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Browsing by author: Jessica

Sonoma Scent Studio Yin and Ylang ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 4 April 2014 21 Comments

Cananga odorata, ylang ylang

This month, independent perfumery Sonoma Scent Studio releases a new fragrance named Yin and Ylang, whose concept and inspiration were provided by Michelyn Camen of CaFleureBon. Yin and Ylang features “beautiful floral notes that meld into a woodsy drydown”: bergamot, blood orange, soft aldehydes, beeswax absolute, ylang complete oil, jasmine sambac absolute, tuberose absolute, rose damascones, ginger CO2, Mysore sandalwood oil, oakmoss absolute, amber, patchouli, vanilla and musk.

I was intrigued by Yin and Ylang’s description and notes when they were first announced, because I happen to love ylang ylang and I’ve enjoyed many of Sonoma Scent Studio perfumer Laurie Erickson’s previous floral fragrances…

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Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Oil ~ scented body product review

Posted by Jessica on 28 March 2014 11 Comments

Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Oil

I’ve wholeheartedly embraced the beauty oil trend of the past few years. I’ve been a fan of body oils for a while, and now that I’ve incorporated facial oils and hair oils into my regimen as well, I keep wanting to recommend them to other people. My latest crush in this product category is Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Oil. Its ingredients (all organic) are argan oil, soy oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, camelina oil, rosemary, horsetail and essential oils, and its scent is “the clean and intoxicating aroma of lavender perfectly partnered with an invigorating clary sage and a touch of rosemary.”

What exactly does one do with a hair oil? Just think of it as an intensive, leave-in moisturizing product…

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Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Couture ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 21 March 2014 24 Comments

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Couture

This month Guerlain released La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Couture, a flanker to La Petite Robe Noire — the 2012 version, as Robin recently explained, not the 2009 or 2011 versions.1 This new interpretation reportedly combines “fresh floral notes” with “ultra-refined woody notes” in a composition of raspberry, bergamot, rose essence, rose absolute, patchouli, moss, vetiver and tonka bean. It was developed by Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser.

As you may remember, I was not terribly fond of 2012’s La Petite Robe Noire. I do prefer this Eau de Parfum Couture version, because I find it softer and less aggressively youthful…

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Mark Buxton Perfumes Sleeping with Ghosts ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 14 March 2014 4 Comments

Mark Buxton Perfumes Sleeping with Ghosts

Sleeping with Ghosts, promoted by perfumer Mark Buxton as a “fantasy of extreme tenderness,” is one of six fragrances in the recently repackaged Mark Buxton Perfumes collection. It includes notes of tagete, quince, peony, leather, vetiver and vanilla, and it is described as “seeking for the unexpected beauty…lost in the dark world…who is it?”

I like the names of the perfumes in this collection (Black Angel and Emotional Rescue are two others that appeal to me), and I wonder whether Sleeping with Ghosts borrowed its name from an album by alternative rock band Placebo. In a 2003 interview, Placebo frontman Brian Molko discussed “Sleeping with Ghosts”‘ theme of lost relationships, saying, “The album title’s about carrying the ghosts of your relationships with you, to the point where sometimes a smell or a situation or an item of clothing they bought brings a person back…”

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Reminiscence Tonka ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 7 March 2014 21 Comments

tonka beans

Reminiscence is one of those smaller brands that I don’t think about as often as I should, but when I do think about it, I remember how much I like it. It’s primarily a Paris-based jewelry company dating back to the 1970s, with a line of cheerful bohemian-chic fragrances that fits its design aesthetic. Tonka is a recent release (2013), developed by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin. It belongs to Reminiscence’s “Les Classiques” fragrance collection (joining Vanille, Ambre, Patchouli and Musc), and it is an oriental gourmand with notes of bergamot, anise, clove, jasmine, honey, cistus, bitter almond, tonka bean, vanilla and musk.

I’d never heard of tonka until I started reading fragrance message boards in the early 2000s…

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