The Sniff List - Top 5 Scents to take a Whiff of for Summer

Each time we reach the end of the year, I begin thinking about which perfume I'd like to pop onto my wishlist. Since my birthday is but a week after Christmas, I pretty much need to make a monster list to make it easier for my family to cross me off their present list. I perused my fragrance stocks (some are still boxed away, woe is me!) and pulled out 5 awesome scents that would make lovely gifts for somebody else, or for yourself!

I don't really know much about Vivienne Westwood, so thought 'cute bottle' and not much more when Flirty Alice* hit my desk. One spritz and I was hooked though, this is probably my top pick from this bunch. It smells citrusy with some vanilla somethin' somethin' going on, and a quick check of Fragrantica says it also contains some green tea, rose buds and blonde woods (though I prefer brunette, ha!)

 The latest Marc Jacobs just had to be included, if not for the scent then the adorable bottle alone! Marc Jacobs Honey* is a soft and floral honeyed scent which is something Mumma Bovary would go crazy for - she likes it a bit sweet but most perfumes give her migraines, so Marc Jacobs is her go-to for soft and wearable scents.

Michael Kors Very Hollywood was on my wish list for the longest time, and was a gift from my beautiful sister for my birthday two years ago. It is a strong white floral, and I love the pink/coral and gold accents on the bottle. A great light summer fragrance is Clarins Sunshine* - you know I adore this brand, and so a orange bottle of their juice was bound to be a hit with me! It smells sweet, floral and citrusy, perfect for hot weather!

 

Last but not least is a great 'out for dinner' perfume that is super strong - Paco Rabanne Black XS. I nabbed this from Mumma Bovary who bought it duty free after loving the scent of it on my cousin when she lived with us, but it is too strong for her so I scored big time! I am also eyeing off the Kim Kardashian bottle she bought at the airport, as I've already finished my bottle and would love another!

 

How often do you spritz on a new scent? Are you a fan of commercial scents, or are a die hard indie perfume fanatic?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration - honesty, always!

 

Jimmy Choo EDP // A Sweet Scent to Enjoy with a Cosmopolitan

Launched in February 2011, the simply named Jimmy Choo fragrance was the very first from the brand.  For me, the Jimmy Choo label is synonymous with Sex and the City, and the thought of sky high heels and cosmopolitans is quite a positive connection to have with a brand. When I first heard that the brand had jumped into the bustling fragrance world, I immediately hunted it down for a sniff. It wasn’t until recently that I had the chance to try it on for an extended period of time, thanks to a sample vial I procured at a Myer counter.

The pink snakeskin design wouldn’t be my first choice of packaging, but I think it ties in nicely with the grenade style bottle said to be inspired by Murano glass. Tamara Mellon was the mind behind the design, and it is said to be a fragrance that is "feminine yet empowering, with a lot of sensuality to it”

This is the description taken from Fragrantica:

“The seductive composition is a modern chypre fruity, with green top notes, tiger orchid, sweet toffee caramel and Indonesian patchouli.”

Being someone who isn’t well versed in fragrance, I smell a lot of sugar in this 'sweet patchouli' scent, and the caramel becomes quite evident on my skin. As with most fragrances this isn’t incredibly long lasting on me, but it does sit longer than others and I’m happy with that. I did really enjoy wearing this, but I’m still unsure as to whether or not a full bottle would be justified. It reminds me quite strongly of my sister in law, who is a big fan of it and wore it on our first holiday together, so perhaps I will leave it to her and enjoy it when I am in her presence.

Jimmy Choo EDP retails between $99-$139 and is available at Myer and David Jones.

 

Do you forgo a new perfume if you know it is someone’s signature scent?

How sweet can you go with your fragrances?

A Fragrance Wardrobe

I have a plethora of scents in my possession, but I’ve taken to keeping a select handful on my desk to help me use them up faster. I swap some of these out and I do still use scents from the rest of my ridiculous collection, but these are the ones that have taken their place on the desk shelf lately!

