Fleur d'oranger by Fragonard

I was introduced to the Fragonard line with Fleur de Vanille - see my review here. Quite impressed with Fragonards quality, I realised that it was part of an EDT collection called Les Naturelles.

I eyed the other perfumes in this collection with interest & decided to go for a blind buy! They all sounded so alluring, but I really love the scent of orange blossom & mandarin so finally decided on Fleur d'Oranger.


This is what Fragonard have to say about their fragrance; 

"Hidden amongst its leaves polished with green light lies the orange blossom that has given us a suave eau de toilette as sensual as it is fresh. Tender neroli blossom joins with bergamot, jasmine and musk to enchant our senses with an inexpressible voluptuousness."

Fleur d'oranger's notes are;

Top notes: Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Mandarin
Middle notes: Jasmine, Honey.
Base notes: Musk

How does it smell?

True to its name the top notes - orange blossom, accompanied by mandarin are first notes I detect. I'm happy that they also last to the dry down for me!

Then comes the bergamot. I'm generally a fan of bergamot anyway, and in this case it's enough to let you know it's present but it knows it's not the star of this scent.

The honey note is next to appear & gives the fragrance an additional background sweetness. Then comes the jasmine & finally the musk.

The supporting notes in Fleur d'Oranger are so well behaved. Many orange scents that I've tried start out well, but the orange is usually overtaken & muffled by a stronger note - especially musk or jasmine, however they never do in this composition.

Fleur d'oranger is sweet, but not overly so. I would describe it as being "bright & cheerful" with aromatherapy qualities. It is a perfect Monday morning pick-me-up after you've dragged yourself out of bed. It sure improves my mood on those foggy mornings.

This is not a complex fragrance, and I like that. Sometimes you just need something simple. I haven't experienced any crazy weird notes coming out of nowhere.

Fleur d'oranger is definitely one of my go-to fragrances for hot Summer days & I look forward to using it to brighten a few Winter days when I don't feel like a cozy vanilla scent. It's also a perfect & safe work fragrance. No offending anyone here!

I really do like this one.

Longevity

I expected Fleur d'oranger to be like similar florals & disappear within a couple of hours but I must say I've been pleasantly surprised as it does last quite a few hours - almost a whole working day (8 hours) on bare skin. I haven't tried layering with moisturiser so I'm sure I'd be able to get a couple more hours that way. Fragonard does have a matching shower gel & body lotion that I may look at getting down the track however I have an orange blossom lotion by MOR Cosmetics that I may try layering it with.

Who can wear Fleur d'oranger?

This fragrance is not in the Men's section on the Fragonard website but I don't feel that it's specifically marketed to women either - very clever Fragonard! Fragrantica lists it "for women" but I disagree. It's definitely unisex, & could be worn by a man. So I would say go for it guys! You eat oranges too right?


The Bottle:

Fleur d'oranger's bottle is a simple yet elegant design which sprays a perfect amount of scent. It's a good quality atomiser which lets you control the amount of fragrance that comes out. I always like that.

Cost:

Fleur d'oranger retails at about $80AU if you buy it in Australia. I bought my bottle from evilBay for about $40AU which makes it a very affordable fragrance.

I wanted to purchase directly from Fragonard as their prices are even cheaper (you can also buy refills) alas Australia is a country they do not ship to. Sad face.

Would I buy it again?

I think my 100ml bottle will last a while, but I will definitely repurchase when it runs out.

Last thoughts

If you love the scent of orange blossom & mandarin, you will definitely love Fleur d'oranger. It is a simple, elegant & well blended quality fragrance. It could also be used to "brighten up" other fragrances. I'll definitely be trying this.

The Fragonard Les Naturalles collection looks extensive with other fragrances "starring"  notes such as Fig (Figuier fleur), Cedar (Cedre), Lavender (Lavande), Patchouli, Verbena (Verveine) & Vetiver. My thought is that they would work really well together & I'd be very interested to experiment with layering them with each other to make different scents.

There seems to be a collection/trial pack that I've seen pictures of, but I've never seen it for sale anywhere.

