Elie Saab Rose Couture Le Parfum ($108, 3-oz. bottle) and Ralph Lauren Tender Romance Eau De Parfume ($96, 3.4-oz. bottle)

There’s a lot to consider when sniffing out a new fragrance or scented product to love, like…how it makes me feel, what memories it calls to mind, how well it works (if it’s something other than a perfume), how much it costs, etc. — but I also take into account the people around me — mainly, my boyfriend. He’s highly sensitive to scents! And also allergic to avocado…so anything made with avocado oils or butters (which rules out a LOT of things from Lush, for instance) is a no-no in our household.

Both of these two new fragrances that I’ve been wearing lately — Elie Saab Rose Couture Le Parfum and Ralph Lauren Tender Romance — are not only 100% recommended by me, but they’re also 100% approved by my scent-sitive (ha!) boyfriend.

First, there’s Rose Coutour, and we all know how much I love rose scents. 🙂 As I’ve said it time and time again.

I have a hard time describing individual rose scents nowadays because of how popular they are at the moment. This one’s top notes are blended with peony, and they circle down to a rose nectar base and a finish with just a dash of vanilla and jasmine.

That I would I fall in love with this fragrance was a no-brainer, but it’s all of the little details that really bring it home, like the beautiful bottle.

“The perfumer Francis Kurkdjian has harvested this Rose Couture from the heart of ELIE SAAB Le Parfum, whose radiant Orange Blossom is brightened by rose petal honey. Magnified and showcased in the new eau de toilette, the rose asserts itself more majestically.

“In the soaring top notes, it blends with fresh Peony into a whirlwind of silken petals. The delectable dew melts into an exquisite Rose Nectar, enhanced with fruity facets and softened with a dash of Vanilla. This addictive accord is carried by a breath of Jasmine as sheer as silk chiffon…

“A sumptuous woody base bolsters the airy composition, just as a tight-woven fabric adds structure to a flowing sheath. The voluptuous satin of Sandalwood. And the dark velvet of Patchouli which, by contrast, exalts the freshness of these radiant floral materials…”

— ELIE SAAB

Like a rare, precious jewel, the multifaceted bottle also adds to the overall effect when I put this on.

Floral and romantic, two of my favorite elements…

(read more…)

From the left: Gucci Bamboo, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Acqua, Clean Reserve Velvet Flora, Maison Martin Margiela Replica Lipstick On and Tocca Emelia

There’s something so comforting about hugging mom and getting a good whiff of her scent.

Why is that? Maybe it’s some primal leftover from childhood that never quite leaves you? Hmm, deep thoughts…

Mother’s Day is this weekend! If you’re looking for a gift, here are a few of my favorite mom-friendly scents.

For the sophisticated mom — Gucci Bamboo

Gucci Bamboo is like a perfect pair of nude pumps or a tan trench that goes with everything. For moms with a classic style.

Official notes: Italian bergamot, Casablanca lily, ylang ylang and Comoros sandalwood.

Unofficial notes: A great day at a job you love, cocktails with good friends after a long week, and looking at yourself in the mirror and totally feelin’ your current outfit.

$92 for a 1.6-oz. bottle, available now at Sephora.

For the fun-lovin’ mom — Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Acqua

This playful perfume smells like summers on the beach. If your mom’s a water baby, I bet she’ll love it.

Official notes: Citrus and amber

Unofficial notes: Sand between your toes, saltwater on your skin and endless summer days that lead to sultry summer nights…

$150 for a 1.7-oz. bottle, available at Sephora.

For the no-nosense mom — Reserve Velvet Flora, by Clean

For moms who like their scents on the not-so-sweet side, Reserve Velvet Flora could almost pass for a men’s cologne.

Official notes: Green bergamot, jasmine lily, saffron flower, cedarwood, moss, musk, amber and patchouli.

Unofficial notes: Old books, Sunday brunch on a crisp spring morning, and standing next to your current boy crush and catching a whiff of his cologne.

$90 for a 3.4-oz. bottle, available at Sephora.

For the flirty mom — Lipstick On, by Maison Martin Margiela

A girly-girl scent for moms who never leave home without a tube of red lipstick.

Official notes: Bergamot oil, heliotrope accord, neroli oil, orange flower absolute, orris concrete, galbanum oil, tonka bean absolute, vanilla bourbon extract and patchouli oil.

Unofficial notes: Matte red lips, black cat eyeliner and a single strand of pearls. *meow*

$125 for a 3.4-oz. bottle, available at Sephora.

For the easygoing mom — Tocca Emelia

I think this is a scent for almost anyone of any age. You’ll be tempted to “borrow” this fresh, easygoing scent from mom to wear it for yourself.

