Last week on my Sunday Sample post I was going to review two female fragrance
samples for you during this past week and post my reviews today...
However after spraying the VIKTOR&ROLF FLOWERBOMB sample I realised that
I had tried the scent before and after a quick look back on my website
I discovered that I had reviewed the V&R Flowerbomb back in October 2017,
so I've decided to post that full review this coming Thursday as my #TBT Post,
so check back then to read about my thoughts a, that by the way haven't changed.
The second sample was the DOLCE & GABBANA POUR FEMME EDP and you'll be
pleased to know that I haven't reviewed this one before or at least I don't think I
have, just checked and I haven't...
DOLCE & GABBANA
have quite an extensive collection of both male & female fragrances and perhaps their most popularis their D&G Light Blue, which is personally one of my favourite
D&G fragrances due to itsfresh, floral, fruity notes reminiscent of the
Mediterranean lifestyle.
DOLCE & GABBANA Pour Femme
on the other hand has a very different appeal and sadly one that I wasn't
too partial to, as it was a tad too sensual, sweet
and heady for me.
Classified as an Oriental this classic perfume embodies the essence of the
Dolce&Gabbana woman – passionate, sensual and maternal.
For the woman that is aware of her strength and her instincts.
Top Notes:
Soothing Neroli
Raspberry
Green Mandarin.
Heart Notes:
Jasmine
Orange Blossom.
Base Notes:
Sugary Vanilla
Heliotrope
Intense Sandalwood.
As with any fragrance it's a very personal choice, but if the notes
of this fragrance resonate with your own personal likes,then definitely
I haven't posted a Sunday Sample for so long and my sample collection is
building considerably, so this week I thought I would review 2 fragrance samples.
Neither of these brands or fragrances are new, but they're both popular and the fragrances just happen to be ones that I haven't tried before. Both brands have similarities, as they stem from fashion houses that were founded by friend partnerships, one from the Netherlands and the other from Italy.
I will wear them during the week and give you feedback
back next Sunday as to who they would best suit and how they both wore on me.
FLOWERBOMB
VIKTOR&ROLF
EAU DE PARFUM
Viktor & Rolf is a fashion house and it was founded in 1993 by Dutch designers
Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren and as with so many fashion houses a signature
fragrance soon followed.
Classified as a Floral Oriental.
DOLCE & GABBANA POUR FEMME
EAU DE PARFUM
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury fashion house founded by Italian designers
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
One of their earlier creations D&G Pour Femme is classified as an Oriental and
having tried a couple of D&G previously it is a brand I enjoy.
Let me know in the comments section below if you have tried either of these
My blog has been running now since 2012 and I've written so many posts and product reviews that I've decided to introduce a new monthly post called
Throwback Thursday where I will be re-posting some of those earlier blog posts.
FRAGRANCE EVOKES MEMORIES
This is so true, fragrance has the ability to take us back in time.
We often associate a particular fragrance with a certain person or events in our lives.
I'm sure we all have a memory of the first fragrance that made an impression on us whether we liked it or not.
I am sure you can all remember the fragrance you were given by your first true love or the perfume you wore on your wedding day.
One of my early and most vivid recollections of a perfume was one that I didn't like or dislike, but it is just a memory and an association with a relative.
It was worn by an Aunt and every time she visited the scent would linger in the air, on the furniture where she had sat, her clothes would always smell and the perfume
was her trademark fragrance.
I remember seeing the bottle one day in her open handbag and it was Estee Lauder's Youth Dew Bath Oil, hence the intensity.
Youth Dew was originally launched as a Bath Oil only.
Looking back this heady, oriental, spicy fragrance suited her and will always remind me of this larger than life character.
Youth Dew when launched in 1953 as a Bath Oil
My favourite fragrance as a teenager was "Charlie" by Revlon, along with thousands of other teenagers and young women around the world, we all wanted to be just like the confident Shelly Hack strutting her stuff across the t.v. screen and across the pages
of the magazines.
Every year I would get one of the special Christmas Charlie gift sets and that would be
my supply of fragrance for the following year.
It usually contained a 100ml Eau De Toilette spray, body Lotion and a soap and I adored each one.
However the one year I remember fondly, the goodies were packed in a large blue and white Charlie Hat Box with a white rope handle.
It also contained a Charlie Talc shaker, that resembled those large sugar shakers and writing this makes me reminisce back to those carefree innocent days.
I just loved my talcum powder shaker.
Most probably more went over the carpet than onto my body, but I was totally oblivious, as I was that carefree, glamorous girl in the above ad.
Shelly Hack was the Charlie model
Once I hit 21 it was time to leave my faithful friend & companion "Charlie"
and become a "grown up" and wear a more sophisticated fragrance.
In celebration of my coming of age I was given a gift of "Rive Gauche" by Yves Saint Laurent.
I fell in love with this warm woody floral fragrance and today if I smell someone
wearing Rive Gauche it takes me right back to being twenty one again.
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
Pregnancy brings back another vivid recollection of a fragrance.
the year was 1993 and was the year my eldest son was born and the fragrance was "Foud'elle" by Ted Lapidus.
I was busy selling, this soon to be launched female fragrance collection, into the retailers, so several times a day I had to spray myself in order to allow them to experience the delights of this fruity floral fragrance.
How I coped with the "sell in" day after day, I just don't know, the thought of it now still makes me want to vomit.
Shame, it wasn't that the fault of the fragrance, but I was pregnant and it was just too overwhelming for me.
The fragrance was discontinued some years later, but the aroma is still imprinted
firmly in my memory.
I am feeling nauseous looking at the bottle!
