Lush Love

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fab weekend. I have caught a bit of a cold in the middle of hot scorching summer. Its not fair. Colds should be a winter thing accompanied by hot chicken soup and chick flicks.

No perfume reviews today. Since I can`t smell a thing, I decided to do a little lush soap review for all you lushheads out there. You know who you are :) All the images will be from google as I`m feeling too blaah! and lazy to snap my own *Achoo! sniff sniff *

looks good enough to eat nom nom

Lush started off as a little soap shop in UK and their soaps are fabulous. I know it`s stupid to gush or get excited about soap but these really are great. Chock-full of flowers, fruits and essential oils they are a treat in the shower. Try to get freshly sliced soap of your choice if you want all the pretty detailing (like the honeycomb in the above pic),  rather than the prepackaged ones . Even though they work the same, I  love having my soaps look all  pretty and perfect cu'z  I`m shallow like that :)

Porridge soap

• PORRIDGE SOAP : This is my favorite from Lush. It`s so creamy and exfoliating and smells simply delicious. Like a warm comforting bowl of oatmeal drizzled with molasses. The oats in it are great to exfoliate your skin in the shower and it`s also very creamy. The only cons are the mess they make, with little oat bits stuck in the shower drain, and also melts away fast.

Sultana of soap

• SULTANA OF SOAP: I have a mixed feeling about this one.

  WHAT LUSH SAYS: The creamy fruity one. Can we help it if our soap looks like a big cake of tasty Italian nougat? Well, I suppose we can. If we make it soft and creamy, fill it full of chopped apricots and currants and scent it with spicy olibanum, it's hardly surprising that it looks tempting enough to take a lick. You know better than that, though, don't you? Smooth a slice of our fruit encrusted, creamy dessert of a soap all over your body and enjoy smelling like a sweet shop.


This was somewhat disappointing only because after reading the above description I was expecting a more of a bakery yummy scent. But it turned out quite spicy. I`m afraid the olibanum ruined it for me. The scent is rather mild and not harsh, I don't hate it. Just not what I was expecting. It has bits of fruits and kernels in it for gentle exfoliating. I find porridge soap does a better job when it come to exfoliating. Very creamy and lathering. 

Honey I washed the kids

• HONEY I WASHED THE KIDS: This one is their bestselling soap of all time and for a very good reason.

 What lush says: The irresistible toffee and honey soap. Once you've sniffed it, you've got to have it. On paper, it's difficult to portray the full effect of this honeycomb and toffee scented soap. People who fully intended to walk past a Lush shop find themselves unable to resist its tempting fragrance. They inhale, drool, pick up a big chunk and join the queue for the till. It's hard not to buzz about this one

I fully agree with them. Its like toffee and honey and gets your skin squeaky clean with loads of lather. The honeycomb at the top looks so cute and gently exfoliates too.

Rockstar

• ROCK STAR SOAP : Rock star  soap was very hyped about in you-tube videos and all. I didn't find anything exciting about it. Its just a pink soap which smells like bubble gum. Enough said. 

Godmother soap

• THE GODMOTHER SOAP : For those of you who love the scent of snow fairy and can`t wait for it to come out only at Christmas, the godmother has the exact same scent. It`s transparent and full of glitter which doesn't stick to the skin. Lathers well and looks pretty.

Noubar soap

NOUBAR SOAP : Again deceived by the looks of it. When will I learn? It`s not my fault though. Does this not look like a bar of nougat that would smell like pistachio ice cream? I don't know why lush added vetiver oil in it? Why  Oh why!? This could have been amazing but now it smells like stale damp cigarettes. Very exfoliating if I breathe through my mouth and not smell it. Now that I think about it, it`s perfect for when you have a cold. Will use this today.

Snow cake soap

SNOW CAKE SOAP : Snow cake comes out once a year during holidays and is supposed to smell like almond frosting. It`s very creamy and moisturizing and melts like crazy. I did not find the almond icing scent very exciting. It was more powdery than marzipany and very ordinary. But that`s just me.

