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Fragrance Friday

I Found Turkish Love at Khaltat Blends of Love

October 16, 2015 by Kim S. / Beauty, Fragrance Friday, Reviews / 22 Comments

Two weeks ago, I returned from spending one week in two of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates: Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can read a bit about my trip over on Beauty and the Bump. As fragrance lover, one thing I noticed about the people in both places is that they love their fragrances. There were one or two specific scents that stood out, and my husband and I found them at the UAE-local perfume house, Khaltat Blends of Love.

Khaltat Blends of Love is a mid-range (65 ml | AED475/$129.32 US ) niche fragrance brand founded by Mohammed Hilal who took the most beautiful feeling inherent in people—Love—as the source of inspiration for this collection of 11 scents. Each fragrance is named after the sometimes-complicated four-letter word, and translated it into 11 different languages, which is emblazoned on the bottle in gold letters. All fragrances are enclosed in a beautiful clear glass tetrahedral bottle labeled with a saying about Love.

Everywhere we went, the mall, walking the Corniche, out to dinner – we smelled this beautiful woodsy fragrance. The scent was intoxicating, and each time we smelled it, we wanted it more and more. Eventually, we came upon a Blends of Love boutique, and sampled and sniffed each fragrance. We finally found the scents we were lusting over throughout our vacation: Aşk – Turkish Love, and Hob 1 – Arabian Love. Both fragrances, it turns out, are the most popular fragrances sold by the brand.

Although I loved both fragrances, Turkish Love (Aşk), with its rose, sandalwood, and agarwood notes, is more my taste. It’s definitely a warm fall/winter scent.

Hob 1 is described as the “… scent of the UAE vision… the beauty of our optimistic, forward-thinking culture!” This floral musky fragrance was purchased for my husband. The amber and musk notes, sprinkled with a hint of Emirati Vision, make for a crisp winter fragrance.

Both fragrances are long lasting. One thing I hate when wearing a fragrances is when the scent dissipates after only a few hours of wear. With the Khaltat Blends of Love ‘Aşk’ and ‘Hob 1’, each scent can be smelled even after 8-hours of wear. Impressive. We were told that if sprayed on your clothes, the fragrances could be smelled for up to three days. Unfortunately, we do not wear our clothes three days in a row, but that was still nice to hear.

Khaltat Blends of Love are available exclusively in the United Arab Emirates. However, they are working on adding an online purchasing capability to their website to accommodate international orders. I’m hoping this happens sooner than later because there are still some fragrances I want from their collection. In addition to the Eau de Parfum collection there are concentrated oils with the same compositions.

Other Khaltat Blends of Love fragrances I wanted to pick up during our trip are:

Liebe – German Love! (Bergamot, Neroli, and Amber)
Agápē – Greek Love – (Rose, Patchouli, Agarwood)
Aloha – Hawaiian Love (coco, jasmine, Tonka beans)

Check out Khaltat Blends of Love http://www.khaltat.com/

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The Fragrance Fairy Gifted Me Shalimar Parfum Initial

July 3, 2015 by Kim S. / Fragrance Friday, Reviews / 15 Comments

I BOUGHT THIS | AFFILIATE LINKS

One evening while getting ready for bed, I realized there were some new additions to my fragrance collection. Could it be? The Fragrance Fair has visited me! There were two new full-sized bottles of my favorite fragrances: Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain, and Nanette Lepore.

My husband, after reading my review of the Shalimar Parfum Initial sample that I received from Scentbird, and then hearing my disappointment about it finishing went out and purchased for me the Shalimar Parfum Initial fragrance set that came with a 3.4 Fl oz bottle of perfume and body lotion.

If you remember my review I had my reservations about the Guerlain Fragrance. I thought Shalimar Parfum Initial was outside of my age demographic, and more for a more mature woman, around my mom’s age. To my surprise, after first spray, it quickly became my favorite. I really have to thank Scentbird for introducing me to a new fragrance that I’m more than happy to add to my fragrance collection.

Since receiving the Shalimar Parfum Initial set, I’ve been wearing it almost every other day to work. It’s such a beautiful scent even in the warm weather. The lightness, the soft powdery fresh scent is reminiscent of my other favorite Guerlain fragrances.

Normally, I do not like the body lotions that accompany perfumes in gift sets because they tend to be watery, sticky, non-moisturizing, and at times, have an off putting scent. The Shalimar Parfum Initial body lotion was the complete opposite. The texture was different, and felt like a luxury cream, which I would expect from a brand like Guerlain. It smelled just as good as the perfume, making it great for layering, and helping the fragrance last longer throughout the day.

The bottle of the Shalimar Parfum Initial is gorgeous! I like simple things, and this one is just that. It’s a clear, wide bottle with a blue topper and tassel. I Even in all of its simplicity, it still manages to make a statement amongst the rest of the perfumes on my vanity.

The other perfume my husband picked up for me was Nanette Lepore, which I’ve reviewed here previously. The light pink bottle, with the black and white polka dot bow adds a pop of vintage to my perfume collection. The lovely floral fragrance is one of my favorites to wear during the spring and even the summer, as it isn’t too sweet.

