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Tempting Vanilla Fragrances – No Apron Required!

  • posted April 1st, 2012
  • Beauty

Jennifer Love Hewitt swears by the scent of vanilla – so much, in fact, that she actually carries straight vanilla extract with her and dabs it on her neck for frequent touch-ups (hey, I don’t judge). After all, vanilla is pretty potent stuff – it’s sweet yet musky and packs a powerful punch that smacks of confidence. And if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, a bold fragrance that conjures up images of delicious baked goods has got to be at least vaguely alluring when it comes to getting your flirt on – especially when it doesn’t require you to even step foot in the kitchen in the first place! So let’s skip the trip to the pantry and check out some of spring’s sexiest vanilla-infused fragrances! For one, Jo Malone’s Vanilla & Anise fragrance is a great starting point if you’re looking for something that’s sensual but with a more subtle, herbal fragrance; however, if you’re hoping for a scent that appeals to your sweet tooth, Demeter’s Vanilla Cake Batter has you covered! For something a bit more luxe, Guerlain Matiere Double Vanille is powerful and sexy with a hint of pink peppercorn and fresh bergamot. And if you’re more of a citrusy type of girl, embrace spring with this Vanilla Grapefruit Fragrance from LAVANILA!

- Alexandra Gambardella

Bond No. 9 Central Park West

  • posted February 23rd, 2012
  • Beauty

Inspired by the legendary address and the oasis of green that Central Park offers New Yorkers this latest fragrance by Bond No. 9 will surround you with botanicals from this urban grassland.  A great way to usher in spring.

The seventh park-inspired fragrance from Bond No. 9, Central Park West is an elegant scent
that will conjure up images of Art Deco style, Beaux-Arts buildings and the very essence of this famous New York neighborhood.  Combining Narcissus, a pinch of pepper and some ylang ylang it wakes the wearer up.  Notes of jasmine and linden set off a gardenia middle and are rounded out with base notes  of white oak and vetiver.

The bottle is a great reminder that spring is not just pastel shades but vibrant colors with whimsy thrown in for added effect.  A large hounds-tooth check set off by a pistachio green background with a dash of purple is rounded out by a detachable double-row pink beaded bracelet that can also be worn as a brooch.  Bond No. 9 Central Park West is a fragrance and a fashion piece that offers some gorgeous options.

Headed for stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and bondno9.com, Central Park West is available March 15, 2012.

-Victoria Mason

Unwind This Valentine’s Day With a Relaxing Bubble Bath

  • posted February 14th, 2012
  • Beauty

Whether you’re spending your Valentine’s Day romancing your sweetie, freezing your butt off through the mid-winter cold, stressing out over your day at work (after all, it is still a Tuesday), or just taking pride in your singledom, I’ve got two words for you: bubble bath. It’s the perfect solution for kicking off the romance, warming up and unwinding after a busy day, or giving yourself some much-needed self-pampering, and it doesn’t hurt to make things extra-festive with some cute Valentine’s Day bath goodies! Philosophy’s Sweet Talk candy heart scented formula does triple-duty as a shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath, while Jo Malone’s bath oil spares us the bubbles but doesn’t skimp when it comes to sweet-smelling, aromatherapeutic fragrance. Lush’s natural “It’s a Date” Bubble Bars aren’t much to look at outside the tub, but when dropped in the bath, they make the perfect romantic bubble bath for two (or one)! Forget a dozen roses – these Bubble Bath Roses can be sprinkled in the tub to add just the right touch of romance to the occasion! Want to keep it simple? Lollia’s In Love Classic Petal Bubble Bath has a delicate rose and Apple Blossom scent – and just a dash of the formula makes for an amazing frothy bath!

- Alex Gambardella

Snob Worthy Links 1.25.11 – Prada Candy + VDay Handbags + Miranda Kerr’s Casual Chic +

  • posted January 25th, 2012
  • Fashion

TheBag Snob shares her favorite Valentine’s Day handbags in shades of pink perfect for a V-day gift or a romantic night out.

