Showing posts with label perfume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perfume. Show all posts
Byredo Parfums BLANCHE⎜Second Series, The Hair Perfume
Eau Duelle
A woman should seek that one fragrance that represents something about her, that something she wishes to imprint on others who will remember her for that scent. Find what best describes you, instead of following a trend or a popular scent. It's about you. Eau Duelle is that scent for me, what's yours?
Eau Duelle encompasses everything I want to be, everything I want to express about myself, and the impression I want to leave on people who meet me. That's a lot for a scent, but it is my favorite scent and true expression of myself. A few words that encompasses the scent: womanly, sophisticated, elegant, peppery, sweet and soft.
Diptyque has been my ever-so-loved fragrance brand for years now, and it's still pretty much the same. I do want to talk about their candles in a different post/video, but long story short, I don't like them as much as I do their eau de toilette, colognes, and perfums!
But what recently got me completely head-over-heels, is their body lotion in the one scent that I truly will forever love. I remember doing a whole series of perfume collection videos, and somebody asked in the comment section, whether I thought the splurge on a matching Diptyque body lotion was worth it.
I take back my answer. I told the commenter that I didn't think it was worth it. I never actually had any of their body lotions, but I did try them in store- and I was disappointed with how little scent I could smell from their lotion. Little did I know it is probably because the ladies working there didn't take care of their testers!
Recently on hautelook (dangerous website, I tell you!) I decided to get the Diptyque Eau Duelle body lotion. I loved the idea of it on my top shelf, but I didn't think it'd be the perfect combo for my fragrance.
First opening of the bottle (untwisting it on the top), the waft of that beautiful sophisticated vanilla scent caught my attention. Then, lathering up my hands with this godly stuff was just amazing.
I go to bed in this delight, and I feel as though I've whipped up my body in angel's cream. I love the scent, combined with how nourishing and rich the cream is, without any hint of greasiness -- makes me think, I'd buy this thing all over again. Again and again! And of course, it helps the eau de toilette last longer. More than anything, it delights me with every waft my movement makes! Whether it delights others, well that's another thing ;)
Byredo Parfums⎜Perfume Collection (Part #3)
I am nearing the end of my Perfume Collection video series! I am so happy with the response so far and I love to read your comments. Today is going to be about my most luxurious brand fragrance. It is a Swedish brand called Byredo Parfums (blogged about it the day I got it on my Tumblr). The 50ml values at $145. Yikes! Fortunately, I have a sister who was willing to buy them for me for my birthday some year back :)
As expensive as they are, I will without hesitation say that I do not regret a single penny! Though I have named Diptyque as my all-time favorite fragrance brand, I think that it also shares a seat with this babe too! As I say, they are perfection in a bottle.
I was first intrigued by this brand because I saw it pop up on random pictures on Tumblr. They weren't from beauty blogs but random home-topshelf pictures. The bottle I thought, was simply chic and so I began my investigation to finding out what this Byredo Parfums thing was all about!
No doubt, after a few reads and clicks on their website, I was completely sucked into them. As I have mentioned in my previous videos, I think fragrances MUST tell a story. The name, the packaging, the inspiration, and finally the scent must all come in one perfect package. This brand definitely did that job, impeccably.
Before I popped into Barney's New York (department store in NYC) I took a hefty amount of time reading up on their fragrances so that if I was just as impressed with the actual scent as I was with their description online, I would know for what I would be spending this much money on. Thankfully, I met a lady at the counter who was so helpful in informing me about these scents. She helped me choose these two that I so love! When I went to Barney's I already had about 5 that I was seriously interested in. It came down to these two, and although I went to just get one, I ended up getting both!
The Pulp is something I wear more often than the other, partly because it is such a fresh, lively, explosive fragrance of ripe fruit. It works well all year around and what's wonderful about it is that wherever you are, you instantly create this atmosphere of life with this fragrance beaming out of your presence! It is intensely savory and heavy. It isn't one of those airy light fruit scents. I mean, this is serious business of real ripe fruits!
