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Prada Infusion de Rose ~ perfume review

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rose first halfrose second half

I want to love the Ephemeral Infusions series from Prada.1 Infusion d’Iris, the fragrance that inspired the series, is one of my favorite scents, and the packaging, as always from Prada, is picture-perfect. You could almost get me to buy them just for the gorgeous outer boxes (see below), and the perfectly-aligned, dyed-to-match fabric covering the caps.

So I do try to love them. But the “veil of scent” / watercolor concept that worked so well in Infusion d’Iris (and in Prada L’Eau Ambrée, although it is not part of this series) has just seemed, well, wimpy, and dull, in the scents that followed (Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger, Infusion de Tubéreuse & Infusion de Vétiver). It is not just a case of oh-this-is-really-nice-just-not-me, as it was with yesterday’s Jardin Sur Le Toit, but more wow-this-could-have-been-awesome-but-somehow-it’s-just-not.

Still. I like Infusion d’Iris, and I like Prada, and I like the work of the perfumer, Daniela Andrier. So I was happy to hear that rose was up next…

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Rochas Tocade ~ perfume review

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Rochas Tocade perfume advertRochas Tocade perfume advert

When I first started posting on the fragrance discussion board at Makeup Alley, around 2004, I had a very basic idea of what I was looking for in a new fragrance for myself. I knew I loved rose scents, and I was a longtime fan of the rich vanilla in Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Perhaps, I thought, I could find a perfume that combined the two notes. I finally ventured to ask for rose-vanilla fragrance recommendations, and a few veteran members of the discussion board offered suggestions. The one that was most enthusiastically named and seconded by other members was Rochas Tocade, so I set out to try it as soon as possible.

Tocade was created for Rochas by perfumer Maurice Roucel and was released in 1994. Its name translates as “whim” or “caprice,” and its composition includes top notes of magnolia and bergamot, heart notes of rose, orris, and geranium, and base notes of cedarwood and vanilla. Its vaguely silly-looking bottle, designed by Serge Mansau, reminds me of a figure wearing a turtleneck and a conical hat, or a toy for an infant. If had seen that bottle in a store, without knowing anything about the fragrance, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up, but thanks to the good advice I’d received, I was willing to give Tocade a chance.

Tocade is a floriental with a gourmand leaning, and it’s definitely a perfume-y perfume; anyone looking for a fragrance that feels “clean” or “shower-fresh,” or even “airy” or “dewy,” can stop reading here…

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Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose ~ perfume review

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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

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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

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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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