Happy Day!

Collected a prize from a contest recently.. the 80ml Lanvin Me perfume that I vaguely blogged about here! Thank you Lanvin! Thank you Cleo magazine! I think I have luck with Lanvin, cos I won the Lanvin Marry Me! perfume from a wedding mag, just in time for my ROM last year. *heart*

 

The perfume looks gorgeous and I already loved the scent from the sample they gave out with the mag (that's why I tried my luck with the contest!).

Off topic - but when I went to collect my prize, I bumped into a gal who was also there to collect a contest winning. We just "congratulated" each other, not much talking. However, when I was going home from work that evening .... I met her in the lift! Turns out that she works in the same company that I do! Anyway, I found out that she won her prize via sms-ing in. I think I've never won a prize thru SMS-ing..... ! I almost give up trying my luck there (though sometimes the prize is so good that it prompts me to try again.). Usually, I like mailing in my entries... something about hardcopy that I like so much. :P *old school*

Will write a perfume review soonish~!

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Vera Wang Princess Perfume

One of the very first gifts that my boyfriend-now-husband gave to me - a Vera Wang Princess perfume set! I've reviewed the perfume samples for Vera Wang Rock Princess previously (and hated it), can't believe I didn't post about the original! Unlike Rock Princess, I really, really love Princess more!

A lot of girls fall in love with this perfume because of the unique perfume bottle. Doesn't it look so pretty? I don't think there's any other perfume that comes in a heart shape bottle! And the cap... so regal! Actually, there is a ring between the cap and the perfume... I tried to wear it as an actual accesory, but it is way too big for my finger. :P I don't know if it's actually something that you can wear as a real ring though. =p  And the pale lilac shade is so pretty and romantic. Really, if you want to talk about prettiest bottles, this one is really one of a kind! Since we were dating that time when they first launched this perfume, I would always wear this scent on the dates, and it really made me feel so girly and "princessy". :)

Admittedly, the scent is not really "me". I like crisp, clear scents, more towards the fruity range. Although this perfume does contain fruity notes, it smells more floral and sweet - more suited for evening events than a day perfume. It is also pretty long lasting - enough for a 6-8 hour event?

The notes:
Top notes: water lily, apple, freshly-sweet mandarin and apricot.
Middle notes: guava, Tiare flower, tuberose, dark chocolate.
Base notes : vanilla, amber and wood.
[Source : Fragrantica.com]

Overall, a very nice perfume indeed, and for boyfriends looking for a scent for their girlfriend --- I would recommend this! Not only does it smell nice, it would really look good on her dressing table. =P  For myself, really feel sad that I've used more than half of it already. My boyfriend buys so many perfumes for me, it's hard to choose "the" one to wear everytime we go out, but this one is definitely the one that I head to the most frequently.

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Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude EDP

The Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude EDP was a Christmas present from my then boyfriend (now husband)... who bought it so that he could purchase the Estee Lauder x Michael Kors blockbuster set at a cheaper price. :) I was so pampered that year! :) However, my hubby being my hubby... he didn't really bother to smell how the perfume is like. He just agreed with the SA and didn't check whether it is something that I would usually wear. I think he was just highly embarassed to be mooching around the beauty counter, so he just wanted to select everything and run off!

Now, when I wear this perfume, my husband sometimes ask me what is the perfume I'm wearing. -___- So insincere.

Worse still is when he says it smells funny. It definitely is a perfume that takes some getting used to!

The perfume bottle is a bit awkward to hold in one hand. It is pretty big and cumbersome. I actually have to use two hands when I spray it on myself, because I'm afraid that I might drop it on the floor. I do like the bottle cover though, it is heavy and looks classy. And the perfume name itself.... hmmm... what a weird name for a perfume! It sounds a bit ham sap (perverted), and at the same time - nonsensical. As I think of the meaning of "sensuous" as "aesthetically pleasing to the senses", I hate to think of someone who would be nude, but not be sensuous. Maybe I'm just overthinking this. 

To me, the perfume smells a bit herbal, and it's only when it reaches the base notes that I feel more comfortable in it. THEN it feels a bit more sensual, a bit more sexy. However, it seems like a very generic base note, so it's nothing special. The top notes are like... ugh! Memorable in a bad way! Some are saying that it smells like coconut. No way! I don't detect that at all?!?! It's definitely not a tropical-like fragrance to me. It feels like a fragrance more suitable for an older woman. By that, I mean someone in her 50s. 

Top notes: Sicilian bergamot, mandarin, black and pink pepper.
Middle notes: Jasmine, lily of the valley, coconut water, honey drops, musk
Base notes : Sandalwood, vanilla, amber, heliotrope and woody notes

Currently I wear it to work or for dinner appointments. By the time I reach my destination, that "spicy" top note has usually toned down a fair bit. I promise you, you can scare people with the top notes of this perfume... 

