Caldrea Sea Salt Neroli Linen and Room Spray ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 7 September 2012 10 Comments

Tunisia 78

I like Caldrea’s home fragrance products for several reasons. They have attractive packaging designs — clean and modern. Their fragrances are sophisticated but easy to live with. And they’re promoted with well-written, accurate descriptions that provide just enough information and atmosphere without going overboard. (Believe me, the more press releases and company websites and “dear blogger” e-mails I read, the more I appreciate this last point.)

Here is Caldrea’s official fragrance description for its Sea Salt Neroli products: “Inspired by bright, clear mornings at the shore, this watery composition opens with sparkling essential oils of Lemon Verbena and warm spice from Cardamon…”

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L’Occitane Eaux de Provence ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Kevin on 1 August 2012 51 Comments

L'Occitane Eaux de Provence trio

This summer L’Occitane released Eaux de Provence: three fragrances inspired by “the beautiful fountains that can be found across the villages of southern France, bringing life and refreshment to all.” Sounds lovely…quaint, doesn’t it? Not to me.

When Robin here at Now Smell This asked me to review the Eaux de Provence fragrances, I got the stress-induced stomach ache I always get before visiting a L’Occitane store. I’d just as soon show up at an inner city boxing ring and ask the toughest looking boxer with a freshly blackened eye if he’d mind taking off his briefs so I could try them on as go into L’Occitane and ask for samples. L’Occitane sales people are tough and aggressive (at least at the two stores I visit). They are determined you will buy something if you invade their “turf.” If you ask for a free sample, they look at you as if you’re asking for the clothes off their backs…they are NOT amused. I’ve yet to get a freebie from L’Occitane unless I buy something. Thankfully, on this visit, I needed some honey-scented soap.

Now, to Les Eaux…

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Antonio Banderas Blue Seduction for Women ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 27 July 2012 50 Comments

Antonio Banderas Blue Seduction for Women

At the Antonio Banderas perfume website, you can take a quiz to help you select one of the many Antonio Banderas fragrances. Accompanied by a photo of Banderas casting a smoldering gaze, the quiz asks, “Tell me about yourself and I will tell you which fragrance will best suit your personality.” I can hear Banderas’s accent now. And he wants me to tell him about myself! I know I’m blushing.

The first question asks simply whether I’m a man or a woman. Easy. The next — and final — question asks me to choose from one of seven adjectives to describe myself. (Men get nineteen options.) I’m a little disappointed he doesn’t want to know more about me — I could tell him about my childhood, share my love of macaroni and cheese, show him my scars — but I’m game anyway. What should it be? Am I “casual,” “magnetic,” “spontaneous”? With another glance at Antonio’s black-fringed eyes, I choose “sensuous.” The website spits out its suggestion: Blue Seduction for Women.

Ah, Antonio. I guess we were never meant to be…

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Celine Dion Sensational ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 26 July 2012 82 Comments

Celine Dion Sensational fragrance advert

So far this week we’ve reviewed one teenaged celebrity’s fragrance and one from a country western star. Now we move to Las Vegas and multi-octave ballads with Celine Dion Sensational.

I can’t name one of Celine Dion’s songs except for the one that went with the movie Titanic. The only reason I remember that song is because two of my cousins chose it to play as they walked up the aisle at their double wedding. They were both hugely pregnant. When they met their grooms at the altar and swung their white satin-draped bellies to face each other, the connection between mammoth sea vessels and their nuptials became apparent, and the Celine Dion song was stuck in my brain for good.

I am, however, more familiar with Sensational’s perfumer, Maurice Roucel. Roucel is responsible for such terrific fragrances as Frédéric Malle Dans Tes Bras and Musc Ravageur, Hermès 24 Faubourg, Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, Rochas Tocade, and more you’d certainly recognize…

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Faith Hill by Faith Hill Parfums ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 25 July 2012 34 Comments

Faith Hill fragrance advert

After yesterday’s Hannah Montana fiasco, Faith Hill by Faith Hill Parfums is balm to the nostrils. I really like McGraw by Tim McGraw, her husband’s first fragrance, and I was hopeful Faith would pull through with something equally well constructed and pleasing to wear. She did. Faith Hill Eau de Toilette has an easygoing elegance that’s hard to beat at twice the price.

Perfumer Caroline Sabas (author of Natori Eau de Parfum and Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy, among others) developed Faith Hill, and it launched in 2009. Its notes include pink peony, pear, neroli, Southern magnolia, gardenia, jasmine, cashmere skin musk, vetiver and iris. The fragrance’s overall effect is smooth, clean, and silky, with a grown up — but not overly ladylike — air. I can’t pick out Faith Hill’s pear, and its gardenia and jasmine aren’t the buzzy divas they could be, but gently complement the magnolia’s barely tart whipped cream scent. A kitten’s paw of clean-soft musk that reminds me of Donna Karan Cashmere Mist cushions the fragrance.

Faith Hill doesn’t break new ground scent-wise, but it doesn’t pander to trends, either…

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