ProductWhores

Finally!

Ohhhh.  This has been such a long time coming and I'm SO excited for it.  Drum roll please! Jo Malone is now at Sephora! I seriously gasped a little when I saw the announcement. (Okay, fine, a lot).  I love, love, love Jo Malone, but not a ton of places carry it, plus this news means that whenever Sephora does their 10-20% off sales (depending on what level of Beauty Insider you are), you can use the coupon on Jo Malone. Because let's face it, it's an awesome brand, but it's pricey. Which makes it kind of hard to justify when you already own a ton of fragrances, no matter how much you love their new ones.  (I still regret not buying two of the Tea fragrances when they were out for that short time awhile back.  Missing out on a limited-edition product is the worst).  My all time favorite is the Orange Blossom Cologne.  It's soooo pretty.  It somehow manages to be both fruity and floral and every time I wear it, I get compliments.  (And not like the creepy kind of "Whattttt are you wearing?" compliments I get from old men when I wear Angel, which is why I had to give it up.  That scent is like catnip for weird old men.  I love it, but no.  Not worth it).  I cannot wait to see Jo Malone in store at "my" Sephora.  I'll be able to stay away even less now!      

Stash This One Close

Can you imagine what it must be like to be Sarah Jessica Parker?  Leaving aside her gorgeous Manhattan townhouse, her adorable family, and her great career... the shoes!  Oh God, THE SHOES!  I literally drool when I think about her closet.  So it's really, really unfair that I like her new perfume as much as I do.  Dammit, woman!  Must you have it all?! SJP STASH is a woody fragrance, which for me tend to be hit or miss, but this one's definitely a hit.  Here are the notes:

• Top - Grapefruit zest, black pepper, sage
• Heart - Cedarwood atlas, patchouli, ginger lily, pistachio
• Base - Olibanum, massoia wood, vetiver, musk

I'm terrible at describing scents, but this one smells warm and rich, with a hint of the musk, patchouli and grapefruit zest. It's a big departure from my usual fruity or clean scents, but for some reason, it just works.  It's definitely a night time or colder weather kind of scent, in my opinion though.  I think because it's a little heavy, it doesn't seem to fit as well during the daytime.  But overall, I just find it gorgeous - it makes me feel sophisticated and sexy when I wear it, which, as much as I love my normal scents... spritzing on something called Cool Cotton or Cucumber doesn't exactly scream "sexy."  I feel like I'd wear this to a black tie event or a nighttime wedding at a vineyard (side note, someone invite me to a nighttime wedding at a vineyard) but it'll also be perfect for a Saturday night out with the girls.  Now my new SJP goal is to own a pair of shoes from her new line or one of the new black dresses she designed.  (SERIOUSLY - her life is ammmmmazing!)  Let's make it happen, fashion Gods!

Note: A sample of this product was given to me by a PR representative working with SJP STASH

It's A Love Story...

If you're a person who loves florals (which, full disclosure, I am not) you're going to want to get your hands on Chloe's new Love Story fragrance as soon as possible.  When I sniff it, I'm reminded of a sophisticated woman, someone who summers in the Hamptons and attends charity balls (ha ha ha).  It's very feminine and sexy, with notes of Neroli (Orange Blossom Oil), Jasmine, Physalis (no clue what that is...) and Cedarwood.  Also, how pretty is the bottle?  It was inspired by a lock on the Pont Des Arts “love” bridge in Paris (the locks on the bridge are supposed to symbolize love) and I have to admit, it's one of my favorite recent bottles.  So pretty. Definitely worth checking out if florals are your jam.  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Chloe 

Daisy Fresh

I'm always on the lookout for a great new scent because as much as I love my clean perfumes, one can only smell like rain or cotton so much, you know?  Every once in a while you need to branch out and go a little crazy.  Marc Jacobs' new Daisy Eau So Fresh Blush is right up my fragrance alley - it's sort of bright and sparkling and fun in a way that you can wear it to work or out at night and it would be totally appropriate for either scenario.  With notes of Pink Grapefruit, Mandarin, Apple, Freesia, Rose, Lily of the Valley, Apricot Nectar, Cedarwood, and Musks, it's fruity and a little floral on me, but the fruit is definitely the stronger of the notes (which is perfect because I much prefer that to floral).  It's not overpowering at all - it's a softer scent - and I think it's my favorite of all the Marc Jacobs Daisy scents so far.  It's definitely the most me, at least.  I always love buying Marc Jacobs scents too because it's almost a tiny bit like I'm getting closer to owning an actual Marc Jacobs bag which, let's be honest, is kind of a life goal for me.  Let's make this happen, people!

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Marc Jacobs

Damn You, CLEAN!

There is no brand of fragrance that is my kryptonite more than CLEAN.  I want every single one of their scents.  And now they've come out with a whole bunch of new ones under the CLEAN Reserve name and I'm only allowing myself to buy one (AT MOST - I should really buy none because I have way, way too many perfumes, but I'm never gonna be able to do that so I feel like one is a good compromise).  If (okay, when) I do buy that one, I think it's going to be the Rain scent.  I picked up a sample of it yesterday and it's just so, so pretty.  It's fresh and clean (obviously!) and just exactly the kind of scent I love.  It's similar to the earlier Rain scent they released, but I think I actually like this one better.  It's a little stronger and seems longer lasting, which is great because it's $90 (but for a 3.4 ounce bottle, so that's definitely not terrible).  I also really like the Warm Cotton scent, but I still think I'd buy the Rain one first.  (But if anyone's offering to gift me one...)  Damn you, CLEAN!  

