Sunset Flowers by Montale

I received Montale's Sunset Flowers as a sample with my Montale purchase from Parfums Raffy. I didn't ask for this sample & haven't really read much about this fragrance. I was excited to try it!

Fragrance Notes:

Lemontree Leaves
Green Apple
Blue Chamomile
Parma Violet

The Scent

Sunset Flowers starts out like an uber floral EA (Elizabeth Arden) power fragrance - the apple & violet I'm guessing. At first I thought - oh no! A generic Montale!

It then surprised me by taking on the relaxing chamomile, calming down the fragrance slightly. I love chamomile tea, and this is the first instance that I've actually recognised chamomile as a note in a fragrance. I like it!

Then the petitgrain comes into the tag team. I've never really noticed petitgrain before (although looking up the note I see it's in a couple of my perfumes) & was pleasantly surprised by the woody, herby slightly spicy quality that it gave this scent. It's at this point that Sunset Flowers is turned into a unisex fragrance & would now probably appeal to men.

It reminds me a little of a less lemony Eau d'Hadrien by Annick Goutal (see my review here). The apple gives it a tiny sour tilt which matches the herbs perfectly.

This one is definitely worth a try by both men & women.

Would I buy a full bottle?

Well, whilst I do like Sunset Flowers, I just don't love it.  So although I will wear & enjoy my sample whilst it lasts, it will not turn into a full bottle. It's just not me right now.

My rating: 6.5/10 (.5 is for the Chamomile!)

Valentines Day Perfumes

So, my OH asked me what I wanted for Valentines Day. I gave him "that grin" that said, do you need to ask?

I'd been lemming a few of my Montale samples that I'd purchased from Lucky Scent & The Perfumed Court & asked if I could get my 3 favourites. To my surprise he agreed. I sent an email to Parfums Raffy to see if they had them in stock. They did!

So, I've ordered the following;

Sweet Oriental Dream 100ml
Velvet Flowers 100ml &
Vanille Absolu 100ml

I asked them if they could include a sample of Montales Blue Amber & Mukhallat. They said they could, and also said they'll include a few others that I might like. Woohoo!

Very excited to receive these!!!!

Parfums Raffy told me it should take about 3 weeks. So the wait begins! :) :) :)

Vanille Extreme 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!!!!

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. Sensuous is right! 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 my skin. The cardboard strip I was given lasted weeks.

Would I buy it?

Fleur de Vanille is of the best floral vanilla scents 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. I will definitely be checking out more from Fragonard too!

My rating: 8.9/10

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, the reason I tried it is that I really wanted to own an AG perfume as I'd heard so many good things about this line. 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. This is just so easy to wear. 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

My 2nd Lucky Scent Sample Order

I know I haven't even received my first order, but I got the sample fever again & started clicking! :-) I decided to give myself a mission to make it a bit easier - try some vanilla & chocolate fragrances that I've read reviews of.

Here's my order;


Montale - Chypre Vanille
Montale - Jasmin Full
Montale - Chocolate Greedy
Montale - Boise Vanille
Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Vanille Abricot
Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Amour de Cacao
Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Vanille Extreme
IL PROFUMO - Vanille Bourbon
IL PROFUMO - Chocolat Frais
IL PROFUMO - Chocolat Amere

I threw in Montale's Jasmin Full at random, I guess as the list seemed very Winter oriented I wanted to get at least 1 Summery sounding fragrance!

Cost:

All of the above samples ended up at $34 total. The Montale fragrances were $4 each, the Il Profumo & Comptoir fragrances were $3 each.

Postage to Australia ended up being $8 which okay. Though I can't imagine that samples would take up much room - they'd probably fit in a padded envelope.

Can't wait to try these out! :)

Update; Tuesday 9th October, 2012 - the order has been marked as posted. Pretty good despatch time considering I ordered over the weekend. Can you imagine how many other people worldwide were mouse shopping too? It was posted on the Monday afternoon.

Update: Monday 22nd October 2012 - I got the samples today!!!! Packed in a small padded envelope & wrapped together with a little bubble wrap.

The Il Profumo is packed in 1ml vials. The Montale Chocolate Greedy sample was a manufacturer made 2ml sample, the rest of the Montales were in 1ml sample vials. All of the Comptour Sub Pacifique vials were manufacturer made spray vials.

I'm very happy with my Lucky Scent purchase.