In Pulp, a compilation of exotic and Swedish influences create an international fruit basket. A dramatic composition focused on the idea of ripe, sweet, shapeless mass of fruit, an unruly and intense savor. (website)
Here are the notes of PulpTop: Bergamot, cardamom, blackcurrant
Heart: Fig, red apple, tiare
Base: Cedar wood, praline, peach flower
Interestingly enough, very much like my other fruity scents (from Jo Malone the Blackberry & Bay and Grapefruit) it isn't as "feminine" as one would think. I don't know about you, but when I think of fruity scents I think of girly scents. It doesn't seem to be the case with these rich perfumes! They are more masculine than one would think! I would definitely find this attracting both men and women.
As for Seven Veils, the moment I took that first sniff of Seven Veils I was like THIS IS IT. When I first bought it, it had just recently launched. Here is what they say on their website:
Seven Veils is a spicy oriental composition built around the warmth of vanilla flower and Indian sandalwood.
It is based on the biblical tale of Salome’s dance of the Seven Veils, a story of many layers. Tainted and bejeweled, Salome turns to the art of shameless seduction. Barefooted, sanguine and black eyed, she demands a man’s head on a plate in exchange for one single dance...
“On that first morning the moon sinks late and you feel the pull, as if it were night, magnetic in a way the sun could never be. Three memories pervade the air. The way you hold it; the way through fingers you let it slip; and the way the woven silk floats across the winds. So now floats a perfect fifth, in a minor chord, from an ancient bow, resonating in our ears louder and louder. And louder still until it grows stronger than even our beating hearts. You rise up, upon your feet, and even higher. With seven veils you dance, swirling swirling swirling.”
It is seductive, feminine, sophisticated, sweet, and oh my gosh.. just so alluring and chic! Here are the notes of Seven Veils
Top: Carrot, Pimento BerriesI would definitely say that this is really just for women. I mean, there is no category but I think if you smell it you'd easily agree that it truly embodies women. I love it so, but I definitely only wear it in the winter time. Or else, even a single spritz would be too dense and heavy for spring or summer!
Heart: Tahitian Vanilla Flower, Laurier Rose, Glycine, Tiger Orchid
Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla Bean
Jo Malone Collection⎜My Perfume Collection, Part #2
Watch my video on Youtube for the full "talk" :)
  |
| Left to right: Grapefruit, Earl Grey & Cucumber, Blackberry & Bay, Lemon Tart, Wild Bluebell |
I have finally gotten around to filming and writing up this JO MALONE fragrance collection post. Whew! What took so long you say? (Or maybe you didn't care at all :)) Well, I had weeks and weeks of dilemma of whether I wanted and needed two more fragrances added to my already 3-some collection. I had samples of these two. Sprayed them until they were gone. Went to the Jo Malone counter several times to sniff and sniff. And finally, I caved. I purchased the Lemon Tart (Limited-Edition) and Grapefruit Cologne!
The package finally came today, and so it was only until now that I could film and get on with this perfume collection series! I was so pleased to see that my first video on my Diptyque collection went so well. Sure, nothing compared to those major beauty gurus' counts, but still, enough to fill my belly! :) So, hoping y'all like my new video on just my Jo Malone fragrances, I am writing this on up! (Make sure to watch the video, it's easier than reading I'd think?)
As a short, very short brief- Jo Malone is a British fragrance brand that has fragrances, body products, room sprays, candles, and the like. I first found out about Jo Malone when I started watching Tanya Burr's videos (she's my idol, FYI). They are major in the fragrance industry today and it hasn't been that long since they started selling at Bloomingdales and such! Anyway, due to their really elegant packaging, fresh and elegant scents, they have become very popular everywhere. Though Diptyque stands in a level of its own, I can see Jo Malone rising in popularity and fame over time (though, to me, it just won't be anything like Diptyque).
