#thisisbrit: (another) British Invasion

British fashion label Burberry has taken a fresh marketing approach for their latest Burberry Brit flanker, Brit Rhythm. To attract their trendy-hipster demographic throughout the world, Burberry took the now popular '360 degree approach', which means attacking the consumer from all angles - print, digital, physical, you name it!

One of the main aspects of their 360 approach was to align the fragrance with music. In fact, the fragrance's tag line is 'inspired by the energy of live music'. Next, to draw in this young, trend-setting group, Burberry promoted Rhythm's launch with concerts by British indie-rock bands this past October with White Lies playing gigs in London and Singapore while Peace played in NYC. Burberry also supported Rhythm's launch with #thisisbrit on social media.

The bands are edgy and the marketing is stylish and very 21st century, but aren't we missing the most important part? What about the juice?! With a quick look at Burberry's website, I found the fragrance description:

ELECTRIC TOP NOTES: Basil verveina with cardamom and a shot of juniper berries

ADRENALISED HEART NOTES: Black leather, heady patchouli and styrax resin

SENSUAL BASE NOTES: Cedarwood vibrates with incense and sweet tonka bean

The adjectives used to describe Brit Rhythm definitely entice and get the blood flowing with excitement, but boil down to the notes - basil verveina, cardamom, juniper berries, leather, patchouli, resin, cedarwood, incense, tonka bean- and you're left with a soft spicy-woody scent. Once the marketing is erased, this fragrance doesn't sound so enigmatically energetic, but rather more typical of a men's cologne. What's more, does it even smell of spices and woods? Let's find out.

It opens with fresh, light and bright tones of mint. Yes, mint. I think Burberry must still be riding the 1 Million wave here with this top note. Aspects of citrus and aromatics are also distinguishable in the cool and refreshing top, which then moves into a heart of soapy-clean freshness with a bit of wet marine thrown in for good measure (hmm, not very leather-patchouli-resin like). Finally, its true nature (or rather, the fragrance description that Burberry gives it) comes through in the base: it is soft with aspects of spice and woods resting calmly alongside tonka bean that makes it just the tiniest bit sweet and musky.

By all marketing accounts, this should be a vibrant spicy-woody fragrance, and indeed, with its fresh top and middle, then soft and warm dry down, …it is.

It's not the most unique of fragrances, but at least it does what it says on the tin!

Have you tried this scent? Do you love it, do you hate it? Make sure to leave a comment below!

Enticed by Yankee Candle fall scents

Leaves are turning, days are crisp, jackets and scarves are making their appearance, and, of course, festive fall scents abound! Like in years past (make sure to check out 2011 and 2012) Yankee Candle has launched a whole array of new scents for the season. Since we're already halfway through fall and there's not much time left before the holidays, below are three of the most interesting 2013 autumnal launches from Yankee Candle.

1. The most comforting
Cozy Sweater is indeed the coziest of the scents in Yankee's fall offerings. That said, it's not the coziest because it is the warm floral-musk-patchouli scent that Yankee claims it to be, but because its scent is floral and powdery with the tiniest bit of patchouli for warmth. It's like a big hug from grandma. The cold throw of this candle is amazing. It is pleasant and strong, but not overbearing (kind of like grandma). It's a mix of soft florals, though mostly rose, and powder. The hot throw produces a much gentler scent which is mostly powder and rose, with a little bit of waxy-base emerging. Despite this flaw, the rose and powder notes prevail and the candle manages to conjure memories of kind words, comforting hugs, and being surrounded by grandma's love and warmth.

2. The most delectable
Fall is full of tasty treats and Yankee's Salted Caramel candle is one of them! While the cold throw is not the strongest, it is still buttery, caramel-y, and toffee-like: just one deep smell and you can virtually feel the caramel getting stuck in your teeth. Delish! What's more, the hot throw does not disappoint. The soft, sweet gourmand scent fills the evaluation room with its delectable notes and though it's more of a maple syrup-y scent in use (no caramel or salt here), it's tasty all the same!

