Archive for the ‘Fragrances & Perfume’ Category

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab: An Introduction

Date: November 21, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume, The Best Of...

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab: An Introduction

Today, this lovely post introducing us to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is written by Jen Meade.

When not adoring her daughters, Ara (3) and Lulu (6 months), Jen works as a freelance makeup artist in the VA, DC, MD area. She is obsessed with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, legal dramas, custom-mixing lipglosses, writing her blogs, and schmoozing on Twitter.

She runs two blogs:  Beauty School Blog (about beauty, duh!) and The Nail Ninja (bet you can’t guess what this one’s about!).

Is it possible to bottle the scent of Heaven?

I suppose that depends on what “Heaven” smells like to you, but I’m willing to bet the answer is “yes” and that proof lies at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.

You may or may not have heard of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab before. Known as BPAL by it’s many fans, the line has a definite edgy feel that may intimidate some people – but I wish those folks would poke a little further. Once you really take a look (and hopefully a sniff!), you’ll see that there’s beautiful poetry to be read, quirky pieces of art to be seen, and delectably well-blended scents to be worn.

More than 1,300 scents have been created by The Lab since it opened, though some were Limited Edition or have since been discontinued (making them super collectible). You think you’ll do anything for that old LE MAC blush, but would you pay the $800 someone spent on eBay buying a bottle of BPAL a few years ago? That’s how good these scents are! Don’t worry: a bottle fresh off the site retails for approximately $15, though some LE items may be more. You’re bound to find your “Heaven” in the array of scents The Lab has available, and if you’re looking for something a little more naughty than heaven well, you can find that there too!

Learn more about BPAL! Keep Reading!

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Estee Lauder’s Pure White Linen Pink Coral Review, Photos

Date: October 4, 2009 - Posted in: Estee Lauder, Fragrances & Perfume

Estee Lauder’s Pure White Linen Pink Coral ($72.00 for 3.4 oz.) is the newest addition to the White Linen perfume franchise. Pure White Linen emerged originally, and then a derivation thereof in Pure White Linen Light Breeze. In June, Pure White Linen Pink Coral joined the family.

Composition

  • Top Notes: Apple Blossom, Clear Aldehydes, Waterfruits, Pink Peppercorns, Chinese Berry Mist
  • Middle Notes: Jasmine, Pink Peony, Camellia Flower, Cherry Blossom, Sweet Pea, Honeysuckle
  • Base Notes: Vanilla, Heliotrope, Sandalwood

I had never taken a sniff of the original White Linen scent, because I come from a family that’s terribly irritated (nose-wise) from fragrances. Growing up, perfume was completely off-limits, and there’s no real way to sneak wearing perfume when you have a bunch of sensitive noses around the house! (Trust me, I tried a few times… spraying outside, but they’d know when I came home with the scent still lingering.)

Perfume was always this unattainable product category that I was like, “I can’t wait until I move out of the house so I can wear perfume everyday!” Turns out, unfortunately for me, that a lot of perfumes tickle my nose in rather…unpleasant way, so I actually wear very light scents when I do wear them, and I’d say only a few times a week at that.

Estee Lauder describes this scent as a soft floral, “The tender fragrance to live in all year long. It sweeps over the senses, gentle as the ocean at dawn in waves of sea-kissed Apple Blossoms, Waterfruits, Sweet Peas and Camellias blushed with Honeysuckle and Sandalwood. You’ll love how you feel in Pure White Linen Pink Coral.”

The scent of Pure White Linen Pink Coral is that of a lightweight, softly sweetened floral. It feels young, not quite as sophisticated as the other scents in the franchise, and it just has that feel like they were going for a younger demographic. It opens with the crispness of green apples and lightness of berries. As it wears, the sweetness of honeysuckle and jasmine start to appear, and gives you a more obvious floral scent. Finally, the dry down is a very tried-and-true combination of vanilla and sandalwood.