Fleur d'oranger reminds me of:

Orange Blossom by LUSH Cosmetics (I prefer Fleur d'oranger)

Blind buy rating; Success!
My overall rating: 8/10

@Ouch110's Review of Alien The Taste of Fragrance & subsequent sample purchase!

Alien The Taste Of Fragrance is a perfume that I've had my eye on for a while but have never really done anything about. I guess I was hoping that it would be released in Australia & I'd be able to try it out instore. I asked around at different department stores & got multiple blank stares (Myer & David Jones I'm looking at you!).

I eventually forgot about this fragrance whilst waiting for something that's never going to happen.

Fast forward to March 2013. I found & subscribed to Ouch110's YouTube Channel a few days ago & am really loving his fragrance review vlogs. Today I noticed his Alien TTOF review & clicked immediately.

He describes his fragrance very well - the salty  nature of TTOF really intrigues me. So I let my mouse "do the walking" & headed over to eBay. I was THIS close to buying a bottle, but I really need to slow down on my full bottle purchases. The samples seemed to be a similar price per ml so I talked myself out of the full bottle & into the sample instead.

Feeling very proud of myself. Gold star for meeee!

Oh, but I did manage to accidently buy some Angel The Taste Of Fragrance samples as well. :D Well, you really need to make the postage cost worth it. Know what I  mean?

Enjoy the fantastic review! Thanks for the inspiration @ouch110!

PS: Don't you hate having to wait to pay a seller on eBay because they need to send you a new
invoice to combine shipping. I'd rather just pay & get it over & done with.

TNwireless' video - How to spot a Fake VERSUS Authentic - Gucci Guilty Pour Homme

I recently watched this video made by TNwireless - check out his YouTube channel here.

He's taken the time to do an amazing detailed side by side comparison of an authentic versus a fake bottle/box of Gucci Guity Pour Homme that he received.

It's a scary how good the fragrance fakes are becoming. Thankfully people like TNwireless are helping each other out this way.

Phew!

Demeter release limited edition Zombie perfumes!

Ever wanted to smell like a zombie without becoming one? No? Me either, but I was strangely interested when I read about this release.

Demeter Fragrance Library known for their quirky colognes such as Dirt, Baby Powder, Sex On The Beach, Funeral Home, Junior Mint & Holy Water have released two new limited edition fragrances - Zombie for Her & Zombie for Him.

Here's what they say about it:

"So you're a Zombie. Or you know a Zombie. And you might become a Zombie. Any way you slice and dice it, you’ll need different kinds of fragrance. 

Fragrances that can make the dead simply pass by without offending. Because only Demeter Fragrance Library could make a Zombie fragrance eminently wearable.

Zombie for Him: Think forest floor.  Zombie for Him is a combination of dried leaves, mushrooms, mildew, moss and earth.  A definite must-have for any
Man’s scent collection.

Zombie for Her: A slightly lighter version of the Men's fragrance with a touch of Dregs from the bottom of the wine barrel for that feminine touch."

Will I be ordering a bottle or two?

It sounds interesting - dregs, leaves, mildew, mushroom, moss & earth - I already know Demeter do the Dirt scent well. I'm happy to see that the "rotting flesh" note seems to have been left out.

My experience with Demeter has been novel & I'd like to try it, but at $40US shipping, I think I'll be reading what others have to say.

Cost: $20US for 30ml / $39.50US for 118ml

Have you tried Zombie for Her or Zombie for Him? What do you think?

Sugar Cookie by Big Dog Candles

My "made to order" Sugar Cookie travel candle!

This review is a departure from perfumes but I'm sure  that anyone who loves fragrances can appreciate the scent of a beautiful candle. Here's one of my favourites.

I stumbled across Big Dog Candles a couple of years ago ago whilst roaming around Narrabeen Village Markets.

I smelt something pretty all of a sudden & like a perfume bloodhound - followed my nose. I saw the stall & the array of coloured candles with very enticing names.

Since then I've bought a few each visit & have a little collection.


Big Dog Candles are made from 100% soy wax. I don't know a lot about soy candles but apparently they are 1) eco friendly 2) burn evenly 3) don't create as much smoke or soot as an ordinary beeswax candle.

One of my favourite BDC's is Sugar Cookie. I told them about my infatuation with vanilla (I already have their vanilla candle Mr Bean) & they said that I had to smell their new melt, they also had the same scent in a huge candle. Well, from first sniff I was instantly hooked. Sugar Cookie is........

.... GOURMAND HEAVEN!

I was so tempted to buy the candle however as I am a woman of many tastes I just couldn't commit to that big candle. I didn't want the melt as I can't find my melt/oil burner.

The friendly stall holders (and candle makers) Mick & Steve understood my dilemma & offered to make a travel tin version to be ready for pick-up at the next monthly market. YES! I said instantly.

The rest is history.

About Sugar Cookie

How can I describe Sugar Cookie? Fresh baked cookies straight from the oven, a little doughy, dripping with sugar, a bit of butter & oozing vanilla. This candle smells so good that you'll want to EAT the whole tin. Sugar Cookie is certainly a crowd pleaser & you won't want to stop smelling it - lit or unlit. The colour is a gorgeous doughy beige mixed with brown swirls.

Burning Time & Sillage/Throw

I have a few candles so I'm not sure that I will get through Sugar Cookie too quickly (if it was my only one it would be finished right now!), but it tends to be one that I grab most frequently. All up so far I've probably used it for about 4 hours & it's still going strong.

Sillage (or "throw" in the candle scent world) is amazing. The whole house smells delicious & although it's dripping with sugar it's never overpowering or nauseating. To me anyway.

Cost

I bought the travel tin (pictured above) in a 3 pack deal for $25. I think they're $10 each, but my philosophy is why get 1 when you can get 3? Believe me, it's hard to choose 3, but impossible to just choose 1.

Sugar Cookie's usual form is in the Melt format, however I don't have a burner which is why I got the tin made to order. I quite like the tins - they look pretty sleek & stack very easily as they're compact.

Would I buy Sugar Cookie again?

YES YES YES. {Insert When Harry Met Sally table hits here}

My rating: 9.9/10

I definitely recommend that you check out the Big Dog Candle stall, even if you have to go out of your way.

They are usually at Narrabeen Village Markets (beside Narrabeen Lake) in Sydney on the 3rd Sunday of each month, however they also seem to travel to other areas of NSW occasionally too, such as Penrith & Maitland & have recently opened a branch in New Zealand.

They're really good at keeping people updated, so see their Facebook page for updates on their location.

PS: I have no affiliation with this company, I just love their candles to bits.

Link: Visit the BDC Website: Big Dog Candles.

Would you like to see more reviews on the other Big Dog Candles that I own? Let me know!

Money - The Fragrance of Success?

Image from www.liquidmoney.com

I just found this link & thought it sounded interesting.

It's a fragrance which is meant to smell like - you guessed it - MONEY.

Apparently packed in real shredded US dollar bills (is that legal?) this fragrance is the essence of cotton, linen and silk.

Has anyone tried it?

Here's a link to their website: http://liquidmoney.com/

Welcome to Diary Of A Perfume Addict (DoaPA)!

Hi everyone!

I just want to say, welcome to the new blog! My name is Kelly & I am a perfume addict. Well, that's what some people say anyway. Why? Because apparently I own too many perfumes.

No! How can you own too many perfumes? Impossible! You must buy more! I hear you say.

Or was that the little voice inside my head? ;-)

Officially started in March 2013, you'll notice that there are reviews from 2010, 2011 & 2012. A little confusing. Well, I used to run a beauty blog which I may still update every now and again but I found bit by bit that it was being overrun by perfume reviews. So, I figured, well, I love beauty, but perfumes are my passion - why not have a perfume blog.

So here it is.

I've been on my perfume journey for a few years. It's a great hobby. I have picked up so much along the way yet there's so much still to learn.

If you're wondering, no, I'm not here to sell you anything, I'm just obsessed with fragrances. I hope to chat, laugh with & share info with like minded people.

I also hope that possibly, my little dent in the big blog world is helpful to those who share this passion.

If you find my posts interesting, agree or disagree with what I have to say please comment.

If you'd like to be kept up to date you can also subscribe to this blog, or follow me on  Facebook or Twitter.

Enjoy.

Kelly