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Chloé Eau De Parfum

Now this is a perfume that I've had for **quite some time** already! And because it's an EDP, I find that it's very, very hard to finish. You only need two little spritzes and it lasts the whole day! The Chloé perfume was something that I bought to reward myself at the end of my UK||Europe trip with Ben. During that time, I rarely bought perfume, because I always win perfumes. LOL! Ok, that's not supposed to sound braggish, I promise. Anyway, I asked Ben's opinion on which perfume would smell the nicest... cos I trust his taste la. He says that he has to buy tonnes for his mom, and his mom's taste is even better, hahahaa. So if he can buy stuff for his mom, guarantee good wan lah.

To be honest, this is not THE first perfume he recommended to me. It was "Flower Bomb" from Viktor & Rolf, if I remember correctly. (Incidentally, "Spice Bomb" is what I bought my husband for Christmas this year.) Chloé was perhaps, the 3rd choice that Ben gave to me, but I fell in love with the scent! To me, it's very feminine, romantic and somehow... comforting. It was only after using it for multiple times that I figured out why I kept thinking of it as "comforting"...! It's because the scent smells like HONEY to me! The good kind of honey, and not the crap kind of honey that I seem to keep getting in other products that I use (will be reviewing them soon... promise!).

With the cute bottle and ribbon, it totally suits the girly-ness of the perfume. Yes, it was my go-to perfume whenever I was dating the boyfriend (now husband!).

I was actually disappointed when I found the real notes for this perfume. There's actually no 'honey' present, hehehe. Check it out as below:
Top notes: Peony, Freesia, Lychee
Middle notes: Rose, Lily Of The Valley, Magnolia
Base notes : Amber, Virginia Cedar
[Source :Fragrantica.com]

I love the intense floral scent of this perfume. Some say that it's fruity and tropical as well (because of the lychee), but I don't really feel so. Maybe because I'm so used to Sugar Lychee, which is totally way more fruity than this scent. Although very girly at first scent, it warms to a very elegant base. I just adore this perfume! I would say that it's a repurchase, but at the rate that I'm going, I'll probably still be using the same bottle til the day I die! Seriously cannot and don't know how to finish. I'm not like my husband who drowns himself with perfume each day before he goes to work. If you think I'm exaggerating, let me inform you that when I iron his work shirts, I can actually smell puffs of his perfume coming up with the steam!! This is after washing and sunning! Omg! When I told that to him, he just said, "Good". Geez, perfume should accentuate, not knock you over with a sledgehammer.

The only complaint that I have is that the metal part of the bottle oxidizes to a very ugly rusty look. You can see from the picture above. Probably have to buy something special just to clean it?

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Fresh Sugar Perfume

So I went to Sephora with my husband again recently, and I thought I would really be swiping my card like crazy. Instead, I only bought ONE item, but only because I have spent a lot on other wedding-related stuff, so I held a tight restraint on myself. There was the Naked 2 palette (not sure I am going to buy it though!), lot of sale stuff from Pop cosmetics (they had an Eyeliner Palette set!), so many yummy looking sets from Soap & Glory, lip tint + lip treatment combinations from Burt's Bees... ahhh. But what REALLY, REALLY attracted me was the sets they have from Fresh! There was a Brown Sugar perfume + sugar lip treatment + body scrub. Ahhhh, if they only had similar sets for the other perfumes in the range!

I love this perfume so much that I've actually blogged about it before here. I always thought that they only had Brown Sugar & Sugar Lychee perfume (because that's what I saw in Sephora Singapore, when I bought this perfume). In fact, they have like, 18 different perfumes! What they actually *had* in Sephora KLCC that day was Brown Sugar, Sugar Lychee, Sugar Lemon and Hesperides. I tested all of them and THEY WERE ALL SO AMAZING. I actually felt like buying the other 3 perfumes straight away!

If you're a citrus fragrance lover like me, you would so love this range as much as I do! The other 3 scents are so refreshing and unique, you just can't go wrong.
Brown Sugar is features amber, honeysuckle, peach and cypress, smells really sweet and more musky compared to the others. I didn't like it the first time I smelled it (which was why I got Sugar Lychee), but the more I encounter it, the more it grows on me.

Sugar Lemon is also calling out to me. So zesty and invigorating! Top notes are bergamot, yuzu and mandarin, no lemon at all, surprisingly! :) It smells really light though. I might just get the roller version of this perfume so that I can have Sugar Lemon on-the-go.

Hesperides was a "what the heck is a Hesperides?" perfume, but it's very fruity floral and surprisingly good. I was afraid it would smell too exotic for me, but in fact it's another citrusy fragrance. Apparently, that's what Fresh does best and they stick to it. Top notes are lemon, orange and grapefruit. So ironic that Hesperides has lemon in the top notes and Sugar Lemon doesn't. Hmm... I thought Brown Sugar would've been my next perfume purchase, but Hesperides is really giving it a run for my money. :P  This is really saying a lot because I don't buy perfumes! I have like 20 bottles on my table!

