Tuesday 24 January 2012

Winter Scents

O beautiful winters. Of cornflower blue skies and inky long, silent nights. Of  creamy hot soups that soothes the soul, and snuggling up in front of a roaring fire. An ode to wintertime is: Soft fluffy duvets and long hot baths. Colorful mittens and snugly wool scarves. Listening to whistling wind, and waking up to soft fluffy snow.
Now is the time when you can get away with the sweetest and heaviest of perfumes. Warm, spicy vanilla laden fragrances, that in any other season you would feel a bit cautious to wear.






IIn the spirit of this beautiful season, I would like to share some of my favorite (winter appropriate if there is such a thing! mainstream perfumes. These are easily available worldwide at different price rates. You might like to buy one for yourself, as a gift, or most importantly, tell someone special that you reaallllly want it :) (hint! hint! Valentine's day is near)
Below is an example of a few notes that you should keep in mind for a winter purchase. There are no hard and fast rules, it's all commonsense really.
Some notes to Look out for: Amber, Vanilla, warm woods, nuts, spices, warm musks, Creamy citruses
Notes to avoid during colder months: Fresh Citruses, aquatic notes, tropical fruits or accords that remind you of summer like cucumber,watermelon etc





Versace Crystal Noir
A spicy warm coconut with woods and Amber
PERFUME NOTES: Ginger, Cardamom, Pepper, Gardenia, Peoney, African Orange Flower,Sandalwood, Amber and Musk.



L`Or de Torrente Torrente for women

A coffee lovers dream come true! This is a beautiful perfume with hints of rose, coffee and woods.
PERFUME NOTES: Magnolia, Litchi, Blackcurrant, Kiwi, Mandarin Orange, Iris, Coffee, Cedar, Angelica, Rose, Vanilla, Cappuccino, Precious Woods and White Amber.



This has to be the best thing to wake up to...
WINTER WONDERLAND


Dior Hypnotic Poison
If you like the scent of marzipan or bitter almonds mixed with vanilla, this perfume is for you. My personal favorite.
PERFUME NOTES: Allspice, Plum, Apricot, Coconut, Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily of the valley, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Almond and Vanilla.

Armani Code For Women
Spicy honey laden bitter oranges with a touch of white flowers. Modern yet sensual.
PERFUME NOTES: Jasmine, Bitter Orange, Italian Orange, Honey, Orange Blossom and Vanilla.

The One by D&G
A warm Oriental Floral, with the golden sweetness of peaches and vanilla. Smells divine in colder months,
PERFUME NOTES: Litchi, Mandarin orange, Peach, Bergamot, Lily, Plum, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Amber, Musk, Vanilla And Vetiver.

Harajuku Lovers Jingle G

Decked out in a festive red and white suit, Jingle G is a warm and comforting fruity oriental with soft vanilla and woods.

PERFUME NOTES: Gardenia, Tangerine, Starfruit, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Orange Flower, Vanilla, Cedar and Lace Benzoin Tears.

Hermes Elixir des Merveilles

A spicy woody scent with hints of caramel, chocolate covered orange peel, balsam and resins. You can read my review on it HERE
PERFUME NOTES: Peru Balsam, Vanilla Sugar, Tonka Bean, Caramel, Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Incense, Orange Peel, Creamy Milk, Oak And Ambergris.

FANCY BY JESSICA SIMPSON
A warm Oriental Vanilla with notes of almonds and fruits. Cozy and comforting. Perfect for days when you're craving warm rich desserts.
PERFUME NOTES: Pear, Apricot, Red berries, Gardenia, Jasmine, Almond, Caramel, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Amber.


PRADA L 'EAU AMBREE
A sophisticated woody amber for chilly provocative nights.Velvety soft and musky.
PERFUME NOTES: Amalfi Lemon, Citruses, Patchouli, Rose, Opoponax, Amber And Vanilla


L 'INSTANT de GUERLAIN
A powdery sweet floral with hints of honey and vanilla.
PERFUMENOTES: Bergamot, Red Apple, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine, Iris, Ylang Ylang, Magnolia, Musk, Benzoin, White Honey and Vanilla.



CHANEL ALLURE SENSUELLE
A powdery oriental with sensual spices and frankincense.
PERFUME NOTES: Patchouli, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Peach, Iris, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Labdunim, Turkish Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Pink Pepper, Sandalwood, Spices, Lavender, Vetiver And Vanilla.


