Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose ~ perfume review

Posted by Jessica on 11 February 2011 59 Comments

Norma Talmadge (circa 1919)

Roses are red, violets are blue…and this “valentine” to Lipstick Rose is long overdue. Seriously, I’ve intended to write a review of this fragrance for quite a while, but I kept getting distracted by new releases and so on. Sometimes we tend to take our loved ones for granted, in perfume as in relationships, but I’ve decided not to delay any longer in sharing my thoughts on Lipstick Rose.

Lipstick Rose was launched in 2000 as part of the original product line from Editions de Parfums. It was created for Frédéric Malle by perfumer Ralf Schwieger, and it is described by Editions de Parfums as “a vision of glamorized femininity” that evokes the “bonbon” scent of lipstick; its notes are listed as rose, violet, musk, vanilla, vetiver, and amber. Lipstick Rose has a fizzy, aldehydic opening with a sweet-but-tart raspberry note. The fragrance’s heart is a blend of talc-dusted tea rose petals and violet liqueur that does, yes, remind me of certain highly-scented lipstick brands. After Lipstick Rose’s flirtatious early development, its base of vetiver and soft musk makes a sophisticated appearance. The lasting dry down is a haze of candied violets and plush, ambery vanilla, with that sly musk lingering beneath. This fragrance has excellent staying power and noticeable sillage (particularly during the first hour or so).

Lipstick Rose is something of a paradox…

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Les Parfums de Rosine Secrets de Rose ~ perfume review

Posted by Jessica on 29 January 2011 57 Comments

Rose hip

Secrets de Rose is a new fragrance from Les Parfums de Rosine — at least, fairly new, since Rosine’s releases usually travel to the United States at a leisurely pace. This Eau de Parfum, described as “a rose in black…mysterious and disturbing,” was created in 2009 by perfumer François Robert. It is an “amber floral” with top notes of plum, liquorice, rose essence, bitter orange, and saffron; heart notes of magnolia, ylang, rose absolute, white jasmine, and seeds of cumin; and base notes of sandalwood, Himalaya oak moss, amber resin, labdanum, and musk.

Les Parfums de Rosine has designated Secrets de Rose as the “seductress” of its fragrance family, but this scent really isn’t as heady or animalic as the promotional text would have us believe. Its opening note of bitter orange, accompanied by a breath of cumin and anise, is almost androgynous; there’s also a hint of something that I can’t place, except that it reads as “sour green” to my nose (perhaps galbanum?). Within a half hour, however, Secrets de Rose blooms into a feminine rose-saffron heart that’s smoothly blended and long lasting. A little saffron goes a long way in my personal preferences…

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Velvet & Sweet Pea Orange Blossom and Kashmir Rose Whipped Face & Body Frostings ~ scented body products

Posted by Jessica on 16 January 2011 26 Comments

Velvet & Sweet Pea Whipped Face & Body Frostings

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery is the creation of Laurie Stern, a perfumer who blends her artisanal fragrances from carefully selected botanical ingredients. I first heard about this small company from Trish at Scent Hive, who recently shared some trial-sized amounts of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Face & Body Frostings with me. Fancy body creams are everywhere these days, and it takes a little something extra to impress me, so I’m glad Trish put these products right into my hands. They definitely need to be felt and smelled to be appreciated fully.

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Face & Body Frostings in Orange Blossom and Kashmir Rose are both concocted from a base of organic jojoba oil (infused with Tahitian vanilla beans), organic shea butter, virgin coconut oil, and organic oils of marula, avocado, red raspberry seed, rose hip seed, sesame, safflower, and vitamin E. Orange Blossom Whipped Face & Body Frosting is fragranced with neroli essential oil and blood orange oil. Its scent opens with a clean, bright neroli note, one of the nicest I’ve smelled in a body product in ages, and it turns more citrusy as the product warms on skin…

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Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 7 January 2011 75 Comments

Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige

Lorenzo Villoresi was one of the first niche perfume houses that I ever explored, and Teint de Neige (“the color of snow”) was my immediate favorite from its line of fragrances. Six years later, I still wear Teint de Neige regularly, particularly during the winter months. A small decant of this scent accompanied me on my recent holiday travels; appropriately enough, I happened to be wearing it the day after Christmas, during an attempt to return home during a blizzard. On the long, slow ride back to the New York area, I had plenty of time to contemplate Teint de Neige and my reasons for loving it.

According to the Villoresi website, Teint de Neige evokes “the delicate rosy hue of a powdered face. The unmistakable scent of perfumed powders, the fragrance of face powder, the perfume of talc. . . . An aroma delicately permeated by the richness of the natural extracts of precious flowers, recalling the light, images and atmosphere of the belle-époque.” The “sweet, powdery and floral notes” of its composition are jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, tonka bean, heliotrope, and musk. Teint de Neige really does smell like powder — not baby powder, but some fragranced dusting powder that might have been found on a woman’s dressing table circa 1900. In its texture and its construction, it also feels like a Belle Époque gown: heavy, pale, and soft, but “corseted” into place…

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Vanilla fragranced lotions, revisited ~ scented body products

Posted by Jessica on 2 January 2011 36 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been nearly three years since I wrote a post about vanilla lotions, with suggestions for fragrance layering; but time has indeed flown, and the new year seems like as good a time as any to revisit some favorite themes. I still agree with my own recommendations from that earlier post, and now I can add another half-dozen ideas for products that feature vanilla, often mixed with other notes for results that may also appeal to the non-vanilla-lovers among us.

First, an option that’s traditional all around: Caswell-Massey Vanilla Orchid Hand & Body Lotion (above center), from the venerable toiletries company. Even though its name mentions the flower of the vanilla plant, this is a rich gourmand vanilla with a caramel note. If you’re really in the mood for some head-to-toe vanilla-bean sweetness, you could also try the matching shower gel, dusting powder, and Eau de Toilette. ($17, currently on sale for $12.75, at the Caswell-Massey website)

I have a weakness for certain high-end natural lines, and since I already loved certain skincare and haircare products from this company, it wasn’t surprising that I fell for John Masters Blood Orange and Vanilla Body Milk (above right). This light lotion is packed with antioxidant-rich oils, soothing botanicals like comfrey leaf, and extracts of vanilla, honeysuckle, blood orange oil, and grapefruit peel oil for fragrance. It smells like a Creamsicle…

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Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose ~ perfume review

Les Parfums de Rosine Secrets de Rose ~ perfume review

Velvet & Sweet Pea Orange Blossom and Kashmir Rose Whipped Face & Body Frostings ~ scented body products

Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige ~ fragrance review

Vanilla fragranced lotions, revisited ~ scented body products