Vanilla in the mist soap

VANILLA IN THE MIST SOAP : I know I said porridge is my favorite but I lied. I have undying love and loyalty for vanilla in the mist. I don`t know what I'd  do if lush discontinued it. It`s a must for coffee lovers. Very creamy, and the scent lingers on the skin for a long time. I love LOVE this one. This should be the king of all soaps. 

What lush says: If you can't live without your morning vanilla latte, our new Vanilla In The Mist soap is for you.

Its strong scent of roasted cocoa beans and sweet vanilla is as good at waking you up as a freshly brewed cup of java. Real vanilla pods gently exfoliate the skin and add a caramel note to the addictive fragrance. 
Coffee fiends will find themselves constantly washing their hands to get their fix between cups.


I hope I haven`t bored you too much with my soap fixation :) I went crazy in the lush store when I last went to India and stocked up on a lot of goodies cuz we don't have lush where I live :( . In the end i would like to thank my man, for dealing with my lush wish list whenever he goes to UK. Thank you honey, for even stepping in a store so chock - full of girly scents and glitter most guys would be dead embarrassed. I know it takes a man who is extremely comfortable with his masculinity to walk into a store and ask for a snow fairy shower gel with a straight face. ( I know you were blushing hehehe) 

Signing off for now. I better go have some chicken soup and boiled eggs Grrrr....

some images by google.

Miss Dior Cherie

I'm sitting outside in a cafe in Paris. I order a bowl of wild tart strawberries sweetened by a hint of caramel sauce. There is a vase of roses and violets on the red and white hounds-tooth print tablecloth. Its a sunny day in Paris and I'm wearing red cherry lipstick and a big silver bow in my hair. All is right with the world because I'm young, impulsive and beautiful. Oh! My name? Miss Dior Cherie.

love the hounds tooth etching on the bottom of the bottle

Dior introduced a new and charming girl, Miss Dior Cherie. Face of the perfume is Riley Keough, Elvis Presley's oldest granddaughter, and the bottle resembles the one of Miss Dior of 1947. This fragrance, although it features the same basic components like its famous predecessor, is not at all a remake of Miss Dior. Sweet and gourmand notes of pop corns in the heart, so unusual, make this perfume appealing to youngsters. Miss Dior Cherie is young and romantic, she possesses good taste and style, she looks smart, but youth is youth, and this young lady looks pretty with a pop corn bag in hands. The top notes are wild strawberry leaves and green tangerine. The heart features caramel pop corns surrounded by violets, wild strawberry, so strong and seductive and pink jasmine. The base is created of fresh patchouli leaves and crystalline musk.

Miss Dior Cherie was launched in 2005. The nose behind this fragrance is Christine Nagel. source

google image

google image

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Aaah Paris!! The city of lovers, perfumes and fragrances. A trip exploring and sampling all the great perfume houses and fragrant treasures of this city is every perfumista`s dream. The house of Dior came out with Miss Dior Cherie hoping to target the younger market of perfume buyers. But I think this scent  can be worn by all. Age no bar. This perfume is an ode to the fun, playful side of Paris. The playfulness and essence of the scent is captured perfectly by Sofia Coppola who directed the the commercial for this little gem where she shows the model enjoying a beautiful day in Paris. Indulging in French pastries, walking down it`s streets and just having fun. It has to be one of my favorite Perfume ads.

