Fragrance Archives
What's your signature scent?
While in Newburyport, MA recently, I stumbled upon John Harding's Frangrance Bar. where they mix and match scents and help you find your perfect scent. It's a fantastic place; the store is bright and clean and filled with bottles of every scent you can imagine!
The owner's son Nantucket Natural Oils runs the place, and he has an incredible nose! Not only will he work with you to design your perfect scent, he'll file your special recipe so when you run out, all you need to do is give him a call.
During my visit, I created a scent which, in essence, named itself Snape. It's a bit smoky, a bit sweet, and never ceases to generate a ton of compliments! Recently, I went into the shop, spoke to the woman who was there, telling her I wanted to get another bottle of Snape. She pulled my record, mixed up the scents, and voila! Took about 5 minutes :-)
Posted by Janet on August 31, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
A Different Kind of Parfumerie
A friend of mine was talking about scents recently; specifically the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, a company which I'd never heard of, which specializes in "formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic Gothic tone." I clicked on the link and was happily immersed in reading about all the different scents these people put together!
Being the 'unique' person I am, the scents that most appealed to me were of the darker, spicer type:
Les Infortunes de la Vertu: ...blend of leather, oakmoss, orange blossom, amber, and rose with a breath of virginal French florals and a hint of austere monastic penitential incense.
Laudanum: The essence of the most debauched hunger encapsulated into a perfume. Desire beyond love, anguish beyond sanity. Nutmeg, sassafras, black poppy and myrrh.
They even have The 7 Deadly Sins made into perfume, of which Greed (base and earthy, yet glittering with golden notes: patchouli, heliotrope, copal and oakmoss) and Lust (red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh) intrigued me (the description of the scent, not the actual sin!).
For those of you that enjoy a lighter, cleaner or more flowery fragrance, they have those as well! In fact, a friend thought this perfume sounded fantastic: "...a light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon."; she laughed at the name...Embalming Fluid!
In closing, any place that features a Dorothy Parker quote is ok by me:
I like to drink martinis
Two at the very most.
Three, I'm under the table,
Four, I'm under my host.
Posted by Janet on September 7, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Wanna Get Lucky?
I have to admit that I fell in love with Lucky Number 6's bottle before I fell in love with the fragrance inside. I spied it in a magazine and made a special trip to Macy's to check it out and was not disappointed. It's a lovely soft, happy, harmonious scent that features a full-flower blend of lotus, tiger lily, cashmere woods, and jasmine. Here's the plan - head to the mall and hit Macy's first. Spray a little Lucky Number 6 on your wrists and go about your shopping. By the end of your shopping trip you'll be hooked, so hop on back to Macy's and pick some up!
Posted by Megan on September 12, 2006 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Chocolate Candles
Posted by Megan on September 15, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
What do you think greed smells like?
As a follow-up to my recent entry on a different kind of perfumerie, I wanted to share with you my experiences with the fragrances from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, which specializes in "formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic Gothic tone."
Tuesday, I wore Laudanum (the essence of the most debauched hunger encapsulated into a perfume. Desire beyond love, anguish beyond sanity. Nutmeg, sassafras, black poppy and myrrh.) to work. The first thing I (and others, whom I asked to take a whiff of it on me) smelled was cinnamon, then an smoky, incense-y type scent followed.
Wednesday, I tried Greed (base and earthy, yet glittering with golden notes: patchouli, heliotrope, copal and oakmoss). This one generated some great unsolicited comments! The patchouli is VERY weak in this...you can smell it, but it's mixed nicely with the flowery scent of the heliotrope; that's not to say this is a true sweet flowery scent, tho. Again, there is a slight smell of incense, which I believe is the copal, the definition of which I had to look up (Copal is a more mature form of resin. The word copal comes from the Spanish word copalli which means incense.)
Thursday, it was Lust (red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh), which I thought was particularly appropriate, as I went to an adult toy party ;-) This smelled sweeter than Greed, I'm sure from the ylang ylang. I like the darkness the myrrh gives to it.
Friday, Les Infortunes de la Vertu (...blend of leather, oakmoss, orange blossom, amber, and rose with a breath of virginal French florals and a hint of austere monastic penitential incense): When I first put it on, it smelled JUST like English Leather, an inexpensive men's cologne from back in the day. But after it settled, the incense in it really came through. My first thought was YUCK; my thought after a bit was ... not bad, not bad at all, but more for a man than a woman.
