Review: Vanille Extreme (EDT) by Comptoir Sud Pacifique

I am a sucker for Vanilla perfumes. I must. have. them. So when I saw this sample at Lucky Scent, I had to give it a whirl.

The Scent

Extreme is 200% correct, this one is super duper sweet!!!! Your dentist would NOT approve!!!!

Vanille Extreme starts off with a tooth achingly sweet vanilla ice cream blast, as if you've had your head stuck in the carton & had a massive feeding frenzy. It's dripping from your nose, mouth & chin. You can almost FEEL the stickiness of the sugar, vanilla & milk.

The vanilla here is not rich or warm, but similar to concentrated vanilla essence (not that there's anything wrong with that!) and the milk note makes it creamy. Sillage is at maximum here!

The heliotrope then joins in but turns into a bit of a party pooper, calming the scent down with a floral twist. Don't get me wrong, it's not awful however personally I'd prefer the sugar, milk & vanilla to be solo.

Lasting Power

The initial blast of Vanille Extreme EDT lasts about an hour or so on me, and then stays close to the skin, it doesn't completely fade. During the day I get vanillary whiffs that make me want to lick my arm.

Will I Buy It?

I will enjoy my sample whilst it lasts, but I don't think I will be buying a full bottle of this. It's very nice, but I don't love it.

Do I Recommend It?

If you're a vanilla lover like myself, you MUST try it! I recommend picking a sample up at Lucky Scent before you spring for a while bottle though.

Review: Fleur de Vanille by Fragonard

I was absent-mindedly browsing through perfumes at a boutique when I asked the SA if she had anything with vanilla. She bought out Fleur de Vanille & sprayed it on a strip.

I had never heard of Fragonard before. I thought it was nice, threw the strip in my bag then promptly forgot about it.

A few days later I detected a beautiful scent. Mouth watering vanilla. What is that smell????? I found the strip wondered why I had dismissed it so quickly. Wow, I was in love!


French perfumery Fragonard describe their scent as;

"Sensuous vanilla flowered with Ylang, heliotrope and rose on a sweet harmony of chocolate, cocoa and musk"

What do I think?

This fragrance is very very sweet so you'll have to be a huge gourmand lover, but don't expect a cheap cupcake vibe. The vanilla in Fleur de Vanille is very impressive. Luxurious, silky smooth & rich.

There is a perfect hint of florals - rose, heliotrope & ylang ylang - & a touch of musk. These notes are so well blended & don't overpower or ruin the vanilla.

To tie everything up in a beautiful French bow - the cocoa/chocolate note brings everything together perfectly.

How long does it last?

The longevity is amazing for an EDT & lasts up to 12 hours on me! The cardboard strip I was given lasted weeks.


Would I buy it?

Fleur de Vanille is of the best vanilla's I've smelt in a long time. I've already purchased a full 100ml bottle. When this bottle is half used, you can bet that I'll be ordering a new one.

My rating: 8.9/10

Review: Eau d'Hadrien by Annick Goutal

I had given up searching for a my perfect Summer lemon fragrance when I stumbled upon Eau d'Hadrien by Annick Goutal.

You wouldn't think much from the name or the packaging (especially the square bottle). So many perfumes these days rely on attractive bottles to make you try a scent (and it certainly works!). Annick Goutal bottles all look the same so you really have to rely on word of mouth/reviews, an eyecatching name or good ol' perseverance to find a scent for you in this range.

I happened to stumble upon a tester of Eau d'Hadrien on its own. I ignored it & looked at perfumes around it, but then I saw they had a small 15ml bottle for sale @ a bargain price. I admit, I really wanted to own an AG perfume so I tried it. I am so glad I did.

Fragrance notes:

Sicilian Lemon
Grapefruit
Green Mandarin
Cypress
Aldehydes
Ylang-Ylang

What do I think?

Eau d'Hadrien is simple, classy & super-wearable. It is also an addictive scent & really energising. definitely a form of aromatherapy.

This fragrance starts with a super fresh just cut lemon scent, not long after a lovely fresh grapefruit & mandarin combines with the lemon. The scent is very natural & it is deliciously juicy.

Just when you think you have Eau d'Hadrien figured out the cypress/aldeydes gives it a small unusual herb type quality & the ylang- ylang gives it a tiny soft edge.

