Scent of the Day - Friday - 06/30/06

Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus is my scent for today, what are you wearing?

Scent of the Day - Thursday - 06/29/06

L'Eau de Tubereuse - I am loving this so much! This will be my choice again for the day.
What are you wearing today?

L'Eau de Tubereuse - Mathias Paris - Review

- NEVER SAY NEVER -

Well Tuberose and I have never gotten along. A smidgen of it buried deep in a composition may sometimes slip by unnoticed. But Fracas and I are not friends. So why I even picked up and tried a bottle of tuberose perfume is beyond me. Maybe we perfume enthusiasts must sniff everything; or maybe it was fate. The strangest thing happened ... I liked it. Ok, I thought my nose must be off, I'm not being faked out by some tuberose perfume pretending to be sheer and delicate. Ha! I put it down and refused to consider buying it. But humm my wrist did smell nice. Maybe I'll take a sample home and try again. And TRY I did. And BUY I did.

Mathias has composed tuberose the way Marc Jacobs composed Jasmine in Blush, with a cool watery feel, like tuberose blossoms floating in water. It smells fresh not heady or indolic, but rather; cool, creamy smooth. I am finding that most of the summer florals that I love have this same watery cool feel. Especially true of the Ormonde Jayne soliflores. Like lying on a float in a cool pool on a summer day surrounded by blossoms floating in the water. What a lovely peaceful image this scent invokes for me.

So NEVER SAY NEVER, because I'm here to tell you that the right combination of notes can make tuberose smell divine! So if you love summer florals but always found tuberose too heady and indolic for your taste, try this interpretation. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

photo: Lucky Scent

Scent of the Day - Wednesday - 06/28/06

I'll be wearing L'Eau de Tubereuse - Mathias Paris today.
What is your choice for the day?

Messe de Minuit - Etro - Review

When Sweet Diva asked me to pick an Etro for her to try, immediately I knew it must be Messe de Minuit. The one Etro that really stands out, a masterpiece of swirling scented memories and melancholy days.

Messe de Minuit is a very woody, musky sentimental smell for me. Maybe the sadness for me is associated with my great aunt that is now passed, my namesake. The fragrance takes me back. Her house along the Ohio River had been though a great flood. It always smelled damp and musky, added to by the piles of old books with crumbling pages. A bittersweet memory. I cannot but catch the mere whiff of this scent and I am transported back; sitting on the piano bench in the living room looking up at the high ceiling and the large chandelier. There were stories of finding a chairs hanging there after the flood. As a child I was in awe of the big house that stood the flood and sweet gentle woman who lived there.

This is a melancholy fragrance for me, it transports me, haunts me. I don't wear it often, it makes me too sad. Yet I love the memories it provokes.

Notes: Orange, bergamot, tangerine, labdanum, incense, myrrh, cinnamon, patchouli, honey, amber, musk, vanilla

Click here to read Sweet Diva's Review: Today’s Sample: Etro Messe de Minuit

Available at: Lucky Scent

Photo: LuckyScent

Coutorture!

- Victoria's Own - has joined Coutorture.Com along with many of your beloved perfume bloggers.

Be sure to stop by and check out this blogging community full of the latest, best and greatest!

Scent of the Day - Tuesday - 06/27/06

Today I will be wearing Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia. This may be the one Jo Malone I need in my collection.
What are you wearing?

Amarige Mariage - Givenchy - Review

EXCLUSIVE!! The first of two new fragrances to be released this summer by Givenchy is Amarige Mariage. It is supposed to be the "wedding fragrance" that gives Vera Wang a run for the money. Somehow they missed the mark with this Prada/Flowerbomb smell-a-like. A heavy patchouli opening over white florals, this immediately brings to mind either of the two aforementioned fragrances. It lacks identity. It is not unique, nor is it "wedding-like" in my book. A sparkling rich floral bouquet with different florals fading in and out, or even a nice developing soliflore would have stood a better chance. I don't think Vera needs to be concerned.

However if you like these type of fragrances, you will find this pleasing enough. I did get a compliment on it when I wore it to work. Good sillage and nice lasting ability with quite a lovely drydown once the patchouli settles down.

