The Boyfriend Solid Perfume For The Tomboy with a Flirty Side

We’ve had our share of the ‘boyfriend’ trend in the fashion realm — boyfriend blazers, boyfriend shorts, boyfriend cardigans, etc. — but the beauty world had yet to get its hands on it… until now! A boyfriend-inspired fragrance? Kate Walsh’s signature scent (yes, that Kate Walsh of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice fame), appropriately titled Boyfriend, aims to capture that musky, sensual scent a man leaves on a woman’s skin. It’s reminiscent of your boyfriend, but not necessarily masculine, as it mingles with the feminine influence of your own natural scent. With notes of plum, jasmine, vanilla, and amber, the combination is sexy and romantic but not overpowering, and now with a solid version of the scent, you can take it on the go! No mess, no fuss, and less likely to be sweated off after long hours in the summery outdoors, you can throw it in your bag, hit the gym with the boys, and still smell sexy and feminine without over-compensating with in-your-face florals or citrusy scents. Plus, you have to love the sleek, elegant gold packaging!

– Alex Gambardella for The Find

Justin Bieber to Launch Fragrance in June

17-year-old teen heartthrob and marketer’s paradise Justin Bieber is releasing a fragrance for women next month. Well, to be more accurate, he is releasing a fragrance for teenage girls. The target for this perfume is girls ages 14-18 (which probably means that I, at 24, will love it). The fragrance launches June 1st and will be available at stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, and Ulta. It will also be at Shopper’s Drug Mart for my Canadian readers. There will be 3 sizes – 1 oz ($35), 1.7 oz ($45) and 3.4 oz ($55). Not wanting to leave anything out, the release also includes a hair mist and body lotion.
Bieber’s fragrance, “Someday”, is billed as a fruity gourmand (again, I’ll probably love it). Justin insists he was in the driver’s seat of the project, collaborating closely with perfumer Honorine Blanc of Firmenich and Lance McGregor for packaging designing (both the bottle and box). Together it would seem they created something quintessentially girly, from the hearts & flowers to the removable charms. Aww. 

How precious.

But the sweetness doesn’t end with the fragrance. The proceeds from the sale of “Someday” will go to charities. The list of charities that will benefit from the sales is still being formulated, but will include Pencils of Promise and Make-A-Wish. The previous collaboration with Nicole by OPI also benefited Pencils of Promise, one of Bieber’s favorite charities. 
Many of you might be rolling your eyes at the pop star’s fragrance endeavors, but I am looking forward to it. Not just because I love the idea of another fruity, girly, hopefully cupcakey perfume in my collection, but also because I am glad to see what Justin Bieber is doing with his fame. Whether you like him or not, you gotta hand it to this kid. The perfume is predicted to raise millions of dollars, all of which will benefit great causes. We need more like him. 
Info from WWD. Photos by Robert Mitra.

Top Summer Fragrance Picks

A lot of you guys have been liking my top picks posts, so here are my top picks for summery fragrances.

#1 – Escada Ocean Lounge
I love this fragrance. I don’t shop for perfumes very often because I feel like a lot of them are really expensive, and not worth spending that much money on. However, I was walking into my local Ulta when I caught a whiff of something. It smelled like sexy fruit punch! I followed my nose over to a display of perfumes and sniffed each one to figure out what it was, and it ended up being Ocean Lounge. The top notes are plum, strawberry, pear, and lychee. The strawberry in this really sings. The packaging is also really fun, although a bit top heavy. It reminds me of a sunset, and hints at summer parties. This one has been out a while, so you can probably find it for a discount online or at stores like TJ Maxx.

#2 – mark. Self Sanctuary Lemon Sugar
If you like sweet, citrusy smells that will wake up your nose and make you feel invigorated, Lemon Sugar is for you. You may have heard of Lemon Sugar by Fresh, but that’s what, $75? This smells the same or better and will run you $12. It’s my mom’s favorite; she’s gone through multiple bottles. The best part is it’s available in a shower gel and body butter too, perfect for layering! This is the type of fragrance that won’t offend people around you. It smells like summer days outside at a barbecue, sipping a lemonade. It’s available at my mark. e-boutique.
#3 – Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea edt
Sweet Pea is one of the first fragrances from Bath & Body Works I ever encountered. It’s sweet, very sweet. It’s a blend of sweet pea petals and fruit. There’s enough of a solid musk base to keep it from smelling like little girl perfume, though. If you like your fragrances sweet, but not so candyish, this one will appeal to you. Also, as an added bonus, guys seem to really like this one. Definitely a great date fragrance. ;) xoxo
There are also some fragrances that I love that are discontinued. They’re great for summer, and still readily available if you’re willing to do some online hunting. Those fragrances are…
  • Arrogance Mix Lime Sugar
  • Bath & Body Works Enchanted Orchid edt
  • C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lime Fragrance Mist
And can I just say how badly I wish Bath & Body Works Fresh Lime Basil (from the antibac line) would come out in the signature line of body care products? OH MY GOD. Can you tell I’m obsessed with LIME? If you have any lime-scented suggestions please let me know. ;)