Perfume Notes:
Top Notes: Wild strawberry, Mandarin Orange, Pineapple, Cherries.
Middle Notes: Rose, Jasmine, Violet, Caramel popcorn.
Base Notes: Musk, Amber and Patchouli.
Catagory: Fruity Chypre


It`s quite a lovely perfume. And the bottle is adorable. The scent is Sweet, flirty, festive yet sensual and complex. Opens up very fruity with a hint of pineapple. The top notes last for only a minute or so on my skin. I  can see you roll your eyes at the popcorn note, but the buttery richness tones down the tartness of strawberries beautifully. The strawberry note is the strongest and lasted the longest on me. The strawberry was not candy like or sweet at all, but rather tart and  green. The caramel sweetens this scent a lot. I don't get any rose on my skin and just a hint of powdery violets.The patchouli is not the strong earthy kind but very soft and subtle only added to add a little depth to the fragrance. This lasts on my skin for 12+ hours and is available for Rs.12000 ( yikes!!) for 3.4 ounces but it is from the house of Dior and will last you for years and years as very little is needed.
Good For: Spring and early days of summer as it is quite heady and sweet. People who like sweet floral chypre fragrances.

google image

Now the bad news: I don't know why, but it was discontinued and was replaced by a new version in 2011. The new one, even though looks the same, smells entirely different and was created by a different perfumer. Dior has lost a lot of it`s fans for this perfume by this replacement. I think when they changed the composition, they should have changed the name to prevent confusion. I`m not saying the new one is bad, but it`s not as fun as the old one. It has lost it`s playfulness and the caramel popcorn note, and is not as bright and cheerful. But rather elegant and sophisticated. So make sure if you want to buy this to ask for the 2005 version rather than the 2011 one.
Dior came up with 5 flankers of the original Miss dior cherie.

The one on the left is truly beautiful. It`s called Miss Dior Cherie L 'Eau and is a beautiful floral citrus.


The eau de toilette...

Here is the Eau De Toilette version of the same perfume (image source google)

What is a Chypre  scent?
The term chypre is French for Cyprus, and goes back to François Coty who created in 1917 a perfume of the same name from fragrance materials that came predominantly from Mediterranean countries. The chypre concept is characterised by the contrast between the fresh citrus accord and the woody-oak-moss fond; often patchouli is considered an indispensable element as well. The chypre accord is used in both male and female perfumery. Modern chypre perfumes have various connotations such as floral, fruity, green, woody-aromatic, leathery, and animalic notes, but can easily be recognized by their "warm" and "mossy-woody" fond which contrasts the fresh citrus top, and a certain bitterness in the dry-down. (source Wikipedia)


To pronounce Chypre, click HERE

And on a closing note I want to add; that please ladies, whatever you do DO NOT store your perfumes in the bathroom cabinets or shelves. This is absolutely the worst thing you can do to your fragrances as the heat and the dampness makes the perfumes go bad before their time. The best place to store them is somewhere dark and dry, like your closet or vanity table drawers and preferably in the packaging the bottle came in.

VS Secret Garden Body Mists

Hi everyone. I know I have rambled and raved about my love for vicky`s secret`s body mists before, but they seriously are that good and deserve to be mentioned again. The secret garden collection comes in both perfume and body mist forms and have further matching lotions, body butters, showergels e.t.c My review today is of their gorgeous body mists. They come in loads of scents and the bottles are huge 8.4 fl oz. They retail for $12 or $15. I can`t seem to find these on their website right now. And are available at SHAMS in Islamabad for Rs.1,400. These are all fruity florals and last a long time on my skin.

source google

What it says on the bottle: Refresh with fragrance from a secret garden, infused with moisturizing Aloe Vera and calming Chamomile. Mist over body after shower or bath for delicately scented skin.
I have four favorites from their collection.

I find these refreshing and long lasting. Great for summers. But, some people have complained that these don`t last long on their skin. The trick is layering. And that means forking out more money to buy shower gel and lotions in the same scent and layer it on before applying the mist. I don`t know why Victoria`s secret doesn't launch outside the US. It is quite cheap over there and their sales and deals are to die for. I hear they have VS at  Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London but even those don`t have their entire range of products. Come on VS!! You need to get out and explore the world. Victoria`s secret + La Senza + Bath and body works = owned by the same parent company i.e.Limited Brands.
OK enough ranting lets get to the review.

strawberries and champagne

Sounds romantic right? I don`t know how they did this but it actually does smell fizzy and bubbly. Delicious and refreshing. Its like a very watered down version of Miss Dior cherie, minus the caramel note.
The sweetness of the strawberries is balanced and not too sweet. I store mine in the fridge and apply whenever a blast of freshness is needed. 