Notes: Sicilian bitter orange, Calabrian bergamot
Mid: Magnolia and Egyptian jasmine
Base: Ppatchouli, Siam benzoin, Sandalwood.

Release Date: July 2006

Photo: Royal Mirage Dubai/Givenchy Spa

Guerlain Insolence Update!

I have just received word that this lovely fragrance will be making its debut even sooner then expected. The word is now that SAKS will have Insolence pre-sales beginning on July 1st. The shipment should reach store shelves by the 15th.

Insolence - Guerlain's newest fragrance scheduled for release in the USA in August. It comes in a lovely round bottom rolley-polley glass falcon with pinkish-violet juice. According to a Guerlain spokesperson, rather than having top-middle-base notes, the fragrance was crafted to have a spiral effect. Violets, iris and berries are the notes I can pick out. I would not say this Guerlain has the Guerlaide feel to it, but lovers of Apres L'Ondee will find it familiar. Like a heartier version with iris and berry. The sillage and lasting ability are quite good.

I have to say I think Guerlain missed the mark here, the juice should have been more violet. Violet to reflect the violets and iris in the composition. The color violet would also help bridge the age gap between teenagers and older adults. I'm afraid this might be dismissed as another "young" fragrance otherwise. In as much as so many celebrity scents as of late have been pink. However I'm sure the ads will try to appeal to both with Hilary Swank being chosen as the spokesperson/model.

I'm totally in love with this unique new fragrance and have been wearing it all weekend. It is the kind of scent that keeps you glued to your wrist and makes you want to keep applying more, even when you don't need to. I think Guerlain has a future hit here. Finally a USA release that has elegance, staying power and potential, worthy of a great house such as Guerlain.

Special thanks to my friend who gave me the opportunity to have an advanced preview.

Lonestar Memories - Tauer Perfumes - Review

"... it’s the scent of a lonesome rider, wearing old jeans and leather jacket, after a long day on the horse in the dry woods, preparing his coffee on the open, smoky fire. I want it to be fresh and light, yet lasting and powerful...." - Andy Tauer

This fragrance starts out with a dry, strong leather note that brings to mind my childhood days of going to my friend's farm where we would ride horses on the weekends. It smells of my heavy Buena Vista saddle that I could barely lift and all the leather tack we used.

My husband proclaimed after I offered my hand for a sniff, "Wow, that's masculine." And well ... yes it is. Leather by its very nature is masculine. And many women find that sexy for their men as well as for themselves.
As the composition dries down it begins to soften. There is a lightly smoky aroma that reminds me of burning hickory, oak and maple leaves and twigs we would gather from our yard and then burn in big metal barrels back in the day. Slowly the leather softens into a softer sueded leather like the lining of a glove sweetened by the wearer's perfume. A lovely silky drydown that lingers is the final saga of this well crafted fragrance. Those who fear this scent may be too strong, may still want to consider adding this one to their collection. It layers nicely, adding that much sought after leather richness to any of your regular favorites.

Notes:
Green and spicy head notes: Geranium, Carrot seed, Clary sage
Smoky leathery heart notes: Birchtar, Cistus, Jasmine, Cedar wood
Fine woody body notes: Myrrh, Tonka, Vetiver, Sandalwood

Available in Europe from Tauer Perfumes - Click here: Lonestar Memories

Or in the USA from Lucky Scent - Click here: Lonestar Memories

Images and quote from Tauer Perfumes.
Thank you Colombina for the sample.

Scent of the Day - Monday - 06/26/06

I'm wearing my Divine samples this morning, going crazy trying to figure out which one I like best.

Divine - Notes: Peach, coriander, gardenia, Indian tuberose, May rose, oak moss, musk, vanilla, spice

OR

L'Aime de coeur - Notes: aldehydes, absolue de jasmin, rose otto bulgare, ylang des Comores, vetiver, and ambergris

What are you wearing today?

DOTS or NOT?

Like my new background, or is it too busy?

Fire Island - Bond No. 9 - Review

Notes:
Top: Cardamon, Ozone
Mid: Neroli, White Musk
Base: Skin Musk, Tuberose, Patchouli

Launch Date: July 1, 2006

Bond No. 9 Press release description:

Fire Island: Bottling the Scent of Bronzing
"Imagine freshly bathed skin, doused with a coating of premium Euro-sunscreen then warmed up by a midday siesta on the beach - and the sensual stirrings of a body in heat. That's the premise behind Fire Island the latest eau de parfum by Bond No.9, purveyor of New York-centric neighborhood scents.

Fire Island is an experimental scent - the beach equivalent of Proust's madeleine dunked in tea. In this case, the memories conjured up are the sights, the touch, the smell of soaking up the sun the old fashioned way - lying naked, or close to it, on the beach. We know, we know: those UV rays aren't safe. So we thought, why not approximate the smell of skin in the sun, and recapture the bronzing sensation within the safety of a scent? To make Fire Island authentic, we took a risk and summoned forth the distinctive spicy-sweet aroma of the most sought-after of vintage Euro-bronzing oils - whose iconic smell has wafted all across the Mediterranean, summer after summer, for decades, defining the body on display, with its daydream hints of sex on the beach. Even when savored at a respectable distance, Fire Island is a reminder of skin sniffed close up.

The sent's barrier-island namesake, 90 minutes from Manhattan by train or ferry, is the hideaway where New Yorkers come in droves to let their hair down and uncover their skin. Fire Island may be made of sand dunes, but it's got distinctive New York-esque neighborhoods (Kismet ... Saltaire ... Atlantique), a heavy-duty night life, shopping (natch), and a history, in the 1920's, as a Bohemian retreat. In other words it's home not too far away from home. So it's a legitimate part of our scent repertory." (Image and description used with permission of Bond No.9)

So what does it smell like? Well it's a warm, sexy, soapy, skin scent. And not at all what I was expecting. I guess what is expected after reading the above is a suntan lotion type of scent, but that is not present here. No Coppertone, Banana Boat or Hawaiian Tropic. Since I don't think I have ever never smelled "premium Euro-sunscreen", I can't say if they have indeed captured the essence or not. But if that sunscreen is a light a spicy, sweet floral then they very well may have. I guess they may be referring to Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee, and ok maybe there is a hint of that.

Fear not the Ozone note here, it is light and merely hints of the beach. I don't think you would categorize this as a beach scent as much as you would a skin scent. The Neroli combined with musk are the big players. And although the tuberose is a base note, to my nose, it makes a brief appearance at the top, then quickly melts away. The drydown is a light patchouli musk. Overall it stays closer to the skin than most Bonds. Reminding you of your daydreams of escaping to the beach, but projecting to others a clean skin scent.

If you like white musk and sexy, clean skin notes, you will love this one. I love it, and think it is the most distinctive, different from the rest of the collection.

Available in 50ml for 110.00 and 100ml for 178.00

Scent of the Day - Saturday - 06/24/06

What are you wearing today my friends?

Summer Favorites

- Fave Summer Citrus -

The Different Co Divine Bergamot

- Fave Summer Amber -

Anne Pliska

- Fave Summer Green -

Heeley Eau de Menthe

- Fave Summer Spices -

Roberto Cavalli Oro - L'Artisan Safran Troublant

- Fave Summer Wood -

DKNY Wenge

-Fave Summer Gourmand -

Eliz. W. Sweet Tea - Michael Kors KORS

- Fave Summer Musk -

Rance Musc Blanc

- Fave Summer Incense -

100% Love

- Fave Summer Beach Scent -

CSP Cool Tropic Palm

- Fave Summer Floral -
Aqua di Parma Iris Nobile

Calypso Mimosa

Chantecaille Wisteria

Creed Spring Flower

Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d'Ete

Marc Jacobs Blush

Ormonde Jayne Frangipani

Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus

Ormonde Jayne Sampaquita

Rykiel Rose

The Different Co Osmanthus

There is no way I can choose a favorite summer floral. I adore all my florals in the summertime. All of the above are either cool, fresh, watery or sparkling. Any and all are perfect for summer.

Check out these Favorite Summer Scents posts on:
Aromascope
Legerdenez
Perfume Critic
Perfume Posse
Perfume Smellin' Things
Scentzilla
The Scented Salamander
SmellyBlog

Welcome to my Athens, Ohio visitor!! So nice to see someone from my hometown, I hope you come back and visit me often!
- Victoria

Scent of the Day - Friday - 06/23/06

TGIF!! What a hectic week! I have been so busy at work and so busy at home, I need a break! I hope to get some more reviews written this weekend. I have info on two new releases and a couple reviews of my Europe stash still to come!

I'm wearing Morgane Le Fay. What are you wearing?

Scent of the Day - Thursday - 06/22/06

Sampling Pure White Linen today.
What are you wearing?

Guerlain Insolence Launch Party

These photos from Getty Images show the June 14th, launch party for Insolence in Paris. Hilary Swank and Guerlain chairman Renato Semerari attended the Guerlain party as well as over 160 reporters.

The decorations were of mauve, silver and black, the colors of the falcon. Included in the dinner menu were ingredients of the fragrance: strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and violets.

Hilary stated that she had other offers to be spokesperson before but she declined because they were not right for her. She said if I am going to carefully choose acting roles, I must also be careful when considering a fragrance endorsement. But when Guerlain as her to represent Insolence, she didn't have to think about it. Her mom had worn Shalimar throughout her childhood and it pleased her very much to be associated with Guerlain. She said her mother was very pleased when she told her about the choice.

A HUGE thank you to Millie who helped me with the links and to find the story, thank you!

(Photos by Eric Ryan/Getty Images)

Scent of the Day - Wednesday - 06/21/06

I'm wearing Heeley Eau de Menthe again today. I am becoming so addicted to this scent!

What are you wearing today?



Coming soon! My Favorite Summer Scents!
In the meantime check out these
Favorite Summer Scents posts on:
Aromascope
Legerdenez
Perfume Critic
Perfume Posse
Perfume Smellin' Things
Scentzilla
The Scented Salamander
Victoria’s Own

Scent of the Day - Tuesday - 06/20/06

I'm wearing TDC Osmanthus today - What are you wearing?

Guerlain Insolence - Update!

I have just received word that this lovely fragrance will be making its debut even sooner then expected. The word is now that SAKS will have Insolence pre-sales beginning on July 1st. The shipment should reach store shelves by the 15th.

Insolence - Guerlain's newest fragrance scheduled for release in the USA in August. It comes in a lovely round bottom rolley-polley glass falcon with pinkish-violet juice. According to a Guerlain spokesperson, rather than having top-middle-base notes, the fragrance was crafted to have a spiral effect. Violets, iris and berries are the notes I can pick out. I would not say this Guerlain has the Guerlaide feel to it, but lovers of Apres L'Ondee will find it familiar. Like a heartier version with iris and berry. The sillage and lasting ability are quite good.

I have to say I think Guerlain missed the mark here, the juice should have been more violet. Violet to reflect the violets and iris in the composition. The color violet would also help bridge the age gap between teenagers and older adults. I'm afraid this might be dismissed as another "young" fragrance otherwise. In as much as so many celebrity scents as of late have been pink. However I'm sure the ads will try to appeal to both with Hilary Swank being chosen as the spokesperson/model.

I'm totally in love with this unique new fragrance and have been wearing it all weekend. It is the kind of scent that keeps you glued to your wrist and makes you want to keep applying more, even when you don't need to. I think Guerlain has a future hit here. Finally a USA release that has elegance, staying power and potential, worthy of a great house such as Guerlain.

Special thanks to my friend who gave me the opportunity to have an advanced preview.

Scent of the Day - Monday - 06/19/06

It has been so hot! I'm wearing my Heeley Mint again today. What are you wearing?



Coming soon!
Favorite Summer Scents posts on:
Aromascope
Legerdenez
Perfume Critic
Perfume Posse
Perfume Smellin' Things
Scentzilla
The Scented Salamander
Victoria’s Own

Scent Bar - Saturday Sniffing

We pulled into Farmer's Market at NOON!!! It took TWO hours to get there, which it normally takes 45 minutes. OY! Traffic was just crazy for a Friday morning! And you wonder why I don't go to LA on the weekends??? I can't even imagine! It's 45 miles away and so much hassle, people just avoid going. Sad really. Especially for a perfume lover! The Scent Bar and Barneys, alas!

But the Strawberry waffles at Farmer's Market were great, as always. I have been going there to the same stand for 30 years. Although the area around the Market has been modernized they have left the Market just as it has always been, and that makes it feel very welcoming and comfortable. And the fresh fruit and veggies abound! It is always my first stop on any trip to LA.

Across the parking lot, close to the CBS studio, is a small beauty supply store that just happens to carry an amazing niche line. To give you an idea: Miller Harris, Keiko Mecheri, Sage, Demeter, Robert Piguet, MPG, CSP, Laura Tonatto, Loranzo Villoresi, just to name a few that come to mind. The name is Beauty Apothecary, and I scored Laura Tonatto Ambrosia parfum and L'Erbolario Honeysuckle for about $20. total. Both on clearance, buy one item get 2nd free. Dawn bought 2 Historie fragrances, big bottles! We did a lot of sniffing, I'm sorry but I can't even remember what all, one was the new Sage Coral, which neither of us liked. And while meaning to re-try Bandit, I accidentally lavished my arm with Fracas! Ack!! needless to say most things smelled like tuberose after that. Even after washing up in the restroom.

Ok, on to the Scent Bar - where we were greeted by the lovely elizabeth, who is so sweet and charming, and knowledgeable on all the scents. She was very patient with us as we there close to two hours sniffing and chatting, it was just great.

Many of the new Lucky Scent items had not made their way to the Scent Bar for sniffing. Elizabeth explained to us that they needed the stock on hand to fill the orders that are flying off the Lucky Scent website for the new items. So there was none of the Mazzolari on hand to try, but she did just happen to give me her last samples trying later. So that worked out!

After much sniffing and debate, I ended up buying Heeley Eau de Menthe which I will review later. And PdN Eau D'Ete, which I have been wanting for summer since my decant is almost gone, I love this stuff!

Dawn bought the mint too. She was undecided between the Divine L’âme Sœur and Mathis Tuberose, which smelled pretty good on her for a tuberose. In fact I liked it too. Which will shock any of you that know me, I'm not a fan of tuberose.

It was a lovely perfume day in spite of the traffic, we had a great time. We both too cameras, but neither remembered to take any pictures! Perfume lovers have a one track mind I guess!

Happy Father's Day!

Scent of the Day - Saturday - 06/16/06

Very Busy weekend for me! Stay tuned for new reviews coming soon!
Meanwhile I'm wearing my new Heeley Eau de Menthe From my trip with Dawn to the Scent Bar in Los Angeles Yesterday. Don't worry I'll fill you all in on our adventures as soon as I find a spare minute!!

What are you wearing on this warm weekend?

Scent of the Day - Friday - 06/15/06

No scent for me today - Dawn and I are off to The Scent Bar in LA for some sniffin'

Of course every morning trip to LA must include a breakfast stop at Farmer's Market for strawberry waffles!

Catch you on the flip side! Oh, what are you wearing today?

Photo of the Day - Friday - 06/15/06

Scent of the Day - Thursday - 06/15/06

Ohhhh I can't tell you what I'm wearing!! It's a PREVIEW of another new release!! How lucky am I to get to preview two new fragrances before their release dates?????

Not as popular of a house as Guerlain, but still a major Paris Perfume name. No guessing, because I'm not spilling the beans until my review - coming soon!

What are you wearing today??

Scent of the Day - Wednesday - 06/14/06

I wearing Elizabeth W. - Citrus Vervain.
What are you wearing today?

Scent of the Day - Tuesday - 06/13/06

I'm wearing Marc Jacobs.

What are you wearing today?

Scent of the Day - Monday - 06/12/06

I'm wearing Keep It Fluffy today by B-Never-Too-Busy-to-Be-Beautiful. You can check out my review here:

Keep It Fluffy

What are you wearing today?

Scent of the Day - Sunday - 06/11/06

I'm wearing L'Or Rouge today. Off for a little sniffin' trip to Nordies. What are you wearing?

Photo of the Day - Sunday - 06/11/06

Scent of the Day - Saturday - 06/10/06

I'm wearing Anne Pliska today. What are you wearing?

Sloth - S-Perfume

Sloth opens with a brief citrus burst, which I am guessing is Bergamot, followed by a nice Orange Blossom which persists and is the main theme of the fragrance.