Official notes: Watery clementine, loquat fruit, bucchu leaves, fig leaf, geranium coeur, magnolia tree leaf, amaryllis, Kadota fig, maté absolute Paraguay, bison gross, florentine orris, praline, ambrette seed absolute and coconut water.

Unofficial notes: Chatting on the phone with your best friend and laughing at all of your inside jokes, long walks in the afternoon on a sunny spring day, and your favorite maxi dress.

$68 for a 1.7-oz. bottle, available now at Sephora.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Tuesday, friend. 🙂

MAC Air of Style Rollerball ($22), a lush, sensual floral scent

I don’t know if I mentioned this in my last fragrance review, but floral scents are some of my favorites. Rose, in particular, but jasmine and gardenia also rank way up there in my tops, so when I got the chance to sniff the new MAC Air of Style, I took a deep breath and jumped at the chance.

First? The layers. I love the different layers.

New for spring 2016 and available now in the MAC permanent line, Air of Style is a slightly heady, luxurious mix just mellow enough for everyday wear.

The description from MAC makes me feel a little dreamy…

“Contemporary top notes of red dates and wild peonies set the tone for your can’t-be-tamed attitude, heightened with an infusion of white pepper. A bouquet of absolute tuberose, orange blossom, and jasmine at the heart gets the pulse racing and feels unabashedly bold with the opulence of ylang ylang and orris. The appeal is magnified by a background of leather blended with rare woods and vetiver — all juxtaposed with creamy hints of tonka beans and golden drops of amber crystals, leaving a lasting sensation of warm intimacy.”

That’s quite a mouthful, but they’re not wrong! “Warm intimacy” is a perfect way to describe this powerful potion.

A little of this goes quite a long way…

I’ve been wearing it consistently over the past week, and it seems to have blended into my skin in the most fabulous way. I wore a shirt to bed that I’d worn all day after applying the rollerball, and waking up to the diluted but still present scent still on my clothes was exactly as MAC described it: warm and intimate.

Even with intense allergy eyes, MAC Air of Style makes me feel put together…

(read more…)

The Vera Bradley Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set in Multi 2016 ($48)

As I was going through my products before my recent move, I realized something.

I am a serious hoarder!

I had a lot of expired products, and even for the ones that didn’t have an expiration date, I still knew they were due to be discarded.

This was further proven when boyfriend was putting away the kitchen items and found, and I quote, “Tea from 2007. 2007 BABE!”

I just hate throwing things out, guys. Like the authentic Chinese black tea from my old neighbor who invited me over for a traditional tea and chit-chat after I asked to borrow a screwdriver to put together my roommate’s shoddy Ikea bed? That was only two years ago. Who cares if the box says 2007 on it!

Tea aside, I really needed to go through my products before this move, and when I got to my perfumes, I noticed that I had almost completely full bottles of Victoria Secret Body Mist, something I had been into for a while, circa 2009.

I was an especially loyal fan of Fresh & Clean, with the matching body lotion.

I knew they were old, but I wasn’t sure just how old until I opened them and detected something quite unlike the apples and lilies described on the label. Instead…they smelled mostly like alcohol. I hadn’t kept them in the best places. They were often housed on windowsills where they were exposed to sunlight.

So away they went, along with an old bottle of Calvin Klein for women that had also seen better days.

Despite the fact that, nowadays, I prefer body oils and lighter perfumes, I don’t turn my nose up at unique sets from established companies, which is why I was curious about the new Spring Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set ($48) from Vera Bradley.

From L-R: Appleberry Champagne, Cotton Flower, Macaroon Rose, and Vanilla Sea Salt.

One of the more unusual things on my bucket list — and I’d say it’s right up there with wanting to learn how to play the accordion — is to go to a concert, or any really big event, and have thousands of balloons rain down from the ceiling/sky, and I blame this on David Bowie’s Modern Love video.

Have you seen it? There’s a giant crescent moon thingy suspended over the crowd, and all of a sudden it starts pouring out thousands of shiny gold foil balloons.

I thought this was extremely amazing where I was a kid (and still do).

The song, by the way, LOVE. IT. And thanks to YouTube for finally clearing something up for me. In the song, I always thought that David Bowie was singing, “It’s not really work; it’s just the power to talk,” but he’s not really saying that, OMG! He’s actually saying, “It’s not really work; it’s just the power to charm.”

Who freaking knew? I would be so lost without you, Interwebz…

Speaking of modern love, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, which also means that Valentine’s Day gift sets are coming, too.

If you like lovely scents, here are two new sets by Viktor & Rolf.

The first is the Valentine’s Day Flowerbomb gift set for $120…

And the other is the $115 Spicebomb set for the dudes.

(read more…)