Getting To Know L’Occitane

Before I was really involved in the beauty community, I’d never heard of L’Occitane. That in itself is strange, since the brand has been around since the 70s and is sold in 85 countries all over the world! To find the nearest L’Occitane boutique to you, try their boutique finder. I didn’t realize there’s one practically in my back yard. Wow. Bad blogger!

A Little History…


L’Occitane was founded in 1976 by Olivier Baussan. Baussan was inspired by the Mediterranean culture to create a line of natural skincare based on phytotherapy. What is phytotherapy? Basically it means “to cure with plants”.

The brand prides itself on maintaining techniques perfected by locals of the brand’s land of origins in Provence and the Mediterranean as well as being respectful of people and the environment. They have even formed the L’Occitane Foundation, which helps teach these techniques to women so they can develop businesses in poor countries. L’Occitane has been developing a Fair Trade program in Burkina Faso for 20 years! Additionally, L’Occitane’s ingredients as well as finished products never have been and never will be tested on animals. Other than beehive-derived ingredients (honey, royal jelly, etc.) no ingredients are animal-sourced.

The Products…


I used to have a bar of L’Occitane soap (wrapped in their eco-friendly and sustainable packaging) that I kept in a cabinet simply to make the cabinet smell amazing. It’s their shea verbena soap. When I think of L’Occitane I think of that soft, yet vibrant and delicious fragrance. All of L’Occitane’s products smell so good, and so comforting. I’m not the only one who thinks so – L’Occitane also sells candles in their signature yummy scents. My favorite is the verbena, but lavender also smells divine. What’s your favorite?

This post is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of L’Occitane.

Paris Hilton Passport Fragrance Collection – South Beach

Before I received this perfume to review, I’ll admit I’d never heard of it. I think I could only name 2 Paris Hilton fragrances off the top of my head, but there are over a dozen of them! I really had no idea how many there were.

The passport collection consists of South Beach, Tokyo, and Paris. The concept behind the passport collection is fun and the bottle artwork is really adorable! The South Beach bottle features a sort of cartoon/anime style drawing of a girl hitting up South Beach. It’s bright and colorful and looks cute on a vanity. Well, I think so anyway. Comments I read described it from cute, to “looks like a Japanese deodorant” to “is this a $5 perfume”? Whatever. Live a little. It’s perfume not haute couture jewelry or something. Besides, would you expect anything less from Paris Hilton? Really?

I really like how accessible this perfume is price-wise. It’s just $25 for the 1 oz bottle and $45 for the 3.4 oz at Macy’s. South Beach is a very young smelling perfume, but I’m 24 and I don’t feel like I’m wearing little girl body spray, so I think it would be suitable for teens as well as young women like myself. I like the price point because a high school girl could easily come by $25 if she fell in love with the scent, which isn’t a stretch as it’s pretty easy to love.

Top Notes: Nectarine, Lotus flower, White Freesia
Middle Notes: Jasmine sambac, Marigold, Osmanthus
Base Notes: Blonde woods, Australian sandalwood, Musk

Paris Hilton Passport collection Launch – Feb 26th 2011 in Riverside, CA (Macy’s in the Galleria at Tyler).

After initially spraying this on, I can smell the lotus and freesia quite clearly, with the nectarine also making a grand entrance. It’s very “TA-DA!!! HERE I AM! LOOK AT ME I AM CUTE!”. It calms down quite quickly and I absolutely love the dry-down of this fragrance. The super sweet flowery top notes had me scared this was going to smell like my high school locker room, but the woods and florals meld together into this really mellow, downright sophisticated scent that is so pleasant.

“TA-DA! Look at ME!” Hmm wonder where the perfume got that?
Paris poses for the papz at the launch of the Passport collection at Macy’s in Riverside CA.
p.s. Someone please buy me those loubs…

Another thing about this fragrance that makes it ideal for the younger set is it doesn’t come on so strongly that you have to be that careful about over-applying. It doesn’t have the greatest lasting power compared to other perfumes I’ve reviewed, so you could apply a few spritzes without it being overdoing it (seriously. have you ever tried explaining moderation to a teenager? yeah.) so don’t worry about that.