For All Eternity...

It had been a long time since I used Calvin Klein's Eternity, so when I got a bottle of Eternity Now, I wasn't sure what to expect.  But when I opened the box, I sort of instantly fell in love with it because the bottle is so pretty.  It sounds weird, but the bottle's always make a difference in how I feel about the fragrance.  Luckily, Eternity Now lives up to its bottle's potential.  With notes of Lychee, Quince Sorbet, Nectarine, Peonies, Peach Blossoms, Neroli Petals, Cashmere Veil, Ambrox and Precious Musk, it's kind of like a fruity floral.  It's different than I thought it would be, almost sort of... clean? I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but it's light and super pretty - perfect for work or a date.  It does wear off a little quickly on me - I'd probably end up reapplying at night if I was going out - but body chemistry is so subjective that that could be an issue only I have with it.  Definitely a worthy addition to the Calvin Klein fragrance line up (and my perfume collection!)

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Calvin Klein

Dreaming Of Daisies

I almost always love Marc Jacobs' fragrances - the scents are interesting and fun and the bottles are always (always!) adorable.  His new scent, Daisy Dream Forever, continues the tradition.  I mean, how cute is that bottle?  His bottles always make me wish I had some sort of dressing room or table where I could display all the fragrance bottles I love.  (Spoiler alert - I'm not a Kardashian so I don't.  My perfumes are stored in a CARDBOARD MOVING BOX in my closet from when I moved in. Three years ago.  Ridiculous, I know).  Daisy Dream Forever has notes of Blackberry, Grapefruit, Pear, Jasmine, Lychee, Blue Wisteria, White Woods, Musks and Coconut Water, so it's sort of fresh and fruity.  I don't really respond to floral scents (that's my nice way of saying that I hate them) and this doesn't come off floral to me at all.  It's unique - it reminds me of something I'd wear on a date because it's not too strong or overpowering - and it lingers on my skin all day, so I don't really need to refresh unless I'm going out at night.  Daisy Dreams forever, indeed!  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Marc Jacobs

Complete Decadence

Marc Jacobs fragrances and I have a love/hate relationship in that I either love them or hate them - there's almost never one that I smell that I'm like, "Eh, I could take it or leave it."  And I haven't seen Decadence in person yet so I have no idea which category this one'll fit into (although with notes of Italian Plum, Iris Flower, Saffron, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine Sambac, Orris, Vetiver, Papyrus Woods and Liquid Amber, I'm thinking maybe this one'll be in the no category for me).  But even if I don't love the scent, I kinda sorta want to buy it anyway, just for the bottle.  Look at how perfect it is!  It looks like a little purse!  MUST HAVE THIS FOR MY COLLECTION.  It's just necessary.   

RALPH Turns Fifteen

RALPH by Ralph Lauren is turning fifteen and we're all invited to celebrate!  To commemorate the occasion, Ralph is introducing a new, deluxe, limited-edition bottle that's crystal clear with a band of turquoise.  Super cool looking, right?  The scent itself is is a floral, fruity fragrance with notes of sparkling green apple, orange mandarin, pink magnolia, purple freesia and blue musk.  The new bottle is a great value too - only $82 for 150ml (normally $115).  Definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of the scent!  You can find it online at RalphLauren.com now.

Live The Fresh Life

I've passed Fresh's new Fresh Life eau de parfum a dozen times at Sephora before finally stopping to smell it because I knew - I just KNEW - that if I took one sniff, I was going to instantly fall in love and want to own it and I CANNOT spend money on a new fragrance right now.  But then I was distracted and forgot about my vow and accidentally picked it up last weekend and before I could stop myself, I spritzed it on and yep, I'm in love.  It's so unique and pretty and light and just... amazing.  So, so amazing.  There are four separate compositions in the fragrance - the scent of Earth (Velvet Bergamot, Vanilla Grass, Dreamy Cypress), the scent of Air (Grapefruit, Lilac Leaves, Transparent Magnolia), the scent of Sun (Silk Amber, Warm Orange, Tonka Flowers), and the scent of Water (Sweet Cucumber, Sparkling Moss, Morning Dew) - that are all blended together for something that doesn't resemble any scent already in my vast fragrance wardrobe.  Like all Fresh fragrances, it's a little pricey - $48 for 30ml or $88 for 100ml - which is the only reason I didn't waltz out of Sephora that day with it.  I'm forcing myself to wait until the usual holiday discount Sephora offers up to Beauty Insiders, which is killing me a little, but I'm trying to tell myself I'll appreciate it more by having to wait for it.  But if you have some spare cash burning a hole in your pocket and love fresh, clean scents, get thee to a Sephora or Fresh boutique immediately.  Kick your weekend off in style!