So, as I say in my video, Jo Malone is a bit of a love-hate relationship for me. I fall for it all the time, even though none would satisfy as much as Diptyque does. Yet, something is very very alluring about them. However, I haven't found them to be exactly "whole" on its own. Jo Malone is very well-known for its "combining" system(?). Though each and every scent can stand on its own, they are marketed and told to be better if combined with their other scents. They have a whole chart on this if you go to their website!
This means that their fragrances aren't entirely dimensional. Some definitely are, but most I've experienced are more simple. For example, my first Jo Malone fragrance was Wild Bluebell.
Wild Bluebell is in the family of light florals, and indeed it is very fresh and light. It is not a complex scent at all. It legit smells like bluebells. There aren't that many notes to them, and so even though they are great for just spritzing all over and smelling delightful, feminine, floral, and fresh-- I'd recommend combining it with something more structured and "based". Unfortunately, all the other four fragrances I picked up seem NOT to match with my Wild Bluebell (since I wasn't going for any combining anyway), and so I just wear it on its own. It's great for days you want to smell like something, but you don't really want to be overpowered by that scent.
Blackberry & Bay cologne was next on my list. I was wanting something fruity and a bit exotic, not the tropical kind but the plain summer breezy water kind, and I found this. This is succulent blackberries mixed in with balmy woods and scent of the bay! It just sounds refreshing doesn't it? I would say this is more of a gender-neutral scent and guys would do just well with this scent just as women (not that any of these have to have any standard for such!). It's definitely fresh and fruity, but I wouldn't say it is "sweet" fruity. It's more of a really juicy blackberry without hints of some sweetness-- because you know, blackberries aren't actually that sweet in taste. It has this slight bitterness and tanginess? It has a bit of that, based with some bay wood scent.
I bought the Blackberry & Bay cologne along with this elegant thing: Earl Grey & Cucumber. Holy moly! This is definitely as BRITISH as you can get with a fragrance, and it's exactly why I love it! I mean, come on... earl grey tea? Yes, I say, yes. I absolutely love anything British, and so this completely drew me in. It is the "creamiest" out of all the Jo Malone scents I have. There is a freshness of cucumber along with the beeswax, vanilla, and musk! It's definitely the most "complex" and "dimensional" out of all the ones I own. It is such a statement scent that I can legit, only wear it on days when I want to feel that extra bit polished, refined, sophisticated, mature, and well, lady-like :) I wear this on more formal days because it just seems appropriate for that situation! Also, on rainy-days? Oh boy, my hands just reach for this! Something is truly British here. Definitely though, not a girly, fruity, sweet scent at all. It is really mature so sometimes I fear I may even smell a bit too mature. But still, there are days when it fits just right with the occasion. And besides, I found it so intriguing with the scent of earl grey and cucumber combined!
The next two I am thrilled to write about. They are most recent purchases (the ones I've been waiting for to actually get this post up and going!) and ones that I can actually combine to get them to be a better more appealing scent to me. It is the Lemon Tart (cough cough LIMITED EDITION) and the Grapefruit cologne. I have seriously been eying the Lemon Tart for so long because the whole concept was just perfect, and the packaging? Goodness. And the description was quite captivating. When I first took a sniff at the counter, I thought: whoa, very sour and "tingly"... It was definitely fresh but it felt a bit too sour?
Then, an one occasion, I received both the Lemon Tart and Grapefruit. I don't know what it was, but I thought, hey maybe these two could work together? So, I spritzed them together and layered them. And... oh my goodness, I ended up sniffing my wrist the whole day! Something made that combo so attractive! They are both citrus-y but somehow they complement each other so well!
The Lemon Tart has of course, citrus and also verbena, meringue and lemon thyme. It has this really addictive sharpness that I think is so needed in the humid summer. This will definitely awaken the senses and I just love it! The interesting thing is I've read some reviews and people say they were disappointed that it doesn't smell as sweet as "lemon tart" supposes. I have to agree. It has nothing of a pastry-like sweetness (but if it did, I'd hate it!). I actually love the sourness of it because it makes it that fresh. But that is not to say that there is absolutely no sweetness whatsoever. There is that sweet tart subtly detectable in-between the citrus notes.