SAMSARA BY GUERLAIN
A classic for Guerlain fans. A Sensual, sophisticated, woodsy fragrance to brighten up cold gloomy days. A MUST for sandalwood lovers.
PERFUME NOTES:Peach, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, Green Notes, Bergamot, Rose, Iris, Jasmine, Violet, Orris Root, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber, Vanilla And Musk.

And on my wish list.......
If this picture could be translated into a perfume

then this would be it...

This perfume was a limited edition and is almost impossible to find now. It was launched in 2005, Top note is fir; middle notes are pine and resin; base notes are opoponax, vanille and sugar.
Sigh! This perfume would be my dream perfume for winters. It's like a walk in the forest with snow covered treetops surrounded by pines and resins.
Image courtesy:Pinterest, google and weheartit

Let me know in the comments below if you have tried any of the perfumes mentioned, and how you liked them?
What are your favorite winter scents?






Monday 23 January 2012

Anna Sui Forbidden Affair Perfume Review

Anna sui is an American Fashion designer with Chinese origins, and is known for her colorful, cheerful, vivid designs. She is also famous for her fragrances, cosmetics and eye-wear and has stores across 50 countries world wide. You can see her playful side in her creations...
A bouquet of nail colors

Anna Sui palace sparkle nail colors


Same goes for her perfume bottles.....


emmm....these kind of give me the creeps!

I've always had a weak spot for gorgeous packaging. Don't we all? ;)
I had a little test vial of Ana's perfume 'Forbidden Affair' that I decided to review
sorry for the bad lighting. Let's head over to google and see how the packaging actually looks like...


Love the cascading glass all around the edges...

 And the elegant crown shaped ring...



ANNA SUI: Live inside a fairytale fantasy! Dabbing a little forbidden affair fragrance behind each ear is like putting on a Tiara. Enter through the gates of the forbidden affair garden and find your prince charming. Discover what it feels like to live happily ever after!
Enticing piece of writing. Head over to her website and be part of her magical world. It really is worth a visit.
The whole design concept is dedicated to a secret rendez vous between a prince and a princess with the taken from traditional fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. It was inspired by Baroque and Rococo gardens, Baroque palaces, boudoirs, royal fashion and the lavish lifestyle. This style brings us back to the mid-18th century.
A secret garden and a gate where lovers meet in the dusk, in order to remain unnoticed by king and queen, is portrayed on the perfume box. The bottle itself is shaped like oval mirrors of baroque boudoirs. The stopper is shaped like a rose bud that is about to blossom, symbolizing the Anna Sui brand.
The well-known British model Lily Donaldson is the face of the campaign, shown standing near the gates of the palace dressed in a princess lavender dress, with tiara on her head and crown jewelry making her dreamy and stylish. (source)
The interesting thing about this perfume is, that, for the first time ever, Cyclodextrin technology was used in it's composition. The technology claims to  allow the top notes to re-emerge over and over again for an ongoing sparkling fresh fragrance experience.
I found it to be a fresh fruity floral rose with a strong jammy blackcurrant note. It is quite interesting and different from the usual fruity florals churned out by barrel loads these days. I think the tart pomegranate and lemon  saves it from being too sweet. The cedar  gives it a tinge of pleasant sharpness. I don't own a full size bottle, but somehow looking at the bottle I was expecting a richer vanilla laden spicy scent.I'm not complaining, it's quite unique, and a pleasant enough scent. I really like it, quiet fresh and well balanced without being too fruity or too floral.Lasted a good 5 hours on me without reapplying.
CATEGORY: Fruity Floral
Top Notes: Lemon, black currant, Red currant
Middle Notes: Rose, Raspberry, Pomegranate
Base Notes: Musk, Virginia cedar and Violet
This can be purchased from most large stores that stock designer perfumes so check locally for availability and price.
 In the end I would like to share the artist who created this magic. While googling for the package design, I came across this talented artist who did two silhouette illustrations for this perfume's box.
http://dieterbraun.blogspot.com

http://dieterbraun.blogspot.com
Truly Magical. Check out this brilliant artist's blog HERE


Image courtesy: Blogger's own, dieterbraun and google images






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