Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Fragrance Scent Spray Review

The Mainstream Monday: Sniffing A Popular Fragrance

I like the freshness of Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea EDT/cologne. It is fresh and zesty. It is a “pretty” fragrance since it does smell feminine. Many green tea scents could be unisex but not this one by Elizabeth Arden. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is a light wearing fragrance, comparable to a body spray. Elizabeth Arden as a woman and a company has always been very competitive. This fragrance was launched in 1999 to compete with such popular mall fragrance/body product shops as Bath and Body Works and The Body Shop. Hence, the light wearing fragrance to be worn all over the body with a lower price point than other department store fragrances.

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is not as “green tea” as other green tea fragrances on the market. This means it is less “dirty”, “earthy”, or “pondy” than actual green tea. This fragrance is a play on aromatherapy (just read the adjectives associated with the fragrance notes), but it is much more “commercial” than the aromatherapy I think of. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is not a per se green tea fragrance but an interpretation of a spa-like experience. It embodies the healthiness of sipping on green tea and pampering oneself. So, if you are looking for a “real” green tea fragrance, this is not it. If you are looking for a refreshing, light fragrance than this will do. I mainly get beautiful, feminine citrus from this fragrance. I get a heavy dose of bergamot. This is good for me since I love bergamot. The bergamot is complemented by other generic citrus accords with a wee bit of fruity rhubarb.It reminds me of a delicious summer sorbet. It has floral bergamot, jammy rhubarb, and orange zest. This is very refreshing. The fragrance has a certain coolness. It is ever so slightly minty. I really do think of it as a rhubarb and citrus sorbet with a garnish of mint. The zesty notes fade but you still are left with citrusy bergamot and tart rhubarb. That mainstream green tea is faintly there as well, just like that garnish of mint. The green tea adds a green sweetness to the heart. The dry-down is a bit softer than the heart. It smells muskier but in a clean musky, citrus way. The dry-down manages to be musky, green, and fresh.

The bottle isn’t exciting. It is very, very plain and it does remind me more of a drugstore fragrance bottle. At least it is glass and not in a plastic spray bottle making it more desirable than a B&BW spray.

It is not a long-lasting fragrance and it doesn’t claim to be. It wears slightly longer than a body spray. I guess it is meant to be “sipped” throughout the day just like a few cups of green tea. I do find it very refreshing. I like it for spring and summer.

Give this a try if you like pretty bergamot fragrances, Mélange Green Tea Solid Perfume, L’Occitane Thé Vert EDT or ThéBergamote EDT, Tocca Bianca EDP, Heeley Menthe Fraîche EDP, CK One EDT, Fresh Hesperides EDP, Creative Universe Te Cologne, and/or Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic EDT.

Notes listed include: caraway, fruity rhubarb, lemon, orange zest, bergamot, cool minty peppermint, green tea, sweet jasmine, spicy carnation, fresh fennel, crisp celery spice, oakmoss, musk, and amber.

The 1.7 oz cologne spray retails for $27 and the larger 3.3 oz. for $37. It is available at all Elizabeth Arden counters and Elizabeth Arden’s website. * Currently it is available at fragrancenet.com.

Experience the fragrance in one more. Make a rhubarb sorbet (recipe here). Don’t forget the mint garnish! Perhaps you could put a scoop in a small cup of cool green tea…

 

April Fool’s: Annick Goutal Folavril EDT Fragrance Review

Annick Goutal Folavril (April’s Fool) is not a sexy or flirty fragrance. It doesn’t have an inkling of seduction in it. This isn’t a fragrance that I would see a man purchasing for Valentine’s day/anniversary. Just like slouchy cotton jersey dresses and shabby chic decor, this fragrance is a “made by woman for women” fragrance. It really is a beautiful, innocent, and comfortable fragrance. It smells nice without smelling “bat those lashes” flirty or vavavoom seductive. It’s fresh but still very feminine. I like to think of it as shabby chic decor, shabby beach cottage decor, or Brocade home. It’s just so girly without trying to be attractive to men. It seems to be a fragrance that women wear because they like it. It’s not overly floral which is what I think of as flirty fragrances. However, it is playful, but not in a coy, flirty way, but in a everyday fun way, like playing with your pup or in most people’s case, their kids. It’s a spring stroll through the park.