NOTES: Strawberries, Champagne and Cassis.

Pure Seduction

Its a juicy summer cocktail. Love the melon in this. Beautifully blended. Great for casual wear during the summer.Sweet and lush. Nothing complex about it. Pure fruit punch. I have received compliments every time I have worn this, just last week an elderly uncle wanted to know what smelled so heavenly so he could get it for his niece and I was too embarrassed to tell him the name of this so I just made up some name that doesn't exist hehe.

Notes: Casaba melon, Plum and Freesia.

Berry Kiss

Who doesnt want to be kissed by berries! Starts off very fruity and girly, pure berries galore. After ten minutes or so, it becomes very floral hence the rose note. The drydown is pure praline and roses. Truly yummy! 

Notes: Wild Raspberry, Praline and Rose.

Amber Romance

Amber romance is great for everyday winter wear. Even though this too is a fruity floral, its different from others in this collection. unique, comforting and creamy. The notes are Black cherries, creme Anglaise (fancy name for custard) and sandalwood. The opening is somewhat sharp with a tangy cherry note the most prominent, it settles down quickly into this creamy sandalwood with a hint of cherries. Even though this has lashings of creme anglaise Im happy to note its not very sweet or gourmand. Too rich  for the summers, it`s lovely for fall and winters.

Notes: Black Cherry, Creme Anglaise and Custard.

For the love of Roses

Today I want to share with you a delicate rose scent by Issey Miyake.

love the milky white bottle

Especially for the spring 2007, Issey Miyake has created a new limited edition of D'Issey named 'Une goutte sur un Petale' or 'A Dew Drop on a Petal'.
Fresh floral-aquatic fragrance combines the accords of wet grass, hazy freshness of morning air, and abstract floral note.
The composition starts with unusual herbal note united with a very delicate scent of mandarin and lemon. The heart is composed of dewy flowers, just like the name says. Mimosa is dominating, followed by rose and water notes. The base combines woody notes with amber and musk. The fragrance was created by Alberto Morillasin 2007 (source Fragrantica.com)
  
My OPINION: First of all I love the name (A drop on a petal) sounds so delicate , and evokes images of fresh summer mornings with glistening  dewdrops on flowers. On my skin, while I could detect some citrus and  mimosa in the opening, the dominating note was rose. And it stayed till the end. It`s not a heavy rose but is sparkling and fresh, blended with citruses. It has a tinge of aquatic notes as well but they are not sporty or strong, so the scent  doesn't loose it`s composition and stays floral throughout. It is springtime captured in a bottle. None of the musk,woodsy notes vanilla or amber showed up on my skin. Scents as you know smell different on different people. But I`m not complaining. An easy to wear delicate floral. I don`t think anyone will dislike this as it`s unlikely to offend anyone.

 Perfume category: Floral Aquatic


Perfume Notes 
Top Notes: Orange, Mandarin Oranges, Citruses. 
Middle Notes: Mimosa, Rose.
Base Notes: Amber, vanilla, Musk and woodsy notes.
Best For: Spring and summer and people who like fresh florals.
I have no idea how much it retails for as mine was a gift.


Speaking of rose scents there is another one I would highly reccomend for rose lovers called Stella by Stella McCartney (VENT ALERT)

image source google

This is another lovely rose. Modern yet elegant. I had this and loved it to pieces. Ladyyz I need to vent: A while back on my trip to Iran to visit family the custom officer at Tehran  airport found this bottle, took a long hard look at me and  said eez eet a flask of alcohol? (Alcohol you see is highly prohibited in Iran) Me: No sir, its a bottle of perfume. I weel smell yes? Me: yes yes yes!. And he was wearing these plastic gloves and the bottle slipped from his hands and right there in front of me my baby shattered  into  millions of tiny pieces. A very sad demise. I`m sure their customs checking area smelled divine for weeks. 