Is this perfume any great endeavor into newly charted territory? No. Is it adorable and sweet? Yes. Definitely worth a try. This could be your new guilty pleasure perfume! I think it’d make a great gift, too.

Sample provided for editorial purposes.

Rihanna Reb’l Fleur



Rihanna. I mention on Twitter all the time– can’t stand her. Well, her voice. Which is kind of, the point. Okay, she’s interesting looking. She wears weird things. She’s quirky – I get it. Questionable taste in men. But always true to herself– it’s clear this girl doesn’t give a you-know-what about what anyone thinks of her. Maybe I like her as a person, but that doesn’t change the fact that I think she can’t sing a lick.

However, unless a perfume sings every time you open it, like one of those annoying greeting cards (oh god, did I just give someone a really bad idea for the next wave in perfume bottles? no. no. NO!) a celeb perfume can be enjoyed even if you don’t like that particular celeb’s work. Rihanna collaborated with Parlux to create Reb’l Fleur, her first fragrance.

The name Reb’l Fleur comes from a nickname Rihanna’s grandmother gave her: “rebelle fleur” or rebel flower (ok, grammar police here, in French it would be “fleur rebelle”…-ahem- ok). She has the phrase tattooed on her neck.

I don’t know what made her decide to spell it like this and add an apostrophe. Whatever girl, do your thing. I kind of expected the perfume bottle itself to look more uh, flowery. But Refinery29 nailed it when they said it looks like an 80s liquor bottle. An 80s liquor bottle. Fashion and design were weird in the 80s y’all. I’m not a fan. The first thing I said to my boyfriend when this came out of the box was “this is the tackiest perfume bottle I’ve ever seen in my life”. HOWEVER. That being said, it certainly keeps in tune with Rihanna’s overall aesthetic, so in that way it is effective.

I really think that looks like something you ought to drink, not spray on your body. But it’s a fragrance. Oh yes! Fragrance. We should probably talk about that. This perfume is meant to create a “daring, sexy, and truly memorable” fragrant experience. The top notes are of plum, peach, and berries, followed by florals (tuberose, violet, and hibiscus) with a dash of coconut, and warm base notes. Ok that’s what they describe. Here’s what I smell.
At first ‘sniff’ – floral. I’m overwhelmed by tuberose. All the fruity fluff on top is completely lost in the mix for me. The musk and patchouli in the base notes are vaguely detectable. Don’t get me wrong, I love tuberose. Love it. Gimme. But I was kind of excited to smell the fruity notes, and I can’t smell them at all because tuberose is stealing their spotlight. The base notes are musk, patchouli, amber, and vanilla. They add a warm bottom and some depth to the fragrance. The vanilla and amber also add a lot of sweetness. Normally I’m not one for patchouli, and too much amber can give me a headache, but it’s welcome in this fragrance and it works without any of the negatives (just thank god there isn’t also sandalwood or I’d smell like a hippie holding a bouquet of flowers). If you’re like me and the word ‘patchouli’ typically sends you running the opposite direction, it’s still worth a try.
Also worth mentioning is this fragrance comes on strong. It’s not for someone who wants to be subtle, and please please do not over apply. You’ll hurt someone. It’s quite long wearing, too. For example today I’m on my 8th hour after spraying and it’s still going. It’s definitely not nearly as strong now, and I can smell the violet less, and coconut a little bit more than I could before. I think it smells even sweeter now. If you are sensitive to strong scents, I would suggest not applying this to the throat/decollete area. This fragrance will better serve you sprayed somewhere like your wrist, or the small of your back. Keeping it under your nose all day may result in a headache if you are very sensitive to strong smells.
Overall, when I read the scent description I had high hopes. I love fruity fragrances and I love tuberose, so this should have been right up my alley. However, because with my particular body chemistry the fruits are all but completely absent, it’s kind of a miss. It’s not bad it’s just not what I wanted it to be on me. Fragrances are extremely personal as they mix with your body chemistry, so your experience almost definitely will vary. If you’ve tried this fragrance I’d love to know what you think.
Rihanna’s Reb’l Fleur is available at Macy’s for $59 (for the 3.4 oz bottle).
Sample provided by PR for consideration.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

If you follow me on Twitter it’s no secret that I love Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume. It’s definitely in my top favorites if not my favorite perfume. Certain scents just work on people, and Daisy is one of those for me. It’s fresh, pleasant, floral without being cloying, and softly romantic. So when I saw Daisy Eau So Fresh on the Sephora website I was really excited. And when it came in the mail to review, I was really really excited. I sprayed some on right away and have been wearing it for a few days.