The only problem now is what to try first???????????

My first Lucky Scent Order!

So I've been hearing a lot about Lucky Scent perfume samples & decided to take the plunge & order a few!

I have to say, at $4/$3 per sample, cost per ml is quite high (the average is $2 or $3/ml) however I've been eyeing a few niche fragrances lately. I've been quite lucky with my blind buys over the years however I realised that I really need to be sampling niche perfumes first otherwise it could be a costly experience!

The ordering process with Lucky Scent was very easy - the only hard part was choosing what to get! I decided to start small, so here's what I got.

Montale - Sweet Oriental Dream
Montale - Velvet Flowers
Montale - Vanilla Extasy
IL PROFUMO - Chocolat

Looking forward to trying these samples.

Update: 2nd October - My order has been despatched.

Update: 16th October - I've received my samples! Woohoo! I couldn't help but try one of them - it was hard to choose however I now have Vanilla Extasy on my wrists right now. Woohoo! I really like the vials - they're easy to open & marked well with a printed sticker.

Twilight by LUSH

I'm a big fan of the Lush Twilight bath ballistic (as well as the Shower Gel) & although I adore it, it's a lot of money for something you use for a few minutes then wash down the drain. Still, I think it's worth it as an occasional treat. I love the smell so much that I have wished it would last longer.

Needless to say, when I found out Lush make a Twilight EDT perfume - I knew I HAD to have it.

Notes:

Top Note: Lavender oil
Middle Note: Ylang ylang Absolute
Base Note: Tonka bean Absolute

How does it smell?

The notes in Twilight are basic - Lavender, Ylang Ylang & Tonka Bean. These 3 simple notes go so well together & create a very luxurious scent. The bath ballistic has a lovely malty quality & I wondered if the translation from bath product to perfume would work?
Twilight perfume 30ml

At first spray, you get a strong waft of Lavender. It smells so distant from the Twilight bath ballistic I immediately thought that it was going to be a fail. Good try Lush.

Not long after however, the Ylang Ylang comes through & soon after the Tonka Bean. The Lavender steps back & it turns into the creamy Twilight I know & love. Phew!

You don't have to be a big lavender or ylang ylang fan to love this. They are both more supporting scents rather than standout florals.

Twilight is very very comforting. I find myself smelling my wrists throughout the day. Lasting power is great. One spray on each arm remains for 12+ hours, after which it's still there - but lies close to the skin.

The Bottle

The only thing I dislike about this perfume is the bottle. The black bottle seems to be thick glass covered in black colour which I admit, will protect the perfume from light. The issue is however that you can't see inside & the weight makes it very hard to tell how much perfume is left in the 30ml bottle.

Also, one tip is make sure you don't get any perfume on the bottle, as the alcohol will dissolve the black dye & it will run - dying anything in its path black - including your fingers. I found this the hard way when another Lush perfume I purchased leaked a little during transit.

I realise that this is the new way Lush/Gorilla Perfumes are packaging their product, but if I had my way I would get them to go back to the glass bottles they had previously. At least you could see how much perfume is left.

Conclusion:

I'm very happy to say that YES - the transition from bath ballistic to perfume was successful! I'm ecstatic that it's just like the bath ballistic. Twilight is a great perfume & it lasts longer than some of my more expensive perfumes. At $50US for 30ml it's not the cheapest fragrance, however I feel that it's worth it.

So, my advice is - if you love the Twilight Bath Ballistic, don't even think about it - buy this NOW! You won't regret it!

 -------

Recommended for: Winter, cooler days.
Where to buy: Twilight is a limited edition perfume released in the UK & US, unfortunately at this time it is not available for purchase @ Lush Australia.
Cost: Usually about $50USD + delivery (I purchased my Twilight on eBay)

My Rating: 8/10 (2 points taken off because of the bottle)

How To Fix A Lush Solid Perfume (Pushed All The Way Out)

I love my Vanillary solid, but one annoying thing about it is that unlike a lipstick, you do not twist it to extend the product - you push it out.  Lush is known to use minimal packaging so I guess it's cheaper as well as being better for the environment, however once you push it out there's no way to push it back in - or so I thought!

I hope this helps other people who may have found themselves in the same predicament.... if this is you (and you have happened to find this page in a Google search panic) scroll down directly to the fix - you can read my discovery story later.... I know the panic you're feeling! I did the same thing but couldn't find anything - which is why I want to share my little Solid Perfume fix!

