Review- Jo Malone Limited Edition Tea Cologne Collection- Sweet Lemon & Earl Grey & Cucumbet

Jo Malone is a relatively new brand, having launched during the mid 1990's, but regardless of this fact this brand is definitely on the cutting edge of luxury. Their fragrances are all timeless classics, and their ideas are amazing: create a bespoke fragrance just for you. Their fragrances are unique because each mixes beautifully with the next to create something lovely, and uniquely yours. So all in all would it be difficult not to love the new Limited Edition Tea Collection.
In celebration of the Royal Wedding this Friday Jo Malone, the quintessential English brand is not only decorating their windows in London with the Prince's union, but has actually come out with a Tea collection, just to show they really are really, really British! The fragrances, I understand, are all wonderful but I got to try the Sweet Lemon a sweet, refreshing, drink of your favorite lemonade. The notes are lemon and apple on top, a heart of pineapple, and a gorgeous base of creamy musk, and it really is a creamy delicious lemon drop in a bottle. If you were a fan of ANY fragrance with pineapple please please please try to find this fragrance! You will not be dissapointed It is amazing!
The next fragrance is Earle Gray & Cucumber. Weird, I thought. I would NEVER put cucumber in my tea, even if it has bergamot in it. The fragrance is quite nice, however, maybe not my fragrance, but definitely wonderful for someone. The next time you go to a really over priced tea shop ask to smell the Earl Gray, this is the fragrance. Increase the floral quotient, but really thats it. The notes are bergamot and water jasmine, a heart of angelica and cucumber, and base of beeswax and vanilla. It really is a lovely scent, I just prefer something a little sweeter or more spicy personally, but if you love a rich, earthy, yet citrusy scent this one is for you.
I will tell you these two are supposed to be mixed together (read bespoke fragrance) and I kind of think the idea of putting some lemon in my Earl Gray sounds good to me!
The one issue I had was they didn't last too long on me, but once I added my body cream (Nectarine Blossom and Honey) it was much better. Definitely check out Jo Malone! I think they are here to stay.

Review - Weekend Burberry

Released in 1997 by the design house Burberry this beautifully fresh floral is probably the least worn (now a days) than the rest of the fragrances by Burberry, but I think one of the most charming. It is warm, comforting, familiar and wonderful. It is the fragrance that mom might smell like, only mom is in her thirties, and has never baked an apple pie in her life. I really do think it is sophisticated, in a family where sophistication is rarely if ever achieved. The peachy top note is quite noticeable, which I think adds this feeling of roundness to the fragrance. You can see something similar in Gucci's Envy with the pineapple. The other top notes are all quite fresh including: Bergamot, plum, coriander, green note and aldehides. The middle notes are profound florals like rose, lily of the valley, ylang ylang, tuberose and orris, while the base notes are woody: amber, cedar, sandal and tonka. This fragrance is exceptionally well rounded, but the top notes do come through very clearly and leaving the base and middle notes in the background.

Like I said before, thirty-somthings beware, you might have found your match. It is simply perfect for a fresh floral, and everyone should at least give it a smell!

I wouldn't recommend mixing with weekend. It is just such a strong fragrance that it will doubtlessly take over anything you might put with it. Of course you are encouraged to try, but also allow yourself to not like any mixes created!

Review - Prada

The sophistication that IS this design house is beautifully captured in this soft spicy woody oriental. It only came out in 2004, prompting the question "how did the world live without this fragrance for THAT long?!?" It is one of my personal top ten, but again I like incredibly spicy smells, so be repaired to really get the notes of Patchouli, rose, sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla. Any fragrance that is this meaty needs a pretty adventurous wearer, so if your more into the classics this one might be out the door, but if you were in your element in the '60 then grew into a classy chic woman this is your ticket. Imagine their dark, almost disturbing promotional material with very slim models that are barely clad. This is Prada. It is in the same family as Angel, but a bit softer with more of a floral component. I'm not positive that it actually has chocolate, but it is definitivly an off shoot of Theirry Mugler's hugly popular Angel.
While, of course, your man should love your smell, women tend to love it and men don't as much. The wearer, however, tends to feel bold, powerful, and sexy with this fragarance. It isn't a sheild, simply an extension of your sexuality.

This fragrance is almost always chosen by 50+ women, I am an odd and rare exception so you might be too, but it is interesting enough to warrent a smell regardless of your age.