 On a happier note I would like to share with you the following article courtesy of :http://www.iranreview.org

Festival of Rose and Rose Water

MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011



Compiled By: Firouzeh Mirrazavi
Deputy Editor of Iran Review

Every year during the second half of May, festival of Rose and Rose Water is being held in Kashan. Many people from different parts of the country and abroad visit Kashan, the hub of Mohammadi Rose in Iran.

The season for picking rose and preparing rosewater is from early May to mid-June.

In early May, the scent of rose spreads over different areas of Kashan, such as Qamsar Joshqan Qali, Barzak and Niasar.

The ceremony for making rosewater in Kashan attracts many tourists. Every day, some 80,000 people tour various cities of Kashan for this traditional ceremony.

The arrival of tourists in the districts of Kashan has a positive impact on the region’s economy.

Rose water is made from a very sweet smelling kind of rose and is used in various traditional dishes and sweets. It is also used as a perfume among Muslims. Although some modern mechanized factories are constructed, but still a large part of this, let say industry, is done traditionally. And this traditional rose water production which is established at homes or gardens attracts tourists to Kashan. Historical monuments and architecture of Kashan adds to the popularity of this festival too.

The people of Ghamsar collect roses, boil them in special pots and collect their water in beautiful containers. It is a pride for the city that each year, the most sacred place on earth, Kaaba (Mecca), is washed with rose water from Ghamsar.

The ancient city of Ghamsar is like a shining star on the central Iranian desert.

Surrounding mountains encircle it like a ring and protect its rose gardens against the heat of the desert. The environment of this garden city, the shade of trees and sound of flowing water in addition to music of birds and nightingales and fragrance of roses, has created an incredible milieu on the side of the desert.

The garden city of Ghamsar is a patch of Paradise which becomes colorful as the spring begins. Its beauty is doubled when rose water ceremony commences and its hospitable people play host to millions of people who love nature and rose water of Ghamsar.

Mohammadi Rose (Rosa damascene or Damask rose) is among the most important roses in the world and among the most famous plants.

Because of its extraordinary fragrance and diversity, this flower is planted in many parts of the world. The flower has applications in food, medicine and perfume industries.

Production of rosewater in Iran dates back to over 2,500 years. At present, Mohammadi Rose is produced in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, India, Ukraine, the US, Canada, France, Britain and Japan. The first four countries are pioneers in the production of this flower.

In Iran, Mohammadi Rose grows in the provinces of Fars, Kerman, Isfahan as well as East and West Azarbaijan.

The red rose, or Mohammadi rose, is further divided into seven groups: French red flower, wild rose, tea flower, miniature red flower, Bengalese red flower, and Iranian red flower.

Out of all rose species, the Iranian red flower or Mohammadi flower is unique and most botanists have opined that it has been first planted in Iran and then taken to other countries.

Experts maintain that Ghamsar has been a place for producing flower and rose water since a long time ago. Some believe that under Malekshah the Seljuk, when Miyandeh Mosque of Ghamsar was built, representative of an East Roman officials picked some roses from the slopes of Kouh Asbi mountain near Ghamsar and took them to Damascus (which was called Damask in those times) to be grown. This is why Iranian red flower is sometimes called Damask rose in English.

Although production of plant essences has a long history in Iran, but traditional rose water production machines were used to produce rose water for commercial purposes. Before that, rose water was produced through small distillation equipment for local uses. Anyway, production of rose water has been in vogue since ancient time and has sometimes led to prosperity of copper, glass making and packaging industries. Most of the local product is exported to other parts of the country and, therefore, despite most handicrafts, it has held its ground in contemporary times and has constantly improved in terms of quality and quantity.