I feel like this isn’t a unique scent, but it’s a very wearable scent. It’s light, tame, and all-occasion appropriate. It’s probably more suitable to a subtle summer scent than perhaps fall, but I know others, like me, prefer lighter scents year-round, too. I think if you are, generally, a fan of Estee Lauder scents, you may find this scent too much like a redux and merely milking the White Linen chain than an original creation by the perfume giant. I like it, but it doesn’t grab me enough at the open nor at the end, so it’s not something I’ll personally be wearing often.

  • Product: 21/30
  • Value: 8/10
  • Ease of Use: 3/5
  • Packaging: 3/5

Recommendation: For a soft, flirty sweetened floral, Estee Lauder may have your poison!

Availability: EsteeLauder.com

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MAC Trend F/W ‘09 Collection Review: Asphalt Flower

Date: September 17, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume, MAC Cosmetics, MAC Launch Reviews, Product Photos/Swatches

MAC Asphalt Flower Fragrance

MAC Trend F/W ‘09 Collection Review: Asphalt Flower

Asphalt Flower is described by MAC as, “A deep dark, erotic fragrance that takes its place in our Trend F/W ‘09 collection as the aromatic complement to this alt-fashion look. Features glossy violet and iris petals, vanilla and patchouli with top notes of violet, ylang-ylang; mid-notes of iris, heliotrope and a finale of olibanum, patchouli and M∙A∙C signature vanilla.”

I’m still a bit under the weather, so it’s hard for me to review something I’m only partially smelling, but I’ll tell you what I can so you have at least some inkling of whether or not this scent is for you. Once it dries down, I detect just a hint of floral, some patchouli, and a little sweetness of vanilla, but it smells a bit soapy to me.

I will also say that I am so glad to see MAC put out a fragrance as a rollerball scent. It’s so much easier to apply and great to keep in your purse for on-the-go. The bottle itself has a great clear to black gradient that looks exactly what I’d expect from MAC. Such an improvement over the Stylistics scent Air of Style, which had a fantastic bottle, but it was utterly impractical and sits in a drawer somewhere because it can’t stand up on its own whatsoever!

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Lacoste Challenge Eau de Toilette Spray Review, Photos

Date: September 17, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume, Lacoste, Product Photos/Swatches

Lacoste Challenge Eau de Toilette Spray ($40.00 for 1.6 oz.) is a cologne with a tennis theme. The top notes are “The Serve” and include tangerine, lemon, and a “burst of” lavender. The middle notes are “The Volley” and include spice and ginger. The base notes are “The Baseline” and include rosewood, teak, and ebony. The bottle itself is designed to resemble the handle of a tennis racket.

The cologne opens with a fresh, lightly citrus-y scent that’s a little synthetic, but not unpleasant. Once the middle notes take place, there’s a bit more spiciness, kind of a lemon on black pepper feel. Eventually, it dries down to a soft, smoky, woody scent. While the scent doesn’t strike my fancy initially (it’s just so-so) initially, I really like the dry down. I like catching a whiff of this on my boy when I cuddle close. It’s masculine without being overwhelming, and it has this just slight smokiness that smells really sexy! (This is not BBQ-pit smoky at all–this is very sensual.)

The packaging is fun, though don’t let it mislead you, there’s more bottle hiding behind the “handle.” It actually made an apt cologne to give my boyfriend to test, because my boyfriend loves tennis. I personally would have thought to use a tennis star as a promoter rather than Hayden Christensen, but it doesn’t affect the product itself. My only complaint about the fragrance is that it doesn’t last all day. It does have a tendency to fade quite a bit after five or six hours of wear.

  • Product: 7/10
  • Value: 8/10
  • Ease of Use: 8/10
  • Packaging: 8/10

Recommendation: For a scent that isn’t musky, but still masculine with a woody, smoky scent, try this.