Mixing Prada is heavenly for me, it just adds so much to any other fragrance. Our most common mix using Prada is with Daisy, a lite fresh floral with apple notes. The combonation is literally a show stopper, but I've done it with any number of different scents playing on it's spice or lessening those effects depending on the personality of the wearer.

Review - Into the Blue Escada

In general, I am not necessarily an Escada person. Their fragrances tend towards the fruity and clean, very girly scents that just make people happy. I, on the other hand, do not like fruity, girly, easy scents. I like something with a bit more meat on it's bones. I like Rodesian Ridgebacks, red wine, thistles are my favorite flower, you get the point. Those who know my fragrance palate will tell you if it doesn't have at least a little kick back I wouldn't think of wearing it.
This Escada is, in my opinion, the only one I would really seriously consider purchasing. It is like Light Blue by Dolce, but so much better. It takes that cologne spicy smell and kicks it up a notch. Not necessarily the thing for every girl but, I love it That being said it is also discontinued, even through our stores, and I think that says something: Not everyone loved this fragrance as much as I. It is bold an crisp with green leaves, fresh herbs, tagettes, peony, and crisp water notes, and a bit of white cedar wood as the base. It really is a lovely sharp clean fragrance. It smells sort of like a cross between a men' cologne and a woman's fresh scent.

This fragrance, like I said, is not for everyone. I haven't really noticed a pattern on how it's purchased, so you'll really just have to smell it to tell if it's for you.

Mixing is so much fun with this fragrance, and it really should be done. You can make something less crisp by adding fragrances like Daisy, or Burberry London, or you can spice it up a notch with something like Silver Mountain Water by Creed or Millesime Imperial also by creed.

Review - Hot Couture Givency

Seriously? That is the packaging for this fragrance? I've never seen it before....and I'm appalled! It came out in 2000, so the '80's Glam Rock feel of the bottle must have been inspired by the '80's Glam Rock feel of the scent. It is in the same family as say Hanae Mori, or Casmir, a sweet, profound, woody Oriental that seriously exudes sex and fun. Are you a party girl looking for your perfect companion for the city nights? You have found a friend in Hot Couture. It is trashy, loud, and in your face. Sort of like that pair of earrings you wear that you know you shouldn't.... but you just have to. The raspberry literally smacks you in the face, and is then followed up by sumptuous amber, spicy pepper, and magnolia all solidly nestled onto the base notes of vetiver and musk. It is really a wild and exciting fragrance, if you like sweet, but not too sweet with a little spiciness your on the right track with this glitzy stunner.

Generally this fragrance is picked by twenty somethings up to fifty somethings, but almost always one that likes to go out, have a good time, and not be afraid who sees them doing it!

You are missing out on a good time if you don't try to mix this perfume. It lends itself well to mixing and can create interesting smells almost instantly. Try mixing it with something fresher, like Oxygen or Silver Mountain Water by Creed or enhance the fruityness with something like Moonsparkle by Escada. Have fun with this one, you certainly won't make anything bad!

Review - Chanel No.19

Luca Turin recently published something in his "Perfumes: The Guide" about "wire mothers" and "cloth mothers", while I generally disagree with Luca's opinionated and blatantly nasty reviews, I do understand the heart of what he is getting at here. Chanel 19 is not where you go to be smothered in loving, warm, motherly affection. It is cold, heartless, and stunning. The crisp green notes of galbanum, hyacinth, and bergamot pair with the elegance of rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang, and are all nestled into the bottom notes of leather, vetiver, and oakmoss. It is lovely in the way an ice sculpture is lovely; bitterly so. Not to say I don't love it, it just isn't one of those fragrances you smell straight off and say Yummy! More like your intrigued enough to have to keep smelling just because it is soooo not what the Gen x ers are coming out with now-a-days. Apparently it was created for an 80 year old career woman, and that just makes sense. It is sharp, clean, will smell like bug spray to some of you, and generally unforgiving. Chanel 19 is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase in the department store, so don't expect to find it in America in anything stronger than the Eau De Toilette, and even that is difficult, but if you do find it at least sample it. It is so worth a smell.

This fragrance is generally liked and purchased by the 50-70 crew. Even more specialized by the type of woman: a business savy professional who dresses sharp and thinks sharper. If you fit into this small category expect to at least like it, if you don't give it a smell anyways, I doubt you have ever smelled anything like it before, and it is a dying breed.

