The Benefit Crescent Row Fragrances: Laugh With Me, Lee Lee

The more time I spend with the girls of Benefit Crescent Row ($36 each), the more I want to hang with them.

Each of the scents in this trio of fragrances represents a different personality.

Laugh With Me Lee Lee is the fun, flirty member of the group — the girl who loves long bubble baths and frilly lingerie.

Light and delicate

Benefit categorizes her as a woody floral, but she’s the lightest of the three scents, both agreeable and easy to wear.

Crisp notes of melon and orange hit me as Lee Lee enters the room.

“Hello,” she says with an innocent smile, drawing me into her world of unselfconscious beauty.

After a few hours with her, I learn that she’s older than I thought. She reveals a gentle white floral mix of lily and jasmine, slowly evolving into a soft blend of amber and sandalwood.

Official Fragrance Profile…

• Top notes: cassis, melon, citrus
• Middle notes: black violet, lily, jasmine
• Bottom notes: blonde wood, amber, santol (a tropical Asian fruit tree with a scent often used in incense)

A lady of means

I think Lee Lee, like My Place or Yours Gina, smells more expensive than a $36 fragrance, and the scent lasts all day long.

I’m reminded of something Estee Lauder might create — like a hipper, younger version of Beautiful.

Sweet, but not too sweet

I gotta give Benefit props for creating a complex scent that doesn’t fall into the candy store trap of fragrances with overly sweet, fruity notes.

Carb-y goodness

Howling Moon Pinot Noir

Last night I was craving a plate of linguine and clams something fierce!

I looked up local Italian food places on Yelp and found a highly-rated joint in San Rafael called Napoli Pizza & Pasta.

So. Frickin’. good.

El Hub and I almost didn’t go in when we peered through the glass at the front door. The place looked tiny and wasn’t exactly what we’d had in mind.

But Donato, the owner, saw us thinking out on the sidewalk and opened the door to invite us inside.

I haven’t felt so comfortable and welcome at a restaurant in a very long time. Highly recommended if you’re ever in the area and craving home-cooked, affordable Italian food. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen