Fragrance

Editors’ Note: Ever wonder what makes it out of the beauty closet and into our personal beauty routines? Despite the numerous samples we’re lucky enough to test, some of us are very selective about what we use everyday while others like to have a bit of fun! Our new feature, “Editor’s Closet,” will highlight a few beauty products a TDO editor is using that month…hope you enjoy and we welcome your feedback! (more…)

I’ve said many, many times on this site that I don’t like floral scents, so I was just as surprised as anyone when I picked up a bottle of STELLANUDE at Sephora, gave it a spritz, and fell instantly in love.  (Especially because I bought the original Stella years ago and ended up giving it away because it just didn’t suit me).  But STELLANUDE is totally me.  It does have floral notes in it, but I think the fact that it also has other contrasting notes is what makes it so different.

Here’s a list of all the notes it contains:  Moroccan Rose, Grapefruit, White Peony, Pink Pepper, Precious Vanilla, Grey Amber, and Musk.  I usually like scents with grapefruit, vanilla, or musk, so maybe those are the difference makers in this scent.  I’m not sure, but I do know that I haven’t stopped wearing it since I got it.  It’s really light and delicate – almost a mix between a floral and the fresh scents that I usually wear and it’s not overpowering, which is one my main problems with some florals.  It makes me feel very girly when I wear it too – like I want to put on a dress and my favorite heels and go out to a nice dinner.  Interestingly enough, the scent is also available in a Linen Scented Mist to spray on your sheets, which sounds delightful.  I must pursue owning it immediately…

(more…)

Ask anyone who knows me what my all time favorite fragrance brand is and they’ll immediately tell you that it’s CLEAN.  (Even my mom, who I’m pretty sure tunes me out on the phone at this point when I go on and on about a product I’m obsessed with, knows it.) When I found out that they were coming out with two new scents for the summer, I couldn’t ask for samples fast enough. (more…)

Now that the season is changing for the warmer, I finally got a chance to try a new addition to the Acqua di Parma Blu Meditteraneo fragrance line: Bergamotto di Calabria. The Blu Meditteraneo line aims at capturing the sparkling beauty of the Italian Mediterranean, and Bergamotto really does so perfectly! It’s a citrus blend inspired by the bergamot fruit that grows in the lands around the Mediterranean.

Acqua di Parma sent me small samples to try a few weeks ago, but I held off as the weather here was way too wintry. I finally got a chance to wear the scent while I was out in sunny California and totally fell in love. Bergamotto di Calabria is really fresh and vivacious at first with the bergamot notes, and then softens a bit with floral aspects. The dry down is warm and rich. I don’t usually go for citrus scents, but this one is just so vibrant. Keep reading for the note breakdown and be sure to check it out for yourself! (more…)

We adore the candle line, Paddywax, created by Gretchen Hollingsworth. What started out as a whim, it is now a 14 year old company with many fans (like us!). Paddywax is probably best known for their gorgeously scented and imaginative candles with elegant packaging – together, making the product irresitable! Gretchen clearly has a “nose” for beautiful things, so let’s find out what she’s obsessing about this month! (more…)

Leslie Blodgett has added a new scent, Golden Light, to her Perfume Diaries line and it’s perfect for the spring and summer weather we’re heading into.  To create this one, Leslie was inspired by both floral scents and the bright colors from her mother’s flower garden in Long Island.  Normally, this would instantly make me think that the scent wouldn’t be for me because I’m not a huge fan of florals, but there’s so many other interesting notes in Golden Light that it turns out to be a fantastic addition to my fragrance wardrobe.  It’s a mix of citrus, floral and woodsy notes that all combine to make a light, uplifting scent that just makes me smile when I spritz it on.  Here’s the full list of notes in the Eau de Parfum:

• Top Notes – Mandarin, Kiwi, Bergamot
• Mid Notes – Juicy Red Currant, Water Lily, Honeysuckle, White Peony
• Bottom Notes – Teak Wood, Musk, Orris

I really like the combination of citrus and musk – it manages to be feminine, but not overly sweet, and it lingers on my skin for hours.  I’m wearing it right now and I keep sniffing my wrist as I’m typing this, which is always my test for how much I like a scent.  I’m happy that there’s also a Golden Shimmering Body Cream and several options for making the scent portable, including a Rollerball and a Solid Perfume Compact.  Now I can layer the scent AND take it with me.  Love that!  Available at Sephora.

I fell for the Harajuku Girls fragrances the second I saw the bottles they came in (the fact that I love the scents is just a bonus!) but if possible, I love the Sunshine Cuties version of them even more.  The bottles have been redesigned so that the girls are dressed for the summer in bathing suits with tans and cute accessories.  (I dare you not to smile when you look at Love with her huge sunglasses and flower in her hair.  Adorable!)

Even better, the fragrances have all been tweaked a little to come in new, warmer weather versions, so you can totally justify buying them again because you’re getting even more fun scents.  (At least, that’s how I justify it to myself!)  It’s a tough call, but I think my favorite is still Lil’ Angel – there’s just something about the fun, fruity scent that I can’t get enough of in both versions.  Here’s what you’ll find in the Sunshine Cuties versions: (more…)

As much as I love fruity fragrances, for some reason, DKNY’s apple scented ones were never my favorites.  So when they released three new limited-edition fragrances, all a variation on the apple theme, I totally expected to spritz them on at Sephora, shake my head, and keep on walking.  This totally shows that once again, I really have no anticipation skills whatsoever because I ended up falling for two of them – the Juicy Berry Candy Apple and the Ripe Raspberry Candy Apple. (more…)