Another outcome of that situation was spread of the industry to neighboring villages of Ghamsar and even toother provinces during past decades. The emphasis put on Ghamsar is due to high quality of its rose water which results from natural conditions of the city.

The city has been and still is the main production center for the highest quality rose water as a result of its natural and climatic conditions. According to a study carried out by professors of Tehran University, the essence of Mohammadi flower of Ghamsar and the subsequent rose water has a concentration of 35 mg per 100 ml or 350 ppm, which makes it the finest and highest quality rose water in Iran and even in the world.

Equipment used for extraction of rose water in Ghamsar is nearly traditional and has hardly changed over the years. They include:

1. A copper pot with a capacity of 120-150 liters;

2. A big clay pot, which has not been replaced by the copper pot and is used to cover the pot. A major advantage of clay pot was that it did not burn the fragrance of the flower;

3. A copper pitcher with handle and a capacity of about 30-40 liters which is put in cold water, so that flower streams are turned into liquid;

4. Four wooden canes which are attached to each other to connect the pot to the pitcher; today, they use aluminum pipes instead of those canes;

5. A water pool where liquefaction is done; and

6. Heating equipment under the copper pot which is usually fed by oil or diesel fuel. In the past they used wood and bushes to warm it up.

First the copper pot is put on an oven made from bricks and cement or stones and mud. The heating agent is put below it. Then up to 30 kg of rose petals are poured into the pot and 80 liters of water is added. The pot is then covered and a heavy weight is put over it to control steam pressure. Probable holes and cracks are covered with a mortar made of the remnants of boil flowers and bread dough to prevent loss of steam.

Instead of weight and dough, they use elastic washers, screws and levers. The copper pitcher is put into the water and is kept in place by a ladder, or more recently, by cast iron pipes, so that, it will not rise to the surface of the water. Then canes or aluminum pipes are inserted into the pot, on the one side, and into the pitcher, on the other side and they wrap it in a piece of fabric with a cotton ball, so that, water would not penetrate into the pitcher. Water or any other foreign object will ruin the rose water.

Now, everything is ready. They kindle the oven to boil the pot. At that time, rose water and water steam progress in the pipe as far as the angle. From there, rose water steam continues toward the pitcher and is liquidated due to low temperature of environment. It takes about 4 hours before a pitcher full of rose water (40 liters) is obtained. When they pour the rose water into the bottle, they wait for it to cool down.

Then they rub some oil on the bottle. The waste collected at the bottom of the pot, which is called “bongol”, is used to feed livestock and is also dried to be used as fuel in winter or as fertilizer for gardens.

During the whole process, the flame should be steady and mild. In better words, the longer the distillation period and the steadier the flame, the higher would be quality of the end product. The water poured into the pot should be measured accurately to be proportionate to the weight of flower petals.

Ghamsar is the breeding ground for the finest and the most exquisite Mohammadi flowers and has the best traditions and methods for production of rose water. It is also the first place where industrial production of rose water has begun and there are many workshops in the city which produce rose water.

The first rose water production plant in Iran was established in Ghamsar in 1974-75 after studies were conducted by Bulgarian experts. It was built on the outskirts of Ghamsar (at 15th kilometer of Ghamsar – Kashan road). The second rose water production plant was established at the entrance of Ghamsar city and is called Golriz. The cooperative company of rose water producers of Ghamsar has established a plant at industrial park of Ghamsar in order to solve the problem of pasteurizing traditional rose water, which was the main hurdle on the way of production and sales of rose water. Behin Golab Company of Ghamsar is another example of industrial rose water production plants in the city and more plants will be launched soon.

Due to containing tannin, gallic acid, essence, fatty acids, pigments and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), petals of Mohammadi flower are used not only for production of rose water and essence, but for production of rose petal jam.

Since a long time ago, this plant was used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including chronic diarrhea, rheumatic pains, blood abnormalities, and sore throat.

