12.11.2013

MCMC NOBLE


MCMC NOBLE / $45

After my run in with Jouer's perfume oil I immediately knew that I was, for sure, in love with these beautiful little roller balls. Conventional spray-ons are great and all but there's just something really sophisticated about perfume oils, ya know?

There's a little shop in the Mission called Voyager and every time we're in the neighborhood I stop by.  They just happen to carry the best clothes (+ The Gentlewoman) and now even some toiletries. Last time I was in there I spotted a row of perfumes and obviously had to investigate the gorgeous glass packaging. NOBLE was the first one I spotted as well as the one I left the store with — sometimes you just have that kind of luck.

The ingredients are simple: Organic Jojoba Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Essential Oils and Absolutes, Fragrance. I like simple. I also REALLY* adore florals lately which is totally weird but I'm just going with it. And NOBLE is essentially a bunch of my favorite scents packed into one gorgeous perfume. Jasmine, chai tea, amber, musk. I'm obsessed. It's such a sexy smell, but still light enough to wear every. single. day. It's the most wonderful fall/winter scent I've worn in a long time; such a perfect balance with little a hint of spice.

* like, really really

6.26.2013

my little parfumerie



I'm not going to go on and on about how extremely selective I am with the things I buy; hopefully by now that's a well known fact about me. Instead I'm going to introduce you to a few of my favorite scents. The ones that have stuck around for years and the ones that have made their mark on me somehow and thus, have ended up in this post. 

· In 2005/6 I was wandering the perfume section of some department store — I'm going to guess it was Macy's or Lord & Taylor. The where doesn't matter so much, I suppose, but either way I had made my way to the Burberry counter and picked up the prettiest bottle I could find. You could say it was love at first spritz, but Burberry Brit EDT was in my life from then on out.  This was my go-to for many many years. It's one of those smells that brings about some serious nostalgia; from high school to my many travels, the smell now reminds me so much of my year in England. And without fail, for the past ~8 years, my mom buys me a bottle of my signature scent. 
Notes: pear, lime, lemongrass; almond and peony; vanilla, amber, tonka bean. 
Lasting power: ★★☆☆☆

· When I first started blogging everyone seemed to be talking about Diptyque. I was intrigued; I'm a sucker for simple yet elegant design and with so many good things being said, I knew I needed to at least try something. I got my paws on a sample of Volutes and was immediately enamored. The smell itself is musky and spicy, very sensual and yet somehow remains feminine. I used that sample sparingly until the last drop but wasn't ready to shell out nearly $90 for a perfume. Luckily for me, Richard suprised me with a bottle for Christmas. He's a keeper.
Notes: iris flower, honey, tobacco and dried fruits; pink pepper, black pepper, saffron, hay and immortelle; opoponax, myrhh, styrax and benzoin. 
Lasting power: ★★★★★

· Marc Jacobs Daisy is the perfume I never wanted. I'd always strayed away because it seemed so over-hyped, so played out, so... not me. You know how they say "don't judge a book by it's cover"? Well I was judging the ever-loving shit [excuse my French] out of this perfume and honestly I just couldn't help it. Somehow a sample found its way into the bottom of my Sephora shopping bag. What happened next? I fell for it 100% no regrets yolo sorry not sorry — you get the gist. Now I wear it proudly and I truly do love it.
Notes: violet leaf, wild strawberry and grapefruit; jasmine, gardenia and violet; white woods, vanilla and musk.
Lasting power: ★★★☆☆

· The week after Richard and I got married, we stayed in NYC as a sort of mini-honeymoon. It's probably my favorite trip to the city to date, even though I've been there easily more than 50 times. I remember Nina (my sissy-in-law) and I heading into Sephora (one of my first Sephora visits ever, mind you) and I saw the prettiest bottle of purple perfume and then the crown topper. The little crown is what played on my heart strings, hard. I sprayed it on, walked away from it, and obsessed for the next few hours. Regret commenced almost immediately and before heading home from our little getaway, I snatched up a bottle and loved it forever. The scent is so delicate and powdery yet fresh, reminding me so much of those first few days of newlywed bliss.
Notes: waterlilly, lady apple, mandarin meringue, and golden apricot skin; ripe pink guava, Tahitian flower, wild tuberose, and dark chocolate; pink frosting accord, precious amber, forbidden woods, royal musk captive and chiffon vanilla.
Lasting power: ★★★★☆

What are some of your favorites?


6.17.2013

Jouer Perfume Oil


Jouer Perfume Oil* / $42

I am incredibly picky when it comes to scents. Let's be honest though, I'm picky when it comes to, well, everything. I was lucky enough to be sent a few things from the lovelies over at Jouer, and the first of the bunch, the one thing that really stood out, was this perfume oil.