3. The most peculiar
The third most interesting fall scent from Yankee Candle is Pumpkin Wreath, mainly for being the most unusual of the six new scents in Yankee's fall line up. The cold throw is strong, but confusing: pastry-popcorn gourmand mixed with hot cinnamon (imagine a candy (or whisky) fire ball), spicy clove, woody-dryness. It's all over the place, but in fact, this is what it's supposed to be. Here is the fragrance description on the Yankee Candle website: oakwood, cinnamon bark, and clove! The hot throw experience isn't as confusing. The mixture of gourmand-spice-wood comes through warm, if a little waxy, and unfortunately (or fortunately?!) very weak. While it may not be one you'd want to scent your home with, for once it's a candle which matches its description!

There you have it! Three new scents for your fall wardrobe and in the nick of time - I've just received Yankee's holiday catalog! Guess I'd better get smelling before Christmas is upon us!

If you've enjoyed any of these three scents, or any other new candle launches this fall, make sure to leave a comment below!

3 natural perfumes pour le monde

I know this is a crazy question to ever ask any perfumista, but I'm going to put it out there - have you ever asked yourself "should I go au naturel?"

I can hear your sharp intake of breath and see you drawing back, repulsed at the mere thought, but one perfume lover had to do just that! Thankfully, she refused to except a non-fragranced life and took action - the result of which is our focus today.

Pour Le Monde is the brain child of Wendi S. Berger, a fragrance lover from childhood who found herself going au naturel when she was pregnant due to concern about chemicals in perfume and the potential effects on her unborn child. She looked for natural fragrance alternatives, but never found anything could matched the experience of a fine perfume. Encouraged by a friend, she eventually created Pour Le Monde - 100% natural fragrances that also give back. That's right, each fragrance is associated with a global charity and 10% of the net sale of each fragrance purchased is donated. Here are her first three natural fragrance creations:

1. Empower: "Fresh and spirited. Playful and energizing."
    Opens with citral, yet warm notes. It's an intriguing mixture of lemon, lemongrass and a tiny bit of lemon drop sweetness. As the fragrance warms into the heart the lemon drop sweetness continues to emerge, turning it into a full bodied lemon scent, though as it quietens down into the base a little smoky-woodiness appears to (slightly) temper the citrus. An interesting scent which could definitely be called 'fresh and spirited'!
     Sales from this scent benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

2. Envision: "Daring and exotic. Irresistibly sensual."
    Opens as a calm, citral scent which seems to be muted by an extremely soft aromatic cover. As it warms, it keeps its bright citrus top notes while soft smoldering, peppery, yet woody tones emerge in the heart. As the fragrance settles into the base, these warm, peppery, woody notes continue to blend smoothly with the citrus. This is the softest of the three fragrances - not quite daring, exotic or sensual, but certainly fascinating.
     Sales from this scent benefit National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

3. Together: "Elegant and graceful. Flirtatious yet delicate."
     Opens with an amber, caramel warmth with dry cedarwood notes that are entwined with patchouli tones. As it dries the patchouli moves out of the shadows to take center stage while the dry cedarwood notes remain prevalent. Finally, at the base, the caramel, vanilla amber notes emerge once more to bring a light gourmand dynamic to the warmth of this overall woody formula. True to its marketing, this fragrance is both elegant and graceful.
     Sales from this scent benefit Cancer Support Community.

Have you tried these Pour Le Monde scents?  Do you love them, do you hate them?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle's new spring scents

It's the middle of January and spring is in the air! Well, it isn't really, but it is in my house and has been since December. That's when I picked up Yankee Candle's new spring fragrances!

Unfortunately I was only able to buy four out of the five new launches, Waikiki Melon, Paradise Spice, Golden Sands, and Black Coconut, but, nonetheless, don't their names sound like they'll carry you away to some fantastic faraway place?? I've got high hopes for these scents, especially the exotic Black Coconut!

Since Yankee tends to have such great cold throw, I'll start with this aspect of each candle first.

