JPG Classique edp Review

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Henna

August 12
JPG Classique is a fruity floral that leans heavily on the orange and pear with a sweet rose. On smelling this, I immediately thought of the fruity florals of the 90’s and wondered if Classique was referring to them. It turns out that Classique is from 1993 and this just happens to be a limited edition bottle.

If you remember the Britney Spears perfumes, the Paris Hilton perfumes, Ralph Hot, and you liked them, then this one is for you. I actually think it smells better than some of the over-sweet perfumes that came out at that time, thanks to the tonka which brings an almond-cherry to the background, and a nice dose of vanilla. It might not be my type of perfume but I can appreciate why people love it.

Who doesn’t want to go back in time to waste time in an air-conditioned mall in the middle of summer? Eat fries in the food court and then get chocolate-raspberry Yogen-Fruz, returning home with a head full of gossip and nonsense. Classique is the perfect pairing.

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Chanel Les Exclusifs in My Perfume Collection

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Henna

August 12
Supermodels of the perfume world: the Les Exclusifs. I won’t say that there’s not one out there I don’t love because it’s not true, but the elegance, refinement, and sheer sense of luxury that this line embodies are unmatched.

In order of preference: Coromandel – delicious warm incense.

Cuir de Russie – soapy leather but make it Chanel.

Bois des Iles – ylang-ylang and sandalwood.

Bel Respiro – summer in a bottle.

Boy is going to join the group this year, I can just feel it. Which is your favourite from the line?

Oh, and a magnetic cap: *chef’s kiss*.

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Celine Bois Dormant Perfume Review

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Henna

June
Iris perfumes that aren’t too serious. Prada’s Infusion d’Iris is a mainstay in my collection for when the weather’s warm, but lately, I’ve replaced it with Celine’s Bois Dormant which has a powdery pencil shaving combo that’s addictive to smell. My favourite thing about both of these is their sparkling opening, which feels cheerful instead of serious. These are optimistic, bubbly, and effervescent. My kind of iris this summer.

Here’s my full Celine Bois Dormant review.

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Guerlain Iris Torrifie Perfume Review

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Henna

July
I wore Iris Torrifie and loved it and then noticed the word Torrifie on the side of the coffee canister. Never noticed it before.

Torrifie means roasted but I didn’t get any coffee when I wore this. There’s definitely some tea and other things.

This is a gorgeous Iris scent, in the vein of Dior Homme Intense but more textured and layered… more refined, more expensive too, but it is what it is as the kids say. There’s a citrus and a dry cardamom in the opening, and I kept getting the wafts of tea if I wore it when it wasn’t very warm outside.

Then I made brownies and so my memory of this is mixed with a memory of chocolate. Last picture is my brownie recipe and it’s a great one and very easy to make. I used almond flour instead of regular all-purpose, and added 4oz of chopped chocolate in the batter too. Posting the recipe for posterity. It’s a good one. Enjoy.

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L’Artisan Parfumeur Perfume Collection

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Henna

July
A few that will never get cut – my L’Artisan Parfumeur bottles showing up for their #perfumeclasspicture. I discovered the brand ages ago but couldn’t justify getting any at that time, but then it just found me, and I realized that I don’t have to justify perfume that makes me happy.

I think what draws me to these is the simplicity of their structure and the clarity of their notes and a direct message to the heart. All of these have a clear gourmand component that speaks to the foodie in me, but they’re not like the crazy sweet perfumes we have now.

Safran Troublant – ras malai with rose water. Refreshing and sweet.

Dzing! – cotton candy from when you were little, too oblivious to whatever was going on around you.

Traversee any Bosphore – Turkish delight in a bottle.

Coeur a Vetiver Sacree – iced tea before it was trendy.

L’eau D’Ambre Extrème – cardamom crystallized in candy form.

Tell me if you’ve got a favourite.

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Santa Maria Novella Muschio Oro Perfume Review

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Henna

This is the epitome of some classic packaging via Muschio Oro from Santa Maria Novella.

June

So many ways to describe this perfume.

Some call it an old lady perfume.

Some say it smells like an expensive soap.

I think it has peachy aldehydes, warm sunny florals, and then syrupy sandalwood and clean musk.