At first the fragrance is very different mix on me. It’s like a fusion of tropical mango scented lotion, you know that too perfect mango kind of note, and really soapy and spicy tomato leaf. The tomato leaf is a bit odd. I love the smell of tomato plants. They are crisp, bitter, and have a very specific aroma that you just know when you sniff it. This tomato leaf in Folavril is bitter, spicy, tart, and green just like a tomato leaf should be; however, it doesn’t smell of a garden. It’s just too pretty and too clean. It reminds me of a tomato leaf aroma used in fancy European soaps (I’ll get there soon). So imagine a fictional fruit that is juicy like a peach but it is green and unripe, growing on a fuzzy tomato like plant. (The greeness really is much more leafy than fuzzy, tomato vine). It’s sterile, no scent of dirt or humidity. The tarteness and the fruitiness and bitterness fades after a about 15 minutes of wear. The green, tart aldehydes of the soapy clean tomato leaf are still there. However, they are mixed with delicate ylang-ylang blossoms. It becomes slightly powdery and more of a crisp, tropical floral. It wears light and soft. Jasmine is listed as a fragrance note for this fragrance, but this jasmine is much, much softer than many jasmines used in perfumery. It’s more of a whisper of jasmine. It’s not a sultry or sexy jasmine. Usually this light but somehow refreshing floral blend is what wears on me the longest. Boronia adds a certain grounding greeness, a floraly evergreen. I feel the dry down is soapy and clean. Boronia really does have a beautiful aroma and I do think of it as clean. It goes back to a spicy green floral, but more evergreeny than the tomato leaf. The dry down on me is a soapy,  fresh floral.

This fragrance was launched in 1981. It was created to fragrance a skincare line created by Annick Goutal. Fragrance is a tricky business, based on perceptions and memories. I think that I think of this fragrance as soapy and clean because I was exposed to this fragrance in skincare that my grandmother used. I think of it as her nighttime routine. Many luxurious European soaps have a green, tomato or lettuce floral fragrance. So, I don’t know if someone else would smell this and think it was clean. That being said, I think that is why I think of this fragrance as nurturing. My grandmother is glamorous but to be around her without makeup and eyebrows, you have to be family.

This fragrance is very lovely for spring and summer. It’s light, airy, and playful. It’s green without being masculine. It’s fresh without being aquatic. Sometimes when I wear it, I get more of the fruit, other times I get more of the greens, and other times I get more of the sweet, tropical florals. These notes could be emphasized by your choice of body lotion and layering. The fragrance is an EDT and wears briefly on me, about 1.5 -2 hours. I really don’t know what to compare this fragrance to. I really do feel like it is an original and that everyone should try and see. My husband thinks this fragrance is nasty, but he is offended by all aldehydes. It is for someone that wants a different type of floral. Give it a try if you like green florals, Sisley Eau de Campagne EDT, Hilde Soliani Stecca EDP, Pucci Sole EDP, Crazylibellue & The Poppies Les Divines Alcôves Toi Mon Prince, Heeley Vervaine EDP, and Parfums de Nicolai Eau D’Ete Fraiche EDT.

Notes listed include: tomato leaves, mango, jasmine, and boronia flower.

The 3.4 ounce spray retails for $115. It can be purchased from Dillard’s and luckyscent.com.

 

Warm Up With This Ginger Fragrance Guide

Mmmm, ginger. It has a great flavor and a great fragrance. This rhizome is spicy, warming, but still fresh, earthy, and a bit “green”. It is a note that works well in warmer climates and it is a note that does well in cooler weather. Now that the nights are getting cooler, I am more attracted to the “warmth” that ginger gives. Right now I am craving “spicy” ginger/gingerbread-ish scents. I know that in the middle of summer I’ll love some of those “green” ginger scents.

Bargain Ginger Scents: For some reason I think when other people think of ginger scents they automatically think of Origins Ginger Essence Skin Scent. It is a very nice scent and one of my favorite ginger scents on the market. It is refreshing with citrus and warming with ginger. It’s therapeutic. The 1.7 oz spray retails for $37. The price is nice too. A  beach friendly ginger scent is Urban Rituelle Beachcomber Coconut & Ginger. The travel sized spray goes for $10. Apivita Spice Fragrance is what the name says, “spice” which is a blend of ginger, bergamot, caraway. The travel sized spray goes for $12. Demeter has three colognes worth mentioning: Gingerale (one of my favorite Demeter fragrances, smells like the real deal, fizzy and everything), Gingerbread (great winter comfort scent), Ginger Cookie (a sweeter version of gingerbread, also nice for winter), and Fresh Ginger (smells like the real thing). All of these come in a 1 oz for $20.