I usually choose this fragrance when it's warm, or I don't feel like a complicated perfume. It is also perfect when I need a pick-me-up. You know how you just have days like that?

I see many people compare this perfume to cleaning products, well I don't use lemon cleaning products often & the ones that I have used certainly don't smell like this!

When to wear it?

Eau d'Hadrien works for anytime of year, however is simply perfect for Summer.

Who can wear Eau d'Hadrien?

This perfume is termed as Unisex. Whenever I see the word "unisex" I'm very weary as the scent usually still leans on one side (be that masculine or feminine - usually the former) however Eau d'Hadrien is neither & I would most probably call it Asexual as it is neither feminine, nor masculine if you know what I mean.

Longevity?

Lasting power is not too bad on my skin, I get a few hours out of the EDT. It will last even longer if you layer it over moisturiser. The scent seems to lie close to the skin but I get lovely whiffs of it during the day.

It also seems like a perfect layering scent, I am eager to try it with vanilla or sandalwood as I think they would compliment it very well.

The bottle?

There seems to be two different bottles - the square one (which seems to be marketed to men) and the tall bottle (see both above). I have a small square bottle - it is great as it lets you control how much you use, whether it be a dribble, half squirt or a full spray. Some perfume bottles only let you do a full spray or none at all. I might be way off base, but I feel that this shows the quality of the nozzle.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, I will definitely re-purchase Eau d'Hadrien when I run out.

I highly recommend you try Eau d'Hadrien!

My rating: 7.8/10

The Perfume Connection: Tester Sale

Attention Aussie Perfume Lovers!

Just a quick post.... I snuck a peek @ The Perfume Connection the other day & saw they have a tester sale on again... but this time the prices are actually pretty reasonable - ranging from $5 to $40ish.

They are scents that they no longer sell (most seemed like Summer fragrances), however a lot of them were 100ml bottles that had hardly been touched. What a great way to try a new perfume & grab a bargain.

Now go sniff! :D

Perfume Review: lol ;-) by Lulu Castagnette

A few months ago I picked out a perfume named Les Petites Folies 00:10 by Lulu Castagnette. I liked it so much I recently got the "buddy" perfume Les Petites Folies 20:15 which is lovely too - gorgeous bottles!

I returned to try another Lulu Castagnette perfume however unfortunately the Sales Assistant could not find the tester. I didn't want to leave the store without testing SOMETHING so I asked to try the only other tester there which happened to be lol ;-).

I had seen this perfume in lists whilst browsing sites & had a small giggle. Who would buy a perfume with such a name unless it's for a novelty - which I'm not completely alien to. Certainly it's a teen perfume? I try not to judge scents like I have seen others do. However this is definitely one instance when I misjudged .


So the SA sprayed & handed the card to me. I sniffed & looked up at her in surprise. It was really nice! Pick me up off the floor!

How does it smell?
The top notes are a blast of Strawberry & Apple, which turns out to be a little like sherbet. The Florals (Rose & Iris) sneak in & soon after the Vanilla. Just when you think you have lol ;-) figured out, the Sandalwood & Patchouli join the crowd & turn it into a sophisticated gourmand (well I think so anyway).

I always test potential fragrances on my skin, so I asked the SA to spray my arm. After a while the scent turned from a fruity sherbet to a creamy delicious strawberry vanilla with just the right amount of sandalwood & patchouli to blend. It definitely grew on me as the afternoon progressed to evening & then morning. Morning?? Yes, it lasted on my skin, pillow & clothes. I got whiffs of it until I washed! It grew on me & I knew I wanted to lol ;-)

Sillage seems to be decent & it has approval from my SO (a very hard feat!!!).

PERFUME NOTES:
Top: Strawberry, Apple
Middle: Rose, Iris
Base: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Patchouli

What about the bottle?
The bottle seems to be a little Jean Paul Gaultier inspired with its curves. It's a cute pink & orange with an unusual "topless" pink see through lid. Can't say that it's extremely elegant looking, it reminds me a little of a deodorant, but it's nice to hold & easy to spray/distribute the perfume on your arm.

Would I recommend it?
Yes! .... but you'll need to like gourmand (foody) scents as it's very sweet & definitely smells like a fruity, creamy desert (with some sherbet thrown in). If this does not appeal to you - avoid it. If it does, try it out on your skin!