I was honestly surprised that my husband even found the Nanette Lepore fragrance because after speaking with her nephew during an even I’d once attended, I was under the impression they were going to [get rid of it]. Imagine my surprise when I came into my bedroom right before bedtime and found two bottles of Nanette sitting amongst my perfumes on my vanity. The nearly empty bottle from my April 2012 post, and a new bottle my husband surprised me with I’m happy Nanette Lepore did not discontinue this fragrance.

What fragrances are you hoping the Fragrance Fairy leaves for you next?

Fragrance Friday: Essence of Beauty Luscious Peony Fine Fragrance Body Mist

May 29, 2015 by Kim S. / blog, Fragrance Friday, Reviews / 12 Comments

PR SAMPLE

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It’s a welcomed respite from the cold weather, and then as the season goes on, and the weather gets warmer, we’re exposed to beautiful blooming flowers. This spring, Essence of Beauty, the #1 best-selling fragrance and body care line available exclusively at CVS, has paired some of their favorite in-season florals like roses, lavender, and peonies, with complementary products from the line.

Peonies are some of my favorite flowers. You may have caught on to that just by looking at the photos on this blog, as they makeup the majority of the props in the photos. However, this Fragrance Friday, peonies are making an appearance in a new way! I’m featuring the Essence of Beauty Luscious Peony Fine Fragrance Body Mist.

Essence of Beauty describes the Luscious Peony Fine Fragrance Body Mist as follows:

“Evoking a lavish floral garden bursting with freshness, white grapefruit, peony and magnolia exude a vibrant spirit that exhilarates.”

Currently, I use the Essence of Beauty Luscious Peony fine Fragrance Body Mist on my off-days and in the evenings before bed. Yes, I love spritzing on a bit of something after a shower before I head into bed. This mist is perfect for that because it is light, and isn’t too sweet and overpowering.

I think that the Essence of Beauty Luscious Peony Fine Fragrance Body Mist is a beautiful, light fragrance that’s perfect for transitioning into the summer. It’s great for layering fragrances, and when the weather warms up, especially during a hot summer day, I can see myself popping it in the refrigerator, and misting it over myself to refresh and cool down.

The Essence of Beauty Luscious Peony Fine Fragrance Body Mist is available exclusively at CVS stores for $6.99, and there’s also a body and hand cream in the same scent retailing for the same price. Other floral pairings include the rose Enchantment Fine Fragrance Body Mist, and Body Oil with Lavender and Rosemary ($9.99).

Have you tried any of the Essence of Beauty floral fragrance products?

Fragrance Friday: Scentbird Fragrance Subscription for Mom

May 1, 2015 by Kim S. / Fragrance Friday / 11 Comments

PR Sample

Scentbird is the gift that keeps on giving. So why not setup mom with Scentbird Subscription. Just to refresh your memory, Scentbird is an affordable, luxury fragrance subscription service. Each month, for $14.95, you’re sent a 30-day supply vial of perfume of your choosing. You can create a personalized queue from over 350 perfumes. But, if you’re not able to make a selection, you will just receive Scentbird’s Scent of the Month that’s hand-picked by Scentbird Editors.

This month, I have for review the Tom Ford Violet Blonde, which was released in 2011. Tom Ford makes one of my favorite fragrances for fall/winter, Black Orchid. It was only right for me to choose powdery violet and iris fragrance, which is Violet Blonde.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde is a soft and feminine perfume. It’s very light, and not as dark and deep as the Black Orchid. At first spray, I get powder violet mixed in with a waxy, almost lipstick-like scent, which comes off as a bit synthetic that some people may not be fond of.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde isn’t too much of a warm fragrance that it’s impossible to wear during the warmer spring and summer months, and I’ve definitely worn it during the day at work without any problems, but this can be due, in part to the fact that the sillage and longevity of Violet Blonde aren’t as good as other perfumes I own, especially like the Tom Ford Black Orchid.

I’m happy I was able to get a sample vial of this fragrance through Scentbird because I now know that it isn’t something I wouldn’t buy personally because it doesn’t last very long on me, and doesn’t have great sillage. For a fragrance in this price bracket ($110/1.7 floz), I would expect a longer wear time, but with the Tom Ford Violet Blonde, I only get at least 3 hours until I’m left wondering where the scent has gone.

Through trying Tom Ford Violet Blonde via Scentbird, I was able to come to the conclusion that this is a fragrance that I will not add to my fragrance collection. That’s the beauty of having a Scentbird subscription; you’re able to weed out fragrances you thought you’d love without having to spend the money on a full-size bottle.

If a Scentbird subscription sounds right for you or for mom, sign up now because on May 11th they’re releasing a special hot pink atomizer for Scentbird Members. It would make the perfect purse accessory.

Scentbird has a Mother’s Day gift offer! When you buy a 6-month gift subscription or a 12-month gift subscription you’ll get a bonus Candle Gift Set – a $45 value! Great for moms that love fragrance!