Falling in love again....

Review of Lancome Tresor In Love EDP

by MUA's Cavewoman

Autumn arrives today.

I'm not quite sure of the exact time that this will occur, but the morning news programs are abuzz withall things Fall, showing home decor ideas, recipes using seasonal produce, and fun fashions for the coming cool weather.It hasn't been a terribly hot Summer here in Northeast Ohio, and the thought of snow and ice on the way in a few monthsscares me so much. Last Winter, our house suffered some very serious damage from all the ice and snow. We are just now finishing up all the repairs, which went so much deeper than just the roof. I don't want this change of season.

I'm not ready.

Usually around this time of year, I'm eager to set aside my light, warm-weather fragrances, and I start thinking of spices, woods,and rich floral perfumes. These are the ones I tend to set aside when the hot weather comes, reaching into my fragrance collection for citrusy, effervescent, breezy-light florals and fizzy fruits. When cooler weather begins, I'm happy to rediscover all thebigger, deeper scents that I have not used for months.

But not now, not today. I don't mind cooler Fall weather and the wardrobe change it brings, in terms of pretty sweatersand scarves and jackets, but I am also painfully aware that Winter is not far behind. I don't want it. I'm rebelling against the official change of season today. And I'm wearing a beautiful Summer scent, the new Tresor In Love Eau De Parfum, recently launched by Lancome.

When I read that this new Tresor In Love would have rose and violet notes, I had to get to the Lancome counter as quickly as I could. Anything with rose and violet together is usually a big hit with me. It's my favorite note combo. I didn't have much feeling for the fruit notes(peach, pear, mandarin and bergamot) in the top notes, I was only interested in how the rose and violet would smell. I found the beautiful tall, slender bottle at the Lancome counter, and I sprayed my wrist. The peach note was the first and most dominant of the fruits, fun and juicy, easy to take, smelling more like the skin of the fruit than the pulp itself. This could be the best peach note in a fragrance since I Profumidi Firenze Florentia #22, which up until now has been my favorite peachy scent. I never did get the peach note that so many people say they find in Mitsouko. It took about a half hour on my wrist for the peach to fade and the rose-violet to appear, and when it did, I was buying. I prefer my rose-violet to be on the sweet side, rather than the green-stemmy type, and this is exactly how they appeared. The woodsy base notes balance perfectly with the florals, and lasting power is amazing! Here is a fruity-floral with real staying power, depth, and dimension. It's beautiful from top to bottom.

I had to wonder, for a moment or two, why Lancome would launch a fruity floral scent at the end of the Summer season, when most of the other fragrance launches tend to head toward the smoky, woodsy, incensey notes. And I love them, don't get me wrong. It'll be time soon enough to start wearing them, but I'm just not ready. I'm clinging to warm weather and sandals and striped tees for as long as I can, and loving a new fragrance to ease the transition. Maybe Lancome had this in mind when they decided to launch Tresor In Love at the end of Summer. I'll be reaching for Tresor In Love until the first snowflake flies. I hope that won't be for a very, very long time.

Disclosure: This perfume was purchased by the reviewer!

Photo Credit: Cavewoman

Sleeping With Ghosts

I was trying to recall when I first started hearing the buzz on Lisa Hoffman's products. I believe the first lemming rumblings came from fellow makeupalley members. Many had met her at Bergdorf Goodman events. Each and every muaer stated that she should not be dismissed as a celebrity wife with a beauty line. Her products are well crafted and exceptional. This is a tough crowd to charm so this praise is noteworthy.

So I was not in the dark when it came to sampling the niche line. I knew it was going to be good.
However, I was not prepared for just how damn good it was.
Notice the damn.
Japanese Agarwood is the scent that I fell madly in love with.
You want to live in it.
You want it pumped into every room you enter.
You want to beg the Lisa Hoffman execs to release it in big vats or gallon milk jugs.
The listed notes in Japanese Agarwood are Italian Bergamot, Spiced Ginger Accord, and Warm Amber. Japanese Agarwood is considered one of the most expensive woods in the world. It is not normally fragrant unless it is attacked by fungus. This is what makes it smell like heaven. The wood can be found in India, China and Vietnam.

The morning fragrance is described as the light and refreshing formula. The website states that it is "just enough fragrance to be noticed, but never enough to overwhelm the sensitive morning nose". It is light yet substantial. There is no whisper here. The Italian Bergamot and Spiced Ginger accord wakes you up without a jolt or shake. The one power house note is amberette seed. I fell hard for the charms of the amberette seed when I sniffed Chanel 18. Amberette seed smells comforting.
Like a cashmere snuggie.

The daytime formula is heavy on the ginger. It warms up slowly on the skin. My co-worker stated that this what a good hotel's lobby smells like. Normally this might sound quirky but she really nailed it. It smells like tea, flowers and polished woods. The lasting power on the daytime formula is strong. It lasted throughout the work day and until the early hours of the evening. This formula was the fan favorite from my perfumista friends.

The evening formula was very low key. The opening notes were harnessed and it was all about the amber. This was not a thick or heavy amber. This was all twilighty and shimmery. This is a "close to the skin scent" with only faint sillage.
The bedtime formula is my personal favorite. This has a powdery sweetness to it. It might just be a dash of heliotrope. It is perfection and the perfect scent lullaby.

This set is available at http://www.lisahoffmanskincare.com/ and it retails for $95. These are refillable and come in a gorgeous leather case. The case is perfect for traveling and feels like Bonnie Cashin-worthy leather.
The other scents are Madagascar Orchid and Tuscan Fig.
I will review these soon.

Title from Placebo

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Lisa Hoffman

Tbone Quotes

"It would be wonderful to have an orchestra follow us around all day and play a movie soundtrack to match our mood"
"Wearing perfume is a little bit like that. It scores the day. It makes breathing,ordinarily a purely functional thing, bring a little bit of beauty into you with each breath.

Quote from my buddy Tbone in November Elle Magazine

Photo source: I can not remember. I think it is from a London paper.

Anthropologie Question:

Has anyone tried the scents from Tokyo Milk Parfumarie? They sound so promising.
They retail for $28.

French Kiss: a sweet pucker of mandarin orange, gardenia and tuberose
Ex Libris: studiously paired fig, magnolia and bronzed musk
Le Petit:: culled from tiny violets, vanilla beans and peonies
Honey & The Moon: a twilight rendering of honey, violet, jasmine and sandalwood
Song In D Minor: white orchid, orange flower and gardenia, all in perfect key
I Want Candy: crisp apples, peaches and rosebuds are sweet, never treacle
Waltz: linden buds, wisteria petals and white musk twirl in time

Let us know the scoop in the comments.

Credit: Sam Flores