Saturday was Verdandi (Deep herbs and apple with black amber): I was looking forward to trying this one, and I liked it, but in addition to apple, I smell...bubblegum? It reminds me of a car freshener I had when I lived in Japan LOL!
Sunday, it was Calliope--she is the scent of creative inspiration, and it is a boon to writers, poets and arbitrators (lavender and bright mint with bergamot, verbena, thyme and a touch of sweet orange and warm almond): It smells a bit musty, not musty, but...old bookish smelling, if that makes sense. Ahhh, it smells like something, it's right on the tip of my tongue...PLAYDOUGH!!! hahaha it smells like playdough, too funny!
The company also hosts a trading forum; so if you don't like something you ordered, even if it's just an "imp"; you can trade it for something else!
I really liked Laudanum, Greed & Lust. The rest are up for grabs...anyone interested?
Posted by Janet on October 24, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Because we Chocolovers like to WEAR our chocolate
While at Sephora with Janet recently (we do seem to spend a great deal of time there, don't we?) we came across this lovely little fragrance called Chocolovers by Aquolina. And since we all know I loooooove chocolate, I just had to try it. I sprayed a little on a wand and periodically tested the scent as we went about our shopping. At the end of our trip it was deemed a keeper, especially since upon my return home, Jimbo and the kitties went gaga over it. It's not overly sweet or ridiculously chocolate-scented; it has hints of vanilla, hazelnut and orange. The perfect comforting fragrance for the winter. I think I'll add it to my Kaboodle wish list. You should too!
Posted by Megan on November 26, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Holy Jackpot Batman!
I blessed myself with the task this Christmas of shopping for the future in-laws (I hardly know) real smart. I'm not too fond of giving out gift certificates so this has been a difficult (yet fun) task. While on my fourth hour of browsing/shopping, I came upon this gift mirage! Could it be? The most perfect fragrance gift EVER! A Sephora Fragrance Gift Certificate that includes ten samples of their top selling fragrances (Each sample even comes in a nice mini spray bottle!) and a voucher for a full size bottle of your favorite fragrance. Shopping for a guy? They offer one in mens as well!
Samples include:
- Arrogance Mix Lime Sugar Eau de Toilette
- Moschino I Love Love Eau de Toilette
- DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum
- Nanette Lepore Eau de Parfum
- Givenchy Amarige Mariage Eau de Parfum
- Prada Eau de Parfum
- Guerlain Insolence Eau de Toilette
- Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Charms Eau de Toilette
- Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum
- Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum.
How it works:
- Purchase the Fragrance Gift Certificate - For Her either as a gift, or for yourself.
- Sample the fragrances and choose a favorite.
- Fill in the enclosed voucher.
- Bring the voucher in to your local Sephora store and redeem it for the fragrance you've chosen.
Posted by Krista on November 28, 2006 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Smell Like the Italian Version of Yourself
Acqua Di Parma Profumo ($166.00) is a fragrance that was created in the 1930s specifically for women; today, it's considered a unisex scent. The salesman told me that 300 flowers go into the making of this fragrance yet it's not incredibly floral at all! In fact...there's a certain smokeyness that piqued my curiosity. It certainly costs a bit more than most of the perfumes we showcase here on A Girl Must Shop but I'm compelled to share it with you, that's how much I liked it!
My companion was equally enthralled by Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile ($40.00 - $118.00), a much newer scent that is a tribute to the Iris flower.
Miniature bottles of these scents can be found for a lot less at various sites, like the following link from amazon: Acqua Di Parma by Parma Profumo Edition - 0.17 oz Miniature Collectible
Posted by Janet on December 12, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Invent your own stink!
I saw this and immediately thought of Janet. This is a fun and inexpensive way to play with fragrances and come up with your own unique scent. Comes in nine cute colorful vials and case Oh and its almost 50% off!
Posted by Krista on January 2, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Perfume that's sweet AND creamy? Sign me up!
Aquolina's Pink Sugar Creamy Perfume has distinctive, yummy scent of sugar, fresh blossoms, spices, and cotton candy. It's so sweet, in fact, that if I didn't already know it was perfume, I would have had to taste it. I apply a soft massage of the creamy perfume on my neck, wrists and just about any other area of the body. The best part of this yummy fragrance is its packaging: it comes in a compact, so it is really easy to carry, and it fits even in a small purse. Ladies, this is one hot number and so far, it's only available on-line.
