Fragrance
The Easiest Way to Pick a Perfume
Whenever I enter the mall through a department store, I make a bee line away from the fragrance counter. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE eau de parfum and cologne, but, once the counter person starts spraying and I start smelling, it turns into a head-spinning event that requires a 10-minute walk outside the mall just to clear my nasal passages. Shopping for fragrance can be overwhelming. But, according to Kim Berg of drom fragrances, it doesn’t have to be like that. She suggests choosing a fragrance based on when it will be worn, rather than having a crazy, headache-inducing sniff test (my usual M.O.).
For Date Night…
Berg says to look for notes of a romantic white floral. Think: iris or orange blossom, which are sensual scents but not overwhelming. Try Tocca Brigitte Eau de Parfum, $68.
For a Night Out on the Town…
Express yourself with a unique oriental statement like Boucheron Eau de Parfum, $106. Berg says notes should include exotic florals with sweet undertones.
For Work…
Berg suggests spritzing on a light, fruity floral like Jo Malone Osmanthus Blossom, $60, which works great for daytime. Try fragrances with notes of mandarin, apricot or dragonfruit.
For Family Affairs…
According to Berg, you need a “comfy” scent for hanging out with family. Look for fragrances with soft floral accents combined with musk (try: Givenchy Dahlia Noir, $90) for an easy-to-wear feeling.
For Casual Weekends…
Spray on a layer of freshness with notes of watery fruits combined with sheer citrus notes like Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Eau de Parfum, $80. These will put you in a good mood and energize you.
One Fragrant Way to Celebrate Earth Month
We love a good scent, especially one that gives back. This month, Aveda is doing just that with their Light the Way candles. We could all use a little Spring freshening and this one has added benefits. During the month of April Aveda will donate one hundred percent of the purchase price from Light the Way Candle to Global Greengrants Fund, a non-profit organization that channels high-impact grants to grassroots groups working to solve pressing environmental problems.
In case you’re curious, here are a few more deets about the candle:
The Candle: The Light the Way Candles are held in 100% reclaimed glass beverage bottles. The carton that holds the Candle is made from 70 percent PCR paperboard, with a portion made from Aveda ‘make-ready’ materials, or, sheets of scrap paperboard that would normally go into the recycling stream. This year’s Light the Way™ Candle carton is decorated with artwork made by students of the Association School in Ampasimanjeva, Madagascar, a village that has received two Global Greengrants Fund grants for water projects. The children, who previously had drunk from a dirty, crocodile-infested river, created drawings to show how their lives changed after the community built a safe community water source close to home.
The Scent: Madagascar-inspired aroma, blended with one hundred percent certified organic essential oils including vanilla, cinnamon and ylang-ylang, all sourced from Madagascar
Bond Girl Beauty Secrets
Even if you’re not an action flick kind of chick, who doesn’t love a good James Bond movie? So what if it’s only to bask in the gratuitous shots of Daniel Craig shirtless.
The latest Skyfall 007 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the film franchise and along with it has comes some fun beauty goods that let us live out our Bond Girl fantasies. These products were either inspired by the film or will instantly make you feel like you’re a part of a covert beauty operation.
1. Guerlain Shine Automatique Lip Shine, $35, saks.com. Spy girls don’t have time to fumble with fussy lipstick caps. Just slide the button down to reveal your lip shade.
2. James Bond 007 EDT, $40, kohls.com. Part of being a Bond Girl is knowing how to pick the perfect sexy scent…for him.
3. Secret Agent Beauty Double Agent Eyes, $26, RonRobinson.com. Inside the lower part of the cap is a mascara and in the upper part, a liquid liner. Now that’s sneaky (and genius!)
4. OPI Nail Lacquer in The Man with The Golden Gun, $30, opi.com. Opulent and fierce in true Bond fashion. It’s a topcoat filled with real 18 karat gold leaf.
5. Secret Agent Beauty The Skinny 5-in-1 Gloss Kit, $60, RonRobinson.com. Because all female spies should be amply equipped with lip gloss options. Plus, the name is just so fitting.
The Best Places to Apply Perfume
Drom Fragrances Perfumer Kevin Verspoor Gives Tips on the Best Places to Apply Perfume
While most people spritz fragrance on their wrists and neck, there are many other great places on the body that women and men often neglect. According to Drom Fragrances perfumer Kevin Verspoor, the key is spraying areas of the body that have a good amount of veins and arteries that are under the skin. These help give warmth and projection to the fragrance.
Kevin’s suggestions for spraying…
· Back of the legs, specifically back of the knees
· In the area just above the hip bones
· Nape of the neck
· Cleavage for women, chest for men
· Small of the back just above the buttocks
· Inside of the elbows
How do you spray these areas without overloading?
Kevin suggests applying a lighter lotion of your preferred fragrance and then just add a couple sprays of the eau de toilette or eau de parfum. This can be accented by adding a couple dabs of the parfum on specific pulse points. A good thing to remember is that even though you may not smell your perfume all day, that does not mean others will not. Continuous application of one’s fragrance all day may make your positive fragrance experience a negative one for others. You don’t want to be the human air freshener.
Kevin says the best application level is if you can smell the fragrance you have on in soft occasional whiffs. If you can continuously smell your fragrance at all times and it is intense, you most likely have way too much on.
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