The Beauty Snob loves the intoxicatingly sweet scent of Prada Candy to tempt your Valentine.

The Shoe Snob is a fan of Miranda Kerr’s casual and chic style, in particular it was her Barbara Bui ankle boots that took her jet-setting look from ordinary to extraordinary!

 

Stella McCartney Gets Spring-Festive (Already!) With The Print Fragrance Collection

  • posted November 2nd, 2011
  • Beauty

As much as I love the cozy knitwear, comfort foods, warm cocoa, and cocktail parties that the wintry holiday season brings, I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss the spring and summer seasons on a regular basis. Especially now that all the runways are in Spring/Summer 2012 collection mode, and all of last season’s warm-weather fare is on major sale right now, it’s hard not to feel wistful about warmer times past and future. But don’t worry – you can still dive head-first into nostalgia and embrace a little bit of spring without looking like an out-of-season freak, courtesy of Stella McCartney’s festive new Print Collection fragrances! The designer’s signature floral scent now comes adorned in three prints from her recent Spring/Summer collection. It’s the perfect gift for any fashion addict who loves to coordinate their fragrance to their designer duds… or of course, just a little somethin’-somethin’ to cheer yourself up during these winter blues!

- Alex Gambardella

Fragrance Find – Diane Von Furstenberg ‘Diane’ Perfume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave it to fashion visionary, legend and design master Diane Von Furstenberg to create her latest scent, Diane with the violet as a centerpiece.

There are certainly other scents which have violet in them, but not done quite this way – which allows not only the violet to have a “major moment”, but also to give this scent an individuality which I found totally feminine and unique at the same time.

Diane worked with perfume veterans Chantal Roos and Aurelien Guichard to create this fully “grown up” perfume which also features frangipani blossoms and mossy woods.

What I was immediately struck with upon first applying the scent was how memorable it was. It didn’t smell like anything else I have, and as the scent wore on, it actually became even more enchanting. The scent begins with a heady floral/spicy mix that lingers on the skin but retains a light and soft feel.

The middle notes make it crisper and lighter still, along with chypre notes which make it sensual without ever being overbearing. You don’t have to necessarily be a “patchouli” lover to embrace this scent (I’m not really), but the composition here is perfect. The scent lays on the skin in a lovely way and has very good staying power. The dry down is beautiful – almost a completely different scent, soft and woody, but with a beautiful “crispness” to it.

The bottle has all the beautiful design qualities of Diane’s collections – powerful, glamorous and feminine – it’s one for the vanity and gift giving for sure. This is perfectly wearable by day, but would make an amazing fragrance for dates and big nights out on the town when you really want to leave your mark on someone!

Diane will be part of a larger, upcoming DVF beauty line – and if it’s anything like this scent, all of us beauty lovers are going to be in for quite a treat! – RLB

- From our friends at Palacinka Beauty Blog

Are You “Wonderstruck” By Taylor Swift’s New Fragrance?

  • posted October 7th, 2011
  • Beauty

Move over, Kim Kardashian! Taylor Swift is here to prove that you don’t need to ooze sex out of every pore — or squeeze yourself into a skin-tight gold foil dress, for that matter — to sell a celebrity-branded perfume. Yes, the 21-year-old country star is the latest famous face to come out with her own fragrance, and Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck is all about making a stunning first impression, with both its evocative memory-creating scent and the star’s first-ever venture into the realm of beauty. In the ads, Taylor sports her signature princess-inspired gown, ruby red lips, lush curls, and authentically innocent expression we know and love her for, as if to prove that this fragrance is all her, uncompromised — no matter how much assistance she may have received from perfumer Olivier Gillotin. The scent itself, which has just launched at Sephora, incorporates notes of freesia, green tea, apple blossom, and dewberry for an enchanting yet comforting fragrance that’s meant to mimic that first rush you experience when you meet someone for the first time. But is its sweet and perky scent – paired with that ultra-glitzy purple and gold bottle – a little too much for the star’s first stab at in the fragrance game?

