Tom Ford Nail Polish

Some beauty porn to keep you all occupied while I am away……

I am liking Bitter Bitch & Mink Brûlée, how about you?

5 Fragrances & Me

After reading Joey’s well written article, here ; I felt so inspired that I am going to do my own version……

It’s always extremely delightful & insightful when a blogger decided to share something personal, something significant, some historic pieces that make up the present.

Estee Lauder Private Collection

My first ever signature scent, courtesy of my mum’s dresser; I was amused by the name Private Collection, and must have been lured by the illusion of exclusivity then, one whiff & I was hooked ~ The rest is history. I was basically addicted to this throughout my secondary school days.

Private Collection by Estée Lauder was launched in 1973 after having been part of Estée Lauder’s own very private collection of fragrances – at least this is how the story goes. A reflection of Mrs Lauder ( Estee ) chic, elegant style and confident, assertive personality. Although Estée Lauder had created Private Collection for herself, it soon gained serious fans, and became part of the commercial line.

It’s the dark green/dark floral quality of this composition that makes it so unusual, particularly the use of Pine. Its green notes can smell almost metallic, although this coolness is offset by a powdery-soft background. The scent seems to have the diffusion and luminosity of a chypre although it also feels more like an oriental thanks to its warm woody base.

Private Collection also stays clean and bright, as crisp as a starched white shirt; Polished enough for a princess ( literally, as it was a beloved scent of Princesses Diana and Grace )

Darkly exuberant, it smells truly American – big, blunt, unabashed  and unaffected.

Given its potent strength and obvious retro feeling harkening back to the 70s when this type of green Chypre was popular and mainstream, Private Collection remains a uniquely elite classic.

Chanel Cuir de Russie

A precious fragrance with extremely limited distribution that someone significant had kindly gifted it to me.

Chanel’s Cuir de Russie came out in 1924, a time at which the impact of Les Ballets Russes ( 1909-1929 ) was palpable. Russian émigrés having fled the motherland because of the revolution in 1917 had populated Paris and had lent it their own mark of decadent sophistication. Suddenly the Exotic East becomes all the rage and the embodiment of everything forbidden and alluring.

Ernest Beaux, guided by Chanel’s desires to dare, made women indulge in what is essentially a men’s scent formula, garlanding it though with sparkly, dry aldehydes and the eternal feminine flowers: jasmine, rose and ylang ylang; The inclusion of rectified birch tar along with styrax, gave it the brutish animalic touch. Sublime cadenzas of amber and resin provide the warm, hinting at a bygone luxury. A subtle hint of tobacco satisfied the smoking fetish of the upper classes in that era.

Notes: Aldehydes, Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Mandarin, Clary Sage, Iris, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Cedarwood, Balsams, Vetiver, Styrax, Incense, Cade, Leather, Amber and Vanilla.

Amanda Lacey, famed London facialist described Cuir de Russie as: “ There’s something about it that makes me emotional – It reminds me of Paris and of times gone by when people had an elegant approach to life. I feel I’m wearing a wise grand dame around my neck.”

I would say that this is the most opulent, decadent, sophisticated & complicated fragrance ever made. It’s a scent that spells grandiose, flamboyance, notoriety & trouble.

Please note that I am talking about the extract de parfum of Chanel Cuir de Russie, not the reformulated, tamed & bleached version of the Les Exclusif CdR.

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather

The first designer scent that cost me more than £100; Once you ever spend that amount, there’s no return, no looking back. This is the fragrance that leads me to ridiculously priced luxurious & exclusive perfumes; Fragrance Heaven / Credit Hell as I would describe.

Tuscan Leather is “ an original take on a classic leather scent. Saffron, Raspberry, and Thyme, open to Olibanum and night-blooming Jasmine,” while “ Leather, Black Suede, and Amber Wood add an intricate richness.”