Now I don't know about everyone else, but as I get a bit older (lol?!11!1!) I find my smell and taste changing quite a bit. While I still love sugary sweet scents, I've started to really love soft, floral notes; jasmine and lavender being my favorite, as of late. What appealed to me about this oil was that it was described as "a blend of Gardenia, Jasmine and Honeysuckle" so literally exactly what I've been loving. Also the fact that it's an oil? Yes please and thank you.

Can I first just point out the oil roller itself? No ridiculous logos or anything. Just a beautiful little glass bottle — teeny enough to bring with you anywhere. To me it feels kind of inconspicuously elegant. The scent itself is actually way more than I expected. What I honestly expected was a perfume that smelled like flowers (think MJ Daisy), but this is not that at all. This genuinely smells of real honeysuckles and jasmine; it doesn't at all have a true perfume scent. I'm not quite sure how they do it, but it's just perfection in a bottle.

I've been rolling this on my wrists and rubbing it in quite well, because it is an oil after all. Sometimes I'll pop a bit on my neck and décolletage, where I can smell it a bit better. It's semi-theraputic especially when I'm feeling a bit stressed. The scent lasts quite long, normally all day though I do apply just for my own pleasure every now and again. I love pairing this with my other perfumes; wearing this on my wrists and neck and Daisy or Burberry Brit sprayed everywhere else.

I'm literally obsessed with this little thing and I will absolutely be purchasing this once mine runs out. Sound like something you'd be into?

1.02.2013

Diptyque Volutes


Diptyque Volutes Eaux de Toilette · $88 (this was a gift)

Firstly let me start out by saying Happy New Year and damn it feels good to be back. I spent the last 2 weeks in England with Richard's family and took a bit of time off from blogging. I'm happy to say I'm super excited to start blogging again as I've missed it (and all of you) tons.  P.S. Thank you to Richard for being so wonderful and getting me this for Christmas!

I've been [sparingly] using a sample of Volutes for a few weeks now and immediately knew I had to have the full size. I love it, Richard loves it, to be honest, who doesn't love it? It's a spicy, warm, and seriously sensual scent. Diptyque describes it as "notes of honeyed Egyptian tobacco, styrax, and leather" and though it may sound a bit odd, it smells absolutely divine. Everything about this just screams my name including the luxurious packaging and adorable illustration. The bottle itself is absolutely beautiful and I've got to say (although I am late to the party) Diptyque has completely stolen my heart. 

The little illustration seems to go with the story Diptyque has about Volutes: "The voyage of your dreams, on board a liner from Marseille to Saigon. A long haul crossing, stopping off at a number of places with magical names, all redolent of adventure and spice. The charm of life on board ship, where time does not exist. The labyrinth of polished passageways and the panelled walls of the lounges, the enigmatic elegant women leaning on the rail on top deck, indulging in the pleasure of Khedive cigarettes. A smell forever imprinted on the memory: Volutes". 

Now please tell me — what's not to love? I'll definitely be looking into more Diptyque products (especially the candles). What are your favorite products by them?

12.06.2012

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette



Let me start out by saying I'm not really one to branch out, try new perfumes, or have a little collection of a few. I've been religiously wearing Burberry Brit Eau de Toilette for 7 years (what?!?!) and Vera Wang Princess for 2. I normally go through a bottle then switch to a different perfume, but as of late I'm liking wearing something that suits my mood and the weather.

I recently came across Daisy and couldn't look away from the adorable flowers that topped this beautiful bottle. I instantly fell for it. It's really hard for me to justify spending money on perfume so I waited until the VIB sale and snatched it up quicker than you can snap your fingers. 20% off, yay!

Daisy is a lovely year round scent — floral with a hint of fruit and musk. With an array of top notes such as strawberry, violet leaves, ruby red grapefruit, gardenia, violet petals, jasmine petals and base notes of musk, vanilla and white woods you're left with a warm, floral and feminine scent. My only qualm about this perfume is it's lasting power — it seems to fade on skin quite quickly (but stays on clothes for quite some time). Either way, I'm still in love and really enjoy wearing it! 

What do you guys think of Daisy and Marc Jacobs perfume in general? 

3.01.2011

Miss Dior Cherie


There's been lots talk about Natalie Portman being the new face of Dior, and well, here she is. Stunning as usual and totally charming, here are some backstage stills from the shoot. Check out the film as well as some other fun stuff at missdiorcherie.com.

P.S. try not to fall in love right away!

photo credit: missdiorcherie.com
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