Daisy by Marc Jacobs Perfume Review

It's a grey, gloomy afternoon where I am. Pretty soon the rain will start falling heavily, creating a pewter gloss on the road.

 Cold winds will nip at people's necks, making them pull their woolen scarves a little bit more tighter. Days like these make me dream of long, lazy, summer days. I am wearing daisy today to cheer myself up. A perfume that holds memories of golden sunshine, flower fields and picnics near my secret little stream that I like to think no one else knows about. 

Daisy by Marc Jacobs, smells like a carefree day spent in wild summer meadows and sunshine.

 My infatuation with daisy fields started way back when I was a little girl. I used to sit mesmerized in front of the TV, watching Alice sing her heart out amid the daisies.

Nice to know that somewhere out there,a place like this truly does exist :)

I fell in love with the bottle alone, and bought it unsniffed a few years back, somehow knowing that I wont be disappointed.

Somehow I can't detect separate notes too clearly. It's so well blended, that all I get is an airy composition that stays linear from start to finish with hints of violet leaves and woods. It's a simple, fresh, innocent, everyday perfume with no hidden agenda.I don't find is floral at all, but rather green and outdoorsy. Like cut grass and fresh air. I can't detect gardenia, jasmine or vanilla on my skin. Lasts a long time on me without reapplying. Not to argue with mother nature, but if daisies had a scent, I think this perfume would fit the flower perfectly.
Perfume Category: Floral Woody Musk
TOP NOTES: Violet leaf, Blood Grapefruit, Wild Strawberry
MIDDLE NOTES: Gardenia, Violet, Jasmine
BASE NOTES: Musk, White Woods, Vanilla

Image courtsy: Blogger's own and google images

A Victorian Cottage In the Woods

I'm sure many of you have read of Sandra Foster's famous cottage renovation. Her's is without a doubt, my favorite DIY project.  

The best  part about Foster’s story is that she’s not a professional designer (she’s a fiscal administrator), she’s not rich (Foster’s other house a trailer). And Using vintage columns, flooring and wavy glass windows,she turned a Catskills hunting cabin into the romantic Victorian cottage she had always wanted. Her amazing little cottage makes me feel like I can do just about anything I set my mind to!
Lets take a little tour of this gingerbread house set deep in the woods.....

You have to cross a rippling stream in Catskills forest NY to reach this whimsical little one room dollhouse.

This Beautiful little escape didn't always look this charming...

She took a 9-by-14-foot cottage (an old hunting cabin) that happened to be on her property and renovated it herself for only $3,000 – Furniture and accessories included Wow!

BEFORE

AFTER

 The cottage fulfills a dream for Ms. Foster, whose middle-class family lost their home when she was a teenager on Long Island.

The shabby-chic retreat doesn't  have a bathroom or a kitchen, but it is a dream of Victoriana: stacks of Limoges china with tiny rosebud patterns; chandeliers dripping crystal; billows of tissue-paper garlands. Many of the furnishings, like the $15 chandelier hanging over the sitting area, were flea market finds.

The loft bedroom is reached via a ladder...

The lace fabric used throughout was $2 a meter at Wal Mart

For the china closet below, Ms. Foster built the shelves, then added arched French doors that she found at a yard sale for $15 each.  

The beautiful wooden mirror was a garage sale find at $22

 All dressed up for Christmas...

Dreams are which the mind conceives, the heart desires, and the soul believes..

Image courtesy: Google images, some of the extracts from NYtimes

If you love shabby chic, then drop by Sandra Fosters blog MY SHABBY STREAMSIDESTUDIO and get inspired by her style and ideas.

Yvresse A Perfect Perfume for a New Year's Eve

I know this post is a bit late, but it's the spirit in which it was written that counts right? :)
I was invited to a fabulous New year's eve Party by the lakeside at a dear friend's place.Their new year's eve bash is always the talk of the town. It was great this year too, even though there was a bit of a hurdle by some gate crashers. But hey, I ain't complaining, I had a  really great time.
Check out one of my favorites from the goody bag we all received

OPI performing pair in, Bring on the Bling and coordinating 2-in1 lip gloss

 I was concerned about what to wear

 perfume-wise that is :) Was debating between two great perfumes, but in the end I'm glad I chose Yvresse by Yves Saint Laurent.

Yvresse was first launched by Yves Saint Laurent in 1993. A crisp,woodsy, chypre fragrance. Back then it was called Champagne, named after the sparkling bubbly.

I'm soo going to get sued!

The French wine industry filed a lawsuit against YSL, claiming this was not Champagne produced in the Champagne Region of France so they must change it's name. The French winegrowers even  smashed bottles of  champagne in front of the journalists who had arrived in Paris for the launch party. YSL lost the case and came up with the name Yvresse which means "intoxication/drunkenness"  in French.

What's in a name...eh?

Yvresse is a vibrant, sparkly fruity chypre on my skin. A very unique and interesting scent. When first sprayed on, a juicy golden ripe aroma of peaches and apricots is very noticeable. Minutes later the most delicious aroma of anise and mint appears mingled with a hint of cinnamon. Litchi then makes an appearance and stays till the end mixed in with woods, patchouli, vetiver and oakmoss . It is quite potent and more suitable for evening wear. Lasts for hours on the end.

The bottle is one of my favorites and looks like an unopened champagne cork.
Wear it and celebrate life!


Category: Fruity Chypre


TOP NOTES: Apricot, Peach, Nectarine, Mint, Caraway, Anise
MIDDLE NOTES: Litchi, Orris, Cinnamon, Carnation, Violet, Jasmine, Rose,Lily of the Valley, Rose Oil
BASE NOTES: Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Benzoin, Cocnut, Vanilla, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Styrax and Cedar

Image courtesy blogger's own and google images.

VS Pink With a Splash Body Mists

Pink with a Splash is a body mist collection from Victoria's secret's pink line.They have a huge collection of these great long lasting body mists, but having so many choices mean it can be a drag and kind of confusing sniffing through 'em all. I want to share my two absolute favorites from this line. Just buy these two and you're good for an entire year as one is a summer scent, and the other is great for winters.

 Pink with a splash body mists come in 8.4floz and 4.2oz and has aloe and chamomile to lightly moisturize your skin. You can get them for $12 to $15 dollars from Victoria's secret.

They all come with matching body lotions

The Scents I have chosen to review today are called, Warm and Cozy (for winters) and Fresh and Clean (for summers)  

PINK WITH A SPLASH IN 'WARM AND COZY'

Warm and Cozy

NOTES: Toasted Vanilla, Pink Peony and Raspberry

I love the name warm and cozy and it really is a warm comforting scent. The toasted vanilla lends a warm nuttiness to the scent making it a great winter staple. The peony is not overpowering, and the raspberry lends a subtle sweetness to it without making it overly fruity. It's a sweet, comforting vanilla  for when it's cold outside and you want to snuggle in by the fire with your favorite book and a hot drink.

PINK WITH A SPLASH IN 'FRESH AND CLEAN'

Fresh and Clean

Notes: Apple and Lily.

This has a "just stepped out of the shower" scent. It's very fresh and has a crispness to it with a slight apple note. Great for those summer days when you just want to lounge around the house and can't be bothered with wearing a "proper'' perfume. I find the staying power to last quite long for a body splash. It's not too sweet or cloying making it perfect to wear in warmer months.

Another good one for summers from the line is, "Sweet and Tart" which smells like strawberry lemonade.

Sweet and Tart

Image source: Blogger's own and weheartit

Let me know if you have tried anything from VS pink line, and which one is your favorite.

I'm off to bed now,I have a bit of a cold coming on sniff sniff...