Armani Prive Myrrhe Imperiale

I used to follow every launch from Armani Prive, but then I took a break from perfume and missed this one. It was a lucky find and is an interesting perfume!
Nov. 27
I love all the comments I got when I posted about this one to my stories – the perfumer is the late Olivier Pescheux, he who has done so many Diptyque perfumes. Myrrhe Imperiale is an incense with a slightly sweet drydown. It’s very easy to wear, and goes well with the crisp dry leaves outside. The incense reminds me a bit of Avignon but the sweetness in the background keeps it ambery the way I’m liking my perfumes to be these days. It’s the candy in your mouth as you sit through church, so at the end of it, your hair is cleansed with smoke, and you can’t help but smile at everyone sweetly. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I’m hoping there’s some sweetness left once the smoke clears here. ⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Charlotte Tilbury Star Confidence Perfume Review

This is the latest Charlotte Tilbury perfume to launch – Star Confidence.  A reminder that Charlotte Tilbury is having a sale for Black Friday, and this would be perfect for the perfume-lover in your life, even though it does reference some of the great perfumes of our time.

Nov. 27
Something in here smells like Grandma’s dusty basement and I’ll take the credit today. It’s that special blend of something fruity but powdery that smells a bit like potpourri. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Charlotte Tilbury has a new one for the holiday season and it’s called Star Confidence. Confident is what you’d have to be to wear a fruity jasmine patchouli that’s not too unlike Angel. The berry note in the opening is what makes it unique, and it’s not quite as rich as I remember Angel being, and the addition of white florals makes it feel like a combination of Angel and Alien. There’s something very mature about wearing a syrupy jasmine in November so here we are. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Biotherm Aquasource Mini’s

Nov. 27
Cute little travel sizes from Biotherm are here. These are mini sizes of their already popular Aquasource moisturizers. Calgary is freezing and very dry, so my favourite one is the Hydra Barrier cream because it feels a bit richer. The target demographic for these moisturizers is likely teenagers because all of these feel super light, but especially the gels. They absorb so quickly and feel like nothing on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hair Product Update – Have You Heard of Abbey Yung?

This week my feed and my hair has been overtaken by the Abbey Yung method.

Have you heard of her? This influencer promotes a hair care system that promotes healthy hair growth. The system is heavy on product use and using products correctly, but part of her popularity is because of her recommendation of drugstore products which are usually very affordable. I agree that the drugstore counterparts are usually made by the same conglomerate that makes the more expensive products but where they usually lack are in texture and scent! For me, unscented is best but if it’s not unscented then I want something bougie like palo santo or sandalwood. Vanilla is preferable to fruits but even then, I don’t want it to be too sweet.

I’ve been using these Redavid products and not only are they super hydrating but they also have a powdery vanilla scent that almost reminds me of Hypnotic Poison. Someone today said I smell like a newborn baby and it had to be that it was hair wash day and I used the REDAVID shampoo and conditioner as well as the Orchid Oil dual therapy which is a leave-in conditioner and a gloss that you can mix together yourself or use separately. In case you’re interested in trends, I’m seeing more and more of these multi-chamber packaging where ingredients are separated to keep them stable or to let the user customize their formula. In this case, it actually makes sense. If I use the leave-in before washing my hair, I don’t bother with the gloss. A touch of gloss is great on the ends once my hair is washing and dried.

Also new to me: Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Frizz Tamer. When I saw this, I remembered the hair mascaras from the late 90’s. Does anyone remember those? I had a few and they always finished so fast on my longer hair – I think this tiny bottle will go quick too but it is the right size for a purse. If I keep following this new routine, I’ll be out of all my hair stuff quicker but hopefully there’s healthier hair in my future. 🤞🏽

Posted in Hair | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Black Friday is Here and There’s a Sale

I love opening a new jar of face cream. ⠀⠀

Nov. 27

It’s mini season, and by that I mean, it’s the time to open gift sets, buy gift sets, and enjoy gift sets. Over the years, nothing has made my friends happier than receiving a brand new jar of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, even those friends who said they didn’t see the attraction, loved getting it for Christmas! I’ll be the first to say that the texture is a bit like Nivea, and it’s almost like using an old-school cold cream. I have no doubt that was the inspiration for. the Magic Cream and it works well if you use it with that in mind. This is not a heavy moisturizer like a Cerave Healing Ointment, but it’s a good water/oil emulsion that works under makeup, which is what it’s made for. I use it at night. I also sometimes mix my retinoid into it and use it on my hands. I go through phases where I use the light version. I think the brand should actually come out with a thick and heavy version too, because that’s what all of us who use prescription retinoids need. If you have one of these – use it! Don’t hoard it. ⠀⠀

Also, all Charlotte Tilbury is 25% off on their website from now until Dec. 3, so shop until your heart’s content. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

For the hair – I’m trying out this Milbon weekly hair booster because my hair cannot handle winter. Sometimes I think I should stop it with the highlights, but then when I see old pictures without the highlights, I just know that I like the highlights so much better. The Milbon is so smoothing – this is a Japanese brand, and I got my treatments as a gift from my hair stylist to try it. I would rebuy them. I also like that the little packets are easy to travel with so that is always a win. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Sampling right now: iris perfumes, but we are always into iris, aren’t we? I am. Iris Perle by Les Indemodables and MeltMyHeart by StrangeloveNYC are what have been taking up space in my brain. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

What are people getting from the Black Friday sales?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Hair, Perfumes, Skin Care | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Revisiting Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely

I hear that SJP is coming out with some new perfumes, but the information on them keeps on changing. I really want to smell them once they come out because she did create Lovely, which ended up being iconic.

Sept. 7
“And Just Like That” might be over, but it seems like the original “Sex and the City” is having a bit of a cultural resurgence. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

At some point in your perfume journey, you need to wear Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and read The Secret of Scent by Chandler Burr, which is the story behind this perfume.

This is quite a prim and proper fragrance, a bit on the feminine side. It’s powdery and musky, a bit of an echo of Narciso Rodriguez for Her, and an easy wear because it is such a straightforward musk. It’s maybe not as beloved in perfume circles but it’s still a classic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chypre Mousse by Orizia Legrand

August 15
The heat of the summer needs to be beat, so I decide to take a walk through the forest.

At once, there’s the feeling of sensory deprivation and an overload of quietness. I can’t feel the heat from the sun, and I’m so cold that my arms immediately get goosebumps. It was rainy, and the forest still holds remnants of moisture in the air. It’s humid but fresh, energizing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I can’t hear my footsteps, but the moss squelches under my feet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I get to a well and stare deep, seeing nothing, feeling everything. The never-ending darkness looks back at me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I’m wearing Chypre Mousse by Orizia L. Legrand. Earthy yet green, fresh and humid. It’s perfect in the dry summer heat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne Review

July 13
Wood Sage and Sea Salt is the 2014 hit from Jo Malone that pushed the brand into the new world of perfume. Away from the natural essences that the brand was down for this concoction uses more modern materials. The saltines comes from and Ambroxan, and the Ambrette seed in the dry down, feels pretty and fresh reminiscent of the skin scents that were popular at that time such as Glossier You and Diptyque Fleur de Peau. Does it smell salty? Kind of.

I remember the first time I smelled this, I was overwhelmed by the ambroxan and that’s all I got. Now I get a faint saline quality. It’s not quite like the sea. The sea has a bit of dirtiness and this is quite clean, but it’s likeable and I can see why it’s still around. I also have the English Pear and Freesia room diffuser which is a bit too strong for me. I see it up and then had to pack it away a few hours later. It was more of a shampoo-like peony, not unlike the scent of a drugstore rose shampoo.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Noir Epices by Frederic Malle

August 15
Positivity in a bottle. I know the clove and orange combo reminds people of Christmas, but to me, that orange in Noir Epices is sunny, happy, fresh without being boring. This is like bumping into an old friend whose tinkly laugh brightens your day, who always laughs at everyone’s jokes. I love meeting those people who just make you laugh with their giggles, and I’m someone who loves to laugh along. I’m smiling while I’m writing this, and I’m smiling when I wear Noir Epices.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Prada Cargo de Nuit Perfume Review

A bit of redemption for the sample in a dabber bottle: it lets you reapply discreetly because there’s no puff of perfume in the air. It came in handy with this sample of Prada’s Cargo de Nuit, another forgotten perfume from the Olfactories line. It wears so softly that I had to keep adding more as the day went on, or maybe it was the cherry/almond opening that smelled so good that I kept dabbing it on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

First on the back of the hand, then on the inside of the wrist, finally abandoning caution and putting it behind my ears. The ambrette – skin-like warmth that keeps things clean but inviting. It’s balanced, controlled. Office-safe but still interesting even for the seasoned perfume lover. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , | Leave a comment