There's also a Sake shower gel at the KLCC counter, but I personally don't think it smells good! I'm looking forward to them bringing Strawberry Flowers scent to KLCC... it sounds really promising. Wondering would they have a Hesperides set like the Brown Sugar set they already have? Fingers crossed!

[Sourced all my information from Fragrantica!] 

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Burberry Body Eau De Parfum

The Burberry Body EDP was my birthday present last year from my (then) boyfriend. =) He is always buying me perfumes, and this one was really bought on a random whim. I was walking in a mall in Hong Kong and they had just launched this perfume. They passed me a sample, I sniffed it and I just exclaimed, "Oh my God, this smells so good!" I didn't know my boyfriend caught on to that! To be honest, this perfume is not really "me", cos I prefer something lighter, fruitier, more fun. This is a more serious, musky, sensual perfume. I still love it any way because you need different scents for different occasions. I find that this is pretty darn suitable for work!

This is only a 60ml bottle, but it can really last me a long time. I use this daily for work and I only need ONE spritz. And it lasts the whole day. Sometimes it smells so good that I keep sniffing at my clothes or my wrists. :P It dries off to a very nice floral, deep rosy scent mixed with vanilla. The best part of all this for me was really how long lasting it is. I really feel that I get to enjoy the full notes of this perfume, unlike other perfumes I've used.

Body Burberry is a luxury chypre - fruity composition that begins with notes of fresh green absinthe, peach and freesia. Roses and iris are in the heart, leaning on the base of sandalwood, cashmere, musk, amber and vanilla. [Source : Fragrantica.com ]

On the flipside, I don't really like the bottle. It's shaped like a pencil! And it's so inconvenient --- it's very long (phallic?) so I can't stand it up, but it has to be lying down. I find it sooooo odd. The bottle is also VERY heavy... the glass is REALLY thick. It looks and feels very luxurious, I suppose... but it's really not my style. Prefer a prettier kind of bottle!

Loving Rosie Huntington-Whitely's campaign spread for this perfume though... hot!

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CK Shock Perfume

Free sample after I bought the male version for my boyfriend - the CK Shock for her by Calvin Klein. To be honest, a bit disappointing considering it is supposed to be "SHOCK". In fact, I find it a very mild, sweet floral kind of scent. It isn't strong nor lasts long (then again, it's an EDT)... just a simple perfume suitable for a date, I guess.

CK One Shock For Her is an opulent oriental - floral fragrance with top notes of passion flower, pink peony and poppy. Its heart is made of feminine jasmine, narcissus, blackberry and dark cocoa. The base consists of amber, vanilla, musk and patchouli. [Source : Fragrantica.com]

Not on my list of perfumes to purchase in the near future... I much prefer the Forbidden Euphoria from the CK range...

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Sephora Haul Part Deux

Continuation from my earlier post, I went back to Sephora on Tuesday to spend my RM75 voucher. Oh my God, there are so many things that I couldn't buy! Take note that you cannot use the voucher on any products other than Sephora, certain stuff from Urban Decay, Too Faced and Bare Minerals. For the last 3 items, I don't think there's ANYTHING you can buy for RM75. Maybe a lipstick? Or a single eyeshadow? I feel it's not worth it as anyway I have a crapload of lipsticks and eyeshadows at the moment.

Having said that - I am still appreciative of boxsets. :P Which reminds me --- you can't even use the RM75 for the Sephora boxsets. -__-"

I actually had my heart set on using the RM75 to pay for PART of the Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Men perfume. The story behind it is that my boyfriend loves using the Paul Smith Men perfume and I FREAKING HATE IT. People say that it smells "fresh" and grassy, but I just find it really, really weird. It smells like cucumber skin to me. *shivers*

Sadly, my boyfriend loves it (weirdo), so I decided that I should get him to change to something that smells... manlier. My boyfriend really loves perfumes (I think I mentioned before - and he gets me a LOT of perfumes too!) - I got him CK Shock last year, and I decided to get him the Carolina Herrera perfume only because he picked it out and said that he likes it. I think the 212 VIP smells AWESOME. Now THAT is one manly scent, and it is quite heavy and long lasting considering it is an EDT.

"A man of this fragrance is a fun, charismatic and stylish, awakening lust and envy in others.

The oriental woody composition is an explosive cocktail of vodka, passion fruit, frozen mint, ginger, black pepper, lime caviar, leather, spices, amber and king wood." [Source : Fragrantica.com]

Personally, I don't notice the vodka, but I love the combination of spices - it is unique without being overwhelming. It is a bit showy, but what I love is that this perfume smells good throughout the day. The opening notes are just as nice as what is left lingering at the end of the day....