I have no real tips on how one would mix this one..... not to say it couldn't be done, I just haven't worked with it enough to know. Work with your barista, you'll figure it out.

Review - Sensi Giorgio Armani

I remember clearly when Sensi came out in 2002, and I absolutely loved it. I was in high school, and dearly wanted to look, and seem more worldly and sophisticated, and this perfume just exudes class in my book. It is a soft, buttery, floral oriental with woody base, jasmine floral middle note, and a crisp lime on top. Imagine beige suits, soft silk blouses, and a super feminine corner office set with pastels and lilies in elegant cut crystal vases. What perfume wafts past your nose in this situation? Sensi. It is so feminine, soft yet powerful in all of its powdery goodness. Sensi is very difficult to find nowadays, so you'll have to dig to find it, or you can always come to Nantucket Natural Oils stores, we will have it for the long haul. I love it too much not to!

Sensi is most suitable for the ages of, say 25-55. It is too sophistocated for children, yet not floral enough for the 60+ crowd. It is definitaly a super feminine scent, so if thats not you you'll probably want to look elsewhere. It is a bit spicy, so not quite in the soft floral oriental family if thats more your thing. If you like fragrances like Addict, Angel, Prada, and Trouble you will adore sensi.

I don't think I could make Sensi smell any better than it already does! With that being said, I think it would be fun to try. Try mixing with orange or bergamot, for a brighter summery scent, and maybe an amber for the winter months. As always mixing is fun, so try it, but don't force a mix, Giorgio might have gotten it right the first time!

Review - Viva La Juicy Juicy Couture

Ahhhh Juicy, you are so over the top trashy glam! That is what they are going for, right? Well it is certainly what they have created in their newest hit fragrance Viva La Juicy. I love it, I'm not sure why, but I do. I will tell you that it hasn't been a universal favorite yet, but it's on it's way. It also has a much larger fan base than I, or I'm sure Juicy Couture itself, was expecting. Many, many women from 12 to 70 have chosen this easy to wear fragrance.
I think it sort of smells like what I wish my skin natrually smelled like. Clean and sweet and delicious with top notes of fresh berries and mandarine, sweet florals like honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine to round it out and then an ambery, pralene, carmel, vanilla base. It is unique to say the very least, it really doesn't smell anylike anything else that we have, but it will remind you of many of the American Top 40's type fragrances that have infultrated the market in recent years. It is awesome, though, don't let the Top 40 thing scare you! It has been purchased by high school age girls, but also by the random 40-something, and that says a lot in my opinion.

You could mix this perfume if you wanted too, but it already has so much going on that you really don't need to. Honestly, Juicy Rocks, just ask your daughter!

Review - Moon Sparkle Escada

This fragrance is not for the faint of heart. It is perfect for the playgirl that really likes to play and be smelled. In all seriousness it is a perfume that can be absolutely stunning on the right person, it just needs to calm a bit. So let it rest for at least ten minutes before you make any rash judgments. In my experience this is the one fragrance that will be chosen above all others if the wearer takes a walk around town before picking her new scent. So give it settle time!
This fragrance is a super fruity shimmery blend of strawberries, black current, citrus, apple, some romantic florals, rose and jasmine, and musky base notes. It is seriously hot, I would say it is a better night fragrance, but really could be worn at all times depending on your personality. It is loud, bright and boisterous, so if you are too this is your fragrance!

Many of my all-time favorite fragrances have been created with Moon Sparkle, so don't be afraid to get creative with it. Any fragrance you choose to pair it with will no doubt smell interesting at least, so don't be shy.

Review - Daisy Marc Jacobs

Daisy is the ultimate in flirty, feminine, pretty, fresh perfumes. You will doubtlessly at least like this fragrance. In fact I don't think I have ever had anyone NOT LIKE IT as in just not like it a little bit, and never has anyone hated it. That is really saying something. This fragrance includes notes of wild strawberry, violet leaves, red grapefruit, violet and musk, but really it smells like apples and softness. I cannot say enough about Daisy. It has been our best-seller since it came out last summer, and will doubtlessly continue to be super popular for years. If you are interested, and you should be, I would recommend giving it a try I promise you will like it.

Daisy is super super easy to mix. I would recommend using it to lighten other flavors, or as the base to really showcase another singular smell like pomegranate or strawberry. My favorite combos are Burberry London or Hanae Mori with Daisy. Either of these will add a sensual note to this bright fun floral.