Availability: Sephora

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Everyday Scents: Pacifica Lotus Garden Spray Perfume

Date: May 26, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume, Pacifica

Pacifica Lotus Garden Spray Perfume ($22.00 for 1.2 oz.) is a soft scent of citrus-y floral. You can detect a little hint of grapefruit, but overall, it’s a very light, feminine floral scent. Pacifica describes this scent as “[a] meditative and intoxicating blend of sparkling yuzu, lotus blossom, jasmine, olibanum and bright, radiant green notes.”

For me, this is a fragrance that’s great for everyday wear; it’s not strong or particularly noticeable from across the room, but it’s a scent that just works. Even though I do like perfumes and the like, I tend to choose subtler scents on an ongoing basis and save the more potent scents for special occasions. (I think it’s probably because stronger scents tend to cause my allergies to flare up.) I find the scent lingers for a few hours before dissipating a bit. It’s been one of my favorite everyday scents this past spring, and I’ll continue to use it throughout the summer, too.

Pacifica is cruelty-free (they don’t use beeswax either!), are working towards carbon neutrality, and their packaging is recyclable and made with recycled content. Pacifica products do not contain parabens, propylene glycol, phtalates, synthetic dyes, triclosan, or sulfates. Their products are 100% vegan, which is definitely something that can be hard to find for some.

See more product photos! Keep Reading!

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Lacoste Love of Pink for Feminine Florals

Date: May 19, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume

Lacoste’s Love of Pink is the most recent launch to continue in the “Pink” tradition (previous scents include Dream of Pink and Touch of Pink). The scent was designed for “women with a passion for love and a sense of romantic vitality, the alluring new fragrance from LACOSTE encapsulates that delicious burst of excitement felt upon falling in love.”

Top notes: The fragrance opens with a playful burst of Blood Orange and Passion Fruit which, underlined by a touch of Lemon Peel, together create a fruity and zesty first impression.
Heart notes: At the heart of the fragrance lies a delicate floral combination of Pink Magnolia, Quince Flower, Stephanotis, exuding tender intensity and femininity.
Base notes: White Cedarwood and Musky notes form the base of the fragrance and a final surprise – the rich lingering scent of a drop of vanilla – reminds of the feeling of love in all its sweetness.

This is a feminine, girly fragrance; it’s not a woodsy, sophisticated, or spicy scent. For those that enjoy a slightly sweet, floral scent, Love of Pink might just be up your alley. I can detect a soft, vanilla-ness to the scent that adds some sweetness, but it doesn’t overwhelm the scent and make it smell too food-y. The rest of the scent gives off a floral vibe from the mix of its other notes. I find the dry down to be very much like how it initially smells, but just a little subtler. It doesn’t turn or change much on me as I wear it through the day, and this is always something I’m cautious of when trying a new scent.

I like it, and my boyfriend even commented on how he liked it (which he rarely does), so that’s a huge plus. It’s perfect for spring/summer or a night out, though I tend to wear it more during the day time (but that’s usually when I spritz perfume).

Available in:

  • Eau de Toilette Spray, 1.7 fl. oz. ($52.00)
  • Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.0 fl. oz. ($68.00)
  • Body Lotion, 5.0 fl. oz. ($36.00)

They even have a cute commercial clip for the scent… Keep Reading!

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Philosophy Unconditional Love Eau de Toilette for Beachy Days

Date: May 5, 2009 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume, Philosophy

Unconditional Love Eau de Toilette Spray (1.7 oz. for $40) is the latest fragrance release from Philosophy, which you may know because I absolutely adore their lip shines and shower gels. Unconditional Love is a mix of blackberries and vanilla–it’s a sweet, slightly food-y scent. I expected it to be cloying, too sweet to bear, but it’s a light scent with just enough sweetness to make it a comforting scent. I’d say it’s almost a heavier version of Philosophy’s Falling In Love, and it does remind me a bit of Stella, too.

Note that it is an Eau de Toilette, which means it is a lighter/less concentrated perfume, so the wear time isn’t not as good as an eau de parfum. This is a scent best layered with the coordinating shower gel or firming body emulsion (review coming!), if you really want to make it a more noticeable scent. It’s a fun scent for summery, beach-going days–when you want something low key, easy to wear, and sweet.