- Alex Gambardella

Impulse Buy of the Week – Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Silver My Skin Perfume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it’s fun that each year he creates a new limited-edition bottle based on his famed “woman shaped bottle” inside of the signature huge aluminum tin can which houses the perfume.

This is perfect for those of you seeking a sexy, sensual scent that also has a side of fun and lightheartedness as well. The summer 2011 version of the Classique scent is called Classique Silver My Skin. It has a bright salmon pink bottle with a metallic finish and fun salmon pink and silver lettering all over a beautiful corset encasing the shape of a voluptuous woman. This year’s version of the scent is for a perfume bottle collector without question!

The opening notes of this scent come through in a major burst of fruit – orange, plum, pear and mandarin. The fruity citrus element lingers for a while before settling into the floral notes of rose, iris, and orchid and, at the same time, turning much spicier. The whole scent remained light and airy, perfect for summer and early fall.

I found the dry down’s notes turned it into something much more sophisticated as it continued to wear on my skin. The amber, vanilla and musk worked very well together and gave it a different dimension, while never creating a super heavy or too sweet scent. It’s definitely a scent in which someone will “know it’s you” – and will smile while thinking about it.

- From our friends at Palacinka Beauty Blog

Fragrance Find: Angel by Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve written about some of Thierry Mugler’s fragrances over the years, but not the original Angel, since it was just too much of a gourmand scent for me.

After being introduced to the new Angel by Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette fragrance at the launch event with the beautiful Eva Mendes however, I can tell you this is a Linkscent that I not only love, but one that many of you will too – no matter how you felt about the original.

From the absolutely stunning bottle design with the shooting star on top (which has magnetic hardware within the top to shut the bottle closed), to the initial burst of citrus, spice and sweetness – it was love at first sight (and sniff) for me.

This reworked version is lighter overall in it’s composition, but it still has it’s signature patchouli note. It’s added bergamot, red pepper and white musk really change the structure and work so nicely together.

The EDT is still a fragrance for a woman who wants to make a statement with her perfume and be noticed – but what I found is the sweetness in this version is “tempered” – and while long-lasting, much more subtle on the skin. The dry down is what I think also makes this such a different scent. It’s such a fresh, dry and spicy feel, that it almost seemed to be a completely different scent on me by nightfall – and I loved that! It gets “sexier” as the day goes on, but never in an over the top way.

Pick up a bottle to wear to social gatherings, big parties and intimate evenings – you won’t regret it. RLB

Fragrance Notes:
Top notes: bergamot, red pepper
Middle notes: pralines, red fruit
Base: patchouli, cedar, vanilla, white musk

- From our friends at Palacinka Beauty Blog

Fragrance Find – Cartier Baiser Vole Perfume

Cartier has created a beautiful, unique luxury fragrance concept that brings new meaning to a “floral perfume”.

Baiser Volé, (‘Stolen Kiss’) was created by in-house Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent. Laurent chose to explore the Lily flower. (Men say it’s their favorite flower according to Laurent)

By only including notes as imagined from all three parts of the flower – it’s leaves, petals and pistol. It’s the essence of a bouquet of just-cut lilies The result is a soft, fresh slightly powdery floral scent that is not your traditional “floral” at all.

The Lily in this perfume is neither overwhelming or completely one-note. Instead, it’s a light, sheer scent that opens with fresh, green leaves and a touch of citrus. The actually lily comes in quickly, but then softens and lingers with a touch more spice and warmth for the dry down.

The bottle is also one of the prettiest I’ve seen in some time (all you bottle lovers will want to proudly display this one on your vanity!). It’s based on a stylized Cartier cigarette lighter design which I simply loved opening with it’s beautiful flip top and spray design.

Who is this for? This is for the woman (young or older) who wants a clean, fresh, floral scent that is modern and yet at the same time, very ladylike. I find myself now reaching for it since my initial test run at least 3 times a week. It’s perfect for spring and summer Sunday brunches, a refreshing spritz while traveling, and also works for daytime/the office. – RLB

- From our friends at Palacinka Beauty Blog


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