Fragrance

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Review: Tom Ford Ombré Leather Eau De Parfum

I received this fragrance free from Influenster and Tom Ford in exchange for my honest review. I have to say, I can’t believe I’m giving a patchouli perfume 4 out of 5 stars, but I am.

Turns out, this bold unisex fragrance is sexy as hell. It’s heavy on the leather with little sweet/smoky/spicy notes. It’s all mixed together in a way that makes the patchouli more subtle that I expected. It’s a warm fragrance with staying power, and as it settled on my skin it grew only slightly milder.

While I like the fragrance, I think the scent is too strong for me to wear out and about. And it does have more patchouli than I’m really comfortable with. However, if you’re looking for a bold and sexy fragrance, this could be the one for you.

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Review: Tom Ford F***ing Fabulous Eau De Parfum

I received a bottle of Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous eau de parfum from Influenster and Tom Ford in exchange for my honest review. Right away I loved the sleek black and white packaging, and the description that called it a “spicy, warm and decadent” fragrance – just the kind of scent I’m looking for. I really liked it when I first spritzed it on – it has sexy, spicy top notes that feel rich and unique. But as the day wore on, the spiciness dissipated and I was left with a more generic perfume. It didn’t smell bad, but the best parts of this perfume didn’t last. I won’t be using this as a day to day fragrance, but it would be a great choice for a date night out – the sexy scent would linger through dinner.

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Surprise Summer Pick: Schmidt’s Waves Natural Deodorant

Let’s be real about something for a minute. As much as I might like the concept of natural deodorants in theory, in reality I usually find them disappointing and, if I’m honest, ineffective. After a lifetime of using standard antiperspirants, I find the dampness that natural deodorants leave behind to be disconcerting. Not to mention the traces of B.O. that always seem to make their way through. Occasionally I’ll be drawn to some pretty packaging or rave reviews and will pick a new variety up to test, but I have never found a natural deodorant that tickles my fancy – until now.

I was drifting down the beauty aisles of TJ Maxx when my best friend pointed to an appealing blue and orange labeled tube of Schmidt’s Waves Natural Deodorant and told me it was her absolute favorite. As I trust her with all things beauty-related, I grabbed one and decide to give it a go. I put it in my medicine cabinet and forgot about its existence until I ran out of my usual antiperspirant and needed something to get me through. I swiped it on and hoped for the best.

First let me just say that this deodorant smells like a summer day. It has a coconut sunscreen type of scent that instantly puts me in a good mood. And somehow the scent gets better when it mixes with sweat! I don’t understand it but I will tell you this – this deodorant will have you feeling like a sexy sea nymph cruising the beach on a hot summer day. It hasn’t completely replaced my standard antiperspirant, but it is in my summer rotation. If you’re a natural deodorant skeptic like me, I urge you to give it a try.

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#DoDeoBetter with Dry Spray

voxbox-blogimageI recently received Degree Motionsense Dry Spray Anti-perspirant from Influenster for testing. I had never used a dry spray and really fancied myself an old fashioned stick deodorant kind of girl. But, a beauty blogger can’t shy away from the new and different, so I decided to give it a try and spritzed away. 

  
First of all, it could not be any quicker or easier to use. Just a quick spray under each arm and you’re done. It goes on dry (hence dry spray) so you don’t have to worry about it getting on your clothes. And then you miraculously stay completely dry and odor-free all day long. I’m seriously impressed but how long lasting it is, even through marathon work days and multiple workouts. I was traveling this past weekend and brought my normal travel deodorant with me, which quickly reminded me that normal deodorants do not keep me all day fresh. 

My only complaint is the scent. I received the Fresh Energy version and while I don’t hate it, I also don’t love it. It’s a little too perfumey for me. I’ll definitely be checking out the other scents to find one I like better – I don’t think I can go back to regular stick deodorant now that I know how good it can be. It will be perfect for summer!

I received this product compliments of Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

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Inside Influenster’s #YSLBlackOpium VoxBox

voxbox-blogimageThis month, thanks to Influenster, I was given the opportunity to sample Black Opium, the new fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent. I should probably begin by saying that I don’t typically wear perfume and, more often than not, fragrance samples that make their way into my home are often tossed or passed along without so much as a second sniff. It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good fragrance. It’s just that, ever since my favorite lavender perfume was discontinued back when I was a teenager, I’ve never found a scent that really felt (or smelled) like me. Sure, I’ve had a few short-lived fragrance flings since then, but for the most part I’m just not that interested in perfumes.

Given my general lack of enthusiasm for things of this nature, you might be surprised to learn that I was extremely excited to receive this VoxBox. Maybe it was because, although I’ve received and tested several boxes filled with products thanks to Influenster, this was my first high-end box. Also, I had never before sampled a YSL fragrance and my hopes were very high.
YSL Black Opium
From the moment I opened my VoxBox and discovered the pretty, shimmery, glamorous little bottle containing Black Opium, I knew testing this perfume would be an experience. Plus, the language YSL used to describe the scent was intriguing, to say the least: addictive, seductive, intoxicating, sweet, sensuous, voluptuous and above all, feminine. I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

So what was it like? I’d say feminine was an accurate description. It’s a complex fragrance with very different layers of scent, but they all shared a feminine quality. When I first applied the perfume I was overwhelmed by its heavy floral notes. It had a kind of generic quality about it; it reminded me of so many of the floral scents that have crossed my path through the years. It didn’t smell bad, but I certainly didn’t find it addictive or intoxicating.

But things changed very quickly! After only a few minutes, those overpowering floral notes started to fade, giving way to a soft, sweet vanilla scent. Refreshingly, I could really smell vanilla, not the syrupy faux-vanilla that seems to be in everything from body lotions to hair serums and scented candles the world over. It had a very feminine quality and almost instantly changed the way I felt about the fragrance. As time went on and the floral notes continued to fade, I liked the fragrance more and more. Finally, some subtle coffee notes surfaced and blended with the vanilla to create a warm and inviting scent that was light and a little sexy. It lingered for hours and, amazingly, continued to get better with time.

If Black Opium smelled as delicious right out of the bottle as it does after hours of wear, I would wear it all the time. It gave my skin a light, not-too-sweet scent that I really loved. The floral notes came on a little too strong for me when first applied, but I could see myself dabbing this perfume on for a special occasion or when I just want to feel extra girly.

Black Opium really is a nice, high quality fragrance, and just because it’s not about to become my signature scent does not mean it couldn’t be yours. If you’re a fan of sweet vanillas (like Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar) or are drawn to sugary scents (like Pink Sugar), I’d recommend Black Opium as a sweet and sophisticated new option.