Posted by Sarah on January 19, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Are you sweet enough?
Don't worry if you're not, because this cute necklace will sweeten you right up! The scented sweet rose cake necklace is so pretty! Two layers of white cake with pink icing, and it smells like buttercream! Mmmm! Not enough sweetness? Try the matching earrings! Loosen up and be cute for a day or two without even adding a calorie! This can be purchased along with other adorable wearable treats at Cherry Dots Sweet Treats!
Posted by Darlene on February 5, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Bringing The Beach Home!
On a recent trip to Yankee Candle, I could not resist buying the new Sun & Sand scented candle! As soon as I got home I tested my new purchase and wow! It was everything I imagined and more! The beach was all around me! This scent is true to its description. I'm definitely going back for the other items in this scent. I absolutely love the smell of the beach and if you're anything like me, you will too! Check your local Yankee Candle because their always having sales! Now where's that hammock?
Posted by Darlene on March 13, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Have your cake and smell like it too!
I have a large assortment of perfumes and body sprays. I don't typically stick to one type of fragrance; I like variety. Which one I wear depends on where I'm going and what I will be doing. One thing is for sure though, I love the smell of vanilla. With perfumes that smell like desserts, like the one I found at The Body Dessert Shop, it's easy to get hooked.
Their #1 seller- "Let Them Eat Cake" -> mmmm, the smell of vanilla cake! Like chocolate better? Try the "Chocolate Overdose." Perfumes are offered in a variety of light, medium, and strong scents. First time shoppers who spend $35 and up get free shipping! Warning- It smells so good you'll want to eat it!
Posted by Darlene on June 1, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Smell good enough to eat!
I have to tell you that whoever came up with the idea for fragrance and body products that smell like food is a genius! Dude is brilliant! The stuff is all over the place and it sells like hotcakes (pun intended!).
Case in point, I was shopping with some friends a few weeks back and one of them just HAS to run into Victoria's Secret to pick up some of this new Beauty Rush Slice of Heaven Body Double Mist. "You have to try it," she says "it smells just like vanilla cake." Of course it does and of course I had to buy some. Who doesn't want to smell like cake!?
It's a pretty cool product, too. You can see two separate layers in the clear bottle - one clear and one orange. Turns out they're actually actually layers of skin conditioners, so it makes your skin feel uber soft and sweet-smelling.
And for those of you who don't want to smell like cake, you can also get the goods in Strawberry Fizz, Passion Fruit Pop, and Appletini scents. Not a fan of body spray? Never fear, they also have glimmer wash, zing moisture gel, and body drink lotion in the same scents. Don't you know I'm on my way out to get the whole collection.
Bargain, too! Any two items for $18 buckaroos!
Posted by Megan on June 21, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend
Smell good enough to drink with Dementer Fragrances!
I am not a flowery perfume girl. As a matter of fact I am not much for wearing perfume at all. Most perfume counters give me a roaring headache so I avoid them (and those spritzer girls at the major department stores) like the plague.
However, like most any girl, I do like to smell pretty. It has taken me some time (and several partially used bottles of perfume!) but I have finally found some of the yummiest scents that don't induce a headache at DemeterFragrance.com.
My favorite collection happens to be their cocktail-inspired Happy Hour Collection. "Who wants to smell like a drunk person?", you say? Don't be silly! They smell like the drink without the overbearing alcohol smell. I am most fond of Sex on the Beach and it's counterpart Sex on The Beach South Beach! They both smell good enough to drink. And it is always fun smelling slightly different and unique. If only they would make a traditionally margarita scented one...I would be all over that!
DemeterFragrance.com has lots of different sizes available in a HUGE variety of scents as well as shower gels, lotions and room sprays. They even have great gift sets to give as gifts (or buy for yourself like I do)! They have a liberal return policy for an online fragrance retailer. The scents, besides being awesome, are reasonably prices and often they have great deals going on; like right now you can get a free gift of Angel Food Bath & Shower Gel free with any purchase of $25.00 or more.
