Senteurs d’Ailleurs in Brussels now has Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile in a new Eau de Parfum concentration:
This new version is even more sensual and enveloping as the iris flower travels through the whole olfactory pyramid leaving a vibrant and velvety trace that lingers for hours. A chypre blend…
Fico di Amalfi is the latest release from Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo line. The fragrance features notes of tangerine, bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, cedar, fig nectar, pink pepper, jasmine, fig wood, musk and cedar.
Fico di Amalfi starts with dry, very tart citrus. The fig comes on as the citrus settles, but it is subtle, considerably more so than in my all time favorite of favorites (in the fig category, that is), Diptyque Philosykos. As in Philosykos, the fig is dry and woody, and does not have a particularly foody feel. Fico di Amalfi is a bit less green, and has a nice kick of pink pepper over the woody base…
From Jo Malone, a set of six travel sized bottles of cologne, including Orange Blossom, Vintage Gardenia, Grapefruit, Amber & Lavender, French Lime Blossom, and Lime Basil & Mandarin. $80 at jomalone or neimanmarcus.
From Acqua di Parma, a Lavanda Tonica gift set with a 50 ml bottle of Eau de Toilette, a 200 ml tube of bath gel and soap. $63 at parfum1.
From Florence Gunnarson, a set of five bath oils for $38: No. 67, Wild Fern, Mary Black, White Blossom and Deco 23. I love this packaging!
From Bvlgari, a coffret with travel sizes of Bvlgari Pour Femme, Rose Essentielle and Voile de Jasmin. $65 at sephora.
From Aftelier perfumes, a gift set with a miniature fragrance, a body oil, face elixir and sugar body scrub. $130.
For the stocking, from Perfumeria Girl, lip balms in apple, banana, pear, or red currant. $6 at makeupheaven.
Devotees of Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo Capri Orange (formerly Arancia) Eau de Toilette already know that the bergamot, mandarin, lemon and orange fragrance is one of the most pure, bright and happy citrus perfumes around. The matching lip balm carries that same clear sunshiny scent, and applying it to one’s lips is like inhaling the smell of an orange grove in summer. The balm also boasts fabulous moisturizing power — a coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter formula creates a thin but emollient and lasting barrier against dryness. It is supposedly enriched with vitamins for “free radical defense,” and has the far less debatable benefit of broadband UVA and UVB SPF 20 protection as well.
The lip balm comes encased in a turquoise blue metallic tube which certainly looks attractive, but the metal is so thin and light it feels flimsy, and the fact that the balm inside is molded into a narrow sculpted lipstick-wedge instead of a traditional solid cylinder of wax only compounds the impression. The printed white lettering on the outside also chips and rubs off easily. This makes it look cheap, but it is anything but: at $27 – $30 for a 5 ml tube, it is one of the most expensive lip balms you can buy…
What's in a name? According to researchers at Oxford University, it can affect how we perceive smells.
But don't be surprised if your rose doesn't smell as much like a rose as it used to. According to this article (link no longer working, sorry), flower breeders have concentrated on color to the detriment of scent.
Acqua di Parma's Iris Nobile fragrance was inspired by an iris garden near Florence. Read about it in the Times Online.