Anyway, I didn't come to blog about men's perfumes, but that is what this entry is winding up to be! In the end, after almost 45 minutes of trawling Sephora, I had to admit defeat and just got two random items from the Sephora bath range. I really feel that it's quite "wasted" to have given me RM75 voucher and I got things that I didn't really need. Some more had to top up another RM10! Grrr....

I got the cranberry & lychee body scrub and the lemon meringue body butter. What added on to my disappointment was that the body scrub packaging was so bad that it leaked! Crapola! If they wanted to give away RM75 vouchers to encourage us to shop the Sephora range, all I can say is that I am most unimpressed.

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Ralph Lauren Cool

This is one of my old purchases when I went to the States way back in '06/'07. I bought this at the premium outlet stores in Gilroy, so I got it really cheap. How freaking cheap? Well, a boxset of the Ralph Lauren Cool 100ml EDT and a body wash cost something like USD20. YES. You can close your gaping mouth now -- it's THAT cheap. And a lot of other stuff is around that price too. Then again, perfumes in US are no big deal. They even sell brand name perfumes in the supermarket. Well, not the really high-end type. But all those singer / actor endorsed perfumes are shoved into an aisle next to the broccoli and onions... ((exaggerating, but still true))

I was of course, very eager to get my greedy paws on Ralph Lauren Cool because back then, it is one of those "must have" perfumes. In fact, the male version of this perfume is still kinda "hot", which shows that guys perfume is 5 years behind us. At least. :P This range of perfume consists of the original Ralph (refreshing floral scent), Ralph Rocks (energetic fruity floral), Ralph Wild (oriental floral), Ralph Hot (sensual fruity floral) and Ralph Cool - a musky fruity floral that I will talk more about now. To be honest, I have not smelled the others before, and I probably won't get a chance to in the perfume counters over here because this series has since been discontinued. But you never know...

After using this perfume for so long, I still have at least 60ml left! Yes, it's very very hard for me to finish my perfumes. It was my go-to period in my younger days, but because it's an EDT, and because it smells so "casual", I don't wear it on a daily basis. This fresh, sporty scent seems more suited for weekend outings - and even then, to some place not-so-special. Lol! The fragrance doesn't last very long - maybe 3 hours tops, and then it can be easily washed away with soap and water, and nary a trace remains. However, I still like it very much, because the initial spritz is VERY refreshing, energizing and awakens the senses. It is also not one of those sickeningly sweet fragrances even though it's supposed to be a floral scent.

When I first wore it with Tron, Tron perked up instantly and said that this bubbly scent was suitable for me. He thinks the other perfumes I have (including the ones he gets me!) might be too mature for me, but this is youthful enough. Ironic, as I myself am no spring chicken anymore.

"It opens with fresh notes of kiwi, frozen nectarine, watermelon and cucumber pulp. The middle notes add up a freshness created by a fusion of honeysuckle and lime, along with the pure jasmine and lily-of-the-valley with grassy – lemon waves. The bottom notes dandle with creamy musk, vetiver and sensuous woody notes. " - Source : Fragrantica.com

The fruity notes are VERY apparent, and is what gives the zesty, peppy scent that I know and adore. I don't really detect the middle scent, but the sensual woody notes are also notable after a certain period. The difference between the fruity blast at the beginning and the more sensual notes at the end makes this seem a bit strange to me - prefer if it is not such a big difference. I prefer crisp, clean and airy all the way!

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Fresh Sugar Lychee EDP

This was an impulse buy in Sephora, Singapore back in November 2011. I thought Fresh was a new brand, but apparently they've been around for yonks. Another popular product in their range is their brown sugar scrubs (lip scrub, body scrub) and brown sugar perfume. I've tried it before, but I still prefer my Sugar Lychee EDP. A 30ml bottle would cost you somewhere between RM100 - RM150. I don't know exactly because I bought a couple of items from Sephora and I don't keep receipts to remind me of how much I spend. I pay the painful bulk amount to the credit card company and then lick my wounds alone in my room while staring at all the stuff around me.

True story, bro.

This perfume captured my boyfriend's and my heart after just one spritz. It definitely catches your attention, but not in a "I'm jamming my fingers up your nostril" kind of way. It's supposed to be a fresh, fruity scent, but it's really like no other fruity scent (I know of) around. It's so unique, and I bet that if you tell the admirers around you who ask you just WHAT is that wonderful perfume, they won't even have heard about it.

[Maybe I should keep this secret to myself too..]

It is also a sweet scent, but not cloyingly so. It just isn't typical. Trust me... go to Sephora and try it yourself. It smells so delicious, so edible, so REFRESHING. Like a cold glass of juice on a hot day. Just smelling it awakens the senses and invigorates me. I just can't tell you how much I like this scent because I'm not that great with words and I won't do the product justice.

