Seen and Smelled Around Here

I'm one of those who loved Black Orchid, Tom Ford's first fragrance for women. It works amazingly well on me; I don't get any of the infamous pineapple and crotch. Since it's strong and has a marvelous sillage, I felt it was best to retire it for the summer. I wish they came up with the EdT version, Voile de Fleur, a little sooner. It would have made a sexy summer night scent. I doubt that any of the Black Orchid haters would change their mind, since despite a more transparent composition the fragrance is about the same, funky, earthy notes included. But if you tried and found the original too heavy or syrupy, it's worth giving a try, because to my nose the blackcurrant is tamed by a more sparkling floral note, and the vanilla is also less fierce.

Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essential is giving the wonderful Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion a good run for its money. It works exactly the same way (dot on the lid, use your pinky to evenly coat, wait 15 seconds to let dry before you apply your eye shadow, which will now last all day/night without fading or creasing) and has the same feel to it- you know you're doing it right when your lid becomes a silky canvas.

Unlike the one from Urban Decay, this primer has five different color options. I don't know how necessary it is, since a primer is supposed to be completely invisible, but you ever had a problem with the Potion's shade, maybe the variety here would be worth the extra cost (Trish is $22 to UD's $15). I'm wearing the one in Bare and it works perfectly for me.

All of a sudden, after nearly a lifetime of dismissing Shalimar because it seemed to be everywhere, therefore not very interesting, I've fallen head-over-heels for the parfum version. It's all about the wood-vanilla base that emerges from under the citrus top notes. all I can say is that my skin really loves vanilla, which in return is very kind to me.

I have a vintage bottle, but the new one is just as good and addictive, and I have a serious problem of lusting after the limited edition Black Mystery bottle, just because. I just tried the EdT, and this one does smell too sharp and too common as far as my nose is concerned, so my recommendation for the parfum stands firmly.

Remember the days you only had one blush in your makeup collection? It wasn't that long ago, but with the ever-growing number of textures and options available, most of us have long succumbed to the pretty colors. Bobbi Brown Pot of Rouge is advertised as suitable for both lips and cheeks, but it's too dry for my lips. However, on the face it's perfect and the color Summer Pink gives me a natural flush: Not sun kissed or tanned, just a dark rosy color that looks healthy and not painted. This color seems to be available from the big department stores, but it's gone from the official Bobbi web site. I hope it's not a goner.

Something funny happened when my husband tried Comme des Garcon 2 Man. This perfume is supposed to be all about incense, wood and smoke, but on his skin it was pure and plain pepper. Black pepper, red pepper and white pepper, strong and pungent. I didn't think it was too bad, but he was so disgusted he had to wash it off right away. we both agreed that the original is quite lovely, especially in the drydown. I just need to decide if I can get over some disturbing opening note that was too vomitty for comfort.
CdG perfumes are available online from Luckyscent, but you can find the most popular ones at several department stores (my local Nordstrom carries them) as well as Jeffreys and C.O. Bigelow. The latter is fast becoming one of my favorite stores to sample and buy perfume. They offer many interesting brands while lacking the department store attitude.