Category: Fragrance Reviews

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Parfums Del Rae Eau Illuminee Fragrance Review

parfums-del-rae-eau-illuminee

* Eau Illuminee kicks off with a refreshing and bright lavender, with a bit of light citrus floating in.

* It starts to get sweeter and powdery with the lavender still in the forefront.  I also get some nose-tickling herbs that prick the sniffer.

* The herbs stay in the mix as a light tonka comes in with vanilla and some rooty, earthy notes.

* The base is sweet resins with the earthy notes grounding them.

* Longevity is about average, for an EDT at 3 hours.

Summary: Clean is often used as a bad word amongst fragrance lovers because it refers to a generic, clean scent that is weak and mundane. Eau Illuminee is clean how I imagine it being – fresh, with a bright energetic feeling to it.  This would make a great office fragrance for guys or girls, provided you carry a spritzer to refresh yourself after lunch.  What better way to pick you up for the second half of the work day?

Parfums Del Rae fragrances are available through LuckyScent and Parfums Del Rae website.

Other opinions:

Left Coast Nose

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Disclaimer: Sample provided by publicist for review. Image courtesy of Parfums del Rae website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Tom Ford Azure Private Blend Lime Fragrance Review

tom-ford-private-blend-azure-lime

* Kicks off with a bright, refreshing, and bold lime with a bit of other citrus in the mix.  

* It’s fruity, tangy, and sweet.  Almost like pouring the juice on your arm but without the stickiness.

* Lime stays in the forefront for about 20 minutes before it begins to recede, with a sweet vanilla and light florals coming into the mix.

* The florals just kind of sit there – they are nice and pretty but feel kind of, I don’t know, blah.

* After the florals wane, the base of generic wood and bland musk lasts for a few hours.

Summary:  
Yes, citrus notes don’t usually last long as top notes in fragrance, but twenty minutes? Come on… If you are looking for niche fragrance version of premature ejaculation, you’ve found it.  The lime note, while it lasts, is really good, but for the price of a Tom Ford Private Blend it should last a lot longer (as should the whole scent, 3-4 hours longevity for an edp is bad.)  After the proverbial wad is shot, it becomes a bit generic, floating between that realm of Bath and Body Works and low-end Department Store scents.  Not that there is anything wrong with those kind of scents, but at $200 for 50ML, my expectations are a lot higher.  As a devoted Fordie, I have probably 10 of the Private Blends in my collection and this is one that I rarely reach for – and if I do, it’s to layer with Creed Virgin Island water or as just a quick pick me up.  If Azure Lime was a scent at Bath and Body Works for $20 a bottle, I would STRONGLY recommend it.  At Private Blend pricing, I recommend testing but would think very carefully before investing in a full bottle.

Tom Ford Private Blends are available from Tom Ford boutiques, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Other opinions:

EauMG

Now Smell This

The Scentcritic

Image courtesy of Yahoo.com. No disclaimer needed as I own a bottle.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Esscentual Alchemy Lime in the Coconut Fragrance Review

esscentual-alchemy-lime-in-da-coconut

* Fresh and juicy lime kicks this off… surprise.

* For a natural, it projects quite strongly and has a lot of oomph.

* Coconut enters the party, and suddenly it’s a bit sweeter, but still projecting.

* After about 45 minutes, Lime in the Coconut gets really close to the skin. There is a subtle haze but it quiets down a lot.

* The coconut lime mix becomes quite sheer after 2 hours and can only be sensed if you smell you arm. 

Summary:  As I explore more and more fragrances, I realize there are notes with which I have a contentious relationship. For example, vetiver never works on my skin – it goes rancid, tart, caustic, sweaty, and evil (bad) skank.  Lime is another note – I love the smell but unfortunately, it never lasts on my skin.  Tom Ford Azure Lime is a great scent but I rarely get more than an hour of wear from it.  Lime in the Coconut is a FUN, flirty, tart lime softened with sweet coconut (and inspired by the song).  To be crass, on my skin, its like that quickie fling I wish would last several hours so that I could enjoy it longer.  Longevity is often an issue with natural scents, so I would encourage you to test this (and others from the Escentual Alchemy line) but be prepared to reapply every few hours.  Maybe it really is like a good drink, you need one every few hours to stay hydrated (and keep the buzz pleasantly going).

Esscentual Alchemy fragrances are available through the Esscentual Alchemy website.

Other opinions:

Ca Fleure Bon

Feminine Things

Perfume Possee

Disclaimer: Sample provided by publicist for review. Image courtesy of Esscentual Alchemy.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Mark Buxton Black Angel Fragrance Review

mark-buxton-black-angel

* Starts spicy and citrus, but it’s not sheer.   The ginger starts a bit strong and kind of makes your nose tingle.

* It goes on refreshingly, like an energy booster, yet it’s oddly not light.