Over the years I have loved, then unloved and on occasions intensely disliked
many fragrances,but one thing I am certain of, is that my career path was mapped
out for me long before I realised.
"Thank You" to Youth Dew in the1960's , Charlie in the 70's and Rive Gauche in the 80's,
for making such an impression on me, as without this, I may have taken a different
career path.
So next time you feel like being taken back to a time that you remember with warmth and affection, just have a quick spray of the fragrance that evokes those memories
and enjoy the moment.
I would love to know which fragrance evokes memories within you
The one brand that still excites me when they launch a new fragrance is
L'Occitane
and they've just recently launched their latest female fragrance collection called
HERBAE par L'Occitane having been inspired by the wild grasses that grow in the heart of Provence and it encourages you to embrace your wild side, so this long lasting statement Eau de PARFUM oozes nature and freedom and falls into the green, fresh, floral classification.
I must comment on the packaging of this range, which is beautiful,yet simply presented in terms of the outer illustrated packaging and the bottle itself, that has a single raffia bow tied around the neck.
Initially the
Top Notes of Ambrette Seed, Vert de Bergamot Essence and Pink Peppercorns
are spicy and citrusy and upon drying down the
Heart Notes of
White Nettle Flower Accord,Wild Rose Accord, Bramble Accord and Clary Sage Essence
reveals a more floral aspect to this fragrance.
Finally the Base Notes of Wild Grass, Captive Musk and Cashmeran settle into a
spicy yet sweet, musky, warm fragrance.
Unfortunately embracing the "wild side" didn't work for me, as this ingredient combo just didn't suit my body chemistry and I found the fragrance to be sharp, bitter and sadly at no stage did it appeal to me whatsoever.
Having such a extensive range of fragrances, many of which I adore, I was so disappointed
but that's how fragrances work, some you love and some you don't.
However that being said, fragrance is always such a personal choice, hence why in-store testing is so important before purchasing.
I personally feel that HEBAE is one of those statement fragrances that you will either hate or absolutely fall in love with...
The range consists of the usual complimentary products like Hand Cream, Body Lotion,Shower Gel and a Soap.
The fragrance comes in an Eau de Parfum format only.
It's time to review a fragrance sample this week and its a new launch from one of my favourite French brands L'Occitane.
HERBAE Eau de Parfum has just been launched here in South Africa and apparently this fragrance has been inspired by the wild grasses that grow in Provence and having been to Provence, several times, I'm curious to see what this fragrance has to offer. I'm assuming that this fragrance will fall under that Green/Fresh classification, which I normally enjoy, so pop back on Sunday to see whether it's a winner or not...
If you are looking for a statement "smell me when I walk into the room" kinda fragrance well this isn't the one for you. Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert is the exact opposite, as it's a understated soft, subtle fragrance.
Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert created in 1992 was also Bvlgari’s very first fragrance for men and women.
On paper some of my favourite fragrance ingredients form part of
this creation.
Top notes:
Bergamot, green pepper
Middle notes:
Green tea accord, cardamom
Base notes:
Beeswax, tonka bean
I personally enjoyed the initial top notes, as I do enjoy Bergamot inclusions, but sadly for me the dry down of the Green Tea and finally the Tonka Bean was all too soft and feint.
I found that it soon faded into insignificance despite being a fan of all of the notes, but perhaps just not in this format or concentration.
It is one to consider though if soft, fresh scents are your "fragrance thing"
This is rather a different post today, as it's not a product review, but rather a review
about a campaigns communication video.
Yes it's about a brands TV advertisement, well I did say it was going to be different...
Having worked my whole career with skincare and fragrance brands, I've seen many press releases over the years and I always head straight to the link to the tv add before
reading all the bumf about the background to the product.
I like to watch the video without any prior knowledge of what the product or message of the ad is trying to convey and whilst some, I have to admit, loose me others hit the nail right on the the "beauty" head (ouch! Sorry)
The new communication video for the best selling Lancôme fragrance, La Vie est Belle, is what's led me to write this post.
La Vie est Belle means "Life is Beautiful"
in French and the fragrance
has always portrayed happiness, however it's time to turn a page and begin
a new chapter on the La Vie est Belle journey.
#MakeSomeoneHappy
Is a true manifesto of living “la vie est belle”. The most important aspect of joy and happiness is SHARING it – and so the new campaign was born:
WHO WILL YOU MAKE HAPPY TODAY?
For me "Happiness" is just what this short video conveys. It's starts out as an elegant, yet rather sombre gathering and through her infectious smile she shines and radiates happiness and it soon turns it into a party...
Beautifully filmed with the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop
this ad gets the Happiness message across loud and clear, as it simply makes you feel good inside...
I know there are all kinds of ways of making people happy and by sharing this video I hope to do my bit, in this sometimes mad world, to make you
"Feel Happy Today"
even if it's only for a few minutes in these videos.
Julie Roberts has been the face of the fragrance since its inception in 2012
and not only is she stunningly beautiful, but who can resist feeling happy when she flashes her iconic smile.I personally feel that's she very relatable and we have grown up with her on screen over her long successful acting career and if you can't get enough of her then check out this happy short video.
There are currently 3 incarnations of the fragrance
LANCÔME LA VIE EST BELLE
EAU DE PARFUM R1440 50ml
LANCÔME LA VIE EST BELLE
ECLAT DE PARFUM R1440 50ml
LANCÔME LA VIE EST BELLE
INTENSE
R1500
50ml
If you would like to try some happiness in the form of
La Vie best Belle fragrances then pop by any Lancôme stockist