The original Daisy – available at Sephora. Starting at $20.

Mr. Boyfriend, who is also a fan of the original Daisy on me, actually likes it. That’s a huge positive vote right there, as this man is picky when it comes to what I smell like. Very. Picky. He hates most of my perfumes, no matter how lovely I think they are haha. Daisy Eau So Fresh and the original Daisy make 2 out of the 3 of my perfumes he actually likes. Yay Marc Jacobs! Mr. Boyfriend agrees with me that you can tell the two fragrances are related, but they’re definitely quite different as well. I guess like sisters.

Youtube fragrance expert extrordinaire Katie Puckrik described Daisy as rolling down a grassy hill, or something like that. Well, if that’s what Daisy is, Daisy Eau So Fresh is like rolling down a grassy hill into a fruit basket. Eau So Fresh is bursting with bubbly fruity goodness on top of base notes that remind you this is still a Marc Jacobs Daisy relative. It’s maybe the fruity cocktail version of perfume. If Daisy is the beautiful bride, Daisy Eau So Fresh is that loud, possibly intoxicated bridesmaid. But not in a bad way. In a “that’s so going on Facebook later, heehee!” kind of way.

Daisy Eau So Fresh is a wonderful addition to the Marc Jacobs fragrance line, suitable for spring and summertime wearing. In places like So Cal, these kinds of fragrances get year-round wear and I am definitely going to be keeping this one in rotation.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh is available at Sephora, starting at $70.
Sample provided by PR for consideration.

Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser Review

I recently had the extreme pleasure of being introduced to the brand Caudalie. It’s one of those brands that I’d seen around but never really thought to try for whatever reason. I’m glad I can no longer say that! I have tried three products, and I can say I’m madly in love with two of them. One of those that I love is the Instant Foaming Cleanser
I am first to say I’ve never been a huge fan of foaming cleansers. I know some people feel that foam = clean, or that the more something lathers the more it’s doing its job. I’ve never been that attached to foam or lather, though it feels nice. Often those cleansers that foam or lather a ton contain harsh detergents to get that effect, and those can be very stripping. Let me be very clear that this cleanser does not do that to my skin at all. Caudalie claims this cleanser to be gentle and for all skin types, even those with very sensitive skin. I’m skeptical of products that say they can be used on any skin type, but I gotta say this cleanser is actually very gentle. I never feel like my skin is stripped after using it. Instead I just feel kind of pampered actually. The cleanser is completely soap-free, which makes it more gentle. It contains extract of sage and chamomile, which have calming and soothing properties. 
And then there’s the scent. It’s hard to describe. It’s very light and unobtrusive, and faintly wine-like. Not like gross wine that’s been sitting out over night after a party, but a soft pleasant wine-like aroma. The cleanser does contain parfum but I think this is also due largely to it containing grape water. Yum.  
Caudalie is available at Sephora, and at Caudalie’s website. It’s $26 for 5 oz, which sounds expensive but it’ll last a long time so it’s a trade-off. If you have really sensitive skin you might like this very much. If you have dry skin, look into their Gentle Cleanser instead. 
Full Ingredients: 
Aqua (Water), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Water*, Glycerin* Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate*, Cocamidopropyl Betainamide Mea Chloride*, Sodium Chloride, Laureth-16th*, Parfum (fragrance), Butylene Glycol, Trisodium Edta, Citric Acid*, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract*, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool.

The fragrance actually does come in perfume form, and I’ve been wearing it almost exclusively for a good month now. It’s such a perfectly light and neutral fragrance. It’s not cloying or overpowering. I really like it for wearing in an office setting because (unless you douse yourself all over repeatedly) it’s the type of perfume you can only smell if you’re in very close quarters with someone (such as a hug). I feel fresh, smell yummy, but I am not creating a toxic perfume cloud in my cubicle either. We’ve all experienced that. No thank you. ;) The fragrance is $56 for a 3.4 oz bottle, which is actually pretty inexpensive as far as perfumes go if you’re buying the big size.

If you’re curious, the third product I have from Caudalie is Vinopure Matte Finish Fluid, and I will be reviewing that at a later date after I play with it more. 









Samples provided for editorial purposes.