Just don't look down on it's humble, unassuming packaging. You don't have to be so fancy to smell great. ;) Anyway, I personally like the bottle as it is easy to handle, looks classy with it's shiny silver cap

• Top notes are grapefruit, Italian lemon, lime blossom
• Heart notes are lychee, lotus flower, freesia
• Base notes are sandalwood, tonka bean, amber

I guess the top citrusy notes are the reason why it smells so refreshing and invigorating.. I like the middle notes the most, as that's when you can really smell the lychee. However, by the time it reaches the base note, the perfume is not that strong anymore, and to be honest - base notes like sandalwood, tonka bean and amber are pretty common. Sure, you'd still be able to sniff out some traces of lychee if you sniff hard enough, but why don't you just give yourself another spritz and enjoy it all over again. :D

As for repurchasing, I would... but I have a LOT of other perfume already! I would rather just try to finish up what I *do* have than repurchase one item that has finished. Therefore, although I love this perfume a lot, I only use it on special, special occassions. If I were to give this perfume to someone like my mom, she would probably finish it for me within a month. Hehehe...

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Estee Lauder x Michael Kors Gift Set

Merry Christmas ya'll!! I guess there is nothing more apt to post on Christmas Day than my CHRISTMAS PRESENT from my man Tron. :)

Actually, I didn't expect to get anything from him cos he gave me something really, really big already and I felt really bad (but happy), so I told him NO NEED for Christmas presents this year. And I'm really, really sincere! I feel like there's no drugstore products I really want (at the moment), no more make up I can possibly hoard (I seriously balk when I see how much I have to "use up"), more haircare products than I have hair (hehe!)... sure, there's always pretty stuff in pretty packaging tempting us... but I am slowly trying to build up R.E.S.I.S.T.A.N.C.E against it. For the moment, anyway. :)

So I was really, really surprised when Tron gave me this :

My first thoughts is that it MUST be perfume because Tron always buys me perfume. I think he has gotten me 4-5 perfumes so far. *scratch my head* But at the same time, I was confused cos in the car he was telling me, "You know, I chose every single bit by myself ok! The exact color, the gold, this product or that product..." so I was confused and I thought he ventured out of his comfort zone and bought me clothes! :P

Anyway, this is what I got :

The Estee Lauder x Michael Kors set!! It's a special Christmas set that they have been doing promos in all local malls. I did see it around and I thought of getting the Estee Lauder Blockbuster set (as I always do), but you have to buy above a certain amount in order to get the Michael Kors Set / Blockbuster Set at a cheaper price. So Tron *did* buy me a perfume after all. He bought the perfume so he could get the Michael Kors set at a cheaper price, hahaha! The perfume he got for me is Estee Lauder's Sensuous Nude, which I have not heard / tried before. But it sounds kinky! ;P

Actually, I should have suspected he would get this for me because he actually asked me if he could get me the Blockbuster set. I said no because the Blockbuster set this year doesn't come in that nice a bag. *picky* But as mentioned, it's pricey, I don't want him to spend this kind of money! Especially when I didn't spend as much.. *small voice*

More on the set he got me :

Double Wear Moisture Powder for Stay-In-Place Makeup in Warm Vanilla

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow.
Top row - Sugar Cube, Winking Periwinkle, Lavish Mink, Purple Passion
Bottom row - Ivory Slipper, Lilac Whimsy, Ivy Envy, Nude Fresco

Pure Color gloss in Star Pink Shimmer

Estee Lauder double wear eyeliner... Looks so nice! But guess what? I have about 4 full eyeliners at the moment + 1 gel eyeliner! Hehehee... but anyway eyeliners are a necessity!

Pure Color Cream Lipstick in Pink Parfait

Estee Lauder x Michael Kors compact.
It has 6 Pure Color eyeshadows and 1 Signature Silky Powder Blush.
Eyeshadow from L-R, top to bottom : Polished Platinum, Candy Crave, Pink Flash, Sandbar Beige, Sugar Cube and Iridescent Violet.
The Powder Blush is in Pink Kiss. Looks pretty matte to me, with a very light bit of shimmer.

The compact is so shiny that I can't get a proper photo of it cos everything keeps getting reflected! :(

Travel-size bottle of Sensuous Nude EDP.

Did I mention that it also comes with two brushes and the Michael Kors pouch / clutch? There's actually two colors - gold or dark silver. So that was what Tron was saying about colors and what not! :)

Anyway, Christmas is really not about the presents. Take the holiday season as a time to spend time with your family & loved ones. Meet up with friends and give them presents "just because". If you feel guilty about indulging in "Xmas Specials" in restaurants, indulge in the "Xmas Special" at the gym too. ;) And remember... go to church! :P

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Vera Wang Rock Princess Perfume

I always bring perfume samples when I travel, because aside from the lighter luggage, it's like "oh, I'm in a totally exotic place right now, let me try something ELSE that is totally out of norm too!" Yea, I know Singapore is not THAT exotic, but it's still something different from the norm for me! (Though at the rate I keep returning there, turning to the norm pretty fast.)

