To Love or Not To Love, Chloé Eau de Parfum Fragrance Review

Love you, Love you not.

Did you ever pick a part a flower trying to decide if you loved something or someone?  As you grow older, you realize sometimes things aren't so easy... or that even sometimes leaving things to random chance (say the number of petals on a flower) can be the best way to go.  Anyway, life is complicated.  Liking a perfume shouldn't be.

I made the numero uno mistake of perfume purchasing.  I bought a perfume from smelling it on a strip from a magazine and not testing the actual fragrance on my skin.  With a gift card to Saks I had laying around, I treated myself to a Valentine's Day present of a gift set of the new perfume Love, Chloé by Chloé.

From the strip and after reading about the notes, I was really in love with this perfume.  It felt classic and feminine.  So many perfumes now-a-days from fashion houses are weird fruity, floral bastardizations that don't evoke a sense of romance or luxury reflective of the house, the brand's history and its image.  From the strip (again I repeat what a mistake this was), Love, Chloé felt reminescent of a real perfume lover's perfume.  Composed and sophisticated.

Mind you in the Lagerfeld days at Chloé some seriously legend perfumes came out of that house.  The original Chloé by Lagerfeld, Chloé Narcisse all epic.  I had seriously hoped that Love, Chloé would be a grand return to that dynasty of perfumes. 

So when my gift set arrived, I eagerly spritzed myself!  At first spray, it was powdery heaven scent.  The notes include: orange blossom, pink pepper, iris absolute, lilac, hyacinth, wisteria blossom, heliotropine, powdery musks, talc and rice powder.

Sadly, this fragrance has such a fleeting lifespan.  It goes from top to base notes in one hour flat.  By hour two, there is nothing to even remind you that you had sprayed anything.  Love, Chloé only comes in EDP concentration, and it's shocking that this could call itself EDP.  Eau de Don't Mind Me, Just Act Like I Was Never Even Here is more like it.  I have even been using the body lotion layered under my perfume to add to the longevity, but I get less than 2 hours even with that combination (plus generous spritzing).

For the price, this really isn't worth it.  It's a pity because the actual composition isn't bad, and it has a Bianca Jagger vibe of the 70's.  I think with more depth and a longer life span, this could really be something.  Chloé, can you hear me?  Reformulate.  ASAP.

 This gift set was $110 with 2.5oz EDP and 3.4oz body lotion.
 I love the flask inspired bottle.
 The design itself is gorgeous.
This handy chain keeps your cap close.

Love, Chloé  is available in 1.7oz for $85 and 2.5oz for $110 at Saks.com and Neimanmarcus.com.

Have you ever bought a perfume and ended up not satisfied when you got the bottle home?  What was the last perfume you bought?

Smells Like Summer - Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche Skinscent

Bronze Goddess Soleil for Summer 2011

I have been looking forward to Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess fragrances each year for the past couple years.  I had actually finished their first edition Azure Soleil, which came out with Tom Ford's collaboration with Estée Lauder.  Check for it on EvilBay if you want to be shocked!  Talk about inflation!  Someone has been out in the sun too long.

The original was my go-to summer scent.  It was salt, suntan lotion, coconut and heady taire without being overally beachy or Coopertone.  The overall experience was bright, sunshiny summer.  Bronze Goddess Soleil is much more floral.  It still sparks that summer quality, but this version is much more refreshing, possibly spiked by the citrus.

Notes include: Sicilian citron, bergmot, tangerine, lavender flowers, lemon tree petitgrain, neroli, Moroccan orange blossom, sambac, grapefruit tree blossoms, pink lily nectar, blonde woods, iris notes, ambrette seed and crystalline musks.

I have been wearing this for a week, and I just feel so ready for summer! 

The sunnies are from Forever 21 and totally match the bottle! 

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche Skinscent is limited edition and $55 for 100ml.  It is available at esteelauder.com and at Estée Lauder counters nationwide.

What are your favorite scents for summer?  Do you change your perfume seasonally or get you in the mood for an upcoming season?

Fresh Spring Fragrances - Some of My Favorite Spring Time Scents From My Collection

Spring is in the air! Or your wrist.. hair.. wherever!
Spring is almost here.  Can you feel it?  One of the best ways to lighten my mood and get me ready for spring is with an uplifting scent.  Here are a couple of my tried and true favorite Spring scents that I look forward to each season.

Yves Saint Laurent Paris Roses des Bois - This is a flanker of YSL's iconic Paris created by Sophia Grojsman.  For those who aren't up on 'fume terms, "flanker" means a tweak of a fragrance already in existence.  Examples of good flankers: Thierry Mugler A*Men Pure Coffee, Mitsouko Fleur de Lotus and Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere.  Examples of flankers that flunked: Vera Wang Preppy Princess, DKNY Be Delicious in any variety (in most of these cases, the original has no place on this earth to begin with).   This is discontinued but is available at some online fragrance discounters.

Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie - When The First Raindrops Begin To Fall, if the translation doesn't just give you the quinessential image of spring, I'm not sure what will.  Top notes:bergamot, orange blossom and rosemary; Middle notes: heliotrope, jasmine and violet; Base notes: patchouli, praline and musks.  This was made in limited quantities, but try the Guerlain counters at Bergdorf Goodman,  Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Guerlain's Las Vegas store.