Verdict
Who would have thought a perfume called lol ;-) would be a really nice fragrance? Not me! But it is! I'm really happy with this scent & it will definitely be on my rotation. Although it seems to stand the heat, lol ;-) is probably a cooler weather fragrance. The Vanilla may be a little too much in the humidity.

Price
I bought a 100ml for $45 from The Perfume Connection. It's also available in 50ml for $22.95*

PS: A small heads up! If you're looking for this the "full" name is SMS lol ;-) but on the bottle it simply says lol ;-) - Lulu Castagnette seems to like to group fragrances into "headings" (?) such as SMS or Les Petite Folies which can be a little confusing if you're specifically looking for one of her fragrances on a listing or site without good search functions as this may be listed under S or L.

PPS: As of July 2011, you can pick up 100ml of SMS lol ;-) from The Perfume Connection, & The Perfume Shop for $14 a bottle. Apparently they're getting rid of the line & I definitely recommend you take advantage of that! :-) $14 for this perfume is a steal!

My Rating: 7 out of 10

*Edit July, 2011: Perfume Connection must be discontinuing the line, as I saw lol ;-) for $13 (50ml) grab a bottle as at this price, it's a steal!

How To Make Your Fragrance Last Longer (& fix other complaints)

I love my perfume & perusing fragrance reviews is a strange pastime of mine (well my SO seems to think so anyway). One thing I come across quite often are complains about different perfumes such as:-

• This perfume only lasts 5 minutes on me! 
• I love the (Top/Middle/Base) notes but something turns strange 
• This doesn't smell the same on me as it does on my friend/mother/aunt

There will always be fragrances &/or notes that you like, or don't like - this is personal taste - but some of the common complaints are due to the way it is worn & is usually fixable. Let me show you how!

BACKGROUND

I started (seriously) collecting perfume bout 4 years ago when I ran out of my signature scent & decided to broaden my horizon. It wasn't that I didn't like it any more, I just wanted to try something new. That one "new" fragrance turned into 2, and then 3, and then 4.... well you get the picture.

BAD EXPERIENCE - STRANGE NOTE?

One of my first few fragrances in my collection all those years ago was Insolence by Guerlain. I found & tested this on my skin at the department store. It worked well & I loved it. I realised that I had to have it (as you do!). Those of you who have experienced Insolence you will know that it is LOUD. It's a love it or hate it scent. I find it extremely complicated, sweet yet creamy & luxurious.

I found Insolence at a great price & eagerly purchased it. After wearing my new favourite a few times I found that occasionally it would take on a very odd, sharp "washing powder" note* that would irritate my nose to the point that I disliked it. This strange note was not present all the time so I knew it wasn't normal, but because of this I didn't wear it as much anymore.

*I've since found that a few fragrances develop the sharp washing powder note if the perfume is not worn correctly (see below). It seems to be a floral trait but I haven't tracked it down to any particular note.

BAD EXPERIENCE - 5 MINUTE SCENT!

So, around the same time as my Insolence experience, Summer came & as Insolence is definitely a Winter fragrance (big on the vanilla which can be overbearing in hot weather) I went looking for a new Summery scent.

I ended up getting Dior Addict 2 by Dior, which is a pretty fruity perfume which has a gorgeous BLAST of sparkling grapefruit in the top notes. I totally love it, but unfortunately it didn't seem to last long on my skin.

After reading a few reviews the general consensus was that Dior Addict 2 is a scent that "doesn't last long" & I've found that this seems to be an attribute of fruity fragrances that don't have a heavy base (such as vanilla, sandalwood or amber). Well, I loved the new fragrance & I wasn't about to write off a Dior!

So here is my solution!

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Shower & cleanse your skin with the cleanser of your choice (whether that be liquid cleanser, shower gel, even soap).
2. After your shower pat your skin dry, however keep your wrists & upper neck area slightly damp
3. Before dressing smooth a NON-SCENTED moisturiser into your wrists & upper neck. Don't over do it!
4. Dress & continue your morning routine & give the moisturiser a chance to sink into your skin for about 5 minutes
5. Spray your chosen fragrance on your wrists & neck.
6. That's it!