Back home, I'm pretty typical with my perfume choices. I always use green tea perfumes for work (cos it's calming, not-offensive, not screaming for attention, but sweet and somewhat serious too, IMHO). Right now, I'm using Estee Lauder's Green Tea Lavender.
For weekend dates, I usually use stuff that my boyfriend bought for me... because, hey, that's what he wants me to smell like, right? It's usually Vera Wang's Princess or Burberry Body (yes, quite new perfumes the boy bought for me... he's a perfume freak!).
Occasionally when I see the other 15 or so bottles sitting on my dresser, I feel bad and spritz something else. But usually it's one of these 3.

I got this Vera Wang Rock Princess sample along with the birthday gift Tron got for me. I love Vera Wang's Princess, so Rock Princess should be good too, right?

Personally, I don't really like it, because I find the scent a bit too in-your-face. It's LOUD and it is the type that makes me think that something is physically forcing itself up my nostrils. I also don't like the fruity scent. Usually I like fruity scents, but this one is very artificial. I can't quite put my finger on it. Thankfully, the middle and base notes are more subtle, so as the day goes by, it's more bearable. I guess I prefer the floral side of this perfume more than the jarring fruity top notes.

Perfume top notes : white peach, red raspberry, bergamot
Middle notes : heliotrope, vintage-inspired rose, night blossoming jasmine, lily
Base notes : cashmere, musk, iris and creamy coconut

Anyway, this perfume is apparently a limited edition (IMHO - thankfully), not sure if you can get it anymore. I haven't seen it being sold anyway. If you're thinking of getting Vera Wang for your girlfriend, be assured that Princess is a much, much better choice. Both in terms of the actual scent and the bottle design.

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Playboy Play It Spicy Deodorant

I got this for FREE --- from my sister! This was from when we won some Kitschen vouchers x Cleo's Most Eligible Bachelor's roadshow tickets x Redken Shampoo x Playboy goodies! So awesome... but the bad part was that we had to play games with the Cleo Most Eligible bachelors la. ~_~" I know some girls will think "Huh? THAT'S the bad part?" But come on, we are two happily attached women. ;) Don't want our man to misunderstand. ;)

I was very happy with the perfume & deodorant set I got from Playboy, which was Play it Sexy. It was the one that I thought was the best out of all 3 when I went a-sniffing in Watsons. My sister got the Play it Spicy set, and she didn't like it, so she gave it all to me! Now I have two Playboy sets and I'm already overwhelmed with all kinds of perfume. Craziness!

In case you don't know, Playboy's perfume range is called Play it Lovely, Play it Sexy and Play it Spicy. I think they have a new one now called Play it Rock, but I haven't tested it yet. The original trio (Lovely, Sexy, Spicy) were supposed to represent the 3 steps a woman takes to seduce a man.

Play It Lovely entices him (piques his interest?)
Play It Sexy ensnares him (turns on the lust?)
Play It Spicy binds him (he's yours forever! *evil laughter*)

Play It Spicy is an oriental, floral scent and is supposed to make you smell like a WINNER. The girl who has managed to win the man. Well played, well played.

Top notes: pomegranate, Bellini cocktail and pink berries. Heart: tiger lily, passion flower and heliotrope. Base: amber, sandalwood and vanilla. [Source : Fragrantica]

Maybe it's because it is just the perfume deodorant, but I personally felt that this scent is quite light, casual and sweet. Nothing very spicy or sexy or alluring about it. Quite disappointing, cos you would expect more. It's easygoing on the nose, but very unmemorable. I like to wear it on casual dates with my boyfriend on Friday. Smell good for the 2 hours or so when we're together and practically no trace of the fragrance anymore when I get home. Hahaha.

I honestly can't smell the woody base because it really doesn't last long enough for me to perceive that it is even there. *_* I suppose the perfume would be much better, but you'll just have to wait til I review it... next time. ;)

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Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lavender

I won a 100ml bottle of this perfume from a Cleo magazine contest about 2 years ago, and I still haven't been able to finish it!

I've always been a fan of Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea perfumes - I find it very light and refreshing and it was my "go to" perfume during my early years of working. It also helped that it is not that expensive (in fact, at the airport you can get RM80 for two bottles, or even cheaper! It's insanely cheap!), so I found it very worth the price. Maybe because it's an EDT, and those are generally cheaper.

Through the years, Elizabeth Arden released more versions of Green Tea, such as Green Tea Tropical, Green Tea Lotus and Green Tea Summer. I have not tried those before, but my friend said that they either smell too similar to Green Tea, or that they add in some weird spices that totally spoiled the perfume. I'm glad to report that Green Tea Lavender retains the fresh, crisp Green Tea scent that we all love, but also has a different dimension to the perfume, giving it a somewhat sexier and more sensual aspect.