 

 

I spoke at length about my issues with Lancome Tresor in Love, and I’m hoping to use a lot of this bottle before our next anniversary rolls around, to increase my chances of getting a new bottle of juice. This is a fruity rose scent, with notes of nectarine, bergamot, peach and Turkish rose, and I tend to wear it at night when we go out for coffee.

A recent launch from one of my favourite brands, Illamasqua Freak* is definitely a unique part of my scent collecton and unlike anything else I own.  It smells spicy and rich to me, and I tend to wear it when it is cold out and I feel quite tough and brave. I had to look up the notes for this, and they include opium flower, poison hemlock and frankincense. I have personally smelt this on quite a few people and it is definitely one you have to try on in store to judge, as it changes drastically depending on your skin.

Balenciaga Paris*, a powdery floral scent with notes of violet, cedar and carnation, is one of the most luxurious scents in my stash. I find this stays quite close to my skin when I wear it, and I use it sparingly as it is a travel sized sample gifted to me from the Balenciaga PR. I adore the bottle and have been hoping to add a full size Balenciaga to my collection once I use up a few more bottles, and this is a contender for that top spot.

Tucked away in the back in that image is a gorgeous Jo Malone bag filled with a teensy bottle of Orange Blossom* and a body cream in another scent, that I have been squirrelling away since before I began beauty blogging a few years ago. I received this in a Primped goody bag, the very first bag of that kind that I had ever received. I absolutely adore both the aesthetic and the scents from Jo Malone, and know that when I begin full time work my Jo Malone collection will grow from this small bottle up.

So Hooked on Carmella from Benefit is one of the stronger scents in my collection, and was purchased from a blog sale a while back.  Classified as an oriental floral, this contains notes of grapefruit, lemon, rhubarb, peony, sandalwood, amber and vanilla. Most of these notes are my very favourites, and though I can’t wear this scent around my sensitive-nosed Mumma Bovary, I do pop it on quite often on days when I know I won’t see her.

Last but not at all least is my all-time favourite fragrance, and the one I hope to wear for the rest of my days here on earth. Guerlain’s Champs Elysees is a fruity-floral that contains notes of mimosa, rose almond and forest fruits, but most of all it smells like me!  I feel strong, powerful and intelligent when I wear this, like I am the woman I want to be.

 

Isn’t it amazing how fragrances can make you feel certain things?

Nostalgic Scents // Marc Jacobs Daisy

 Smell is one of the most amazing senses that a human has, and has the ability to transport you to a moment in time, or remind you of someone in a split second. Some scents in my perfume collection make me feel strong, some dainty, some masculine and some sexy. The smell of most Lynx deodorants completely reminds me of boys in high school shooting spit bombs at one another. An unknown cheap male aftershave reminds me of my highschool boyfriend (both quite stinky;p) and the beauty below reminds me of my beautiful mother.

Launched in 2007, Daisy is a watery floral with notes of strawberry, violet leaf and grapefruit (according to Fragrantica here) I am not known for my ability to draw out certain notes from perfumes, so to my nose I smell a light floral fragrance, which on my mothers skin is muskier than it is on mine. In my experience, Marc Jacobs fragrances disappear quite quickly on my skin, but on other members of my family the scent is much stronger and longer lasting. That is, of course, the beauty of sampling fragrance in small sizes/at a fragrance hall or store.

Daisy has been recreated in the form of Daisy Eau So Fresh, a much fruitier and more summery scent, in my opinion. The latest release from Marc Jacobs is Dot, a sweet and tropical scent with the cutest bottle ever! My mum has just purchased this from duty free, and I'm looking forward to sneaking a few spritzes and sharing my thoughts with you here once more.

 

Some scents are so rich and evocative of certain people, and even though I don't suit this perfume, it holds a dear space in my heart and makes me smile and think of my Mum every time I sniff it. Every person I know has their 'signature' scent, and I love the connection that can be made between a human and a scent.

 

Do you have a signature scent?

What scents do you associate with the people around you?