After a while a greenish note comes into play. Something that to me smells of flower stems. Like when you unwrap cut flowers and can smell the green stems as well as the blossoms.

The drydown is a creamy vanilla reminiscent of Boucheron Trouble. Very soft and nice.

A very nice compilation despite its somewhat slovenly sounding name.

This scent was created by Thierry Wasser, Sloth was developed as an art scent for the olfactory installation of the Seven Deadly Sins. You can read more about the project HERE.

You can find S-Perfume Lust and Sloth here: SLOTH

Image with permission: S-Perfume.com

Scent of the Day - Friday - 06/09/06

I'm wearing SLOTH by S-Perfume today. What are you wearing?

I apologize for the trouble with the blogger the past few days. It seems to be all worked out now.

Scent of the Day - Thursday - 06/08/06

I'm wearing S-Perfume today. What are you wearing?

Scent of the Day - Wednesday - 06/07/06

I'm wearing 100% Love {MORE} again today. What are you wearing?

100% Love {MORE} - S-Perfume

What can be MORE than 100%? Well 100% Love {MORE} of course!

Last year when I tried 100% Love, I immediately fell in love. One of those times when wow, it hits you, this is different. This one is special. Then you run around like a crazy person sending samples to everyone and wearing it everyday. You love it, you want to bathe in it, in fact you want a big huge vat of it. And because this scent was so delicate and ethereal I wanted a lot MORE of it. More oomph, more Love to love!

100% Love was included in my pick of the Best of 2005. You can read my review of the original by Clicking Here.

Well the angels heard my prayers - soon rumors of a stronger version of 100% Love were circulating. And now I finally have the sample in my hot little hands! And what do I want? More of course! I want a whole bottle! It has the same qualities of the original but it's more beefy. Loosing some of its airy ethereal feeling, this version has more presence, more sillage. Still velvety smooth, like rose water on skin, and a bit more chocolately. The incense note that eluded me in the original is slightly more detectable here. What can be more romantic than roses and chocolate and incense? If you loved 100% Love, I'm sure you will love the {More} version too. One of the most unique fragrances I have ever smelled.

You can find the new {MORE} version here: 100% Love {MORE}

Image with permission: S-Perfume.com

Photo of the Day - Wednesday - 06/07/06

Düsseldorf, Germany

Scent of the Day - Tuesday - 06/06/06

I'm wearing 100% Love {MORE}today. What are you wearing?

S-eX - S-Perfume

This fragrance blew me away. It was in a word ... unexpected.

This is not cumin or civet or indolic. This is not Boudoir or Kingdom or Dinner. This is sex. And in a different way than that which I have come to expect. It is a masculine scent, but not like the category; but rather as in - masculinity itself. It made me feel restless and I'm not sure if this is something I could ever wear, but rather dream of a lover wearing it. It is hands on bare skin, the warmth of breath on your neck, the scent of a worn a cotton shirt that gives you goose bumps when you smell it.

Created by Christophe Laudamiel. Does it live up to its name? Absolutely.

Notes from the S-Perfume website:
PARFUM SPRAY @18%
Net Quantity: 60ml / 2 oz. Notes: salt, oxygen, spirit of life, camellia, willow, white leather, skin musk, malt, strawberry, baroque musk, black leather Scent

More S-Perfume reviews to follow - stay tuned this week!
Photo used with permission - S-Perfume

Photo of the Day - Tuesday - 06/06/06

Antwerp, Belgium

Insolence - Guerlain

Exclusive!! Insolence - Guerlain's newest fragrance scheduled for release in the USA in August. It comes in a lovely round bottom rolley-polley glass falcon with pinkish-violet juice. According to a Guerlain spokesperson, rather than having top-middle-base notes, the fragrance was crafted to have a spiral effect. Violets, iris and berries are the notes I can pick out. I would not say this Guerlain has the Guerlaide feel to it, but lovers of Apres L'Ondee will find it familiar. Like a heartier version with iris and berry. The sillage and lasting ability are quite good.