Posted by Amy on August 21, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
It makes scents to shop at The Perfumed Court
I recently stumbled upon a site that offers decants of your favorite perfumes - and probably some of your soon to be favorites as well! The Perfumed Court, has literally thousands of perfumes, some not even available in America!
My tastes always seem to run to the incredibly expensive (champagne taste on a beer budget is what my Mother used to say to me) and really, who wants to spend over $100 on a scent that you're not sure you're really going to like?
For over a year, I've had Tea for Two by L'Artisan, on my wish list, but at $125.00 a bottle and given the fact it's not generally easy to find, I hesitated to commit without at least trying it first. Thanks to The Perfumed Court, I was finally able to test Tea for Two, and was right in thinking that I would love it! I also purchased a decant of Aqua di Parma's Profuma, which retails for about $225.00. Luckily for my finances, I found that I didn't love it as much as I thought I would!
So browse their list of scents...your favorite(s) is sure to be there!
Posted by Janet on September 12, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Pink for a Cure at FragranceNet.com
FragranceNet is donating 15% of sales from from 18
Pink for a Cure fragrances to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Not only does FragranceNet
Here are a few of the items in my shopping cart:
Posted by Megan on October 9, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
I'm hitched
I am hitched and have some fabulous stuff to review. I love products so instead of hiring someone I decided to do my hair and make-up myself, that way, I can keep all my own products. First was some unbelievable foundation I found. I have freckles but didn't want to cover them, I didn't want to look painted; I wanted to be me just a little brighter! MAC makes a great lightweight foundation that felt great on my skin. 
For my lips, well that was a bit of a challenge. I have a really hard time liking any color on my lips. After trying about twenty different shades and textures I found Stila Long Wear Lip Color; exquisite. It feels awesome, not like most long wear lipsticks that are thick, tacky or cakey.
Next was the hard part, my hair. I wanted to leave my hair down but had no idea how to get that cool wavy beach hair. A friend recommended the Revlon Hair Waver. I'll be honest when I opened this up I was apprehensive; it looks like an assault weapon! My bff came over and did a test run and it worked fabulously. Combined with Redken Hair starch It created just the look I was hoping for.
Lastly was the fragrance. Stacked Style Carnival Crush. Sent of peaches and Jasmine, light, fruity and clean. It's my favorite.
Posted by Krista on October 14, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Scentology scents make you smell AND feel good!
I love natural scents, especially scents that are not too floral. I have just added all three Scentology fragrances to my Christmas list because not only do the scents sound great, but they have a dual purpose:
- The orange scented Bliss Booster increases happiness and feelings of well-being.
- The peppermint scented Endurance Enhancer helps increase physical energy and performance.
- The vanilla scented Crave Control curbs cravings for carbs.
They come in cute slim bottles that fit easily into your pocket or purse and can be sprayed on like a perfume or into the environment. I originally saw them in a Target catalog (my local target doesn't carry them) but they are all available at target.com!
Posted by Amy on December 16, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Seriously, what would we do without Sephora?
I posted about it last year as well and here it is again, in all its splendid glory. I bought this for two people last year because I had no clue what they liked or wanted. Sephora's scent sampler certificate set is perfection in a gift.
Samples include: Aquolina Pink Sugar, Badgley Mischka, Guerlain My
Insolence, Hard Candy Fragrance, Hilary Duff With Love...Hilary Duff,
Juicy Couture, Philosophy Inner Grace, Stella McCartney Stella, Vera
Wang Princess, and Givenchy Very Irresistable Givenchy Sensual Eau de
Parfum, plus an added gift of a refillable atomizer.
How it works:
1. Purchase the Fragrance Gift Certificate - For Her either as a gift, or for yourself.
2. Sample the fragrances and choose a favorite.
3. Fill in the enclosed voucher.
4. Bring the voucher in to your local Sephora store and redeem it for the fragrance you've chosen.
Please note:
1. The voucher is redeemable at Sephora stores only (not valid for online use).
2. Only original vouchers will be honored (photocopies will not be accepted).
3. The voucher
cannot be replaced if lost or stolen
4. The Fragrance Gift Certificate - For Her is not available for sale or redemption in Canada.
Posted by Krista on December 12, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Urban Botanics lets U.B. You!