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Fragrance Mist

I did a tag recently where I mention that I’m a Bath & Body Works girl, and that is so true. I know there are lots of fabulous etailers, and more indie apothecaries such as LUSH, but I grew up loving Bath & Body Works and I don’t think I’ll ever abandon my love for the B&BW. I love the consistency in the line (although they seem to have packaging ADD over the last couple years) and the fact that if I love a scent I can get it in a body spray, bubble bath, shower gel, lotion, etc…the list goes on. :)
I picked up Winter Candy Apple fragrance mist on a whim. I was shopping for candles, but I had one of those coupons that gets you a free body care item with $15 purchase, so this spray came home with me. I haven’t regularly used body spray much recently because they never seemed to have much lasting power and I got frustrated with having my scent du jour fade by lunch. However, WCA (I’m lazy, witness my abbreviations!) is such a fun scent and it was free. 
B&BW describes the scent as having top notes of candy apple and orange zest, middle notes of mint and white sugar, and bottom notes of vanilla, musk, and balsam. To my nose, it smells very apple-y mostly. There is a hint of something else in there that I want to say is the vanilla, mint and maybe a bit of balsam, but I do not really notice the musk or the orange at all– and that’s fine by me! I’m thinking the orange might just give the apple its brightness, amplifying the fruity notes but not overpowering the apple. Kinda like how almost every fruit juice seems to contain apple juice to make it sweeter. (Seriously, have you noticed that?)
What makes Winter Candy Apple a standout for me is 2 things:
Lasting Power – Whoa! Have fragrance mists been updated? I don’t know if it’s just with this one or what, but the lasting power on this guy is AWESOME. I have had it on for about 11 hours now as I write this, and I can still catch a whiff every so often. That’s REALLY good for a body spray!
Not Just Apple – I like this because it’s not just your every day apple scent. A lot of cheap body sprays out there are so one-dimensional, or “something + vanilla”. This fragrance is dynamic enough for a grownup to wear without feeling silly or like she stole her daughter’s scented dolly and toted her around in her bra as a perfume for the day. 
Bath & Body Works fragrance mists are $12 for 8 oz, but they’re having a sale where you can buy 3 get 2 free or buy 2 get 1 free! That deal is available online and in stores. If you go to the store, they’ll give you a little booklet with several coupons in it. Yay holiday deals!
By the way… another thing I noticed while candle shopping is that not only are all of the 4 oz candles marked down to $5 each (they’re usually $9.50), many of them have coupons attached for a $10 3-wick candle. Those are normally $19.50, so that’s even more savings. If you love the candles there, it’s worth grabbing some up! I highly recommend the Creamy Nutmeg. Loving that one right now!

Fabulous Fall Scents

California is finally starting to feel like it’s in fall. It has been cloudy, rainy, and the other day we even had thunderstorms. Such things are so novel here, lol. I love this weather though, and it really has me in the holiday spirit, too. The Boyfriend and I went to the market and got two great big pumpkins to carve. True story– I’ve never carved a pumpkin! I wanted to get two in case I screw up the first one, haha. We also have been placed in charge of decorating my parents’ house for Halloween, so we went off to Big Lots today and got some spooky props. I love it! What do you guys do for Halloween?

With the onset of cooler weather (ha, it’ll probably be sunny and in the 70s again in no time…sigh) I get in the mood for fall scents. I nearly lost my mind over a pumpkin-scented Fabreeze candle in Big Lots today. (By the way you should totally go to Big Lots and grab one, they’re $4.50). I made sure to bust out my Philosophy Cinnamon Buns shower gel today– so yummy! I have several other mini fall scents from the Philosophy Cookbook that was out last year. I’m going to be lathering up in all sorts of baked good scents for the next few months for sure.

I really want to burn some yummy fall candles or something but others in my household are not as keen on the scents so I haven’t yet. But come on who doesn’t like coming home to a kitchen that smells like spices and cookies?! (And yes, I’m going to bake real cookies, too.)

And then totally randomly I’ve also been on a major Bath & Body Works Sea Island Cotton kick. It’s strange. I was in B&BW not too long ago stocking up on PocketBac when they were 5/$5 and doing the usual B&BW thing of circling the store sniffing everything and hemming and hawing over my decision when all of a sudden I sniffed Sea Island Cotton and BAM I needed it. It’s a scent that has been around for a long time and I’ve never been interested in it until now. It pretty much smells like laundry to my nose– fresh, cottony, and clean. It’s not as strong and irritating as the scents of scented detergents though (I do not use those because they make me gag! I use free & clear detergents always!). I’m not sure if they made changes to the scent or if I’m just weird but I suddenly started absolutely loving the stuff. I might even decide I “need” a bottle of the eau de toilette. Just look at the bottle! It’s really pretty. The price is kinda high though. I don’t know why but I always feel weird about paying a lot of money for something from Bath & Body Works. But that’s what the semi-annual sale is for, right?