I have to say I think Guerlain missed the mark here, the juice should have been more violet. Violet to reflect the violets and iris in the composition. The color violet would also help bridge the age gap between teenagers and older adults. I'm afraid this might be dismissed as another "young" fragrance otherwise. In as much as so many celebrity scents as of late have been pink. However I'm sure the ads will try to appeal to both with Hilary Swank being chosen as the spokesperson/model.

I'm totally in love with this unique new fragrance and have been wearing it all weekend. It is the kind of scent that keeps you glued to your wrist and makes you want to keep applying more, even when you don't need to. I think Guerlain has a future hit here. Finally a USA release that has elegance, staying power and potential, worthy of a great house such as Guerlain.

Special thanks to my friend who gave me the opportunity to have an advanced preview.

Scent of the Day - Monday - 06/05/06

I'm wearing Insolence today, What are you wearing?

Scent of the Day - Sunday - 06/04/06

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW of a major release coming Monday!!! Stay tuned!!!

Meanwhile I am testing 100% Love {MORE} today, a review of this one will follow next week also!

Photo of the Day - Sunday - 06/04/06

Photos from Cologne, Germany, where it all began. :O)

Photo of the Day - Saturday - 06/03/06

Ok are you sick of my trip photos yet? I'll be getting back to Paris next week. I think. This pic is from Leiden in Holland, where the street is lined with these lovely trees.

Scent of the Day - Saturday - 06/03/06

PDN Eau D'Ete again for me today. I have a decant of this and I must buy a bottle! I love this stuff!

Update: EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW of a major release coming Monday!!!

Scent of the Day - Friday - 06/02/06

PDN Eau D'Ete for me this morning, so light and cool for this unseasonably warm weather we have been having. What I'm trying to say is, it's been HOT. What are you wearing?

Should I be worried that the diet tea my friend brought me to try says:

No Additives - No Conservatives??

Is it just too liberal for me?

Maybe the mudflap girls should have been the first clue?

I dunno.

Photo of the Day - Friday - 06/02/06

In Fine Parfums - Antwerp

So how did you apply your fragrance this morning? Did you spray it on your back, with the help of a friend? This is how I was advised to do it by the SA at In Fine Parfums in Antwerp, Belguim. A very nice parfumerie located near the heart of the old town square. She said that by spraying it on the front, you smell it too constantly, and soon you can't smell it anymore. So by spraying it on your back the fragrance will waft around and you will catch whiffs of it throughout the day. Hummm. Well I wasn't buying into all that static, even though she sprayed my back with a scent that never came around front. But I did get caught up in the sales ploy nonetheless.

Entering the store it was hard to tell what the end game was. There was a table with many bottles of scents, all numbered. You then went down the line, sniffing each scent, and marking down the ones that hit you in a good way, at least initally. There were coffee beans for cleansing the palatte, so I began. Now I'm a very easy to please person, so many of them smelled quite nice. I was setting aside so many, I had to ask what the usual amount should be. When told it was 4-6, I went back and eliminated a few. That being done, I finally narrowed it down to my six favorites. It was now hitting me that these were not single notes, they all were their own compostions. I was wondering what comes next. Do they hand mix all six of your choices into some rare and select perfume that is created just for you? How exciting!

Next came a talk along with illustrations of the fragrance catagories and what each one translated into in terms of personality. Ok, ok, get on with it. I'm warm and sensitive and compasionate, yada, yada. Next she asked me to close my eyes and they let me smell each of the scents again, eliminated one by one by comparison to the one I liked best. At this point my friend and I were full of questions - "What notes are in here?", "This smells just like ...". But no. The notes are secret. The numbers on the bottles are the only idenitfiers. And it seemed Number 53 was my HG. My destiny, my fate. The unique fragrance that was me and only me. And of course anyone else who choose number 53.

Well at this point, I did admittedly really like the scent above all the others and was so caught up in the moment, I bought the scent in the small size for 54 euros. A nice 50ml bottle. I walked out wondering what just happened. Neat trick. Well I really didn't mind because it was fun sniffing all their scents and it was a nice memory from Antwerp I'll always carry with me.

Scent of the Day - Thursday - 06/01/06

Today I'm wearing my In Fine #53. What are you wearing?

Photo of the Day - Thursday - 06/01/06