Review - Touch of Pink Lacoste

Touch of Pink follows the traditional alligator and popped collar spirit that Lacoste is famous for. It is preppy, flirty, fun and bright. If you are a sporty girl, or a little "tom boy" at heart this fragrance is for you. It is in the soft floral oriental family of the perfume world, with a citrusy blood orange twist. The declared notes are blood orange, jasmine, and soft woods, but I swear I smell some sweet pea and amber in there as well. It is quite powdery and soft while you wear it so as not to be obtrusive or over the top at all.
While this is the "girliest" of the Lacoste scents, it will still be a turn on for the sportier of us. I see it working perfectly for a young professional who wants to be taken seriously. All in all I would say it is a particularly safe and easy choice for anyone. While not always selected as the first choice this fragrance is almost never relegated to the absoulty not! pile.

I would say, that although you certainly could mix many many things with Touch of Pink (think safe, so yeah it will probably make almost any scent easier to wear) I actually wouldn't reccomend it. I love this scent by itself. What can I say? Alligators and popped collars work for me.

Review - Silver Mountain Water Creed

I have heard a hundred descriptions and many guesses on what the notes of this scent are. So far I haven't found any that I totally believe. I'm making leaps so bear with me.

Creed's Silver Mountain Water is amazing. Even if it isn't your scent you will without a doubt at least take a double whiff, or triple, or just buy a sample so you can smell it again! My most vivid memory of this smell is: on my second day of work in our Boston location I was playing a game with the perfumer there. I would put on fragrances and test him, it's not an easy game and he wasn't doing that well (of course to his credit I was choosing Ralph Laurens and Guccis and perfumes that smell pretty similar) So then I chose to put on Silver Mountain Water, I really wasn't familiar with any of the scents yet but I knew this one was something special. One whiff, one second and he got it. I (of course) was absolutely astounded when I asked him how he'd done it he said "There is nothing else that smells like Silver Mountain Water."
And so it began. Silver mountain water is sharp and metallic with notes of current, black pepper, berries, ambergris, and green tea. I'm sure there are more notes since no scent is that basic, but those are the ones you can pick up on. It is a unisex fragrance, and tends to lend itself better to men, or more powerful women. It is unique, confident and bold. If you are in the mood for something that not everyone has this is your smell!

Silver Mountain Water mixes like a dream, basically anything will be enhanced by the sharp, intense smell of Silver Mountain Water. My personal favorite mixes using this cologne are Hot Couture (Givenchy) a beautiful warm berry-vanilla fragrance, or Flowerbomb (Viktor and Rolf) a floral-vanilla delicious scent. Happy mixing starts here!

Review- 5th Avenue Elizabeth Arden

Oh Elizabeth, how do you make such sweet smells? Thus begins my Ode to Elizabeth Arden. This design house is credited with some of the most wearable, non-offensive, perfumes of the last few decades. (It has been said that Elizabeth Arden can even be bought in Tibet, and my sister purchased Sunflowers while stationed in Japan. Talk about universal!) Starting with the amazingly popular Blue Grass, Red Door, and Provocative Woman, and up to the more recent perfumes designed by Elizabeth Taylor, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, and Mariah Carey Arden has some of the most universally popular fragrances under her belt. In fact if you happen to glance at a bio you will be amazed by this Canadian's cultural empire. She has a truly inspirational story of accomplishment. (This mega-corperation is no longer run by the original woman, who wasn't even actually named Elizabeth, but you get my drift.)
But, enough of this history! Back to the perfume. Personally I think I like non of Arden's fragrances better than 5th Avenue. It is just so wearable. Even if your not the biggest fan of florals you will still probably like this perfume, or at least I do. This is a fruity fresh floral with pineapple, apple and peach top notes, easy to wear lily of the valley and freesia middle notes and almost nill base notes, which leaves it clean, slightly musky and super-wearable.

5th Avenue would blend well with anything, it is what I would call a "softener." So try it with bolder smells like Prada, or Calvin Klein's Euphoria.

Review- 24 Faubourg Hermes

As with anything Hermes this perfume exudes sophistication, wealth, and confidence. It lands pretty decidedly in the floral family with some fresh green top notes such as bergamot and hyacinth at the top, exotic orchid, jasmine, and tuberose to fill and woody ambery notes at the base. Do not be fooled though, this perfume is very interesting and unique with always another layer to uncover. When I wear it I feel the warm earthy breeze of an Indian Summer that has just blown through an orchard of some type or another. It is alluring, unique, and completely wonderful. While it might not turn into your perfume it is without a doubt the kind of enigmatic scent that simply must be smelled.