Continue reading “Mark Buxton Black Angel Fragrance Review”
Fragrance Reviews – Page 21 – Notable Scents

Category: Fragrance Reviews

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Parfums Del Rae Eau Illuminee Fragrance Review

parfums-del-rae-eau-illuminee

* Eau Illuminee kicks off with a refreshing and bright lavender, with a bit of light citrus floating in.

* It starts to get sweeter and powdery with the lavender still in the forefront.  I also get some nose-tickling herbs that prick the sniffer.

* The herbs stay in the mix as a light tonka comes in with vanilla and some rooty, earthy notes.

* The base is sweet resins with the earthy notes grounding them.

* Longevity is about average, for an EDT at 3 hours.

Summary: Clean is often used as a bad word amongst fragrance lovers because it refers to a generic, clean scent that is weak and mundane. Eau Illuminee is clean how I imagine it being – fresh, with a bright energetic feeling to it.  This would make a great office fragrance for guys or girls, provided you carry a spritzer to refresh yourself after lunch.  What better way to pick you up for the second half of the work day?

Parfums Del Rae fragrances are available through LuckyScent and Parfums Del Rae website.

Other opinions:

Left Coast Nose

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Disclaimer: Sample provided by publicist for review. Image courtesy of Parfums del Rae website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Tom Ford Azure Private Blend Lime Fragrance Review

tom-ford-private-blend-azure-lime

* Kicks off with a bright, refreshing, and bold lime with a bit of other citrus in the mix.  

* It’s fruity, tangy, and sweet.  Almost like pouring the juice on your arm but without the stickiness.

* Lime stays in the forefront for about 20 minutes before it begins to recede, with a sweet vanilla and light florals coming into the mix.

* The florals just kind of sit there – they are nice and pretty but feel kind of, I don’t know, blah.

* After the florals wane, the base of generic wood and bland musk lasts for a few hours.

Summary:  
Yes, citrus notes don’t usually last long as top notes in fragrance, but twenty minutes? Come on… If you are looking for niche fragrance version of premature ejaculation, you’ve found it.  The lime note, while it lasts, is really good, but for the price of a Tom Ford Private Blend it should last a lot longer (as should the whole scent, 3-4 hours longevity for an edp is bad.)  After the proverbial wad is shot, it becomes a bit generic, floating between that realm of Bath and Body Works and low-end Department Store scents.  Not that there is anything wrong with those kind of scents, but at $200 for 50ML, my expectations are a lot higher.  As a devoted Fordie, I have probably 10 of the Private Blends in my collection and this is one that I rarely reach for – and if I do, it’s to layer with Creed Virgin Island water or as just a quick pick me up.  If Azure Lime was a scent at Bath and Body Works for $20 a bottle, I would STRONGLY recommend it.  At Private Blend pricing, I recommend testing but would think very carefully before investing in a full bottle.

Tom Ford Private Blends are available from Tom Ford boutiques, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Other opinions:

EauMG

Now Smell This

The Scentcritic

Image courtesy of Yahoo.com. No disclaimer needed as I own a bottle.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Esscentual Alchemy Lime in the Coconut Fragrance Review

esscentual-alchemy-lime-in-da-coconut

* Fresh and juicy lime kicks this off… surprise.

* For a natural, it projects quite strongly and has a lot of oomph.

* Coconut enters the party, and suddenly it’s a bit sweeter, but still projecting.

* After about 45 minutes, Lime in the Coconut gets really close to the skin. There is a subtle haze but it quiets down a lot.

* The coconut lime mix becomes quite sheer after 2 hours and can only be sensed if you smell you arm. 

Summary:  As I explore more and more fragrances, I realize there are notes with which I have a contentious relationship. For example, vetiver never works on my skin – it goes rancid, tart, caustic, sweaty, and evil (bad) skank.  Lime is another note – I love the smell but unfortunately, it never lasts on my skin.  Tom Ford Azure Lime is a great scent but I rarely get more than an hour of wear from it.  Lime in the Coconut is a FUN, flirty, tart lime softened with sweet coconut (and inspired by the song).  To be crass, on my skin, its like that quickie fling I wish would last several hours so that I could enjoy it longer.  Longevity is often an issue with natural scents, so I would encourage you to test this (and others from the Escentual Alchemy line) but be prepared to reapply every few hours.  Maybe it really is like a good drink, you need one every few hours to stay hydrated (and keep the buzz pleasantly going).

Esscentual Alchemy fragrances are available through the Esscentual Alchemy website.

Other opinions:

Ca Fleure Bon

Feminine Things

Perfume Possee

Disclaimer: Sample provided by publicist for review. Image courtesy of Esscentual Alchemy.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Mark Buxton Black Angel Fragrance Review

mark-buxton-black-angel

* Starts spicy and citrus, but it’s not sheer.   The ginger starts a bit strong and kind of makes your nose tingle.

* It goes on refreshingly, like an energy booster, yet it’s oddly not light.

Continue reading “Mark Buxton Black Angel Fragrance Review”