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Browsing by tag: cheap thrills

Helen of Troy (Faberge) Brut and Dana English Leather ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 25 August 2011 63 Comments

Let’s just get the bad news out of the way now: Brut no longer comes with a darling little necklace glued around its collar. The good news is that English Leather still has its wooden cap. As for how the fragrances have held up over the years, I can’t say, since I haven’t smelled the old versions. But, in my opinion, both fragrances still have their charms.

A quick visit to Brut World informs us that Helen of Troy Brut is the “Essence of Man.” Brut World doesn’t give a lot of information about the fragrance, except to describe its ten products, six of which are forms of deodorant. But it does provide a long list of features defining the Brut Man, including: “He has conviction, but is never convicted.” (Always reassuring.) “He has been the hundredth caller.” (Not sure if this means he’s won at a game show or what.) And my favorite, “He prefers things shaken, not stirred. But he will stir for others if that’s what they like.”

Fabergé launched Brut, created by the aptly named Karl Mann, in 1964…

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Idea Fragrances Company (Evyan) White Shoulders ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 24 August 2011 80 Comments

Evyan White Shoulders advertalt=

I’d be willing to bet White Shoulders was the first perfume many of you owned — or pilfered a drop or two from your mom’s dresser. From the fragrance’s tawny pink packaging with a gold cameo and font that looks like it was lifted from a Marquess’s personal letter, to its lush white floral scent, for me White Shoulders was the ne plus ultra of class.

And then I grew up. To be fair, White Shoulders changed a lot over the years, too. When it was first released in 1945, the Hartnell perfume company, later renamed Evyan Perfumes, manufactured it. Over the years, White Shoulders bounced from Evyan to Elizabeth Arden to Parfums International, and now to a company I’ve never heard of, Idea Fragrances Company. No doubt its formula changed and cheapened. Now for six dollars and a trip to Walmart, you can own a quarter ounce of White Shoulders Parfum…

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Dana Classic Fragrances (Cover Girl) Navy ~ perfume review

Posted by Angela on 23 August 2011 67 Comments

Cover Girl NavyCover Girl Navy

Dana Classic Fragrances Navy Eau de Cologne. I remembered the ads with their crisp motif of navy blue and stripes (it was Cover Girl Navy in those days), and the bottle, a deco-inspired oval, reinforced the image. The Dana website describes the fragrance as “a refreshing classic citrus floral blend of Rose, Jasmine and Orange Flower with a hint of sweet spices of Coriander and Cinnamon.” Further research showed it debuted in 1990. This should be a light, tidy fragrance, I thought. A great contrast to yesterday’s review of Chantilly and perfect for a summer day.

Not.

Navy is a floral oriental loaded with powder and old-fashioned orange flower. Refreshing? As refreshing as a dusty eiderdown comforter in August. Citrus? Not unless you count the “orange” in “orange flower.” Navy? Even the Village People would have trouble with that one. Navy and Chantilly are sisters, but where Chantilly accepted her lot in life and is running with it, Navy needs therapy…

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Dana Classic Fragrances (Houbigant) Chantilly ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 22 August 2011 98 Comments

Houbigant Chantilly advertHoubigant Chantilly advert

Welcome to drugstore week! While Robin is on vacation, I’m going to treat you to reviews of fragrances you can buy with your lunch money. First up: Dana Classic Fragrances Chantilly.

My first memory of Chantilly involves a gift set an uncle gave me for Christmas and an elderly woman who did handwriting analysis and numerology. I couldn’t have been much more than twelve years old, and in those days, Houbigant made Chantilly. Before embarking on the visit to the handwriting analysis lady with my mother and little sister, I gave myself the full Chantilly treatment — bubble bath, lotion, and a slick of Eau de Toilette. A six-foot Chantilly zone surrounded me.

In the end, I over Chantilly-ed and couldn’t wear it again. Eventually the Eau de Toilette turned brown and I threw it out. But a whiff from the bottle I picked up for this review, and it all came back…

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Alvarez Gomez Agua de Colonia Concentrada ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 4 August 2011 18 Comments

Alvarez Gomez boutiqueAlvarez Gomez Agua de Colonia Concentrada

Alvarez Gomez is a Madrid-based, family-owned business that dates back to 1899, and Agua de Colonia Concentrada is its signature product. This traditional cologne is reportedly an easy item to find in shops throughout Spain, but it was virtually unknown in the United States until MiN New York began importing the Alvarez Gomez line last year. According to the company, Agua de Colonia Concentrada is “a very fresh, clean and natural-smelling cologne enhanced with carefully chosen essences of Mediterranean plants, flowers and fruit”; its official notes are Spanish lavender, lemon, geranium, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, English lavender and bergamot.

Agua de Colonia Concentrada was created in 1912, and Alvarez Gomez claims that its formula remains unchanged. I don’t know whether that’s entirely possible, but in any case, this fragrance does smell timeless, as a classic cologne should. It’s a strongly citrus-based interpretation of Eau de Cologne, with a tart, bright lemon note that evokes the peel as well as the pulp of the fruit. The lemon is almost brilliant for the first few minutes on skin; when you smell it, you’ll understand why Alvarez Gomez has chosen such a vibrant yellow for its packaging…

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