My favourite perfumes!

There are people who are veritable perfume connoisseurs; they can make insightful comments about the history of fragrance and about notes and combinations and they know of obscure perfumeries and scoff at concoctions made by celebrities. I am not one of those people.  I wear perfume sparingly despite the fact that I can’t remember a day when my mother left the house without perfume on, or didn’t have at least 4-5 different perfume bottles on the bathroom mirror. Nevertheless, I do enjoy a nice perfume and since I wear different ones for different occasions, I have developed strong mental associations with certain perfumes; after all it’s a well-known fact that the olfactory and memory centres are related in the brain. So without further ado, here are the perfumes I’ve liked and worn over the years (the quoted descriptions are courtesy of fragantica.com and jomalone.com):

24 Faubourg by Hermes 

“24 Faubourg is an invitation on a journey where the sun is the destination. Top notes of brilliant white flowers, matched by a floral heart, are enveloped in iris,wood and mystery. Vanilla and ambergris lend the tone to its afternote.”

This was a gift from my parents and I initially disliked the smell, but I was fond of the case it came in so it always had a prominent place on my dresser. I think the reason I didn’t like it at first is because this is a perfume designed for older women and I couldn’t appreciate its allure in my early twenties.  It has a very distinct aroma, I never found a perfume quite like it, and even though it’s on the heavier side, it’s not overpowering if you don’t go crazy with the spritzing. It has amazing longevity; you can still smell a ghost of its presence days after washing the clothes. I’m grateful for being given this perfume because it’s not something I’d seek myself and it’s a testament of how sometimes we don’t really know our own very tastes in things!

Le Premier Parfum by Lolita Lempicka

“It opens with notes of ivy leaf, pineapple, lemon, rosewood, sour cherry and anise. The heart features lily of the valley, rose, jasmine, licorice, violet and iris based on sweet almond, vanilla, heliotrope, tonka bean, musk, praline and vetiver.”

I love this perfume and its sibling the ‘Lolita Lempicka’ fragrance, and I have gone through several bottles through the years. It’s a very sweet and heavy-ish perfume that can get a bit overbearing if one accidentally sprays on too much, but in smaller doses it’s very flattering and memorable. The bottle is beautiful although the design is not particularly unique since many perfumes bottles nowadays have a similar shape (for instance, the Nina Ricci ones).

Sun by Jill sander

“Citrussy top notes are just like the bright sunshine rays, sunny and fresh, composed of sweet orange blossom. The floral heart is an unusual bouquet of iris, ylang-ylang, heliotrope and carnation. The base is warm and sweet due to vanilla, while tonka, cedar and benzoin also lend their warm character to the composition.”

This perfume is very aptly named because the smell does indeed induce thoughts of sunshine and sun-filled days. It’s a very happy perfume for a lack of a better description; it’s uplifting and fresh and perfect for going out and about in sunny mornings.

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

“Top notes are orange, mandarin orange, orange blossom and bergamot; middle notes are mimosa, jasmine, Turkish rose, and ylang-ylang; base notes are tonka beans, patchouli, opponax, vanilla, vetiver and white musk.”

I mostly like sweet perfumes but Coco Mademoiselle is the exception to that rule as it’s sourer than I normally go for. But it’s a beautiful fragrance, not too heavy or too light, a perfect combination of sweet and sour and a truly refined scent that is appropriate for all times of the day.

Hypnotic Poison by Dior

“Top notes are apricot, plum and coconut; middle notes are tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, brazilian rosewood and caraway; base notes are sandalwood, almond, vanilla and musk.”

This is a very popular perfume, I frequently happen upon women wearing it and it’s not hard to see why; it has a very strong, distinctive and quite sexy smell. I would characterize it as bitter-sweet. I think it’s more suited to evening wear and it’s one of those perfumes that are bound to procure compliments.

English Pear and Freesia by Jo Malone

“English Pear & Freesia, a scent that is inspired by a walk in an orchard and captures the luscious scent of just-ripe pears, cooled by the autumn air, ready to twist free from the tree. Experience the surprising, sensuous freshness of sweet pears, wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias, on a subtle background of scrambling wild roses and skin-warming amber, patchouli and woods.”

I wear this perfume frequently because it’s subtle and refreshing but the smell is not generic or boring. It’s funny but I’ve always thought that if it were an outfit, it’d be a perfectly elegant, understated yet charming outfit and I’d wear it without a moment’s hesitation. The notes are floral and fruity but nothing like the perfumes geared towards teenage girls. It’s more appropriate for spring and summer time and it lasts reasonably well.

Other perfumes I liked over the years but haven’t worn as much:

• Mimosa pour moi by L’artisan parfumeur 
• D&G by Dolce & Gabbana
• Candy by Prada
• Blv by Bvlgari
• Cheap and chic by Moschino

What are your favourite perfumes? Do you have a signature scent? Please share in the comments, I love to hear other people's favourites!