WHY DOES IT WORK?

Perfumes MUST HAVE a clean canvas for the true notes to come out - exactly as they are meant to smell.

Natural oils or dirt present on the skin will change the notes. This is why a fragrance might smell different on one person to the next.

Moisturiser (funnily enough) keeps the moisture in the skin which makes your perfume last longer.

MY PERFUME RULES

• You MUST MUST MUST exfoliate your skin (wrists, neck, inner elbows, declorage) at least once every fortnight. Dead skin cells will hinder the true notes of the perfume coming out.
• Only put your perfume on CLEAN skin. After your shower is ideal. If you won't be showering make it a point to wash your skin with your favourite non-scented cleanser in the sink.
• Remember: if you can't smell your fragrance, it doesn't mean that other people don't smell it. Your nose may have become used to it. If you think your scent is disappearing ask a friend if they can still smell it. 9 times out of 10 they will be able to.
• DONT OVER SPRAY! Get to know which of your fragrances are strong & only need ONE full spray, or TWO small sprays (eg Insolence, Flowerbomb, Hypnotic Poison, Dior Addict) and which lighter perfumes may need full coverage (wrists, neck, declorage. Spraying more doesn't mean it will last longer, you'll just end up walking around smelling like you've marinated yourself in it. NEVER nice for others, even if it's the best fragrance ever.
• You DON'T have to buy the perfume lines moisturiser/mousse/oil/body shampoo/powder etc to "layer" the scent. If you're on a budget (or don't like throwing money away) just find an unscented moisturiser & cleanser. Personally I would rather spend the extra money on another fragrance!
• If you have a choice, purchase the EDP over the EDT. It is better quality. The only exception to this rule is if you prefer the smell of the EDT then that's what you'll be choosing. 99% of the time the EDP smells better than the EDT anyway.
• Before you buy - even if it's a great price - always test a potential new fragrance on your skin. Spray it using a store tester, continue your shopping & if you still like it after an hour (and you can't wait) go get it!

So, before you write off that purchase or gift as a dud, try this! If you still don't like the way it smells, it's not for you!

Favourite Perfumes: S de Scherrer by Jean-Louis Scherrer

Let me introduce you to one of my favourite perfumes - S de Scherrer.

From the design house of Jean-Louis Scherrer (pronounced "She-Rer") S de Scherrer was launched in 2002. This perfume is completely underrated - even I underrate it as you can see by how little I've used.

S de Scherrer was one of the fragrances that started my perfume obsession - one reason why I don't use it enough as I have so many on rotation now. However, it is a very special fragrance & has a special place in my fragrance wardrobe.

I found this special scent on a perfume hunt about 4 years ago. I had grown tired of wearing the same perfume & went looking for another signature fragrance. I intended on only buying Joop! Femme, a perfume I was already familiar with but had never owned.

The SA (as they do) talked me into trying this and 3 others on different places on my arm. I walked around the Mall for an hour smelling all 4 fragrances periodically. S de Scherrer was not a fragrance I would have thought of trying, but the notes really hooked me, it was so pretty. I immediately went back & grabbed it.

Here are the notes:

• Top Notes: Pepper, Bergamot
• Middle Notes: Lily-of-the-valley, tiare flower, rose
• Base Notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla

S de Scherrer is a subtle & elegant fragrance. As soon as you spray it on your skin you can detect a hint of Pepper - not too strong - with Bergamot. The Middle notes do not take too long to follow - all 3 flowers mingle & for some reason smell a little like Pear to me. Finally once Base notes come out the perfume mellows with the Vanilla & Patchouli pulling all of the notes together. This is not a perfume with a stand-out note, they are all working together as a team here.

For me, S de Scherrer lies close to the skin however I've been told it has a hit of silliage. It lasts all day on me.

Where to wear S de Scherrer? I find that this is one of the most versatile fragrances in my collection. It's perfect for work, formal OR casual occasions, a night out with friends or romantic interludes. Speaking of romantic interludes, my OH (other half) doesn't seem to comment on this one but he doesn't usually.

Would I repurchase? Yes! I already have a couple of backups as S de Scherrer very hard to find in Australia now. It can be found online however.

If you get the chance to try this fragrance out, definitely give it a go. It's unique & very very pretty. I highly recommend it!