According to nymag.com ” Does TFTL actually smell like cocaine? ” , here’s the verdict ~ ” Well, according to cognoscenti of that drug, yes, a bit. “ That’s what everyone says,” admits a counterboy at the Ford store on Madison, who adds that one customer even bought a bottle because he thought it smelled like coke. Tuscan Leather goes for $165 for a 50-ml. bottle, about 49 grams, which is way cheaper than the real stuff from Bolivia.

If it wasn’t due to custom restriction, I would have bought a huge flacon bottle of this sexy, sophisticated EdP back while I was in Sydney. To me, Tuscan Leather is an extremely well composed & orchestrated scent that whispers ……sensuality & extravaganza.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom

The niche ( once ) British cologne that gets me into ” trouble ” [ private contents censored by Editor ]; Will always remain a special fragrance for me; However, I no longer wear this nowadays due to the sentimental values & heartache factors.

Jo Malone describes Orange Blossom as follows:
The scent of clementine leaves in the morning dew sparkles above a heart of orange blossom and water lily, transporting the wearer to a garden oasis.

Created in 2003, notes include clementine leaves, orange blossom and water lily.

This starts with fresh orange juice and possibly some orange zest, and dries down to a crisp, lightly sweet white floral blend. I don’t really smell any water lily, or anything leafy or green, but there are certainly other floral notes here, and it stays citrusy straight through to the end.

A very refreshing, pleasant & decent cologne that’s citrusy, tangy, youthful, clean & innocent; JMOB used to evoke an euphoric state in me. Now it’s just too much to bear.

PS: If you could, never link a scent you love to any person/event/experience.

Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus

The most expensive  perfume I had ever owned ( at least as of Oct 2011 ). Of course, it’s also the biggest bottle of pure perfume / parfum in my current collection.

Like a deliciously crisp spring day, this uplifting creation with Japanese Osmanthus absolute is a beautifully composed bouquet of flowers, embellished with golden citrus notes. Layered on a bed of Egyptian sweet herbs, it is intense, fresh and yet uncomplicated.

Top:
Pomello, davana (sweet Egyptian herb), pimento
Heart:
Osmanthus absolute, water lily and sambac (Indian jasmine)
Base:
Cedarwood, labdanum resin, musk and vetiver

This rich, sultry scent is delicately intricate; I feel like bathing in a pedal infused milk spa under the warm winter sun every time I apply this.

Needed ( 1 )

What I need for my Christmas 2011……

Hello, Santa.

100 LPB Beauty Picks ( Part 2 )

In this part of the series, let’s look into impressive body & hair products that work for me……

1) This Works Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil – ultra nourishing, yet feels greaseless.

2) Nude Smoothing Body Refiner – refines, tones, firms & slims! Does slender down the tummy & thighs to a certain extent.

3) Bliss Fat Girl Slim – an exfoliator that uses aromatherapy to tone, decongest,diuresis & suppress the appetite, OMG.

4) Nubo Bien Etre Serum – anti-aging & up lifting essential oil.

5) Lierac Huile Sensorielle aux 3 Fleurs – multi-purpose silky oil for hair & body; Limited edition, and the scent is addictive.

6) Kiehl’s Creme de Corps – winter must have.

7) Occo Sipan No2 shower gel – wonderful coastal scent that instantly transport me to the waterfront.

8) NEOM bath oil – ALL of them, goodness gracious me, NEOM’s bath oils are saturated with very high concentration of essential oils, these blends are potent & work wonders!

9) Rodin Olio Lusso body oil - with those same fragrant essential oils ( 11 in total ), this is the only moisturizer you will ever need.

10) Ormonde Jayne Champaca bath oil – a pure indulgent  for your body & soul.

11) Snowberry Everyday SPF 15 -  completely natural, with a deliciously light, clear texture.

12) Kerastase Bain Nutri-Thermique – gentle shampoo that cleanses & nourishes.

13) Kerastase Lumiere Nutri-Sculpt – instant shine & suppleness with natural hold, almost a HG hair putty / wax.