Paradise Spice's aroma is a gentle, sweet coconut, a pina colada type fragrance, that has layers of soft vanilla intertwined with it. There is an undertone to the fragrance which is hard to discern, and mostly makes the candle smell a bit odd. Possibly this is the 'spice' of the aforementioned candle, though it isn't cinnamon or clove like the Yankee website claims it to be, but possibly a bit aromatic in nature.

Next in line is Waikiki Melon. It has a soft, sweet, and water-y cold throw which pleasantly greets the nose. It's almost as if they combined a watermelon flavored jolly rancher with a perfectly ripe and juicy cantaloupe. It is a fresh, yet mellow and comforting, scent that is pleasing overall.

Onto Golden Sands. It has a more sophisticated cold throw than the others, yet is still a gentle scent. It is a clean, light floral with woody warmth. Despite it's serene tones, I wonder how this would smell in use.

Finally! The mysterious Black Coconut. It's cold throw is intense from first whiff - almost like the bartender on the beach has handed me a drink that's been made too strong! It's warm, creamy, coconut-y, and, oddly, whiskey like. Think Bailey's with a coconut accent (if that's at all possible!). This one should definitely have an interesting aroma in use!

And now, with these tropical scents in mind, we'll move onto their hot throws.

But unfortunately there isn't much to say about the hot throw ... for any of these scents. I tested and re-tested, but each time I nearly burned my nose off trying to experience their fragrance as they failed to scent the evaluation room. What a disappointment! No Black Coconut to indulge in! No Waikiki Melon to delight in!

Truly, it's lovely to have an island theme in my house in the dead of winter, but I have to admit that Yankee's scents did not succeed in whisking me away to any tropical escape. Oh, Yankee Candle, what's happened to your product?? I know the economy is still slow, but does the fragrance dosage or quality of ingredients in your candles need to suffer for it?

Ho-hum, how depressing!

Though, what about you? Have you tried any of these scents? Do you love them, do you hate them? Is your space being filled with a fabulously fragrant tropical bouquet? Make sure to leave a comment below!

Get lost in an Enchanted Forest

Hello 2013! I'm sure you've made all kinds of resolutions (I know I've got a whole list to get through!) and I thought perhaps, like me, one of your resolutions is to do a bit of traveling. I say, why not start now with Enchanted Forest, the new scent from The Vagabond Prince, and our debut fragrance review of 2013.

Enchanted Forest transports you to a deep, dark European forest where the floor of this treed maze is engulfed with blackcurrants: the two aspects of this fragrance that embrace you from the start.

As the scent warms green and woody aspects, which mingle with the sweetness of the black currant, emerge. Though, the enjoyment of these notes is interrupted by animalic castoreum tones. Unfortunately these notes become all too evident for my liking. (Though, to be fair, I'm smelling this on a smelling strip - perhaps on the skin the castoreum wouldn't be so prevalent).

Suddenly the phone rings and I'm pulled away from this black currant heaven; by the time I return to the smelling strip, the dry down greets me. There are pine needles a plenty whose notes tingle the nose, the sweet black currant tones still cling on at the back, and yet there is also a soft undertone of cedar which intermingles with the rest and brings a distinct woodiness to the fragrance.

An Enchanted Forest it is indeed, which the perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has done well to capture.

Intrigued? You can find out more about The Vagabond Prince Perfume House and their debut fragrance at Fragrantica.

Are you one of the lucky winners of a sample from Fragrantica? Do you love it, do you hate it? Make sure to leave a comment below!

Purbliss: Killer Kandles

This week we're experiencing pure bliss!  Wait a second, I spelled that wrong!  We're experiencing PurBliss, all natural soy wax candles.  Purbliss is a family run business out of California.  Their candles are sustainable and eco friendly, which is great news for the environment!  I've been lucky enough to receive some samples of two of their ranges and today we're focusing on PurBliss's Killer Kandle range because, as I've just learned, it's being phased out!  So, since they'll only be around a short while longer, let's get started.

First up we've got Cherry Bomb, which smells exactly how you'd expect!  Taking the lid off of the candle tin I'm met with a sweet explosion of cherry candy.  Delish!  The scent is strong and I have to fight to keep myself from tasting it since it smells so yummy.  In use, the scent is delicate and soft, but still sweet cherry candy.  It is a flavorsome aroma, but, truthfully, the hot throw could be stronger!

Next we've got Desert Passion.  It's got a great cold throw strength of dry cedarwood and warm, yet fresh, aromatic pine, which is lifted by lemon top notes.  This guy's got a lot going on in its earthy aromas!  In use, the fragrance calms into a light citrus scent, gently warmed by its aromatic-woody dimensions.  It is a sophisticated fragrance with a great cold throw, but could definitely be a bit more robust in use.

Finally, Killer Kandle number three: Lemon Drop Pop.  The strength of this candle's cold throw is, yet again, fantastic!  It fills the nose with lemon drop (go figure!) sweetness, pledge cleanliness and herbal warmth.  It isn't as tasty smelling as Cherry Bomb, but I'm not bothered by that as the scent is much more dynamic overall.  In use, the bouquet is very linear and fills the room with a pleasant and gentle citral aroma.  Like with the others, its hot throw could also benefit from a tad more strength!

All in all these candles have great scents with fabulous cold throws that draw you in, yet (as noted) the hot throw could offer a little bit more to keep you coming back!

Have you tried these scents?  Love them, hate them?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Treehouse Memories

I don't know about you, but for me tree houses are a thing of folk lore - I've never had one, nor have I ever seen one!  To me, they are the special places that kids on TV retreat to, and also where they have their secret club meetings.  They are the coolest thing ever and to this day I'm jealous of Bart Simpson for having one!

Unfortunately, what this means is that Bart Simpson is way more qualified than I when it comes to knowing what Treehouse Memories could possibly smell like.  But, of course, I'm going to give it a go despite my deficiencies in this area!

Treehouse Memories from Yankee Candle's Fall 2012 range is warmly masculine.  It has a generic clean-woody-musc-y essence, much like a traditional men's cologne, but it is also intensely smoky, making it a more modern scent.

In use, Treehouse Memories is not very strong, but it does still manage to fill the room with a wonderfully woody-earthy-smoky aroma.

This fragrance is a mature scent and I'd be surprised if it reminded anyone of their own tree house memories.  But hey, what's in a name?

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Season's Blessings

I love that purple is the color of Season's Blessings, the next variant in our search for the best new fall fragrance from Yankee Candle.  Really, how often do you see a rich and sumptuous plum colored candle?  Not too often, which has got Yankee earning some brownie points!

Season's Blessings is a scent targeted at oriental-woody lovers.  The cold throw is an intricate mixture of berry, clove, and cardamom.  This sweet-spicy concoction is not at all food-y in nature, but is rather complex and enticing due to its base note of dry cedarwood.

In use, it is immediately apparent that the fragrance has lost a lot of its original strength.  A waxiness comes through and distracts away from the fruity sweet-spicy-woody tinged notes that should be taking center stage.  It is a shame that this happens because the scent would otherwise be warmly intoxicating!

The hot throw of Season's Blessing has really let this fragrance down, which is unfortunate because the cold throw implied it would be an aroma abundant in opulent notes.  Oh well, maybe we'll have better luck with the others!


Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Summer Flanker Alert! Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme Chanel

Store shelves have been stocked full of summer flankers for months and since it is now officially summer I thought it time we investigate what's out there!

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme by Chanel is our first flanker.  It joins the Allure Homme range: the first fragrance of which was launched in 1999.  Despite this scent having a long list of ancestors and being (yet another) flanker, I have to be honest with you.  After I watched the below video I wasn't too upset to be indulging in Eau Extreme!  (yes, the Chanel marketing team has done their job well - I'm sold before I've even tried it!!)

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme begins its scent journey with fresh citrus and light mint notes which slowly dance their way to dry dimensions of soft woods and warming tonka bean and musk tones.  Underneath all of this there is a hint of soapiness laying deep in the depths.

Overall it is a pleasant experience even though it's not very 'extreme' (i.e. not venturing from currently popular ingredients)!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it? Make sure to leave a comment below!

A (brief) review of Yankee Candle Man Candles

Isn't it great when a plan comes to fruition?  I bet the marketing department at Yankee Candle is having a congratulatory party as we speak.  Why?  Because everyone is all a-buzz about Yankee's recently launched Limited Edition Man Candle range.  NPR had a segment on Morning Edition and even Jimmy Fallon mentioned the range on his show ('Mandles', I believe he called them).

So, what's all the fuss about?  I contacted Yankee Candle for some hot-off-the-production-line samples, but I was told Yankee does not provide samples.  Instead, they recommended I buy votives.  Ok, no problem!

The first chance I had, I drove across town to my 'local' Yankee shop.  There they were: pride of place in the center of the store.  I grabbed one variant after another: Riding Mower, 2x4, First Down, Man Town, Fireside.  Wait, what?  Fireside?!  They snuck that one in there - Fireside is a variant in Yankee's base range and is available all year.  Cheeky what's-its!

I sniffed to my hearts content in the store.  The overpowering scent of cut grass stung my nose with Riding Mower; cedarwood infiltrated the senses with 2x4; Man Town had distinct hints of marine reminiscent of men's cologne; First Down ... hmm.  Well, First Down supposedly smells of leather, but I can't remember what notes graced my nose, only that my husband thought it smelled 'gross' (a trained nose he is not).  No biggie, though, I got the votives to test at home, right?

Wrong.  I feverishly looked around their display, but there were no Man Candle votives to be found!  I asked the sales assistants about it and guess what - they informed me that Yankee wasn't launching any votive Man Candles, only jar candles and Car Jars.  No votives, which meant no evaluation and no review!  I couldn't believe it - had I been misinformed ...or intentionally misguided to get me in the store?!

Back home and terribly frustrated, I emailed Yankee to express my disappointment; supposedly my case is now with the supervisor and the PR department has been informed as well, but that was days ago and I had a deadline to meet!

So, there you go, my brief review of Yankee Candle's Limited Edition Man Candles, which (unsurprisingly) were launched just in time for Father's Day!  And, as Jimmy Fallon sagely said, "Just what a guy needs - a manly candle that smells like weekend chores."

(untitled) Maison Martin Margiela

The Maison Martin Margiela website has to be the most bizarre website I've visited to this date.  It's not bizarre in a 'woah, that's crazy!' kind of way, but in a 'wwwhhhhaaatt?  I'm utterly confused' kind of way.  It is the most simplistic website that I've come across since the '90s!  I assume its design is in keeping with the fashion house's vision, as opposed to a cost cutting exercise.

But I digress.

François Guillot /
Agence France-Presse
— Getty Images

For all those non-fashionistas out there, Who is Martin Margiela?  Why, a designer, of course, but supposedly one of the most elusive around*.  He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium until 1979, and from 1984 until 1987 he was a design assistant at Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris.  In 1988 he founded Maison Martin Margiela and the rest of the story is history, as they say!

Well, but not really, because there's one point in history I want to focus on - January 2010 when Maison Martin Margiela launched their fragrance line.

(untitled) is said to open with 'green freshness' and dry into incense and musk notes.  Well, let me tell you, any green tones that exist are hiding behind huge, magnificent cedarwood notes.  It's like your being drowned in No.2 pencils.

The thick scent of cedar makes this fragrance quite a dry scent, but it also keeps it from sitting too heavily on the skin.  As it dries hints of incense and musk make their appearance, but they are in the background, adding depth to the overall scent of cedar, which has remained consistently distinct throughout.

This scent is unique and not for the lovers of sweet, soft, powdery, and romantic floral scents.  But if you're someone who likes a bit of adventure in your fragrance, or tends to lean towards oriental and, of course, woody scents, then this fragrance is for you!