 

*This perfume is from my Mum's collection, and smells great on her. Honesty, always.

 

An Absolute Angel

Sometimes a fragrance comes along that smacks you in the face, and you fall in love.

 Not being obsessed with perfumes until recently, I hadn't the chance to sniff the originial Thierry Mugler classic on which this EDT is based. Launching in 1992, when I was barely walking and my mother still fed me with a melamine spoon, Mugler released a gourmand fragrance that was unlike what was available at the time, and named it Angel. The scent has been reincarnated into limited editions over the years,  but none have been so popular as the original, the Angel that literally smacks you in the face.

The most recent reincarnation of this world renowned scent that you either love or hate, is the lighter, more wearable version- Angel EDT. Mugler says that the basis of this scent is comprised of three waves- the first being the celestial wave, where bergamot meets red berries and has a twinge of pink pepper. The delicious wave in the center comes from dabs of praline and berries, which only add to the gourmand touch the new Angel takes from the original. The third and final wave is the voluptuous wave, introducing the infamous patchouli-vanilla aspect to the scent, and mixing with cedar which is a new addition to Mugler's mix. White musk tops off the third wave, and completes what Mugler believes to be the softer, more subtle fragrance stemming from his beloved.

But what do the waves mean for me? Without understanding perfume or how notes are comprised, I know that this scent is amazing. It is warm and creamy, with this risky edge to it that drives me wild. I'm attached nose to wrist whenever I wear it, and it sits on my skin much better than most other fragrances in my collection. It's dangerous in this really wearable way for me, and I've enjoyed it during the day and out at night without a second thought. It's like nothing I've personally smelt before, and having now smelt the original Angel, I can understand why they describe it as the more subtle version. You can see that they are related, but this is like the sophisticated sister to the the original Angel's fierce hot mama persona.


Angel EDT is available from selected Myer and David Jones department stores nationally, with selected products online at adore beauty.
40ml RRP $79 AUD
80ml RRP $115 AUD
40ml refill RRP $40 AUD

What fragrance knocks you for a six? Have you smelt the new comet-shaped Angel EDT? I urge you to go and have a sniff!

This product sample was sent by PR for consideration for review which in no way affects how awesome it smells. Honesty, always.

Travalo- Perfume on the Run

I first heard of Travalo on Primped, and was fascinated by the idea of a perfume atomiser that wouldn't leak, and was safe to take on planes. I had owned atomisers before but had problems with them leaking, and couldn't be bothered taking the effort to fill them up all the time. My problems were solved when I discovered Travalo, and it hasn't left my handbag since.

The Travalo comes in a range of colours including gold, black and pink and retail for $24.95AUD.  They're very easy to use, even for a lazy girl like myself. I often shake my head when I see the girls at work toting 100ml bottles of designer perfume in their handbags- I'd be scared I would scratch the bottle, or worse, smash it to smithereens! If you're like that too, this little baby might be for you.

step one is to choose a perfume, and take off the cap of it as well as the cap from the Travalo

pull off the inner cap of the perfume so that the nozzle is exposed

see the rubberised base of the Travalo? Line it up with the perfume nozzle like so

pump the perfume up and down and it will transfer into the Travalo.

the clear display along the side means you know when you need to top up.

I always carry this in my handbag alongside a fragrance sample as I like to have choice during the day. This is generally either filled with Bulgari's Rose Essentielle (as pictured), Guerlain's Champs Elysees or Lancome's Tresor In Love. I am contemplating buying a golden version to keep with it, so that I can use up some of the other full size fragrances I have piled up in my bedroom. I won't get the black version, though it's super sleek it'll get lost in a second in my mid city Foley and Corinna, which is huuuge and has all black lining.

I adore my Travalo, and think it's a much better option than the other atomisers out there. well worth the cash, I think. It's only 8cm and carries around 50-60 sprays of your best juice- winner.

available at adore beauty, find out more about the product at the Travalo site here

have you tried the Travalo?
what fragrance are you rocking this holiday season?