Latest and greatest from Bath & Body Works - Amber Blush

Stop press - I've got it - the best Christmas present ever for a girl aged 10-15! It's the latest launch from Bath & Body Works (BBW), Amber Blush. But wait, there's more! Along with this, and the many other launches for the holiday season, BBW is promoting their ‘All New Daily Trio’.

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Daily Trio, never fear! It is a simple concept which, at the core, is your basic fragrance layering story meant to extend the longevity of the scent. Start with the shower gel, then the body lotion, finish with the spritz – et voila - longer lasting fragrance! This means Amber Blush was launched in each of these formats (see, perfect present, right?!), but does each format live up to its ‘crystallized amber kissed with bubbly raspberry champagne’ description? Let’s see how each performed…

As with any fragrance layering experience it’s necessary to commence with the shower gel. Its scent is sweet and intense! It is a cavity-causing cotton candy-berry-sugar with creamy vanilla and an ever so slight hint of coconut hiding in the mix. There aren't any amber notes, but rather the BBW vanilla-musk base that seems to be appearing in more and more of their fragrances.

Next up is the body lotion. I expected to have the same delightful experience - sweet and creamy. Sadly, this just wasn't the case, which must have to do with their new body lotion formula. BBW claims to have increased the shea by three times the amount in the old formula, which completely explains why the dominant note is shea butter… and base, with the tiniest bit of sweetness sneaking its surgary notes between the shea and base. To tell the truth, I'm not quite sure how this product made it to the shelves of BBW, but perhaps this is why they now encourage layering their products – they can’t get the fragrance strong enough in the formula now that it's got so much shea moisturizing power!

The final step in the scent layering experience is the spritz, or fragrance mist as BBW calls it. The mist does what the body lotion doesn’t: it’s all sugar-sweetness, like being drenched not just in cotton candy, but a blue raspberry icee that has the slightest dash of sweet-creamy-vanilla.

So, if you’re looking for that perfect gift the shower gel is the clear winner. But, should you want to give all three for the ultimate layering experience, this trio will leave your daughter, niece, babysitter, or whomever you gift it to, walking around in a bubble of sweet-vanilla-cream-blue raspberry icee. Though it’s not quite the ‘crystallized amber kissed with bubbly raspberry champagne’ BBW purports it to be, they will surely love it all the same!

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

The new addition to the BVLGARI Omnia family: Coral

omnis omnes omne omnia: each, every, every one (of a number); all (pl); all/the whole of.  (just in case you don't have a Latin background and were wondering the meaning of omnia, a range of BVLGARI perfumes, like I was.)

BVLGARI launched the first fragrance in the Omnia family in 2003.  It was self titled and was a  spicy-gourmand-woody fragrance.  I haven't experienced it for myself and I don't think that I'll be able to because it appears the fragrance is no longer in production.  (Leave a comment below if you know otherwise!)

In 2005 Omnia Crystalline was launched, a fresh-fruity-woody fragrance.  Next in line was Omnia Amethyste in 2007, which was followed by Omnia Green Jade in 2008.  Sadly, I haven't had the chance to smell any of these yet!  But don't worry because...

...this brings us to Spring 2012 and to the latest launch in the Omnia range:

Coral.

(which I've just smelled!)

BVLGARI Omnia Coral is a bright citrus-floral fragrance that immediately catches your attention.  The citrus notes are very fresh and give the sense that you are surrounded by gorgeous bergamots, with maybe a few perfectly ripe mandarin oranges thrown in.  The lily floral notes keep the fragrance light and fresh as the citrus ones wear off, and as it warms there are comforting hints of light musky-soapiness in the background which adds depth (and a sense of fresh-out-of-the-shower cleanliness) to the fragrance.

With spring now in full effect and summer just around the corner, this fragrance makes a great accessory for sunny weather and happy days.

(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.  

The Sheerness of Burberry Brit

I'm feeling fabulous!  Why?  Let me tell you: while I was buying a pair of awesome shoes I noted that there was a free perfume sample at the counter which was mine for the taking!  Shoes and perfume? How could the day get any better?!


Launched in 2007 as a limited edition, and brought back to shelves in 2010, Burberry Brit Sheer entered the flanker scene to what appears to be neutral reviews.  (Should you want to peruse them yourself, you can check them out at Basenotes, Fragrantica and Osmoz.)  But, what do we think about it here at Scents n Scentsibility in 2012?


I've just tested it and Wow!  The top notes are very fresh and clean.  There are light citral-soapy notes that warm into a very slightly powdery floral with the tiniest hint of marine way at the back.  The musk of the dry down makes the fragrance heavier than when first sprayed, but the bright floral notes remain to lighten it and keep it smelling fresh.


This is definitely a fragrance you'll want to have at the ready when spring arrives, the sun comes out and the flowers start to bloom ... put this fragrance on and and you'll be springing and blooming as you step out into that gorgeous spring day!

How to make a trench coat sexy

Launching 1st September from Interparfums and luxury fashion house Burberry is the new feminine fine fragrance:  Burberry Body

Judging from the marketing and its 'striking and sensual' tones this fragrance will be no light, sweet affair, but something more hot and heavy...

A heady white floral or seductive oriental?

Press releases have given no hints of the notes or actual scent of the new fragrance -
We wait with bated breath to see if this launch is as new and exciting as it purports itself to be.