My First Vanillary Solid

I love Vanillary perfume & when I was given a Vanillary Solid I knew I would love it. (Un)fortunately the previous owner found that she was allergic to it after her skin reacted. Who could say no to a free Vanillary?

Disinfection!

I'm a real germ-a-phobe so I never share my cosmetics - especially mascara, lipstick & eyeshadow (I know plenty of people who do & I think it's awful). I thought however that since the Solid was only used once it should be ok. But, to be on the safe side I wanted to disinfect the surface. Fussy I know, but that's just me!

So, I push out the stick of solid perfume as far as it goes. Can't be too careful right? I carefully wipe the top of the waxy solid with a tissue, & finish by spraying a fine mist of Isopropyl Alcohol on the product. I set it down to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Easy! Disinfection complete!

Oops... the Vanillary Solid won't go back in! :(

So, the alcohol evaporates & I'm left with a clean Vanillary Solid. Fantastic! I grab a tissue & start to push it back in &.... hang on.... instead of the solid moving into the tube it starts to soften with the heat of my fingers & smush the perfume. Uh oh! I stop before I break the Solid pausing to get another tissue, thinking it might shield the heat a bit.

I commence to push the solid down with the tissue & the same thing happens. Smush! I'm making it worse, turning the top into a mushroom! At this point I'm pretty unhappy & guess that my new Vanillary Solid may be a goner.

If only I had thought this might happen BEFORE I pushed the product all the way out.

So I sit it on the bench & decide to think this through.......... eventually a picture of a globe appears above my head & I run into the kitchen with my supposedly ruined Vanillary Solid.

How To Fix A Lush Solid Perfume (Pushed All The Way Out)

• Get your extended Lush Solid Perfume. If you've pushed down with force & it's smushed, use a tissue to carefully mould the perfume back into a tube shape.
• Put it in the freezer
• Leave it in the freezer for about an hour
• Your Solid will freeze & become hard for a short period of time.
• Remove your Solid from the freezer.
• Use a clean tissue to push the Solid back into the container. As it will be frozen it will slide down easily.
• Before you screw the lid back on, put your solid in a clean, dry place for a few hours to give it a chance to "thaw". This will minimise condensation sticking around & let it dry thoroughly.
• Once completely dry, put the lid back on, & put it away!

Disclaimer?

I guess I should say, follow these instructions at your own risk. I didn't pay for my Solid so I was willing to sacrifice it if the freezer method didn't work. The first "brainwave" I came up with was melting the product in the microwave in another container & let it set but heat is not a friend to perfume, hence why I elected to use the freezer method.

I've been using this Solid Perfume for months after putting it in the freezer. I have not seen ANY changes in the product after putting it in the freezer. The scent is exactly the same, as is the consistency. I am guessing that this would work for the other perfumes too. It worked for me so I hope it works for you too! If you're at your wits end what do you have to lose?

Lush Solid Perfume Tips:

    The screw on cap leaves very little room for the product, so make sure you only push the Solid out a a millimetre or two at most. This is enough to spread the product on your skin but not too much for it to smear itself all over the inside of the lid (quite annoying).
    Use your Lush Solid perfume on clean, moisturised skin. This will give you the cleanest notes & a scent that will last longer!
    Keep your Solid in a cool, dry & dark place to minimalise any chance of melting. It's a very fragile product!

Lush Haul - Vanillary Perfume

I went into Lush Handmade Cosmetics for the 2nd time in my life today. I'd never wandered into this store before last year as the smell really put me off. The first time I dared venture in was just before Christmas. I tested the Vanillary perfume & loved the scent.

This week I heard about Vanillary being on sale for 50% off, so when I saw the store I thought it would be a good time to go in.

So, back to the mini haul, this is what I ended up with

• 2 x Vanillary EDP perfumes (30ml) - $22.47 each
  ^ Gorgeous perfume with Vanilla, Jasmine & Tonka Bean.
• 1 x Snowfairy Lip Tint (10g) - $4.75
  ^ smells just like raspberry frog lollies & has a slight pink tint.
• 1 x Light Yellow Colour Supplement sample
  ^ You can mix this with your moisturiser, or use it as a skin tint
• 1 x Dreamwash Shower Smoothie sample
  ^  Not enjoying the scent of Dreamwash Shower Smoothie but my skin seems to like it.