Urban Botanic offers a line of custom fragrancing products; you use their pure perfume oils to blend a one-of-a-kind fragrance to add to their unscented lotion, shower gel, bubble bath, parfum spray or home fragrance. They also offer six U.B You Signature Fragrance Collections (Floral, Fruity, Spicy, Herbal, Leafy, Woodsy) which include everything you need to get started creating custom fragrances at home.
I tried this myself; you simply mix and match the six oils that come with the collection you chose until you're happy with the scent and then add it to the unscented lotion, spray and shower gel which also comes with the collection! It's fun and easy :-)
They even have a site where you can take a Personality Test to see what fragrance suits you best!
Give them a try...I know you'll enjoy this!
Posted by Janet on January 4, 2008 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Valentine's Day coupons, deals and more!
- The Apple Store
- Drugstore.com
- New customers get $5 off $30 or $10 off $50 your first non-prescription order
- Check out the Valentine's Day gift guides
- Save up to 10% off Leonidas Chocolates (Exp. 2/11/08)
- My favorite: Philosophy's Falling in Love Gift Set
- Fashion Bug
- Save 25% on your next order with promo code 776295502 (Exp. 4/23/08)
- FREE ground shipping on
footwear with coupon code 776206700 (Exp. 4/23/08)
- FREE ground shipping
on $75+ with coupon code 776205304 (Exp. 4/23/08)
- Figleaves.com
- Save 15% off orders of $100 or more (Exp. 2/28/08) PLUS! FREE Shipping on $75+ (Exp.2/14/08) with coupon code LS010602.
Free returns.
- FragranceNet.com
- Get $5 Off Valentine's Day Orders of $40+ with coupon code LSVDY (Exp. 2/15/08).
- Gaiam
- Get$10 Off $50 Purchase with coupon code AP2P (Exp. 1/31/08)
- Get 99 cent shipping
with coupon code 99SNH (Exp. 1/31/08)
- GiftBaskets.com
- Get 10% off all Gift Baskets with coupon code ZK-8978
- Hallmark.com
- Order early and save $10 on
gorgeous red roses (Exp. 2/3/08) - Create Valentine's Day cards
- iGourmet
- Get 5% off any purchase with code KGB5 (Exp. 3/31/08)
- New York & Company
- Free Shipping on Purchases $75+ with coupon code 6814 (Exp. 2/2/08
- Overstock
- 10% off heart jewelry (Exp. 1/31/08)
- Save $15 off orders of $300+ (Exp. 1/28/08)
- Proflowers
- Get 30% off One Dozen Assorted
Roses plus FREE vase, only $19.99 (Expires 2/8/08)
- Buy 18 red roses plus FREE ruby vase
, only $39.99 (Expires 2/14/08)
- Save $10 on 20 Assorted Tulips
plus FREE vase, only $29.99 (Expires 2/14/08) - Shutterfly
- New members
get 15% off Photo Gifts (Exp 2/5/08)
- Free shipping on
$30+ with coupon code AF31-SHIP (Exp 2/5/08) - Smartbargains
- Free Shipping on $75+ (Exp. 2/5/08)
- New customers get 12% off
(Exp. 2/5/08)
- The Popcorn Factory
- Get $5 off your order with code MAR5 (Exp. 3/31/08)
- Things Remembered
- Save 20% off $125+ with coupon code LOVE20
- Uncommon Goods
- Get up to 80% off select products.
- Check out unique "Be my Juliet" Valentine's Day gifts for her and "Be my Romeo" for gifts he'll love
Posted by Megan on January 26, 2008 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
Armani Code Name: Sexy
Armani Code for Women by Giorgio Armani is one fragrance every woman should have in her sensual arsenal. It rates right up there with red lipstick, stiletto heels and black lace lingerie. Even the bottle exudes sensuality with its sleek shape, floral design and smoky lavender and black hue.
The sexy, feminine scent is comprised of notes of Blood Orange, Ginger, Pear Sorbet, Honey, Vanilla, Lavender and Jasmine.
Since I started wearing it, I have gotten complements, not only from my husband, but from the mail man, a man crossing the street next to me, and my nephew, who exclaimed, “Aunt Kiki smells goooood!”
Armani Code is a definite must have from the fashion house of Armani, the man that makes any woman look and smell sexy.
Don't forget about NORDSTROM $5 shipping
Posted by Kalisha on January 28, 2008 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend
