Beauty Review: Perfume Sample Set

I received a wonderful St.Valentine's present from my husband today: perfume sample set. The gift was accompanied by a comment: "what a smart marketing strategy, don't
you think?!" What got my business-minded husband so excited, is the whole idea coming with the set. It includes a certificate for a free perfume. So you can try out 10 fragrances and then use the certificate to get the one you like.
The package and presentation are very nice: box looks like it is lined with velvet, a book with description and ad photos is included, and your certificate has a conveninet table where you can rate perfumes on the scale of 1 to 5.


The 10 perfumes are

Boss Femme by Boss

Rose Essentielle by Bvlgari

Liberte by Cacharel

Armani Code by Giorgio Armani

L'Instant Magic by Guerlain

L'eau D'Issey by Issey Miyake

FlowerByKenzo by Kenzo

Hypnose by Lancome

For Her by Narciso Rodriguez

Alien by Thierry Mugler

I like perfumes with notes of freshness, perhaps just a touch of bitterness, not too sweet but a hint of sweetness is nice, fruity is nice too... However, when I feel I want a change a new experience, I would wear something completely different: like intense bitter-sweet. Some of the perfumes in the set I tried as samples before. For example, Hypnose by Lancome and L'Instant Magic by Guerlain. Both beautiful perfumes and are more of an evening-out variants.

Now I need to decide if I want a more subtle perfume for every day and occasion or a more intense evening varinat.

What I know for sure it will be fun to try these fragrances out (and review them as well)! The final decision will be tough!

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Beauty News: Anti-Ageing Perfume

Phtoto harveyprince.com

If you care about the way you look and strive to look young - be careful how you smell! Rose is a no-no, grapefruit and apples are the right choice! Cosmeticsdesign-Europe.com reports that fragrance designer Harvey Prince has launched a new scent in the European market that makes other people perceive you as being much younger than you really are.

This new anti-ageing sensation is based on several studies. A study made in 200 showed that that women in their 40s and plus have more than twice increased levels of "2-Nonenal – which is associated with a 'grassy, greasy' odour – as well as higher levels of Omega 7 and lipid peroxides".

Apple photo by Daren Hasten at Flickr.com

Another study conducted by the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in 2005 revealed that "grapefruit-based scent is associated with a younger age group". And finally a study conducted by Rutgers team for Harvey Prince, involving fifteen men in five age groups (starting from 20 to 60 plus) found that "the rose was most associated with older age groups and apple fragrance was most associated with younger age groups"

Harvey Prince says it used the research findings to create a scent that best masks odours associated with older age groups. But of course, the exact formula of the new fragrance is a HUGE and closely guarded secret. All we know is that the perfume combines pink grapefruit, pomegranate, jasmine, mango and soft must... Here you have it - now you can smell younger! The anti-ageing perfume is called "Ageless Fantasy". And the name is true - it is just a fleeting fantasy... remember to keep refreshing it!

I love this video clip from Ellen Degeneres show - beauty recommendations are definitely based on those 2005 studies.... They didn't know then that the rose scent is actually associated with an older age.

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Weird Fragrances and Curious Developments in Perfume Industry

You may be amazed what kind of fragrances are out there! Cosmeticsdesign-Europe ran an article where they mention several “weird and wonderful” scents of 2008.



Photo: by Food in Mouth at Flickr.com
For those who think burgers smell seductive Burger Kind released men's perfume called “Flame”.
It has a hint of flame broiled meat and captures the “essence of love” America has for its favourite sandwich Whopper.

Another curious scent was developed by Sports Interactive. This fragrance aims to inspire consumer’s winning spirit. And what can inspire that spirit if not the various scents found in the dressing rooms of successful teams. I wonder what this perfume smells like… sweaty T-Shirt?

Want to know how confidence and efficiency smell? Then try the fragrance launched by the Catalan Socialist Party back in January this year. Actually, as Albert Majós, explained it is neither a "perfume nor air-freshener" but the aromatic representation of socialism's values.



Photo: by Fool-on-the Hill at Flickr.com
Finally, let’s not forget Christopher Brosius’ ‘I Hate Perfume’ range. Here are a couple examples of his fragrances: Fir Tree – fir trees in the forest with a touch of frozen ground. Ocean/Eternal Return - the scent of sailing to the shore. Blend of fresh ocean air, wooden ship and a faint hint of cypress trees growing on the cliff above the water. I have never tested any of Christopher Brosius’ perfumes but I found his idea of expressing himself and his artistic vision in the perfume quite captivating.

Perfume industry seems to be full of new developments and nice surprises for consumers. 2008 saw the launch of an anti-aging perfume Ageless Fantasy by Harvey Prince. Recently a Mood-enhancing fragrance compound derived from sea coral has been approved for a patent.



Photo: by Tywak at Flickr.com
Only listen what it can do to your psychological state: “Just inhaling very small quantities resulted in enhanced feelings of confidence, relaxation, affection, warmth, satisfaction and sensuality, in both men and women,” a spokesman for the Human Pheremone Sciences said. I am looking forward to new discoveries and launches!

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New Sisley Perfume Eau de Sisley 1, 2 & 3

Sisley unlike many other brands rolling out new perfumes every year or even every other month, Sisley takes its own slow pace and releases a new fragrance every 10-15 years. I am under a strong impression that if Sisley launches something, it is genius and has taken years of development. In one of the interviews Hubert d'Ornano, founder/owner of the brand said "We launch when we have something special to launch. We don't launch for the sake of launching." Up till now Sisley have had only three perfumes. That's why I was very surprised to see Sisley recently come out not with one but with a trio of brand new perfumes.
Not much time was spent on creating names for the new perfumes called Eau de Sisley 1, 2 & 3. The reason for this as Sisley explains is that they want to give a chance to perfume owners to use imagination and creativity and name each fragrance from the new trio themselves.

Eau de Sisley 1- A sun kissed dress. Described as “joyful, romantic and tender”. Top notes: citrus, berries with a touch of spice (Tangerine, Grapefruit, pink Berries, Spice); heart notes: Jasmine, green Tea, Juniper Berries, base notes: Chypre from the Hesperides, Musk.

Eau de Sisley 2 - A white sundress dotted with green has luminous, lively and cheerful character. Top notes: Cardamon, Bergamot, Basil; heart notes: water lily, Jasmine, Cyclamen and Rose; base notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedar and Sandalwood.

Eau de Sisley 3 - A seductive dress offering teasing, aloof and impulsive fragrance. Top notes: Bergamot, Tangerine, Grapefruit, and Tangy Lemon; hear notes: Ginger, Chinese Osmanthus flower, Peach and Apricot; base notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Benjamin, Vanilla, and Musk

Polish sculptor Bronislaw Krzysztof designed the caps for Eau de Sisley 1, 2 & 3 bottles. He also created the caps for Sisley’s other perfumes - Eau du Soir and Soir de Lune.

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Beauty Tip: Don’t Wear Mono Fragrance

Different people react to smells differently. One and the same fragrance for two people can mean pleasure or headache. That’s why aroma-psychologists recommend to never use a mono-fragrance, especially if your ultimate goal is to attract and seduce.

The more complicated your fragrance cocktail, the higher is the chance it will turn your date or lover on ;-) Some people prefer to mix several perfumes to create their own unique irresistible fragrance.

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Beauty Buzz: Harvey Prince Releases a New Perfume Eau Flirt

Harvey Prince & Co., creators of the anti-aging perfume Ageless Fantasy, came up with just another scent-sation. This time they are really playing with fire. The new perfume Eau Flirt was designed to heat up passion and romance. Using data from a reasearch on the impact of scents on male sexual arousal Harvey Prince created a formula for a perfect flirt: sweet and fruity top notes, floral and spicy middle notes, woods and musk bottom notes, combined with vanilla and pumpkin essences. Eau Flirt is released today and can be already purchased online at http://www.harveyprince.com.

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