14) Shu Uemura Essence Absolue – camelia oil infused hair serum for ultimate softness.

15) Bamford Rose bath oil – beautiful blends of essential oils suspended in natural oils of sweet almond & apricot kernel, amazingly relaxing & skin-softening.

16) Malin & Goetz Peppermint shampoo -hydrating shampoo incorporating natural peppermint extract ( 1% ) with amino acid-based cleansing agents. Effectively purifies and balances all hair and scalp types; Blended for frequent use without drying, stripping, irritation, or build-up. Residue-free formula!

17) Chanel Coco Mademoiselle fresh hair mist – essential for clubbing.

18) Chanel Cristalle EDT – Floral-fresh, subtle, a harmonious blend of citrus, honeysuckle and hyacinth. My first love.

19) Byredo Rose Noir EDP – a decadent, dirty rose with intense and animalic quality. Liberty exclusive in UK.

20) Le Labo Fleur D’Oranger 27 EDP - Orange Blossom enhanced by fresh floral and lemony notes, rounded out by musk and the succulent, sunny touches of bergamot, petit grain and lemon. Liberty exclusive in UK.

21) Tom Ford Tuscan Leather – a Chypre blend that is raw yet sensual. Saffron, Raspberry and Thyme open to Olibanum and Night Blooming Jasmine. Leather, Black suede and Amberwood add an intricate richness.

22) Tom Ford White Suede – the musk of raw desire. The supple scent of elegant suede and smooth leather, heightened by velvety rose, warm amber and sensuous musk.

23) Chanel Coromandel – a voluptuous Oriental scent, starting with an Amber vibrato, followed by dry notes of Frankincense and Benzoin, then, soulful woody notes add elegance and depth to the sensuous accord.

24) Chanel Sycomore – a rich wood fragrance with a noble character; Vetiver, with an elegant Sandalwood note and dashes of Cypress, Juniper and Pink Pepper, for an earthy, warm and enveloping, yet subtle presence.

25) Chanel Cuir de Russie Parfum – evocative of sumptuous leather and rich, exotic woods; My most precious fragrance, not only it’s in parfum form, but also it’s extremely limited in distribution & I got it as a gift from someone significant.

To be continued……

Shopping List

 I think I am doing quite well it comes to shopping list, got most of it during my holiday……

Duty free is the place for hunting when it comes to super-duper size skin care products at reduced rate.

 For niche fragrances, Selfridges never fails to deliver……

Tom Ford Beauty Collection

Monday is the perfect day for porn, make up porn, that is……

Find your pulse beating more rapid, your breathing getting shallower, your pupils dilated & your face flushing?

You shall reach the point of no return when you see the new brush set & the 2 new private collection fragrances!

 

Shopping Spree ( 3 )

More fragrance purchases…… Tom Ford’s White Suede & Neroli Portofino.

Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty collection – a 32-unit collection, with products ranging from his current line of luscious lipsticks along with hyper-pigmented lip glosses, dewy shadows, foundation sticks and illuminating primers.

I don’t know about you, but I am sure where my next pay package would end up in. I just got to have these gems by Tom Ford.

Summer 2011 Must Have

Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

Chanel Bronze Corail Soleil Tan de Chanel

Givenchy Acid Summer Le Prismissime Yeux eye shadow palette

Lancome Blanc Miracle foundation & compact

Omorovicza Gold Shimmer oil

Clarins After Sun replenishing moisture care

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino fragrance

H&M ” By Night ” Collection

Who said high street can’t be high end ? Definitely a fun and flirty capsule collection with prices you can’t beat, yet still looks stunningly elegant & extremely decorum.

 The Night Collection is perfect for a summer night at the beach and is a beautifully executed line of feminine and sultry.

Now, with the money you’ve saved, perhaps you could treat yourself with a little luxury in life; Tom Ford’s lippy, anyone?