Morticia vibe.
The quality is what you expect from OPI. A good brush, great coverage, easy to apply and lasts (with the aid of base and top coats) five to six days before the first crack appears.
OPI La Collection De France is available at decent nail salons and from various online sources. I'm pretty sure I got mine through Amazon for about $8.50 each.
Photo: Winter Evening at the Louvre by Rita Crane Photography on flickr
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