Madame Rochas Perfume Review

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Henna

TextIt’s #irisweek around here, and I love these weeks because they inspire me to look at things from a different perspective and explore my own collection. I don’t have a lot of iris perfumes – the powdery aspect of iris-heavy scents doesn’t always appeal to me, but I crave them more in the summer. But, it’s +18 degrees today and that’s basically summer where I live (don’t worry, there’s a snowstorm next week), so I pulled out Madame Rochas.

I have a modern bottle that I got in a swap and I had never smelled it before. It’s got a distinct baby powder base that I can only attribute to iris but it’s still grown up and interesting, thanks to aldehydes and violets. It makes me feel put-together and ladylike, and actually, I usually don’t need any help in that department, so maybe this is one that I save for the occasions that I want to smell the way I appear. Or so I can fake it till I make it.

Also check out the iconic ad for the perfume… Right now, I’m keeping this out and leaving it in the rotation.

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The A Method Tranexemic Acid Skin Perfecting Serum

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Henna

TextThe A Method is a derm-created line and the Tranexamic Acid serum has a whopping 10% of this active ingredient. Surprisingly, it’s not burning my face off even though my skin is peeling because of my tret, so this is in rotation. I used it morning and night for a while and now I do either/or because I’m rotating through my serums.

It also takes 6-8 weeks to notice a difference with tret (on hyperpigmentation) and now that it has been 6 weeks, here’s the update.

What I love about this serum is that it’s nice and thin (almost like water, actually) and at no point did I feel any stinging on my skin when I used it. I tapped a few drops in after cleansing and let it absorb. Then I went ahead with another thicker serum, or moisturizer, or sunscreen. It was so easy to incorporate into my routine.

There’s actually nothing that I didn’t like about it, and I’m going to keep using it. My skin has evened out, thanks to this and a consistent retinoid in my routine, so if you want a nicely formulated Tranexamic acid serum, try this one.

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Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Collection Expands

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Henna

Just in time for you to still make use of your Sephora discount.

A full face of Charlotte Tilbury products and how they look on my skin. I loved some of these but some of them were too light to show up on my skin tone. I love the Glowgasm blush and I wear it all the time. What’s your favourite product from the brand?

https://youtu.be/FGRMOa-L88I

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A BEGINNER’s GUIDE TO BUYING USED PERFUME

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Henna

A BEGINNER’s GUIDE TO BUYING USED PERFUME. I honestly wish people talked about this more so here is what I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been buying used. Let me know if I missed anything!Share your preferred place to buy used or new fragrances.

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New Skin Proud at Walmart

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Henna

Every single product in the Skin Proud lineup is under $20, and these formulas are actually more elegant than the brands they’re competing with.

TextTake the Skin Proud Detox Tonic, for example. It’s not hard to find a glycolic acid toner out there, but this one is about $17 and comes in a nice pump bottle. The finish isn’t sticky which is what I’ve hated about other toners. I’m using this in the AM as my only cleanse… There is 5% lactic acid in this toner which makes it more gentle than other acid toners.

I like both the Sorbet Skin and the Sleep Hero moisturizers. They’re both light but have a pleasing jelly texture, and really the only difference is that the Sorbet Skin is the lighter of the two. You could use Sleep Hero during the day… there’s nothing in it that makes it only suitable for the night time. But, they’re both light, so probably not great for very dry skin.

There’s even a gentle retinol in the lineup, called the Recharge Serum. Again, this is a super light formula even though it has rosehip oil in it. Honestly, the retinol is a bit confusing because the line seems more geared towards the younger demographic, and not EVERYONE has to use retinol all the time, but if you wanted a retinol in a light gentle formula, then this could be for you.

I think this line has a good balance of ingredient-focused skincare but without being too concerned with percentages. Recent trends have been to obsess over what percentage of retinol or glycolic you’re using without any regard to the elegance and usability of the formula. I know that we all want skincare that works, but what’s the point of an intense formula that irritates your skin?

Honestly, keep me stocked with the Detox Tonic and the Sleep Hero cream and I’m happy.

The whole line is at Walmart now.

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Comme de Garcons Incense Jaiselmer

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Henna

TextIt’s under-the-radar week around some places, so submitting Comme de Garcons Incense Jaiselmer as my pick. I honestly think that this is such a spicy strange perfume that people don’t know what to make of it, let alone smell like it, but it’s almost so bad it’s good.

For me, it checks a few boxes: cardamom, Indian connection, woody. It definitely does not smell like Indian incense or Jaiselmer the city, but spicy and smoky wood? Check check check.

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Maison Louis Marie No. 04 Bois de Balincourt Review

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Henna

TextOnce more, scents I’ve sampled but haven’t bought. Today, Bois de Balincourt No. 4 by Maison Louis Marie. I know many of you live this scent and it is lovely. Would I buy this? Maybe if I didn’t have Katy Perry Indi already? Maybe if someone was getting rid of their bottle and was selling it cheap? Maybe if I was on vacay and stepped into a Sephora and bought it for the heck of it?

This smells a bit like Santal 33, but not exactly. It’s fresher, and honestly, nicer, but I’ve had this sample for a while and haven’t been convinced that I can’t live without it.

I know that earlier this year when I posted that this was a pretty close dupe to Santal 33, some people were intrigued. Again, this is a nice mindless grab, and a sure way to get compliments, so I’d wear it to a party. I’ve heard no. 9 is great but I have yet to try it.

Do you have this? What do you think?

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Chanel Paris-Venise Perfume Review

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Henna

TextI was waiting for a good day to open this bottle, and today was that day.

Chanel Paris-Venise Les Eaux de Chanel. I had a sample of this for a while, and the fresh neroli paired with a warm ambery vanilla really appealed to me. I like to wear ambery perfumes at this time of year, but wearing them daily can feel too heavy. Paris-Venise has a freshness, but also a warmth. It’s a bit of a snuggle but not like when you’re in a blanket and over-heating. It’s more like wearing a cardigan with holes in it, but the holes are cool and you paid a lot of money for them to be strategically there.

This is perfect for your cool co-worker who wears those ripped cardigans, uses the expensive shampoo, never leaves her desk without lipstick on (yes, even under her mask). It’s casual but never messy or unkempt.

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Diptyque Philosykos EDP Review

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Henna

TextYou say you want to travel with perfume? I do it everyday. Yesterday, it was Philosykos from Diptyque. Yes, this a cool fig, green, but also woody. The cedar in this is so realistic that I was instantly at my parents’ cottage where every morning the wooden cedar deck wafts it’s scent as the dew dries. It’s amazing how quickly this took me back to the summer.

I have the edp, which I prefer because I like the peppery-ness of it.Olivia Giacobetti is the perfumer behind this fragrance and she has also created Safran Troublant, which is one of my favourites. Her first fig perfume was actually for L’Artisan Parfumeur a couple of years before this.

Have you smelled this? It’s at the Diptyque counter and fairly accessible.

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Perfumes of the Week: Juliette Has a Gun and Tom Ford

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Henna

TextThese all snuck into my purse this week and ended up being my end-of-day refresh perfumes. All rose-chypre type scent. To be honest, I’ve been spraying Café Rose on repeat at the end of the day. Sprayed lightly this is a skin scent, and 5 or 6 sprays really bring out the sweet intensity of the rose, although it stays quite earthy. For all the complaining that people do about longevity, I never hear people complain about Tom Ford although this one has pretty basic sillage and lasting power. Midnight Oud by Juliette Has a Gun is absolutely the strongest in my collection. One spray fills the room and it’s so intense. I wouldn’t wear this to dinner. It’s a bit much and kind of clashes with food smells.

Do you refresh your perfume at the end of your day?

Do you reapply what you were wearing or go for something new?

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