The part of the flower, which is used to produce rose water and essence, is petals. Boiled petals of Mohammadi flower are alkaline and constitute a good remedy for stress, flatulence, and abdominal colic. The boiled petals are also used to fight depression and to treat palpitation, insomnia, ordinary and bloody diarrhea, sickness, and inflammation.

In the past, rose water was used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat rheumatic heart disease, to strengthen gastric nerves, and to treat some forms of headache and sickness. ( Source: www.iranreview.org)

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume Review

Gaudy bottle check, teeny bopper  celebrity endorsement check, Way outta my comfort zone check. Did it stop me   from buying a bottle, emm...no.

This bottle is probably the ugliest  least favorite in my collection. Barbie pink with green swarovski crystals and a cheap looking plastic cap. Fantasy is the second release from Britney Spears under Elizabeth Arden. This is a very sweet gourmand. In perfume world, a gourmand scent is when the perfumer has used edible notes in making of  the perfume.

With time, I have come to really appreciate Fantasy. Despite the name and the gaudy bottle, Elizabeth Arden has done a very good job with it. I find my self reaching out for this a lot in spring and winters. It starts off fruity and then becomes creamier and creamier with time. The juicy kiwi note is the strongest on my skin and stays for a long time. The longevity of this perfume is amazing. I smell white chocolate and raspberries in the heart

 and the dry down is soft vanilla/cupcake accord and orris root. I failed to smell any jasmine or other flowers. Apply with a very light hand as its quite strong and can get too sweet if applied too much. It`s a must for gourmand lovers.
It literally grew on me. From ridiculing to loving, I have learned my lesson.

  This perfume`s claim to fame was the use of cupcake accord :) I think that`s cute.

Perfume Notes:- 

Top Notes: Kiwi, Red Litchi

Middle Notes: White chocolate, Jasmine and Orchid             
Base Notes: Musk, Cupcake Accord, Orris root, Woodsy Notes.    

GOOD FOR: Colder months, And people with a sweet tooth :)

After the success of fantasy she came up with these flankers below.

(From Left to right) Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and Circus Fantasy
Image courtesy of google

GOURMAND SCENTS:   The trend of Gourmand scents was started by Thierry Muglar when he came up with  the infamous perfume ANGEL  in 1994. Thierry Mugler asked the perfumers to create a perfume that possesses the smell of a tender childhood memory at the fair, with notes of cotton candy, caramel, vanilla and chocolate.
The main notes of the fragrance are:
Bergamot, Jasmin, red currant, dewberry, honey, patchouli, vanilla, coumarine, chocolate and caramel.
For the sugary note of the cotton candy they used Maltol what makes an interesting combination with Helional an ozonic note resembling the electric ozonic smell around the bumping cars on the fair. For the jasmin note they used Hedione that has an aroma of jasmin and magnolia.
                   Another note used in some gourmand fragrances is almond milk and vanilla.Other notes used in gourmands are Coffee, Tea or Green tea, Cumcumber, Coconut etc  but also notes of whiskey or cognac. And of course the spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander etc. ( source erfumemaking.blogspot.com/2006/07/gourmand-fragrances.html )

Hermes Elixer Des Merveilles Perfume Review

I have a magical scent to share with you all today. It is from the house of Hermes, and the creator is the legendary house perfumer at Hermes,  Jean Claude Ellena..

I had an eye on this beauty for quite sometime but, it was out of my league retailing for Rs.12000+. Then one day, I stumbled in a little shop and saw it tucked up on the top shelf. I asked the price and almost choked on my coke when the shopkeeper said, it`s for Rs.4000. I regained my composure, and asked in a bored voice if I could see it. On inspecting it very VERY closely, I knew this was the real deal and and not fake. I asked him if this is his final price, and he said yes that`s what the shop owner has quoted him and further added that the shop owner was given this as a gift from some family member when he went abroad and he hated it and asked the sales man to sell it at whatever price he thinks best. I don`t know whether the owner didn`t care or was too lazy to check it`s price in the market (as its not available widely) or he didnt know just how expensive Hermes is. Whatever the reason, I was overjoyed. The shopkeeper said baji isko choro, ck k achay achay naye perfumes dekhaoon? (forget this crap, let me show you nicer perfumes  from CK) Lol. Imagine Hermes vs CK!"" Well"", I said (in a pretend bored voice)'' I was just looking and will come again''. He then said that  if I buy it today he will sell it to me for Rs.3500. I needed a brown paper bag to breathe I was that excited.
   Well to make a long story short, I bought the gem of a bottle right then and there, and lived happily ever after :) Later I got the bottle checked at a very reputable perfume dealers and they said it`s 100% genuine. I knew it! Yaaaay!

Elixir des Merveilles is the the third release in the Merveilles line. The box is a beautiful greyish silver and orange and is adorned with the classic Hermes logo,

The bottle is enough to lure you in. Beautiful.
The composition only works in cold weather on my skin. Opens up very masculine with notes of  bitter, aromatic orange peel and salty ambergris. Very sharp and dry. It mellows down and becomes sweeter when it has had sometime to warm up on the skin. At this stage, it smells like bitter orange peel dipped in Christmas spices, dark bitter chocolate and biscuits.The biscuit note is the strongest on me and stays till the dry down. The resin in this is  rich and thick and compliments the bitter chocolate. Elixer is quite strong, so very little is needed.The scent I sprayed on my scarf stayed true for a week! The first time I wore this, I went out to dinner and it stayed with me until I took shower the next day. So the staying power is incredible. 
 I find this perfume too spicy to be worn in the summers, but it`s just magical in the winters. It`s very abstract and has a depth to it. It changes a lot on the skin. You can tell how the scent changes from when you first spritz it on. You can smell different notes after a while, Incense is perfectly blended together with all the other notes the patchouli is very subtle. The result is salty/sweet without being too foody or gourmand.

                                         I love how the bottle tilts at an angle  




CATEGORY: Oriental  Fougere
Good for: Winters and colder months and for people who like sweet spicy, woody orangy scents.


Perfume Notes: Peru Balsam, Vanilla sugar, Ambergris, tonka bean, Patchouli, Caramel, Siam resin, Incense, Cedar, Orange peel covered in chocolate, creamy milk, vanilla biscuit, Oak and Sandalwood. 

What is Ambergris that lends a salty notes to most perfumes?
And my answer always is oh it`s whale puke :) here is a more detailed information if you`re interested.
Ambergris (pronounced am-ber-grees) is derived from French ambre gris and literally signifies “gray amber.” Ambergris is a solid, fatty, waxlike substance produced in the intestines of whales. It occurs only in the sperm whale (cachalot) and is believed to be^caused in some way by the beaks of cuttlefish that are often found in it. Cuttlefish and squids .form the chief food of the sperm whale. Although disagreeable to both sight and touch, ambergris even in the crude state exhales a pleasant, earthy fragrance faintly resembling that of sealing wax. .In color it ranges from light to dark gray and is variegated like marble. Next to choice pearls, ambergris is the most valuable product by weight taken from the sea. At present green ambergris is worth from six to twelve dollars an ounce, depending on its quality and the amount of impurities. Dry ambergris has a wholesale value of twelve’to thirty dollars an ounce. Formerly it was widely used as a medicine, but its efficacy was purely imaginary. It was also used in the Orient as an incense. Now the use of ambergris is limited almost entirely to the perfume industry, in which it is employed as a fixative to make odor essences retain their fragrance. No satisfactory substitute has been discovered for this purpose. Although it is a rare substance, occasionally large pieces weighing as much as a hundred pounds are found: There are authentic records of lumps that weighed as much as a hundred and fifty pounds. Sometimes it is taken from whales directly, but more frequently it is found floating on the waters in tropical seas, or cast upon beaches in lumps.( source: www.4information.com)