More Expensive Ginger Scents (over $50): Lush Ginger Perfume is a slightly fruity-floral ginger blend with classic florals and juniperberry. The 1.3 oz. spray goes for about $60. Yosh Ginger Ciao is an interesting ginger blend with black coconut, ylang-ylang, and neroli. It is like a tropical ginger scent, an island ginger. The perfume oil goes for $130. If you want a spicy ginger scent, try Jo Malone Nutmeg & Ginger Cologne. It’s warm, woody, and zesty. I like it for cooler weather. The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $100. A spicy, woodsy ginger blend is Van Cleef & Arpels Exclusive Cologne Noire EDP. It has cardomom (one of my weaknesses), bitter citrus, and woods. It retails for $185. It is more like gingerbread with hot tea and that is why I love this scent for winter: Serge Lutens Five O’Clock Au Gingembre. It’s a warming, comforting fragrance (that’s an understatement). The 1.7 oz bottle goes for $120. Cinq Modes Pluie d’Aromes Ritual de Kyoto, Japan is a ginger floral with ginger and rose. I do love a spicy rose scent. The 1.7 oz goes for $85. Montale Ginger Musk is a romantic ginger blend with berries and white musk. The 1.7 oz goes for $95. A nice summer ginger is Hilde Soliani Freschiiissimo. This is a fresh blend of lime, brown sugar, and ginger. Doesn’t that sound like it would make a great mixed drink? The 3.4 oz goes for $175. If you want a green, almost foresty, ginger try Vero Profumo Onda. It has vetiver, ginger, mace, and coriander. The perfume oil retails for $185. Parfums des Beaux Arts by DSH (neither pictured) has two ginger based scents. Gingembre (my review here) is a spicy, wintery, warming gourmand. The 1 oz. EDP goes for $70. The other is more of a summery, citrus ginger, Indochine. This one is loaded with citrus, basil, and white flowers. The 1 oz EDP goes for $65.

 

Mad For Mandarin: A Mandarin Fragrance Guide

It’s that time of year again. Mandarins, satsumas, whatever you like to call them, are at market to be purchased by the boxful. Citrus is a nice treat during these cool winter months. I’ve compiled a “collage” of zesty mandarin fragrances with a variety of price points and formulas.

Budget Mandarin Scents (Under $50): Trish McVoy Mandarin & Ginger Lily EDT is a citrus floral blend that is light-wearing. It retails for $48 for .5 oz (not alot of product for the dough). Crazylibellule & The Poppies Les Garçonnes Tamara Charleston is a very interesting humid, green, mandarin blend. This solid Crazystick retails for $18 and is well worth it. My review of it is here. Lush Olive Branch Solid Perfume is a simple and refreshing unisex blend of olive oil and mandarins. I love the solid formula. tIt retails for about $8. Lancome Ô de Lancome EDT is a classic, cool feeling mandarin, floral, and rosemary scent. The 1.7 oz. bottle goes for $38.50.  Voluspa Victoria Collection Pink Fatale is an incredible flirty fruity-floral with citrus and lilies. The .5 oz. roll-on goes for $24. Oh, and I almost forgot the mandarin classic: The Body Shop Satsuma Perfume Oil. It’s all about mandarin and the .5 oil goes for $16. (not pictured)

More Expensive Mandarin Scents: Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne is a zesty, herbaceous citrus blend that is unisex. It’s a great summer scent. The 3.4 oz bottle goes for $100. It’s a limited edition fragrance but it is still available: L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine Tout Simplement. It is what the name implies. It is a sparkling mandarin citrus blend. It is light wearing and the 8.4 oz. spray goes for $135. If you are looking for a creamier mandarin fragrance, the kind that can transition into cooler weather even though it is refreshing, try Antica Farmacista Vanilla Bourbon and Mandarin Perfume. The 1.6 oz. bottle goes for $58. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Madarine Basilic EDT is a naturally sweet citrus blend with clementine, mandarin, and blood orange. The 1.7 oz bottle goes for $57. Here’s my review. Manuel Canovas Route Mandarine EDP is a mandarin and orange blossom mix, a citrus floral. It retails for $79 for 3.4 oz. Fresh Bergamot Citrus is a light blend of bergamot, citrus, and foresty base notes. The 3.4 oz. retails for $75. Creed Millesime Imperial is a unisex blend of crisp citrus, salt, musk, and woods. It is truly lovely and goes for $250 for 4 oz. (I just ordered one and I’m waiting anxiously for its arrival). Molinard 1849 Vervaine de Molinard is a green, crisp, fresh mandarin. Plus, the bottle is a must have. The 3.3 oz goes for $185.