The Grapefruit is a really nice one as well. This again, like the Blackberry & Bay cologne has a pretty large male followers! Though it is a fruity scent, it is based with a lot of musky notes: vetiver, rosemary, some spice, all circulated with the citrus notes! Lovely, but I can definitely detect the "masculinity" of it.
And... that's the reason why I love to combine them. Grapefruit on its own seems a bit too "guy-smelling" for my like! It's so attractive, but on me, I feel like I'm wearing a guy's cologne! (I'd like it on a guy, and not so much by itself just on me!) So, when I pair it with the rather feminine citrus of the Lemon Tart, goodness... there is this explosion of fruits, musk, herbs, spice, sweetness, citrus, on and on... It's rather lovely!
I don't know if these two are recommended in their "combining" chart, but regardless, I love pairing these two together!
Perfume Collection #1: DIPTYQUE (Part One)
Ramble is what I do, especially when I am talking about fragrances. I somehow can't seem to stop going on and on about how much I love them. In all honesty, I've tried filming and writing a blogpost about my perfume collection over ten times in the past year! It's failed every time. But, with celebration that I have finished an extremely rigorous first year of my course, I decided to sit down and get business done.
I am basically going to divide this collection video into about three parts. The first part, this one, is going to just be on Diptyque fragrances, of course mentioning only the ones I actually have! I've incorporated some of my sisters' fragrances as well because even though they aren't mine, I thought it'd be a good idea to tell you guys about as many as I can. However, on that note, I must say I didn't do the greatest job in describing each scent. I am no perfumist but I will say that I tried to tell you why I love them so much.
My all time favorite, my signature scent is Diptyque's Eau Duelle. This babe has been around and about in my blog posts and videos since the beginning of time. It is an absolute marvel. There's not a single time I pop open the bottle and with the first waft of scent I think I could have made a better choice. It is perfect. It is sweet because of the vanilla note, but with the peppery spice on top, they develop into this amazing sophisticated feminine scent. It is truly sexy, warming, comforting, yet still fresh and light. I was no fan of vanilla, but this one is nothing like I've experienced before!
Ofresia has an instant picture in my head. The first sniff and I immediately imagined a young girl running through the hills, gathering wild flowers to make a crown of flowers on her head. She runs through the forest and down the hills, coming home to her sweet wooden cabin with a bouquet of fresh flowers in her arms. She smells of fields, of flowers, and of the wind. Her eyes are smiling, her cheeks are flushed, and her breath is the smell of freesias! That. This is what Ofresia means to me. It is a poetry in one scent!
Finally, there is Olene and 34 boulevard st germain. Olene is a floral scent with definitive notes of Jasmine. It is a calming scent, with floral notes that remind you of tea! 34 Boulevard St Germain is named after the first Diptyque store in France. It is a woody scent, deep, seductive, mysterious, and heavy.
Have you tried Diptyque? What are some of your favorite scents? x
Falling in Love⎪CHANEL BEIGE fragrance
 |
[It's going to be a long story. It has to be. But if it's too long, skip down to the next bracket!]
To give you a brief summary about my fragrance history, I was always never really into perfumes. In high school, I dreaded the heavily drenched perfumed girls. I never enjoyed the artificial scent, and always be surrounded by that artificiality, I never gave perfumes a chance. The one time I thought something actually smelled really nice was when my sister brought home a Chanel No.5 body powder. She had sitting on her topshelf and I took a sniff. It smelt EXQUISITE! Sometimes when she wasn't home, I remember dabbing myself in that powder and thinking: wow, this really smells beautiful.
That was the end of Chanel though, and again I thought nothing much of perfumes. I tried to like them. Took a sniff of so many other perfumes that were trending at the time, and even those that are the usual classics. I never liked any of them, all for the same reason. And really, none of them felt like me and I wasn't sure I wanted to be walking around smelling foreign to myself.