Although it is an EDT, I find that it is quite long lasting - at least for 5 - 6 hours. Personally, I don't detect much of a lavender scent, but I still quite like this fragrance. Suitable for office use, and also for casual outings on the weekend. My boyfriend also says that this clean fragrance is very suitable for my personality. =)

The top notes are amalfi lemon, mandarin orange, chamomile and mint; middle notes are lavender, tea and Carribbean magnolia; base notes are musk and ambrette (musk mallow).

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Davidoff Cool Water Woman EDT

This was my go-to perfume when I was in Hong Kong. I always bring perfume samples when I'm travelling instead of my usual bottles. Saves luggage space + a great time to try something new - when you're also in a new land! Don't ask me what to do when the perfume turns out to be a stinker. Bring a few samples, I guess?

Actually, I quite regret bringing this for a few reasons :
a. this perfume is an EDT. Which means it's not as long lasting as an eau de parfum. If you're going to be out for long periods of time, it's better to bring an EDP
b. the perfume sample comes in a weird bottle which is NOT a spritz. You have to pull a little stick thing out and use it to apply on your wrists, etc. Since it's an EDT, this stick thing becomes totally ridiculous because it doesn't apply enough for you to SMELL anything at one go. I end up feeling like I'm pouring perfume on myself!

But I am very sure the actual bottle is not like that at all. I just want to rant about the way Davidoff packages their Cool Water Woman EDT samples, k? :P

The perfume is described as such :

"The first fresh aquatic fragrance born of nature's most shimmering, most luminous essences. The zesty freshness of blackcurrant and honeydew blend with aquatic florals to create this radiant, sensual scent."

That sounds really good on paper. I'm a fan of fruity scents, and I do like the Davidoff Cool Water for men. However, this scent falls kind of short for me. First of all, it fades of REALLY fast, even for an EDT. It's as if 10 minutes later, I don't even know whether I had sprayed any perfume on myself. Although it is pleasant enough.. it is also very unmemorable. Perhaps the perfume makers wanted it to be a sort-of, "Maybe she's born smelling like this? Maybe it's Davidoff!". Do. Not. Like.

I don't even find it that fruity or sensual. I kind of feel like ... it smells like a nice hotel lobby or something like that. You know? Something non-descript. It's definitely not a repurchase for me in the future, quite disappointed as I know many people who are fans of the male version. Maybe the EDP is better? I would have to check it out myself at the counter. But with so many other lovely perfumes out there... they should be coming to me, not vice versa. :P

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Calvin Klein Euphoria for Women

My boyfriend bought two huge bottles of Calvin Klein perfume and got a whole bunch of free samples for me to try out! One of them is a 1.2ml sample of Calvin Klein's Euphoria (for women).

I remember those CK Be and CK One days back from my teenhood... and now that Imma be all grown-up, no more CK for me but the full-fledge Calvin Klein label, please. *nonsense* This perfume's scent is described as "exotic fruits", "rich black orchid" and "sensual woods". The actual top notes, etc, are as follow :

Top notes: Pomegranate, Persimmon, Lush green accords
Middle notes: Black Orchid, Champaca flower
Base notes: Black violet, Liquid amber, Mahogany, Cream accords

The perfume smells freaking sexy, please. I love it! This is a definite repurchase for me (er... when I finish the Vera Wang, Chloe, DKNY, etc... crap! Too much perfume, but this one is irresistable). I love fruity scents, but this one isn't one of those light, summery type of perfumes. It's, for a lack of better word, really exotic smelling, just like what the product says. Also, because it's such a strong scent, it's somewhat masculine-ish... it makes me think of a strong, confident, BOLD woman. And that's really sexy. :)

I find it suitable for all occasions - not too strong that you can't wear it to work, perfect for romantic dates with your boyfriend... it's so suitable as a signature scent.

So this, and Burberry Brit Sheer is top on my "To buy" list at the moment. :D

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Burberry Brit

I was going to blog about Burberry Brit, and how much I love the perfume... I had it all in my head, how the article was going to pan out. I took the small perfume sample that I have with me to get a quick spritz on before I met my boyfriend after work that day. Got a lovely photo of the perfume sample too :

After I spritzed it on my self... I was confused. Wasn't the Burberry Brit perfume that I like... fruity? This smelled so much like a man's perfume that I was certain that I had taken a man's perfume sample by accident. -___- After Googling for it, I found out that it is indeed a woman's perfume and in fact is said to be "the top women's perfume for 2011".