5 Other Great Mandarin Products: Mistral Black Tea Mandarin Soap is a great scent for cooler weather. A bar goes for under $8. Ahava Body Sorbet in Madarin & Cedarwood is a refreshing and very moisturizing blend. The cedarwood really adds a special something. I love it for cooler weather. It is very foresty. A tub goes for $26. Lush The Big Tease Styling Gel is a hair gel with an orange blossom, mandarin, and lemon scent. It smells heavenly. It goes for under $17. Diptyque Oyedo Candle is a refreshing blend of grapefruit and mandarin. The candle retails for $60. A rich and lush mandarin fragrance for the home is Alora Ambiance Tre Reed Diffuser which goes for $58.

 

Diptyque L’Eau de Tarocco Cologne EDT Review

So far I have not met a Diptyque fragrance that I dislike. They are one of my favorite fragrance houses. The fragrances are simple and beautiful and so easy to wear. L’Eau de Tarocco is a beautiful fruity/citrusy but spicy fragrance. It can be worn all year round but I find it to be the perfect winter/cool weather citrus scent.

L’Eau de Tarocco is spicy but nothing like a pomander. It doesn’t smell like Christmas. It’s spicy but not heavy on cloves, nutmeg, etc. It is mainly lush citrus and a hint of spice such as ginger and cinnamon. Citrus scents are perfect for summer because they are light and refreshing but I do think of them for winter since this when they are in season. Having citrus in the dead of winter is such a treat. It opens up as a citrus juice explosion. It has all of the juiciness of sweet tarocco orange (sweeter than a regular ole blood orange), oranges, and a drop of tangy grapefruit. It’s the actual juice of an orange, not sweetened like orange juice.. This is an EDT so this explosion is just an explosion. It fades fairly quickly. I am then left with a bit of “tang” from the memory of citrus juices, a tad bit of spice like ginger and cinnamon. The spice isn’t overwhelming or Noel-ish. It adds some warmth and highlights the certain something of the florals present. This cinnamon/ginger plays so nicely against the orange blossom and softness of other dewy petals. The dry down is light and warm. You can smell the amazing cedar that is used in Diptyque fragrances. The white musk grounds the woods, keeping it “skin like” in quality. It is pretty, clean, and fresh at the dry down. This is a light wearing fragrance, refreshing and energizing. L’Eau de Tarocco contains notes of sweet Italian tarocco orange (yum), Florida orange, grapefruit, saffron, ginger extract, cinnamon, curcuma extract, Bulgarian rose, orange blossom, cedar wood, Somali frankincense, and white musk.

I would say that you would like this or if you like this you should try Parfums des Beaux Arts The Color Orange, Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange, Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cocoa, Fresh Bergamot Citrus, and/or Guerlian Exclusive Cologne de 68. I would also say that you would like this if  you like light, citrus scents or want something that is “friendly”, not heavy or over the top.  The cologne retails for $98 for the 100ml or $135 for the 200 ml and it is available at beautyhabit.com or barneys.com.

 

Get The Look Of 1960’s Jane Fonda

Oh, Jane Fonda, one of my favorite blondes. This is a simple look really. Just remember it is all about the eyes.This is a look that works well with most pale/light to medium complexions with the products mentioned below:

FACE: Apply concealer where needed. For me, this is applied under the eyes and I like Prescriptives Site Unseen Brightening Concealer. Apply a matte foundation like Estee Lauder Fresh Air Makeup Up Base if you like liquid or Maybelline Pure Stay Powder Foundation (not pictured) if you prefer a powder. Cheeks are super sheer with the faintest hint of a flush. Use a tiny bit of Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting. I love this color and formula for a faintly flushed look.