Then, I became obsessed with the world of Youtube. Well, no Tanya Burr. She mentioned Diptyque's Eau Duelle in one of her videos. She described it with so much class and elegance, I thought I'd search into it. It sounded like something I'd go for. It didn't seem artificial, and the whole idea that a smell develops on your skin and it can be "sophisticated" got to me. I went online and searched through diptyqueparis.com. I became more and more interested. I loved reading the mini-stories of the inspiration behind the fragrances.
That began my fragrance journey. I am currently still obsessed with Diptyque and my love for the ones I have collected knows no boundaries. They are displayed in this beautiful mirrored tray on my topshelf. I look at them each day while doing my makeup with adoration.
Recently though, I saw that Diptyque's Oyedo was falling short. That meant I was missing a citrus scent in my collection. No, well Byredo Parfum's Pulp is quite the fruity kind but I had to give that away to my sister who wanted it so much. I wanted something new for my collection-- something to represent the sweetness, the freshness, the floral-ness of the coming Spring.
[Here begins the real Chanel discovery story]
 |
| Chanel "Beige" 2.5oz. ($130) / 6.8oz ($230) |
I took a purposeful trip to Saks, intending to use up my gift card from the holidays. After failing to find any fragrance that I loved within the cologne section of Diptyque, I cruised over to the Chanel counter. I've always found that the only brand fragrance that really smelt of anything like my taste was Chanel, but not everything from Chanel. I especially liked Chanel's No.5 and Coco. So, with that in mind I thought I'd really give Chanel a go.
I skipped the counter that had the famous ones displayed. Instead, I went the counter that had the line-ups of their Les Exclusifs de Chanel, coming in with about fourteen fragrances! Unfortunately, the man behind the counter was horrible in describing the scents. So I told him I'd try them out myself. I took a stack of the cards and started spraying all 14. I picked up Gardenia. Holy. It was beautiful. Then, I picked up BEIGE.
Wow. I was searching for something that would represent Spring, be slightly sweet, sophisticated, long-lasting, and floral. I didn't want anything too deep or heavy. This was amazing! It had the quintessential Chanel scent that we all know, but with such a lovely variation of honey and white petals! Thankfully, there was this huge book introducing each fragrance and the story behind each of them which I love to read! Each fragrance should have a story, like a poetry, or a painting that draws out the scenery of which the scents blends into.
Finding "Beige" to be the most appealing and something of a SO-ME-FEELING compared to all the other 13, I walked over to the book and read on it. That's when I thought, yes. This has to be the scent!
Here is their description:
“I take refuge in beige because it’s natural,” said Mademoiselle Chanel. An elusive colour with infinite variations, beige may seem quite ordinary. And yet, behind this apparent simplicity, it hides a discreet sensuality that builds slowly before revealing itself fully. This sensual outburst is interpreted by Jacques Polge through a bouquet of Hawthorn, Freesia and Frangipani, with shimmering hints of honey. A stunning blend of white petals and yellow gold…in other words, a breath of beige.
A nectar fragrance, the union of sensuality and simplicity evokes the colour beloved by Gabrielle Chanel…How do I not fall in love if the description is written this beautifully? The name "Beige" just rolls off my tongue and I can't help thinking how well they've named this fragrance! It fits perfectly! I love the packaging. It's just a bottle with the simplest label stuck on it. Yet, how does Chanel manage to make it so utterly chic? It comes in a box that has its famous monochrome design. I purposely asked the lady at the Chanel counter to gift-wrap it since I just wanted the whole experiencing!
Before I left Saks, I spritzed myself all over with this fragrance. The rest of the day I was sniffing myself (ew, does that sound weird?!) and thought: Yes, this is it!
I love that Chanel's fragrance lasts really long! And I love that what I have is a little different from the hundreds and thousands of ladies who love Chanel and all smell the same! It has the essential smell of Chanel, but with that younger, yet sophisticated, nectar sweet, fresh, almost airy floral scent! Oh, it's just so lovely!
So, welcome my dear fragrance to your new home. I love you so :)