The fragrance is REALLY strong and woody, and though it is supposed to contain lime, pear & vanilla as well, I didn't detect any of those notes at all! When I met up with my boyfriend, I told him, "I think I sprayed man's perfume on myself." He sniffed and he AGREED. What the heck! Still, I don't think it's awful, I think it would make a really good man's fragrance. This is just too strong for me.

The one that I really like is Burberry Brit Sheer... now THAT'S the one that smelled fruity. I scoured my room all over for my Burberry Brit Sheer sample, but I can't find it anymore. Must've finished it up. I *did* think about buying a full-size bottle, but I really do have too many perfumes. For 2011, Cleo Magazine said that Librans would suit the Burberry Brit Sheer scent the most, and I thought that meant it was fated. I entered the "horoscope fragrance" contest Cleo was having, certain that I would win... but it was not meant to be. :)

The perfume is described as a floral fruity wonder that contains litchi, pineapple, yuzu, mandarin orange (sounds like a scrumptious fruit salad so far), white musk and resins. The smell? Incredibly refreshing, yet girly and fun. I SUPER LIKE IT. And don't think that just because it sounds so "light & summery" that it means the scent won't last. It does.... plus, it comes in a cute light pink bottle! Fuss free and feminine.

And why does it suit the Libran woman? Well, I can't find my original Cleo magazine, but I got this from CosmeticOnline :

"For gorgeous Libra is typical bright flower perfume in a combination with wood flavors and even fern aromas is ideal. Women of this sign need to be very attractive. We will advise to plunge into this fragrance aura : CHANEL ALLURE, CACHAREL AMOR, BURBERRY BRIT SHEER, LA PERLA CHARME, CALVIN KLEIN CKIN2U FOR HER, CHRISTIAN DIOR DOLCE VITA.

Libra - ... smells sweet, as a paradise flower. Likes to put on silks, laces and looks amazing, possesses the most refined manners and a harmonious voice. Librans are charming and surprising beauties. But, despite aura of feminity , they have an imperceptible man’s essence. Librans are intellectually developed and capable to outdo any man. They will take part with pleasure in any dispute or discussion.

Many Libra after marriage continue to work with great enthusiasm and reach good results. Partly because they are users of money. Libran woman is not from those who hangs a stone on a husband’s neck. She will participate in all affairs of her chosen one, helping him with council, work and if it is necessary, with money. Librans possess an analytical mind and can help her husband with decisions of many important problems. She is sentimental and gentle. Libran’s house is in good style, muffled colours, overall is pictures and flowers.

Librans have a romantic and creative nature, prefers supper with candles, with good porcelain, glasses with expensive wines, and in addition to silence, quiet music. Librans like to talk very much , but also will give the chance to be the listener."

Sigh... Burberry Brit Sheer, I do see you in my future. ;)

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Dream Angels Heavenly by Victoria's Secret

It's my default perfume for everyday use. Why?


Firstly, because I bought it in US on a whim (when I loved ALL things Victoria's Secret. Don't get me wrong, I still love all things VS ... minus some perfume & make-up stuff cos I think it looks good but it isn't REALLY good). I didn't even TRY the perfume on, I just bought it because I liked the name - Heavenly.

"The perfume opens with notes of quince, cardamom, ivy and mandarin. The heart includes lotus, white peony, freesia, iris and violet. The base contains white musk, sandalwood, orchid and vanilla. " - Source : Fragrantica

Personally, I do NOT like the top notes that much. Must be the quince & cardomom, it smells quite "sharp" to the nose. However --- since I have to drive quite a distance to the office, by the time I reach the office, it's already wearing off and I can start to detect the middle notes. After the "sharp" smell wears off, there's a rather clean and fresh scent to this fragrance that makes it suitable for work (IMHO). It isn't overwhelming, but there's a pleasant lingering scent. When you reach the base notes, you can definitely detect the sexy woody smell of sandalwood, orchid and vanilla. That's the best part. :)

However, to make sure that the perfume lasts you til the end of the day, you have to spray quite a bit on... which means I can STRONGLY smell the "sharp" top notes. Ugh. I kind of have a hate-like relationship with this perfume. So it won't be a repurchase for me for this one... (I have just about 10-15 ml left...

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The Perfume Series : Clarins Par Amour Toujours

I actually got a free sample of it, so this is probably one of the few perfumes I ever managed to finish... because there's so little of it. ;p

The Clarins Par Amour Toujours perfume is a very girlish, light pink in color. It's a light fruity fragrance that is perfect for romantic dates. Description for the perfume : Top notes are pink pepper and black currant; middle note is grapefruit; base notes are rose and raspberry.

For me, I seem to be able to smell the grapefruit more than anything else, and I think it has a rather 'oriental' smell as well. I quite like this perfume, but whether I would repurchase or not is really up in the air for me because I have TOO much perfume as it is. Plus, because it was an EDT, it didn't really last very long for me...

Still, quite nice, and fruity, light perfumes are what I like. =)

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