EYES: Fill in brows with an easy-blending powder and brush into place with a wax. Urban Decay Brow Box is a great product for this. The colors in Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad in Sueded Browns are nice for this eye. Take the lightest shade, a pale beige, and apply all over the eye lid from lash line to brow. Take the medium brown shade and apply from lash  line to crease. In the crease, apply the darkest espresso brown shade and blend with a nice blending brush. Take this same dark shade and apply it to the bottom lash line with a fine brush. Apply more of this shade to the crease and go as dramatic as you feel comfortable with. Next apply a liquid liner such as MAC Liquid Liner in Boot Black. Apply a thick line and wing out slightly. Curl lashes and apply mascara but to get the real deal look, apply a strip of false lashes like Ardell. Coat bottom lashes with mascara.

LIPS: The lips are super nude and almost look like concealer applied over the lips with a balm added. You could use a color like NYX Round Lipstick in Iced Honey or Chambord for a beige-ish nude color or B-52 if you want a little more pink, OK much more pink but still have that 60’s nude lip. Sorry, I have no pic of these but they are in my own collection and I love them for these kind of looks.

I really think that this looks needs a fresh, green, citrus scent such as Prescriptives Calyx. I really need to pick up a new one of these, almost out.

 

Lazy Lavender: A Lavender Fragrance Collage

Who doesn’t love lavender on those late summer days or nights? I never knew I loved lavender so much until I moved to an area with many lavender farms. Even I can grow tons of lavender here. I love to have the doors open and just let the breeze carry the aroma throughout the house. There are many lavender products on the market and I have “collected” a few. If you have any others please share. Usually if I want all out lavender I use an oil from one of the local farms. I know a few companies have launched fragrances with lavender but I haven’t given those a try yet (like Acca Kappa White Moss and Lostmarch L’eau de l’Hermine).

Budget Lavender Scents: A light wearing, sweet lavender fragrance is Body Fantasies Body Spray in Clean Lavender Vanilla. The scent is a bit sweet for my tastes but it isn’t horrible. It makes a nice linen spray as well. It retails for $7. Apivita Lavender Fragrance Spray is a fresh lavender. It retails for $12 for .33 oz.  Provence Sante Lavande EDT (my favorite budget lavender) is a great lavender scent for the lavender purist. It retails for about $30 for 3.5 oz. Yves Rocher Pur Desir Lavender EDT is lavender with a hint of wood. It retails for $22 for 2 oz. L’Aromarine Lavande Perfume Oil is a long wearing and pretty strong lavender scent. It retails for $9.50. L’Occitane Joyful Mood Touch Fragrance is a take along fragrance. It is a sweeter, feminine lavender blend. It retails for $20. Another great travel friendly lavender scent is Bonny Doon Farm Lavender Creme Parfum. It goes for $16 (not pictured).

More Expensive Lavender Scents: Jo Malone Amber & Lavender Cologne is a very rich, sensual lavender scent. It makes lavender sexy. The 3.4 oz. bottle goes for $100. LaVanila Vanilla Lavender is a sweet lavender scent. It’s very comforting and the spray goes for $56. Yardley Lavender EDT was one of my first fragrances ever. It is a pure lavender, almost medicinal. It’s $55 for over 4 ounces. Potter & Moore Lavender & Italian Lemon EDT is a super refreshing lavender that is perfect for summer. It’s fresh and light-wearing. It retails for $42 for 3.4 oz. Lollia Relax EDP is a sweet, comforting lavender floral blend. It retails for $46 for 3.4 oz. Parfums DelRae Eau Illuminée is a beautiful herbaceous lavender, almost “hippie” blend. It goes for $135 for 1.7 oz. Surge Lutens Gris Clair is a bewitching smoky lavender scent. It goes for $120 for 1.7 oz. Acqua di Parma Colonia is a classic refreshing citrus, herbal lavender blend. The 3.4 bottle retails for $117. I love Diptyque Eau d’Elide EDT. It is a “shrubby” lavender blend. The 1.7 bottle goes for $88.

