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Fragrance Reviews

Lush Scent Ponche Fragrance Review

lush-scent-ponche
* Starts off with the money shot – boozy fruit.  Specifically tequila that is strong- slightly tempered with citrus and a little bit of cinnamon.

* I would not recommend wearing this when driving.  If you happened to be pulled over by a police officer, they won’t even bother with a breathalyzer.

* When the fruit starts to burn off – it’s full-on tequila with a hint of resins burning.  

* You would get the same effects by splashing the real stuff on you and walking by a campfire.

* The base is fruity wood and stays really close to the skin.

Summary:  Ponche has the best longevity of the collection, always lasting over 
12 hours.  I’ve only smelled Ponche Shower gel once and I remember it being tequila and citrus – so, based on that scent memory, this is a faithful interpretation.  Reeking of Tequila is not the best approach for work, so this is clearly not office-friendly.  Although this is full-bodied, I see this being a great spring, summer, and vacation scent.

Other opinions:

Pretty in Pink (Shower Gel)
Musings of a Muse (Shower Gel)
All Things Lush (Shower Gel)
SwatchGirl (Shower Gel)
Scatter Braintures (Shower Gel)
Writing Whimsy (Shower Gel)

Lush Scent Ponche is a limited edition that was available only from their website. Check there first to see if it is still available. If not, ebay is pretty much your only option.

Disclaimer: Bottle purchased – no disclaimer needed. Image courtesy of Lush website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Costes Fragrance Review

costes-luckyscent

* Crisp lavender and sweet cinnamon are quite exhilarating together on the top.

* It starts like a refreshing and manly sports scent – or what I wish a man’s sport scent would smell like, rather than generically clean and fresh.

* Out of nowhere,  a soapy rose comes into play- with some of the cinnamon giving it a prickly feel.

* The rose blossoms literally by feeling really alive, as if it is breathing. 

* If you sniff your skin closely, you smell the base of woods and nondescript musk.

Summary:  Sort of in the vein of celebrity scents, this is the signature scent of the Hotel Costes.   It’s fresh sand invigorating, but not overwhelming.  It lasts about five hours on my skin, which is about right for an eau de toilette. I could see this as a great scent post-workout or as a nice wake-up scent in the morning. It’s available as shower gel and soap, which would be delightful to use or give as a gift. It’s definitely unisex and on the lighter side, so this would be great for people who are afraid of being too loud.  If you are ever in Paris, you must visit the Hotel Costes to see not only the amazing rose market but to experience all the IUMX fragrance in the special automated flower machines… Hard to describe.  Whatever you do, do not touch the tester bottles or else the animated perfume salescold will chastise you with “this is not f*king Sephora” (or “this is not f*king Boots” if you look British). Just one of the many animated characters you might meet in Paris… 

Other opinions:

Bois de Jasmin

Perfume Smillin Things

Costes is available at LuckyScent and CO Bigelow.

Disclaimer: No disclaimer needed as I own a full bottle. Image courtesy of LuckyScent website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Parfumerie Generale Private Collection: Un Crime Exotique Fragrance Review

parfumerie-generale-un-crime-exotique
* A strong refreshing burst of cinnamon with apricot, gingerbread, and licorice kicks this off.

* Imagine sweet dessert pastries and teas that are cooling rather than warming for an idea.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Lili Bermuda Somers Fragrance Review

*  Somers starts sweet and woody – with licorice and cinnamon, sharpened by cedar.

*  The cedar burns off quickly, leaving cinnamon and licorice as the focus.