 

I wore it on a day filled with hugs and so many people loved this old lady scent.

Watch the full review here, with a bit of the history of the house.

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Portrait of a Lady Perfume Review

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Henna


I want to be a morning person and see the sunrise, but I also love to stay up late. I want to savour the morning news with a cup of coffee, but I also want to scroll on my phone. I want to keep up with all the shows, but I love reading books too. I want to leave an impression, but I also want to observe.

I need to be impeccably dressed, the hardest working, the best-scented, the funniest, the wittiest, the quickest, the smartest.

For me, there’s Portrait of a Lady, a perfume I love but don’t wear enough because it is so potent! I love the mixture of spice and rose, and the rose patchouli, and most days I get out of bed wanting to wear something spicy and beautiful, but I also don’t need everyone to smell me at all times. One spray of this is more than enough, so a little bottle will last me a lifetime. I still remember smelling this at the Malle counter and being blown away by the spiciness in the opening, the mouth-watering cinnamon and anise, crispy and pungent. I was also blown away by the price and didn’t get it right then. Now, there are many great rose-patchouli options but this remains a kind of reference. What do you think? Are we over it? Do you still need it in your perfume collection?

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Olfactive Studio Chypre Shot Perfume Review

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Henna

June
Why Don’t You Wednesday? Here’s mine.

Why don’t you just…

Spray some perfume into the book you’re reading to have an immersive experience.

If you want to feel like you’re living large, make it a designer, like a Chanel Les Exclusifs or Dior Privée.

If you want to feel like you’re in a pre-Raphaelite painting, go for vintage.

Gothic tales might work well with rose-patchouli numbers that evoke Dracula’s castle.

A mystery might take to the moss from a green scent.

My favourite comedy worked well with the sweet scent of a gourmand, in this case, Chypre Shot by Olfactive Studio. Cardamom tea and coffee in a perfume wouldn’t normally be my thing, but this is so good and I wore it tons over the winter. Because it’s rich and yet sappy, elevated but approachable, it lent itself well to reading David Sedaris, because his sweet humour disguises a lot of the pain that might have come from his father’s death (and even life). His language isn’t formal and sometimes borders on crude, but every word is deliberately chosen. I mean, he’s a writer and this is his job, but many still don’t get this right.

Anyway, why don’t you try it?

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The Perfume Shelfie

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Henna

June
This picture was taken April 1 and it has changed a lot. You see, I started keeping bottles out of the boxes and storing the boxes separately so that I could grab whatever I wanted, but now I’ve decided to put things BACK into the boxes. I’ve said many times that part of this hobby is organizing and reorganizing all the time. I think it gives me a sense of control over my space, and I can see everything I have, maybe spray some, and not get tempted to get things I don’t need.

Also: I’ve sold some of the things that are in here, so that has been good, but there are more on the chopping block. And this isn’t everything, but ideally, I would like everything to fit into this one drawer… but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Anyway, one day, I will take another one of these pictures to compare, and I think you all should post yours.

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Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Henna


I missed out on the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks last year, but I have Moon Beam (peachy pink shimmer) and Formentera (berry bronze) this year. Swipe through for swatches and to see how they look on my skin. Honestly, the final effect on my skin tone is subtle and I couldn’t get a lot of pigment payoff to show up on camera. I’m not wearing foundation, just concealer under my eyes, but even on bare skin, the effect was subtle. I like wearing them more on my lips and they went on like a matte pigmented lip balm which works for me.

The idea is that this is easy breezy summer makeup, useful for a week at the cottage when you want to add some colour to your face but not look too done up. What do you think? Is an easy beachy look your thing?

The above picture is Moon Beach.  I didn’t have high hopes for this shade of the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick but it does look pretty on and not too frosty despite having shimmer in it. These are blendable colours for your lips and cheeks. They’re super easy to apply and let your skin show through.

I’m wearing Moon Beam with some pink lip liner in the first picture, and Formentera on its own in the last picture. You can see that because my lips are pigmented, even Formentera didn’t show up very much, and I really do like wearing these better with a lip liner. Really a deep pink lipliner is by best lip tool and just makes any shade of lipstick look so much better.

If I’m at the beach… probably no blush for me but yes on the lip – always yes with a lip.

 

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