Other Lovely Lavender Items: Diptyque Feuille de Lavande Candle is so relaxing. It’s the perfect at home scent. Candle goes for $60. L’Occitane Lavender Harvest Hand Creme is a rich formula with a soothing scent. This cute tube goes for $20. Ombra Lavender Bath Foam is a super concentrated lavender scent. It is perfect for those rotten days that life throws us. The bottle goes for about $10. Boscia Lavender Blotting Linens are great for mid-day shine. Plus, the lavender scent is very soothing. A pack goes for $10. Agraria Tassle Air is a cool product and it comes in a Lavender & Rosemary fragrance, perfect for the bedroom and it is so fresh! These retail for $40.

lavender field in Sequim, WA

 

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic EDT Review

This summer I have been all about the citrus. I can’t get enough of citrus or citrus blossom scents. Perhaps it is the record breaking heatwave that swept through the Pacific Northwest or maybe it’s just time for me to go through this phase. I haven’t really gotten into citrus scents. I didn’t think they were “me” and I felt like my skin ate it up. I also thought they weren’t very artsy blends. I just didn’t have respect for them. Well, this summer I have been sampling every citrus scent that I can find. This week’s wear has been Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic EDT. If you know me, you know that there isn’t a Guerlain fragrance out there that I don’t love. This isn’t the most sophisticated Guerlain out there, but I do like it. It really hits the spot when the weather is 80+.

Mandarine-Basilic is a fresh citrus scent. It claims to have these notes: orange blossom, white peony, green tea, ivy, Roman chamomile, mandarin, basil, amber, and sandalwood.  It wears about the same on me all the way through. It is really difficult to sniff out these different notes. It smells of a refreshing beverage. The mandarin orange is what I notice the most. It’s a sweet citrus fragrance that reminds me of the juice from a clementine. It’s an easy to wear fragrance, not heavy on the herbaceous notes of basil. You smell a bit of the herb garden/vegetable garden. It just smells “green” and fresh but very pretty and not a bit rugged or masculine. This is a girly citrus. After a few hours of wear, the dry down is a faintly citrus and woody. It isn’t the most “wow” producing fragrance and it is a bit generic, but I do really like it. However, I am more of the Imperiale customer if I am looking for a refreshing summer fragrance. AA Mandarine-Basilic is just so pretty and more feminine than Imperiale and gentler and kinder than AA Pamplelune.

The scent wears for about 2-4 hours on me during pretty intense heat. It’s lovely throughout the wear and not a bit heavy. It’s a great summer scent, great for everyday or in a work environment. It’s citrusy, green, clean, and fresh. I would say to give this a try if you like mandarin citrus scents, Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne, Balm Balm Mandarin EDP, L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarin tout Simplement EDT, Marc Jacobs Lemon Splash Cologne, and/or Fresh Bergamot Citrus EDP. The 2.5 oz bottle goes for $57 and is available at Sephora.

 

My 5 Favorite “Classic” Drugstore Skincare Items

Weekly Cheap Secret:

Sometimes you just don’t mess with a classic. These are 5 items that I have used/use and really like. They are my “go to” products when the budget is tight because I want to save up and buy a Creed cologne or a new Serge Lutens like right now, haha.

– Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid Original– My great grandmother used this stuff everyday. She had great skin. I don’t know if I can give to credit to this pink, lightweight lotion or if it was just her luck, hope I have it too. This lotion is perfect for combo/normal skin. I use it at night in the summer usually. It keeps my skin feeling soft and not oily or dry. Many hate the fragrance. I love it. It is a very lowbrow violet. Its powderiness is so crude that I love it. If I could get this as a perfume, I would be very happy. A 4 oz. bottle retails for under $10.

–Pond’s Classic Cold Cream– This is another of great-grandmother’s favorites. She used this stuff daily and so did my grandmother. It’s simple, nothing to it really with ingriedients like mineral oil and beeswax. It attacks makeup. I use this when I have put on more “face” than usual or when I am drier than usual like in the dead of winter. I wouldn’t recommend this for oily skins or even oily to normal skins. It is heavy and does “moisturize” after you wash it off. The 3.5 oz jar retails for under $5. I think it is so funny because one of the reviews on drugstore.com said grandma was right and now she uses this so she can buy expensive perfume. I promise that is not me! Somebody else is saving for niche fragrances…

–Noxema Original Deep Cleansing Cream in the Jar– This stuff is much to harsh for my adult skin but I used to love this stuff as a teen (note, I had great skin, no zits back then and pretty normal skin). It’s tingly and still has that classic Noxema menthol aroma. This just screams clean 🙂 It cleans well and it is nice to use for “hot” skin. A big jar retails for under $5.