24 Faubourg has been mixed in my store, honestly nothing hasn't, but I would reccomend it by itself first and foremost. With that being said I would reccomend trying it mixed with either something deeper and richer, or something brighter. Many things could be done with this cologne, as always just play!

Review- Emporio Diamonds Emporio Armani

Sexy sexy. I adore this fragrance, it is hotpants in a bottle. Shimmery, glistening, fresh and spicy. This fragrance is completely different from any other fragrance I have ever smelled. With fruity top notes of lychee and raspberry, middle notes of jasmine and rose, and spicy basenotes of cedar and patchouli this fragrance is sharp clean and crisp. If you like to live on the edge this fragrance is totally for you. It is not for the faint of heart, and those of you who are more conservative with your fragrance might have a problem with this scent.

It definitely adds a punch to other fragrances if you want to spice anything up. Mixing with this cologne is totally suggested, and exciting!

Review- Ralph Hot Ralph Lauren

I'm talking hot-hot-hot! This is a super fun fruity fragrance, it was inspired by Sunday brunch so the prominent notes are guava, molcha cream, maple, and pina colada. And yes, it is just as awesome as it sounds. While I generally find many of the newer Lauren fragrances to be very similar, this one is really different and fun. It is a wonderful addition to the perfume world, of course I know that many people will scoff at this, and I'm sure that many other perfume reviewers look down at Ralph Hot, but if your in the mood to smell like a dewy summer dream you are looking for HOT! I promise you will not be dissapointed.

The average age range for this perfume is 12-13 to up to 25 or so, but I have known 50 something high school English teachers who have opted for this fragrance. So don't assume your out of the running before you smell it.

My favorite mix using Ralph Hot is adding some pure derivative essential lime oil, I suppose bergamot might do the same trick. It basically makes it into this absolutely amazing fruity pina colada smell- I LOVE IT! You can also mix it with Hanae Mori to make it super sexy and night- clubby. This fragrance works wonders for a case of seasonal depression in the winter!

Review- Amor Amor Cacharel

Blood orange and mandarin are the first notes of this ornamental citrus fragrance to hit your nose. After the warm-up elegant oriental ambery notes begin to come through with warm tones of sugarcane and vanilla. This is a sexy, flirty, and fun fragrance. It is very different. The best word I have for it is ornamental, sort of like the Baroque period in classical music. It is addictive and alluring. Obviously, you can tell I really like this fragrance. If you are into citrus, but want something a bit more decorative than your run of the mill lemon verbena or grapefruit give this one a try. It will make you feel like the sexy, powerful woman that you definitely are.

This fragrance mixes really well, it will always be the primary note in any mixture, but altering it a bit can make it fit you better. My personal favorites to mix it with are Omnia by Bulgari, a sheer clove sort of smell, and Burberry London, a soft musky vanilla smell.

Review- Alien Theirry Mugler

There is no question of whether or not Thierry Mugler is a genius demi-god to the perfume world. He is immaculate and brilliant, and in my opinion, completely nuts. Who the hell names their beautiful, fun, flirty yet sophisticated perfume Alien then packages it in a freaking spaceship!?! Well I guess if you are a brilliant-genius perfume demi-god you are allowed to have your own crazy wierdo designs, right?

Alien evokes the sensations of grape bubble tape, in perfume form. It is on the sweet side, but it is also quite profound. The fragrance hits you first with its fruitiness, then takes you on this intense journey through fields of amber, vanilla and spice. It is intriguing and addictive. While you might not neccesarily fall in love it is worth a smell.

Review- Hanae Mori

This is my absolute favorite perfume. The top notes are a sugary-sweet fruity concoction that reminds you of honey and vanilla. Very sweet and sexy ambery notes come out in the base of this pefume. It is unmistakeably in the oriental ambery family, with fruity associations.

when you close your eyes you imagine you are sitting in a light fluffy honey cloud. The world is sweet as sugar, and you haven't a care in the world.

This perfume mixes with absolutely anything, and will enhance and eccentuate most other perfumes. For an absolutely decadent concoction try Hanae Mori mixed with Ralph Hot. Sexy, Sexy!