Favourite model of the moment: Arizona Muse

I'll admit, I first heard about her because of her connection to Freja Beha Ericksen, but I recently decided to have a look at her Fashion Spot thread and was absolutely amazed! Arizona apparently appeared on the fashion scene radar in 2008 but took a break thereafter in order to have her son. A year and a half and one pretty haircut later she started making a name for herself in the industry. On her debut fashion week she walked numerous runways including Prada and landed various editorial jobs. She has already appeared in many campaigns (such as Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and Isabel Marant) and magazine spreads (most recently in Vogue Paris). It was just announced that she will be the new face of Estee Lauder. I can't pinpoint what it is exactly that makes her so appealing - she's obviously very beautiful, but I think she also possesses an old Hollywood glamour and grace that translates great on the photographic lense. A good model must of course be a chameleon and Arizona definitely succeeds in that aspect in my opinion. I showed some pictures of her to my mum (granted in them Arizona sported drastically different hairdos) and she couldn't believe it was the same person! Moreover, if her interviews are anything to go by, Arizona seems genuinely down to earth and very serious about her work. She also participated in a fund-raising effort along with other famous models for the 'Doctors without borders' organization. I really hope Arizona will stay in the bussiness for many years to come and I look forward to see what the fashion future holds for her. Which are your favourite models of the moment? Please share in the comments below!

June Favourites

1. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Rebelle

This is more hydrating than the regular Rouge Coco line but it's more sheer as well. 

The colour does not translate the same on the lips as it looks on the stick -it's more 

pink/red than red. But the fact that it's sheer and a tad glossy makes it perfect for 

the summer time!

 

2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Hair Treatment

I love this hair mask. It's affordable, smells great and does the trick of untangling
my unrully hair, leaving them soft and manageable.
 

3. Concentrated Reconstructing Serum by Algenist

I purchased an introduction kit by Algenist from my local Sephora that included a
face cream, an eye balm and a 15 ml bottle of the serum. Having tried all of them I
have to say the serum was my favourite by far. Light texture which still managed to
 moisturize my skin that I sometimes skipped adding moisturizer on top. I didn't see
any improvement on fine lines but that was probably because I only had a small bottle
and didn't use it long enough. If it weren't so expensive I'd definitely buy the full size.

4. Sun by Jil Sander

This is my go-to summer perfume. It's very light but still manages to leave an 

impression and it's perfect if like your perfumes to be discreet and not too overpowering. 

The notes in this one include iris, ylang-ylang, heliotrope, carnation, vanilla, while 

tonka, cedar and benzoin.

5. Kerastase Elixir Ultime

A hair serum that smells divine (though if you don't like heavily scented hair products 

this might not be for you) and has a sleek oily texture that you warm up between your 

fingers and then apply to the hair as a conditioning treatment. I have colour treated hair 

and this takes out the coarseness and makes them look healthy and shiny again.

April Favourites

1. REN Clearcalm3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.

This is a face cleanser by organic skin care brand REN. It is clay based, meaning it doesn't really foam up, but it does a marvelous job of drawing out impurities from pores and leaving the skin feeling extremeley clean. Suprisingly enough, it doesn't dry me out at all which is definitely a bonus! I'm on my second bottle and I see myself getting a new one when I run out.

2. Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

I got this as a gift from a friend and I really love it. It's a very thick cream with a lovely, unique scent that soothes my hands even on the coldest days. Even though it has a very rich texture it absorbs nicely into the skin, leaving behind a waft of aroma.

3. Dr. Wu Anti-Oxidant Whitening Lotion With Fullerene RS

I didn't really know anything about this lotion before I purchased it, so I didn't know what to expect but now having used up all of it I can say that it's a very nice product. What I love most of all is the texture: it's neither too thick nor too runny, it gets absorbed like a charm, and it's a joy to apply. I haven't noticed any whitening effects per se, but my skin is moisturized and plump and I have peace of mind knowing that the lotion has anti-oxidants inside that MUST be doing some kind of work, fighting the anti-aging good fight ^_^

4. Bumble & Bumble Leave In Conditioner

My hair is super tangly so I'm always in need of a leave-in conditioner to be able to comb it through. This one by Bumble and Bumble is light with a very discreet scent, does not weigh my hair down and makes my it quite manageable. Thumbs up!

5. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

I decided to buy this after all the good reports it was getting online and it lived up to the hype. A while ago, I had a massive break-out with embarassingly huge pimples and this concealer helped me through it. It sets fairly quickly on the skin so you should work quickly with it but once on, it doesn't budge. I wore it for more that 10 hours straight and it was still working its magic!