–Dickinson’s Witch Hazel– Use it for whatever you want. I usually use it as a toner but it does make a great aftershave. I love it’s witch hazel aroma. Many do not. It smells so herbaceous and it is just one of those “classic” scents you either love or hate like a pine tar soap. I have normal skin and I use this stuff in the summer when I get a little more oily. The huge 16 oz bottle lasts forever and goes for $4. That is much cheaper than any department store toner!

–Vaseline Petroleum Jelly– Yep, some people use this on their face. I have to say that this is a great multi-tasking product that often gets forgotten. It does great on lips, removes long-wearing makeups, smooths cuticles and feet, soothes windburn skin, keeps brows in place, and a ton of other things. I have read Jennifer Lopez uses this as a facial moisturizer. My grandmother does and she has great skin but I think she is just one of those people that is going to have great skin. No odors, but it is greasy. It’s vaseline. A big jar retails for under $5. And yes, I only buy the name brand.

 

Tumbling Orange Blossoms: An Orange Blossom/Neroli Fragrance Guide

I can’t get enough of orange blossom/neroli scents this summer. It is very difficult to find “guides” online, so I’ve created a brief  collage/guide to fragrances which are heavy on this light, bitter floral. There are many scents on the market with these notes. I’m focusing on those that are heavy on orange blossom, like a splash of a refreshing Lebanese floral water in an iced beverage. I am looking for those “delicate” scents. From what I understand orange blossom and neroli are the same thing it just depends on how the oil is distilled (steam vs. water). However, neroli is supposed to be from a bitter orange blossom while most orange blossoms are not “labeled”.

Budget Orange Blossom Scents: Yves Rocher Pur Desir Orange Blossom/Fleur d’Oranger EDT is light and beautiful. It really competes with the more expensive stuff. It is $22 for 2 oz, body products are available as well. It’s a bit crude but still very orange blossom, a bit medicinal. I like it in a strange way. It is a nice drugstore find and the price is awesome: Sanborns Orange Blossom Cologne. It retails for about $4 for over 6 oz. of product. Tokyomilk Lotus Sake Petit Parfum Solid is a fruity/citrus orange blossom fragrance. It retails for $18. This would be a very light fragrance but very refreshing pick-me-up if transferred to a spray bottle: Caswell-Massey Orange Flower Water. It goes for $16 for 6 oz. It’s a pretty orange blossom with the help of jasmine, The Body Shop Neroli Jasmin. It retails for $17 for 1 oz. Parfums des Beaux Arts Eau de Fleur d’Oranger du Roi (review) is a lovely and simple soliflore orange blossom scent. The EDP spray retails for $27 for .25 oz.

More Expensive Orange Blossom Scents: 88 Orange Scent Blossom EDP is a clean, spring like floral with orange blossom and lilac. The 2 oz. spray retails for $55. Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne is crisp and light. The large bottle (3.4 oz) goes for $100. Diptyque L’Eau de Neroli is a tart, citrusy orange blossom. The cologne retails for $98 for 3.4 oz. Annick Goutal Neroli EDT is a beautiful, elegant orange blossom/neroli scent. The 2.4 oz. bottles goes for $115. To my surprise I found out that I really like Prada Fleur D’Oranger EDP. At first it wears hissy but the dry down is great and worth it despite the unusual top notes. The 3.4 oz. spray retails for $100. I’ll never forget the 1st time I sniffed Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger. Did it start my obsession? The 1.7 oz. retails for $120. Le Labo Fleur d’Oranger is a fresh and citrusy orange blossom scent and I can’t get enough of it. It is $200 for 3.4 oz. Laura Mercier Neroli is EDP is a fresh, floral orange blossom. It is $75 for 1.7 oz. Cinq Mondes Pluie D’Aromes Ritual d’Atlas is a fresh blend of citrus and orange blossom. The 1.7 oz. spray goes for $85.

I was reading that neroli/orange blossom is used to relieve tension and anxiety in aromatherapy. No wonder I am loving this stuff, it has been a stressful summer. However, we did close on the house and we’ve started repairs. I spend all my day removing wallpaper, cleaning, and pulling faux fur off of doors. What fun! (See the home blog if you want more.)