*Want to know more about Martin Margiela?  I highly recommend reading this 2008 article, Fashion's Invisible Man, from the New York Times.  

Burberry Body: How to make a trench coat sexy, part 2

Back in August I learned from my sources that if I became a 'friend' to Burberry Body on Facebook I would receive an exclusive sample before the scent was available for purchase.  It sounded like a good deal to me, but then I went onto the Burberry Body page on Facebook.

It turns out that I had to sell my soul (i.e. allow them to have all sorts of access to my FB page/info) to get this free sample.  I debated about it for a couple minutes, but then decided my love of fragrance was worth handing over my soul for, especially if it gets me a new product before the launch date!

Oh, how wrong I was.  I only received the sample this week - fourteen days after the launch date.  There goes my soul for nothing, but on the bright side I now have a sample that I can evaluate, even if it is a bit delayed.

The fragrance opens with a strong hit of light, fresh and clean freesia (jasminey-orange) floral notes with a tiny bit of sweetness from a hint of peach.  It quickly develops into middle notes of rose and iris (still keeping the overall light, fresh tone) and finally dries down into warm woody-musky notes that are kept light and fresh due to the sweet, floral scents that characterize this fragrance.  There is nothing remarkable about it, but its dry down of musky-floral-sweetness is actually quite nice.

Thankfully, you won't have to sell your soul like I did to either sample or buy Burberry Body.  As previously noted, it officially launched at the beginning of September and can be found in most beauty/department stores.

 

Fall scents already? I haven't even perfected my tan yet!

The bright sunshine glistening on the newly cleaned pool was calling to me, but instead I climbed inside the excruciatingly hot car and headed over to the mall to buy a much belated birthday present.

Once there, I made my purchase and soon found myself deviating off track.  Instead of heading back into the heat, I was heading over to the Yankee Candle shop.  Before I knew it, I was asking the shop assistant if there was anything new in stock!

He directed me straight over to their new Fall fragrances - Kitchen Spice, Nature's Paintbrush, Over the River, Pumpkin Buttercream and Vanilla Satin.

I exclaimed, "Fall fragrances?!"  The shop assistant just smiled at my surprise and showed me one of the more popular of the five:  Kitchen Spice.

Unfortunately, it was not a new or exciting scent - mostly just clove, clove and more clove.  Very undistinctive from other Fall spicey scents, so let's move on.

Nature's Paintbrush was a bit more interesting-

It is warm, woody with definite musk tones, but also with a hint of dampness.  The combination of these notes are reminiscent of the smells found when walking along a path after a soft Autumn rain, playfully kicking up the moist, multicolored leaves along the way.  Yankee Candle has definitely embodied the outdoor scent of Fall in this fragrance.

Next up - Over the River

This was the shop assistants favorite, but that is unsurprising as he was male and this scent is very male fine fragrance-y.  I would say it was nearly a straight marine fragrance.  Sophisticated for a candle, but not too interesting beyond that.

The penultimate fragrance - Pumpkin Buttercream

I am a lover of gourmand fragrances and this scent definitely starts out well with creamy, cake-y undertones ... which lead into a punch in the face of cinnamon that just does not go away.  I cleared my nose more than once to attempt to get the yummy buttercream smell back, but the cinnamon was too overwhelming.  If you like Big Red, this one is for you!

Finally, last but not least, Vanilla Satin

 

(apologies, no photo was available of the product)

Vanilla and Sandalwood?  Not quite - try Linen!  Linen is one of the most popular fragrance concepts at the moment, and Americans love the vanilla scent.  Pairing these two hot ticket items together should make for a winning fragrance, but this was not the case.

Firstly, for Yankee Candle standards I did not find that the cold throw was very strong.  I had to re-smell the fragrance multiple times before I discovered that it was your run-of-the-mill linen scent.  If you like the common 'fresh linen scent' this one is for you, just don't expect to find a vanilla hook in there per the product name!

There you have it!  The five new fragrances from Yankee Candle for the Fall.  Nature's Paintbrush has intrigued my nose, but as for the rest ... maybe not this year!