Guerlain Muguet - One of the highlights from my perfume collection.  This tiny bottle was only available for one day in the month of May and usually only at the Guerlain flagship in Paris.  Bergdorf Goodman occassionally gets bottles in, but in recent years, the renditions of Muguet have been mixed with other notes and just not as beautiful.  This bottle is from 2006(?) and is in a Baccarat crystal bottle.  I can't even talk about how much this cost for 20ml EDT.  This is no longer available.  You can buy decants at The Perfumed Court or check with Alena at at Bergdorf Goodman (212) 872-2734 to see when this year's edition will be in.


Le Labo Tubereuse 40 - One of Le Labo's annoying City Exclusives.  I want to protest these exclusives because I'm against the idea of them being exclusive to one city and not being available for mail order. What gets even me more is that they are DOUBLE the price!!  Ranting aside, I do find this tuberose uplifting and happy.  Available at Barneys New York on Madison Ave. and at Le Labo in New York.


Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie (in Beurre Exquis/body butter) - This literally smells like a flower blossoming on your skin.  The body butter is appropriately named; it's exquisite!  The concentration of scent in this product does not make you feel like you are missing out.  I actually prefer this scent in this form.  It makes it much more wearable and takes some of the edge off the scent. Available at Barneys.com and Frederic Malle.

I have quite a few scents that I love and will be bringing you more perfume posts!  What are some of your favorite fragrances for spring?  Any new scents that you are dying to try?

Jo Malone Tea Fragrance Blends - Limited Edition Fragrances for Spring 2011

Jo Malone Tea Fragrance Blends
Spot of tea anyone?  This spring, Jo Malone will be launching five piece limited edition collection of colognes inspired by the art of tea.  Tea Fragrance Blends are five new and modern fragrances interpreting the most British of ideals: tea.  The collection consists of: Assam & Grapefruit, Earl Grey & Cucumber, Fresh Mint Leaf, Sweet Lemon and Sweet Milk. 

Jo Malone's philosophy of Fragrance Combining lends the wearer to create a unique and immensely personal perfume for themselves.  I love the idea of layering scents like painting a portrait or creating a sumptuous dessert. It just makes everything so much more personal.

Here are descriptions of the fragrances from the press release.  I think some of them sound delicious!

Assam & Grapefruit Cologne
Invigorating and upbeat, Assam & Grapefruit captures the qualities of that first cup of morning tea.  Refreshing grapefruit and herbaceous Assam are blended with undertones of warm patchouli, spicy cardamom and almond.
Add a creamy richness with a splash of Sweet Milk to deepen and sweeten the scent of black tea.

Earl Grey & Cucumber Cologne
A playful twist on the British tradition of high tea, cucumber sandwiches served with Earl Grey, distilled into a modern, intriguing scent. Fresh and fruity bergamot is cooled with cucumber and warmed with a base of beeswax, vanilla and musk.
Refresh and uplift by layering with zesty Sweet Lemon.

Fresh Mint Leaf Cologne
A refreshing tisane of freshly picked mint, translated into a crisp, clear cologne.
A blend of mint, basil and maté infuses this cologne with a green, leafy clarity, while a warm base is created by the partnership of cedarwood with musk.
Think pretty and fresh by adding a mist of zesty, fruit-infused Sweet Lemon.

Sweet Lemon Cologne
Mirroring the custom of adding a slice of freshly-cut lemon or a sprinkle of sugar to a cup of just-brewed tea, Sweet Lemon is given a fruity twist with pineapple, peach and fresh green cypress.

Sweet Milk Cologne
Utterly English, a dash of sweet, creamy milk gives tea a rounded richness. The unique milk accord combines star anise, almond and vanilla to create a warm, comforting scent.  Addictively sweet and unexpectedly fresh.

These limited edition fragrances will launch in stores in early March 2011.  
The Tea Fragrance Blends will be $55 US / $70 CAN for each 30ml Cologne and available at www.jomalone.com, Jo Malone boutiques, Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide.

I know acids and bases don't mix, but I am most looking forward to the Sweet Lemon and Sweet Milk Colognes.  I love perfume, and I love tea.  So I am really excited about this collection! 

Fun Facebook Fans Only Fragrance Contest - Ends Friday!


I know you guys love nail polish, makeup and skincare.... but how do you feel about perfume?  I'm a non-discriminating beauty junkie, and I was actually into perfume long before I ever painted my nails on a regular basis. 

Recently, I did a really fun thing for a close friend of mine.  She has trouble finding the right scents for herself, so I sent her a mystery care package with 27 unmarked perfume samples from my collection.  I have the "answer key," and she has been giving me progress reports on which one she likes the best.  I can't wait to see what's her favorite.

I had so much fun doing this for her that I wanted to extend the same chance to my readers!  Go to Beautyburg's Facebook page and leave a comment under this thread to enter.  A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, 1/28/11, at 3:00pm PST.  The winner will have 1 month to test and try the samples, and winner will must post on Beautyburg's Facebook page which one they like the best! Then the answer key will be revealed!


Click here to enter!  You must be a fan of Beautyburg on Facebook!  Have fun! :)

Do you have a favorite perfume?  Are you not into fragrance?