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Vera Wang LOOK Eau de Parfum Review

Date: December 2, 2008 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume

Vera Wang LOOK ($70 to $300) is the latest fragrance release from Vera Wang.  If you know me, it’s hard to captivate me with a scent long enough for me to wear it regularly.  Sure, I enjoy many fragrances, but only a few get adopted into my perfume rotation.  With that being said, I have worn LOOK for the past two weeks.

LOOK is not a particularly unusual scent nor is it a bold one.  It is a pleasing, enjoyable scent perfect for everyday wear, whether you’re a mom-on-the-go or a high powered attorney.  For an evening out, I’ll still opt for something stronger and bolder, but this just suits me so well for all my other day to day activities.  The top notes of LOOK are mandarin, watery green, lychee, and golden delicious apple.  The heart of the fragrance contains lily, freesia, and jasmine.  The base notes consist of vanilla, musk, oakmoss, and patchouli.

The scent begins with a very clean burst of springy greens, but then it quickly changes to something more floral, more feminine.  More importantly is the dry down, which finishes into more detectable notes of vanilla and patchouli.  I consider this scent to have the earmarks of a feminine scent, but I wouldn’t classify it just as that.  For me, it’s a classic scent that’s not too strong or bold to wear around even my dad (who hates perfume-y smells with a passion).  It’s that just right scent for me.  I hope you’ll give it a spritz next time you’re at the mall!

Available in: 1.7 fl. oz. EDP ($70.00), 3.4 fl. oz. EDP ($90.00), 1.0 fl. oz. Elixir ($300.00). Get yours at Nordstromicon.

See another product photo… Keep Reading!

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Clean Winter for the Cool, Crisp Scent of Wintry Nights

Date: November 13, 2008 - Posted in: Clean, Fragrances & Perfume

CLEAN’s latest addition to their scent line-up is Winter ($48.95).  Clean always has scents that remind you of exactly that–cleanliness. Whether it be fresh laundry or reminiscent of soap-lathered skin…it’s clean. This scent does seem grittier, deeper than the traditional Clean scents, but it is still a soft, crisp scent. It does live up to its name Winter. It reminds me exactly of cool winter days when the wind blows harshly and the air is crisp and fresh. I notice a touch of floral, a little spice, and a taste of the outdoors in the fragrance. I find this lasts on me several hours, and it never is overpowering. The way it lays down after about thirty minutes is very similar to how it smells initially. I really wish I could describe the scent better–I couldn’t even find a list of notes for this scent, which makes it even harder. I’ll just say this: if you love opening your door to a fresh powder of snow, taking a deep breath and inhaling the cool air… this scent is for you.

Clean Winter eau de parfum is currently available on HSN!

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Pacifica Launches 5 Solid Perfumes – Pack ‘n Go!

Date: September 7, 2008 - Posted in: Fragrances & Perfume

Many moons ago, I reviewed several Pacifica products, from candles to body butters, and now I’m happy to review their latest product:  solid perfumes.  At just $8.95 a pop, it makes it easy to collect ‘em all (five, that is) or just get your favorite scent.  Every girl needs at least one solid perfume, if only for how portable they are.  Even with today’s tighter restrictions on traveling, these can help you save some space in your liquids’ bag. 

My favorite scent was Spanish Amber, and I found Tibetan Mountain Temple, Avalon Juniper, and Madagascar Spice to all be very spicy/woodsy.  Mexican Cocoa is like a spicy chocolate scent; the sweetest of the five available. Â  If you’re all over vanilla and bright floral scents, these might not tickle your fancy.  However, when fall rolls around, I always reach for more intense scents like these, so they’re well-timed. 

For my animal lovers, heads up!  These solid perfumes are 100% organic and vegan.  Even the tin they come in is recycleable.

Slip one into your purse for whenever you need a scent pick-me-up!

Learn more at www.pacificacandles.com!

Get details on each available scent… Keep Reading!

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